| Contemporary earth-based religions, labeled generally as Paganism, have flourished in the United States of America since the 1960s and 70s. Theosophy and Transcendentalism are ideological forbearers, but Paganism gained popularity in America in response to growing environmental apprehension. Beginning at the turn of the twentieth century, Americans became aware of environmental degradation and became concerned about the changes they witnessed. With the advent of urbanization, industrialization, nuclear power, and pesticides, anthropogenic change could no longer be denied, and American organizations, including women's groups, rose to address these transformations. Pagan congregations are one such answer to environmental change. Paganism as it is currently conceived has its foundations in British Wicca, an occult fertility religion described by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. Once rooted in America, Paganism shifted focus to the earth, providing a framework for a reciprocal spiritual relationship. Paganism incorporated an enchanted worldview which empowered the individual in the face of crisis and supported a paradigm that valued all beings. Pagan ethics inherently imply environmental ethics, but do not explicitly advocate for sustainable lifestyles. Paganism is primarily a religious impulse with structured beliefs and practices, and it can be distinguished from spiritual forms of environmentalism. This work considers the history of Paganism in America in the context of environmental events and argues Paganism gained adherents due to its beliefs and practices that encourage a relationship to the non-human natural world. |
