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 Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:32 pm |
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archive-name: paganism-faq
Last-modified: Febuary 2002
Version: 4.01
URL:pending
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR ALT.PAGAN
Authors: Susan Harwood Kaczmarczik; Br'an Arthur Davis-Howe; T. O.
Radzykewycz; Ailsa N.T. Murphy; Cecilia Henningsson
Acknowledgements to Jack Coyote, Robert Pearson, Chris Carlisle and
Izzy, and a special thanks to Janis Maria Cortese.
**Disclaimer**
Throughout this FAQ you will find the words "usually," often," and
other disclaimers; this is because Paganism is not a rigid, structured
belief system. We have tried to present as many faces of the neopagan
sub-culture as possible in the FAQ, but realize we can't possibly
cover iit all. Many people, no doubt, will object to every part of
this FAQ (and have done, over everything from specific etymologies to
the order of the questions), but we stand by it as our best attempt.
*First version completed 25 January 1993*
Questions:
1) What is this group for?
2) What is paganism/a pagan?
2b) What is Paganism? How is it different from paganism?
3) What are different types of paganism?
4) What is Witchcraft/Wicca?
4b) Why do some of you use the word Witch? Wiccan?
5) What are some different traditions in the Craft?
6) Are pagans Witches?
7) Are you Satanists?
 What kinds of people are pagans?
9) What holidays do you celebrate?
9b) How do I pronounce...? What does this name mean?
10) What god(s) do you believe in?
11) Can one be both Christian and pagan?
12) What were the Burning Times?
13) How many pagans/Witches are there today?
14) What are the related newsgroups?
15) Two pagan newsgroups? Why soc.religion.paganism *and* alt.pagan?
16) Is brutal honesty or polite conversation the preferred tone of
conversation around here?
17) I'm not a pagan; should I post here?
1 How does one/do I become a pagan?
19) What books/magazines should I read?
20) How do I find pagans/Witches/covens/teachers in my area?
21) What's a coven really like?
22) How do I form a coven?
23) What does Dianic mean?
24) Aren't women-only circles discriminatory?
25) Can/will you cast me a love spell/curse my enemies?
26) Sometimes I see "magic" spelled with a "k". Do real pagans spell
it a certain way?
27) Is it okay if I...? Will I still be a pagan if I...?
2 I am a pagan and I think I am being discriminated against because
of my religion. What should I do?
29) Hey, I heard that [insert name of famous rock singer or famous
fantasy-novel writer here] was a witch/pagan. Is that true?
30) What one thing would most pagans probably want the world to know
about them?
1) What is this group for?
This newsgroup is for the discussion of paganism and Witchcraft in
their various forms and traditions; for sharing ideas for ritual and
completed liturgy; for networking with others of a like mind and those
who are not; for answering questions and disseminating information
about paganism and Witchcraft (and, occasionally, for dispelling the
misconceptions about same). It's also for sharing within a larger
community than one might find at home. While we are interested in
traditional pagan practices, the alt.pagan community is fundamentally
neopagan -- our practices are modern, though they are based on ancient
ideas or images.
2) What is paganism/a pagan?
The words paganism and pagan come from the Latin "paganus," meaning
"country dweller." Neopagans hold a reverence for the Earth and all
its creatures, generally see all life as interconnected, and tend to
strive to attune one's self to the manifestation of this belief as
seen in the cycles of nature. Pagans are usually polytheistic
(believing in more than one god), and they usually believe in
immanance, or the concept of divinity residing in all things. Many
pagans, though polytheistic, see all things as being part of one Great
Mystery. The apparent contradiction of being both polytheistic and
monotheistic can be resolved by seeing the God/desses as masks worn by
the Great Mystery.
Other pagans are simply monotheistic or polytheistic, and still others
are atheistic.
Some people believe paganism to be a religion within itself; others
see it as a belief system (such as monotheism) that can be
incorporated
into religions like Wicca or Druidism; others see it as a broad
category including many religions. The fact that we are re-creating
religion for ourselves after centuries of suppression makes us very
eclectic and very concerned with the "rightness" of a particular thing
for the individual.
So when you see some people calling it a religion and others not, when
you see it capitalized in some instances and not in others, don't be
confused -- we're all still basically talking about the same thing.
2b) What is Paganism? How is it different from 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
FAQ, there is no answer with which everyone can completely agree.)
3) What are different types of paganism?
Paleo-paganism: the standard of paganism, a pagan culture which has
not been disrupted by "civilization" by another culture -- Australian
Bushmen modern (who are probably becoming meso-pagans), ancient Celtic
religion (Druidism), the religions of the pre-patriarchal cultures of
Old Europe, Norse religion, pre-Columbian Native American religions,
etc.
Civilo-paganism: the religions of "civilized" communities which
evolved in paleo-pagan cultures -- Classical Greco-Roman religion,
Egyptian religion, Middle-Eastern paganism, Aztec religion, etc.
Meso-paganism: a group, which may or may not still constitute a
separate culture, which has been influenced by a conquering culture,
but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practice --
many Native American nations, etc.
Syncreto-paganism: similar to meso-pagan, but having had to
submerge itself into the dominant culture, and adopt the external
practices and symbols of the other religion -- the various
Afro-diasporic traditions (Voudoun, Santeria, etc.), Culdee
Christianity, etc.
Neopaganism: attempts of modern people to reconnect with nature,
using imagery and forms from other types of pagans, but adjusting them
to the needs of modern people. Since this category is the focus of
alt.pagan, the listing here is more comprehensive (though no listing
could be completely comprehensive):
Wicca -- in all its many forms
neo-Shamanism
neo-Druidism
Asatru and other forms of Norse neopaganism
neo-Native American practices
the range of things labeled "Women's Spirituality"
the Sabaean Religious Order
Church of All Worlds
Discordianism
Radical Faeries and other "Men's Spirituality" movements
certain people within Thelema and hedonistic Satanism
some of eco-feminism
and last, but not least, Paganism
4) What is Witchcraft/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 bias appears in the postings in
alt.pagan and in this FAQ. 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 W/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 OE "wicca" was pronounced "witch-ah" and meant male
magician. 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 (sects) 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.
4b) Why do some of you use the word Witch? Wiccan?
First, not everyone in alt.pagan is Wiccan/Witchy, so this
question only applies to some of the people. Witch is a very old word
meaning "magic-maker", from a root which meant "bending" and
"shaping". For many of us, the word Witch is a powerful reclaiming of
that inherent human power to make changes around us. For others,
including some of the people within Wicca, that word is not their
word. Some people within Wicca take the adjective "Wiccan" and use it
as a noun.
(Some people question the authenticity of the etymology that says
"witch" means "to bend or shape." They believe that the word is
simply from the Old English for "wise one" and has no relation to the
root mentioned above -- which gives us the modern word "wicker," for
instance. However, this definition is a good way to think of how a
modern Witch might see him/herself.)
5) What are some different traditions in the Craft?
Different traditions in the Craft include Gardnerian Wicca,
Alexandrian Wicca, Dianic Wicca, the Faery tradition, many branches of
Celtic-based Wicca, and many other forms of Wicca often called
eclectic, since they draw their practices and liturgy from many
different sources.
There is no way to include all traditions because new ones are being
created every day by the practitioners themselves.
6) Are pagans Witches?
We've mentioned that even among pagans and Witches, there is
dispute about just how specific these terms are. But the majority
opinion seems to be that the question, "Are pagans Witches?" is about
the same as the question, "Are Christians Catholics?" (or Methodists,
Baptists or whatever). Most Witches are pagans, but not all pagans
are Witches.
7) Are you Satanists?
This is a bit of a loaded question, since there are several
different conceptions of what Satanism really is. Most pagans do not
worship Satan or practice Satanic rites. Some pagans practice
something called Satanism, but it is a far cry from the Hollywood
image of Satanism.
These people tend to value pleasure as a primary motivation, or to
find meaning in images which the repressive Christian churches
attacked. For some of these folk, reclaiming the word "Satanist" is
an act of resistance against oppression. For more information on
Satanism as a religion, please check out alt.satanism.
If what you're really wanting to know is do we sacrifice babies and
worship evil incarnate, the answer's no.
8) What kinds of people are pagans?
People from all walks of life are pagans -- computer programmers,
artists, police officers, journalists, university professors -- the
list is endless. Many people, no matter what their mundane
occupation, find solace in the life-affirming aspects of paganism.
9) What holidays do you celebrate?
Because neopaganism follows so many traditions from many different
parts of the world, there is no single set of holidays that all
neopagans celebrate. Several calendars are available which list many
different holidays, one or more for every day of the year. Most of
these holidays are either dedicated to particular deities (e.g.
Brighid, Diana, Thor), or mark seasonal changes in the environment
(e.g. the solstices and equinoxes).
What specific holidays are celebrated is something decided within a
certain tradition, or by the individual.
9b) How do I pronounce...? What does this name mean?
The names that are generally used to denote the Wiccan sabbats (as
well as festivals of many pagan traditions) come from Gaelic (both
Scots and Irish), Welsh, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon. There are variations
of pronunciations for each one. We are not trying to say that if you
don't say it like we tell you to, that you'll be wrong or anything
like that. But since so many people have asked, here is a list that
can give you a good start in trying to sound like the languages from
which these words came.
Just remember, this is not some kind of Sekrit Pagan Language
(TM); many of these words are in use in Europe today by pagans and
non-pagans alike to denote these days. And yes, this shows a European
bias, but then so do the commonly-used names for Wiccan holy days.
These seem to be the names most frequently asked about in alt.pagan.
Samhain (31 Oct) -- Irish Gaelic for "summer's end." The standard
Irish pronunciation is either "SOW-in" with the "ow" like in "cow", or
"SAH-win". Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic
dialects include"sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in
"glow").
The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." There is no
linguistic foundation for saying this word "samhane" the way it might
look if it were English. (To be really untechnical about it, the "mh"
is a little linguistic gadget that tells you not to pronounce the "m"
like, well, an "m".) When in doubt, just say "Hallows" or even
"Hallowe'en."
Yule ( at (no spam) 21 Dec) -- Norse for "wheel." It's pretty much pronounced
just like it looks, although if you want to make a stab at a
Scandinavian sound, it'll be more like "yool" and less like "yewl."
This is the winter solstice.
Imbolg/Imbolc (1 Feb) -- Irish Gaelic for "in the belly."
Pronounce this one "IM-bullug" or "IM-bulk" with a guttural "k" on the
end. Other names include Candlemas; Brighid (pronounced "breed"), who
is the Irish goddess whose festival this is; and Oimelc (pronounced
EE-mulk), which means "ewe's milk" in Scots Gaelic.
Ostara ( at (no spam) 21 Mar) -- Saxon name for a maiden goddess of spring,
loosely connected to Astarte and Ishtar. This one's easy --
"o-STAHR-uh." Other names include Eostre (say "OHS-truh" or
"EST-truh"). This is the spring equinox
Beltane/Bealtaine (30 April) -- Irish Gaelic for either "fires of
Bel" or "bright fires." If you want to try it in Gaelic, you can say
"bee-YAWL-tinnuh" or "BELL-tinnuh." Unlike Samhain, this word can
within the linguistic structure of its language of origin be
pronounced like it looks -- "BELL-tane" -- without totally abandoning
its original construction. Other names are Walpurgisnacht
(vahl-PUR-gis-nahkt) and May Day.
Litha ( at (no spam) 21 Jun) -- Norse or Anglo-Saxon for "longest day." You can
say this one just like it looks, or you can try for a Scandinavian
sound and say "leetha" with the "th" more like a "t." This is the
summer solstice.
Lughnasadh/Lunasa or Lammas (1 Aug) -- The first is Irish Gaelic
for "festival of Lugh" (a major Irish deity); the second is
Anglo-Saxon for "festival of the loaves" ("hlaf-mass"). Don't panic
at that spelling (it's that pesky "h" acting as a signal instead of a
letter again); the second (which is modern Irish as opposed to old
Irish) tells you all you need to know. Say "LOO-nah-sah." (Some
people maintain that the Scots dialect says it "LOO-nah-soo.") Lammas
is just like it looks, "LAH-mus."
Mabon ( at (no spam) 21 Sep) -- This is believed to be a form of the Welsh word
for "son." Therefore, it would probably be pronounced "MA-bon" with
the "a" like in "mass." However, most Wiccans and pagans say
"MAY-bon." This is the autumn equinox.
10) What god(s) do you believe in?
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.
11) Can one be both Christian and pagan?
Depends on who you ask. :)
There is much dissention on this particular topic, with both
pagans and Christians taking both stances. There are many brands of
Christian mysticism, some more similar to the aspects of paganism than
others. But some pagans who dance outside to the light of the moon and
praise the Goddess in Her aspect of Diana see and feel no
contradiction to going inside and lighting candles to Mary, the Queen
of Heaven and the Mother of God, the next day. And those same pagans
see the same sacrificial king motif in Jesus as they do in Osiris.
Many people might find it difficult to reconcile the two paths;
others see a successful integration possible. It depends on what is
right for the individual.
12) What were 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. |
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| Evergreen... |
| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:27 pm |
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Guest
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On alt.religion.wicca, bard at (no spam) delhitel.net <bard at (no spam) delhitel.net> wrote:
Quote: archive-name: paganism-faq
Last-modified: Febuary 2002
Version: 4.01
URL:pending
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR ALT.PAGAN
Authors: Susan Harwood Kaczmarczik; Br'an Arthur Davis-Howe; T. O.
Radzykewycz; Ailsa N.T. Murphy; Cecilia Henningsson
Acknowledgements to Jack Coyote, Robert Pearson, Chris Carlisle and
Izzy, and a special thanks to Janis Maria Cortese.
**Disclaimer**
Throughout this FAQ you will find the words "usually," often," and
other disclaimers; this is because Paganism is not a rigid, structured
belief system. We have tried to present as many faces of the neopagan
sub-culture as possible in the FAQ, but realize we can't possibly
cover iit all. Many people, no doubt, will object to every part of
this FAQ (and have done, over everything from specific etymologies to
The REAL Disclaimer:
No one involved in any way with this FAQ can demostrate any magickal
skills at all.
This "FAQ" (I've never seen most of these questions asked on this
group) is suitable only for people interested in writing fantasy
fiction.
Almost everything in it _is_ fiction.
[delete]
Sid
--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magician
http://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444 (at) gmail (dot) com |
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:25 pm |
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Guest
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On 4 Nov 2009 03:27:07 +0100, Evergreen <sidneylambe at (no spam) nospam.invalid>
wrote:
Quote:
The REAL Disclaimer:
No one involved in any way with this FAQ can demostrate any magickal
skills at all.
This "FAQ" (I've never seen most of these questions asked on this
group) is suitable only for people interested in writing fantasy
fiction.
Almost everything in it _is_ fiction.
[delete]
Sid
You realy appear to be a twit.
To others, I almost found a hosting site for the FAQs and clearly
would welcome input about revisions.
One thing I have discovered is the newist version og Free Agent is
worst then a prior version. So it looks like I will be going to the
older version. |
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| Sizzle Flambé... |
| Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:45 am |
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Guest
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On Nov 10, 7:25 pm, bard at (no spam) delhitel.net told Sid/Evergreen:
Quote: You really appear to be a twit.
In this case, appearances are *not* deceiving.
A Troll in Verse: <http://tinyurl.com/sidney-lambe>
About Sidney Lambe, Witless Pest and Apprentice Moron
May I also recommend, for future FAQ linking, or in a sig:
<http://tinyurl.com/pagan-faqs> |
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| Evergreen... |
| Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:22 pm |
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Guest
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On alt.religion.wicca, bard at (no spam) delhitel.net <bard at (no spam) delhitel.net> wrote:
Quote: On 4 Nov 2009 03:27:07 +0100, Evergreen <sidneylambe at (no spam) nospam.invalid
wrote:
The REAL Disclaimer:
No one involved in any way with this FAQ can demostrate any magickal
skills at all.
This "FAQ" (I've never seen most of these questions asked on this
group) is suitable only for people interested in writing fantasy
fiction.
Almost everything in it _is_ fiction.
[delete]
Sid
You realy appear to be a twit.
So that's what you call people who know something
about real magick.
This is an unusual use of the word.
Quote:
To others, I almost found a hosting site for the FAQs and
clearly would welcome input about revisions. One thing I have
discovered is the newist version og Free Agent is worst then a
prior version. So it looks like I will be going to the older
version.
Why do you bother posting this garbage?
Sid
--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magician
http://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444 (at) gmail (dot) com |
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| sâr`châsm... |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:41 am |
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Guest
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"Evergreen" <sidneylambe at (no spam) nospam.invalid> babbled:
Quote: "bard" <bard at (no spam) delhitel.net> wrote:
[delete] Sid
You realy appear to be a twit.
So that's what you call people who know something
about real magick.
No, he was calling sidiot a twit; as opposed to someone who knows something
about "magick".
Quote:
This is an unusual use of the word.
The twit fits, don't have a fit, sidiot. |
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