Your friend has just told you she is a Pagan and follows nature-based spirituality. You think of yourself as pretty hip, but visions of tree hugging and tie dye still fill your head. One of the first questions you probably asked her was, "Are you Wiccan?" secretly thinking to yourself that she better not expect you to go around saying "Merry Meet!" or "Merry Part!" with a big grin on your face.

Whether you know someone who is Wiccan or another variant of Pagan, you want to know what exactly this nature religion thing is. Below is a short list of definitions that will help you understand your loved one better and be able to ask the questions you are thinking of in a sensitive way. This list is by no means exhaustive and hopefully will serve as a springboard for further research by you.

Pagan: For the purposes of this article, a Pagan practices a religion other than those of Judeo-Christian traditions. Some follow a nature-based path but others do not and dislike being lumped into that definition. The term actually comes from a word meaning country dweller.

Pagan was also used as an insult to insinuate that the person actually had no religion or morality. For this reason, some who follow this type of path prefer not to use the term Pagan just as some who practice magic prefer not to use the term witch as that was a term of prejudice. This can be confusing to people of other faiths as well as those within a polytheistic framework. Keep in mind that you can ask 50 Pagans what the definition of the word is and get 200 or more different answers.

Polytheism: As stated, polytheism is a belief in many gods. This can include true belief in many gods as individual deities or belief in one divine power that can represent itself in many forms. However, many Pagans fall somewhere on the broad spectrum in between these two ideas.

Nature-Based Spirituality: This term encompasses many different paths including Wicca, eco-feminist spiritual groups, shamanistic paths, fairy traditions, Druidry, and more. It is the recognition that we are all part of the cycles of the earth and includes a deep reverence for the planet which may or may not involve the devotion to deities. The life force permeates every living being even those that seem inanimate such as rocks and trees. Nature-based paths help us become more connected to these natural cycles, the life force within the earth, and conversely the life and spirit within ourselves.

Wicca: The Wiccan religion is a faith unto itself, although it is a Pagan religion in that it involves polytheism and nature-based spirituality. A god and goddess, usually called the Lord and Lady, are revered as a counterbalance to each other instead of having one gender representing the divine. It is modern in origin and practice but has roots in pre-Christian spiritual beliefs. There are many different Wiccan traditions but some basic tenets are the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law, both of which provide a moral framework for the religion.

There are many offshoots of Paganism just as there are many denominations of Christianity. The definitions above are just a starting point to help you understand some related concepts within Paganism.

As you can see, your loved one might even be involved with that tree hugging you imagined earlier, but it is in the spirit of connecting with nature and attuning with the natural cycles of the planet. When in doubt, it is best to ask the person how they describe their religion instead of making assumptions and judgments. I hope this short list helps alleviate some fears you may have about the path your friend is taking and opens up enlightening discussion on religion for you both.