The Pagan Federation is a UK-based voluntary organisation, founded as the Pagan Front, that provides information and counters misconceptions about

Neopaganism Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

. It was formed in 1971, and campaigns for the religious rights of

Neo-pagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

s and educates both civic bodies and the general public about Paganism. Pagan Federation is a constituted voluntary organisation, registered as a

private Company limited by guarantee In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal p ...

, with exemption for use of 'limited' with

Companies House Companies House is the executive agency of the company registrars of the United Kingdom, falling under the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. All forms of companies (as permitted by the Companies Act) are in ...

on 22 August 2000, with its nature listed as a Religious Organisation. The memorandum of the association lists the objects of the Pagan Federation as providing services for Pagans in the UK and abroad, providing information about Paganism to the public and all interested bodies, educating the public about Pagan beliefs and traditions, providing access to Pagan celebrations, and providing pastoral care for Pagans in the community including those in hospitals and prisons. The Pagan Federation publishes a quarterly magazine, ''

Pagan Dawn ''Pagan Dawn'' is a quarterly magazine featuring articles, reviews and research on polytheism, pantheism, cultural history and nature-based spirituality, published by the Pagan Federation in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1968 (thus pre-dating the ...

'', that features articles, reviews, and research on both modern and historic Paganism.

Beliefs of the Pagan Federation

The Pagan Federation believes that 'Paganism is the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity', according to Cole Morton who was awarded the
Pagan Federation National Journalist of the Year
in 2010. Pagan Federation states that for someone to be Pagan, they need only believe in the following: * Each person has a right to follow his or her own path, as long as it harms no one. * There is a higher power (or powers), * Nature is to be venerated

Aims of the Pagan Federation

* The Pagan Federation aims to represent all ''"followers of a Polytheistic or Pantheistic nature-worshipping religion"'' and has a membership that includes ''Druids as well as Wiccans, practising modern Witchcraft; Shamans, engaging with the spirits of the land; and Heathens, worshipping the Gods of the North European tribes''. The Aim of the PF translates as the following core activities, * Promotion of contact between Pagan groups and genuine seekers of the Old Ways. * Promotion of contact and dialogue between the various branches of European Paganism and other Pagan organisations worldwide. * Provision of practical and effective information on Paganism to members of the public, media, public bodies, and the Administration. According to the Pagan Federation Wessex website, the Pagan Federation ''"seeks to support all Pagans to ensure they have the same rights as the followers of other beliefs and religions. It aims to promote a positive profile for Pagans and Paganism and to provide information on Pagan beliefs to the media, official bodies and the greater community."'' It is active throughout Europe and organises a large number of Pagan events. The organisation produces the magazine, ''

'' which is the Pagan Federation's journal. In 2001, it successfully fought for the reinstatement of its first Youth Manager, Dr Ralph Morse, whose association with the organisation was considered sufficient grounds for his sacking as Head of Drama, Media and Theatre Arts at

Shenfield High School A Secondary School Based In England Shenfield High School is a coeducational 11-18 secondary school located in Shenfield, Essex, England. It has over 1200 students on roll, including 300 in the sixth form. It opened in 1962, celebrating its 50t ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Gr ...

. There are many different regional bodies each organising its own events and functioning on a local basis In addition, Scotland has its own national Pagan Federation which carries out the work of the PF in that country.

Pagan Federation in the media

Epping Forest Guardian
reported on 24 July 2012 that an anonymous leaflet stuffed through letterboxes on Epping High Street on Monday (23 July) warns of a Pagan 'plan to abduct a male member of the public for use as part of their rituals'. This claim was dismissed by a representative of the Pagan Federation. The Representative stated that the Pagan Federation works with the Government to create guidelines on recognising Paganism.
BBC online article on PF
The Pagan Federation as saying that Pagans want the same recognition as other faiths, and that druids, Wiccans, witches and other pagans constitute a serious and growing religious group.

Campaigns of the Pagan Federation

The BBC reported on 27 February 2011
that according to the 2001 Census, 42,000 people declared themselves as Pagans - the seventh highest number for any UK religion - but some experts believe the true figure was nearer 250,000 - and is significantly higher now. For the 2011 Census
The Pagan Federation was asking all Pagans
to put aside their reservations and to put 'Pagan' in the box for religion. This is so that a truer value of the number of pagans in the UK could be determined. The ONS reported that 56,620 people identified themselves as Pagan in the 2011 census,http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/sty-what-is-your-religion.html Answers to 'What is your Religion?' question the eighth highest for a UK religion.

References

External links