|
Neopaganism in South Africa is primarily represented by the traditions of Wicca, contemporary Witchcraft, Germanic neopaganism and Neo-Druidism. The movement is related to comparable trends in the United States and Western Europe and is mostly practiced by White South African of urban background;〔〔 it is to be distinguished from folk healing and mythology in local Bantu culture. While there are no official statistics, the movement has been described as "small but growing" as of 2004.〔"This is the indigenous pre-Christian body of religions of Europe, which includes branches such as Druidism and Wicca. Pagan belief is based on the notion of life as an endless circle, with the promise of rebirth, renewal and recycling as embodied in the 'wheel of the year', a calendar of events following the solar and lunar cycles. Rituals are performed, in sacred places, on occasions linked to cyclic events such as the full moon, the summer solstice, the spring equinox and the autumn equinox. Pagans emphasise healing, the use of magic, and journeys to the 'other world' through meditation, drumming, dance, divination, and the use of an assortment of sacred tools including crystals, candles, drums, and feathers. Paganism is associated with a strong reverence for the Earth, and for human life, and places women in a special position in religious worship. Paganism is the religion of choice for a small but growing number of mainly white South Africans. Pagans have suffered prejudice and misunderstanding, and have been mistakenly classed with much-feared satanic worship." 〕 Representatives of the movement have published claims of numbers of adherents ranging in the five digits as of 2008.〔In 2008 Donna Vos, president of the Pagan Federation of South Africa (PFSA), stated there were an estimated 10,000 to 50,000 Pagans in South Africa. 〕 ==History== South Africa's first democratic elections were held on 27 April 1994. The new Constitution provided for the right to freedom of religion, belief and opinion, paving the way for Paganism in South Africa. Early public activity included the first publication of ''Penton Pagan Magazine'' in December 1995, edited by Damon Leff, and the formation of the Pagan Federation of South Africa (PFSA) in June 1996, with Donna Vos elected as its first president. While the PFSA constitution took into account the principles of the UK-based Pagan Federation formed in 1971, it has never been affiliated with it, nor with the Pagan Federation International (PFI), which has been represented in South Africa since 2007. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Neopaganism in South Africa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|