New to this Paganism

[Delia_Marie]

Hi Everyone

Could anyone please explain what pagan is really because i am so confused about which path to take at the momment, I am a catholic but i find there are to many issues with the church for me and was hoping that someone would really break it down for me as to what pagan is and do.
would be so grateful to hear from you.
Delia_Marie

[Little Billy]

Hi Everyone

Could anyone please explain what pagan is really because i am so confused about which path to take at the momment, I am a catholic but i find there are to many issues with the church for me and was hoping that someone would really break it down for me as to what pagan is and do.
would be so grateful to hear from you.
Delia_Marie


Whoa...you're going to get about 5000 answers.

My answer is that Paganism is for people who are willing to reject dogmatism. This isn't always the case...some pagans are just people who found NEW dogmatism...but it's how I see it.

For example, if you can even SEE the inherent contradiction in Jesus saying "do not endlessly repeat prayers like the hypocrites on the streetcorners" and your priest telling you to do 500 Our Fathers, you aren't going to make a good Catholic.

[Cassie]

Little Billy is quite right, you could easily get 500 completely different answers to this question.
For a 'fairly' comprehensive and readable overview you might look at this link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism) from wikipeidia.
Paganism includes many things. Was there a particular branch that you were interested in?

[Malcolm]

Hey,

I remember when I asked that exact same question. I did get about 500 different answers.

The most important thing is just keep looking. Read as much as you can, and don't be intimidated by the amount of information that gets tossed at you. No one is expecting you to be an expert your first or even 700000th day.

[demonique]

"What paganism is" and "what pagans do" are such huge, broad, complex topics that it's impossible to narrow it all down. :) When I fist joined MW, I, too, was completely confused, and frankly, the more you learn, the worse it gets some days. ;-) But the most important thing is to remember that there is no "one" paganism. No one definition fits us all.

Everyone here is a different sort of pagan - it goes far beyond the Cathlics, Lutherns, Methodists, & so on. It's more to the effect that nearly every individual has their own beliefs, their own practices, their own traditions. What one pagan says, another can contradict. That doesn't mean either is wrong - only different. This seems flabbergasting at first, I know.

To narrow things slightly from the "anything goes" perspective, most (and I use that word somewhat lightly) pagans revere nature and the endless rhythms within - the sun, the moon, the seasons, etc. Most - but certainly not all - have a polytheistic view of the divine in some form or another, but belief in gods, goddesses, or even the existence of the divine at all varies wildly - from those who have a more athiestic view (there are no gods, per se, but nature is divine), to those who believe in one source of the divine that manifests itself into many facets, and to those who believe there are multiple gods and goddesses, period, each with their own personality.

Many pagans believe in the power magic - and many more actually use it. Most perform rituals, even informal ones. Some take native, ancient paths - shamanism, voodoo. Some take purely modern ones, like Wicca.

Don't believe everything you read. There's a lot of junk out there. We all differ in what we consider 'junk' - so be wise and take everything (even highly recommended books and articles) with a grain of salt. Weigh it against what you really believe, judge the truth for yourself. Truth for you may be untruth for me, and vice versa. But open yourself to the possibility that just because something seems ludicris at first glance doesn't mean it /is/ nothing but junk. Test it. Judge it carefully. Don't be afraid to learn something new, or to try something even though it sounds silly.

And don't be afraid to ask absurd questions. We have our bad apples, but most of us on MW are pretty friendly and eager to help. :) And like everyone else is gonna say.... READ! :)

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

Hi Everyone

Could anyone please explain what pagan is really because i am so confused about which path to take at the momment, I am a catholic but i find there are to many issues with the church for me and was hoping that someone would really break it down for me as to what pagan is and do.
would be so grateful to hear from you.
Delia_Marie

well depending on your meaning paganism may either be a religion not one from the judeochristian beleif system, or a shortened version of "neo-paganism", which as others have said is hard to explain in only a few words and get a complete view of it. But paganism in this sense is an umbrella term for many different religions and belief systems which generally embrace magick, ancient mythologies and gods, as well as mythological beings. Many celebrate holidays based off an agrarian calendar and as such celebrate the seasons and harvests, some also honor the phases of the moon. Many pagan religions or beliefs also are earth based, or place great influence on the power of the earth and its sanctity, and generally promote various ecological ideals. Pagans vary from wiccans, to druids, reconstructionists (those who strive to recreate ancient religions), satanists, goddess worshippers, ceremonial magickians, witches, and more. To learn more i suggest checking out the witches' voice (http://www.witchvox.com), especially their articles (http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=basics)geared towards ppl like you who want to learn more about paganism.

[David19]

I don't think there can be any definition for paganism as it's not actually a religion (a term used to describe a bunch of religions) the main ones are wicca, Asatru, Hellenicism, Kemetism, Sumerian paganism, and it goes on. A lot of pagan religions are polytheistic, but there are some monotheistic ones too like some wiccan traditions (e.g. Dianic wiccans) and various others.

But there are probably people who know more than me.

[AvalonsBlueRose]

I was always taught that "Paganism" is an umbrella term for a diverse group of polythestic, nature based religions. From what I've seen in seven years, it seems to be a fair definition, but it's important to remember that there's an exception to every rule.

[Crimson Mage]

The best definition is similar to what someone else said here...its an umbrella term.

For example, the word Christian is an umbrella term for many faiths...Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, and so on and so on.

The word Pagan is used the same way, in and of itself its not a religion at all, but an umbrella term for a group of religions.

The most common definition of what a Pagan religion is it that it is any religion that is not Christian, Jewish, or Muslim based. youll get different opinions on the accuracy of that, but its a good place to start.

Most Pagan faiths (which within the Pagan religions are usually called Paths) have a few things in common. One is that the Path, generally speaking, is Earth-centered (similar to the Native American Paths.) All usually encompass the belief of some form of higher power of diety (whether it be a Goddess, Goddess/God as a couple, or multiple dieties), and all tend to be of the belief that you, as an individual, are an integral part of the spiritual universe as a whole, and play just as important of a role in it as does any diety you worship.

[kal]

:welcome::stooges::thumbsup:

[Delia_Marie]

Hi Faelon_Moon_Hawk
Thank you so much for giving me info on what I asked
Ver nice of you to do that.
Delia_Marie