What is Paganism?

If you looked up 'Pagan' in a dictionary, you may find the definition 'a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions'. Essentially, 'Pagan' or 'Paganism' means different things to different people and is often used as an umbrella term for many different paths including Wicca, Witchcraft, Druidism, Shamanism....and many more! One thing that most of the Pagan paths have in common is a reverance for nature and many celebrate at least some aspect of The Wheel of The Year.

The following explanation of Paganism is by no means definitive and is my own interpretation of what being a Pagan is to me......

Pagan's worship a God and a Goddess and see the masculine and feminine aspects of nature and life as equally important. The Goddess represents the Moon and the Earth (Mother Nature), she is the giver of love, fertility and abundance. Some pagan's worship her simply as the Goddess whilst others may give her names such as Diana, Bridget, Innana, Isis.... to name but a few.

The God represents the Sun and the animals or wildlife and he brings passion, energy and sexual power. A popular image of the God aspect is as 'the Horned God'. This has led to the misinterpretation that Pagans worship 'Satan' or 'The Devil' when in fact they do not believe in 'The Devil' and he is a creation of Christianity. The Pagan Horned God has antlers and represents both the hunter and the hunted within the animal kingdom. Another common God figure is 'The Green Man' and the picture shows him in all his glory at 'The Custard Factory' in Birmingham (he was built there in an effort to bring Paganism into the City).

Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that to be a Pagan, or follow one of the many different Pagan paths, you have to perform complicated rituals, learn a multitude of dates and become detached from the current world of technology and science. In my opinion, the most important aspects of being Pagan can be summed up with one word, 'Respect'. Respect for the God and Goddess, for nature, for your fellow man regardless of what he believes and most of all respect for yourself because it is within you that nature and magic is closest, most beautiful and most powerful.

Blessed be to All xx

written by 'Aurora'