Modern Paganism is an umbrella term for contemporary religious movements that draw on pre-Christian traditions, nature, polytheism, or combinations of these. Wicca, some forms of Druidry, and Heathenry are familiar examples. Their gods, sources, and forms of worship differ, so Paganism is better approached as a family of traditions than as one church with a common doctrine.[1]

The word also appears in accounts of ancient religion. A modern Pagan community may study an ancient culture without claiming that its present organization has existed continuously since that period.

Several ways of recovering a past#

The Pagan Federation describes a wide range of beliefs about deity, including polytheistic and pantheistic approaches. Some practitioners join an established tradition; others develop an individual practice. Nature can be a focus of religious concern without every community understanding divinity in the same way.[1]

Druidry offers one example of adaptation. The Federation's account discusses Celtic mythology, poetry, the landscape, and historical material about Druids. Modern orders use these sources in different ways. It also notes that some Druid organizations have Christian, charitable, or cultural identities, which makes it inaccurate to classify every person called a Druid as a member of a Pagan religion.[2]

Heathenry commonly looks to the pre-Christian religions of northern Europe. Its practitioners may honor gods, ancestors, and beings associated with the land. Medieval literature, including the Eddas and sagas, supplies important material, but interpreting those texts and organizing present-day worship require choices. The Pagan Federation describes substantial variation between communities rather than a universal authority deciding those choices.[3]

Worship and belonging#

A community might organize seasonal rites, celebrate important moments in a member's life, or maintain a regular pattern of offerings. Another practitioner may worship at home. The Federation emphasizes this coexistence of organized traditions and personal paths.[1] Membership in an organization, participation in a public festival, and private religious identification are consequently different things.

Names of gods deserve particular attention. A mythological figure may appear in ancient literature, modern devotion, an occult manual, and a novel. The appearance of the same name does not make those settings interchangeable.

Where Satanism enters the comparison#

Modern Paganism and Theistic Satanism can overlap in people's reading or ritual interests, but neither label supplies a complete account of the other. A useful comparison identifies the particular community, its explanation of deity, and the sources it uses. It should not assume that all non-Christian religions share a theology or a religious institution.

Further reading in this wiki#

References

  1. Pagan Federation, Introduction to Paganism · An umbrella organization's account of the diversity of modern Pagan beliefs and practices. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
  2. Pagan Federation, Druidry · Modern Druid approaches to Celtic materials and the range of organizations using the name. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
  3. Pagan Federation, Heathenry · Practitioner introduction to northern European religious sources, gods, ancestors, and local variation. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
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This encyclopedia covers traditions beyond the High Satanic Church. Church doctrine is identified as such when it appears.