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Original poster

SaintGeorge - A question?

41 replies

gscrym · 29/07/2006 09:25

Hi Saint George,

I've just had a read through the poitive vibes thread and was wondering what your religion was. I have been interested in Paganism and Wicca for a while and was wondering if you could give me some info. I'm sorry if I have offended you by asking, I wasn't sure how to word the question.

Thanks

OP posts:
AllieBongo · 29/07/2006 09:26

oooh, I'm curious too. St G wouldn't mind i'm sure....

DVX · 29/07/2006 23:11

I am not sure St George is around for a while guys try this in a few weeks or so! Otherwise she would answer!

expatinscotland · 29/07/2006 23:16

she was around last night.

Original poster
gscrym · 08/08/2006 23:17

Bumping on the off chance St George is about.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 08/08/2006 23:30

Here. Sorry didn't see the thread before.

I am a Pagan, witch by any other name.

I used to say I was Wiccan before but I found it too stifling. More Hedgewitch.

Ask away.

Original poster
gscrym · 09/08/2006 15:00

I'm not sure really. What do your beliefs involve, how did you get involved, where would I be able to find more info.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 09/08/2006 15:24

Last question is the easiest - the internet.

You will have to read a lot and ignore a lot. Paganism is such a melting pot of beliefs, you need to dip in and take what you feel most comfortable with. Exploration of your feelings is the key. I tell people that I couldn't find my path in life without seeing the whole map first - I had to explore a lot of wilderness before I found my way.

My beliefs ? briefly or I?ll be here for hours

I believe in a higher power or spirit. It has balance so is male/female, dark/light, good/evil etc. Everything is equal.

This spirit is in all of us and everything around us. For the sake of my meagre human brain I think of this spirit as Goddess/God (makes for easier visualisation) and sometimes take it further and break down in to ?aspects? ? this is where the ?worship? of different gods/goddesses comes into it. They are all part of the same one but again it is easier to think of, for example, Venus as a symbol for love than to think of love as some tiny part of the whole.

How did I get involved? Raised by a mother who is a spiritualist who didn?t impose her beliefs but let us grow and learn by ourselves. Explored various religions over the years but in the end realised I was living as a Pagan, just hadn?t previously had a label for it. Classed myself as Wiccan but found it too regimented. Now I am a ?solitary? witch, but don?t be surprised if I call myself by some other ?label? in the future. I will never stop looking at the map and you never know when a new path might be laid.

Original poster
gscrym · 09/08/2006 16:23

Could you recommend where I might start looking or a book I might read. Thank you so much for your time and help.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 09/08/2006 16:30

My favourites, but they are obviously biased towards my own are of interest, are:

'A Witch Alone' by Marian Green (any of Marian's books really)

'Hedgewitch' and 'The Hedgewitches Way' by Rae Beth

Will try to think of some others for you.

Original poster
gscrym · 19/08/2006 14:35

Hiya St George.

I saw a book today that I thought about buying but wanted to ask your opinion first. It was by Silver Ravenwolf and was called Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation. I was also looking at books by Scott Cunningham. I was looking for Marian Green but the bookshop didn't have any.

I hope you are well.

OP posts:
SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 14:42

Some people love them, so really dislike (Ravenwolf and Cunningham fans tend to stick together).

Personally I am on the dislike side but that doesn't mean you wouldn't get something from them - the thing with paganism is that you do have to explore.

I would strongly recommend trying your local library, maybe see if they have them or could get hold of them for you. Otherwise you could find yourself spending a lot of dosh before you find the path you feel comfortable with.

SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 14:45

Sorry, I should have said.

The main reason I dislike them is that I find them too regimented in their approach, but that is just me personally.

I am very much a free & easy solitary, my rituals are my own. Out of the 2 Rae Beth books I mentioned, I found the 2nd one better because it was a more relaxed version of the 1st.

Original poster
gscrym · 19/08/2006 16:08

Thank you for your help. I was really trying to find something that was for a beginner ao will have a look at what the library has to offer. These books seem to be a little like text books, quite expensive but I suppose they are text books. Thanks again.

OP posts:
SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 16:21

Really try for the Marian Green one if you can, cannot recommend it highly enough as a starter.

Squarer · 19/08/2006 16:28

I have a Marian Green book I could sell you if you are interested gscrym. It's called the Gentle Arts of Natural Magic "aimed at introducing the ancient skills and techniques of folk magic and witchcraft to those living in the modern world"

Original poster
gscrym · 19/08/2006 16:42

St George, I popped on to the library website and they had The Hedgewitches Way in my local library so I popped down to get that. I'll start reading tonight.

Squarer, how much do you want for the book?

OP posts:
Original poster
gscrym · 19/08/2006 16:43

I did look for Marian Green but none of our districts libraries had anything by her.

OP posts:
Squarer · 19/08/2006 16:55

Any decent books on this subject are quite hard to source Gscrym! I would sell it for £5 which would include p&p on the premis it would be accepted as a large letter as opposed to a small package (post office had to go and make things complicated, didn't they?!)

(btw have you ever been to Grahams library in Boscastle St George?)

SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 16:57

Never got as far as Boscastle - but I intend to next time we are down that end of the country.

SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 16:59

I am very lucky in that I inherited 2 crates of books from my late FIL - all on the craft in some form or another.

Some very deep stuff in there which isn't really my thing, but I will keep the books because they are fascinating. Really ritualistic stuff.

Squarer · 19/08/2006 17:08

Yes, must confess I really don't "get" ritual magic. Witchcraft really is an all round fascinating area though. There used to be some amazing stuff in the Museum at Boscastle, but I understand that things came from around the world to rebuild it after the flood. If you do go, try and contact the owner first and express your interest in the library and he more than likely would let you have a browse (it's housed in his home).

SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 17:10

Thanks for the tip, I'll do that. I know I have his email address somewhere because I was getting updates on the restoration appeal at one point.

Squarer · 19/08/2006 17:15

Thats good! He really is a lovely warm and welcoming man. Sure he would welcome you with your credentials!

Original poster
gscrym · 19/08/2006 17:17

Squarer, my e-mail addy is gma5018142 at aol dot com. Let me know your address and I'll post some money off to you.

OP posts:
SaintGeorgeMarple · 19/08/2006 17:17

Snort, credentials?

Not so sure I have them.