It seems a word is necessary on the subject of paganism, and our relationship to the idea, especially as pagans so often invoke the name of Gaia; understandably. Our tendency is to fight generalities, so as not to get lumped in with a confusing set of beliefs.

"Pagan" is from the Latin, meaning "of the country". We'll take this to mean the beliefs therefrom --simplistic assumptions, based on no tested evidence. We'd expect simple folk, at least in Latin-speaking times, not to know, e.g., what causes lightning. One of our main contentions is that knowing such a thing does not diminish the wonder of the sight of lightning. Quite the opposite. Such it is with most "mysteries". Let's do away with manufactured mysteries, and know the real amazement of all the things that go on around us!
. . This is not to say that country folk are farther from reality. Again, the opposite. They are in the middle of it. Much closer than I am, sitting here at my keyboard, causing electrons to rush around!

Being from "the country", leads some of the adherents to claim that "paganism" is "earth-based". It is not. (I am forced to speak in general terms here. Obviously, there are many flavors & degrees of it.) I would also define "earth-based" to mean: aware of, and in touch with... the forces of nature. Natural forces; not magic (w or w/o a K.) No imaginary forces or beings.

The basic "country" feeling was right on: we are part of the world, and it of us. We lost that --to our discredit and disadvantage, when we moved to cities. However, without a system of accurate discovery, when any primitive people take the feeling further, and try to make explanations for what they see, there is no limit to the imagination that can be laid upon the observations, in accumulations, generation after generation. They are left with nothing but magical explanations --and that is poverty.
. . Most often, natural phenomena were attributed to the actions of unseen capricious gods. Slowly, one fight at a time, science has moved those phenomena from the "acts of unseen capricious gods" column to the "nature did it" column. In a sense, mankind had to get away from the forest to see the trees. But we should go back, live in nature as part of it... with our new vision.