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modern Paganism
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A large crowd of people, many dressed in red and festive clothing, gather among the standing stones at Stonehenge to celebrate the winter solstice. Thor Aleister Crowley Ritual regalia of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Reverend Virginia Powell and Ashleigh Powell, both in black robes, stand holding hands with others in a circle around a table with candles and statues during a Wicca lunar ritual. Odinist (Heathen) priest celebrating the summer solstice High priest Wicca Og Sperle stands alone in a dimly lit room, holding a staff and praying beside a fire bowl during the Lughnasadh ritual at Temenos Aetos Thesmophoros temple.
What's the Difference Between Yule and Christmas?
Silhouetted figures in costumes and cloaks, some with antler headdresses, stand outdoors holding banners during a Samhain ceremony at sunset near Glastonbury Tor.
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A large crowd of people, many dressed in red and festive clothing, gather among the standing stones at Stonehenge to celebrate the winter solstice.
Celebrating the winter solstice at Stonehenge Modern Pagans, Druids, and revelers celebrating the winter solstice at Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, 2015.

modern Paganism

religion
Also known as: Neo-Paganism
Written by
Ethan Doyle White
Possessing a PhD in Medieval History and Archaeology from University College London, Ethan Doyle White writes on religion, folklore, history, and archaeology, with a particular focus on areas of cultural...
Ethan Doyle White
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

modern Paganism, family of new religions that all take their inspiration from the extinct pre-Christian religions of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Modern Pagan approaches to these past religions vary, from those that try to imitate particular pre-Christian traditions with a high degree of precision to those that are more openly eclectic in their use of historical and archaeological source material. These modern Pagan religions largely emerged in Europe and North America during the...

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