The next time you walk into your bookstore …

… you may find your Pagany books in the Religion section, instead of in the New Age section.  Elysia over at Llewellyn has posted about “The Biggest Pagan News that No One is Talking About”.

The BISAC code [the codes developed and maintained by the Book Industry Study Group] that used to be OCC036020 Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / Paganism & Neo-Paganism (a relatively recent addition on its own) is also now listed in Religion, as REL117000, or Religion / Paganism & Neo-Paganism.  In addition, Wicca crossed over from OCC026000 Body, Mind & Spirit / Wicca and Witchcraft, to two separate BISAC codes. One remains in the occult section – OCC026000 is now simply Body, Mind & Spirit / Witchcraft. But Wicca itself is now REL118000, or Religion / Wicca.

This means that, in the eyes of the book selling industry, Paganism and Wicca (but not Witchcraft?) is now a religion.  There is still no code anywhere for Druidry (which usually is categorized as Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / Celtic) and no code for Heathenry or Asatru, which is lumped together with Paganism.  Paganism will now be shelved with the more “respectable” books in Religion on Eckankar, Mysticism, Zoroastrianism (and even Demonology and Satanism), instead of the more New Agey books in Body, Mind & Spirit on Divine Feminine, Magick studies, Angels & spirit guides, Hermetism & Rosicrucianism, and Sacred Sexuality.