The Sacred Tech: Identity, Aesthetics, and Practice in Neo-Pagan Digital Spaces

Neo-paganism is characterized by pre-Christian beliefs, a close relationship with nature and the body, great importance accorded to the feminine principle, and the centrality of ritual performances where everyday spaces are transformed into religious spaces. Among the early adopters of the internet, neo-pagans often use digital spaces to connect with other practitioners and perform rituals online. This chapter analyzes neo-pagan digital practices as generative of third spaces that can create authentic religious experiences and provide alternative—or "synthetic"—realities through computer interactions. Three examples of neo-pagan third spaces are analyzed: first, the website and forum The Celtic Connection, which provides information to neo-pagans and helps them define their religious identities within an online community; second, the online temple Spiral Goddess Grove, which includes digital pictures of goddesses aimed at helping neo-pagans to relax, meditate, and pray; and third, the Internet-based course JaguarMoon Coven, which creates a space for Internet-based neo-pagan rituals, where practitioners use physical objects, technological supports, and their own imagination to experience a spiritual connectedness. In conclusion, these digital spaces do not use the internet uncritically, but as a venue to enhance physical reality by creating spaces of cultural and religious production between online and offline experiences.