Incapable of being a Pagan?

[Juniperberry]

Since orthopraxy is often emphasized over orthodoxy by contemporary Pagan religions, I think it's not really comforting. And I don't know what spirituality I want to be.
 

You're right. I guess it'd only be an issue if beliefs were influencing your ability to practice.

[Darkhawk]

In spite of being drawn mostly by European and Middle Eastern religions, I can't say I would be wholly comfortable if I decided to give up my African and native heritages wholesale with respect to religion.

 
(I have not yet written the essays for my website that are relevant to this problem, alas.)

One thing to keep in mind - even if you're not interested in a more syncretic or eclectic path - is that most of the reconstructionist paganisms include some type of ancestor veneration.  I would consider it legitimate - beyond legitimate, but actively important - for someone who wants to honour ancestral lines religiously to go in and explore and figure out what customs and traditions and other things work for doing so.

So, yes, I have an ancestor shrine set up (rather sloppily, I need better shelving and to hang some pictures) according to Kemetic principles, at which I place offerings that are relevant to Kemetic ritual celebrations.

And I have family customs and traditions that I maintain, even though some of them are at some level rooted in Christian practice, because I did not break off from my family when I stopped pursuing Christian spirituality.  I have adapted surrounding cultural practices into my own - primarily around Christmas, but in a few other things - as converts will often do.

And I go through fits of research, or when I see things relevant to an ancestor-line I note them down somewhere.  Part of my heritage is Polish; I have an active shrine to a Slavic house-spirit and agreements made with him.  I saw some beautiful Polish Christmas customs photographed at one point and made a point of noting down the source of the information so that I might possibly add them to my own traditions.  Part of my heritage is of the Puritan colonisers, which is one of the threads that drives my half-assed membership in the UU church that I miss very much and would like to get back to soon.  And so on.

None of these things are part of my formal Kemetic (or Feri) practices per se, but they are essential to how I practice those religions, because I am a person who came from these roots, and I do not cut myself off from my roots, I grow from them.

[Juniperberry]

(I have not yet written the essays for my website that are relevant to this problem, alas.)

One thing to keep in mind - even if you're not interested in a more syncretic or eclectic path - is that most of the reconstructionist paganisms include some type of ancestor veneration.  I would consider it legitimate - beyond legitimate, but actively important - for someone who wants to honour ancestral lines religiously to go in and explore and figure out what customs and traditions and other things work for doing so.

So, yes, I have an ancestor shrine set up (rather sloppily, I need better shelving and to hang some pictures) according to Kemetic principles, at which I place offerings that are relevant to Kemetic ritual celebrations.

And I have family customs and traditions that I maintain, even though some of them are at some level rooted in Christian practice, because I did not break off from my family when I stopped pursuing Christian spirituality.  I have adapted surrounding cultural practices into my own - primarily around Christmas, but in a few other things - as converts will often do.

And I go through fits of research, or when I see things relevant to an ancestor-line I note them down somewhere.  Part of my heritage is Polish; I have an active shrine to a Slavic house-spirit and agreements made with him.  I saw some beautiful Polish Christmas customs photographed at one point and made a point of noting down the source of the information so that I might possibly add them to my own traditions.  Part of my heritage is of the Puritan colonisers, which is one of the threads that drives my half-assed membership in the UU church that I miss very much and would like to get back to soon.  And so on.

None of these things are part of my formal Kemetic (or Feri) practices per se, but they are essential to how I practice those religions, because I am a person who came from these roots, and I do not cut myself off from my roots, I grow from them.

Another thing I think bears mentioning is that you really don't want to change who you are at the core and what you instinctively believe to be true in the pursuit of some Other (conflicting?) orthopraxic paganism. That's actually one of the worst things religion can do to a person. Trust me.

[Faemon]

Since orthopraxy is often emphasized over orthodoxy by contemporary Pagan religions, I think it's not really comforting. And I don't know what spirituality I want to be.

As someone told me lately: life is a spiritual practice, the prayers and observances of holidays and such are merely a reminder of that.

[dragonfaerie]

No; possession is only for the mediums.

I was in Brazil briefly years ago, so I have only the most basic of basic understandings of native Brazilian religions, but I always thought that the possession in these types of rituals are similar to the "Drawing Down" possessions in Wiccan ritual. Temporary possession in a ritual context.

As opposed to, say, horror-movie-style demonic possession. And I'm not trying to be silly here, but I don't hear people being frightened of "Drawing Down", but sometimes I do hear it about voodoo and other types of ritual possession, and I wonder if it's just because of bad press. Like Lwa are bad, but European deities are ok.

Karen

[Emma Eldritch]

I was in Brazil briefly years ago, so I have only the most basic of basic understandings of native Brazilian religions, but I always thought that the possession in these types of rituals are similar to the "Drawing Down" possessions in Wiccan ritual. Temporary possession in a ritual context.

As opposed to, say, horror-movie-style demonic possession. And I'm not trying to be silly here, but I don't hear people being frightened of "Drawing Down", but sometimes I do hear it about voodoo and other types of ritual possession, and I wonder if it's just because of bad press. Like Lwa are bad, but European deities are ok.

Karen

 
It definitely smacks of racism, yes.