What is Paganism?
Most of you may not know what Paganism is. Simply put, Paganism is an umbrella term for a variety of nature-based polytheistic religions. The term "pagan" comes from the Latin pagus, which roughly translates to "civilian," or "country dweller," but had a negative connotation associated with it. Think of it like the ancient equivalent for modern terms like "hillbilly" or "redneck." Paganism today includes religions such as Wicca, Druidry, Shamanism, and others.
But many of the forms of Paganism practiced today are different from their ancient counterparts; organized religions like Christianity forced Pagans they found to convert or go into hiding. Think of the Inquisition, where people were trialed for witchcraft and put to death if found guilty. Not to mention that they're aren't many texts that are readily availible to Pagans; it was usually something that was passed down from generation to generation through word of mouth or from a priest or priestess to a student. Hence, Pagans today have had to improvise. For instance, Wicca wasn't created until the 1950s by Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), and even though it is heavily based off of the ancient Pagan religions, it isn't an exact replica. Plus with the intellectual advances of modern society, some Pagans have adapted their religion to fit with their knowledge and opinions. Which is why some Pagans call themselves Neo-Pagans. Personally, I see little difference in the terms, so I'll use the term "Pagan."
When I say that Pagans have adapted, I mean that they may have been forced to change their belief systems. The best example I can give is Eclectic Wicca, as it allows the practitioner to take different practices and beliefs not only from different forms of Wicca, but from other Pagan religions in general. Possibly even non-Pagan religions. For instance, one Eclectic Wiccan may believe in duotheism (a two-god system usually consiting of a god and a goddess) while another Eclectic Wiccan may use Roman rituals to worship Celtic gods. At least in theory, since I haven't heard of such a Wiccan.
The most common Pagan religion today is Wicca, and even within that there are multiple divisions. For instance, Gardnerian Wicca, Alexanderian Wicca, Celtic Wicca, and Roman Wicca are the most common. These different types of Wicca are similar to the different types of Christianity; their beliefs and practices may be slightly different, such as how Celtic Wicca worships Celtic gods while Roman Wicca worships Roman gods, but they are more alike than they are different.
I know I didn't go into too much detail in this page, but I just wanted to give a sense that Paganism isn't as simple as you may think. I plan on going into more detail about Paganism, at least Wicca, in other posts or pages. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
But many of the forms of Paganism practiced today are different from their ancient counterparts; organized religions like Christianity forced Pagans they found to convert or go into hiding. Think of the Inquisition, where people were trialed for witchcraft and put to death if found guilty. Not to mention that they're aren't many texts that are readily availible to Pagans; it was usually something that was passed down from generation to generation through word of mouth or from a priest or priestess to a student. Hence, Pagans today have had to improvise. For instance, Wicca wasn't created until the 1950s by Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), and even though it is heavily based off of the ancient Pagan religions, it isn't an exact replica. Plus with the intellectual advances of modern society, some Pagans have adapted their religion to fit with their knowledge and opinions. Which is why some Pagans call themselves Neo-Pagans. Personally, I see little difference in the terms, so I'll use the term "Pagan."
When I say that Pagans have adapted, I mean that they may have been forced to change their belief systems. The best example I can give is Eclectic Wicca, as it allows the practitioner to take different practices and beliefs not only from different forms of Wicca, but from other Pagan religions in general. Possibly even non-Pagan religions. For instance, one Eclectic Wiccan may believe in duotheism (a two-god system usually consiting of a god and a goddess) while another Eclectic Wiccan may use Roman rituals to worship Celtic gods. At least in theory, since I haven't heard of such a Wiccan.
The most common Pagan religion today is Wicca, and even within that there are multiple divisions. For instance, Gardnerian Wicca, Alexanderian Wicca, Celtic Wicca, and Roman Wicca are the most common. These different types of Wicca are similar to the different types of Christianity; their beliefs and practices may be slightly different, such as how Celtic Wicca worships Celtic gods while Roman Wicca worships Roman gods, but they are more alike than they are different.
I know I didn't go into too much detail in this page, but I just wanted to give a sense that Paganism isn't as simple as you may think. I plan on going into more detail about Paganism, at least Wicca, in other posts or pages. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!