Classics Corner: Drawing Down The Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshipers and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler; The Ultimate History of Neo-Paganism
Pagans have had a mostly bad reputation. There are many who call them witches and fear them believing they worship the Devil. Those that are not afraid, ridicule and mock them believing that they are just play acting scenes from Harry Potter and worship beings that don't exist. NPR producer/correspondent and author, Margot Adler did much to open the public's perceptions of Neo-Paganism in her book, Drawing Down The Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshipers and Other Pagans in America. She helped the public see Neo-Paganism as a unique religion that brings it's followers closer to nature, helps them relate to the ancient Gods and Goddesses of the past, and maintain their individuality in a society bound by largely Abrahamic religious dogma.
Adler explores both the murky history of the following and the variations of the spiritual practice in its many forms and identities. (Much like Christianity can be divided into other denominations like Catholicism, Baptist, Lutherans, and Methodists and so on.)
The book is a fascinating read in recounting the history, teachings, philosophies, mythologies, and the individuals who practice them. The key is diversity, Adler believed, “The open message of Drawing Down The Moon has always been that the spiritual is like the natural world-only diversity will save it.”
Diversity is a key theme to the book and to Neo-Paganism itself. Most Pagans subscribe to what is called the Wiccan Rede: If it harms none,do what thou will or to put it simply “Whatever works for you.”
However, there are many groups that take a high-handed approach to their members and other movements. You never want to go to a Pagan festival and mistake a Gardnerian for an Alexandrian or vice verse at least not if you don't have two hours to kill. And if I have heard the term “fluffy bunny pagan” once I’ve heard it a hundred times.
But unfortunately, it is human nature that any movement is going to have it's different distinctions, large egos, and plenty of arguments over who is doing it “the right correct way” and who isn't.
But the Neo-Pagan religions are known for having members who adapted their practice, accepted various theories, and added their own touches. Many Pagans are nothing if not creative.
Even the origins are often under suspicion and confusion. Originally many Pagans believed the s-called Pagan Myth in which the current incarnation is simply the latest in a long line of an organized pre-Christian nature religion which worshiped a Mother Goddess and her consort a Horned God. This is based on the theory that many artifacts from different countries which would have had little contact with each other had the same small carvings of a goddess, a full figured woman in a seated position like the Venus of Willendorf.
When Christianity became the prime European religion, at first they adapted to the current Pagan religions by assimilating their symbols and standards. God and Goddess figures transformed into Saints, like Ireland's Brigid. Dates were moved to celebrate Christian alternatives to existing Pagan holidays such as Jesus's birth being declared December 25th to compete with Saturnalia and Yule, already holidays celebrated at the time.
Eventually the Catholic Church became less willing to cooperate with the pre-existing religions and created the Inquisition a period of over 200 years called “The Burning Times” in which over 9 million particularly women were executed, imprisoned, tortured, or exiled.
However despite the public scorn and attacks, some families and covens continued their religion in secret passing them orally through the generations. They were finally established as an official religion in 1951 by the decline of the Witchcraft Act in England mostly through the efforts of Wicca founder, Gerald Gardner and his other coven members such as Doreen Valiente.
It's a nice origin story. Too bad much of it is either untrue or unsubstantiated, according to Adler’s book. Many people including Pagans have questioned the veracity of this official story and the sources from which it came. Sources like The Witch-Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray, The White Goddess by Robert Graves, and Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland had questionable research or may have been completely fabricated.
While there were of course pre-Christian pagan religions (and certainly the Christian assimilation cannot be disputed), none have been found that worshipped the exact same deities. They had their own figures, customs, and followings. Though some Archetypes and similar figures were featured in many myths and legends.
The numbers of “The Burning Times” victims were smaller than believed closer to 50,000 victims rather than 9 million. Though as one of the interview subjects said in the books “whether it's sixteen or sixty thousand, murder is still murder.” Most certainly believe no matter the final tally that is 9 million or 50,000 too many.
As far as the story about whether the Pagan religion successfully thrived through the Family Traditions (called Fam-Trads by many Pagans) are mostly anecdotal.
Wicca founder, Gerald Gardner said that he learned witchcraft under a mentor, Dorothy Clutterbucket who taught him magic. She may have existed but may not have had anything to do Gardner though more than likely Gardner changed her name.
While there is no proof of an organized Pagan religion before Wicca began, Adler pointed out that many magical organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and plenty of folk religions that practiced magic like Voodoo and Santeria thrived during those times suggesting that there could be some truth to the so-called Pagan Myth. (Not to mention many books and authors expressed what could only be described as very Pagan ideals. Later I intend to compose a Lit List of books with Pagan philosophies and themes. Some of them are rather surprising.)
So there is a chance it may have existed in one form or another just not as conclusive or as organized as the followers of the Pagan Myth believed.
Certainly the most well-known Pagan religion is Wicca, a largely nature based religion in which it's practitioners worship mostly a Mother Goddess and Father God, celebrate eight holidays called Sabbats that are based on the yearly cycle, and practice magic or chant to the deities to allow things to happen. The book is quick to point out that it's not the only one.
Wicca itself has different divisions. There are Gardnerians who follow the procedures laid out by Gardner. (including the specific number of coven members and that they must practice skyclad or nude.) Alexandrians followed the teachings of Alexander Sanders with an emphasis on ceremonial magic. Raymond Buckland started the Saex Wicca in which fed up with the other Traditions claiming they were the oldest, Buckland cleverly responded his was “the youngest."
There are Wiccan practices which are solely practiced by women like the Dianics and men like the Minoan Brotherhood. In both cases, the branches were formed because members were uncomfortable with the Great Rite ritual only emphasizing the heterosexual union of the Goddess and God or the duality imagery of male/female, Goddess/God practiced by other forms of Wicca.
Dianics such as Z. Budapest's Susan B. Anthony Coven focus almost exclusively on the Goddess and her roles as Mother, Creator, Healer, Lover, and Warrior. The Minoan Brotherhood mostly consists of gay men who use the practice to explore their sexuality and the dual nature within themselves.
Wicca founder, Gerald Gardner said that he learned witchcraft under a mentor, Dorothy Clutterbucket who taught him magic. She may have existed but may not have had anything to do Gardner though more than likely Gardner changed her name.
While there is no proof of an organized Pagan religion before Wicca began, Adler pointed out that many magical organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and plenty of folk religions that practiced magic like Voodoo and Santeria thrived during those times suggesting that there could be some truth to the so-called Pagan Myth. (Not to mention many books and authors expressed what could only be described as very Pagan ideals. Later I intend to compose a Lit List of books with Pagan philosophies and themes. Some of them are rather surprising.)
So there is a chance it may have existed in one form or another just not as conclusive or as organized as the followers of the Pagan Myth believed.
Certainly the most well-known Pagan religion is Wicca, a largely nature based religion in which it's practitioners worship mostly a Mother Goddess and Father God, celebrate eight holidays called Sabbats that are based on the yearly cycle, and practice magic or chant to the deities to allow things to happen. The book is quick to point out that it's not the only one.
Wicca itself has different divisions. There are Gardnerians who follow the procedures laid out by Gardner. (including the specific number of coven members and that they must practice skyclad or nude.) Alexandrians followed the teachings of Alexander Sanders with an emphasis on ceremonial magic. Raymond Buckland started the Saex Wicca in which fed up with the other Traditions claiming they were the oldest, Buckland cleverly responded his was “the youngest."
There are Wiccan practices which are solely practiced by women like the Dianics and men like the Minoan Brotherhood. In both cases, the branches were formed because members were uncomfortable with the Great Rite ritual only emphasizing the heterosexual union of the Goddess and God or the duality imagery of male/female, Goddess/God practiced by other forms of Wicca.
Dianics such as Z. Budapest's Susan B. Anthony Coven focus almost exclusively on the Goddess and her roles as Mother, Creator, Healer, Lover, and Warrior. The Minoan Brotherhood mostly consists of gay men who use the practice to explore their sexuality and the dual nature within themselves.
Adler explored these many forms expertly showing them as individuals and recognizing their differences as well as their similarities such as thirsts for knowledge through study and commitment to causes like Environmentalism and Feminism.
One glaring omission Adler left out in the book were Solitary Wiccans, those who practice without a coven. Usually they have to make things up as they go along and get information from the assistance of books from authors like Scott Cunningham. (I speak from personal experience.)
Adler explored other Neo-Pagan followings besides Wicca. Many of them worship the old gods but bring them to a modern sensibility. The members of The Church of Eternal Source worship the Egyptian gods and goddesses in elaborate ceremonial rituals where they dress in traditional costumes and robes. They are known for using many Egyptian rituals and practices, but adapting them to modern times. For example, while they respect the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification, instead they cremate their dead.
The Asatru worship the Norse gods. In proving there is no definite in who a Pagan is or what they believe, in contrast to the mostly liberal Wiccans, Asatru, Adler found, were mostly conservative and militaristic and favored more traditional roles for men and women. The Asatru have received some negative connotations over the recent years because since they adopted the ancient Norse symbols like the swastika and the hammer, they have been associated with Neo-Nazis and Anti-Semitic groups. Adler states while some members of the Asatru have an interest in their ethnicity, she implies that it's less of a means of racial superiority than it is to simply explore their family history and cultures. (Though not in Adler's book, an anecdotal and possibly apocryphal tale shows the divisions between the Asatru and Neo-Nazis. According to the story, a group of Neo-Nazis learned that a Pagan coven had planned an outdoor ceremony in a forest. The Neo-Nazis planned on ambushing and attacking the Pagans figuring that since many were pacifists, they wouldn't fight back. Unfortunately the particular Pagan group were Asatru who were ready with knives, swords, and other weapons in hand. One Asatru member with a ceremonial hammer even threatened that if the Neo-Nazis so much as installed or burned a cross, they were going to be nailed to it. Needless to say the Neo-Nazis left without attacking.)
Some of the more unique Pagan religions are the ones that started in very unusual ways. Adler devotes a whole chapter to The Church of All Worlds, a religious movement founded by Oberon and Morning Glory Zell. The Zells were inspired by Robert Heinlein's science fiction novel, A Stranger in a Strange Land in which a native Martian starts a religion on Earth. The practitioners of the Church of All Worlds retain customs from Heinlein's novel like “groking” intuitively passing knowledge to each other and greeting each other with an open palm saying “Thou Art God or Goddess.” While some may question a religion that was inspired by a science fiction novel, many people have cited unusual sometimes fictional or literary means of approaching Paganism.
This Reader certainly has no room to judge. I acknowledge the Disney animated series, Gargoyles as one of the sparks that led me to become fascinated with Shakespeare's plays, Celtic and Greco-Roman mythology, Arthurian legends, and then to Wicca itself.
Another Pagan movement that had a unique origin story is that of the Reformed Druids of North America founded by Isaac Bonewits. The Reformed Druids were created in 1963 at Carleton College as a humorous protest against the college's mandatory religious requirement. Though some members of the RDNA don't consider themselves Pagan, they do have similar beliefs such as a reverence to Nature and an unwillingness to adhere to strict dogma. Even though the movement started as a joke, Bonewits himself became a prominent musician and speaker on Paganism (even though he was known for disagreeing with other prominent Pagans. For example he was one of the most outspoken critics of the Pagan Myth). Bonewits later founded the Arn Draoicht Fein (A Druid Fellowship) which studies the history and practices of the ancient Druids and adapts them to modern society.
Then there are the Discordians, a religion founded by Malaclypse The Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst to worship Eris/Discordia, the Greco-Roman Goddess of Chaos. The Discordians thrive on being a parody and use play, paradox, and pranks in their traditions. (One of their “saints” is Joshua Norton, a man who claimed to be the First Emperor of San Francisco.) Well you don't expect a religion based on the Goddess of Chaos to take itself seriously.
One of the most fascinating chapters explores how Paganism has changed in the 21st century. The stereotype of the Pagan is a peace loving hippy who lives in rural areas and is practically off the grid. Adler found many who fit the stereotype to the letter she also found others who lived opposite ways of life. One pagan mentioned that he meditated to the God and Goddess every morning and evening on his way to and from his job on a military base. Hardly a peace loving hippy, he said his commitment to Paganism allowed him to embrace his warrior side to protect and defend his country.
Many Adler found lived in the cities “That's where the jobs are” one said. Another said people were more accepting towards Pagans in their city.
She also found a surprising number who worked in science and technology particularly in computer programming. Many say that they work in computers because it's a secret world of codes and different languages much like the other worlds many Pagans explore through meditation and ritual.
Others also say that Paganism and Computer jobs attract the same type of people: usually introverted
iconoclasts who are highly intelligent and curious.
In contrast to those who believe Science and Technology will destroy the Earth, many Pagans use their education and experience to study Environmental Science and Zoology to help preserve the environment and Medicine, Education, and Social Sciences to help with humanitarian causes.
Someone may begin reading Drawing Down The Moon with an idea of what they think a witch should be. Once they finish this book, they will realize that there is a lot more. They may even find as many of Adler's interview subjects said, “I always had a religion. I just never knew it had a name.” They may feel like “they are coming home.”
One glaring omission Adler left out in the book were Solitary Wiccans, those who practice without a coven. Usually they have to make things up as they go along and get information from the assistance of books from authors like Scott Cunningham. (I speak from personal experience.)
Adler explored other Neo-Pagan followings besides Wicca. Many of them worship the old gods but bring them to a modern sensibility. The members of The Church of Eternal Source worship the Egyptian gods and goddesses in elaborate ceremonial rituals where they dress in traditional costumes and robes. They are known for using many Egyptian rituals and practices, but adapting them to modern times. For example, while they respect the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification, instead they cremate their dead.
The Asatru worship the Norse gods. In proving there is no definite in who a Pagan is or what they believe, in contrast to the mostly liberal Wiccans, Asatru, Adler found, were mostly conservative and militaristic and favored more traditional roles for men and women. The Asatru have received some negative connotations over the recent years because since they adopted the ancient Norse symbols like the swastika and the hammer, they have been associated with Neo-Nazis and Anti-Semitic groups. Adler states while some members of the Asatru have an interest in their ethnicity, she implies that it's less of a means of racial superiority than it is to simply explore their family history and cultures. (Though not in Adler's book, an anecdotal and possibly apocryphal tale shows the divisions between the Asatru and Neo-Nazis. According to the story, a group of Neo-Nazis learned that a Pagan coven had planned an outdoor ceremony in a forest. The Neo-Nazis planned on ambushing and attacking the Pagans figuring that since many were pacifists, they wouldn't fight back. Unfortunately the particular Pagan group were Asatru who were ready with knives, swords, and other weapons in hand. One Asatru member with a ceremonial hammer even threatened that if the Neo-Nazis so much as installed or burned a cross, they were going to be nailed to it. Needless to say the Neo-Nazis left without attacking.)
Some of the more unique Pagan religions are the ones that started in very unusual ways. Adler devotes a whole chapter to The Church of All Worlds, a religious movement founded by Oberon and Morning Glory Zell. The Zells were inspired by Robert Heinlein's science fiction novel, A Stranger in a Strange Land in which a native Martian starts a religion on Earth. The practitioners of the Church of All Worlds retain customs from Heinlein's novel like “groking” intuitively passing knowledge to each other and greeting each other with an open palm saying “Thou Art God or Goddess.” While some may question a religion that was inspired by a science fiction novel, many people have cited unusual sometimes fictional or literary means of approaching Paganism.
This Reader certainly has no room to judge. I acknowledge the Disney animated series, Gargoyles as one of the sparks that led me to become fascinated with Shakespeare's plays, Celtic and Greco-Roman mythology, Arthurian legends, and then to Wicca itself.
Another Pagan movement that had a unique origin story is that of the Reformed Druids of North America founded by Isaac Bonewits. The Reformed Druids were created in 1963 at Carleton College as a humorous protest against the college's mandatory religious requirement. Though some members of the RDNA don't consider themselves Pagan, they do have similar beliefs such as a reverence to Nature and an unwillingness to adhere to strict dogma. Even though the movement started as a joke, Bonewits himself became a prominent musician and speaker on Paganism (even though he was known for disagreeing with other prominent Pagans. For example he was one of the most outspoken critics of the Pagan Myth). Bonewits later founded the Arn Draoicht Fein (A Druid Fellowship) which studies the history and practices of the ancient Druids and adapts them to modern society.
Then there are the Discordians, a religion founded by Malaclypse The Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst to worship Eris/Discordia, the Greco-Roman Goddess of Chaos. The Discordians thrive on being a parody and use play, paradox, and pranks in their traditions. (One of their “saints” is Joshua Norton, a man who claimed to be the First Emperor of San Francisco.) Well you don't expect a religion based on the Goddess of Chaos to take itself seriously.
One of the most fascinating chapters explores how Paganism has changed in the 21st century. The stereotype of the Pagan is a peace loving hippy who lives in rural areas and is practically off the grid. Adler found many who fit the stereotype to the letter she also found others who lived opposite ways of life. One pagan mentioned that he meditated to the God and Goddess every morning and evening on his way to and from his job on a military base. Hardly a peace loving hippy, he said his commitment to Paganism allowed him to embrace his warrior side to protect and defend his country.
Many Adler found lived in the cities “That's where the jobs are” one said. Another said people were more accepting towards Pagans in their city.
She also found a surprising number who worked in science and technology particularly in computer programming. Many say that they work in computers because it's a secret world of codes and different languages much like the other worlds many Pagans explore through meditation and ritual.
Others also say that Paganism and Computer jobs attract the same type of people: usually introverted
iconoclasts who are highly intelligent and curious.
In contrast to those who believe Science and Technology will destroy the Earth, many Pagans use their education and experience to study Environmental Science and Zoology to help preserve the environment and Medicine, Education, and Social Sciences to help with humanitarian causes.
Someone may begin reading Drawing Down The Moon with an idea of what they think a witch should be. Once they finish this book, they will realize that there is a lot more. They may even find as many of Adler's interview subjects said, “I always had a religion. I just never knew it had a name.” They may feel like “they are coming home.”
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