The Pagan Path
By Janet and Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone
Introduction and Chapter 1 Topics and Summary
The Farrars talk about the state of religious freedom in the US, Ireland and Great Britain.
We talk a lot about freedom of religion, but what does that really mean to you? or to pagans in general? What are our religious freedoms?
We've all seen the teenage girl (no offense inteneded to any of the younger members of this list) on the talk show who says that her drug use and promiscuity are aspects of "the wiccan religion." We've read the news story about how a "Wiccan Priest" has used ritual to seduce minors. How do we combat this type of press? Talk about this and about positive images of paganism you've seen in the media as well.
The Farrars touches briefly on the subject of pagan history in the introduction. Those of you with a broader knowledge base, please post more information to the list about pagan history. Those of you who are trained in a specific tradition, please share information about your tradition and its history. Please feel free to ask and answer questions on this topic.
As paganism has gained acceptance, more and more materials are published to spread information. Where do you get your pagan info? Do you subscribe to any pagan publications? What about newsletters published by pagan or pagan-friendly organizations? Please share information about pagan information resources.
The chapter is opened with the question, "What is religion?" In answer, there are two basic views concerning life and the Cosmos. These are: 1. the materialist view (everything comes from the "interaction of random factors") and 2. the religious view (an "Ultimate Creative Intelligence" is responsible).
The authors contend that while these two views are irreconciliable, their differences should not cause strife between those holding them. Concerning the religious view, although there is a multitude of religions with differing beliefs, there is only one Ultimate Creative Intelligence. All religions revere the same One, they just put it into the cultural and social context for which it exists. In other words religions are "... all different paths to the same truths." Paganism, in such a context, is a religion by itself because of its reverence of the Ultimate.
Many religions are hierarchical and dogmatic; they see their path as the only one that is valid, and all others are either totally wrong or in direct opposition to their own. Paganism denies this dogmatic view and as such, is more open to accepting the beliefs of others. (The authors here concede that Fundamentalist Pagans do exist). At our present state of evolution we cannot grasp the Ultimate directly, so we must try to "attune to It" by putting it into symbols and forms to which we can relate, i.e., humans need gods that appear human. These symbols are different for each religion, but in the end, they symbolize the same One.
In our world one usually notes that Pagans use a God and a Goddess to symbolize the Ultimate, but still see it as one entity. By using multiple symbols (which the authors refer to as "tuning-signals") we recognize that life is multifaceted and each aspect calls for its own identity. The authors here note that Catholics do the same by using multiple saints, to bypass a monotheistic structure. This is an example of how many religions fail to see that they also use this "tuning-signal approach."
Finally, paganism involves the respect for other religions, including their places of worship. "A Pagan man will take his hat off in a church, put it on in a synagogue... and a Pagan woman will observe the women's rules in the same places."
In short:
I. There are 2 basic views about life and the Cosmos
A. Materialist
B. Religious
II. There is only one Ultimate Power
A. All religions worship the same deity, however they see it
1. religions are only different paths to the same truths 2. deity must be symbolized in a form to which we can relate B. There are many aspects of the One Power
1. Pagans recognize the God and Goddess as the male and female aspects of the Higher Power
2. Many religions use a multitude of tuning-signals, even if they don't realize it (For example, Catholic saints) III. Paganism:
A. Is tolerant and respectful of the beliefs of other religions B. Is not hierarchical or dogmatic
C. Recognizes the God and Goddess as manifestations of the One Ultimate D. Is dedicated to Nature and Mother Earth
Summarized by Shana Leslie
The Farrars state unequivocably at the beginning of the chapter, "Paganism is religion. It is not atheism, agnosticism, or indifference to religion, as too many people believe--or would like to have us believe."
They go on to say, "The religious view is that [life and the evolution of the Cosmos] is the purposeful manifestation of an ultimate Creative Intelligence...Religions vary widely in their deity images, symbology, and mythology. But if there is an ultimate Creative Intelligence, there can only be One; so difficult as it may be for some people to accept, all sincere religions worship the same deity, however they envisage It, and are therefore all different paths to the same truths...On this basis Paganism is unquestionable a religion in its own right.
What are the "religious aspects" of paganism? How is it "spiritual" or "religious" as opposed to "philosophical"? How does paganism answer your religious questions or fulfill your religious needs?
The Farrars pose this question: Why do symbols, mythology, and deity-forms of the various world religions differ so widely?
"...on our present level of existence and spiritual evolution, we cannot apprehend the Ultimate directly, except perhaps in brief flashes of intuition. To attune ourselves to It in our daily lives, we have to symbolize it in forms we understand--which, since we are human, means in human form..."
They go on to give examples: Monotheist Christians see God as the Bearded grandfather or in his Christ form as a young man; Pagan Greeks saw the mother Goddess as Demeter with vegetation daughter; Ancient Egypt had mother Goddess Isis working with magickal partner Thoth (God of Wisdom).
"There is nothing wrong with any of these concepts. They are tuning signals to the Ultimate, suiting the particular wavelengths fo people living in given environments and cultures, and with particular personal experiences and characteristics. The tuning signals differ, but the Ultimate remains the same."
What are your _tuning-signals_ to the Ultimate? How do you envision the Gods? What are the names you use? Do you use the same ones all the time? Talk about what "Deity" means to you.
"In a modern Western context, the most notable characteristic of the Pagan use of such tuning signals is that they include the God and the Goddess, a complementary polarization at Ultimate level..."
Does your expression of paganism include both the Goddess and the God? To an equal degree? If you came from a male-based monotheistic religion, what was the discovery of the Goddess like for you?
We talk a lot about tolerance. We use phrases like "no one true path" and talk about "what works for you is right for you." What does that really mean? How far does/should it go?
There is a brief discussion of pagan cosmology in Chapter 1. Talk about the myths which inform your spirituality. Are there any Creation myths which are significant to you? What about myths to explain the wheel of the year? Do you have myths which are related to the Sabbats or to major rites of passage to you? Or, are the myths just quaint stories with no real meaning to you? Why?
Chapter 1 ends with a discussion of pagan respect for other worldviews. How important is respect in paganism? Is it important for us to respect beliefs which we don't share? What about branches of paganism we don't agree with? Should we respect those who do not seem to respect us?