Paganism?

Paganism is a spirituality rooted in the so called \"natural religions\" of the world, whose belief is rooted in the sacredness of all things. Pagans maintain a heritage and tradition, upholding the beliefs and values of their ancestors in forms which can be adapted to suit modern day life. They celebrate the unlimited, unknowable, both seen and unseen spirit which flows through the universe.

Pagans are not limited to particular aspects of the Divine, but these can be recognised: in the uniqueness of the male or female; in the gift of children; in the refuge of the woods and meadows... . Paganism stresses spirituality with a personal experience of the natural world which they love, fear, respect... . In their search Pagans attune their inner lives ( with their turning points) to the fluctuations of Nature ( the seasons, phases of the moon, day and night... ), so much so that one can be recognised in the other.

The spectrum of traditions within Paganism is as broad as personal spiritual experience. This makes the pagan and his/her respective spirituality unique. There are pantheons of Gods and Goddesses; there is the single Life \"Force\" of no specific gender; there is the cosmic couple of Goddess and God, or Lord and Lady... . Diversity is the \"name of the game\". Each person should find their own spirituality according to the dictates of the quiet, inner voice of their own soul. This allows all sincere religions to be respected and renders mission or recruitment obsolete.

With growing environmental concern Pagans are often at the forefront of Green awareness. Pagans of all paths respect the rights of every living soul, whether human, animal, plant or rock. Each Pagan is required to be \"mindful\" of the actions of cause and effect be it in thought or deed. To be at one with the natural world freedom of thought, a creative imagination and practical human resourcefulness is essential. The lesson learnt yesterday becomes the concern of tommorow.

AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF PAGAN RELIGIONS.

Asatru
Celtic Reconstructionism
Celtic Wicca
Dianic Wicca
Discordianism
Druidry
Eclectic Wicca
Egyptian
Etruscan
Finnish Paganism
Hellenic
Mesopotamian
Minoan
Mithraism
Norse Wicca
Numinism
Old English Heathenry
Roman religion (Religio Romana)
Romuva
Sami
Satanism
Shamanism
Spira
Slavic
Stregheria
Thelema
Traditional Wicca
Traditional Witchcraft
Vedic

Br. Hans, can you please tell me more about the paganism rite, I'd like to know more about it. From what I've gathered so far, it also seems like Taoism would fall under it, since its somewhat of a natural religion/philosophy. Maybe more information would help to either enhance the realization of the similarities, or distinguish the differences.

I'd also like to know a little more about the celtic side of things, if you have any information on it. My heritage is from that area, and I've been drawn to it for some time, but it seems the more information I look up on it, the less certain any of it is, or it contrasts with other information I have found otherwise.

This will likely help others as well, who are trying to learn more what rite they would fall under here.

DK

Dhagon Krayt wrote:

Br. Hans, can you please tell me more about the paganism rite, I'd like to know more about it. From what I've gathered so far, it also seems like Taoism would fall under it, since its somewhat of a natural religion/philosophy. Maybe more information would help to either enhance the realization of the similarities, or distinguish the differences.

I'd also like to know a little more about the celtic side of things, if you have any information on it. My heritage is from that area, and I've been drawn to it for some time, but it seems the more information I look up on it, the less certain any of it is, or it contrasts with other information I have found otherwise.

This will likely help others as well, who are trying to learn more what rite they would fall under here.

DK

No sooner said than done. It will be my pleasure to work on this Br.Dhagon.

As you will see there are very many similarities between Taoism and Paganism.

Reverence for the four elements (fire, water, air, earth) and the belief that they were a manifestation of divine power played a large part in many of the ancient religions. Chinese Taoists on the other hand divided the elements into five parts (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) and believed that these conquered one another according to a definite law. Thus wood conquered earth; earth, water; water, fire; fire, metal; and metal, wood. The fusion of these Five Elements is the necessary first step in the Taoist practice of Inner Alchemy, in which one learns to control the generation and flow of emotional, mental, and physical energies within the body. It is a series of meditations designed to locate and dissolve negative energies trapped inside the body by making a connection between the five outer senses (experienced through the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and tongue) and the five major negative emotions (anger, hate, worry, sadness, and fear). When the body is cleared of negative energy, universal chi energy flows freely and productively, nourishing both body and soul.

Practical Taoism is a rough mixture of animism, shamanism and local customs and traditions from China coupled with Mahayana Buddhism and anti-Confucianism. Taoistic magic and the like comes from Practical Taoism and mastering it requires intense study, practice, and cultural mergence. A discipline somewhat at odds with the Tao Te Ching's simplicity by the way.

If we consider Wicca (the Crafte of the Wise) for example (an ancient nature-based Pagan conglomerate belief system), then in some ways it fits nicely with the Taoist respect for nature, opposition to overt external controls... . Taoism is about trusting Nature and your own intuition. It calls for kindness and compassion to all creatures, the Earth and all natural processes. It is about finding happiness in life's simple pleasures and escaping the competitiveness of modern day life. You will find a Taoist temple where Nature is. Taoists marvel at the miracle of life and Nature; the changing of the seasons and any celestial events such as comets, falling stars and eclipses. Unlike Taoism however, most of the ancient practices that are generically termed \"Paganism\" were systematized traditions based on the existence of spirits, a Lord and Lady who shared the cycle of the Year between them, and localized lore, heroes, legends, superstitions and traditions.

\"You can shout, 'entertainment,' until you're blue in the face, but you cannot disguise the fact that this is a religious statement.\"

It quoted the director: \"Sure, I put a little Zen in there, I thought it belonged there.\"

Lucas was quoted: \"The kids watch TV, and get no religion. My purpose was to give them some religion\".

The series is unquestionably a Sunday-School lesson in New-Age philosophy, which is a definite spiritual revival, but the \"Spirit\" is certainly not of God. It is a combination of ancient and modern Eastern paganism. As in all paganism, the Force is completely non-personal, has a light and a dark side, and can be manipulated to show you its light side, if you do the right things.
-George Lukas

The one thing I would add to this is Paganism as a term was used by the early church to describe basically everything that fell outside of the ruling body of the church. An Atheist to them was a pagan. Same with the Norse, the "witches", the Druids, etc.

One of the groups I'm in used Paganism as an umbrella term. Basically everything that's not the church is Pagan, but not every pagan is say a witch or a heathen etc. I can be a practicing Norse pagan but have nothing to do with witchcraft.

Right now there's almost too much of a divide in the communities that's keeping a lot of them from uniting and taking on the mainstream beliefs that have flooded the American landscape. I absolutely love my paganism, its allowed me a freedom that I've never had before. Switching sides has shown me just how hurtful my previous beliefs were and how exclusionary they really were.

I have to say I stop and smell the roses more. I take longer walks in the park and generally enjoy being outside. My body doesn't like the outside as my allergies remind me after every long walk in the woods, but paganism has given me a much deeper appreciation for the natural world and of the others who fall under the term pagans as well.