A Brief Intro to Neo-Paganism
In the everyday dictionary, Paganism* is defined as the worship of false gods or idols. Even though many Pagans are "anti-faith," if you said to a Pagan that their gods were false, it would be like telling a Christian that Jesus is make-believe. To understand the true meaning of Paganism, you have to dig deeper than a dictionary.
Most Pagans today, often called Neo-Pagans*, are classified by the word 'witch'. A witch is a man or woman who practices an Earth-based religion that honors the divine aspects of the female as well as (or instead of) the male and takes part in magickal practices (including divination). The religion, usually Wicca, generally involves a deep respect for nature, worshiping of the many deities, and the practice of magick. There are many traditions of witches, ranging from Garderian Wicca (the most widespread form) to solitary, eclectic Wicca.
There are numerous misconceptions about the Wiccan religion, as well as with other Pagan religions. For instance, since Wiccans are mainly defined as witches, many people relate that with Satanism or Demonism. Truth be told, Wiccans hold a strong belief in the good and kind aspects of humanity. They abide by the Wiccan Rede, which contains their major rule, "An ye harm none, do as ye will." Wiccans take part in magickal practices such as circle castings, and various forms of divination and rites. The many forms of Wicca embrace slightly different beliefs. Celtic Wiccans worship different deities than do Dianic, and so on. For the most part though, their practices embrace the beauty in feminism, nature, and the spiritual realm.
In America today, there is an average of 200,000 or more Neo-Pagans. Groups besides Wicca, such as Asatru, Hellenic, Shamanism, Druid/ADF, and Santeria make up a decent portion of this number.
Asatru, or Norse Neo-Paganism focuses mainly on honoring the two families of gods and goddesses, the Aesir and the Vanir, but also holds respect for ancestors and land spirits. Most follow the Nine Noble Virtues: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-reliance, and Perseverance. Many Asatru people practice in small groups called garths or felags, and they participate in religious ceremonies called Blots, which are held at pivotal points during the year, such as Yule and Midsummer's Blot. Outsiders tend to label the Asatru people as "Viking worshippers" because they hold high reverence for the Norse gods such as Odin and Thor.
The branch of Paganism that is most often classified as Hellenic directs its worship towards the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece. Their ideals include the complete rejection of dogmatism, conversion, religious persecution, and the concept of theirs being the only true and right faith. To Hellenists, religion is personal and not organized, therefore the only word to really describe their faith is "piety."
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