What's the difference between Wicca and paganism? Paganism is the big family; Wicca is one member of it.
If you're new to all this, "Wiccan" and "pagan" can sound like two words for the same thing. They overlap a lot: both honor nature, many gods and the turning seasons. But they aren't interchangeable, and knowing the difference helps you describe your own path and understand other people's.
In this guide we'll explain what paganism is, what Wicca is, the main differences between Wiccan and pagan paths in a side-by-side table, and how to tell which one fits you.
Quick Answer
Paganism is an umbrella term for many nature-centered and pre-Christian-inspired religions, ancient and modern. Wicca is one specific modern pagan religion, founded in England in the mid-20th century, with its own Goddess and God, ritual style, ethics (the Wiccan Rede) and practice of witchcraft. All Wiccans are pagans, but most pagans aren't Wiccan.
What Is Paganism?
The word "pagan" comes from the Latin paganus, which meant a country dweller or civilian. Early Christians came to use it for people who kept the old religions, and for a long time the word carried a negative meaning: someone who worshipped "false gods."
Today, pagan is used in two main ways. It can describe the ancient, pre-Christian religions of places like Greece, Rome, Egypt and northern Europe. And it describes the modern pagan movement, sometimes called neopaganism, made up of people who follow nature-based or polytheistic paths today. Modern paganism grew from the 19th and early 20th centuries and spread widely from the 1960s onward in Britain, North America and beyond.
What Do Pagans Believe?
Paganism has no single creed, holy book or leader. Pagans follow many different beliefs, and many choose their own deities and rituals. Still, most modern pagan paths share a few common threads.
Reverence for Nature
At the heart of most pagan religions is a deep respect for nature. Many pagans celebrate the seasons, the solstices and equinoxes, and the cycles of the moon. They may express this through festivals, offerings, gardening or simply spending time outdoors.
Many Gods
Most pagans are polytheists, honoring more than one god or goddess. Some follow a particular pantheon, such as the Greek, Norse, Egyptian or Celtic gods. Others honor gods from several traditions, and some see the divine as a force or principle rather than as individual gods. Even pagans who are devoted to one deity usually accept that other gods exist alongside theirs.
The Divine Feminine
Many pagan paths honor goddesses as fully equal to gods, which is part of why paganism appeals to so many people today. Figures like Hecate and Brigid are honored widely across pagan communities.
Types of Modern Paganism
Wicca is the best-known modern pagan religion, but there are many others, including:
- Druidry: inspired by the ancient Celtic druids, with a focus on nature, ancestors and creativity.
- Heathenry: paths such as Ásatrú that honor the Norse and Germanic gods.
- Hellenic polytheism: the worship of the ancient Greek gods.
- Kemetism: modern worship of the ancient Egyptian gods.
- Slavic and Baltic paganism: revivals of the old religions of Eastern Europe.
- Eclectic paganism: personal paths that draw from many sources.
What Is Wicca?
Wicca is a modern pagan religion that shares paganism's love of nature, honoring of goddesses and respect for many paths. What makes it its own religion is its specific shape: the Goddess and God, the Wheel of the Year, the cast circle, the Wiccan Rede and the practice of witchcraft.
Paganism has roots going back thousands of years, but Wicca is fairly new. It was brought to public attention by Gerald Gardner in England in the 1950s, drawing on folklore, ceremonial magick and older pagan ideas. Earlier writers, such as Margaret Murray, influenced Gardner, but the religion itself took shape in his coven and spread from there.
Wicca has nothing to do with dark forces or evil. It's a religion of nature, balance and personal responsibility, and its central rule is to harm none.
How Wicca Is Organized
Like most pagan religions, Wicca has no central leadership, scripture or headquarters. Many Wiccans today practice alone as solitaries, following their own understanding of the religion. Read more about that in eclectic witch and solitary practice.
Other Wiccans join covens, small groups usually led by a High Priestess and High Priest. Each coven runs itself, and no coven or leader speaks for Wicca as a whole. Initiatory traditions like Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca have their own lineages and teachings.
What Wiccan Practice Looks Like
Wicca includes the practice of magick, which we spell with a "k" to separate it from stage tricks. Through ritual, chanting, candles, herbs and visualization, Wiccans work to heal, protect and help themselves and others.
Wiccan magick is guided by ethics. The Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do what ye will," asks Wiccans to avoid harm, and many also follow the Threefold Law, the belief that whatever you send out comes back to you three times over. Together they encourage personal responsibility and care for others.
Wiccans celebrate eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year and hold esbats at the full moon. Most honor the Moon Goddess and the Horned God. Coven members learn from more experienced Wiccans; solitaries learn from books, courses and their own practice. Wicca welcomes diversity, so there's room for many styles.
Wicca vs. Paganism: Side by Side
| Question | Paganism | Wicca |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | An umbrella term for many nature-centered religions | One specific modern pagan religion |
| How old? | Ancient roots, with a modern revival from the 1800s and 1900s | Made public in the 1950s |
| Founder | None | Gerald Gardner and his early coven |
| Gods | Varies: many gods, one pantheon, or the divine in nature | Usually the Goddess and God; others may be added |
| Ethics | Varies by path | The Wiccan Rede, often the Threefold Law |
| Holidays | Varies: seasonal festivals of each culture | Eight sabbats and full moon esbats |
| Magick | Some paths practice it, some don't | Witchcraft is a core part of most practice |
| Ritual style | Varies widely | Cast circle, calling the quarters, Goddess and God |
| Who belongs? | Anyone who follows a pagan path | Anyone who embraces Wiccan beliefs |
Because many pagan paths and Wicca share seasonal festivals, you'll often find pagans and Wiccans celebrating together at public solstice or Beltane events.
Am I Wiccan or Pagan?
If you're trying to work out which word fits you, these questions can help:
- Do you feel drawn to honor a Goddess and God as partners through the seasons?
- Does the Wiccan Rede feel like your moral compass?
- Do you want to practice witchcraft as part of your religion?
- Or are you drawn to a specific culture's gods, like the Norse or Greek pantheons, or to nature spirituality without magick?
If you said yes to the first three, Wicca may be your home. If the fourth fits you better, another pagan path, or simply "pagan," may describe you best. You can read more in is Wicca right for me? and are all witches Wiccan? And when it's time to talk about your path with family, see how to explain paganism to non-pagans.
Final Thoughts
Wicca and paganism share a lot, but they aren't the same. Paganism includes many religions and practices that can be very different from one another. Wicca is one of them, with its own Goddess and God, ethics, holidays and practice of witchcraft. In short: every Wiccan is a pagan, but not every pagan is Wiccan.
Do you call yourself Wiccan, pagan or both? We'd love to hear how you describe your path.
Sources
- Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. 1999.
- Crowley, Vivianne. Wicca: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World. 2016.
Check out our other articles:
What Is Wicca?
Are All Witches Wiccan?
How to Explain Paganism to Non-Pagans
The Wheel of the Year
See All Articles
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Wicca and Paganism FAQs
Is Wicca a pagan religion?
Yes. Wicca is a modern pagan religion. It shares paganism's reverence for nature, honoring of goddesses and seasonal festivals, while adding its own Goddess and God, ritual style, ethics and practice of witchcraft.
Can you be pagan and not Wiccan?
Yes, and most pagans aren't Wiccan. Druids, Heathens, Hellenic polytheists, Kemetics and eclectic pagans are all pagans who follow paths other than Wicca.
Is paganism a religion?
Paganism is better described as a family of religions. Each pagan path, such as Wicca, Druidry or Heathenry, is its own religion with its own beliefs and practices, united by a love of nature and the old gods.
Do pagans and Wiccans celebrate the same holidays?
Often, yes. Many pagans celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, and the eight-festival Wheel of the Year used in Wicca has been adopted by many other modern pagans. Some paths, like Heathenry, keep their own festival calendars.
Do all pagans practice witchcraft?
No. Some pagan paths include magick and spellwork, while others focus on worship, offerings, community and nature without any witchcraft. Wicca is one of the paths where witchcraft is central.
