E-mail: paganrightsalliance@ananzi.co.za ∙ Tel/Fax: (044) 850 1297 ∙ P.O. Box 184 Hoekwil 6538
What is PAGANISM ?
PAGANISM Etymology: pagan / Pagan / Paganism The word Pagan comes from the Latin words Pagani, meaning 'rural', and Pagus, meaning 'country-district'. It was used in a Christian inscription of the early fourth century to describe rural civilians of Rome who had not converted to Christianity. The 'pagani', more often than not, practiced ancient Roman, Greek, Celtic, Teutonic and Egyptian religions, religions very closely associated with Nature (as is evidenced in what we now know about their beliefs, their Gods and Goddesses and their relationship to natural places, elements and forces (wind, wave, rain, fertility etc.). The general use of the word in ancient Rome made no direct reference to religion at all. A pagan (or heathen) was simply a person who dwelt in the country and in this Roman context may have referred equally to members of very divergent belief systems and spiritualities. Within a fourth century Christian context a pagan referred specifically to non-Christians not only in Rome but throughout the Mediterranean world. Colonization and the work of Christian missionaries broadened the usage of the words pagan and heathen to include pre-Christian and non-Christian religions of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The reader should bear in mind that adherents of these religions did not refer to their faiths as paganism or heathenism. What is the difference between paganism and Paganism? paganism, with a small 'p', is a term used as a form of derision by Christian Missionaries and Churches in reference to pre-Christian religious belief systems and practices. Today the term is commonly used to collectively define very diverse and divergent pre-Christian cultures and religions, cultures and religions which do not necessarily define themselves as pagan. Paganism, with a capital 'P', refers to the modern renewal and revival of the ancient religious, spiritual and ritual practices of pre-Christian peoples. Modern Pagans have reclaimed the term 'Pagan' to define their modern religion, a religion characterized by diversity of spirituality and belief, and by tolerance of religious and theological diversity. Modern Paganism is a religion composed of many spiritual Paths. The Christian term 'denominations' is properly referred to as 'Paths' within Paganism. A Path in Paganism is a recognised and distinct school of thought (belief system) and spiritual practice (tradition) accepted and associated within the religious 'umbrella construct' of modern Paganism. The most influential Paths within modern Paganism includes Witchcraft, Wicca, Stregharia, Druidry, Shamanism, The Northern Tradition (including Odinism, Asatru and Vanatru), Western and Eastern Magical and Mysticism Traditions, and Goddess Spirituality. Note: The word 'Heathen' is a North-European equivalent of the Latin-derived 'Pagan', having similar connotations, i.e. dweller of the heath / country-side, and is the preferred term of many modern Pagans who adhere to Teutonic Traditions. Modern Paganism, also called Neo-Paganism (new Paganism), has gained both official and academic recognition in Europe, America, Australia and South Africa, as a religion of the twentieth century. Paganism is an eclectic and syncretic tapestry of established religious and spiritual traditions that claim either direct or indirect descent from pre-Christian forms of religion and spirituality. Pagans tend to define Paganism as a Nature-venerating religion. WITHCRAFT Etymology: witch The English word witch is derived from the medieval English word 'wicche'. The medieval word in turn derives from the Anglo-Saxon words 'wicca' (meaning a male Witch) and 'wicce' (meaning a female Witch). The words ‘wicca’ and ‘wicce’ are said to be derived from the Old High German word 'witega', meaning 'a prophet' or 'seer'. The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology derives the origin of the word witch as, witch n. About 1250 AD wiche, in Genesis and Exodus: developed from Old English wicce - ‘female magican’, sorceress (about 1000AD), feminine of wicca - ‘sorcerer’, wizard (about 890AD). These words are related to, and probably derivatives of Old English wiccian - 'to practice witchcraft', itself related to Old English wigle ' - divination', wiglian - 'to divine', and wig - 'idol', all cognate with Old Frisian wigila - 'sorcery /witchcraft' and probably with Middle Low German and Middle High German wicken or wikken - 'to bewitch', Old High German wih or wihi - 'holy', Old Icelandic ve - 'temple', and Gothic weihs - 'holy'. Before 1200AD wicchen; developed from Old English (about 1000AD) wiccian - 'practice witchcraft'. [1] [1] The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology (1988) by Robert K. Barnhart, edited by Sol Steinmetz - The H.W. Wilson Company What is Witchcraft? Witchcraft is an ancient religio-magical technique / system that employs the use of divination, sympathetic magic and pagan ritual practices, but does not necessarily confine itself to the worship of deity, nor to any specific religion or culture. Contemporary Witches define their religio-spiritual practices as a Craft. Modern Witches ply their craft as herbalists, diviners and magic workers. Most self-defined South African Pagans further define themselves as Witches. What is modern Wicca? Wicca is an initiatory, polytheistic (with exceptions), Pagan mystery religion inspired by various pre- and post-Christian western European beliefs and spiritual practices, whose central deity is either a Mother Goddess or a God and a Goddess of Nature. Wicca was popularized in England in the 1950's by Gerald Gardner. An initiate of the Wicca is one who traces his or her initiatory lineage back to Gerald Gardner or one of his initiates. Are Wicca and Witchcraft the same thing? Wicca and Witchcraft are not necessarily the same thing. Although the Anglo-Saxon word for a male witch was 'wicca', and for a female witch, 'wicce', in modern usage the word 'wicca' is used to describe both male and female initiates of the Pagan mystery traditions of 'the Wicca'. Wicca is a modern Pagan mystery religion. Not all Witches define themselves as 'Wicca'. PAGANISM IN SOUTH AFRICA SINCE 1995 Since 1995 Paganism has received fairly positive television and media coverage and a number of Pagans have taken the opportunity to express their pleas for religious tolerance and an end to the discrimination of Pagans and Witches in South Africa. Many new Pagan groups (religious communities) have been formed, each of which have and are contributing toward building, through networking, sharing and teaching, the Pagan community of South Africa. Census Paganism is not the fastest growing religion in South Africa. To date (2007) – up to and including the 2001 Census - there is no accurate census of the number of Pagans in South Africa. Official government Census’s have not listed Paganism as a census choice. It may be assumed that Pagans, who registered for the 2001 Census, were collectively lumped with ‘others’ under either one of these listed figures: No official or definitive South African census on the number of self-defined Pagans exists. A very rough estimate may be deduced in the following way: a. There are 15 + known established Pagan groups (religious communities) throughout the country. Community Structure Each Pagan community is bound by its own religious rules, regulations, and codes of conduct, traditions and religious theology. Some communities define themselves as Witches. Others define their Pagan path as Wicca. Others again may define their path as Shamanism, Druidry or Hellenism etc. Conversion Entry into many of these communities involves an initiatory rite of entry into the mysteries of their chosen Pagan path. Initiation, the introduction or admittance of an individual into a group, religion, or spiritual consciousness could be described as (a) the transformation of one's ideals and values into the ideals and values of a particular chosen path, but it is also (b) the moment of inner realization of greater spiritual awareness, one facilitated through Pagan ritual. Paganism is not a proselytizing religion. If the Pagan path is right for you, you will find your way to it, whether through devotion to Nature, reading published books on Paganism and Pagan paths, or through actual apprenticeship to an initiate of an already established Pagan tradition, Coven (a community of Witches), Grove (a community of Druids), Lodge (a community of Magicians), or Pagan study group. COMMON PAGAN BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Paganism nationally and internationally has no central religious authority. 2. Religious hierarchy is localized or absent Pagan religious communities are governed by initiatory hierarchy or by democratic consensus. 3. No central religious theology Paganism has no central doctrine or theology and embraces a number of belief systems including but not restricted to polytheism, monotheism, pantheism and animism. Paganism draws spiritual and religious inspiration from many credible and authentic ancient and modern sources of religious doctrine, theology and philosophy. Modern Pagan theology is composed of beliefs and practices originating in many distinct pre- and post-Christian religious traditions. Contemporary Pagans may embrace all or part of this tapestry of belief systems. Pagans may explore their family and ethnic heritage to discover the indigenous practices of their distant ancestors. Others do respectfully incorporate indigenous practices that belong to a wide variety of cultures. Many Pagans create new practices which in turn may form part of a new Pagan tradition. 4. A reverence for Divinity and Nature Modern Paganism encourages a strong environmental ethic. This is expressed in our veneration for the Divine Feminine (God as Goddess), most often portrayed as 'Earth Mother' or as the 'Goddess of the Earth'. Paganism encourages a personal inner relationship with the Divine, in and through Nature, whether through the worship of a Goddess, or through worship of a God and Goddess, or through the worship of many Gods and Goddesses. Pagans venerate Nature by observing seasonal changes through religious ritual and ceremony. Pagans celebrate eight religious holy-days called Sabbats which occur on the solstices, equinoxes and four seasonal mid-points between them. These are the festivals that celebrate the seasons and the turning of the Wheel of the Year in the southern hemisphere.
5. A reverence for the Ancestors Paganism encourages respect for ancestral traditions and respect for the living memory of our Ancestors. 6. A reverence for the Spirit of Place and Nature Spirits Paganism encourages reverence for the Divine within Nature, and the pursuit of the development of sacred relationships with Nature in many forms. 7. The practice of Magic and Ritual Most, but not all Pagans practice or employ natural sympathetic magic and ritual. Loosely defined, magic is the practice of harnessing the energy that exists in the natural world for a specific purpose. A magical practitioner, whether he or she is a Witch, Druid, Shaman or Magician, regards magic as a natural force of Nature. A common phenomenon amongst Pagan traditions is the belief in the efficacy of magic and the realization that true spiritual religious ritual is by nature magical, both in its ability to manifest the practitioners will in consensus reality, and in its ability to induce visions of healing and transformation. 8. The practice of Divinations Pagans employ divinations for a wide variety of reasons. Divinations include reading the Tarot, consulting astrological charts, scrying over a bowl of water, or interpreting dreams. 9. The practice of Magic Herbalism Pagans employ traditional herbs (whether European or African) for both medicine and magic. 10. Ethical behaviour is encouraged Pagans are encouraged to live ethically and to obey the just laws of the Land.
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