As a Wiccan/Pagan, do you practice Vegetarianism/Veganism/Raw Food?

Question

And if so, is it purely for health and wellbeing, or for political and social reasons as well? What made you decide to do so, if you did at all, and if you still eat meat, what informs that decision?

The Third option is a Raw or Living Food diet. Sorry. Damnable thing cut it off.

I agree that Wicca and Vegetarianism/Veganism are not linked, and indeed, I would argue that, in a natural setting, there would be nothing wrong with hunting animals, as long as we respected the sacrifice and were part of the cycle of birth and death ourselves.

However, modern man is no longer part of the natural cycles. We take from nature without giving anything back, and indeed add to the injury through pollution, deforestation, mono-cropping and the like. As for what gets passed off as meat these days, it is so full of chemicals, antibiotics, steroids and other stuff that it would hardly qualify, not to even consider the conditions under which most of these animals are kept.

Answer 1

I am an animist. Everything has a spirit, everything has consciousness of some form--even if we humans are too stubborn to try to learn how to communicate with it. So to me, eating an animal and eating a plant are the same thing. They both deserve honor and good care. This is why I try to eat organic produce and free range meat as much as I can afford to. I also specifically work with "food totems", the totems of animals that are most commonly eaten by people; you can see a bit of my writing on the results at the following links:

http://www.rendingtheveil.com/article.php?article=28
http://www.rendingtheveil.com/article.php?article=94

Answer 2

The link between Vegetarianism and paganism is relatively new. If you spoke to a witch in America 100 years ago about being a vegetarian, she would look at you like you were retarded.

In truth, pagans were historically warriors and hunters. They made animal and in some instances human sacrifices. I am a witch, but I will be damned if I give up eating meat. It puts me more in touch with my ancestors.

Answer 3

Animist and No. Humans are omnivores and should eat meat. We're part of nature and the natural food chain. No matter what we do, we have to take life to eat. Whether this is taking the lives of animals, fish, plants - or even the potential of life in fruits and nuts.

However, I feel that there's a duty to try and eat meat ethically. Free range, locally sourced and killed meat rather than the industrial farmed and killed meat that causes suffering to animals. I thank the spirits of these animals for giving their lives to feed me and my family. I also thank the spirits of the plants I eat for the same.

Answer 4

No. I'm Wiccan, my god is a hunter god.

I tend to eat more indigenous and free range meats, but it's a part of 1/3 of my meals daily.

I am an advocate of minimal processing, but that's because I'm sensitive to many chemicals and have been all my life. I went Vegan in High School for about 13 months because I thought it was cool, but then I started realising it was incompatible with human biology.

Edit: TVP, one of the staples of the vegetarian diet, is far more processed than most beef, as are soy products. Maybe YOU don't interact with your food, but I drive out and meet my farmers. One of the best changes in my life was from beef to buffalo. Once you go, you don't go back....

Answer 5

No. I am not a Vegan or a Vegetarian.... I enjoy a really good, med rare steak as often as I can get it. My stomach and taste buds are what informs that decision *wink*. I've seen plenty of Pagans try to claim that Paganism demands us to be Vegans, etc... But, ancient Pagans were HUNTERS as well as gatherers... they didn't just eat veggies... lol So it's not a religious thing at all (except for them... it's just not a discipline that is handed down through Pagan religions)

Answer 6

I'm a polytheist and I eat meat. It just seems natural to me. My parents ate meat and so did my ancestors. It's the way that I was raised and I'm sure that I will continue. I'm healthy and happy. Perhaps someday someone in my family will decide to choose a different diet and pass it on to their children. That would be fine with me.

My religion doesn't dictate my diet. But if I were to eat similar to the ancient Celts, I would still be a meat-eater.

I respect the rights of all folks to choose what they wish to eat or not eat.

Answer 7

I eat only organic products produced without hormones and Pesticides, I eat meat only once a day. and I respect the creature that meat came from thanking this brother or sister who has had their life taken so I may have meat. Who ever told you Wicca don't eat meat? There's nothing political about my food choices it is simple well being and good health.

Answer 8

I'm a Wiccan and proudly omnivorous, the way the gods intended me to eat. While we do add a lot of things to our meat (antibiotics and whatnot) that doesn't make it less meat-like, nor do I reject meat because its not in its purely natural state: if nothing was added to it, it'd probably be rotten long before I got to eat it! When I seek meet products with less additives, its for health reasons, not religious reasons.

Answer 9

I'm a pagan, specifically a witch. I eat meat. I see no reason not to, and need the protein to feed my brain. I do not believe most vegetarians get enough protein, unless they are really good at cooking tofu, and like the stuff.

Answer 10

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