Labels, we have them from birth, you're born, you're immediately labeled male or female. It's what you are. Like labels or hate them, they're here to stay and both help to define us and confuse us

But is there a place for them within Paganism? I know that many of us dislike them for the image they conjure up, a hedgewitch nowadays means a solitary wiccan, but it never used to, consequently I tend to say that my nearest described path would be a hedgewitch but a non-wiccan one so people hopefully know where I'm coming from. Yet people often attach labels to themselves without understanding what the label means, I don't mind labels within Paganism yet really dislike those who use a label to pretend they are something they are not, it lessens those who trained hard to get there, and demeans the person themselves I feel to use a term so loosely without having true knowledge and understanding of what it means.

So then, labels, what do you think? Do you like them within Paganism? Have you perhaps changed what you refer to yourself as to avoid the common misconceptions caused by those who use the terms incorrectly and so people don't think you're just in the wanna-be crowd?

No, I still call myself 'Me'.

If people want to know what 'Me' is, they can ask.

I think labels are necessary within paganism (as with most things) because we'd be OK if everybody sat down and tried to explain their beliefs in detail, rather than saying: "I'm wiccan" or whatever...

Did that make sense? probably not, knowing me...

I suppose labels help others to be able to "fit" us in to whatever compartments there are in their brain .... we all need to have some labels, it's how we are able to make some sense of the world around us, but I do think that labelling everything....putting all things into pigeon holes is not a good thing as it can restrict our thinking.
Within Paganism there are no "rules" or "holy books" to tell us who we are ( hooray ) so we are free to be who or whatever we feel is right for us .... and I don't think labels are necessary. Although having said that I did feel I needed to "label " myself in my introduction!! How's that for brainwashing lol ..... no just kidding... but I think I just wanted to give you a feel (not literally!) of who I am xx
So did I just contradict myself??? ........well it is getting late

I don't mind labels most of the time, they're handy for identifying yourself (and other people) to others and giving them a feel for what you believe, but I think problems can arise when people have different ideas of what a label means (I wouldn't have associated "hedge witch" with "solitary wiccan" for example) or assume they know you because of your label.

One of my friends said once to my other friends, "Kat's a white witch" - and whilst she and her other half were debating what colour witch I was (grey, black, white, blue, purple!) one of my other friends said, "You're not a witch, are you Kat?" - I don't remember my answer (I think I claimed I was a purple one), but it's pretty safe to say that whilst I was the first friend's image of "witch", I was probably not the second friend's image.

Labels have the potential to be harmful when misused, but equally they can be fairly comforting at times when we wish to identify with like-minded others.

They can be easily confused though. I don't think of hedgewitches as solitary Wiccans either. And what of the label I've given myself? I call myself an Arthurian because of the Pagan concepts that I've found in the legends, but I suspect that to many people the word Arthurian means a scholar of Arthurian literature. Or perhaps it doesn't mean anything!

I am quite happy to be called Pagan - it helps me describe a little bit of who I am, and even though it means so many varied things to so many different people, the fact that it helps tell other people a little bit about what's important to me is comforting, usful shorthand. I have never really been comfortable with the name 'witch' which I don't use, nor wiccan - because I am not, and I believe it undermines people who are and who have worked hard to become so, to take those names for myself.

Oak

I have no real problem with labels. We need them as part of evryday language. I just wish there was an amost dictionary for the different pagan parts as problems start to arise when labels are confused.
Why don't we do a pagan dictionary through this site?

Labels are fine - and very helpful when it comes to providing a starting point in helping someone understand your beliefs or practices. But the usefulness of labels only lasts just so long as you remember that they only stick to the outside of whatever they are applied to. To really understand the item/person, you have to look at what's beneath the label.

I agree with you there Oxonpagan - the only label I use is "I'm Pagan".

Blessings


Welshwytch

Yup, 'pagan' will do fine for me, I guess labels are good if you are sure of it - but many people cannot be defined very easily - and I don't see a problem in simply not defining it.

I think it is down to our society that we feel a need to pigeonhole so much - surely our ancestors would have just 'been'?

used badly, labels are restricting or misleading.

used well they help us indentify with others like us.

hate them personally, sometimes some use them in a way to say, im this so i know more than you because you dont have a label.
im a pagan, that all i call myself, actually i dont call myself pagan, i cal myself stormy.

Don't go in for labels myself...yes they're useful for defining what people what to think of themselves as, but why? ......little boxes.....little boxes..... that's a song I think!

I'd forgotten it RowanAlba! It was sung by Pete Seeger (legend!)...

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same,
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same
And there's doctors and lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same,
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Words and music by Malvina Reynolds.
Copyright 1962, Schroder Music Company

(n.b. Ticky tacky is a term for shoddy building materials used to manufacture rows of 'look-alike' houses)