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?

Sending out all my best and stongest vibes to those who are struggling at the moment.

I've just come through (almost) the worst year of my life and i can say confidently that yes 'all this too will pass' got me through. I can also say that i used the support of a lovely bunch on MNers on a forum here and without their help i wouldnt have come through so well. At times it saved my sanity to get my thoughts out here, so i would recomend it. There is always someone listening.

Thank you for your interest in my nuptials red! :) After all that we have decided upon a 'traditional' wedding. I still hold the idea of a pagan wedding dear - but it just wasnt working out. Numbers have grown and grown and the logistics of it all was taking away the simplistic nature which was the key for me. Sooo its now a rather unpagan do in an Elizabethan manor house. Still excited though :) And its still going to be very personal to OH and i.

Anyway all is not lost as i've found this lovely thread!

Thanks for the update and good wishes, misty.

Hope everyone is well.

Well, on the plus side, Misty, an Elizabethan manor is going to be full of character, and you can always weave in a few pagan elements I am sure.

I had a traditional (church) wedding 15 (almost 16) years ago, because at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do, and at the time, I had no strict beliefs other than going with tradition. If I did it all again now, I don't know what we'd do, probably a civil ceremony as DH is an agnostic.

I was hoping to have had a naming ceremony for DD which would have been a bit pagan but that's not been well-received as an idea by DH and I can see some family members getting twitch, so we're just leaving it all for now. Perhaps when she's older, and if she's interested, we'll do something then.

Next full moon 7th Feb. Perhaps we should commune here at some point ahead of that and plan to do something - not online at the time, and not a joint ritual, but at least agree amongst ourselves to do something - even if it is just lighting a candle and sitting for a few minutes at some point that day or night?

Just thought, Misty - you could always do your 'official/traditional' wedding , and do a handfasting later, with a smaller crowd or just the two of you.
I am fairly sure I know someone (or at least she will know someone) who could perform the ceremony - they're in the Leicester area. :)

Marking my spot as I keep forgetting to check this threadout! Bright Blessings all x

Welcome, Bullie

What kind of things do you do for full moon, red?

Full moon blessings to all

It's a pretty one tonight.

Oops - missed that! The post not the full moon. I just lit some candles (having cleared my altar), and had a little stand in the moonlight - although I was indoors it was still great. Am hoping my request for determination and hard-working attitude will be answered. I still have over 5000 words to write!

Hello

May I join your thread? I may be a bit of a sporadic poster, though, as I don't turn my computer on very often!

I want to introduce some personal full moon ritual. The last three moons I have attended a moon group held by a woman who is some sort of shamanic medicine woman I think. However, I am coming to feel that the group is not for me every single month, but I definitely want to honour the full moon each time in some way. Thinking might drag some of my friends into some woods for a barefoot walk. I am desperate to buy some woodland so I have somewhere I can go and light a fire as well!

I would love to have my own woodland, Flamingo!

I don't have much spare time at the moment but on previous full moons I have worked in a small group with some friends, in someone's back garden as it's not overlooked. We cast circle, purified ourselves in the moonlight, raised some positive energy, cast out negative aspects in our lives, laughed, danced, cried, hugged and chilled out.

Hopefully in the not too distant future I will be able to do something similar again as I have friends who are pagans and friends who are witches so I am sure we can work something out.

At the moment I am lighting candles on my (mantlepiece) altar every day for a week because when I lit them at full moon I got a very clear message to do so! :)

How lovely, Red

My daily rituals have gone a bit haywire lately because of birthdays and a weekend away, and now a cold, but I'm looking forward very much to starting my day with my yoga and meditation, then coming downstairs to light candles on my altars (we have a family one and I have my own one), and around the living room (we have no way of having a fire in our house, so we have lots of candles instead :) ) and starting my day having had a chance to really tune into the universe.

May I ask, do those of you on here who class yourselves as Pagans follow any particular spiritual tradition, or does it just mean, to you, a sort of eclectic spirituality?

I am drawn very much to Eastern spiritual traditions - specifically Buddhism and Hinduism - but also enjoy very much following the Celtic wheel of the year and honouring the lunar cycle. So does that make me pagan? (or just weird! )

Hello can I join please.
I am very new to paganism and really have no idea what I am doing. But it feels right for me IYKWIM.
:)

I would say that my path is eclectic. I don't seem to be able to make time for daily meditation or reflection, but try to take time out at full moon to acknowledge the turning of the wheel of the year.

I am hoping to go back through some literature later on this year once I have finished my degree.

I feel quite drawn to Celtic gods and goddesses, and to hedgewitchery but at the moment don't feel particularly 'in' with any particular representations of the god or goddess. I tend to feel most at ease when I am somewhere close to nature; when I can touch the earth, walk amongst the trees, listen to the birds and breathe fresh air. However, like Flamingo I find aspects of buddhism and hinduism interesting.

A friend of mine runs a retreat once a year and I am toying with the idea of going; but it would depend on when in the year it is (haven't checked) and how much it costs (ditto). Her patron goddess is Elen of the Ways and she sounds interesting.

Rushing in to post before this drops off the 'Threads I'm On' & I lose it. Hope everyone is ok.

All good here thanks, Grockle.

Hello to new thread joiners!

Hi everyone,
I'm not a Pagan but I am into Mother Earth, Spiritualism and Magic!
I would love to meet like minded people on here too for a chat sometimes x

I'm going to train as a yoga teacher! I'm so excited! So I guess my path is going to turn more Eastward as time goes on. However, I am still feeling very close to and inspired by nature so will definitely not stop marking the wheel of the year and honouring the Goddesses

Why do you say you are not a Pagan, nannipigg?

Can I give a little self-promoting wave if anyone wants handfastings/namings?

I'm really looking forward to the brighter times ahead - Summer seems a long way off when it's wet and cold :(

@FlamingoBingo....I should of said I am not a practicing Pagan, I do try to follow the Wicca ways but don't get much spare time to do many spells with my 3 year old DD x
I love animals and nature and believe in Mother Earth not God as such, although I do believe in Angels....I'm complicated :-)

OOh maybe I am a Pagan then.....I was thinking of Druids!!!!stupid me :-)

LOL. I found a lovely little thing on Pinterest the other day. I wonder if I link to it here will people who aren't members of Pinterest be able to see it - hang on: Let's try it.

Tell me if it works!

Lovely, Flamingo

Yes that makes sense now x thanks!

How is everybody?

I'm having a really rough time and need to channel some positive energy but I don't really know how. I've just begun to notice little signs of spring - daffodils and primroses beginning to bloom and the days are getting longer. I'm looking forward to brighter days ahead.