The Meaning of Eclectic Pagan or Eclectic Spiritualist - Spiritual Living 101

I have been a practicing Pagan for 15 years, and have explored various Pagan paths. Here I'll try to explain what it means to be an Eclectic Pagan or Eclectic Spiritualist.

The word eclectic is one that most of us know. It means selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles. It's common for people to have eclectic taste in music, movies or clothing, which means they don't limit themselves to any one thing, but rather mix and match whatever they like. However, many people become confused at the idea of an Eclectic Pagan or Eclectic Spiritualist.

First off, let me clarify that Eclectic Pagan and Eclectic Spiritualist are not necessarily the same thing. An Eclectic Spiritualist may not follow any specific religion, while an Eclectic Pagan follows one or more subsets of the Pagan religion. Some people consider themselves to be spiritual but not religious, and it is possible for someone to be religious but not spiritual.

An eclectic, whether Pagan or Spiritualist, takes bits and pieces of various faith systems and mixes them together to form practices that best suit their personal beliefs. Eclectics are often a result of years of spiritual searching, resulting in the decision that no one already established faith system truly fits with what that individual feels to be true. When this happens and one wants to avoid a loss of faith, bringing together various beliefs and practices becomes the logical choice.

I consider myself to be an Eclectic Pagan rather than an Eclectic Spiritualist because I draw my practices from the various sub-forms of Paganism, and I do not incorporate aspects of other faith systems. Someone who draws on the beliefs of various faith systems such as Christianity, Paganism, Hinduism and other faiths, would be considered to be an Eclectic Spiritualist.

It's interesting to note an oddity in the Pagan community. If you say you're "kinda Wiccan" or "mostly Asatru" or something similar, people will often look at you quizzically, and even question your dedication to your faith. On the other hand, if you say you're an Eclectic Pagan, everyone nods in understanding as if no further explanation is necessary. It's always baffled me that it seems inappropriate to be part of one thing, but fully acceptable to be a little bit of everything.

If you're questioning what faith you belong to, or you're practicing pieces of multiple faiths simultaneously, you may well be an Eclectic Spiritualist. If you know you're Pagan, but you don't fit in any specific subgroup or you feel attuned with parts of multiple systems, you might be an Eclectic Pagan.

No matter how you look at it, being eclectic can be a good thing. Many people question their faith because they question some of its practices or beliefs, but not all of them. Some people feel drawn to certain things about certain faith systems, but not all of them. Becoming eclectic allows those people to practice as they see fit, and build a faith system that rings true for them.

It has crossed my mind that perhaps more and more people becoming eclectic in terms of faith may be part of the "greater plan". Maybe this shift is a small way in which people are putting aside their differences and becoming more connected. When we share faith, we grow closer together. Maybe one day we will all be Eclectic Spiritualists, united in a single belief system made from all the currently existing ones.