What is this Paganism/Polytheism thing?

I am now up to 200 followers! A lot of new folks who have signed up have an interest in my mental health and autism posts, and I thought some might be unfamiliar with my religion when I discuss it here- indeed I sometimes encounter people who think Pagan or Heathen means atheist or unbeliever, which I suppose it can it some contexts but that’s in lowercase 😉 While not perfect, I still find Pagan Pride International’s definition to be a pretty helpful description-

A Pagan or NeoPagan is someone who self-identifies as a Pagan, and whose spiritual or religious practice or belief fits into one or more of the following categories:

• Honoring, revering, or worshipping a Deity or Deities found in pre-Christian, classical, aboriginal, or tribal mythology; and/or
• Practicing religion or spirituality based upon shamanism, shamanic, or magickal practices; and/or
• Creating new religion based on past Pagan religions and/or futuristic views of society, community, and/or ecology;
• Focusing religious or spiritual attention primarily on the Divine Feminine; and/or
• Practicing religion that focuses on earth based spirituality.

Caelesti/Mariah’s Spiritual Path:

I myself fall between agnostic and polytheist theologically (basically like Fox Mulder, I “want to believe”!) focusing on Irish/Scottish polytheism and Germanic/Norse polytheism- which is more commonly called Heathenry. I am a member of ADF, Ar nDraiocht Fein, an international public tradition of Druidism- that’s mainly Celtic, but we are pan-Indo-European, so we include Germanic, Slavic, Greek, Roman and Vedic- (that’s early Hindu) cultures. I’m also a Unitarian Universalist, which is a post-Christian, non-creedal Protestant denomination that includes people of many beliefs and practices who share common values in common. Phew! Can you see why I often just say “I’m Pagan”?!

Theological Lingo:

Polytheism- belief in, reverence of many gods

Animism- belief in, reverence of many spirits (or belief that a spirit resides in everything)

Agnosticism- belief that the existence of god(s) is unknowable- as I and many others use it, to mean uncertainty of belief

humanism- lowercase, not how other people use it see: Humanism Can Include Theism

Useful/Relevant Posts:

Pagan/Neo-Pagan Definition List

Odinism, Asatru, Heathenry

A Polytheist Among Unitarians

Inclusive Polytheism 

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