Question for those of 2 faiths that I do not fully understand?

Question

Wiccans and Pagans what do you believe? I am seriously curious and do not mean to offend. I know that you have a Naturalistic approach but that is about it.
Peace Be With You,
Debra

What's wrong with learning?

Answer 1

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 (CR) path. I can only speak for the practices of my family and not for all CR's. 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. For more information:
http://paganachd.com/faq/index.html

Other major neo-pagan religions include
Wicca:
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/wicca.html
Neo-Wicca:
http://www.witches-tutorial.com/paths/neowicca.html
Druidism:
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/drud.html
Asatru:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/asatru.htm
And there are many, many more.

Answer 2

Hi Debra! First off - thank you. Polite questions are always appreciated, and, as you've said, there's nothing wrong with learning.

Paganism is a very broad category. Wicca (and 'near-Wiccan' practices) is by far the most common, but you'll also hear other ones get tossed around (typically cultural specific religions such as Asatru, Celtic Reconstructionism, etc.). There's so much variety that any blanket statement will have exceptions, but there's some general trends that hold true for most. Pagans are typically non-monotheistic (pantheist, polytheist, animist, etc.). Each religion has its different beliefs, based on the mythology that it is based on (ie, Greek Pagans believe in Zeus, Nordic Pagans believe in Odin, etc.)

The websites that the others have listed are pretty good for giving some good overviews. If you've got a hankering to get your hands on a book about it, Margot Adler (an NPR reporter) wrote a book called "Drawing Down the Moon". It's a fairly good overview of Paganism as a whole, and goes over some of the beliefs. It's a little dated, but still fairly relevant - and there's a good chance you can find it in some of the major library systems.

Answer 3

I'm Pagan - a witch - not really Wiccan but I used that as a transitional learning point. There are a wide variety of Pagans and even if you narrow it down to Wicca you have a lot of different beliefs.

In general - for Wicca, and some of the "eclectic" witches - they are Goddess based but also believe in a God. These can be from a number of pantheons - Celtic, Greek, Egyptian, Native America for example- there are even Wiccans that claim to follow the Christian God. They also celebrate the natural changes of the season, Equinoxes, Solstices and sometimes full moons. Generally they do not believe in Heaven and Hell but an afterlife - sometimes the Sumerlands, and may believe in reincarnation, and ghosts. Some do spell work. Wiccans believe in the rede - Harm none do as you will, and that anything harmful sent out can return three fold.

There are a lot of other varieties of Paganism - Druids, Asatru, Shamanism, some Satanists - really it would take an encyclopedia to start going through them all.

Personally I do not worship any gods but do believe in spirits of various strengths and intentions - some might call them demons. I also believe part of the strength of the spirit comes from those that follow it - for good or bad. I believe there is very little pure good or pure bad but shades of gray and it is all balanced. I also have very similar beliefs to the Gaia concept - where the Earh is like one conscious organism of which we are part of - and very much an environmentalist. I also believe in evolution 100% and feel that does not conflict with supernatural or metaphysical beliefs.

Answer 4

I am a former practicing witch. I am glad you asked, because not many Christians care enough to ask about this topic; to gain an understanding. So thank you, I appriciate your courage. There is nothing wrong with learning; in fact I wish more Christians would take the time to learn about other beliefs other than thier own. How else did Christ ever reach others?

If you want further information beyond the info you recieve here on Yahoo! Answers, visit http://www.exwitch.org They can answer a great deal of questions, and even Pagans and Wiccans frequent thier boards as well; so you not only get info from those who are former Pagans, Wiccans and Witches, but you also recieve info from practicing Pagans, Wiccans and Witches. It is a great forum! :)

Answer 5

Evolution is just not an issue in the UK, it is only an issue with Muslim and Christian fundamentalists. We don't talk about it at all. I never heard a French or German person say anything about it either. It's just a cultural thing that came over to the USA with the (pretty radical for their day) Pilgrim fathers. I don't have faith in anything, I'm quite proud to be a freethinking agnostic. To me the Bible and the other holy books look like collected writings handed down by desert tribes, nothing special about them. Christ was a really good philosopher but I doubt there was anything divine about him. I find the Buddha more interesting. As for science, well it's amazing but not as amazing as the universe. I wouldn't be here without medical science. Religion doesn't seem to offer any benefits over philosophy. My moral sense arises from my Catholic upbringing, my interest in the Stoics and Buddhism and science. Interestingly enough the latest evolutionary theories postulate that we have evolved to have a religious sense. There is certainly evidence that even animals cooperate and that much of what we think is human behaviour is shared by animals. Emotions can be tracked by brain scans, we know pretty well what happens when you love someone. Human behaviour can even be simulated by machines and in the future robotic behaviours look likely to challenge conventional thinking about intelligence. As for your belief thing, give science a chance! it's only a few hundred years since the enlightenment, religion has had centuries to sort it out. Of course there are gaps in knowledge, your argument is the familiar "God of the Gaps" argument that Richard Dawkin demolishes in his book "The God Delusion" read it....

Answer 6

Good question. I am not wiccan but
Wiccans are technically "pagans"and there are so many versions...we would be here awhile. Here is what some of my family believe (because even within them their are differences)
Goddess. Nature spirits, and that we as people can affect the universe through magik. The main thing is do as you please and harm no one.
Ask later, lots of pagans take naps and are out and about on Sunday.

Answer 7

If you went to the library and looked them up in the encyclopedias, and other reference books there, you would learn more than you ever wanted to know. And if you go at the right time of the day, your little ones can benefit from story time

Answer 8

Hi Debra,

I heard that you were really nice.

I just wanted you to know that I am living.

Answer 9

Dear debra, I am not wiccan but the first law in wicca is harm none. wiccans believe more in earth magic if I am correct my husband is wiccan. Me myself i am simply a spiritualist i believe in all kinds of magic and mainly in the using energy to correct what si wrong in ones life or to heal someone else. a book i am currently reading would give you more insight as to what i believe in it is call The Future is Yours do something about it by Raymon Grace. i will give you the wiccan reed.
Wiccan Rede
Bide ye Wiccan laws you must,
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Live ye must and let to live,
Fairly take and fairly give.

Tread the circle thrice about
It keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind ye spell well every time,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
Let love and light be our guides again.

Doesil go by the waxing moon,
Sing and dance ye Wiccan Rune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When ye Lady's moon is new,
Kiss ye hand to her times two.
When ye moon rides at her peak,
Then ye heart's desire seek.

Heed the north winds mighty gale,
Lock the door and trim the sail.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the West wind blows over thee,
Departed souls will restless be.

Nine woods 'neath the Cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch into fire goes
To represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might,
In the fire it brings the God's insight.
Rowan is a tree of power,
Causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand,
Ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify,
And to draw the faerie to thine eye.

Hazel, the tree of wisdom and learning,
Adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree,
That brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow on the vine,
Giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen
To represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree;
Harm it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark,
Both in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane,
The new begin's - its now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolic shows,
Watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn,
Soon ye Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lammas night,
Power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall;
Use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel hath turned to Yule,
Light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when the night equals day,
'Tis time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached its height,
'Tis time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all
When the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush and tree;
By the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When ye have and hold a need,
Harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend,
Or be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and Merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

When misfortune is enow,
Wear the star upon thy brow.
True in love ye must e'er be,
Lest thy love be false to thee.

Mind ye threefold law ye should,
Three times bad and three times good.
What ye send forth comes back to ye,
So ever mind the rule of three.

These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill;
An harm ye none, do what ye will.
Follow this with mind and heart,
And Merry ye meet and Merry ye part

Unfortunately paganism is not what it used to be paganism is now known as simply an umbrella term for all esoteric beliefs. Ihope that helped a little

Answer 10

Be nice! She is hopefully trying to learn something.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm
http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm
http://www.wicca.org/
http://www.witchvox.com/