basics of Paganism

[LONGGONEDEADFORUMS]

The term "Pagan" comes from a Latin word for "country dweller" first used in early Christian times to refer to those not yet converted to Christianity. "Pagan" was an epithet that cast aspersions on those not seen as "true believers." Today, it refers more generally to the faith of those whose spiritual center is drawn to native and natural religions, usually pantheistic or polytheistic, and almost always earth-centered.

Some contemporary Pagans call themselves Witches. However the term has many meanings, some carrying rather heavy negative baggage. "Witchcraft" or "The Craft" is most properly applied to three broad categories: Descendants of the European witches of the Middle Ages, practitioners of the "reconstructed" Witchcraft of the 20th century, and "feminist Witches" whose religion and politics center in the contemporary womens spirituality movement. It can generally be said that all modern Witches are Pagans, but not all modern Pagans are Witches. At least one writer, Aidan Kelly, has begun to use the term "Neo-Pagan Witchcraft" to describe the largest portion of the contemporary Pagan community.

[LONGGONEDEADFORUMS]

What is the difference between the old ways and the Modern Paganism ?

-: Modern Paganism :-

Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, is a modern, Earth-centered religious perspective which borrows and adapts from pre-Christian paganism as well as from contemporary religious thought. While reconnecting with ancient wisdom, it speaks eloquently to the needs and concerns of the present.


-: The Old Religion :-

The term describes the pre-Christian religion of much of western and northern Europe, which was based on the agricultural cycles and other natural rhytms of the Earth. It coexisted with Christianity for centuries, from the so-called "Dark Ages" up until the Inquisition and the "Burning Times" (witch hunts) of the late Middle Ages. It also can refer more generally to other native and tribal religions of the world.

[Kirree]

Paganism is probably the only spiritual path in the world whose name originally was a derogatory term. In face, the words "pagan" and "paganism" have been used for years to say not what something is but what it is not.

The original meaning of the word "pagan" comes from the Latin word for "civilian" or "rustic." Probably the modern equivalent would be "redneck" or "country bumpkin." Originally, a pagan was someone who didn't live in the city. But then, when Romans and inhabitants of other major cities began to convert to Christianity, all the rustics and country bumpkins held on to their traditional forms of spirituality and religion. That's when pagan came to mean "non-Christian." Over the centuries, the meaning of the word expanded to mean "primitive," "savage," "amoral," and all sorts of other unsavory connotations, but the main sense of the word was simply non-Christian.

The only problem with this definition is that it says what paganism isn't, not what it is. Sure, paganism as it is practiced in moder times is an alternative to religions like Christianity and Islam, but it's much, much more than that. So what's a handy definition? Well going back to the concept of "rustic" can be helpful since pagan spirituality almost always involves reverence for nature. But people who live in cities or suburbs can be just as pagan as rural folk, so an anagram of the word itself was created:

People Adoring Goddess And Nature

Even this definition is imperfect. For every pagan who mainly worships the Goddess, there are other pagans who worship a God and a Goddess in equilibrium, or who revere a variety of different Gods and Goddesses from ancient cultures. Likewise, many pagans worship the ground they walk on, while to some, nature is far less interesting than a room full of books. But since most pagans have some degree of reverence for nature and most have some sort of devotion to the Goddess, this definition works as well as any.