What's in a Name Anyway?

[MotherBear]

I have a question. It may have been beaten to death already, but I'm looking at it from a different angle.

What do each of you see as the differences and similarities between the words or labels we give ourselves in the earth-centered community: Druid, Wiccan, Witch, Pagan, Heathen, etc? Why call oneself a Druid and not a Witch? Or a Witch and not a Wiccan? A Druidic-Witch and not a Wiccan-Druid? A Heathen and not a Pagan? Is the word Pagan being now rejected by our community?

I've looked into this before - heck I've written articles and taught classes on it. But in our larger community, the connotations of these words change so fast. Some become associated with stodginess, while others give the impression of flightiness and shallowness. Why?

I do know the old answer that labels aren't important, and they aren't in many ways. But labels can be like road signs: if you don't know where you are going, they let you know what exit might be good to try. In other words, they help us find each-other, other like-minded people, others who are exploring the same ideas. If you are looking for others but call or label yourself in an effort to be more precise an "Earth-centered, Celtic-leaning, nature worshiper, whose primary deity is Lugh," who, other than other Earth-centered, Celtic-leaning, nature worshipers, will know what you mean? A seeker isn't going to google "Earth-centered, Celtic-leaning, nature worshiper."

So what's in a name? When trying to speak a common language with the world in general, why would you choose one over another?

MotherBear

[Aphritha]

I choose my 'name', and also, change that name, depending on who I am talking to. Its not because I want to impress, but rather I want them to understand what I'm talking about. I use the term Wiccan alot, because its probably the more well known one, at least in the crowds I've been around. I'll use Pagan instead, if I think I can get away with it without having to give a report. If I feel the person knows a bit more on subjects of the sort, I'll say Druid. The most interesting conversations end up being when I throw the term Wiccan out there, and they still want more information, and eventually I've given so much detail I end up finally just using Druid...it gets confusing!

[Ulchabhán]

Druidry, Wicca, Heathenism etc may all be earth-centred religions/philosophies/paths but they are not all the same and are, to me, quite distinct. Just as Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all Abrahamic faiths, and yet have many significant differences.
Personally I would just use the name Druid when amongst non-Druids (and Bard when amongst Druids).

[MotherBear]

Druidry, Wicca, Heathenism etc may all be earth-centred religions/philosophies/paths but they are not all the same and are, to me, quite distinct. Just as Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all Abrahamic faiths, and yet have many significant differences.
Personally I would just use the name Druid when amongst non-Druids (and Bard when amongst Druids).

They are all very different and distinct, but how do you define each? And why?

Do you not get confusion when you use the name Druid? In the US, not many would know what I was talking about, even folks in the larger Pagan community.

[Ulchabhán]

I would be hesitant to define Wicca, Heathenism etc as they are not really my paths and my knowledge of them is not good enough for me to speak on them. Knowledge of Druids is not uncommon in Britain, but most people have very little understanding as to what it is all about. If I tell someone I am a Druid and they don't know what that is, I just explain to the best of my ability what Druidry is and more specifically what Druidry means to me. If someone was to say: 'Is that like Wicca?" I might say that while I don't know a huge amount about Wicca, and while there are of course Wiccan Druids, Druidry is its own thing, with it's own history, development and ideas and then refer them to www.druidry.org if they wish to know more.