Pagan Promises FAQs
- What is Paganism or a Pagan?
- Are there different types of Pagans?
- Do Pagans worship Satan or the Devil?
- Do Pagans believe in Jesus?
- How do you become a Pagan?
- Where are the Pagan Churches?
- Can a Christian be a Pagan too?
- What can I do if my family or friends think it is bad to be a Pagan?
- Why do people say bad things about Pagans?
- Are Pagans Witches?
- What is a Pagan Ritual?
- What do you believe happens when you die? Do you believe in Heaven and/or Hell?
- What is a Goddess?
- Where did the idea of a Goddess come from?
- Is the Goddess only for women?
- What kinds of Goddesses are there?
- Who is the Pagan God?
- What god(s) do you believe in?
- What one thing would most pagans probably want the world to know about them?
The words paganism and pagan come from the Latin "paganus," meaning "country dweller." Pagans who hold a reverence for the Earth and all its creatures, generally see all life as interconnected, and tend to strive to attune one's self to the manifestation of this belief as seen in the cycles of nature. A Pagan is generally a person who believes that all forms of life have a soul or spirit. Pagans are usually polytheistic (believing in more than one god or goddess), and they usually believe in the concept of divinity residing in all things. Many pagans, though polytheistic, see all things as being part of one Great Mystery. The apparent contradiction of being both polytheistic and monotheistic can be resolved by seeing the Gods or Goddesses as masks worn by the Great Mystery. Other pagans are simply monotheistic or polytheistic, and still others are atheistic.
Some people believe paganism to be a religion within itself; others see it as a belief system (such as monotheism) that can be incorporated into religions like Wicca or Druidism; others see it as a broad category including many religions. The fact that we are re-creating religion for ourselves after centuries of suppression makes us very eclectic and very concerned with the "rightness" of a particular thing for the individual. So when you see some people calling it a religion and others not, when you see it capitalized in some instances and not in others, don't be confused -- we're all still basically talking about the same thing.
Are there different types of Pagans?
There are hundreds of different Pagan religions or traditions. Some of the best-known Pagan religions are Buddhism, Shintoism, Native American Religions, Hinduism, Taoism, Wicca, Celtic, Norse, Santeria, Voodoo, Traditional Witchcraft, Druidism, Asatru, Shamanism, Neo-Paganism and Eclectic Paganism. There are also Pagans that tend to have a mild mixture of several different traditions in their practicing styles.
Do Pagans worship Satan or the Devil?
No, Pagans do not worship the Devil or Satan. Pagans do not believe in the Devil, he is part of the Judeo-Christian Religions and mythology. Most Devil worshipping groups are not Pagan, because they are centered on a Judeo-Christian supernatural being, namely Satan. These Devil Worshippers are a sect of Christianity, even though Christianity does not want to claim them. Their focus is on opposing the mainstream Christian God and honoring the Devil, neither of these beings are part of Paganism. There is a tradition that calls itself Satanist. Satanists are not devil worshippers. They do not believe in god or the devil or any force outside themselves and other living creatures. They believe they can control their lives without the need to place responsibility on a higher power of any kind. Devil worshippers on the other hand sometimes do claim to be Satanists. . . this leads to lots of confusion.
People often confuse the Occult with Pagan Religion, this is a mistake, and they are very different things. Many religions, including; Pagan, Non-Pagan, Christianity and Judaism have occult aspects, many do not.
If what you really want to know is do we sacrifice babies and worship evil incarnate, the answer's no.
Some do and some do not. Many Pagans believe in a wide variety of higher beings. Jesus is one of these beings for some Pagans. Some believe he was a great spiritual teacher, but not a god. Some have no feelings about him at all.
You look into your heart and ask if it is the right path for you. Some people are born Pagans, even though they do not even know the word, others are born into Pagan cultures, and many others become Pagan when they search their hearts for a connection with their Spirits.
To become a practicing Pagan, you must learn to look at Nature and begin to honor Her ways and cycles. Many new Pagans begin by celebrating the phases of the Moon. This can be as simple as taking the time each evening to gaze at the Moon and sing softly to yourself. Make up the words as you go along, you will be amazed at how easy it is. Really look at plants, and your cat, sit quietly and see if you can feel their energy. The first steps to becoming a Pagan are becoming aware of the magic of the natural world around you. The second step is doing a small personal ritual and self-blessing that celebrates your entering the Pagan Path.
There are thousands of Pagan Temples around the world. Most Eclectic Pagans, Wiccan and Native American Religions do not worship in churches, because they are Nature Religions. Religious Rituals are often held outside, in parks, fields, wooded groves, at a beach or lake, anywhere that promotes a connection with Nature. Large public rituals are often held in auditoriums, small rituals are often held in people's homes. There are also Virtual Temples and Altars online.
Can a Christian be a Pagan too?
Many cultures have a blend of Christian and Pagan beliefs within their Christian Religions. Irish Catholicism, Mexican, Italian and South American Catholicism all have incorporated many Pagan beliefs and customs into their Christian faith. I am sure there are many others, but these are the ones I am most familiar with. The crowning of Mary on May Day is from the older Pagan custom of "Crowning the May Queen" as a representative of the Goddess.
Religious belief is a very personal thing; it is the most personal thing about you. How you express your spirituality is no ones business but your own and what you believe is between you and your higher power. Your truth is in your own heart, honor it and do not let anyone limit it.
What can I do if my family or friends think it is bad to be a Pagan?
This is something most Pagans consider "Coming out of the Broom Closet". You can try to educate them to dissolve any fears or misunderstanding of what your beliefs are first. If this does not work, quietly develop a Pagan heart. Which means you simply learn to either stand outwardly for your beliefs or live your daily life with your beliefs in a more silent manner. You can begin by trusting your own perceptions. Then honor Nature and learn Her ways. You may not be able to buy books or go to public rituals, but you can watch a small patch of grass for 10 minutes and really see it, all true power comes through understanding.
Why do people say bad things about Pagans?
People often ridicule what they do not understand. Fundamental Christianity seems especially threatened by Pagans, although I do not know why. Numerous people have said many hateful, ridiculous, and untrue things about Paganism. These people are typically uneducated with what being a Pagan truly means or they are afraid of anything outside of their own belief system. Hollywood has also created many damaging and untrue stereotypes to sell movie tickets.
Some Pagans are Witches, some are not. Just as most Witches are Pagan but not all Pagans are Witches. Many Pagan groups do not practice Witchcraft. Wiccans are a type of Pagan Witches; there are also Dianic Witches, Green Witches, and other types of Pagan Witches. There are also Christian Witches, many of these people are practicing Christian, but also practice Witchcraft. Santeria is a South American religion that is a blend of Voodoo, Witchcraft and Christianity.
A Religious or Pagan Ritual is anything that focuses your spiritual energy. A church service is a ritual, so is a wedding, or a funeral, or a Hopi Sun Dance. Humans have created rituals since the beginning of time. Ritual is the way humans express their connection with divinity and each other. There are many kinds of Pagan Ritual, personal rituals you do by yourself, full moon rituals, by yourself or with a group. There are blessing rituals for a new home, or for children, or for healing, or cleansing. There are protection ritual, and banishing rituals, to name a few. Your Grandmother may have placed a horseshoe over the door; this is a popular form of simple protection ritual that is rooted in Pagan tradition. Or throwing salt over your shoulder if it is spilled, so as not to attract bad luck.
For Wiccans and Neo-Pagans there are some basic Ritual Traditions that you may have heard about. Many Pagan Ritual begin by honoring the Earth and the 4 directions, as well as the elements the directions represent, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. A circle is cast and blessed with water, smoke, salt and light in honor of these elements. Rituals often include, singing, chanting, dancing, drumming, poetry and hymns to the Goddess or Gods. Some Rituals are very complex and are almost like a play, other rituals are very simple and flow with the energy of the group.
What do you believe happens when you die? Do you believe in Heaven and/or Hell?
Before I begin, I would just like to point out that there is no set doctrine among Pagans when it comes to the details of the afterlife. Some Pagan paths have a more specific mythology in this regard. Most Pagans believe in reincarnation. Our souls come back lifetime after lifetime, to learn new lessons and to grow as individuals. Between lives, our souls reside in the Summerlands. It's neither heaven nor hell, but a place for our souls to rest and reflect on the experiences of completed lives. You may be reunited with loved ones as well. What happens when we learn all we can on this earthly plane? I really couldn't say. People who are unfamiliar with Paganism tend to see the lack of heaven or hell as meaning we live our lives without responsibility.
We may not consider ourselves doomed to suffer for an eternity in a Christian hell, but we certainly believe that there are consequences to our actions. Those who do 'evil' deeds will find their punishment in another lifetime. Karma follows a soul from life to life. Our fates are not determined by any one single action, but rather by the overall accumulation of actions throughout our lives.
Since the pantheons they work with influence Pagans, their views of the afterlife may come from the culture they work with. In other words, if you are Wiccan but work with Norse Deities, you may feel more drawn to the idea of Asgard rather than the Summerlands, even though you are not truly following an Asatru path.
The word goddess means a female divine being. Around the world for many thousands of years, the majority of our ancestors worshipped a Divine and powerful Mother-Goddess. She was honored as the Mother of all life. Modern archaeologists have discovered many statues and artifacts that verify the worship of ancient female deities.
Where did the idea of a Goddess come from?
Early humans depended on the earth for all things, food, shelter, and life itself. They noticed that all life was created within the bodies of females and so it was natural for them to see an all-powerful creator as female too. Cave paintings and rock carvings of Goddesses have been found that date back to 35,000 years B.C.E. or earlier. Many of these statues and painted images are often called "Venus". The best known of these, is the Venus of Willendorf. Goddess images of great antiquity have been found all over the world. Most of the earliest images of a Goddess show an abundant, round, full figured and serene being. An ample form symbolized prosperity, freedom from hunger and security. It is not clear if early Goddess worshippers also practiced ancestor worship.
Is the Goddess only for women?
No, the Goddess was celebrated and revered by all members of early societies. Men, women and children were all under the protection of the ever-present powerful Mother Goddess; She was both nurturing and fierce. Today, as the culture of the Goddess is re-emerging, women, men and children celebrate divine female energy again, just as they did in early times.
What kinds of Goddesses are there?
Historically, there are many thousands of different Goddesses and Gods; each region had their own version of these divinities. Mother Goddesses are universal. There is also a wide spread tradition of a Triple-Goddess, most commonly referred to as the "Maid-Mother-Crone". The Maid, being youth and possibility, the Mother being creativity and nurturing, and the Crone representing wisdom, transition and accountability. (This is only a brief generalization of their attributes.) All aspects of the Triple-Goddess represent different types of healing and growth. There are also ancient androgynous Goddesses who represent both female and male in the same deity. There are Goddesses like Gaia, whose body is the Earth. Every part of the world has their own version of many of these basic Goddess forms.
There is no single Pagan God. Some Pagan faiths, like Hinduism and Eclectic Paganism have many Gods and Goddesses. Some Pagan Traditions like Taoism have no Gods or Goddesses. Some popular deities with contemporary American Pagans are Artemis-Diana, Inanna, the GreenMan, IsIs, Brigid, Rhiannon, Apollo, Kore, and Demeter.
What god(s) do you believe in?
Neopagans believe in a great many and gods. However, not all neopagans believe in the same ones, or even in any at all. Many neopagans believe in a Goddess and a God that are manifest in all things. Some follow particular pantheons (e.g. Greek, Irish, Norse, Yoruban, Welsh), others don't stick to any one culture, and still others see the Divine in more symbolic terms. Many pagans and Witches see the God in two, the Young God and the Old God. Other pagans do not believe in any gods at all, but instead honor spirits and/or totems in various forms such as animals or trees, as in many of the native American religions. As is usually the case, defining "God" is a very slippery idea. But these are some of the more common among modern pagans.
What one thing would most pagans probably want the world to know about them?
The answer included here comes from Margot Adler's excellent book Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America Today (the revised edition). If after reading this FAQ, you want to learn even more about modern paganism, we highly recommend this book. It is available in most bookstores and in many libraries.
"We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you -- to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think."
-- Margot Adler, Drawing Down the Moon, p.453.
