A Wiccaning or Paganing is a

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...

ritual analogous to the christening or baptism of an

infant In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...

.Garber, Kathleen (1997)
Wiccaning/Paganing
Specific groups may have alternate names for this rite. In accordance with the importance put on free will in Neopagan traditions, infants are not necessarily expected to choose a Pagan path for themselves when they grow older. The ceremony, like its

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

equivalent, is focused on the parents' beliefs and the family's communal commitment to look after the child.

Rites

A Wiccaning can take many forms, drawn from older pagan traditions, folklore, and the more modern beliefs of the individuals involved. In most the central event is the presentation of the infant to a God and Goddess usually through being held up by its Mother, a High Priest, and/or High Priestess in sight of the sky. Other aspects of the ritual may include sprinkling silvered water on the infant's forehead as part of a saining (Scottish rite for blessing and consecrating)Ellison, Skip
Naming and Saining the Baby
or passing the child over a fire.

References

Naming ceremonies Wiccan terminology {{Neopaganism-stub