Modern Paganism

Being a Pagan

Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond

This book is the gateway to paganism today.  It is a wonderfully easy reading book, brimming with information.  In its 377 pages, the reader will be introduced to a variety of groups, organizations and spiritual paths.  This book is an amazing starter for anyone curious about paganism, or looking for a path and not sure which one.   The material is presented through interviews with known leaders in each of the paths.  Where most books are written in an academic manner, this feels more like getting to know the paths as if talking to a friend.

More over, they have gone the extra mile and in the back of this book the reader will find an exhaustive list of resources including the organizations to which the interviewee’s belong, merchants, and community groups.  

As a follower of the Druid path I was please to find a book that actually started with druidism.  But what I found even more interesting and useful, was that many of the groups interviewed, had or were going through many of the difficulties the grove I belong with are currently facing.  One of the first issues we faced is with the overwhelming difficulty of pagans resenting structure.  As on page 13, where is was discussed that becoming structured was akin to being the same as orthodox or  Christian religious dogmas.  It wonderfully points out how the success of those religions has a lot to do with organization and implementing it to go forward.

Another section I was drawn to, was the section on military pagans.  Particularly the section on page 171, “What is it like being a military pagan?”  As a military member I know full well the challenges that military pagans face.  Where other pagans might, and yes I do say might wear symbols of faith, or be free to “Out” about their spirituality, the military person has to be very cautious.  Trust is at the heart of military life, and if the men and women you serve with don’t understand or are not open to pagans, it can cause some pretty dramatic issues.  I myself was asked to take a psych exam when it was discovered that I was a Druid.  While for some this is a stumbler, I have used it to force me even further out of the shadows.  It propels me to help other pagans in the military to be understood and protected.

Why is this book significant?  I feel this book is significant because where most books are the opinion of the person who is doing the research, this one is the complete opposite.  Here the writer / interviewer only asks the questions.  The information is given from the point of view of the interviewee, and you get an understanding of where they feel their path and paganism in general is now, and is moving to.  There is the positive, and in some cases more importantly the negatives of paganism discussed openly.  How are we treated by government, society or even other pagan groups.   How did these groups deal with it.  Was it legally like some of the groups looking for property and business rights.  Or did the society around them just accept them.  This is great for groups that are just beginning to see how these problems were faced, and to know they are not alone in facing them.

Finally, it was the resources that really capped this book for me.  The list of periodicals, and networking resources is amazing.  I have logged in to many of these and the information remains fresh, and the people highly helpful.

If it were only the resources section of the book, I would recommend it to others.  With the interviews I would say it is a necessity book for any pagans book collection.  I enjoyed reading the perspectives of other pagans that have more experience and training then myself, and have developed new insights to help me move forward.