According to the dictionary, a pagan is defined as one who is not. Not a Christian. Not a Muslin. Not a Jew. Even as one with no religion at all. (American Heritage Dictionary) However, Paganism is defined as a "state of being pagan; the worship of idols or false gods; a system of religious opinions and worship maintained by pagans; heathenism". (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary) No wonder the issue is so confusing!

To properly define paganism, perhaps a look at the origins of the word will help. Derived from Middle English and the late Latin word "pagus" (meaning country or rural district), pagan meant country dweller, villager, and some say, civilian. One might suppose from this definition that pagans would be people close to the land, ordinary, hardworking folk who didn't put on airs but went about their business unassumingly. People who might have put their gods, their families, and their lands very high on a list of priorities. From this supposition, a truer idea of paganism is reached.

Paganism is a collection of diverse earth-based religions, dynamic changing belief systems based on timeless values such as faith, freedom, honesty, responsibility, courage, respect, creativity, and justice that can be traced back to Neolithic times. Pagans feel a great reverence for the Earth and all her creatures and feel that all life is interconnected. Deeply aware of the natural world, pagans see the power of the Divine in the ongoing cycles of life and death and strive to attune themselves to that manifestation. Spirituality is therefore earth centered with a belief in immanent divinity. Polytheism, reincarnation, personal autonomy, gender equity, and personal growth all define pagan beliefs. Rituals include celebrations of natural phenomena (solstices, lunar phases), cultural/ancestral events (marriage, births), and personal transitions (moving, starting a new career). Many pagans widely recognize the Goddess and God around whose cycle of procreation, giving birth, and death define the Wheel of the Year.   

Paganism or neo-paganism *, as it is sometimes called, is an umbrella term for a collection of these earth-based religions but can also denote one religion of Paganism wherein no single path is adopted. Much of paganism has absorbed influences from around the world to create unique traditions for individuals and for groups. Some to explore: the Celtic Tradition, the Greco-Roman Tradition, the Native American Tradition, the Ancient Egyptian Tradition, the Baltic Tradition, the Norse Tradition, the Heathen Tradition, as well as Wicca, Druidry, and Shamanism. It is entirely possible (and quite often the case) for a single individual to combine any number of elements from many traditions.

Paganism includes people from all races, classes, genders and occupations worldwide. Estimates on the number of pagans is difficult to gage due to the extremely personal nature of the religion. Worship occurs in forests, in parks, at beaches, in gardens, stone circles, and private homes leaving no temples, churches, or structures of any kind for use as guideposts for the pagan population. Also, many pagans remain firmly in the “broom closet” for fear of repression or discrimination. Still, estimates in the United States put the number of pagans between 500,000 and 13 million. A broad range, to be sure. Some 10,000 estimated people in the U.S. Military are believed to be pagan and this figure is accepted by the Armed Services Chaplains Board. As of 2002, Great Britain placed its pagan numbers between 50,000 and 200,000. An exact figure may never be obtained. What seems certain, is that paganism is one of the fastest growing religious movements today.