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Pagan FAQ Paganism is one of the most misunderstood religions today. So we thought we'd create a page for those who want to get it straight. What is paganism? Paganism is the practice of any earth-based religion that is around today as well as those that are dead. It includes practices like Wicca, Shamanism, Druidry, and many others. What is Wicca? Wicca is a major branch of paganism that is recognized by the U.S. Government. There are all different branches of Wicca as well. In fact almost every branch of paganism can be thrown under Wicca. One reason for this is so that no matter what form of paganism a person practices it would then be recognized by the Government. Yeah for me! Do you have to worship the devil? No, you don't have to worship any devil. Actually most pagans don't even believe in a devil or great evil. Christians actually got their devil images from the images of the pagan Horned God that is widely worshiped. When the Christians were trying to convert pagans to follow their ways they took the pagan Horned God and tried to scare the pagans into their religion by saying it was the devil and he would take their souls to burn forever in misery. Sadly it worked. What gods are followed? Is there more than one? Many pagans don't just have one god or goddess. There are many pagans who have several gods and goddess, while others may actually just have one. This question really relates to the tradition that is being followed. Is it true pagans have huge sex orgies? I still wonder who came up with this, because, well, it isn't true at all. It is true though that some pagans practice skyclad (naked), but sex isn't involved at all. Also while many pagans are more open about having sex instead of shutting it out until marriage, it also doesn't mean that members of a coven have any wild flings. It's just not moral. Are the rituals preformed done by black magick? Most often not. There are a couple of these types of covens out there, but it's a small few. The majority of covens perform the nicer types of magick. Another thing is that in the real world of magick one normally wont find a witch talking about black or white magick, because many don't believe there are strict definitions for black or white. Magick simply is, it's the person behind it that makes it bad or good. Do all Witches have to dress in black? No, most actually do not. Pagans/Witches are just like everyone else. We dress no different, and act no different. How does one become a witch? This question depends on the tradition one wishes to join. The most common way of becoming a witch is to be initiated into a coven. However, one just can't be accepted automatically. Someone who wishes to become a witch must be trained first. This is where the a year and a day comes in. It is tradition that a dedicatant studies for a year and a day and is then initiated. Of course this can also be done at home. It is becoming very popular to just be a solitary witch. A solitary witch normally does a self-initiation or self-dedication when they feel the time is right. Some covens even accept it as an actually initiation. How do I join a coven? First of all you have to find one. If you find one and you like them as people and you like their tradition & beliefs, ask them about joining. If you don't have the proper training yet, they should teach you for your year and a day. After that you will be initiated into the coven and become an active member. For ways to find covens try http://witchvox.com. What books can I read to learn more? Under our coven info page we have a recommend reading list. You can use it for help on picking out the right books. You can also e-mail us about a subject and we'll pick out a good one and tell you where to find it.
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