2007-12-16 16:25:36 · 14 answers · asked by ==Whirlpool== 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Also, what is the fundamental difference between a pagan and a wiccan? Thanks!
2007-12-16 16:30:51 · update #1
p.s please do not answer if you are attempting to evangelise Christianity. Thanks.
2007-12-16 16:38:29 · update #2
Not really. Paganism is an umbrella term for a lot of belief systems, so only you can decide if you're Pagan or not. No two Pagans neccessarily believe alike. I could be considered Pagan by some, but I don't worship gods or goddesses. While I feel more comfortable with Paganism than most other belief systems, I don't call myself Pagan and don't really consider myself one.
You can be of any faith you want and still practice tarot and astrology. Just don't be surprised when others of your faith point fingers and claim you can't be of their faith becuase you practice those things. Unless you know that they directly speak for your God, then don't worry about it. And no one on the planet speaks directly for any God.
Your faith is between you and the god of your understanding. Don't let anyone tell you what you are. And don't worry about having a label. It's ingrained in us that we must label our belief systems, but we don't have to. Buddha didn't call himself Buddhist. Jesus didn't call himself Christian. It's okay to just believe what you believe and not have a name like Pagan, Wiccan, Heathen, or Christian to put to it.
Trinity explained the difference between Wiccan and Pagan rather well. I agree with her completely. Pagan is an umbrella term while Wiccan is a specific religion.
2007-12-17 08:02:03 · answer #1 · answered by Gidget 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Tarot and astrology are not especially pagan. Many people who call themselves Christian also like these and have no problem.
As for wiccans and pagans, wicca is a religion invented in the 1940's in England and loosely based on some pagan practices with a sprinkling of vivid imagination. Pagans have been around since prechristian times by other names and have many different beliefs though most follow some type of earth based beliefs. In the USA there are many people who would be labelled as pagans in Europe who are labelled as wiccan there. Technically all wiccans should be pagan but not all pagans are wiccan.
2007-12-17 00:43:55 · answer #2 · answered by freebird 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
No. Being pagan means being part of a pagan religion. Though tarot and astrology can both be considered religious, having an interest in them does not mean you are pagan, just like practicing yoga doesn't make you a devout Hindu.
The difference between Wicca and paganism is that paganism is a category of religions. Wicca is one of the religions that falls under the category of paganism.
2007-12-17 02:13:06 · answer #3 · answered by xx. 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
If you "play" the Tarot? If you are interested in astrology, then you merely have an interest in astrology.
This does not make you a pagan, nor does it make you wiccan. Bless you. :)
A wiccan may be considered pagan, but being pagan does not make one a wiccan. Paganism is like an umbrella term for those not engaged in all of the mainstreem organized religions, christianity, islam, etc....
Wicca is a religion of it's own.
I hope you find what it is you seek....and may you be blessed with knowledge on your path to spiritual freedom.
Blessed Be
)o( Trinity
2007-12-17 00:37:33 · answer #4 · answered by trinity 5 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Reading your question carefully, I think the correct semantic answer would be "not necessarily." The way I learned English, I'd put the label "pagan" on anyone who is non-Christian. Strictly speaking, a Buddhist or Muslim would be a pagan.
With that, I checked for the usual suspects and found that a pagan seems to be either a polytheistic believer or an unreligious and hedonistic person. To a certain extent, it seems some of us who have a tendency to hedonism could wear the label "pagan" as well as "Christian."
You have a "keen interest" in astrology and "play" with Tarot. Neither indicates a belief in either. Thus I'd still go with my original "not necessarily" answer.
Sorry to be a bit wishy-washy and legalistic in the religious area, but that's the best answer I can come up with.
2007-12-17 00:43:15 · answer #5 · answered by going_for_baroque 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Hello Whirlpool
No it doesn't make you a Pagan.
Spiritual practice doesn't make you any particular religion or faith - what you believe does that.
I have worked with spirit for over 20 years, teach the tarot & im not Pagan, I lean more towards Buddhism.
You will find that there are many religious basis or philosophys that are choosen to underpin spiritual work & development.
Pam
2007-12-17 07:45:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. There are plenty of Christians who believe in both. western astrology is based on a universal view held by Christians for over 1500 years: that the physical world is influenced by the spheres of planets and stars which are influenced by spheres of angels which are commanded by God who resides beyond the angelic spheres.
Edit:
A pagan is any non-Judeo Christian. Hindus are one example of a pagan. There are a group of people who tend to self-identify as Pagan (or NeoPagan). This includes Druids and Wiccans. Wicca is a specific religion that emerged in the 20th century based on dedication to a god and goddess and a worldview that divides the universe into complementary opposites. There are many Wiccans (and Pagans, and pagans) who believe in astrology, but it does not define any of them.
2007-12-17 00:29:36 · answer #7 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
No, it makes you someone who practices divination.
Wicca - pagan. There are many branches of paganism (Celtic, Egyptian, Roman, Greek.....) Wicca is a religion. You need to narrow the field of Pagan for the question.
2007-12-17 00:37:14 · answer #8 · answered by Aravah 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
"Paganism" is basically just somebody else's religion. It is often applied to the beliefs of indigenous peoples by the invaders stealing their land.
Wicca started up after the Second World war and is a play-time thing like Tarot. It borrows (some would say steals" its name from the religious practices of some of the Celts and their Druids. It pretends to ancient knowledge, but that is closely guarded by a very few and never flaunted in public.
2007-12-17 00:35:25 · answer #9 · answered by Gaspode 7 · 3⤊ 5⤋
It means you have an interest in what are traditionally consider pagan activities. No it does no make you a pagan. Only if you follow their beliefs.
2007-12-17 00:29:16 · answer #10 · answered by Jakero Evigh 5 · 2⤊ 4⤋