The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism: Meaningful Ways to Commune with Nature and Follow the Pagan Spiritual Path

by Carl Mccolman

Overview

You’re no idiot, of course. But finding the perfect expression of your spirituality can prove long and challenging. You might already be attracted to paganism, but considering the variety of traditions and paths that fall in this category, you’ll need a spiritual guide.

 

Seek no further! Whether you’re interested in following the pagan path or just curious to know more, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Paganism will enlighten you on this fascinating array of nature-based beliefs and practices. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you’ll learn about:

   • The basic principles of shamanism, druidism, Wicca, and more.
   • How to deepen your connection to the Goddess, the God, and nature.
   • The fundamentals of meditation, magic, divination, and spiritual healing.
   • Tips on incorporating pagan rituals into your modern lifestyle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440695742
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	04/01/2002
Series:	COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

CARL McCOLMAN is a freelance writer and spiritual teacher based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the author of several books including The Well-Read Witch and The Aspiring Mystic. A practitioner of nature spirituality for more than a decade, he is the co-founder and former leader of a druid grove and currently is the co-leader of an interfaith pagan meditation circle.

Table of Contents

I. PAGAN BASICS.

1. Welcome to the Pagan Path.

Telltale Signs of a Pagan Personality. What Pagans Are Not. Diversity, Diversity, Diversity. Welcome to the Pagan Adventure.

2. All-Natural Ingredients.

Pagans Love Nature. Mother Nature Is a Real Goddess! Communing with Nature. Listen and Learn. Taking Care of Mother Earth. The Wilderness Within.

3. Please Don't Squeeze the Shaman!

Welcome to the World's Oldest Spiritual Path. The Elements of Shamanism. The Teachings of Black Elk. Core Shamanism. Shamanism and Paganism.

4. Wicked Good!

A Brief History of Wicca. The Elements of Wicca. What Do Wiccans Do? The Romance of Wicca. Wicca as a Form of Paganism.

5. The Philosophical Pagans: Druids and Other Revivalist Groups.

Popular Conceptions (and Misconceptions) of the Druids. How to Revive an Ancient Religion. The Elements of Druidism. The Druid Contribution. Other Pagan Paths with an Ethnic Orientation.

6. Other Pieces of the Pagan Puzzle.

Welcome to "The Way". Baby, You Can Drive My Karma. The Way of the Western Mysteries. Science Fiction Paganism. Putting It All Together. A Ritual for Embarking on the Pagan Path

II. HOW TO THINK LIKE A PAGAN.

7. This World, That World, and the Otherworld.
A Tale of Two (or More) Worlds: Pagan Cosmology. Understanding the Otherworld. Doorways to the Otherworld. Knock, Knock: Who's There? What Difference Does It Make?

8. Getting to Know the Goddess.

There's Always Been a Yin. The History of Mom. The "Phases" of the Goddess. Light and Dark: Two Aspects of the Goddess. A Few Goddesses from Around the World. The Secret Goddess. The Goddess in Nature.

9. All About the God.

Yang (Yin's Dance Partner). How the Pagan Idea of God Differs from the Monotheist God. My, What Strong Horns You Have! Some Gods from Around the World. The God in Relation to the Goddess. Other Important Roles for the God. The God in Nature.

10. A Field Guide to the Spirit World.

The Many Varieties of Spirits. Spirits of Land, Sea, and Sky. Ancestors: Those Who Came Before Us. Unicorns, Dragons, and Other Mythical Creatures. Putting It All Together.

11. Elementary, My Dear Pagan!

Basic Principles of the Elements. Elemental Symbols. Come On, Baby, Light My Fire. Airheads, Unite! Water, Water, Everywhere. Earth (and the Land). Spirit, the Fifth Element. The Magic of the Elements: Weaving the Energies Together.

12. Going in Circles.

Nature: The Ultimate Teacher. The Summerland: The Ultimate Pagan Vacation Spot. You Reap What You Sow. The Psychology of Reincarnation. The Big Questions.

III. RITUAL.

13. The Wheel of the Year.

Sabbats and Esbats: Understanding the Two Kinds of Pagan Ritual. The Cycle of the Sun: The Dark Half. The Cycle of the Sun: The Light Half. The Cycles of the Moon. Significance of the 13 Moons.

14. Tools for Ritual.

What Are Tools, and How Are They Used? Elemental Tools. Other Common Wiccan and Pagan Tools. Tools from Other Traditions. Miscellaneous-and Optional-Ritual Tools. Your Personal Altar. Why Have an Altar? Elements of a Typical Pagan Altar. Consecrating Your Altar and Tools. Practical Issues. The Only Truly Necessary Tool: Your Self!

15. A Basic Ritual.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Ritual. Round and Round We Go. Creating Sacred Space (Casting the Circle). Invoking the Spirits (Calling the Quarters and the Deities). The Work of the Ritual. Putting Things Back Where They Belong. The Many Faces of Ritual.

16. Rites of Passage.

A One-Way Trip to a New You! The Mark of an Effective Rite of Passage. The Two Kinds of Transitions. Life Transitions. Spiritual Transitions.

IV. MAGIC.

17. Meditation: Welcome to Magical Boot Camp!

Meditation: A Workout for the Mind. Why Bother with Meditation? Brainwaves: The Physics of Meditation. The Meditation-Magic Connection. Opening Up to Spiritual Contact. No-Nonsense Advice for Starting Your Own Meditation Practice.

18. Magic, or Flexing Your Spiritual Muscles.

Magic: Not Required (But Not Prohibited Either). The Many Faces of Magic. Psychic Power: Magic's "Engine". Seven Principles of Magic. Magic: Any Way You Spell It. As I Do Will, So Mote It Be: The Ethics of Magic.

19. Divination and Omens: Listening for the Divine Whisper.

Getting Into Intuition. Divination Tools: Ways to Reconnect with Our Intuitive Power. Astrology and Tarot: The Big Two in Divination. Sacred Alphabets: Spelling Out Intuition. Other Common Divination Tools. Omens: Listening for the Voice of the Spirits in the Natural World.

20. The Pagan as Healer: From Medicine Men to Reiki Masters.

Witches, Shamans, Magicians: All Are Healers. Reiki and Other Forms of Psychic Healing. Ritual as a Healing Process. Visualization and Affirmation. Paganism and Mainstream Medicine.

V. LIVING THE PAGAN LIFE.

21. Pagan Ethics: How to Behave Like an Earthkeeper.

Flower Power Lives Again! Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Harm None and Do What You Will. Tribal Values. Pagans and Sex. Weaving It All Together.

22. Groups, Groves, and Gatherings.

The Four Ways to Be a Pagan. The Pleasures of Solitude. Small Group Spirituality: A Backyard Full of Pagans. Larger Groups and National Organizations. The Pagan Gathering (and Festivals). Finding Groups and Gatherings.

23. Harry Potter and Beyond: Paganism in Popular Culture.

Books for Pagans. TV Shows for Pagans. Movies for Pagans. Popular Music for Pagans. Classical Music for Pagans. The Pagan Music Scene.

24. Everyday Paganism.

How to Be a Pagan Each and Every Day. Patrons and Matrons: The Gods Who Are Just Right for You. Can Mother Nature and God the Father Be Lovers? Online Paganism. The Varieties of Pagan Websites. E-Mail Lists and Discussion Groups. Summary: Getting to Know the Spirit of the Land.

VI. APPENDIXES.

Appendix A. Recommended Reading.
Appendix B. Resources.
Index.