Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States
Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States
Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States
Ebook364 pages3 hours

Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

A compelling portrait of an emerging religious group

Voices from the Pagan Census provides unprecedented insight into the expanding but largely unstudied religious movement of Neo-Paganism in the United States. Helen A. Berger, Evan A. Leach, and Leigh S. Shaffer present the findings of "The Pagan Census," which was created and distributed by Berger and Andras Corban Arthen of the Earthspirit Community. Analyzing the most comprehensive and largest-scale survey of Neo-Pagans to date, the authors offer a portrait of this emerging religious community, including an examination of Neo-Pagan political activism, educational achievements, family life, worship methods, experiences with the paranormal, and beliefs about such issues as life after death.

A collection of religious groups whose practices evolved from Great Britain's Wicca movement of the 1940s, Neo-Paganism spread to the United States in the 1960s. While the number of people who identify themselves with the religion has continued to rise, quantitative study of Neo-Paganism has been difficult given the movement's lack of centralized leadership and doctrine and its development as scattered, independent groups and individuals. Endorsed by all major Neo-Pagan leaders, "The Pagan Census" generated a demographically diverse response. In contrast to most previous surveys, which were limited to Neo-Pagan festivals, this survey incorporates input from the large population of practitioners who do not participate in such events.

Keenly anticipated by the academic and Neo-Pagan communities, the results of the census provide the most in-depth information about the group yet assembled. Comparing Neo-Pagans with American society at large, Berger, Leach, and Shaffer show that although the two groups share certain statistical characteristics, there are differences as well. The scholars also identify variations within the Neo-Pagan population, including those related to geography and to the movement's multiple spiritual paths.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 24, 2021
ISBN9781643362885
Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States
Author

Helen A. Berger

Helen A. Berger is a resident scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University and emerita professor of sociology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States and coauthor of Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States and Teenage Witches: Magical Youth and the Search for the Self.

Read more from Helen A. Berger

Related to Voices from the Pagan Census

Related ebooks

Paganism & Neo-Paganism For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Voices from the Pagan Census

Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

5 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Voices from the Pagan Census - Helen A. Berger

    abook_preview_excerpt.html][rǒJ}MH ,z EP%# ~F7Bps70KJ&OfVuuh{b~$z䣚/V/?_7gݱyˏo?.gM;60Gre+kg],co*7uϮؼvE FO}SV`!OW/Z,ln.mL93_|-hf[LW}s[3 ߸hlC^MU0c>Ǔ\;|:p7mVe k>VQ^ҧId ΢#YK;Վ阑yx;L3 cԒȓz _rI_MNmlִlcYbr<03?1#`u>03<1#C_KZ佟TCA [66/>O_~z0~YOϟ>{}9/ܒ dY4&)Y-F ٢/Omx",-^.'#5s'K;O,=wY262,ݲ)CwjaENRfAOzr9&?w<]jvuv:KiGg.?\v&{_7Nr>aemۿjnO']{Vԫ_vtԹйgOg:sn|~$3IG#/VMKH̡-)%J&2׹lG{N.}N4ϧ$,2ͅFk?N,WmNjҸNִjH[\{ۀ6>4}HZ$V{kFdzdZb >P6[},'0dg$D7=0D&Jks"&+\EG2BH) In4`9|hHKF&#"̃oJVR[Pyґc~T~~gGcCF7ivHcsOƤm&{]~O,Hl[d R8DA PT- >.(gָ*3V{`!YkHko*Qh0lKp&&oI[bI2i.Xp_JzÒ_nSn*tIcD5 yԣlFFV NpF`^. ![ṕBޖ)𗲪t|lK<e;lߘYJgRDBmӭI/oQ>^8uX 0E1Qo1 "写uiOnQ[z;7<.sj0Qals-ޔA~ >r H|D U ; syR-ק;x9d[v@;zÁ[Z7ԇG~WB2D7NLsy'8ԍCHoǓƠi'~5M $xq @&KD҄ TZ]3;x~۞d@;5ee)ڠc~X!PJϺ+rY޶;ϲ+Wum'h定ܣ-pg=qe=,E!}enՀ톱`'γܪ8w9< ˳^uc,8g,WKNJQ{|AV.y>D:A dؒbVo5I!e,lc42Y֍CY3 ͖[C_,͋/__54) b)6*/ȰѹH IŇϟ0@45Wx}m f4%m {>(W#(]sw':L#-(P2nhz9mͯkE(owLmch ,HzlmĻXGu`rD˒ͺHΰh JJ Z{vaYU(HZd͚+^64 &Ĺybj 9),LJw7%ˑcE5 5ؚB cMi?]ro4BF>ېbL/f~ƒy\Ol˔b:\4?; -XV/ΜQWsE.I T0*b% w-5"%5Īr]BD%{iD}sMK6ze\QhhŞVsִ YT}SPPo<e LsZ}[ z%gﲽ^rAh_Ĉk "DGK:6f\;NI@n iGD~e.!&`q ) 1%\9Cks2 Yq<`@ӒfAZkC qύ'WL*QDK0QH2vO,F߮7Uf6d4ïLߛׄ;{?|G,qH!Η",ьcTf]rV,-c8BKe:[DZ؍9 c+eRstq {<R!"@PIB@ڻP]ϡaE0%5 yJ+5Rkj49*9&Քՙ%2<9N nR@| $\f^7&M^Wִ RVՔ L’}4nNj'؋]DFgG~LhF;RImjh4_u"N'Cjunx݇x<3%$!ה^М7-34.Hv1,l&=bDŽ_iшBECtCxA @Ф Q9=nuk!꒼yGykn .gr A9 ȹgNtS!BXĆe"ѣDe?4j^3Vo6IC¦'NB~>o} ~<8EFǂ;o<;'9ȦˬlKK ,6NK ò SeĸwK)>N\_CwV0jN8sQ`*)r]IR+&^[ fn6hb"ow$,bUhʅKji{U92?!1O=B HI,fn)&ɌKF$(~ƫb#M?'Vz E`duE5p+ȽH7;j80J{T`klΝan&ag_S;52TIMO  lq,*42uPyI0Rp [@i 6;WDդT< ua;6C3>rk |q{R>})"`$D0'Y E~:42aKLKH@CB"ğm+Y[交d5 U^V5 m$9 %͔!;-3cT w+ͽ q W=ߏuG}Mh(񻚢압v  q S)EԪB7$tBg&c.7ZT\tAm%iԷ3 Bjtc`I)NM%[#mb˚깄 /\HPa][mdz 9ΧqRB"*Zj6TR%)R' V.wrAƝ ͪ6&`rœ٬WwC Ϙq] "sk6LA k2BA{|e ֣|S# `#ԫGFޏLrtn?Y9ԓLsvɊ0!ν+4%XUl[` +W8SƘiRi)S'.+5tr]!%k,C.W\]0:a"=bHN (9 J2ο)ۂoϰ|z4Rj1ZOL+[-SMrA&N̬kIRHD%V"[-1H}9 +x6Kdy%2j\V; =% _}@odkTrEgl#a=:4~q3X쾎ԝk곴SǓ0K)eh19͘Wgo*5b)iDz 'Ch辤j2zjg}\ډqsD 2Z`FnnRxf8;e&i& N7Ȓu~.[^ J1"&HYma 0v]،eMMp/ Zm&;]a8R ``D{YK,ڇG ]r*?$_]="I:Bv(&K0 %-"9n]ĐT-vUaK'LB(}J4[Wwя)ayyxcChrKUts,iYt"?ꛓ$')ĕ3ϲyaWbByx'e'R062* 6W<^ŠP JR9-tjF뚸TV ߯ ֡ Eߋt!-炙K^E]YOn0K$`'=,B-\6-&m\&Et^ܣșUSk4.\{Mlzbٰĉtݴ鄨בiMrqL!`:' DC3kb5̐|'<3w2L~q&֌ 8nBSSĤdw}2U $F/\K 1(mnv>5|EWiuG;-G#0 &3 M= B17{WBSݸ_&ۅ1}Ijk$q )D\(OzXPTɩbcd\X:9.h9S}&& i֬lcZ_ʈ)Zȭ.oK8jIjMLG攔 ed/& ݋rE=iȲl[Uѹ]{p +ڷ<'CX65^|}X07ỉbMKك8l*}ue%3nG;=]KW eF#~%I-&/ Ys<ԑ2p0ATpa8G#< %kfǜlB=@e[qe7AGwJR#WpKsGz9yiڶO I*Pr`q.s!ivgkM\]!T y#4hmz&U79 ;S?-KH:7!N7')#7h Sѹq !֪4a 1ЖHMF5h&=b8 6e)|p! hx=ח'k{')aX^}hŠۛ.)$#mW*="̻+hwD4vGӍƒʢbQnϊ]bYrW,=>8xtpbpe(x!Lձ0+MI6!Q}jȵÀ%lJK須u+{R ] : UaN)w/67t34tU!A OP4mN$ u'GIRp<,4rPU'BP2xLv^S<Y}if3G< ⃘K( Dˀ^ h\&Bkgbb˔XK\li>k,"!rLeln_4֣OuE (i{Bjz} áy:Ay6uli@m`gq8M"<:p]Qq6e2^R(P~ IhH!,K1M87v'q$K>tA8Znm[kRsӀmCi>1e !ݽ%R:nia*ζm;k3Cq\p'|Z8nl58ccC ז% b;⇹)Ag"m0bv@,4>+ L ͇ l:q.oK .㘟[Ba&Qk }C ":(eB{MQE{OK66K\\n5{k24'#/ɥ^"z:@B@ނ_pUOêP-İ/(p#h+m];j8̐C =_[@ghvF[BtzBXI&t8E?t+%m{`td^1CWrcsBlO9f/5.x$m RC+DVEh j"#^dk,oiͷ;T,l/끽7p~Ny&?xeᒞ4,7nj_wî2% w{t \\ٸ `@7l2 9ef1*&hp cORh!u%^DC/>NBsv0:c`zz. PXR| :(XMۉi026g=f~fw&[7/jǍ̩#I׭01q 3MԈ^xuG~uneICnmAtH);V \xvs:1v}KtrY< E hGu I^1r^Ud&S-g7{4qy)Kw{0)j|_w}F؜{eg-X85On{^6392|wׄK ]㞚ĝ _\."\0 i Wd)op\'켄NҰ*u䮅yMk[5ڜkEܑ`&?G(O 1yQ,5ZBg+J%ˌTVva.}*A y"utAǠ9vV|ucQo}K^>9<9f ? /ь̇=T@L{3 (A[n8A1=]E5߄KYvc|_G0t]i5QiXRي{R.az5AIV0dȰL0C4ׁiz"E7k[NoXJ}ah
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1