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Author Topic: What am I?  (Read 2703 times)

8BitLady

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What am I?
« on: June 28, 2014, 09:26:10 pm »
So, I'm not quite new... but I feel like a newbie...
I am feeling that Pagan is too broad for me. Wanting to branch off somewhere...
Doing something more... precise...

So here's what I believe and do:
  • I believe we are all (including Gods) a part of one Source.
  • I believe in the afterlife/other-side.
  • I believe in Spirit guides (both human and animal)
  • I've done Journey-work and meditate regularly.
  • I do Reiki when I feel it's needed.
  • I've started enjoying taking walks in nature more often.
  • I love mythology stories! (like the poetic Eddas and Greek Myths)
  • I like doing crafts.
  • I do divination (Tarot, Pendulum, Runes)
  • I like stones and their energetic and magical properties.


Is there some branch of Paganism or Wicca that might fit me?

Darkhawk

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2014, 09:56:18 pm »
Quote from: 8BitLady;151472

Is there some branch of Paganism or Wicca that might fit me?

 
Honestly, I don't think that any of those are specific enough to indicate or rule out much of anything.  (Though the term for the one source thing is "monism", I believe.)
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

Jack

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2014, 10:25:45 pm »
Quote from: 8BitLady;151472
So, I'm not quite new... but I feel like a newbie...
I am feeling that Pagan is too broad for me. Wanting to branch off somewhere...
Doing something more... precise...

 
From that description you might find kindred spirits in the New Age community. I think it's easier to rule out areas like reconstruction where you might not be as comfortable, rather than to say all of those add up to one specific thing.
Hail Mara, Lady of Good Things!
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AineLlewellyn

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2014, 11:06:10 pm »
Quote from: Jack;151487
From that description you might find kindred spirits in the New Age community. I think it's easier to rule out areas like reconstruction where you might not be as comfortable, rather than to say all of those add up to one specific thing.

 
I agree with Jack. Also, I think crossing out what is a bad fit can be more helpful than trying to find the perfect fit. I'd say it's pretty much impossible to find a perfect fit for your beliefs, when it comes to seeking a structured spiritual tradition or religion, so it's better to figure out what you can't handle or find too different from your beliefs to associate with spiritually.

Juniperberry

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2014, 11:18:31 pm »
Quote from: 8BitLady;151472

  • I believe we are all (including Gods) a part of one Source.
I agree these are rather vague. Maybe we can narrow it down more?

When you say one source, do you mean one intelligent source or that at the heart of it we all come together as one spiritually living community? Or something else altogether?

Quote
  • I believe in the afterlife/other-side.
What in particular do you believe about it?
The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast. [...] The risk of something seriously dangerous happening is in the five year timeframe. 10 years at most.--Elon Musk

I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence," [Bill] Gates wrote. "First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don\'t understand why some people are not concerned."

Sophia C

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2014, 04:04:21 am »
Quote from: 8BitLady;151472
So, I'm not quite new... but I feel like a newbie...
I am feeling that Pagan is too broad for me. Wanting to branch off somewhere...
Doing something more... precise...

So here's what I believe and do:
  • I believe we are all (including Gods) a part of one Source.
  • I believe in the afterlife/other-side.
  • I believe in Spirit guides (both human and animal)
  • I've done Journey-work and meditate regularly.
  • I do Reiki when I feel it's needed.
  • I've started enjoying taking walks in nature more often.
  • I love mythology stories! (like the poetic Eddas and Greek Myths)
  • I like doing crafts.
  • I do divination (Tarot, Pendulum, Runes)
  • I like stones and their energetic and magical properties.


Is there some branch of Paganism or Wicca that might fit me?

 
I share most of those things, and none of them really defines my religion.

Here's some things to think about instead, if you want to find a religion:
- Which gods call to you? What importance do you place on involving the gods in your practice(s)?
- Which Pagan 'hearth' cultures (if any) call to you? (By which I mean Norse, Hellenic, Roman, Gaelic etc.)
- What are the key values by which you live your life? (Honour? Self-sacrifice? Industriousnesss? The quest for fame? Service of the gods? Active environmentalism?)
- How do you feel about complex ritual?
- How do you feel about reconstructionism vs revivalism? (Do you want to revive ancient cultures and adapt them to the modern world, or do you focus on the way that modern Paganism is just that, a modern, post-Romantic thing based on modern incarnations of the Western Magical Tradition?)
- Are titles (after earning them for work) important to you?
- Are you comfortable learning from books or do you want a teacher?
- Are you comfortable with eclecticism? (By which I mean, are you happy blending things from different traditions, or would you rather stick mainly with one established tradition?)
- Do you already have elements that work for you, or are you starting from scratch?

(With thanks to Jack for contributing some of the questions here!)

These are only some of the questions you'll want to ask yourself when looking for a Pagan path (or other religious tradition). Most of the things you mentioned can be adapted to any religion. These things, however, will direct you more clearly to one or other specific religion/tradition/path.
"We're all stories, in the end. Make it a good one, eh?"
- Doctor Who

8BitLady

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2014, 09:19:11 pm »
Thanks everyone for your replies so far! I agree that figuring out what wouldn't work for me would be best...

Quote from: Juniperberry;151498

When you say one source, do you mean one intelligent source or that at the heart of it we all come together as one spiritually living community? Or something else altogether?

[afterlife]

What in particular do you believe about it?


One source: (how to explain...) If God were a blob of intelligent, loving energy... we would all be tiny droplets from that blob... All interconnectedness. There is a cosmic-consciousness.

After-life: There are other planes of existence. Here is the physical world, there is the 'other-side', where departed spirits and our spirit guides and other astral beings are. There are probably multiple worlds... but I tend to find my Animal 'totems' in my 'lower world' (I usually envision going underground), and my spirit guides and family members in the 'upper world'. (where I go from the lower world and climb up to the upper world)

Quote from: Naomi J;151526
[...]

Here's some things to think about instead, if you want to find a religion:
- Which gods call to you? What importance do you place on involving the gods in your practice(s)?
- Which Pagan 'hearth' cultures (if any) call to you? (By which I mean Norse, Hellenic, Roman, Gaelic etc.)
- What are the key values by which you live your life? (Honour? Self-sacrifice? Industriousness? The quest for fame? Service of the gods? Active environmentalism?)
- How do you feel about complex ritual?
- How do you feel about reconstructionism vs revivalism? (Do you want to revive ancient cultures and adapt them to the modern world, or do you focus on the way that modern Paganism is just that, a modern, post-Romantic thing based on modern incarnations of the Western Magical Tradition?)
- Are titles (after earning them for work) important to you?
- Are you comfortable learning from books or do you want a teacher?
- Are you comfortable with eclecticism? (By which I mean, are you happy blending things from different traditions, or would you rather stick mainly with one established tradition?)
- Do you already have elements that work for you, or are you starting from scratch?

(With thanks to Jack for contributing some of the questions here!)

These are only some of the questions you'll want to ask yourself when looking for a Pagan path (or other religious tradition). Most of the things you mentioned can be adapted to any religion. These things, however, will direct you more clearly to one or other specific religion/tradition/path.

 
I find these questions very helpful thank you! I will give these more thought...

acidrica

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2014, 07:25:12 am »
Quote from: 8BitLady;151681
Thanks everyone for your replies so far! I agree that figuring out what wouldn't work for me would be best...



One source: (how to explain...) If God were a blob of intelligent, loving energy... we would all be tiny droplets from that blob... All interconnectedness. There is a cosmic-consciousness.

After-life: There are other planes of existence. Here is the physical world, there is the 'other-side', where departed spirits and our spirit guides and other astral beings are. There are probably multiple worlds... but I tend to find my Animal 'totems' in my 'lower world' (I usually envision going underground), and my spirit guides and family members in the 'upper world'. (where I go from the lower world and climb up to the upper world)


 
I find these questions very helpful thank you! I will give these more thought...

 
Hmmm, do you think that God is a part of everything but also separate? That would be Panentheism I -think-. If the divine is a part of everything but not also separate (again, I think) that that's Pantheism. Those terms might lead you to something. :)

Tangerinesky

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2014, 07:50:52 pm »
Quote from: Naomi J;151526
I share most of those things, and none of them really defines my religion.

Here's some things to think about instead, if you want to find a religion:
- Which gods call to you? What importance do you place on involving the gods in your practice(s)?
- Which Pagan 'hearth' cultures (if any) call to you? (By which I mean Norse, Hellenic, Roman, Gaelic etc.)
- What are the key values by which you live your life? (Honour? Self-sacrifice? Industriousnesss? The quest for fame? Service of the gods? Active environmentalism?)
- How do you feel about complex ritual?
- How do you feel about reconstructionism vs revivalism? (Do you want to revive ancient cultures and adapt them to the modern world, or do you focus on the way that modern Paganism is just that, a modern, post-Romantic thing based on modern incarnations of the Western Magical Tradition?)
- Are titles (after earning them for work) important to you?
- Are you comfortable learning from books or do you want a teacher?
- Are you comfortable with eclecticism? (By which I mean, are you happy blending things from different traditions, or would you rather stick mainly with one established tradition?)
- Do you already have elements that work for you, or are you starting from scratch?

(With thanks to Jack for contributing some of the questions here!)

These are only some of the questions you'll want to ask yourself when looking for a Pagan path (or other religious tradition). Most of the things you mentioned can be adapted to any religion. These things, however, will direct you more clearly to one or other specific religion/tradition/path.



Ok so I'm new here, and I am also trying to find the right path to take. I find those questions very helpful, and I thought about them and came up with answers of my own. With Paganism having so many paths you can take its very overwhelming for anyone trying to get into it all by themselves to figure out where they should start. So if it's ok with you I would like to answer them and maybe you could point me in the right direction.
1st- As far as Gods and Godess' I really dont know.....I have read alot of greek and roman stories but I really dont know engh to say specific ones. Norse I would love to know more about as well.
2nd- Greek and Norse I feel drawn too.
3rd- Wisdom and honor above all others.
4th-I really dont know anything about rituals but I would love to learn more.
5th-I would rather revive old practices.....if its not broke dont fix it right.
6th-No not really.
7th-Both but I prefer to read first and then have convo's with people that know about the subject.
8th- Yes I believe all religions are right in their own way......to a point.
9th-nope I'm starting from scratch.

As far as the afterlife, I believe in reincarnation as well as a afterlife type place. I believe our souls as u would say are recycled into new bodies after being in the afterlife type place....I really like the idea of Valhalla as well.

please guys like I said I am brand new.....all of what I said is just honest questions, me trying to find the right spiritual, in no way did I mean to offend anyone so if i said something wrong I am very sorry. Any help, info, or advice wwould be much appreciated.

Lana288

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Re: What am I?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2014, 08:41:40 pm »
Quote from: Tangerinesky;152178
please guys like I said I am brand new.....all of what I said is just honest questions, me trying to find the right spiritual, in no way did I mean to offend anyone so if i said something wrong I am very sorry. Any help, info, or advice wwould be much appreciated.

Well, if I were you, I'd look into traditions that worship the deities you're interested in. You said that Valhalla and the Norse gods were compelling, and that you wanted to revive ancient practices, so I'd suggest researching Asatru (Norse reconstruction*) off of the top of my head. If you're more interested in Greek  or Roman Gods, then there's  also Hellenism (Greek reconstruction) and Nova Roma (Roman reconstruction). And, of course, if reconstruction doesn't work for you, there are other paths.

Also! As or more important (IMO) than researching the various paths is researching the myths of the gods that interest you. Myths, by themselves, are very important- they're how you begin to get to know the gods.

-My Two Cents

*Reconstruction: The attempt to recreate old practices as close to their original forms as possible.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2014, 08:43:32 pm by Lana288 »

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