The Legacy of Magical Thinking

      When applying the prefix "Neo" to a group, for example the neo-pagans I will discuss, understand that this prefix denotes a seeking to emulate a previous group whilst being inexorably separated by context. To this point I assert that neopagans, neodruids and other groups all seek to reconstruct the bodies of practitioners from antiquity but are forever restrained by inhabiting the contemporary era.

       Paganism was a single label applied to a multitude of different belief systems. It is the only successful attempt at labeling the myriad different religious belief systems, and even varying levels of dedication to mystical doctrine in general. Early Christians adopted the label of Pagan to categorize the seemingly hedonistic and uncivilized tribes that abounded during Christianity's rise.

        For this reason the title Pagan is very ambiguous and open to interpretation. Today it is considered to pertain to many indigenous belief systems that focus on nature, polytheism and ritual where in fact there were tribes under the ancient umbrella of paganism that were monotheistic, some that were not concerned with rituals and some that were more focused on family and politics than natural atunement.

       Neopaganism is a collective effort at spirituality that broadly describes a similarly numerous arrangement of sub-groups, categories and divisions of worshiping practice and belief systems. Neopaganism is concerned with the reconstruction of old world theological systems and adopting ancient gods and especially goddesses for modern religious practice. Many neopagan groups heavily research their ancient counterparts to gain a legitimate and well realized reenactment of these practices.

       Some of these subgroups I want to discuss are:
        -Wicca, one of the largest sections of the neopagan population
        -Neo-Druidism, second largest and more nuanced
        -Heathenry, Associated with Scandinavia more than the Gaelic world
       
       There are countless other neopagan movements but I will restrict myself to the three largest. The ancient pagan ideals, though widely varied, mostly share a regard for nature as being a manifestation or indicator of divinity or benevolence. In recognition of this these movements are often characterized by an ecological motivation.
   
     But from here I can hear you asking what this has to do with the occult, which one might assume is the focus of my writing from reading the title of the blog. The occult literally relates to that which is obscure, shrouded or mysterious. These groups are widely connected by a share propensity for magical thinking, or even outright belief in magical operations. These sensibilities were not well met by the rise of orthodox Christianity, and were often demonized and classified as untoward or malevolent.  The word Occult can even be considered a pejorative term to describe heterodox practices as dark or unseemly.