Modern Paganism (also neopaganism, or simply Paganism) is a religious movement and group of religions in Europe and North America encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices modeled on the historical pre-Christian religions of Europe and the Near East. The term pagan (from Latin paganus, literally "country-dweller") eventually came to refer to non-Christians, especially those practicing the old polytheistic religions. Modern Pagans do not claim an unbroken tradition of religious practice since ancient times, but rather rely on historical sources, mythology and folklore in an attempt to revive or reconstruct the rites and spirituality of ancient peoples. Pagan spirituality is often cast in distinction, if not outright opposition, to the monotheistic, patriarchal and universalist Abrahamic religions, chiefly Christianity. Paganism is not a single faith, but rather comprises a variety of faiths and practices with distinct ethnic and mythological origins, including Celtic Druidry, Norse Asatru, Germanic Heathenry and Odinism, Greco-Roman Hellenism, Finnic Native Faith, and Slavic Native Faith, to name just a few. In addition, many Pagans practice solitarily rather than as part of any particular group, and may draw inspiration from an eclectic array of sources and traditions. Furthermore, some groups identified by scholars as belonging to the Pagan movement shun the use of the term for themselves, as do many professed Heathens. Nevertheless, the various Pagan traditions share certain similarities, among them the veneration or worship of nature, a polytheistic pantheon of dieties, pantheism, the practice of magic, and observance of folkish festivals and dates marking the changing of the seasons.

The roots of modern Paganism can be traced to the 19th century Romantic movement, which was characterized by a sensibility of elevated respect for nature, idealized visions of classical antiquity, and the rediscovery and creation of national cultural heritage in the spheres of literature and the arts. The western esoteric and occult tradition, as exemplified by groups such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis, also influenced the development of paganism through the promulgation of ritual magic and ideas from eastern religion. Early neopagan groups began to emerge in the early 20th century and were sometimes associated with nationalist and reactionary movements, especially within Germany. However, the origins of the contemporary Pagan movement are more precisely located in the post-war period and the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with the New Age movement and the proliferation of new religious movements of various stripes. In the 1950s, Gerald Gardner established the initiatory witchcraft practice that would become Wicca, still the largest current within contemporary Paganism. As tha Pagan movement has coalesced, Pagans have fought for recognition or their religion in their home countries. The Pagan Federation was formed in 1971 expressly for this purpose.