Are you curious about Paganism? Not sure what different terms or concepts mean? Trying to figure out how to make sense of sites and descriptions that say different things about what Paganism is or isn’t, or what witchcraft is or isn’t?
This page links to a number of articles on different topics that will help you sort those things out, and also describe how I use terms and concepts on this site.
What is Paganism?
The first question for many people is “What is Paganism anyway?”
The short version is that Paganism is the umbrella term for a group of religions that don’t necessarily have a whole lot in common. Except that there is, in fact, enough overlap that it’s worth talking about them together sometimes.
Wicca? Religious witchcraft?
Many people get confused by the differences between Wicca, religious witchcraft, and what it means to be a witch.
- You might be asking What is religious witchcraft?
- What is witchcraft? My more personal view.
- What is Wicca? An overview of the history and development.
- What kind of witch am I? A take on this question and some alternate approaches.
- People use the term ‘Wicca’ to describe all sorts of things. This article will help you make some sense of the different uses.
- Why “Wicca can be anything I want” may not be the most useful approach for you to take.
Key concepts:
There are some key concepts you’ll want to get familiar with as you start learning. These include terms (and the way different people use the same term!), and concepts like views of magic, ethics, and deity.
- Common terms : commonly used words when talking about Pagan religions
- Deities : different ways Pagans look at and talk about deity.
- Ethics : a brief look at some ethical concepts in religious witchcraft
- Magic : different approaches to and philosophies about magic.
- Energy and you : an overview of energy and the ideas of centering, grounding, and shielding.
- Correspondences : an introduction to the idea of using correspondences in ritual and magic.
- Ritual : An introduction to key ideas about ritual.
- Divination : what it is and isn’t.
Articles elsewhere you might find useful:
- eCauldron’s Teens and Paganism FAQ (a great intro for people of any age.)
- A good introduction to traditional and non-traditional Wicca from Blue Moon Circle.
