folklore-pagan-wicca-witches-witchcraft ?

Question

i am fascinated with different religions, beliefs, customs,
practices and folklore.
what do you believe in/practice and why?
what is involved-do you pray, study, meditate, use spells?
do you think it is okay to find things in different religions that
you believe in or at least appreciate and understand?
please be discriptive and thank you very much for your time.

i really appreciate all of your answers,
you've given me so much information.
i am definitely intrigued, thanks again
for sharing your self.

i could not possibly choose the best
answer i hope you don't mind.
all of your answers that you shared are equally awesom.
i'm stoked that i asked this question, many doors have opened.

Answer 1

I was raised in a Christian family, got into Wicca into my teens, then left it for various systems of occultism. I studied everything from Astral Projection to Unity.

If you want to know why I left, you can read about it in the past answers below.

Eventually I realized occultism was a pursuit of power more than anything else, and that Christianity was the epitome of everything evil. I didn't give it up over noght, it was more like I tapered off of it.

I believe we should treat each other well, and help others. This is why I offer numbers to suicide hotlines and cutter hotlines on Yahoo Answers, for instance. I think Christianity is more than just what you believe or what you don't do, but it should be something that makes the world a better place.

I pray everyday. I use an Anglican Rosary to meditate.

I do think it's important to study other religions. You'd be surprised how they are morally similar to the Judeo-Christian religion.

Answer 2

Depending on my mood I describe myself as either an Agnostic or a Non-Denominational Pagan. The way I see it God (whoever he/she/it is) in all it's perfect wisdom (because don't we all agree that divinity is perfect?) realized that humans (we're all imperfect, right?) wouldn't be able to agree on what it is (how can imperfect understand perfect?) and some would call it God, or Allah, or Thor, whatever, and none of the books would agree completely, but if you look at the paths laid out, they all head in the same direction for the most part. I think it's understood that if we lead our lives the best we can with what we are handed we're good.

I see the divine in everything around me, and I believe that the divine speaks to me through it's own creations. The splendor of a sunrise over the Indian River, the watchfulness of a heron in the reeds, the sheer exuberance of children playing, etc. Why would God stay cooped up in an ugly man-made building when It has all this beauty in the world It made?

Answer 3

I am a practicing Kemetic, which means I worship the Gods of ancient Egypt and I have for as long as I can remember. I've always believed that when you boil all the religions down to their core beliefs, they are all the same, they justhave different names for their dieties. Christianity is included, even though there may only be one God, there are saints and angels which is where the other Gods and Goddesses have been delegated to in that particular faith.
I perform rituals and say prayers with respect to the golden rule - an it harm none, do what you will. I think Religion should be taught in school. All Religions, and that children should be given the options to choose what faith they want to study and practice. No one should be teased, or harrased or told they are wrong for what they choose to believe in, for Faith is a personal decision and what is right for one person is not necessarily right for another.

Answer 4

At this point in life I'm not dealing with any "organized" religions. There are far too many hypocrisies for my taste. I prefer to believe in Nature. The beauty of it. The reality of it. I also recently bought a book on meditating and I'm just going to try to find peace within myself. I think it's a wonderful idea to take bits and pieces from different religions and disciplines. In the end, it's all about what makes sense to you. And as long as you're not doing any harm to anyone else... I say find what makes you happy.

Answer 5

I have been a practicing 'witch' for many years, having been drawn to the earth-based god/goddess religion at the age of 16 when doing a paper on the Salem Witch Trials. I have studied many religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hindi, etc., including tons of books on my chosen path. I think knowledge is never ending...you can never learn enough.

Spells are essentially a form of prayer; they are a way of sending energy out into the universe. And yes, I do them. I also meditate and do yoga.

Find your own path. I think your beliefs are very personal; no one should judge. And to quote the Bible, "judge not lest ye be judged."

Answer 6

i believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.I believe in the forgiveness of sins and in resurrecion. I believe in heaven and in hell.i believe in the power of prayer.
I believe that faith along withs deeds weigh more than words and in time there will be a final reckoning.

find your own path. God is Everywhere. He is in Everyone.you just have to look for Him wholeheartedly...and He'll understand even if you yourself cannot explain....good luck and God Bless!!!

Answer 7

I'm a chaos mage. I draw from all religions and all practices, and the trick is to believe in anything when necessary and nothing permanently.

The description tends to get messy from here.

Answer 8

I have recently switched religions from Christian to Wicca. I haven't had much experiance yet, but I have already made an energy spell that works!!!

Answer 9

The universe is held together and balanced by the yin/yang energies. Everything else is simply a fabrication by groups of people and nothing but "smoke and mirrors" really. To utilize these energies in a positive way, you need to balance yourself first and then you are able to use your abilities which we all have.

Answer 10

I am Mormon. I belive in Heavenly Father (God), Jesus Christ (My Lord and Savoir), and the Holy Ghost (who is my guide, and comfortor). I know that the Bible is the word of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know the there are prophets on the earth today. I know that God hears and answers prays.