Wicca and Paganism
Wicca and Paganism both revere nature and the cycles of the year, and to be Wiccan automatically means you are Pagan. But being Pagan does not mean you are Wiccan.
Paganism in a Nutshell
The Pagan religion and belief system is very old. It is considered that some 10,000 years ago Paganism began. These ancient people were nomadic during this time: they were hunter-gatherers and they hunted for food which means they moved to where the food was plentiful at different times of the year. From what little evidence remains (in cave drawings and archaeological findings), it is presumed that these ancient tribal cultures worshiped the sun and they honoured the animals they hunted. There are beliefs that women were the healers and they looked after the tribe’s welfare (but it is important to understand there is no firm evidence to support this). Perhaps women were considered to have more power as they gave life to the world in the form of children. It stands to reason that, given the alignment with menstrual cycles, women worshiped the moon and the lunar phases perchance giving way to ritual celebrations in honour of the moon. Some of the older men were taught these rituals that stayed behind and didn’t go on hunts for food. These older men became priests.
When we discovered agriculture around 8000-7500 years ago, the fertility of the seeds in the soil helped men understand their role in the creation of life. Men and women began to work together and the men didn’t need to go out and follow animals in a hunt to survive. They became “country dwellers” or “paganized.” The term Pagan literally means Country Dweller, or a connection with nature. Pagansim is very much a religion that worships nature but it can be followed in different ways depending upon where it’s practiced. In the Pagan religion there are many Gods and Goddesses, and no single deity is responsible for the creation of the world.
Some religious people hold to the belief that pagans are people who don’t follow worldly religions and are caught up in material possessions or sexual pleasures – sadly, a very misguided understanding of Paganism.
Pagans believe that the world should be enjoyed by everyone and that we are all a part of, and connected to, Mother Earth. Pagans believe that we are all divine and are all representations of Gods or Goddesses. There are no messiahs or gurus in most pagan religions. The lunar cycle and the solar cycle both play a big part the Pagan religion, as does the cycle of the seasons.
For pagans, the world is in a fine balance. Masculine and feminine forces combine and create new life. Sex is not a deviant act, but rather one of procreation and contributing to the harmony of the life cycle. It is about polar opposites, light and dark, male and female, Yin and Yang. And it is about walking the fine line of life respecting and loving everything that the world and nature brings.
Wicca in a Nutshell
You can read more extensively about Wicca on our What is Wicca & Witchcraft? page. But here we summarise the Wiccan belief:
Firstly, some things that Wicca is NOT! Wicca is not an ancient religion. Wicca is not an old tradition. Being Wiccan does not mean that you are a witch and use magick, unless you decide to work with magic. Wicca is not witchcraft in the same way that being Christian does not make a person Christ. Witchcraft itself is a craft of being wise – and not the principle of magick.
Wicca is an entirely modern belief system and religion. During the first half of the 20th century this religion was developed following years of research and the Victorian thirst for all things occult and in 1954 it was introduced to the world as a religious belief for following. It draws upon ancient beliefs like paganism and other beliefs (including ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon and other worldly ideas and myths and reverences).
There’s no central authority in Wicca, like a church or a figure that defines the religion. There are many interpretations of what Wicca is. There is however, no evil entity worshiped and it’s not Satanism. Wiccans see their God and Goddess as a part of everyday life (the balance between the masculine and the feminine) and the earth as living organism. Nature is a big part of Wicca and it is held in high regard. Wiccans celebrate the phases of the moon and the cycles of nature in the same way as ancient Paganism.
There are chants, spells, meditation, and other techniques used in certain aspects (not all) Wicca and these are used wisely and with much dedication to moving nobody against their free will or harming anyone. Wicca, like Paganism, accepts the idea of reincarnation – as part of the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth which can be seen in all nature. It’s not preached people are allowed to do their own thing and to interpret Wicca in their own way.
If you compare, paganism vs Wicca both of these practices are quite similar but paganism goes back a long way before organized religion came into practice. Wicca is form of witchcraft which people in the modern world use. There are people all over the world that still practice the pagan religion as much as there are people who practice the Wicca religion – they are not intrinsically connected except by their reverence of the natural world and becoming one with the earth. Instead, one is the core belief in nature (paganism), and the other (Wicca) is a path you may select to worship and honour nature.
Paganism in a Nutshell
The Pagan religion and belief system is very old. It is considered that some 10,000 years ago Paganism began. These ancient people were nomadic during this time: they were hunter-gatherers and they hunted for food which means they moved to where the food was plentiful at different times of the year. From what little evidence remains (in cave drawings and archaeological findings), it is presumed that these ancient tribal cultures worshiped the sun and they honoured the animals they hunted. There are beliefs that women were the healers and they looked after the tribe’s welfare (but it is important to understand there is no firm evidence to support this). Perhaps women were considered to have more power as they gave life to the world in the form of children. It stands to reason that, given the alignment with menstrual cycles, women worshiped the moon and the lunar phases perchance giving way to ritual celebrations in honour of the moon. Some of the older men were taught these rituals that stayed behind and didn’t go on hunts for food. These older men became priests.
When we discovered agriculture around 8000-7500 years ago, the fertility of the seeds in the soil helped men understand their role in the creation of life. Men and women began to work together and the men didn’t need to go out and follow animals in a hunt to survive. They became “country dwellers” or “paganized.” The term Pagan literally means Country Dweller, or a connection with nature. Pagansim is very much a religion that worships nature but it can be followed in different ways depending upon where it’s practiced. In the Pagan religion there are many Gods and Goddesses, and no single deity is responsible for the creation of the world.
Some religious people hold to the belief that pagans are people who don’t follow worldly religions and are caught up in material possessions or sexual pleasures – sadly, a very misguided understanding of Paganism.
Pagans believe that the world should be enjoyed by everyone and that we are all a part of, and connected to, Mother Earth. Pagans believe that we are all divine and are all representations of Gods or Goddesses. There are no messiahs or gurus in most pagan religions. The lunar cycle and the solar cycle both play a big part the Pagan religion, as does the cycle of the seasons.
For pagans, the world is in a fine balance. Masculine and feminine forces combine and create new life. Sex is not a deviant act, but rather one of procreation and contributing to the harmony of the life cycle. It is about polar opposites, light and dark, male and female, Yin and Yang. And it is about walking the fine line of life respecting and loving everything that the world and nature brings.
Wicca in a Nutshell
You can read more extensively about Wicca on our What is Wicca & Witchcraft? page. But here we summarise the Wiccan belief:
Firstly, some things that Wicca is NOT! Wicca is not an ancient religion. Wicca is not an old tradition. Being Wiccan does not mean that you are a witch and use magick, unless you decide to work with magic. Wicca is not witchcraft in the same way that being Christian does not make a person Christ. Witchcraft itself is a craft of being wise – and not the principle of magick.
Wicca is an entirely modern belief system and religion. During the first half of the 20th century this religion was developed following years of research and the Victorian thirst for all things occult and in 1954 it was introduced to the world as a religious belief for following. It draws upon ancient beliefs like paganism and other beliefs (including ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon and other worldly ideas and myths and reverences).
There’s no central authority in Wicca, like a church or a figure that defines the religion. There are many interpretations of what Wicca is. There is however, no evil entity worshiped and it’s not Satanism. Wiccans see their God and Goddess as a part of everyday life (the balance between the masculine and the feminine) and the earth as living organism. Nature is a big part of Wicca and it is held in high regard. Wiccans celebrate the phases of the moon and the cycles of nature in the same way as ancient Paganism.
There are chants, spells, meditation, and other techniques used in certain aspects (not all) Wicca and these are used wisely and with much dedication to moving nobody against their free will or harming anyone. Wicca, like Paganism, accepts the idea of reincarnation – as part of the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth which can be seen in all nature. It’s not preached people are allowed to do their own thing and to interpret Wicca in their own way.
If you compare, paganism vs Wicca both of these practices are quite similar but paganism goes back a long way before organized religion came into practice. Wicca is form of witchcraft which people in the modern world use. There are people all over the world that still practice the pagan religion as much as there are people who practice the Wicca religion – they are not intrinsically connected except by their reverence of the natural world and becoming one with the earth. Instead, one is the core belief in nature (paganism), and the other (Wicca) is a path you may select to worship and honour nature.
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