So.. you might have heard this word before and you might even be part of the Pagan community. That’s awesome! But if you aren’t familiar with what a “Pagan” is, then here it is in a nutshell for you.

The word “Pagan” is very old and originally referred to anyone who wasn’t Christian. In that context, Pagan is a very broad and very vague word.

Today, it has come to refer to many different nature-based religions or those who have been revived from ancient, pre-Christian cultures, such as Egyptian, Mayan, and Nordic traditions.

Among Pagans, there is a ton of variety – there are several codified traditions, which means that all the members share the same beliefs and practices, such as Dianic, Wiccan, and Santeria. But a majority of Pagans are “Ecclectic” – meaning they choose what they believe and no two people share the exact same beliefs. These beliefs may include:

• Belief in nature spirits (fairies, elementals, etc.)
• Worship of the Earth as Mother
• Belief in a specific diety, pantheon of dieties, or other divine elements
• Belief in life after death
• Belief in a soul separate from the body
• Belief in the 4 (5) elements as building blocks of the Universe
• Celebration of the seasons
• Traditional farming practices
• Celebration of the moon cycles
• Practice of Magic and spells
• Energy work
• Healing work
• Work with spirits, the deceased, and our ancestors
• Work with animals and animal spirits
• Chakra work
• Study of other religions, practices, and beliefs
• Connection to the land
• Stewards of the environment

This is by no means an exhaustive list – just a quick list of what is out there.

I talk about this stuff a LOT around here, so if you hang around, you’ll find and discover more and more fascets and features of Paganism.