Druids are Pagans. Originally, the term meant country dweller. It evolved to mean those who did not practice the JudeoChristian Tradition.
The Druids
The early Celts practiced Druidism, a Shamanic religion. Originally, they worshipped the Goddess, also called the Lady and the God, her horned consort also referred to as the Lord and the Green Man. The Druids were influenced by GrecoRoman traditions and developed a pantheon of deities.
Early Christian missionaries adopted some Pagan traditions and customs to facilitate the conversion. Some scholars believe Catholic saints were given sacred status to reflect the Pagan deities. There are Pagan beliefs in the Goddess, the stern Father God and the human friendly God-Son who is part god and part man. The Virgin Mary would the Goddess, God, the stern father as evidenced by Judeo tradition and Jesus the Son.
For more information about the Druids, please refer to the article, “Druids, Origins, Trads and Mystery….”
Syncretic Religions
These are religions that blend different religious beliefs, such as Vooduon, Santeria, Macumba and Candomble, the Pagan African religions with Catholicism. Slaves were not permitted to practice their native religions under threat of punishment and/or death. They continued to worship their gods, but transmuted them to Catholic Saints. For example, the Santerians called their deities Orishas. Chango, their God of Fire and Thunder, was transmuted to Saint Barbara and Yemaya, Goddess of the Sea and Mother of the Gods, was worshipped as the Virgin Mary.
PowWow
This is a blend of Germanic/Nordic and Native American Paganism and magick and of Christian beliefs. There is a revival in interest in and the practice of healing and magickal folk art of the Pennsylvania Dutch, German and Swiss immigrants.
Slavic Paganism
The Slavs believed in the God and the Goddess and in dualism. They practiced animism and worshipping ancestors. When the Christians tried to convert them, they outwardly appeared to the embracing of the new religion, but practiced the old ways in secrecy. Due to the history and political oppression to the people who live in the Slavic Lands, not much has been written about their Paganism, but this is finally changing.
What Exactly is NeoPaganism?
The term refers to the revival of the Pagan or Shamanic religions, either by attempts at reconstruction, those who may have practiced these in secret because of fear of being persecuted as witches, syncreticism or an eclectic mix of various Pagan practices and beliefs.
The Pagans have beliefs in common, such as the four elements of nature, fire, earth, air and water. Some religions believe in nature spirits, those who lived within the elements and could be called on to help in working with the powers of the Universe for positive ends. The elements, nature spirits, are salamanders (fire), gnomes (earth), sylphs (air) and undines (water). There are subdivisions of some of these spirits.
Totem animals are another belief that many Pagans share. Native Americans are the best known of the Pagan religions that believe in the medicines and powers of the animals referred to as totems. There is a revival of this, but, now, totems are referred to as Power Animals. Most European Pagans shared the belief in totem animals, however, until relatively recently, this was not widely known. Some of the Oriental Shamanic people believe in animal totems as evidenced by Chinese astrology and other writings. The symbolism varied, according to the culture, but the belief in the powers of these animals was a common one.
While the main common belief is there is a Supreme Being and all in the Universe are inter-related and connected as one and are manifestations of the One, there are beliefs and practices that vary within the Shamanic, or Pagan, people.
