RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'm very interested in learning more about paganism. I have been reading through some threads here. I also am waiting for some books at the library. In the meantime I have some questions that I would like to ask anyone who considers themselves a pagan. 1. God/Goddess or Mother Nature/Father Sky --- what do they mean to you? Do you worship them or do you simply acknowledge their existence? 2. Where can I learn more on the above question while I'm waiting for the library books? 3. Is it necessary to believe in reincarnation or are there pagans who don't believe in reincarnation? I'm leaning towards their is no reincarnation, but that sims because when I think of rebirth I can't picture myself being reborn as a butterfly or something. Or will you be reborn as the same kind of being? I really don't know much on this subject and would like to learn more. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. :) I'm sure I will come back with more as I read more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I am not Pagan, but I wanted to tell you to try a search because last year we had some very good discussions on this board and quite a few members were very open about their beliefs. I learned a LOT from reading through them. :) I am still appreciative to those who took the risk of sharing themselves so freely here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 1. God/Goddess or Mother Nature/Father Sky --- what do they mean to you? Do you worship them or do you simply acknowledge their existence? God - a sentient, holy being Goddess - a god we perceive as more like women than men Mother Nature - the living, conscious soul of the sum of the physical earth's parts; a goddess, and the one I acknowledge first in any ritual Father Sky - I don't really have a Father Sky on my radar. I worship them. 2. Where can I learn more on the above question while I'm waiting for the library books? I always recommend the articles on neopagan.net. 3. Is it necessary to believe in reincarnation or are there pagans who don't believe in reincarnation? Most Paganism is orthopraxic. That means membership is usually not perceived based on what you believe, but based on what you do. I know Pagans who believe in reincarnation, Pagans who believe only in physical reincarnation (we are eaten by worms and become part of them, then part of the soil, then we become the plants that grow in that soil...), and Pagans who believe that we cross over into a heaven-ish place sometimes called the Summerlands. I've known a few Pagans who have Buddhist-y ideas about ceasing to exist or joining the pantheistic soul of everything. I'm leaning towards their is no reincarnation, but that sims because when I think of rebirth I can't picture myself being reborn as a butterfly or something. Or will you be reborn as the same kind of being? I believe I was a person before and will be a person again. The book Old Souls by Tom Shroder is pretty convincing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 I am not Pagan, but I wanted to tell you to try a search because last year we had some very good discussions on this board and quite a few members were very open about their beliefs. I learned a LOT from reading through them. :) I am still appreciative to those who took the risk of sharing themselves so freely here. Thank you. I have been doing this. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) God - a sentient, holy being Goddess - a god we perceive as more like women than men Mother Nature - the living, conscious soul of the sum of the physical earth's parts; a goddess, and the one I acknowledge first in any ritual Father Sky - I don't really have a Father Sky on my radar. I worship them. I didn't realize there was a God, a Goddess, and Mother Nature. I thought maybe Mother Nature was the Goddess, but just a different word for her. I always recommend the articles on neopagan.net. Thanks, I will look at this. Most Paganism is orthopraxic. That means membership is usually not perceived based on what you believe, but based on what you do. I know Pagans who believe in reincarnation, Pagans who believe only in physical reincarnation (we are eaten by worms and become part of them, then part of the soil, then we become the plants that grow in that soil...), and Pagans who believe that we cross over into a heaven-ish place sometimes called the Summerlands. I've known a few Pagans who have Buddhist-y ideas about ceasing to exist or joining the pantheistic soul of everything. I've never heard of the Summerlands. Where can I learn more about this? I believe I was a person before and will be a person again. The book Old Souls by Tom Shroder is pretty convincing. Thank you for your reply! :) Edited March 25, 2012 by RainbowSprinkles Highlighted my resposes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Thank you for your reply! :) No problem. Let me know if you have any more questions. I was trying to be minimalist in my responses, but I don't need to be. After I posted, Uranus of course immediately came to mind, but He's not a deity I have worked with much before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Sorry I was on my phone when I replied. I highlighted my responses. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I didn't realize there was a God, a Goddess, and Mother Nature. I thought maybe Mother Nature was the Goddess, but just a different word for her. You know how when we start out homeschooling, we think there is A Single Standard Curriculum that every school uses at least basically, like, third grade = cursive and long division? But then we find out there isn't. We could spend third grade reading myths and solving Singapore bar problems, and heck, third grade could mean age seven, age eight, age nine, or never really happen at all. Paganism is that big and that, um, well, chaotic. There is no one set of gods that everyone agrees exists. Everyone doesn't agree that there are such things as gods. Among those who do believe in gods, some are monotheistic and some are duotheistic and some are polytheist, and any of those three could be pantheists too. Some Pagans seem to conceive of gods the way that Christians think of God, as some omnipotent, omniscience being. Most Pagans don't, though. As for the Summerlands, common knowledge seems to insist that it originated in Wicca, a kind of mashing together of various European mythologies, but I don't have any idea where. My two primary references (Drawing Down the Moon, A Pagan Testament) don't seem to know either. It's a great question. I wish I had more time today to look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Very nice answer, Rose :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Very nice answer, Rose :) "Where did the idea of the Summerlands originate?" is one of those questions I could contentedly spend $30,000 and a year researching in an academic setting. :::sigh::: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) So since there are so many different beliefs within Paganism, what is it that all of the different kinds of Paganism have in common? Is it the belief that everyone has their own path? What I mean is what is it that connects all the different kinds of Pagans? Edited March 25, 2012 by RainbowSprinkles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) So since there are so many different beliefs within Paganism, what is it that all of the different kinds of Paganism have in common? We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. We think that divinity can be inside of physical things as well as outside of physical stuff. We all take an ecological view of good vs evil, that it's more a question of balance. We believe that there are spiritual beings on this planet besides humans (fairies, gods, ancestors). We believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings, and most of us could confirm, at least metaphorically, that famous line -- "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals." We are pro-sex and pro-women. We believe in and practice magick. We believe in putting feet on our religion, in environmentalist or political action. We are tolerant and believe strongly in religious freedom. We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes. Is it the belief that everyone has their own path? No, that's Unitarian Universalism. What I mean is what is it that connects all the different kinds of pagans? Coffee and campgrounds? Edited March 25, 2012 by dragons in the flower bed clarity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Very nice answer, Rose :) :D I hope I didn't misrepresent my more conservative sisters in describing what we have in common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. We think that divinity can be inside of physical things as well as outside of physical stuff. We all take an ecological view of good vs evil, that it's more a question of balance. We believe that there are spiritual beings on this planet besides humans (fairies, gods, ancestors). We believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings, and most of us could confirm, at least metaphorically, that famous line -- "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals." We are pro-sex and pro-women. We believe in and practice magick. We believe in putting feet on our religion, in environmentalist or political action. We are tolerant and believe strongly in religious freedom. We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes. Thank you for being so patient with me and answering my questions! When you say worship nature, in what ways do you do that? And aren't we all pro-sex? :D But really, what do you mean by that? No, that's Unitarian Universalism. Oh, I think I'm getting mixed up. Coffee and campgrounds? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treestarfae Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 http://mysticwicks.com/forum.php Check out the discover section in general pagan. Lots of explanations and people to talk to about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 http://mysticwicks.com/forum.php Check out the discover section in general pagan. Lots of explanations and people to talk to about it. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) So since there are so many different beliefs within Paganism, what is it that all of the different kinds of Paganism have in common? Is it the belief that everyone has their own path? What I mean is what is it that connects all the different kinds of Pagans? Frankly, basically not following an Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) in an orthodox way is about the only real commonality. For the most part, the religions that are grouped under the umbrella term "Paganism" or "Neopaganism" are also ones that, while they may or may not be more or less based on the belief systems of ancient societies, are not indigenous belief systems that have been continuously practiced (so not Shinto, Hinduism, various other systems like those of Aboriginal tribes in Australia, Native American tribes, etc). It may help to realize that "Paganism" is not a term that is equivalent to "Christianity" in implying a common structure or core belief system which has denominations with only variations in specific practices/interpretations. People identifying as "Pagan" can be monotheistic, duotheistic (ie God/Goddess), polytheistic, henotheistic (allowing for multiple deities but worshiping only or primarily one of them), animistic, even atheistic. Those that allow for the existence of deities don't agree on the names/natures/attributes of those deities. Some Pagans even include Jesus as part of their pantheons, to further complicate matters. Clear as mud?:) Edited March 25, 2012 by KarenNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I would say I'm probably not Pagan, but there is certainly much in the Pagan path that appeals to our family. At the moment I think we defy label. However, I found a good place to start was the Higginbotham's "Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions." I felt like they did a good job of explaining the divergent paths that fall under the wider umbrella of Paganism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 1. God/Goddess or Mother Nature/Father Sky --- what do they mean to you? Do you worship them or do you simply acknowledge their existence? 2. Where can I learn more on the above question while I'm waiting for the library books? 3. Is it necessary to believe in reincarnation or are there pagans who don't believe in reincarnation? I'm leaning towards their is no reincarnation, but that sims because when I think of rebirth I can't picture myself being reborn as a butterfly or something. Or will you be reborn as the same kind of being? I really don't know much on this subject and would like to learn more. 1. I'm a Pagan but not a Wiccan, just to clarify. And I don't exactly see them as humanistic deities. More like the spirit of all of us living creatures and the Earth, with masculine and feminine all intertwined together. I worship them and nature, but as something I'm a part of, not something that rules over me, if that makes sense. 2. Your best bet is probably to hit Google and try to weed out all the wackaloons. Some of the more hard-core Wiccans are a bit... off. Imo. ;) 3. I don't think that we float up out of our bodies will all memories intact and drift into a baby koala or whatever. I do think that some part of the energy that is life survives death and reincarnates, but I don't try to dissect that too deeply. I'm content to worry about this life and do the best that I can right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Frankly, basically not following an Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) in an orthodox way is about the only real commonality. For the most part, the religions that are grouped under the umbrella term "Paganism" or "Neopaganism" are also ones that, while they may or may not be more or less based on the belief systems of ancient societies, are not indigenous belief systems that have been continuously practiced (so not Shinto, Hinduism, various other systems like those of Aboriginal tribes in Australia, Native American tribes, etc). It may help to realize that "Paganism" is not a term that is equivalent to "Christianity" in implying a common structure or core belief system which has denominations with only variations in specific practices/interpretations. People identifying as "Pagan" can be monotheistic, duotheistic (ie God/Goddess), polytheistic, henotheistic (allowing for multiple deities but worshiping only or primarily one of them), animistic, even atheistic. Those that allow for the existence of deities don't agree on the names/natures/attributes of those deities. Some Pagans even include Jesus as part of their pantheons, to further complicate matters. Clear as mud?:) :iagree: We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. We think that divinity can be inside of physical things as well as outside of physical stuff. We all take an ecological view of good vs evil, that it's more a question of balance. We believe that there are spiritual beings on this planet besides humans (fairies, gods, ancestors). We believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings, and most of us could confirm, at least metaphorically, that famous line -- "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals." We are pro-sex and pro-women. We believe in and practice magick. We believe in putting feet on our religion, in environmentalist or political action. We are tolerant and believe strongly in religious freedom. We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes. :lol: What do you mean by pro-sex? I will say that not all pagans I know believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings by any means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 http://www.religioustolerance.org/neo_paga.htm#menu has some information that is pretty readable and, as far as I can tell, pretty accurate about the many varied forms of belief systems grouped as "Pagan" or "Neopagan." For books, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism" by Carl McColman and "Paganism: an introduction to earth-centered religions" by Joyce and River Higginbotham are both good survey books addressing the variety of groups clustered under the Pagan umbrella. For one specifically on Wicca, the largest of those groups, British historian Ronald Hutton's book, "Triumph of the Moon: a history of modern Pagan Witchcraft" is the best I've seen detailing the conditions that set the stage for the development of Wicca in early 20th century Britain as well as a detailed description of how Wicca developed and changed. To look more closely at how Wicca changed when it came to America, Chas Clifton has a book called "Her Hidden Children: the rise of Wicca and Paganism in America." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 1. God/Goddess or Mother Nature/Father Sky --- what do they mean to you? Do you worship them or do you simply acknowledge their existence? On the surface, neither. I'm not into deities. However, they fit into my concept of reality because other people do. Lots of people read 'Heidi.' Lots of people like 'Heidi.' Lots of mothers wait for their kiddies to grow old enough to enjoy it and introduce her like an old friend. What sort of wet blanket needs to tell them they are being lame and she's fake? Of course she is real and an old friend, even though we all agree she is fiction. With gods, there isn't agreement, that's all. I don't believe in them, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in the consequences of other people believing. Those consequences are most definitely real! I don't believe in anything that can make those alternative realities of other people's a threat either. 2. Where can I learn more on the above question while I'm waiting for the library books? Heh. I think you came to the place with the quickest response time. :DI don't read much online so I have nothing to recommend. I probably would if I belonged to a particular discipline, but I'm just me all by my little lonesome. 3. Is it necessary to believe in reincarnation or are there pagans who don't believe in reincarnation? I'm leaning towards their is no reincarnation, but that sims because when I think of rebirth I can't picture myself being reborn as a butterfly or something. Or will you be reborn as the same kind of being? I really don't know much on this subject and would like to learn more. You can sit in your house, call yourself a pagan and believe anything you like. There isn't one way to be a pagan because no one is the boss of us, basically, unless we invited them to be! As for reincarnation, I've got a strange little scenario that I'd rather not talk about because it makes me sound neurotic. :tongue_smilie: My subconscious and my rational brain seem to hold different views and one is slowly convincing the other. We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. What's this worship stuff you talk of? *runs screaming* :p We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes.I'm rarely late but I do have a pet peeve here. How can nature worshipping people gallivant about in synthetic, crushed velvet robes? :p Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 What do you mean by pro-sex? Believing that sex is a good thing to do, that folks should be as free as possible to do it, that it has (a great deal of) value for its own sake, and that engaging in it is usually not just right but important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 What's this worship stuff you talk of? *runs screaming* :p I'm rarely late but I do have a pet peeve here. How can nature worshipping people gallivant about in synthetic, crushed velvet robes? :p Dude, I don't know what kind of pagans you've been running around with. Here the girls wear denim cut-offs and the boys wear cotton saris. Seriously, though, maybe it would be helpful to establish that there is a distinction in writing between pagan and Pagan: 1) pagan: a person not practicing an Abrahamic faith, a heathen, a non-believer; 2) Pagan: a person practicing a nature-based faith, components of which typically include respect for nature spirits, ancestors and/or deities, recognition of seasonal holidays, and a belief in magick. It's an argument, for sure. Defining "pagan religion" is as hard as defining "classical education". I like what the Religious Tolerance page has to say about it: "the first of seven definitions..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Frankly, basically not following an Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) in an orthodox way is about the only real commonality. For the most part, the religions that are grouped under the umbrella term "Paganism" or "Neopaganism" are also ones that, while they may or may not be more or less based on the belief systems of ancient societies, are not indigenous belief systems that have been continuously practiced (so not Shinto, Hinduism, various other systems like those of Aboriginal tribes in Australia, Native American tribes, etc). It may help to realize that "Paganism" is not a term that is equivalent to "Christianity" in implying a common structure or core belief system which has denominations with only variations in specific practices/interpretations. People identifying as "Pagan" can be monotheistic, duotheistic (ie God/Goddess), polytheistic, henotheistic (allowing for multiple deities but worshiping only or primarily one of them), animistic, even atheistic. Those that allow for the existence of deities don't agree on the names/natures/attributes of those deities. Some Pagans even include Jesus as part of their pantheons, to further complicate matters. Clear as mud?:) Yes, that does help. Thank you for this explanation. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 I would say I'm probably not Pagan, but there is certainly much in the Pagan path that appeals to our family. At the moment I think we defy label. However, I found a good place to start was the Higginbotham's "Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions." I felt like they did a good job of explaining the divergent paths that fall under the wider umbrella of Paganism. Thanks for the link.:) 1. I'm a Pagan but not a Wiccan, just to clarify. And I don't exactly see them as humanistic deities. More like the spirit of all of us living creatures and the Earth, with masculine and feminine all intertwined together. I worship them and nature, but as something I'm a part of, not something that rules over me, if that makes sense. 2. Your best bet is probably to hit Google and try to weed out all the wackaloons. Some of the more hard-core Wiccans are a bit... off. Imo. ;) 3. I don't think that we float up out of our bodies will all memories intact and drift into a baby koala or whatever. I do think that some part of the energy that is life survives death and reincarnates, but I don't try to dissect that too deeply. I'm content to worry about this life and do the best that I can right now. Thanks for your reply. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Dude, I don't know what kind of pagans you've been running around with. Here the girls wear denim cut-offs and the boys wear cotton saris. I don't run with any. It's merely an observation on the peeps who get themselves photographed for books. :tongue_smilie: I was reading up on Wicca a while back, just for kicks, because I found a book with an interview with a male Wiccan and hadn't seen such a thing before. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. We think that divinity can be inside of physical things as well as outside of physical stuff. We all take an ecological view of good vs evil, that it's more a question of balance. We believe that there are spiritual beings on this planet besides humans (fairies, gods, ancestors). We believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings, and most of us could confirm, at least metaphorically, that famous line -- "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals." We are pro-sex and pro-women. We believe in and practice magick. We believe in putting feet on our religion, in environmentalist or political action. We are tolerant and believe strongly in religious freedom. We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes. Nope, sorry :). I have no interest in magick whatsoever (the kind spelled with a "k" or the kind spelled without it;)); worship the Gods, not "nature"; humans have the intrinsic potential to choose acts that are not destructive rather than being intrinsically "good"; I'm only "pro-sex" in a committed relationship between consenting responsible adults who expect and intend it to continue indefinitely; for "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals" depends on who you mean by "Her"--acts that would please Aphrodite would be unlikely to please Artemis--and I don't believe all are aspects of a singular "Goddess" ;); I may be considered "pro-women" but would not be described as a feminist and refuse to be involved with any activity or group that feels the need to misspell words related to gender to show how "pro-woman" they are(ie: "womanifestation," "wombyn," etc); and silly costumes can be fun but belong at Halloween (not a religious festival for me, btw), not in worship. I AM often late, believe action is more important than belief, consider myself tolerant (which doesn't mean "agree with" or don't consider some belief systems or rituals odd ;)), advocate for religious freedom (but must be in conjunction with religious responsibility), good vs evil is way too complicated, and that the Gods are part of the universe rather than standing outside it.;) No, that's Unitarian Universalism. Well, I've also been an active member of a UU church for well over a decade (there are many who identify as Neopagan in the UU church, along with those who identify as Christian, atheist, Buddhist, humanist, etc, just to confuse things :)). I agee that everyone may have their own path, but that doesn't mean that I don't think some of those paths are odd or just flat wrong--if I agreed with one of them, I'd be on that path.;) All religions have aspects that appear silly or odd or wrong to those who don't subscribe to that religion. IME, many Pagans would agree with the statement, but some are as adamant about "one TRUE faith that applies to the whole world" as any fundamentalist Christian, Muslim, etc. Coffee and campgrounds? Hate coffee and camping----give me tea or diet soda and a hotel room every time.:D Edited March 25, 2012 by KarenNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Just, FYI - this week I am kinda somewhere on the neo-Pagan spectrum. My religion is a little too fluid for me right now. For me when I historically was a self-identified Druid I was more in-tune with the natural cycles of the year. I observed full moons and many of the Celtic high holy days such as Samhain (Halloween). I had a home alter (a practice I am reviving), didn't practice my rituals with others, and even worked at a neo-Pagan/Santeria store. Interestingly enough the above tends to be true when I'm Christian save the celebration of the Celtic high holy days. I'm not big on attending church or the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks to all who replied. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Respectfully, Rose, but no. We all don't. There is so much diversity amongst Pagans that you cannot define "Pagan" as a singularity. You may be able to break it down into various Pagan paths -- Asatru, Dianic, Druid, Green Witch, Hellenic, Santeria, Wiccan, etc. -- and then you may be able to find some consistencies, but even then you will still find much diversity. We all worship nature and believe that science reveals the sacred. We think that divinity can be inside of physical things as well as outside of physical stuff. While I am a Nature worshipping Witch (not Wiccan), I know many who are not at all interested in Nature, but rather the astrophysical plane beyond it. We all take an ecological view of good vs evil, that it's more a question of balance. Not all Pagans believe in evil as a concept. There are good things and bad things that happen, but assigning evil is assigning a deific construct. Not all Pagans believe in deities, ergo evil is irrelevant. We believe that there are spiritual beings on this planet besides humans (fairies, gods, ancestors). No. I don't believe in spiritual or supernatural beings of any kind. No gods, no fairies, no wind-walking ancestors. We believe in the intrinsic goodness of human beings, and most of us could confirm, at least metaphorically, that famous line -- "all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals." We are pro-sex and pro-women. Some Pagans are definitely pro-women, but I can think of many that are not. Pro-sex? Well, I think you are going to get as many responses to that as there are levels of libido in the general population. We believe in and practice magick. I do, but you really have to define what you believe is magick before you can talk about what practicing it means. Many Wiccans do not practice magick at all, although some (most) of them believe in some form of it. We believe in putting feet on our religion, in environmentalist or political action. I think I've known as many environmentally and politically apathetic Pagans as non-Pagans. We are tolerant and believe strongly in religious freedom. I think you are lucky not to have come across some of the rigidly doctrinal Wiccans, then. Tolerance must not be a word in their dictionaries. We are all usually late, and we have a fondness for silly costumes. I'm almost never late, and I don't do silly costumes, even on Samhain. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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