*Paganism (from Latinpaganus, meaning "country dweller") is a blanket term, typically used to refer to polytheistic religious traditions; although from a narrowly Christian perspective the term has been used historically to encompass all non–Abrahamic religions.
*Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world.[2] A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman(pronounced /ˈʃɑːmən/ "SHAH-men"or /ˈʃeɪmən/ "SHAY-men").[3]
*Pantheism is the view that the Universe (Nature) and God are identical.[1] Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Ancient Greek: πᾶν (pan) meaning ‘all’ and θεός (theos) meaning ‘God’. As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that “God” is best seen as a way of relating to the Universe.[2] Although there are divergences within Pantheism, the central ideas found in almost all versions are the Cosmos as an all-encompassing unity and the sacredness of Nature.
*Animism (from Latinanima "soul, life")[1][2] has two main definitions. On one hand, "animism" can simply refer to the belief in souls.[3][4] However, the term is often used to refer to the belief that non-human entities have souls.
*Neopaganism, sometimes referred to simply as Paganism,[1] is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by the pre-Christian pagan beliefs of Europe.[2][3] Neo-Pagan religious movements are extremely diverse, with a wide range of beliefs including polytheism, animism, pantheism, and other paradigms. Many Neopagans practise a spirituality that is entirely modern in origin, while others attempt to accurately reconstruct or revive indigenous, ethnic religions as found in historical and folkloric sources.[4]
*Wicca (pronounced /ˈwɪkə/) is a Neopaganreligion and a form of modern witchcraft. Often referred to asWitchcraft or the Craft,[1] its adherents are commonly referred to as Wiccans, or as Witches or Crafters. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century,[2] Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."[3] From the 1960s onward, the name of the religion was normalised to "Wicca."[4]
