The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Hey you. Thanks for reading this. I deeply appreciate it.


I guess that a lot of us have spent a great deal of time really thinking about what we believe and don't believe for various reasons. There's nothing wrong with having a personally defined belief in truth. I've been searching for too long now, having left the support and community of my childhood Presbyterian Christian upbringing decades ago. Skipped Agnosticism and dove right into Atheism, and have been unfullfilled and without much support from similarly-minded individuals ever since. I think it's the community that I miss most of all. I seek to define my beliefs in a more concrete way not because I need a label for myself, but so that I've got shot at meeting some people who might believe something similar. Any insight you may be able to provide would be invaluable to me. I've done some reading on Buhhism, Satanism (LaVey type), Wiccan, and Asatru. Nothing really seems to fit very well.

I am a married man in my 30's. My wife is atheist-humanist in that kind of way that religion and spirituality aren't necessarily considered foolhardy, just something that she's not interested in becoming involved in or learning more about. It is a boring non-topic to her. We're different in that way.

I like that my place in this world is a small one. I believe that the world is alive. I believe that there is a force and power in all life. I believe that spirits could be real, in a sense. I believe there is an importance to recognising the roles that my ancestors have played in shaping who and what I am. I believe there is a great deal of wisdom in the old folk stories. I believed there is something to be gained by remembering the past. I miss religious ritual.

I can not believe in any deities that could not be considered metaphors. I do not believe my ancestors watch over me, though I do try to live in a way that would make them proud of me. Unless there is some kind of collective consciousness, I don't believe in any kind of life after death. If there is, I don't believe that it's important. I suppose that means that I don't believe in the concept of a soul. I believe that my actions, my ethics, and morality define me best. I believe in luck, to a certain degree. I admit to being ignorant to the concepts of Magick, Divination, and Astrology, but even in my ignorance, I believe it would be difficult for me to take these concepts very seriously.

That's the nutshell. I don't know if there's anything out there for me or not. In any case I thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I guess it's pretty human to want to be understood and accepted. I haven't been feeling very much of that in a long time, so I hope I've come to the right place. I've been reading the Beginner's forum, and you seem to be a pretty insightful and open-minded lot, so I figured I'd give it my best shot. One last thing, I do hope that nothing that I've written is in any way offensive.

Have you read anything about animism?

I'll also note that I don't think anyone here shares my specific beliefs. I'm more looking for a compatible way of studying the world when I socialize. Maybe figuring out what you're looking for will help more?

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Also maybe universalist unitarians would be up your alley.

Thanks very much, I appreciate it I haven't looked into animism very much, so I'll definitely have to do some reading there. As far us Universalist Unitarianism goes...that may be just a little too broad of a scope. Maybe I should just give it a shot. There are a few "Churches" in my area. Feels kind of weird, but maybe I just need to take the plunge.

 
You might also look into forms of Pantheistic paganism, although it is quite a broad category as well.

It also sounds like you might view the gods/spirits as archetypes. C.G. Jung wrote a good bit about archetypal gods/goddesses if you are looking for reading material. I am still trying to sort through this information myself, but I like what I am reading so far.

Good luck on your journey, and welcome!:)

... I seek to define my beliefs in a more concrete way not because I need a label for myself, but so that I've got shot at meeting some people who might believe something similar....  

... I believe that the world is alive. I believe that there is a force and power in all life. I believe that spirits could be real, in a sense. I believe there is an importance to recognizing the roles that my ancestors have played in shaping who and what I am. I believe there is a great deal of wisdom in the old folk stories. I believed there is something to be gained by remembering the past. I miss religious ritual...

Your beliefs align with a GREAT many individuals out there.  You may or may not already be aware that many people are struggling to find the most appropriate label for their beliefs for roughly the same reasons you are.

Many groups have been created for seekers who still haven't found their spiritual "home" - or who prefer not to be classified one way or another.  Within these groups there can be friendship, comradery, sharing of viewpoints and even participation in rituals without attachment to a particular tradition or religious conviction.

I don't know where you live or specific groups you could join locally but you might want to attend some meetings of the Unitarian Universalists (your wife might find these interesting as well.)  Yes, they are broad based but encourage various interest groups within the whole.  For example there are CUUPS chapters throughout the world (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans.)

You might Google searches like "solitary covens," "spiritual groups," "spiritual discussion groups," "Pagan groups," "Gathering of light," etc.

IMHO it is more important to get started with a group (if that is your desire) than fuss too much on choosing the 'right' one.  You never know where this journey will lead or who you will meet along the way.  A chance meeting (if you believe in chance) can be the clue you need to know your next step.