Wiccans?

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by Greenmagick

Capital p Pagan refers to an earth centered religion in which there are many sects and variations on. Little p pagan can mean anyone of the non abrahamic religions (Christian, Jewish, Muslim)

Yeah. That. Much easier explained.

[Danefied]

Hrm... now I’m wondering if scientologists would qualify as monotheistic

[crazedACD]

Originally Posted by Lyzelle

Paganism is virtually anything that isn't Christianity, technically speaking. Most believe in the Mother, if not all. But there is also many other deities, elements, and such. Our "witchcraft" is really just very elaborate prayers. It is VERY much a pick and choose type of thing, which is why so many people seem to flock to it. There are few "rules", you choose the best path for your lifestyle and beliefs, and your intent guides everything when it comes to prayers, rituals, etc. You can practice alone or in a group, just like other religions. Some people prefer to practice on their own, since you tend to draw less attention that way and of course, each Coven have their own rituals, prayers, and rules that they follow. Since it is just a widespread religious group, not everyone enjoys joining a coven, where things may be more strict and bottlenecked.

That aside, Wicca is just one, more modern, sect of Paganism that really seems to stress the "witch" part of it, IME. I've met many 'Wiccans' who were really just another general form of Paganism, and then you also have the children who screw it all up and mix it with Satanism. Every religious group has their own weirdos, I've found.

But it is a very live and let live type of lifestyle, IME. Our "Book of Shadows" is either a general or very, very personal book not unlike the Bible. It outlines prayers, rituals, spiritual information, etc. Not every person has one, though.

+1. I was kind of into Wicca when I was in HS but that more or less grew into total atheism/agnosticism. It really seems to be a very 'accepting' religion. I just recently saw an ad for a Wicca group/kind of 'intro to wicca'..might be something worth looking into in your area if you want to learn more.