History UsefulNotes / NeoPaganism

** Like Druidism in UK, however, Hellenism has been granted [[http://ecer-org.eu/the-greek-state-has-finally-recognized-the-hellenic-ethnic-religion-as-a-known-religion/ official recognition]] as a religion kn Greece.

To most people in North America, Neo-Pagans are AcceptableTargets because of their allegiance to long-abandoned beliefs. At best, they are seen as harmless [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Cloudcuckoolanders]] and at worst, they are associated with [[ReligionOfEvil evil cults]] and [[ThoseWackyNazis neo-Nazi]]/white nationalist groups (possibly thanks to [[Music/{{Burzum}} Varg Vikernes]]). Usually, they are lumped together with New Agers. However, active discrimination has decreased in recent years.

** One important aspect of Gnosticism was the belief that the Creator in the Bible is ''not'' the real God, but rather the Demiurge, a being created by God, but unaware of God's existence. Unable to percieve anything but itself, it falsely assumed to be God itself. The [[KillEmAll reactions of other Christian sects]] could be expected.

* Ásatrú (ancient Nordic mythology) is based on the old religion of Germanic Northern Europe and is popular in Scandinavia and Germany. They believe in two groups of gods: the [=Æ=]sir (associated with kingdom, order, and craft), the Vanir (associated with nature and fertility), opposed by the land of giants. The [=Æ=]sir or Asa gods are the by far most prominent group, with the Vana gods, stemming from even earlier polytheism, being absorbed into their realm. You are probably familiar with many of their deities, such as Odin (king of the gods, god of wisdom and death), Thor (god of thunder and warriors), Frey (nature) and Freya (fertility). The 12th-13th-century Icelandic historian Creator/SnorriSturluson wrote extensively about the mythology in the ''Literature/ProseEdda,'' which made it possible to preserve a wealth of information to the present day.

* Rodnovery (Slavic Neo-paganism) is notable for its heavy emphasis on nationalism and belief in a Slavic Golden Age before the rise of Christianity. One problem that it faces is that there are virtually no records of the original Slavic religion, so practitioners rely heavily on 19th-century folklore, artistic invention, and the occasional divine revelation. One work, called the Book of Veles, was allegedly discovered in 1919 and lost in 1941 (although transcripts and translations of it are still widely available). The book is believed by many Slavic neo-pagans to be an accurate depiction of Slavic pagan beliefs, but mainstream linguists and historians consider it a forgery, as the historical events it describes are unsupported by any other historical data, and the language of the book is a chaotic mishmash of words from known ancient and modern Slavic languages, along with made-up AsLongAsItSoundsForeign words, all with extremely inconsistent grammar.
* There are currently many Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionists, who benefit from the relatively vast number of records of ancient Greek religion. Many ancient Greek writings, including those by Creator/{{Plato}} and Creator/{{Aristotle}}, are considered to be their sacred texts. They do not have an official name for their religion, although Hellenismos is the most popular. Most of them worship the traditional twelve Olympian gods, along with underworld deities and the heroes of Myth/ClassicalMythology. Although they do perform traditional sacrifices, they do not use animals killed for that purpose and sometimes include fruits and vegetables. The Greeks themselves, however, are less partial with them, at best seeing them as "quirky." Though an Orthodox clergyman in Athens once commented on them as "deluded."

* While not nearly as popular as the above, the anthropological writings of Laurette Sejourne and Leon Portilla and religious books by Antonio Velasco Piña inspired a neo-pagan religious movement known as "Mexicanista", based on Aztec spirituality, other Mesoamerican belief systems, and a bit of Hindu esotericism for some reason. It bears little resemblance to actual Aztec rituals and practices, focusing more on the cosmology and pantheon. This is probably good, considering that one of the most famous practices of ancient Aztec religion was HumanSacrifice.

* There are currently many Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionists, who benefit from the relatively vast number of records of ancient Greek religion. Many ancient Greek writings, including those by Plato and Aristotle, are considered to be their sacred texts. They do not have an official name for their religion, although Hellenismos is the most popular. Most of them worship the traditional twelve Olympian gods, along with underworld deities and the heroes of Myth/ClassicalMythology. Although they do perform traditional sacrifices, they do not use animals killed for that purpose and sometimes include fruits and vegetables. The Greeks themselves, however, are less partial with them, at best seeing them as "quirky." Though an Orthodox clergyman in Athens once commented on them as "deluded."

* [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Gnosticism]] is an ancient splinter of the Christian tradition before orthodoxy was defined. However, it shares a lot in common with modern Neo-Pagan traditions, including a conception of the Divine Feminine as a natural complement to the Divine Masculinity of God/Jesus, a pantheon of quasi-gods known as aeons, and a very syncreticist worldview. Some were strict ascetics who would put the most orthodox to shame, others were libertine [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomianism antinomians]]. Naturally, Christianity at large considers this as heretical.

To most people in North America, Neo-Pagans are AcceptableTargets because of their allegiance to long-abandoned beliefs. At best, they are seen as harmless [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Cloudcuckoolanders]] and at worst, they are associated with [[ReligionOfEvil evil cults]] and [[ThoseWackyNazis neo-Nazi]]/white nationalist groups (possibly thanks to [[BlackMetal Varg Vikernes]]). Usually, they are lumped together with New Agers. However, active discrimination has decreased in recent years.

With increased tolerance of other faiths in the West, several movements have appeared to restore the long-dead polytheistic faiths that had been banned (or faded) since late antiquity. Of course, reconstructing these religions accurately is next to impossible because there are very few non-biased historical accounts of them and practically no first-hand written descriptions of the religions by its worshipers (mostly because these religions mostly existed in ''oral'' traditions--the Jewish idea of ''writing down'' the words of God—and then [[Literature/TheTalmud the oral tradition around the words of God]]—was very innovative for its time) although archaeological records have provided some clues. As a result, Neo-Pagan movements tend to be vague and non-dogmatic versions of the original belief systems. There's debate (particularly with Christianity, Judaism, etc.) whether these could be considered "true" faiths (such as regarding their origins), [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment but that's another story.]]

** A large sect of this religion put an Afro-centric spin on it, and it became a part of the Black Power movement alongside Islam. Though questions have been raised by scholars on exactly what race the ancient Egyptians technically were, this is a touchy subject for Afro-centric Kemetic pagans and [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment is best avoided]].

** Close, as Lithuanians and Latvians are the last of the Baltic peoples, yet not identical. Latvian Dievturiba retains many pantheistic traits in the form of Mates (Mothers), which personify nature, like Jūras māte, the personification of the sea.

* ''Thelema'' is a smaller sect, but is nontheless notable. It was founded by Creator/AleisterCrowley in the early 1900's. Crowley was an avid occultist and claimed to have received divine revelation from three Egyptian gods. He would write this revelation in The Book of the Law. The titular law is "Do what thou wilt, that is the whole of the law" and it is this rule that gives Thelema its name (from the Greek word for 'will'). If one is familiar with Wicca, this law may sound familiar, as the Wicca Rede is very similar to the Law of Thelema. Thelema has a variety of rituals associated with magic (including some sexual ones), but all are fundamentally geared towards the realization and achievement of one's True Will. Thelemites hold that all of one's acts should be to achieve one's True Will (absent acts that would infringe on others' wills) and anything that serves as an obstacle to achieving it should be discarded. The largest Thelemite organization today is the Ordo Templi Orientis, which exists and operates worldwide.

** A large sect of this religion put an Afro-centric spin on it, and it became a part of the Black Power movement alongside Islam. Though questions have been raised by scholars on exactly what race the ancient Egyptians technically were, this is a touchy subject for Afro-centric Kemetic pagans and [[InternetBackdraft is best avoided]].

With increased tolerance of other faiths in the West, several movements have appeared to restore the long-dead polytheistic faiths that had been banned (or faded) since late antiquity. Of course, reconstructing these religions accurately is next to impossible because there are very few non-biased historical accounts of them and practically no first-hand written descriptions of the religions by its worshipers (mostly because these religions mostly existed in ''oral'' traditions--the Jewish idea of ''writing down'' the words of God—and then [[Literature/TheTalmud the oral tradition around the words of God]]—was very innovative for its time) although archaeological records have provided some clues. As a result, Neo-Pagan movements tend to be vague and non-dogmatic versions of the original belief systems. There's debate (particularly with Christianity, Judaism, etc.) whether these could be considered "true" faiths (such as regarding their origins), [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment but that's another story.]]

* Rodnovery (Slavic Neo-paganism) is notable for its heavy emphasis on nationalism and belief in a Slavic Golden Age before the rise of Christianity. One problem that it faces is that there are virtually no records of the original Slavic religion, so practitioners rely heavily on 19th-century folklore, artistic invention, and the occasional divine revelation. One work lost in 1941, the Book of Veles, claimed to be an accurate depiction of Slavic pagan beliefs, but many now believe it to be a forgery.

--> ''A version of the famous quote told to an author by an unknown Native American woman.''

With increased tolerance of other faiths in the West, several movements have appeared to restore the long-dead polytheistic faiths that had been banned (or faded) since late antiquity. Of course, reconstructing these religions accurately is next to impossible because there are very few non-biased historical accounts of them and practically no first-hand written descriptions of the religions by its worshipers (mostly because these religions mostly existed in ''oral'' traditions--the Jewish idea of ''writing down'' the words of God was very innovative for its time) although archaeological records have provided some clues. As a result, Neo-Pagan movements tend to be vague and non-dogmatic versions of the original belief systems. There's debate (particularly with Christianity, Judaism, etc.) whether these could be considered "true" faiths (such as regarding their origins), [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment but that's another story.]]

* There are currently many Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionists, who benefit from the relatively vast number of records of ancient Greek religion. Many ancient Greek writings, including those by Plato and Aristotle, are considered to be their sacred texts. They do not have an official name for their religion, although Hellenismos is the most popular. Most of them worship the tradition twelve Olympian gods, along with underworld deities and the heroes of Myth/ClassicalMythology. Although they do perform traditional sacrifices, they do not use animals killed for that purpose and sometimes include fruits and vegetables. The Greeks themselves, however, are less partial with them, at best seeing them as "quirky." Though an Orthodox clergyman in Athens once commented on them as "deluded."

->''"[[CulturalPosturing If you leave the Bible out in the wind and rain eventually all of its teachings and lessons wash away. Our Bible IS the wind and rain.]]"''

** Naturally, there are many ''Roman'' Polytheistic Reconstructionists as well, who actually go the whole hog and try to reconstruct the culture of TheRomanEmpire as well as reconstructing the Roman gods. They do get a bit offended if you just call their gods the Greek gods with a name change, though. Most live in Italy.

* The largest and most well-known Neo-Pagan group is [[{{UsefulNotes/Wicca}} Wicca]], an orthopraxic, oathbound religion believed by most historians of religion to have founded by Gerald Gardner around 1954, although he claimed to have been part of a secret movement dating to ancient times. Some (but nowhere ''near'' all) Wiccans consider themselves practitioners of witchcraft. Their God and Goddess are separate and unique deities, not aspects of a universal god and goddess as some claim - I.E., the Lady is the Lady, ''not'' Nuith, Athena, etc. Due to their conflicts with Christianity and their use of pentagram symbols, many Wiccans have been accused of Satanism. It should also be pointed out that pretty much any book that claims to teach the reader Wicca is either bunk or is actually teaching something called Eclectic Neopaganism, which is a blanket term for general Neopagan beliefs and practices, but does not actually contain the Mysteries central and vital to practice the orthopraxic religion created by Gardner.

* Ásatrú (ancient Nordic mythology) is based on the old religion of Germanic Northern Europe and is popular in Scandinavia and Germany. They believe in two groups of gods: the Æsir (associated with kingdom, order, and craft), the Vanir (associated with nature and fertility), opposed by the land of giants. The Æsir or Asa gods are the by far most prominent group, with the Vana gods, stemming from even earlier polytheism, being absorbed into their realm. You are probably familiar with many of their deities, such as Odin (king of the gods, god of wisdom and death), Thor (god of thunder and warriors), Frey (nature) and Freya (fertility). The 12th-13th-century Icelandic historian Creator/SnorriSturluson wrote extensively about the mythology in the ''Literature/ProseEdda,'' which made it possible to preserve a wealth of information to the present day.

** Kemetic Orthodoxy is an organized, officially recognized[[note]]Namely having legal recognition in the United States, including ordained priests who can perform things like marriage ceremonies.[[/note]] take on this, who have their own rituals alongside things taken from antiquity. They are led by Tamara Siuda who acts as the "Nisut" (or pharaoh) and head of the religion.[[note]]As regarded by those who are part of the Kemetic Orthodoxy. Those outside it generally don't recognize or believe her authority.[[/note]]

** Kemetic Orthodoxy is an organized, officially recognized[[note]]That this, having legal recognition in the United States, including ordained priests who can perform things like marriage ceremonies.[[/note]] take on this, who have their own rituals alongside things taken from antiquity. They are led by Tamara Siuda who acts as the "Nisut" (or pharaoh) and head of the religion.[[note]]That is, by those who are part of the Kemetic Orthodoxy. Those outside it generally don't recognize or believe her authority.[[/note]]

----

* There are currently many Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionists, who benefit from the relatively vast number of records of ancient Greek religion. Many ancient Greek writings, including those by Plato and Aristotle, are considered to be their sacred texts. They do not have an official name for their religion, although Hellenismos is the most popular. Most of them worship the tradition twelve Olympian gods, along with underworld deities and the heroes of ClassicalMythology. Although they do perform traditional sacrifices, they do not use animals killed for that purpose and sometimes include fruits and vegetables. The Greeks themselves, however, are less partial with them, at best seeing them as "quirky." Though an Orthodox clergyman in Athens once commented on them as "deluded."

* Kemeticism is the worship of the [[EgyptianMythology ancient Egyptian Gods]] and comes in many forms, largely because there was no single dogma practiced in ancient Egypt. However, many practitioners believe that to truly understand the spiritualism of the ancient Egyptians requires careful study of their various beliefs. Important rules include upholding Ma'at (the divine law), belief in the Supreme Being, ancestor worship, and respect for the community. The system is split on the need of a Pharaoh, one person sent to Earth who is the embodiment of the gods, though most followers have done away with this aspect of Egyptian religion (because having a pharaoh is when it starts to get more scary and cult-like). That said, the number of Kemeticists in Egypt is sufficiently small that you could probably hold a national conference in a motel room. The religion is more popular in Europe and North America, where the most popular deity seems to be Isis.[[note]]It appears that the cult of Isis remained extant long after Egypt and the Roman Empire became predominantly Christian (Egypt was one of the first Roman territories where Christianity really took root). There's just ''something'' about that goddess...[[/note]]

* In {{UsefulNotes/Armenia}} a neo-pagan sect calling themselves ''hetanos'' (sharing a common root word with the English 'heathen') has been slowly growing since the Soviet Union collapsed and the ban on religion was lifted. Although most Armenians either began following Christianity more freely than before (Armenia ''was'' the earliest country to officially adopt Christianity after all) or continued being atheists, some decided to go completely back to their roots (current estimates are that there's about 200 to 300 of them, in a country of around 3 million, though some go as high as 1,000). Hetanos follow reconstructed ancient Armenian polytheistic traditions, which borrow some from ancient Greek and Zoroastrian traditions but also contain deities uniquely Armenian. Interestingly, the Armenian Apostolic Church is not outspoken against them, choosing to instead be outspoken against the Evangelical and Protestant movements growing in the country. Their base of operations is the Temple of Garni, the only pagan temple not destroyed when Armenia's King Trdat III converted to Christianity in the 300's.

* In {{UsefulNotes/Armenia}} a neo-pagan sect calling themselves ''hetanos'' (sharing a common root word with the English 'heathen') has been slowly growing since the Soviet Union collapsed and the ban on religion was lifted. Although most Armenians either began following Christianity more freely than before (Armenia ''was'' the earliest country to officially adopt Christianity after all) or continued being atheists, some decided to go completely back to their roots (current estimates are that there's about 200 to 300 of them, in a country of around 3 million, though some go as high as 1,000). Hetanos follow reconstructed ancient Armenian polytheistic traditions, which borrow some from ancient Greek and Zoroastrian traditions but also contain deities uniquely Armenian. Interestingly, the Armenian Apostolic Church is not outspoken against them, choosing to instead be outspoken against the Evangelical and Protestant movements growing in the country. There is even a level of mutual respect between ''some'' hetanos and Apostolic Christians, since both represent integral parts of Armenian heritage and identity.

** Druidism has, incidentally, just been granted [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11457795 official recognition]] as a Religion, so YAY!