Here is just some information on paganism, it is by no means definitive. Paganism, broadly, is a return to ancient nature religions of pre-Christian origins. Most pagans will identify with most, if not all of the following statements, however, pagans are a varied bunch, and I do not presume to represent all of it here, nor will all these statements be true for every pagan. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft defines paganism or 'neo-paganism' as: "A broad, eclectic movement, centered in the industrialized West, which is characterized by a return to, or a reconstruction of, pre-Christian Western Nature religions"There are many different types of paganism or paths which are followed. The Pagan Federation of Australia states: "The Pagan Federation doesn't exist to promote any single path within Paganism, nor do we presume to represent all Pagans. Rather our members are drawn from all strands of Paganism, and subscribe to the Three Principles which give the Pagan Federation its common purpose and focus: 1. Love for and Kinship with Nature. Reverence for the life force and its ever-renewing cycles of life and death. 2. A positive morality, in which the individual is responsible for the discovery and development of their true nature in harmony with the outer world and community. This is often expressed as "Do what you will, as long as it harms none". 3. Recognition of the Divine, which transcends gender, acknowledging both the female and male aspect of Deity."
General:
Love and kinship with nature. Reverence for the life force and its ever renewing cycles of life and death. Each individual is responsible for discovering his or her own true nature in harmony with the greater world, and takes responsibility for his or her actions. Acceptance that divinity exists in many forms and can be worshipped as male, female, androgynous, or in a form beyond human definition. DO PAGANS WORSHIP DEVILS AND/OR DEMONS? As has been stated before, there is no one set path for all pagans. However, as demons and devils are mostly a Christian concept, then it is safe to say that no they do not. Respect for nature - As many Pagan religions advocate worshipping their deities in the cathedral created by the deities (in other words, outdoors and close to nature), many pagans have a great respect for nature. This is translated in many ways: gardening, conservation, recycling, preservation and protection of natural areas. Lack of absolutes - This simplification is often mistaken to mean that there is no right or wrong to Pagans, which is as far from the truth as one can get. Pagans accept that there are certain ills which cannot be treated amongst humankind. However, in talking about right and wrong, it is accepted that circumstances can turn what might normally be a wrong act into a right one. (For example, a person might believe killing animals for sport or food is wrong and yet still be able to put an end to a rabid animal through forced necessity. Thus many of the great wrongs of other religions are often more accepted amongst Pagans (homosexuality, illegitimacy, non-traditional families, etc).
Paganism:
Paganism (with a capital "P") is one strand of neopaganism which strives to allow each person to draw from whatever religious and cultural traditions are meaningful for the individual. The practices of Paganism derive from those of Wicca, but are not identical with those of Wicca. Some people view Paganism as a non-initiatory form of Wicca, or Wicca as an initiatory form of Paganism. Some say that Witches are the clergy of Paganism. (On the other hand, some Witches violently disagree with that viewpoint. As with most things in this page, there is no answer with which everyone can completely agree.)
Wicca:
Wicca was the first (or at least one of the first) of the neopagan religions. As a result, it is the best known, and tends to overshadow its younger, smaller siblings. This does not mean that Wicca is more valid than other neopagan religions -- just larger and louder. Wicca, however, is only one of the things called witchcraft (or sometimes, the Craft, a term also applied to Masonry). There are a whole range of styles of folk-magic around the world which are called witchcraft in English. If the word Witch is capitalized, it indicates that it is being used to refer to a member of a pagan religion, not just to a practitioner of folk-magic. There are also Witches who practice religions called Witchcraft which are not Wicca. These religions tend to be more folk-pagan than Wicca, drawing on the heritage of a specific culture or region. Wicca itself is a new religion, drawing strongly on the practices of Ceremonial Magic. While there are claims that Wicca goes back into the mists of pre-history, honest examination of the practices and history of the Wicca will make it clear that Wicca is new. (Actually, the word "Wicca" itself is recently coined, at least in its present usage. The new word "Wicca" is pronounced "wick-uh", capitalized as a religion, and means a religion, not a person.) However, Wicca has developed in many directions and should not be seen as a unified whole, even though it is fairly new. Rituals and beliefs vary widely among Witches. Unlike most of the neopagan religions, Wicca is an initiatory religion, that is, people who choose to practice Wicca believe that the commitment to this path set changes in motion in their lives. Many Traditions of Wicca formalize this with a ritual (or series of rituals) of initiation. Others, especially Solitary Witches, trust that the Gods will do the initiating of the Witch. Most Witches are pagans, but not all pagans are Witches.
Deity:
Neopagans believe in a great many goddesses 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 ascribe certain qualities to different goddesses, such as Athena as the goddess of wisdom; Aphrodite as the goddess of love; Artemis as the goddess of the hunt, and so on. Many pagans and Witches see the Goddess in three aspects, those of Maiden, Mother and Crone; and 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.
The Burning Times:
The Burning Times is the name used by many modern Witches and pagans for the era of the Inquisition, and of the other witch hunts (including Salem) which sprang from it. During that time, many women and some men were persecuted for practices objectionable to the Church, especially witchcraft. The "Malleus Maleficarum" was a guide on how to torture accused witches into confessing to whatever they were accused of. At the height of the persecutions, entire towns were left with only one or two women in them, and to this day no one knows for sure how many people were brutally murdered during this craze. As is often the case, this horror sprang from fear and misinformation -- most of the people who were arrested, tortured and killed were not Witches (or witches) of any sort, but simply people who had gotten on the wrong side of someone who had the local magistrate's ear, or who somehow didn't fit in (particularly beautiful or ugly women, widows who had wealth or owned land, the handicapped and retarded, and even overly intelligent people are all examples of those who became primary targets of this persecution). Although discrimination still exists against Witches and pagans, we now enjoy comparative freedom of religious practice after those dark times. But this time is considered a very important event by most Witches and pagans (comparable to the atrocities and devastation perpetrated during the Holocaust ), one that should never be forgotten, and many do active public education work to assure as best they can that it will never happen again.
The Rede:
Pagans and Witches usually believe in some form of what's called "The Rede", which states "As long as you harm no one, do what you will." That isn't nearly as easy as it might sound. That means whatever action you undertake, it can't harm anyone, including yourself. Witches and pagans also believe in some form of the Law of Return: "Whatever you do magically [or otherwise] will come back to you," some say three times, some nine, some just say it will come back to you. And it does. As Ursula K. LeGuin said, "You can't light a candle without somewhere casting a shadow."
Spells:
Most of us believe that it is wrong to use magical power to coerce someone into doing something against his or her free will. Curses and love spells are the most prevalent examples of manipulative magic. Some Witches and pagans do believe that using one's powers in defense(say, to assure a rapist's getting caught) is all right; others do not. Those who do choose to work that kind of magic do so knowing that it will come back to them, and are making an informed choice when they decide to do so. This makes it sound as if we spend our lives deciding whether to curse or hex someone, when that's not true. Most of the time, our spells and magical workings are for such things as healing the planet, getting a job (or otherwise bringing prosperity into our lives), healing (both ourselves and others), and spiritual empowerment. Spells are really quite similar to prayer -- they just have more accessories attached to them.For links to more sites about paganism, click here to go to My Favourite Sites
