Wiccans and Pagans?

Question

Please tell me a bit about your religion... and let's see how long it takes for us all to get violations.

Who gave the thumbs down to Lion? Why???

Answer 1

Well ....

Wicca has four basic beliefs.

1) Multiplicity of Divinity. (whether Polytheistic, or pantheistic etc.) Often expressed as male (often a dual god) and female (often a triple goddess)

2) Recognition of the cycles of the seasons - the sabbats and esbats

3) The practice of witchcraft.

4) The adherance to the Wiccan Rede "An it harm none, do as ye will".

That's the real bare bones basic.

Answer 2

I have an ongoing relationship with the God and Goddess which doesn't require a particular set of beliefs to get me from "A" to "B". As a Witch I spend a lot of time writing, teaching and showing people that magick can help them achieve their goals.

I tend to live life as if it is one joke after another, which helps me put the more radical people in their proper light. Christian's true religion then falls into that, if that is your idea of true then you must be smoking happy herb. If it is the one and only "true" religion then why would others not automatically join. The religion looses credibility and value while the people who speak for this religion don't have a clue what it is all about.

My religion is the one, true religion... for me. I derive a great deal of pleasure from it and it is just as personal to me as other religions are to everyone else. I am comforted by my beliefs and that is how I view religion. It is something that I can turn to when I need comfort.

Answer 3

Wicca is a beautiful religion and way of life, centered around nature, Goddess worship, and Karma. Wiccans take all of these concepts very seriously, yes, even the concept of "magick" and ritual. It's a very broad concept, and encompasses many sects or "traditions". There are, so to speak, "inner mysteries" of the religion that are passed down from one generation to another, but it's not as secretive as many people believe. Some good resources:

http://www.witchvox.com

http://www.lewellyn.com

"To Ride A Silver Broomstick" by Silver Ravenwolf

"The Truth About Witchcraft Today" by Scott Cunningham

Answer 4

Can't really add anything new to this...but I'm eclectic wiccan, which loosely translates to "whatever works."

Sometimes I dance my spells...

Sometimes I just sit in my yard and "feel" the world around me...

Sometimes I gather with my beloved coven...
and other times it's just me.

I have an athame that I never use any more...a set of candleholders that get used quite a lot...a silver chalice that stays filled with water on my altar...and a beautiful pentacle, gift from my sister, with carvings of a satyr, a fairy, a dragon, and a mermaid (earth/fire/water) entwined around the border. I keep it hung on the wall above my computer.

I brew my own mead...and can my own tomatoes...my garden is a sacred space and I like having it's bounty around me all year. I'm raising my children with in the craft but with a respect for all beliefs. I have a wonderfully supportive partner in my Norse heathen mate, and while not all of my friends are pagan, we all gather in love and friendship to celebrate the seasons.

Blessed be.)O(

Answer 5

Pagans are NOT universally peaceful--ever heard of Witch Wars? They may not involve guns and bombs, but pagans can be just as petty a bunch of immature wretches as anyone else. It's human nature. And the anti-Christian B.S. that I see, broad brushes painting all Christians for the issues of a few, is just as hypocritical.

That being said, it's still worth being a part of this community. I love being around people who agree that Nature is sacred, and that yes, we can take conscious control of our lives. I like being an animist, and knowing that if I talk to other pagans about spirits that they won't think I'm nutzoid.

I believe in the freedom of all people to practice their beliefs regardless of what those beliefs are, as long as they don't interfere with other peoples' right to live. Therefore, for me it's largely live and let live.

So good and bad, I like being a pagan among pagans. We may not always agree, and we may not be as superior as we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking, but I'm glad to share this journey with these people.

Answer 6

It is the most peaceful, responsible religion out there.
Paganism is a religion. Recognized by the US gov't.
Has no central hierarchy or dogma. Deity is everywhere, in all things.
Stresses personal responsibility. Threefold Law and Wicca Rede.
Offers a different world view.
Is spiritual.
And is protected by Law. Wicca is protected by Dettmer v. Landon 1986. Pagans are allowed to worship on military bases.

Answer 7

Mine's pretty personal, since I'm an eclectic Pagan. I prefer to simply acknowledge seasonal and life changes, to really see and appreciate what is around me. It's more about awareness and nature, and less about mysticism and the supernatural.

I do practice witchcraft, but not in the way that most witches probably see their craft. I'm too analytical to really believe that I'm "special" and connecting to some universal power. I prefer to use magic and change myself, through self-hypnosis, symbolism, empowerment, positive reinforcement and serious concentration. Natural use of psychology, not a supernatural force.

Edit: And I did give Lion a thumbs-down, simply because you addressed your question to Wiccans and Pagans. His/her answer is good, but it's not really answering your question.

Answer 8

I'm an animist. I believe that all things around you have a soul. You can listen to the advice of the spirits around you or ignore them, but they are there. Even rocks have a soul within them at their heart, but you have to be still yourself to hear them. There are no gods. All things are connected.

I believe in the soul going through a cycle of physical death and rebirth. When I die, I believe my soul will be reborn in to another human body after a period of reflection on the lessons of this life. New souls are born, and old ones die or move on. The age of your soul may determine how wise you seem in life. I believe that to break the cycle and leave the wheel, you have to pay all debts owed by you to other souls, and have all outstanding debts (by others) paid to your soul.

I was brought up as a Methodist and attended regular Sunday school classes as a child. Christianity, as taught, never resounded in my heart and the older I got, the more questions and inconsistencies I found. In my journey toward faith, I read the Bible, the Qur'an, the Noble Eightfold Path and looked at Wicca and other pagan faiths. In the end I just considered what I believed in my heart, looked around at what I'd seen and started referring to myself as an animist.

Answer 9

I'm a Norse tradition Heathen. I don't really consider myself Asatru because some of my personal beliefs and practices don't really jive with mainstream Asatru views.

I basically worship the Norse Gods and hold blots and rituals to honor Them not only during the Holy Tides but just whenever the urge and need grab me. I strive to live by the Nine Noble Virtues and live my life in away that upholds frith in myself and in my innangard (my home, and my personal life).

Answer 10

that's not ordinary to discover books to describe paganism, with the aid of variety of ideals. I actual have chanced on some books on the Theosophical society. in case you have one in all those on your city, you have some success. Amazon has particularly a inventory too. so a procedures, the only e book i've got been extremely joyful with grow to be a library e book talked approximately as "What do Pagans have faith?" that's area of a chain of maximum religions. it particularly is probably a sprint previous to your little ones, yet they could desire to be ok in case you examine it to them.