{"id":4451,"date":"2010-11-01T01:00:16","date_gmt":"2010-11-01T06:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=4506"},"modified":"2010-10-29T16:56:52","modified_gmt":"2010-10-29T21:56:52","slug":"what-is-%e2%80%98pagan%e2%80%99","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2010\/11\/01\/what-is-%e2%80%98pagan%e2%80%99\/","title":{"rendered":"What is \u2018Pagan\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Language is powerful. Words carry connotations and conjure images that are sometimes correct \u2026 and sometimes not. One such word is \u2018pagan<\/em>\u2018.<\/h2>\n

The word pagan for many people conjures images of animal sacrifice, devil worship and inverted pentagrams. My family generally doesn\u2019t announce our paganism for precisely this reason. As most people don\u2019t fully understand what it means to be pagan, or have grown up believing the church\u2019s definition, they fear what they don\u2019t fully understand. This leads to one of two responses: avoidance or vilification.<\/p>\n

Additionally, as words carry definitions, applying the label \u2018pagan\u2019 applies those standard sets of rules and beliefs carried by the definition and prevents me being or doing something different or outside of that definition. So I choose not to apply the label. I am what I am and it doesn\u2019t need a word to describe it.<\/p>\n

In any event, this misunderstanding of a simple word became apparent to us this week when our child came home from school with an interesting tale\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018Heathen\u2019 was a word in their challenge spelling list. When completing a crossword the clue was \u2018Another word for pagan\u2019. (Technically this is incorrect as a heathen is someone who is godless; pagans can have one, none or many gods.) One of the children asked \u201cWhat\u2019s a pagan?\u201d Our child\u2019s hand shot up, she was told to put it down and the teacher then explained that pagans were around before Jesus was born. Naturally enough our child protested \u201cBut I\u2019m<\/em> pagan!\u201d (This announcement in the past has actually led to her being picked on by her classmates and told in no uncertain terms that she was \u2018going to hell\u2019. Side Note: Pagans actually have no hell. \u2018Hell\u2019 is a post-Christian construct.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

After class \u2013 luckily \u2013 the teacher took an interest and talked to our child about what that meant \u2013 Did we do rituals? (Perhaps she was thinking goats and chickens?) \u2013 and then told our child \u201cYou know that means you\u2019re wiccan?\u201d Our child tried to argue but the teacher then told the librarian \u201cDid you know they\u2019re wiccan?\u201d<\/p>\n

So consequently I\u2019m off to school to \u2018right some wrongs\u2019 before the whole place gets a perception of us that\u2019s totally off the scale!<\/p>\n

But this highlighted for me the misconception people still have about the word \u2018pagan\u2019 and how they happily interchange it with words like \u2018heathen\u2019 and \u2018wiccan\u2019.<\/p>\n

Of course all wiccans are pagan \u2013 but not all pagans are wiccan. And pagans are definitely not \u2018godless\u2019 as the word heathen suggests.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Image: Jonathon Earl Bowser<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So what is pagan? Pagan means different things to the various people who classify themselves as such.\u00a0 For me being pagan is not a religion but a way of living. It\u2019s not something that can be defined by anyone but the individual who chooses to be it and follow that path. But here\u2019s the definition before the Crusades made paganism something to be feared and reviled.<\/p>\n

Pagan comes from the Latin paganus <\/em>– meaning country dweller or rustic. Later this developed into \u2018peasant\u2019 \u2013 again meaning one from the countryside, and when these areas were Christianised it became a word with religious connotations but generally used in derogatory terms to symbolise the \u2018victory\u2019 of the church over the \u2018heathens\u2019.<\/p>\n

Once upon a time all people were pagan. It is the oldest \u2018religion\u2019 (though I prefer the word \u2019spirituality\u2019). Post-ascension of the church it defines anyone who is not part of one of the Abrahamic monotheistic religions (the three majors being Judaism, Christianity and Islam) \u2013 so technically this would cover Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Druidism \u2013 and the possibly hundreds \u2013 if not thousands \u2013 of dissenting religious views.<\/p>\n

For my family \u2018being pagan<\/em>\u2018 means simply that we walk lightly on the earth \u2013 who is revered as Mother \u2013 respecting Her bounty and honouring her changing seasons by marking the Sabbats \u2013 eight festivals that celebrate the solstices and equinoxes (Lesser Sabbats) and the harvests and midpoints between seasons (Greater Sabbats). And no, we don\u2019t sacrifice goats or chickens to do so! Celebrations generally involve getting together with friends for feasts and enjoying each other\u2019s company and the place we hold in each other\u2019s lives. It involves teaching our children respect for the Earth, for each other and for themselves.<\/p>\n

Our beliefs are, I guess, \u2018typically Christian\u2019 \u2013 though unfortunately not always practiced by those who define themselves as such. We don\u2019t differentiate on the basis of colour, sex or religion but accept all people as people of the Universe \u2013 all made up of the same particles as the Universe, and all part of each other. (This is a concept picked up by metaphysics: As I breathe out, small particles of me are carried into the atmosphere to be breathed in by others, and vice versa. Therefore, we are literally each part of the other. If you don\u2019t believe this \u2026 think of how airborne viruses are transferred.)<\/p>\n

We also believe in the cyclical nature of life: birth-life-death-rebirth. We believe the Earth should be honoured \u2013 not plundered for greed or power \u2013 but sustained, nurtured for the future generations.<\/p>\n

(Any of this sounding familiar?)<\/p>\n

We love life, beauty (in all its forms), nature, all people regardless of differences \u2013 and in our house at least tend not to use the word \u2018tolerance\u2019 because it pre-supposes one school of thought is right whilst another is wrong. We believe there is room for all thought.<\/p>\n

Some of our friends believe in one god; others in many; and some, like us, in no \u2018god\u2019 as such at all \u2013 meaning no \u2018Deity\u2019 sitting in a \u2018heaven\u2019 \u2026 and conversely no \u2018Devil\u2019 sitting in a \u2018hell\u2019. We definitely acknowledge good and evil \u2013 but as part of the duality of nature:\u00a0 good\/bad; light\/dark; day\/night; male\/female. We don\u2019t consider human beings as the top of the pyramid but view all life as equally valuable, and the planet as a living, breathing organism.<\/p>\n

One of the best, most complete, \u2018definitions\u2019 (for want of a better word) that I have read is by Norman G Geldenhuys, penned in 1975. Due to its length I am going to reproduce it as a separate post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

‘I am Pagan’ The link to that is: http:\/\/www.earthgoddesswisdom.com\/2010\/10\/i-am-pagan\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Language is powerful. Words carry connotations and conjure images that are sometimes correct \u2026 and sometimes not. One such word is \u2018pagan\u2018. The word pagan for many people conjures images of animal sacrifice, devil worship and inverted pentagrams. My family generally doesn\u2019t announce our paganism for precisely this reason. As most people don\u2019t fully understand what it means to be pagan, or have grown up believing the church\u2019s definition, they fear what they don\u2019t fully understand. This leads to one of two responses: avoidance or vilification. Additionally, as words carry definitions, applying the label \u2018pagan\u2019 applies those standard sets of rules and beliefs carried by the definition and prevents me being or doing something different or outside of that definition. So I choose not to apply the label. I am what I am and it doesn\u2019t need a word to describe it. In any event, this misunderstanding of a simple word became apparent to us this week when our child came home from school with an interesting tale\u2026 \u2018Heathen\u2019 was a word in their challenge spelling list. When completing a crossword the clue was \u2018Another word for pagan\u2019. (Technically this is incorrect as a heathen is someone who is godless; pagans can have one, none or many gods.) One of the children asked \u201cWhat\u2019s a pagan?\u201d Our child\u2019s hand shot up, she was told to put it down and the teacher then explained that pagans were around before Jesus was born. Naturally enough our child protested \u201cBut I\u2019m pagan!\u201d (This announcement in the past has actually led to her being picked on by her classmates and told in no uncertain terms that she was \u2018going to hell\u2019. Side Note: Pagans actually have no hell. \u2018Hell\u2019 is a post-Christian construct.) After class \u2013 luckily \u2013 the teacher took an interest and talked to our child about what that meant \u2013 Did we do rituals? (Perhaps she was thinking goats and chickens?) \u2013 and then told our child \u201cYou know that means you\u2019re wiccan?\u201d Our child tried to argue but the teacher then told the librarian \u201cDid you know they\u2019re wiccan?\u201d So consequently I\u2019m off to school to \u2018right some wrongs\u2019 before the whole place gets a perception of us that\u2019s totally off the scale! But this highlighted for me the misconception people still have about the word \u2018pagan\u2019 and how they happily interchange it with words like \u2018heathen\u2019 and \u2018wiccan\u2019. Of course all wiccans are pagan \u2013 but not all pagans are wiccan. And pagans are definitely not \u2018godless\u2019 as the word heathen suggests. Image: Jonathon Earl Bowser So what is pagan? Pagan means different things to the various people who classify themselves as such.\u00a0 For me being pagan is not a religion but a way of living. It\u2019s not something that can be defined by anyone but the individual who chooses to be it and follow that path. But here\u2019s the definition before the Crusades made paganism something to be feared and reviled. Pagan comes from the Latin paganus – meaning country dweller or rustic. Later this developed into \u2018peasant\u2019 \u2013 again meaning one from the countryside, and when these areas were Christianised it became a word with religious connotations but generally used in derogatory terms to symbolise the \u2018victory\u2019 of the church over the \u2018heathens\u2019. Once upon a time all people were pagan. It is the oldest \u2018religion\u2019 (though I prefer the word \u2019spirituality\u2019). Post-ascension of the church it defines anyone who is not part of one of the Abrahamic monotheistic religions (the three majors being Judaism, Christianity and Islam) \u2013 so technically this would cover Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Druidism \u2013 and the possibly hundreds \u2013 if not thousands \u2013 of dissenting religious views. For my family \u2018being pagan\u2018 means simply that we walk lightly on the earth \u2013 who is revered as Mother \u2013 respecting Her bounty and honouring her changing seasons by marking the Sabbats \u2013 eight festivals that celebrate the solstices and equinoxes (Lesser Sabbats) and the harvests and midpoints between seasons (Greater Sabbats). And no, we don\u2019t sacrifice goats or chickens to do so! Celebrations generally involve getting together with friends for feasts and enjoying each other\u2019s company and the place we hold in each other\u2019s lives. It involves teaching our children respect for the Earth, for each other and for themselves. Our beliefs are, I guess, \u2018typically Christian\u2019 \u2013 though unfortunately not always practiced by those who define themselves as such. We don\u2019t differentiate on the basis of colour, sex or religion but accept all people as people of the Universe \u2013 all made up of the same particles as the Universe, and all part of each other. (This is a concept picked up by metaphysics: As I breathe out, small particles of me are carried into the atmosphere to be breathed in by others, and vice versa. Therefore, we are literally each part of the other. If you don\u2019t believe this \u2026 think of how airborne viruses are transferred.) We also believe in the cyclical nature of life: birth-life-death-rebirth. We believe the Earth should be honoured \u2013 not plundered for greed or power \u2013 but sustained, nurtured for the future generations. (Any of this sounding familiar?) We love life, beauty (in all its forms), nature, all people regardless of differences \u2013 and in our house at least tend not to use the word \u2018tolerance\u2019 because it pre-supposes one school of thought is right whilst another is wrong. We believe there is room for all thought. Some of our friends believe in one god; others in many; and some, like us, in no \u2018god\u2019 as such at all \u2013 meaning no \u2018Deity\u2019 sitting in a \u2018heaven\u2019 \u2026 and conversely no \u2018Devil\u2019 sitting in a \u2018hell\u2019. We definitely acknowledge good and evil \u2013 but as part of the duality of nature:\u00a0 good\/bad; light\/dark; day\/night; male\/female. We don\u2019t consider human beings as the top of the pyramid but view all life as equally valuable, and the planet as a living, breathing organism. One of the best, most complete, \u2018definitions\u2019 (for want of a better word) that I have read is by Norman G Geldenhuys, penned in 1975. Due to its length I am going to reproduce it as a separate post. ‘I am Pagan’ The link to that is: http:\/\/www.earthgoddesswisdom.com\/2010\/10\/i-am-pagan\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4451\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}