Pagans, what in the hell do you believe in?

Question

Since there are a variety of pagan religions. Which one do you believe in, and what do you believe in?

Answer 1

"Pagan" is an umbrella term that covers a lot of religious territory. At its widest, it covers all religions that aren't the Big Three (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam). More narrowly, as "NeoPaganism", it covers a family of related religions that are mostly modern, earth-focussed, and often polytheistic.

NeoPagan religions vary widely in their beliefs. Was there a particular religion you were curious about?

EDITED TO ADD: Very well, then -- I'll tell you about my own NeoPagan religion, Wicca.

Wicca is a very complex faith which embraces widely varying practices and many different Traditions. The following, however, is what I consider to be "the basics".

Wicca is about 60 years old, with roots in Masonic practices, ceremonial magic, and the Romantic era's ideas of classical religions. Its founder was a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner.

http://www.geraldgardner.com/essays.php

It is in many ways a postmodern faith, embracing religious relativism, and one that resonates powerfully for increasing numbers of people.

The central tenet of the Wiccan religion is the Wiccan Rede: "If you harm none, do what you will." This is a deceptively simple "commandment" which can take a lifetime to contemplate and to master. Many Wiccans also believe in the Law of Threefold Return, sometimes called the Rule of Three: “Whatever you do, for good or ill, will come back upon you three times over.”

Wiccans honor Deity as both male and female, God and Goddess -- or at the very least as Goddess. Many Wiccans believe that the universe is the body of God/dess, and therefore that all things contain Divine energy and that the world itself is sacred. Some Wiccans are polytheists (many God/desses); others are duotheists (God and Goddess, of whom all other Gods and Goddesses are simply aspects); others are monotheists (God and Goddess Themselves are simply aspects of an unknowable Source).

Wiccans generally do not believe that God/dess is separate from the world; therefore, we have no concept of salvation, since God/dess is present to all and always. Many Wiccans believe that God/dess is too big to fit inside one religion -- all religions/spiritual paths are ways of reaching the same goal, and atheism and agnosticism are honorable perspectives on the mystery of life.

Each Wiccan operates as their own priest/ess. We do not have a distinction between clergy and laity. Therefore, each Wiccan is responsible for their own personal development and for forging their own relationship with God/dess. Some Wiccans practice in covens, which are generally initiatory and require a long period of study (traditionally a year and a day) before entering. Others practice in loosely affiliated groups of solitaries, which are Wiccans who practice outside of traditional coven structure. Others simply practice alone.

Wiccans do not usually have churches. We create sacred space as and where needed, by casting "circles" of energy which function as temples. When inside those circles, we invite the spirits of the four Platonic elements (air, fire, water, and earth) to join us, as well as the Goddess and the God (or at minimum the Goddess).

Wiccans have celebrations which are timed to both the solar and lunar calendars. The solar festivals -- held at the solstices, the equinoxes, and four points in between them -- are called sabbats.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/library/basics/blsabbats.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_year

The lunar holy days are called esbats, and are held at the full moon each month, and sometimes at the new moon as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esbat

Many Wiccans practice witchcraft, which we see as working with the Divine energy that permeates the world to bring about change. In accordance with the Wiccan Rede, the vast majority of Wiccans will not curse or perform magic to bring harm upon anyone else.

A relatively objective (non-Wiccan) set of articles on what Wiccans do and believe:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm

Another useful article:

http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/paths/wicca.htm

A good site by Wiccans:

http://wicca.timerift.net

And the US Army Chaplains Handbook excerpt on Wicca:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_usbk.htm

If you're looking to do some reading, I'd recommend "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham, and "The Triumph of the Moon" by Ronald Hutton. I advise you to stay away from anything by Silver Ravenwolf, for reasons outlined in the following essay:

http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.shtml

Answer 2

LOL
Ok now you have to choose a pagan path. Pagan=Christianity. Same sort of umbrella term. WITH IN paganism you have
Hellenistic (Greek)
Wicca
Sumerian
Romano(Roman)
Kemetic (Egyptian)
Asatru/Heathen (Norse and yours truely)
Celtic
Celtic Reconstructionalist
Druids
Native American Shamaanistic
Ecelectic... and a ton I'm not even thinking of.
So....which one would you like to know about exactly?

Ymmo: LOL One of us really had to say that didn't we? Hehe

edit: Ah well then, I am Asatru. We are also known, and most times prefered to be called Heathen. Our ancestors were called Heathens far before the Christians got a hold of the word. I can give you the history but that's a long post. You'll just have to trust me.
Heathens believe we are the decendants of the gods. They are our Elder Kin, our family. In that sens we honor them, and we honor ALL our ancestors. Thier wisdom and divinity is passed through the blood lines.
We focus on home and hearth, family and community. Family is more then blood. Family is....well....family lol. We honor the old Norse/Germanic gods. The ones you would most likely know are Thor, Odin, Loki, etc. There are LOTS more.
We are Reconstructionalist. We keep the old ways old, as close to the way our ancestors did it as we can get. Obviously we have had to tweak a few things, but over all, we are closer to it now then ever before. The information out there is staggering. The closer we are to our ancestors, the closer we are to the gods.
We are Hard Polytheist. This mean we believe our gods are seperate and individual. With out this belief, the whole we are thier decendants thing falls apart. It's down hill after that. *I* try not to get offended when other's imply our gods are all part of one....but many of us do consider it slighly insulting.
We use the Hovamol as our "guidelines" the edda's as our books, along with 80,000 others. We are big on knowledge. There are those that follow the Nine Noble Virtues, but that's just a condensed version of what's in the Hovamol. Honor, loyality, family, etc. We answer to ourselves for our family. If that makes sense.
We are not universal nor do we want to be. You either hear the gods, answer your bloodlines, or you don't. Our feelings aren't hurt either way. We think no less of anyone who doesn't. You either are Asatru or you aren't. We are a little picky about who claims the title. Many have tarnished it and we are a bit protective of it these days.
Ok I'm stopping now. I can go on for ever lol

Answer 3

You got a lot of great information here. I would only add that there is a distinction between Wiccan Witches and non-Wiccan Witches. Non-Wiccan Witches don't follow the deities of Wicca necessarily, and have more of an emphasis on traditional Witchcraft. This practice is just another of the many paths you will find under the umbrella of paganism.

Answer 4

I'm a Wiccan. Truth be told though, there are quite a few different versions of Wicca as well.

I believe that deity is unknowable, at least while we are in human form.

I believe that we create Gods and Goddesses as personifications of aspects of that deity, in order to relate.

I believe in reincarnation, and that we progress through, rather than suffer through lives. I believe that we have somewhat of a choice of our circumstances while we are here.

I believe that we have a responsibility to this planet and to future generations (including ourselves in future lives), to care for the planet on which we live. We leave a legacy in the laws we enact and the strife we cause as well.

I believe that we are here to help and support each other, and that we are not intended to enforce or impose systems of belief on others.

Nutshell version without getting into too much theology or thealogy.

Answer 5

What's the point of being Pagan if I believe in Hell? But seriously folks...I believe in peace, love for all humankind, being nice to one's neighbors AND non-neighbors, helping those that need it, and having the strength to do the right thing. Now, what do religious people believe?

Answer 6

I don't believe in any after life. I'm an eclectic and non-theistic Pagan.

But many other Pagans believe in reincarnation or some version of the Summerlands. Or, if they're reconstructionists, they believe in whatever they're reconstructing. :-D

There are too many pagan religions for any single answer.

Answer 7

i believe in the supremacy of nature above all things. everything i do spiritually is a means of communicating with nature. and yes, queenelv... i DO believe in fairies. there are many wonderful things in the world that you have no idea about because you are only looking outside of the world toward heaven.

i'm just pagan, i don't follow anyone else's path, but i feel free to walk on one whenever it proves useful [i seem to spend a lot of time on the wiccan freeway].

Answer 8

I'm a pantheist. I don't believe in hell or any afterlife for that matter.

I believe that the Universe holds the place that most religions assign to a deity. There is no "personal" deity, there just is What Is. I believe in reality.

Answer 9

< like eternal Hell?>> Sorry. ALL Christians believe in the CHRISTIAN idea of eternal hell. < forever in Hell?>> Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17 - John the Baptist said the Lord will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. This unquenchable fire is the state of eternal separation from God, which the Church has called "hell" for 2,000 years. Some Protestant communities no longer acknowledge the reality of hell. Matt. 25:41 - Jesus says, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25:46 - Jesus says, "they will go away into eternal punishment" which is in reference to this eternal fire. Mark 9:47-48 - Jesus refers to hell as where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. It lasts forever. 2 Thess. 1:6-9 - the angels will come with flaming fire and the disobedient will suffer punishment of eternal destruction. It is important to note that "destruction" does not mean "annihilation," as some Protestant denominations teach. It means eternal exclusion from the presence of God. Jude 6-7 - the rebelling angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Rev. 14:11 - the worshipers of the beast suffer and the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever. Rev. 20:10 - they're tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone day and night forever and ever. Isaiah 33:14 - "Who of us can dwell in the everlasting fire?" This is a reference to hell which is forever. Isaiah 66:24 - their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched. We cannot fathom the pain of this eternal separation from God. Jer. 15:14 - in my anger a fire is kindled which shall burn forever. Hell is the proper compliment to the eternal bliss of heaven. Judith 16:17 - in the day of judgment the Lord will take vengeance on the wicked and they shall weep in pain forever. Hell is a place that sinners have prepared for themselves by rejecting God, who desires all people to be saved in His Son Jesus Christ. God sends no one to hell. < once you imbeciles!>> You misspell "Protestant" and still have the audacity to call Christians "imbeciles"? I think YOU're the one who needs to smarten up here.

Answer 10

Mike Ditka