Official Pagan Thread!

[Whispering Winds]

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I get exasperated at DD because she wants to wear the gothic make up and I feel like a 30+ needs to stop, but I also h ave to remind myself that she is autistic (very high end, but suffers from depression and is on many meds) and we are lucky she is able to even function at the level she does. She does the Tarot cards and has scared her friends over the way she hits their life and what is going to happen 9 out of 10 times. But she is genuinely good, kind, and caring and if this is what she believes in, then so be it. I feel or hope that its just a different path to the same place.

 

[LizFM]

Thanks. Like I said, I'm really not easily offended and don't have a chip on my shoulder or anything, but I have had a couple of bad experiences on other forums, and prefer to know about such things now, before I get too emotionally attached to a forum, if you know what I mean.

(it might be too late for that)

Interestingly, the bad experiences didn't directly involve Paganism and weren't even originally directed at me! But what I saw just ruined any enjoyment I got out of those particular forums, and I don't go there anymore.

At any rate...I'm sort of generic Pagan/kitchenwitch/hedgewitch. Really more of an animist and not drawn to a belief in particular gods or goddesses as differentiated, cognizant beings.

I have a graduate degree in social science and my coursework included the study of religion. I really enjoyed one particular class where the instructor started out from a perspective of asking "what is religion?" "is there such a thing, in all cultures, as that particular concept we refer to as "religion?"

He doesn't think there is, by the way. He thinks that, just like with the term "witch" and "witchcraft", European people assumed there was such a thing as religion that existed in all cultures, and looked for things in all cultures they came across to label "witchcraft" and "religion."

 

[LizFM]

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it's called ergot and it happens to rye. I have heard the theory that it is responsible for a lot of bizarre activity, and the reactions to it, in history (including the middle ages). It's like LSD. In fact, if my husband is to be believed (he of the Master's degree in natural science, so he's most probably right), the discovery of ergot's effects on humans lead to the creation of LSD.

Not sure I believe it was the cause of the witch trials... pre- and teenaged girls don't need a chemical reason to behave strangely

 

[feathersnuggles]

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Yep, I think the vision-seeing teens were used as a cover for some land-grabbing opportunities. 2 of my "great-great..." ancestors who lived in and near salem were charged with witchcraft & killed. Both were upright, bible-believing christian types. Their family land and properties were seized and sold very quickly.

 

[mrbstephens]

I have the highest respect for Pagans. When I was a teenager I became very interested in Paganism. I read many books on the subject(can't recall which). My parents were fighting constantly at the time and I admit I attempted one of those spells. Also using a bowl filled with water and imaging the water parting in the middle. I wanted them so badly to divorce, because I couldn't stand the constant arguing. I had to do this for several days in a row and I don't think I made it to the last day. They eventually split up, but it wasn't till a few years later. Coincidence probably.
Anyway, if I had the time I'd study paganism more. I too am a nature loving spiritual person. Maybe when the kids are grown and I have more time for myself.

 

[Boyd]

What would be some good books to start out on as somebody who's interested in finding their way again? I've studied as an IFM, Catholic, Lutheran, Buddhist and others but haven't found my place yet.


ETA: I have almost no knowledge of wicca or paganism as it's discussed here.

 

[Kanchii]

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It sounds like a dumb book, the title embarrassed me when I went to buy it, but the Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmermann
Denise Zimmermann and Katherine A. Gleason, if you're interested in Wicca. It was a great, easy to follow, and pretty well covered subject that was actually fun to read.

As for what a spell really is, to me, everyone can preform magick. It's one of our gifts from The All. To me, when you do a spell, you need to really lose yourself in it and focus, chant, sing, meditate, etc for it while you're working it. Then your magickal energy goes out and does the job for you. The herbs, stones, etc I think do help channel some of that magickal energy and they help but I think the main purpose of the ritual is to channel your magickal self out into the world successfully. It's not just, like, filling a shedded snake's skin with rose buds that makes your true love find you, it's the energy you put into making it.

As for gods and goddesses... I don't really believe in separate powers, to me there is just The All, the feminine moon goddess and masculine sun god. I don't think they're particularly human-like, more like great beings of energy and compassion and rage you have to respect and work with so that one day, after many reincarnations, we can be at true perfect rest with The All.

Heh. Those are my personal beliefs. So far.

Still learning and branching out and reading. It'll be interesting to see how I've changed in beliefs in just a year or so!

 

[LizFM]

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Scott Cunningham's books, Wicca, and Living Wicca, are great starting points. Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is an excellent overview to a lot of aspects of different types of neopaganism in the US, and, as she started the research in teh book (if I recall correctly) as research she did in college, I trust it as a source.

I don't want to insult anyone's favorite books, authors or publishers, but some stuff that gets published on paganism is utter made-up crap.The most common example of this, is authors who claim that certain animals or plants are part of medieval (or even older) pagan religious practices in Europe...when those particular items were New World discoveries and did not even exist in Europe back then.

And that kind of thing is just the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe it has gotten better in the last few years, but I don't know because I don't even look in them much anymore. At best, it's just a case of someone being naive and not caring enough to do good hard research. At worst, it's just people who don't believe, writing crap to make money on gullible people. I can be kind of an academic snob, I will admit.

I do believe there are definitely practices, beliefs and ideas that survived from old pagan European practices, but I believe most of these survived in the form of folk tales and folk magic, practiced by people who never considered themselves anything but Christian, who no longer knew the original source of their stories or traditions.

 

[rainplace]

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I don't see to have a problem putting my energy out there... sometimes I can't stop it... flooding.

I have a problem with receiving. Does that make sense? It's like I'm too loud... or too scared... or too self centered... or too something.

Has anyone else experienced this before... and if so, what did you do?

 

[saddina]

I've been out of the broomcloset for a bit now. I currently work with an apperantance, something new to both of us. I have the double edged "benefit" of living in an area with a large wiccan/pagan community.