AboutLabyrinth Expertise I can answer all questions regarding natural spirituality and being a pagan. Being Wicca, Golden Dawn, Shamanist, whatever...is like saying you're Lutheran or Baptist. They are all forms of paganism and all based on natural spirituality. I am Romani (gypsy) and part Lakota (American Indian) and I was raised in natural spiritualism. I am a life path counselor for my group, a ritualist, and a spell weaver. Most of my work consists of guiding people on how to find spiritual peace in a very chaotic material world. Ask me anything.
Experience Romani and Lakota by blood and raised in the old traditions.
High Priestess - Rainbow Moon Clan.
Ordained Christian Minister
Education/Credentials BA Education
BA English
MFA Creative Writing
Question do pagans believe in one or more god/goddess? Are the god/goddess spirits or actual god/goddess the pagan pray for? Do pagans do witchcraft? How do pagans pray? what are the same/differences things pagans and wiccans do?
Answer Wicca is to Pagan as Baptist is to Christianity.
Wiccans are the members of a particular aspect of naturalist faith.
Pagans are polytheistic. There is One all powerful creative force in the Universe which presents itself in a variety of names and faces so that all people, of all cultures and races, can find something to believe in. These names and faces are the Gods and Goddesses we know.
Each individual pagan builds his or her own pantheon. That is he or she decides which God or Goddess aspects appeals to them. Some only ritual to one or a few, some acknowledge many. It is a personal choice.
Gods and Goddesses are not spirits per se, unless you view the creator as spirit. Your average spirit just hanging out on earth is the spirit body of a deceased person.
Some pagans practice the craft, but not all. Just because a person is open minded to the possibility that more than one face of God may be valid, does not necessarily mean they choose to practice witchcraft.
Most pagans practice a ritual based faith. Ritual is basically a very concentrated and focused way to conduct what the general populous call prayer. All living things vibrate at a specific frequency. Certain frequency levels attract certain kinds of energy. The practice of magick is really just the bending of the energy waves around you. So we gather a bunch of things that vibrate at the frequency we want to broadcast. For example...I need to make some extra money to repair the roof of my house. I gather things that give off the frequency for money and prosperity such as green candles, seeds and nuts, evergreens and ferns, gold and silver coins, and so on...many things are in each category. I arrange these nicely and call upon God in whatever form I like. For this ritual I'd choose a Goddess who watches over women and children and a God of fertility. I light my candles, recite a poetic 'prayer' I've written to explain my need, then meditate on my goals concentrating very hard on gathering that form of energy. We have now just practiced that mysterious witchcraft wherein I conjured money. Now this money I asked for doesn't just come out of thin air...the saying God helps those who help themselves is true. If I ritual for money I have to try to make a way for God to help me...if I need a job I should go around and put out applications, the ritual energy then encourages someone to hire me. If I want to sell something I need to advertise it, the magick encourages someone to buy it.
As for what different pagans do or don't do...the natural spiritualist faiths are very personal and accepting. Most of us start off learning the faith of our mothers then as we learn and grow we find things to add to our belief system.
Please feel free to write back. This stuff is pretty basic and I am glad to help anyone trying to come home.
