These are question that YOU ask. I say, if you have a question, please feel free to E-MAIL me with the question and I will do my best to answer it. Please keep in mind that my answers will be according to my tradition, though I will try to keep it as general as possible. However, every so often there will be times when my personal knowledge is based on my own pantheon.
AND SO WE BEGIN::::::::
What Is Paganism?
The word "Pagan" comes from the Latin pagani, meaning "village" and "country dweller." As the new Christian religion took over, the term was used as an epithet for those who had not yet been converted to the new religion. Christianity had largely developed in the more "civilized" environment of Roman cities, and so the pagans were largely regarded as 'backwater hicks.' Though, those that followed the polytheistic faith as High Priests or High Priestesses also called themselves Pagan. The difference in the terms is the capitalization of the "P" in the word "Pagan".
Contemporary Paganism (called NeoPaganism), like its earlier counterpart, reveres the earth as sacred, and its practitioners are mostly polytheistic and ever seek to reaffirm their spiritual selves through the cycles of the seasons, the tides, and the phases of the moon. Some Pagans express this by being active in environmental politics, others may simply teach their children how to recycle. Paganism respects men and women as equals, both being known as "Witch" among many of the Pagan traditions. Showing now differentiation between men and women of the faith. There is no "bible" providing all the answers to life for the average Pagan. Within Paganism lies the spirit of the oldest faith/religion on the face of the earth.
Paganism is a religion of personal responsibility. Because there is no set of "commandments" in Paganism, it is understood that how we govern our lives is up to us, and it is therefore equally up to us to atone for personal transgressions against others. As a result, you will not find too many Pagans willing to help you harm another. Most Pagans try to retain a sense of personal honor; a habit which has become sadly archaic in modern society.
It should be remembered that, historically, Paganism never truly ceased to be. Even during the height of medieval Christendom, substantial regions of northern Europe remained firmly Pagan. Shamanic tribal religions dominate much of central African and northern Asian. Also, there are significant groups of other Pagan beliefs remaining in Australia, South America, and southeast Asia.
In 1969, the US legally recognized the Church of All Worlds, one of many Pagan religious institutions, and hundreds have followed since then. There are also many of our Native American brothers and sister who follow their ancient tradition and still practice it today in the US. In 1972, Iceland recognized Nordic Paganism (Asatru). Other nations have done the same. Paganism is returning.
But isn't a Pagan someone who doesn't believe in God?
Pagans do believe in a God... several, in fact. Many Pagans believe in a complementary Goddess and God, whose union provides the spark of creation. Others are pantheistic, seeing the universe itself as divine. Still others are polytheistic, revering the multiplicity of life and divinity in a complex web of relationships. Still others are animist, believing that all living things (including the earth Herself) possess consciousness, and virtually all believe that divinity is equally immanent as well as transcendent (within and without).
Is this a joke?
While Pagans believe that humor is sacred too, no, this is not a joke.
Is this Satanic?
No. Contrary to the claims of some ill-informed Christian fundamentalists, Pagans do not even acknowledge the existence of a devil, much less worship one. Satanism, real or imagined, is anti-anything that is within the Pagan world view.
Is this New Age?
Not exactly. While Paganism has influenced much of the New Age phenomenon (evidenced in spiritual environmentalism, Goddess reverence, and some strains of eclectic Wicca), so has Zen Buddhism, pseudo-shamanism, mystic Christianity, motivational marketing techniques -- the list goes one.... A 1994 national survey of readers of Green Egg, revealed that only five percent of Pagans poled identified themselves with the New Age way of thinking. Simply put, Paganism is a religion, and New Age is not.
Is this a cult?
No. "Cults," as defined, most often involve aggressive recruiting, inflexible dogma, censorship of opinion, sexual manipulation, and/or surrender of will and individuality, required financial "contributions". Not only are these not characteristics of Pagan groups, but it can be argued that the Pagan re-emergance and growth may be in direct response to such behavior!
What about Wicca?
Wicca, may be described as one denomination or tradition of Paganism, much the same way that Baptist, Lutheran or Catholic are some of the denomination of Christianity. Much of the American contemporary Pagan growth emerged through Wicca. Gerald Gardner coined that term in the 1930 and set out to teach his own form of Paganism (a mix of Celtic, Greek and Roman pantheons). It is a fair statement to say that Wicca is the most popular of the Pagan traditions, but it is by far - not the only one.
Other Pagan traditions include: Celtic, Druid, Asatru (Germanic Paganism), Romuva (Slavic Paganism), some ceremonial magick societies, Afro-Carribean syncretic practices of Santeria, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Babylonian. The list is very extensive and I have posted many on another part of this homepage, feel free to browse.
Do Pagans proselytize?
NO! Pagans tend to consider individual spirituality to be a very personal affair, and thus are frequently offended at the concept of recruiting for any reason regarding faith. Pagans typically do not proselytize. As a result, people interested in Paganism, must ask answers on their own. Certainly, website access has made this task easier, and it should be understood that most Pagan websites are intended to either serve an existing community or make themselves available as passive resources for the interested. They are in no way an advertisement nor should they be used as such. It is believed that the seeker should find the teacher, not the other way around.
How many Pagans are there?
Estimates vary. Judging by circulation figures for the major Pagan periodicals, magazines and books, as well as attendance at regional gatherings and mailing lists, estimates fluctuate between 80,000 to 200,000 in the United States alone. Because Paganism is not an organized religion, it is very difficult to determine exactly how many there are, and since Pagans often will simply tell an auditor they are Christian or some other mainstream faith, it is very difficult to get an accurate count. Most remain unconcerned with the Christian need to number everything.
What are the holidays that Pagans observe?
That would depend on the tradition the Pagan follows. The most common are the Celtic Sabbats. Known as the Wheel of the Year, it breaks the year into 8 equal parts governed by the changing of the seasons. The New Year for the Celtic Pagan, and most traditions, is in October, known as Samhain (SOW - an). There is Yule in December, Imbolc in February, Ostara in March, Beltane in April, Litha in June, Lammas in August, and Mabon in September.
There is some notice that many of the Christian holidays copy the Pagan ones very closely. You will see, that much of Christian ritual is from Pagan ritual. For instance: Yule, is celebrated on or around December 21st. Always has been. It is the Birth of the Pagan Horned God to the Goddess. While anyone can see the similarities in the stories, the birth of Jesus was actually in May or June sometime, not December. The early Christian community in an attempt to convert the Pagans of a given area, often used the Pagan rituals for their own to make their faith seem more attractive to the Pagan.
How old do you have to be to be Pagan?
A Pagan would say: any age. However, due to the fear surrounding the Pagan faith, often you will find a High Priest or High Priestess being taken to court for "drawing a child to the devil", by some hyper Christian parent. Yet by the same token, no one looks twice at the 10 year old going to a priest and saying they want to be Christian. So the double standard would apply. While I have taught many between the ages of 10 and 15, I do so with caution. While in the cases that went to court, the Pagan has won, the situation can be time consuming and emotionally depleting.
A good standard for Pagans, when teaching a young person, is to have either a permission slip signed by the parents (follow the link below for an example), or wait until the child is of the age of decision (16 years in most states in the US).
Are there those that are born Pagan?
There are Pagans that can trace their lineage back many years, though that is not common. These traditions are called Famtrad or Hereditary Pagans. However, when it comes right down to it, the decision is an individual one and must be made according to the calling within an individual. The age of decision within the Famtrad is 14 and in most Hereditary Path families, the age is 13.
However, you may be Christian and love the earth or do magic, or feel "something" else within yourself. You can do all this without forsaking the calling of your soul to be Christian. For instance, there are those that call themselves "Christian Witches". These are people that believe in Jesus as the savior, but follow a more earthen way of doing it. Perhaps even belonging to a coven or circle. That idea, however, is a bone of contention among many Pagans who consider that idea impossible. I believe that anything is possible.
Are all Pagans, Witches?
No. We have mentioned that even among Pagans, there is a dispute about just how specific the term "witch" is. But the majority opinion seems to be that the question is about the same as "Are all Christians, Catholic? (or Methodist, Baptists etc…). Most Witches are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Witches. Keeping in mind that like a Baptist or Methodist, a Witch is simply another tradition within the Pagan faith. Though may Pagan, regardless of their traditions, do use the term "Witch" to describe themselves.
What are the types of Paganism?
Civilo-Paganism: The religions of "civilized" communities which evolved in paleo-Pagan cultures – Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian for instance.
Meso-Paganism: A group, which may or may not still constitute a separate culture, which has been influenced by a conquering culture, but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practice – Native American Nations for example.
NeoPaganism: Attempts of modern people to reconnect with nature, pulling from all forms of Paganism and adjusting them to the needs of modern people – Wicca, Gardenarian, and Alexandarian are some examples of this.
Paleo-Paganism: The standard of Paganism. A Pagan culture which has not been disrupted by "civilization" or by another culture – Australian Bushmen, ancient Celtic religion, Druidism, the religions of the pre-patriarchal cultures of Old Europe, Norse, pre-Columbian Native American are some examples.
Syncreto-Paganism: Similar to Meso-Pagan, but having had to submerge itself into the dominant culture, and adopt the external practices and symbols of the other religion – Afro-Diasporic (Voodoo, Santeria, etc…), Culdee Christianity are a couple of examples.
Who is a Pagan?
I would assume you are asking what type of person is Pagan? I will answer that question. People from all walks of life and backgrounds are Pagan – Police Officer, Pharmacists, Doctors, Lawyers, Farmers, Domestic Engineers, Firemen, Teachers and perhaps even your own neighbor no matter what he does for a living.
As anyone around you could be a Christian, Jew, Muslim……Anyone around you could be a Pagan.
I am Christian - Will my questions be posted?
Yes. However, I ask that you follow a few simply guidelines so as not to make your postings be the ones that a person would tab past. 1) Keep the question relevant to Paganism. 2) Make sure that you are asking a question that has not already been answered to keep my E-mail log to a nice safe minimum. 3) Don’t ask leading questions of the nature of conversion.
These guidelines apply to all who send in a question via my e-mail. You may ask questions to answer aspects of other faiths as they relate to Paganism.
We studied "The Burning Times" in class, what is your definition of that?
The Burning Times was a period in history of great persecution of the Pagan community. Also known as the Inquisition or Witch Hunts. During that time many men and women were persecuted for a faith that was objectionable to the Christian church of the time. There arose a book called the Malleus Maleficarum (Witches Hammer), which was considered the guide to identifying those that practiced against the Christian church. It outlined ways to identify, torture and kill those that were accused. Many confessed thinking that would be the end of it - it was indeed the end - of their lives.
There were many towns in Germany where no women were left after the Inquisition went through.
There were many other reasons a person would be accused of "worshipping the devil". Not all of those reasons had anything to do with any faith. More to do with greed. People that got on the wrong side of someone who knew the town magistrate. A rich person, whose neighbor coveted their land perhaps. People who did not "fit in", such as a particularly beautiful or ugly woman, widows with wealth or the sick and injured.
As is often the case, this horror sprang from fear and misinformation about Paganism. Although discrimination still exists against Paganism, we now have freedom to practice our faith in many parts of the world and particularly in the US. We now work to educate the general public on the true nature of Paganism, and try to prevent what happened in history from happening again.
How does someone become Pagan?
It really is not a matter of becoming Pagan, rather a matter of looking within yourself for the path that the Gods have for you. Good ways of investigating if a particular path is right for you is to frequent Pagan bookstores, attend conventions or open discussion groups at local schools. There are several on-line chats that have individuals that would be willing to answer questions you may have. PLEASE NOTE: If all you are interested in "spell begging" you will not be warmly greeted.
What is a Coven?
A Coven is a group of men/women or just men or it could also be just women, that usually number between 5 and 13 members. It is a group that gets together to do ritual and celebrate the Sabbats. The groups are very close nit and pride themselves on total trust in one another. The ties between Coven members are as close as those between family members, and in some cases, closer.
There are also groups called "Circles", with the same definition as that of Coven. Though the Circle is usually smaller than a Coven and the ties may not be as strong as those in a Coven. The term used is dependent on the tradition you follow.
How are Covens formed?
In much the same way as an individual would find a teacher. Through networking. Occasionally, you find a creative Pagan who will advertise in the newspaper. Simply stating that they are looking to form a discussion group, listing the interests to be discussed. Remember that society is still very fearful of Paganism, so if you are interested in following the newspaper line of Coven formation, keep away from "buzz" words like: witchcraft, spells, coven, ritual. Those tend to illicit a rather hostile response. Also, DO NOT give out your real name or your address. Instead, perhaps, get a PO box for mail.
I have heard about women only Covens, aren’t those an act of discrimination?
Yes. So what? ALL circles/Covens are in some way discriminatory, even if the only discrimination is that they evict someone for a disruption. Of course, you would have to ask yourself why you want to intrude into a social space where you are not wanted?
Ultimately, you need to remember that some people feel strongly that some mysteries are gender-related and therefore it is not appropriate to have men (or women, as the case may be). It is not a plot to keep you out or to make you feel bad, but rather an ancient method of exploring certain mysteries that only apply to one sex.
Can you and will you cast a spell for me?
Can I? Probably (whether is will give you the desired result is another thing). Will I? Not on your life!!!
This goes back to the law of Ethics or in many cases, some form of the Witches Rede. Whatever you do to another effects you as well. I will not altar anyone’s destiny for myself or anyone else. For the most part, that would be the answer you would get from the Pagan community. In the chat areas, it is called "Spell Begging".
Of course, this makes it sound as if we spend our lives deciding whether to curse or hex someone, when that is not true. Most of the time, our spells and such are done to help heal the planet, getting a job, healing and spiritual empowerment. Spells are quite similar to prayer. In fact, often you will find a Pagan using the Psalms in the bible as a spell. The thinking behind that is - often used words have power.
I have heard of the "tools" use in ritual, what are they?
Well, we have the Athame (a black handled knife). This knife is NEVER used to cut or injure. We use incense, salt and water. The salt and water signifies Earth and the incense is Air. There is usually a white working candle used to light the other candles. We also have a pentacle disk or picture on the altar. A colored altar cloth done according to the Sabbat or ritual you are doing. Some Pagans use symbols of the Gods, such as a silver candle for the Goddess and a gold one for the God.
Then there are the ones that are a personal choice. A staff, the cup or horn, the cauldron, the wand, the cord, the bell, the besom, the sword or spear, and even stones.
The Staff is used to connect the two worlds, the physical and the spiritual, together and allows the Pagan to transverse between the two.
The cord denotes the level that Pagan has reached in their chosen tradition. It is also used at Handfastings and sometimes even dances which are done with the cords linked together.
Stones are used to denote and earthly offering to the Gods, the cauldron is often used to burn things. For instance, you do a Samhain ritual and you burn bit of paper with writing on it, usually things you wish to give up or eliminate within the next year. The besom is the broom. The sword is use like the staff in most cases. Then there are traditions that use the sword for specific reasons associated with their ritual, such as Dragon Magic.
What is a "Dedication" and "Rites of Passage"?
Dedication is when a person decides to follow a Pagan path, and learn the Pagan ways. A Dedication ritual is something that is composed by the person themselves to pledge themselves to the Gods. Just because someone has gone through a Dedication but not through a Rite of Passage does not mean that they are not devoted. Devotion to the Gods is a personal thing and cannot be measured by someone else.
The Rites of Passage, or Initiation is a formal ritual where a person must spend a period of time in study and reach a certain point whereupon they are given a set of tasks to complete. Some traditions have different stages, where others have certain points in the life cycle where this ritual takes place. There are also sometimes Naming Ceremonies and HandFastings. These are sometimes included within the Rites of Passage or Initiation, although in some traditions they are separate.
What is the Book of Shadows?
This is a book of rituals, drawings, symbols, spells and folklore which is usually handwritten by each individual. The personal name for the book, given by its owner, is kept a secret, known only to the individual who writes in it. The rituals themselves are based in the tradition of the individual the book belongs to. With the advent of the computer, the BOS has moved from the handwritten to the typed, though most still handwrite as that helps them remember more.
When there is a Coven based BOS (Book of Shadows), it is often copied by an individual when they reach the High Priest or High Priestess status within that tradition.
Is it okay to experiment with Paganism and Witchcraft?
What's to experiment with? It is a faith/religions and philosophy, not a toy. If you believe in it, you do, if you don't then consider yourself officially not Pagan. Each person must follow their hearts and the callings therein. Listen to the calling of the Gods, They will guide you to the path They wish you to follow.
How Organized is Paganism?
Paganism has been regarded by Christianity as a "make up as you go along" faith. In fact it is VERY organized. While we do not have what a Christian would call a "church", we do have many different circles/covens as well as solitaries that follow very specific ritual according to their specific tradition. We have no central "bible" type book, but each individual and coven/circle has a Book of Shadows which is followed and passed on according to that individuals tradition. There are some "organized" circles/covens, like the COG for instance, which give Pagans the protection offered by Christian churches. As well as a move for us all to begin using that forum to be protected and heard. We are, as a faith, moving toward a time of central organization and recognition.
When is Yule, and why is it Celebrated?
Yule is generally celebrated on December 21st, and is the time of the birth of the God to the Goddess. The beginning of the dark times (Winter) in preparation of the light (Spring). It is a time of renewal and rebirth. A time to see the good in our fellow man and show them ours. A time for the seeker to find themselves and begin a time of inner peace. We celebrate the God and Goddess in ritual.
I've heard to cleanse ritual items of negative energy, they must be buried in the earth or in salt etc. Is this true?
There are multiple ways of cleansing ritual items. They need to be cleansed not necessarily because of negative energies, but of other people's energy other than your own (like the store bought athame). Cleansing them by burying them or bathing them in sea-salt are a few ways of cleansing them. Some also dip them in a running stream/river, while others use a cleansing ritual. They need to be cleared away of any energies that might affect their ritual workings. These items must take on your 'Ritual signature' or 'aural energy' for them to work at their best. They must be attuned to your own energies.
How do you tell a New-Age Witch from a real Witch?
You throw them both in the water; the New-Age Witch will sink from the weight of all their crystals (this question was for laughs - right?)*g*
Well it's not for me, my circle sister is well discouraged about her hair. she wants it to grow longer & faster...she's had problems trying to make it grow and is looking for a spell that might aid her. can you help?
Unfortunately, I have never heard of such a spell. Some things in nature must take their course and cannot be rushed, and I believe this is such an occasion. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and things high in protein might help, but those things have to do with nutrition, and not magick *g*
Does a wand need to be made from an apple branch, from a living tree?
A wand does not have to be made from an apple branch. It can be made from a branch of any tree, even small twigs. I've also seen people use wands made of plastic and metal. If you do use a wand made of wood, however, it is a good idea to get a freshly fallen branch, as nature's energies are still fresh in the branch. My wand was from a tree that was struck by lightning, for instance. As with the other tools of the faith, use whatever you feel attracted to, what feels right for you.
Are tools really an absolute necessity in ritual, performing magick?
Tools are not *absolutely* necessary in ritual, depending on what ritual you are doing. Tools help one to concentrate their energies for the task at hand in some cases.
As for doing magick, one does not need to use tools (such as a wand, athame, etc..). Magick is equal a "Mind Over Matter" thing. A focus of personal energy used to cause an affect on something/someone else. The use of tools can help you concentrate and remain focused... but they are not necessary.
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