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Furry Chat => General => Topic started by: ★Amethyst★ on November 22, 2015, 09:28:03 PM
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Hey, so. There's been a few threads for different religions(and lack thereof) so I figured why not make a thread for people under the umbrella of pagan religions/spiritualities? Anything from Wicca, Druids, Asatru, Kemetic, Esoteric, indigenous, etc etc.
I've been a soft agnostic for several years but I've developed a growing curiosity towards pagan paths, specifically solitary Wicca, and have been researching and reading books and what not. To be honest, I'm a bit of a skeptic but I'm drawn to the general philosophy and in a way, the aesthetic. I've been planning a personalized "year and a day" type of self-study to learn more about it and see if it is indeed something I want to commit to.
As for this thread, feel free to post about your experiences, what type of path you follow, or anything else related to pagan/natural/etc spirituality. And of course people who are not pagan are welcome too, just remember to refrain from negativity for the sake of negativity ^^
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Was raised Christian, but I practice celtic wicca :D Weirdly enough, I started when I was in the mountains camping with a few college buds. I went out to explore a little forest glen and sat down. Out of pure human curiosity I started to chant a poem about the sky in latin I had learned from my phonetics course. A moment later the wind became extremely powerful, I looked around, and a doe was standing behind me. Didn't even notice me really. I just sat there dumbstruck. Ever since then the memory has just been a guiding light for me.
If you ever happen to be in central California near June Lake and stumble upon a green geocache under some branches, I was sitting just by there.
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I'm atheist, but I hope you don't mind if I pop in. I'm very interested in learning more about it all! I'd like to kind of sit back in the thread and take in as much info as possible to learn. So please don't mind me if I have questions. ^~^
I'll probably just check in time to time to see any newer posts. Thanks, friends! ^w^
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Was raised Christian, but I practice celtic wicca :D Weirdly enough, I started when I was in the mountains camping with a few college buds. I went out to explore a little forest glen and sat down. Out of pure human curiosity I started to chant a poem about the sky in latin I had learned from my phonetics course. A moment later the wind became extremely powerful, I looked around, and a doe was standing behind me. Didn't even notice me really. I just sat there dumbstruck. Ever since then the memory has just been a guiding light for me.
If you ever happen to be in central California near June Lake and stumble upon a green geocache under some branches, I was sitting just by there.
I was raised (fairly liberal) Christian too, but left shortly after going through confirmation since I just didn't feel like it fit me.
I've always loved nature, plants and animals and such. Especially sitting under the moon at night and feeling the breeze around me. I dunno, ever since I was little I always thought it felt really mysterious and intriguing.
Like I said before, I also like the philosophy such emphasis on independence, self-improvement, personal experience, and open-mindedness that can be found therein.
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Modern paganism is quite a curiosity. It's a movement that attempts to recreate the fallen religions from antiquity through what little that we know. While not huge, it is slowly growing. Wicca is by far the largest of them all, followed by Nordic traditions practiced in Iceland.
I looked into Wicca a few years ago, and occasionally look back into it. It's kind of neat. It places a heavy emphasis on individuality and nature and "the magicks." I personally wouldn't go into it, since I don't believe in all of that magick and ritual stuffs, but honestly there's much, much worst out there.
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I've been Wiccan for about 1 1/2 years now but my step dad is a huge Christian (the kind that think their religion is the only way) and he won't let me practice in the house, but I can't really practice outside so I feel stuck. I have an altar, although it's not complete. It has lots of bones on it, shells, a couple bottles I painted, deer antlers, rocks, and incense. I really want to dive into Wicca, celebrate the holidays, and do spells and stuff like that, but with him suppressing me, it makes me feel like it wouldn't work :/...
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I've been Wiccan for about 1 1/2 years now but my step dad is a huge Christian (the kind that think their religion is the only way) and he won't let me practice in the house, but I can't really practice outside so I feel stuck. I have an altar, although it's not complete. It has lots of bones on it, shells, a couple bottles I painted, deer antlers, rocks, and incense. I really want to dive into Wicca, celebrate the holidays, and do spells and stuff like that, but with him suppressing me, it makes me feel like it wouldn't work :/...
Aw, that stinks. Even though the US, and several other countries, have freedom of religion it doesn't mean some people will try to restrict others :/ To be honest I don't know when or if I'll tell my parents about it anytime soon, or at least until I'm more sure about following Wicca. They're not overly religious(haven't gone to church in years) but still... For now I'll keep my books and journal stuff on the downlow ^^'
How old are you? If you're still in school/dependent on your parents then it's going to be a little difficult for awhile. Don't let his feelings keep you from doing what you feel comfortable with though. Sometime you probably won't be living in the same house, and then you can do what you want, so maybe be a little patient? I know I have to be.
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I'm 15 and I live with my mother, if I lived with my father he'd let me practice because he knows it makes me happy and he doesn't give a damn. I know I want to start making spell bottles and charms, and I know the energy I'm going to use will be singing :3
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I'm atheist, but I've grown more and more interested in spirituality. Life, the world, and the universe are full of mysteries we may never understand for certain. I've been wondering if spirits are indeed a thing, or if maybe what many believe are spirits are other entities entirely. There could be another world coexisting inside what we perceive, and I find that fascinating.
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There are spirits in Wicca, whether you can see them or not really depends on you and if you want to see them. In Wicca, if you want to see or feel something, you HAVE to absolutely believe you will, it won't work otherwise, and results will always vary, it could take a day, a month or a year, you must be patient:3
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My take on being sensitive to spirits is that it depends on the person. Just like how people's sensitivity to light, sound, smell, taste, etc. can vary between individuals, the sensitivity to spirits can as well. I'm sure practice can play a part, too.
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Definitely :3 I don't really see or feel sprites, but I am very close to plants and living things. I also want to begin bone divination and I just recently found a five point buck that's been half eaten, I've been coming back to see how much it's been eaten. It was shot in the neck by a hunter and I guess he lost it. It's a sad sight, but at least it's helping other animals survive the coming cold.
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I don't follow the most well known/accepted path (I've always been one for delving into the darker sides of stuff/taboo stuff), I consider myself a Discordian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism
I do work with Reiki (a form of healing) and northern European magics, plus I'm a fairly good Tarot reader, so if you have any questions about the more odd side of magic please don't hesitate to ask :) .
If necromancy didn't offend one of my patron goddesses, I would probably try more for being a medium too.
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How is mediumship relevant to necromancy, out of curiosity? I thought necromancy meant taking control of a soul or bringing one back from the dead, and mediumship was just being able to communicate with spirits.
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It depends. Mediumship is still technically pulling a spirit from where they are resting and having them communicate with the living world. According to the wiki, quote:
"the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future."
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Ah. Part of what sparked my interest in spirits was from a medium who my grandma and aunts happened to meet at an unrelated event, who supposedly received contact from my grandpa who had recently died. She said he was concerned with the buckets of old used oil in the shed that needed to be disposed of properly. That detail was so specific and accurate, it's hard for us to believe it was a lucky guess.
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Correction: Seeing spirits is different than being a medium. My grandpa George I swear is looking out for me still.
I'll explain with a scenario:
-Seeing spirits is like walking down the street and seeing someone you used to know or a stranger and them coming up, saying what a nice day is, and handing you a bagel for no other reason than their kindness.
-Mediumship, since as far as I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) is summoning the spirit to you, is like seeing said stranger, shouting at them to come over to you and taking their bagel from you.
Its also why any self respecting magic user will tell you to stay away from Ouija boards. Those things get haunted by the nastiest stuff.
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This event happened a state away from where we lived, so I doubt the medium would have seen his ghost just wandering around there.
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Hunh. Synchronicity!
You did say that, sorry I didn't read it thoroughly. That is pretty cool! Mediums are powerful individuals, I just don't partake in that particular path ^^
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I'd like to learn more about spirits and whatnot, maybe train myself to sense them easier if that's at all possible. I'm not sure how to really go about that. There are barely any trustworthy sources in the sea of people dramatizing to capitalize on the subject.
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It really depends on what flavor you want to go with. The internet is rife with mis-information, so really the best way to do it is seek out local people. If you don't have them, just believe in it.
As a discordian and chaos mage (yes it's real, no I'm not talking about the RP version), pretty much you can do anything if you believe in it. The best thing you can do to help you see spirits is say to yourself "I am open to the possibility that spirits are real and that they can communicate me". If you have any doubt that they are real or that they exist, your logical brain will automatically dismiss any spiritual contact as "Coincidence".
Really, at the end of the day, your faith in the spirits will help you see them. I would advise reading spiritual fiction, because that's one of the best ways people get information out there for budding mages/practitioners. The book series I always point out to people is the Harry Dresden series. It is rife with amazing spiritual stuff. You have to take it back a little from the fireballs and blasting magic, but seriously there is a lot of wisdom in those books.
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You might also want to seek out a medium. Those who have the natural gift may be able to teach a thing or two. Additionally, just being around them you'll start to notice things.
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You might also want to seek out a medium. Those who have the natural gift may be able to teach a thing or two. Additionally, just being around them you'll start to notice things.
Very well put!
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I was raised in house of Christian but my grandpa was something else. Can't remember at moment. But one of my aunt is studying something but another aunt is wiccan since she was 15 and she in her 40. So she training me in wiccan way. Just had my first full moon prayer with her not long ago
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I have two sisters and a mother going through spirituality stuffs. What would you guys recommend?
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I was born, baptised and raised Roman Catholic. The teachings of Jesus are very sound, but yet beyond that, I found so many hypocrisies outside of the four books of Mark, Luke, John and Matthew, especially in the New King James version where they talk about not permitting a witch to live, and other hateful propaganda that is counter to the peace Jesus taught. After an awakening on my deployment in Iraq, I came across Sekhmet in visions and dreams, and eventually found the Kemetic Orthodoxy, which worships Netjer and the egyptian Aspects of. After going through years of study and such, I have come to believe that all deities and religions are different aspects and teachings of Netjer, different faces of the same unified essence of the universe. The vast majority of religions carry very similar morals and laws that interconnect. Humans will always translate things differently, and no one human can truly say a book is word for word the Word of God, because it is a book written by a human, and as such, we humans are flawed. That flawed nature is what makes us special, for good or for ill. I have been a spiritualist Kemetic over the past eight years, and I feel more at peace now than I did before.
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*purrs and smiles* ^ that's really pleasing to read ^~^ <3
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I'm coming off a long stint in Christianity and am unsure where I am going. I know I'm not an atheist, and organized religion is not for me, but that is about it. Paganism/wicca interests me to a degree, but I don't know yet if that is my solution. I suppose my questions are how did you all get into it and what can you recommend for somebody out on the fringes who is interested? Any books, websites, or other resources?
For the record, I do know a couple of legit pagans, and I live near a huge paganism hotbed, but I am also quite shy about all of this. Dreadfully self-conscious regarding spiritual things, I am afraid.
Feel free to PM me. I might be able to get into a bit more detail that way.
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There's nothing to be scared of ^~^ most, if not all true pagans/wiccans will understand your hesitancy and won't rush you. One of our rules is to not force or push our religion onto others, as religion should be a fun and pleasant experience. I would say you should find a couple wiccans or pagans who have been practicing for a few years and just ask them questions. You could also ask them who a good a high priest or priestess was, if there are any coven groups around, and they could provide better answers.
Just remember that you do not HAVE to do anything that makes you uncomfortable as there are sadly some groups that will trick others into doing things that go against the way of paganism and Wicca (forcing them to do favors for them, blood rituals, saying that they can only do something for a new member of the coven if they sleep with them, etc.)
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I am sort of where Halei-Helai is. I am a Christian and have been my whole life. However, over the past several years I have gone away from the "churches" and organized Christianity. I believe that the God of Christianity is the same God for everyone, just worshiped in different ways. That being said, I have always been interested in religions and how other people practice their faith.
I would advise reading spiritual fiction, because that's one of the best ways people get information out there for budding mages/practitioners. The book series I always point out to people is the Harry Dresden series. It is rife with amazing spiritual stuff. You have to take it back a little from the fireballs and blasting magic, but seriously there is a lot of wisdom in those books.
Thank you so much for bringing up this book series. I have read some of it before and I think it is what truly made me start to think about other religions as more than just what strict Christians would call heathenistic fallacies and that these other religions or faiths might have some merit to them, even if it is just for that individual.
Kind of stemming off of that, does anyone know if the lore, spells, or religion references from Supernatural are accurate to other religions or faiths? I know from a Christian standpoint, the whole show is crap but many Christians watch it because they know it is fiction.
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I'm hesitantly starting my year and a day self study thing. This month I'm mostly looking around at history and mythology. In middle school literature class I remember really enjoying the segment on historical pantheons/myths, especially Celtic, Germanic and Norse ones. Also I need to get out of my room and be outside more. I've also been considering bringing a little nature inside by planting some herbs or flowers.
I still feel I consider myself an "agnostic pagan" since I'm in a stage of not being completely sure/learning what I can. I'm pretty non-social and independent so it would be a little difficult to find others to talk to. I live in a big city that even has a pagan pride day so I'm sure there's plenty out there though. But maybe when I return to college in a few weeks I can keep an eye out for others? I've also been acquiring many different books and other resources to read, and find different perspectives on the matter in the meantime.
I also recently got a pentacle charm and have been planning on making it into a nice necklace, but I'm wondering if it'd be a little unsuitable for me to wear it since I'm not yet 100% sure of my beliefs :p
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Pentacles are a great catch-all in the pagan world. Pretty much every practitioner uses them, from Pagans to Satanists, From High to Low magic. Wearing one really doesn't say "I'm Pagan Specifically!" as much as "I'm a practitioner."
I wouldn't worry about it. Hell, it may even help you find other pagans to talk to :3. No one is going to come up to you and say "You aren't pagan enough!". If they do, they are very close minded on what Paganism is.
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Pentacles are a great catch-all in the pagan world. Pretty much every practitioner uses them, from Pagans to Satanists, From High to Low magic. Wearing one really doesn't say "I'm Pagan Specifically!" as much as "I'm a practitioner."
I wouldn't worry about it. Hell, it may even help you find other pagans to talk to :3. No one is going to come up to you and say "You aren't pagan enough!". If they do, they are very close minded on what Paganism is.
Yeah, I figure I'm just being a little silly about it ^^ To be honest, I figure it's more likely that people will comment questioningly and/or negatively about it since I live in a state with a good number of Christians(i.e. Texas). But I don't care too much about that. People wear crosses all the time and believe what they choose so I can do the same as well.
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Ooch, yeah I've heard nasty things about Texas. But if your local has a Pagan Pride day? I'd not worry about it too much. Still, just for saftey sake, I would wear it under clothes unless you know you are in positive environment ^^
There are still jerks out there :\
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Ooch, yeah I've heard nasty things about Texas. But if your local has a Pagan Pride day? I'd not worry about it too much. Still, just for saftey sake, I would wear it under clothes unless you know you are in positive environment ^^
There are still jerks out there :\
I live in a pretty big city, and the college I attend is a little more liberal/diverse so it could be worse. I know there will always be rude people wherever I go, and if they take offense to it that's their problem, not mine. Even so the design for the necklace I'm making will make the small pentacle less obvious so many people might not even notice at all ^^
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Sounds awesome :3 keep it up.
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i'm not pagan/wiccan, but i have some questions about the practice, where should i go to learn more, what are the best resources for information on that sort of thing?
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As I understand Amethysts' reason for worrying about wearing her necklace out in the open, it's really not a big deal ^~^ if some holy-water-throwing Christian comes up to you for wearing jewelry of your choosing and start lecturing you or something, that's considered harassment. All you would have to say to that person is "You need to understand and respect that some people have different views than you. It's my constitutional right to wear what I want and worship who and what I want and I'll kindly ask you to leave me alone."
And Drakewithout, I would say go to your nearest Barnes and Noble (if there is one nearby) and ask for direction to the Pagan section. Or you can look up the book "truths and myths about modern paganism", that should give you all the information you need.
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In my town, it's not the "Pagan" section, but rather the spirituality section, just incase your B&N is the same ^^.
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Here it's under "Mystical and supernatural philosophies" -.-
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I don't usually shop at B&N cause I'm a cheapo XD I have Half Price Books here in TX and they usually have a metaphysics section with a Wicca/pagan shelf. I mostly tend to shop online for books, especially since there's a site I know where I can get books on pagan/wicca topics for as low as $4. They don't have a lot of recent titles though and you often have to wait for new copies to come in stock.
And of course if you live in a place with a decent library system you could check that out as well I guess.
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Heh. I dont know about you guys, but im 100% atheist.
I grew up in a christian family, and was christian for a while. However, after I started discovering more science, I realized that christianity wasn't the most elegant theory for me at least. Science could explain everything. Why are we here? What was the creation of the universe like? It at least had more evidence surrounding it and relating to real life than what most religious beliefs are based upon. But the question, "Is there a god?" Was the most interesting and by far the most controversial question of the ages. There is basically no evidence for both sides of the argument. Saying this, I should be agnostic right? Nope. I chose to be atheist due to my own dogmatic beliefs. I responded to this thread since I feel that the topic of religion is a sensitive, yet very intresting concept. I do not intend to offend anyone here, all that is said above is merely my view upon things, but I also do not need anyone judging me for what I think.
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Despite having a skeptical belief in the paranormal, I'm also atheist.
By the way, there is (or was?) an atheist thread, but I can't find it now for some reason.
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Despite having a skeptical belief in the paranormal, I'm also atheist.
By the way, there is (or was?) an atheist thread, but I can't find it now for some reason.
They should add a thread search bar :P
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Heh. I dont know about you guys, but im 100% atheist.
I grew up in a christian family, and was christian for a while. However, after I started discovering more science, I realized that christianity wasn't the most elegant theory for me at least. Science could explain everything. Why are we here? What was the creation of the universe like? It at least had more evidence surrounding it and relating to real life than what most religious beliefs are based upon. But the question, "Is there a god?" Was the most interesting and by far the most controversial question of the ages. There is basically no evidence for both sides of the argument. Saying this, I should be agnostic right? Nope. I chose to be atheist due to my own dogmatic beliefs. I responded to this thread since I feel that the topic of religion is a sensitive, yet very intresting concept. I do not intend to offend anyone here, all that is said above is merely my view upon things, but I also do not need anyone judging me for what I think.
I guess I started out similarly, though branched into agnostism instead, and lately of course paganism. I personally don't like judging people unless they judge first so don't worry ^^ For me atheism feels a little too...empty I guess? Sometimes I wonder if I'm drawn to these spiritualties because I prefer the aesthetic more, or something else entirely. I don't doubt science since it's incredibly important and you know, cool. But I don't think it's 100% impossible that there might be something else that can exist in tandem with it.
But hey, I'm no expert on anything, I'm just trying to learn and think about things XP
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I believe that there could be phenomenon we can't prove with certainty with the technology we have now, but as science advances we just might find it if it's true, or that there's even more to the so-called paranormal than given credit for.
Atheism is just the disbelief in any gods, really, not like a religion. Since it doesn't really bring up anything else, I wouldn't say it's "empty". You can practice spirituality without believing in gods.
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I used to be fae wicca. I think initially the lore, magick, and beauty attracted me. Now after trying several other paths im part of my own religion. It would be alot to explain, but I could give you some of the main rules without going into why i arrived at those answers..
1. There may be many "gods, deities, demons, spirits etc" In fact according to physics, there has to be. Beyond all of these though there is one singular energy source that makes up everything. In other words there is nothing but god and this god is nameless and does not belong to any practice.
2. Time and existence is infinite. There is no definite beginning, there will be no definite end. Everything possible exists simultaneously in every meaning of the word. INFINITY is something hard to grasp, but its the true nature of living.
3.We create our own lives and punishments. Its all in your head. There is a more nurturing way to live life that results in better outcomes, but not all realities may allow for the same thing. There is no after death punishment so to speak, just growth that never ends.
4.Nothing happens without reason, the whole universe is in more complete of a balance than can ever be explained.
5.Your will to do something is your strongest ally.