"I, too, find paganism more honest than the god idols of most religions. I mean, they (pagans) look to nature and the earth. ..." AGUest, page 5
Oh, the ignorance... 
From: http://hauntedwoodcrafts.com/info/paths.html
"A Few Pagan Paths
There are many varieties of Paganism- Here are a few of the predominant beliefs that fall under the umbrella. As stated earlier, because Pagans tend to be individualistic and often develop their own ideas regarding spiritual matters, these are very broad definitions, and are certain to have as many exceptions as adherents. I am also including a few brief words on other groups, like Satanists and goths, that some people seem to be confused about.
WICCA
Wicca is one of the most popular and visable forms of Paganism. Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess, often associated with the sun and moon, respectively. All other gods and goddesses, regardless of origin, are believed to be, in fact, these two- who assume whatever form is best suited to a particular person or society. Nature, fertility, and the cycles of moon and sun are some of the more important themes. Wiccans generally practice magic and refer to themselves (both genders) as witches, and an organized group is called a coven.
Based on ancient concepts, the Wiccan religion as a cohesive system was founded in the late 1940s by Gerald Gardner. Although Gardner claimed to be revealing a family knowledge handed down over thousands of years, he is widely accepted to have created the Wiccan religion himself in the mid 20th century. It is indisputable, however, that many of the sources he pulled from predate Christianity by a wide margin, and some bear remarkable similarities to one another. These include influences as varied as ancient Greek philosophy, Chinese mysticism, Native American beliefs, and the relics of prechristian Europe.
On a side note, it is worth mentioning that the terms Witch and Wiccan are not completely interchangable. Wiccan refers to someone who follows the religion of Wicca, while a Witch is simply one who does magick. Therefore, most Wiccans are Witches, but many Witches are not Wiccan. Now, onto which Witch is which...
-Gardnerian:
Those who most closely follow the teachings of Gerald Gardner. Ones lineage, or the teacher of their teacher and so on back to Gardner, is considered important because of his model of passing down the religion through generations. -Alexandrian:
Originating with Alex Sanders, a disciple of Garnder, this tradition places emphasis on tradition and the initiatory and ranking procedures. (These are intrinsic to the concept of a "mystery tradition": where knowledge is measured out levels so that the student can be prepared for each successive revelation). -Dianic:
A female-centric tradition that places emphasis on the Goddess, fertility, and the female creative force. The male aspect of divinity is less emphisized, and in some cases discarded completely. It is perhaps no surprise that Dianic Wicca has a large lesbian population, but this is not considered as a prerequisite. Equally unsurprising, there are very few male Witches who identify as Dianics. -Strega:
This is a form of European Witchcraft that seems to owe as much to Greek and Itallian traditions than to Gardner. Strega originates with the publication of Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches in 1899. -Solitary:
Wicca allows for self-initiation and instruction through reading without the need for a mentor. Those Wiccans not involved in a coven or established tradition are usually reffered to as solitaries. Because solitaries are self-taught, their specific variants to belief and practices of Wicca vary widely between individuals. Solitaries are believed to account for the largest percentage of Wiccans. -Ecclectic:
Another catch-all term, ecclectic refers to the large number of Wiccans who have incorporated a wider variety of tradition or symbology into their belief systems. For some, this merely means using specific disciplines such as yoga or rune casting, while others may surround the core Wiccan beliefs with the asthetics and trappings of a particular culture or other religion. Because the God and Goddess may manifest as any number of forms, it is just as reasonable within the context of the religion to worship them as Isis and Ra, Apollo and Diana, or the Morrighan and Lugh, while choosing a matching aesthetic. Some ecclectics pull from enough sources to blur the line between Wicca and New Age. -Christian Wicca
This emerging subset is actually not as bizzare as it sounds. The incompatability between Christianity and Paganism is a one way street- While Paganism is incompatable from a Christian perspective, the opposite does not hold true. Wiccans, as previously stated, belive in a God and a Goddess- They believe that The God called himself Ra in Egypt, Zeus in Greece, and Yahweh in Israel, along with hundreds of other names. From that standpoint, it is perfectly acceptable to incorporate the teachings of virtually any culture into one's Wiccan practice. |
RECONSTRUCTIONISM
The basic concept of the reconstructionist religions centers around recreating the beliefs and rituals of one's ancestors. In many cases, the exact traditions have been long lost, and so the religion is subject to change and develop as new archeological knowledge is gained. Rituals are sometimes performed in their original language, and a special affinity tends to be held towards scholarship in the fields of archeology, anthropology, languages, and history. While some reconstructionist groups are anachronistic, others are dedicated to adapting the spirit of the old ways to the realities of modern living.
Most reconstructionist religions worship an entire pantheon of deities, but it is common to find followers who have singled out one or two of them with whom they feel a special connection. In this case, those particular deities are usually referred to as one's Matron (female) and / or Patron (male) deities.
Because of the strong ethnic connotations involved in reconstructionist religions, some have unfortunately become attractive to white separatists and other hate groups. Although they are a distinct minority whose principals are strongly opposed by the rest of the Pagan community, they count among themselves a large number of Asatru and a handful of celtic recons. Critics have pointed out that the attraction seems to stem less from a true belief in Paganism than from a desire to seek out a "white peoples' religion", and the Pagan community has responded by creating a number of groups and campaigns dedicated to tolerance, diversity, and interfaith efforts.
A few specific forms of reconstructionism include:
-Druidism:
Based on ancient celtic traditions of Ireland and Scotland. Much of Wicca is also drawn from this source. An organized group is sometimes called a Grove. The largest national organizations are Ar nDraiocht Fein, or the ADF, and OBOD, the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. -Asatru:
Worship of the ancient Norse gods. Groups are sometimes called Kindreds, and followers generally prefer they be called "Heathen" rather than "Pagan". Many Asatrur forego formal ritual worship in favor of feasting and revelry, as the Vikings are believed to have done. Asatru morals are based on the Nine Noble Virtues- Truth, honor, industriusness, hospitality, perseverence, courage, fidelity, discipline, and self-reliance -Kemetism:
Based on the beliefs of ancient Egypt. This is an example of a monotheistic religion that believes one god takes many different forms, with a different aspect for each duty. A special attention is paid to death as a transitionatory phase rather than an end point. -Religio Romana:
Based on ancient Roman deities and practices. -Hellenism
A recreation of the ancient Greek practices. Hellenic and Roman reconstructionists have some of the most accurate and comprehensive historical materials to pull from. |
SATANISM
Most Pagans do not recognize any relation to Satanism, but because some Satanists do consider themselves Pagan, and because there is a great deal of propaganda trying to lump us together, I will briefly go into this.
It's just my opinion, but I tend to see three basic types of Satanists:
-Theistic Satanists: Believe in Satan as an actual deity. They either believe that A) he is a god stolen by the Christians, possibly Assyrian or Babylonian, B) Satan is actually a positive force who was grossly misrepresented in the Bible, or C) He is in fact exactly as represented in the bible, and that by providing the darkness that allows the light to be seen, they are actually doing God's will, much as a defense lawer serves the justice system by representing the guilty. None of these are Pagan viewpoints- they are in fact, variants of Christianity. -What I like to call the Crowley Satanists: They are usually athiests, but believe in magic, and call themselves Satanists for two reasons: Firstly, they believe in indulgence, pride, sexual freedom, and all those sorts of things that Christianity says are evil, so they pick an opposite symbol. Second, it pisses people off, and they enjoy messing with fundamentallists. -Psycho Nutcases: These are the kids who sacrifice puppies and think evil is cool. Even the other types of Satanists want nothing to do with them. It's not a religion, people- it's a mental illness. |
Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, the largest Satanic organization in the US, seems to waver between the first two types- while they insist atheism and merely to use the devil as a symbol, they routinely treat him as an actual diety.
SHAMANISM
Shamanism has a number of conflicting definitions. Strictly speaking, Shaman is a title applied (depending on your source) either to a medicine man, (the clergy of the Native American religions), or a specific type of aboriginal clergy originating in ancient Siberia. Recently the title has been adopted by several followers of similar religions and by new agers, especially those who follow a Native American belief system. It is worth noting that many true Native Americans who still follow thier ancient traditions do not identify as either Pagan or use the word Shaman.
Alternately, the definition becoming more predominant applies to any priest of nature or practicioner of earth-based magic who places a special emphasis on communing with the spirit world. In this context, the Shaman emphisises otherworldly experiences such as astral travel, lucid dreaming, vision questing, and contact with spirit guides or guardians.
VOODUN
Voodun, or Voodoo, is a Haitian religion centered around animism (the belief that all things have spirits) and a connection with the spirit world. Priests and Priestesses, or voodunistas, practice a great deal of magic, much centered around otherworldly beings known as the loa.
SANTARIA
Santaria, or Worship of the Saints, is a belief system similar to Voodun with more elements of Catholocism as well as a strong influence by South American traditions.
There is a certain danger in lumping Voodun and Santaria together in that there are racial stereotypes and a strong ethnic connection to each. Voodun is primarilly practiced among Afro-carribean peoples and their decendants, while followers of Santaria are nearly exclusively hispanic. While many see similarities, most practicioners of Voodun or Santaria would not self-identify as Pagan.
NEW AGE
The concept of New Age has been described with "The light is brightest where all paths meet." The New Age is beyond simply eclectic, and borrows from a variety of sources, primarily Wicca, Kemetism, Catholicism, Reiki, and the far eastern and Native American philosophies. Herbs (especially herbal medicines, foods, and personal care products), crystals, tarot and meditation are common tools. Common symbols include angels, rainbows, and appropriated Asian and Native American imagery. Emphasis is placed on personal growth and healing.
A lot of Pagans tend to think of New Age sort of like fast food- it might taste pretty good, but there's really nothing substantial inside. Many have a love/hate relationship with New Agers- characterising them as "flaky" or "dabblers", based on the principal that you can't simply throw random ingredients in the oven and expect to get cake. Still, we think they tend to have the best bookstores.
GOTH
Goth is not a religion. It is a fashion sense named after a musical style, like "hip hop", "punk", or "country". While there are some goths that follow a Pagan religion, there are an equal or greater number that follow a Judeo-Christian system. Mainstream media tends to lump gothic culture in with Pagans or Satanists because we all tend to wear a lot of black, and because of that whole people-who-are-not-like-us-so-they-must-be-like-each-other idiocy.
CEREMONIAL MAGICK
Ceremonial magick is at it's core, a study of the Kaballah- a form of Jewish mysticism. In it's common form, it also pulls from alchemy, the writings of such people as Alester Crowley and John Dee, and the practices of the Masons and other "secret" orders.
Because of the source, and because many of the writers who influenced the tradition hailed from a predominantly Christian culture, the imagery in most ceremonial magick tends to be Judeo-Christian. Despite the imagery used, ceremonial magick is not path specific, and ceremonial magicians may identify as Pagan, Christian, or nearly any other faith.
Ceremonial Magick places a strong emphasis on symbology and ritual. Many rituals involve complex processes of gestures, tools, and secondary languages, each with thier own specific symbolism. Because discipline and scholorship can be considered acts of devotion in and of themselves, for some ceremonialists, every single detail of a ritual becomes important, down to the length of a wand or the color of a robe.
Ceremonial magick is the foundation of groups like the OTO, and is practiced in a lesser extent (whether they choose to admit it or not) by the Masons and the Catholic Church, something that many Pagans find unbelievably amusing."
