Religious discussion threads are a mainstay of NSG, but some religious communities are rarely discussed here. One, in particular, appeals to me very much, is rarely mentioned here and hasn't had its own generalized thread for a long time. In that spirit, I welcome all to the Pagan Discussion Thread! This is a place for constructive discussion of polytheist, animist and earth-based spiritual traditions for anyone who wants to talk about that sort of thing.
As for me personally? Well, I was a Neo-Wiccan (i.e. solitary and eclectic) for a couple years in my early adolescence, but it didn't stick. Much of the imagery appealed to me but I often couldn't be arsed to do the rituals and my growing interest in logic and philosophy kinda overturned it. I became a "pandeist", a Taoist (sorta) and then an agnostic atheist vaguely interested in Taoism and the occult. However, lately I've been exploring polytheistic paths and I've completely fallen in love. The Norse pantheon really appeals to me, as do many aspects of the Hellenic. I've set up an altar in my room with imagery of the world tree, Yggdrasil, and I often consider setting up a Dionysian altar as well. I lean towards "hard polytheism" but remain agnostic. And yes, I am still interested in Taoist philosophy as well (Tao precedes the gods). Pagan religions tend to be far less exclusivist. There may be hundreds of gods in the world, and differences of opinion aren't just tolerated; they're encouraged! To quote the Icelandic pagan high priest, Hilmar Ölm Hilmarsson: "Monotheism is one truth for the masses; polytheism is many truths for the individual."
(btw I don't think I've ever made a poll on any of my previous topics... Questions and suggestions welcome!)
