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“Natural Religion”: Paganism and Shamanism – Richard Smoley
“Natural Religion”: Paganism and Shamanism – Richard Smoley
Download handouts
Paganism and Shamanism Handout #1
Paganism and Wicca Handout #2
World Religion Summarries (This is not a handout but a great resource: well done summaries of major world religions.)
Discussion questions
1- “A person who is able to memorize long texts or songs (and play an instrument) may be regarded as having achieved this ability through contact with the spirits.”
This idea of familiarity with sacred stories is still alive in many respects today. For example, some people may quote scripture as a way of displaying piety, closeness to spirit. – see Handout 1
1a- Indigenous people often talk about natural areas—from forests to rivers—having their own guiding and guardian spirits. The novelist Philip K. Dick referred to the I Ching as a specific personality. Do you think that a sacred text may have its own controlling spirit?
1b- Do you think scholars of sacred spiritual texts and narratives are spiritually wise?
1c- Why do you think storytelling became a key component of many types of Shamanism?
2- “The shaman knows the culture of his or her community well, and acts accordingly. Thus, their audience knows the used symbols and meanings — that is why shamanism can be efficient - people in the audience trust it.” – see Handout 1
Joseph Campbell used to say that since traditional, organized religion had lost much of its energy in the west, the guiding, path-finding priests and shamans of our culture are the artists. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
3- In what ways is Shamanism similar to traditional major religions such as Christianity and Buddhism?
3a- In what ways is Shamanism different from traditional, major religions?
4- If anyone in the class / group has had a healing experience with a shaman, please share the experience.
5- The use of totem items such as rocks is common; these items are believed to have special powers and an animating spirit. Such practices are presumably very ancient; in about 368 BCE, Plato wrote in the Phaedrus that the "first prophecies were the words of an oak," and that everyone who lived at that time found it rewarding enough to "listen to an oak or a stone, so long as it was telling the truth."
Plato is a dominant figure in Western thought, and his ideas are taught widely at most universities. Why do you think his belief in the potential guiding wisdom of a tree or stone has been so little discussed?
6- Generally, Shamans travel to the upper world, the middle world, or the lower world to contact spirits or conduct spiritual work in one of these three realms. Do you know of any other spiritual system which divides the spirit world up into specific realms accessible by talented spiritual travelers?
Discussion questions from handout 2 : Paganism and Wicca
1- “Characteristic of pagan traditions is the absence of proselytism and the presence of a living mythology which explains religious practice.”
Pagans and Wiccans generally do not try to convert others to their beliefs. How, then, do you think they keep getting more practitioners/members?
2- The word “pagan” was originally used in a derogatory sense. What sort of stereotypes do you think mainstream culture holds toward Pagans and their practices?
3- “The more common meaning of classical Latin pāgānus is ‘civilian, non-militant’ (adjective and noun). Christians called themselves mīlitēs, ‘enrolled soldiers’ of Christ, members of his militant church, and applied to non-Christians the term applied by soldiers to all who were ‘not enrolled in the army’.” Discuss what you think might be the connection between the etymological roots of the words pagan and Christian and the aggressive attitude Christians have had historically toward pagans.
4- Other etymological root meanings of the word “pagan” are “country dweller,” “rustic” “rural” and “of the country.” Do you think there was a connection between a rural lifestyle and resisting Christian conversion or, to put it another way, keeping one’s spiritual pagan beliefs? If so, how would you explain this connection?
5- Do you think the current “go Green” movement which has penetrated nearly every aspect of contemporary Western civilization could be a signal of a cycle in which our culture may be returning to a type of pagan spirituality?
6- A more polytheistic approach holds the various goddesses and gods to be separate and distinct entities in their own right. Pantheistic systems may conceive of deities not as literal personalities but as metaphorical archetypes or thought forms.
7- Archetypes
8- “Despite some belief in it, Wicca does not place an emphasis on the afterlife, focusing instead on the current one; as the historian Ronald Hutton remarked, ‘the instinctual position of most pagan witches, therefore, seems to be that if one makes the most of the present life, in all respects, then the next life is more or less certainly going to benefit from the process, and so one may as well concentrate on the present.’”
8a- Do you share this Wiccan attitude toward the present life and afterlife?
8b- How do you think the general Theosophical view toward the afterlife and this life is different from or similar to that of the Wiccans?
9a- Aleister Crowley declared that magic was "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will," and MacGregor Mathers stated that it was "the science of the control of the secret forces of nature." In what ways is the guiding principle of our civilization in essence a manifestation of a sort of mass magic, i.e., constant explorations of new ways and resources that cause change to conform to our will?
Proposed activities
When practicing magic and casting spells, as well as when celebrating various festivals, Wiccans use a variety of rituals. In typical rites, the coven or solitary assembles inside a ritually cast and purified magic circle. Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the "Guardians" of the cardinal points, alongside their respective classical element; Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
Common tools in the Wiccan practice include a special set of magical tools. These usually include a knife called an athame, a wand, a pentacle and a chalice, but other tools include a broomstick known as a besom, a cauldron, candles, incense and a curved blade known as a boline. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God and the Goddess may be displayed. Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.
1- Break into small groups. Each group will design a blessing aimed at creating harmony and positive fortune for the beginning of a Storytelling Festival that has a nature theme. Try to use most, if not all, of the elements in the above paragraphs, invoking natural spirits, having representative symbolic tools. Write out the speech, objects, and actions of the blessing precisely.
2- Each group can perform its blessing.
Related Resources:
Books
Castaneda, Carlos, Magical Passes : The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico, 299.7 CAS MP
Farber, Philip H., Meta-Magick : The Book of Atem : Achieving New States of Consciousness through NLP, Neuroscience, and Ritual, 131 FAR MM
Freidel, David A., Maya Cosmos : Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path, 972.015 FRE MC
Fry, Carrol L., Cinema of the Occult : New Age, Satanism, Wicca, and Spiritualism in Film, 791.437 FRY CO
Godwin, Joscelyn T, The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance, 292 GOD PDR
Jones, Prudence, A History of Pagan Europe, 291.094 JON HPE
Lyon, William S., Encyclopedia of Native American Shamanism : Sacred Ceremonies of North America, 291 LYO ENAS
Villoldo, Alberto, Island of the Sun : Mastering the Inca Medicine Wheel, 299.8 VIL IS
York, Michael, Pagan Theology : Paganism as a World Religion, 299.93 YOR PT
Videorecordings
Davids, Paul, The Artist and the Shaman, DVD 0170
Hoeller, Stephan A., Magic : The Art of Enchantment, DVD 0149
Lake-Thom, Bobby, Native Shamanism and Healing, VR 0571
Penny Price Media, Labyrinths & Dragonquest, DVD 0264
Ward, Carol., Shamanic Healing Techniques, DVD 0050
Download handouts
Paganism and Shamanism Handout #1
Paganism and Wicca Handout #2
World Religion Summarries (This is not a handout but a great resource: well done summaries of major world religions.)
Discussion questions
1- “A person who is able to memorize long texts or songs (and play an instrument) may be regarded as having achieved this ability through contact with the spirits.”
This idea of familiarity with sacred stories is still alive in many respects today. For example, some people may quote scripture as a way of displaying piety, closeness to spirit. – see Handout 1
1a- Indigenous people often talk about natural areas—from forests to rivers—having their own guiding and guardian spirits. The novelist Philip K. Dick referred to the I Ching as a specific personality. Do you think that a sacred text may have its own controlling spirit?
1b- Do you think scholars of sacred spiritual texts and narratives are spiritually wise?
1c- Why do you think storytelling became a key component of many types of Shamanism?
2- “The shaman knows the culture of his or her community well, and acts accordingly. Thus, their audience knows the used symbols and meanings — that is why shamanism can be efficient - people in the audience trust it.” – see Handout 1
Joseph Campbell used to say that since traditional, organized religion had lost much of its energy in the west, the guiding, path-finding priests and shamans of our culture are the artists. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
3- In what ways is Shamanism similar to traditional major religions such as Christianity and Buddhism?
3a- In what ways is Shamanism different from traditional, major religions?
4- If anyone in the class / group has had a healing experience with a shaman, please share the experience.
5- The use of totem items such as rocks is common; these items are believed to have special powers and an animating spirit. Such practices are presumably very ancient; in about 368 BCE, Plato wrote in the Phaedrus that the "first prophecies were the words of an oak," and that everyone who lived at that time found it rewarding enough to "listen to an oak or a stone, so long as it was telling the truth."
Plato is a dominant figure in Western thought, and his ideas are taught widely at most universities. Why do you think his belief in the potential guiding wisdom of a tree or stone has been so little discussed?
6- Generally, Shamans travel to the upper world, the middle world, or the lower world to contact spirits or conduct spiritual work in one of these three realms. Do you know of any other spiritual system which divides the spirit world up into specific realms accessible by talented spiritual travelers?
Discussion questions from handout 2 : Paganism and Wicca
1- “Characteristic of pagan traditions is the absence of proselytism and the presence of a living mythology which explains religious practice.”
Pagans and Wiccans generally do not try to convert others to their beliefs. How, then, do you think they keep getting more practitioners/members?
2- The word “pagan” was originally used in a derogatory sense. What sort of stereotypes do you think mainstream culture holds toward Pagans and their practices?
3- “The more common meaning of classical Latin pāgānus is ‘civilian, non-militant’ (adjective and noun). Christians called themselves mīlitēs, ‘enrolled soldiers’ of Christ, members of his militant church, and applied to non-Christians the term applied by soldiers to all who were ‘not enrolled in the army’.” Discuss what you think might be the connection between the etymological roots of the words pagan and Christian and the aggressive attitude Christians have had historically toward pagans.
4- Other etymological root meanings of the word “pagan” are “country dweller,” “rustic” “rural” and “of the country.” Do you think there was a connection between a rural lifestyle and resisting Christian conversion or, to put it another way, keeping one’s spiritual pagan beliefs? If so, how would you explain this connection?
5- Do you think the current “go Green” movement which has penetrated nearly every aspect of contemporary Western civilization could be a signal of a cycle in which our culture may be returning to a type of pagan spirituality?
6- A more polytheistic approach holds the various goddesses and gods to be separate and distinct entities in their own right. Pantheistic systems may conceive of deities not as literal personalities but as metaphorical archetypes or thought forms.
7- Archetypes
8- “Despite some belief in it, Wicca does not place an emphasis on the afterlife, focusing instead on the current one; as the historian Ronald Hutton remarked, ‘the instinctual position of most pagan witches, therefore, seems to be that if one makes the most of the present life, in all respects, then the next life is more or less certainly going to benefit from the process, and so one may as well concentrate on the present.’”
8a- Do you share this Wiccan attitude toward the present life and afterlife?
8b- How do you think the general Theosophical view toward the afterlife and this life is different from or similar to that of the Wiccans?
9a- Aleister Crowley declared that magic was "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will," and MacGregor Mathers stated that it was "the science of the control of the secret forces of nature." In what ways is the guiding principle of our civilization in essence a manifestation of a sort of mass magic, i.e., constant explorations of new ways and resources that cause change to conform to our will?
Proposed activities
When practicing magic and casting spells, as well as when celebrating various festivals, Wiccans use a variety of rituals. In typical rites, the coven or solitary assembles inside a ritually cast and purified magic circle. Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the "Guardians" of the cardinal points, alongside their respective classical element; Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
Common tools in the Wiccan practice include a special set of magical tools. These usually include a knife called an athame, a wand, a pentacle and a chalice, but other tools include a broomstick known as a besom, a cauldron, candles, incense and a curved blade known as a boline. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God and the Goddess may be displayed. Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.
1- Break into small groups. Each group will design a blessing aimed at creating harmony and positive fortune for the beginning of a Storytelling Festival that has a nature theme. Try to use most, if not all, of the elements in the above paragraphs, invoking natural spirits, having representative symbolic tools. Write out the speech, objects, and actions of the blessing precisely.
2- Each group can perform its blessing.
Related Resources:
Books
Castaneda, Carlos, Magical Passes : The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico, 299.7 CAS MP
Farber, Philip H., Meta-Magick : The Book of Atem : Achieving New States of Consciousness through NLP, Neuroscience, and Ritual, 131 FAR MM
Freidel, David A., Maya Cosmos : Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path, 972.015 FRE MC
Fry, Carrol L., Cinema of the Occult : New Age, Satanism, Wicca, and Spiritualism in Film, 791.437 FRY CO
Godwin, Joscelyn T, The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance, 292 GOD PDR
Jones, Prudence, A History of Pagan Europe, 291.094 JON HPE
Lyon, William S., Encyclopedia of Native American Shamanism : Sacred Ceremonies of North America, 291 LYO ENAS
Villoldo, Alberto, Island of the Sun : Mastering the Inca Medicine Wheel, 299.8 VIL IS
York, Michael, Pagan Theology : Paganism as a World Religion, 299.93 YOR PT
Videorecordings
Davids, Paul, The Artist and the Shaman, DVD 0170
Hoeller, Stephan A., Magic : The Art of Enchantment, DVD 0149
Lake-Thom, Bobby, Native Shamanism and Healing, VR 0571
Penny Price Media, Labyrinths & Dragonquest, DVD 0264
Ward, Carol., Shamanic Healing Techniques, DVD 0050
Tags: campbell, natural religion, paganism, shamanism, smoley, wicca
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