Paganism is a term that refers to a diversity of spiritual beliefs and practices that are rooted in pre-Christian traditions. Pagans do not follow one singular god or pantheon of gods. There is no central sacred text or set of doctrines that outline pagan beliefs. Instead, contemporary Paganism encompasses a wide range of traditions, including Wicca, Druidry, Celtic polytheism, Asatru, and more. Despite their differences, most pagan traditions share a reverence for nature, the sacred feminine, and the turning of the seasons. Pagans engage in ritual and spiritual practices that aim to connect them more deeply with the natural world, community, and their inner selves.
Do pagans believe in God?
Most pagans are polytheists, meaning they venerate multiple gods and goddesses. However, beliefs about the nature of these deities vary widely. Some pagans view their gods and goddesses as Jungian archetypes or psychological constructs, while others experience them as literal beings with distinct personalities and attributes. Many pagans believe their deities embody natural or cosmic forces and principles. The primary deities in contemporary Paganism tend to derive from ancient mythologies and folklore, including Celtic, Norse, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and other cultures. However, pagans may also work with more abstract personifications of concepts like justice, wisdom, love, and change. Some pagans are “hard polytheists” who worship specific named deities, while others are “soft polytheists” who view the gods and goddesses as aspects of a broader divine force.
Some pagans espouse pantheism or panentheism – the belief that divinity is embodied within all of nature, but also transcends it. Pantheists do not acknowledge gods as distinct beings, but see the divine manifested in every rock, tree, animal, and star. Other pagans describe themselves as duotheists or polyentheists, believing in a God/Goddess/Divine Creator that encompasses a pair or multiplicity of deities. There are also pagans who identify as agnostics, animists, humanists, atheists, and more – placing their emphasis on practices, ethics, culture and community rather than theology.
Do pagans believe in an afterlife?
Beliefs about the afterlife vary among pagans and often align with their cosmology and theological orientation. Reincarnation is a common belief in pagan traditions like Wicca and Druidry. This reflects the pagan view of nature as cyclical – death gives rise to new life in an ongoing cycle. Through reincarnation, the soul or spirit is reborn repeatedly into the physical world to continue learning, growing, and fulfilling its purpose. The goal is to progress spiritually over the course of many lifetimes until the soul reaches a state of consummate wisdom.
Other pagans believe in the Summerland – an afterlife realm of rest and renewal where souls dwell between incarnations. The Celtic concept of Tír na nÓg (“Land of the Young”) – a paradise realm to which worthy souls journeys after death – also appears in some pagan afterlife models. Pagans who worship Norse deities look forward to spending their afterlife in the halls of the gods in Asgard. Hellenic polytheists may believe that the worthy enter Elysium, while wicked souls are condemned to Tartarus. More eclectic pagans conceptualize the afterlife as the soul journeying to a realm of ancestral spirits, guides, and deities whom they worked with in life.
Some pagans profess a belief in oblivion – that the soul dissolves back into the divine force of the universe after death. A smaller number believe our spirits are extinguished entirely at death. Overall, pagan notions of the afterlife emphasize continuity between this life and what comes after, with an emphasis on the soul’s unfolding journey toward wisdom rather than divine judgment. The diversity of beliefs reflects the importance of personal gnosis (intuitive knowledge gained from meditation, dreams, etc.) in shaping pagan ideas about the mysteries of death.
Are pagan gods similar to those in other religions?
There are some notable parallels between pagan conceptions of deity and the gods described in other polytheistic religions such as Hinduism, Shintoism, and the myths of ancient cultures. Like the gods of old, pagan deities have unique personalities, attributes, iconography, and domains of influence. The pagan approach to relating to these deities also has much in common with other polytheistic devotional traditions. Pagans build altars, make offerings, recite prayers and chants, and perform rituals aimed at honoring, propitiating, and communing with their gods. Some also seek to cultivate a relationship of reciprocity with their deities – calling on them for blessing, protection or advice, and in turn making offerings.
However, pagan deities are firmly rooted in the natural world rather than occupying a removed heavenly realm. There is also a feminist emphasis on the divine feminine within paganism that differentiates its theology and practices from most patriarchal polytheistic faiths. The pagan reverence for nature and the earth is also relatively uncommon among mainstream world religions. Unlike the gods of monotheistic religions, pagan deities do not claim to be the sole divine force in the universe. The gods of popular pagan traditions like Norse Ásatrú, Celtic druidry, or Greek and Roman reconstructionism also have distinct mythological pedigrees that shape their characters and roles within the pagan worldview. Overall, the pagan approach towards its deities is highly personal, experiential and reciprocal in a way that differs from the reverence shown to gods in other faiths.
What are some pagan gods and goddesses?
Some of the most prominent pagan gods and goddesses include:
Celtic deities:
- Danu – Mother goddess tied to fertility and the earth
- Dagda – Father god associated with magic, wisdom, life and death
- Morrigan – Goddess of war, fate and sovereignty
- Cernunnos – Horned god of nature, wildlife and fertility
- Brighid – Goddess of healing, poetry and craftwork
Norse and Germanic deities:
- Odin – Ruler of the Aesir gods and god of wisdom, magic and poetry
- Frigg – Queen of the Aesir and goddess of marriage, household management and divination
- Thor – God of thunder, strength, and protection of mankind
- Freyja – Goddess of love, sex, war, and death
- Loki – Trickster god of mischief, deception and change
Greek/Roman deities:
- Artemis/Diana – Virgin goddess of the hunt and wildlife
- Aphrodite/Venus – Goddess of love, beauty and pleasure
- Demeter/Ceres – Goddess of agriculture and the fertility of the earth
- Athena/Minerva – Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and defense
- Apollo – God of music, healing, prophecy and enlightenment
Egyptian deities:
- Isis – Goddess of magic, motherhood and devotion
- Osiris – God of the dead and resurrection
- Anubis – God of the afterlife and mummification rituals
- Bast – Goddess of cats, protection, joy and dance
- Thoth – God of wisdom, magic, writing and science
Beyond these pantheons, pagans may also work with earth-centered deities like Gaia/Mother Earth, Horned God and Triple Goddess, or with personified concepts like Justice and Wisdom. Certain gods like Zeus, Hecate, Loki and Brighid recur across different pagan traditions but take on unique aspects and mythos.
How do pagans worship their gods?
Pagans engage in a variety of spiritual practices to venerate their gods:
- Rituals – Pagans perform ritual as a means of communing with their gods. Rituals mark seasonal holidays, life transitions, rites of passage and more. They often involve cleansing a ritual space, invoking deities, making offerings, raising energy, meditation and celebrating.
- Offerings – Gifts are offered to the gods as a sign of respect, gratitude and devotion. Common offerings include flowers, food and drink, handmade crafts, songs and poetry recited in their honor.
- Prayers and mantras – Pagans pray to their gods through spontaneous, conversational prayer and recitation of traditional prayers, chants or verses.
- Altars – Sacred spaces containing statues, images or symbols of pagan deities along with offerings, candles and ritual tools used in venerating them.
- Pilgrimage – Some pagans undertake pilgrimages to sites associated with gods and goddesses – like Brigid’s holy well in Kildare, Greece’s Temple of Artemis, or Norse archaeological sites.
- Meditation – Quiet contemplation on the attributes and mythology of pagan deities to deepen understanding and connection with them.
- Ecstatic dance – Dancing for the gods can induce altered states allowing communion with the deity invoked.
- Sacred images – Pagans use sacred imagery like statues, paintings, symbolic jewelry and tarot cards to focus worship and contemplation.
Personal, experiential connection with the gods is prioritized over doctrine and fixed structures. Pagans cultivate relationships with deities through regular spiritual practice, observation of festivals and life conducted in an ethical manner.
How do pagans view divinity and the universe?
Given paganism’s theological diversity, there are many perspectives on divinity and cosmology. But some generally accepted principles include:
- Divinity is immanent – the gods are present and manifest in nature, not removed in some distant realm.
- The universe is alive, conscious and filled with spirit – embodied in deities, nature spirits, ancestors and more.
- Polytheism and pantheism – The divine comprises many gods, or all existence itself.
- Reverence for the interconnectedness and sacredness of nature.
- The divine feminine is exalted as equal, complementary pole to the masculine.
- Wheel of the year – Cyclical nature of life and the seasons reflects cosmic order.
- Magic and ritual allow connection with divine forces to manifest positive change.
- Truth found through myth, metaphor, poetry rather than dogma.
- Ethics emphasized more than faith – “right action” over “right belief”.
Pagans see divine presence manifested through nature’s beauty, magic and mystery. Their spiritual focus is nurturing connection with the gods, the world and each other through ritual practice and right relationship, rather than worshipping a distant supreme deity.
What moral code do pagans follow?
Most pagan traditions emphasize ethics, virtuous living and hospitality more than adherence to fixed rules and doctrines. However, certain moral principles are widely embraced:
- Harm none – Nonviolence, acting with care to minimize harm to others, the earth and oneself.
- Reciprocity – Generosity, balance and fair exchange in relationships between humans, spirits and nature.
- Truth – Honesty, integrity and acting with honor are paramount.
- Wisdom – Seeking knowledge, acting deliberately, not recklessly.
- Courage – Facing adversity and injustice while standing up for what is right.
- Hospitality – Openness, inclusion, service to community and those in need.
- Respect – For diversity of all kinds – religious, cultural, gender identity, etc.
- Blót – Ritual giving, making offerings in the spirit of love and community.
Right relationship and interconnectedness are at the heart of pagan ethics. Principles like the Wiccan Rede (“An it harm none, do as ye will”) condense moral guidance to a short but powerful statement emphasizing personal responsibility. Pagans also seek to embody virtues honored in myths and folklore, like courage, integrity, wisdom and honor.
Do pagans have clergy or sacred texts?
Most pagan traditions do not have formal institutions, clergy or sacred texts the way major world religions do. However, they have their own forms of organization and authorities that are uniquely adapted to decentralized nature-based spirituality:
- Traditional myths, folklore and poetry carry authority, guiding practice and conveying sacred truths.
- Elders and experienced practitioners preserve knowledge, advise others, lead rituals and facilitate training.
- Priests and priestesses officiate rituals, oversee temples, perform ceremonies and assist spiritual seekers in some traditions.
- No universal “Bible” or doctrinal canon, but various influential literary texts emerge that codify rituals, teachings and mythology.
- Coven and grove structures provide community, foster initiations and support group practice.
- Websites, publications and social media disseminate knowledge, build community and form bonds among diverse practitioners today.
- Gatherings and conventions allow networking, shared ritual, workshops and discussion of developments.
While lacking centralized authority, pagans foster community and preserve teachings through polymorphous peer networks, mentorship, online media and initiatives that sustain continuity, knowledge and ethics dynamically over time.
Conclusion
At their core, pagan traditions share a deep reverence for nature, feminine divinity and the human spirit’s connection to the cosmos. Pagans cultivate relationships with gods, ancestors and spirits tied to ancient myths, folklore and the land itself. Rituals attuned to natural cycles, practiced with mindfulness and an ethics of reciprocity, allow pagans to dwell in right relationship with each other, the gods and the living earth. While highly diverse, paganism emerges from humanity’s timeless need for meaning, awe and belonging found through sacralizing nature and imagining the divine in our own image. Contemporary paganism powerfully answers that need for many today seeking enchantment and purpose in a rational, secular age.