What does Pagan mean to you?

United States
May 25, 2007 6:42am CST
I want responses from Pagans and Non-Pagans alike. This isn't meant to be a post about telling the other how wrong they are, it's to ask what is your definition of Pagan. How do you, personally, define Pagan? How does your religion define it?
2 people like this
2 responses
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
26 May 07
It depends on whether you're talking about historical usage or modern usage, but I think both of those have been pretty well defined by the other posters. I tend to use the modern definition, since I refer to myself as a Pagan. I follow a polytheistic religion, with a focus on personal responsibility, honor, and respect for nature, that started in pre-Christian Europe. To be more accurate, I follow a reconstruction of an older religion, since many of the details of that religion were lost to history. When among other Pagans, I refer to myself as Celtic Reconstructionist, but among non-Pagans I often say either just "Pagan" or "Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan" just to make it clear that my religion fits under that umbrella.
@Galena (9110)
25 May 07
in it's modern usage, Pagan is an umbrella term, covering quite a diverse range of religions and spiritualities, which feature either honour of nature, or the spirits of the ancestors, or both. some have Gods, others don't.