Hello and welcome to the Pagan Facts Thread! Here you’ll find some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about Paganism, answered by Magick Lifes crew, and some do’s and don’ts of the Craft. Hopefully this thread can answer some of the basic questions that float around amongst the newer crowd, and give some concrete info to banish those awesome stereotypes we‘ve got going. So without further ado, may we present the FAQs, courtesy of Meri, Neri, Chaoswolfmage, Climarathorn, and SorceressJackyln.
-What is Paganism?
"Paganism", "The Craft", "The Path", and so forth, is a name given to many religions that are polytheistic, shamanic, based on magick, or something totally different than the other major religions out there. Pagan comes from the term "country-dweller", which is believed to be based on the folk that lived out in the sticks, who were the last to be converted over to a specific religion. They held on to traditions, which stayed even during the Dark Ages, the Inquisition, World Wars, and the New Millennium. Anyway, Paganism usually involves going back to old religions. Neo-Paganism, a branch of Paganism, is when folks take certian aspects of old religions and traditions, to create a new one.
-What's Wicca? Are they different?
~Oh, it’s different. Wicca is a branch of neo-Paganism that was sorta brought to life in the mid-fifties. Some dispute has been made as to who popularized it, but common thought is that a man named Gerald Gardiner is the person to point a finger at. Initiation is often a huge factor in whether or not you’re a “real Wiccan”, though there are loads of solitary practioners out there, as well as non-lineage covens (they didn’t come from one of the covens that popularized Wicca).
Wicca centers around a God and a Goddess, often Celtic in background, as well as reverence towards nature and ever-changing cycles. It’s a nature religion that heavily believes in things like “the rule of three” and the “Wiccan Rede”. There are guidelines so to say, but no real bible or book to go by (aside from your personal, or covens Book of Shadows). Wicca has gotten a lot of bad press as being extremely watered down and “fluffy” over the years, though it is still largely respected amongst the Pagan community.
-What's the difference between being a witch and being a Pagan/Wiccan/ect?
~ “Pagan” is the umbrella term here, which basically means you believe/associate with deity(s) that are pre-Abraham (Christian, Judaism, Muslim) belief. Wiccans are a branch of Paganism that worship a more Celtic-based path, and Witches can be anything from a Wiccan to a Christian who sees no harm in casting spells. While a Witch can be a Pagan, a Pagan might not consider themselves a Witch.
-Do "they" believe in God? Satan? Hell?
~A big part of being a Pagan involves a whole different belief system than your standard, monotheistic person. Some Pagans believe in a God, as well as a Goddess, or just a Goddess, or both of them combined into a higher being. Some believe in a whole group of Gods and Goddesses, while others lay their faith in nature and the elements alone. Satan really has no part in our religions, as we see it as a scare tactic to make people obedient. We’re more apt to believe in some form of negative, not essentially bad, just not in our interests. Malignant ghosts or spirits, you really have to disseminate what would make them “bad”. Hells also one of those things you don’t see often. If we believe in it, it is usually something that’s already present, like hate or depression.
-Where does magick figure in? Why the "k"?
~The “k” was introduced way back in the day to distinguish our kind of magic from that you might find on a stage someplace. Our magick is more of a psychological tool, but its much greater than that really. One might cast a spell to help him or her overcome a certain fear. They use all sorts of elements that are symbolic to them, cast the spell and are empowered to overcome their fear. On another level, a group of Pagans might gather to plant trees or band together to fight against something bad like A.I.D.S or world hunger. That’s magick too. Magick means change, and we bring about that change.
-Do "they" cast spells and curses?
~Well, to each their own. Some cast spells, some are simply in it for religious purposes, some do both. Some consider calling it “spell work” wrong, others embrace the idea. It depends on the person, their creativity, and their own beliefs. One Pagans criticism is another Witches spell…Curses are more…negative and most of us avoid them. However, there are some witches that feel its perfectly alright to cause harm to someone who has hurt them greatly. Not all curses can be malignant…consider cursing a Water Bottling Plant that’s sucking up all the natural resources for lousy, overpriced bottles of water…hehe, would it be so bad?
-Do "they" do drugs?
~Do Christians do drugs? Pagans are just the same as anyone else, and yeah, some of them recreationally use drugs. Its been done for centuries, often to get oneself into a trance-like stage to better communicate with the spirits/work with divination. Actually, that is where the stereotype of a witch flying on her broom comes from. A mixture of herbs were made into a salve and often smeared on the body, which basically got the witch mildly high and therefore brought the idea that they were flying. While the harder stuff is -highly- frowned upon (anything that can really hurt you, which if you look at drugs hard enough could be any and all of them in excess), sometimes you’ll see marijuana, salvia, peyote, mushrooms, ect amongst the more shamanic inclined Pagans.
Honestly, Paganism does NOT encourage junkies and addicts. If you’re hurting yourself via drugs, you’re already going against one of the biggest tenants in Paganism, life. The way I see it, doing some pot to meditate smoothly and celebrate your godhead isn’t horrible, just not the way I’d do it. If you can get yourself into that trance state completely on your own…I’d say that’s cooler.
-What about the crimes you hear about like child molestation, rape, and ritual sacrifice?
~ FALSE. True Pagans/Wiccans/Witches and the like don’t do that stuff. Even the things that get publicity are often a hoax. Sadly the media likes to paint a certain picture of us, and unless we give them what they want, they’ll often only publicize crap like that. We promote peace, non-violence, equality for everyone, and crimes like that go against everything we believe in. Hurting others is bad, and has repercussions on everyone, not just the folk that believe in the rule of three.
-Whats the deal with waiting till your 18?
~Sadly, the law is the deal in this one. Until you’re 18, or considered an adult by whichever state you live in, your butt still belongs to your parents. If your parents are hardcore against you practicing or learning about Paganism or Witchcraft, well…you’re on your own. There are parts, mentioned directly below ironically, that further education on or exposure to are against the law…Think of it this way, when you turn 18, not only can you vote, buy cigarettes, and visit that restricted section of the video store, you can officially practice Paganism as well.
On that note however, since you’re 18, you’re parents don’t -need- to provide for you either…keep that in mind.
-What is with all the sex?
~In most Pagan branches, sex plays a rather large role. Not just for its pleasure aspect, but as celebration of life. As men and women are seen as representatives of the God and Goddess, bringing forth new life (a.k.a a baby) is considered one of the greatest magicks because you are essentially creating. As for the pleasure part, it was best written in the Charge of the Goddess (by Doreen Valiente):
“…and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings.” Yep…although, there are other routes to ecstasy and joy than sex, drugs, and rocknroll.
As a tie-in to this and the last question, Wicca is NOT solely focused on intercourse and the union of God and Goddess. It is NOT intended for those under 18 to practice some rites involved in that aspect, but it is alright for those under 18 to have rituals and be in covens or groups who do not entirely focus on that. In some rituals, public or not, especially when those under 18 are involved, the Union of the God and Goddess is simply signified as the Chalice for the Goddess and the Athame for the God. The Athame is simply dipped point-first in the Chalice, which is filled with water.
For anyone, including those 18 and over, if there is a coven that has that aspect of the God and Goddess as a prime focus, or they work skyclad, and you're not comfortable with it, you do NOT have to join that coven. You can find a coven, or make your own, that is to your liking and comfort. Or, you can find a public organization that teaches the facts about Wicca and other branches of Paganism, along with performing rituals.
-What about ghosts and demons? Can I summon one?
~ Please don’t. Remember that part in the Lion King when Simba went looking for trouble? Anyway, yes, we are on alert for ghosts and spirits it seems. Some of us will work with them, others say just leave them be…there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to the departed and non-corporeal. We don’t summon demons however, those of us who believe in demons wouldn’t want them hanging around, for good reason.
-Are animal parts really used in spells?
~There are no real animal parts used in spells, such as newt eyes and dog tongues. All that stuff mentioned in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" were actually nicknames for herbs.
~Animal parts, such as entrails (intestines, stomach, ect), were used a LONG time ago for divination purposes. The Chinese also used the bones of an animal (or human), which were thrown into a fire and read much the same way. These practices have fallen out quite a over the last oh, thousand years or so. No animal parts are used, and as Neri said, herbs were given nicknames that related to animal parts. Usually it is based around what the herb looks like.
-What about love spells? Don’t they go against a persons will?
~Depends. You could cast a spell on yourself, opening yourself up to love and that doesn’t go against anyones will. You could cast a spell to find a lover, provided you don’t go after someone in specific. Love spells aren’t bad, so long as you don’t seek to control.
-Why are some religious groups opposed to Paganism?
~Well, we’ve gotten the bad rap over the past 2000 some years. Once the majority of the planet belonged to religions that disapproved of anyone other than themselves, anyone that was different was seen as an outcast, dangerous. It takes a long, long time to eradicate some misconceptions, as it took hundreds of years to instill them in the first place. Women were seen as obedient creatures, and those who pursued any sort of knowledge, anything that would tip the scales in that power struggle were seen as dangerous and were conveniently dispatched. It wasn’t just us either, Jews were killed, people of different colors and races were made slaves…Equality is still being fought for, and so long as there are people who are different, there will be people who don’t like them. Its sick, sad, and wrong, and outdated.
Paganism also breaks some tenants held strongly by major religions. Mostly the whole “there is only one God, no one else” idea is what sets them off. To breed the mistrust and hate, they say we’re in partnership with their devil, which is completely irrelevant and wildly untrue. Do you know how hard it is to get that guy on the phone? XD
-Will I be able to shoot lighting from my fingers?
~No, No, A THOUSAND AND ONE TIMES NO! (sorry overreacted)
I'm sorry to say as cool as it would be to be freaking emperor Palpatine from Starwars, this is the real world we live in. there aren’t any flashy special effects like in "Charmed" or the movies. That isn't to say you can't shock a person with your power. Me and my Wiccan buddies sometimes goof around and will focus some energy to the tips of our index finger and "zap" each other lightly. its a fun thing to do and helps you practice focusing your energy! ^_^
~There is also a reason all those special effects are used in television shows and movies that have a magickal element to them. Most people rely on visual stimulation to be entertained, and producers know that. Special effects are put in those types of media to grab peoples attention, since reading from a huge Book of Shadows, or boiling a mixture of water, oil, and lavender flowers is, admittedly, a bit on the boring side. While simple spells can be exciting to cast, they aren’t always to most entertaining, and in most cases, shouldn’t be.
- How do I become one?
~A Pagan? Well, if you -really- want to, if its something that you truly believe in, then poof, you're a Pagan. You really should be serious about it however, and now just into it because its something different and shocking to most people. Wiccan is somewhat the same, but there are a few who believe you need to be initiated, heck, maybe you even believe you need o be initiated. In that case, you best look up local covens on the net via a networking site, or witchvox.com. You might also be interested in joining an online coven, which is perfectly acceptable as well.
Different paths will require different training. Some you may be able to do all on your own, others you may need a teacher or mentors help. If you wish you be a solitary however, all you'll need is yourself. One thing that all paths have in common though is time. You'll need to take time out to learn new things, try new things, experience new things. Some ask for a year and a day, some consider you ready when you're ready. One things for sure, you never stop learning. Paganism is not a "sheep" religion. No one will make decisions for you, nor will you blindly be guided (and if you feel that you are, please let someone know...).
The best way to start the path is to ask. No questions are ever stupid.
-What is Paganism?
"Paganism", "The Craft", "The Path", and so forth, is a name given to many religions that are polytheistic, shamanic, based on magick, or something totally different than the other major religions out there. Pagan comes from the term "country-dweller", which is believed to be based on the folk that lived out in the sticks, who were the last to be converted over to a specific religion. They held on to traditions, which stayed even during the Dark Ages, the Inquisition, World Wars, and the New Millennium. Anyway, Paganism usually involves going back to old religions. Neo-Paganism, a branch of Paganism, is when folks take certian aspects of old religions and traditions, to create a new one.
-What's Wicca? Are they different?
~Oh, it’s different. Wicca is a branch of neo-Paganism that was sorta brought to life in the mid-fifties. Some dispute has been made as to who popularized it, but common thought is that a man named Gerald Gardiner is the person to point a finger at. Initiation is often a huge factor in whether or not you’re a “real Wiccan”, though there are loads of solitary practioners out there, as well as non-lineage covens (they didn’t come from one of the covens that popularized Wicca).
Wicca centers around a God and a Goddess, often Celtic in background, as well as reverence towards nature and ever-changing cycles. It’s a nature religion that heavily believes in things like “the rule of three” and the “Wiccan Rede”. There are guidelines so to say, but no real bible or book to go by (aside from your personal, or covens Book of Shadows). Wicca has gotten a lot of bad press as being extremely watered down and “fluffy” over the years, though it is still largely respected amongst the Pagan community.
-What's the difference between being a witch and being a Pagan/Wiccan/ect?
~ “Pagan” is the umbrella term here, which basically means you believe/associate with deity(s) that are pre-Abraham (Christian, Judaism, Muslim) belief. Wiccans are a branch of Paganism that worship a more Celtic-based path, and Witches can be anything from a Wiccan to a Christian who sees no harm in casting spells. While a Witch can be a Pagan, a Pagan might not consider themselves a Witch.
-Do "they" believe in God? Satan? Hell?
~A big part of being a Pagan involves a whole different belief system than your standard, monotheistic person. Some Pagans believe in a God, as well as a Goddess, or just a Goddess, or both of them combined into a higher being. Some believe in a whole group of Gods and Goddesses, while others lay their faith in nature and the elements alone. Satan really has no part in our religions, as we see it as a scare tactic to make people obedient. We’re more apt to believe in some form of negative, not essentially bad, just not in our interests. Malignant ghosts or spirits, you really have to disseminate what would make them “bad”. Hells also one of those things you don’t see often. If we believe in it, it is usually something that’s already present, like hate or depression.
-Where does magick figure in? Why the "k"?
~The “k” was introduced way back in the day to distinguish our kind of magic from that you might find on a stage someplace. Our magick is more of a psychological tool, but its much greater than that really. One might cast a spell to help him or her overcome a certain fear. They use all sorts of elements that are symbolic to them, cast the spell and are empowered to overcome their fear. On another level, a group of Pagans might gather to plant trees or band together to fight against something bad like A.I.D.S or world hunger. That’s magick too. Magick means change, and we bring about that change.
-Do "they" cast spells and curses?
~Well, to each their own. Some cast spells, some are simply in it for religious purposes, some do both. Some consider calling it “spell work” wrong, others embrace the idea. It depends on the person, their creativity, and their own beliefs. One Pagans criticism is another Witches spell…Curses are more…negative and most of us avoid them. However, there are some witches that feel its perfectly alright to cause harm to someone who has hurt them greatly. Not all curses can be malignant…consider cursing a Water Bottling Plant that’s sucking up all the natural resources for lousy, overpriced bottles of water…hehe, would it be so bad?
-Do "they" do drugs?
~Do Christians do drugs? Pagans are just the same as anyone else, and yeah, some of them recreationally use drugs. Its been done for centuries, often to get oneself into a trance-like stage to better communicate with the spirits/work with divination. Actually, that is where the stereotype of a witch flying on her broom comes from. A mixture of herbs were made into a salve and often smeared on the body, which basically got the witch mildly high and therefore brought the idea that they were flying. While the harder stuff is -highly- frowned upon (anything that can really hurt you, which if you look at drugs hard enough could be any and all of them in excess), sometimes you’ll see marijuana, salvia, peyote, mushrooms, ect amongst the more shamanic inclined Pagans.
Honestly, Paganism does NOT encourage junkies and addicts. If you’re hurting yourself via drugs, you’re already going against one of the biggest tenants in Paganism, life. The way I see it, doing some pot to meditate smoothly and celebrate your godhead isn’t horrible, just not the way I’d do it. If you can get yourself into that trance state completely on your own…I’d say that’s cooler.
-What about the crimes you hear about like child molestation, rape, and ritual sacrifice?
~ FALSE. True Pagans/Wiccans/Witches and the like don’t do that stuff. Even the things that get publicity are often a hoax. Sadly the media likes to paint a certain picture of us, and unless we give them what they want, they’ll often only publicize crap like that. We promote peace, non-violence, equality for everyone, and crimes like that go against everything we believe in. Hurting others is bad, and has repercussions on everyone, not just the folk that believe in the rule of three.
-Whats the deal with waiting till your 18?
~Sadly, the law is the deal in this one. Until you’re 18, or considered an adult by whichever state you live in, your butt still belongs to your parents. If your parents are hardcore against you practicing or learning about Paganism or Witchcraft, well…you’re on your own. There are parts, mentioned directly below ironically, that further education on or exposure to are against the law…Think of it this way, when you turn 18, not only can you vote, buy cigarettes, and visit that restricted section of the video store, you can officially practice Paganism as well.
On that note however, since you’re 18, you’re parents don’t -need- to provide for you either…keep that in mind.
-What is with all the sex?
~In most Pagan branches, sex plays a rather large role. Not just for its pleasure aspect, but as celebration of life. As men and women are seen as representatives of the God and Goddess, bringing forth new life (a.k.a a baby) is considered one of the greatest magicks because you are essentially creating. As for the pleasure part, it was best written in the Charge of the Goddess (by Doreen Valiente):
“…and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings.” Yep…although, there are other routes to ecstasy and joy than sex, drugs, and rocknroll.
As a tie-in to this and the last question, Wicca is NOT solely focused on intercourse and the union of God and Goddess. It is NOT intended for those under 18 to practice some rites involved in that aspect, but it is alright for those under 18 to have rituals and be in covens or groups who do not entirely focus on that. In some rituals, public or not, especially when those under 18 are involved, the Union of the God and Goddess is simply signified as the Chalice for the Goddess and the Athame for the God. The Athame is simply dipped point-first in the Chalice, which is filled with water.
For anyone, including those 18 and over, if there is a coven that has that aspect of the God and Goddess as a prime focus, or they work skyclad, and you're not comfortable with it, you do NOT have to join that coven. You can find a coven, or make your own, that is to your liking and comfort. Or, you can find a public organization that teaches the facts about Wicca and other branches of Paganism, along with performing rituals.
-What about ghosts and demons? Can I summon one?
~ Please don’t. Remember that part in the Lion King when Simba went looking for trouble? Anyway, yes, we are on alert for ghosts and spirits it seems. Some of us will work with them, others say just leave them be…there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to the departed and non-corporeal. We don’t summon demons however, those of us who believe in demons wouldn’t want them hanging around, for good reason.
-Are animal parts really used in spells?
~There are no real animal parts used in spells, such as newt eyes and dog tongues. All that stuff mentioned in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" were actually nicknames for herbs.
~Animal parts, such as entrails (intestines, stomach, ect), were used a LONG time ago for divination purposes. The Chinese also used the bones of an animal (or human), which were thrown into a fire and read much the same way. These practices have fallen out quite a over the last oh, thousand years or so. No animal parts are used, and as Neri said, herbs were given nicknames that related to animal parts. Usually it is based around what the herb looks like.
-What about love spells? Don’t they go against a persons will?
~Depends. You could cast a spell on yourself, opening yourself up to love and that doesn’t go against anyones will. You could cast a spell to find a lover, provided you don’t go after someone in specific. Love spells aren’t bad, so long as you don’t seek to control.
-Why are some religious groups opposed to Paganism?
~Well, we’ve gotten the bad rap over the past 2000 some years. Once the majority of the planet belonged to religions that disapproved of anyone other than themselves, anyone that was different was seen as an outcast, dangerous. It takes a long, long time to eradicate some misconceptions, as it took hundreds of years to instill them in the first place. Women were seen as obedient creatures, and those who pursued any sort of knowledge, anything that would tip the scales in that power struggle were seen as dangerous and were conveniently dispatched. It wasn’t just us either, Jews were killed, people of different colors and races were made slaves…Equality is still being fought for, and so long as there are people who are different, there will be people who don’t like them. Its sick, sad, and wrong, and outdated.
Paganism also breaks some tenants held strongly by major religions. Mostly the whole “there is only one God, no one else” idea is what sets them off. To breed the mistrust and hate, they say we’re in partnership with their devil, which is completely irrelevant and wildly untrue. Do you know how hard it is to get that guy on the phone? XD
-Will I be able to shoot lighting from my fingers?
~No, No, A THOUSAND AND ONE TIMES NO! (sorry overreacted)
I'm sorry to say as cool as it would be to be freaking emperor Palpatine from Starwars, this is the real world we live in. there aren’t any flashy special effects like in "Charmed" or the movies. That isn't to say you can't shock a person with your power. Me and my Wiccan buddies sometimes goof around and will focus some energy to the tips of our index finger and "zap" each other lightly. its a fun thing to do and helps you practice focusing your energy! ^_^
~There is also a reason all those special effects are used in television shows and movies that have a magickal element to them. Most people rely on visual stimulation to be entertained, and producers know that. Special effects are put in those types of media to grab peoples attention, since reading from a huge Book of Shadows, or boiling a mixture of water, oil, and lavender flowers is, admittedly, a bit on the boring side. While simple spells can be exciting to cast, they aren’t always to most entertaining, and in most cases, shouldn’t be.
- How do I become one?
~A Pagan? Well, if you -really- want to, if its something that you truly believe in, then poof, you're a Pagan. You really should be serious about it however, and now just into it because its something different and shocking to most people. Wiccan is somewhat the same, but there are a few who believe you need to be initiated, heck, maybe you even believe you need o be initiated. In that case, you best look up local covens on the net via a networking site, or witchvox.com. You might also be interested in joining an online coven, which is perfectly acceptable as well.
Different paths will require different training. Some you may be able to do all on your own, others you may need a teacher or mentors help. If you wish you be a solitary however, all you'll need is yourself. One thing that all paths have in common though is time. You'll need to take time out to learn new things, try new things, experience new things. Some ask for a year and a day, some consider you ready when you're ready. One things for sure, you never stop learning. Paganism is not a "sheep" religion. No one will make decisions for you, nor will you blindly be guided (and if you feel that you are, please let someone know...).
The best way to start the path is to ask. No questions are ever stupid.
