Official Pagan Thread!

[Silkiefan]

My parents taught me to question everything. My kids were raised to think openly and ask questions freely. Just this weekend we discussed the symbolism of eggs in the spring time and how they came to be incorporated into a religious holiday (Easter),
HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

 

[shmooborp]

i really love the free loving naturalisticness ( not a word lol) of the Pagan culture, i have a good friend who is pagan, who at first i totally did not understand but now we are great friends! altho i do not know a whole lot about it..

 

[deb1]

Here are two moments that had an influence on my life but might not be spiritual. Although they did influence my spirituality later in life, if that makes any sense.


One was when I was 17 or 18, I had a cousin who I thought highly of, who I found was homosexual. Because I had been brought up to view homosexuality as bad and sinful, I was disturbed by her sexual orientation, but I liked her as a friend. So I began to pepper her with questions, some rude and some of a personal nature. She answered every single question politely and with grace. Then when I asked her why she was a lesbian she told me very sincerly that she couldn't help being gay, it was just what she was. This was in the eighties.

Of course, it wasn't a spiritual moment in the sense that I suddenly saw the light of God. LOL

But years later, when I would sit in a church and hear negative sermons, I would think about my cousin and what she told me. For years, I am afraid that I did mental gymnastics around certain biblical verses in order to make them seem less harsh in my own eyes. Her answers had a long term effect on my future spirituality and why I walked away from my former religion.

The second influence is difficult to explain. My father died in Vietnam when I was a baby. My mother decided to hate all Asians, not simply Vietnamese-which would have been bad enough- but every single Asian person. For some reason, I was born being repulsed by prejudice. I never absorbed my mother's hate. I sought out anyone that my mother hated and tried to befriend them just to prove to myself that I was nothing like my mom.


I was 12 and I had a friend that was obviously a new immigrant from another country-I have no idea which one. Although I couldn't bring her to my home, I enjoyed talking to her. One day, I saw her gathering flowers from a bush. I think that it was wild roses of some sort. She asked me to help her so I gladly started pulling off flowers and handing them to her. Finally, I asked what she needed so many for.

I have seen people in church get a quiet type of happiness when they talk about how much God means to them, she had the exact same sort of glow.


Please understand, I was brought up a nominal Southern Baptist but I had attended enough summer bible schools to know that idols were a big no no.

So imagine how my brain came to a screeching halt when she announced that she was setting them before a statue of Buddha. First, I was not supposed to befriend anyone Asian and second, I had just discovered that I had picked a bunch of flowers for an idol. But something clicked in my head and I suddenly realized that she and I were in touch with the same deity.

I could have handed her the flowers and let her walk home alone. That is what she expected. But for some reason, I felt a need to help her carry the flowers back to her house. I can't explain why.

Of course, I couldn't go home and say, "Mom, I discovered something new about God, he is bigger then I thought. " She would have flipped out.

But over the years, the one incident has made me unable to accept that God exists in one faith or one religion. I just never believed that God sent nonChristians to eternal torture.

Of course, there have been other moments but those had a long term effect on my relationship with God.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I don't want to derail this - and I hope to get back to it. But, I have had two very strange dreams over the last two nights that puzzle me. There is clearly symbolism in it, but as it is mine I think I ma having trouble seeing it.

The first night my sister and I were kidnapped by South American rebels (why? Who knows!) They were holding us on a farm in the deep jungle. At one point she let out their chickens and I was very worried that she had let them out too early and that the rebels would be mad if the chickens laid their eggs all over and/or the rebels would not be around to protect the chickens. I was definitely afraid and upset with my sister for not understanding enough about chickens to avoid getting us in trouble. Atg one point I was washing dishes.

Second night (last night) I was kidnapped by a mad scientist who wanted to use me in an experiment with breathmoss (comes from an old sci fi book I remember from years ago - it grew in your lungs to enable you to breathe in thin air or sometimes under water.) We were under water in some kind of dome, and sometimes I could breathe and sometimes I was struggling. There was some issue about the scientists daughter and her threatening me and me trying to get her to see that he was crazy enough to sacrifice her as quickly as he would me. She was suspended at the top of the dome in an air pocket, I was struggling to breather under water. My husband woke me up because he said I was fighting and crying in my sleep.

I am stressed, my husband has been out f work since November, but we are really OK and it looks very positive for him to get at least a paying job here soon. There is alot going on, my foster son is getting married this weekend and I have tons to do. The semester is ending and I have tons to do, my daughters' birthdays are coming up and I have tons to do and I need to prepare for a huge test that I am worried about.

Sorry this is so long..... is it just stress? What is my mind trying to tell me?

 

[deb1]

My very poor guess with the first dream is that your sister probably does things that you think are not in her best interest. You want to protect her but she doesn't want to listen to you. Maybe that could be extended to other people or situations. Maybe you are frustrated because you can see what needs to be done for everyone to be safe and happy, but they are doing the opposite of what you want them to do? Is that possible?

or


You might want to rethink your plans of taking a vacation in South America with your sister.

 

[deb1]

Could the second dream be covering the same areas as the first? You know what needs to be done and you want to help others. but they aren't listening. So the daughter could represent someone or something that is in opposition to you even though you want to fix it or help that person. Is that possible?

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

is it just stress? What is my mind trying to tell me?

That you are overwhelmed and "drowning" in everything that is going on...and feel like no one is helping you. Yeah. Definitely stress.


JMO

Rusty​

 

[Haggis]

What is the OP's question / theme?

 

[Organics North]

IHWIMY.....
Were those South American rebel chickens Ameraucana or Araucana, which lay blue eggs????? I simply must know what kind of chickens South American rebels are keeping these days!
Sorry I just could not help it.. I love it worried about the rebels chickens.........

To me it sounds like you just have a lot going on and feeling a bit trapped...ie kidnapped...

Have you been eating the same as usual? I will have bizzare "rough" non flowing dreams if I eat too much meat or rich food.
I would suggest eating very light, then focus your thoughts prior to going to sleep so you may better understand your next series of dreams.

ON

 

[deb1]

Quote:
I think that this is just a thread for anyone who is interested in alternate religions.