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Paganism 101 Course

Greetings everyone!

I have decided to start writing a course covering some of the basic beliefs/practices/traditions of Paganism, and was hoping to hear the opinions of some fellow Pagans on this. It would be pretty much just your average Pagan 101 course. I am hoping to teach this course through Witch School, though I have not yet heard back from Ed Hubbard, the Director. Any suggestions on what I should do?

What I am planning for the Paganism 101 course is to describe and explain the differences between ancient (paleo-) Paganism, Meso-Paganism, and Neo-Paganism, as well as explore a number of traditions/paths (I've looked into quite a few paths before, including
Asatru, Odinism, Druidry, Traditional Witchcraft, Stregheria, Celtic
Wicca, Seax-Wica, and Eclectic Paganism), and therefore giving the
seeker enough information to know which path they would like to explore,
if any. I am also planning on exploring some common Pagan beliefs
(note "common" - it's practically impossible to find a trait every
single Pagan has in common), such as a belief in reincarnation, a
reverence for the Earth, and I was also planning on explaining some of
the ways Pagans see Deity - polytheism, pantheism, panentheism,
monotheism - as well as exploring non-theistic Paganism (or Secular
Paganism).

I was planning on including some meditation and other exercises as well. I was planning on setting out the course something like the book The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism by Carl McColeman, though without the
many mistakes and assumptions (the author seemed to assume that all
Pagans honoured Deity as the Wiccan God and Goddess).

What do people think about this idea, and how should I go ahead with contacting Witch School about this possibility?

Tags: Paganism, School., Wicca, Witch, course

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Permalink Reply by Benjamin on August 5, 2010 at 7:09am

My head hurts!!! LOL - such big words for such a young man... good luck if you need help on research and editing just shout - I love to help with that...

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Permalink Reply by mara rising-phoenix on August 5, 2010 at 7:32am

Dude! Quit letting people hurt your head! LOL! You are too funny. I think we have all hurt your head at some point or another. Have a blessed day! *Mara

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Permalink Reply by Laramie Roush on August 5, 2010 at 9:49am

Some of Benjamin's discussions have intentionally hurt my head LOL. He does it on purpose! Its just the rule of three coming back on him, Ha ha!

Just kidding . . . I love your poests, Benjamin! They really do make me think.

BB
Larry

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Permalink Reply by mara rising-phoenix on August 5, 2010 at 7:30am

A wonderful idea for sure! It might be helpful to do something like that. I would love to see it and read it. Sign me up!!!! Good luck sir!

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Permalink Reply by Fantumofthewinds on August 5, 2010 at 8:11am

I wish you well with your project , and as my self, you may fine that you wine up giving everyone a throbbing head such as I. But I do wish you well in bring understanding for what its worth BB

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Permalink Reply by Claudia Blanton on August 5, 2010 at 8:21am

Wow, cool! Sounds like this would be an extensive but very interesting course. The research involved in pulling this off sounds like a mountain of work, but as committed as you seem, I don't think you'll you have a problem in handling that. Good luck, and please keep us updated with the progress - I am really interested in what the end-product is going to look like!

Blessed Be!

Claudia

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Permalink Reply by Laramie Roush on August 5, 2010 at 9:53am

Something that may give you some ideas is a book by River and Joyce Higganbotham: Paganism: An Introduction to Earth Centered Beliefs. There are questions and answers at the end of each section, along with some magickal projects and visualizations, all intended to help one find ones own path.

Good Luck and BB
Larry

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Permalink Reply by Megan L Herrod on August 5, 2010 at 10:41am

Very Ambitious...

My only tips are RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH... and beware of making "blanket statements" of personal opinion like "We all really worship the same deity, but from different facets"

That may be the opinion of SOME, but not of all, or even most, pagans. Paganism is so wonderfully diverse... look at each different group individually. Try not to "clump" them more than nessacary.

I advise you add to your list the various reconstructionists; celtic, hellenic, norse.... which are all different than wicca, druidry, and "modern" pagan faiths, because they attempt to historically reproduce those ancient beliefs, and in many cases do not include magic, but sometimes may. Hmmm... I would also add kemetic (egyptian paganism), slavic (russian paganism), Vodun, Santeria, Thelema, Feri etc. Try to be as broad in scope as possible!

Be sure to designate claims vs accepted history... as much as possible. Even if one BELIEVES Wicca (for example) is an ancient unbroken tradition, there is no PROOF historically... If you don't want to feel that you have "disrespected" any faith's beliefs... you could say... "many wiccan traditions claim to be from ancient heritage, yet significant evidence has yet to surface to the general public"- that way you don't call anyone "liars"- but you make the reader aware of the discrepancy.

If I were you I would make your class have several lessons... with only 2-3 types of paganism well explained in each one! Do us a favor and make a more in depth explanation than most "pick your type" sites, that try to encompass a whole faith in a "picture and a paragraph".... use them as jumping off points, but reference the actual pagan sites referring to that religion.

It would be unfair of me to write this much and leave you with no direction... so here are some links I think you will appreciate!

Russian Paganism
Celtic Recontructionism
Kemetic Orthodoxy
Hellenic Reconstructionism
Asatru
Welsh Witchcraft
Traditional Witchcraft (non wiccan)
Feri Tradition
Vodun
Thelema
Druidry

Good Luck!
-Megan

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Permalink Reply by mara rising-phoenix on August 5, 2010 at 10:57am

Megan...our one woman search engine!!!! Google has nothing on you!!!! LOL!! I love this idea you are helping to cook up! WOOT! I feel like I'm in Wayne's World..."I am not worthy." *grins* :D *Mara

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Permalink Reply by Megan L Herrod on August 5, 2010 at 11:11am

hehehe... maybe it is "the world according to megan" - I am writing a class on pagan ethics... so I have already done a lot of the grunt-work sifting through various pagan sites... that is all. I think one of the most daunting tasks in these projects is knowing WHERE to start. LOL... after over a decade of practice, I would be WORRIED if i didn't know a "thing or two" about our fellow pagans!

hehehe--- by the way, the real authority in those religions are the practitioners. Orion, if possible interview several of them to get the actual "inside scoop"

Blessed Be, Mara, Orion, Everyone!
-Megan