What do you think?
Rate this book
Paganism: An Introduction to Earth- Centered Religions
A comprehensive guide to a growing religious movement. If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study.
This book presents the basic fundamentals of Paganism. It explores what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magick is; and what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics.
·For those who are exploring their own spirituality, or who want a good book to give to non-Pagan family and friends
·A hands-on learning tool with magickal workings, meditations, discussion questions, and journal exercises
·Offers in-depth discussion of ethics and magick
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
608 people are currently reading
5086 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
November 7, 2013
As the title says, this is an introduction into Paganism. The problem with the three major religions is that followers are "locked into" one particular set of beliefs. You must believe what they dictate or be damned for eternity. But how does anyone know--for sure--if their particular dogma is the one, true faith? Not to mention the fact that people fear what they don't understand. Reading a book like this is an excellent way to increase knowledge about an alternative belief system. I'm not saying you should switch from your current religion to a Pagan one. But knowing about other religions will broaden your personal knowledge of how humans have tried--for thousands of years--to connect with a higher power. There are similarities in all religions. But people must be open-minded enough to learn about them and compare them to what they already believe (or not believe).
November 20, 2017
The book is very informative when it comes to describing what is Paganism. I really enjoyed the first third of the book because of that. The second third would be useful to some people who are coming from other religions, but it wasn't so much for me. I already knew I could believe in whatever I want and so on and so forth. The book lost me when it got to explaining how magick works. It talks about quantum physics and it doesn't do a great job of explaining the experiments or theories. I had to look them up online to get a better understanding. However, the ultimate no no for me was when the author was talking about Bohm's theory of the universe. All was well and good when she was clearly stating it was a theory, but I stopped reading when in the very next chapter she basically says 'Since this is how the universe works....' Wait. What? No! I'm all for people believing in whatever they want and I will admit that this book sparked a serious interest in Quantum Mechanics for me, but Bohm's theory isn't necessarily how the world works, we don't know, it's why it's still a theory. There are many theories out there of how the universe is set up. There might be multiverses or we might all be a giant hologram. These are all theories within quantum physics.
I literally stopped reading at that point. I skimmed the last third, but the author lost all credibility for me with that one sentence. Had she said: "Since this is how I believe the world works.." or something along those lines then I wouldn't have minded. But instead she decided to take a gross liberty with science and state something is a fact when it isn't so oh well. This happened a few months ago and I am Pagan...ecclectic mostly and I still suggest this book for beginners but I always make sure to state the liberty she took in regards to science. There's enough 'woo woo' and anti-science people out there. I believe religion and science can get along just fine. There's no need to lie about one to make readers believe the other one is also on your side.
I literally stopped reading at that point. I skimmed the last third, but the author lost all credibility for me with that one sentence. Had she said: "Since this is how I believe the world works.." or something along those lines then I wouldn't have minded. But instead she decided to take a gross liberty with science and state something is a fact when it isn't so oh well. This happened a few months ago and I am Pagan...ecclectic mostly and I still suggest this book for beginners but I always make sure to state the liberty she took in regards to science. There's enough 'woo woo' and anti-science people out there. I believe religion and science can get along just fine. There's no need to lie about one to make readers believe the other one is also on your side.
April 23, 2009
Balanced, meaty, and respectful of seekers, not assuming that readers have already decided on Paganism and need to learn how to do it, but guiding readers through a kind of tour of what's commonly to be found in the Pagan part of any given Pagan's head, and offering the reader the chance to take home those ideas.
The book is not written at a seventh grade level, as I was unconsciously expecting from any book on Paganism with "introduction" or "beginners" in it's title. It also does not dive into any of the alternative lifestyles commonly associated with Paganism, as I was fearing.
The exercises won't do for my kids, being all too clearly geared towards folks raised in Big Three religions, but the rest of the book will, I think, be good enough for my raised-Pagan nine-year-old as an introduction to what makes our religion what it is, plus a bit of the what-it-is.
The book is not written at a seventh grade level, as I was unconsciously expecting from any book on Paganism with "introduction" or "beginners" in it's title. It also does not dive into any of the alternative lifestyles commonly associated with Paganism, as I was fearing.
The exercises won't do for my kids, being all too clearly geared towards folks raised in Big Three religions, but the rest of the book will, I think, be good enough for my raised-Pagan nine-year-old as an introduction to what makes our religion what it is, plus a bit of the what-it-is.
February 16, 2017
Not at all what I was expecting from the title. I thought this was going to go more in depth into all the kinds of paganism there are. I certainly wasn't expecting for every page to tell me how open Paganism is and how it's okay to feel anxious about it all.
Might as well have called the book Paganism: An Introduction for Christians.
Might as well have called the book Paganism: An Introduction for Christians.
September 28, 2019
I took my time, did most of the exercises and got a lot out of this book. For those who do not know anything about Pagans or Paganism, I think it will give you a good understanding of it. Andrea, thanks for the suggestion!
July 5, 2023
*amerykańskie pogaństwo, czyli głównie wicca, żadnych tradycji oraz zbyt dużo chrześcijaństwa
January 28, 2009
This book is completely unnecessary to read if you're already a practicing pagan. If you're of a different religion that is having trouble understanding and accpeting Paganism, then this is a good book to help you through your confusion, if you're wanting to be helped through it.
But if you're already learned in paganism, or at least have a decent and open understanding of it...don't bother with the book.
But if you're already learned in paganism, or at least have a decent and open understanding of it...don't bother with the book.
March 29, 2024
This is chock full of information that both beginners and non-beginners alike can use. It made me think, a lot, and I have it tabbed and annotated it a ton. Whether you are new to Paganism, not new to Paganism, or just wanting to learn about Paganism with an open mind, I highly recommend this book.
March 4, 2019
Rating: 2.5 stars
If this book only contained Chapter 1 (What is Paganism), Chapter 2 (You Are What You Believe), and Chapter 7 (Ethics and Personal Responsibility) it would have received a higher rating. The other four chapters lost my interest when the authors delved into questionable faith-healings, inaccurate Roman history (in chapter 4), a strong bias in favor of Wicca at the expense of ignoring other neo-Pagan religious movements, its confusing logic behind a belief in magick, and a lack of a call to check one's own beliefs with how they hold up in the face of reality.
In spite of these short comings, chapters 1,2, and 7 strongly highlight the value of following one's own path; seeking information from multiple sources; flexing ethical muscles regularly; and taking personal responsibility for your own beliefs, ethics, and actions. It was these three chapters that made me glad that I read the book and would encourage others to read it.
If this book only contained Chapter 1 (What is Paganism), Chapter 2 (You Are What You Believe), and Chapter 7 (Ethics and Personal Responsibility) it would have received a higher rating. The other four chapters lost my interest when the authors delved into questionable faith-healings, inaccurate Roman history (in chapter 4), a strong bias in favor of Wicca at the expense of ignoring other neo-Pagan religious movements, its confusing logic behind a belief in magick, and a lack of a call to check one's own beliefs with how they hold up in the face of reality.
In spite of these short comings, chapters 1,2, and 7 strongly highlight the value of following one's own path; seeking information from multiple sources; flexing ethical muscles regularly; and taking personal responsibility for your own beliefs, ethics, and actions. It was these three chapters that made me glad that I read the book and would encourage others to read it.
June 25, 2009
This is a fantastic beginner's book for those who are looking into learning or practicing neo-paganism (often shortened to simply "pagan"). I've been studying Paganism for quite some time and stumpled on this book at Half-Price and started reading when I got home. It is so in-depth and easy to read and understand, everything is explained clearly and you truly can learn from this book.
It was a great find and I'd recommend this to anyone studying the Pagan life.
It was a great find and I'd recommend this to anyone studying the Pagan life.
January 15, 2026
This wasn’t what the title made me think it would be about. The diagrams are so bizarre, they manage to be distractingly clunky and yet vacuous.
It’s less about the earth centered religions and more about, “here’s what River/Joyce and I *experienced* when we spoke to a non pagan…” a lot of touchy-feely journaling prompts and info to help spiritual journeys etc. I was looking for non fiction information not so many stories about their personal stuff.
It’s less about the earth centered religions and more about, “here’s what River/Joyce and I *experienced* when we spoke to a non pagan…” a lot of touchy-feely journaling prompts and info to help spiritual journeys etc. I was looking for non fiction information not so many stories about their personal stuff.
September 8, 2015
As a Wiccan coven leader, this is the book I recommend to very new seekers and to those curious about Paganism in general. The Higgenbothams successfully and smoothly describe, in an accessible and "muggle-friendly" (forgive me) manner, what the Pagan world-view is, what the various modern Neo-Pagan religions are, how to relate to Pagans, and who the Pagan Gods are to Their worshipers. This is the best book I've found for practitioners to give to their family members as well, as it is written for those who have not professed that they are Pagans, but for those who want to learn more, whether they are interested in the path or not. Highly recommended.
February 28, 2020
An introduction to concepts of paganism, clearly presented and easily accessible.
November 2, 2024
DNF ~50%
*I would like to preface this by stating that this is not a review of Paganism, Neo-Paganism, or any of the historically factual information presented in the book. This is purely a review of the writing choices of Joyce and River Higginbotham.*
I picked this book up with the intent to learn more about Paganism to see if it would be a good fit for me. And I am being sincere when I say that this book did answer some questions I had, and its chapter exercises were conducive to intentional meditation most of the time. I do not regret having picked it up. However, there were a few narrative issues that kept bothering me as I read, and they finally got to the point where I felt I had to stop for good and look for another book. They are as follows:
1. Statistical bias: On page 12 under the section, "How many pagans are there?" with no records to refer to, the authors attempt to extrapolate data on pagan population numbers, and I run into this gem:
Another interesting figure comes from the Hart and Teeter Research Companies. The organization conducted a poll in October 1997 in which 4 percent of the respondents answered they are involved in an "alternative religion." Although Pagans often refer to their spirituality as an "alternative religion," the term would obviously include many religions other than Paganism. Even so, it is interesting that such a large percentage of the population, or approximately 10.8 million people if we extrapolate the survey percentage to the U.S. population as a whole, identify their spirituality as "alternative."
I take issue with the inference here. Despite their own admittance that obviously "alternative" could mean any number of religions, they included this statistic anyway. Out of curiosity, I looked up the source. It was question 34B of Study #4083A from NBC/WSJ, published October 28th, 1997. It reads, verbatim, "Are you now, or have you ever, been involved in an alternative religion?" The possible answers were Yes (4%), No (92%), and Unsure (4%). So not only did they misquote the question to not include the "now, or have you ever," part, but they also misrepresented how the queried could answer. If their only possible options were Yes, No, or Unsure, then their affirmative answer would depend entirely upon their personal interpretation of the meaning of "alternative religion." This statistic should not have been included. But it didn't stop there.
On page 14, under the section, "Where pagans come from and what they're like," they examine a national survey of Pagans from 1996, conducted by Scott Russel, at nine different Pagan festivals across the U.S. Some of the findings based on these surveys as stated by the Higginbothams were that 1) Pagan women only slightly outnumber men (actual percentage not quoted, so "slightly" is up to interpretation), 2) the majority of Pagans are between the ages of twenty-six and forty-one, 3) the largest income brackets for Pagans put them solidly in the middle class, and 4) almost half of all Pagans have a bachelor's degree or higher. Now, I couldn't look up this article to see for sure myself because it's behind a JSTOR paywall, but what gave me pause here was the fact that, again, information about Pagans as a whole is being extrapolated from very small source pools, in this case, festivals. Even though this was conducted in 1996 and this is 2024, I think you could find the exact same demographics at any festival across the U.S.--maybe with fewer bachelor's degrees, per inflation. Also, considering that festivals usually take place in larger metropolitan areas, these statistics read more like a population density map than anything. I wouldn't have even cared if there were no statistics in this book, if this section was ommitted completely. The fact it exists at all feels like a ploy by the authors to try to make the readers take the book more seriously. We already bought the book, guys, you don't have to do this.
2. Anecdotal evidence. The inclusion of personal anecdotes is annoying and, at times, misleading. Page 62:
I have a cousin who is a doctor in the area of pain management, particularly chronic pain caused by injury or arthritis. Existing Western medicine doesn't have a lot of solutions for such patients. So, wanting to help them, he is pushing past what Western medicine currently believes to be true. He would not be in new territory if he viewed chronic pain and arthritis from the same perspective as everyone else. Despite his scientific methodology and publication in journals, however, he is ridiculed professionally because he is trying a new approach.
...And what is this approach? Are we talking acupuncture, which was invented about 20,000 years ago and has evidence of efficacy despite its lack of recognition in the West, or are we talking, like, vinegar bath bombs or something? Anything that would lend real credibility to the story is missing, which makes it suspicious, almost as if only the parts that make you sympathetic to the narrative were included. They do it again on page 70, in their story about ridding a man of a ghost that was haunting him, and again, the story is truncated so important details that offer credibility are missing. What ever happened to the man? What happened to the "ghost"? Did he ever realize what was actually happening to him? Why was the information from the request for help so different from what the man actually told them when they arrived? None of these questions are ever answered. Many more personal stories of the authors span the pages, making the sections on the historically-factual nature of Paganism more sporadic than I would like.
3. Personal bias. Something of a continuation of above. I realize no book is without the personal bias of the author. There's no getting around that. But despite all my complaints as listed above, I kept reading, holding out for the moments when they would talk about the traditions of Paganism, or the symbology, or the history of witch hunts, or (my favorite part) the purposeful translation errors from the Hebrew text to the King James version of the Bible. But I finally decided to stop after the passage on "Satan as a questioner of authority" (pgs. 114-115):
From an archetypal perspective, the pattern of a weaker opponent questioning, challenging, and defying a more powerful authority figure is a familiar one. Many of you experienced this archetypal energy personally during your adolescent years. Some of you saw it and admired it in the marches led by Martin Luther King, Jr. protesting racial discrimination, or heard about it in the life of Gandhi and his struggles with the British government. You see it today on bumper stickers that read "Question Authority," as well as in the picket lines of those demonstrating outside abortion clinics.
I would love for Joyce to explain to me how she thinks abortion clinics are an authority over anyone, with the picketers being the righteous underdogs--alongside MLK Jr. and Gandhi, no less! Does she think pre-natal care centers--which she tellingly refers to as "abortion clinics" even though places that only do abortions do not exist--force people to have abortions? That these clinics, by virtue of existing and treating the people who go to them, subjugate people through systemic oppression? And please note, this is not a criticism of her beliefs about abortion, but of how she purposefully misrepresented an issue that she had a personal stake in just to include it in her book.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I just wanted to learn about Paganism, dude, I don't have time for people who like to bend the truth to fit their narratives. I will be continuing my research elsewhere. I hope better studies have been put out since this book was published or I'm in for a rough time.
*I would like to preface this by stating that this is not a review of Paganism, Neo-Paganism, or any of the historically factual information presented in the book. This is purely a review of the writing choices of Joyce and River Higginbotham.*
I picked this book up with the intent to learn more about Paganism to see if it would be a good fit for me. And I am being sincere when I say that this book did answer some questions I had, and its chapter exercises were conducive to intentional meditation most of the time. I do not regret having picked it up. However, there were a few narrative issues that kept bothering me as I read, and they finally got to the point where I felt I had to stop for good and look for another book. They are as follows:
1. Statistical bias: On page 12 under the section, "How many pagans are there?" with no records to refer to, the authors attempt to extrapolate data on pagan population numbers, and I run into this gem:
Another interesting figure comes from the Hart and Teeter Research Companies. The organization conducted a poll in October 1997 in which 4 percent of the respondents answered they are involved in an "alternative religion." Although Pagans often refer to their spirituality as an "alternative religion," the term would obviously include many religions other than Paganism. Even so, it is interesting that such a large percentage of the population, or approximately 10.8 million people if we extrapolate the survey percentage to the U.S. population as a whole, identify their spirituality as "alternative."
I take issue with the inference here. Despite their own admittance that obviously "alternative" could mean any number of religions, they included this statistic anyway. Out of curiosity, I looked up the source. It was question 34B of Study #4083A from NBC/WSJ, published October 28th, 1997. It reads, verbatim, "Are you now, or have you ever, been involved in an alternative religion?" The possible answers were Yes (4%), No (92%), and Unsure (4%). So not only did they misquote the question to not include the "now, or have you ever," part, but they also misrepresented how the queried could answer. If their only possible options were Yes, No, or Unsure, then their affirmative answer would depend entirely upon their personal interpretation of the meaning of "alternative religion." This statistic should not have been included. But it didn't stop there.
On page 14, under the section, "Where pagans come from and what they're like," they examine a national survey of Pagans from 1996, conducted by Scott Russel, at nine different Pagan festivals across the U.S. Some of the findings based on these surveys as stated by the Higginbothams were that 1) Pagan women only slightly outnumber men (actual percentage not quoted, so "slightly" is up to interpretation), 2) the majority of Pagans are between the ages of twenty-six and forty-one, 3) the largest income brackets for Pagans put them solidly in the middle class, and 4) almost half of all Pagans have a bachelor's degree or higher. Now, I couldn't look up this article to see for sure myself because it's behind a JSTOR paywall, but what gave me pause here was the fact that, again, information about Pagans as a whole is being extrapolated from very small source pools, in this case, festivals. Even though this was conducted in 1996 and this is 2024, I think you could find the exact same demographics at any festival across the U.S.--maybe with fewer bachelor's degrees, per inflation. Also, considering that festivals usually take place in larger metropolitan areas, these statistics read more like a population density map than anything. I wouldn't have even cared if there were no statistics in this book, if this section was ommitted completely. The fact it exists at all feels like a ploy by the authors to try to make the readers take the book more seriously. We already bought the book, guys, you don't have to do this.
2. Anecdotal evidence. The inclusion of personal anecdotes is annoying and, at times, misleading. Page 62:
I have a cousin who is a doctor in the area of pain management, particularly chronic pain caused by injury or arthritis. Existing Western medicine doesn't have a lot of solutions for such patients. So, wanting to help them, he is pushing past what Western medicine currently believes to be true. He would not be in new territory if he viewed chronic pain and arthritis from the same perspective as everyone else. Despite his scientific methodology and publication in journals, however, he is ridiculed professionally because he is trying a new approach.
...And what is this approach? Are we talking acupuncture, which was invented about 20,000 years ago and has evidence of efficacy despite its lack of recognition in the West, or are we talking, like, vinegar bath bombs or something? Anything that would lend real credibility to the story is missing, which makes it suspicious, almost as if only the parts that make you sympathetic to the narrative were included. They do it again on page 70, in their story about ridding a man of a ghost that was haunting him, and again, the story is truncated so important details that offer credibility are missing. What ever happened to the man? What happened to the "ghost"? Did he ever realize what was actually happening to him? Why was the information from the request for help so different from what the man actually told them when they arrived? None of these questions are ever answered. Many more personal stories of the authors span the pages, making the sections on the historically-factual nature of Paganism more sporadic than I would like.
3. Personal bias. Something of a continuation of above. I realize no book is without the personal bias of the author. There's no getting around that. But despite all my complaints as listed above, I kept reading, holding out for the moments when they would talk about the traditions of Paganism, or the symbology, or the history of witch hunts, or (my favorite part) the purposeful translation errors from the Hebrew text to the King James version of the Bible. But I finally decided to stop after the passage on "Satan as a questioner of authority" (pgs. 114-115):
From an archetypal perspective, the pattern of a weaker opponent questioning, challenging, and defying a more powerful authority figure is a familiar one. Many of you experienced this archetypal energy personally during your adolescent years. Some of you saw it and admired it in the marches led by Martin Luther King, Jr. protesting racial discrimination, or heard about it in the life of Gandhi and his struggles with the British government. You see it today on bumper stickers that read "Question Authority," as well as in the picket lines of those demonstrating outside abortion clinics.
I would love for Joyce to explain to me how she thinks abortion clinics are an authority over anyone, with the picketers being the righteous underdogs--alongside MLK Jr. and Gandhi, no less! Does she think pre-natal care centers--which she tellingly refers to as "abortion clinics" even though places that only do abortions do not exist--force people to have abortions? That these clinics, by virtue of existing and treating the people who go to them, subjugate people through systemic oppression? And please note, this is not a criticism of her beliefs about abortion, but of how she purposefully misrepresented an issue that she had a personal stake in just to include it in her book.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I just wanted to learn about Paganism, dude, I don't have time for people who like to bend the truth to fit their narratives. I will be continuing my research elsewhere. I hope better studies have been put out since this book was published or I'm in for a rough time.
December 17, 2019
I really liked the first two chapters but after that I didn’t care for it. I was expecting more about what pagans believe and how they show those beliefs. Or about the kinds of branches of paganism there are. Instead it seemed more for former Christians who want to try Paganism and are having a hard time shedding their beliefs or the family that has a member that is Pagan or something? The book has too many guided meditations and exercises. Too many self reflection questions to the read. It felt like padding out the book. I was bored. I wanted information not exercises, but it might be beneficial for others?
Too much focus on Wiccan which I find to be BS anyway. Energy healing? Ask of the universe and you will receive? I was getting a lot of "The Secret" vibes. I was really looking for how to better revere nature in my day to day life. How Pagans use the deities of the past as role models and worship. But instead it seems to me the writers have a lot of unresolved issues with Christianity. After the first two chapters they wasted no time to talk about the crap they would get from Christians. It's okay for you to feel that way, but you know I don't want to read about it in your book.
Another reviewer said their chapter on ethics was good. It felt like a teacher instructing an elementary school student. It was boring, and filled more with rhetorical questions.
What I did get out of it is that I guess Pagans believe whatever they want to believe which doesn't fit into my beliefs. I prefer structure. I think I will just continue my research into more of the religions of Asia since they have more structure and a goal to them. If I’m wrong then this book did a bad job convincing me otherwise.
This is a horrible introduction book, and I regret paying actual money for this. I will not be revisiting any other Paganism books for some time because of this.
Too much focus on Wiccan which I find to be BS anyway. Energy healing? Ask of the universe and you will receive? I was getting a lot of "The Secret" vibes. I was really looking for how to better revere nature in my day to day life. How Pagans use the deities of the past as role models and worship. But instead it seems to me the writers have a lot of unresolved issues with Christianity. After the first two chapters they wasted no time to talk about the crap they would get from Christians. It's okay for you to feel that way, but you know I don't want to read about it in your book.
Another reviewer said their chapter on ethics was good. It felt like a teacher instructing an elementary school student. It was boring, and filled more with rhetorical questions.
What I did get out of it is that I guess Pagans believe whatever they want to believe which doesn't fit into my beliefs. I prefer structure. I think I will just continue my research into more of the religions of Asia since they have more structure and a goal to them. If I’m wrong then this book did a bad job convincing me otherwise.
This is a horrible introduction book, and I regret paying actual money for this. I will not be revisiting any other Paganism books for some time because of this.
January 18, 2026
DNF at page 145
I thought this book was a academic investigation of earth centred religions but it is more of a self help book sprinkled with bits of information. This is on me, I could have checked more carefully what it is about.
However, this book also just wasn't for me in any other way. Everything in it is so basic. The tools to help the reader reflect made me roll my eyes. Granted, I was forced to self-reflect a lot for my studies, so I might be more used to it, regardless I'd think that most people actually ask themselves from time to time what they think and what their values are. I kept getting the impression that the target audience for this book was children because of the level of this book. A camera metaphor for belief systems doesn't need 2 pages and a diagram of explaining.
Something I found laughable but not unsurprising: the authors readily use scientific discoveries as evidence for pagan beliefs but fail to address that science doesn't really support the idea of deities running around in our forest (it is addressed that deities can be used as an idea to help people, but they are usually treated as real things in this book).
In other words, no, Joyce and River Higginbotham, I have no anxiety about questioning my beliefs, but the lack of reasons why I should believe in what you are selling is causing me a headache.
I thought this book was a academic investigation of earth centred religions but it is more of a self help book sprinkled with bits of information. This is on me, I could have checked more carefully what it is about.
However, this book also just wasn't for me in any other way. Everything in it is so basic. The tools to help the reader reflect made me roll my eyes. Granted, I was forced to self-reflect a lot for my studies, so I might be more used to it, regardless I'd think that most people actually ask themselves from time to time what they think and what their values are. I kept getting the impression that the target audience for this book was children because of the level of this book. A camera metaphor for belief systems doesn't need 2 pages and a diagram of explaining.
Something I found laughable but not unsurprising: the authors readily use scientific discoveries as evidence for pagan beliefs but fail to address that science doesn't really support the idea of deities running around in our forest (it is addressed that deities can be used as an idea to help people, but they are usually treated as real things in this book).
In other words, no, Joyce and River Higginbotham, I have no anxiety about questioning my beliefs, but the lack of reasons why I should believe in what you are selling is causing me a headache.
August 1, 2019
What I expected:
-An organised summary of different pagan traditions and religions, past and present.
-A way to understand what the similarities and differences are between things like "heathenry," "asatru," "fairy," etc.
-An introduction to the history and perhaps evolution of different deities and traditions.
What I got:
-"So you've clearly heard of Christianity and it's been in your face forever; well here's Wicca."
-Meditations on how to keep an open mind and make your own decisions.
-A lot of good work on cutting away the shock and fear brought on by the simple mention of Paganism.
This would be the perfect book to give to a Christian family member who questions your wicked ways yet cares enough about you to read an entire book. Or perhaps for someone (also likely Christian because there's a lot of Christian comparisons) trying to dip a toe in to the pool of forbidden practices.
I'm really looking to find an introduction to different subsections under the umbrella of "Paganism" without being Wicca-centred or relying on a background in Christianity. The first chapter really made me think that's what I was getting and is why I bought the book.
I long to read a book about Paganism that doesn't mention Christianity. They did have a nice section on Satanism, but that was just to further distance Paganism from the Satan of Jewish/Christian mythology.
-An organised summary of different pagan traditions and religions, past and present.
-A way to understand what the similarities and differences are between things like "heathenry," "asatru," "fairy," etc.
-An introduction to the history and perhaps evolution of different deities and traditions.
What I got:
-"So you've clearly heard of Christianity and it's been in your face forever; well here's Wicca."
-Meditations on how to keep an open mind and make your own decisions.
-A lot of good work on cutting away the shock and fear brought on by the simple mention of Paganism.
This would be the perfect book to give to a Christian family member who questions your wicked ways yet cares enough about you to read an entire book. Or perhaps for someone (also likely Christian because there's a lot of Christian comparisons) trying to dip a toe in to the pool of forbidden practices.
I'm really looking to find an introduction to different subsections under the umbrella of "Paganism" without being Wicca-centred or relying on a background in Christianity. The first chapter really made me think that's what I was getting and is why I bought the book.
I long to read a book about Paganism that doesn't mention Christianity. They did have a nice section on Satanism, but that was just to further distance Paganism from the Satan of Jewish/Christian mythology.
February 23, 2020
I am giving 4 starts to the book, and definitely NOT the audiobook. The audiobook has many problems that take my rating down to maybe 2 stars.
The content in this introduction to Earth-Centred Religions is actually vast, and written in an incredibly helpful way. It is obvious that the two authors have loads of experience teaching new or interested pagans about the history, diversity, beliefs and ethics of many different pagan types. They make the teachings more tangible by including journalling questions, visualizations/meditations and ideas to practice in everyday life.
This is where the audiobook falls apart spectacularly. Instead of recording the visualizations and meditations as an experiential component, each pause is delineated with the words “pause” or “longer pause” (as if training someone to guide the meditation in a group setting). In this way, the listener cannot just participate, but instead must either do the meditation by getting the book and reading the experience one line at a time and doing it, or perhaps re-recording the experience themselves and THEN doing it. As this is an introductory text aimed at newer pagans, having only this portion aimed at group leaders is distracting, unhelpful and useless.
Further, it would have made a LOT of sense to enclose an additional PDF to the audiobook, containing at least the journalling questions. Instead, after purchasing the audiobook from Audible, I now have to take the book out of the library to copy down all of the questions, experiences, practices and meditations. It’s ridiculous.
Despite the great inadequacy of the audiobook (and super terrible narrator), the content of this book is a wonderful introduction to the journey into paganism, or for the pagan-curious. I highly recommend getting the actual book though.
The content in this introduction to Earth-Centred Religions is actually vast, and written in an incredibly helpful way. It is obvious that the two authors have loads of experience teaching new or interested pagans about the history, diversity, beliefs and ethics of many different pagan types. They make the teachings more tangible by including journalling questions, visualizations/meditations and ideas to practice in everyday life.
This is where the audiobook falls apart spectacularly. Instead of recording the visualizations and meditations as an experiential component, each pause is delineated with the words “pause” or “longer pause” (as if training someone to guide the meditation in a group setting). In this way, the listener cannot just participate, but instead must either do the meditation by getting the book and reading the experience one line at a time and doing it, or perhaps re-recording the experience themselves and THEN doing it. As this is an introductory text aimed at newer pagans, having only this portion aimed at group leaders is distracting, unhelpful and useless.
Further, it would have made a LOT of sense to enclose an additional PDF to the audiobook, containing at least the journalling questions. Instead, after purchasing the audiobook from Audible, I now have to take the book out of the library to copy down all of the questions, experiences, practices and meditations. It’s ridiculous.
Despite the great inadequacy of the audiobook (and super terrible narrator), the content of this book is a wonderful introduction to the journey into paganism, or for the pagan-curious. I highly recommend getting the actual book though.
February 22, 2023
I genuinely don't know where to start with this. But let’s put it this way: I got roughly two chapters into it before putting it right back down, and not picking it back up again; I think it’s simply enough to say that I regret my life decisions- and honestly should have known better, since the title calls Pagans "Earth-Based", which is almost always a clear indicator that I'm going to be disappointed.
But that's not a review, is it? So what, exactly, did I take issue with, in just the small number of pages I managed to read before my anger forced me to rage quit? The same crap I always do from "Pagan" books; it falls into the exact same traps as every other book that attempts to broadly categorize Paganism, and positions the whole of the Pagan umbrella exactly the same way as every other book on the market does.
That's as a homogeneous religious being, and not a properly varied umbrella (despite using the umbrella analogy to explain things- which is truly the most infuriating part)… And positioning it as an umbrella with a shared, core set of values and beliefs that are congruent across all faiths (which simply don't exist).
For starters their definition of Paganism as “traditions [that], while spanning many centuries and cultures, share [characteristics like being] indigenous, earth-centered, contain[ing] magickal elements, recogniz[ing] both male and female deities, were suppressed or eradicated by another religion, [and / or] stress[ing] a connection to and respect for the natural world” is a tone deaf joke, and only vaguely capable of being considered half right.
But it gets worse when they try to list off a few various types of “Pagan faiths”- which is where it seriously starts smacking of the horribly inaccurate Silver Ravenwolf era 101… The only ones of which mentioned include “Wicca, Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca, Dianic Wicca, Faery Wicca, Strega, Shamanism, Asatru, Eclectic, Family Traditions, Celtic Traditionalism, Druidism, Santeria, Voudon, Ceremonial Magick, Mystery Traditions, Solitaties, as well as a wide variety of blended paths such as Judeopaganism, Christopaganism, Buddhistpaganism (or Easternpaganism), and so on”.
Note that these are, in fact, mostly all Pagan traditions we can largely agree on being Pagan to one extent or another- save the indigenous faiths which we very clearly established forever ago do not fall beneath the Pagan umbrella (unless the individual personally identified as such) due to several problems with indigenous autonomy and sovereignty, and them explicitly saying they're not Pagan.
But also notice that there’s absolutely zero coherency in how they’re categorizing and listing things; some of these are far too broad. Others are too narrow. Some are straight up umbrellas in their own rights; there’s zero consistency here, and many of them do very much seem to be out of line of how things are usually done or defined.
For example, the authors say that Mystery Traditions include only “those who study the Roman, Greek, or Egyptian Mysteries- particularly those practiced between three and five thousand years ago”... But last I checked, as a Reconstructionist? These specific mystery traditions were broadly aligned under Hellenic, Hellenistic, Roman, and Kemetic Reconstructionist and Revivalist paths due to their historical natures- not set aside as their own weird little category.
That aside, they clearly don’t understand that “Mystery Tradition” is simply another umbrella describing religions which specifically require initiation- as well as having stringent oaths of silence one must take… And while that would / could technically include the historical mysteries above listed above? The authors ignorantly fail to realize it also includes paths like Wicca- which they’ve listed like 4 to 5 different types of individually. Which which, again, is inconsistent in many ways.
Digging further, though, you’ll notice there’s also a trend in what paths are mentioned. Specifically, they’re practically all just minor variations on Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan paths. Aside from a few specific paths and vague mentions, the authors near completely ignore the wide swath of Reconstructionist and Revivalist paths. They don’t even try to vaguely mention them in the ignorant manner with which they mentioned “Mystery Traditions”.
Overall it’s crystal clear that the authors never genuinely stepped out of the general “beginners” circle and are still relying on information from the 80's and early 00's. Especially when what their writing largely echoes what I was reading way back in the early 00′s, as a 10 year old just starting on her path to "Paganism".... And all of it’s still wrapped up in that same age old, tired posturing against White Western largely Protestant Christianity (though in a much more veiled and subdued sense than their predecessors. Still, it’s clearly there)- among plenty of other problems that are clearly evident if you even pick up something as small as the book’s sample alone.
Insisting on still spelling magic with a K is just the icing on the cake in this atrocity- and I hate that I even had to read that with my own two eyes.
I’m sure I’ll finish it- and once I do, my opinion may very well change. I doubt it, but I’ll certainly acknowledge it’s possible… As of right now, however? For a book written as recently as 2013, when most of these problems had been ironed out if my memories of discourse in 2013 are anything to go by… I’m not exactly impressed with their work by any means.
But that's not a review, is it? So what, exactly, did I take issue with, in just the small number of pages I managed to read before my anger forced me to rage quit? The same crap I always do from "Pagan" books; it falls into the exact same traps as every other book that attempts to broadly categorize Paganism, and positions the whole of the Pagan umbrella exactly the same way as every other book on the market does.
That's as a homogeneous religious being, and not a properly varied umbrella (despite using the umbrella analogy to explain things- which is truly the most infuriating part)… And positioning it as an umbrella with a shared, core set of values and beliefs that are congruent across all faiths (which simply don't exist).
For starters their definition of Paganism as “traditions [that], while spanning many centuries and cultures, share [characteristics like being] indigenous, earth-centered, contain[ing] magickal elements, recogniz[ing] both male and female deities, were suppressed or eradicated by another religion, [and / or] stress[ing] a connection to and respect for the natural world” is a tone deaf joke, and only vaguely capable of being considered half right.
But it gets worse when they try to list off a few various types of “Pagan faiths”- which is where it seriously starts smacking of the horribly inaccurate Silver Ravenwolf era 101… The only ones of which mentioned include “Wicca, Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca, Dianic Wicca, Faery Wicca, Strega, Shamanism, Asatru, Eclectic, Family Traditions, Celtic Traditionalism, Druidism, Santeria, Voudon, Ceremonial Magick, Mystery Traditions, Solitaties, as well as a wide variety of blended paths such as Judeopaganism, Christopaganism, Buddhistpaganism (or Easternpaganism), and so on”.
Note that these are, in fact, mostly all Pagan traditions we can largely agree on being Pagan to one extent or another- save the indigenous faiths which we very clearly established forever ago do not fall beneath the Pagan umbrella (unless the individual personally identified as such) due to several problems with indigenous autonomy and sovereignty, and them explicitly saying they're not Pagan.
But also notice that there’s absolutely zero coherency in how they’re categorizing and listing things; some of these are far too broad. Others are too narrow. Some are straight up umbrellas in their own rights; there’s zero consistency here, and many of them do very much seem to be out of line of how things are usually done or defined.
For example, the authors say that Mystery Traditions include only “those who study the Roman, Greek, or Egyptian Mysteries- particularly those practiced between three and five thousand years ago”... But last I checked, as a Reconstructionist? These specific mystery traditions were broadly aligned under Hellenic, Hellenistic, Roman, and Kemetic Reconstructionist and Revivalist paths due to their historical natures- not set aside as their own weird little category.
That aside, they clearly don’t understand that “Mystery Tradition” is simply another umbrella describing religions which specifically require initiation- as well as having stringent oaths of silence one must take… And while that would / could technically include the historical mysteries above listed above? The authors ignorantly fail to realize it also includes paths like Wicca- which they’ve listed like 4 to 5 different types of individually. Which which, again, is inconsistent in many ways.
Digging further, though, you’ll notice there’s also a trend in what paths are mentioned. Specifically, they’re practically all just minor variations on Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan paths. Aside from a few specific paths and vague mentions, the authors near completely ignore the wide swath of Reconstructionist and Revivalist paths. They don’t even try to vaguely mention them in the ignorant manner with which they mentioned “Mystery Traditions”.
Overall it’s crystal clear that the authors never genuinely stepped out of the general “beginners” circle and are still relying on information from the 80's and early 00's. Especially when what their writing largely echoes what I was reading way back in the early 00′s, as a 10 year old just starting on her path to "Paganism".... And all of it’s still wrapped up in that same age old, tired posturing against White Western largely Protestant Christianity (though in a much more veiled and subdued sense than their predecessors. Still, it’s clearly there)- among plenty of other problems that are clearly evident if you even pick up something as small as the book’s sample alone.
Insisting on still spelling magic with a K is just the icing on the cake in this atrocity- and I hate that I even had to read that with my own two eyes.
I’m sure I’ll finish it- and once I do, my opinion may very well change. I doubt it, but I’ll certainly acknowledge it’s possible… As of right now, however? For a book written as recently as 2013, when most of these problems had been ironed out if my memories of discourse in 2013 are anything to go by… I’m not exactly impressed with their work by any means.
September 29, 2020
It took me forever to finish this because I chose the audio version and this is pretty much a textbook, but I rarely read non-fiction unless I can listen to it. Overall, this is a solid book on modern pagan beliefs and was helpful in my own spiritual journey. I think I stuck with it mainly because it wasn't a 'trendy' book on witchcraft. It's honest and keeps it simple. I struggle with finding books on pagan/witch practices that resonate with me and don't feel like a cash-grab. This one will go on my shelf.
March 5, 2024
A great introduction to a budding religion and fairly explained. Very thought provoking - particularly that much of the varied beliefs are subjective where most world religions are strictly objective. The discussion on scientific discoveries confirming Pagan beliefs seemed a tad misplaced. Otherwise, it was very informative!
August 22, 2024
A thorough and clinical textbook which debunks the aura and myths about pagans and their religious-ish practices. Enlightening, but a world infused with darkness of bunk and aura and myths is much more interesting.
Read
February 25, 2018Great book on paganism. Very informative. Was a helpful step in diving deeper into religions like Wicca.
February 27, 2023
Great introductory book. Organized, balanced, and easy to understand.
October 11, 2023
Such an informative book! Loved the historical aspects of this book, and the open mindedness of appreciating and respecting all spiritual faiths.
Read
December 29, 2024I would really like to revisit this when I have more bandwidth for spiritual exploration. I appreciate the Authors' guided visualizations and meditations and want to try them in a more organized way.
January 1, 2025
It was good, but I wanted a more general overview of the holidays, not a deep dive into the psychology of Pagan philosophies.
November 2, 2023
A great starting point/reference guide! The internet is becoming more and more useless and I felt like this book was a great jumping off point, specially if you don’t know what practice you are interested in/are more of an eclectic pagan :3
April 11, 2021
Apparently Neo-paganism involves a lot of guided meditations followed by "warm drinks and snacks".
December 2, 2021
This isn't an awful book by any stretch, in fact I would recommend it to people wanting to explore what they actually believe and understand about religion and spirituality.
It just isn't a great introduction to Paganism, is my main issue.
Paganism to the authors of this book is basically an anything goes free-for-all, as long as you're a good person. There are some short explorations of different pagan traditions but not enough to consider it as the main element of the book.
I was annoyed at the way they tried to fit Paganism into current scientific paradigms too, as it almost felt like they were trying to lend credibility to Paganism by virtue of science which is entirely unnecessary
There's also an entire chapter devoted to why Paganism isn't Satanism, which was baffling as to why it was even in here, especially to discuss at such length.
Overall, I'd say this is mis-titled and very light on detail in parts but I would recommend it to those people starting to consider their spirituality, from a text free from any pre-determined religious practice.
It just isn't a great introduction to Paganism, is my main issue.
Paganism to the authors of this book is basically an anything goes free-for-all, as long as you're a good person. There are some short explorations of different pagan traditions but not enough to consider it as the main element of the book.
I was annoyed at the way they tried to fit Paganism into current scientific paradigms too, as it almost felt like they were trying to lend credibility to Paganism by virtue of science which is entirely unnecessary
There's also an entire chapter devoted to why Paganism isn't Satanism, which was baffling as to why it was even in here, especially to discuss at such length.
Overall, I'd say this is mis-titled and very light on detail in parts but I would recommend it to those people starting to consider their spirituality, from a text free from any pre-determined religious practice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews