Pagan Values Month, Polytheism & Labels

I've been mulling over the idea of the PVM post for a while now, and I realized last night that I'm making way too much out of it.

You see, I was interviewed last night, for about an hour, on what it means to be a Polytheist. During the course of the interview the dear woman doing the research and interview asked if I had any adverse interactions with other Pagans due to being a Polytheist, rather than what we've started referring to as Syncretic Monotheists (or Pagans that see "all Gods are one"). I don't think I've ever really had an issue with anyone trying to get in my face over that point, but I know quite a few who have.



It is almost treated as a 'dirty little secret' in the Pagan community. There are those that don't toe the "party line" of this Universal Love and One-ness with all of creation. Just between us, just because $RW says it, doesn't make it true. (Another 'dirty little secret'? I don't keep a Book of Shadows, but that's a story for another date.)

There seems to be a much larger dichotomy in the Pagan community of Monotheists versus Polytheists. Since there seemed to be such a gap in the "God is a Diamond" crowd and I'm not, it seemed I was different, and therefore was my label 'wrong'?

In discussing who "gets" to call themselves Pagan a friend clarified, "If I were Lutheran, I wouldn't stop being Christian just because an Episcopal did things differently."

Paganism generally refers to a variety of non-Christian /Jewish/ Islamic religions that are usually polytheistic and are often nature-based. Wicca is only one Pagan religion, but there are MANY, many others such as Santeria, Asatru, and different varieties of Shamanism. Many people do not necessarily identify with a specific religion, and just use the broad term "Pagan" to define a path built from eclectic practices. Pagan religions are distinct and separate from each other, not just different names for the same faith.

Often beginners believe that Pagan equals Wiccan. This is simply not true. You can be both a Pagan and Wiccan, but these two words are not the same. All frogs are toads, but not all toads are frogs. You can be a witch and Pagan. You can be Pagan and not a witch. I know this can be confusing to untangle, but a Path that involves personal responsibility to such a degree (pun intended) is going to be more focused on personal labels, rather than societal ones.

The long and short of it? No matter someone's label, ask them what they think, feel and believe, and don't assume.

Wiccan values as a broad topic were discussed in January here.