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Paganism
Any of a number of earth-centered spiritual paths and faith systems, including but not restricted to: Asatru/Norse; Blended (Christo-pagan, Judeo-pagan, etc); Celtic (Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Faerie, Druidism); Ceremonial Magic (Golden Dawn, Rosicrucian); Eclectic; Egyptian; Italian/Strega; Shamanism (North American, South American, European, Asian); Voudoun/Santeria; Wicca (Gardnerian, Dianic, Alexandrian, Solitary, Family Tradition).
904 Questions
Is Monday named for a viking god?
Sunday - Sun's day Monday - Moon's day Tuesday - Tyr's day Wednesday - Odin's day Thursday - Thor's day Friday - Freya's day Saturday - Saturn's day Tyr, Odin, Thor are Norse (Viking) Gods and Freya is a Goddess Other days are named after planets. But also... Tuesday - Mars's day Wednesday - Mercury's day Thursday - Jupiter's day Friday - Venus's day
What deity was the center of pagan worship in Ephesus?
Not much is known about Ephesus ceremonies, but as it was the Athenians that gathered there, we can assume it would have been Athena/Athene.
What is meant by a pagan religion?
pagan religion means that you worship idols and not god and there is only 1 god
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That is a biased opinion and not fact. The purpose is to answer the question with facts not to quote your own religion as being better than others.
The meaning of "pagan" is a term used to describe "country dweller". This was used to differentiate the "country" folk who stuck to their old gods and old religions rather than be converted to new religions such as Christianity.
It has gone through many meanings, and today is an overall term used to describe people who are not of any Judeo-Christian faith. Simply because it is not mainstream does not mean it isn't there and real for hundreds of thousands of people.
ANSWER
i agree with the above anser, that is very correct, the first answer is based purely on personal bias
a pagan religion means; any group of peopel that respect nature and life, and live according to this,
they believe in balance and harmony of al things, negative and positive, that they are all part of the same thing, life
they are very respectful of life, nature and other beings and people, and soem pagans don't believe in or worship any gods at all
idolarity is not what poaganism is about at all, in fact its alla bout the balance of life , you, all creatures, nature and any gods goddesses that exist
not worshipign or idolising them, but respecting and acknowledging them
ANSWER 2:
Both of the answers above are correct - but - paganism is not actually a religion. But rather the collective term for the religious beliefs that were celebrated and up held before christianization swept across Europe and labelled all "pagans" as heathens who did not follow the one "true" God.
Some of the religions labelled "pagan": wicca, druidism, old Nordic (i.e. Thor), Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman ect.
How do you start a pagan church?
That's a difficult question, as it can mean several different things. There are four answers that come to mind.
1) You could be Jesus Christ, wanting to start the church, but then you wouldn't be asking, so I'll try to answer the other three ways.
2) If you mean how do you start a new Roman Catholic parish in an area currently unserved by a parish, I'd refer you to your local Archdiocesan Chancery.
3) Similarly, if you belong to an Anglican community that wished to become re-united with Rome, contact your Chancery and see http://www.pastoralprovision.org/
4) Roman Catholicism is only one of some twenty odd distinct Catholic churches. See Eastern Catholic Churches at answers.com . If this is the sort of Catholic church you are wishing to start, contact your local Chancery or the "Congregation for the Oriental Churches" at The Holy See, http://www.vatican.va .
How many people believe in myths?
You will call mythos as mythos, but for those who believe, those are not myths. Belief and myth are relative to each other's belief. It depends on your (observer's/question asker's) definition of "myth", like "Schrödinger's cat"
They attached a heavy rock to your leg and then threw you in a lake. If you floated, you were a witch and if you sank then you weren't a witch. You die either way!!!
They would poke your mole/blemish with a needle and if you couldn't feel the prick you were a witch. The examiners often used secretly dulled needles to be sure to get the witch convicted.
Then there is the touch test. If the victim of witchcraft was having a fit, and the witch touched the victim, the victim's fit would stop because touching your victim was the same as showing sympathy and causing the curse to return to the witch. The accused was often blindfolded, and the 'victim' was probably faking it.
And the witch cake. I don't remember all the details, but something with making a cake with the pee of the victim and feeding it to a dog would hurt the witch, and then they knew who the witch was. Some court didn't want to use it, because it was against god, since it was 'white' magic.
i do not know.
sorry everyone
Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy.
________
Actually, witches don't really fly on broomsticks. It is a common misconception that was created by Hollywood. Witches/Wiccans "ride" on broomsticks, or run around with it between their legs, at the Beltane (May 1st) celebration to encourage fertility, jumping over a bonfire with it. Flying on broomsticks were associated with Samhain (Halloween) because it "sold better".
I know that many kids, teens, and some adults wonder this. I did too until I found some real ones. Yes. Wizards are real. Actually, Santa Claus
is basically a wizard. And the Easter Bunny is also one. No, not like Wizards Of Waverley Place. Most wizards keep their secret, therefore nobody really knows that for serious.
Why did in meadevil times did people think witchs were evil?
The Craft has many secrets and at that point in time Witches were not sharing them as we are today and people tend to fear what they do not understand. Plus people would rather believe the bad rumors that they hear with out any real proof but when you hand them the truth they expect hard evidence that what you are telling them is correct.
No. Although, some say so, evangelical churches will make these claims, Alexander Hissop made this assertion in his book The Two Babylons and to know some of the Catholic churches rituals and holidays and the way they are celebrated, it is hard to deny there are many similarities between certain beliefs of the Catholic Church and Pagans. For Catholics the Church is the one true church of Jesus Christ son of God and much is taken on faith. Yet the similarities persist. Compare the myth of Jesus to that of Heracles or Hercules. There are indeed similarities. Both born of Gods who impregnated human women, both suffer twelve trials, for Hercules the twelve labors and for Jesus the twelve stations of the cross. Both ascend to heaven or Mt Olympus to sit at the right hand side of their fathers. Of course, pan theism isn't necessarily paganism, but it shows how Christianity in general embraces mythology common among different cultures since time immemorial. The dates of many Catholic holidays find eerie coincidence with other pagan holidays, the Eucharist used in communion is said to represent the Sun God or sun worshipers of the god Baal. For any devout catholic, any question of similarities between Paganism and the Church is rendered moot by their conviction of faith. Any spiritual being, whether it be Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or Zen Master knows that the lessons are in the message and those we tend to deify merely the messengers.
This question can be approached from several angles and considerations. Alleged Pagan aspects of Catholicism can be construed from its Theology, Discipline, practices and history.
Regarding Theology, Catholicism is most certainly monotheistic. The concept of the Trinity, that of declaring there are three Persons in one God has sometimes been misunderstood as a triple deity. The relations, however, between the Persons are - for lack of any better human understanding - metaphysical attributions, independent but whole, and the like is not reproduced in any Pagan teachings or mythologies. In fact, if anything, Catholicism could be justly referred to as a Jewish heresy as it is inundated with their beliefs though interpreted through the teachings of Jesus Christ, who, if not God, was a Jewish heretic. Any Pagan connotations are at best superficial or coincidental.
Regarding discipline; the Catholic hierarchy and structure has elements of the Jewish priest hierarchy and the Roman state. Certain dress, customs, designations and formal behaviors have been taken by Catholicism for use in its own hierarchy and management. These disciplines, however, are merely structural, based on natural law or superceding the Jewish Law, and do not touch upon the supernatural teachings of Catholics insofar as to substantially influence them. Thus, though priests wear vestments from Roman times, speak and draw up documents in Latin, preform the daily sacrifice (of the Mass), study the Old Testament, these are molds extrinsic to what Catholicism actually is.
Catholic practices are where most of the Pagan references are directed. The Catholic sacrifice of the Mass is taken from the Jewish rituals and has slight influences brought in from Roman and other Middle Eastern civilizations. However, the Mass is modeled on the Jewish synagogue meetings and the temple sacrifices, hence its division from a strictly didactic format (the first half of Mass) to a form of ritual worship and sacrifice (the latter half). In latter ages of the Church, as it began to expand into new civilizations and cultures, Catholicism would assimilate certain religious customs it deemed worthy of retaining and revamping them by emptying them of their Pagan connotations while injecting them with Catholic teachings. Such feasts as Christmas, Halloween, etc., are often pointed to as Pagan festivals. These are questions in themselves, but even if it is granted that these Pagan festivals were absorbed by Catholicism, as did actually happen in some cases, this only illustrates the Church's desire to make the transition as smooth as possible. Removing Pagan feasts, central to cultures and peoples without substituting for them causes massive social unrest and trouble - by retaining the days and substituting their meaning, the Church eased converts into the Faith without wiping out a group's social and historical identity. As it is, some Pagan feasts coincided with Catholic feasts, Easter being a prime example.
Regarding the history of Catholicism, it began in the Roman province of Judea and was founded by Jews. If Jesus Christ was not God, then Catholicism is a Jewish heresy and as such would not be Pagan anyway. During the early centuries of the Church it is alleged that Catholicism assimilated Pagan mythologies and beliefs and reproduced them in itself. As illustrated above, much of this assimilation was insubstantial insofar as dictating belief - the core elements of Catholic theology were known by the end of the first century and recorded in Biblical and oral Tradition. Certain geometric symbols, patterns, practices, etc., have been pointed to as having Pagan connotations, however, their presence may be coincidental, or it may be because that symbol was absorbed and given a new meaning - its presence is not latent evidence of Pagan belief held by some sort of elite nucleus of Catholic hierarchy. Much the same is found today; the pentagram is a Catholic symbol pertaining to the five wounds of Christ ("Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is the most famous illustration from history of its Christian origin) but today is associated with occult practices - no one would accuse someone of being a secret Christian today because they wear the pentagram around their neck. Symbols, practices, designations, etc., naturally evolve through common use.
Undoubtedly, Catholicism assimilated Pagan elements. This was unavoidable as each convert brought with him/her a history, a culture, a system of living that could not be eradicated, hence the Church grafted its Faith and teachings onto things It saw as worthy of being retained to some degree. Conversion is an organic process, not an annihilation of the personality. As nations and peoples converted, the Church strove to balance that people's identity with what the Church saw as the true religion. Those elements that the Church regarded as unredeemable were fought, sometimes violently, behavior critics of the Church often protest as un-Christian. Those elements that the Church saw as natural or redeemable, It adapted and fostered, as other critics of the Church protest make it Pagan. The Church sought to establish balance and develop the most efficient way of communicating the Faith to the peoples of the Earth. Things found in religion such as the concept of demigods, sacred meals, sacrifice, special prayers and symbols, communication with the Divine, miracles, etc., are natural to mankind; all religions have them to some degree and similarities are largely adaptations, evolutions or coincidence (Catholics would say coincidence in religious ideas is merely the manifestation of the natural law that is written in men's hearts - dictated by natural reason, the conscience, etc., - and the remnant of revelation of God to man at the beginning of time). Catholicism is either the fulfillment of the Old Law of the Jewish people promised to redeem all mankind, or a Jewish heresy with adapted elements of various ancient religions that have helped sustain its longevity and popularity in human history.
ANOTHER ANSWER:
YES!!! Roman Catholic is a mixture of Christianity and Paganism. When emperor Constantine, a die hard worshiper of the Sun, accepted Christianity, he changed the day to be worshipped.. instead of saturday, he changed it to sunday. Since he's a pagan, he mixed chrstianity with paganism thus, leading to the formation of the catholic chuch. but there were Chrsitians who pretested and did not agree to this, so they are called Protestants--the pure Chrstians.
Catholics are not pagans despite all of the fantastic stories one hears about the origins of the Church.
The Church grew up surrounded by pagans and was very careful to distinguish itself from them and to prevent the faithful from falling into idolatry. The "Theory" that the Church has all its beliefs and practices steeped in paganism is a popular myth used to discredit the Church. The only problem using this simili hoc propter ergo hoc* argument is that it does not work.
I think an example shall be most useful: We shall pretend we are discussing something (the pagan background of their beliefs) with [insert name] protestant group: "Your faith is pagan! Yes, it is because at your weddings you exchange rings - a pagan tradition…yada, yada, yada, ya…It began in ancient Egypt. The ring was used to symbolize a never ending circle and the space in it is a gate way! And the rings were placed on the fourth finger on the left hand because the ancient Egyptians believed that it contained a vein that lead to the heart (vena amoris). See just look here in our comic book and see the Proof! Etc., etc. etc.
"What?" you say…just because you are using the mistaken notion that we use wedding rings - just like the ancient Egyptians - that we are pagan…get lost! Etc. However, if that same argument were leveled against the Catholic Church - it would seem credible…But, not against (insert name) protestant group. Why not?
So, just like any other urban myth that is circulated, it must be true…Right? Put on your thinking cap for a moment. Would you buy the argument just made on such and such group with such flimsy evidence? I think not. As you know, that just because one levels an argument like this at an intuition, that, in and of itself, does not make it true.
So, to answer your question: NO, Catholics are no more pagans the (insert name) wedding ring using protestant group.
Please see the link below for more information.
*post hoc fallacy
The post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this therefore because of this) fallacy is based upon the mistaken notion that simply because one thing happens after another, the first event was a cause of the second event. Post hoc reasoning is the basis for many superstitions and erroneous beliefs.
In English there are no masculine or feminine forms. English uses gender specific nouns for male or female.
The word witch is not gender specific, it's a common gender noun as a word for a male or a female practitioner of magic, and/or a member of any of several earth- based spiritual paths.
Is powers and magic the same thing?
actually no. Power is way more powerful than magic magic is made up just get you exited
What does GOD say about pagan worship?
Exodus states that no person can worship any other god besides the Judeo-Christian God. The exact phrase is, "You shall have no other Gods before me. "
Are Witchcraft and Pagan the same?
Yes in that the book does contain various occult and folk practices (and also some fluff). Yes also in that witch and wizard are basically synonymous in most circles, but really it depends on who you ask. So yes...sort of.
How was black magic voodoo used in the 1600s?
Well, you were burned if found using any sort of magic, so I'd guess voodoo, or to cast evil spells against all who crossed to witches.
Another Answer:
Magic is the Art and Science of causing change to occur in conformity with Will. 'Black' magic is causing change that other people disapprove of.
In the C17th, I would be inclined to think the most common practices (in no particular order) were
- gaining knowledge by talking to angels, spirits or the dead
- finding treasure
- seeking immortality and eternal youth
- spirituality (loosely, what is called 'enlightenment' in Buddhism, etc.)
There was a distinct break between 'witchcraft' and what might be called the 'Hermetic sciences'. Witches were usually harmless women that fell victim to the envy or fear of others. If they did and/or knew anything outside of ordinary knowledge, it was probably what we would call herbalism and midwifery. No doubt a few, somewhere, turned their neighbour's cow's milk sour, and a few might have concocted a brew of hallucinogens in order to 'go to a Sabbat' and 'have congress with the Devil' - and I think, if I had been forced to endure the life of the average woman at the time, I would have been doing it, out of sheer frustration and boredom; but most owned land that someone else wanted, or looked a bit strange, or just upset the wrong person.
Is Christianity a copy of Mithraism?
Absolutely not. Christianity is the worship of the God of the Israelites, and His promised Messiah, fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ. From the beginning to the end the Bible tells the story of who God is and His salvation plan. In the book of Genesis, where God said "Let us make man in our image," (Genesis 1:26) and then "In the image of God created he him" (vs 27), showed that there were multiple persons in one God-foreshadowing the revelation of the Holy Trinity. And the promise to send a savior was made: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 4:15) Isaiah 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. This verse prophesies Jesus' miraculous birth, which corresponds to: Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Though Isaiah lived 8 centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, his prophecy of the Messiah is recognizable to anyone at all familiar with the life of Christ--he was "bruised," and whipped ("stripes"), and he was brought as a "lamb to the slaughter," not defending himself. The gospels and the New Testament indicate that it is his suffering and death that has "healed" those who trust in Him. His death paid the penalty for our sin. Isaiah 53 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. One of the amazing things about Christianity, which is based on the Bible, is that the great heroes of the faith all have very serious faults. * Abraham, who took matters into his own hands and lay with Hagar in an attempt to "help" God with the fulfillment of the promise God had given him of a son. * Moses, who killed an Egyptian before fleeing to Midian, and whose sin of striking the rock instead of touching it kept him from seeing the promised land. * The nation of Israel itself, God's chosen people, who created idols and engaged in blatant sin while Moses was on Mt. Sinai with God. * Peter, who denied Christ three times after His arrest, and went on to be a great evangelist for Jesus after witnessing the risen Christ. * The Apostle Paul, who persecuted Christians, consenting to their execution, before becoming the great evangelist to the Gentiles. There is no other religion that records the flaws of all its heroes. There is no other religion that does not depend on the follower's good works for attainment eternal life. Christianity makes it clear salvation is by trust in Christ alone, and that good works are evidence, not cause, of that salvation. Christianity is no copy. There is no religion like it anywhere. Mithraism is sometimes advanced as a prototype or at least a source from which Christianity is suspected to have taken certain practices and beliefs. This association is understandable considering that the advent of Christianity coincided with the peak popularity of Mithraism within the Roman empire, as well as the two religions having practices that seemed similar. Mithraism was a pagan religion whose followers worshipped Mithras, the Persian god of the sun. It became particularly popular among the lower class and the Roman army. It was a mystery religion of which its places of worship were underground in sealed rooms (no windows) hence the parallel drawn with the Christians who held services in the catacombs for a time and which was also considered a mystery religion as its sacraments, rituals and doctrines were barred from anyone who was not baptized that these sacred rites might not be profaned. As well, the Mithraic day of worship was Sunday and they held a banquet with the ritual foods of bread and water - a close parallel to the Christians who, however, used wine in their sacrament, although it could also be argued that the Christian agape was intended as the parallel. The assertion goes both ways for the Christians considered Mithraism to be copying them, as evinced by St. Justin Martyr who in the 2nd century accused it of being a diabolic fascimile of Christianity. This shows that the two groups at least recognized parallels between each other, however, it is unlikely they substantially influenced one another; more likely the two systems sought to discredit each other in order to draw converts. Besides this, it is extremely difficult not to find parallels between religions of that period and locale as the ideas of sacrifice, ritual, knowledge, communal feasts or meals, saviors, etc., were common themes and continue to be common themes in most world religions.
Pagans follow any number of paths, it is very difficult to pin down a single god (or goddess) of earth without some idea of the path you are inquiring about.
Give a pantheon and we will happily find you a god(dess).
In the meanwhile Gia will work however she's a godess.
How did pagans celebrate their birthdays?
Most Wiccan's celebrate their birthday no different than anyone else. Friends, cake, decorations, and presents are usually pretty common themes of any birthday celebration, and the same is true of Wiccan Birthdays. Wiccan's are no different then everyone else.
Do pagans believe in life after death?
Pagan and Paganism refer to a broad range of beliefs that fall outside the orthodox religions. There is no uniform opinion. Some say that they believe in reincarnation, some in heaven and hell, some in an afterlife that is more like a perfect world...and doubtless others, as well.
i am not improving this answer but i want to say that i am planning on becoming a pagan and believe in reincarnation and heavan and hell and this is correct
What was the pagan festival held in mid-February?
Pagan festivals of February include:
Bridget's Day - Feb. 2nd (Ireland)
Parentalia Feb 13-21 (Rome)
Celebration of Victoria - Feb 16 (Rome)
Terminalia - Feb 23 (Rome)
Hygeia"s day - Feb 26 (Africa)
Kalevala Day - Feb 28 (Finland)
What pagan holidays are now Christian holidays?
According to the site "Holier Than Thou" there are many holidays that have pagan influences. Some pagan holidays that have been adopted by Christians include Halloween and Valentine's Day.
The pentacle is and has been throughout Pagan history a symbol closely associated with Paganism and Witchcraft. In the past it was frequently made of a fragile or easily destroyed material so that it could not be used to incriminate the owner.
These days it is cast in more permanent materials and is found on Pagan Altars throughout the world. As Pagans have many and varied beliefs, I can only speak for what I know. Our group sees it as a representation of the five elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit. And it is used as a focus for blessings during Rites and Rituals.
- Everywhere they hunt the many-colored Easter eggs, brought by the Easter rabbit. This is not mere child's play, but the vestige of a fertility rite, the eggs and the rabbit both symbolizing fertility.
- The book The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, had this to say: 'What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar. Such is the history of Easter. The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character.' The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and the dyed eggs of Pasch or Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now
- Here, the "dyed eggs" are mentioned as part of the Chaldean(Babylonian) rites. The Catholic Encyclopedia comments: A great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of Spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring. The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility.
- Reference works that speak of the subject agree that the egg was a symbol of life and fertility among Pagans. The book Celebrations says: Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the Spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Persians of that time gave eggs as gifts at the vernal equinox.
- From these references, it is clear that the colored eggs originated in the ancient springtime fertility rites. The hunt, however, could also have originated there or came into play later, just as the annual Easter egg roll that occurs on the White House lawn. Again, maybe some others here will help with more info.
- A professor told us the true origin was an offshoot of the crusades through Ireland by French knights. The crusaders would bribe children with food or money, to tell them the names of all the farmers who practiced the pagan tradition of burying a blue egg in their fields with their wishes written on it, for the spring season, that supposedly brought fertility to their crops. The soldiers would then go to the farms of those found with eggs buried and execute the owners for practicing pagan rituals.
What does the Christmas tree really represent pagans?
The decoration or ornamentation of trees during the winter months does date to pre-Christian times and continues in many none Christian cultures. In the British Isles the practice of bringing trees indoors for the Christmas period did not become the norm until well into the 18th century. This was due to the marriage of the monarch to a royal from the North East of Europe.
