Is Wiccan and Pagan kind of like the same thing?

Answer 1

"Wicca" is a specific religion. "Paganism" is general umbrella term that includes a number of different religions and traditions (often time polytheistic and/or "earth based"), including Wicca. I know some Pagans who generally can't stand Wiccans.

Answer 2

All Wiccans are pagans but not all pagans are Wiccans.

Wicca is an rather new religion, where paganism is as old as the hills.

Most Wiccans practice some form of magic. Not all mind you but most. Its a religion that has a dual deity system of worship using ancient pantheons of Goddesses and Gods.

Pagans do not practice magic at all, at least none that I have ever met do.

Some Wiccans do not like to be called witches while others insist that they are. I guess it depends on the people.

I have been a witch for a long time now, family thing we are all witchs. Don't know if you would call us Wiccans though.

Answer 3

No, Wiccan and Pagan is kind of like a different thing. Read that aloud to yourself, and if it sounds alright to you, you're going to have to go back to school, hon. To answer your question though, Wicca is a religion within Paganism. They have the same relationship as Christianity and Catholicism. All Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic. Paganism is an umbrella term that has a very complicated definition. Generally speaking, Pagans are earth-based and usually polytheistic and honor ancient gods from old civilization. Wicca is a religion that falls under the category of Paganism (or Neo-Paganism). It is a religion that celebrates the cycles of the earth and the duality of all nature. There's more to it, but it would take too long to type here.

Answer 4

Pagan is a "blanket term" for any non abramic/islamic/judaic religon. Wicca is a branch within Paganism. Wicca was started by Gerald Gardner abouut 60 or 70 years ago. It's a religon that focuses on the duality of Diety (God and Goddess) and has a reverence for nature and promotes/encourages the use of magic and Witchcraft in worship. Generally Wiccans will choose a main God and Goddess to work with but see all Gods and Goddess as a part of the Whole Diety. They follow the Wiccan Reede and as a rule don't do curses/hexes or anything that would harm another.
Think of it as Paganism is to Wicca as Christianity is to Methodist. Paganism includes many other Paths and belief systems along with Wicca. For that matter there are different branches of Wicca to choose from. Hope this answers your question!

Blessed Be!
Kayla

Answer 5

This question is something that I would normally expect from someone who really knows very little about Wicca and its relationship with other Pagan religions.

Pagan is an "umbrella" term that covers many religious beliefs
Wiccan is a term that describes a specific religion.

This is a relationship similar to that of Christian (umbrella) as opposed to Southern Baptist (specific).

In general, it can be said that although most Wiccans are Pagans, the reverse is not true.

I myself am Pagan (specifically Hellenic Reconstructionist Polytheist -- which contrary to popular opinion is NOT the same as Religio Romanum) but I am NOT Wiccan.

Answer 6

Wicca is a nature-based religion found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant...
Paganism meaning "an old country dweller, rustic") is a term which, from a Western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion, and of historical and contemporary polytheistic religions in particular.The term pagan is from Latin paganus, an adjective originally meaning "rural", "rustic" or "of the country." As a noun, paganus was used to mean "country dweller, villager." In colloquial use, it could mean much the same as calling someone today a 'country bumpkin' or a 'hillbilly'.

Answer 7

All Wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Wiccans.

Wicca is a part of Paganism like Protestants are a part of Christianity.

Answer 8

To wayne.


The no god Part is incorrect.

Being on the same tree as the Pagans... I will say this.

Pagan originaly meant any non christian or abrahamic religion.

However it is no specifically used for Egyptian, Greek/roman (there is no difference), and the non-Heathen faiths that are barely in working order.

Wiccan.... I cant answer for them.


I know that Asatru do not like being looped in with them, and we dont for good reason. Not saying we dont like them just that we dont have the same ideas about religion.

Answer 9

That'd be like saying that every drink is Coke - while Coke's certainly popular, and there's plenty of Coke-like products out there (Pepsi, RC, etc.), there's also things like tea and milkshakes, which aren't necessarily the same.

Pagan = non-Abrahamic religion, though most common use is referring to the pre-/post-Christian religions of Europe. Many of the indigenous tribal religions, Eastern religions such as Buddhism, and the Afro-Carribean religions tend not to self-identify as Pagan.

Wicca = probably the most common/popular neo-Pagan religion, formed in the 1950ish time period, and its subsequent offshoots.

Answer 10

Wiccan is always a pagan but a pagan is NOT always a Wiccan.
I have never been Wiccan. I am VERY much pagan.