BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Pagan What does "pagan" mean on this message board?

I found this board a couple of weeks ago, and have been lurking and reading some posts since then. This forum has been the one that I have read most extensively.

But it seems to me that despite the description of the forum, pagan means Wiccan. Is that true or is it that the majority of members who would describe themselves as pagans follow a Wiccan tradition?

I get a lot of Wiccans who chat here, but not everyone is. I don't consider myself a Wiccan, but in the US, Neo-Paganism has a lot of Wiccan influence.

A Wiccan is a type of Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccans. I get a lot of email fromm people who are eclectic solitaries, so it's hard to say how those folks might define themselves.

This is a question that I had early on, and one that is still slightly confused in my mind. But, my perception of things is that it pretty much depends on what you want to be called. There are obvious trads that wouldn't fall under Wicca, but there are some that could easily be called one thing or another. "A rose by any other name" and all of that.

Plus, I've read books on general Paganism that say almost the exact same thing as books on Wicca. Then a book on Wicca will contradict another book by saying that you are only Wiccan if you do 1, 2, & 3.

I call myself "Wiccan" because, 1) it feels right, 2) most of my beliefs fall somewhere under the heading, 3) I don't know what else to call my religion and 1 & 2 persist... I guess just Paganism would be fine too. I'm impartial overall. I guess we all just need to find a way to label what we feel.

Any other thoughts?

I'm aware that many different spiritual paths can be called pagan - that's not what I meant when I asked the question.

What I meant was I don't see posts from Druids, from shamans (either from North or South American Indians, etc.) or people who say, "I'm a witch, but not Wiccan." (Which is what I am.) I have no tradition, nor do I only worship deities from any one particular pantheon. I'm also aware that a great number of shamans would say they are not pagan, since arguably, shamanism predates a whole lot of other earth based religions by a few centuries.

It just seemed as if the majority of posts in this forum were from Wiccans, and I was just curious as to where the other pagans were. I think it would be cool to compare festival celebrations, not only which ones different folks observe, but also the mythology or oral history that accompanies the observance.

The only high holy days, if you will, that I see noted in the forum are those of Wicca. I have a feeling if we all shared our own celebrations, we would see themes emerge - themes that would astound us with the sense of oneness we could feel.

SharpChick, welcome to the boards!!! I would be intersted in the comparision of beliefs. Im not Wiccan, Pagan, or anything in the heading but I am chirstian and the topic would be fasinating!!!!

Though I haven't seen many other traditions here, there are many on MySpace if you do a search for Pagan Groups... I don't know why this forum doesn't attract many from other traditions...

I'm still exploring. I'm a Pagan who is exploring the Wiccan faith, so I woulnd't tell someone 'Hey, lookie at me, I'm a Witch!' Not yet anyways. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I read a lot of wiccan books, but do not consider myself wiccan. I am pagan. I am a witch.

I identify as a Neo-Pagan Witch and an Alchemist. How I write this is partially shaped by my own experiences and interests and partially shaped by what people ask me about.

Since this is a web site based in America, where you've got a lot of people of Western European heritage, it's not surprising the Wicca has such a strong influence on the beliefs of a majority of North American Pagans.

Post deleted by articulatekitten