Neopaganism
The overarching contemporary pagan revival movement which focuses on nature-revering/living, pre-Christian religions and/or other nature-based spiritual paths, and frequently incorporating contemporary liberal values[citation needed]. This definition may include groups such as Wicca, Neo-Druidism, Heathenry, and Slavic Native Faith.
Modern paganism, or Neopaganism, includes reconstructed religions such as Roman Polytheistic Reconstructionism, Hellenism, Slavic Native Faith, Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism, or heathenry, as well as modern eclectic traditions such as Wicca and its many offshoots, Neo-Druidism, and Discordianism. In 1717 John Toland became the first Chosen Chief of the Ancient Druid Order, which became known as the British Circle of the Universal Bond.[72] Many of the revivals, Wicca and Neo-Druidism in particular, have their roots in 19th century Romanticism and retain noticeable elements of occultism or Theosophy that were current then, setting them apart from historical rural (paganus) folk religion. Most modern pagans, however, believe in the divine character of the natural world and paganism is often described as an Earth religion.
Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick in their A History of Pagan Europe (1995) classify pagan religions as characterized by the following traits:
- Polytheism: Pagan religions recognise a plurality of divine beings, which may or may not be considered aspects of an underlying unity (the soft and hard polytheism distinction).
- Nature-based: Some pagan religions have a concept of the divinity of nature, which they view as a manifestation of the divine, not as the fallen creation found in dualistic cosmology.
- Sacred feminine: Some pagan religions recognize the female divine principle, identified as the Goddess (as opposed to individual goddesses) beside or in place of the male divine principle as expressed in the Abrahamic God.
-Wikipedia
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Led Zeppelin band (Led Zeppelin IV)
"Zep as pathway to Paganism experience. The cover of the album features a mysterious old man with a bundle of sticks on his back; an understated yet creepy image. According to the band, the picture represents humankind in balance with nature. Others have argued that the old man is meant to be English cunningman (and alleged teacher of Aleister Crowley) George Pickingill*.
The gatefold sleeve of the album features an obvious reference to the Hermit of the tarot. Page has been quoted on the record as saying “It actually comes from the tarot card of the Hermit,” so there’s nothing ambiguous about It.
Page and Plant personally created their runes for the album sleeve, which has led to a great deal of speculation over the years in Zeppelin fandom.
references to Tolkien (Misty Mountain Hop, The Battle of Evermore)
Stairway to Heaven is one of the most well known rock songs in history, and can still be anything anyone wants it to be. With its bustling hedgerows and shadows taller than our souls, it’s always felt “magical,” like there’s a hidden truth somewhere inside of it.
The sound of Page’s mandolin is like a time-machine transporting the listener back to the Dark Ages. There’s the male/female balance in the vocals of Plant and Sandy Denny (most famous for her involvement in Fairport Convention)
While lots of bands in the seventies liked to reference the occult; Jimmy Page was actually a practicing occultist. He freely admitted in interviews to being an admirer of Aleister Crowley, though his actions showed someone who was far more than an “admirer.” Page was a collector of Crowleyana, building an extensive collection of Crowley artifacts including robes and various magical tools. Page even went so far as to buy Crowley’s old house (Boleskine House) on the shores of Loch Ness. Page would later go on to open up his own occult bookstore; The Equinox Bookstore and Publishers. (Sadly, Page would sell off both Boleskine House and Equinox in the 80’s.) It’s no wonder there’s Pagan-like stuff in Led Zeppelin, the occult was a daily part of Page’s life.
After reading this I think it’s rather obvious the many ways that Led Zeppelin can serve as a pathway to Paganism. In my case, Page’s obsession with Crowley introduced me to groups like the Golden Dawn and various other occult figures of the 19th and early 20th Century. Thanks to Robert Plant’s love of Celtic Myth I was led to pick up a bad Llewellyn book on Wicca entitled “Celtic Magic.” That book broke the levee and I began calling myself a Pagan three days later."www.patheos.com/…
During the late 1960s, many folk rock artists including Dylan, Ian and Sylvia, and the Byrds began to incorporate a strong country influence into their music.
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British folk rock developed in Britain during the mid to late 1960s by the bands Fairport Convention, and Pentangle. It uses traditional British music and self-penned compositions in a traditional style, and is played on a combination of traditional and rock instruments.