One of the most common questions asked by people on their first exposure to Paganism is, "What's the difference between Paganism and Wicca?"

Paganism is the broad category. What exactly it entails can be a bit fuzzy around the edges - the simplest (and quickest) way of explaining it is that Paganism is pretty much any religious system that is not Judaism/Christianity/Islamic. (Atheism really isn't Pagan; the Eastern Religions are up for grabs.) Neo-Paganism (what most Pagans are referring to when they say "Pagan") is the resurgence/(re)creation of primarily earth-based, pre-Christian belief systems. This includes Druidism, Wicca, Huna, Native American Shamanism, etc. Though there is a great variety in Paganism, Pagans are generally marked by a reverence to the Earth, a belief in magick/psychic ability/etc, and a shift from the standard monotheistic paradigm (polytheism, pantheism, monism, etc.)

Wicca is one of the most common forms of neo-Paganism - the "Coca-Cola" of Paganism, so to speak. There's a lot of information on it, and it's fairly adaptable, with the ability to work within a variety of pantheons and ethical systems. It's also referred to as "Witchcraft" or "the Old Religion." All Wiccans are Pagans, and all Wiccans are Witches. But not all Pagans are Wiccans, and neither are all Witches Wiccans. (With a capital "W", Witchcraft typically refers to Wicca, when spoken in Pagan circles. However, with a lowercase "w", witchcraft is a more general system, closer to the anthropologists' definition.)

As a Distinct Warning (tm) - For each above statement, there will be someone who will disagree with me. Due to the inherent variety, specific instances will vary; however, these tend to be the generally accepted views.

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