PAGAN FEDERATION: Founded in 1971 and formerly called the Pagan Front, Pagan Federation is a London-based organization that seeks to provide contact between the Craft of the Wise and “genuine seekers of the Old Ways”, and to promote harmony among the various European Pagan religions. It works with institutions, governmental bodies and the public to present accurate information on Pagan religious views and rights.

(See also: PAGAN FEDERATION, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

PAGAN WAY: Initially a movement responding to the high demand for applicants to covens in the 1970’s. Pagan Way provided an alternative to the traditional intensive screening programs, and year-and-a-day probationary periods with an open, nature-oriented system that emphasized celebration of nature over magick.

Although the Pagan Way organization fell apart in the 1980’s, the rituals survived. Some covens run Pagan Way groups as training circles for interested persons and potential initiates. Those who aren’t initiated into the coven can remain in the Pagan Way group indefinitely, become solitaries, or form their own Pagan Way group.

(See also: PAGAN WAY, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

PAGAN, OCCULT, WITCHCRAFT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP OF MENSA: A special interest group (SIG) of Mensa, the organization for persons scoring in the top two percentile on IQ testing. Only Mensa members can be full members of the SIG but non-Mensans may join as associate members. Their newsletter, Pagana, is considered to be one of the best Pagan journals.

(See also: PAGAN, OCCULT, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

CEREMONIAL WITCHCRAFT: A  tradition of Witchcraft with an emphasis on Egyptian and/or Qabbalistic  Ceremonial Magick.

(See also: CEREMONIAL WITCHCRAFT, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

SCOTICAN WICCA: Founded by Striix this is a mix of Wicca, Peti-Wita, Kitchen Witchery, and Ceremonial Magic.

(See also: SCOTICAN WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

TRADITIONAL HEALING: Any practice of holistic medicine in the tradition of a specific culture or tribe.

(See also: TRADITIONAL HEALING, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

PAGANISM (Latin,  paganus, "a peasant, rustic"): Roman soldiers used the word in the pejorative sense of "hick, yokel, country bumpkin"; and this usage was continued by the early Roman Christians - who were mainly city-dwellers - to refer to everyone who preferred to continue to worship pre-Christian divinities. Hence "Paganism" refers to the worship of Pagan Deities: the Gods and Goddesses of the Old Religions that predate Judaism, Islam, or Christianity.

As such, "Paganism" is actually an umbrella term covering a broad family of religions, which may be divided into three broad sub-categories:

• survivalist - those whose religious practice has continued unbroken from their ancestors;
• revivalist - those whose religious practice attempts to revive that of their ancestors, whether by actual descent or by personal spiritual affinity and inclination;
• reconstructionist - those whose religious practice is an adaptation and reinterpretation of what they regard as the best of pre-Christian Pagan religions, adjusted to modern contemporary religious thought.

(See also: PAGANISM, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

SATANISM: The worship of the Christian concept of the Anti-Christ. It is not a Pagan religion although some Satanists refer to themselves as witches or Witches.

(See also: SATANISM, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

STANDING STONES TRADITION (The): The Wiccan tradition founded by Scott Cunningham for solitary practitioners.

(See also: STANDING STONES TRADITION, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

APPOLLONIAN: In religious studies, describes "solar-oriented" religions which emphasize mastery of the instincts by the conscious mind (named for Apollo, as the Greek God of light and the Sun).

(See also: APPOLLONIAN, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

ALGARD WICCA: Mary Nesnick, an American who was initiated into both Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions, combined them in 1972 and created a new tradition called Algard.

(See also: ALGARD WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

CALEDONII TRADITION: A Scottish tradition of  Witchcraft that preserves the unique festivals of the Scottish. Also known as Hecatine Tradition.

(See also: CALEDONII TRADITION, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

CELTIC SHAMANISM: A shamanic path that is based on the Faery Faith of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe and especially of Britain, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany.

(See also: CELTIC SHAMANISM, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

CELTIC TRADITIONALIST: A reconstruction of  the beliefs and practices of the original Celtic people. Unlike Druidry, this tradition focuses more on the beliefs of the average Celtic man or woman.

(See also: CELTIC TRADITIONALIST, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

CRAFT (The): The Magickal Arts and practices of Traditional Witchcraft; those who belong to the Craft, who practice the Craft and its Arts. Masons also refer to Masonry as "the Craft".

(See also: CRAFT, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

HECATINE TRADITION: A Scottish tradition of  Witchcraft that preserves the unique festivals of the Scottish. Also known as Caledonii Tradition.

(See also: HECATINE TRADITION, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

FAERY WICCA: A Wiccan Tradition incorporating the deities of the Welsh or Irish Faery Folk and drawing some theology from the Faery Faith.

(See also: FAERY WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

ASATRU FREE ASSEMBLY: Founded in 1972 by Stephen McNallen. A Norse Pagan tradition that recognizes both the Aesir and the Vanir.

(See also: ASATRU FREE ASSEMBLY, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

ODINISM: A form of Norse Paganism that recognizes only the Aesir, the Sky Gods, including Odin, Frigga, Thor, Loki, Balder and others. Odinism does not acknowledge the Vanir, the Gods concerned with earth, agriculture, fertility and the cycle of death and rebirth.

(See also: ODINISM, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

DRUIDRY: The pathways based on the practices, rituals, and magick of the early Celtic priestly class known as the Druids. Many expressions of the tradition exist, and their differences have often been cause for dissension in the Pagan community.

(See also: DRUIDRY, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )