FAQ

DO PAGANS AND WITCHES HAVE HOLIDAYS?

Yes, we do. Eight common holidays are practiced: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Mabon. Each has its own purpose and significance. However, there are so many different pagan/witch paths that each has its own holidays. The eight I mentioned are called the Wheel of the Year, and they're common in Wiccan or eclectic pagan circles. But if you go into specific groups, such as Kemetic (Egyptian), there will be other holidays that are specific to their mythology. Some holidays are similar, however. For example, Yule is a neopagan holiday that has Germanic origins. It is similar to Christmas, as well as an ancient Roman holiday called Saturnalia.

DO PAGANS BELIEVE IN GOD?

A lot of pagans practice Polytheism. This means that they worship multiple deities, or gods and goddesses. For example, one person will worship only Irish deities. However, sometimes, people mix and match deities. I've seen people worship the Morrigan (Celtic) and Athena (Greek), as one example. This is merely a personal preference and who calls to you.

However, just because most pagans practice polytheism doesn't mean you have to. There are pagans who are monotheists, only worshipping one god or goddess. There's not any specific deity that monotheist pagans venerate; it could be any.

And yet sometimes, a pagan doesn't worship a specific god or goddess. They merely worship a generic god and goddess and merely call them God and Goddess, instead of giving them specific names such as Apollo or Brighid. Most of the time from what I've seen, this God encompasses all the different god archetypes, and the Goddess encompasses all the goddess archetypes.

And sometimes, pagans and witches are atheists, not believing in any deities. Some of these people will instead worship nature and believe that the deities are simply a metaphor for different aspects of nature.

DO PAGANS AND WITCHES WORSHIP THE DEVIL?

Most pagans and witches do not worship the Abrahamic devil. Most of us do not even believe that he, or other celestial beings of the Abrahamic religions, exist. However, some do believe in and worship the Abrahamic devil. Some also believe that Satanism is under the Pagan umbrella.

DO ALL PAGANS PRACTICE MAGICK?

While most pagans practice magic, not all do. And not all Witches practice a religion; some are atheists.

WHAT DO PAGANS/WITCHES BELIEVE?

Not every pagan and witch believe in the same things. Some worship multiple deities, while others don't believe in any. However, the ones that do generally acknowledge that goddesses are just as important as gods. Most practice nature and ancestor veneration. This means that nature is sacred to us. It also means that we understand the importance of our ancestors. A lot of pagans and witches also believe that reincarnation and variations of karma are real.

ARE WITCHCRAFT AND WICCA THE SAME THING?

Witchcraft is a practice, and Wicca is a religion. Most Wiccans practice witchcraft, but not all do. Witchcraft is merely the magical manipulation to bring about change, while Wicca is a modern religion that usually follows a God and a Goddess.

IS ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF PAGANISM FAMILY-FRIENDLY?

Yes, it is. While some pagans and witches practice ritual nudity or sex, we do not. I know that not everyone is comfortable with that, especially around new people, so that is just not something this group will do. Also, I want this group to be open and available to children and their families. And while religious activities are usually protected under the law, I do not want to complicate things, have this group's dignity be questioned by trying to mix minors and nudity, or put anyone at risk of abuse. I want this to be a safe space for everyone, including children; and I am not willing to risk the well-being of the group or anyone in it. So if you are looking into this group to find people to hook up with or something along those lines, don't even bother. I will not tolerate this.

We do sometimes offer wine or some other alcoholic beverage for the ritual offering and our cakes and ale ceremony. However, drinking is not required. I have non-alcoholic drinks for minors and anyone else not comfortable with alcohol. I also do not encourage heavy drinking. If anyone would get belligerent, they would not be welcomed back. I also do not want people driving under the influence, so moderation is a must.

IS ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF PAGANISM PATH-SPECIFIC?

No, we are not. When we practice rituals, we are pretty eclectic. We have people of various paths. I, Frankie, usually write the rituals, but I try not to be super path-specific so that everyone is satisfied and not uncomfortable. And, if for a specific ritual, anyone has any specific ideas or elements that they want to be included, all you have to do is message me and tell me about it. I will happily include people's ideas into the rituals I write for the group. Or if someone else would want to write a ritual for the group, I'd be content with letting someone else do so.

I don't want to lean too heavily on one specific path. I want pagans and witches in this area to be comfortable meeting and doing rituals together. And I know not all of us practice the same way or have the same views. So I'm willing to be eclectic and bring different paths to the limelight. It's a good way for various people to feel included, as well as for people to learn about others' paths.

The only paths I will not welcome into the group are any that rely on bigoted views, such as pushing racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. I will not allow any elements like that into any of our rituals.

IS ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF PAGANISM INCLUSIVE?

Yes. I want everyone to feel comfortable and welcomed in this group. I am a member of the LGBT community myself, and I struggle with mental illness. I want everyone who comes to our doors to feel loved, no matter their sexuality, gender identity, ethnicity, path, mental or physical abilities, age, nationality, education or economic status, etc. If anyone comes into the group and pushes bigoted views, such as racism or whatnot, they will be banned. I do not agree with beliefs like that, and I will not tolerate it. The only ones not welcomed are those hateful towards people unlike them.

DOES ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF PAGANISM REQUIRE MEMBERSHIPS?

No, we are currently not an official group. We do not require memberships of any kind for anyone to come and participate in any rituals or other groups. It is an open group, and anyone is welcome to just randomly show up. No memberships or applications are necessary.

IS ECLECTIC CIRCLE OF PAGANISM FREE?

Yes, we are free. We do not have any member fees, and we do not require that anyone spend any money otherwise to participate. The only time I would say to spend any money is if you want to bring anything to a ritual, or if we were doing a specific group. For example, if you wanted to add something to the altar or if you wanted to bring any drinks or food. However, this isn't required at all. Most people haven't brought anything along, and that's fine. Only spend money and bring something if you truly really wish to and can afford it. The specific group I mentioned is if we would do something like we've done in the past. For example, during one of our first meetings, I bought a lot of items for everyone to make travel altars. If I do something like this again, I might ask that everyone gives $10 or $15 or so, just to cover what was spent on the items. Or if I ever do a group for donations for a local charity or something, which I have thought about.

DO I HAVE TO LIVE IN LATROBE TO ATTEND?

No, this group is not only for Latrobe residents. Anyone can show up; it just depends on how far someone wants to travel to participate. I simply gave the group the original name (Latrobe Witches Meetup) so people could easily know where it was based. There are multiple groups in Pittsburgh, but not so much out here in the sticks.