What's one thing all pagans have in common?

[Marcasite]

there's such a plethora of paths and there are so many differences between pagans, I was wondering what do you think is common to all pagans? what is the uniting factor?

[Theres]

*waits in anticipation to see if you can find one*

[dragonprincess]

I'm not sure, maybe respect for the Earth?

[Arinya]

we all...breathe air? :floating:

[Sequoia]

There isn't one.

[Darkdale]

there's such a plethora of paths and there are so many differences between pagans, I was wondering what do you think is common to all pagans? what is the uniting factor?

We call ourselves pagans.

[RoseKitten]

The one thing pagans have in common is that they're not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. *shrugs* That's about it... oh, and for the most part when you tell a christian your're a pagan,they're probally tell you you're evil LoL

[Gnoblod]

Technically, the only common denominator would be being non-Judeo-Christian-Muslim.

Practically, that doesn't work in neopagan circles, as you have, er, "Christo-Pagans" or something.

So really, there's nothing.

[Dave the Druid]

What do we have in common, indeed?

Perhaps a very healthy distrust of organizied western religon.

[KEishin]

Being different.

[MysticWitch]

were sexy people :shhhh:

[Serendipity]

I really don't feel I have much in common with anyone, anywhere - ever.

[Mitsuko]

I'd think respect for nature would be one common factor for most pagans....and the fact that the xians want us to go back to God. *is suddenly reminded of one of the songs from the movie "The Ladykillers"*

[LostSheep]

I really don't feel I have much in common with anyone, anywhere - ever.

Maybe that's it; we're tolerant of diversity. Ask ten different pagans the same question and you'll get ten different answers.

[stella01904]

there's such a plethora of paths and there are so many differences between pagans, I was wondering what do you think is common to all pagans? what is the uniting factor?
MM ~ Probably depends on your definition of "Pagan".
The dictionary says it is any religion that is not Xtain, Jewish, or Muslim so I would guess the common ground is NOT being monotheistic, and honoring the feminine divine. After all, the Buddhists have Tara and Kuan Yin (though when we hear "Pagan" we usually don't think of Buddhists.)
IMHO, another thing we have in common is that we don't believe in Satan or the Fall.
We don't split our polarities into "good" vs. "evil". That's for the Zoroastrian-based religions. You don't see it anyplace else.
Notice where the Satanists fall when you figure it this way? I don't have a problem with them, I admire backbone and it takes a good backbone to be a professed Satanist. I just find their doctrine too Christian!
BB, Stella

[jcldragon]

I know Christians who practice White Magick, generally refering to it as "The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven". When a Wiccan meets up with one of these people, they just end up talking shop. :)

There are Pagans who study Qabala, (Jewish mysticism) in order to better understand the Tarot. So the lines we draw, just plain don't work. One thing is certain : Mystics of all of the world's Traditions, always find lots of way to get along & enjoy each other.

However, there is one common theme I find in all Pagans, and that is the Reverence for the planet we live on. Gaia tells me that She appreciates that a lot...

[stella01904]

There are Pagans who study Qabala, (Jewish mysticism) in order to better understand the Tarot. So the lines we draw, just plain don't work. One thing is certain : Mystics of all of the world's Traditions, always find lots of way to get along & enjoy each other.MM ~ Qabala has a feminine divine! Go figure!
You're right, though, the little boxes don't always work.
Sylvia Browne is a Christian but she believes in a God and Goddess, a Fairy Queen, and talks to the dead. She expresses admiration and respect for the Pagan Paths but is not a Pagan herself, she says. She respects all paths.
I once joined a "mystical" forum that turned out to have "Christo-Wiccans" in it and all they did was try to push Jesus on me! They got mad when I said I didn't want any part of it!
Nothing like a sneaky evangelical...
BB, Stella

[Crystal Raven]

my first thought was a love/respect of nature. I have yet to meet a pagan that doesn't fit this in one way or another.

[OpenHands]

Erm...I'll have to go with the "we all breathe air" suggestion.

I don't revere nature. I don't love nature. Mostly it just makes me sneeze and itch. My religion is about the gods, not mama earth or any such thing. I guess if people are really intent on making us all out to be "earth based", well...we all live on the planet Earth. Then again, so do Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. ;)

[Crystal Raven]

My apologies, I stand corrected. I did say respect as well though. Most pagans I know either recycle in some small way, or don't throw their garbage out the car window, or call on/use assistance from the elements, or don't cut plants or trees unnecessarily or treat animals with kindness etc etc...there are many ways of respecting the earth

[ravenscape]

What do all pagans have in common? Beats me :D

All human?

[Theres]

There are Pagans who study Qabala, (Jewish mysticism) in order to better understand the Tarot.
the Hermetic Qabala has little to do with the Hebraic Kaballah, and the Hebraic Kaballah has nothing to do with the tarot.

so i guess we can't even agree on this! lol

[AlAskendir]

there's such a plethora of paths and there are so many differences between pagans, I was wondering what do you think is common to all pagans? what is the uniting factor?

Hmmmm, that's a toughie....we can think, we can communicate (but so can non-pagans)...I think it is that we don't all believe in a huge number of absolutes....I don't believe in any, various pagans have their own lists of things that are absolutely true regardless of who believes in them.

I don't think that's much of a 'uniting factor' though...

[Toki Wartooth]

I don't believe there is one, really.

[AlAskendir]

I'm not sure, maybe respect for the Earth?

Many pagans are not participating in an Earth-centered Spirituality (I call mine a Spirit-centered Reality in protest), and while I respect Gaea, I see her much differently than most Pagans I have communicated with..I don't feel that there is anything that any human or any group of humans could ever do to 'harm' Her, at most, we harm our own chances of survival and to put it any other way is empowering inappropriate ego, to me....

[AlAskendir]

the Hermetic Qabala has little to do with the Hebraic Kaballah, and the Hebraic Kaballah has nothing to do with the tarot.

so i guess we can't even agree on this! lol

The major arcana of the Tarot are not based on the esoteric meanings of the letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which are the 22 lines between the sephiroth on the Tree of Life figure?

Really?

And that scroll in the High Priestess card isn't the 'Tora'? The veil behind her is not the Tree of Life figure? And the letters on the Wheel of Fortune don't spell Tarot one way and Torat the other? And the 10 of pentacles or coins don't form the 10 sephiroth of the Tree of Life figure?

REALLY????

[BabyBird]

Like a few people already stated, my guess is that the only thing pagans have in common is that we call ourselves pagan. That's it.

Even if you go by the dictionary's definition of pagan as anyone not following an Abrahamic religion, I think there are still too many non-Abrahamic faiths for anyone to be able to find a common denominator.

[crystalphoenix]

We all seek a greater truth in that we recognise no one holds a lock on it [the truth]. I appologise if that comes off as snobbish.

[Ishtara]

Visibly we all agree to disagree ;)

[OpenHands]

Shay Shay,

My post wasn't meant to be directed at you specifically and I apologize if it came off that way; I noticed a few folks bringing up the earth reverence/love/respect thing. That said, while I guess I respect the environment because sometimes it's nice to look at and it would suck not to be able to live without it, it's never been an aspect of religion for me. (If "respect" means remembering to toss my soda cans in the recyling bin every so often, I suppose.)

But I realize that it's a big part of religion/spirituality for many pagans. This is partially the reason why I often consider dropping the term "pagan" and just going with "polytheist" as a description for myself. My religion is foremost about my gods- I don't do the nature spirituality stuff, so to speak. :)

[Theres]

The major arcana of the Tarot are not based on the esoteric meanings of the letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which are the 22 lines between the sephiroth on the Tree of Life figure?

Really?

And that scroll in the High Priestess card isn't the 'Tora'? The veil behind her is not the Tree of Life figure? And the letters on the Wheel of Fortune don't spell Tarot one way and Torat the other? And the 10 of pentacles or coins don't form the 10 sephiroth of the Tree of Life figure?

REALLY????
yes, really.

if you asked a rabbinical scholar why the Strength and Justice cards are switched in the Thoth system, he likely wouldn't know what language you were speaking.

the Hermetic Qabala WAS based on the Kaballistic Tree of Life, but they took quite different paths from around the 17th century onward.
the fact that the ceremonial magicians of that time versed themselves in Hebrew mysticism in order to understand the Tree doesn't mean the two systems are equated. by the time of the Golden Dawn (and Papus and Levy before them) the Hermetic Qabala was all the rage in occult circles, and most of the esoterioc decks we know of today are based on their explorations. THAT is why you'll see those references in the good decks, but not because they have anything to do with the Torah, Talmud or Kaballah (except by extension).

i myself work with the Hermetic Tree quite extensively, but i would be embarrassed to try and hold an intelligent discussion with a rabbinical scholar (who would probably remind me that the ancient Hebrews had 27 characters in their alphabet, not 22... and who would probably smirk at the Kircher version of the ToL which is used almost exclusively in the Hermetic Qabala).

[LadyCelt]

they're sexy, jk :0)

[Crystal Raven]

after reading all these think i'll go with the "we're all sexy" thang!!! :lol:

[stella01904]

[color=purple]And that scroll in the High Priestess card isn't the 'Tora'? The veil behind her is not the Tree of Life figure? And the letters on the Wheel of Fortune don't spell Tarot one way and Torat the other? And the 10 of pentacles or coins don't form the 10 sephiroth of the Tree of Life figure?
[color]
MM ~ The 22 Trumps are definitely linked to the Hebrew alphabet, and the Aces through Tens to the Sephiroth. That said, why are you defining "Tarot" by the Rider Waite Smith deck?
It is a servicable oracle with much food for contemplation, and I enjoy it, but it strays considerably from the Tarot tradition - (ducks blows) - I will stand by that unto death!
It was designed as an "easy" deck for the masses. The Golden Dawn didn't even use it. And by the time of the Golden Dawn, much of the tradition had been lost.
Here is a link you may find enlightening:
http://www.tarot-history.com/
If you read nothing else, be sure to read the "Maitre Jacques" section. The "History" section is also essential.
Tarot, even then, was an amalgamation.
BB, Stella

PS The Golden Dawn system of corresponding the Trumps to the Hebrew alphabet also deiviates considerably from the older correspondences - a simple googling will show you that.

[Theres]

... why are you defining "Tarot" by the Rider Waite Smith deck?
It is a servicable oracle with much food for contemplation, and I enjoy it, but it strays considerably from the Tarot tradition - (ducks blows) - I will stand by that unto death!
and i will stand there with you!. ;)
popularity rarely equals quality.

[Paracelsus]

Being bloody minded.

[LostSheep]

Never agreeing on anything.

[BeigeAllen]

Pardon me while I get long winded:

Paganism is an umbrella term for a myriad of religions that are not easily classified. In some places the term has been applied to any religion, pseudo-religion, or lifestyle of an alternative nature that has tied itself to a past civilization in some way. However, this definition does not come close to really defining what paganism is because there are over 2500 different religions that are classed as Pagan including religions that started out as part of many of the mainstream religions including Christianity, Judaism, and the Islamic faiths.

The word pagan comes from the Latin word paganus which has many times been loosely translated to mean 'country dweller'. Actually paganus was a noun derived from the word pagus which originally meant 'something stuck in the ground as a landmark'. The root pag means "fixed" and is also the source of the words "page", "pale (stake)", and "pole", as well as "pact" and peace". In later years it was metaphorically extended to 'rural district, village'. It was then that the noun paganus was coined to mean 'country dweller. villager', and unlike what many may think, this term was not meant as an insult at first. As the Roman Empire strengthened paganus came to mean 'civilian'. It was only after the Roman introduction of the aqueduct system of transporting water throughout the Roman cities that it began to have negative connotations, and did not actually become a slur until it was adopted by Middle English speaking Christians to refer to those who would not embrace Christianity.

The above etymology gives us our greatest clues as to what "paganism" is for quite literally it is the religions of the common folk, the country dwellers who, rather than travel miles to the nearest church or temple, would practice the rites and rituals of their faith within more familiar surroundings. The arrangement was acceptable in ancient times because the "upper class" churchgoers who lived in town did not want to worship beside the country dwelling churchgoers who did not wear fancy clothes to worship (mostly because they had none), and who often smelled of the fields they toiled in( which may have been a noble thing in poetry and prose but is a little less inspiring on a hot morning in a crowded temple). Modern Pagans are those who have chosen to make their religion "something stuck in the ground as a landmark".

As for what we all have in common:

We are all human. Though some of go to great lengths to seem we aren't.
We all do things just a little bit differently.
When we get together, all our differences show some entertaining similarities.

:graduate:

[Silvan]

there's such a plethora of paths and there are so many differences between pagans, I was wondering what do you think is common to all pagans? what is the uniting factor?Mitochondria. Definitely our mitochondria.

[IsisEyes]

Nice question. I mean, saying you're pagan is a good answer at first but I could sit and say I'm Jewish but that doesn mean I am, so that doesn't work. Maybe, we, at the moment, are taking the form of a human. The best I can do. lol. :achug: So cheers to a great question again.

[Lullebulle]

Except the basic stuff (like, we all need oxygen), there's probably, as mentioned above, the respect for the earth. I think all pagans, maybe not worships, but respects the earth.

[AlAskendir]

MM ~ The 22 Trumps are definitely linked to the Hebrew alphabet, and the Aces through Tens to the Sephiroth. That said, why are you defining "Tarot" by the Rider Waite Smith deck?
It is a servicable oracle with much food for contemplation, and I enjoy it, but it strays considerably from the Tarot tradition - (ducks blows) - I will stand by that unto death!
It was designed as an "easy" deck for the masses. The Golden Dawn didn't even use it. And by the time of the Golden Dawn, much of the tradition had been lost.
Here is a link you may find enlightening:
http://www.tarot-history.com/
If you read nothing else, be sure to read the "Maitre Jacques" section. The "History" section is also essential.
Tarot, even then, was an amalgamation.
BB, Stella

PS The Golden Dawn system of corresponding the Trumps to the Hebrew alphabet also deiviates considerably from the older correspondences - a simple googling will show you that.

I have tried the non-Waite Tarots for divination and they $uk! I have tried non-Tarot divination decks, like the Dakini Oracle, and they work fine. I consider the non-Waite Tarots to be for gambling and card-play only, and since we have a words for that (cards), I don't considr those Tarots regardless of what their owners/ makers call them.

I have also flipped it around and begun studying the Torah without knowing Hebrew by substituting Waite-based Major Arcana for Hebrew letters, thus learning that the first word in the Torah is not 'in the beginning' but 'at the creation', because it contains the verb 'BeRA' (create), and I have further learned that this verb has set the format for every successful spell I have ever done or seen done - - - B (the Magician = focus, contain), R (the Sun = energy), A (the Fool = release).

That's all I need for validation of my feelings that Waite-based Tarots have something metaphysical going on and non-Waite-based Tarots do not.
But, y'know, your mileage may vary.

[stella01904]

That's all I need for validation of my feelings that Waite-based Tarots have something metaphysical going on and non-Waite-based Tarots do not.
But, y'know, your mileage may vary.MM ~ It varies considerably. I don't touch "Waite-based" (other than my Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, which I enjoy but seldom use) and RWS, while adequate, doesn't give me the depth I get from Marseille (which has layer upon layer of metaphysical references, BTW.) They're just not "in your face" like RWS, with its salamander-covered King of Wands, etc. RWS is the Cheetos of Tarot, it's tasty and accessible and everybody likes it, but it's not quite real. You have to work at Marseilles, reflect, sometimes leave the spread on the table and come back to it.
BB, Stella