Do pagans have a heaven or a hell?

Question

if you do, explain what they are, if not, explain what you do have .

Answer 1

I follow a Celtic path. Our beliefs do not include a place when everything is good and positive (like the Christian heaven). After death, I believe that I will go to the Otherworld where I will feast with others and my deities and then review the lessons that I've learned before returning to learn more. I do not believe in anything like a place called Hell.

Answer 2

I am an Hellenic Pagan and I believe in the Kingdom of Hades and Persephone. However, this is just a metaphore. It's not an actual place. When you die, your body decomposes and dissipates, and so does your energy. It becomes part of all the energy that is. The realm of Hades is symbolic of all the souls of ordinary people who just sort of float around waiting to be reincarnated, and yes, we are, at least in my belief. Once you've forgotten who you are, you are reincarnated and Persephone and Hecate escort these spirits back to the material plane, where Hecate, the Midwife Goddess, places them inside a child ready to be born.

However, there is also the Elesian Fields. This represents the Heros. Those people so great that their names will always be mentioned on Earth, and so they will never forget who they are, and thus, will never blend into the energy of Hades and be able to be reborn as a new person. They may be reincarnated as another great person, however. Remember, these are people whose names are remembered, not necessarily Good people.

And then there is Tartarus. This is where people are sent who have personally offended the Gods. Gods are spirit beings that are more powerful than the average soul. Therefore, they have power over you. However, it takes alot of energy to dissipate a soul so that it is forgotten and can never return, so you have to be a real jerk for this to happen to you.

Answer 3

Heaven and Hell is a Christian thought... Hell the devil as you realize Christians made others have faith.. The Pagans 'Horned God' became fairly the devil. i don't think of there's a hell... i think of that became made as much as scare human beings into being stable and sticking to Christian rules. What i do have faith is that as long as you're a stable guy or woman, do not harm others, are variety to animals etc.. you would be rewarded with a inner peace with is a variety of heaven, and you will bypass directly to a minimum of a few thing extra advantageous/;extra suited on your after existence. and in the journey that your undesirable... you get not something interior the afterlife, you in simple terms dont exsist anymore.. i cant think of of something rather so terrible.

Answer 4

Pagan is a generalized term meaning someone who does not belong to the Judeo-Christian family of religions. If you specifically mean religions like Wicca, then Yes. At least in Part. Many Wiccans share a believe in a place called the Summer Land, where we go to meet our families and rest between lifetimes. After learning all we are meant to learn throughout our lifetimes we are able to "retire" to the Summerlands permanently to reside with the Lord and Lady.

As for Hell, since Wiccans (and most pagans) don't believe in Satan or Pure Evil, we also do not believe in Hell.

We believe that as we commit "sins" against our fellow beings, we are penalized or rewarded with Karma, in all of our daily lives, so there is no need for a Ultimate place for Evil creatures.

For more information read The Witches Voice http://www.witchvox.com/ or click the direct link below.

Answer 5

Pagans do not believe in hell. Hell is a Christian concept and has no place in Paganism. Most Pagans believe in an afterlife, a place called the Summerland where they go to be reincarnated. Blessed be.

Answer 6

Depends on the Pagan. "Pagan" is a broad term that includes many different belief systems.

I would recommend going here:

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/astralplane/a/afterlife.htm

to see the article "Pagan View of the Afterlife".

Some excerpts:

Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Our souls come back lifetime after lifetime, to learn new lessons and to grow as individuals. Between lives, our souls reside in the Summerlands. It's neither heaven nor hell, but a place for our souls to rest and reflect on the experiences of completed lives. You may be reunited with loved ones as well. What happens when we learn all we can on this earthly plane? I really couldn't say.

People who are unfamiliar with Wicca tend to see the lack of heaven or hell as meaning we live our lives without responsibility. We may not consider ourselves doomed to suffer for an eternity in a Christian hell, but we certainly believe that there are consequences to our actions. Those who do 'evil' deeds, will find their punishment in another lifetime. Karma follows a soul from life to life. Our fates are not determined by any one single action, but rather by the overall accumulation of actions throughout our lives.

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Kemetic / Egyptian

After death, a soul would have to journey to the Hall of Judgement. There, the heart is weighed on a scale against the feather of Ma'at (truth and justice), by the God Anubis. If you lived a sinful life, the heart would be heavy, that soul could not enter paradise and would be devoured by the monster Ammut. The ancient Egyptians believed that the physical body was needed in the afterlife, which is why such elaborate means were taken to preserve the body.

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Asatru / Norse

The realm of the Gods is called Asgard, and worthy souls go there after death. There are many great halls in Asgard, for the many Gods and Goddesses. The greatest of these halls is Valhalla, where fallen warriors go after death. Those who did not live a life of glory would go to the underworld Niflheim, ruled over by the Goddess Hel. Niflheim is a dull and cold place, where you would be separated from your kin. Reincarnation does exist, but not all souls are reborn, and it's typically found within a family line, reflecting the importance of family and ancestors.

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Me, I personally believe that when I die, the energy that makes me "me" (my spirit or soul) will return to the greater energy of the universe, like pouring a cup of water back into a pool. I don't believe that my soul retains its individual identity after death.

Answer 7

I answered this in your last questions... but I will take another stab at it!

Firstly, Pagans do NOT believe in Satan, therefore they do not believe in Hell.

The believe in reincarnation, that this is not our first or last life (in most cases anyway!). Some believe that the afterlife is called 'Summerland'. It is a place you could liken to Heaven that we return to in between lives to rest and recuperate between lives.

I believe that during this period there is a review of the life just ended and what lessons you learned, and which lessons you failed to complete.

You spend time with your soul group, recuperating, chatting, catching up.

I believe that we CHOOSE our lives and the situations we are in because they help us to learn the lessons that we need to completed in order to evolve spiritually.

I believe that being creations of God (a being that is all-loving-- indeed I think the only things that exist is fear and love...) we all contain a part of God -- or rather ARE parts of Gods (our souls, anyway). I believe that the goal of our lives is to reincarnate and learn all the lessons necessary to eventually reunite with God (of which I am already a part [a-part] and only seeking reunion), or as some would call it the 'Universal Consciousness'.

In Wicca this is usually referred to as a 'divine spark' that is within all people. I find that the more I study each religion the more I find similarities like the one above -- all supporting my theory that all Gods are One. :-) (I might add, that when I say 'God', I don't mean in the Christian sense of the word -- being a singular male deity, but rather an adrogynous being who is the source of all things and all creations who is omniscient and omnipresent.... like 'the Force' in Star Wars, LOL)

Hope that answers you question, dear.

Blessings and Light!

~RW

Answer 8

I'm not a pagan, but check out the website link on my 360 blast. It is about heaven and hell from the point of view of a pagan. The author is a pagan and is a friend of mine. OK here it is http://www.freewebs.com/warrior-seer/ It's about the 'marriage of heaven and hell"

Answer 9

what is a pagan?

Answer 10

Yes, you do
Please read http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/getting_started_pocm.html