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Although every Modern Pagan religion has its own set of rituals, there are some common themes. There are rituals marking the seasons, and the cycles of the moon and sun (solstices and equinoxes). There are rituals honoring specific gods or goddesses, and nature spirits. There are rituals celebrating birth, death, marriage and rites of passage. And there are rituals that call on divine powers to heal, strengthen and comfort individuals and entire communities.

In the ritual known as Blót Old Norse for sacrifice , members of the kindred community pass around a horn filled with mead that s sacrificed to the gods accompanied by prayers to deities like Odin, Thor and Freya. Several esoteric groups of the 19th century, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Theosophical Society, adopted imagery from the pre-Christian past, and it was from this esoteric milieu that the earliest modern Pagan groups emerged early in the 20th century.

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Paganism Is the Oldest, Newest Religion

Jussara Gabriel a Wiccan high priestess, and other priestesses pray around a fire pit during the Imbolc, the seasonal sabbat in honor of Brigid, a Celtic goddess of Irish origin, on Aug. 13, 2020 in Jacarepagua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andre Coelho/Getty Images

When Christianity switched from a persecuted fringe sect to the state religion of the Roman Empire in 415 CE, those in the new monotheistic mainstream came up with an insult for the polytheistic "hicks" who still worshipped the pantheon of Roman gods. They called them "pagans" from the Latin word paganus for "country dweller."

While most of the rites and practices of Pagan belief systems died out centuries ago, some modern spiritual seekers have recovered those ancient wisdom traditions and now proudly identify as Pagan. By some measures, Modern Paganism is one of America's fastest-growing religions with an estimated 1 million followers of various Pagan sects in the United States. According to the 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Study, 0.3 percent of Americans identify as "Pagan or Wicca," which is the same number who identify as Unitarian. In 2008, there were just 340,000 Pagans in the U.S.

Modern Paganism (also called Neopaganism, Contemporary Paganism or just Paganism) is a revival movement that encompasses a wide and rich variety of polytheistic religious traditions: Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices, as well as Wicca (modern witchcraft), Ásatrú (the worship of Norse gods, goddesses and land spirits) and Druidism (an Indo-European priesthood).

With such a diversity of religious traditions and rituals, Modern Paganism defies easy definition. The religious scholar Michael Strmiska described Modern Paganism as a collection of religious movements "dedicated to reviving the polytheistic, nature-worshipping pagan religions of pre-Christian Europe and adapting them for the use of people in modern societies."

What Modern Pagans are definitely not is "historical reenactors," says Jefferson Calico, a religion professor at the University of the Cumberlands, Kentucky, and author of "Being Viking: Heathenism in Contemporary America."

"Contemporary Pagans feel a strong connection to the past and look to those pre-Christian practices and cultures and spirituality as inspiration for what they're trying to recover, find again or create anew," says Calico. "They look at pre-Christian traditions of the past as repositories of ancient sacred wisdom and lifestyles that connected us to the cosmos and to each other in ways that are holy and sacred."

1. Pagan Practice and Rituals
2. Wicca and Women's Empowerment
3. The Rise of Heathenry

Pagan Practice and Rituals

Unlike Judeo-Christian traditions that center around biblical authority, clergy and codified belief systems, Modern Paganism is all about the rituals. The religious scholar Sabina Magliocco wrote that the role of ritual in Modern Paganism is to achieve communion with nature, with the deities, with the community and with the inner self. She describes Modern Pagan rituals as "forms of communally created artistic expression" that often include drumming, dance, ceremonial fires, incense, and representations of the four elements (earth, air, fire and water).

Although every Modern Pagan religion has its own set of rituals, there are some common themes. There are rituals marking the seasons, and the cycles of the moon and sun (solstices and equinoxes). There are rituals honoring specific gods or goddesses, and nature spirits. There are rituals celebrating birth, death, marriage and rites of passage. And there are rituals that call on divine powers to heal, strengthen and comfort individuals and entire communities.

Most rituals have a three-part structure, according to Magliocco:

1. Setting the stage: This may mean symbolically cleansing the sacred area or drawing a circle around it.
2. Performing the ritual: Communing with the gods through dance, music, guided meditation, etc. within the sacred space.
3. Returning to reality: Thanking and dismissing the spirits/gods and perhaps sharing food and drink with the other participants.

In Ásatrú, also known as Heathenism or Heathenry, one of the most common rituals involves the ceremonial drinking of mead or "honey wine," one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. In the ritual known as Blót (Old Norse for "sacrifice"), members of the "kindred" (community) pass around a horn filled with mead that's sacrificed to the gods accompanied by prayers to deities like Odin, Thor and Freya. A Blót can be held anytime, preferably outdoors, but two of the most important Blóts are held on the summer solstice (MidsummerBlót) and winter solstice (YuleBlót).

A girl poses for a photograph as Druids, Pagans and revelers gather at Stonehenge in England, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony on Dec. 22, 2018. The event marks the 're-birth' of the sun for the New Year.

While not as common, Magliocco mentions an Ancient Egyptian ritual called Navigium Isidis practiced by the Fellowship of Isis in Los Angeles. Ancient Egyptians honored the fertility goddess Isis every March when the Nile would flood its banks and bring life to the valley. Instead of launching boats into the Nile, the members of the Fellowship of Isis make small boats out of ice (non-polluting) and release them into the Pacific Ocean carrying their wishes and prayers to the goddess.

You won't find Modern Pagan "churches" in the sense of a building dedicated to worship. For starters, Calico says, adherents prefer to worship outside where there's a direct connection with the natural world. But there's also the issue of money. Modern Pagans generally avoid asking for tithes, donations or dues that would go toward the building of a permanent church or temple.

The only problem with outdoor worship is that Pagans often have to deal with the public, whose reactions can range from curiosity to outright harassment.

"I've been to outdoor events where people have yelled rude things at Pagans who are practicing their religion," says Calico.

"Contemporary Pagans feel a strong connection to the past and look to those pre-Christian practices and cultures and spirituality as inspiration for what they're trying to recover, find again or create anew," says Calico. "They look at pre-Christian traditions of the past as repositories of ancient sacred wisdom and lifestyles that connected us to the cosmos and to each other in ways that are holy and sacred."

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