Modern neo-pagan identity and ritual in an Australian context

This thesis explores neo-pagan ritual practices and identity in Queensland and seeks to answer three research questions through a social constructionist framework. First, how do neo-pagan groups in Queensland use ritual practices to generate their religious and personal identities within the modern Australian context? Second, what additional markers of identity are used to define the practitioner’s pagan identity? Third, in what ways does the creation of a new pagan identity affect life priorities and values? To answer these questions, this thesis employed a qualitative research methodology with a three-stage mixed methods approach. The first stage was an online survey designed to gather a broad set of data on Queensland neo-pagans. The second stage was a set of interviews taken from survey participants and the third stage involved the researcher’s participant observation of two neo-pagan rituals: one in person, and one online. The research found that Queensland neo-pagans create religious identity out of community and ‘doing paganism’ via group and individual ritual and practice. Queensland neo-pagans are attracted to neo-paganism and identify with it because it is a belief system that best expresses and embodies their own personally held beliefs, primarily being the reverence for and desire to better connect with nature on a spiritual level. The research also found that Queensland neopagans adapt their rituals to work within both physical and digital mediums as internet technologies progress. Finally, the thesis found a central tension within neo-pagan communities between maintaining traditional methods of practice and tolerating social media portrayals.