Lesson video

Hello, my young scholars of religion.

My name is Ms. Marx and I'm going to be your religious education teacher today.

Today we're going to explore one of the religious worldviews which is represented within the census data of 2021 for England and Wales, and that is Paganism.

Now, this is a bit of an umbrella term, which can incorporate different religious worldviews including Wicca and Druidry and Shamanism.

We're gonna have a focus on Shamanism because that is the religious group which had the biggest increase from the census data in 2011 to 2021.

So we'll understand what it is a little bit and perhaps why it's had that increase.

So when you're ready, let's go.

So by the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain what Paganism is and give reasons for the growth in numbers in the census of England and Wales.

So let's start with our key terms. Census: an official count of a country's population, usually including details like age, sex, and occupation.

Nature-based: nature is sacred and central to beliefs and rituals.

Paganism: an umbrella term for different worldviews, often connected to nature, ancient traditions and forms of polytheism.

Shamanism: a spiritual practise found in many cultures where a shaman, or a healer or spiritual guide, connects with the spirit world to help people.

So look out for those in today's lesson.

So our lesson today will have two sections: Paganism, and Shamanism as a form of Paganism.

So let's start with our first section, Paganism.

In the 2021 census of England and Wales, we can see that many thousands of people identify as "other religions." So we've got here the named religions from the census data: Pagan, Alevi, Jain, Wicca, Ravidassia, Shamanism, Rastafarianism, and Zoroastrian.

These were all examples of people who identified as "other religions" in the England and Wales census.

The total number of people who identified with Paganism could be counted as 95,000, because yes, 74,000 people put that they were Pagan.

But actually Wicca is a form of Paganism or falls underneath that umbrella term of Paganism, as does Shamanism.

So actually the total is nearly 100,000 people.

So 95,000 people could be seen as having identified with Paganism here.

So it shows that it's a significant religious minority.

So really, Paganism is an umbrella term which includes different forms of religious worldviews which have similar characteristics, and those are: Often, there'll be multiple gods or goddesses or different spirits or powers that are part of the worldview.

It's very often nature based.

So a focus on things within nature rather than beyond and outside of nature.

Often, Paganism will involve rituals and ceremonies, connecting perhaps to those gods and goddesses and the nature around, for the different rituals and ceremonies that take part as part of Paganism.

There will often be a focus that the divine, so it may not be called God or the particular gods or goddesses, but something supernatural or divine is present within the world.

Another key feature of Paganism, and a phrase that's used a lot, is pathways.

So different pathways can be taken and it's very diverse, and Paganism can be very much about the individual person choosing the path that they're going on.

There's no single text or prophet or even a single God here with a single set of commandments that need to be followed.

It can be very diverse in how people choose to follow their Pagan path.

And in many Paganisms, there's a focus on harmony and responsibility.

So there's a focus on a harmony with other people, within yourself, but also that connection to nature.

If you remember, they're often very nature based.

So there's a sense of the human responsibility in harmony and partnership with nature.

So we've said that Pagan traditions will often have a very close connection to the Earth and to nature.

And so even the movement of the Earth itself around the Sun is very significant within different Pagan traditions, and we can understand that a little bit more now.

One feature of Pagan traditions is marking the wheel of the year.

This marks eight seasonal festivals based on the movement of the Earth around the Sun.

These are based on the Solstice and equinoxes.

These not only mark the changing seasons, but are also seen as a spiritual life cycle.

For example, the Winter Solstice, Samhain or Yule, marks the shortest day of the year and is a time for rest.

The new growth of spring is celebrated at the peak of spring, and the midpoint between spring and Summer Solstice is Beltane.

This is a time for connecting with the Earth once more.

And rituals emphasising fertility, growth and love are often performed.

For example, flowers being put at sacred sites.

And in the picture, it shows that at Chalice Well in Glastonbury.

As the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice is a time to celebrate the Sun and nature's vitality.

And one place that many Pagans may go to celebrate this is at Stonehenge.

Today, people from different forms of Paganism will celebrate the Solstice on the site with drumming, chanting, singing, dancing, or simply sitting silently as the first light of the Sun breaks.

And Stonehenge has been a very important site for many Pagan traditions, because even where it's placed and where it's built means that as the Sun rises on the Solstice, it hits a particular rock and then sheds the light across Stonehenge.

So that has been a place of practises and ceremonies around the Solstice for many thousands of years.

And Pagan ceremonies and rituals can help with the movement of the year, as we move through the year, as the Earth moves around the Sun.

But also, there are different life events which can be marked through different Pagan ceremonies.

Along with the Wheel of the Year, different life events are celebrated within Pagan traditions.

One example is weddings.

A handfasting ceremony is a religious or spiritual wedding and emphasises the spiritual bond between two people and their connection to nature, the elements and the divine.

The ceremony will have many symbolic parts.

Eg, it might involve jumping the broom together, symbolising the leap into new life together.

And handfasting will involve wrapping cords or ribbons around the hands of the two people and may have symbolic colours, representing qualities like love and passion.

This tradition was widely practised in England and Wales in the past and has led to expressions like "tying the knot" still being used today.

Many ceremonies will involve casting the circle where a sacred space is created and the four elements of earth, fire, air, and water are called upon, as well as other rituals asking for the blessings of the gods and goddesses for the couple.

Let's do a quick check.

Which image shows the celebration of the Summer Solstice? Is it A, B or C? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done.

It's C.

So let's try and understand a little bit more what it means for someone to be a Pagan or have a Pagan worldview.

Lucas is asking Bell, "What does it mean to you to be Pagan, Bell? And Bell says, "I trained as a Druid and we are known for our group ritual work, for example, at Stonehenge for the Solstice.

Most of us have an inner, more shamanic and personal practise as well, which is often spontaneous.

Both the group and private magical practises support and influence each other.

Each are vitally important and illuminate the other." So Bell is part of one Pagan tradition known as Druid.

And for Bell, that personal and private experience she has within herself are as important as those kind of communal ritual actions as well.

Thank you, Bell.

And now Sam is asking Raven, "What does it mean to you to be Pagan, Raven?" And Raven says, "I wrote on the census that I'm Pagan as I think it's important to be recognised as a path that people follow, but really, I think of Paganisms. And what I like about it is you can choose your own pathway through them.

I like to blend aspects of Wicca into my path and have a focus on the feminine energy and goddesses we have in the world around us.

So here we've got a different Pagan tradition that's been mentioned, Wicca, but Raven has emphasising here that sense of choice that people can have in what they want to do as part of their Paganism.

And finally Lucas is asking Finlay, "What does it mean for you to be a Pagan, Finlay?" And Finlay says, "I'm a Pagan and follow the Wiccan path.

As I'm a Wiccan clergy man or High Priest, I live by the Wiccan teaching, 'Do what you will, harm no one' and support the community through leading rituals and celebrations, teaching new members our path, and as a spiritual counsellor, when people ask me for guidance." So Finley is there and able to guide people if they want to have that guidance and he is there as a Wiccan clergy man.

Thank you, Finley.

Let's do a quick check before we move on.

Which two statements are most accurate about Paganism? Wicca and druid are two forms of Paganism.

There are many different ways to practise Paganism.

There's only one way to practise Paganism.

And 8,000 people identified as Pagan in the 2021 census.

Which two of those are most accurate? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see you come up with in a moment.

Well done.

It's the top two.

Wicca and Druid are two folds of Paganism and there's many different ways to practise Paganism.

So that means that C can't be correct, that there's only one way.

And remember it was 74 or even 95,000 people who identified as Pagan in the 2021 census.

Well done.

Let's do practise task to see what we've learned.

Sam, Lucas and Laura have been asked to explain what Paganism is.

Whose explanation is the best and why? Lucas says, "There's one form of Paganism that's called Wicca.

These are the only people who celebrate the Summer Solstice." And Laura says, "Paganism has many rituals and ceremonies, but there are no clergy or leaders in any Paganism.

It's always individual." And Sam says, "There are different forms of Paganism which can be individual and have clergy.

Different Pagans celebrate the Solstice." Who has the best explanation and why? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you come up with in a moment.

Well done.

The best explanation would be Sam's.

And let's think about why.

Sam's explanation is the best because it shows there are different forms of Paganism, not just one.

Sam also shows there could be individual paths in Paganism, but there are also clergy who can lead and help with rituals and ceremonies.

Sam shows that different Pagans will celebrate the Summer Solstice, for example, at Stonehenge.

Lucas was not correct when he said there was only form of Paganism was Wicca when there are many forms, and Laura is not correct as there can be clergy or leaders.

For example, a high priest or priestess.

Well done.

So on to our second section, then: Shamanism as a form of Paganism.

Between 2011 and 2021, the number of people in England and Wales whose self-reported as the religion Shamanism increased by over 1000%.

So it went up from 650 people in 2011 to 8,000 people in 2021.

This is of great interest to social sciences as it's the fastest growing religion in England and Wales, according to those data sets.

So this can introduce to us the question around how you define what a religion is, but people self-reported as the religion Shamanism in the census.

So it's of great interest to those of us looking at trends to do religion and why people may or may be joining or self-reporting as part of particular religions and worldviews.

But the term "shaman" originates from the Tungusic language of Siberia and means "one who sees" or "one who knows." We can see in the map here where Siberia is, up there towards the top of Russia.

The word "shaman" comes from a Siberian language and means "one who sees or knows," and evidence of shamanic practises have been found across the world.

And many believe this is the oldest form of religion that's still practised today.

A key feature of the shamanistic worldview is that there's a spirit world along with the physical world which we see around us, and there are spirits and energies within it that can help humans and the Earth.

A shaman is someone who can connect with the spirit world in order to bring healing, guidance, balance and harmony to people and nature.

Shamanism today will involve many earth-based rituals along with ceremonies involving the senses to bring the shaman and the participants to a trance-like state where they feel they have a different consciousness or awareness of things.

So shamanistic practises have been documented across the world.

So even though the word might come from that Siberian language, actually across the world, and this is just a snapshot of a few of them, including Norway, Siberia, Borneo, Australia, Nigeria, Peru.

So across the whole world, there have been examples of shamanistic practises.

And they've been dated back as far as 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.

So it's been a significant part of our kind of human development have been some of these practises.

And this is, it seems, the fastest-growing religion in England and Wales at the moment.

Well, what does Shamanism look like today in England and Wales, then? Well, shamans may lead dance and other rituals for groups of people.

Shamanic healers might work in alternative medicine to help others.

Activities may include journeying circles, soul retrieval, breath work, sound meditation, fire ceremonies.

Often these ceremonies involve the senses.

They may involve getting the participants and the shaman into a kind of trance-like state using these different ceremonies and rituals in order to then work on something within the person or something to do with nature.

Let's have a look at an example.

Here we've got Freya who works in the area of alternative medicine and she's a shamanic healer.

And she says, "I trained to be a shamanic healer in Glastonbury and I now work in London as part of an alternative medicine clinic.

I find shamanic healing practises can help people deal with past traumas and find spiritual growth.

Shamanic healing can help people to find harmony in their mind, body and soul." Thank you, Freya.

But it's not just about the individual person within Shamanism and we've said that Paganism and Shamanism, as a nature-based worldview has that kind of connection to the natural world.

And one aspect of shamanic practise is holding and attending retreats.

So at a retreat, a shaman leads a group of people in journeying and dance, but in nature.

So it's about connecting with and spending time in a beautiful part of nature, as part of this ritual.

There's a focus on reconnecting with nature.

Maybe these people feel they're not very connected with nature, but they're living a life where they're not surrounded by nature all of the time and it's a chance to reconnect with it there.

And there'll also be a focus on living in an environmentally respectful and sustainable way.

There might be workshops or more practical things about how we can care for the environment.

Where the retreat is held might be a building that's built in a ecologically sensitive way.

Maybe there's involvement in protecting the environment around where the retreat is itself.

And there may be weekend retreats or summer retreats or week-long retreats for those who don't live in or near nature, in order to be able to reconnect and take part in these rituals within nature.

So you can see how there can be that connection with the environment with Shamanism.

Let's do a quick check before we move on.

What term in a Siberian language means "one who sees or knows"? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see you come up with in a moment.

Well done.

Shaman or shamanistic.

So why might Shamanism and other Paganism be appealing for people, then? We said almost 100,000 people identified as Pagan or Wicca or shaman within the census.

And Shamanism is the fastest growing religion.

Why might that be appealing to people? Pause the video and have a think and you can talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Well, within Shamanism and other Paganisms we have that focus on individual and personal choice.

So the pathway that somebody chooses, it hasn't been set for them, hasn't been decided.

There isn't the kind of list of rules of what they must and mustn't do.

And perhaps that appeals to people in modern society that there's that personal choice people can make.

Within Shamanism and other Paganisms, there's a real focus on feminine energy.

So the goddesses or the divine or spirits having feminine gender, but also celebrating that feminine side, which some people might say in other religions hasn't been celebrated as much.

There's no dogma or strict rules, particularly within Shamanism and other Paganisms. And so perhaps some people find that appealing in modern society as well, that they haven't got set things that they have to follow.

But it's really down to that individual personal choice.

There's no centralised religion.

So we said there isn't like one key prophet, one key text or one key set of rules that have to be followed and that can appeal to people.

Also Shamanism and other Paganisms are seen as body positive and body affirming.

And finally they're seen as Earth positive and they're nature-based and they're seeing the divine goddesses and gods and the spirits as within nature rather than beyond it.

So this could really appeal to people who perhaps want to have a closer link to nature.

Particularly think about the climate crisis and different ecological problems that we have.

Some people may want to go to a more nature-based worldview as a way to respond to the climate crisis.

Let's look at some case studies.

Toby takes part in shamanic dance rituals, and he says, "I wouldn't say I follow the religion of Shamanism, but I regularly go to shamanic dance sessions.

I've always loved dancing to music, especially music with repeated drumming.

When I discovered shamanic dance, I realised I could use that dancing to help me on my spiritual path.

After a busy week at work, a shamanic dance session can help me feel free and content.

I also attend shamanic retreats where I can connect to the Earth more deeply than in the city where I live." Thank you, Toby.

And Jo has been to see a shamanic healer.

Jo says, "I went to see a shamanic healer when I had a big decision to make.

She guided me through a journeying session and I found within me some answers to what I wanted to do.

I wouldn't say my religion is Shamanism, but it helped me to explore this in my own way." Thank you, Jo.

Well, we've seen there are different reasons why Shamanism may appeal to people in England and Wales today.

Let's together give one reason why Shamanism may appeal to people in England and Wales today.

Um, I think 'cause there's that focus on individual personal choice might suit people in modern British society.

So over to you, then.

Give another reason why Shamanism may appeal to people in England and Wales today.

Pause the video, have a go and we'll see what you've got in a moment.

Well done, I've got here that nature and feminine energy is celebrated.

Well done.

So let's do another practise task to see what we've learned.

Using the image as a prompt, explain how Shamanism is connected to nature and the environment.

Include the words from the table in your answer: nature-based, spirit world, retreats, journeying, and shaman.

Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you come up with in a moment.

Well done.

Your response might look something like this.

Shamanism is a nature-based worldview that emphasises connecting with nature.

Shamanism involves connecting with the spirit world beyond the physical one.

Shamans may lead retreats for people to attend in nature, which will involve journeying together and connecting with the spirits in order to bring harmony and healing to humans and the Earth.

Well done.

So let's summarise everything we've learned today.

Exploring "other" religion: Paganism.

Paganism is nature-based and includes diverse paths like Wicca, Druidry, and Shamanism.

There's no single holy book or prophet.

Key beliefs include the sacredness of nature, presence of many gods and goddesses, celebrating seasonal festivals through the Wheel of the Year.

Eg, Beltane and Summer Solstice.

Handfasting and broom jumping are common Pagan wedding traditions and shamanistic rituals often involve elements like drumming, incense, and chanting.

Shamanism, a type of Paganism, emphasises connecting with the spirit world for healing and guidance, often through trance, dance, nature-based retreats and is the fastest growing religion according to the census data.

So well done for your hard work today, my young scholars of religion, and I hope to see you soon.

Bye-bye.