How many of you consider yourselves Pagan? (page 4)

FreedomFrog

I'm wiccan, and proud of it!!

And you should be proud of it. I'm proud of my "Pagan" Shamanism way. I feel much closer to the Divine. Not a force worship feeling but a respecting of nature and love. I don't have the guilt of whether or not I'm praying the right way. And no one...NO ONE should ever take that away from you. It's your path. Enjoy it! You will come across people that will accuse you of being a follower of Satan. Believe me, I've been accused of that on several occassions. But it's only because they speak out of ignorance.

Blessed be!

Froggie

Moridin

I am also Wiccan. I've been studying Wicca for a little over a year now and am enjoying it. I've studied Shamanism also. I plan to study a lot of pagan beliefs and combine what I've learned to make myself a better person.

Ms. Whip

don't hate me because i'm pagan.

actually, i am a closet pagan. i haven't chosen a specific path. i don't really see or talk to dead people (do pagans do that?). i have chosen instead not to make a choice on spirituality. everything i think, feel, believe comes from within myself. i find myself gravitating on a subconcious level to everything mystical, earthy, magickal. i love candles, essential oils, nature, stones. i have a sensitive nature in that i pick up on things, people, animals quite easily.

i love freedom and life. i don't really feel comfortable calling on demons for help. i don't really know if i believe in angels either. i would love to live a totally free life. smoke pot openly, experiment with shrooms and psychedelics, dance nakid under the moon while chanting with other nakid people. work spells, participate in orgies (for spiritual reasons of course). but, like i said...i remain a closet pagan. my jw background, jw family and my fear of what people might think of me...hold me back from finding my true self.

i think pagans, occultists, druggies, folkies and other weirdos are wayyy funner to hang with than "normal" people. i know i'm a newbie here and only have pagan leanings. but, if any of you decide to have a pagan party, could you please count me in? i'll be happy to bake Gingerbread Kama Sutra Cookies for everyone!.

(http://www.porn-bread.com/gingerbread.htm)

doofdaddy

It's such a shame about the time difference ....But I will answer as best I can.

Firstly I must say that both nights I have written quite detailed stories and both times my computer failed...

So I think I will keep them more general.

My fear was not of demons or entities but much more personal and deep. Some call it the warriors journey, I don't know. AllI know was that I needed to go to the brink to learn to face my deepest fears and yes possibly the last vestiges of jw indoctrination.

I have had initiation ceremonies in Sumatra with a Shaman woman who conjured the Opoong, the ancient spirits. It was not fear inspiring but of wholeness and yes, even love....

What shifted my fear was my relationship to eagles, particularly sea eagles. Up to that point, I never resonated with them. I will not tell the story but suffice to say when I felt that icey grip in my gut, I would put the eagle in my mind, fearlessly ruffling its feathers, unshakeable with talons locked to the earth.

On a lighter note

I loved the comments of the potential forest fairie who wants to get earthy!!!

Can I suggest to you to go to the web and look up forest dance parties, we call them doofs out here, as in doof, doof, doof of the subs (Yeah that's the name above). Your way may be called forest trance parties. Just what you need.

I have found dance, particularly in the forest is most powerful in going to a deeper world without using any drug. And yes I have been to doofs on the beach with the sun rising and the dolphins attracted to the relentless bass and pschedelic sounds, twisting, surfing and somersalting in pure joy of being

Also to full moon parties in the Himalayas with the moon setting over towering snow peaks while the sun rises below in the valley.........

It's a long way from the hokie pokie with the witnesses!!! Ha Ha

daystar

So you're a Popeyeist?

ROFL! No, his philosophy was "I am what I am, and I can't stands no more!".

FreedomFrog

Since you all seem to be enjoying this chat, I will tell you one of my favorite sites.

It's called Panganforums.com. Now some on there are judgemental...and yes, it's even in the Pagan side as well. Especially when someone is on a particular path and feels it's the only way. But most are not that way. There are a variety of Pagan paths on that board. You may enjoy it. I sure have learn lots from others and am still learning.

Here is the link:

http://www.paganforum.com

logansrun

It seems to me that Paganism is extremely faddish and commercialized. What's the difference between having an unsubstantiated and proofless belief in "Mother Nature" and having an unsubstantiated and proofless belief in Jehovah? I understand the longing for some sense of "sprituality" but I also agree with Wittgenstein when he said: "That which we cannot speak we must consign to silence."

So...my "brutal" interpretation of the Pagan fascination is that it's just a commercialized fad supported by (primarily) women who have good intentions but are pretty far off the charts in the rationality department. Pray to Jehovah or pray to trees -- what's the diff?

B.

FreedomFrog

It seems to me that Paganism is extremely faddish and commercialized.

Well, Logan, I'm not going to go into the whole history of Pagans...but I would suggest you do a history look-up before you make statements like this. It's been around way before Christians...ie Jehovah's Witness's. For example Witness's started around the 1870...VERY new compared to certain pagan paths.

You are right that Paganism has became a "fad" for the younger people. And maybe right on the commercialized. But only because there are ones out there that want to be Pagan for the "wrong" reasons.

What's the difference between having an unsubstantiated and proofless belief in "Mother Nature" and having an unsubstantiated and proofless belief in Jehovah? I understand the longing for some sense of "sprituality" but I also agree with Wittgenstein when he said: "That which we cannot speak we must consign to silence."

The difference is I never did feel good being a Jehovah's Witness. It wasn't my path. I feel totally at peace and it feels good on the path I'm on now. If being a Jehovah's Witness FEELS right to you then that is right for YOU. You are on your own path...that path is right for you. I'm not saying that I'm on the "only" right path. I'm saying that this is right for me. And hell, it could change next week. But for now, I'm happy. Are you happy with the "path" that you have choosen...if yes, then that's right for you.

So...my "brutal" interpretation of the Pagan fascination is that it's just a commercialized fad supported by (primarily) women who have good intentions but are pretty far off the charts in the rationality department. Pray to Jehovah or pray to trees -- what's the diff?

Another false statement is "Pagan is supported by (primarily) women....that's not true at all. There are so many male Pagans out there. Do you know who started up Wiccan as it is today? A male. Wiccan's have been around for a VERY long time. They just had to go in hiding because of witch burning. But a male (Gerald Gardner) brought it back to what it is today. And Raymond Buckland (also a male) continued it forward.

And one last thing...ahem...I don't pray to trees.

doofdaddy

Logansrun

I understand your bitterness over your experience with jws. But you use the word pagan to cover all sorts of different beliefs. I don't call myself a pagan. If you saw me on the street youwouldn't look twice. If I spoke to you, you would thinkI am a normal guy going to work and goingout with friends etc. I only speak of these things if I believe someone is truly interested, otherwise as I said on an earlier comment, I would be speaking in to the wind.

You quoted some guy who said be silent about what you don't know. Amen

neverthere

I of course respect what other pagans have to say but in discovering my paganism most of the high preistesses and priests that I have discussed this with would more follow the encarta definition http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861713692/definition.html

witch [ wich ]

noun ( plural witch·es )

1. somebody with alleged magic powers: somebody, especially a woman, who is supposed to have magical or wonder-working powers that are most often used malevolently

2. follower of nature religion: a follower of Wicca, a pre-Christian natural religion

3. offensive term: an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman regarded as ugly, vicious, or malicious ( insult )

4. seductive woman: a woman who is regarded as alluring or seductive ( informal ) ( sometimes offensive)

transitive verb ( past and past participle witched , present participle witch·ing , 3rd person present singular witch·es )

affect something using witchcraft: to cause or change something by use of the supposedly magical powers of witchcraft

[ Old English wicce "witch" and wicca "wizard" ]

I have known christian witches but they would never deem to (or as one told me lower themselves) call themselves a witch. It's all perspective I suppose. I think it is wonderful for anyone to find a path that fills them spiritually.

As for paganism being a fad and commercial, seeing as Wicca/Paganism is a fall back to the oldest religion in the world, I wouldn't call it a fad but a rebirth of Earth religions.

How many of you consider yourselves Pagan?

Share this