im curious about pagans

[running]

I have found the sky and earth heal me more than other things. Is that how it is for Pagans?

During my journey my guides called it a wild goose chase. Years later I typed that quote in the computer just for fun. I was realy suprised that is something the Celts would say.

Were the Celts pagans?

I remember being a Pagan or a Witch of some kind. Are the two related in ways?

[norseman]

The Celts were most definitely pagan.

Pagan or a Witch of some kind. Are the two related in ways?
The best way to consider this is : British, French, Germans, Spanish - all different but all European. Pagan is a catch-all word which covers a lot of beliefs/life styles.
So, all witches are pagan but not all pagans are witches.

It is true that most neo-pagans are Earth worshippers of one kind or another.

Originally Posted by running

I have found the sky and earth heal me more than other things. Is that how it is for Pagans?

Sky and earth are appealing to nearly everyone. Who can look at the night sky and not feel awe?

During my journey my guides called it a wild goose chase. Years later I typed that quote in the computer just for fun. I was realy suprised that is something the Celts would say.

Were the Celts pagans?

The Iron Age Celts were, until their conversion, which is popularly placed around the mid-5th century, when St. Patrick held his missionary activities to Ireland. Funnily enough, Ireland became a power-house of Christianity after the collapse of the Roman Empire, and helped re-introduce the Church into England after the Anglo-Saxon invasions.

I remember being a Pagan or a Witch of some kind. Are the two related in ways?

Most self-identified witches in the 21st century consider themselves pagan. But one does not have to be a pagan to be a witch, since witchcraft is a type of sorcery not dependent upon the individual's religious affiliation. And one definitely does not have to be a witch to be a pagan.

[Shabda]

define the term pagan for me please?

Originally Posted by Shabda

define the term pagan for me please?

The Latin word paganus means 'of the country', and was used as a derogatory term by early Christians to refer to rural peoples who still widely practiced Greco-Roman religious cults. As such, it became a synonym for non-Christian religions. In the 20th century a revival of 'pagan' religions grew up, and the word was reclaimed. Nowadays, it's considered appropriate to only call people pagans if they identify as one (hence, it's not necessarily a good idea to call Buddhists or Sikhs pagan), or as a shorthand for the nebulous, variable religions of the late Greco-Roman world, and pre-Christian European traditions. For instance, Emperor Julius Caesar was a 'pagan', not because he dwelt in the country, but because he worshiped Roman gods. A Celt living in Ireland pre-conversion can be called 'pagan' because there's no word for the religions he may have practiced.

I have no idea whether I'm being clear Forgive me if I'm not explaining it well.

[norseman]

Pagan = not a follower of the Abrahamaic faith group [ Islam, Judaism, Christianity] - obviously a church definition.

Where many get confused is over pagan -v- heathen. By and large [Animus will agree/disagree here], heathen = Germanic, Northern European pagans. Best I can do on that one.

There is an interesting twist in Irish Christianity. Goes back to Roman Britain when the Romans attempted to eradicate the Druids because they represented a challenge to Roman authority. They were forced back into the island of Mona [Anglesey] and supposedly all butchered. However, many slipped away, via the Isle of Man, to Ireland where they were subsumed by the Celtic Church - there were many similarities between the Celtic Church and the Druids as both had animist tendencies and had "holy places" in nature. Move forward several centuries. The newly converted king of Northumbria/Bernicia invited monks from Iona [off the coast of Scotland] to found a Christian centre off the coast of Northumbria [Lindisfarne] - these were monks of the Celtic Church [pagan-christians ?]. So, Northern England was "converted" by the Celtic Church, not the church of Rome.
To complete this story, in the 20th century Gardner and Ross Nichol working together formed both Wicca and the New Order of British Druidry. Both men were ordained priests of the Celtic Church ! What goes around, comes around.

Originally Posted by norseman

Pagan = not a follower of the Abrahamaic faith group [ Islam, Judaism, Christianity] - obviously a church definition.

Where many get confused is over pagan -v- heathen. By and large [Animus will agree/disagree here], heathen = Germanic, Northern European pagans. Best I can do on that one.

I agree

There is an interesting twist in Irish Christianity. Goes back to Roman Britain when the Romans attempted to eradicate the Druids because they represented a challenge to Roman authority. They were forced back into the island of Mona [Anglesey] and supposedly all butchered. However, many slipped away, via the Isle of Man, to Ireland where they were subsumed by the Celtic Church - there were many similarities between the Celtic Church and the Druids as both had animist tendencies and had "holy places" in nature. Move forward several centuries. The newly converted king of Northumbria/Bernicia invited monks from Iona [off the coast of Scotland] to found a Christian centre off the coast of Northumbria [Lindisfarne] - these were monks of the Celtic Church [pagan-christians ?]. So, Northern England was "converted" by the Celtic Church, not the church of Rome.
To complete this story, in the 20th century Gardner and Ross Nichol working together formed both Wicca and the New Order of British Druidry. Both men were ordained priests of the Celtic Church ! What goes around, comes around.

The problem with the term Celtic Christianity it can imply a church somehow very different from mainland Christendom in general, which is not necessarily the case. After the dissolution of Roman power, churches in Ireland were separated from Roman Christian influence and developed a set of practices that weren't widespread outside of Ireland, for example, hermitage and missionary activity to the mainland as penance, certain procedure for Easter calculation, a seemingly different monastic tonsure, and a number of other idiosyncrasies. While there was some tension between Latin & Irish missionaries, there's not much evidence to constitute a separate Christian church peculiar to the Medieval Irish that is opposed to the Roman Church. Particularly because they believed many of the same things, and most divergences can be attributed to inculturation, which has always been something the Catholic Church has encouraged where appropriate.

[running]

This has been great information. Thank you!

[Shabda]

Originally Posted by Animus27

The Latin word paganus means 'of the country', and was used as a derogatory term by early Christians to refer to rural peoples who still widely practiced Greco-Roman religious cults. As such, it became a synonym for non-Christian religions. In the 20th century a revival of 'pagan' religions grew up, and the word was reclaimed. Nowadays, it's considered appropriate to only call people pagans if they identify as one (hence, it's not necessarily a good idea to call Buddhists or Sikhs pagan), or as a shorthand for the nebulous, variable religions of the late Greco-Roman world, and pre-Christian European traditions. For instance, Emperor Julius Caesar was a 'pagan', not because he dwelt in the country, but because he worshiped Roman gods. A Celt living in Ireland pre-conversion can be called 'pagan' because there's no word for the religions he may have practiced.

I have no idea whether I'm being clear Forgive me if I'm not explaining it well.

ty, i appreciate your being more specific, the trouble is that the term is used by many in many ways, however not everyone means the same thing by it, so i just wanted to ask is all, to know what YOU meant

Welcome and happy learning *hugs*