Pagans, would you tell me what your beliefs are.?

Question

As a Christian, I am often told that I just don't understand what Pagans are. What are your beliefs? I am asking this for reasons of understanding and not to be sarcastic or arguemental.
Thank you in advance.
Vicki

Answer 1

I agree that there are many different neo-pagan beliefs and practices. It is much more diverse than the many different practices that all fall under the general heading of Christianity because we all do not share the same deities or mythologies. Even people who may have the same neo-pagan tradition (denomination) may not necessarily share all of the same beliefs.

I follow a Celtic Reconstructionist (neo-pagan) path.
I worship some of the deities that were once worshiped in Celtic-speaking areas during the Iron Age. I am a polytheist and some of my deities are Taranis, Lugh and Epona. Two important tenets of my religion are honor and hospitality (there are more). My religion is offeratory in nature and it provides the structure and methods for me to deepen my relationships with my deities. I believe that deities have both positive and negative traits just like anyone else. I do not believe that any deity is all-knowing or all-powerful. I also believe in land and water spirits/deities. I believe in reincarnation and give daily offerings of incense, food and drink at my family altar. I honor my ancestors. I believe in the symbology of a world tree representing the lower (sea), middle (land), and upper (sky) realms. After death, I believe that I will go to the Otherworld to feast before reincarnating again to learn more. I celebrate four agricultural holidays a year---Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtainne, and Lughnasadh. Although I recognize the solstices and equinoxes, I do not celebrate them as religious holidays.

Answer 2

Pagans... whee. Paganism is an umbrella term, like Christianity. However, I'll just try my best.

Pagans usually believe in -- at the very least -- one Goddess, known as the Lady. Some Pagans believe in the Goddess and God (Lady and Lord, respectively). Some believe in a pantheon. Some believe in all pantheons.

Most Pagans believe in magick -- I am yet to meet a Pagan that does not believe in it, to be exact.

Most Pagans can do some form of divination and believe that it works, either through contacting Gods and Goddesses, contacting the cosmos, or contacting the Higher Self.

Most -- if not all -- Pagans believe in Karma and reincarnation.

"An it harm none, do what ye will" -- Many Pagans believe in this phrase.

Pagans believe animals, plants, rivers, rocks, and all forms of life and nature are equivalent to humans.

Pagans also believe in balance of female and male, also known as "Yin-Yang" or "The Balance".

I tried to be helpful... if this isn't good enough, please check out the Wikipedia article of it, or http://www.witchvox.com/ or http://www.neopagan.net/

Good luck on your quest for knowledge.

- 16 yo Pagan

Answer 3

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of Pagan religions, with different beliefs & practices. Witchvox has a list of pagan traditions at http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=trads that has 60 different entries... and those are just the ones that have made entries on that one website.

It's impossible to tell you "what Pagans believe," but I can talk a bit about religious witchcraft, often called Wicca, which is the most well-known form of modern paganism.

It's a religion of actions rather than beliefs--we revere the divine in a particular way, and draw our own beliefs from our experiences. We believe that all life, and all the world, is sacred, that divinity is both feminine and masculine (and sometimes other things as well), that magic is one of the gifts the Gods (or whatever we believe fits that concept) has given us, and that each person must find their own way to connect to sacredness.

That's all a bit abstract, but the rest starts getting very specific by group and even by individual.

Alexandrian Wicca: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usxx&c=trads&id=8796
..."a Pagan Mystery faith that is initiatory, oath bound and experiential in nature, with ancient roots originating in the British Isles."

Discordianism: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usil&c=trads&id=7358
worshippers of Eris, the Greek Goddess of confusion and chaos.

Universal Eclectic Wicca: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usva&c=trads&id=10267
"UEW defines Wicca as any religion that calls itself Wicca, AND believes in a god/force/power/whatever that is either genderless, both genders or manifests as a male/female polarity that for convenience we agree to call "the Lord and Lady." AND upholds the Five Points of Wiccan Belief."

Answer 4

Pagan is a broad term for Earth based religions, such as witches,druids, native-American, etc. there are many.
Basically they/we celebrate the cycles of the seasons, moons and give thanks for all we receive. Each person may use his/her own Pantheon, (groups of gods/goddesses) or they may use mother earth/father sky, lord and lady, of just creator. Pagans in general are not an organized religion, they tend to think for themselves and live to harm none.
They do believe in magick, just like Christians use prayer.
Any religion can be used for good or bad, it is the ethics of the practitioner.
I suggest if you are truly interested, read and get informed. You don't have to practice a religion to have knowledge of it.

Answer 5

I don't technically claim to be a pagan but I understand that path.
I think it has to do with feminine worship alot, in a sense that giver of life, nurturing aspect of humanity should be sacred.

The power of creative visualization is the first part of creation and focused intent is the dedication and surrending of the ego in a sense. Letting the ability flow and understanding plants and their true properties....
That's a brief description of what I've read and expereinced.

Answer 6

vickie, paganism is a belief in the natural world around us and the duality of nature. it takes male and female to create. there is a lot of good information on paganism on the web and some of the larger booksellers. look in the new age section

Answer 7

This is in response to an answer by Magami of Nekro.
I am a 17 yr old who recently came to wicca. My family dont agree because they are all catholic but i figure they cant stop me so i still practice.
I believe in the duality of nature and the goddess and things, however i do not believe in magick. I do meditation n stuff but i dont think that spells n stuff work because of magick, but because of peoples attitude towards the aim of the spell changes. I think thats why there is so much visualisation n stuff. its to get a positive attitude so you act differently. I suppose that is a kind of magick.

P.S i am just saying my beleifs. no offence is intended to those who do believe in it.

Answer 8

the only problem with your question is that you could ask a dz different pagans and they will all give you different answers....but one of the main beliefs is that we worship the balance in nature as a whole with their being both male and female gods.

Answer 9

i am Wicca which is a variation on paganism. we believe in god and goddess which more or less is mother earth (nature) and father time. we believe in reincarnation. amongst other things.

Answer 10

http://www.religioustolerance.org/paganism.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm
Perhaps these 2 links can give you some additional information.

Blessings )O(