Pagans and wiccans?

[KinkyandGhoulishDorito]

Hi all

I am curious how you decided to become involved with your faith and how you got into it?

I hope this makes sense - I am on a quest !

Hi! I got fed up with the patriarchal spoutings of Protestantism and found my way when in my 20's. Always been solitary practitioner. Don't be afraid to pick and choose, maybe take a look at Shamanism/Huna not just Wicca. You'd be surprised of how much infighting there is on Wicca webforums. Hope this is of help!

Thank you oh .

I realised fairly young that Catholocism (the faith in which I was raised) didn't make much sense and didn't fit with my own view of the world. When I was about 14 I discovered there was a religion called "paganism" and it fitted with what I believed. Over the years I learned more about paganism, and how it is more of an umbrella term for various faiths, religions and spiritual practices.

I wasn't particularly interested in Wicca as a path, preferring to be a solitary, then one day some personal gnosis sparked a journey which took me along the Wiccan path and on to initiation into a Wiccan Coven. It took about 5 years from the time I decided Wicca was the path for me to find a group and gain initiation into that group.

You're welcome Dorito! Paganism a lifelong path afterall. Maybe Francesca de Grandis' 'Be a Goddess' may give you some inspiration.

I am a solitary Pagan.

We were asked to draw a picture of God when I was a kid and I was the only one to draw a girl.

I dont like labels. Our pagan ancestors didnt keep written records so we cannot KNOW how they practiced their faith.

Thats what I love, it`s all gut instinct.

It`s about being a good person, character as opposed to personality.

I also love all the witchy shit.

I picked up a second hand copy of Cassandra Eason's bokk of natural agic and went from there [hsmile]

Book of natural magic... Flaming hell forgotten how to type!

[cut and pasted this from the other thread about pagans - is more appropriate here!]

I've dipped in and out of calling myself a Pagan, but this year I've marked each of the festivals and am actually feeling very drawn right now to Wicca. I don't like labels, but I love how this website describes it as your own path...which is pretty much what I do. I practice yoga, and trust in it as a spiritual practice (am, in fact, training as a yoga teacher) but I don't see any conflict between using yoga as a spiritual practice and being Wiccan.

Tonight a friend an I will cast our first circle and do some ritual together. I am very excited!

[and new material...]

Right now I can't see me ever being initiated into a coven, but never say never! Will probably just practice with a friend, and maybe with friends in the town next to ours from time to time.

I already do a lot of women's circle ritual, which is not labelled specifically as Wiccan, but of course could be described as such.

I was never christened as my mum and dad always wanted me to choose my own path (mum was CofE and dad is RC), and over the years, thanks to being in a very multicultural school, I was exposed to a huge range of religions. ANd none of them felt quite right.

Then when I was about 14 a friend told me about her older sister who was a practising Wiccan. Her sister gave her a whole load of information on Paganism, which my friend had no interest in. I found everything fitting into place though, all my beliefs suddenly made sense.

Some of my friends also dabbled with Paganism, though most soon felt it wasn't quite right. Recently one of my dearest friends has told me that as she's grown up she feels Paganism is right for her. So I'm hoping to do more things with her.

I can't see myself ever joining a coven, though I would like to join like minded people at some point for some celebrations.

I would love to go to a moot but there are none here
We are on the edge of moorland so we have a lot of druid activity though, poor sods generally get the police called on them by people driving down the top road at night who just see people dressed strangely out in the dark...

Thanks for all the replies. I've bought myself some books to have a read.

I think it was something that was always in me, finding something spiritual in the cycles of nature, that I found a label for (witchcraft) in my mid teens.

Good luck on your journey & remember that Paganism is a very broad term that encompass all kinds of differing beliefs, each journey is different and everyone travels there own path which may turn out to have many unexpected twists, turns and hidden surprises.

If its witchcraft you are interested in I would recommend The Real Witches' Handbook by Kate West as a good place to start. x

i am becoming really fascinated by this recently.

Last year was the first time I had felt truely closer to Mother Nature, and I can really feel my Pagan side coming out. I think this was due to me having a scary time with my health and hospitals, I needed something to cling to.

I can't wait to properly celelbrate Yuletide this year, with my dearest friend (MurderOfGoths). :-)

Hey gorgeous! Good to see you here, I'm finding I'm leaning much more towards my Pagan side since everything happened. I've never been so glad to have faith. Poor DH has commented a few times recently that he wishes he had a faith to cling too. :(

I think faith is one of those things that can take years to develop, and many people find that even if they haven't got a named 'faith' as such, that they can cling to the strength of those around them who they love and those that they love who are no longer with us (I think of what advice my Grandad would give me when I'm in difficult situations). I have struggled with the concept of faith for all my life, and now have my own version...even that was a struggle, coming around to the thinking that I don't have to be strict with myself when it comes to faith....it can be your own personal manifestation.

I'd love to be a pagan, I even enrolled in magic school (a free website to learn all about witches/wiccans/druids and you can do tarrot and wiccan courses) I just don't have any faith at all.

I even tried to christianity just to see if that would fit better but the idea of a all male god is repulsive to me. I love the Diana moon goddess and really related to Aphradite but I couldn't make myself believe all the "magic". I really researched into it, I have a Alister crawly book, a budepest one (who doesn't believe in 3 fold coming back if you curse a rapist for instance) and many more, while interesting I just cannot believe in it even though I want to.

I'm a solitary pagan. So is my dad & my grandad was too, if that makes any sense. But I didn't know they were until I 'came out' so to speak when my grandad died when I was 14. My dad thought it was best to let me choose my own path.

OP What is your quest?

bumpety bump

very interested to the point Iv'e dug out my womens mysteries book out

At (catholic) school we were told "anyone not making the sign of the cross during the Hail Mary will get detention" and I thought what kind of religion punishes people for not participating?

Shortly after that I found myself in the local library looking at religion books for a piece of homework and came across a page on Wicca. Everything I read make perfect sense, and just kind of clicked or felt right. So I read more...