So Many Paths....

[MagickSlushii]

I don't know where to choose...>_< Possibly Wiccan, but I'm not really so sure about that one. I need advice!! How can I tell what is good for me?!  

[maenad nuri]

MagickSlushii

I don't know where to choose...>_< Possibly Wiccan, but I'm not really so sure about that one. I need advice!! How can I tell what is good for me?!

Moved this into the main forum. Originally in Pathways.

As for advice, my reaction is to just study mythology and the like. See if anyone stand out, then go from there.  

[MagickSlushii]

Ok. 3nodding Thank you, and I shall take your advice to heart!! ^-^  

[Ethermus Prime]

My Advice is slightly different. Study yourself. Use mythology TO study your self. Study yourself in whatever way you can. Come to know your True essence, and separate your essence and your Personality.

Attain balance.


Your path with just fall into place during that whole processes.  

[MagickSlushii]

Thank you. I appreciate your help.  

[TatteredAngel]

One thing you can look into is what you already believe. Sit down and examine your thoughts on the universe, etc. Figure out how you feel about gods in general, for one. If you believe in a few, or many, soft vs. hard polytheism, archetypes vs. individuals, and all that. Look into the different kinds of magic and ritual, and see what you might have a feel for. That can give you some ideas of which pathways might be open to you and good matches.  

[Ethermus Prime]

TatteredAngel

One thing you can look into is what you already believe. Sit down and examine your thoughts on the universe, etc. Figure out how you feel about gods in general, for one. If you believe in a few, or many, soft vs. hard polytheism, archetypes vs. individuals, and all that. Look into the different kinds of magic and ritual, and see what you might have a feel for. That can give you some ideas of which pathways might be open to you and good matches.

My only problem with the "What do you feel fits you" approaches....How can one Know what fits them, if they don't even know who they actually are. Daily people and since birth we are bombarded with Conditioning that we never wanted, nor decided to agree too. We Assume our Personality is the root of our being....so with out knowing who we are (our Essence), what we "Feel fits" us will just be an extension of conditioning and personality.  

[Tagra Nar]

Ethermus Prime

My only problem with the "What do you feel fits you" approaches....How can one Know what fits them, if they don't even know who they actually are. Daily people and since birth we are bombarded with Conditioning that we never wanted, nor decided to agree too. We Assume our Personality is the root of our being....so with out knowing who we are (our Essence), what we "Feel fits" us will just be an extension of conditioning and personality.

For some, certainly. For others? I don't think so. I was never conditioned to believe in multiple gods; I imagine it's the same for many others here. I am of the opinion that some beliefs are unaffected by any sort of conditioning. If I may be so bold, if the opposite of that were true, we might never see any form of equality for "minorities," or leave our parent faiths and search for a new one. We would be conditioned not to.

Your advice is sound, however. 3nodding  

[Ethermus Prime]

Tagra Nar

I am of the opinion that some beliefs are unaffected by any sort of conditioning.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm also inclined to make note that Conditioning comes in many forms. One can Self Condition.

Quote:

If I may be so bold, if the opposite of that were true, we might never see any form of equality for "minorities," or leave our parent faiths and search for a new one. We would be conditioned not to.

Conditioning need not translate to Tradition. The 13 year old, Ex-baptist Hardcore Mall Goth Satanist....is just as conditioned as he was when He was a Baptist.

He Simply picked up his right to choose, unsure of how to weild it, looked around with a narrow perspective, found an option....and put that right to choose right back down.

Quote:

Your advice is sound, however. 3nodding

Thank you ^_^  

[TatteredAngel]

Ethermus Prime

My only problem with the "What do you feel fits you" approaches....How can one Know what fits them, if they don't even know who they actually are.

I'd like to think that what I'm suggesting isn't just a vague "how do you feel?" approach. I'm not suggesting that anyone try and figure out what they feel fits them without knowing who they are. But I also think that an important part of who a person is relies on what they intrinsically can believe. If, for example, someone was simply unable to wrap their head around hard polytheism, it wouldn't make much sense for them to try and jam themselves into a path that requires it.

Quote:

Daily people and since birth we are bombarded with Conditioning that we never wanted, nor decided to agree too. We Assume our Personality is the root of our being....so with out knowing who we are (our Essence), what we "Feel fits" us will just be an extension of conditioning and personality.

I wasn't asking for her to just grope around for some random path that she "feels fits" either. I was saying that perhaps a good way to choose paths to study out of the huge amount of options out there would be to examine the limits and conditions of her own worldview.

I don't think that our current personalities when starting a search, conditioned or otherwise, are superfluous. I think that what a person already believes does matter, and currently held beliefs should be examined. And while we are bombarded with certain messages, whether or not those messages "take" is another matter. If you don't start with a few ideas about what you believe, you may end up trying to mash yourself into a mold that doesn't fit in a few important places. This isn't to say beliefs can't change, but the starting beliefs should be acknowledged, and examined for how important they are to the holder.  

[Ethermus Prime]

I understood the point of methodology of your approach, I simply was pointing out common problems I personally see with it. It's not that the approach is bad, but sometimes people....they think they know what their doing; and their quite wrong.

Feeling your way through works awesomely. If you know what your doing.


For me, it's not about abandoning the Past. It's about observing it objectively. "Why is this apart of personally?". "Why did I choose this this and this?"


So forth and so on.  

[With Motion]

I have the exact same problem and I considered wicca too for a time, at least until I gave up trying to contact the closest coven in atlanta. And I've heard bad things about the only other somewhat nearby one from a close friend whos dad used to be a priest in.

I don't think it would suit me, anyway. I'm absolutely infatuated with music, really anything associated with sound, and my religion would have to be a reflection of that in some way. I have no idea where to go with that, my general lack of knowledge doesn't help xp  

[Ulfrikr inn Hrafn]

Heilsan,

My first suggestion for anyone is to investigate your ancestry. Where have you come from? What were their traditions prior to Christianisation? What sort of Folk Beliefs were there, even if they are overlaid with Christian symbolism, often it's very easy to remove that and learn what the underlying concepts are, for example, the Christmas tree is supposed to represent Christ being immortal. What it used to represent was the power of life still strong through the cold winters of Europe, and indeed, the trees used to be adorned outside, with offerings for the ancestors and the land-spirits, as well as Sunna, goddess of the sun. All our ancestral cultures had their beliefs and symbolism, including cultural traditions, which existed long before Christianity came along. Delve into those, and, invariably you'll probably discover things about yourself in the process.

Ver thu heil  

[Ethermus Prime]

Quote:

Delve into those, and, invariably you'll probably discover things about yourself in the process.

I have particular issues with this statement; and before I say what i'm about to say...I'd like everyone to understand that it's being said to affirm the point to myself...rather then to any one else.

My/The Past is not what makes me who I am. It can only effect my choices within the layer of Personality, and can not sway, alter nor touch my essence. What some man did and said and believed, hundreds of years ago....has nothing to do with me.  

[Bastemhet]

Ethermus Prime

Quote:

Delve into those, and, invariably you'll probably discover things about yourself in the process.

I have particular issues with this statement; and before I say what i'm about to say...I'd like everyone to understand that it's being said to affirm the point to myself...rather then to any one else.

My/The Past is not what makes me who I am. It can only effect my choices within the layer of Personality, and can not sway, alter nor touch my essence. What some man did and said and believed, hundreds of years ago....has nothing to do with me.

How do you define essence? How does it differ from personality? How can one know their own essence? What does one's essence have to do with one's personal religious choice?