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"Neo" just means "new." "New Age" in my understanding refers more to drawing on historical religions, spirituality, and sometimes occultism all wrapped up with the belief that we are at the dawn of a new golden age of peace and spiritual tranquility.
"Neo" is often used these days as a prefix for "Pagan", so that "Neopagan" is referring to people who practice Pagan types of spirituality but without necessarily having an intact historical transmission or link to the pre-Christian original Pagan religion it is based on. Some Neopagans are also reconstructionists, who attempt to practice (as much as is realistic) a historically accurate version of whatever Pagan faith they follow. Other Neopagans are openly eclectic, while others are openly creating new Pagan religions that are not claimed to be historically accurate reproductions.
There are some Pagan religions, such as the religions of the aborigines in Australia, African tribal religions, First Nations (Native American) religions, etc. that are not given the "neo" prefix because they are intact survivals of historical Pagan religions.
Isaac Bonewits gives much better explanations of this all than I can do in his books "Real Magic" and "Bonewits' Essential Guide to Witchcraft and Wicca."
Ben Gruagach webmaster, WitchGrotto.com
Share our similarities, celebrate our differences. - M. Scott Peck |