Pagans - What made you choose your particular path?

Question

I am just curious about the different sects that constitute being called a pagan and the differences between them. I.E. Wiccan vs Druidic etc.

lonbear, Thank you, but I guess that what I am looking for is an education into the different types of pagan religions.

Norris Almighty - I know that you are in a religion that guarentees you all the chicks you want lol.

:Rolling eyes at Jesus Rules:

Answer 1

Well I always tell people, I found paganism, but Asatru very much found me. I was actually studying Kemetic (egyptian) Over time, I felt this weird overpowering urge (it sounds far more "mystical" then it was) to learn all about my family history and all about Asatru. It just sort of picked at my brain more and more until I finally asked a question here about honoring the gods of your ancestors. Boars Heart gave me a great answer but the part that spoke to me the most was "blood calls".
So I thanked Isis for everything she had done for me (she was really great) and accepted the gods of the Norse pantheon. Frigga welcomed me home and I've never looked back and haven't felt the need to. I know I came home. :)

I can go on and on about the differences in other pagan paths, but I fully admit I am not all that versed in most of them. I can tell you what we are lol. Asatru (Heathen, Odinist, Theodist) is a reconstructional religion. We attempt to things the way the ancestors did, not the way we think we should. Now of course I can go into a launch on what people define reconstruction is, but I personally think it's cut and dry. Keep to the old ways. But that's just me....and most Heathens I know. :D
We believe the gods are our ancestors, our Elder Kin. We honor all our ancestors, gods included. Example, I talk to my disir (my mother ancestors) for luck and help with my day to day stuff. I don't ask the gods for help unless I'm willing to take the chance of getting THIER version of what I'm asking for, which might not be MINE. They have a wicked sense of humor *chuckle*. We don't do much "magic" in the sense that a lot of other paths do. Most of us don't do magic at all. We don't call quarters or circles. Most Heathens I know just verbally clear Ve (holy space) declare where it is and how long you want it there and viola! Ve! You can use fire to mark the boundries but some don't even do that.
We believe in gifting. A gift for a gift. We give ourselves to the gods and the gods give themselves to us. Some give more to us, so we give more to them. I know several people oathed to a god for that exact reason.
We celebrate family, friends, community and hearth. And most of our rituals reinforce that. It's about good friends, good family, good food, and good fight...I mean debates. LOL We are Lore Whores, which means most of us study it pretty hard. We sound like Lit junkies half the time and we are. I know crap compared to most Heathens I know, but most eclectic pagans are blown away with what I do. LOL Hold your own or get eaten alive (figuratively of course). *shrug* We are what we are and we make no apologies.

Answer 2

Like Heathen Daughter - I'm an Asatru Heathen and she's explained it pretty well. I also was in paganism for 10 years with a feeling I was still searching - then Asatru found me and I finally figured Who was yelling at me.

Not that I wanted to answer - LOL. It was early 1991 and there wasn't a lot on Asatru except rumors of racism, homophobia, and sexism. I may be of Anglo-Saxon/Celtic but I'm also half Indian and the other "isms" weren't something I wanted either. A friend and I contacted a couple of groups and were invited to a campout. We went, ready to jump back in the car if this bunch were racist or homophobic - then we saw a very large African American man in Viking garb practicing sword fighting with another man (tall, big, red haired). We relaxed. LOL

I had a long talk with Odin about whether I wanted a very male, warrior, arrogant deity as my patron god. He said I didn't have a choice. I learned more about Odin and found a depth that surprised me and we stopped arguing. Then Freya said she was a major part of my life (go figure - I had 5 cats at the time).

I've not doubted my religion since the first day I picked up a thin book called "A Book of Troth".

Answer 3

well for me I am still working on finding my path. It's sort of like the road is narrowing down by splitting off into many more roads. I am fairly certain that eventually I will find myself on a path but right now I see the split up ahead but have not reached it yet therefore have not made a decision on which way to go. I have already jumped off the path of the Abrahamic religions and know that the path that truly speaks to me is somewhere in the Pagan path. The Pagan religions make so much more sense to me and just accepting the Pagan religions felt right and left me overjoyed. Now I am faced with the joy of studying all and finding what is right. The more and more I read about Asatru the more and more I like it. But then again there are others that spark my interests as well. =)

Answer 4

I am polyfaithed. I met my gods and then went looking for a religion. Since the first people I met were Wiccans, and pretty darn good ones, I became Wiccan.
While Wicca constitutes 80% of my practice, my gods also made it clear that I was expected to honor them in the ways my ancestors honored them, so I had to seek out a classical education and learn to honor them that way.
The traditional agrarian calendar of my deities expects a state religion, and that's not the way of today's world. Wicca fufills all the obligations and requirements of the state religion while the direct interactions with my deities tend to take the form of....well, whatever they wish it to!

To "pick" a path, I advocate finding out what you believe and finding a path (or the paths) that work for you.

Answer 5

My parents taught me from a young age to think for myself and not follow somone else's beliefs just because that was "the thing to do." So for most of my childhood, I was very lost. I live on the edge of the Bible Belt, so it's pretty uncommon to find someone who isn't Christian/was raised Christan. But my family didn't and doesn't go to Church, so I wasn't raised that way, and anything I heard about the religion didn't sit right with me. I tried the Christian thing for about a week before deciding that just wasn't my path.

I actually found my path (Khemetic/Egyptian) in a children's fiction book. In the book, the group of kids pretended they were in ancient Egypt and made a whole game out of it. They had altars to a couple gods and brought offerings to them, like real priests. The idea just clicked, as most of the others have said. I knew that was my path as soon as I read it.

Since then, I've researched metaphysics, wicca, energy work, and various things like that. My views have changed a little: I personally believe each diety is only one "facet" of the universal Source of energy that we're all connected to, as well as added the "biblical" angels to my beliefs. But I still hold the Egyptian deities and beliefs above all others--for myself. I respect everyone's view and belief system.

Answer 6

Wow, there are so many different sects to the religions that it is nearly impossible to start explaining it here. Below are some links that can really help you.

Also, understand that just because I am a pagan, it does not mean that I will know the differences between my religion and someone elses. Kind of like asking a Baptist what the difference is between their religion and Methodists.

Best of luck on your search.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/

http://www.suppressedhistories.net/

http://www.ecauldron.com/newpagan.php

http://www.sacred-texts.com/wmn/index.htm

http://phoenicia.org/pagan.html

Answer 7

I chose the path because it was the only "religion" out there that made real sense and felt right to me.

Made me feel whole and happy and I liked that all the things I believed in...candle magick, herbs and kitchen magic,etc. were a part of it.

I put myself into the eclectic wiccan category because I dabble into a bit of everything. But I really feel a calling towards kitchen witchery. Since Im still learning and new we shall see where Im called fully or if I stay eclectic.

Answer 8

I'm a Taoist, but I enjoy celebrating Celtic pagan holidays. The reason for both is because this is what speaks to me, what I get excited about. Taoism describes my view of spiritual matters, and the Celtic holidays are so fun and they celebrate life by honoring each aspect of life in turn according the corresponding season. It just makes a lot of sense to me.

Answer 9

Like others have said before, there's a "call" you feel, that gives you no rest until you answer.

And when it's right, you find you don't have to reconcile your person to your religion, because there will be no conflict between who you are and what you practice. I'd rather create than to destroy, but I have no issues at all with defending myself or those I care about. Thus I am a child of both Demeter and Ares, willing to work toward a peaceful solution, but more than capable of violence when the situation demands it. (Though I am sworn to 'harm none', sometimes you have to ask yourself where the true harm lies.)

Answer 10

I didn't choose my path.

My Gods sang out to my soul when I was a child.
I resisted Them for 12 years before admitting that I am Their man.
And They welcomed me back into the family without so much as an admonition.

The Gods chose me. I didn't choose Them. I simply answered Their call.