Resolved Question

I hear these terms all the time, and although some people use them interchangeably, I've been told that they're not the same.

The reason I ask is I'm wondering if I might one of these, or both, but since I don't know the specific "criteria" I have no idea how to tell.

Pagan:

When capitalised, it generally refers to a general grouping of religions and approaches to religion. Some of these are also referred to as Neo-Pagan (people taking historical Pagan concepts and adapting or mining them for concepts and ideas.) Others are reconstructionist - recreating ancient religions (Greek, Roman, Egyptian) fairly strictly, with appropriate adaptations for modern life.

If this sounds vague, it is. Some people count some paths as Pagan and not others. Some people in those paths identify themselves as Pagan, and not others. If you see someone identify themselves or something as Pagan, it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for an idea of what they mean by that. (or to ask!)

Wiccan:

Wicca is a specific religion. Some people use the word only for a very tight definition (initiatory priesthood traditions directly descending from the New Forest area of England working with specific religious mysteries and/or deities). More commonly, it's used more generally - groups having some practices in common (casting circle, approaches to working with deity, combination of folk magic and religious practice, etc.) Again, it's good to know how a specific person uses the term.

Because Paganism is a broad term, it covers a lot of ground. Wicca is more specific (and there are more specific terms, too, like specific tradition or path names.) So, someone can be Pagan, but not Wiccan, but Wiccans are Pagan.

Some people compare this to denominations within Christianity (you can be Christian but not Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, whatever) but that's a little inaccurate, because it implies that all Pagans share some common beliefs.

Eclectic:

This word means that something gathers resources from a number of places. In the Pagan community, it means that someone's path draws from a variety of sources. Eclectic Wiccans draw from multiple traditions or resources while keeping a generally Wiccan ritual format/ritual cycle/etc. Eclectic Pagans may draw from a number of different Pagan paths.

Traditional Wicca is a term for more structured practice: things are added only in accordance with the original practices (some traditions have more leeway about this than others.)

Solitary:

Solitary means various things. Most commonly, it means that someone does ritual and/or magical work solely on their own: without anyone else participating (as opposed to group work, working with a working partner, etc.)

I have seen some people refer to "circles of solitaries" - people who mostly do their own thing, but come together for some shared rituals or events. (I tend to think that's something different than solitary, but there isn't a good word for it that I've seen.)

Coven:

Coven is a word used within Wicca - in traditional Wicca, they're a very tight knit group of people, who spend time learning to work and act together (magically and ritually) and reinforce that through specific commitments to each other.

It's gotten into more common use now - again, worth seeing what someone means when they use it, if you're not sure.

Group, grove, and circle are all other terms for groups, most of them less formal (used for people who are working together, but without the tighter coven ties.) Grove is used within some Druidic groups in specific ways.

I'm glad to answer other terms, but it might be more helpful to you if I stop here, let you see if you have any questions, and then let me know what other terms you might want to know about - I don't want to bore you, or spend time on things that won't be useful.

For a general introduction to a number of these kinds of questions, you might want to see if you can find a copy of Dana Eiler's book "The Practical Pagan" - she does a good job of explaining some of the cultural and practical interaction issues (including terms)