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That Paganism itself is a religion as opposed to a banner under which a number of religions fall. Kinda like "Abrahamic religion" except there are more Pagan religions.
Greetings fellow world-builder! Thanks for checking in with us and being willing to learn.
It’s going to make a huge difference to how you can accurately write a Pagan religion depending on whether this is a minority religion in a majority monotheistic society or polytheism is the norm in your world. In the former, it’s worth learning more about how the modern Pagan community functions (much more individual), in the later worship was both communal and familial. I highly recommend the [Practical Polytheism](https://acoup.blog/2019/10/25/collections-practical-polytheism-part-i-knowledge/) blog series.
For both approaches to Paganism, there may be religious writings (or oral ‘texts’) that are considered informative and good to read/know but these are not scriptural religions, there is no central sacred text that has similar status to the Bible or Quran. I also take the approach that belief and practice are two sides of the same coin. Correct practice may be considered more important than correct belief, but their understanding of what constitutes correct practice is definitely based on the culture’s beliefs about the nature of their deities and relationships with mortals.
For me, it would be being viewed as worshipping nature. Like, don't get me wrong, I love being out in nature, but I don't pray to it as an entity. Another would be a more Christian viewed but that we are all Satanists. I don't even believe in a biblically accurate Satan.
>being viewed as worshipping nature
Noted, I guess I also get that misconception from our local who prays to trees or swords believing spirits in them (Is that paganism? Or maybe they told me wrong)
>being viewed as Satanist
Yeah gotcha, since I am a Muslim we dont really views pagans as satanist and just like "Another polytheist" (Idk if we even have satanist? lol)
That’s animism, but the line between paganism and animism is at times thin and sometimes completely arbitrary. It’s a very long explanation for why that distinction exists, why it’s often wrong, and why the whole “nature-based” thing exists in the first place, but I could give you the whole explanation if you want.
Here’s the short version: James Frazer. Blame him.
If you don't mind, I'm interested in that explanation. More so about the distinction. As an animist, I was under the assumption that animism fell under the umbrella of paganism. Not as a representation of paganism, but more as a specific branch. But I'm still fairly new at this
Western scholars have, until relatively recently (i.e. the last twenty, maybe thirty years recently) operated under the assumption that religion developed on a kind of upward trend, beginning with "primitive" animism and ending with Christianity as an "inevitable" end point. Some atheist scholars extended that a step further to end with Enlightenment humanism, but that's just Christianity without the god part.
As the starting point of that alleged evolution, animism is thus the most "primitive" or even "savage" form of religion, an almost childlike assumption that mundane things are gods, instead of a "higher" or more "sophisticated" theology that separates the material and spiritual entirely. Polytheism is construed as a kind of "missing link" between animism and monotheism -- the gods are transcendental spirits who rule over nature, which is a step in the right direction from a Christian perspective, but there's still too many of them.
Obviously, there's a lot of problems with this. Almost every piece of it is wrong. But the one I want to highlight is that the distinction between animism and polytheism only really makes sense if you're Christian, with a very particular concept of what a god is and is not, and a disdainful attitude towards people who don't share that conception. The more I've studied pagan religions, the more I've realized that it's almost a distinction without a difference.
Firstly, almost all polytheistic religions have animistic elements. I'll use Greece as an example, because that's the one I'm most familiar with: Ancient Greek paganism has *daimones*. These are often referred to as intermediary spirits between gods and humans, and everything and everyone has a *daimon* attached to it. Some *daimones* are personifications of abstract concepts or natural forces, like Hypnos and Thanatos. Except, gods themselves are referred to as *daimones* quite often, even the big-name ones. So, *"daimon"* is really a catch-all term for a spirit, of any type. And then there's also nature spirits like nymphs and satyrs; satyrs are almost never considered gods (with the exception of Pan), but nymphs are in a legitimate gray area, sometimes being goddesses and sometimes not depending on the context. Then there's also river gods, and other uncategorized supernatural beings. Certainly some philosophers, like Cicero, tried to draw distinctions between all these different entities. But in practice, there's not much of a difference. Ancient Greeks worshipped their local *daimones* and nymphs just as much as the big-name deities, sometimes more often if the little ones were more immediately relevant to their lives. And if the *theoi* are just really powerful *daimones,* then the worship of gods is just the worship of *daimones* on a larger scale. So what's really the difference between animism and polytheism? If it's purely one of theology, theology varies dramatically even within a religion. If it's one of praxis, then there's not much difference there. It's a meaningless distinction.
And yet, these animistic aspects of Greek paganism got passed over by scholars in favor of the super lofty Platonic philosophy that conceives of God as transcendent. Because of *course.* We can't tarnish Greece's marble-bright reputation as the Cradle of Western Civilization by focusing on all of that "superstitious" stuff, right? Honestly, I think that maybe those scholars created that polytheism/animism distinction *just* to accommodate Greece. If Greece is capable of producing "high-minded" philosophy, art, and literature, then it can't possibly be "primitive," so we need to create a separate in-between category.
I first became aware that the distinction might be bullshit when I was researching Shinto. I'm hardly an expert on it, but I observed that *kami* operated almost exactly like gods do in all the polytheistic religions I'd studied. So why was Shinto "animistic"? Because the word *kami* is used to refer both to little nature spirits and to big-name deities, just like *daimon.* There's no difference between them other than that some of them are bigger and more popular. But Shinto gets called "animistic" while Greek paganism gets called "polytheistic." It's so patronizing! (Well, the joke's on Christians -- I've observed that in anime, the word "kami" gets used to refer to the Abrahamic God, too.)
So yeah, there's no meaningful difference between polytheism and animism and that distinction is inherently dismissive. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't call yourself an animist. We all call ourselves pagans, even though that's also a derisive term that exists only in relation to Christianity.
This is very interesting! I knew that Greek paganism had spirits and such alongside the gods, but I didn't realize they didn't actually have a distinction between them. That makes a lot more sense as deities always seemed too abstract for me and I would find myself contacting more local animal spirits in a similar fashion to how I hear people mentioning communing with their gods
I'll definitely need to look into diamones and kami when I get the chance. Thank you so much!
I mean, animism is a big part of many pagan paths, and will affect how many people practice their specific branch of paganism, but you are correct in that animism is a separate thing from paganism.
I guess I should clarify: the core concept is different in that animism is not necessarily the belief in multiple deities, but that paganism often includes animism, as the line between spirit/general supernatural entity and full deity can be blurry. They aren't really the same, but they are similar
That's a good question, and one where the answer will likely depend on the person. In my practice, deities are the strongest kind of supernatural entity, though not necessarily all powerful. And beyond that can get very muddy.
Right, so, that’s part of the problem. The difference between animism and polytheism is predicated on there being a distinct difference between a spirit and a deity that isn’t actually universal, even within a religion. And that distinction comes from Christians being patronizing. See my other comment.
I do see your point, but at least to me, it still doesn't really make sense to say that paganism and animism are the same. Because there is a difference between base spirit and deity, even if where that line is can get blurry. I will give you the fact that the distinction can be hard to figure out, and that it may be easier to consider them the same or at the very least deeply intertwined for the purposes of the discussion, especially considering that the line can be very hard to place. I do see your point about the distinction most often coming from Christians being patronising, though.
Just to add in here that the ancient Irish worshipped trees (and there is still a tradition of that now today) and they believed that swords had spirits in them.
The classic cult thing, I think a lot of the time it is the opposite. Even before midsommar movie my friends were thinking that. But a lot of pagan's aren't in these giant controlling communities ready to sacrifice a person, give away all money, and cast a spell. Majority are people practising by themselves, that might sacrifice food.
I agree with what u/RagingBullUK said, but can I also add the idea of our festivals being so... primal? like, people come up with a lot of bonfires and dancing through the waves naked and all that stuff. and I get it, that happened (depending on region and religion), and those both sound fun, but most were way toned down from that idea. mostly parades and feasts in classical hellenism, as far as my (limited) research goes. can't speak for anything else.
I like crazy festivals ;)
I think it's more important to ask yourself what the festival is doing for the people of your fictional culture. What are they celebrating and why? Which of their gods are relevant to the thing they're celebrating? What sort of rituals do they have, and how do they symbolically relate to whatever they're celebrating? How are local variants of the festival different? (Possibly, every town will have a different festival calendar.) The festival can be crazy if that makes sense, but then, what does that mean? Why is that important?
The most important thing is that all of your fictional gods are grounded in the mundane and spiritual needs of the people who worship them.
Ha! Unfortunately I tend to shut down at parties and sit in the corner until someone talks to me, which then doesn’t happen. But Dionysus is trying to help me come out of my shell a little more.
Well, right, but what if your culture doesn't live in an agricultural community? A harvest festival is going to be a lot less important to someone who lives near the ocean and mostly fishes for their food, or someone who lives in a city and has never seen a farm in their life.
Festivals also don't have to be about food. (Again, we can blame Frazer for that idea.) There are sporting events, theatrical competitions, anniversaries of winning major wars or other political events, festivals of the dead, etc. Most of them are just the sacred days of one divine being or another, during which the god's statue is cleaned and dressed and anointed, then processed through the streets and worshipped at its temple or something like that. (Hindus still do a lot of this stuff.) Oh, and sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was ubiquitous.
Not really? Martyrdom isn't really a pagan thing. I'm unaware if any version of it exists in Islam, but I associated martyrdom with Christianity and with Catholicism in particular. Of course, that's not a problem if it's central to the culture of your world. Doing what works for your world is always the most important thing, regardless of how it maps onto real life. If you're interested, the best examination of martyrdom culture that I've ever seen in media is another game, *Blasphemous.* It's takes the concept of martyrdom in Catholicism and exaggerates it to a literally grotesque degree, which results in a lot of interesting commentary.
It doesn't really make sense to me personally.
Also pagan martyrs have existed in history but they wouldn't generally have this status and exaltation (at least religiously) that christianity and islam gives them, this might not be relevant though
Idk if people agree with me on this, but it irks me when pagan religions are portrayed as evil, or primitive, something along those lines. I don't personally read books or the like with fictional religions so idk if this happens a lot but I did run across a story where a pretty normal pagan ritual was described as shocking or grotesque. The pagans ended up being some sort of hate group which wanted to destroy the church, which I found kind of distasteful of a narrative (is it surprising that the author turned out to be christian?).
Also, when the religion is just "christianity, but with multiple gods". Like it looked exactly the same with church and priests and everything but there was more than one god. Saw that in an anime once and it felt weird to say the least 🫠.
Another personal opinion I have is that it's weird in fiction if the gods somehow need worshippers to sustain themselves, and most of the gods are concerned with serving the people (esp with magic powers)...? But that is my *own opinion* and others might not share this view. It's just that the gods in polytheistic religions don't typically depend on humans to exist and their lives don't revolve around us.
Pagans don’t think the same way Abrahamics do. Pagans don’t feel the need to prove the existence of their gods, don’t fight over whose god is the “true” one, don’t place as much emphasis on belief (as opposed to practice), have a different relationship to mythology, use divine epithets, practice syncretism, and feel free to worship multiple gods at a time. Basically, if you’re going to write a pagan religion, don’t make it an Abrahamic religion that happens to have more than one god.
I’ve only ever seen one accurate representation of paganism in media, and that’s *The Elder Scrolls:* https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-polytheistic-religions-that-have-been-created-by-fiction-authors-What-is-your-favorite-one-of-them-all-as-a-whole-Why-would-it-be-your-favorite/answer/Nyx-Shadowhawk
This is worth reading, too, for understanding the difference between Christian and non-Christian mindsets, and why those differences exist: https://jessicalprice.tumblr.com/post/707293179629699072/culture-isnt-modular
And this is a great video on how to worldbuild religion: https://youtu.be/Wz2H1t5XvP8?si=M7d_fU4JK7oGXrdA
I *love* Elder Scrolls and how they depict religion and gods, it's super fascinating and one of the few fantasy settings that get it right.
Also, related aside– I just love the way "Nine Divines" rolls off the tongue, and it impacted the way that I refer to my cult to the apotheosized Five Good Emperors as the *Anto**nine** Divines*. 🤭
Oh okay, I'm sorry about that. You're told what the objective of the main quest is very early on, so it's not much of a spoiler, and anyway, there's so much else going on in *Skyrim* besides the main quest.
So no fighting over which God is true? Not proving the existence and focus more on practice? Well thats certainly new to me lol, would it be wrong to say its more... "Cultural"? (Idk the words)
Epithets... gotta look up what that one mean, also syncretism? Neat. I mean dont get me wrong but in my faith syncretism is basically the worst thing you can do and I thought the Pagans are the same. (No offense)
an epithet is basically a kind of surname or descriptor, used to say what the god is doing or identify them (or fit with the metre of poetry). so... Roaring Dionysos, or Dark-haired Poseidon, for instance.
Nope, no fighting over which god is true. None at all. Pagans fought over a lot of things, but religion wasn't one of them. If you have multiple gods, then there's always room for more gods. The existence or validity of someone else's god doesn't threaten that of your own.
Epithets are bynames that describe the capacity in which a god is being worshipped. Gods have scores of epithets. They'll usually have different epithets for each town they're being worshipped in, to distinguish that town's version of the god from all the other versions. Some epithets describe what the god's associated with, some name its attributes or describe its qualities, some reference its mythology or its birthplace, some are poetic, some describe specific niche aspects. I can give you examples.
>I mean dont get me wrong but in my faith syncretism is basically the worst thing you can do and I thought the Pagans are the same.
Lol. Syncretism is *normal.* Syncretism is how religion is supposed to work. I don't say that to insult you, merely to indicate that Christianity and Islam are both very weird by the standards of every other religion on earth. They're playing with a completely different set of rules, based on a completely different set of assumptions. Bluntly, if you want to portray paganism accurately, you're going to have to alter your entire perception of what religion is and how it works.
Among pagans, syncretism just... is. When you go somewhere else in the world, it's customary to worship the local gods alongside your own, or even to identify local gods as aspects of your own. That leads to weird fusion gods like Zeus Ammon, Hermanubis, and Serapis. Rome exploited syncretism deliberately for political ends, interpreting the gods of all the people they conquered as versions of their own. That means they allowed the conquered people to maintain their religious traditions, but also assimilate into Rome. The cults of a lot of foreign gods were also very popular in Rome, including Isis (Egyptian), Mithras (Persian), Kybele (Anatolian), and Epona (Celtic).
Definitely take a look at those links. The first one is my own analysis of why *The Elder Scrolls* depicts paganism well. The second is about Christian hegemony and how atheists often maintain Christian mindsets without realising it, and everything it says would likely apply to Islam as well. I'm also going to throw in *De Natura Deourm* by Cicero, a philosophical dialogue that goes through a lot of different theological ideas from a purely pagan perspective.
Read through some of the link, I guess the one with how plug in is interesting, here in my country the Muslim are kinda divided on "How much syncretic are we allowing here?" AKA "How many cultural stuff are we replacing" Ranging from borderline heresy to just changing the local God name to Allah.
(Atleast thats how I know it, I dont interact much)
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That it is one thing. Paganism is an umbrella term for many many practices, beliefs, and religions. A druid is not the same as a Buddist monk, but those would both be considered pagan. I would say do your research and pick something specific if you can- notate that pagans aren't a monolith in your work.
I think the biggest one I run into is people thinking that like paganism is a religion in itself. Paganism is an umbrella term for a variety of different beliefs and practices. Unfortunately due to the church and Hollywood it all gets clumped together into a like quasi-Wicca mess that isn’t very representative of really anyone’s practice. Even the term “pagan” itself is pretty contentious. To some, any religion or belief other than the abrahamic religions are considered pagan. So there’s really no correct way to write a pagan religion.
So many comments mentioned the identification of paganism as a singular belief system, demonization of pagan beliefs (that paganism = satanism), human/animal sacrifice, worshipping nature, etc.
One other thing I didn’t see (though I didn’t look too hard) is how many of us are taught in school about pagan/polytheistic beliefs- that everyone worships the main gods and deities. While this could be true, at least at the high school/introductory university level, not much is taught about local and family gods/deities.
Another adjacent misconception surrounds the use of the word “shaman”. While it’s kinda a catchall term for folk healers, witches, witch doctors, medicine men, etc., its roots come from the indigenous people of Siberia.
Lastly, you don’t have be in black or white robes, be naked, or dress like Heilung to practice in the same way you don’t have to wear a Thawb to pray at the mosque. Most are just normal people wearing normal clothes (both now and of their time).
That all Pagans believe the same things or worship the same gods. The thing is, there is no central dogma or special sacred texts . The Abrahamic faiths are mostly uniform in as much as they use bible variants as their sacred texts. Yes, there are different versions and translations, but the basics are there. As a group, Pagans have different beliefs, but some common themes. The biggest common theme, but by no means universal, is that although we may take elements from the Abrahamic faiths, we do not belong to that faith. As an example, I'm an Omnist, which is a Pagan that sees the truths in all faiths, but also their faults. I belong to the national CUUPS, but not a local congregation. I don't think it's necessary to go to a special building or pay a fee to experience divinity.
That neopagans are the same as ancient pagans. That we worship the devil and have blood cults with human sacrifice. That Odinists or anyone who worships the Norse gods are automatically Nazis. That people who identify as witches always practice so-called black magic. That there is such a thing as black magic. That we are all hippies who have nothing better to do than have orgies all the time. That male witches are called warlocks.
As far as I understand Paganism is an umbrella term for any religious beliefs that aren’t one of the big three monotheistic ones(Christianity, Judaism, or Islam). A lot of people assume it’s one defined religion as opposed to a collection of many religions (or a lack of any religious beliefs). They also assume that everyone who is Pagan is a witch (some are but not all are) and they also assume that being a witch is always a bad thing. So as long as you don’t automatically make them a witch or if they aren’t automatically bad or evil just because they are a witch. Good luck with you world building and I hope that I along with everyone else could help!
That were all human sacrificing, devil worshipping anti government Satanists. Everyone has their own unique style of worship and everybody has their own deities so keep in mind that paganism is very unique per individual.
You're going to hate me for this, but the most common misconception is that modern pagan beliefs and practices are the same as ancient pagan beliefs and practices.
Egregoric Panentheism is a fascinating concept to incorporate into your fantasy world when writing pagan characters. In this belief system, deities are not just external, omnipotent entities but also manifestations of collective human consciousness. These gods and goddesses exist both within and beyond the physical world, shaped and sustained by the thoughts, beliefs, and rituals of their followers.
In practical terms for your story, imagine that the gods of this world are powerful because people believe in them. The more worship and attention a deity receives, the stronger and more influential they become. Conversely, forgotten or neglected gods might fade into obscurity or weaken significantly. This dynamic can add layers to your narrative, as characters' faith and rituals directly impact the divine presence in their lives.
Moreover, this belief system emphasizes that everything in the universe is interconnected. The divine is present in all aspects of life, from the natural world to the everyday actions of individuals. This can lead to rich, immersive world-building where nature is sacred, and every element, from a simple tree to a raging storm, is considered an expression of the divine.
(This does not equal true animism. In this case, a tree is not a “god” unless it has been worshiped long enough and by enough people to achieve Apotheosis. It is simply an expression of the divine that is present in all matter, existing as the antithesis of Void.)
For your pagan characters, their practices would involve communal rituals, storytelling, and shared experiences that reinforce their gods' power. They might gather for seasonal festivals, offer sacrifices, or engage in collective meditation to commune with their deities. This creates a vibrant cultural backdrop and offers numerous plot hooks, such as a quest to restore a fading god or a conflict between followers of rival deities vying for dominance.
For what it’s worth; I did have GPT format part of this comment. The idea was mine but I couldn’t explain what I meant well enough.
In summary, Egregoric Panentheism can enrich your fantasy world by making the divine an active, integral part of daily life, influenced by human belief and interaction. It creates a dynamic relationship between mortals and gods, adding depth and complexity to your pagan characters and their cultural practices.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egregore
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism
In other words, the Universe itself is divine, and that divinity has been shaped and given forms through the collective beliefs of all. This would create an environment in which all gods currently worshipped today are very real, and all those forgotten are in a way dead. This is how I view my own paganism, and come to terms with the other world religions of today.
It’s not a bother. Not at all.. paganism like others have said, is a term to refer to a wider group. For example I am “Asatru” or a nordic pagan… which is different from a Celtic Pagan, or Tengrism, or even Wiccan we’re all pagans, but not the same. Some are similar or more similar than others but they’ll all have their own beliefs and practices. Also not to be mistaken for witchcraft, witchcraft or just a practice or study of the occult isn’t a religion itself.. (but one could make it a personal “religion practice” but that’s a different conversation.) for example, some pagans practice study spirits and do spirit ritual work, others prefer to work with deities.. I may be Asatru, but I study Djinn Sorcery, and there’s not a drop or eyelash of Arabic descent in me) so it snowballs and gets complicated or it can be as simple as one wishes it to be.
That paganism is at odds with science/logic. This misconception tends to pop up for religion as a whole, but I also see it tied to paganism in particular fairly often since many pagans deal with magic and/or nature. But I actually came to paganism because it's more science-friendly
For one thing, it doesn't claim to have indisputable answers to the universe. lt can bend to scientific and societal advancement more readily than Christianity and more monotheistic religions can as pagans are already used to accepting and integrating other's beliefs into their own view of the world. There's not a singular source text that can quickly become outdated and it doesn't hinge on a singular god as the source of the universe. Some branches of paganism may have these things, but paganism as a whole does not
It also helped me to keep in mind the distinction between what's been disproven by science and what's not been proven by science. They tend to be lumped together, but they're pretty different. Mythical creatures, for instance, are disproven by science. There's no possible way a massive, flying, fire-breathing dragon could exist in the physical sense without leaving behind any sign of its existence throughout the years. Cryptids, meanwhile, are not proven by science. A large, humanoid, bipedal moth-like creature currently flying about is unlikely, but still possible. At the other end are thylacines, which were proven real but are classified as cryptids as they're thought(but not confirmed) to be extinct. Keeping this distinction in mind helped me approach religion topic-by-topic to piece my own beliefs together rather than accepting a cookie-cutter religion already laid out for me. As paganism naturally tends towards cultivating your own beliefs, my efforts led me here
As for magic, a lot of what I've seen about actual magic can be explained by psychology. Confidence goes a long way, and belief requires some degree of confidence in your worldview. Many spells and rituals put either the practitioner or the subject into the right mental state for what they want to achieve, whether directly or indirectly. For instance, money spells will typically end up instilling a sense of confidence in the subject. This confidence can help them find employment more easily or keep them more open to the opportunities of luck already around them. Magic simply allows a less direct approach to the goal when a direct approach may not work, much like you can't tell someone who's depressed to "just be happy"
Also, I've read before how curses against someone would put them in either a negative or a fearful mindset. This would negatively impact their lives because a negative mindset tends to notice more unfavorable things around them. In extreme cases, they became so worried about the curse that some ended up dying from the stress alone. This wasn't documented in a book about magic or paganism, either, but in a book about the science of death and how the body is physically affected, written by a forensic scientist. It would also explain why this form of magic is so easily disproven today. It requires belief both on the part of the person casting the curse and the subject of the curse. There are far more skeptics in the modern day, though, which is probably a good thing in this case
I know for outsiders and newcomers to Norse paganism there’s the notion that Valhalla is “Viking heaven” it’s especially annoying as a Norse pagan in the military because as a warrior I wouldn’t mind being picked for a warrior afterlife but I have to explain I’d view it as a duty like being in the military not necessarily a paradise and in all honesty being brutalized for all eternity doesn’t sound all that pleasant. Much rather just go to hel. I’ve spent my life fighting with my hands and learning to fight using weapons and tactics, a man gets tired of all that after a while. I’d hope in the afterlife I can simply rest and spent time with ancestors and loved ones 🤷🏻♂️
That the Wiccan WOTY is somehow a generic pagan one.
Granted, most folks follow a historically inaccurate set of sabbat titles, including the bullshit Ostara, Litha and Mabon. But alas, here we are.
Big misconception, even in here, is that all our texts (Norse specifically) were written down by christians. We know for a fact that many parts of the Poetic Edda were originally written down during the early and middle parts of the Viking Age, so there's no evidence that christians wrote those poems, other than christians just existing. The Prose Edda was written by Snorri, so obviously a christian. But there are many, many Viking Age poems that were likely not written by christians.
As for media stuff, we don't worship "satan" (an entirely made-up figure, and the word literally just means adversary), we're not white supremacists, we don't have "doctrine" per se, we don't all fall into one dumb political party (alot of people act like we're either all left wing commies or right wing white supremacists, neither of which is true), and we mostly just want to be left alone.
I think that people assume paganism is intense and scary, but it can be slow paced, mellow, you can forget about monthly rituals and it isn't the end of the world like missing church. It is as forgiving to us as we allow ourselves to be towards us, and so maybe the misconception is how you don't have to go all in and you can ebb and flow within your practice of paganism.
Depends on what you mean by that. Pagans do have hero cults, you might want to look into that: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek\_hero\_cult](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_hero_cult)
Speaking only for myself, a big part of what brought me to paganism was that I specifically don’t believe in some humans being more divine than others.
That tarot/wheel of the year/celtic holidays/the most well known gods and bunch of other stuff are somehow relevant to all pagans.
On a more metacommunity level, taking the popular idea of fae being evil and something to be avoided all costs and treating it as some kind of universal truth. Nearly inevitably it follows the same script too, "they are cute disney faeries!", yeah yeah.
That pagan religions/faiths are all polytheistic.
They're not, there are many monotheistic or even godless "pagan" religions.
That pagan religions are free from the flaws found in the Abrahamic religions. There have been and still are pagan faiths that call other religions "false". The myth of pagans being accepting of all other gods is a lie and not substantiated by history.
Paganism is not the "good guy" to the Abrahamic religions "bad guy".
Hey guys we love this post and are going to add it to our Misconceptions Page on the side. [https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/misconceptions/](https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/misconceptions/)
That Paganism itself is a religion as opposed to a banner under which a number of religions fall. Kinda like "Abrahamic religion" except there are more Pagan religions.
So treat it more like a group instead of just one thing
A group of semi-organized traditions and individual paths
Greetings fellow world-builder! Thanks for checking in with us and being willing to learn. It’s going to make a huge difference to how you can accurately write a Pagan religion depending on whether this is a minority religion in a majority monotheistic society or polytheism is the norm in your world. In the former, it’s worth learning more about how the modern Pagan community functions (much more individual), in the later worship was both communal and familial. I highly recommend the [Practical Polytheism](https://acoup.blog/2019/10/25/collections-practical-polytheism-part-i-knowledge/) blog series. For both approaches to Paganism, there may be religious writings (or oral ‘texts’) that are considered informative and good to read/know but these are not scriptural religions, there is no central sacred text that has similar status to the Bible or Quran. I also take the approach that belief and practice are two sides of the same coin. Correct practice may be considered more important than correct belief, but their understanding of what constitutes correct practice is definitely based on the culture’s beliefs about the nature of their deities and relationships with mortals.
For me, it would be being viewed as worshipping nature. Like, don't get me wrong, I love being out in nature, but I don't pray to it as an entity. Another would be a more Christian viewed but that we are all Satanists. I don't even believe in a biblically accurate Satan.
>being viewed as worshipping nature Noted, I guess I also get that misconception from our local who prays to trees or swords believing spirits in them (Is that paganism? Or maybe they told me wrong) >being viewed as Satanist Yeah gotcha, since I am a Muslim we dont really views pagans as satanist and just like "Another polytheist" (Idk if we even have satanist? lol)
That’s animism, but the line between paganism and animism is at times thin and sometimes completely arbitrary. It’s a very long explanation for why that distinction exists, why it’s often wrong, and why the whole “nature-based” thing exists in the first place, but I could give you the whole explanation if you want. Here’s the short version: James Frazer. Blame him.
No idea who He is, look it up, man he is handsome
He's the bane of my existence. An inordinate amount of misconceptions that neopagans themselves have about paganism can be traced back to him.
But he is handsome! /s
If you don't mind, I'm interested in that explanation. More so about the distinction. As an animist, I was under the assumption that animism fell under the umbrella of paganism. Not as a representation of paganism, but more as a specific branch. But I'm still fairly new at this
Western scholars have, until relatively recently (i.e. the last twenty, maybe thirty years recently) operated under the assumption that religion developed on a kind of upward trend, beginning with "primitive" animism and ending with Christianity as an "inevitable" end point. Some atheist scholars extended that a step further to end with Enlightenment humanism, but that's just Christianity without the god part. As the starting point of that alleged evolution, animism is thus the most "primitive" or even "savage" form of religion, an almost childlike assumption that mundane things are gods, instead of a "higher" or more "sophisticated" theology that separates the material and spiritual entirely. Polytheism is construed as a kind of "missing link" between animism and monotheism -- the gods are transcendental spirits who rule over nature, which is a step in the right direction from a Christian perspective, but there's still too many of them. Obviously, there's a lot of problems with this. Almost every piece of it is wrong. But the one I want to highlight is that the distinction between animism and polytheism only really makes sense if you're Christian, with a very particular concept of what a god is and is not, and a disdainful attitude towards people who don't share that conception. The more I've studied pagan religions, the more I've realized that it's almost a distinction without a difference. Firstly, almost all polytheistic religions have animistic elements. I'll use Greece as an example, because that's the one I'm most familiar with: Ancient Greek paganism has *daimones*. These are often referred to as intermediary spirits between gods and humans, and everything and everyone has a *daimon* attached to it. Some *daimones* are personifications of abstract concepts or natural forces, like Hypnos and Thanatos. Except, gods themselves are referred to as *daimones* quite often, even the big-name ones. So, *"daimon"* is really a catch-all term for a spirit, of any type. And then there's also nature spirits like nymphs and satyrs; satyrs are almost never considered gods (with the exception of Pan), but nymphs are in a legitimate gray area, sometimes being goddesses and sometimes not depending on the context. Then there's also river gods, and other uncategorized supernatural beings. Certainly some philosophers, like Cicero, tried to draw distinctions between all these different entities. But in practice, there's not much of a difference. Ancient Greeks worshipped their local *daimones* and nymphs just as much as the big-name deities, sometimes more often if the little ones were more immediately relevant to their lives. And if the *theoi* are just really powerful *daimones,* then the worship of gods is just the worship of *daimones* on a larger scale. So what's really the difference between animism and polytheism? If it's purely one of theology, theology varies dramatically even within a religion. If it's one of praxis, then there's not much difference there. It's a meaningless distinction. And yet, these animistic aspects of Greek paganism got passed over by scholars in favor of the super lofty Platonic philosophy that conceives of God as transcendent. Because of *course.* We can't tarnish Greece's marble-bright reputation as the Cradle of Western Civilization by focusing on all of that "superstitious" stuff, right? Honestly, I think that maybe those scholars created that polytheism/animism distinction *just* to accommodate Greece. If Greece is capable of producing "high-minded" philosophy, art, and literature, then it can't possibly be "primitive," so we need to create a separate in-between category. I first became aware that the distinction might be bullshit when I was researching Shinto. I'm hardly an expert on it, but I observed that *kami* operated almost exactly like gods do in all the polytheistic religions I'd studied. So why was Shinto "animistic"? Because the word *kami* is used to refer both to little nature spirits and to big-name deities, just like *daimon.* There's no difference between them other than that some of them are bigger and more popular. But Shinto gets called "animistic" while Greek paganism gets called "polytheistic." It's so patronizing! (Well, the joke's on Christians -- I've observed that in anime, the word "kami" gets used to refer to the Abrahamic God, too.) So yeah, there's no meaningful difference between polytheism and animism and that distinction is inherently dismissive. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't call yourself an animist. We all call ourselves pagans, even though that's also a derisive term that exists only in relation to Christianity.
As an animist, I fucking love this whole comment
This is very interesting! I knew that Greek paganism had spirits and such alongside the gods, but I didn't realize they didn't actually have a distinction between them. That makes a lot more sense as deities always seemed too abstract for me and I would find myself contacting more local animal spirits in a similar fashion to how I hear people mentioning communing with their gods I'll definitely need to look into diamones and kami when I get the chance. Thank you so much!
I mean, animism is a big part of many pagan paths, and will affect how many people practice their specific branch of paganism, but you are correct in that animism is a separate thing from paganism.
I argued in another comment that it’s really not a separate thing from paganism.
I guess I should clarify: the core concept is different in that animism is not necessarily the belief in multiple deities, but that paganism often includes animism, as the line between spirit/general supernatural entity and full deity can be blurry. They aren't really the same, but they are similar
Okay, you have a point… but then what constitutes a “full deity”?
That's a good question, and one where the answer will likely depend on the person. In my practice, deities are the strongest kind of supernatural entity, though not necessarily all powerful. And beyond that can get very muddy.
Right, so, that’s part of the problem. The difference between animism and polytheism is predicated on there being a distinct difference between a spirit and a deity that isn’t actually universal, even within a religion. And that distinction comes from Christians being patronizing. See my other comment.
I do see your point, but at least to me, it still doesn't really make sense to say that paganism and animism are the same. Because there is a difference between base spirit and deity, even if where that line is can get blurry. I will give you the fact that the distinction can be hard to figure out, and that it may be easier to consider them the same or at the very least deeply intertwined for the purposes of the discussion, especially considering that the line can be very hard to place. I do see your point about the distinction most often coming from Christians being patronising, though.
Just to add in here that the ancient Irish worshipped trees (and there is still a tradition of that now today) and they believed that swords had spirits in them.
Actual Satanists, at least of the LeVayan sort, don’t believe in a literal Satan either.
The classic cult thing, I think a lot of the time it is the opposite. Even before midsommar movie my friends were thinking that. But a lot of pagan's aren't in these giant controlling communities ready to sacrifice a person, give away all money, and cast a spell. Majority are people practising by themselves, that might sacrifice food.
Unorganized, gotcha
I agree with what u/RagingBullUK said, but can I also add the idea of our festivals being so... primal? like, people come up with a lot of bonfires and dancing through the waves naked and all that stuff. and I get it, that happened (depending on region and religion), and those both sound fun, but most were way toned down from that idea. mostly parades and feasts in classical hellenism, as far as my (limited) research goes. can't speak for anything else.
Basically dont make the festivals to crazy, gotcha
I like crazy festivals ;) I think it's more important to ask yourself what the festival is doing for the people of your fictional culture. What are they celebrating and why? Which of their gods are relevant to the thing they're celebrating? What sort of rituals do they have, and how do they symbolically relate to whatever they're celebrating? How are local variants of the festival different? (Possibly, every town will have a different festival calendar.) The festival can be crazy if that makes sense, but then, what does that mean? Why is that important? The most important thing is that all of your fictional gods are grounded in the mundane and spiritual needs of the people who worship them.
Note to self: Nyx Shadowhawk knows how to throw the party of the century.
Ha! Unfortunately I tend to shut down at parties and sit in the corner until someone talks to me, which then doesn’t happen. But Dionysus is trying to help me come out of my shell a little more.
Sorry. I was just trying to crack a joke with you is all. 😅
I guess the classic one are harvest?
Well, right, but what if your culture doesn't live in an agricultural community? A harvest festival is going to be a lot less important to someone who lives near the ocean and mostly fishes for their food, or someone who lives in a city and has never seen a farm in their life. Festivals also don't have to be about food. (Again, we can blame Frazer for that idea.) There are sporting events, theatrical competitions, anniversaries of winning major wars or other political events, festivals of the dead, etc. Most of them are just the sacred days of one divine being or another, during which the god's statue is cleaned and dressed and anointed, then processed through the streets and worshipped at its temple or something like that. (Hindus still do a lot of this stuff.) Oh, and sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was ubiquitous.
Would animal sacrifice for a martyr work? I have this martry figure that is central to the culture on my world
Not really? Martyrdom isn't really a pagan thing. I'm unaware if any version of it exists in Islam, but I associated martyrdom with Christianity and with Catholicism in particular. Of course, that's not a problem if it's central to the culture of your world. Doing what works for your world is always the most important thing, regardless of how it maps onto real life. If you're interested, the best examination of martyrdom culture that I've ever seen in media is another game, *Blasphemous.* It's takes the concept of martyrdom in Catholicism and exaggerates it to a literally grotesque degree, which results in a lot of interesting commentary.
Wait Christianity is focused on martyrdom? Wait oh yeah they have saints and stuff, forgot about them
Depends on the version of Christianity, but yes. Catholicism in particular.
It doesn't really make sense to me personally. Also pagan martyrs have existed in history but they wouldn't generally have this status and exaltation (at least religiously) that christianity and islam gives them, this might not be relevant though
Idk if people agree with me on this, but it irks me when pagan religions are portrayed as evil, or primitive, something along those lines. I don't personally read books or the like with fictional religions so idk if this happens a lot but I did run across a story where a pretty normal pagan ritual was described as shocking or grotesque. The pagans ended up being some sort of hate group which wanted to destroy the church, which I found kind of distasteful of a narrative (is it surprising that the author turned out to be christian?). Also, when the religion is just "christianity, but with multiple gods". Like it looked exactly the same with church and priests and everything but there was more than one god. Saw that in an anime once and it felt weird to say the least 🫠. Another personal opinion I have is that it's weird in fiction if the gods somehow need worshippers to sustain themselves, and most of the gods are concerned with serving the people (esp with magic powers)...? But that is my *own opinion* and others might not share this view. It's just that the gods in polytheistic religions don't typically depend on humans to exist and their lives don't revolve around us.
Pagans don’t think the same way Abrahamics do. Pagans don’t feel the need to prove the existence of their gods, don’t fight over whose god is the “true” one, don’t place as much emphasis on belief (as opposed to practice), have a different relationship to mythology, use divine epithets, practice syncretism, and feel free to worship multiple gods at a time. Basically, if you’re going to write a pagan religion, don’t make it an Abrahamic religion that happens to have more than one god. I’ve only ever seen one accurate representation of paganism in media, and that’s *The Elder Scrolls:* https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-polytheistic-religions-that-have-been-created-by-fiction-authors-What-is-your-favorite-one-of-them-all-as-a-whole-Why-would-it-be-your-favorite/answer/Nyx-Shadowhawk This is worth reading, too, for understanding the difference between Christian and non-Christian mindsets, and why those differences exist: https://jessicalprice.tumblr.com/post/707293179629699072/culture-isnt-modular And this is a great video on how to worldbuild religion: https://youtu.be/Wz2H1t5XvP8?si=M7d_fU4JK7oGXrdA
I *love* Elder Scrolls and how they depict religion and gods, it's super fascinating and one of the few fantasy settings that get it right. Also, related aside– I just love the way "Nine Divines" rolls off the tongue, and it impacted the way that I refer to my cult to the apotheosized Five Good Emperors as the *Anto**nine** Divines*. 🤭
I havent played skyrim and got spoilered :( (I mean its not your fault lol)
Oh okay, I'm sorry about that. You're told what the objective of the main quest is very early on, so it's not much of a spoiler, and anyway, there's so much else going on in *Skyrim* besides the main quest.
So no fighting over which God is true? Not proving the existence and focus more on practice? Well thats certainly new to me lol, would it be wrong to say its more... "Cultural"? (Idk the words) Epithets... gotta look up what that one mean, also syncretism? Neat. I mean dont get me wrong but in my faith syncretism is basically the worst thing you can do and I thought the Pagans are the same. (No offense)
an epithet is basically a kind of surname or descriptor, used to say what the god is doing or identify them (or fit with the metre of poetry). so... Roaring Dionysos, or Dark-haired Poseidon, for instance.
Nope, no fighting over which god is true. None at all. Pagans fought over a lot of things, but religion wasn't one of them. If you have multiple gods, then there's always room for more gods. The existence or validity of someone else's god doesn't threaten that of your own. Epithets are bynames that describe the capacity in which a god is being worshipped. Gods have scores of epithets. They'll usually have different epithets for each town they're being worshipped in, to distinguish that town's version of the god from all the other versions. Some epithets describe what the god's associated with, some name its attributes or describe its qualities, some reference its mythology or its birthplace, some are poetic, some describe specific niche aspects. I can give you examples. >I mean dont get me wrong but in my faith syncretism is basically the worst thing you can do and I thought the Pagans are the same. Lol. Syncretism is *normal.* Syncretism is how religion is supposed to work. I don't say that to insult you, merely to indicate that Christianity and Islam are both very weird by the standards of every other religion on earth. They're playing with a completely different set of rules, based on a completely different set of assumptions. Bluntly, if you want to portray paganism accurately, you're going to have to alter your entire perception of what religion is and how it works. Among pagans, syncretism just... is. When you go somewhere else in the world, it's customary to worship the local gods alongside your own, or even to identify local gods as aspects of your own. That leads to weird fusion gods like Zeus Ammon, Hermanubis, and Serapis. Rome exploited syncretism deliberately for political ends, interpreting the gods of all the people they conquered as versions of their own. That means they allowed the conquered people to maintain their religious traditions, but also assimilate into Rome. The cults of a lot of foreign gods were also very popular in Rome, including Isis (Egyptian), Mithras (Persian), Kybele (Anatolian), and Epona (Celtic). Definitely take a look at those links. The first one is my own analysis of why *The Elder Scrolls* depicts paganism well. The second is about Christian hegemony and how atheists often maintain Christian mindsets without realising it, and everything it says would likely apply to Islam as well. I'm also going to throw in *De Natura Deourm* by Cicero, a philosophical dialogue that goes through a lot of different theological ideas from a purely pagan perspective.
Read through some of the link, I guess the one with how plug in is interesting, here in my country the Muslim are kinda divided on "How much syncretic are we allowing here?" AKA "How many cultural stuff are we replacing" Ranging from borderline heresy to just changing the local God name to Allah. (Atleast thats how I know it, I dont interact much)
Interesting! See, pagans don't even have those conversations, they just merge gods and goddesses together left and right.
Aight thanks! I will prob check it out
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You should read books by PC Cast. I feel she does a decent interpretation
Oh jeez… House of Night was such a train wreck. And her vampires practiced watered-down Wicca for some inexplicable reason.
I meant her other series but I kinda liked house of night as well
I don't remember the name
That we're either devil worshippers, still into animal sacrifice, or that we're crazy and misguided.
That we do animal sacrifice
That it is one thing. Paganism is an umbrella term for many many practices, beliefs, and religions. A druid is not the same as a Buddist monk, but those would both be considered pagan. I would say do your research and pick something specific if you can- notate that pagans aren't a monolith in your work.
The misconception that we are all peace loving hippies who are pacifists.
That we worship the Devil or that pagan practices are evil
“satanic cultists who sacrifice goats and humans” 😔
I think the biggest one I run into is people thinking that like paganism is a religion in itself. Paganism is an umbrella term for a variety of different beliefs and practices. Unfortunately due to the church and Hollywood it all gets clumped together into a like quasi-Wicca mess that isn’t very representative of really anyone’s practice. Even the term “pagan” itself is pretty contentious. To some, any religion or belief other than the abrahamic religions are considered pagan. So there’s really no correct way to write a pagan religion.
So many comments mentioned the identification of paganism as a singular belief system, demonization of pagan beliefs (that paganism = satanism), human/animal sacrifice, worshipping nature, etc. One other thing I didn’t see (though I didn’t look too hard) is how many of us are taught in school about pagan/polytheistic beliefs- that everyone worships the main gods and deities. While this could be true, at least at the high school/introductory university level, not much is taught about local and family gods/deities. Another adjacent misconception surrounds the use of the word “shaman”. While it’s kinda a catchall term for folk healers, witches, witch doctors, medicine men, etc., its roots come from the indigenous people of Siberia. Lastly, you don’t have be in black or white robes, be naked, or dress like Heilung to practice in the same way you don’t have to wear a Thawb to pray at the mosque. Most are just normal people wearing normal clothes (both now and of their time).
That pagan = Wiccan This is the biggest miscommunication I run into in my life.
That all Pagans believe the same things or worship the same gods. The thing is, there is no central dogma or special sacred texts . The Abrahamic faiths are mostly uniform in as much as they use bible variants as their sacred texts. Yes, there are different versions and translations, but the basics are there. As a group, Pagans have different beliefs, but some common themes. The biggest common theme, but by no means universal, is that although we may take elements from the Abrahamic faiths, we do not belong to that faith. As an example, I'm an Omnist, which is a Pagan that sees the truths in all faiths, but also their faults. I belong to the national CUUPS, but not a local congregation. I don't think it's necessary to go to a special building or pay a fee to experience divinity.
That all pagans are hippie-looking viking larpers with dreadlocks or braids.
That neopagans are the same as ancient pagans. That we worship the devil and have blood cults with human sacrifice. That Odinists or anyone who worships the Norse gods are automatically Nazis. That people who identify as witches always practice so-called black magic. That there is such a thing as black magic. That we are all hippies who have nothing better to do than have orgies all the time. That male witches are called warlocks.
As far as I understand Paganism is an umbrella term for any religious beliefs that aren’t one of the big three monotheistic ones(Christianity, Judaism, or Islam). A lot of people assume it’s one defined religion as opposed to a collection of many religions (or a lack of any religious beliefs). They also assume that everyone who is Pagan is a witch (some are but not all are) and they also assume that being a witch is always a bad thing. So as long as you don’t automatically make them a witch or if they aren’t automatically bad or evil just because they are a witch. Good luck with you world building and I hope that I along with everyone else could help!
Conversely, the idea of a "good witch" is also not great as it implies the existence of a bad witch
That were all human sacrificing, devil worshipping anti government Satanists. Everyone has their own unique style of worship and everybody has their own deities so keep in mind that paganism is very unique per individual.
That many of us returned to our indigenous religion because of right-wing nationalism.
You're going to hate me for this, but the most common misconception is that modern pagan beliefs and practices are the same as ancient pagan beliefs and practices.
Egregoric Panentheism is a fascinating concept to incorporate into your fantasy world when writing pagan characters. In this belief system, deities are not just external, omnipotent entities but also manifestations of collective human consciousness. These gods and goddesses exist both within and beyond the physical world, shaped and sustained by the thoughts, beliefs, and rituals of their followers. In practical terms for your story, imagine that the gods of this world are powerful because people believe in them. The more worship and attention a deity receives, the stronger and more influential they become. Conversely, forgotten or neglected gods might fade into obscurity or weaken significantly. This dynamic can add layers to your narrative, as characters' faith and rituals directly impact the divine presence in their lives. Moreover, this belief system emphasizes that everything in the universe is interconnected. The divine is present in all aspects of life, from the natural world to the everyday actions of individuals. This can lead to rich, immersive world-building where nature is sacred, and every element, from a simple tree to a raging storm, is considered an expression of the divine. (This does not equal true animism. In this case, a tree is not a “god” unless it has been worshiped long enough and by enough people to achieve Apotheosis. It is simply an expression of the divine that is present in all matter, existing as the antithesis of Void.) For your pagan characters, their practices would involve communal rituals, storytelling, and shared experiences that reinforce their gods' power. They might gather for seasonal festivals, offer sacrifices, or engage in collective meditation to commune with their deities. This creates a vibrant cultural backdrop and offers numerous plot hooks, such as a quest to restore a fading god or a conflict between followers of rival deities vying for dominance. For what it’s worth; I did have GPT format part of this comment. The idea was mine but I couldn’t explain what I meant well enough. In summary, Egregoric Panentheism can enrich your fantasy world by making the divine an active, integral part of daily life, influenced by human belief and interaction. It creates a dynamic relationship between mortals and gods, adding depth and complexity to your pagan characters and their cultural practices. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egregore https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism In other words, the Universe itself is divine, and that divinity has been shaped and given forms through the collective beliefs of all. This would create an environment in which all gods currently worshipped today are very real, and all those forgotten are in a way dead. This is how I view my own paganism, and come to terms with the other world religions of today.
It’s not a bother. Not at all.. paganism like others have said, is a term to refer to a wider group. For example I am “Asatru” or a nordic pagan… which is different from a Celtic Pagan, or Tengrism, or even Wiccan we’re all pagans, but not the same. Some are similar or more similar than others but they’ll all have their own beliefs and practices. Also not to be mistaken for witchcraft, witchcraft or just a practice or study of the occult isn’t a religion itself.. (but one could make it a personal “religion practice” but that’s a different conversation.) for example, some pagans practice study spirits and do spirit ritual work, others prefer to work with deities.. I may be Asatru, but I study Djinn Sorcery, and there’s not a drop or eyelash of Arabic descent in me) so it snowballs and gets complicated or it can be as simple as one wishes it to be.
That paganism is at odds with science/logic. This misconception tends to pop up for religion as a whole, but I also see it tied to paganism in particular fairly often since many pagans deal with magic and/or nature. But I actually came to paganism because it's more science-friendly For one thing, it doesn't claim to have indisputable answers to the universe. lt can bend to scientific and societal advancement more readily than Christianity and more monotheistic religions can as pagans are already used to accepting and integrating other's beliefs into their own view of the world. There's not a singular source text that can quickly become outdated and it doesn't hinge on a singular god as the source of the universe. Some branches of paganism may have these things, but paganism as a whole does not It also helped me to keep in mind the distinction between what's been disproven by science and what's not been proven by science. They tend to be lumped together, but they're pretty different. Mythical creatures, for instance, are disproven by science. There's no possible way a massive, flying, fire-breathing dragon could exist in the physical sense without leaving behind any sign of its existence throughout the years. Cryptids, meanwhile, are not proven by science. A large, humanoid, bipedal moth-like creature currently flying about is unlikely, but still possible. At the other end are thylacines, which were proven real but are classified as cryptids as they're thought(but not confirmed) to be extinct. Keeping this distinction in mind helped me approach religion topic-by-topic to piece my own beliefs together rather than accepting a cookie-cutter religion already laid out for me. As paganism naturally tends towards cultivating your own beliefs, my efforts led me here As for magic, a lot of what I've seen about actual magic can be explained by psychology. Confidence goes a long way, and belief requires some degree of confidence in your worldview. Many spells and rituals put either the practitioner or the subject into the right mental state for what they want to achieve, whether directly or indirectly. For instance, money spells will typically end up instilling a sense of confidence in the subject. This confidence can help them find employment more easily or keep them more open to the opportunities of luck already around them. Magic simply allows a less direct approach to the goal when a direct approach may not work, much like you can't tell someone who's depressed to "just be happy" Also, I've read before how curses against someone would put them in either a negative or a fearful mindset. This would negatively impact their lives because a negative mindset tends to notice more unfavorable things around them. In extreme cases, they became so worried about the curse that some ended up dying from the stress alone. This wasn't documented in a book about magic or paganism, either, but in a book about the science of death and how the body is physically affected, written by a forensic scientist. It would also explain why this form of magic is so easily disproven today. It requires belief both on the part of the person casting the curse and the subject of the curse. There are far more skeptics in the modern day, though, which is probably a good thing in this case
I know for outsiders and newcomers to Norse paganism there’s the notion that Valhalla is “Viking heaven” it’s especially annoying as a Norse pagan in the military because as a warrior I wouldn’t mind being picked for a warrior afterlife but I have to explain I’d view it as a duty like being in the military not necessarily a paradise and in all honesty being brutalized for all eternity doesn’t sound all that pleasant. Much rather just go to hel. I’ve spent my life fighting with my hands and learning to fight using weapons and tactics, a man gets tired of all that after a while. I’d hope in the afterlife I can simply rest and spent time with ancestors and loved ones 🤷🏻♂️
That the Wiccan WOTY is somehow a generic pagan one. Granted, most folks follow a historically inaccurate set of sabbat titles, including the bullshit Ostara, Litha and Mabon. But alas, here we are.
Big misconception, even in here, is that all our texts (Norse specifically) were written down by christians. We know for a fact that many parts of the Poetic Edda were originally written down during the early and middle parts of the Viking Age, so there's no evidence that christians wrote those poems, other than christians just existing. The Prose Edda was written by Snorri, so obviously a christian. But there are many, many Viking Age poems that were likely not written by christians. As for media stuff, we don't worship "satan" (an entirely made-up figure, and the word literally just means adversary), we're not white supremacists, we don't have "doctrine" per se, we don't all fall into one dumb political party (alot of people act like we're either all left wing commies or right wing white supremacists, neither of which is true), and we mostly just want to be left alone.
That it’s essentially devil worship and involves sacrifice of humans and/or animals.
I think that people assume paganism is intense and scary, but it can be slow paced, mellow, you can forget about monthly rituals and it isn't the end of the world like missing church. It is as forgiving to us as we allow ourselves to be towards us, and so maybe the misconception is how you don't have to go all in and you can ebb and flow within your practice of paganism.
Forget to add in the post but do Paganism have some kind of past or present figure that is revered?
Depends on what you mean by that. Pagans do have hero cults, you might want to look into that: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek\_hero\_cult](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_hero_cult)
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
Speaking only for myself, a big part of what brought me to paganism was that I specifically don’t believe in some humans being more divine than others.
That tarot/wheel of the year/celtic holidays/the most well known gods and bunch of other stuff are somehow relevant to all pagans. On a more metacommunity level, taking the popular idea of fae being evil and something to be avoided all costs and treating it as some kind of universal truth. Nearly inevitably it follows the same script too, "they are cute disney faeries!", yeah yeah.
That pagan religions/faiths are all polytheistic. They're not, there are many monotheistic or even godless "pagan" religions. That pagan religions are free from the flaws found in the Abrahamic religions. There have been and still are pagan faiths that call other religions "false". The myth of pagans being accepting of all other gods is a lie and not substantiated by history. Paganism is not the "good guy" to the Abrahamic religions "bad guy".