This chapter asks you to consider your own principles by first contemplating your reaction to 14 moral dilemmas. The most common general principles of paganism are then listed and explained. You may find that these offer an alternative perspective or confirm what you already believe.
Pagan principles are not in any way weird and reflect what many people instinctively feel and spontaneously follow in their daily lives. Many of us live by pagan principles without realising it and are by nature pagans and love the earth and all her creatures, even if the name pagan is not one that feels right to adopt.
Pagan living is about balance and doing one's best given the circumstances of your life. It should not involve making life more stressful, but is about thoughtful and realistic reactions to threats of global warming, climate change and other social and conservation issues while taking account of the needs and realities of daily living and working.
The chapter concludes therefore with a list of ways of introducing pagan principles into your existing life without causing major disruption.
Read through the following list of real-life dilemmas and decide how you would react. Record your initial feelings. There are, of course, no right answers or quick fixes.
You may want to go online to check the latest research on topics such as carbon emissions, endangered species conservation and vegetarianism.
Now read through the following most common general principles of paganism. Note that paganism even more than other forms of spirituality involves deciding what is right in response to an actual situation and the people involved rather than relying on set responses.
Which of the principles seem fundamental to you and which do you already follow or could you easily adapt to your lifestyle?
Consider the adaptations you would need to make to fit these principles in with the unavoidable demands of your life and the problems you may have in applying them.
Principle 1 All life is connected and operates in a continuing cycle.
This is the most important principle of paganism. The Native North Americans speak of life as a continuous hoop or circle. In 1930 Black Elk, the Oglala Sioux Medicine Man who had been a child at the Wounded Knee Massacre explained:
In the old days ... all our power came from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living centre of the hoop and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The East gave peace and light, the South gave warmth; in the West thunder beings gave rain and the North with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance ... The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is in everything where power moves.
Since we know that the fluttering of a butterfly wing in one part of the world subtly affects the vibrations of the universe, each of us has a place in, a responsibility for and an effect on the world.
If we can tune into the cycles of nature and the changing seasons, the cosmic and earth energies, our lives will flow more harmoniously from stage to stage.
In this way we will not regret the passing of youth or external beauty, fear change or hold on to people and things we have outgrown. Rather we can welcome each new experience and stage of life as precious and valuable.
Our rural ancestors celebrated the sowing and the reaping times as a way of linking with and so increasing or activating their own fertility and prosperity energies and the fertility of the land and animals that if tended brought abundance to the people.
This also reinforces the idea that there is not one single life goal but a series of ongoing stages that evolve as we evolve to prevent stagnation.
Most importantly, we transmit our own wisdom and discoveries through the values and traditions we hand on to future generations just as we can learn from both the achievements and mistakes of the past.
Principle 2 Everyone is equal and so there should be tolerance of and respect for the different lifestyles of peoples of different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, gender and socio-economic groups, even if we do not necessarily share their viewpoint.
This leads on from the first principle and embraces huge areas such as world peace, the fair distribution of economic and food resources, religious tolerance, terrorist threats and invasion of other lands.
It embraces the peaceful coexistence of different cultures within the same country or even town or district, the welfare of older and disabled people, equality between and respect for both the sexes and the removal of prejudices and misinformation.
In spite of the modern westernised competitive world, understanding has become more possible through increased communication through the internet, increasingly multicultural societies and the relative ease of travel.
This diversity also involves valuing and preserving the best of local and national customs while drawing on other cultures and their spirituality and celebrations to enrich our own lifestyle.
On a personal level, we may need to re-examine relationships with members of the opposite sex at work and socially in terms of their personalities and merit rather than being sidelined into issues of gender.
Above all, we should be confident enough to ask for the respect we deserve in all relationships, based on the value we place on our own worth. (I struggled with this self-esteem issue for years.)
Principle 3 All life is sacred.
Humans are not set above creatures, to use the earth and her creatures as a bottomless larder, rubbish bin and money bank. Rather we are the caretakers of animals, birds, fish and insects.
They share the same spark of the creator who made them as humans do, whether that creator or creatrix is viewed as an animate deity force or some process triggered by a big bang; also they preceded us in the creation stakes.
A number of neopagans are vegetarian or the stricter vegans. Paganism, however, is not a vegetarian spirituality, but recognises the natural food chain that extends from plants through animals to humans.
This food chain continues in those few indigenous hunter-gatherer societies that are unaffected by modern technology, exploitation by middle men and women and the need to supply the mass market. In these societies, animals and birds that are hunted are still accorded respect.
In urban or industrialised societies this respect must be shown by ensuring that animals and birds reared for food are well cared for and slaughtered humanely if we do decide to eat meat and eggs.
Principle 4 We have much to learn from other species.
Animals and birds have traditionally symbolised in pure undiluted and idealised forms, the strengths and qualities that humans desire in their own lives: the courage of the lion, the selfless devotion of the dog to friends and family, the single-minded focus of the hawk and the protective fierceness of the mother wolf towards her young and her clan.
For this reason, from Native North America and other societies such as the Australian Aboriginal people comes the concept of totem or power animals, especially intelligent and spiritually wise members of different animal and bird species, who offer to humans a reminder of the need to trust our own instincts and intuitions.
These imagined wise and often larger than life specimens are described in indigenous myth as bringers of gifts to humanity such as fire or even assistance with creation.
The concept of power or totem guardian animals and birds as spiritual guardians and icons for humans has permeated other neopagan forms of spirituality and even appears in some modern business assertiveness training programmes.
Principle 5 Harm none by thought, word and deed.
Though this is part of the Wiccan Rede or basic rules of Wicca, it is a more general moral principle to which non-Wiccans can relate and can be applied to every area of life. This principle is much harder to follow than it sounds.
If someone is threatening our family or livelihood or has an unfair advantage and is exploiting it or influencing vulnerable people adversely, how far is intervention against them justifiable? (The continuing problems in Iraq at the time of writing this book are an example of this dilemma.)
In neopaganism, this rule involves personal moral choice and responsibility. Though protecting the vulnerable from harm is justifiable, can and should it be achieved without harming the perpetrator?
Once you cross your personal moral line of harming none, the boundaries of necessary protection versus justifiable retaliation can become blurred.
Harm can even extend to words spoken in retaliation about the office gossip who is making life miserable for a young colleague.
Principle 6 What you send out good or bad is returned to you three times as powerfully.
This is another Wiccan concept shared by many other neopagans.
This takes us back to the idea of the butterfly wing altering the vibes of the universe - we all know how a word of praise or a compliment has an immediate uplifting effect while criticism or sarcasm can be devastating to someone with little confidence.
Neopaganism is unlike the Judaeo Christian and other traditional religions in that there is no supreme deity to whom we can say sorry when we do something bad and we therefore cannot be granted forgiveness through an appointed representative of the deity.
Once negative words have been spoken, deeds done or negative thoughts or ill wishes have been released by us into the cosmos, all we can do is try to put right what we have done.
If this is not possible, we cannot offload the blame on others or go into denial, but should accept that we got it wrong, live with the consequences and learn from it.
But this principle means more than that. The more good things we do and say, the more we increase the positive vibes in the world. As individuals we can all make a difference in small ways and as a part of the collective and accumulated good vibes of many people focusing on the same event at the same time.
Take the example of the now annual worldwide Earth Day that was first observed on 22 April 1970 when about 20 million people in America celebrated the event; as a result came the impetus for national legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.
Twenty years later, on 22 April 1990, more than 200 million people in 141 countries observed Earth Day and the numbers continue to grow.
As well as the external awareness generated by such events and pressure placed on governments, there is also a huge build up of positive cosmic energy that may make it easier for people generally to work towards goals such as environmental awareness and world peace.
We do not understand the way such cumulative energies work but increasing scientific research suggests that we are, as Principle 1 states, all interconnected energy wise.
Principle 7 We can make, or at least can strongly influence, our own destiny by the choices we make.
From Heathenry, a form of paganism now popular as the revived Astaru, Odinnhism or Forn Sed in North America as well as in the original lands of Scandinavia, Anglo Saxon Britain and Germany, comes the belief in Orlog.
Orlog is the universal web of destiny to which individuals' personal fates are linked, and which means that everyone's actions are affected by and affect the fate of others. The Vikings and Anglo Saxons spoke of three sisters who wove the web of the world and of the fates of individual beings, mortal and gods.
This principle puts forward the view that what we are and do is influenced by the past. The past embraces both the genetic and family or social values of our ancestors and our own past deeds and beliefs.
These beliefs were shaped not only by immediate family and their values from when we were children but by people we have known during our lives and situations in which we have been involved.
These past influences may be unconsciously even more than consciously guiding our present actions and attitudes and the values we transmit to those around us.
Even more importantly, each person is responsible by their thoughts, words and deeds for their own future destiny as well as that of their biological descendants and the people they meet.
This is an extension of the Wiccan Rede concepts, and emphasises that we have the power to change and make our own destiny and affect that of others for better or worse - a huge responsibility but also a huge opportunity.
Principle 8 We should celebrate or at least become aware of the changing seasons throughout the year as they reflect and regulate our own fluctuating yearly energy patterns and offer a source of power.
This is a more specific version of the main interconnectedness principle. Neopagans in both town and country, like their rural ancestors, generally celebrate the four main seasonal marker points: spring, summer, autumn and winter, which are linked with the changing seasonal solar patterns of daylight and darkness.
These rituals, often conducted outdoors by sun or moonlight, may be entirely private or with friends and family. Public celebrations of, for example, midsummer (the summer solstice or longest day) around 21 June (six months earlier in the southern hemisphere) may be organised by a local group of pagans or environmentalists, usually at an ancient sacred site.
Larger events are becoming more common throughout the world, for example, the impromptu gathering of thousands of people at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, as are environmental, earth-based or goddess festivals around one of these times.
The summer solstice represents a time of maximum annual sun and light power and on a personal level gives the energy for an opportunity to be created or seized. Alternatively it can be a time for deciding how dreams and ambitions can be achieved perhaps after months of effort planning a career change, house move or long-awaited trip.
Pagan seasonal celebrations also counteract more commercialised festivals such as Christmas and Easter and can offer a focus if you do not live with your children all of the time and so cannot celebrate a major conventional festival with them.
Principle 9 Every day is sacred and tuning into the sun's daily movements prevents time from slipping away or passing unnoticed.
For example, each dawn or when you wake can bring a new beginning or renewed hope and can energise and inspire you for the day ahead even if you can only pause for a minute or two before plunging into the daily routine. Otherwise a week can become a month and before we know it another year has passed.
Principle 10 The moon links directly with the inner monthly ebbs and flows that are experienced by men as well as women and if recognised can help you to harmonise your own energy ebbs, moods and flows with the visible lunar cycles in the sky.
Sometimes, when trying to push ahead with a plan, we come up against obstacle after obstacle; when trying to organise an activity for children, they are quarrelsome or have minor accidents.
These problems may be due to the waning of the moon. If this is the case, the best option (if possible) is to opt for quieter activities and for getting rid of the obstacles, ready to push ahead in a week or so when the crescent reappears.
A number of naturally fertile women who are blocked from conceiving by anxiety, especially if they are older and feel time is running out, benefit from getting their natural cycles back in rhythm with the moon.
Principle 11 The human life cycle is marked by natural change points that we need to acknowledge and work through with rites of passage if we are to be able to move through our lives harmoniously and accept and use creatively both loss and gain.
The modern world is strangely devoid of ceremonies except for highly commercialised ones like weddings.
Anyone can create and hold a personal ceremony for a particular rite of passage, be it a birth, marriage or divorce, or to mark leaving home after adolescence, a change of career, house move and blessing of the new home, redundancy or retirement.
Pagan weddings or handfastings that may precede or follow a civil ceremony are becoming increasingly popular among non-neopagans. They can be helpful both for divorcees who may still encounter problems with more conventional religions and for people who wish to commit to each other in front of friends and family members rather than in the eyes of the law or in a church that they rarely if ever visit.
Equally, if people are not regular churchgoers, a formal baptism ceremony may seem inappropriate. Because pagan celebrations tend to be simpler, they are a good way of getting over the pressures and expense of an elaborate wedding.
In Chapter 6 I have described how you can create and carry out such ceremonies yourself, though some people do ask a druid or druidess or Wiccan priest or priestess to officiate and often such ceremonies can be held at ancient sites, such as the Rollright stone circles in Oxfordshire in Central England.
Principle 12 Death is part of the life cycle and is inevitable and so should be prepared for and revered.
In the modern world death is a taboo subject and those who are bereaved may face embarrassment from others who in the days after the funeral try to avoid them or will not speak of their loss.
To pagans and neopagans alike, death is just another stage in the ongoing creation, destruction and renewal cycle seen in nature and almost all believe that we are spiritual beings in a physical body.
Rather than terrifying threats of hell and damnation if you subscribe to the wrong religion or the prospect of just ceasing to be, the afterlife to neopagans is a stage of beauty, peace and light and a chance to put right what went wrong.
But the main emphasis in this book whatever you believe about an afterlife is of leaving your spiritual footprint on the world and ensuring your life is both memorable and remembered even if you do not have family living.
Principle 13 Life and spirituality are based on the principle of mutual exchange and giving what is possible and receiving what is needed.
The Heathen principle of fridh is another valuable principle of paganism and neopaganism, which involves peace, friendship and social obligations towards family and community.
Modern pagan rituals, whether a barbecue, a picnic or my own favourite a 'bring and share' meal, where everyone contributes something, have similarities to the Viking Blot festivals, where feasts were shared with the deities.
Food is shared with those present and symbolically with the deity or higher spiritual focus, who is pictured as providing the ongoing bounty and blessings. Promises were made at these feasts to honour the gods or in modern terms to do something for others in return for blessings asked. The cosmic exchange principle is simple.
You can ask the earth and the cosmos for what you need and then you need to do some practical act of kindness or a small ecological gesture as your way of paying back what you need to take (a sort of balancing of the cosmic bank account).
Principle 14 It is good to be different.
Every human and creature (leaving aside cloning), except for identical twins, is genetically unique and so trying to fit into ideals (whether of the media or of other individuals) if they go against what we really are or want, is ultimately restrictive and counterproductive.
What makes you happy and fulfilled may not be what other people consider important or what your family, teachers or those who influence you say you should be doing or aiming for.
We all have talents that are of value and our only duty is, where possible, to use those gifts in the way that feels right and authentic - and does some good in the world.
Principle 15 You can and should create your own form of neopagan spirituality that will evolve as you change, learn more of and from nature and meet new challenges.
Even in neopaganism you get people who tell you what you ought to be doing and that you are not a real neopagan, druidess or witch unless you subscribe to their beliefs. I come across them all the time and have only just learned to ignore this form of moral superiority.
You are free to do what you want, to celebrate your spirituality where and how you want, either alone or with a group of like-minded friends.
Essentially, you need to sign up to nothing, promise nothing (except to yourself and whatever form of higher spiritual form you recognise or the higher more evolved part within yourself) and revere and respect the natural world in its both creative and destructive aspects.
You can make your spirituality part of your everyday world - and it need take no more than five or ten minutes if that is all you have.
Your pagan sacred moments will come as you passively allow yourself to absorb whatever natural energies are around you, whether in a ten-minute lunch break in a city square or walking by the sea while the children are building sandcastles or squabbling over the last sandwich. As you walk through the park, your objective is being rather than doing, thinking or planning in your head the next hour, day or year.
You may decide to find out about more organised pagan religions such as Wicca or druidry, which have formal training with grades and teaching and sometimes quite elaborate rituals.
The formality and level of organisation varies within different traditions and many people, like me, practise even more structured forms of neopaganism alone and in their own idiosyncratic way.
Principle 16 You can practise neopaganism anywhere at any time.
Ideally, neopaganism is an open-air form of spirituality but you can work indoors with herbs, flowers and crystals. Its temples are ancient groves of trees, old stone circles, near lakes, on hillsides or close to sacred wells that may be thousands of years old.
You can equally encounter nature in your garden, on your balcony or at the local recreation ground, where you can use flowers, trees, grass and soil to tune into the powerful and healing energies of the earth. Neopaganism does not need churches, temples or cathedrals.
Principle 17 There may be essences in the natural world that have an objective existence different from our own.
If you are new to nature spirituality or are naturally very logical and left brained, you may want to leave this principle for a few months. But many ordinary down-to-earth people, adults as well as children, have sent me accounts of what might be called fairy beings.
Remarkably consistent accounts of these beings have appeared in many different myths, cultures and ages, from old Japan, Ancient Greece and Rome to 21st century urban backyards in industrialised northern towns of England.
It may be that fairies are the way the human mind interprets and expresses more abstract essences or energies emanating from trees, flowers, waterfalls and lakes.
You may have discovered that pagan principles already underlie much of how you live your life, but what follow are further suggestions for adopting a more natural lifestyle.
Do not immediately dismiss those changes that involve time being set aside in your already packed schedule. Some of the apparently essential demands on our time are unreasonable, but we may go along with them to be kind or to keep the peace.
It may also be that the original purpose of or need for an ongoing commitment may no longer exist or there may be time-consuming activities or people we have outgrown that could free up precious time for new pleasures and relaxation.