I'm very eclectic.
-Celt and Germanic is my genetic heritage, and I feel drawn to those beliefs.
-the Greek gods in all their trailer-parky drama are very entertaining and classical,very evocative.
-Buddhism is very useful to me
-The Hindu families of deities and concepts are some very mature, fascinating ones indeed.
-Native American gods and spirits are strong in this place. They were here first, best to honor them well.
-new urban deities...useful. Squat and Skor my faves.
Wicca
I don't have a set belief. I guess you would say I'm a mix of Egyptian (think Anubis) and Christianity (think Catholic) in belief system. It's really hard for me to explain in a way that makes sense.
I tend to be more of an dark pagan with wiccan. But I do like to study other magickal religions that spark an interest to me hehe. Some nice one not so nice :p
I'm an eclectic solitary... I perceive the God and Goddess to be two sides of the same coin, so to speak, opposite facets that act in perfect, non-sentient union.
Although I'm quite competent in ritual, I don't practice often anymore; The karmic implications of changing the natural flow of things worry me. I have some experience with Ceremonial Magick (where I started) and tend to focus on seeing the Gods and their influence in everyday life.
I wear the pentacle within a butterfly, a symbol of my connection to all and my rebirth as a woman.
I am Wiccan, of the Cunningham Tradition.
Ecclectic Solitary, drawing primarily from Wicca and Asatru. My matron is Pele, my patron is Perkunas, and my Spirit Ally is the Lost Bison.
However, it's probably best to say I'm a Buddhistic-Christo Pagan and count among my spiritual ancestors the Buddha, Jesus, Mary, and Judas Iscariot.
Times change, so do the available churches.
My main church is in Hawai'i.
I am a very broad minded and relaxed solitary witch.
I hold onto my beliefs lightly and regard the profession of certainty as a very dangerous error.
The states of absoluter certainty and death have a lot in common.
Certainty is usually accompanied by a cessation of questioning. Some who is certain about everything will therefore exhibit very little brain activity and could be mistaken for brain dead!
It is always better to have questions and be alive!
Quote from: rejennyrated on October 14, 2010, 04:34:44 AM
Certainty is usually accompanied by a cessation of questioning. Some who is certain about everything will therefore exhibit very little brain activity and could be mistaken for brain dead!
Found this via /. :
QuotePeople's brains are more responsive to friends than to strangers, even if the stranger has more in common, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers examined a brain region known to be involved in processing social information, and the results suggest that social alliances outweigh shared interests.
Source: Imaging study shows brain responds more to close friends, Medical Daily: http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101013/2597/imaging-study-shows-brain-responds-more-to-close-friends.htm (http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101013/2597/imaging-study-shows-brain-responds-more-to-close-friends.htm)
So somebody that seems brain dead may simply just need friends. No need to assume with any certainty that person doesn't need friends. Friends may be the only thing needed.
Quote from: rejennyrated on October 14, 2010, 04:34:44 AM
Certainty is usually accompanied by a cessation of questioning. Some who is certain about everything will therefore exhibit very little brain activity and could be mistaken for brain dead!
Very true.
Quote from: rite_of_inversion on October 12, 2010, 08:03:09 PM
-Celt and Germanic is my genetic heritage, and I feel drawn to those beliefs.
This applies to me as well, and although I don't put much stock in genetics beyond what health problems a person is likely to get, I believe that heritage is much more than that. I find strength and comfort in following the beliefs of my ancestors, at least as much as has been recorded and that I've been able to learn about them.
I used to identify very strongly as Wiccan but over the past few years, I find I'm more comfortable practicing my own collective beliefs without labeling them as "Wiccan" because they really don't fit into that category anymore.
I feel very comfortable with Hinduism and the deities therein, especially Kali Ma and other facets of Durga. I am also obsessed with Celtic culture and that always vines its way into my beliefs.
And lately I've had an almost "atheistic" view, which in my earlier life would have never been comfortable with. But I think that not knowing "for sure" is perfectly fine. :D
Quote from: PiperEden on February 13, 2011, 04:38:15 AM
But I think that not knowing "for sure" is perfectly fine. :D
Anyone who does claim to know for sure about anything as complex as spirituality is blowing their own horn.
Buddhism is NOT a pagan religion.
The tree-hugging, rock-holding, talking-to-snakes kind of pagan.
Gee, I'd forgotten about this thread! great replies!
QuoteThe states of absoluter certainty and death have a lot in common.
Certainty is usually accompanied by a cessation of questioning.
Indeed
QuoteSome who is certain about everything will therefore exhibit very little brain activity and could be mistaken for brain dead!
Hehe! I'll remember that one.
QuoteThe tree-hugging, rock-holding, talking-to-snakes kind of pagan.
I talk to almost every critter. Sometimes they actually understand me. It is most fun to meow at strange cats though. They look
so outraged at it.
I don't understand why people are so afraid of snakes, myself-at least not in this country. We only have a few species of rattler that are really aggressive, while moccasins and copperheads are pretty mellow.
My wife disturbed a copperhead moving some trash wood this fall...twice, and both times it peaceably slithered off, probably thinking the snaky equivalent of " Jeez, I can't get any sleep around here..."
QuoteBuddhism is NOT a pagan religion.
Agreed, it's a religion of transcendence.
Buddhist philosophy and Pagan concepts are rather at odds in the respect that Buddhism's goal is to detach from existence...while Paganism seeks to cherish the earth and its' cycles, beings and ways. But Buddhism has never been incorporated purely wherever it went...rather, pre-existing deities found a place in it or alongside it.
However...
Buddhism is as much or more a philosophy, and a way of practice, than a religion...and as such I have no qualms about having both a Pagan and a Buddhist socket set in my spiritual toolbox. Besides that, I like Buddhism almost as much as I do Paganism. It's peaceable, humane, quirky, gentle, and usable. It's just that I feel a spiritual connection to life, and the innate sacredness of the living world, that occasionally overwhelms me.
So I sort of stand with one foot in both camps, despite the conflicting worldviews.
Addendum: I performed a rite to Hecate in November...on Hecate's day. The next month someone abandoned an almost-solid black Labrador Retriever at the gas station near my house...black dogs being sacred to Hecate. The dog had been at the gas station for four days, flipping out, and I was the first person who could lay hands on him.
I will rehome him presently, as he would be dog #4...He's not a bad dog-purebred, housebroken and rather sweet....but the probable reason he was dumped? he doesn't bark when frustrated, he caterwauls like he's being tortured. It's the most horrid racket imaginable.
One of my neighbors thought a dog had been hit by a car...nope, the lab was just spazzing because he wanted to run around and chase cats. ::)
Note to self, next time, tell Hecate to send a black chihuahua, or a black miniature poodle.
Quote from: Janet Lynn on October 12, 2010, 10:27:02 PM
I am Wiccan, of the Cunningham Tradition.
Scott Cunningham? I like his books. Reading them, he seemed like such a gentle guy.
As for what I am, generic Pagan maybe? Eclectic? Spiritual? I don't know. I haven't found a label that really fits. If people ask, I just tell them I'm Pagan. It's the closest thing I've found. I will say, leaving Christianity was one of the best things I ever did for my mental health. That was one label I never could make stick, no matter how hard I tried.
Buddhism's goal is to detach from existence...
I don't think that's what Buddhism's goal is. As I see it (and I'm only a representative of me), Buddhism seeks to see through the illusion that anything is fixed or separate and unchanging/unchanged by everything else that's going on around it. Buddhism doesn't say "nothing exists", it just says everything's changing all the time. So the goal (inasmuch as there is one) is to detach from a sense of separate, unchanging identity - which is in fact exactly to identify and empathise with everything (rather than just one's "self"). So Buddhism is necessarily very much concerned with the environment and the alleviation of suffering and such things.
But then of course there's Buddhists, and we're capable of all kinds of rationalisation in order not to have to change our view of ourselves and therefore the way we go about living, and to keep our heads bouncing along the ceiling like helium-filled balloons as far as possible from our earthy hearts and bodies and the uncontrollable reality of the cosmos of which we're a teensy part ::) - just like other people in or out of other religions.
Buddhism is pagan in the original, pejorative sense of the word, i.e. non-Christian/Jewish. But it's non-theistic (in the sense of belief in a creator god).
I grew up officially Jewish, but I've always been non-theist, and always been a worshipper of the forests.
the Greek gods in all their trailer-parky drama
Loved that description! The Greek myths have always seemed to me to be like a giant mythological schoolyard, as are the Norse myths, and the Hindu - polytheism seems to have a more realistic angle on what people are like, and how they'd all like to be really, really powerful :).
Quote from: hylie random on February 14, 2011, 02:22:25 AM
... Buddhism's goal is to detach from existence...
My sangha's teacher would argue that Buddhism's "goal," if it could be considered to have a "goal," is to realize one's true nature.
The simplest answer? All over the place. ;D I don't subscribe to any particular path except for my own and what I feel works. Even my biological heritage is a mix of German, English (came to America on the Mayflower), Irish, and Cherokee. As such, I don't feel drawn to any particular pantheon or belief system.
Guess you could say that's about as generic as you can get, but still highly individualized.
Quote from: Lynn Gabriel on October 12, 2010, 08:09:55 PM
I don't have a set belief. I guess you would say I'm a mix of Egyptian (think Anubis) and Christianity (think Catholic) in belief system. It's really hard for me to explain in a way that makes sense.
And now I have a name for my main belief system: Kemetic. This is the religion of Ancient Egypt and it's what I primarily follow, though I have been influenced by various other beliefs.
Wiccan, with an emphasis on Greek and Norse gods.
Celtic, with an emphasis on Welsh deities. (If you are interested in them, check out a series of old tales called The Mabinogian.) I also attend a Unitarian Universalist Church.
As for Buddhism being pagan, I don't think it is antithetical to Paganism, though Buddhism itself I wouldn't consider pagan. Awhile back I was at a cross roads as to whether I should pursue more of a Buddhist path or a pagan path. I was planning on joining a monastery, so the decision was actually necessary to make. While I was looking, I found someone who had created a Celtic Buddhist path. This is their website - http://www.celticbuddhism.org/ (http://www.celticbuddhism.org/)
As other people have said, Buddhism meshes together with local traditions. Had Buddhism come to Europe before Christianity, it would most likely have incorporated deities like Bridgit and Arianrhod with the teachings of the Buddha. Look at how Christian and European pagan faiths meshed. Despite forced conversion (which is a very complex topic), older pagan ideals always persisted.
Well, I have a personal "path" that I follow centered around kind of like a table-ish structure. Deities are from the Egyptian pantheon, though I have yet to find a non-local deity of water in it (If any of you guys could help with that it'd be wonderful).
Now the table-ish structure. The basic concept is that five ideals, or pillars/legs supporting the table or top, which consist of wisdom, fire, earth, water, and air, supporting a table/top made up of a triple-goddess of wisdom thing, primarily the one the Sekhmet and Hathor fall into (I can't think of the third one off the top of my head, so if you guys don't know the third one, I'll post it when I find it again). Because Sekhmet is related to both fire and willpower-gone-rampant/lack-of-willpower-ish, her position in the structure changes depending on the ritual purpose she is being called on to assist with. Finally, atop the entire thing, sit two chairs, one for the God (Osiris), and one for the Goddess (Isis).
Aside from the major deities of the path, the other major emphasis is on natural magicks.
Finally, when doing a ritual in the outdoors (one way natural magicks get into my normal pattern of rituals), as each deity/piece of the structure is invoked, the physical representation is placed on the altair, thus constructing the entire table-thing. Because the quarters are part of the structure, there is no "calling the quarters", simply an "invoking of the columns."
The rest is much more complex, and there isn't enough room here for me to fully describe it without trying to pull my hair out.
Norse...
faerie (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faeriewylde.com%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Ffaewink.gif&hash=48e34aec052ac7456e33891e47f0d47edbc45563)
O.O Navi has returned! We're doomed!
Witchy poo nature lover, that's me!
I'm Wiccan. My Goddess is Artemis and my God Apollo. I've been happier than I've been in years since I dropped Christianity and started practicing Wicca :) I love it
Definitely pagan. I would say that I am solitary or maybe best to say family based. I connect with the rhythm and spirit of nature. You know, feel the trees, the wind, shiver of a stream. I am eclectic in that I mix Norse (although I connect with many, it is hard not to appreciate the shape shifting of Loki...) with aspects of Celtic spirituality and First Nations through chats with the Spirit Bear although I wouldn't say that I've settled. In some respects, my spiritual transition mirrors this gender shift. Some of my earlier attractions are moving as I move. I love the notion of the faces of the Goddess in Wicca and it is a strong attraction to me. I'll be interested in seeing how my answer to this would change say in a year or two time...
QuoteBuddhism is pagan in the original, pejorative sense of the word, i.e. non-Christian/Jewish. But it's non-theistic (in the sense of belief in a creator god).
Although it would also be considered to not be paganism because its not god based, the term paganism has a wide meaning, and can be argued many times over, about what belong's under its umbrella.
That being said... I am a Druid. :)
Synergistic Neo-Shaman, Order of Oriah
eclectic in the style of a Chaos Mage, relying most heavily upon intuition and personal revelations and supplimenting with indigenous traditions of my choosing from all corners of the globe.
All paths will eventually lead to the divine, but the quickest and most rewarding is the one you blaze though the rugged wilderness
More or less Christian, as a student of Christ, but the funny truth is that the Church would consider my Christian way of life as pagan heresy. I do have a great reverence for stories involving ancient Gods of old, however, or rather their unaltered versions. Specifically the Gods of ancient Greece (even though I like their names better in Latin!!). Very interesting things can be learned from those stories.
Then you should be aware that the Christ Myth has many striking paralels with the Hercules Myth.
yeah, my favorite part is when jesus killed the hydra!
Quote from: OrderOfOriah on October 29, 2011, 10:12:22 PM
yeah, my favorite part is when jesus killed the hydra!
Why would you take a serious conversation and turn it into a comedy fest?
Quote from: cynthialee on October 29, 2011, 10:34:23 PM
Why would you take a serious conversation and turn it into a comedy fest?
because you did first
Quote from: cynthialee on October 29, 2011, 09:30:35 PM
Then you should be aware that the Christ Myth has many striking paralels with the Hercules Myth.
Well, I'm not Joseph Campbell. So, I don't actively seek out similarities between mythological stories - that is to say that it's really not my job - but I do recognize some of the overlying themes from Catholicism to "pagan religions" that it was essentially based upon. Many of the old Gods, old festivals, "pagan" holidays, events, were absorbed into Catholicism. I'm not here to debate, though, I just came here to share what I practice and share the fact that my "practice" would be considered pagan by even the Church itself. Jesus' true teachings, his true way of life, is most likely lost to us now -- years of convolution, forced silence, and rewriting of history has muddled that.
But, hey, what do I know? I'm still a teenager, a snotty little kid! ;)
I am a "Natural Scientism-ist" ( lol ) who, in advocating postgenderism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postgenderism) and of predominately "lucky" social/economic/genetic decent ( a Jesuit priestly class educated, "PanAm world" denomination of non-drinking Irish Catholic persuasion ), believes HYDROGEN is God much like the ancient Egyptians studied and worshiped their sun god called "Ra".
Let's consider for a moment those qualities and characteristics of "A Supreme Being" that virtually all otherwise Ignorantly False Religions universally accept and indeed take for granted:
Hydrogen is:
1) All Powerful, from which all other "energy force" comes.
2)Simplest, most basic of all "elements" as far as we can know
3)Is Material Originator of All, from which all other things are Combined
4)Plentiful, Universal, most abundant everywhere yet is not evident, does not occur "naturally" in "pure form" for us to "directly experience" on this, our increasingly sick planet, at all
5)Promotes Life and Purpose, seemingly out of Nothing but Warmth and Light for all
6 and 7) More SECRET qualities (known only to a special, privileged few! )
8)Is ultimate answer to sustainability problems, the "salvation" of the "select few" inclusive of "all" but, because we humans are inherently lazy beings who can never agree on anything that requires any real PHYSICAL EFFORT or SACRIFICE in the least, is also constant source of opinionated argument over which We Shall Fight, Kill and Die if truly needs be!
if hydrogen is god then where does that leave protons neutrons and electrons?
When I'm really pagan pagan, Im kind of really structured in a pantheon with a few friends from outside that group and try to be as traditional / recon as I can stomach.
When I'm not so pagan, im agnostic/atheist/, but still pagan as I'm still a pagan in the broadest sense of the word of being of non-Abhramic faith and still with a pagan (pre-christian mythology influenced) view of the world.
I probably wouldn't be the first "agnostic pagan" or "atheist pagan" out there.
Anyway, so much for me trying to be silly ;).
I was hardcore Kemetic for a long time (I was Kemetic Orthodox as well). After I left that I'm now eclectic with a gay men's focus. Still heavily influenced by Kemetic/Egyptian thought. I honor some Germanic and Greek Gods, too.
i find it really difficult to define my beliefs in specific terms, since they're so eclectic and personal. throw in some hindu ideas, shamanism, taoism, chaos magic, quantum mechanics and reality-shaping, with a great deal of respect for and acknowledgement of a whole bunch of pantheons without specific invocation, and my own spiritual experiences... you get the idea. all that is. it's all good.
Quote from: ApproachingMars on January 02, 2012, 08:39:42 PM
I was hardcore Kemetic for a long time (I was Kemetic Orthodox as well). After I left that I'm now eclectic with a gay men's focus. Still heavily influenced by Kemetic/Egyptian thought. I honor some Germanic and Greek Gods, too.
OHAI! Small world. I don't venture out of the Androgyne section very often, but was reading some stuff lately that made me curious about peoples' spirituality here.
Anyway, I am Kemetic Orthodox, a former ordained priest in fact. I've been uninvolving myself from the temple a bit, and was honestly never really into Egypt itself beyond learning the cultural context of the religion... but my love for Seshat remains. My religion helped me figure out my gender; I spent a lot of time asking myself tough questions in shrine, and my Parent deity pointed out that my gender was a liminal, border-dwelling thing (much like She is).
I was previously a solitary Celtic pagan of sorts. I like bits of Taoism, Feri, Chaos Magic, Discordianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Shinto but not enough of any one of those to take the whole package. I have some personal beliefs leaning heavily toward animism and pantheism, and half-formed theories deity and spirit and our own consciousness (including gender identity) are all emergent phenomena that challenge simplistic ideas of what is "real."
I'm primarily Intuitive. I wasn't raised with spirituality of any sort (other than with the bottle) so I tend to duck anything that seems too ritualistic or organized. But I am starting to become more attuned to ritual (although again mine are primarily intuitive and impulsive still) as I get older and my spirit cries for growth. I've also taken note that many more "serious" (not really the right word - dedicated? I dunno) Pagan folk have entered my life, powerfully, and I am curious as to what paths they are showing me.
But in the end, what I know is that my soul knows exactly what is going on and it's a journey to remember and come full circle. :)
I'm a rational "constitutionalist" . . . who thinks any kind of "central moral authority" is bad bad bad. I worship the solar panel (lol) god "Ra" who is the be all, answer to everything ( Egyptian?) and to say that Jesus "redeemed us", died for our "salvation" is a pure cop-out that absolves, prevents us from indeed doing and dying for "the right thing" ourselves!
I am not a "wretch" who cannot take responsibility for one's own actions and decisions; do not subscribe to "stealth" am proud of who I AM !
( Kids took me to "Hooters" for birthday dinner last night - when i walked into the men's room a very handsome half-drunk guy turned and glanced saying " ma'am you've made a wrong turn? " I'm determined to find a "normal guy" who can accept me as is!)
I'm not sure I would count as a pagan since I don't exactly practice anything and I didn't get to choose my beliefs.
I believe in all the pantheons. I do not believe in any of the creation stories. I believe in "deities," but I consider them to be faeries (faeries in this case meaning supernatural beings) and feel uncomfortable with the idea of "worship." I believe in the otherworld.
Quote from: tekla on February 14, 2011, 12:07:09 AM
Buddhism is NOT a pagan religion.
Actually, Buddhism is one of the religions that established the need to create the term paganism. Specifically, Paganism was given as a moniker referring to religions that were polytheistic or indigenous. Later Ethnologists adapted the term to refer to religions that involved shamanism, polytheism, animism or pantheism, and specifically in reference to historical or traditional faiths. It was only in the late 20th century, in fact, that the term paganism was adopted to refer to the increasing number of new religious movements that Wicca was a part of.
It's a good thing Buddhism is a pagan faith too ... thanks to Buddhists and Taoists, the pagan faith was legitimized on government documents and recognized as a religion without having to prove itself in order to benefit from state funding. Because of that, we are able to have places of worship sponsored by the government, and our clergy (like myself) are able to legally apply for funding in order to create places of worship that aren't backyards, basements, and backrooms.
We tend to be very reactionary and protective of the term "Pagan" because a great many of us have sacrificed much for our faith. However, we often forget that we are using the terminology of the same society that stamped out the old faiths to begin with, and therefor the term is not "ours." Nor should it be, for our faith is larger than something that can be quantified by convenient labels and sterile terms.
Quote from: Kiera on October 30, 2011, 04:05:02 AM
I am a "Natural Scientism-ist" ( lol ) who, in advocating postgenderism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postgenderism) and of predominately "lucky" social/economic/genetic decent ( a Jesuit priestly class educated, "PanAm world" denomination of non-drinking Irish Catholic persuasion ), believes HYDROGEN is God much like the ancient Egyptians studied and worshiped their sun god called "Ra".
I've always thought that what we term "science" is merely a religion whose followers don't have a lot of Faith. Most scientific work relies upon a foundation made of "Theories" - those things that are taken to be fact until disproved, but not (in themselves) proven. They are repeatable to a sufficient degree to accept as common and thus factual, yet they are not the end of the debate. There are "Laws" that are taken to be infallible, yet they also can be overturned if some later fact serves to break them.
To me, this is no different that believing in a deity, it just takes much less (and more) effort to believe. While Faith is an almost bottomless resource for the faithful, it is a carefully rationed thing for the secular.
To the point of the actual post, I am High Priest (yea, I have issues coming soon) of an eclectic circle of the Ouroboran trad.
(edited for grammar fail)
I don't like labeling my beliefs, but if I had to I would say I'm pagan. I don't worship anything, I just use ritual meditation to help connect to my divine self. Not as often as I would like though.
Damn x-bawx... distracting me from my spirituality.
Quote from: foosnark on February 07, 2012, 03:07:12 PM
OHAI! Small world. I don't venture out of the Androgyne section very often, but was reading some stuff lately that made me curious about peoples' spirituality here.
Anyway, I am Kemetic Orthodox, a former ordained priest in fact. I've been uninvolving myself from the temple a bit, and was honestly never really into Egypt itself beyond learning the cultural context of the religion... but my love for Seshat remains. My religion helped me figure out my gender; I spent a lot of time asking myself tough questions in shrine, and my Parent deity pointed out that my gender was a liminal, border-dwelling thing (much like She is).
I was previously a solitary Celtic pagan of sorts. I like bits of Taoism, Feri, Chaos Magic, Discordianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Shinto but not enough of any one of those to take the whole package. I have some personal beliefs leaning heavily toward animism and pantheism, and half-formed theories deity and spirit and our own consciousness (including gender identity) are all emergent phenomena that challenge simplistic ideas of what is "real."
Pretty neat to see more Kemetic oriented people running around. I was heavily into Kemeticism, but I get "called" from other pantheons [I can't think of a better word than "called"] so the gods I actively focus on change every so often though each god stays stuck in my person gnosis and spirituality.
The longest running god is Anubis, who I've felt drawn to since I was 7 or 8 [I can pinpoint exactly when it happened because I was at Girl Scouts and we were making barbie doll mummies], but only actively worshiping since I was 21 [so about 3 years now].
But the major pantheon, other then Egyptian, that I have always adored is the one of the British Isles. The gods are primarily Arawn, Cailleach Bheur, and Rhiannon, but my spiritual practices more resemble that of the paganism from that area [or at least the new pagan practices that are based (loosely) off of older pagan practices].
I'm quite careful to not mix rituals to different gods of different pantheons, or even in the same pantheon, and each god has a place on my altar (at least the following gods do: Anubis, Cailleach Bheur, Rhiannon, and Poseidon. Arawn is about to get his own, but it's hard to find anything with white hounds that have red ears and I haven't had time to paint anything.
I toyed with Celtic-based Wicca, but I don't know anymore. I'm not all that good with anything that has a sort of official feel to it. It just flips me out.
I would have to say that I am pagan only because I am of the idea that everyone and everything is connected to the same energy field out there and that it is basically intelligent energy that keeps us talking, animals doing their thing, bugs crawling, plants growing, and so on so on. I think that the after life is pretty much just your energy spreading and flowing to other living creatures randomly as needed to keep a balance in the universe.
I cannot define a box to put me in when it comes to my spirituality but I guess I do have some experiences that told me a couple of things that are at the center of my belief for now. One is that there is actually something out there that is not scientific alone. I know that in a way all life is one but then it is of course not ;) (I am a woman 40000 years ago as I am right here etc). Trees and other beings can talk, obviously the world is alive and sentient, but I dont speak their language yet and I hate being at a party where everyone speaks Chinese and I dont so for the moment I dont go there unless I have time to open up to learn. Intuition is a great thing. It often helped me. If I look for something - the car keys, some item in the house, a store that sells sunlotion or flavoured milk - often it works to close eyes, ask for it and then point towards it - and be amazed at how often it really is in that area ;) Only works when I am having a good connection to the universe though, otherwise, I get nothing.
How does it relate to trans? In a practical sense, an event like not passing to someone drains energy - big time - no energy = no connection and nothing works. In a holistic sense I think being trans has given me abilities that others do not have - to look at how people behave and understand them even if others dont (even other pagans). At least I think that is what is happening. Probably because I know that while I really like the female energy in me better, I also know that not all energy is gendered and I have some male energy as well which overall makes me, I believe, a good observer of people. I know that transpeople in original societies often were regarded as spiritual people or even as good candidates for shamans in some. I think this is interesting and want to learn more about this topic, though I dont think I really want to be a shaman. Too much work ;) - But I'd like for sure to know how to listen, see, talk and feel some things that are not part of the perception of the majority of people in these days.
And actually one reason I joined this forum is because spirits connected to rocks told me that I have to do a couple of things for purification and healing and getting that whole trans issue straightened out and back on track was to me part of that ;)
I'm odd, I do have a vague link to the Norse gods but some other beliefs I have picked up along the way from various sources amalgamating in an eclectic mixture of beliefs. Basically....I'm Wiccan with undertones from lots of other religions. Thats why I love this religion :)
When I was younger I never really pictured the same "god" everyone around me and took till i was about 15 to realise The deity in my head was of kemetic origin. So that is my particular form of paganism, However I believe in general that there is one set of deities and they all want us to be good loving people who are kind to each other and the earth and animals etc. And the rest is human interpretation.
I'm chocolate flavored :)
Just kidding sorry I couldn't help myself! I don't identify as pagan but I've been able to learn a lot about Wicca from a student group of practitioners at my school. It was amazing how much misinformation I'd received growing up. Looking forward to learning more though...
My practice for most of my life has been along Native lines. Having grown up in the east, the eastern woodlands people (Iroquois) were the first place I found acceptance and peace while the Christian church was telling me I was "wrong" and was a sinner simply for who I was so 'the Native Way' became my spiritual home. I tried to integrate my beliefs with the church again later in life but it didn't work.
Having lived in the west for the last 30 years my Iroquoian spirituality has become mixed with that of the Plains People though I have kept to myself pretty much for the past 20 years in an effort to avoid "native politics" and the expropriation of Native spirituality by the 'new age spiritualists'.
I have lived my life by the values of 'the Native Way' and it is a good way to live. I have no regrets for anything I have done on the Road.
Thats great Jane! I am a bit sad there is little authentic traditions here in Germany and what was there was abused to bits by the dark times around 1933 (Heck people comment about someone havoing a Triskele tattoed on his arm and were wondering if he was a nazi - sooo annoying). America still has living traditions and thats great even though it is a bit weird as a person of European descent to follow these, some indians dont seem to like that but I had some great experiences with indian rituals that people from America did at gatherings in Europe. Very powerful.
Did you learn some things about how transpeople were treated and respected in the indian cultures you are into? I heard of "twospirit" concepts but not much and it was a bit vague with some people claiming it is a reather recent concept. i am interested in that topic a lot but could find little reliable and easy to read material on that. I am sure that traditional and spiritual cultures did not shun people that are trans, many seem to even have seen it as a feat in some way. I am interested in these traditional cultures and how they related to trans issues, socially but also physically - they obviouls did not have SRS but did they do other things that helped along? If you know anything, I'd be glad to hear, Jane.
I'm a Kemetic Pagan though I formerly practiced Wicca but didn't feel it was right for me.
Amy
Dang, yeah, so many Kemetics. :0
I'm what I call a post-recon/feral polytheist that works with several Yucatec and Mexica deities in their related cultural context. I do a lot of other stuff too, though; much of it pretty idiosyncratic and wouldn't make sense at first glance. I don't consider myself pagan, but it's a useful shorthand for explaining my path outside of the community. :V
Quote from: anjaq on October 20, 2013, 05:06:29 AMDid you learn some things about how transpeople were treated and respected in the indian cultures you are into?
Very much so! When I first told a Native elder why I was hiding from my parents, circa 1962, she didn't even raise an eyebrow. "We know if such things." is all she said. I found complete acceptance of who and what I was. In many Native curltures, trans people are regarded as magical or blessed. There were females who lived as warriors and men, married, fought along side the men, and were as respected for their bravery as any man. There were male-bodied women who were regarded as 'true women', who married, raised children, and were afforded all the same privileges as women and faced the same restrictions. The more that Native bands were under the influence of the missionaries, the more their views tended toward the Anglo-European attitudes.
Much of the old ways have faded and, in most cases, "two spirit" is used to denote Gay men and Lesbians now. There is little understanding of trans any more.
Nova Roma and hard polytheist. I see the gods and goddesses as totally separate entities. I am also an adherent to the Law of Thelema.
"Do what thou will shall be whole of the Law"
OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids) Druidry.
Independant, pretty much. Solo practioner.
While not a pagan in the traditional...and maybe not even officially, depending on who you are...sense, I use a lot of pagan symbolgy in my creative practice and expression. There is a fringe philosophy called "Existential Paganism" that I have integrated into my (very open) school of thought. I am for all effects and purposes an atheist, but I use a lot of Jungian and Gnostic influence/symbology, with a preference to the more carnal/enlightenment figures like Pan and the traditional (pre-Christian defilement) Lucifer, as well as Prometheus, because of their love of humanity for what it should be...even if that is not what it is. So, I myself take the "Existential" approach to Paganism by asking: "what does paganism mean to you?" Depending on who you are, I may or may not qualify as a pagan because I am an atheist.
I use pagan symbolism and have a deep respect for the Natural Order, however, and thus give credit where credit is due.
My transgender identification status is a way to reconcile my anima and animus, and going through the SRS (in part) is a way to invert my being. I was a feminine "male" before, but feel more like a "masculine" female these days.
Some reading on the Exisential School, for those inquisitive types:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art69464.asp
(I take no credit for the article.)
Quote from: Constance on October 13, 2010, 11:27:53 AM
Ecclectic Solitary, drawing primarily from Wicca and Asatru. My matron is Pele, my patron is Perkunas, and my Spirit Ally is the Lost Bison.
However, it's probably best to say I'm a Buddhistic-Christo Pagan and count among my spiritual ancestors the Buddha, Jesus, Mary, and Judas Iscariot.
Wow, I've changed a bit since I first replied in this thread.
This past February I was initiated as a first degree priestess into the Circle of Cerridwen in the Open Source Alexandrian Tradition (http://cerridwen.st4r.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page), so I'm not really a solitary anymore. I'm still a Christo-Pagan, though, and on Ash Wednesday I learned that my application to seminary (http://www.psr.edu) had been accepted.
Lokean. As in the Loki with red hair. The Marvel character is annoying. ;D I also do some magick on the side that probably falls best under the label of Chaos Magick and I've been obsessed with divination since I was like 13.
Well, I keep some quite obscure gods. Obscure, to the point where a Google search got me nothing.
For me, the sun and star goddess Elera is the most important one. Even though I don't know much else about her than her creation of the stars and her being a life-giving, kind goddess. Then, there's Kolorro, or Goloroh. I'm not actually sure how to write its name, but anyway, it is the sea god who takes the form of a crab or lobster. Because of that, shrimps are sacred to it and so I will avoid eating them as much as it is possible. That is, not eating them unless they are the only possible food source. Kolorro is also genderless. And Sarakk-Fol, the force of change. Preferring to be referred to as female, she is also the goddess of colours.
The Wind Spirit is also a thing to respect.
Certain animals also have religious significance for me. Lizards are my, well, I hate using the word because it makes people link me to some New Age stuff, spirit animal or something like that. Snakes, also sacred. To Elera, since their awakening brings the summer with them, the best time for her.
Everything living has a soul, and there are spirits who we cannot see. I believe to have encountered one, and it did not like me.
Interestingly enough, the person who first told me about these gods (I will not mention his name, since he passed away this year and he did not want me to spread our religion around. He wanted to avoid attention from media, and to a greater extent, Christians.) told me that the religion has a term for trans people. Val dalak, or val'dalakk. Not sure what it actually means as words (I'm not even certain of what the language is called, but it is used in prayers and the names of things), but the idea behind it is that we have a pre-made fate given by the gods to physically become the gender we were not born as. He seemed just as confused as I to why the gods would do this in the first place, stating that he was just repeating the words he was taught. Aside from him and his family, whom I have not met, I don't know of anyone else who keeps these gods. Anyway, my name is Freya, and my religion's name is Sala'i Vilak. In English,
Our Way.
I practice ADF Hellenic Druidry. I have been walking the path of Druidry for four years now and Hellenism for the better part of 10 years.
Also, on a side note I love that we have a Pagan forum here on Susan's Place.
May you all pray with a good fire,
Melitta
WOW Sounds like it time to get the dinner forks and knifes out. Supper is here.
I'm a punster whenever there is a play on words I will make fun of it.
The word is flavor.
Actually I'm a deist which believes in the native American religion. We believe in a creator who is the Great Spirit. Not pagan
None of us can prove our God is the true Creator and also you can not prove yours is either. As It all is faith based and is sight unseen.
Chocolate chip?
I run a bit neo-pagan.
You know my favorite concept of non-'traditional' religion is that it is so fluid. Polytheist, dualism, deism, atheism, etc... is so versatile that we have an array of practitioners with deferential theologies and expressions of cosmology. Seeing the world through the lens of my Pagan peers puts a perspective on the spectrum of world view. I think the marginalized scope -from a western perspective- allows me to understand any expression of God or Spirit, even archetype, as influential and divine.
Thank you all for sharing.
Melitta
As my wife says: I am an orthodox Reconstructionist Forn Siðr i Danmark.
I am a traditional Nordic/Danish reconstructionist.
Unfortunately, being in the United States, that gets lumped into "pagan".
OBOD Druid here, though I haven't been practicing lately. :-(
My heritage is Irish so I'm exploring Celtic paganism. Shamanism is something else that I'm exploring as well.
I bought myself a drum, but I'm nervous about actually playing it as all my other attempts at learning to play a musical instrument have been failures.
I worship the great comet of the winter solstice .
I'm a techno-wiccan. It's a lot like other Wicca, but for me, technology is as much a part of the natural and spiritual world as anything, and I often feel more emotionally and spiritually connected to something electronic than something basic. I own a tarot deck, sure – I also have a wonderful tarot app on my tablet. My Book of Shadows is a file on my iPad, and I feel a much stronger and more authentic connection to that than I do to any fancy leatherbound book I might buy.
I'd encourage anyone skeptical/curious about the role of technology in magic to give Erik Davis's TechGnosis a try, along maybe with Steven Vedro's Digital Dharma and a couple chapters out of Christopher Penczak's City Magick. It's interesting stuff :)
used to be Norse since I shaved my beard and went fem not so much anymore. now i believe in the Force. Why no matter how you spin it nothing comes from nothing
I'm not pagan, but I am deeply curious about some varieties. Something in there is probably the closest flavor of faith that I'd consider. For now I'm agnostic.
I am a pagan atheist. I think nature and life are sacred in and of themselves. I celebrate the changing of the seasons and the wonders of life regularly.
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Witch, no coven
I have a deep love for Asatru, aka Native European Spirituality. If you don't know what that is, think Odin, Thor, Frey, Freyja, Vali, Heimdal, Bragi, etc. I always wear my favorite Mjölnir necklace. They're very LGBT friendly, even in ancient times! In fact, in the old days of Asatru, for one to become a priest or priestess (called a Gothi or Gythia, respectively) one had to live as the opposite gender for at least a year. Even some of the gods and goddesses have switched genders temporarily.
Source:
https://youtu.be/2iGCzh7KdaQ
Eclectic Solitary Junkyard Buddhist Pagan here.... (and vegetarian pastafarian too!)
I'm not pagan i'm a Agnostic-Atheist but i have spiritual beliefs although i normally hide it because it never sits well with other atheists. My best friend is wiccan i'm unsure if she considers herself pagen though. For me when i was younger i dabbled in wicca but never stuck with it or beside it in the end it didn't interest me and i didn't believe much about it although somethings i believed.
Quote from: Constance on October 13, 2010, 11:27:53 AM
Ecclectic Solitary, drawing primarily from Wicca and Asatru. My matron is Pele, my patron is Perkunas, and my Spirit Ally is the Lost Bison.
However, it's probably best to say I'm a Buddhistic-Christo Pagan and count among my spiritual ancestors the Buddha, Jesus, Mary, and Judas Iscariot.
How does one combine Wicca and Asatru? I ask because I have a deep love for Asatru as well as an interest and respect for Wicca. Are there any conflicts with that?
I have a few words and names that come to mind when it comes to my Pagan spirituality:
Eclectic
Occultism
Ordeal Path
Nature worship
Baphomet
Lilith
Herbalism
Aside from that I have been finding it hard to explain my spirituality at times.
I'm not sure what I am, if it would even be considered paganism, I have a very rudimentary alter consisting of two candles, an incense holder, and usually a mug filled with an offering. I don't believe in gods, I don't really have faith in anything, just a little bit of hope. I would like to think that there is a sentient force, a law of nature that is self aware. Something that is beyond human form, and thought, but filled with love. When I perform a simple ritual, such as casting a circle, and offering a prayer it makes me feel a little better. I would like to cast some simple spells, if nothing else but because it is spiritual, and gives a feeling of peace.
I would consider myself a hopeful agnostic, always seeking for something more out there :)
I've tried praying to gods, it just doesn't do it for me - I can't put a definition on something that would be so significant. It feels almost limiting to do so.
(pokes thread... not done, yet.)
Our family has a personal pantheon. The central Goddess (Triple) holds many things holy; the beauty of all types, people, and things, the *shiny*!innocence that comes from many different (mostly when more young) situations, Passion in both SWS and NSWS forms. (To name a few) She is very understanding to people who are looking for guidance, as long as you don't mind possibly finding yourself making art a bit more, of some sort... She is married to a God of Healing and Diplomacy, and she also has a consort-spouse that is more leaning toward the passionate. She (The Lady of the Rose) has done well by us, as we have done our best for Her.
Even though I'm a pagan,I'm still kinda ignorant as to the flavours. I worship Loki bc of his blatant not giving a damn towards gender and I can relate to him a lot.
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i am Norse pagan more specifically Asatru been following the gods and goddesses since i was young
Quote from: Trisha Mills on March 25, 2017, 02:52:02 PM
i am Norse pagan more specifically Asatru been following the gods and goddesses since i was young
Oh wow!
That sounds awesome [emoji4] what sort of thing do you do in regarding worshipping your Gods?
I'm pretty laid back
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Quote from: ghostbees on March 26, 2017, 05:27:08 PM
Oh wow!
That sounds awesome [emoji4] what sort of thing do you do in regarding worshipping your Gods?
I'm pretty laid back
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in asatru it is pretty "laid back" in regards to worshiping the Gods and Goddesses its mostly just giving thanks for the seasons and remembering your ancestors, and just give thanks to all of them it is alil bit more complicated i am in no way a gythia one day hopefully once i have a better understanding of the runes lol; but most importantly just be the best you can be :) :)
Quote from: Trisha Mills on April 03, 2017, 10:55:53 PM
in asatru it is pretty "laid back" in regards to worshiping the Gods and Goddesses its mostly just giving thanks for the seasons and remembering your ancestors, and just give thanks to all of them it is alil bit more complicated i am in no way a gythia one day hopefully once i have a better understanding of the runes lol; but most importantly just be the best you can be :) :)
I usually dedicate certain activities to Loki like when I draw or play cards or bingo. It's very nice to have a trickster god helping you win [emoji23]
Also I buy stuff for him and sometimes make food.
I've never used runes what are they like??
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Is Loki very reliable tho? I don't know much about him, admittedly, but it seems like he'd be as likely to help you out as to screw you over, just for the lulz. Maybe help you win a bunch and then, right at the end, snatch it all away from you just cuz it's funnier that way?
Or is he not quite so sadistic, more of a chaotic-neutral perhaps?
I know in my own relationships with the more random beings, I tend to not put much at stake (I generally don't gamble anyways), and am prepared to accept whatever random outcome happens. It usually gets amusingly weird. ;D
I've actually started warning new friends that strange things seem to happen around me.
Quote from: IdontEven on April 07, 2017, 10:06:28 AM
Is Loki very reliable tho? I don't know much about him, admittedly, but it seems like he'd be as likely to help you out as to screw you over, just for the lulz. Maybe help you win a bunch and then, right at the end, snatch it all away from you just cuz it's funnier that way?
Or is he not quite so sadistic, more of a chaotic-neutral perhaps?
I know in my own relationships with the more random beings, I tend to not put much at stake (I generally don't gamble anyways), and am prepared to accept whatever random outcome happens. It usually gets amusingly weird. ;D
I've actually started warning new friends that strange things seem to happen around me.
For me I'd say he's a more chaotic neutral but he definitely can screw me over if he wants more like making me see bugs that aren't there lmao
But he's pretty nice to worship I get him scarves and he loves it when I bake for him
How's your god like?
I don't interact with random spirits to my knowledge but I dabble a bit with witchcraft
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As for heritage I'm a Celt (Irish, Scottish), German, and native American (Cherokee).
I wouldn't say I subscribe to any of those, but I do believe in the Greek Gods and Goddesses. So I may be considered Pagan, but I don't necessarily consider myself one. If you want to call me Pagan go for it. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Or if you're into joking about that it could be said that it's all in the eye of the beer holder. ;)
Quote from: ghostbees on April 12, 2017, 08:50:50 AM
For me I'd say he's a more chaotic neutral but he definitely can screw me over if he wants more like making me see bugs that aren't there lmao
But he's pretty nice to worship I get him scarves and he loves it when I bake for him
How's your god like?
I don't interact with random spirits to my knowledge but I dabble a bit with witchcraft
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Honestly, that's a hard question for me to answer! I haven't exactly chosen one, or some - there are aspects of various interpretations that I dig, but nothing that fits into a cohesive picture. So I'm left practicing in the dark, so to speak...which is fumbling, at best. I'm doing my best to cultivate some relationships, but I've got this weird unsettled feeling regarding my spirituality - an unresolved itch to interpret things in a way that feels properly comfortable.
I don't even really know what it is I'm looking for, I have an idea, but it's proving to be vague and elusive!
Kemeticism which is what me and my husband are.
Late to the party, but I'm definitely a practicing animist. I firmly believe (and Know) that gods exist, and I've devoted myself to one, but... I'm kind of taking a break from honoring him while I get my life together. I work with other spirits of all sorts too, though. And I talk to my things a lot. I dunno, everything is alive to me.
Zen Buddhism is pretty rad too.