Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

LLEW LLAW GYFFES

The Welsh Celtic counterpart of the Irish deity, Lugh, who appears in the mythological texts of the Mabinogion. Born prematurely to the Goddess Arianrhod when she was forced to submit to a test of her virginity, he was, according to tradition, fostered by his uncle, Gwydion, having been cursed and disowned by his mother.

He developed skills with the sling and the spear as well as accomplishments in music, poetry and Magick. He constitutes a significant character in the lore of some modern witches whose interest lies in the Welsh Traditions.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc