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Pagan Adademic and Educational Network - PAEN

THE EUROPEAN PAGAN ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONAL NETWORK (EUROPAEN)

EUROPEAN PAGAN ACADEMIC AND EDUCATION NETWORK (Europaen)

AIMS AND PURPOSES:

This new academic network has been established to fulfil a need long felt to be lacking in higher education circles. It will provide an academic forum for interested researchers involved in all aspects of paganism to network with  one another. It will also work to achieve full representation and consultative responsibility  for Pagan academics and educators on curriculum governance and planning authorities at local, national and international levels,  as a faith tradition of equal status to the other faith traditions sharing our multicultural world.  It will aim to achieve recognition for pagan studies as an important part of the religious education tradition at both school and University level Similarly in terms of interfaith work,  where we seek to restore official recognition to indigenous traditions and pagan faiths of all regions worldwide, including European  and ancient pagan  traditions native to the British Isles and Ireland.  One of the long term aims of the Pagan Academic Network is to see the eventual establishment of an officially recognised Pagan College within the higher education sector in Europe. We are pleased to work with other colleagues and organisations towards this long term end. We also act as a contact point for international scholarship in the field of Pagan Studies and welcome the work of corresponding  members who can take on board the correspondence with pagan scholars in other cultures and traditions overseas. Our vision is that the work of EUROPAEN can assist the redefinition and reclamation of a purified and responsible form of pagan spirituality, in harmony with nature and other spiritual and religious paths, helping to bridge the gap between scientific learning and intuitive learning, and to restore harmony to masculine and feminine modes of knowing.  As a project of the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy and the Global Green University, the Network aims to assist the long term development of the Institute of Peace Studies as a pioneering body working at the forefront of peacemaking, spirituality and conflict resolution studies, including giving practical and theoretical research support to the work of the Multifaith and Multicultural mediation service in relation to difficult interfaith conflicts which involve the Pagan community.
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WHAT IS PAGANISM ?

Semantically speaking, anyone who lives in the countryside, or who has an interest in rural matters and a love of nature qualifies as a Pagan (which comes from the Latin word for a country-dweller) ! The definition of what exactly constitutes paganism itself evolving, but for a working definition we mean those original spiritual and philosophical teachings and traditions which constitute the primal faiths of all humanity, descended from Palaeolithic times, through the Neolithic revolution and the beginnings of urban communities. There is no such thing as a central  "dogma" or revealed code of belief which unites all pagans into a central belief; rather, there are certain general clusters of belief and practice: such as the inherent dignity and value of all life; a belief in the spiritual integrity of individual human beings, and the right of freedom of worship and spiritual practice; a love of the female and male equally (with preeminence if anything to the female), as both worthy of  reverence and love; a pluralism and tolerance of different philosophical positions without needing to discover a centralising totalitarian "truth".  Pagan communities were also the first to develop most of the characteristics we associate with "civilisation":  agriculture, temples, houses, communications, writing systems, metallurgy, pottery, animal husbandry, language, hunting, prayer and spiritual worship, painting, music, dance, erotica and the arts of beauty, education and learning, schools and colleges etc.  Among cultures and traditions which have their essence and origin in pagan thought are the following: Latin, Greek, Celtic, Scandinavian and Germanic, Phoenician, Canaanite,  Ancient Semitic,  Sumerian, Egyptian, African,  Arabian, Indian, Amerindian, Shamanic Central Asian, Tibetan Bon, Polynesian, Melanesian, Japanese (Shinto), Traditional Chinese (Taoist). Many of the great philosophical and spiritual traditions of humanity evolved out of  pagan roots, and in more modern religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism,  Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahai etc. &  it is often easy to catch glimpses of their more ancient  heritage. In relative terms, the "revealed" textual religions of humanity are all very recent, none older than a few thousand years of direct transmission, with their texts all dating from within this time, although traditionally they see their own origins as far older in a blurred mythological past. The relationship between paganism and revealed religions, and textual and oral traditions,  is therefore of great interest to EUROPAEN as modern scholarship tends to see far less a distinction in belief and practice than once was the case, in the times of persecution. All revealed religions have an esoteric core component which often shows greater affinity to pagan belief and practices, including a greater respect for the divine feminine, for oral transmission in addition to textual transmission of knowledge, and for the principles of peace, tolerance and spiritual harmony than is the case in fundamentalist and literalist schools of thought.

WHO IS  EUROPAEN DESIGNED FOR ?

People who are following a particular modern Pagan or pagan influenced tradition,  and are involved  in academic study, at whatever level, whether studying or teaching at University, or whether engaged in private research and writing - such paths could include, some or several of the following: the Goddess path,  Shamanism, mysticism,  Wicca & Witchcraft, Runes and oracles; Egyptian religion, Celtic religion, Druidry, neo-Classical traditions (Greek, Latin, Etruscan, Cretan, Scythian etc.),  Indo-European studies, Semitic traditions, alchemy, Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism and  esoteric Christianity, Freemasonry, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Magic, Taoism, Yoga and  Hinduism,  Kabbalah and Judaism, Sufism and Islam, Zoroastrianism, Shinto,  Spiritualism, Channelling, New Age beliefs,  Amerindian religion, Bon, Tantra in Buddhism and Hinduism and its links with Taoism, new religious traditions etc. EUROPAEN will be relevant in all such fields of study. Similarly with the social and natural sciences, humanities, education, history, archaeology and philology and philosophy in general. Many modern  pagans also have a close affinity with the environmental movement, and may be working in horticulture, gardening, animals, farming and  rural  pursuits. Many Pagans also work in the healing professions,  in  counselling, psychotherapy, massage, midwifery, nursing,  and the various  alternative therapies. Others work in the fields of  the arts, beauty and design, or in the media, or computers and information technology. Other may be involved in professional careers which outwardly may seem to have little to do with their beliefs. In all such areas, EUROPAEN can offer valuable contacts and advice on how to reconcile one's professional activities with ancient spiritual teachings, while encouraging members to develop the highest levels  of  academic research skills relevant to their professional career.  The Network is therefore open to all people who are studying any aspect of Paganism in depth  and who wish to join with other colleagues in open-minded debate as to the true meaning and significance of paganism. Members would usually  be people who have received or are studying for a higher educational qualification  or  a degree from a  University, or alternatively who can demonstrate serious independent study into the principles and practices of paganism.

ACTIVITIES:

The Pagan Academic and Educational Network holds meetings at different venues around Europe for the exchange of ideas and teachings of interest to its members, and for sharing together in reflection and meditation on the rich spiritual heritage of pagan philosophy. We are also collaborating with Pagan Federation International in co-running an annual cyber conference on pagan Studies.  Individual members of the Network are active as teachers,  healers, researchers and practitioners in a number of specialised fields of knowledge. We  also  publish a series of Academic Papers dedicated to different aspects of Pagan Studies  (submission of manuscripts welcomed). We also hope to  publish  a monograph series of Pagan Studies books  and book titles are always welcomed and authors given encouragement to submit proposals for publication. We  plan in time to publish the International Journal of Pagan Studies and welcome support with editorial work or the submission of potential articles, but for the time being the Muses Love Journal acts also as the journal of Europaen.

We are also interested in working with educational systems throughout the European region to see that pagan studies are also taught in schools. Much of what children learn in schools (writing, the alphabet, philosophy, science, mathematics, technical crafts, art, music) was first invented by pagan European cultures, yet their contributions are largely overlooked. So many kids feel alienated from the whole schooling process, which is becoming more and more robotised and instrumented. Our belief is that by opening up pupils to the full history of pagan European achievements and cultural explorations, their learning is enriched and their motivation for studying would be greatly boosted. Ideally, we would like to open a private pagan school somewhere in Europe for pupils aged 11-18.

NETWORKING:

Individual members of EUROPAEN are also active in numerous other relevant organisations and we maintain friendly relations with a wide ranging body of educational groups worldwide. The enormous range of pagan organisations worldwide shows that this is an important area for research and study - EUROPAEN however is the only group which takes an eclectic overview of the whole field of pagan studies from an academic point of view. EUROPAEN is a project of The International Institute Of Peace Studies And Global Philosophy – you can find out all about us on our website: www.educationaid.net

If you are interested in joining EUROPAEN please send the completed enclosed Membership Form and subscription to: EUROPAEN, Le Musee de la Paix, 13 Grande Rue, Betete, La Creuse, Limousin, Aquitaine, 23270, France
 - Please continue on another sheet and tell us more about your own academic, research and professional interests. Please tell us how EUROPAEN can help you advance your own academic and spiritual interests !

EUROPAEN MEMBERSHIP FORM:

Name and titles:

Degrees and education and current research interests:

Address:

Are you able to represent EUROPAEN by assisting us with voluntary administrative and networking duties (working either from home or the Institute offices) by speaking at academic conferences and other public events, such as media interviews, and with editorial and writing duties ?

Are you able to start a local study and research group  in your own locality ? What help would you need to do this ? What experience do you yourself have in teaching and research ?

Are you a member of any other relevant academic or educational groups ? Would you be able to represent EUROPAEN to them ?

Membership of EUROPAEN is kept to 20 Euros p.a. - we do not want to deny participation to seriously committed scholars and Pagans living in difficult economic circumstances.  However, in order to make the publication of  our EUROPAEN Newsletter viable, and to enable us to organise conferences and to facilitate networking, and in time to produce a full academic journal, we would ask those who can afford it to enclose an extra donation at a level they can afford and which realistically reflects their interest in the topic and commitment to pagan studies (electronic bank details available on request).

If seeking professional academic membership, please give your current academic affiliation.

If applying for student membership, please indicate the school or university you are currently studying in.

EUROPEAN PAGAN ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONAL NETWORK (EUROPAEAN) / PAGAN ACADEMIC EUROPEAN ASSOCIATES NETWORK (PAEN) PAEAN AND EUROPAEAN collaborated jointly on presenting the fourth online international conference under the rubric of Pilgrimage in Europe: Ancient and Contemporary Pagan Pilgrimage Practices . The event took place live on Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 6 PM - 9 PM in cyberspace and attracted a wide audience who tuned in from their own respective locations. The conference began with some opening remarks by Morgana Sythove, international coordinator of PFI, Pagan Federation International and some additional welcoming remarks by Dr Lila Moore, PAEAN academic adviser in 2016. There followed a Keynote Lecture by IIPSGP Director, Dr Thomas Clough Daffern on  Pilgrimage in Europe: Ancient and Contemporary Pagan Pilgrimage Practices. The talk was complex and accompanied by slides, and can be introduced as follows:  What is mankind? A being in process, a being on pilgrimage; a happening, not a destination. The history of mankind is the history of our journeys: Homo Neanderthalis, Homo Sapiens, the first farmers, the builders of Stonehenge, Avebury and the Temples of Malta…. The history of European humans is a history of journeys, voyages, pilgrimages.  In all religious traditions known to humanity, pilgrimage is important – journeying to sacred sites, temples, shrines, secular festivals, whether manmade or natural landscapes. In later religions of the Book (Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc.)  Pilgrimages are also important, and are embedded in the original founding protocols of the faiths. Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Mahavira, Pythagoras, Jesus, St Paul, Mohammad, Guru Nanak – all were inveterate travellers and voyagers. Indeed, the fact of having travelled widely is probably one of the chief causal features of the religious mind. Druids in Europe, like Prophets in the Middle East,  travelled widely, with safe conduct, across the tribal landscapes of Celtic Northern Europe. Pagan philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Pyrrho and Parmenides likewise journeyed far and wide, and in their journeying, became wiser. When Christianity became the dominant religion of Europe and replaced its ancient pagan faiths, pilgrimages nevertheless remained embedded in the mental landscapes. Ostensibly Christian pilgrimages to places such as Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostella, Iona, Bardsey Island, in fact incorporated many pagan practices and features. So too in Islamic European communities, whether from the Balkans, Andalusia or modern Birmingham, the pagan roots of Islam in ancient Arabia nestle beneath the veneer of religious orthodoxy. The same in European Judaism, and the spiritual roots of modern Zionism – the journey home, the journey to the “promised land” – but where is it, finally? Who is it for? Can it be shared with the “other”?  A pilgrimage is a microcosm of a human life journey, and represents an initiatic path. Coded into esoteric traditions such as freemasonry or Sufism or the Qabalah, the idea of the “way” becomes a metaphor for a formless path that leads from here (temporality) to eternity (heaven).Nowadays the modern rock band “goes on the road” just as did the ancient troubadours of Provence, singing their gnostic ballads of love. Where is Europe itself going? What is the direction of our contemporary pilgrimage? Our whole continent is full of refugees, wanderers, homeless people – journeying towards the unknown, journeying away from, away from wars, horror, killing… Can Europe herself find a road? A direction? How can we journey towards peace, and what will peace look like, when we get there ? What light can be shone on this question by re-examining the ancient pagan roots of European civilisation? Europa herself – the first wanderer, is it not She whom we still search for? The wronged princess, the lost Goddess of the Collective imagination? Academia itself is a pilgrimage, designed by ”we scholars” as a journey of ascent “by degrees”. The intellectual journey of mankind is still underway, and it is imperative to share maps, get some sense of a common direction, and cease from our mutual killings and destructions. We need to embed peace into the pilgrimages of all faiths, and link arms towards that common goal. Modern pagans, philosophers and Druids, with their historical eclecticism and tolerance of all paths, have a responsibility to pioneer this process. Following on from this talk (which can be viewed on line here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F1_QDeV184) Other speakers at this memorable cyber conference included Dr Lila Moore of Israel/UK who spoke about The Serpentine Love Field: The Pilgrimage's Tech-Noetic Trail of Initiation and Communitas, The serpentine love field is a digital art work based on a networked rite, i.e., cyber ritual that coincided with the annual ceremony of the Holy Snakes of Mary that takes place on the island of Kefalonia in Greece. The piece is the result of a pilgrimage experience at the ceremony, on location, and during ritualistic activity in cyberspace. Dr Lila Moore is the founder of the Cybernetic Futures Institute (CFI), a networked platform and online academy for the exploration and study of technoetic arts and consciousness with an emphasis on the spiritual in art and film. She is an artist film-maker, screen choreographer, networked performance practitioner and theorist. The CFI is based on her post-doctoral project at Planetary Collegium of Plymouth University (2014-2015).  Dr Moore holds a practice-based Ph.D. degree from Middlesex University in Dance on Screen (2001) and an M.A. in Independent Film and Video from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London. She has been teaching B.A. courses in Film and Spirituality, Film and Ritual as well as The Spiritual in Art as part of a BA in Mysticism and Spirituality at Zefat Academic College. She also teaches online courses via the CFI and leads online/offline courses and masterclass in London UK and Kefalonia, Greece.  She has presented her work internationally in academic conferences, cultural organisations, art galleries and networked platforms. Website: www.cyberneticinstitute.com info@cyberneticinstitute.com. The next speaker was Race MoChridhewho spoke about Fiction Writing as a Form of Pilgrimage in an Invented Religion, which talk can be summarised as follows: Carole Cusack’s (2010) model of “invented religions”—religions which eschew conventional strategies of legitimation to embrace a self-consciously imaginative or “fictional” character—offers a powerful descriptive paradigm for many Pagan groups. While there have now been a number of studies on invented religions as a category, they have not yet been examined with reference to pilgrimage practices, because they generally lack any strong connection to physical locations. This paper argues that, in the absence of such foci for conventional pilgrimage, the goals of the pilgrimage process find alternative expressions in “invented” contexts. This case study examines online fora and e-mail lists, as well as published novels, written by Filianists—a British NRM with historical links to the Pagan movement—to show how individual devotees’ writing of self-consciously fictional accounts of imagined locations functions as an alternative form of pilgrimage, both permitting entrance to an imagined anti-structural space and contributing to the formation of new structures as the sharing of such accounts online transforms a personal, introspective act of imagination into an opportunity for the building of Turnerian communitas. The resulting picture outlines a practice that fulfills the functions of physical pilgrimage in traditional religions, but that challenges some key definitions of the act, most especially the emphasis on motion argued by Morinis (1992) and Coleman and Eade (2004). The activity of Filianist writers is shown in many ways to draw more on the genre of journalistic and academic description of pilgrimage than on the model of pilgrimages themselves, utilizing the inherent staticism of “the gaze of the analyst” as a means of exploring and reaffirming central aspects of the group’s Traditionalist metaphysics and social critique, thus confirming aspects of the globalization theories of Meyer and Geschiere (1999) as well as Swatos (2002) as applied to pilgrimages by those authors. In conclusion, this study affirms that pilgrimage is a valid category for understanding the practices of invented religions and provides a framework for understanding how the psychospiritual functions of pilgrimage may, in that context, manifest contrastively to the practices of conventionally legitimated religions.  Aristasian philosophy and Filianism  originates from the age of the counterculture movement at Cambridge and Oxford in the 1960s and the resistance to it by a group of young intellectual women, sapphistly inclined but ultra conservative, who regarded the developments of modern culture and the modern "LGBT" movement with dismay as being, essentially, contrary to the real emotional current, the real psychological desires, and indeed the entire real natural socio-cultural order of nations. They were enamoured with Guénon and the entire Perennialist or Esoteric Traditionalist movement. The Latin word for Daughter is Filia. Thus Filianism is the religion of Filia, the Daughter. The modern religion of Filianism (many of its aspects are premodern) was initiated in the Oxford, England of the early 1970s. At that time a member(s) of a small group of female students of Oxford University’s Lady Margaret’s Hall composed a small group of short writings which came to serve as the basis of a religion centered on the adoration and worship of Dea / the Goddess for several small groups of women. The two most important of which were the Ekklesia Madriana,the Community of the Madrians and the and the Aristasian Community, which still exists today under the name of the Daughters of Shining Harmony. These writings, not named originally, are commonly known as the Filianic, Madrian, or De’anic scriptures. While certain other aspects of Filianic theology and practice such as its Wheel of the Year and its Angelology were latter developed respectively by the Madrian and the Aristasian Communities; without the Filianic scriptures the Filianic religion would not exist. The last speaker was Morgana Sythove, who had also chaired the event, and who shared details of her recent visit to Hattusha, the ancient Hittite capital city. Ḫattuša was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızılırmak River (Hittite: Marashantiya; Greek: Halys). Hattusha was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1986. The landscape surrounding the city included rich agricultural fields and hill lands for pasture as well as woods. Smaller woods are still found outside the city, but in ancient times, they were far more widespread. This meant the inhabitants had an excellent supply of timber when building their houses and other structures. The fields provided the people with a subsistence crop of wheat, barley and lentils. Flax was also harvested, but their primary source for clothing was sheep wool. They also hunted deer in the forest, but this was probably only a luxury reserved for the nobility. Domestic animals provided meat.There were several other settlements in the vicinity, such as the rock shrine at Yazılıkaya and the town at Alacahöyük. Since the rivers in the area are unsuitable for major ships, all transport to and from Hattusa had to go by land. Morgana’s talk was brilliantly illustrated with slides of photos she had taken herself on her visit.
These talks are all on line at:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1080623975361667/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F1_QDeV184&t=3s The technical aspects of the event were masterfully managed by Israfela of Oxford Brookes University. Pagan Federation International (Bulgaria), to whom many thanks are due. A further such joint internet conference event is planned for 2018. Keep watching this space for updates or contact IIPSGP or the PFI at http://www.paean-network.org/

For  further information on any aspect of EUROPAEN write to
Dr Thomas C. Daffern, Director, IIPSGP, Museum of the Muses, 13 Grande Rue, Betete, La Creuse, Limousin, Aquitaine, France 23270
Tel. +33 05 8756 5489 Mob: 07500 238523 -
iipsgp@educationaid.net www.educationaid.net

PAGANISM, EDUCATION AND THE ACADEMY

PAGAN ACADEMIC NETWORK (P.A.N) : A Project in the making.

By Thomas Daffern

This new academic network has been established to fulfil a need long felt to be lacking in educational circles. It will provide an academic forum for interested researchers and teachers involved in all aspects of paganism to network with one another. It will also work to achieve full representation and consultative responsibility for Pagan academics and educators on curriculum governance and planning authorities at local, national and international levels, as a faith tradition of equal status to the other faith traditions sharing our multicultural world.  It will aim to achieve recognition for pagan studies as an important part of the religious education tradition at both school and University level. Similarly in terms of interfaith work,  where we seek to restore official recognition to indigenous traditions and pagan faiths of all regions worldwide, including European  and ancient pagan  traditions native to the British Isles and Ireland.  One of the long term aims of the Pagan Academic Network is to see the eventual establishment of an officially recognised Pagan College or school within the education sector in the U.K. We are pleased to work with other colleagues and organisations towards this long term end. We also act as a contact point for international scholarship in the field of Pagan Studies and welcome the work of  members who can take on board the correspondence with pagan scholars in other cultures and traditions overseas. Our vision is that the work of PAN can assist the redefinition and reclamation of a purified and responsible form of pagan spirituality, in harmony with nature and other spiritual and religious paths, helping to bridge the gap between scientific and spiritual learning, and to restore harmony between masculine and feminine modes of knowing.
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WHAT IS PAGANISM ?

Semantically speaking, anyone who lives in the countryside, or who has an interest in rural matters and a love of nature qualifies as a Pagan (which comes from the Latin word for a country-dweller)! The definition of what exactly constitutes paganism is itself evolving, but for a working definition we mean those original spiritual and philosophical teachings and traditions which constitute the primal faiths of all humanity, descended from Palaeolithic times, through the Neolithic revolution and the beginnings of urban communities. There is no such thing as a central  "dogma" or revealed code of belief which unites all pagans into a central belief; rather, there are certain general clusters of belief and practice: such as the inherent dignity and value of all life; a belief in the spiritual integrity of individual human beings, and the right of freedom of worship and spiritual practice; a love of the female and male equally, as both worthy of  reverence and love; a pluralism and tolerance of different philosophical positions without needing to discover a centralising totalitarian "truth".  Pagan communities were also the first to develop most of the characteristics we associate with "civilisation":  agriculture, temples, houses, communications, writing systems, metallurgy, pottery, animal husbandry, language, hunting, prayer and spiritual worship, painting, music, dance, erotica and the arts of beauty, education and learning, schools and colleges etc.  Among cultures and traditions which have their essence and origin in pagan thought are the following: Latin, Greek, Celtic, Scandinavian and Germanic, Phoenician, Canaanite,  Ancient Semitic,  Sumerian, Egyptian, African,  Arabian, Indian, Amerindian, Shamanic Central Asian, Tibetan, Polynesian, Melanesian, Japanese (Shinto), Traditional Chinese (Taoist). Many of the great philosophical and spiritual traditions of humanity evolved out of  pagan roots, and in more modern religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism,  Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahai etc. it is often possible to catch glimpses of their more ancient  heritage. In relative terms, the "revealed" textual religions of humanity are all very recent, none older than a few thousand years of direct transmission, with their texts all dating from within this time, although traditionally they see their own origins as far older in a blurred mythological past. The relationship between paganism and revealed religions, and textual and oral traditions,  is therefore of great interest to P.A.N. as modern scholarship tends to see far less a distinction in belief and practice than once was the case, in the times of persecution. All revealed religions have an esoteric core component which often shows greater affinity to pagan belief and practices, including a greater respect for the divine feminine, for oral transmission in addition to textual transmission of knowledge, and for the principles of peace, tolerance and spiritual harmony, than is the case in fundamentalist and literalist schools of thought. Indeed, it is the rise of the literalist and traditionalist schools of fundamentalist religion which always spells particularly bad news for Pagan scholars. After all it was the “founder” of pagan academia, Plato, who understood that allegory, symbols and metaphor are at the foundations of religions, and thus those allegories, symbols and metaphors are about discovering the truth behind religious scriptures rather than about the literal truth of the text.

WHO IS  P.A.N. DESIGNED FOR ?

People who are following a particular modern Pagan or pagan influenced tradition,  and are involved  in academic study, at whatever level, whether studying or teaching at University, or whether engaged in private research and writing - such paths could include, some or several of the following: the Goddess path,  Shamanism, mysticism,  Wicca & Witchcraft, .Runes and oracles; Egyptian religion, Celtic religion, Druidry, neo-Classical traditions (Greek, Latin, Etruscan, Cretan, Scythian etc.),  Indo-European studies, Semitic traditions, alchemy, Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism and  esoteric Christianity, Freemasonry, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Magic, Taoism, Yoga and  Hinduism,  Kabbalah and Judaism, Sufism and Islam, Zoroastrianism, Shinto,  Spiritualism, Channelling, New Age beliefs,  Amerindian religion, Bon, Tantra in Buddhism and Hinduism and its links with Taoism, new religious traditions etc. PAN will be relevant in all such fields of study. Similarly with the social and natural sciences, humanities, education, history, archaeology and philology and philosophy in general. Many modern  pagans also have a close affinity with the environmental movement, and may be working in horticulture, gardening, animals, farming and  rural  pursuits. Many Pagans also work in the healing professions,  in  counselling, psychotherapy, massage, midwifery, nursing,  and the various  alternative therapies. Others work in the fields of  the arts, beauty and design, or in the media, or computers and information technology. Some may already be involved in teaching or research in Pagan Academic institutions, such as the Avalon College of Druidry based in the USA indeed a whole plethora of interesting Pagan educational initiatives are springing up at present all over the place, including in cyberspace. Also, some people might want to get involved with PAN, who are working in professional careers which outwardly may seem to have little to do with their Paganism. In all such areas, P.A.N. is hoping to be able to offer valuable contacts and advice on how to reconcile one's professional activities with ancient spiritual teachings, while encouraging members to develop the highest levels  of  academic research skills relevant to their professional career.  The Network is therefore open to all people who are studying any aspect of Paganism and who wish to join with other colleagues in open-minded debate as to the true meaning and significance of paganism and related spiritual traditions. Members may be people who have received or are studying for a higher educational qualification  or  a degree from a  University, or alternatively may be independent scholars researching into the principles and practices of paganism. Whilst in the long term we hope to publish an International Journal of Pagan Studies, for the time being PAN has a regular entry in the Muses Journal which is the annual publication of the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy, and is available on subscription.

NETWORKING:

Individual members of PAN may also be active in other relevant organisations, like the PF,  and we maintain friendly relations with a wide ranging body of educational groups worldwide. The enormous range of pagan organisations worldwide shows that this is an important area for research and study - PAN however is the only group which takes an eclectic overview of the whole field of pagan studies from an academic point of view.

PAN is a project of the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy – You can find out all about us on our website: www.educationaid.net  alternatively you can write to:

Dr Thomas C. Daffern, Director, IIPSGP, Museum of the Muses, 13 Grande Rue, Betete, La Creuse, Limousin, Aquitaine, France 23270, Tel. +33 05 8756 5489 Mob: 07500 238523 - iipsgp@educationaid.net www.educationaid.net

(Thomas Daffern B.A. (Hons.) D.Sc. (Hon) PGCE PhD. has taught peace studies, history and philosophy for many years, is head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at a busy secondary school, has worked for the Universities of London and Oxford, ran 30 seminars on peace and ethics in Parliament, has travelled and taught in some 33 countries worldwide, directs the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy from a base in France, runs the Order of Peace Poets, Bards and Druids and is Convenor of the European Council of Druids).

It is worth remembering that Plato and Aristotle, for instance, both of whom accepted in principle the wisdom within Ancient Greek Paganism, nevertheless would not have called themselves “pagan” simply because the term did not as yet exist. They simply were people of Thriskia, Sophia, and the Mysteries. So too some people on a modern mystical or esoteric path may find it difficult to resonate with the term pagan, yet on deeper study and reflection may realise that the source of many of their spiritual aspirations can most comprehensively be so designated, along with the term Primal Religions.