'Roots' by myrddrr. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

For information on joining us at the next Pagan Camp, please visit the frequently asked questions section.

About Pagan Camp

In ancient Britain, the extended family or tribe would have featured strongly in the mindset of our ancestors, forming the foundations of everything they understood and worked for. In the modern era, when communities are no longer bound together through their dependency on the land, many people are left with what feels like a gap in their lives.

For modern Pagans, our spirituality provides a partial solution to the alienation of modern life – our community is all around us, in the trees, in the night sky, and among the gods of this land. Some are perfectly happy exploring these sacred relationships on a solitary basis, engaging with others through books or the internet. For many, however, there is still something missing – an age-old yearning to be part of a tribe.

Perhaps it was this sense that inspired the first Pagan Camp in 2004, when – frustrated by the limitations of electronic communication and irritated by the Pagan/New Age events where commerce overshadowed community – a small group of friends began asking around to see if anyone else would be interested in a different kind of Pagan event.

The first Pagan Camp was a modest gathering of around fifty people. The philosophy behind the camp was that attendees only pay for the cost of their camping, and, in turn, contribute something for the benefit of others. Contributions were hugely varied, from simple things like providing hot tea, right up to a series of guided meditations or an evening of folk-music.

Not only did this simple set-up give those attending a real sense of joint ownership of the event, but it encouraged people to contribute, when otherwise they would never have dreamt of doing so. The distinction between 'them' and 'us', between 'provider' and 'consumer' was at once broken down and people began to view themselves in a way they had not done before – not only were they able to play a valued part, but they were integral to the whole – a part of the tribe.

The transformation for many was all too apparent. A musician who hadn’t played in front of an audience for years picked up his guitar and remembered the joy of performing. A child who felt out of place at his Church of England primary school got to play with other Pagan children in an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding. A young woman plucked up the courage to give a simple talk or guided meditation and discovered a confidence she never knew she had.

Community isn't just about sharing space with others – it's about contributing to something bigger than the sum of its parts. Pagan Camp's closing ritual provides a welcome and often moving finale to the camp, an opportunity to reflect on the weekend and year as a whole. For regular campers, it also gives us the opportunity to acknowledge another year in the life of an event, and a community, that has become the highlight of our Pagan year.