The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

When did you feel comfortable calling yourself a 'Pagan'? Or whatever you call yourself, of course. I'll be using the word Pagan for convenience, but please insert whatever is relevant to you

By my question I mean, how far along your spiritual path (in terms of time, amount of knowledge, or anything else) were you before you felt you were Pagan? I'm quite new to this, but I'm having such intense feelings for this spiritual journey that I'm already thinking of myself as Pagan. Then again, the word feels a bit premature, especially seeing as I've been automatically been answering with 'Catholic' whenever I'm asked for years, even long after I lost faith in it.

I'm not rushing myself, because I'm feeling so fulfilled and wonderful in a way I never have spiritually. I'm doing what feels right, but answering with 'Pagan' feels so right, even this early on.

So, go.

When you stop doing this without having to think about it, when you stop saying 'Jesus Christ!', when you feel comfortable and at home with what you do now, when you have started to do some de-programming (and believe me, this is a process that takes years in the whole, even if you haven't been raised as a devout Christian) - then you might feel more comfortable with looking for a label that describes your path.

Excellent points! I feel like I'm hurtling down this path away from Christianity faster than I would have expected, but when I think of it, I've been travelling further and further from Christianity for about 6 years - I just didn't have any idea where I was heading to until now. And I suppose that's a part of the 'de-programming' you mention.
The thing I love about spirituality - and life in general - is that it's constantly evolving, changing, and you're always learning - there's no 'finish line'. But I digress xD

When did you feel comfortable calling yourself a 'Pagan'? Or whatever you call yourself, of course. I'll be using the word Pagan for convenience, but please insert whatever is relevant to you ..

Let me put it this way i'm 53 years old and still only use Pagan as a last resort.  But its not because I find Pagan or any other identifier to be bad its just that for me this has always been who I was and the path I was ment to walk.

In my youth it was just "Family" and "Family Traditions", nothing more, nothing less.  There might be a name that came through but it was almost an after though, it's like my grandfather was a dowser, my aunt a wise woman, my ggrandmother the head of the family, etc.  When asked it was just family traditions.

Even when I started getting into what I know now as Stregia the old Italian Lady who taught me only called it Family.  There were some other terms but it was just family when used to describe it to others or talking about it within the family.

In truth I didn't use any term other than Occultist until probably the mid 1980's.  Yet at the time Occultist was not so much the ceremonial magics but simply hidden knowledge and things from prying eyes.

This notion of identifying oneself by some name or meter really didn't come about in any of the pathways I walked until the mid to late 90's.  A time when Wicca really exploded upon the public eye as so many 101 books were being written and so many authors were breaking thier oaths of silence.  Then it seemed to also tie in with the current hollywood scene of various witchy moives and series.

Many in my age group I spoke to shunned the very terms for it was seen many times as a teen fad.  Nothing more than shock treatment or social unrest to fill their parents with awe and dread.  Or at the time an entryway into the gothic world which we saw starting to push forward as well in all their black and charms about thier necks.

For me I still see "Pagan" as an identifer for one who practices some form of spirituality that is based upon a Mediterrian based influence.  Usually derived from Greek, Roman, Egyptian mytholgoy and pantheons for gods / goddesses and non human influences.  Not so much so for Celtic, Teutonic, Germanic as I see most of those beneath the Heathen title though a number of so called pagans claim them as the source of their spirituality.

But as to titles I am what I am and have always felt comfortable saying what I am.  I didn't hide it but I didn't go shout it out on the streets either, nor do I simply shout it out today.

Even when I started getting into what I know now as Stregia the old Italian Lady who taught me only called it Family.  There were some other terms but it was just family when used to describe it to others or talking about it within the family.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I have a question. You've mentioned being taught Stregia a few times around the forum and I'm wondering exactly what this is. Is it related to Stregheria or Stregoneria? Or is it something different? I've done some searching but couldn't find anything at all about Stregia.

When did you feel comfortable calling yourself a 'Pagan'? Or whatever you call yourself, of course. I'll be using the word Pagan for convenience, but please insert whatever is relevant to you

By my question I mean, how far along your spiritual path (in terms of time, amount of knowledge, or anything else) were you before you felt you were Pagan? I'm quite new to this, but I'm having such intense feelings for this spiritual journey that I'm already thinking of myself as Pagan. Then again, the word feels a bit premature, especially seeing as I've been automatically been answering with 'Catholic' whenever I'm asked for years, even long after I lost faith in it.

I'm not rushing myself, because I'm feeling so fulfilled and wonderful in a way I never have spiritually. I'm doing what feels right, but answering with 'Pagan' feels so right, even this early on.

So, go.

 
from the get go I always when a response was required...would say"well I was baptized roman catholic,but..." and leave it there.
I was nonpracticing from the begining really....we went to church at xmass and Easter to appease our grandmother....she's lovely though,from Waterford schooled by nuns with scary random memories of children with limbs blown off intwined with tales of buying whole bags of candy for a ha'penny and picking berries near the gypsy camps.

but I never could dig the church experiences and the new testement when compared to the old testement...there was so much denial of the visceral side of the religion....anyhow:
move forward to high school- I was doing an unresearched off the top of my head kind of moon worship and getting the urge to do some research. but as yet no witchcraft and absolutely was not into Wiccan isms....so I shied away from even bringing it up ever cuz I didn't want to have people think of me in relation to the fluffy hippie wiccans in our town.
later I was comfortable among friends saying Pagan.
now when I randomly spout herby advice to people,they look sideways at me and say...are you some kinda hippie/witch? and I honestly always correct them and say ...I'm no hippie! lol

still I tried adding things I found to my practice and have had to pare it back and rewrite so many times as stuff just hasn't sat right for me when ever I try using someone else's words.
no watchtowers or winds in my quarters.
no insert apropriate deity here. for each ritual.
I also have no urge to celebrate equinoxes etc and find those a very Wiccan construct that when people find out I am pagan...ASSUME I celebrate.:confused:
so there,is my long winded reply.

When did you feel comfortable calling yourself a 'Pagan'? Or whatever you call yourself, of course. I'll be using the word Pagan for convenience, but please insert whatever is relevant to you

So, go.

 
It took me a few years.
I kept walking away and coming back to my path, mainly because of society, and my family. However, it eventually got to the point where I realized I had such a strong calling towards it. I knew I couldn't keep pretending I didn't.
Once you put a name on something it feels more permanent, more real. Atleast thats how I felt.

When did you feel comfortable calling yourself a 'Pagan'? Or whatever you call yourself, of course. I'll be using the word Pagan for convenience, but please insert whatever is relevant to you

By my question I mean, how far along your spiritual path (in terms of time, amount of knowledge, or anything else) were you before you felt you were Pagan? I'm quite new to this, but I'm having such intense feelings for this spiritual journey that I'm already thinking of myself as Pagan. Then again, the word feels a bit premature, especially seeing as I've been automatically been answering with 'Catholic' whenever I'm asked for years, even long after I lost faith in it.

I'm not rushing myself, because I'm feeling so fulfilled and wonderful in a way I never have spiritually. I'm doing what feels right, but answering with 'Pagan' feels so right, even this early on.

So, go.

 
About...eight months in?  Well, if I count my joining TC as the start of my serious exploration into Paganism, which it was around about the same time, so I think that works well enough as a start date.  It's not something I've consciously thought of, but I just realised recently when writing a blog post that I've sort of just gradually been associating myself more and more with the 'Pagan' label, such that now I default to thinking of myself as Pagan.  

Although if I'm labelling myself for others, e.g. describing what my religion is, I tend to qualify 'Pagan', because honestly, I don't think I'm quite there yet.  I'm still in the stage where most of what I do is read and study, and I haven't yet developed very much practice at all.  So I'm more likely to describe myself as 'Pagan-like' or aspiring Pagan' or something similar.

I think I just like having a label for myself, a something to call my religiousity, even if it's not terribly defined just yet.  And when I can finally with confidence explain to my parents that, yep, Jesus Christ and I had a bit of a disagreement, and now I'm a Pagan, that will tell me that it has become fully and completely part of my identity.

I first discovered Paganism back in 2005 and flirted with the idea. I never really read anything about it but somewhere deep inside I knew it was the right path.

Last year I read a very useful book and decided there and then that I was to be Pagan. Ever since I have been developing my faith, practicing when I can, and continuing to read. I am in the process of buying tools for ritual and should hopefully have an Athame pretty soon.

I also found that I had nothing to worry about by telling people that I was Pagan. My family and friends know and after I explained that it is not evil, or devil worshipping, they accepted it. I wear my Pentagram and Wolf (my power animal) necklace with pride.

I tell people that I am Pagan, as opposed to Wiccan, as I follow certain Shaman and Asatruar beliefs alongside my mainly Wiccan one.

In Leeds we have a lot of street preachers who are Baptist, Evangelicalist etc, and whereas before I'd be frightened of ridicule, I now walk by confidently, advising them of the truths of my faith.