What is the difference between paganism and Wicca?

Question

I was told by my friend who's Wiccan that their is a difference to quote his exact words: "pagan is bad, don't meddle with it." I take his warning with meaning and intend to fallow it but I want to know the difference between the two so I can fallow his advice, he says that the difference is: "pagan is a little more dark and involves a little heavier form of withcraft" Is that the only difference or is there more of one????

Answer 1

Your friend is in serious need of an education -- probably very new to this, and still mired in Christian Dualism. I'm wondering if they've even read three pages of a decent book on Wicca. Make them read _Drawing Down the Moon_, by Margot Adler.

Paganism is simply Polytheism, and sometimes refers more specifically to Earth-Centered Polytheism. Wicca is a religion which is considered part of the Neopagan Movement. There are many religions that fit under this umbrella -- Druidism, Asatru, Greek Reconstructionism, Thelema (though some would consider it Mesopagan, but I digress.) There is nothing "dark" about being Pagan. I personally think that people who talk that way have a lot of Christian baggage they need to let go of.

There are some differences in beliefs and practices between Wicca and other Pagan religions. Mainly, Wiccans worship a God and a Goddess -- two deities -- while other Pagans worship many deities (true polytheism.) There is also more emphasis on Ecology and Feminism in Wicca than in some other Pagan traditions. Wicca also has a "moral code" called the "Wiccan Rede" and a belief in a form of Karma called the "Threefold Law," and other Pagan traditions do not share these dogmas. Other differences include the holidays, ritual structure, and degree of emphasis on Magick.

There is nothing wrong with Wicca, Paganism, or any Neopagan or Magickal tradition. They are simply different religious traditions that form part of a larger Neopagan movement.

Answer 2

The previous answers are right in stating that Wicca is a form of Pagan belief. To say that "pagan is a little more dark and involves a little heavier form of withcraft" is really showing his ignorance though.

There are Pagans who use magick and those that do not. The ones who do not are NOT witches (unless they are Wiccan and have chosen that term to describe themselves). I would really recommend you doing YOUR OWN research and avoiding falling into the intellectual trap your friend has.

(It really sounds like he's getting his information from a source that is biased against "other Pagans" and trying to demonize the other Pagan beliefs the same way that Christians often do -- Silver Ravenwolf has often been accused of this)

There are of course differances between Wicca and (for example) Hellenic Reconstructionism. Wicca tends to be what is called "soft" polytheism with the Gods being all aspects of the Divine Masculine Principle and the Goddesses being aspects of the Divine Feminine. Other Pagan religions tend to be "hard" polytheists and believe that the Gods and Goddesses are distinct beings. Also most Reconstructionist Pagans deal with only one pantheon while many Wiccans will use Gods from multiple pantheons.

Again, I recommend you do your own research. Start with http://www.witchvox.com and IF you are interested in Hellenic Polytheism you can also go to http://www.hellenion.org and http://www.neokoroi.org

Answer 3

"Pagan" is an umbrella term for non Abrahamic religions, as opposed to Christianity or Judaism. It encompases a wide variety of religions, mostly earth centered religions. It can include such religions as Shinto, Native American, Voodoo, Santeria, Celtic, Asatru, Druid, etc. Pagan religions are basically whatever people in any given country were doing before the missionaries showed up. Many pagan religions are about re-claiming pre-Christian ideas. Wicca is a specific tradition under the Pagan umbrella, founded in the 1950's. For more information on Paganism and Wicca, try http://www.witchvox.com

Answer 4

Paganism is an umbrella under which Wicca falls.

It's sort of like Christianity and the Lutheran church.

Paganism is akin the umbrella (christianity) and Wicca would be akin to being Lutheran.

Your friend must be extremely young and not very well studied in his beliefs to make such a statement.

Answer 5

Paganism is a term used to describe many sets of beliefs(paths) but they are all earth centered religions having the utmost respect for nature. Wiccans usually have a god and goddess diety.
You need to let your friend know that if he's Wiccan then he's definitely pagan as well.

Answer 6

Wicca is a specific religion. "Paganism" is an umbrella term used to describe a number of different religions and/or pagan traditions, sometimes including Wicca.

Your friend obviously hasn't met to many who identified as "Pagan". Nor probably many other Wiccans, for that matter.

Answer 7

are you sure your friend is wiccan? you can't be wiccan without being pagan.

you can be pagan without being wiccan though...pagan is kind of an umbrella term that covers all the earth religions. there are a lot.

i'm an eclectic pagan with celtic tendencies. i follow a celtic goddess. i have a friend who follows odin. there is nothing dark about either.

if i was you i would do some research... read as much as you can. talk to pagans. also you can be pagan without being a witch.

good luck in your search.
bb

Answer 8

Paganism is the larger catagory of religions; Wicca is one of the Pagan (or more accurately, NeoPagan) faiths.

And your friend couldn't be more wrong, at least in my experience. Wicca, and NeoPaganism in general, embraces love, compassion, and thoughtful and moral living.

EDITED TO ADD: Given that your friend sounds like a typical "fluffy bunny" Wiccan (the kind that gives serious Wiccans serious headaches), I recommend that you point him toward this website:

http://wicca.timerift.net

Who knows? Perhaps he will learn something authentic.

Answer 9

That's just plain nonsense, for the basic reason that Wicca is a branch of Paganism.

Answer 10

Your friend is an idiot, and you should stop taking his advice.

Many, perhaps even most, types of paganism involve no "witchcraft" at all . . . it's really only Wicca, so far as I know, that makes spellcraft part of its religious practice, and even there it's not required.