I chose to read the book Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, by Margot Adler, because I myself am a practicing Wiccan. I began following this religion the summer before I entered high school. I have read many books on my religion, and I thought that this one would compliment the knowledge that I have on the subject. I was raised a Roman Catholic, but I never felt truly comfortable with the teachings of the Catholic church. It always seemed a little off to me and I never felt like I belonged there.
After I received the Sacrament of Confirmation, my parents stopped enforcing that I attend mass every Sunday. It made the transition a lot easier for me. Although, they did not and still do not approve of my religion, they understand that Catholicism is not for me. When people hear that I am a witch, they automatically assume that I am either crazy, or a devil worshipper. Books such as Alders Drawing Down the Moon, are the only way to allow other people to realize that there are many facets to the term Pagan. They also make people realize that not all Pagan religions revolve around curses, crystal balls and sacrifices.
Although, I did not agree with everything that Margot Adler had to say, or with some of the interviews she chose to include in Drawing Down the Moon, I am happy that I chose to read it for my final paper. I do not feel that we cover enough about Pagan religions in our class, and this assignment gave me the opportunity to learn more about Pagan religions other than my own. Brief Summary In America today, there are a myriad of occult or magickal groups. Some of these groups are small with maybe only 5 or 6 members, some have hundreds. The groups that I am referring to call themselves Pagans or Neo-Pagans.
There are a wide variety of Pagans and Neo-Pagans. They can be animists, polytheists, pantheists, monotheists, or a combination of any of these. There are also many different classifications of Witches, such as: Gothic, Classical, Familial, Immigrant, Ethnic and Feminist. Each group is very distinct and different from the next. They do however share a common set of values. Pagan religions are said to be a culmination of the creators own mind and a bit of old tradition such as rituals an scriptures from other Pagan religions in the past.
In Margot Alders book, I was able to learn about a few types of Pagans, and some of the problems that face them. One of the main problems is that people do not understand certain terms used when referring to Pagan religions, and therefore make assumptions and associate negative things with anything Pagan. Adler clears up some of these bad connotations with definitions throughout her book. One of the most important definitions that I came across while reading it, was that of Magick. She defines it in a couple of different ways depending on which religion she is describing.
But no matter if it were Wiccans or Druids being discussed, all descriptions of Magick stated that it has nothing to do with the supernatural. Instead it was defined as any technique which uses the mind to alter or change something. The term witch, is also usually associated with being bad or worse yet, evil. The actual definition of witch, is one who practices or follows the Craft. It is also associated with any practitioner or initiate of Wicca. Another set of terms that Adler explains for the reader, is that of God/Goddess.
In Witchcraft today, there is a wide array of Gods or Goddesses that are believed in or for a better choice or words followed. It all depends on the sect of witches you are concerned with. Some groups believe that there is only one Goddess mother, while others invoke the powers of many Gods, and/or Goddesses during rites and rituals. For the most part, there is a stronger concentration on Goddess rather than God, when dealing with Pagan religions. It is thought that some of the reasoning behind this is that there is a multitude of Feminine orders in the Craft today.
Other explanations are that since these are nature based religions they are concerned with mother earth, or the deity mother. The Goddess can be found in every coven and her name will vary from group to group. Prejudice has created many problems for Pagans. This prejudice is also based on misunderstandings. Most of this bias is from misunderstandings or lack of understanding of certain Pagan rituals and rites. Paganism and Neo-Paganism has a lot of emphasis on the forces of nature. Many rituals and ceremonies require nudity and sex. People look down on this without knowing how these two things play a role in certain religions.
Being naked according to any Pagan, allows you to be closer to the earth. After all, you are in you natural state, therefore you are pure and fully devoted to whatever activity you are partaking in without any boundaries from the outside world. Ritualistic sex acts that are incorporated into ceremonies are ways for the practitioner to take the place of the God or Goddess they are petitioning to for help or guidance. It is a very spiritual practice among Pagans, especially in many sects of Wicca. It represents fertility, birth, death and rebirth in the realm of the God or Goddess.
Many of the ceremonies are planned around the phases of the moon, and earth, and other natural cycles. This is why Pagan religions are classified as Natural Religion. Rituals such as the drawing down of the moon, are an integral part of Pagan life. In this case, The Priestess of a coven (or the solitary practitioner if that is the case) enters the center if the circle naked and is said to take in the essence or spirit of the Goddess. This is followed by an incantation of sorts whereas the Goddess speaks through the priestess to the other members of the coven (if present).
At times it is just the words of the Priestess being spoken as ritual, but there have been documented cases where the Priestess has no recollection of anything that she had said while in the circle (which is a spiritual realm that is both literally and metaphoricaly a circle. When in the circle, a person is supposed to be in a state of meditation and at peace with the earth. It is a sort of Nirvana. ). Some of these rituals have been dated farther back than the times of Christ. This is one reason why Pagans tend to believe that their religions are the originals.
In Drawing Down the Moon, Adler also tells us that there is no required ceremony to allow people into the majority of the Crafts. This is true to the effect that anyone can join if they are willing, but in most sects, a proper initiation in which the practitioner dedicates themselves and becomes charged with the power of a God or Goddess is required. Aside from these rites, the validity of the religion lies solely in the practitioner. A few of the sects that Adler cites in her book, are: School of Wicca, New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (or NROOGD), Coven of Gwynvyd, the Alexandrian sect and the Gardenerian rite.
Critical Personal Reflection As I said before, I did not agree with all of the things that Adler had stated in her book. I had found some sections to be quite appalling. Her choices in interviews seemed at some points to give backing to those who look down on Pagan religions. One such instance took place in chapter sixs Interview with a Modern Witch. In this interview, subject Sharon Devlin states that she believes that drugs should be incorporated in rituals. She actually states I want people to start getting off. Drugs and sex are an essential part of magical rites. Some of the heaviest power is obtained that way.
In the sect of Wicca that I practice, this is looked down upon because when performing a ritual you are supposed to be in the most natural state. Being on a drug is most certainly not being in a pure state. This statement makes the Craft look bad and justifies some of the connotations that are associated with Pagan religions. Aside from this, I would have to say that Drawing Down The Moon is a definitive work on the Neo-paganism movement, it is definitely among the most informative of the books I have read on the subject as well as the millions of web-sites maintained by pagans of diverse backgrounds.
I like the fact that Adler, unlike many Wiccan authors in her field, did not give this book a Wiccan slant, but gave non-Wiccan pagans equal billing. Another great aspect of Drawing Down the Moon, is that she didn’t just research these various movements, either, but participated in ritual, talked to people who were there, took her time to really investigate all over the globe. I was a bit standoffish when I first saw how thick the book was, but once I started reading, it was well worth it. I consider myself to be pretty well versed in this religious tradition and consider myself a part of this movement .
Even if you are not spiritually inclined, I would recommend this book to help explain any curiosity. I especially would recommend this book to women, because a great deal of this book is about the power of women and the faiths that center around this power. It explains the theory behind mother-based religions, and in every faith to my knowledge there is usually a mother aspect. This book furthers the idea that power is something that must be exercised to be maintained, and something that can at all times and in all places be continued in one’s own life. It tells the story of the development of personal spirituality and ritual.
I feel that this book -more than any other I have come across- explains the role of women in the workings of the world. It is honest about equality, openness and love. It treats the earths religions with love and care – the same care that we all should have towards ourselves and each other. Conclusion Overall, I found Drawing Down the Moon to be a worthwhile choice for my final project. For the most part it tells the truth. It gives facts, and it is readable. It lends a group of religions that have been overly persecuted a degree of dignity and legitimacy.
For answers to the questions “What is a pagan? or What’s Wicca? , ” this book is a good place to look. Although it is a long book, it is worth the effort to read it. Drawing Down the Moon helps to clarify definitions of different kinds of pagans and helped to clarify bad associations, such as the fact that Satanism is not the same as Paganism. Information is the best weapon against the phobia perpetuated by other religions against Pagans. I think this book is a good source of information for anyone who wants to try to improve their knowledge of the subject.
Three questions that came to my mind while reading this book that I wish to be able to answer in the future, are: What makes Pagan religions so unappealing to people when the basis of the religion relies solely on however the practitioner interprets it? Why isnt there more information available on them considering these religions are so old? Why dont these religions have any solid dogma? I think that this assignment was a very good learning experience. It gave us the chance to explore any area of religion that we wanted to know about or learn more about.
We werent restrained to the more common religions that we discuss in depth in class. I enjoyed the fact that we had a large amount of freedom when choosing our topic. It is not good to always be told what to write about. Freedom of topics is always beneficial for the most creative fulfillment of any assignment. It gives the student a chance to work on something that they are truly interested in. This assignment definitely allowed me to further my knowledge in the areas of religion that I am interested in, rather than solely what is in a syllabus.
