Any pagans in the house?

[Theydontknowweknowtheyknow]

Inspired by another thread on JW beliefs I've realised I know next to nothing about paganism..except to know that it puts a great emphasis on nature.

Is there anyone here who is a pagan or has the knowledge to answer the following:

• what are the main beliefs/practices
• who are the main gods / goddesses
• how is it connected to wiccanism?
• how does it feel about Christianity?

I realise I could google it all .... and I probably will if no one responds!

I am pretty new to it myself but my dad is pagan. They worship the elements, earth, air, fire, water and spirit. They believe everything has its own spirit/soul. They feel connected to nature. Some people believe that pagans are devil worshipers but that is a lie. Some of them are practicing witches/wiccans but not all.

There's no big secret or rules.
Just people who believe things happen for a reason, that we are connected, life in all its forms etc.
it's not really a religion as such, it's more living a spiritual life, connected to the earth and all living things.
You can be a pagan and not be into Wicca and witchcraft. Or you can go to meetings-usually outdoors somewhere significant. You can be a group or just by yourself. There's no rules.

Thanks. It does intrigue me from an historic point of view in that it was here before Christianity.

Might do a bit more research.

Hi

I'm Pagan, and have followed a pagan path for more decades than I care to admit.

To answer your questions:

• what are the main beliefs/practices

Paganism is an umbrella term, a little like Hindu or Christianity, in that it covers a myriad of beliefs. There aren't even any central tenets, though most Pagans accept that Divinity can have both male or female aspects. How individual pagans decide to honour Divinity is also very personal. Popular paths within Paganism are Northern/Heathen paths (think Thor/Vikings, etc.), Wicca (an initiatory religion founded in the mid-20th century by a man called Gerald Gardner), and Druidry.

• who are the main gods / goddesses

There are hundreds, depending on an individual's path. Some pagans are polytheist and will worship/honour specific deities, such as the Greek or Norse pantheon. Others will simply honour male/female aspects of divinity, such as "the Horned God" or "the Mother Goddess".

• how is it connected to wiccanism?

There are two "wiccas". The first, and original, is the mystery initiatory religion founded by Gerald Gardner, which requires initiation into a lineaged group/coven which can trace it's initiatory line back to Gardner. There are also specific things which are common to all Wiccan groups with this lineage. However, the term Wicca was also adopted as a publicity-friendly title by publishers and authors wanting to sell books, so the idea that people could read a book, follow the ideas within that book, and call themselves Wiccan, also got out into the public sphere. And "wiccanism" isn't actually a word

• how does it feel about Christianity

Some Pagans like to feel persecuted and will be convinced that Christians are continually harassing them. (Actually in America this is probably true and some pagans are in fear of being exposed as they could lose their jobs/homes). But most pagans in the UK are quite sensible and it's very much live-and-let-live. Many of my pagan friends will have a good old sing-song at Christmas too.

The BBC website is quite a good source of general information, or the Pagan Federation.

^^Big thumbs up to the above post!^^

I'm a British Traditional Witch, which is quite different from being Wiccan. I have never felt persecuted by Christianity because I've never really cared about what they think; they have their beliefs, I have mine, I'd never try to convert anyone.
That said, I do hold a lot of resentment for how both witches and innocents were murdered, tortured or ostracised by Christians in the past and how to this day, people still suffer for the same reasons in parts of Africa and India. However, I think that is just as much about me being a believer in human rights as it is about me being a practising witch!