What does Paganism/Wicca/Witchcraft mean to you?

[McKennaRain]

Hi everyone,
I'm doing a project for school and I chose paganism/wicca/witchcraft as my base. I just want to know from you guys...

"What path do you follow? and what does it mean to you?

Thanks everyone!

[MidnightSun]

Merry Meet :)

I am an eclectic Wiccan Witch. What my path means to me...hmm.
Well..to me Wicca is a very open minded,diverse religion. It's spiritually fufilling to me. It speaks to my mind, heart, and soul.

[Myst]

There is a wealth of information on this here at MW - I'm afraid you're going to want to use the search function to find all of it, because there are some really good discussions you won't want to miss. Some of them are on definitions or labels, and some of them are more intense, like if Wicca is being diluted, and so on.

Pagan - in its strictest sense, a Pagan is someone who isn't Christian, Jewish, or Muslim (tho some believe you can be Pagan and incorporate some of those beliefs into yours, ie. the kabbalah or christian witchcraft). Most of us also believe it is a group of religions that are centered on or at least respectful of nature and the cycle of life, and often includes work with a God and Goddess of some assortment, tho that line is blurred. People may work with a God and Goddess, just a Goddess, or a God that they consider All - both male and female. Pagans include Shamans, Druids, Wiccans, Witches, etc. and people who don't identify specifically with any specific path or trad.

Wicca - usually Wiccans are people who believe in a God and Goddess, balance, karma, the threefold law, "harm none", and celebrate Sabbats and the 'turn of the wheel' (changing of seasons). There's an excellent thread on this somewhere; I remember having a great discussion on it so look for that.

Witchcraft - the practice of magic in conjunction with some sort of belief system (whether that be a named belief system like Wicca or just some set of religious beliefs that you might call Pagan). It can often include the use of divination, herbcraft, and so on. It is important to note that there is a distinction between Wicca and Witchcraft - all Witches are not Wiccan, and all Wiccans are *not* Witches (as some Wiccans don't practice magic).

Again, do some research here at MW, there's a few old threads about this.

[skywatcher_3]

What it means to me? I am a Pagan I practice Wicca but I dont consider myself as a wiccan. I see that my spirituality is filling to me and it allows me to grow, prosper, and be intouch with the source of energy, light and darkness, power and wisdom. the source of the divine.

[Socinus]

Paganism for me is less of a religion (though it does include religious beliefs and they are no less important) and more of a way of living and thinking.

It would be very hard for me to differentiate out where Paganism ends in my life because mundane thoughts are often influenced by these beliefs. It's almost a way of looking at the world that feels in synch with my self as an individual, like a pair of glasses that is just the right prescription.

[Nola]

to me.

Paganism. an umbrella term describing a vast array of religions and spiritual paths, that can be loosely grouped together due to having either an Earth based or Ancestor spirit based framework.

Wicca. a recent initiatory mystery tradition based on a Pagan religious framework, and the practices of other initiatory mystery traditions.

Witchcraft. the practice of Magic. most definitely not exclusive to Paganism.

[MrsLynch]

I consider myself, today, an Eclectic Pagan. I give emphasis on "today" because spirituality is ever changing. It grows as I grow. I choose to live my life on this path because I am not confined in a box. I am not told what to believe and how to act. I am able to commune with my idea of the Divine and it isn't wrong. If one day Divinity takes the form of a purple polka dotted people eater and another day a flower on the side of a road then that is okay. Also, I am in charge of my own behavior and ethics - I can blame no one but myself for my actions. That, although a lot of responsibility, is very empowering. It is very hard to describe further why I choose Paganism - I guess, in a nutshell, it just fits.

I recommend a book - Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce and River Higginbotham.

[Louisvillian]

"What path do you follow? and what does it mean to you?
I practise Wicca, and have done extensive research into its history, rituals, theology, and philosophy.
It is, to me, a personally fulfilling way to commune with and worship the gods. It is modern and antiquarian at the same time-- developed in the 20th century, using 19th century Occultism and Mediaeval folk magic, and worshipping Ancient gods. It's something that appeals to me both as an amateur historian and as a dedicated polytheist and pagan. It helps me to practise the old ways, which I respect, in a modern context and a modern manner. There are other pagan religions that do that, too, but Wicca is the one that I feel calls to me the most. But, spirituality is open and often-changing.


I recommend a book - Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce and River Higginbotham.
I strongly agree with this. It's one of the first books I went with when I was learning more about Earth-based religions in '06-'07.