Paganism.

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Actually, I think that the closest the English ever came to practicing "witchcraft" is that, as a general rule, people try to do things to make themselves better when they get sick, sometimes desperate or weird things.

To clarify, by that, I am talking about ancient Brythonic peoples. Obviously, there are people today who practice what they call "witchcraft." In ancient times, though, I think that the very presence of sickness and hunger and strife would breed witchdoctors, quacks, and ocassionally a "shaman" figure who at least tries to be legitimate.

The torah doesn't have anything against pagans because they are pagans. The torah, however, makes it clear that the values and practices that often comes from pagan religions are unethical and immoral.

Since the ultimate goal of the torah is ethical behavior(as outlined in it), so long as one doesn't engage in what it deems unethical and immoral, one is in good standing with the lord. Noah and Lot weren't great men... they were merely decent, but God saved them because they weren't that bad. I find this touching. It's not about being elevated religiously... it's about something as simple as not screwing your family, friends, or neighbors (strangers) over. Or at least in this lifetime here on Earth.

God cares about how you treat the other, and paganism whose practices and values/beliefs(which influences practices) that doesn't conflict with the torah's message is moral and ethical in its eyes. There are many paths to God and goodness. One doesn't need to convert to judaism to live out its principles either, so go forth and be happy in your religion so long as you treat each other ethically.

Any oral tradition is of course fluid, but I certainly don't see as "nonsense" the idea that, say, willow bark tea was used for pain relief before the 20th century.

Gerald Gardner's speculations of an "Ancient Witch Cult" were much more elaborate than that.

I have a cousin who calls herself a pagan. She attends a unitarian chapel. I'm pretty sure that usage of the word only works in places like northern california.

If you were to attend a "pagan" gathering in the las vegas area, you'd run into more of a biker bacchanalia sort of thing.

Some people who self-identify as pagan later claim to be druids. Which is absurd - there are no real druids and haven't been for centuries.

I don't even want to talk about wiccans.

Read all you can on the subject. Books put forward ideas. The trick is to remember that you're living in the 21st century.

Been pagan for 22 years. I believe that the 'gods' are real, but now see them as coming, originally, from animism and ancestors.

I finally finished the book and basically I learned pretty much nothing other then think for yourself. Make your own image of what God is or isn't. Just think and grow which is pretty alright.
I am going to look more into neo-paganism and Wicca even though I don't think Wicca from what I read has a lot in common with what I believe in.

I guess "pantheism" is more what I believe in.
The rituals sound fun, I wanna try them.

Why do you say that? CUUPS, Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, has existed for over two decades now.

The unitarian church isn't restricted to theologies similar to Christianity any more. Indeed, they explicitly welcome not only pagans, but agnostics and atheists as well.

Problem is, paganism is only defined in terms of what it ain't - it is not a well-defined category.

The fact that so much of it is like resurrected Cornish - not even Israeli Hebrew - does not help.

I realized I do believe in "magick". The unexplainable things that is all magick.

Opened myself up to new beliefes such as pantheism which makes a lot of sense to. I guess I am just a mix between pagan thought and pantheist thought. I also want to try out the rituals just get good thoughts and "magick" on my side. I also wanna celebrate the holidays. I already celebrate some of them.

Paganism includes pantheist thought - generally speaking if you're neo-pagan you are either pantheist or polytheistic.

It's fine to use the spelling 'magic'.

I prefer the word magick spelling. I am trying to mix the two because I want to do rituals but it is hard because I don't literally believe in gods. hahahaha But I believe in the everything and somehow do a ritual with that. I don't know...I am still reading but I dig this alot. Makes me feel better in a different way that pills and other thoughts couldn't have done. Maybe a pentacle.

Modern druidry is the domain of "pagans" who have discovered Wikipedia. Calling oneself a "pagan" is equivalent to saying, "well, I decided atheism was just as boring as Christianity."

Or, is saying 'I am a pantheist'/'I am a polytheist'

I could be wrong, but I don't think most pagan converts have tried atheism first. I think most are women who are ready to give up the excessively masculine Abrahamic god, but are not ready to give up spiritualism or religion.

I also don't think boredom is usually the issue.

Paganism makes the same error as the Abraham religions. The Pagans believe that the doings of the universe are under the control of other than natural forces and processes.

In fact there is nothing but matter and motion in space and time. Democritus and Lucipus got it right.

ruveyn