Paganism: Where does one start studying?

Question

Hi!

So, I was looking into researching alternative religions since my girlfriend is a Wiccan and I figured I'd start with Paganism because that's what confusing me the most since I have no clue where to start, and I'm still wondering how magick gets involved in the whole thing.

Any help would be appreciated, it doesn't matter what pantheon, it could be Greek, Roman, Nordic, etc. Any information would be nice. Especially referring to "magick" practices.

Answer 1

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,



Paganism is a VERY wide group of religions. While at it's most broad, it includes every single thing not Jewish, Christian, or Islam [Also, Bahai, although you might find people to argue that]. Less broad, it covers the Southern European pre-Christian religions. And most modern it covers religions like Wicca [And it's derivatives, including "Eclectics."], various Reconstruction religions [Khmeticism- Egyptian, Hellenismos- Greek/ Roman, Asatru- Norse, and others I am less familiar with], as well as various occult type religions like Thelema [Although I do NOT identify as a Pagan, I get to spend a whole lot of time near those who would].



Magick, or even Magic for that matter fits in on a case by case basis. some pagan groups are against the topic [Such as Hellenismos, as Magic is a crime against the Gods], while others TEND to be intimately tied to it [Wicca. Although it should be noted some Wiccans do not practice Magic/k]. It really depends on the group in question- for example, In Thelema we are fond of Magick, but avoid Magic [The difference relates to abstract differences, not "Stage magic," as most will tell you].



As far as pantheons, that is a wide topic. The more eclectic types may advocate "pick and choose," where as a more Conservative Wiccan will state a duotheistic position- a less Conservative one may use the whole "The Goddess is a bunch of goddesses, and same for The God, but gender swapped." A reconstruction will rely wholly on deities of what is being rebuilt. More occult types can be very abstract and require study and experience [For example Thelema is polytheistic, monotheistic, and atheistic all at once]. Information about pantheons can be found all over the internet, so very little really needs to be said- wikipedia can be good enough for just learning.



As far as Magic and Magick, that is a lot more variable because of how different people approach it. I do not want to force my politics on you, so I will only recommend Liber ABA [Book Four], Magick in Theory and Practice [Third part of Liber ABA, but in a different book], Israel Regardie's The Golden Dawn, Israel Regardie's The Tree of Life, The Sacred Magic of Ancient Egypt, The Lesser Key of Solomon, and Liber Null and Psychonaut.



For recommendations I do not like- but would still say a beginner could read if they understand it is not really all that "Hard core," would be Modern Magick, The Magick of Aleister Crowley, The Satanic Bible [And The Satanic Rituals if you want some rituals using principles laid out], and Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the solitary Practitioner.



Edit "making us look uneducated and illiterate when we talk to people and therefore discourage it"



No, not knowing the origins [and reasons for use] of a word used to describe a different concept and still having an opinion on it is what makes one look uneducated.



Love is the law, love under Will.

Answer 2

Hello hon... well, first let's clear up a couple of things.



1) Pagan is not a religion in itself; it's a category that many religions fall under. They can be very different. So if you're looking for a Pagan religion, you have to kind of look into them individually because there are really no universal Pagan beliefs.



Some people (like my husband) consider themselves "eclectic Pagans", which is more of a "I do what I want and identify more with Pagan religious beliefs" kind of stance. Nothing wrong with eclecticism-- but again, we're not talking about a unified set of beliefs here.



2) You don't have to be Pagan to do magic. Magic can be part of any religious system. You don't need to follow any Pagan religion just to do magic.





Now... as for following a religion, why would "any old Gods" be okay? Don't you think you should follow the ones you believe in? That's something you'll have to research & meditate on for yourself.



As far as magic goes (I know the 'k' is popular with some people; with others, we see it as making us look uneducated and illiterate when we talk to people and therefore discourage it), there are a lot of different systems of magic. Don't expect to just jump in and start stirring things up-- this, too, is going to take a great deal of research & study before you're ready to do anything.



But it doesn't necessarily need to be tied to a specific religious tradition, that's up to you.



So where you start is: read. read. read. read. read.

Answer 3

Greek/Hindu Philosophy. Celtic and Germanic religious teachings were transmitted orally and never got to be written or establish as the roman-greek, or survive like the hindu. Most of the time, and also how Wicca came to be, celtic/germanic gods and the metaphysical concepts they hint to are compared with other indo-european religions because of the absence of writings. It´s not that Wicca is "idolatry" for worshipping Nature and its dualism; it´s that even this "natural" symbolism of God (with the purpose of helping ancient people relate to a deeper concept of God), depicted in megalithic structures and funeral mounds, was all that remained that hinted at a metaphysical God, poetically reflected in Nature. If you search into philosophy you´ll know what I´m talking about.

Answer 4

Paganism is just a general term given by the Abrahamic religions to describe everyone but them. In truth, the only real difference between "pagan" religions and "non-pagan" ones is an arbitrary title.



It's not very useful to study with that term but try learning about indigenous religions, tribal rituals and myths, and neo-pagan revivals.



Magic is also a whole subject unto itself. It's basically superstition based either on a logic about the world or old and forgotten skills: people associated doing certain rituals with outcomes, like dancing and singing to make it rain (to appease the Father in the sky who jizzed life to mother earth) or like painting your body a certain way and burnign certain incense to aid in hunting (to appease the spirits of the forest and the hunt).



An example of how something practical can become superstitious or "magical" is the "love charm" famously mentioned in the song Scarborough Fair. People used to smell bad so someone had the bright idea to wear nice smelling herbs to attract the opposite sex. As time went on, the logic of this was forgotten and people began to view certain combinations of herbs as "love charms" and do things like sleep with them under your pillow while thinking about the person you want to attract.

Answer 5

it is true of anything, start out by knowing yourself. then find the path that best applyes to you, and your life. start by finding what and why you feel such a path is right and true to you. now as to the question of magic. again its is how you define magic, and what it means to you. after 40 yrs in wicca. still working on that part. to me magic is wanting something to come into your life. like a prayer, it can and will with a little faith, and always backed with a lot of proper thinking and hard work.