I have a question for the pagans on here?

Question

First, I would like to say that the pagans on here always seem very friendly and well-mannered, and don't seem to have a vendetta against anyone. Which is refreshing. I would really like to know what pagans believe, who they believe in, and if possible, why. I'm not trying to compare religions, and I'm not looking to make a change. I am just seriously interested. Thanks.

Answer 1

Pagans believe that god is both male and female, and that our responsibility to take care of the earth and all of god's creatures. They also believe that hell (called hel) is a place for souls to rest and can choose to be reborn.

Answer 2

First off, I really really recommend Scott Cunningham's books if you're interested in learning more.
I also read a book on Wicca and Paganism from a Christian perspective called "Wicca's Charm" which was refreshingly unbiased and truthful.

I believe in the same god as everyone else. But I see God's different aspects - the God and the Goddess. I believe it's important to have a deep connection with nature, especially in modern times. I believe that all life is a cycle - life, death, and rebirth - which is clearly evident in the seasons. I practice by the Wiccan Rede - "an it harm none, do what ye will" and the way I interpret it is that I should do all I can to better myself and the world around me as long as I don't hurt anyone (which doesn't just mean physical harm - doing anything against someone's wishes is prohibited). I celebrate the eight Sabbats of the year - some of which are so similar to modern/Christian holidays that some people wouldn't really know I'm celebrating something different. I believe that as long as I'm alive I have to work to make myself a better person. I believe in showing everyone around me the love and respect that I'd like to be shown in return - because all energy you put out returns to you threefold. I believe that the God and the Goddess are in all things.

I DON'T believe in Satan, and I DON'T cast spells on people.

Answer 3

I'm not a pagan, and I don't believe in magic, but some of the traditions I have heard of include:

Wicca: Alexandrian, Garderian, Frost, Seax, Dianic, etc.
Folk magic: Kahuna, Strega, etc.
Norse: Astratu
Discordian
Egyptian gods
Greek gods
Shamanism
etc.

Sometimes it seems like a "cafeteria" belief system. Some belief in a "summerland" afterlife. Others believe in reincarnation, or whatever. Some follow the rule "an it harm none, do what you will". Some believe in the 3-fold law, that what you do comes back to you three times. This is a way to keep people from performing harmful magic, I think.

Answer 4

the term Pagan is a broad term...... it covers many religions and beliefs. Most pagans do not believe in a single male Deity but in many or in a woman Deity or nature deities or even that the creator is both male and female, also, many early christian religions that have held on to their original beliefs are considered Pagan. All are so different it is hard to say exactly what a Pagan believes. And thank you for the compliment on our manners. We do believe in peace and not judging others, we also do not convert or try to sway anyone to our beliefs. We feel that you should find your own path. You should just start reading and researching. There are many books and tons of websites. I know I didn't really answer your question directly, but like I said, beliefs are different for everyone, what I believe is not what someone else would and it is not my place represent such a vast array of paths and beliefs. I hope you find what you are looking for.
Blessed be )0(

Answer 5

“Pagan” can mean several things. One definition is anyone who does not participate in any of the big 3 monotheistic religions. In ancient Rome it meant the people who lived in the country.

Pagan also means someone who participates in a pagan religion or tradition or concept (as well as we can understand it in today’s world and as practically as possible), which can be based on anything from Norse to Egyptian to Celtic to Wicca today. There are many, many variations on this. It’s a very individualized spiritual path.

Pagans may worship one god, a goddess, both, many, or none at all. Pagans tend to have a reverence for nature and a moral code that is not overly administrative but does forbid harming others.

I personally am a pagan Taoist, meaning my spiritual philosophy is actually Taoist but I express it by celebrating pagan holidays and using pagan symbols. I don't believe in deities as actual beings, but rather symbols and archetypes.

The Celtic pagans celebrated 8 holidays througout the year, each corresponding to a different phase of the life cycle. This speaks to me very deeply, as part of celebration of life and also with a cyclical view of life and death. I also use meditation techniques and occasionally cast spells. On myself.

Answer 6

As you've already seen, that term encompasses a broad spectrum of beliefs, including polytheism, shamanism, pantheism, and animism.

You can relax.. pagans generally don't feel a need to proselytize anyone to our beliefs, as we see all spiritual paths as being valid to the believer.

Generally, pagans follow an earth-based religion, meaning we do not believe that our deity(ies) lie outside the universe, and that the earth is our mother. We generally follow the seasonal cycles of the solstices and equinoxes as our holy days (and some have extra days involved here and there). Some of us believe in many distinct and different gods, some believe that the gods/goddesses from all cultures represent the many faces/personalities of the One or the All. We revere life in all forms, and believe that all creatures have a right to be here as much as we do. Afterlife beliefs vary from the wiccan summerlands, to valhalla, hella, reincarnation and simply moving on to other realms/worlds/realities.
I hope this helps somewhat. Some good sites to read up on other faiths are: http://beliefnet.com and http://religioustolerance.org

Answer 7

There are many different varieties of Pagan religion. I am a Hellenic Reconstructionist which means that I worship the Greek Gods and I believe that they are not merely archetypes, but actual individual deities with definite and discrete personalities. For more information about this religion you can look at the following links:

http://www.winterscapes.com/kharis/
http://www.hellenion.org/index.html
http://www.neokoroi.org/index.htm
http://www.neokoroi.org/index.htm

Other Pagans have other sets of beliefs and different Gods than mine....

Answer 8

Well... The whole thing to most that i know about paganism is that it is more a broad term for a number of spritual paths. Some people say anyhting non christian. Celtic and Norse based, Wicca, Green Witchcraft, Indian, Native American Gods, the list goes on and on. Somebody wiser than me once said god(dess) is essentially creation and can never be destoyed only altered. The ability to do "magick" to me is essentially meditation and focusing that meditation and energy on a task, or a solution to a problem, or the well being of your family. My worship to "god" is taking care of my family, and trying to do the right thing by the people that i interact with.

Answer 9

as you've already seen pagans are as varied as christians, perhaps more so.

pagan is basically any of the earth religions (and there are a lot of them). most of us follow a goddess...some follow a god also. some follow many. our paths are usually nature based and center on the changing of the seasons. this is not true of all. we do not worship nature so much as revere it.

i am an eclectic pagan, meaning that i've taken things from several paths and made them my own. i follow ceridwyn as the triple goddess. she keeps the cauldron of rebirth.

we all return to a home of some kind and either choose to return here to continue learning or to move on. home has many names. you may call it what you wish.

i suggest that you read to really learn about this. that's what i did and still do. you've been given some good sites to help in your research. no knowledge is ever wasted.

bright blessings to you.

Answer 10

pagan is an umbrella term. There are countless paths in paganism.
The only thing we share in common is the belief in many gods. So you would have to specify lol Ask ten pagans a question and you'll get eleven answers.
I can tell you the basics on Heathenism. We beleive the gods are indivual and unique. We believe that we are the literal ancestors of the gods. We try to embrace the orginal concepts, world view and traditions of those ancestors. It is NOT a faith for everyone. It is not MEANT to be.

Answer 11

Pagans have many deities, & beliefs. Many have belief in the old gods > Norse, Egyptian, Greek, and so on. some believe in cosmic energies. & so on.
If you feel the need for change then look up all the religions you can find & start reading till you find one that works for you. Mine has many aspects of different religions in it because "No One Religion" seems to have every thing I believe in.