Course 1, Lesson 1 of 12 pages 5 - 8 notes and expansions.
Will try to finish off my notes on first Lesson.
Page 5 Pagan
I do not Disagree with what is in course. I will just add what I see as what a Pagan really is, this may surprise you and of course share others definitions of terms.
Important READ!!! http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-is-pagan-druids-view.html
Pagan, Paganism:
Originally from the Latin “paganus,” meaning “villager,” “country dweller,” or “hick.” The Roman army used it to refer to civilians. Early Roman Christians used “pagan” to refer to everyone who preferred to worship pre-Christian divinities and who were unwilling to enroll in “the Army of the Lord.” Eventually, “pagan” became simply an insult, with the connotation of “a false religion and its followers.” By the beginning of the twentieth century, the word’s primary meanings became a blend of “atheist,” “agnostic,” “hedonist,” “religionless,” etc., (when referring to an educated, white, male, heterosexual, non-Celtic European) and “ignorant savage and/or pervert” (when referring to everyone else on the planet). “Paganism” is now a general term for polytheistic, nature-centered religions, old and new, with “Pagan” used as the adjective as well as the membership term. It should always be capitalized just as other religious noun/adjective combinations are, such as “Buddhist,” “Hindu,” “Christian,” etc. See Paleopaganism, Mesopaganism, Neopaganism.
Paleopaganism or Paleo-Paganism:
A general term for the original polytheistic, nature-centered faiths of tribal Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Australia, when they were (or in some rare cases, still are) practiced as intact belief systems. Of the so-called “Great Religions of the World,” Hinduism (prior to the influx of Islam into India), Taoism and Shinto, for example, fall under this category, though many members of these faiths might be reluctant to use the term. Some Paleopagan belief systems may be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are billions of Paleopagans living and worshiping their deities today. See Mesopaganism and Neopaganism.
Mesopaganism or Meso-Paganism:
A general term for a variety of movements both organized and nonorganized, started as attempts to recreate, revive or continue what their founders thought were the best aspects of the Paleopagan ways of their ancestors (or predecessors), but which were heavily influenced (accidentally, deliberately and/or involuntarily) by concepts and practices from the monotheistic, dualistic, or nontheistic worldviews of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or early Buddhism. Examples of Mesopagan belief systems would include Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, etc., as well as those forms of Druidism influenced by those movements, the many Afro-Diasporatic faiths (such as Voudoun, Santeria, Candomble, etc.), Sikhism, several sects of Hinduism that have been influenced by Islam and Christianity, Mahayana Buddhism, Aleister Crowley’s religion/philosophy of Thelema, Odinism (most Norse Paganism), most “Family Traditions” of Witchcraft (those that aren’t completely fake), and most orthodox (aka “British Traditionalist”) denominations of Wicca. Some Mesopagan belief systems may be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are at least a billion Mesopagans living and worshiping their deities today. See Paleopaganism and Neopaganism.
Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism:
A general term for a variety of movements both organized and (usually) nonorganized, started since 1960 c.e. or so (though they had literary roots going back to the mid-1800’s), as attempts to recreate, revive or continue what their founders thought were the best aspects of the Paleopagan ways of their ancestors (or predecessors), blended with modern humanistic, pluralist and inclusionary ideals, while consciously striving to eliminate as much as possible of the traditional Western monotheism, dualism, and puritanism. The core Neopagan beliefs include a multiplicity of deities of all genders, a perception of those deities as both immanent and transcendent, a commitment to environmental awareness, and a willingness to perform magical as well as spiritual rituals to help both ourselves and others. Examples of Neopaganism would include the Church of All Worlds, most heterodox Wiccan traditions, Druidism as practiced by Ár nDraíocht Féin and the Henge of Keltria, some Norse Paganism, and some modern forms of Buddhism whose members refer to themselves as “Buddheo-Pagans.” Neopagan belief systems are not racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are hundreds of thousands of Neopagans living and worshiping their deities today. As “Neo-Paganism,” this term was popularized in the 1960’s and 1970’s by Oberon Zell, a founder of the Church of All Worlds.
Heathenism:
The religion of those who live on the heath (where heather grows). See Paganism.
Magick
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2012/01/thoughts-on-what-magick-really-is.html
Witch:
As sometimes the same terms or concepts come up. Links may be shared that were also shared in other parts of the lessons.
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2012/03/truth-of-natural-witches-witch-druid.html
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-is-witchcraft.html
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2011/07/reference-what-really-is-natural-witch.html
These last two will come up again and perhaps we will need to have more personal discussions on them.
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-committing-to-coven-druid-order-ley.html
http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2012/01/of-craft-and-covens-craft-coven.html
Satan / Devil:
Devil, The:
“Heir of Man,” originally the Evil God of the Zoroastrians; later a creation of Christian and Islamic theologians (who called him Satan and Shaitan) consisting of old fertility gods, wisdom spirits and nature elementals combined with Ahriman into a figure of terror and malevolence fully equal to that of that Good God (Jehovah or Allahby Neog); the deity worshiped othic Witches.
COVEN: an organized group of Witches and/or Wiccans led by a Priestess, Priest or both, and joined through initiation. Covenstead: the home of the coven. Covendom: is a circle around the Covenstead, traditionally 3 miles across. Latin :VENIRE & COM = together & to come or move. Middle English: COVIN = a group of confederates. Old French : COVINE = group with a single purpose. Traditionally, a coven consists of thirteen females and males. An equal number of men and women is optimum for working purposes.
COVENDOM: the area watched over by a coven.
COVENSTEAD: the meeting place of the coven, also called a temple.
COWAN: unwelcome non-Pagan intruder. Non-craft person, an outsider. Term also used by freemasons to describe the same type of person. a person, not of Wiccan beliefs. It use to refer, as a derogatory term for a 'fake' or 'gameplayer' Pagan; a FOOL who doesn't know what they are talking about.
DEVIL: Gypsy word meaning "little god." Christians used the word to describe fallen angels who united with Lucifer. Witches and Pagans do not believe in this Christian deity.
(As there is a large group of Hybrid Xtan-Pagan-Witchens, this statement is no true for all . TDK)
WARLOCK: 1) "Oath Breaker" and "Traitor", from Scottish Gaelic dialect. Also refers to the binding of the candidate in preparation for initiation. Wiccans do NOT use this word for a 'male witch'! Its meaning is from the Old English (one source: Scottish) word: waerloga. 2)A word for an untrustworthy man, an oathbreaker, sometimes an eunuch (castrated male). It's thought to have come into usage by Witches to describe one who had betrayed them.
The last four pages of lesson one are covered I hope, but after reading lesson and lesson notes, question or concerns are welcome. I know this is a very mixed level group and also the purpose is to help everyone see the general resourses and many views so they can pick what works for them.
This not a Dogma class.
Moon Rising and Lession 2 of 12 too.
TDK
