What do Robert Cochrane (Roy Bowers), Victor and Cora Anderson, Robert Graves, Gerald Gardner, Manly P. Hall, Johfra Bosschart, Madame Blavatsky, and others all have in common? They were syncretists. Syncretism is the belief that the majority of the world’s religions can all be reconciled; that what they have in common is more than what they do not. Within syncretism is a feeling of harmony, unity, and overall love. Syncretism is not a modern belief, it was shared by ancient cultures – the most well-known being the cross-over gods between the Egyptians and Greeks and also the Celts and Romans. They didn’t see anything wrong with this as either their beliefs, teachings, or their blood told them their gods are of the same origin. Some believe all gods originated from Africa, others the Middle East, and others yet from the Proto-Indo European. Put the cultures of these regions on a timeline and you’ll see that all of the above are right, they just represent different evolutionary periods through early pre-history.
Most definitions found of syncretism call it “an attempt to reconcile different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.” That word “attempt” is always in the definition no matter where I seem to look. I suppose it isn’t easy to live in harmony and love, but one needs to do better than just attempt it. I am coming out of the polytheistic closet – I am a syncretist and an animist. I believe all of the world’s religions stem from animism and it is getting harder and harder for modern scholars to prove otherwise thanks to recent research conclusively linking modern witchcraft and folk magic practices to ancient shamanism which is deeply rooted in animism. If you listen to the descriptions of the pantheons of the different Pagan cultures but do not mention the names of the gods, you will begin to see a pattern. I believe if you take all of these pantheons and cosmologies and create a template that if you stack them upon one another they will match – not perfectly as everything can corrupt and change – but pretty darn close. I am not a pantheist or panentheist as I believe in more than one god, but there is only one sun, one moon orbiting the earth, one venus, one mercury… you get the picture. I am not saying all religion is the same as there are obvious cultural differences that are a large factor, but I am saying they are similar and share the same origins – it is only their evolution over time that has separated them. This is why folk magic (aka witchcraft, aka shamanism) fits so well into any and every religion and why every religion practices it – yes even Christianity. It is not because folk magic is a practice or a trade devoid of religion, no, it is because it is the root of every religion and therefore inseparable from it no matter how much faith evolves through time.
I believe as many ancient cultures do, that the universe was created from one god who the Greeks believed was pure love and the Celts pure awareness – he had to be destroyed in order to create and so every solar system, planet, and life form in the universe is a piece of that first god. Even scientists will tell you everything is made from nuclear star dust from massive planets to the smallest organism on Earth. We truly are all connected – the Norse called this connection the Web of Wyrd - in Buddhism it is Indra’s Net. I believe the gods do not have human faces dwelling in a heaven separate from our world, instead I believe our world and the unseen worlds overlap. I believe the gods so often worshipped in human form are truly the earth, its greenmantle, the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, and that the fey found in so many cultures are the spirits of plants, animals, and our own ancestors. The gods and spirits are constantly all around us, under our feet, in the sky, on our dinner plates. Our world of modern technology and only going outside to go from place to place has robbed us of our deep bond with our own world and our gods. So few still feel awe over a sunrise, a full moon bedecked with stars, the budding of spring, the beauty of a wild animal, or the whispers of the wind passing through the trees… So few are thankful when they eat and drink the greenmantle for dinner every night – the wine and vegetables on your plate are the blood and flesh of the Green Man; Dionysus, Osiris, Baldr, Persephone, Tamuz, Jarilo…
Syncretism is not a popular belief in Neopaganism. I have met with many violent responses in sharing my beliefs with others in the Pagan community. So I admit I have been very hesitant to share my cosmology even on my own blog. I do not understand this attitude as syncretism was born in ancient Paganism, the ancients themselves saw absolutely nothing wrong with it and even their literature reflects these beliefs such as the quote shown below from The Golden Ass, a work in Latin from 200 CE. I think it is mainly an issue of hard and soft polytheists not being able to reconcile their beliefs and a syncretist, who thinks they’re both right, just makes it harder for them!
“First I bathed in the sea seven times, as Pythagoras taught us. Then I called upon the goddess, naming her Demeter, Aphrodite, Artemis, Persephone, Isis, and Queen of Heaven.” “Her hair was long and heavy. A chaplet of flowers crowned her head, over which shone a full moon supported by vipers and sheafs of wheat. Her robe was multicoloured: white, yellow and red. From left shoulder to right hip she was draped in a sash of gleaming black, tasselled, plreated, embroidered with silver stars and red-gold moons. In one hand she held a golden rattle; in the other a golden bowl. Along its handle an asp hissed, ready to strike. She wore sandals of victorious palm fronds. Perfume from her body floated over me.’I am Mother Nature,’ she said, ‘queen of the living and the dead, world, heavens, seas, and underworld. Every people know me by their own name: Artemis, Aphrodite, Persephone, Demeter, Hecate, Ma-Bellona. But in Egypt I am Queen Isis.’”
–Lucius Apuleius, The Golden Ass
I just wanted to say great post, I enjoyed it. I’m recently coming to terms with being a syncretist myself. I think I struggled with it for long simply because it does seem to be such a unpopular belief in Neo-paganism, as you mentioned. Just through my own observance I’m noticing a shift in this direction and I’m seeing more and more people identify as such. I think the idea it is slowly gaining acceptance and I think that is a good thing.
Thanks for your response! I read through a few of the more recent posts on your blog and I definitely feel your pain. For years I was torn between traditional Scottish witchcraft, hoodoo & Vodou, and shamanism… thanks to syncretism and Vicia I managed to reconcile them all without cultural “mis”appropriation.
On another note, I think you will be able to reconcile your love of Druidry with your love of Hellenismos. You will find Hecate in the Celtic tradition, she is just harder to uncover because of all the lore of the Celts that was lost. My key to finding her was in the name of a little-known Scots goddess Nicnevin. Through her you will be able to find the Celtic Hecate in the Irish, Welsh and Scottish pantheons. Never forget her triple form… it makes it harder to uncover her ancient names.
Blessings on your path,
Slainte!
Sarah
Thank you for sharing this.
Yours is my new favorite blog, and I’m having lots of fun going through the posts.
Wild Wishes!
Veles
Thanks for posting this. I’m pretty much with you on this one; I’ve been in a searching and thinking phase and I’m coming to a lot of these same conclusions. Cheers.
Yes, yes, yes! Your post was wonderful Sarah. I too am a syncretist and have experienced violent opposition when expressing my views. Really, though, I find people aching to berate me whenever I say ANYTHING about my own personal views. For every person that agrees with me, there’s at least one other who says I’m doing it all wrong. That’s fine for me, since I’m confident enough in my own knowledge and abilities, but it can be quite unsettling for the newcomers.
Sarah, I think I love you and I’ve never even met you. ;-P Excellent post.
Thanks trad sis! I have a feeling when we do meet there’ll be a lot of mischief
Wow, and here I was thinking I was going to get slammed for this post! Thanks everyone for your warm responses! I’m definitely not a newcomer, but I’ve always taken the whole “be silent” creed quite seriously.
Slammed? This is a GORGEOUS post!!!
I know well what you mean though – I get regular insulting emails about not being a “true” santería practitioner because I do not follow the hierarchy or belong to a specific Santería church – and of course for being a very ecclectic practitioner too. Not that I care a bit! Syncretism is the response to those pagans who do not need to “belong” to anything to practise, teach and live a spiritual life.
“I am a syncretist and an animist. ”
Oh, Huzzah! So very well and beautifully said. I’m so glad you ventured.
Great post. And great topic to bring up. A friend here in Montreal did her MA thesis on syncretism and Paganism. I think she had no problem finding syncretic Pagans (is that even a term?!), and if I recall conversations correctly she seemed to find syncretism in many individual or group practices/beliefs, even if it wasn’t necessarily labeled that way by those engaged in it.
I think many Pagans forget that our roots are syncretic (as you pointed out). For example Wicca: Even if you believe Gardner was initiated into a traditional coven, he clearly drawed from many sources beyond that training when he passed along the lore and rituals he taught as Wicca. Some of his inspirations were influenced by theosophy, itself syncretic (if you ask me). Feri tradition from the Andersons…. hugely syncretic; and even very encouraging of syncretism. If it works use it.
I’m not convinced that syncretism must mean ‘reconciling’ multiple (usually 2) distinct philosophies though (although I’m no anthropologist). I believe it is more working with, following, or using them deeply in a meaningful way. Sometimes reconciling aspects of multiple philosophies is not possible. However, it may be possible to hold multiple, essentially conflicting beliefs and know them all to be True. (Ah, the blade of paradox.) In think in the west we have a tendency to want to reconcile ideas, or choose one over another. My observation is that in the east, people don’t appear to have this need as deeply (Hinduism anyone?). Same thing from my understanding of many indiginous traditions. What is, is.
I love this topic and could ramble its many tangents for hours. I wish you were in my living room with a cup of tea right now. We’d be having a wonderful discussion, I’m sure!
Great response Amanda, hear hear!
And here, you were worried for nothing.
I don’t dain to think this was because you read my blog, but if I did influence you, I’m glad.
Inner Strength is knowing one’s self and being able to hold onto that, express that, regardless of outside criticism and pressures.
I hope you feel a little more at ease in the skin you’re lining in. I’m glad you have such unincredulous attendees to your blog, by the way. I found that quite refreshing. A sweet bunch really.
Also, though I’m guessing the question was largely rhetorical, the reason neopagans are mostly…vehement, is because they are immersed within the influence of christians, muslims, and jews. Whether through their parents or society, the closemindedness and incredulity is a carry over from them. Thus, their wankerish attitudes.
Sardonic, if you think about how hypocritical it is.
I just stumbled upon your blog a few days ago, love reading it!
I think the reason a lot of people oppose syncretism is because they have also lost sight of what binds all humans together. You talk about things like seeing the sun rise, nature, well I’m a city dweller (sadly) and where I live there is no sunrise, sure it happens, but it is hard to see between all the buildings.
All humans are connected, but one has to experience this first to believe it, otherwise there is only the separate “I” and the “rest of the world”
Sometimes, our western society, being the way it is makes me sad because of this reason.
Hey. It’s been awhile. I thought I’d add another thought:
Every Necromancer that i’ve met that can katabase beyond the hells and heavens are syncretic afterwards. It is always their turning point, when they look back at The Veil. And I’ll tell you what people never change. The first time I saw a soapbox prophet in The Lands of The Ascended Dead (or whatever you want to call it) I was agasp at the very concept. Now I laugh as I realize that these Dead are just as zealotous and incredulous as they were while alive. I do find it odd that a lot of christians turn what appears to be some form a buhhdist after they’re done with their hells. I don’t understand why there. And I was talking to Raphael a while back and he showed me this whole island where The Dead are just wasting all their time praying. We had a chuckle after I figured out his point about it. Which brings me to Ariane. The “I” is “us” thing is a very hard concept for most people to understand. And even harder still to Know rather than just believe. What helps me is watching Souls reincarnate, so if you ever learn to katabase beyond The Veil and make it out the other side; just sit on some bench near the edge of an island and just watch them fly past. It’s very soothing. Sometimes it’s good to be a psychopomp.
Just wanted to say that I really love this post. A LOT. I’m a syncretic witch as well and I do agree, it’s one of those things that’s hard to “come out” about! Feel free to email me if you have the time, I’d love to engage in a dialogue about being a syncretic witch. Haven’t been able to find that many of us.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! Blessings. xx