Culture Folklore And Neo Paganism - 969 Words

For my ethnography paper, I analyzed Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America by Sabina Magliocco. This book is part of a series among other ethnography books. Witching Culture is an ethnography about a religious movement in North America. This religious movement is Neo-Paganism and witchcraft, which are basically the same thing. In the book, Magliocco describes how anthropology and folklore are important aspects to the religious movement. She explores the different practices and beliefs of modern Pagans, as well as witches. There were three major themes that stood out to me the most. These themes were the nature of religion, the nature of the religious world, and the types of authority in the book. The nature of†¦show more content†¦I chose this quote because it expresses the idea that Pagans use religious ecstasy to reach a different state of consciousness. In the book, Magliocco claims she experienced the different states of consciousness during an e xperiential approach (14). Besides rituals, they also have domestic worship. Domestic worship is something the Pagans do to honor the deities. They sing songs and light candles in their homes. The second theme I explored was the nature of the religious world. This theme includes non-human actors, religious communities, and religious landscapes. Pagans believe in all sorts of different non-human actors. A non-human actor is something that’s not human, but you still believe in or talk too. Pagans believe in polytheism, meaning they believe in multiple gods or goddesses. These gods and goddesses are considered non-human actors. However, â€Å"there is no single deity or set of dieties whom they worship† (Magliocco 97). Another non-human actor they believe in are ancestral spirits. They believe their ancestors come back as spirits. They honor these ancestral spirits by worshipping them in their domestic worship practice. Religious communities are a big part of Paganism mainly because the religion is made up of different communities. Some of these communities include Wiccans and other religious groups. However, not every group focuses on the same beliefs, but they do share some commonalities. These religious communities areShow MoreRelatedA Basic Overview of Paganism Essay examples1716 Words   |  7 Pagesfaces from different races, gender, and pop cultures. But behind each face is a brain, with spirit and personal beliefs, like religion. When many Americans believe that everyone is Christian or Catholic, some people practice an ancient religion. This religion, commonly known as the umbrella-term â€Å"Paganism† is back on the move with a contemporary feel. Paganism is an earth-based religion, focusing around the elements and nature. 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