The Gothic Graveyard Network

Why do you call yourself a Pagan Wizard (and are you a Witch)?

To answer this clearly, a little context helps.

First, Paganism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of polytheistic, pantheistic, nature-based, or non-Abrahamic spiritual traditions—including modern traditions like Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry, as well as historical polytheistic faiths. While many Pagan traditions honor both a God and a Goddess, others are pantheistic or honor complex pantheons.

Modern Witchcraft, on the other hand, is not strictly a single religion; it is a practical skill set and craft with roots stretching back thousands of years to ancient folk practices and animism. In ancient cultures, folk medicine, spiritual reverence, and practical survival were intertwined. People saw spirit in everything—trees, herbs, animals, and weather. Using a mixture of herbs to heal was simultaneously medicine, science, and a spiritual act. (For a deep dive into this, Raven Grimassi’s book Old World Witchcraft is a great resource.)

Regarding the term Witch: Its etymology is debated, but historically it links to Old English words associated with divination, magic, and shaping energy. Historically, the practitioner who filled this role in a village provided essential community services: herbal medicine, midwifery, divination (astrology, tarot, runes), lore keeping, mediumship (communicating with ancestors or spirits), and natural magic. Modern Witches still practice many of these skills today.

Because Witchcraft is a craft and a skill set, it is not inherently locked to one specific religion. While most commonly practiced within Paganism or Wicca, one can technically be a Christian Witch, Buddhist Witch, or Secular/Atheist Witch.

The word Wizard has a clearer etymological path, deriving from the Middle English wys (wise), meaning "wise person," "sage," or "philosopher." The practical skill set is virtually identical to that of a Witch. While "Witch" is historically gender-neutral, many practitioners prefer different titles. My choice to use Wizard is a personal preference based on philosophy.

Philosophically, both Witches and Wizards explain the universe through spiritual and occult contexts. However, Wizardry explicitly emphasizes bridging occult studies with hard science. Wizards seek the harmony between astronomy and astrology, chemistry and alchemy, physics and magic. We believe that just because something cannot be fully measured by current scientific instruments (such as tarot or energy work) does not mean it lacks a natural explanation—it simply means science hasn't caught up yet. Less than two centuries ago, electricity was viewed as a mysterious, almost magical force. Modern Wizards view the unexplained with the same curiosity and openness as a scientist on the frontier of discovery.

So, while calling me a Witch is technically accurate based on the craft, I align more with the philosophy of the Wizard and choose to identify as such.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a modern, polytheistic, nature-based religion that emphasizes attunement with natural cycles, honoring the divine (typically through a Goddess and God), and a belief in karmic reciprocity and reincarnation. In 1990, Wicca gained formal legal recognition as a religion in the United States.

The modern public revival of Wicca began in England during the 1940s through Gerald Gardner. Gardner claimed to have been initiated into a surviving coven of traditional Witches in the New Forest region. Taking their fragmented rituals and traditions, Gardner—along with his High Priestess Doreen Valiente—worked to reconstruct and expand the system, incorporating elements of traditional British folklore, ceremonial magic, and historical Pagan lore.

In the early 1960s, Raymond Buckland brought Gardnerian Wicca across the Atlantic to America, where it rapidly branched into numerous traditions and sub-movements.

Depending on how you look at it, modern Wicca is either a mid-20th-century religious synthesis or a modern revival inspired by ancient pre-Christian folk practices and nature reverence. Today, Paganism and Wicca represent one of the fastest-growing spiritual paths in the Western world, with a diverse community spanning millions globally.

Aren’t Pagans just animal-killing Devil worshippers?

No, absolutely not.

First, Pagans, Wiccans, and modern Witches hold a deep reverence for nature and all living beings. Anyone who harms or sacrifices animals in the name of modern Witchcraft or Wicca is acting out of harmful delusion or movie-inspired tropes—not authentic spiritual tradition. Taking innocent human or animal life is strictly rejected. Most Wiccans and many modern Witches abide by the Wiccan Rede, which expresses a core ethical guideline: "An it harm none, do what thou wilt."

Second, regarding "the Devil" or Satan: Satan is a figure specific to Abrahamic theology (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). Because Pagans do not practice Abrahamic religions, we do not believe in, acknowledge, or worship Satan. Satan is no more a part of our worldview than he is a part of Hinduism or Buddhism. You cannot worship an entity you don't believe exists!

Instead of an all-powerful figure of absolute evil, Pagan morality focuses on personal responsibility, natural law, ethics, and the concept of return—putting positive energy, kindness, and mindfulness into the world because we reap what we sow.

Do Pagans wear black to be evil or edgy?

Not at all. There are both historical and practical reasons why practitioners of magic traditionally wear black:

1. Protection: Historically, black was associated with darkness and invisibility—the concept of being shielded or hidden from negative influences.

2. Energy Absorption: In basic physics, black absorbs light across the spectrum rather than reflecting it. In spiritual work, practitioners view wearing black as a way to absorb, ground, and contain energy during ritual.

3. Elegance and Tradition: Historically, deep black dyes were rare and highly valued, making black garments ceremonial and respected across many cultures and spiritual traditions (which is why clergy, judges, and scholars still wear black robes today).

On a personal note, some of us take the aesthetic a step further and pair it with Victorian Gothic attire. That part isn't a religious requirement—it's just personal taste. Plus, top hats are timeless!

Why do Pagans wear the "Devil’s Star"?

Again, because Pagans do not believe in the Christian Devil, we do not wear symbols dedicated to him. The symbol you're referring to is the pentagram—a five-pointed star usually enclosed within a circle (forming a pentacle).

The pentagram is one of the oldest symbols in human history, with early carvings found in ancient Mesopotamia dating back to around 3000 BCE, where it was often used as a protective sign to ward off negativity.

Over centuries, alchemists and esoteric traditions assigned natural meanings to the points:

• The Four Lower Points represent the physical elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

• The Top Point represents Spirit, Consciousness, or the Divine guiding the material world.

• The Surrounding Circle symbolizes unity, wholeness, infinity, and the natural cycle of the universe.

Far from being a symbol of evil, the pentagram is a symbol of balance, protection, and the connection between humanity, nature, and spirit.