I was always confused by the term "pagan". It originally comes from the latin "paganus" meaning rustic or country dweller. By common, popular connotation it refers to an animalist, polytheistic, nature-based, usually regionalized form of worship. Sometimes confused with the Wicca religion (which may or may not be considered pagan since it has only one, i think, deity).
Am I a pagan and, if so, should I worry about this...should I even care?
Common Christian usage of the term infers that it encompasses everything that is NOT Christian, including Judaism and Islam as well as Hinduism, Buddhism and any of the numurous nature-based, shaminstic traditions around the world. In that case, maybe I should enjoy being a pagan and embrase the title along with my own little inner-heathen. I picture it looking somewhat like the hedgehog (i think it was called the Grumblehog) in Jim Henson's The Storyteller. All prickly and gruff and pointy.
Just a quick side note...Jim Henson was a genius. His stuff lives on, not as well as it did before, but still lives on. http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Wiki
Most of this is stemming off from the Asatru (Norse Neopaganism) vigil I attended last night. And just what IS neo-paganism? It consisted of mostly drinking, games, stories, jokes, lighting candles and a few stories. Were I not flying out to the East Coast today, I would have preferred to stay through the entire thing. Some interesting parallels to my own faith (Buddhism). Darrin poured part of the food and drink as offerings to ancestors and the gods. Buddhists do the same thing in the form of rice or burning incense, Hindus use milk sometimes.
Appeasements to angry or disembodied spirits through the sprinkling of mead (which was homemade by Matt for a year and was very tasty). Buddhists wish to appease hungry ghost in the same way. Hungry ghosts being, in Buddhist terms, a samsaric reincarnation of either men or gods who have fallen to attachments (such as greed or lust).
Incidentally, several sodas exploded in my car last night. Perhaps I should have drank less mead and sprinkled more of it around. All the Thor jokes probably didn't help either.
This whole thing has sort of made me want to do my own vigil for the New Years celebration this year but without the typical ball dropping and cheers to all. I will have the house to myself since Bev and Eliza will still be away in Jersey. So I am thinking maybe a large bonfire in the backyard, some incense, some kinhin followed by some homemade saki and chanting.
Sounds good to me...and if the Norse Parthenon wishes to show up as well, then great but this time, No Feats of Strenth. The Hindus and Wiccans are invited as well but my yard is sort of small and they tend to pack the house what with all the devas and devis and sprites and gnomes.
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