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You can't become pagan anymore, just like you can't be christian anymore. For the pagans believed that the external world is manipulated by invisible forces of gods, mythical creatures and ghosts. Pagans engaged in veneration and adoration of nature in the form of sacred oaks or ponds, or holidays for seasons, harvest. For pagans the world was symbolic and they read it as signs, for moderns the world is cold matter that is to be utilized in practical way. Think about how christians use holy water. To them water is a sacred symbol, not just literal stuff to drink but we don't think that about natural world anymore. Apple was a symbol of monarchical power, for us it's fruit used for applepie. Pagans were also ruled by ancient customs, we have no customs because we are uprooted, we live in our heads with our individual ideas that we refresh in every moment. Pagans believed in strict hierarchies, we don't, everybody talks about equality. Pagans organized their world around rituals, we don't, our relationships are informal. Finally, pagans believed that they have to bargain with gods, like Thor, who threw thunders at them, or like Slavs, who put candles (gromnica) in open windows, so that thunders avoid them. But in a world of lightning rod, Thor, Zeus and gromnica are dead. Who gives a shit about Thor throwing thunders now. In a world where natural forces were pacified by science, where people use motorboats in order to eliminate the factor of waves and winds, in a world like this paganism and even christianity are simply dead.
