Wiccan, Pagan....?!!

[WiccaWanderer]

Hi!

I have recently taken an interest in wicca and Paganism etc but what I need to know is what is the difference between aPagan and a wiccan. What makes a Witch a Wiccan or a druid etc. It may sound like a silly question but I am looking for a path to guide me and I need to know the main differences.

What other variational are there? Any information at all would be very helpful! :-)

Also (sorry to take up you time!) at what point do you (or did you) or even are you considered a Wiccan/Pagan etc? How long do you have to follow? People who are Christians seems to go "I'm a born again Christian" and then they are? Is this because this is a more "socially accpetable" or (not meaning to offend but you understand what I mean) mainstream religeon?

Any help would be really useful or if you can point me in any direction to books etc. That would be great as well. Thanks for all you help!

[Revelation]

You may wish to have a look at www.religoustolerance.org to get a feel for the many pagan religion out there.

Good luck.

-Mike

[Dria El]

You also might want to try http://www.witchvox.com/ or http://www.pagansunite.com/index.shtml

[Faery-Wings]

at what point do you (or did you) or even are you considered a Wiccan/Pagan etc? How long do you have to follow?

Welcome to the Porch, WiccaWanderer!

I am pretty new to Wicca myself. I studied for a while and when I new this was the right thing for me, I did a self dedication on Beltane. This began the traditional year and a day of study. Right now I consider myself a Pagan, not a Wiccan just yet. For me, I feel that I have to earn the title of Wiccan by learning and practicing and worshipping the Lady and Lord. However there are others that may feel and do things differently. You have to do what is right to you and what is in your heart!

Blessed Be!

Chris

[reanna]

Welcome!!!! :):):):)

[widukind]

Hi Wicca Wanderer and welcome!

"Pagan" literally means "country dweller", so the connotative meaning is someone who adheres a nature/earth based religion.
Wicca is a specific path within the many.

About the self-appelation : it all depends on what you feel is right. If people are new to Christianity and say "I'm a born again Crhistian", then they might want to share their excitement for their new path, or truly feel they are a Christian.

The thing is, it's easier to hop into Christianity, although there are many streams within it, because al you do is go to mass every sunday and then you know the basic rituals.
Another difference is, usually, Christians do nothing special when they pray but fold their hands. Pagans tend to burn some incense or perform a personal ritual, which could take some time to define for yourself.
And yet another major difference is, there's only one real book of reference for Christians, the bible, and one God, Yahweh, while most Pagans have a more difficult time finding information about deities, because these deities are not as widely accepted.

So, you see, if you feel Wiccan, you can call yourself a Wiccan, but only if you truly feel it's right, oterwise it has no real use. If you don't feel you can call yourself a Wiccan yet, because you feel you haven't researched it enough or you haven't had a proper initiation (which, according to what you feel is right, might be by a coven or by yourself), than that's the way to go.

Conclusion: Do what you feel is right. Sorry about the bolds, but I feel that's the most important here: your personal feeling, because, after all, it's your Path , not mine.

Brightest Blessings and good luck in your search,

Widukind

[MistOfTheSea86]

There are lots and lots of different ways to go. Like me, i first thought Druidism would be my path, then SHamanism, THen jusy plain ol Wicca, Then finallyNOw Faery Wicca If feel this is my true path. You just gotta experiment. Try things on. they don't fit, then move on.

[WiccaWanderer]

Thanks for all the replys and any more are welcome but I still needs to know some more things.

I don't mean this to offend anyone because everyone has a right to believe whatever they like but I don't believe there is a "God" in the traditional sense just a natural balance in nature with certainly no "intelegence" to deal out reward and punishment or to decide what is good or evil. Is this acceptable with in Paganism? Also because of this I find Prayer and Magic a little over the top but I have some feeling that Paganism is right for me. Does anybody understand what I am saying or has anyone been through this themselves?

Thanks.

[Faery-Wings]

Originally posted by WiccaWanderer
Thanks for all the replys and any more are welcome but I still needs to know some more things.

I don't mean this to offend anyone because everyone has a right to believe whatever they like but I don't believe there is a "God" in the traditional sense just a natural balance in nature with certainly no "intelegence" to deal out reward and punishment or to decide what is good or evil. Is this acceptable with in Paganism? Also because of this I find Prayer and Magic a little over the top but I have some feeling that Paganism is right for me. Does anybody understand what I am saying or has anyone been through this themselves?

Thanks.

WiccaWanderer~ you are fine believing that! I know on this bd, BlueCat does not believe in a God/dess (forgive me if I am wrong Blue!) and I have a friend who is a Pantheist, who feels that God, as such, is present everywhere and in everything, but is not a Divine Being. If that makes sense. ;) If you do a search on Paganism, you will be sure to find sites that explain the many different branches of Paganism, not just Wicca.

For me, coming from a Catholic background, Magick felt a bit uncomfortable in the beginning. It was the word and its connotations I think I had a problem with. Yet I had always believed in positive thinking, visualization and energy workings to change things etc, which are components of "Magick"! I have not done any spells myself yet. I feel that I need to know much more before I go there.

Hope this helps!

Chris
:sunny:

[moonmagick4]

Merry meet!!

[Mindasue]

So Paganism is the whole kit-n-kaboodle......and Wicca is just a branch of it? Tell me if I'm wrong please....I've always been slightly confused about that.

[ladyselena621]

Yep. Pagan is the umbrella term the encompasses lots of different religions and Wicca is just on of those many different religions.
I hope you find your path and find much happiness on it.
Bright Blessings!

[Faery-Wings]

:lol:
A blast from the past for me.

[Kaylara]

http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=73751 The FAQ has information on this topic.

[Mindasue]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[forbidden_vengence]

Well for me.......I found my path the first time round in seventh grade. Before that I was Christian because my entire family is. I'm a Junior in high school now and still following the path of a green witch. That is a nature based pagan path. But yeah just thought I'd share my story because it's fun.

[blindfaith^_^]

Paganism is a broad term that includes a lot of different practices, while Wicca is one of the many practices that fall under the Pagan title. How to become Pagan differs depending on the tradition that one wants to follow. The most simple would be some eclectic form of paganism which is as simple as saying "I am one". Many people who decide to become an Eclectic Pagan do a self dedication ceremony, which again differs from person to person.

Becoming a Wiccan is a little bit harder. One can practice Outer Court Wicca by learning and following information that is free to the public, but to really be considered Wiccan one needs to be initated into a Coven. It is a mystery religion that has secrets, rituals, and tradtions it does not share with the public.

As far as finding a coven, I would suggest that you be very careful as many people are claiming to be Wiccan or a Wiccan coven, but they do not have that stats for it. Make sure you see the paperwork that connects them to a legitimate coven and make sure that they are practicing the branch of Wicca you are interested in learning about. Good luck with your search!!!

Also as a side note, no one is born Christian. You have to be baptised, and to become an adult in the Christian church one has to go through Confirmation when he or she is of age in the church's eyes to make his or her own commitment. No one is born any religion, but people often try to idenitfy with what seems to be appropriate, that an the lax attitude toward religion leave many misinformed or ignoreant about the requirements in their religion or others. There are so many "Christians" who no nothing about their faith except when Christmas and Easter are, it doesn't surprise me that they don't even know what it takes to offically call oneself a Christian.