Paganism for Beginners: The Complete Guide to Nature-Based Spirituality for Every New Seeker

by Althaea Sebastiani

The term Pagan is still used, in a pejorative manner, by some Christians to refer to anyone who is not a member of their religion and, sometimes, not a member of their denomination within that religion. The term acquired new connotations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, becoming associated with a connection to the past (especially ancient knowledge), self-indulgence, and the sacredness of nature. This would influence the adoption of the term in the sixties to define the Pagan movement, which, then and now, presented itself as an alternative solution to the spiritual questions and needs people faced that were not being sufficiently answered by traditional religions.

Pagans believe that you naturally possess the favor of the Gods and that They are inclined to respond favorably to your worship. Pagans also believe that the Earth, the universe, and all of nature are also inherently predisposed to Divine favor and are intrinsically sacred. Pagans don’t view people or the world as flawed or in need of saving.

embraces a spiritual view of the world, it also embraces a scientific one.

Many Pagans find that science provides a means of deepening their understanding of the universe, which allows them to feel a stronger connection to the Earth, the Gods, and each other.

An underlying element of the Pagan worldview is that all things are bound and connected. Many Pagans view this connection as existing on an energetic level—all things contain and are made of energy, and this energy is the same within us all.

There is no fear of divine punishment in life or after death. Rather, there are consequences for your actions—as true in your everyday life as it is in your spiritual life—and a need for you to each hold yourself accountable. Pagans take note of their mistakes and faults, and they strive to do better, to be better. We acknowledge our mistakes, and we do what we can to rectify them.

Druidry is entirely modern and does not hold a connection to ancient Druids except through inspiration.

There is no specific pantheon or group of deities honored; however, Irish deities are a common focus among Druids.

Music and culture are highly regarded among Druids, who view poetry, music, and art as inspired by awen, a spiritual force that serves as muse and creative generator. Awen is also a symbol representing modern Druidry, depicted as three rays descending vertically. Druids place great significance on the natural world, especially trees, and seek to live in harmony with nature. Druidry can be practiced as a solitary or as part of groups known as “groves.”

The worldview of the shaman is that the world is alive with spirits and that the boundary between the physical world and the spirit world can be traversed through ritual and journey work. Such journeying may be done to speak with specific spirits and/or deities, to gain knowledge, or for soul retrieval—a shamanic healing technique that restores health to a person by returning fragmented pieces of the person’s spirit to them.

A deity is a spiritual being, lacking physical form and comprised of energy alone, who is able to exert significant power within the physical world and the spirit world alike.

Your spiritual journey is not static; it will change as you change. As you grow and meet your spiritual needs, you’ll discover new needs.

Monotheism is the religious view that there is one deity alone who exists. Monotheistic religions frequently embrace dualism as a world view, the belief that there is a separation between humans and the Divine, extending to a separation between humans and the spirit world or afterlife.

Animism is a worldview that has a beautiful quality of drawing you outside of yourself and encouraging you to be more aware of—and responsive to—your surroundings.

animism posits you as but one of many beings who share this world and asks that you consider your relationships with these spirit beings.

Animism is a holistic outlook that emphasizes the importance of your physical body and your spirit body, that both are important and necessary for healthy living, and that the physical world and the spirit world overlap.

Apnu (ancient Egypt): Apnu was known as Anubis by the Greeks. He is a god of the Underworld and death, charged with watching over the process of preparing a body for entombment, including mummification and embalming. He is depicted as having the head of a jackal.

Apollo (ancient Greece): The twin brother of Artemis, Apollo is a god of music, prophecy, archery, and healing. He is typically associated with the sun and wolves and is a protector of young boys. The Oracle at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi was highly renowned and consulted for prophecy.

Artemis (ancient Greece): The twin sister of Apollo, Artemis is a goddess of hunting, supplying the Gods with game. She is a protector of young girls as well as pregnant and laboring women. She is also associated with dancing and choral music, archery, the moon, and antlered deer.

Athena (ancient Greece): Athena, also called Athene, is the goddess of battle strategy, wisdom, courage, and crafts (especially weaving). She is a clear-sighted goddess who sees much.

Bastet (ancient Egypt): Depicted with the head of a lioness, Bastet is a goddess of the home and domesticity, as well as childbirth, fertility, and sexual pleasure. She is a protector of the home and against disease. She is also known as Bast, Baast, Baset, and Ubasti.

Brighid (ancient Ireland): Also known as Brigit and Brigid (all pronounced “breed”), Brighid is a goddess of inspiration, healing, the hearth fire, metalsmiths, poets, cattle, and the arrival of spring.

Ceridwen (ancient Wales): Ceridwen is a goddess of inspiration, transformation, and rebirth. She possesses a cauldron filled with awen, divine inspiration.

Cernunnos (ancient Gaul): A popular Celtic deity, Cernunnos is known primarily from imagery. He is depicted with antlers, sitting cross-legged, wearing a torque, and surrounded by animals, such as an antlered snake.

Danu (ancient Ireland): Danu is the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann (“people of Danu,” a supernatural race of people; this title refers to some of the Irish deities Who, in later stories, become mixed up with the fae). Perhaps the embodiment of the Danube River, She is a goddess of sovereignty, power, waterways, the wind, and the earth.

Demeter (ancient Greece): Demeter was the mother of Kore, who would become Persephone. She is a goddess of agriculture and the fertility of the Earth. She is the driving force behind the seasons, as it is when Her daughter resides in the Underworld for part of the year that Her grief causes nothing to grow.

Epona (ancient Gaul): Epona is a Celtic goddess of horses and fertility, but much of what we know about Her, historically, comes from the Romans. She is associated almost exclusively with the protection of horses.

Freyja (ancient Scandinavia): Associated with love, beauty, and seiðr (a distinctly Heathen form of magick), as well as war and death, Freyja is a goddess who struck a deal with Odin and holds claim to half of all who are struck down in battle. She rides in a chariot pulled by two cats.

Hekate (ancient Greece): A complex goddess of considerable power, Hekate is now most widely known for Her associations with crossroads, the night, witchcraft, the dead, and necromancy. Yet Her power is so vast that She was frequently conflated with other goddesses, such as Artemis and Demeter, among others.

Hel (ancient Scandinavia): A fearsome goddess, Hel ruled over a part of the Underworld where those who died a dishonorable death, of old age, or of illness were sent. She is depicted as being half living flesh and half rotting.

Hera (ancient Greece): Wife of Zeus, king of the Gods, Hera is a goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family. She is a powerful goddess who has control of the skies. Peacocks are sacred to Her.

Hermes (ancient Greece): Hermes is a god of liminality and movement, serving as a messenger for the Gods (and therefore associated with communication and travel). He is also cunning and viewed as a trickster god.

Horus (ancient Egypt): Depicted with the head of a falcon, Horus was one of the most important deities of ancient Egypt, serving as protector of the land. He is associated with the rulership of kings as well as the skies.

Isis (ancient Egypt): One of the most prominent deities, Isis was the wife of Osiris, a goddess of life, magic, and wisdom, and a protector of women and children. She is frequently depicted with the wings of kites or falcons.

Loki (ancient Scandinavia): A god of cunning and trickery, Loki is able to change His physical form and sex, which leads Him to be both father and mother to a number of other deities. He is generally unconcerned for the well-being of others as well as societal standards.

Lugh (ancient Ireland): Lending His name to the festival Lughnasadh, Lugh is associated with the rulership of kings, oaths, and skill. He is a warrior and master craftsman.

The Mórrígan (ancient Ireland): A fearsome goddess of war, prophecy, and death, the Mórrígan is sometimes seen as a triple goddess, though there are variations concerning which three goddesses together form Her. A shapeshifter, She frequently takes the form of a raven, a young maiden, a queen ready for battle, and a wizened elderly woman.

Odin (ancient Scandinavia): Odin is the chief of the Norse gods and associated with wisdom, battle, divination (for He is the one Who discovered the runes), and magic. He is a complex and cunning god.

Osiris (ancient Egypt): Ruling over the Underworld, Osiris is a god of fertility, death, mummification, and resurrection. He is depicted with green skin and mummy-wrapped legs.

Set (ancient Egypt): Associated with war and chaos, Set is a violent god of storms, trickery, and the desert who provided balance within the Egyptian pantheon.

Skaði (ancient Scandinavia): Skaði is a goddess of hunting, depicted carrying a bow and wearing snowshoes or skis. Although She lives in the mountaintops where the snow never melts, She is far more benevolent than other Norse figures, such as the giants, who also were associated with snow, cold, and ice.

Thor (ancient Scandinavia): Depicted carrying a large hammer called Mjölnir, Thor is associated with thunder, lightning, and strength. He is the protector of humans and is frequently depicted as having a short temper, red hair, and a red beard.

Tyr (ancient Scandinavia): Tyr is an upholder of law and justice, as well as a principal war deity alongside Odin and Thor, able to incite strife. The most notable story about Him tells of the sacrifice of His arm in order to bind the wolf-god, Fenrir, Whom the other gods feared.

Zeus (ancient Greece): The king of the Greek Gods, Zeus is associated with strength and power, ruling over the skies and maintaining order among the Gods and humankind. He is father to many gods, mortals, and divine beings, with His sexual exploits being prominent in His mythology.

Paganism doesn’t have any cut-and-dry concepts of good and evil, recognizing that as nature is both creative and destructive, ordered and chaotic, each person holds the potential to do great good as well as great harm. Pagans see this as a matter of personal choice, not inherent quality, and the consequences of those actions may be played out in this lifetime and/or in a future incarnation.

While Satan may be an important and useful concept within Christianity, he remains incompatible with Pagan perceptions of the nature of the self and the afterlife.

Pagans believe that you have the right to decide what you believe in, what religions you subscribe to, and how involved you want to be.

This means you are not just accountable for the consequences of your actions, but you are responsible for your spiritual practice, for ensuring that your practice is meeting your spiritual needs, and for staying focused on your personal and spiritual growth. There is no threat of punishment or reprisal; there’s no spiritual being watching you to make sure you behave; there is only you, doing the work to hold yourself accountable and to live with integrity.

There exists among all things a connection. This connection is energetic and, thus, allows the free flow of information along these lines of connection.

These connections also allow signs and synchronicities to reach you. These are energetic signposts that carry meaning for good and bad, demanding your attention and reminding you to stay engaged.