(02:05) Definition of "Paganism" and "New Age"

The term "pagan" is derived from the Latin word pagus, which literally means "from the countryside." As Christianity spread rapidly in the urban areas of the Roman Empire, "pagan" became a negative term for those too backward to embrace monotheistic faith — sometimes denoting "uncivilized" or even "satanic." Today, Paganism and Neopaganism are umbrella terms for a vast array of new religious movements that revive ancient, polytheistic ideas of Europe and the Middle East. Pagans venerate nature and their practices are generally rooted in indigenous traditions and belief systems.

"New Age" spirituality is an umbrella term that accommodates many beliefs and practices. New Age practitioners strive for self-transformation through practices such as channeling, visualization, astrology, meditation, and alternative healing methods. Some New Agers place a special emphasis on spiritual and physical healing in order to achieve new levels of consciousness.

Estimates of total adherents of Paganism and Neopaganism in the world are difficult to ascertain. Many people who identify themselves as Pagans privately, are reluctant to do so publicly; others embrace Pagan ideas and rituals on a selective basis. But, scholars and sociologists commonly agree that Paganism and Neopaganism are on the rise globally, ranging from one to three million people. Sarah M. Pike, author of New Age and Neopagan Religions in America, estimates Pagans and Neopagans to number around 200,000 in the United States — and that more than 12 million Americans participate in New Age activities.

(03:15) Study by Ivankiv

Ivakhiv's academic study was published as the book, Claiming Sacred Ground: Pilgrims and Politics at Glastonbury and Sedona.

(07:51) State of Global Homesickness

In "Stoking the Heart of (a Certain) Europe: Crafting Hybrid Identities in the 'Ukrainian-European' Borderland," Ivakhiv writes about the shifting identities of people over the ages:

In the post-Socialist space of East Central Europe, there are several figures which might fit the qualifications of the nomadic and hybrid identity type being alluded to here: black market traders and economic refugees, eking out a living crossing borders at night or with questionable documents; Carpatho-Rusyns, whose recent entry into history as "Warhol's nation" or as Magocsi's new nationality may be carved out of the same historical bedrock as that of the Ukrainian nation, but which has been forged in the more recent geological grinding of national borders in their Subcarpathian homeland; or the hybrid ethnics who refuse to partake of the ethnic purifications of what was once Yugoslavia; or, of course, the Roma, Europe's Gypsies, being everyone else's "other." The most genuinely nomadic, however, may be those designated by the simple term tuteishyi, the word for those who are simply "from here," even if that "here" changes in relation to the "theres" which have shaped and defined the territory of East Central Europe over its many imperial and political-economic realignments.

In today's East Central European borderlands, where new and contested nations and ethnicities — Belarusians, Carpatho-Rusyns, Lemkos, Poleshuks, Romas, Montenegrans, Bosnians, and others — are ever emerging, what remains constant is the ebb and flow of identity formation, a process of gelling and destabilizing without necessary end-point or telos. The tuteishyi represents the not-quite-named, the proto-ethnic (that is, proto-'Rusyn,' '-Poleshuk,' '-Kashub', '-Roma,' et al.), a person of "no fixed address" — if "address" is understood in the Lacanian sense of being called or hailed as such by the outside world — who is uncertain as to whether s/he is a nationality, ethnicity, or part of some other substance (religious denomination, et al.), but who is defined by the place in which s/he remains (and moves) while empires, armies, time-zones, and global economic forces move in and out of range. Like the old Bukovinian in Yuri Illienko's (1970) film White Bird with a Black Mark (Bilyi ptakh z chornoyu oznakoyu) who keeps several clocks each showing different times — Rumanian, Polish, German, Soviet — so as not to have to change the clock every time the borders change, so these proto-ethnicities define themselves by their hybrid and marginal location amid broadly contending force-fields. Like the nomad and the mestizo celebrated in the writings of postmodern and postcolonial writers, the tuteishyi remains placeless in a larger sense, yet rooted enough in his or her own space spacesofidentity 6.1 (2006) 39 (Tarasiewicz's forests, Maszlanko's fields), mobile in the tracks and paths carved out through earthy meanderings in the interstices of nations and empires.

(08:46) Paganism in the East Slavic World

Krista cites a statement made by Ivakhiv in his paper, "In Search of Deeper Identities: Neopaganism and 'Native Faith' in Contemporary Ukraine":

Pagan traditions and folk customs are considered by some to have never completely disappeared from the East Slavic world, at least not until the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. While in the Baltic regions organized Paganism survived intact until as late as the fourteenth century, the Christianization of the East Slavic peoples proceeded by adapting Christianity to existing practices, resulting, in rural areas, in what was sometimes known as dvoviria (Pagan-Christian "double faith"). The recent resurgence of Paganism and Native Faith, or ridnovira, in Ukraine was spawned in the Brezhnev era, but has seen dramatic growth in the last decade alongside an upsurge in ethnic nationalism.

(09:56) Definition of Bricoleur

Wondering how to spell "bricoleur" or, more important, what it means? Our Web producer did too, so here goes. The word "bricoleur" and its companion "bricolage" come from the French bricole, meaning "redound" or "rebound." As the famous French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss defined the term, "Bricoleur is always used with references to some extraneous movement: a ball rebounding, a dog straying or a horse swerving from its direct course to avoid an obstacle. And in our own time the 'bricoleur' is still someone who works with his hands and uses devious means compared to those of a craftsman."

In cultural studies, a bricoleur is one who takes objects, information, or practices from across social divisions and creates new cultural identities by integrating them into his own culture. An object or idea has one meaning in the dominant culture but is given a different meaning by the bricoleur in his subculture. Oftentimes, a bricoleur is a common person who does the best that she or he can do with what is at hand.

(11:02) Celebration of Winter Solstice

The winter solstice takes place on the shortest day — on December 21 or 22 in the northern hemisphere and June 21 or 22 in the southern hemisphere — of each year when the sun's path is farthest north or south of the Earth's equator. The winter solstice, called Yule, is one of the most important days of the Pagan year. Based on traditional Celtic fire festivals, Yule celebrates the return of light after the longest period of dark during the year and preparation for the rebirth of life. Christians have adapted some traditional Pagan customs to celebrate Christmas, including hanging mistletoe, decorating homes with trees, and lighting candles as a promise of the coming sun. Christmas rituals were also informed by ancient Pagan festivals such as Yule, Saturnalia, and the feast of Mithras.

(11:36) Summer Solstice

Midsummer, or Litha as Pagans call it, refers to the time centered upon the summer solstice and the accompanying religious celebrations. The longest day of the year, summer solstice signifies a turning point in which life is at its peak; darkness will come and life must end for the cycle to begin again. Many of the Midsummer traditions and celebrations have non-Christian origins. People in countries who celebrate the summer solstice vary in rituals, but several common threads run through most cultural practices: bonfires or burning effigies, fertility rites, wearing wreaths woven of local vegetation as crowns. Ivana Kupala Day, named after John the Baptist, is celebrated in Ukraine and several other regions and has been adopted by the Orthodox Christian church. People jump through bonfires to be cleansed before the beginning of harvest so that they became healthier and more powerful.

(13:01) Ukranian Term: Dvoviria

In rural areas, dvoviria has come to signify the Pagan-Christian "double-faith" in which the Christianization of East Slavic peoples took place by adapting Christianity to existing pagan or native faith practices.

(14:11) The Protestant Reformation

The Reformation was a series of movements within the Western Christian church that took place in the 16th century. During this period, a variety of Christian factions in Western Europe protested and questioned the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which ultimately led to the establishment of Protestant denominations. For the remainder of his life, Calvin stood as the dominant figure in a Geneva that became a point of refuge for persecuted Protestants from all over Europe.

In continental Europe, Martin Luther, an Augustinian friar, is commonly known for his protestation of the selling of indulgences and his stand as a reformer. Luther gained notoriety for his Ninety-Five Theses, in which the ideas contained in this document gave impetus to the Reformation. The French reformer John Calvin wrote his Institutes of Christian Religion in exile in Switzerland and established Geneva as a Protestant haven. King Henry VIII triggered the movement in England when he split with Rome over seeking an annulment.

(16:12) Jerzy Grotowski

Jerzy Grotowski (1933–1999) was an admired Polish director who is is known for his reformation of 20th century theater. The Gardzienice Center for Theatre Practices, mentioned by Ivakhiv, resides in a small town outside of Lublin, Poland. The Center for Theatre Practices looks to traditional cultures that are often regarded as marginal or obsolete, and seeks "to create and confirm their own, specific theatre, whose core lies in perceiving the world, nature and man as an inseparable whole, though they are not necessarily harmonious (in an idyllic sense) nor complete, in a way, which is close to traditional culture.

(17:00) The Tatra Mountains

The Tatra Mountains are situated within the highest part of the Carpathian Mountains and span the borders of Poland and Slovakia. Relatively small in total area, the range runs for 40 miles with varying widths from 9–15 miles.

(20:06) Tolkien Reading in Elvish

For The Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien created the Elvish languages of Quenya and Amanye Tenceli based on the Finnish and Welsh languages. The following Elvish passage was read by Tolkien for the recording, Poems and Songs of Middle Earth on Caedmon Records:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath,
na-chaered palan diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath
nef aear, sí aearon,
Fanluilos, le linnathon
Nef aear, sí aearon!

O Elbereth Star-kindler,
white glittering slants down, sparkling like jewels
from firmament glory of the star-host,
to remote distance after having gazed
from tree-tangled middle-lands,
on this side of the ocean, here on this side of the Great Ocean,
Fanuilos, to thee I will chant
on this side of the ocean, here on this side of the Great Ocean!

(21:08) Chernobyl Disaster

In April 1986, a nuclear reactor in the town of Chernobyl exploded. The meltdown released a large amount of radiation, and the news was withheld from residents for several days during the period of maximum exposure. More than 30 people were killed immediately, and 135,000 people were eventually evacuated from the area. The facility wasn't closed down until late 2000. Photographer Paul Fusco documents the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster in a compelling first-person video essay.

(21:53) Ukrainian Native Faith Website

Krista cites the site for the Society of the Ukrainia Native Faith (Pravoslavya). As is detailed on their site, the group prefers to be referred to as "heathens" rather than "pagans" because the former is a generic term for the religion of their ancestors whereas the latter possesses a negative connotation in the native language.

(24:36) The Orange Revolution

The Orange Revolution was an opposition protest movement by Ukrainian citizens that took place during the controversial 2004 presidential elections. The two candidates rivaling for the presidency were Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, a proponent of Russian policy, and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, an advocate of working with the European Union, whose campaign color was orange.

The first round of voting amounted to a half-percent for Yushchenko, which triggered a run-off vote declaring the pro-Russian candidate Yanukovych as the winner. But, poll observers complained of vote-rigging and other irregularities. The ensuing three months led to massive protests against government corruption, candidate intimidation, and election fraud. The Ukrainian Supreme Court ruled a re-run election should be held. In January 2005, Yushchenko was declared the new president with 52 percent of the vote to Yanukovych's 44 percent.

(29:30) Actuality from Teenage Pagans

The audio clip was excerpted from a BBC report by Zoe Coleman, "The Real Teenage Witches," that featured a video (RealAudio, 3:04) about a group of teenage Pagans in Oxfordshire, England discussing their views on the meaning of Paganism.

(30:50) Sacred Site in Glastonbury

The legends that surround the small town of Glastonbury are varied and many. Ivakhiv provides a succinct description of Glastonbury's mythic history in Claiming Sacred Ground:

…Christian pilgrimage site of great repute in medieval times, Glastonbury has been rumored to be the burial place of King Arthur, the final destination and repository of the Holy Grail of Christ's blood, carried there allegedly by Joseph of Arimathea, and an ancient pre-Christian holy place. For some, it is even thought to be the center of a giant zodiacal earthwork carved thousands of years ago into the surrounding countryside, as well as a long-time pit stop for UFOs; and, with its famous Tor and its numerous springs, one can easily see how it might be taken for a place that was sacred to an ancient Earth Goddess.

(32:35) Stonehenge and the Druids

Ancient Druidism can be difficult to explain because of the various incarnations since its beginnings during the Iron Age in 750 BCE. Druids rarely provided written accounts of their beliefs and rituals, so we now rely on outside observers and Christian scribes. The best account about the religion comes from Julius Caesar in his chronicles of the Gallian wars in the first century BCE.

In the 18th century, self-described Druids and members of the local Christian community surfaced in Wales and Cornwall. In Brittany, a movement arose that was more polytheistic and worshipped pre-Christian deities such as the sun god Lugh. The 20th century has experienced a revival of Pagan Druidry. Druid groups can be localized and tied to sacred sites such as Glastonbury or Stonehenge, or part of larger national and international orders with local "Groves."

Druids place importance on embracing ecology and understanding one's own psychology. Followers observe seasonal festivals and celebrate the solstices and equinoxes with ceremonies — at times elaborately crafted and at other times free of form.

(33:57) Books About Glastonbury Traditions

The two books cited were Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine by Jean Shinoda Bolen and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

(40:55) Clip from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The audio clip was excerpted from Steven Spielberg's 1977 feature film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

(47:11) Alex Haley Phenomenon

Alex Haley won the Pulitzer Prize for Roots: The Saga of an American Family, a novel tracing the plight of an African-American family beginning with the taking of Kunta Kinte from his homeland in Gambia. Haley's book was popularized when it was adapted as a television miniseries in 1977.