Pagan? What does this mean to you?

Question

I've seen quite a few folks call themselves 'pagan', and am interested in what it means to be a pagan (I get the generic idea, interested in specifics).

Answer 1

pagan does cover a lot. you can be pagan and not be wiccan. i'm pagan. not wiccan.
basically paganism is a group of nature based religions. pagans follow either a god or goddess or both. although most follow both. i follow a celtic goddess. my friend follows a norse god.
our beliefs center around the moon and the changing of the seasons, but they are varied.
to me being pagan is something that i was drawn to. i've always felt an affinity towards the earth. this religion suits me. i'm a solitary practitioner, and my spiritual growth is mine to care for.
if there is one thing that we all seem to have in common it's the belief that you shouldn't harm others.
i have always been welcome if i wanted to celebrate with others, and i have never had anyone tell me that i wasn't pagan enough.
i hope that this helped, but i'm not sure if it was specific enough for you. i would advise you to read. that's what i did.

eclectic pagan

Answer 2

Well, it's hard to be specific about Paganism because you could be a Wiccan or a Heathen or just a Pagan...and still be a Pagan. What I mean is, that there are multiple varieties of Pagan...so you'd have to go on general ideas like nature worship, ritualistic ceremonies, and a base in folklore and mythology, whether proven in archaelogical evidence or not.

What does it mean to be a Pagan, it means to ME that you haven't whittled your religious preference down enough to be called anything else, such as Wiccan to Celtic Wiccan or Gardenarian Wiccan, etc. You may not have a specific god or set of gods/deities to worship... At this point, I'm sure I'm Pagan, but I'm also Wiccan, and I've narrowed things down to where I'm sure I don't follow Gerald Gardner very much in his definition of Wicca, but I haven't made my deities that I pray to very specific in origin, such as a Celtic group of gods or a Greek group of gods, or even a Nordic group of gods... I just pray to a male and female deity, and the Creator of all things in the Universe...

So...I guess that's as specific as I can get.

Answer 3

The word Pagan was planted to denigrate the religions Christianity was trying to destroy. Instead it became an unbrella word and place for all these religions and a natural ability amongst them all to support each other. We call ourselves Pagans whether we be of The Lore, Asatru, Wicca, The craft, and many more including individual believers in religious structures.

The Christians are now frustrated and angry because we have a far more better relationship than Christinity has ever had. They curse us to their "Hell" and state their God's aspect "Satan." will punish us......and in all their rhetoric you hear the whines and cries of those who have lost their way in a religion they have turned into a place of conflict, gaming, and all out war between their sects.

Answer 4

Generally I tend to think of Pagans as though who practice Neo-Pagan religions or ones who practice religions from the South as opposed to the North (I'm referring to Europe here not the US. South being like Greek pantheons and North being Norse pantheons.)

I don't mind being called a Pagan, but honestly I prefer to call myself a Heathen.

Answer 5

It depends on who I'm talking to. In general conversation, when I say "pagan" I simply mean polytheist, especially one whose beliefs are based on a pre-Christian culture. But when talking to others who like studying history, I use the term "neo-pagan" for modern practitioners of polytheistic religions that are based on pre-Christian beliefs/practices and I reserve the word "pagan" for ancient peoples who practiced their indigenous non-Christian beliefs. I make the distinction out of respect for the ancient peoples and their ways of life.

Answer 6

Pagan is a generic idea.
It is a collection of religions that are generally polytheistic, European and Pre-Christian or Post-Christian (arriving in a time when Christianity has vanished as a state religion in an area.) Neither belief in magic(k) nor reverance for nature are characteristics of the broad umbrella term.

A *collection* of religions. An umbrella term.

Answer 7

Paganism is a religion. They have one set belief... no hate. They have their own beliefs, and dont all believe the same, but they get along, and accept it. The way they see it is that we all look different, act different, and believe different, but that is no reason to hate each other.

Some other religions see paganism as a mass of false religion hell bent on destroying the word of GOD. I used to be in a religion like that. I do not feel this way, personally. Honestly they are just like you and me, they just do things a little differently which in the end may not be so bad.

Answer 8

What it is to be a pagan. You start with a long full length black gown and one of those pointed black dunce hats only with a wide brim. Then a kettle of boiling water and a pan of chicken entrails for the mixture of a potion. Oh and a black cat would be nice. And a magical straw broom is a must for transportation. Lets see now. No I think that's it.

Answer 9

old world belief. Celtic origins. Gods..Goddesses. Nature rules.

Answer 10

Respect for nature, belief in magick (whether you personally use it or not), reverence for multiple deities.