Erin has asked a great series of related questions:

In your opinion/experience, how do the terms most Christians commonly use for so-called “Pagan” belief systems differ? (Specifically Pagan, Neo-Pagan, Wiccan, and Heathen.)

In your opinion, is one term more correct or appropriate than the others when speaking generally of such belief systems? Is there another term I have not mentioned that is more acceptable for Christians to use?

Part of the problem with a lot of these terms is that not everyone can agree on what these terms mean. As such, many of the more common definitions tend to be rather broad and even vague at times in order to gain wider acceptance.

My personal definition of Paganism would be a collection of religions and spiritual traditions that are based on and/or inspired by the pre-Christian, polytheistic religious cultures of Europe, India, and Northern Europe. Such religions and spiritual traditions have many common (though not necessarily universal) themes running throughout them. These themes include:

1. A pantheistic or panentheistic view of Divinity
2. An understanding of Divinity that encompasses both male and female genders
3. Some degree of polytheistic belief
4. Reverence for all of creation and a strong belief that humanity is just another part of that creation

As an aside, I’ll note that many, if not all, of these themes are pulled directly from Gus Di Zerega’s own discussion of the common themes of Paganism in his book, Pagans and Christians: The Personal Spiritual Experience.

Now, if you pick at this definition too closely, you will likely find a Pagan religion that doesn’t quite fit the description. You might also find a non-Pagan religion that fits the description. Like I said, definitions are not perfect.

The term “Neo-Pagan” was a term adopted by many (and Isaac Bonewits certainly helped get the term out there by using it in the name of his website) to distinguish people who are following modern Pagan paths from the ancient pagan paths they are trying to reconstruct or reinvent. However, many of us, tend to use the words interchangeably. (Personally, I figure most people can tell whether I’m talking about the Paganisms of today or those of centuries past based on context.)

Heathenry is a term which has been adopted by many people who base their spirituality on the myths, legends, and cultures that came from the Germanic tribes. This includes both lore of the Icelanders and the Anglo-Saxons, as well as a few other sources.

Wicca is a term which I find particularly hard to define. This is partly due to the fact that a few years ago, I chose to use a very limited definition of the word on my blog. That’s actually still my definition of choice for this blog. However, much of the greater Pagan community disagrees with me.

As near as I can tell, the majority of Pagans tend to define Wicca as a specific religious tradition that honors a Divine Pair in the form of a God and Goddess, celebrate eight solar holidays a year along with lunar observances, cast circles and call Quarters (most often views as Elemental guardians) as a part of their rites. But in the end, you’re probably best off asking a Wiccan what they understand the term to mean in conversation.

As for what word to use when talking about people generally, the most widely accepted word would be Pagan. The only group that doesn’t seem to care for that word are the Heathens (and even their reactions can vary from individual to individual), as they often prefer to keep a certain distance and distinction between themselves and (other) Pagans.

My previous post about what Pagan community looks like got me thinking about community and community building in general. To me, community building is in itself a spiritual discipline. The meal after a ritual is as important as the ritual itself. The regular covered dish dinners (one of the things I think the Baptist church I grew up in got right) are as important as the Sunday morning worship service. In fact, the charismatic church I attended my senior year in college understood this so much that they started having covered dish lunches every Sunday afternoon after the service!

From a Pagan perspective, each individual contains a spark of the Divine in their being. Perhaps some traditions don’t express it in exactly those words, but I think it’s universally (or nearly so) expressed in one way or another. For example, the Norse traditions hold to the idea that humans are descended from the gods. (How literally or symbolically this should be taken may be debated, but it’s there.) So there’s that sense of Divine origin and connection.

When I consider human relationships while holding this perspective in mind, even the simplest interactions become profound. Each time I laugh with a friend, share in his joy, or help dry her tears, the divine spark in me is reaching out and connecting with the divine spark in the other. In that moment, we are recognizing each other’s sacredness. A shared meal becomes a moment that strengthens our spiritual connection. And such connections should be strengthened, as they promote growth, both individually and collectively.

We sit in a circle in the dimly lit room. Incense smoke wafts gently upward among the flickering candlelight from the small altar. One of the attendees, a woman in her forties, speaks of the spirit who just gave a message. The woman identifies the spirit as a great aunt. She mentions that the woman had been a midwife, explaining the deep understanding of “alternative medicine” the medium had sensed in the spirit. A small, hushed conversation ensues as stories and experiences are traded. A short silence falls, soon ended as another medium shifts slightly, preparing to give the next message.

The above paragraph is a factual account of a small portion of the monthly seance I attended a couple weeks ago. I’ve tried to capture (though not entirely successfully) the somber intimacy of the moment here because I feel that moment was representative of the essence and nature of my own spiritual community. That community is something that Erin recently asked me to write about.

Spiritual community among Pagans is a complex, subtle, and even elusive thing. In some ways, I don’t think we have a community so much as a network of intersecting and overlapping communities. Different groups of people get together for different purposes, and membership to multiple groups is perfectly acceptable. The people I attend seance with are different from the people I celebrate the Sabbats with. Other groups get together to participate in ghost hunts and other paranormal research activities. Another group gets together to do house blessings and cleansings. People gather and regroup based on common interests and everyone pretty much finds what they’re looking for.

The friendships that grow out of this kind of networking are amazing. Indeed, most of the activities of these various groups allows for and encourages such bonds of affection. There’s no occasion too serious that an appropriate bit of humor can’t slip in, and the sharing of each others’ lives becomes a natural result of working together.

Of course, a discussion of Pagan community isn’t complete without a discussion of the local New Age shop. Such a shop (and even multiple shops) is usually at the center of such a community. This is because in addition to selling helpful merchandise, these shops also tend to serve as learning centers and community centers. They often offer classes, workshops, and seminars in an array of subjects. They often also provide space for other covens, groups, and organizations to post notices about their activities. Indeed, once a lucky Pagan finds such a shop, they usually have the resources they need to find anything or anyone they need.

Of course, there’s a lot more I could say about Pagan community. After all, there’s also festivals, conferences, and many other events. And of course there’s the common problems that come up in Pagan communities (no, we’re not a utopian society any more than the rest of society). I suspect I may do more posts in the future. But hopefully this gives you a glance into my community.