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A guild for Pagans of all stripes. Spirituality and religion-focused, celebrating nature and the gods. 

Tags: Paganism, Pagan, witchcraft, Goddess, Wicca 

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-Cold-Summer-Rain-

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:52 am


I've been searching for a path. I've checked out Wicca, Asatru, Kemetism, Witchcraft, etc. and I think they're all beautiful and fulfilling... But none seem to strike a note with me.

Here are my beliefs, in the best way I know how to describe them:

I don't believe in a higher power that is personally part of my life, and I certainly don't believe I should worship anything, be it a god, goddess, nature, etc. I don't believe in a literal god. And if a higher does exist, I believe it would have many parts, not just one.

I believe in a source. Um... Like oh I don't know how to describe it. confused
Sorry.

I believe in reincarnation.

I don't think withcraft actually works.

I believe that everything that lives and is natural is sacred, it has a soul/spirit.

I believe that nothing exists outside of nature. I believe spirits and the like are natural.

I believe everything is connected.

Now, that probly isn't a very good explanation of my beliefs, and I apologize. I've looked into a lot of different things like humanism, Buddhism, Taosim, Islam, even atheism.
I don't know anyone who is knowledgeable in the ways of the world, so I have no teacher(s). My family will talk to me about Christianity. but that's what I raised in and I already know about it. My mother doesn't like talking about religion, and she has 'issues' with different religions. Everyone I know is a Christian and closed to different things.

I guess that was off-topic. Anyway...

Is there a path that you could suggest?
Any suggested reading?
Etc.?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 3:05 pm


Haha, you sound a lot like me. I've been on that road for a very long time with that exact situation and those exact positions on everything. I've changed my mind a fair bit over time and I've recently found my way back into witchcraft, this time happily eclectic. But back to the topic.

There are two religions I will recommend to you. The first is Shinto. It's a very old Japanese belief system, and is very animistic. It is polytheistic, but the their view on gods is different than the somewhat traditional view. Their gods are more like... spirits of rivers, mountains, deceased beings. They pay respect to these spirits (I believe they call them kami), but it's not really worship. The problem is, there really aren't any shrines around here anywhere, and unless you live in Japan it is a bit difficult to really live.

The other (which you quite possibly looked into but did not list) is Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion that I am quite fond of, though no longer follow, that gives a lot of room for people to have different views. Their polytheism is often very soft. The flavor of this religion is very strong in reincarnation and... everything just going through the cycle of life. Their god(s) even "die" and are reborn just the same, and from what I've seen, it has a deist flair to it. If I could sum it up into one statement, it would be, "Life goes on; everything will be born, die, and be reborn again in the great, unending cycle of life."

I could be wrong on these, as my study in them has been limited, but all the same they are definitely worth giving a look-see.

Rabbit the Renegade

Wheezing Gawker


Sanguina Cruenta
Captain

Eloquent Bloodsucker

PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:20 am


Welcome to Pantheism.
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:15 am


ecko-san
The first is Shinto. It's a very old Japanese belief system, and is very animistic. It is polytheistic, but the their view on gods is different than the somewhat traditional view. Their gods are more like... spirits of rivers, mountains, deceased beings. They pay respect to these spirits (I believe they call them kami), but it's not really worship. The problem is, there really aren't any shrines around here anywhere, and unless you live in Japan it is a bit difficult to really live.

I believe also since you're not Japanese, they'll see you as "impure" and not let you very far into the shrines.
So unless you're Japanese and live in Japan, it's pretty much impossible to be Shinto.
Sadly.

kage no neko

Invisible Phantom

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