Paganism 101: Introduction | Notes
I just wanted to add some notes. This page may be updated every so often, if I find something that is useful to the topic, but doesn't warrant working it into the main page.
Last updated August 7th, 2025
Patheos describes paganism as follows
Paganism represents a wide variety of traditions that emphasize reverence for nature and a revival of ancient polytheistic and animistic religious practices. […] Paganism is not a traditional religion per se because it does not have any official doctrine, but it does have some common characteristics joining the great variety of traditions. One of the common beliefs is the divine presence in nature and the reverence of the natural order in life. Spiritual growth is related to the cycles of the Earth and great emphasis is placed on ecological concerns.
I think this is probably the best definition I've seen. I actually think Patheos' explanations are pretty solid, so I'd recommend checking them out. My main critique of Patheos would be that a vast majority of their pagan articles are written by witches and Wiccans and some of the specific practices, holidays and concepts cannot really be applied to paganism as a whole. I mostly recommend the articles to get a feel for how pagans feel about their religious practices.
Learn Religions has information that is...dubious, but the way the pagan writers discuss ideas is pretty typical.
I'm also going to try my best to anticipate questions that somebody who is not a pagan would ask. Potential reader, if you have any questions, let me know and I'll add it here.
So...FAQ? I guess?
Do pagans believe in Heaven and/or Hell?
Short answer is no. Some traditions have their own analogues to the concept (ie Wiccan "Summerland"), but generally the fact that pagans don't believe in Heaven and Hell, or eternal reward/damnation, is the appeal. Pagans, broadly, care about what we do while we're alive.
Do pagans believe in sin?
No. There are definitely taboos and things pagans think you should/shouldn't do (varies by tradition), but there isn't anything analogous to the concept of sin.
Do pagans worship the demons/Satan?
Nobody has asked this since the 1970's, but I still see pagans harp on about it, typically like "No! This is offensive! Pagans do not worship demons or Satan, that is a negative stereotype and is ridiculous" but…like, the thing is…some pagans do worship demons/Satan. I'd say that Demonolatry and theistic Satanism are, at the very least, pagan adjacent. I personally am incredibly interested in Demonolatry and have dabbled now and again.
Denouncing Satanists and Demonolatrists will not make Christians like you better, I'm afraid.
What do pagans think happens to you when you die?
I'd say, generally, pagans believe in souls/spirits so, the short answer for most people would be that you join your ancestors. Different traditions (and even individuals within those traditions) will have different answers.
What do pagans think the purpose of life is?
I think this answer would also depend, but would probably fall on a scale between "your purpose in life is to find your purpose" to "our purpose is to serve the gods". I think most people are closer to the "find your own purpose" end of things though.
Do pagans have sacred texts?
No. There are certainly texts that pagans view as important (ie Prose/Poetic Eddas and the Havamal for Heathens), but there isn't anything like the Torah or the Quran.
What are pagan ethics?
This varies from person to person and tradition to tradition, but most pagans (in my experience) value stuff like honor, respect, piety, protecting nature, hospitality…that sort of thing. Basically, treating others well, treating ourselves well and treating the Earth well.
What are pagan views on god/divinity?
I'd say a vast majority of pagans reject monotheism, but there are a handful of monotheistic pagans. There are pagans who only worship one god while believing in many (henotheism), but generally, pagans are polytheistic or pantheistic ("God is everything, everything is God").
Beyond that, it really depends on the individual.
What holidays do pagans celebrate?
As is the ongoing theme here...it depends on the tradition and a person's specific practices. Generally, however, holidays consist of seasonal celebrations (ie Wheel of the Year for Wiccans, some Druids and many eclectic pagans), celebrations of specific moon phases (usually the full and/or new moon), culturally important observances, dates of personal importance and/or historical festivals reconstructed from surviving historical information.