Common Pagan Rituals and Beliefs

Paganism is an ancient type of religion which has quite an inauspicious reputation today. There

are many types of paganism, most date back thousands of years, which include Wicca, Witchcraft,

Paganism, and a few other lesser known and practiced variations. Yet all of these religions are similar

and share common beliefs. Wicca is the most common of these, as it also demonstrates the shared

belief of doing good that is common to most forms of paganism. Another common belief, is to gather in

small groups, called covens, to practice pagan rites and ceremonies with others. There are many

ancient beliefs, archaic rituals, and forgotten traditions that are practiced by pagans. Many of these are

also the origins of widely practiced traditions in the Christian-dominated world of today.

A defining characteristic of many pagan religions, especially Wicca, is the worship and closeness

to nature. Pagans treat animals kindly and respect all things, living or nonliving, as though they were a

person (Roy N.

A photograph of a painted Wheel of the Year from t...

Emblem of the Wican current of Wicca. It is compos...

A handfasting ceremony at Avebury in England, whic...

p.). They also share the worship of their nature gods, which increases their respect for all

that is around them (Roy N. p.). Pagans are very sensitive people that also have a high regard for

personal privacy (Roy N. p.). With this belief of privacy, many pagans have more time to keep in touch

with their inner selves and with the nature around them. Wicca, a more popular pagan religion, focuses

on the Earth and uses pure white magic to help others (Roy N. p.). In fact, the Wiccan creed is, "An it

harm none, do as thou will," which agrees with the "good" philosophy (Beliefs N. p.). Altogether, pagans

have a great deal of emphasis on the life and beauty of the nature that thrives around them and are

radically different than the...