Since this is the very first blog post of Electic Circle of Paganism, we will be going over the basics of what paganism and witchcraft are. Just keep in mind that there is no universal definition of either paganism or witchcraft; they can mean different things to different people.

Paganism

There are multiple definitions of paganism. These are just a few common ones:

• Any religion not of Abrahamic origin. So anything other than Christianity, Islam, or Judaism
• An umbrella term for nature-worshipping religions
• A nature-based religion that is usually polytheistic (multiple gods/goddesses)

As said above, please keep in mind that everyone has their own definitions. Most people agree, though, that paganism is an umbrella for various paths, kind of like how Catholicism is a branch of Christianity but not the entire thing. For example, some people include Hinduism, Taoism, Shinto, etc in the pagan umbrella; and some people don't include those in the umbrella.

Some examples of Pagan religions include:

• Roman Polytheistic Reconstructionism
• Hellenism
• Slavic Native Faith
• Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism
• Heathenry
• Wicca (keep in mind that there are various sects of Wicca)
• Neo-Druidism
• Discordianism
• Kemetism
• Shamanism
• Native American spiritualities

Witchcraft

Some basic definitions include:

• the magical manipulation to bring about change
• practice involving magic and affinity with nature, usually within a pagan tradition

A lot of Witches follow a religious path. However, you do not need a religion to practice Witchcraft. There are atheist Witches.

Witchcraft is a practice, not a religion. Witchcraft is a practice of using or focusing energies to bring about a desired effect or change. A lot of witches use herbs, essential oils, and other natural items to practice witchcraft. A witch can practice any religion since witchcraft is only a practice and not a religion. Most witches, however, do follow a Pagan path, so a lot still fall under Paganism. However, not all Witches are Pagan or Wiccan. 

Nature Veneration

One very important thing about Paganism is the veneration of nature. This means that Pagans think nature is very important and essential for our survival. Nature is considered sacred. The cycle of the year is seen by a lot of Pagans as a model of spiritual growth and renewal.

Polytheism

Most Pagans practice Polytheism. This means that they worship multiple deities, or gods and goddesses. For example, one person might 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. You may be new to your journey and have not connected with any deities yet. Don't fret, though. They'll make themselves known to you in time. On the other hand, I've heard of stories where someone worked with a deity for a while, but then they both came to the revelation that their work was done, so they parted. A lot of different things could happen. My advice is to just be a bit open-minded to whatever may happen.

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.

However, polytheism isn't a requirement to be a pagan. It's up to you. This is just a pretty common practice among pagans.

Pantheism

Another important aspect of Paganism is Pantheism. This means that the Divine is in everything. All things are a part of the energy that we call God and Goddess. Since all things are a part of God, all things are considered sacred and are expressions of the Divine in some way, shape, or form. This is at least part of the reason that nature is venerated; because it is part of the deities.

Ancestor Veneration

This is similar to nature veneration. Most Pagans find that the people who came before (our ancestors) are very important. They believe that our ancestors watch over us and can help us achieve our goals and to be happy. A lot of Pagans have ancestor altars, where they set up pictures of deceased loved ones and set out offerings to those loved ones.

Not everyone has a good relationship with their blood ancestors, however. Some of their ancestors might have done terrible things, for example. This is just one reason why not every pagan or witch practices ancestor veneration.

That is totally valid, but fortunately, blood ancestors aren't the only forebears that we can work with or celebrate. For instance, I wrote a list of people who have been tortured and slaughtered during the various witch trials around the world. I suppose I could be distantly related to a few of them, but not all of them. They might not be my blood, but I still honor them by having their names on my altar. So if you have an issue with your blood ancestors but still want to participate in ancestor veneration, there are so many options available to you.

The Goddess

No matter what type of Paganism someone practices, a goddess or multiple goddesses are usually very important in their spirituality. She is considered just as important, sometimes even more important, than the god or gods. 

Reincarnation

Most Pagans believe in some sort of reincarnation system. This means that once you die, your soul will go into another body, instead of going into something such as Christianity's Heaven.

However, some Pagans believe in an area sometimes called Summerland. This is an Otherworld, normally where souls go to rest in between lifetimes. In some paths, the souls will analyze their most recent lifetime to grow, and sometimes get closer to a form of enlightenment.

Karma

Most Pagans believe in some sort of Karma. This means that whatever you put out into the world will come back to you. So for example, if you do good for people, good things will happen to you. Some Pagans, especially Wiccans, believe in the Threefold Law. This is the same thing, except it will come back to you three times. So if you do something bad to someone, something bad will happen to you, but it will be three times worse than the thing that you did.

Though just keep in mind that the popular definition of Karma isn't the original. Originally in Hinduism, Karma meant that whatever you did would affect your future lives. It wouldn't automatically come and kick you down in this lifetime; you wouldn't see any effects until later lives.