Robyn Lebron ͷǤ Paganism has developed alongside mankind for thousands of years; as cultures have changed so has Paganism, yet it is grounded in deep rooted genetic memories that go back to Neolithic times and before Thus Paganism is not just a nature religion but a natural religion Ǥ Paganism in the west takes a number of forms including Wicca, Druidism, and Shamanism Some experts consider Hinduism, Shintōism and other eastern religions as part of the Pagan community Ǥ To Pagans the four ancient elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water have special significance Each element is a kind of spiritual substance from which all things are made especially ourselves and at the same time are Guardians both of ourselves and of the Goddess and God, and guarding the gateways between this world and the other world A fifth element, Spirit, is incorporated in most Pagan faiths These five elements are sometimes connected to the Pagan Pentagram, a five pointed star, which some say dates back to 3500 bc Some early Christians also compared the five points to the wounds of Christ (When a circle is added it is called a Pentacle and is considered a powerful symbol of protection.) ͺǤ Many Pagans believe in reincarnation in some form It gives Pagans a substantially different view of life Early Christians saw Karma as a kind of treadmill, trapping people in endless reincarnations, never free But Pagans see reincarnation as, at best, a chance to improve or to continue unfinished work, and at worst just a simple re-cycling of souls ͻǤ The Christian church officially adopted the concept of Lucifer, the Devil in 447 and he was pronounced immortal in 547 Consequently it is impossible for Pagans to adopt the concept of the Devil which is a Judeo-Christian concept.12 In short, Pagans worship Satan There has been and continues to be confusion in that area The fact that the inverted pentagram is used by Satanists has added to the myth (just as Satanists use an upside-down Cross)