The Pagan Circle

[Wannabefree]

Wanna- we are all definentely drawn, at a young, untouched age to our given paths I've never believed in the catholic or Christian teachings, that's what religion I grew up in. I respect it now as a (growing) wiser adult, but my path is different.

This is biblical as well actually. I do believe we know personally within ourselves before anyone else has time to sway us otherwise. I'm a firm believer no ammount of any religious belief that is not part of who we are meant to be will ever ammount to a hill of beans to us personally. Faith can't be forced. It is whatever it is on an inividual basis. Of course...I believe that is God's design too Go figure huh?

 

[pinkfox]

mspony, i have a similar issue with sage, it sucks because everyone of my frineds would use it for clensing and it was almost always around and i just feel sick to my stomach whenever i smell sage burning...
i typically use flame or water for clensing.

wbf i do agree, each of us is drawn to a different path...
personally i dont feel its all to important which path it is as long as a few simple rules are followed (respect for the world, respect for eachother and respect for the lives around us)...
its not the path thats important, or even the destination...but the journey...some take the path to the left, others to the right...personally i prefer to walk straight through the feild of flowers!

 

[Marianne]

Personally, I don't worship God's designs, but I honor them - including the sun. Not everything is done in the blackness of night. Part of that ritual may have been created in the burning times when Pagans had to hide from prosecution. But as a woman, I know how the lunar cycle affects me. That's also the best time for me to meditate as the phone won't be ringing, people won't be dropping by and the dogs won't want to go outside (yet again). It's private time, nice and quiet.

The elements are important to me as I believe that we're all connected and everything has an energy. But I don't worship them. Terminology and symbols should be seen for what they are. There's really nothing scary about it. For hundreds of years, midwives, medicine men, tribal holy men, etc etc had knowledge and a close affination with Nature and what she provides for us. They were respected, held in high esteem. It's too bad that now so many of us feel like we have to keep our faith and gifts to ourselves.

For me, the important thing to remember is that we're all striving for a closer relationship with our Higher Power, following different paths.

(Marianne skips off, singing 'free to be you, free to be me'....badly. But with good intent!)

 

[Marianne]

Pinkfox! LOL I was typing at the same time you were. You just type faster than this ol' lady. I'll join you in the field of flowers!

 

[pinkfox]

lol, great minds think alike!

i absolutly agree about the elements ect...
I think of it in a semi scientific way sometimes...as "god" as a giant ball of energy that energy then fills everything around us, some with a stronger concentration than others...living things on this planet are like batteries, we can store and use and recharge that energy if we open up the right channels, we can also connect to the energy that fills other things and sometimes connect in such a way that we can use it too...

scientifically it has been proven that everything natural on this world has its own electrical and magnetic energy...
so visualizing it in such a way sometimes helps me visualize and connect when spiritual mind is having a hard time conversing with science mind lol

 

[Wannabefree]

I guess the major difference then is my personal belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I garden by the moon phases. The moon affects water, therefore it affects plants, and the production of food. I see it as knowledge that God has provided to bless us with a bountiful harvest I rely on Christ though for cleansing and protecting, not herbs or rituals. I do believe plants to be medicinal, and that for every disease, there is a cure within God's own design in nature, we just have to find it. I rely solely on the Creator, for all things, and trust Him to guide and protect. I know nothing about animal guides and such I worship the Creator exclusively.

I guess I figured I would just cut out the middle man(nature) and head straight to the top My idea is that if God created all things, He is in all things, and controls all things, daily. If not for Him, I don't believe I'd be living breathing me. He is my breath, the breath of life is a gift He gave me. So are the plants, sun, moon, stars, and knowledge of how to use those gifts to benefit myself and serve others. All of the things you all believe about nature and such, are pretty much in line with what I believe as well. The fairies, and power in cards or cards through self, crystal balls, rituals, etc. is what I may never understand. Thank God I'm not a pagan! I'd mess up a whole bunch of stuff I guess. What I mean is, if I had to rely on myself...well let's just say I'd be in some hot water I guess that is mostly what I can't understand personally. That is where it quits making sense to me. I couldn't make myself be born, or decide to be concieved, or make sure I wasn't aborted etc. etc. etc. so in my mind there has to be a higher being that is in control, and worthy of worship and honor even over the vast expanse of awesomeness He has created. I think there has to be a reason for me, a higher purpose I suppose

I think I'm going to head on out of this thread now. I honestly don't think I could ever truly grasp what it is that drives this belief system, so I'll quit buggin you all Thanks for putting up with my 20 questions and for being very hospitable and tolerant! Ya'll are great!

 

[ORChick]

And, from a totally opposite point of view, I am ... what am I? I'm not so sure. I suppose agnostic might fit; I don't believe in any god ... but am prepared to accept that I might be wrong!
Anyway, thank you to FD for starting this thread, and to others for commenting. I have long been interested in the various beliefs that people have ... perhaps that is a sign that I am really looking to be shown the errors of my ways? ... and have next to no knowledge of Wicca. Sounds like stories told to children ... but I am open to being educated.
At any rate, thanks to you all; I look forward to widening my knowledge.

 

[Britesea]

If this post seems a little disjointed I'm sorry- I came home and my blood sugar was way low. I've eaten something, but it's gonna take a bit for my hands to stop shaking and stuff

One reason why witches have more to do with the dark is because for a very long time, they had to worship in secret. The cloak of darkness protects from lots of inquisitive eyes.

A lot of pagan beliefs are kind of mish-mashed, because much of it was lost. People would die before they had finished passing on their knowledge. When Gerald Gardner, who was a British witch that is credited with bringing witchcraft out of the shadows, first became a witch he said the coven's rituals were so fragmentary that he and Doreen Valiente felt impelled to rewrite a lot of them. I can tell you that a lot of the 'new' ritual was gleaned from sources like Masonic ritual.

One reason why many witches honor both the female and male aspect of Deity is that balance is required. The qualities of femaleness include intuition and introspection, nurturing, and freedom; the qualities of maleness include research, protection, and order. If you have too much of the female quality in power you have chaos(think touchy-feely, flower child, all you need is love with no thought to the future), too much male creates rigidity and selfishness (picture the Industrial Revolution, Nazis).

Quail - It sounds to me as if your 'friend' was a psychic vampire, whether she knew it or not. And the stone was filled with her most negative energy- no wonder it made you feel bad!

Wannabefree - we believe that we imbue our tools with our own energy for a synergistic effect. It's sort of like having an array of batteries that, when linked together, create more power than any one battery by itself. There is no way to measure this at this time, so we sort of have to take it on faith that this is happening. Sure feels like it!

As far as worshipping Creation vs worshipping the Creator. I do not separate Deity from the Cosmos- it is all one. Therefore, I can accept that Jesus is deity- but by my reasoning, so am I. I hope this doesn't offend you, I am just trying to explain what I see is a primary difference between Christian belief and Wiccan belief. When I salute the Moon, or celebrate the Return Of The Sun at winter solstice- I am not actually worshipping the sun or the moon, but honoring those aspects of Deity. One thing I am not happy about right now is that I have allowed my body, which is a vessel of the Goddess, to become unfit and diseased- so I am working on changing that...

Pinkfox- when you think on it, almost all religious teachings can be boiled down to two simple words: PLAY NICE

 

[hillfarm]

WBF. i think the only real difference is that you believe in a legend that says a man, a flesh and blood son of the creator, died to forgive your sins. I believe that the we are children of the creator, and of her life giving force that provides me mental, physical a spiritual nourishment. Not really so different. Simply symantics. My savior is the physical earth, moon, sun, plants and animals and fellow man, a gift from my creator.

You turn to your bible for comfort and education. I turn to my tarot. You pray, I pray. I feel strong love and admiration for the works of my creator. You too, and you specifically love and admire his son and his works.

I think all religion is personal. But most is intertwined. We all have blended bits and peices.



I personally have read and studied exstensively many religions. I have found all to have thier good points. Paganism makes the most sense to me. I dont expect everyone to agree or find my faith believable by their standards.

Technically, fairies are just as possible as 2000 year old earth men being in the clouds and overseeing things. Not to make light of your beliefs but I do not find mine implausible. Majik can be as powerful as any faith.

 

[Blue Skys]

I haven't posted anything on here in a long while, but I have lurked. I just had to thank y'all for starting this thread. I have had LOTS of changes in my life recently and it's really made me reflect on what I want and really what/who I am. I have really been needing some sort of like minded folks to spend time with and bounce ideas and feeling off of. I found a Unitarian Universalist church near me, and I'm very excited about going to their service this coming week. I feel like this is coming into my life just as I need it to. I have been longing for something that I couldn't put my finger on and I think this my be it.

Long story short, y'all have sparked a light inside of me that I think I've been smothering for many, many years, for many different reasons. I just realized that these changes I've experienced are actually a very good thing, though they haven't felt so good. Anyways, I'm rambling a bit, I just had to tell someone. Thanks for listening!