Paganism

The prehistoric site of Stonehenge was used for rituals that would now be considered pagan.

Paganism is a term that covers a great number of spiritual and religious beliefs, and someone who follows one of these beliefs is known as a Pagan. Those in ancient times, who are called Pagans today, believed there was not just one god but a number of gods and goddesses. The stories from Greek mythology are famous examples from a pagan religion. Pagans usually focus on spirituality and nature, rather than on doctrines and dogma.

The word pagan (without a capital P) is often used to describe anyone who is not of the Abrahamic religions. A similar term is heathen. Today Pagan, with a capital P, often refers to people who follow Neo-Pagan religions that honour the Earth. The best known Neo-Pagan religion is Wicca. Another well-known neo-pagan faith is Druidism, but there are many other Neo-Pagan religions with different beliefs.

Some Pagan and Neo-Pagan religions

• Asatru
• Baltic paganism
• Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism
• Druidism
• Finnish Paganism
• Germanic Paganism
• Kemeticism
• Slavic Paganism
• Wicca

References

1. Usenet newsgroup for Pagans
2. The Witches Voice, a networking and education site