For those of us with a linguistic bent, "animism" is what it sounds like -- a tenet of belief which posits a certain "animation" or "animal nature" in things not generally credited with awareness much less sanctity. Old Noah Webster's reliable book offers a choice of three definitions, each with varying levels of interest and application in terms of Paganism:

• a doctrine that the vital principle of organic development is immaterial spirit,
• attribution of conscious life to nature or natural objects, and
• belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies.

Note that this term encompasses three different tenets of belief which may or may not overlap within a given person's spiritual conceptualization of existence. That makes discussing animism a bit tricky, since one must specify which definition one means.

Animism forms the mainstay of some traditions and a minor supporting theme in others...

First let's consider definition #1. This one is quite commonly held at least in regards to higher lifeforms. I think all human religions have some concept of soul, except perhaps certain atheist branches where awareness is considered an illusion which will wink out upon death. But the Judeo-Christian family of religions has waged an incredible debate throughout history as to just which types of organic bodies one may legitimately apply this tenet to. At various points, women and other members of the human race have actually been ruled soulless. Most of the "mainstream" religions now draw the line between humans and animals; thus humans have souls and animals don't, according to these doctrines. To apply this tenet across the board and say that a certain ineffable spirit animates all organic matter ... that's pretty Pagan. It becomes all the more so if one extends this to an influence over individual or species evolution. This particular tenet appears in various forms in more than one Pagan tradition.

Now we move on to definition #2, perhaps the most common application meant when people use the term "animism" and arguably the most Pagan of the three. Most of the "mainstream" traditions vehemently deny the very notion that "objects" could possess any sense of awareness. Yet this tenet appears in almost all Pagan traditions with varying degrees of intensity; two of the most conspicuous being Native American (any tribe) and Australian Aborigine. I suspect that most folks in the Pagan community have direct personal experience with this, and perhaps some amusing stories about what happens when uneducated representatives of the "mainstream" society tangle with aspects of nature presumed to be inert and helpless. In this form, animism forms the mainstay of some traditions and a minor supporting theme in others. If you go to China or Japan, you can find a great many kami shrines tucked away to honor the spirits of particular rocks, springs, mountains, caves, you name it.

Finally, think about definition #3. It seems reasonable that if a spirit animates a body, that spirit might be able to move around to animate some other body (or at least cohabit with the other body's own spirit) and perhaps even get along fine without a body under at least some circumstances. Again, most folks in the Pagan community probably have direct personal experience with this in one way or another; and again it is a very common tenet in Pagan traditions, so much so that many of them offer shamanic training or other teaching to prevent out-of-body accidents. Also worth examining is the effect of the "mainstream" materialist attitude; to wit, members of the modern cultures are rather likely to get lost or panicked if separated from their bodies. The acceptance of spirit travel beyond the body, and deliberate cultivation of this ability, is definitely a Pagan concept although not restricted to our paradigms. The same holds true regarding belief in discorporeal entities, as many Pagan traditions also teach methods of contacting spirit helpers, communicating with them, working with them, and so forth.

In conclusion, animism really fits under "tenet of belief" rather than "tradition." However, if it is the only tenet of belief held by a particular person, then animism takes on much greater influence and can function as a belief system in its own right. This is most noticeable with atheists who do not acknowledge a personified sacred force but do acknowledge the awareness in natural objects, or who are interested in various discorporeal but non-divine entities. So a simple tenet of belief can serve as much more under some circumstances.

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