The Definition of "Pagan"

When a majority of people hear the word Pagan one thing immediately comes to mind: Wiccan. That being said, theres nothing wrong with being Wiccan, as I have Wiccan friends myself.

However, the webster's dictionary defines a Pagan as "pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim."

That simply puts it: If you're not a follower of one of the three monotheistic religions mentioned above, you're a Pagan.

America has the fourth largest Pagan Community in the world, so that says something right there. America has a Pagan culture. If you're Hindu, New Ager, Buddhist, and the like, you're Pagan.

It is our job as Pagans to educate non pagans about the truths of what we believe and why we believe it. The more we educate, the more myths we can dispel, and hopefully, in the future, a tolerance by all can be achieved.

Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section of this post!

My Story

Hello and Welcome!

My name is Jessica and I am a Pagan. I made this blog as a tool for Pagans to educate their non pagan relatives and friends when they were asked to clarify what you believe and why you believe it. If you're like me, you have relatives and friends who have no clue about paganism and want to know more about it. And, if you're also like me, you have non pagan relatives and friends who think you are led astray and attempt to convert you back to "civilized" religion. But I digress...

What I will discuss are the basic tenants of pagan religions and belief systems, and the common myths that surround them. I will take you on an educational journey on what to say, how to say it, and what obstacles you may encounter on the way towards educating your non pagan relatives and friends.

First though, a little more about me: I grew up in a Christian household and from grades 5 to 8 I attended Christian schools. I made some friends from those days that I still have today. The first Christian school I attended was Southern Baptist, and it was one of those hell, fire, and brimstone sermons every time the preacher made his sermons. Then there was the yelling, screaming, and such that went with the sermons that made it a little bit more interesting.

I remember sitting in chapel being yelled at by the preacher and silently counting to myself how many times his face turned red from the blood rush to his face. I think one time I counted 16 times in a one hour period! (Those of you who were once Christian know what I am talking about...)

Anyways I became aware as to how women were treated in the Christian church. I always had to wear dresses, while the boys in the class got to wear jeans! I thought that was biast, but at the age of around 12, I didn't dare question. All that changed in March 1999.

March 25, 1999. The death of my cousin unexpectedly rocked the whole family. I was in total shock for years afterward and still sometimes suffer from the shock of it all. It led many people, including my aunt (my cousin's mother) and myself to question all we had believed previously, and led us to our own Spiritual Pagan Paths.

That, to make a long story short, is how I became pagan, and that was back in 1999. It is now 2007, making me a Pagan for over 8 years. Its been a long hard road sometimes, with the invariable twists and turns life brings us, but I am here.

Thus begins the educational process after this post....so be sure to bookmark this page and come back to it for updates!!!

Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section of this post!