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Neopaganism: Traditions
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The mythological sources of Neopaganism are many, including Celtic , Norse , Greek , Roman , Sumerian , Egyptian and others. Some groups focus on one tradition; others draw from several or many — for example, Doreen Valiente 's text "The Charge of the Goddess " used materials from The Gospel of Aradiaby Charles Leland (1901), and Aleister Crowley's writings.
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In Neopaganism, traditions are often centered on a particular culture and/or folkloric practice. The majority of the Neopagan traditions focus on those ancient cultures in Europe and Middle East that were displaced by the Abrahamic religions. However, traditions based on other indigenous cultures like Eastern, Native America and African are becoming popular. Despite the differing beliefs and practices among the traditions, there are some common identifiable aspects to Neopaganism.
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Neopaganism is sometimes referred to as the "Old Religion", indicating that, despite its novelty as a recognized belief system, it is based on beliefs that are very, very old. However, while Neopagans draw from the old religious traditions, it ... adapts them. The mythologies of the ancient civilizations are not generally considered to be literally factual or historical in the sense that the Bible is historical. Nor are they considered to be scripture, as Neopaganism specifically rejects the concept of scripture.
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The term "Neopaganism" encompasses a very broad range of groups and beliefs. Syncretic or eclectic approaches are often inspired by historical traditions, but not bound by any strict identification with a historical religion or culture. These are contrasted by a focus on historicity (reconstructionism), on folklore, or on occultist or national mysticist claims of continuity from racial memory.
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Perhaps the most obvious way that Neopaganism differs from other religions is a strong belief in polytheism - literally, many gods. Precisely what this means differs depending on which Neopagan religion one looks at. In Wicca, for instance, most traditions are based on duotheism, two deities, namely some kind of god and some kind of goddess. The two are usually archetypal representatives, the god of male-ness and active force, and the goddess of female-ness and receptive force. Some Wiccans acknowledge both the god and goddess but choose to work with one only (e.g., Dianic Wiccans focus on the goddess exclusively).
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The term "Neopaganism" encompasses a very broad range of groups and beliefs. Syncretic or eclectic approaches are usually inspired by historical traditions, but not bound by any strict identification with a historical religion or culture. Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, British Traditional Wicca, and variations such as Dianic Wicca are examples of eclectic traditions, as are Neo-druid groups like Ár nDraíocht Féin.
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