A fish out of water

[Rodderz]

Hi,

Like many others i would like to begin with a little about my religious background or lack there of. I have never been religious in any way and for most of my life i have been very anti religion. I find far too much hypocrisy, bureaucracy and to be honest down right bloody mindedness in most if not all organised religions. Most are more interested in image or controlling the masses, which to me seems to be in complete contrast to what religion actually should be. My mum (Bless her cotton socks), who is also my best friend, never tied me to a religion at any point and has always left me free to be who i choose to be. She has always been open minded to most things and when i told her recently i had started a relationship with a white witch she only smiled and asked if i was happy (she thinks my new partner is "lovely" (Her words)). I have always had a strong interest in magic and nature in all it's glory but have never met anyone i could openly talk to about it without the usual giggles and sarcastic comments. Since i have been with my new partner i have been able to do so for the first time and therefore have "come out of the closet" so to speak. I find this new freedom very refreshing and have been able to look into things much deeper and with a clear head.

It has been during this research i have found that i may have been following a religion without even knowing it. I have always had an affinity with nature and love to take every chance i get to find quite beautiful places to sit and think or not think as the mood takes me. I have a strong background in Geosciences and yet i still see the natural beauty of the world all around me and feel stronger for it.

My now partner has always suffered from severe back, shoulder and muscle problems and has been unable to relax properly for many years. Because i have felt free to allow my mind to wander beyond the science of things i began to research as many natural remedies as i could find. We were both very pleased and quite shocked that the very first thing i suggested began to free up her muscle pain and with a few alterations to these remedies she can now get up feeling refreshed and with only minor aches. It would seem i have happily managed to combine my love of science and nature.

Any hoo, my problem right now is that as i have only recently allowed myself to open the door to this world and as much as i feel that paganism is right for me, i have no idea which path to follow or where to begin. I have always believed in magic and that it is a natural resource that anyone with an open mind can "use" (I don't like the word use but can't think of the right word to replace it with). Paganism itself seems to gel rather nicely with things i have always believed. I don't know if any of the above text will help to shape any advice i may receive but as i say i am very late in life coming to certain realisations and don't know where to begin. I will be going to the Avebury stones for summer solstice with my partner and will surely meet many like minded people.

At the moment i feel a bit like a fish out of water and am not sure what guidance or advice i am looking for. So if anyone could make some sense of my ramblings, i would be grateful for any and all comments/replies.

Thankyou all for just taking the time to read this.

Blessed be

Rod

[PlaceboArtist]

Hi,

Like many others i would like to begin with a little about my religious background or lack there of. I have never been religious in any way and for most of my life i have been very anti religion. I find far too much hypocrisy, bureaucracy and to be honest down right bloody mindedness in most if not all organised religions. Most are more interested in image or controlling the masses, which to me seems to be in complete contrast to what religion actually should be. My mum (Bless her cotton socks), who is also my best friend, never tied me to a religion at any point and has always left me free to be who i choose to be. She has always been open minded to most things and when i told her recently i had started a relationship with a white witch she only smiled and asked if i was happy (she thinks my new partner is "lovely" (Her words)). I have always had a strong interest in magic and nature in all it's glory but have never met anyone i could openly talk to about it without the usual giggles and sarcastic comments. Since i have been with my new partner i have been able to do so for the first time and therefore have "come out of the closet" so to speak. I find this new freedom very refreshing and have been able to look into things much deeper and with a clear head.

It has been during this research i have found that i may have been following a religion without even knowing it. I have always had an affinity with nature and love to take every chance i get to find quite beautiful places to sit and think or not think as the mood takes me. I have a strong background in Geosciences and yet i still see the natural beauty of the world all around me and feel stronger for it.

My now partner has always suffered from severe back, shoulder and muscle problems and has been unable to relax properly for many years. Because i have felt free to allow my mind to wander beyond the science of things i began to research as many natural remedies as i could find. We were both very pleased and quite shocked that the very first thing i suggested began to free up her muscle pain and with a few alterations to these remedies she can now get up feeling refreshed and with only minor aches. It would seem i have happily managed to combine my love of science and nature.

Any hoo, my problem right now is that as i have only recently allowed myself to open the door to this world and as much as i feel that paganism is right for me, i have no idea which path to follow or where to begin. I have always believed in magic and that it is a natural resource that anyone with an open mind can "use" (I don't like the word use but can't think of the right word to replace it with). Paganism itself seems to gel rather nicely with things i have always believed. I don't know if any of the above text will help to shape any advice i may receive but as i say i am very late in life coming to certain realisations and don't know where to begin. I will be going to the Avebury stones for summer solstice with my partner and will surely meet many like minded people.

At the moment i feel a bit like a fish out of water and am not sure what guidance or advice i am looking for. So if anyone could make some sense of my ramblings, i would be grateful for any and all comments/replies.

Thankyou all for just taking the time to read this.

Blessed be

Rod

I saw what you said on your other thread, and I figured I'd just say this: If you post a massive wall of text with no real question for anyone to reply to, it's hard for us to know what to say. However, what you seem to want is basic information about how to  get started. If that is what you want, I would recommend reading. Read about various pantheons and gods, and meditate to see if any call to you in particular. If gods aren't what you want in your path, start by trying basic meditation and spellwork, but read read read up on different paths and techniques. You'll find the right path for you in the end.

[Valdi]

At the moment i feel a bit like a fish out of water and am not sure what guidance or advice i am looking for. So if anyone could make some sense of my ramblings, i would be grateful for any and all comments/replies.

Welcome Rodderz;

I can say this is my experience, too, as a Brit who was raised without religion, I still feel overwhelmed and a little lost myself.

What spiritual paths have you looked at, both Pagan and non-Pagan? Have you decided on most, or all of your views, or just some of them, or very few of them, or somehting else?

[monsnoleedra]

Hi,

Like many others i would like to begin with a little about my religious background or lack there of. I have never been religious in any way and for most of my life i have been very anti religion. I find far too much hypocrisy, bureaucracy and to be honest down right bloody mindedness in most if not all organised religions. Most are more interested in image or controlling the masses, which to me seems to be in complete contrast to what religion actually should be.

Just my personal opinon but I think you've got to figure out there is a difference between Spirituality and the dogma of religion.  One, Spirituality, is internal to the practitioner and how they view themselves, their world and many times thier place within it.  Yet religion is the external that is structured with rules and boundaries and serves to tell the practitioner how they are supposed to act outwardly.  Granted that's a loose definitation but you get the idea.

One would think the two should fit together nicely but it seems that seldom happens.  You have many who cross the t's and dot the i's but really feel nothing for it.  The so called Sunday believers, its Sunday and they believe as long as they are in church.  You have some that feel greatly but can not function within the confines of the dogma.
The so called arm chair preachers and such usually fall into that category.

Then you have a few that I would say trully believe with all their Spiritualness within and find the dogma and constraints the perfect fit for displaying it before the world.  Doesn't matter the pathway they are on, only that it is right for them.

As a note though please do not place the fanatic in that group for they meet some aspects of it but usually only to the extent it supports THIER position and practice.

My mum (Bless her cotton socks), who is also my best friend, never tied me to a religion at any point and has always left me free to be who i choose to be. She has always been open minded to most things and when i told her recently i had started a relationship with a white witch she only smiled and asked if i was happy (she thinks my new partner is "lovely" (Her words)).

The terms White, Black and Gray Witches really are not used in most practices.  In my experience when one does it's usually just used in reference to types of actions applied to magical purpose not the practitioner who is using it.

Though I do recall a time back in the 70's and 80's when White Witch implied one who only did good or helpful magics for others, Black Witch only did harmful, wicked or self supporting and desired magics and Gray Witch was a person who stood in the middle and the situation decided which usages they performed.  But as I stated that was back inthe 70's and 80's.

I have always had a strong interest in magic and nature in all it's glory but have never met anyone i could openly talk to about it without the usual giggles and sarcastic comments.

Many who follow a Witchcraft type pathway also fall into those categories.  Yet the important part in my opinion is that neither of those requires one possess a religious facet to their practice.  It can simply be a way of life and living without any belief in a divine type presence or body.

Since i have been with my new partner i have been able to do so for the first time and therefore have "come out of the closet" so to speak. I find this new freedom very refreshing and have been able to look into things much deeper and with a clear head.

Just my gut feeling but I think there is more here than is being revealed to us.  Especially when one uses the term "Come out of the closet" and all it implies.  It also seems to imply a position that needs or requires an external acceptance or endorsement to be believed and acted upon by the one experiencing it.

It has been during this research i have found that i may have been following a religion without even knowing it. I have always had an affinity with nature and love to take every chance i get to find quite beautiful places to sit and think or not think as the mood takes me. I have a strong background in Geosciences and yet i still see the natural beauty of the world all around me and feel stronger for it.

Again none of that implies that it has to have a religious componet to it.  In many ways it might just be an esoteric (think thats the right word defies me at the moment) way of looking at the world.

It's like in ancient Japan (Nippon) there was a period where proper intent and practice was more important than anything else.  Thus a letter on one day had to have a specific colored ribbon, tied in a specifc way delivered at a specific time.  Yet to do so that way on any other day was the largest screw-up one could make.

For women the height of fashion was blackened teeth and a white powered face.  A suitor would call and if the women responded she just might allow him to see her feet from behind the screen.

Yet none of that was tied to spirituality or religion as much as just an esoteric way of living and the constraints of the times.

Any hoo, my problem right now is that as i have only recently allowed myself to open the door to this world and as much as i feel that paganism is right for me, i have no idea which path to follow or where to begin.

Paganism is like walking into a house of mirrors.  Everywhere you look the view and image is different based upon what is being reflected back.  Some images will appeal to you, others so distorted that it drives you away.  Yet none of them real beyond the mind of the person observing them and acting upon its influence.

No one call tell you which pathway is the correct one for you, for like you we also stand in that hall of mirrors.  What we see and focus upon will probably not be what appeals or draws you.  All one can do is look into the many mirrors or pathways and see which one calls to them.  Then decide do they want it to be Spiritual, Religious or some combination of the two.  Whether they want belief to be more important or whether they want action, proper action and format to be more important.

At the moment i feel a bit like a fish out of water and am not sure what guidance or advice i am looking for. So if anyone could make some sense of my ramblings, i would be grateful for any and all comments/replies.

I'm 53 and have been on my pathway for most of my life.  Yet almost every day there occurs something that makes me feel like a fish out of water and not sure what I am doing or where I am going.  Yet to many that is simply called life!