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Welcome to Paganism and Earth-Centered Traditions
Welcome to Paganism and Earth-Centered Traditions.
For most of human history, people have found the sacred in the earth itself: in sun and moon, river and grove, the turning of the seasons, and the cycle of birth, death, and return. Today, modern Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, Heathens, and many others are reviving and reimagining those ways, and their communities have grown steadily for more than fifty years.
In this course you will study the ancient religions of Europe and the Mediterranean, the history of the modern Pagan revival, Wicca and witchcraft, the Wheel of the Year, the many paths of contemporary Paganism, the Indigenous earth traditions that must be respected rather than borrowed, earth-centered ethics, and the practical work of ministry, including handfasting.
Pagans have been misunderstood, feared, and mocked for a very long time. Throughout this course, each tradition is described as its own followers understand it.
How This Course Works
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | None. Titles and degrees begin with ordination through the Ordination Orientation. |
| Pace | Self-paced. Most students finish in four to six weeks, studying about four to five hours a week. There are no deadlines. |
| Structure | Eight modules. Each module has a lesson, a reading assignment, and a ten-question quiz. |
| Book report | Read one of the books offered, pass its ten-question quiz, and write a one-paragraph summary, after Module 8. |
| Final exam | Fifteen multiple-choice questions and one essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words, taken after Module 8. |
| Credit | 3 credit hours toward further titles and degrees. |
Grading
| Part | To pass |
|---|---|
| Module quizzes (8) | Pass each with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report quiz (10 questions) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report summary (one paragraph) | Approved by the school |
| Final exam, Part 1 (multiple choice) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Final exam, Part 2 (one essay, 1,500 to 2,000 words) | Approved by the school |
Required texts
- Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler
- The Triumph of the Moon, Ronald Hutton
- Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer
Many of these books are available from public libraries, used bookstores, and as ebooks.
What you will study
Module 1: What Is Paganism? Module 2: The Old Religions and the Modern Revival Module 3: Wicca and Witchcraft Module 4: The Wheel of the Year Module 5: Many Paths: Druidry, Heathenry, and Revival Traditions Module 6: Indigenous Earth Traditions: Respect, Not Borrowing Module 7: Earth-Centered Ethics and the Living Planet Module 8: Ministry with Pagan and Earth-Centered Communities
Book report choices
Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler; The Triumph of the Moon, Ronald Hutton
Academic honesty
All written work must be your own. You may quote and discuss the course readings and other sources, but you must say where the words and ideas came from. Submitting work written by someone else, including work generated entirely by AI tools, is not permitted.