Becoming pagan, possibly... (DON'T answer if you're just going to say God is the right way, or I'me evil etc)

Question

I asked AQA (63336 in the UK) how to beome a pagan, and they sais that there were no initiation ceremonies, but that you needed to bylearn (That's what the text said, but it doesn't make any sense to me!) a path which is considered pagan and develop a connection and love for it.

Just one thing... WHAT paths are considrered pagan?!

Haha, nice idea Leviathan!

If you're thinking pagans are evil and stuff like that, it's not at all true (I don't think).

TBH, I GUESS I'm thinking more along the lines of Wicca, which (as far as I'm aware) is similar.
Whatever. It's whichever religion got hammered by Christianity yonks ago (No offense meant if you are Christian, BTW) and involves spells for the power of good.

Ummm... not wanting to sound rude or thick, but what's altruism? Is it happiness and fulfilment?

Answer 1

These are the main neo-pagan paths. There are many more, but this should get you started. Some require initiation rites, some don't. It can be enlighening to learn about them even if they aren't your cup of tea.

My favorite Yahoo group of Traditional Wiccans:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amberandjet/

Definition of Neo-Wicca:
http://www.witches-tutorial.com/paths/neowicca.html

A couple of good sites about Wicca:
http://www.geraldgardner.com/
http://wicca.timerift.net/
http://www.controverscial.com/index.html
http://www.waningmoon.com/ethics/rede.shtml

Comparing Wicca and Druidism:
http://davensjournal.com/index.htm?DaWaC.xhtml&2
http://home.comcast.net/~uberrod/text4.html
http://www.tangledmoon.org/wiccanotceltic.htm

Websites about Druidism:
http://www.geocities.com/mikerdna/drulinks.html
http://www.wildideas.net/cathbad/druid.html
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/d/druidism.html

Websites about Pagan Reconstructionists
http://www.ecauldron.com/reconindex.php
http://www.thetroth.org/memsvc/stewards/flyers/benw/reconflyer.pdf (links at the bottom for various Reconstructionist groups)
http://paganachd.com/faq/index.html

A good forum that has members of all different neo-pagan paths:
http://www.ecauldron.net/

A site to learn about different neo-pagan paths:
http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=trads

Answer 2

Pagan is any religion that worships nature-based, goddess/gods-based tyep worship. Druids, Asatru, Shamans, etc are all considered "pagan" and they're just a few of many others. You find a teacher within a belief structure you're interested in, or you do research on your own and learn.

Check out the Complete Idiot's guide to Paganism for a nice overview. I always rave about those books for just about everything, including Wicca and Buddhism but they're good books drawing from pretty savvy authors.

Hope you find a path that brings you wisdom, altruism and happiness.

_()_

Answer 3

The concepts seem a bit odd to me but all religions different from my beliefs seem odd to me (I've never practiced any mainstream religion). Christianity seems to vary a lot depending on the denomination. I find the rituals of Catholicism very interesting. I find the Quakers very simplistic and devoted to their community. The Holiness sect of Pentacostals are interesting--my neighbors belong to that denomination. I admire how the women dress so conservatively. Regardless of how inconvenient their beliefs may make their lives, they stand true to their beliefs. I respect that. I can say the same for the Seventh-day Adventists that I've met. I've known several JW's and they seem like friendly people. I really don't know a lot about the religion of Christianity. As I said before, their concepts are foreign to me. That doesn't make them "bad". It's just odd to me. Then again, I could say the same about Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.

Answer 4

Wicca, Shamanism, Druidism, possibly Gnosticism.

Quoth Wikipedia:

Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "a country dweller" or "civilian") is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions. The term can be defined broadly, to encompass many or most of the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This group may include some of the Dharmic religions, which incorporate seemingly pagan characteristics like nature-veneration, icon-veneration, polytheism and reverence of female deities, and are thus diametrically opposite to the Abrahamic faiths. Ethnologists avoid the term "paganism", with its uncertain and varied meanings, in referring to traditional or historic faiths, preferring more precise categories such as shamanism, polytheism, or animism. The term is also used to describe earth-based Native American religions and mythologies, though few Native Americans call themselves or their cultures "pagan". Historically, the term "pagan" has usually had pejorative connotations among westerners, comparable to heathen, infidel, and mushrik and kafir (كافر) in Islam. In modern times, though, the words "pagan" or "paganism" have become widely and openly used by some practitioners of certain spiritual paths outside the Abrahamic and Dharmic religious mainstream to describe their beliefs, practices, and organized movements.[1]

Let me ask you this: Why do you feel the need to put a label on yourself? Spirituality should be about what YOU believe, not what others TELL you to believe. It's YOUR faith that matters. Jesus said "cast not pearls before swine," and the metaphor is an excellent piece of advice. I'm don't claim to be Christian, but I find a great deal of wisdom in the bible. I also find wisdom in the teachings of Buddha, Taoism, Wicca (I reccomend Scott Cunningham), Shamanism, and philosophy. Do what you believe is right for you. Find your own way. The scholar would say "we all walk our own path, and though others may point the way, we must still walk for ourselves."

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

There ARE initiation ceremonies, but you do need to do a lot of study before being initiated or initiating yourself. There are a lot of religions considered "pagan", but the ones that are most prominent are the polytheistic faiths such as Asatru,Wicca, Vodoun, various Druid branches, Shamanism, Native American faiths etc. Most of us researched these paths extensively before deciding on a path to follow.

Answer 6

Oh there's a lot of different Pagan religions! Let's see, you have the Druidic religion which is based on the faith and practices of the ancient Celtic professional class. Asatru which is an ancient, pre-Christian Norse religion. Wiccans base their religion loosely on Celtic beliefs and mixed in with some New Age stuff. Other Pagans follow ancient Roman, Greek, Egyptian and other traditions.

Myself, I'm an Asatruar.

Answer 7

I guess it depends on what path you are leaning towards, There are literally hundreds of different pagan paths, I'd check out the net like Witchvox and try to find different belief systems that interest you. If you want to more about Wicca check out my page.

Answer 8

A great place to start is http://www.witchvox.com/xtrads.html which, while it has a lot of Wiccan traditions, also delves into others.

As for books, "Contemporary Paganism" by Graham Harvey, "The Four Powers" by Nicholas Graham and "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot Adler are all good choices.

Answer 9

Wicca, Taoist, Odalism (has strong ties to christianity -worship the war god Odin), Astrau, Egyptian Pagan, Shaman......im not sure about others......

Answer 10

the correct sith/pagan ritual and path should be started by standing in a robe while throwing salt inside a huge flaming pentagram and then grab off your alter a DEAD chicken not live cut its neck and dance until u 1 get possessed by pazuzu or become in a voodoo like trance and shout to yig aka damballa