Christianity and Druidry/Paganism


First and foremost, you must understand that this will not be a Christianity "Bashing" page. I respect all religions that are based on love. If others could do this, there would be much less hatred in the world. What this page is about is the unique aspect of Christianity (more specifically Catholicism) that has adopted Pagan rituals and beliefs even though they either won't admit it or don't know it. This page is devoted to showing people that, indeed, certain branches of Christianity are more Pagan than most realize.
Just to let you know, I am a recovering Roman Catholic. While I respect and admire the Catholic faith, it should be known that I do not agree with the Canon Law (nor have I ever). This page has nothing to do with the politics of any religion...merely the similarities.

The first aspect of Christian/Pagan similarities I wish to address is pan-polytheism as a deity heirarchy. Catholics have long claimed that they are monotheistic (in other words paying homage to one god.). This is not entirely accurate. Catholic deity structure is very Pagan in nature. It begins with the ideal essence of "god". God is then branched out into the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. From there, saints and angels act as messengers or "go betweens" for humans (who are on the last rung). Saints and angels take care of all aspects of life from animals to the sick, to women in labor. This is most like Paganism as most (and I am not confining this form of belief structure to all forms of Paganism as each are different) view the deity structure as follows: The Essence of a Higher Power...The Masculine and Feminine Aspects...Subaspects of masculine and feminine such as childbirth, animals, and the sick...to the Human. See the similarity?

The next subject I wish to discuss is Femininity. Christianity has also long since described itself as Patriarchal. That is, ruled by the Masculine Aspect of God. Whereas some Christian sects are more strictly masculine than others, Catholicism is very dual oriented. In no other Christian branch do you see such a respect and admiration of Mary, the Mother of God. This title, in and of itself, is very Pagan in nature. The Goddess, depicted in Pagan Culture, is the Mother of the God. Both Yule and Christmas are extremely similar in ritual. It is said that during the dark ages, when the Christians sought to bring Christianity to the Celts, they assimilated many of their holidays with Pagan holidays to make the religious transition easier. It is said that Christ was not born on December 25th, but in the early Summer. Christmas was moved near Yule because the basis of celebration was virtually the same (the Celebration of the Birth of a male child) so it was easier for the Pagans to understand the Christian holiday. Mary, the Mother of God, represents all three aspects of the Trine Goddess in one shot. She was the Maiden/Virgin. She became the Mother with the birth of Jesus. She became the Crone as she had no other children. Below is a picture I like very much showing Mary in her Pagan form.

The next aspect I wish to examine is the Catholic Mass. For those who are not Catholic (or have not been in the past), a Catholic Mass is performed much the way a Pagan ritual is, with much of the same type of pomp and symbolism of a Wiccan or Druid Circle. The Mass begins with the lighting of the candles. This initself represents the Evocation of God to the Mass (much the way Pagans evoke the God and Goddess).

If you have ever witnessed a Catholic Mass, you cannot disagree that the sacrement of Communion is VERY Pagan in ritual. The priest begins by prayer. He collects the host (the communion wafer) and begins the transmogrification (or the transformation of a piece of wafer into the actual body and blood of Christ). This act initself is another evocation of Christ "into" the host and wine. He begins by casting a circle with the elements. He carries a lighted candle around the altar (fire). He carries his incense around the altar (air). He sprinkles Holy Water around the altar (water). Earth can be seen by the actual wafer itself, being made of grain.
The priest wears ritual robes used only for Mass (much the way Pagans wear robes or Magickal clothing during a ritual). If you ever have the chance, I suggest you watch a Catholic Mass (you needn't take the Host if you don't want to. My wife went to Mass once with me so I could show her the similarities. As a Wiccan, she did not take the Host).

The last aspect I wish to review is the actual symbology of Christianity. This will include the symbols of their holidays; many of which were borrowed from the Pagans to make the religious transformation easier. Let's take a look at some of the more "traditional" symbols of Samhain and Yule that have come to be incorperated as "Christian" symbols of their sister holidays of All Soul's and All Saint's Day and Christmas.

Jack-O-Lanterns...Jack-O-Lanterns were used to house Watchtowers. Horrific faces were carved into the pumpkins to ward off evil spirits.

Black Cats...In England where much of Wicca came from, black cats are a sign of luck (White cats are considered unlucky in the British Isles). Coupled with the fact that cats are used as familiars, black cats have become symbols of Halloween.

Ghosts...Ghosts and spirits run free on Halloween night. By using ghosts as your symbolism, you are honoring the dead. This tradition of honoring those who have passed on was encompassed into the Catholic holidays of All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day occuring November 1st and 2nd (right after Halloween or Samhain).

Orange and Black ...The traditional colors of Halloween. Orange is a representation of the autumn leaves whereas black represents the pitch of the night. Black is also used to ward off negativity. If you want to keep your home free of evil or malicious spirits, consider lighting (and keeping lit) a black candle on Samhain. Place the candle near any number of entrances to your home, preferably the door or front window.

The Yule Log...The yule log, when lit during the cold night, represents the ever present light of the sun, of the God. A piece of the log is often kept for the whole year in hopes that it will bring luck.

Mistletoe...Mistletoe naturally grows on oak trees (the most sacred of all trees by the Druids) during the Yule season. If tribes were warring during the Yule season, they were forbidden to fight underneath the mistletoe, hence the tradition of kissing. The white juice from the mistletoe berry represented the male sperm.

Reindeer...The reindeer (or stag) has always been a representation of the God in his animal form. The God has always had a closer relationship with animals than the Goddess and was often represented as a satyr (half man, half goat or stag).

Red and Green...The traditional colors of the Christmas and Yule season are red and green. The green represented the coming of the spring season as well as the evergreen flora present and thriving throughout the winter. Red represents the virginity of the child God as well as the lochia (bloody discharge after the birth of a child) that is released.

Wreaths...Wreaths (sprigs of evergreen trees formatted in a circle) represent the circle of life as it begins anew with the birth of the God.

Christmas Trees...Evergreen trees were unearth in their entirety and brought into households to share warmth. The trees were decorated as a way of honoring them as guests. In the warm spring, the tree was replanted outside.

I hope you have found these striking similarities interesting. I have always believed that all religions based on love are virtually the same. It is only the names and stories that are different. It is when we search for the differences in faith do we find hatred and intolerance. We must search for the similiarities to find love and understanding.

Blessed Be.