I decided years ago, after much reading, and listening to my own thoughts and beliefs, and finally trusting in them that I do not believe in a deity. (I was raised Methodist, and it was never a concept I could grasp regardless of how often I attended church growing up) I do however believe every living thing has a spirit and should be respected as it has it's own place in the balance of nature, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. In some ways I do believe in magick, I just don't believe in invoking a god or goddess during the spell to help ensure it, I believe the spell can give one the confidence/concentration to be able to do what it is they didi the spell ritual/prayer for. It's along the lines of the power lies within yourself, you just have to figure out how to utilize it to the best of your ability. So I believe in/respect nature and it's life spirits, believe in magic, don't believe in any god/goddess, and believe power comes from within. Does anything match this?!
2007-12-12 09:05:23 · 19 answers · asked by neverbroken83 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
c.1375, from L.L. paganus "pagan," in classical L. "villager, rustic, civilian," from pagus "rural district," originally "district limited by markers," thus related to pangere "to fix, fasten," from PIE base *pag- "to fix" (see pact).
Yes, you can be pagan and Wicca.
2007-12-12 09:11:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
There's at least one person on R&S that describes herself as a Wiccan atheist. However, I strongly disagree with that use of terminaology. Wicca is a religion. You can't be a religious atheist.
You can, however, certainly have a magical practice that was influenced by Wicca. But that doesn't make the practice Wiccan anymore than using Hebrew names of God made Aleister Crowley a Jew.
Pagan is an extremely vague term so its difficult to say "hey, you don't fit here." Pretty much I call anyone a Pagan who says they're a Pagan. And you've certainly got some Pagan leanings.
Mostly, however, you seem to be looking for a term to describe a magical practice, not a religion. "Non-theistic witch" might describe you well.
2007-12-12 20:16:08 · answer #2 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To be Atheist is to NOT believe in any deity, of any kind, at all.
Pagans/Wiccans believe in multiple gods and godesses. The two belief systems are incompatible.
As Pagans we invoke the God and the Goddess during ritual to sanctify certain elements and items within the ritual. Without a belief in the God and Goddess there can be no sanctification of anything within ritual.
2007-12-13 11:55:47 · answer #3 · answered by twoasonesfl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To the first part of the question: No. This is because Paganism involves a belief in a polytheistic god-concept. Whereas Atheism (sic?) involves a DIS-belief in any god-concept.
In regard to the second part of the question:
I would suspect Sorcery would be the term closest or most applicable. In Sorcery, (in the most general of terms) the practitioner considers all god-concepts (as well as anything demonic) something of a projection of their own conciousness. Thus they utilize Ceremony to access those parts of themselves necessary to accomplish the tasks the Sorcerer/ess has set for themselves.
2007-12-13 10:25:52 · answer #4 · answered by confused_390 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's more of a Pagan concept than a Wiccan concept. We believe in the Goddess and God. So yes, it's possible to be a Pagan and an Athiest.
Welcome aboard! Sort of... :-)
)O(
2007-12-12 17:09:59 · answer #5 · answered by wyvern1313 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The only way to be an atheist and Wiccan, specifically, is to believe the gods exist, but that they are archetypes or thought forms of the human mind, as opposed to gods.
I think it's a sucky kind of Wiccan, but then again, I became a Wiccan FROM an atheist because I met my gods.
There are, however, many forms of non-Wiccan Paganism that does not refer to the many gods we Wiccans believe in.
2007-12-12 17:29:33 · answer #6 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Pagan, yes. Wiccan, no. A-theism simply means "without god/dess(es)". It does not mean without spirit. You can be purely animistic, or a strict ancestor worshipper, and not believe in deities.
2007-12-14 15:30:24 · answer #7 · answered by Lupa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since atheist believe in no deities and pagans believe in sometimes multiple deities (depending on the exact pagan religion), I'd say it would not be possible to be both.
2007-12-12 17:16:08 · answer #8 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yep. I'm psychologically a Pagan.... Look up Carl Jung and Archetypes to see if this is what you mean. Or look up Israel Regardie who was a ritual magician and a Jungian/Reichian Psychoanalyst.
2007-12-13 11:16:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not a Wiccan and an atheist, no. But you can be a Pagan or a Witch and an atheist. It would be unusual, but possible.
2007-12-13 11:31:10 · answer #10 · answered by Glee 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You sound undefinable. That's a good thing. Do what make you happy don't worry about the labels. They mean nothing.
2007-12-12 17:08:53 · answer #11 · answered by Vintage Glamour 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋