The Basics

Think of the concept of religion as a tree. Paganism would be one of the larger boughs originating from the trunk. From that bough sprouts many, many branches of different legnths and sizes. Wicca is one of the larger ones, and from it there are even more branches, one of the largest of those being Gardnerianism (the tradition I'm training in).

Hopefully, that has illustrated the extreme diversity of Paganism and religion in general, but also conveyed my belief that all religion is reaching towards the same goal, we all just go about it in different ways. Now that I've got that image in your head, let's move on, shall we?

Paganism: The origin of the word "Pagan" is from the Latin paganus, which means "country dweller." There is speculation that it came to be derrogatory and synonymous with "heathen" because of the early Church's efforts to convert the people to their faith; the people (pagans, country dwellers) weren't Christian, so they were heathens. Make sense? Of course, "heathen" means something quite similar, "of the heath," but it generally denotes something more offensive than does pagan nowadays. Still, some people prefer the term Heathen when discussing their religion, such as Asatruar and Druids.

Today, Pagan (capital P) generally refers to anyone that does not follow Christianity, Judaism, or Islam (or, anyone that does not worship Jehovah/YHWH/Allah exclusively). Sometimes the other two "major" religions in today's world, Hindism and Buddhism, are counted as Pagan religions, but not always. In general, Pagans are polytheists (belief in many Gods, as opposed to monotheism, belief in one God), but some, myself included, are pantheists. Learn more about this by reading my Belief Statement.

In general, Pagans revere Nature, the Moon, the Sun, the Seasons, the Elements, and the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Specific paths and traditions will focus more on one aspect or another, but they usually include the above, coupled with the worship of the Female aspect of Deity in addition to, or replacement of, the Male side. Many Pagan paths are fertility religions, which means they recognize, respect, and rejoice in the growth of nature, each other, and inspiration. Of course, there are always exceptions, different branches, with different beliefs and practices.

Obviously, Paganism includes many differing faiths. I will not try to discuss them all here, as that would take up more space and time than I have available, so instead I will focus on what I know, that being Wicca.

Wicca: There is debate over the actual meaning of this word. Here is one definition:

"The Random House College Dictionary derived "witch" from medieval English wicche, formerly Anglo-Saxon wicca (masculine), or wicce (feminine): a corruption of witga, short form of witega, a seer or diviner; from Anglo-Saxon witan, to see, to know. Similarly, Icelandic vitki, a witch, came from vita, to know; or vizkr, clever or knowing one. Wizard came from Norman French wischard. Old French guiscart, sagacious one.(1) The surname Whittaker came from Witakarlege, a Wizard or a Witch.(2) The words "wit" and "wisdom" came from the same roots.

“1- Leland, Charles Godfrey. Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling. New York: University Books Inc., 1962. Pg. 66.
“2- Wainwright, F.T. Scandinavian England. Sussex, England: Phillimore & Co., Ltd., 1975. Pg. 238.”

Others believe that the Anglo-Saxon wicce simply means "witch," with no reference to wisdom or knowledge. But whatever the origin or meaning of the word, Wicca has been a widely practiced branch of Paganism since the mid-20th century, and is still growing today.

In general, Wiccans are Traditionalists, meaning they follow a specified path, usually working in Covens or Groves etc., with the same basic ritual for each Esbat (Full Moon) and Sabbat. Often times, a Wiccan tradition will be oathbound and may require specific training and an intiation.

Traditions may vary on which culture's pantheon they call upon and worship, but ususally do not mix Gods from multiple pantheons. Generally, however, Wiccan worship and practice focuses on the archetypes of the God and Goddess, seeing them as the ultimate manifestation of masculine and feminine divinity, but also as "two sides of the same coin," so to speak. That is, the God and Goddess are part of an all-encompassing Divine that is present and active in all people, places, and things.

I have discussed Traditionalist practice, but there are two other forms that Wiccan (and Pagan for that matter) worship can often take.

Solitary: This is fairly self-explanitory. Solitaries are those who practice alone, and are usually self-taught through books and other resources. Sometimes this is done by choice, other times by circumstance. Solitaries may consult and consort with other Witches to share experience and ideas, and sometimes for celebrations.

Eclectic: The actual meaning of this word is, "Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles; Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources," which describes very well what this particular way of worship is all about. Eclectics will often incorporate the customs, beliefs, and Gods of many different cultures into their own belief system and worship. They generally have no set way of practicing, and often "go with the flow," so there is often much variation from ritual to ritual. They can work as Solitaries or in a Coven/Grove, etc. There is an emerging practice among Eclectics, that of Eclectic Traditions. Initiates and/or members of an Eclectic Coven/Grove, etc. will “hive off” and start their own group, carrying on the practices of their Mother Coven. This continues on for “generations” of Covens, thus creating an Eclectic Tradition of sorts.

So this was GypsyWitch's very basic and generalized overview of Paganism and Wicca. I welcome questions and comments, as always. Some further information regarding stereotypes and FAQ can be found in the links below.

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