Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
3 Pagans & A Cat: Just Tell Me About Paganism!

3 Pagans & A Cat: Just Tell Me About Paganism!

Last updated on: March 13, 2019 at 10:40 pm by Gwyn

3 Pagans & A Cat: Just Tell Me About Paganism! 2019-03-13T22:40:36+00:00 Gwyn

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A few days ago, Ode and I were helping Car with a cleaning job related to his work at our manufactured home community. Mistakes were made by the contracted company meant to do the job, so we jumped in last minute to assist. Over the course of the afternoon, a young lady related to the community’s maintenance man came by with him to help get the home ready. Soon after arriving she began peppering me with questions about Paganism.

Not surprising.

We are pretty open about our spiritual practices and beliefs in our community. We aren’t in anyone’s faces about it but Ode and I are readers (Tarot and Spiritual respectively) at Artes and Craft, the (oft mentioned on our podcast) Pagan store in a nearby town. Also, I wear my pentacle and pendulum every day whether at home, the library or the grocery store.

I’m sure we have all had conversations with the curious or truth seekers out there about our spiritual paths as Pagans. Often, I’ve found the other person will say something like “I still believe in God (in the Christian sense) but I am very open-minded.” Isn’t it interesting how people feel it necessary to provide that caveat when asking about spiritual beliefs other than what society deems as standard?

But . . . I’m open-minded! Photo by avi_acl via Pixabay

This particular afternoon, the young lady asking questions made a similar statement. Once our tasks were complete, and we were walking out the door, she asked if she could come to our house sometime to learn more about Paganism. After answering several questions and hearing her emphasis on the word, I began to think she may have a misunderstanding of what “paganism” means. “Sure,” I said. “But remember, Paganism covers a lot of spiritual traditions and beliefs. In my family, we call ourselves Pagan but each follow a different path. There isn’t just one way to be a Pagan. I’m a Green Witch. Ode is a Heathen. Car is a Druid. You’ll need an idea of what you want to know and who is the best to answer your other questions.”

She nodded.

“I just want to learn about Paganism. A few years ago, I got into Wicca. Read a bunch of books and stuff but it got all dark and I’m a Christian, so I stopped doing that but I’m very interested in Paganism.”

Mighty Brighid give me strength.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to speak further with this young woman and I do hope she comes by to ask her questions. I’d love the chance to dispel her of the notion that Wicca is a “dark” religion. I’d also like to have a chat with her about magick and how “dabbling” (her words) is never a good idea.

So, I thought I’d unpack the word “paganism”.

Information is power right? Best to be prepared for when people come to us with a universe of wrong thinking about who we are, what we do, and why we might use an overall term such as “Pagan” to define a vast and varied spiritual community.

According to Google Dictionary, “paganism” is a noun and can be defined as “a religion other than one of the main world religions, specifically a non-Christian or pre-Christian religion.” An additional definition is “a modern religious movement incorporating beliefs or practices from outside the main world religion, especially nature worship.”

“What’s Paganism?” “I dunno, I thought you knew!” Photo by wallner via Pixabay

In Classical Latin, “paganus”, from which the modern word “Paganism” is derived, meant rural, rustic, and at some point later civilian. The term first found use in the fourth century among early Christians (no surprise there) to describe people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism. Wikipedia states that this was either because these “pagans” were rural and provincial as opposed to the Christian population or because they were not “Milites Christi – soldiers of Christ”.

The term “paganism” or to call someone a “pagan” (along with words such as “hellene”) was designed as an insult toward those who practiced polytheistic religion, implying inferiority of mind for worshiping other deities or following a particular cult of belief, as opposed to the Christian god. Words such as “yokel” and “bumpkin” grew from calling people “pagan” by extension. Basically, Christians used these terms to lump anyone who didn’t subscribe to their belief as a form of rhetoric for sermons and persuasive speech among the masses.

Christians came to connect “paganism” with disinterest in the Christian god, sensuality, hedonism, materialistic desires and other “worldly” matters which were considered “sinful” by either themselves, their church leaders, or as listed in their sacred book.

And it’s important to note that the non-Christian peoples of the ancient world did not call or see themselves as “pagan.” They were simply following their traditions, worshiping their deities as the slow roll of Christianization took over Europe. In fact, as sacrifice played an important role in ancient Graeco-Roman religion the practice became a good indicator for people to identify who was a “pagan” or a Christian. In later centuries, the word “heathen” came to use in Germanic regions, again to denote someone who did not adhere to the Christian religion.

Despite its origins, artists who had an interest in ancient Greece used the word “pagan” as a self-descriptor in the 19th century. In the 20th century, spiritual practitioners reclaimed the words “Pagan” and “Heathen” for Modern Paganism, the Neopagan Movement and the Polytheistic Reconstruction Movement.

The definitions of Pagan and Heathen have not changed in that the words denote a person who has a spiritual belief system or practice outside of the main monotheistic world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). But now, these words are descriptors of practitioners who are part of a vibrant and beautiful conglomeration of beliefs, polytheistic religions and self-styled spiritual paths which can encompass reverence for nature, magick, sacred femininity, and a plurality of divine beings from a rainbow of pantheons.

Pagan altar by Amber_Avalona via Pixabay

Is there still a stigma toward us Pagans and Heathens outside of Paganism within Christianity or the other mainstream religions? You betcha! An attitude of derision and fear which has followed us all the way from the 4th century, especially amongst those Christian folks who started it all in the first place.

So, how do we respond to people like the young woman interested in Paganism but who does not seem to understand how many spiritualities are sheltered under that umbrella term? How do we respond to those who do not understand that “dark” does not necessarily mean “evil”?

For me, the answer lies in knowing the history from which polytheism, Paganism, Druidry, Heathenry, Wicca, Witchcraft et al have derived. How the words used in the past as insults are now reclaimed to empower modern practitioners – like Witch.

We can also answer whatever questions we are able or find the resources for research to revisit the topic later if we do not know. My hope is that one day, Pagans worldwide will usher those in the mainstream religions to a place of understanding that our beliefs and deities are nothing to be feared or reviled. Through being inclusive, helping others as needed, teaching and guiding when asked honest questions, and yes, sometimes knocking a few heads together (in a metaphorical and/or spiritual sense) when people outside our community (i.e.: Evangelicals) are gettin’ ugly.

Sorry. That’s my Daddy’s rural upbringing coming through.

About Gwyn

Gwyn is one of the hosts of 3 Pagans and a Cat, a podcast about the questions and discussions between three pagan family members, each exploring different pagan paths and how their various traditions can intersect. The most practiced pagan on the path, Gwyn is an Eclectic Green Witch and Clairsentient Medium. She loves working with herbs, essential oils and plants. In the past, she has been a teacher, musician and published writer. Now, she just wants to be a free spirit and talk about life. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 13, 2019

Pergamum Unfurled: "Conjuring Harriet 'Mama Moses' Tubman"

Next Post

March 15, 2019 Phoenix Rising: EnCHANTment -- Sacred Sound as an Offering

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Lakeside Hearth Adventures in Wortcunning Alone In Her Presence Arts, Crafts & Cooking Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft Book of Blackbirds Book Reviews Born-Again Witch Cauldron, Sword, Spear, & Stone Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Dear Jasmine Druid Thoughts Editor's Picks Everyday Pagan Family & Household Practice Family Traditions Full Frontal Magic Gateway Goddess Guest Articles Happily Heathen Health and Wellness Hearth of Hellenism Heathen Woman Hills of the Horizon History Holidays Horse Goddesses Interfaith Interviews Irish-American Witchcraft Jewish Witch Lamp & Labyrinth Letters from Midgard Literature, Media, Film, Music Loop of Brighid Love, Sex & Relationships Magic or Magick Making Light Naturalistic Traditions Nature News Outside The Circle Pantheisticon Politics Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories Queer Femme Mystic Queer of Swords Recipes Ritual and Practice Science and Research Seekers and Guides Seeking the Grail Socially Responsible Magic Spear of Athena Star Made Witch Syncretic Electric Technology The Blooming Staff The Busy Witch The Cartomancer The Crow's Nest The Dance of Pagan Recovery The Hearth of Hellenism The Lady's Quill The Other Side of the Hedge The Path of She The Rantin' Raven The Witches Next Door The Zen Pagan Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Tree City Witch Urban Earthwitch Wayfaring Woman Witch on Fire Wyrd Words

Select a Month January 2026 March 2025 December 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many disciples did Jesus choose?

Select your answer to see how you score.

10 11 12 13