Pagan interest thread

[MoonFaceMama]

Hello,

As a pagan who practices alone i sometimes find it difficult to mark the passing of the wheel of the year in a secular society which largely ignores there things (ie, i sometimes forget special days ) I get the feeling there might be others on here who feel the same, or who do remember, and that maybe we could support each other in reminders and suggestions for celebrations...

Personally i tend to mark the seasons in ways that feel appropriate and are informal, i'm not big into ritual (but willing to discuss this with those who are). Now that i have a ds i think i'm more concious of helping him to have structure to his year (when i was little i had this through the church) and am considering joining a local pagan group so that i have a community of support in this, which might, in time, be available to him should he wish to access it.

So...a place to discuss pagan celebrations, ideas etc... Any takers?

Everything's ok at present. We had a great Yule and xmas and are looking forward to new year.

Mum's funeral in in the morning, DD is going to her Auntie's for a couple of days.

Xh has been an arsehole, but what's new?

Roll on 2012!
I hope you start to feel less stressed soon Grockle.

Thinking of you, ChildofIsis.

Wishing bright blessings and a happy new year to all you lovely pagan ladies!xxx

Thanks moonwitch, same to you.
Hope all went ok ChildOI.
Welcome Truly
Hope you are feeling more grounded now Grockle.
We had a wonderful Yule/anniversary but I'm also starting to feel a little overwhelmed! I start work after several months of mat leave next week. I'm apprehensive as, on top of missing my DD, I'm 6 months pregnant and suffering with sciatica, so won't make the best first impression in a new workplace! My DH is minding DD for the first few days until childcare arrangements start, but he has never had her alone for a full day so it will be an intense experience for him, plus we have just all started with colds and there will be a family funeral next week too, so feeling v guilty about leaving him with that responsibility alone. It will be a challenging start to the new year for us all!

Thank you for all your kind thoughts.
It's been abusy and emotional few days.
The funeral went ok, had a lovely wake with lots of family I haven't seen for ages.

DD now knows that she has a half-sister, she's not impressed and it's taken quite a bit of encouragement for her to go to her dad's today.
I've asked her to give him a chance and to see what positivity can be found in the situation.
We may not like it, but it is a fact and we will be better placed if we choose a positive outlook rather than living in denial and reactivity.

Happy New Year to all!

hello, genuine question here: is paganism a bit of new age stuff? Do pagans believe in god? Do pagans believe that rituals have an effect? Or are they just carried out for the fun of it?
Thanks

Pagan religions are the original human faith.
Monotheism is a relatively new (a few thousand years) concept.
Paganism is defined as a multi-theistic religion.
Hinduism is one such pagan faith. Also native american and aboriginal faiths are.

Pagans worship an eclectic mix of deities, female and male.
Rituals and magic are worked to have an effect.
Mainly the effect is to create change within the person doing the ritual.
This can be in terms of strengthening their confidence, personal protection, image that they project into the world, ability to see the truth of a situation.

We do have fun times too, we have 8 festivals annually that celibrate the turning seasons. Some festivals are more serious than others.

Pagans generally have an intimate relationship with their deity/life force, as such there is no need for an organised clergy.
Each pagan is a priestess/priest in their own right.

I hope this aids your understanding.

Hello all,

I confess i havnt read the whole thread (long!) but found your last post fascinating child of isis.

I'm posting this hoping for some words of wisdom concerning my current situation as i'm getting bogged down and confused ... i'm so sorry if this is rambling, offensive or inapropriate here.

Right - my OH proposed out of the blue on xmas night and i said yes. So far so good :) We've been living together 4 years and since i've known him he has always said he would never marry as firstly he did not see the point and secondly he is not religious. Happily he now does see the point but is still not keen on a traditional church or simple a registry office wedding as he feels he would like something more meaningful and personal to us.

As for me - i too would not want a traditional christian wedding as i do not believe in 'God'. Instead in my heart i feel a deep love of the power and beauty of nature and her seasons and cycles and am never more at peace than when out in the countryside where we live, or near the sea. Just close to nature. I find my 'spirituality' there. I have always been intrested in the idea of Pagan beliefs but would not try to elivate myself by saying i'm pagan as such, as i dont quite understand the concept of 'the godess', and am not clued up on all the festivals. If, however, i was pushed to choose a pigeon hole for my beliefs i would be happy to be labelled pagan. It feels right.

Now to the point. After OH had proposed we chatted about what we would like to do and he suggested a 'pagan wedding'. My gut reaction was absolutely yes! How wonderful. Meaningful and personal with just a few family friends around us. I pictured us outdoors somewhere green and lovely in the summer here in England (maybe not sunny!?) making our vows as we see fit. We would legalise our mariage at a registry office earlier/later in the day. We looked up handfastings on the net and have read about the sentiments and they are perfect. Wonderful and beautiful to both of us.

My problems have begun, however, as i research more into organising a handfasting because i am worrying about being a fraud. I dont want a 'pagan themed 'do'' for a bit of a laugh. I dont want to just hijack the pagan idea of a wedding in the same way that many (most?) couples hijack the christian faith just because their local church is really pretty and would look good in the photos. We are serious about each other, of course, and are serious about having a union without involving 'God' as neither of us believe he exisits. We are serious exchanging our vows in a personal, loving way and love the sentiment of the tying of hands within a natural setting and exchanging rings presided over by a minister of a faith which is steeped in the worship of nature.

So what do practising pagans think? Am i over thinking this now? Will i be laughed at and sent packing if i approach a local pagan organisation with our ideas for our day? (We live in Northants btw) The more i google this the more befuddled i'm getting. Help!

Thank you for reading all this. Any advice would be appreciated.

Marking my place here as I too will be interested in the responses to this question, thanks misty0

Congratulations misty0

No-one will laugh at you, a handfasting sounds wonderful. Please keep us posted - I'd love to hear more about your plans.

For me, the important part of paganism is no dogma. I am free to believe what I believe with no-one telling me how, where or when to worship. I can show my respect and gratitude as I see fit and honor what is important to me in the way that feels best.

Good advice to your DD, CoI.

Thank you grockle, and thank you truly as well. Glad i'm not the only one wondering about this.

I do feel alot more confident about organising this now. Do need to find out what everyone does in case of dodgy weather though. It wouldnt bother me and OH to stand there in the rain together but my aged mother wouldnt be happy

I will keep you posted if thats ok. Thanks again.

What part of the county are you in, Misty? Can't remember if you said and I'm being nosy. DP mentions getting married often and I said no but I'd be open to a handfasting. I've not really done any research though. My family would think I'm bonkers. I tend to keep my beliefs to myself and they don't ask questions and just ignore my besom and DS's shrieks of 'Mummy's a WITCH!' (I'm not but we talk about various pagan beliefs...)

Identifies self as crap pagan who misses many occasions! I do occasionally do some rituals with like-minded friends but as we (mostly) have busy lives with small children, it's difficult to fit in anything around bf/picking up from clubs etc.

And I've just realised this thread is quite old!

Hello Red it is an old thread but still very much alive!

Thanks Childof.

Funnily enough I was surfing the net earlier to try to find some pictures to put on my mantlepiece (I don't have an altar - I don't have ROOM for an altar!). I remember distinctly a dream I had a couple of years ago where a man appeared to me, apparently dressed in leaves. I looked closer and saw that it was tongues of flame. I asked him who he was and he said he was Lugh.
Sadly I can't find any pictures of him with leaves or flames and the mental image has faded so I can't recall his face.

Since he appeared I have met and befriended a few pagans and witches and feel very relaxed and at home in their company despite the fact that I seldom practice.

Welcome Red.

Red - i dont know if this will help, and you may have tried it already but perhaps goodle images of 'the green man'?. I have a lovely bronzey looking cast plaque of a green man face with his leaves radiating outward. Something like that might be nice? Mines only about 10" across and is meant to be an outdoor thing but it looks lovely on the wall indoors. I feel he watches over me! Would be nice over a small fireplace.

Grockle - I'm in the middle of nowhere in Northamptonshire! I've had no probs from DPs side of the family about a pagan wedding, but havnt plucked up the courage to tell my side! To be honest i'm finding it a nightmare to even begin to organise. Plus the only official site i can find who help out with this sort of thing are being very kind www.paganweddingplanners.co.uk/ but seem intent on it being held in Glastonbury which would mean putting everyone up in hotels. eek. (+ they want to charge £700 minimum for not alot it now seems). Nice web site though :)

Thankyou Grockle and Misty

I have had a look at green man images, but they're too 'green'! Lugh was autumn shades of brown,orange and cerise. I guess an image will turn up at some point. :-)
I do have a green man on the wall at home - a gift from a friend - he looks down over our dinner table from above a mirror.

Congrats on your forthcoming wedding, Misty. What are you looking for specifically with regard to organisation/items? I have several friends who might be able to advise on location etc. (And I make stationery if that helps!)

I have a lovely wooden green man that DP got me for my birthday. I can't remember where it came from though.

All sounds complicated, this wedding business. I swore never to get married again so I won't have to worry!

Popping in so this thread doesn't disappear from my Threads I'm On - I'll never find it.

Hoping everyone is well.

Hello and blessings to everyone!
I am very stressed and fighting a battle I need to share with you all but I'm too tired and need to clear my head tonight.
I'll come to ask for your support tomorrow x

Let me know if I can light a candle for you Earthy
There does seem to be a lot of 'battles' to be fought at present.

All I can say is that the MN saying 'this too will pass' is helpfull to me in my trying moments.

I'm struggling too

Blessings to you all.