It is more properly applied only to those Witchcraft traditions which originated in or derive from practices in the British Isles. Shamanism is not a religion, but a set of spiritual techniques used for healing and the acquisition of knowledge through forays into non-ordinary states of consciousness. These techniques are used in virtually every tribal society and are widely used by contemporary Pagans. The central beliefs of modern Pagans differ in specifics yet share many fundamentals. Deity is seen as immanent rather than transcendent.
Experience is preferred over doctrine.
It is believed that there are and should be multiple paths to the Divine. There is no prescribed creed, but there are a number of beliefs shared by most contemporary Pagans, summarized at the end of this pamphlet. Like religious Humanists, modern Pagans have a love and reverence for this world and the physical plane generally. The rational is seen as important. Great emphasis is also placed on the intuitive, however, and the belief that the physical and non-physical worlds are equally real, and are interconnected, interpenetrating manifestations of nature.