Yes, Wiccans are P/pagans. Wicca is a specific religion, and P/pagan is a type of religion. Specifically, P/pagan refers to religions that are not Abrahamic. See my answer here: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/7671

Wicca: A modern Pagan religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature. Some major identifying motifs are: reverence for both the Goddess and God; acceptance of reincarnation and magick; ritual observance of astronomical and agricultural phenomena; and the use of magickal circles for ritual purposes. Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism: General term for followers of Wicca and other magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based religions. Also used to refer to pre-Christian religious and Spiritual belief systems. from here: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/definitions.htm

Wicca is seen as a type of Paganism. Sort of like what Kabbala is to Juadism.

Wiccans are Pagans.... But not all Pagans are Wiccan. Paganism is an umbrella term for all things non-abrahmic. Abrahmic religions are like Christianity, Judism, Catholicism etc. and Non-Abrahmic (Pagan) religions are Wicca, Asatru, Heathenry, Stregheria, etc. Just as some people are Christians, but not Baptists or Lutheran, or any denomination; They are just Christian; Some Pagans are not Wiccan, Strega, or any other mandate tradition/spirituality/denomination, They are just Pagans. Maybe this tree map will help sort it out!

Yes Wiccans are a type of pagan. Pagan is the general term for someone who is neither Christian, Islamic or Jew...

Everybody ahead of me is right. Wiccans are Pagans. They are nonAbrahamic (thanks for the word, I never knew what to use)in their base. But not all Pagans are Wiccan. It all depends on what traditions they follow and what Gods they choice to worship. They are mostly Egyptian (Ra, Seth, Isis), Raman/Greek (Zesus, Juno, Dianna) or Celtic (Thor, Odin, Epona, Brigette). I, myself, follow the Celtic tradition which is most closely aligned with Wiccan belifes. We worship nature as it is and see the universe as both male and female in power base.

All Wiccans are Pagans but not all Pagans are Wiccans.

Wiccans are pagans, but not all pagans are Wiccans. Wicca is an individual religion, pagan is a classification for a group of religions.

No, Wiccan and Pagan are not the same thing. Pagan is a group of religions which are classified not because of what they ARE, but because of what they AREN'T. Pagans are those religions that do not follow the Abrahamic god, Yahweh. I have answers out here that deal with the definition and references. Wicca is a Pagan religion, more specifically a Neopagan one. Thus, Wiccans are Pagans, but not all P/pagans are Wiccans. (Uppercase P is usually used when referring to Neopaganism, and a lowercase p is usually used when referring to actual pre-Christian pagan religions.)

It is and it isn't. The word Pagan comes from the Latin for "country dweller" and was first used when Christianity became the dominant religion in the major cities of the Roman Empire, but the people in the countryside still worshipped their own god/gods. So pretty much any religion that isn't Christianity, Judaism, or Islam is technically a Pagan religion. In terms of Wicca, all Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. Wicca, in fact, is typically classified as Neo-Pagan nowadays since it is part of a growing trend of newer religions that are inspired by ancient Pagan customs. Now, here is an explanation for Wicca written by Herne - a wise, Wiccan scholar who is no longer with us. It is one of my favorite explanations and is very bias-free, for the most part. "Contrary to what those who choose to persecute or lie about us wish to believe, Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of thinking and life which promotes oneness with the divine and all which exists. Wicca is a deep appreciation and awe in watching the sunrise or sunset, the forest in the light of a glowing moon, a meadow enchanted by the first light of day. It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your face. Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow. It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between. It is the song of the birds and other creatures of the wild. It is being in the presence of Mother Earth's nature and being humbled in reverence. When we are in the temple of the Lord and Lady, we are not prone to the arrogance of human technology as they touch our souls. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a protector of all things. If this path is yours, may you walk it with honor, light and integrity. Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruction of pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. While much of the information of how our ancestors lived, worshiped and believed has been lost due to the efforts of the medieval church to wipe our existence from history, we try to reconstruct those beliefs to the best of our ability with the information that is available. Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we now have basis to believe that the origins of our belief system can be traced even further back to the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. With the discovery of these cave paintings, estimated to be around 30,000 years old, depicting a man with the head of a stag, and a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably be assumed that Witchcraft is one of the oldest belief systems known in the world toady. These archetypes are clearly recognized by Wiccans as our view of the Goddess and God aspect of the supreme creative force and predate Christianity by roughly 28,000 years making it a mere toddler in the spectrum of time as we know it. Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combine to make the whole. As Chief Seattle said; "We do not own the earth, we are part of it." These wise people understood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. Clearly, modern man with all his applied learning and technology has forgotten this. Subsequently, we currently face ecological disaster and eventual extinction because of our hunger for power and a few pieces of gold. For the past several hundred years, the image of the Witch has been mistakenly associated with evil, heathenism, and unrighteousness. In my humble opinion, these misconceptions have their origin in a couple of different places. To begin, the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths to convert the followers of the old nature-based religions to the church's way of thinking. By making the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the old religious deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beliefs which aided in the conversion process. Secondly, as medical science began to surface, the men who were engaged in these initial studies had a very poor understanding of female physiology, especially in the area of a women's monthly cycles. The unknowns in this area played very well with the early churches agenda lending credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. The fledgling medical professions also stood to benefit greatly from this because it took the power of the women healers away giving it to the male physicians transferring the respect and power to them. Unfortunately these misinformed fears and superstitions have carried forward through the centuries and remain to this day. This is why many who follow these nature oriented beliefs have adopted the name of Wicca over its true name of Witchcraft to escape the persecution, harassment and misinformation associated with the name of Witchcraft and Witch not to mention the bad publicity the press and Hollywood has given us simply to generate a profit. What Witchcraft is: Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importantly however, it teaches responsibility. We accept responsibility for our actions and deeds as clearly a result of the choices we make. We do not blame an exterior entity or being for our shortcomings, weaknesses or mistakes. If we mess up or do something that brings harm to another, we have no one but ourselves to blame and we must face the consequences resulting from those actions. No ifs, ands or buts and no whining... We acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to, deities with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things. The spells that we do involve healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity. The potions that we stir might be a headache remedy, a cold tonic, or an herbal flea bath for our pets. We strive to gain knowledge of and use the natural remedies placed on this earth by the divine for our benefit instead of using synthetic drugs unless absolutely necessary. Wiccans believe that the spirit of the One (also called the All), Goddess and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. We attempt to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen. Wiccans learn from and revere the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. We search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. Our teachers are the trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, mountains and animals as well as others who have walked this path before us. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth. We also revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we obtain insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives. Because Witches have been persecuted for so many centuries, we believe in religious freedom first! We do not look at our path as the only way to achieve spirituality, but as one path among many to the same end. We are not a missionary religion out to convert new members to think the same as we do. We are willing to share our experience and knowledge with those who seek our wisdom and perspective however. We believe that anyone who is meant for this path will find it through their own search as the Goddess speaks to each of us in her time and way. Wiccans practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those faiths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None." What Witchcraft is not: Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult. We do not proclaim ourselves to be spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as their leaders. We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian creation and they can keep him. We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evil and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping others. We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it IS the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing. We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of "Harm None." Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan is lying. We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature. We do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law. Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Wiccan" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much larger and harder then when we threw it. This is not to say that witches are perfect, we are human too just like everyone else and make mistakes and errors in judgment. Just as there are parents who love and nurture their children, there are parents who abuse their children. As there are many who devote their lives to giving and helping mankind, likewise there are those who devote their lives to taking advantage of and using people for their own gain. Unfortunately the same flaws in human nature applies to witches too. Most of us continually strive to consider all potential outcomes of our thoughts and actions pausing to seriously consider the consequences before undertaking a ritual, spell or rite that could go astray. It is when we follow the path with the love of the Goddess in our hearts and adhere to the basic tenant of the Reed that our works are beneficial and we achieve harmony and balance with all things. The heart of Wicca is not something summed up into a few short words and can often take on different meaning to each since the Lord and Lady touch us in different ways. Through the wisdom and words set down through the ages, you will find that you are able to understand the basis of our beliefs and how they may apply to you. Your inner voice will also quickly let you know if the intent of what you are reading is for superficial purposes to benefit self instead of working to benefit the whole. Remember to read with your heart, for it is when you see life and the world with your heart and spirit that you truly gain an understanding of what Wicca is. Blessed Be! Herne" It's a bit lengthy, but at least you'll be much more informed than you were originally if you want to talk to this girl about her faith. Also, to alleviate another worry you might have - Wiccans have nothing against Christianity (if that's your religion) or any other walk of life. Even though we have been, in history and in our personal lives, persecuted by peoples of various faiths we know that the religions in and of themselves are very good ones with the intent to lead people down a righteous path. We Wiccans are also strongly against proselytizing for we feel that everyone must find the path that is right for them on their own. So, you don't have to worry about her disliking you because of your different beliefs and you don't have to worry about her trying to "convert" your son to her belief system. If you have any other questions/concerns, don't hesitate to ask. Blessed be. EDIT: In re-reading (for I want to make sure that this is a good explanation that others can refer to if they have the same question), I found some fault, in my opinion, in this quote from the above posting: "For the past several hundred years, the image of the Witch has been mistakenly associated with evil, heathenism, and unrighteousness. In my humble opinion, these misconceptions have their origin in a couple of different places." It seems that Herne, though a gifted man, fell prey to the same misconception that he says others did with witchcraft. I just want to point out that there is nothing wrong with heathenism (in my opinion) for it is merely just a Pagan who worships at the hearth. I'm sure Herne meant no disrespect.

It's when someone worships nature instead of our Lord who created it.

I also want to add something after reading over Herne's explanation that I just realized. Although it may look like he uses the word "witch" and "wiccan" (or "witchcraft" and "Wicca") interchangeably, he doesn't. He is just gifted in the flow of his writing where it appears that way. All Wiccans are witches. But not all witches are Wiccan. Anyone can practices witchcraft - Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Hindus, you name it. Witchcraft is merely attuning to the energies of nature and bending them to your will. Wiccans, will only use witchcraft in accordance with the Wiccan Rede ("harm none") and with full knowledge of the Law of Threefold Return (which is explained in the other answer). A non-Wiccan witch may or may not follow those guidelines. They may use magic/witchcraft for harm or negative purposes if they so choose. Now, whatever they do will come back to them times three, but unlike Wiccans, that belief will not restrain them from doing what they want. If this girl claims to be a witch, but does not claim to be a Wiccan, you may have a different situation on your hands entirely. I don't mean to worry you, I just want to make sure you know as much information as possible.

Wicca (IPA: /ˈwɪkə/) is a neopagan, nature-based[1] religion popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica".[2] Wiccans, as followers of Wicca are now commonly known, typically worship a God[3] (traditionally the Horned God) and a Goddess (traditionally the Triple Goddess), who are sometimes represented as being a part of a greater pantheistic Godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities. Other characteristics of Wicca include the ritual use of magic, a liberal code of morality and the celebration of eight seasonal-based festivals. There is dispute as to what actually constitutes Wicca. Initially, it referred to the lineage of one of Gardner's rivals, Charles Cardell,[4] although in the 1960s it began to refer instead only to lineages stemming from Gardner and operating as initiatory Mystery Priesthoods (such as Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca). These are now collectively known in North America as British Traditional Wicca.[5] A third usage, which has grown in popularity in recent years, and which was debatably the original usage,[6] considers Wicca to include other forms of Goddess-oriented neopagan witchcraft that are similar to but independent of that lineage, including Cochrane's Craft, Dianic Wicca and the 1734 Tradition; these are sometimes collectively termed Eclectic Wicca.[7][8][9]

paganism is the origin of all religion.

Wicca is Catholicism for people who like to get naked and hump everything in sight, regardless of gender or species. It's all the endless litany of rituals with none of the guilt. Do you want to experience Wicca? Strip naked, douse yourself in aromatherapy oils, and drop acid. Then dump a whole pile of dildos and fleshlights into a dryer and climb in after them. Turn on the dryer and proceed to read the "spells" section of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. That is remarkably similar to what you will experience as a Wiccan.

I think wiccans are pagans and from what I've heard in the past wiccans have a great appreciation of nature and believe they shouldn't harm anyone or anything. It's a very non-violent religion.

Wiccans are Pagans, yes. They're a particular kind of Pagan, just like Baptists are a particular kind of Christian. Wicca: - is very earth-focused. Wiccans tend to be very ecologically minded (recycling and all that), and often vegetarian. - is very live and let live. Everyine has their own way to approach the gods, so they tend to let everyone do what they want. They don't (or frown on it, at any rate) proselytize or try to convert people. - worships a God and a Goddess, who represent the sun and the earth, or the sun and the moon, or mother and father, or... There are a lot of ways to look at that. - believes in magic. - believes in karma, that whatever you do will come back to you. So if someone is going around cursing people, their lives will be terrible. That's it in a nutshell. You can read more about it, and find local resources to learn about it, at witchvox.com. You can talk with local Wiccans and get all your questions and worries answered.

modern witchcraft.. its retarded, and not real. i wouldnt worry about it.. once she realizes her "spells" aren't working, she'll move on to another phase.

in my humble opinion, wiccans are professional pagans. they do not see themselves as pagans. Wiccan has more spells and offers more fun stuff to do.

Continuing...The ancient Celts were polytheistic with multiple DISTINCT DEITIES, whereas Wiccans are duotheistic and believe that a SINGLE GODDESS has multiple manifestations/apects. Celts had a tri-level cosmology (Wicca does not), never drew circles to establish sacred space as Wiccans do because the Celts believed that all space is sacred, didn't "call-down" deities because the Celts went to the locations of the deities, didn't do moon rituals like Wiccans, didn't use four directions in rituals, didn't use the pentacle/pentagram, didn't have the Rede and didn't have the Three-fold law.Sadly, some Wiccans have co-opted the word "Celtic" and have slapped a veneer of Celtic deities over a non-Celtic belief system. Perhaps they've fortotten that that's what the Christians did to ancient pagans.

I found this site really helps with terminology: http://www.religioustolerance.org/paganism.htm :) Blessed be ~