2006-09-18 15:19:52 · 9 answers · asked by jessie 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Authentic ancient Pagan religions that made it into the 21st century are ones like Hinduism, Shintoism, Asian & African tribal religions, and a few Native American religions seldom seen of the reservations.
Wiccans call themselves Neopagans. But all Neopagans are Wiccans. There are also Neodruids, Isians, Psudeo-Native American sects, etc. that are not Wiccan, but called "Neopagan". The most dangerous aspect of the Neopagan movement is Odinism, which is comprised almost entirely of Neonazis.
Most Neopagan groups are about as far removed from Wiccans as Voodoo is from Santeria. Wiccans and Neopagan groups often have a lot in common. They usually do magic spells inside a circle, call the quarters, wear pentagrams, etc., none of which is really ancient, Celtic, or Pagan, but Wiccan.
None of the Neopagan groups have a direct connection to ancient Pagan groups and are "reconstructions". When Gerald Garnder invented Wicca, he borrowed from available sources.
Adian Kelly wrote a book on the history of Wicca called "Crafting The Art of Magic" in the 1980's. Wiccans had a fit when it was published, and pressured Llewyllyn to take it out of print. It was supposed to be the first in a series of books. I think Adian Kelly probably summed it up best when he said this about the Gardnerian "Book of Shadows", the closest thing Wicca has to a sacred book:
" [M]any of the Book of Shadows rituals did not exist in 1954 (when Witchcraft Today was published) but instead were still being written. [T]he major sources from which the rituals had been constructed included: (a) Mather's edition of the Greater Key of Solomon; (b) Aleister Crowley's Magic in Theory and Practice; (c) Leland's Aradia (d) some Masonic rituals akin to those described by Duncan and those of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (aside from those transmitted by Crowley; and (e) Margaret Murray's The Witch Cult in Western Europe. There were also bits and pieces from other works by Leland, Jane E. Harrison, Gilbert Murray, James Frazier, and other great classicists from the 19th century. That accounted for EVERYTHING in the rituals! There was nothing left that differed in any important way from what you can find in those sources- - but that is NOT at all what Gardner had claimed!"
Non-Wiccan Neopagans like to distance themselves from Wiccans, sometimes because of use of sex, nudity and flagellation in Wiccan rituals (and even many Wiccans are dropping these things as well). Many have realized the origins of Wicca are dubious, and have tried to make something more authentic.
Neopagans borrow from Wicca, and Wicca has borrowed from everything else. Both Neopaganism and Wicca are religious movements where anything can be added in, where the followers mistakenly think they have magic powers.
In the occult, the lines of distinction often get blurred. One author about books on Runes who is usually identified as a Neopagan is also a member of a Church of Satan offshoot. So is he a Satanist or a Neopagan? Ray Marlborough writes books on "Hoodoo", but he's completed Ray Buckland's Wicca course. So is he Hoodoo or Wiccan? Crowley ( a junkie who thought he was the Antichrist) created a cult that worshiped Egyptian gods like Horus, but had Satanic overtones. So is it Pagan or Satanic? There also "Druidic Wiccan" groups, "Egyptian Wicca" groups, which can make exact identification hard to determine. "Occultic" is a general umbrella term since they all claim to practice sorcery. Most occultists in general are ecclectic, and borrow from any source that doesn't get out of the way fast enough...even Christianity.
2006-09-20 04:18:44 · answer #1 · answered by The Notorious Doctor Zoom Zoom 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Actually... there is a difference. Wicca is an actual religion (yes it is..alot of kids in highschool who claim to be wiccan arent ...same with some older people..they dress a certain way and wear a pentacle and say they are wiccan. You actually have to practice it for a year before you should even call yourself one...If real wiccans find out you didnt do that, they lose respect for you) It has its actual own beliefs, deities, and holidays...
as for pagan... the dictionary says that pagans is pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim. Think of it this way... all wiccans are concidered pagan... but not all Pagans are wiccan. I am a pagan...i have my own believes... and I am not wiccan.
2006-09-18 22:40:00 · answer #2 · answered by swyftsilver84 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
As Epona Willow said, some pagans are Wiccan, all Wiccans are pagan. Paganism covers a lot of ground--that was a pun, for those of the earth-worshipping mindset. :-) A lot of religions fall under the term paganism.
An important thing to note about Wicca is that its philosophy is strictly pacific in nature. We have a basic rule that says, "And it harm none, do what you will." You can go with the basics on that one and just do no harm to anyone, but soon you may come to see that it goes pretty deep. Harming none can include yourself, and it's not just physical harm that it's talking about; spiritual and mental harm are included.
Thus, there are no "gruesome" rituals, only rituals to bring peace and happiness to the world and to ourselves. Those who go against that are NOT Wiccans, and they're usually also not the kind of pagans that other pagans want to admit to being to closely associated with on a religious level.
2006-09-18 22:30:20 · answer #3 · answered by Ally 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Pagan is a blanket term used to describe thousands of religions & beliefs. Any religion that is not classified as Abrahamic (Christians, Muslims, Jews) is technically considered pagan, according to the modern definition (however I think H.H. the Dali Lama would not consider himself a pagan)
Wicca is a new age Initiatory Mystery religion that incorporates British, & indo-European folklore with Masonic/golden dawn ritual/ceremonial structure. It is a pagan religion. It is a new religion ( a little over a half a century old) A wiccan practices wicca as their religion.
A pagan could practice any number of things, from Shinto, to native american spirituality, to Taoism, Hinduism, Celtic Reconstructionism, Druidry, Asatru,(although they prefer the term 'heathen') etc ad infinitum...
Wicca is a facet of paganism, just as Catholicism is a facet of Christianity.
2006-09-18 23:05:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Pagans are... well, read this http://www.sacredhearth.com/whatispagan.html
Wiccans are followers of a specific Pagan religion called Wicca founded by one Gerald Gardner and consisting of some Celtic folk belief, some Eastern tradition and a little bit of Crowley.
2006-09-20 09:55:46 · answer #5 · answered by kaplah 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/paganism.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/neo_paga.htm
All Wiccans are Pagan but not all Pagans are Wiccan.
Blessings )O(
2006-09-18 22:24:03 · answer #6 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Pagan just means you don't follow an established religion (historically, the one trying to conquer and murder you). Wicca is a specific subset that follows established rituals and worships a goddess.
2006-09-18 22:29:47 · answer #7 · answered by Jensenfan 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
There is none. Read Tacitus' (he was a roman who made reports of these people) accounts of ancient wiccan rituals.
There is a difference between the harmless newagers and real wiccans though. Real wiccans have seriously gruesome rituals.
2006-09-18 22:24:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 6⤋
ooohhh!..yea! wiccans rule!...
sorry i didnt answer your question.lol
2006-09-19 00:31:12 · answer #9 · answered by EmO ChiLd :* 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋