It's difficult to know how to be a Pagan Chaplain. Pagans, like other groups of friends, have always visited each other in hospital and historically, the way Pagans have had their spiritual needs met by their friends on the ward is by naming on of them as a Spiritual Advisor. This term was suggested in 1995 in the booklet 'Caring for the Pagan Patient: A handbook for Healthcare Professionals' to acknowledge the experience of (largely) Christian hospital chaplains.

13 years on Paganism has evolved to a stage where the description of Chaplain is now more applicable to many of the people who volunteer to support the spiritual needs of Pagans - and non-Pagans who find that our philosophy sits better with them that other spiritualities. But it's still a role that's under construction and one that will never ossify, if only because every individual Chaplain brings their own flavour to the job.

The purpose of this site is to offer some thoughts about issues that directly affect Pagans going into hospitals either as patients or as Chaplains, people who are more likely to be attached to the hospital rather than visiting a friend.