A question about Paganism?

Question

I see many people who are so specific in their paganism. I believe in the existence of many gods and goddesses, this idea has always made sense to me, but I've never until recently wanted to pursue any kind of spiritual path.

How did you become so specific in your beliefs? How did you gain your knowledge of the gods and goddesses?

Answer 1

I'm not a Pagan, but my father is, and I asked him a similar question once.

You can base your knowledge of the Gods and Goddesses strictly on your own personal experience, or you can feel drawn to a particular pantheon. You can usually see the same aspects of the Gods and Goddesses repeated in practically every ancient culture. Most Pagans believe that the divine reveals itself to everyone in different ways.

That being said, you can choose to research the Gods and Goddesses of old, or you can spend time in meditation and ask the deities to reveal themselves to you. Even to tell you their names. My father's practice is heavily Kemetic (related to ancient Egypt), but he claims that he simply spent much time in meditation and asked for their names. He says that he then put their names in the search engine, and discovered that they were worshipped by those names by the Egyptians.

But even if you aren't provided with traditional names, that doesn't mean you still can't practice. You may have to spend more time in meditation and ask your deities how best to set up your rituals.

Here's a good website to check out. Good luck on your spiritual path!
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/paganism-faq/

Answer 2

You made the first step in determining that you're Pagan and want to pursue a spiritual path with Paganism, congrats! The next step is lots of research! Learning about the basic terms - pantheism, monotheism, polytheism, etc, witch, wiccan, pagan, etc. is a good place to start - this way you know what it is people are talking about when you start reading books and such. Find a book that talks a little about the different paths of Paganism - there are many (both Pagan paths and books)! This will not only give you a background in Paganism, but it will also help you determine which path fits your personal beliefs. Any path or paths that seem interesting to you, do further research on those - history, people, practice. This may or may not be a direct lead to what calls you (I've found interest in many pagan religions, but not what I wanted to follow as my personal path). In time, provided you're patient and driven, you WILL come across something and say "WOW! This has been what I've been Looking for!"

Good luck on your journey!

Answer 3

Read what ever you can get a hold of with an objective mind. Research, every religion or god or godess has at least two points of view stated about it or them. Knowledge is power and power is love and happiness. The beauty about being pagan is you can follow your personal truths, Don't get rutted into one specific path. A mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open. Being pagan also means that you must take the responsibility to educate yourself. Besides, it's a lot more fulfilling to find the truth about your existence yourself than to have someone else feed it to you by telling you what to believe. Happy Hunting! Bright Blessings to you and yours!

Answer 4

Because 'paganism' is such a broad term, many of us are more specific in our labels because what I (as a Wicca-based pagan) believe and practice is much, much different than what an Asatruar or a Druid would believe and practice.

Yeah, we're all pagan/heathen, we're all basically polytheists, but how we honor our Gods and the rituals and beliefs that we have differ WIDELY from religion to religion.

For me, I started out reading about Norse mythology (but Asatru never held much appeal for me), then ended up in a group that basically followed Wicca with a strong Kemetic element. I eventually found my own path to where I am now, but the beliefs and teachings of Wicca make the most spiritual sense to me, so I pretty much use that as a foundation.

Answer 5

Meany people have a different definition as to what paganism is. Personally I call myself a Pagan, not Wiccan or Witch, ....( the list could go on forever)
I think a Pagan is an older form of Wicca, note, I did not say witch craft, as the two are different in my personal opinion.
Everyone has their own opinion, and definition, I came to mine by the way it felt, it felt right for me, to be a Pagan.
I learned through books, lots and lots of books, for every book out there though you might find a few that are some what more traditional, and use full, but then again it all depends on what you want to learn, and what path you decide to be on.

Answer 6

Research, exploration, and experience. Some folks start with a particular avenue in mind - they tend towards the Greek gods because of their ancestry, they look at the Celtic gods because something about them call to the person, etc. From there, learn some background lore, get a high-level overview, and a rough guide of how to approach the gods.

Then, well... you approach them, and see if you get a response. Some folks don't get a response, and keep poking around in other places, to see what else they can find. Others get a response - perhaps not what they were looking for - and latch on to that.

Answer 7

I asked this once and recieved the answer, "You will know it when it happens."
Boy were they right. Start with the basics on paganism. Anything that interests you read as much as you can about it. Stay centered and in touch with yourself. You'll hear the call but only if you are listening.

I am Heathen. It's in my blood. Literally. LOL It's the gods of my ancestors. I have had many a Recon tell me to start with your roots.
I gain knowledge through the Edda's, countless books and my wonderful Heathen community. Knowledge is power.

Answer 8

I'm a European so I follow the Gods of Western Civilisation, the Olympians.

If you want to study this tradition, you could start with the founding text of Classical Civilisation, the Iliad, there is also the Odyssey. If you want theology there are the works of Plato and the philosophers.

Most importantly focus on the Gods and everything else will fall into place.

Answer 9

There are few thing more deeply personal than your relationship with the Divine. Knowledge of religious tradition, lore, and history is acquired through research and study. Development of your spirituality is done through introspective meditation, self evaluation, and a commitment to the development of such a relationship, and to the application of your new knowledge to your life and actions. This is something only you can do, and it need only be as specific as you require. Remember that Thomas Paine once defined his sole religion as "Doing Good".

Answer 10

A lot of Pagans tend to be drawn to the religion of their ethnic ancestors. That is usually a good place to start looking. One of the best ways to become knowledgeable about the meanings behind Paganism and Heathenism is to begin a thorough study and exploration into the traditions of your own family. A good portion of them, such as the basic "Christian" Holidays actually have Pagan roots.