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What made you become a Pagan? Or were you always a Pagan, i.e., raised as one? Or were you, say, a Christian and then converted to Paganism? In that case, what made you convert?
I never really considered myself a Pagan until I joined these forums. Although always interested in matters spiritual/religious/metaphysical, I wasn't a Christian, Muslim, Jew or Buddhist. That left the Pagan forum and thankfully, it's a big tent and many belief systems are accepted as "normal."
I was brought up in a Jewish/Episcopalian household. I was never bat mitzvahed but I was baptized. I was always interested in magic-loved Bewitched & The Magician (even though that is illusions rather than real magic). In school when we were learning about the Salem witch trials, I always knew if had been alive during that time, I would have been hung/burned at the stake, etc. I acquired my first deck of Tarot cards at the age of 17.
When I was about 26 or so, I had a magazine service where I got so many magazines for one price. One of those magazine was Fate. That was when I first really heard of Wicca. My first Wicca book was written by Laurie Cabot-THE Salem Witch. For some reason, it didn't really do anything for me. I later realized that it was just Laurie Cabot that didn't do anything for me. When I discovered Scott Cunningham-that was a different story.
It was a few years later when I went back to school. I took a philosophy class which helped me to really understand my beliefs. At the time I was "involved" in the soap "One Life To Live." There was a character "Luna" was was a "Goddess worshiper." I remember one Saturday (I should have marked the day actually but I didn't) when I had basically had an "AH HA!" moment. I remember where I was but just not the date. Between what I had learned in my philosophy class & watching the soap, it just all made so much sense to me. From that day forward, I called myself a "Goddess worshiper." I was not comfortable calling myself a witch. Over 2000 years of bad propaganda does wonders for a person.
It took me several years after that to come out of the broom closet. The first one in my family I told was my dad. When I told him, he said, "Oh, so you are a witch." Again, at this time I wasn't comfortable calling myself one. My rational for it was that "true" witches wouldn't approve (thinking of Laurie Cabot) because I did not go through the year & a day training, didn't belong to a coven, or do any rituals.
Who helped me was a sociology teacher at school. The funny thing is, I didn't have him for a teacher. He had produced a film about the Salem witches today. Here is a trailer for that film:
He gave me books to read (that were NOT Laurie Cabot) and that was when I realize it was ok not to go through the year and a day training. It was ok to train myself. And it was ok for me to call myself a witch. And it was ok to practice how I wanted to practice. I didn't have to follow anyone else's rules but my own.
As for that sociology teacher, our paths still cross-in fact we just saw him this past Tuesday and we plan to invite him & his wife for dinner soon. And no, he is NOT a witch. He just understands what being a witch means. Also, our paths still cross with my philosophy teacher, too.
Now looking back, I know I had been a witch all my life, I just didn't know. Sort of like being gay-you are just born that way.
I was always told I was a Presbyterian growing up, but we never set foot in a church or discussed anything remotely approaching the subject of religion at home. At the same time, it was sort of generally accepted around the house that just about everything was true, but shrouded in lies that might also be true. But also lies. Soaking in this like a teabag my entire life, I eventually stumbled on Margot Adler's Drawing Down The Moon and discovered that persons that think the way I do are called Discordians.
I can't at exactly as to when I 'became' a pagan.
I can't say I was born 'in to' it as I grew up in a home without any religion. However, I have pretty much have now, the same roots spiritually that I had growing up. So I have always been what I am today, just more learned.
For a long time it had no defined name. I still could be called, or teeter totter between terms.
Pagan encompasses all of the possible labels, so I go with that for simplicities sake.
I aknowedged a possible term, pantheist; but that was not quite right. Panentheists is closer as is animism. Any of those could be deemed pagan.
Before finding those terms, others have called me a witch. Now I do not subscribe to the concept that the craft is a religion. There are not 'codes', or dogma- only the laws of nature and the universe. One can do what ever they so choose, believe in god(s) or not. The craft is not about faith in a spiritual or higher power sense. Thought some who practice call upon such divine beings. Witchery is a way of life, just as it is for someone who plays golf and goes to the horse races.
I dabbled in using the word pagan at some point and in 2005 I joined a pagan artist group. So if some sort of 'official' time is sought, it is 2005....but nothing of my spirituality changed.
It was in 1997 that I made my own official label 'Freeform Spiritualist'. That's really what I go by.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Not sure where Pantheism fits, but that would be closest to any spiritual beliefs I have. I don't really consider that pagan in the modern sense. I find that there is much intrigue by dogma and doctrine, albeit on a smaller scale, with the new pagans as there are with both the eastern and abrahamic religions.
I find that there is much intrigue by dogma and doctrine, albeit on a smaller scale, with the new pagans as there are with both the eastern and abrahamic religions.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlKaMyst
How do you mean? Can you give an example?
All you have to do is look at some of the thread titles in this section. There are many who discuss issues from the point of view of addressing a sentient, powerful and invisible entity. The only difference is that that entity is usually not viewed as omnipotent as those who believe in a monotheistic entity.
There is lots of evidence of what nature does and is. Nature includes not only what we know here on earth, but the rest of our solar system, the galaxy and the universe or possibly universes beyond.
There is no evidence of mythical sentient and invisible entities, whether they be called Allah, God, Christ or Freya.
All you have to do is look at some of the thread titles in this section.
I did that, as I could not recall any discussions that I had viewed in the past to contain dogma and doctrine talk. Some of the Wiccan discussions maybe, but that is just a drop in the bucket as goes for who all is a pagan.
Quote:
There are many who discuss issues from the point of view of addressing a sentient, powerful and invisible entity. The only difference is that that entity is usually not viewed as omnipotent as those who believe in a monotheistic entity.
Wait, I thought we were talking about doctrine and dogma.
Quote:
There is no evidence of mythical sentient and invisible entities, whether they be called Allah, God, Christ or Freya.
Most of the pagans I know personally who do use Gods and Goddesses, do so in complete knowing that it is only a symbolic metaphor for an aspect of nature, life and humanity.
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