Wicca - Wicca is the single largest tradition within Earth Spirituality(pagans); nearly half of all Earth Spiritualities are Wiccans. Wiccans follow an earth-centered calendar of eight festivals a year, and believe that Deity manifests in both male and female forms often called "the God" and "The Goddess." the Wiccan ethic is set out in the Wiccan Rede, which states, "If it harm none, do what you will."
Gardnerian Wicca - This is the name given to the branch of Wicca begun by Gerald Gardner in 1939.
Alexandrian Wicca - This is an adaptation of the Gardnerian tradition. It was begun by two of Gardner's students - Alex and Maxine Sanders - during the 1960s. Both Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions tend to use set ritual forms and more hierarchical degrees of training than other froms of Wicca.
Dianic Wicca - This is a Wiccan path that focuses on the strong female Deity Diana. Dianic groups often allow only women members and many concentrate only on Goddess energy. Specifically, they work with the images of Goddess as maiden, mother, and crone, known as the Triple Goddess. The term "Dianic" was first used by Margaret Murray, author of The Witch-Cult in Western Europe in 1921."
Faery Wicca - Those who practice Faery Wicca work specifically with nature spirits.
Strega - This is an Italian tradition of Wicca that emphasizes herbal knowledge and tends to be strongly matriarchal.
Shamanism - Shamanism is a Earth-Spiritual tradition that involves going into a trance state in order to perform a variety of works, which may include healing and divination. Shamanism is considered by some to be the oldest Earth-Spirituality. The shamans wew know may follow a particular shamanic tradition or combine practices from several; they do not necessarily use Wiccan traditions.
Asatru - Those who practice Asatru devote themselves to the Nordic, Germanic, and Icelandic Deities, and may do so to the exclusion of all Deities by a voluntary covenant.
Eclectic - Those who practice Eclectic Earth-Spiritism combine what believe to be the best elements from a variety of Earth-Spirituality and possibly non Earth-Spirituality.
Family traditions - This Earth Spiritual tradition involves beliefs and practices that are passed down through a family over the generations. The practice of the tradition may be informal and involve no ritual, but its origin are frequently Earth spiritual. Teh connect to this belief may be downplayed, denied, or combined with Christian elements. A well-known surviving example is the Germanic Pow-wow tradition, which has its origins in German witchcraft and has been modified into faith healing.
Celtic Traditionalism - This describes groups, or clannads, whose goal is to re-create pre-Christian Gaelic religion and society.
Druidism - Druidism is a revival tradition that attempts to re-create the Druids system and may or may not be combined with Celtic Traditionalism. Since the Druids left few written records of their practice and rituals, modern Druidism tries to infer what was done.
Santeria and Voudon - These are traditions that developed among Africans, especially followers of the Yoruban religion, which later spread into Central and South America. Voudon is based in Haiti, and Santeria in Central America, South America, Puerto Rico, and some portions of North America. Isaac Bonewits describes Santeria and Voudon as "mesopagain" traditions. Many, though not all, of these belief systems are ethnically connected.
Ceremonial Magick - This describes traditions that usually involve precise rituals, words, and tools, and draw heavily on the writings of Aleister Crowley and the Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a prominent occult society founded in Britain in 1887 by a small group of Rosicrucians. Its complex set of rituals are set out in the book The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie. Ritual magicians who focus on Crowley's works and ritual forms are known as Thelemics.
Mystery Traditions - These individuals study the ancient Greek, Roman, or Egyptian Mystery Traditions, particularly those practiced between three and five thousand years ago.
Solitary - This term describes a person who practices alone, regardless of tradition. This does not mean that solitaries never enjoy being with a group or community. There are many who participate in conventions. They do not, however, have an interest in joining a circle or coven on a permanent basis.
Blended Traditions - This term desribes traditions that deliberately blend together two paths. Examples include Judeopaganism, which is often strongly matrirchal and blends certain ancient Jewish customs with an earth-centered practice. There are Christopagans and some use a blend of Buddhism or Eastern traditions with their earth-centered practices.
Native Indian Spirituality - The many many various tribes each have their roots from Shamanism respecting the Earth and worshipping various spirits that usually represent animals.
Edited by
smiless
on Mon 07/20/09 12:55 PM
