The Pagan Discussion Thread

[Cill Airne]

This is a thread about contemporary Paganism (Neopaganism). Contemporary Paganism is an umbrella term dealing with a variety of religious movements, especially those influenced by or a reform/reconstruction of the various historical pagan beliefs of pre-Christianised Europe. Major Contemporary pagan religions include (but is not limited to) Wicca, Thelema, Adonism, Druidry, and Ásatrú.

I have noticed quite a few pagans here, and I decided it would be great for us to have a place we can discuss various topics or ideas found in todays Pagan world. I myself was a Druid, and had practiced it for several years. I would ask non-pagans to be kind and to not insult others. Thank you.

[Phocidaea]

I intend no offense, but what is it that draws people to these religions? You weren't raised in these traditions (I'm assuming), and I doubt anyone proselytized to you about them, so what beliefs do they have that draw you to them on your own accord?

[Cill Airne]

I intend no offense, but what is it that draws people to these religions? You weren't raised in these traditions (I'm assuming), and I doubt anyone proselytized to you about them, so what beliefs do they have that draw you to them on your own accord?

No offence there at all. I, obviously, cannot speak for everyone (there are people my age who were born into a pagan religion, but most people from older generations did convert). For me, it is because as a child I was always drawn to nature, and many of the things I did as a child were things that I later found out to be Pagan practices. I can remember as a child I would games with the neighbourhood kids and they didn't like mine because they involved playing with the spirits in the trees, &c. (Which I would now Identify as the genius loci spirits).
But that is what got me interested in Paganism. What brought me to Druidry is a dream I had. As a little child I would have a reoccurring nightmare that I an remember to this day. It got to the point I remember asking for help to those aforementioned spirits one night before bed. That night, while I was running away in my dream, I came to a forest clearing with a man there who identified as "The Healer." From that night forward I would feel, hear, and even see this man from time to time, and felt his presence whenever I needed him. Skip forward to when I am 13, and I did a project on the Celts which involved research into their gods. One of them was listed as "Dian Cecht; the Healer." And for some reason this just clicked and all I could associate it with was the man I had seen, or known for years. A year later I met a Wiccan and she told me that people still worshipped these gods I had researched, and that is when I began to practice Druidry though it took until I was 16 or so for me to really begin practising seriously.

[Glen Ifhrinn]

I intend no offense, but what is it that draws people to these religions? You weren't raised in these traditions (I'm assuming), and I doubt anyone proselytized to you about them, so what beliefs do they have that draw you to them on your own accord?

I was raised a Druid, my parents were involved in the movement in the 60's and 70's (my parents were nearing 50 when I was born). But even with this, I would have found Druidry, its just home.

My husband, H-Alba, converted to Druidry (before meeting me). He said it is because he just felt comfortable in the pagan world, with druidry being closest to his belief.

[Phocidaea]

I intend no offense, but what is it that draws people to these religions? You weren't raised in these traditions (I'm assuming), and I doubt anyone proselytized to you about them, so what beliefs do they have that draw you to them on your own accord?

I was raised a Druid, my parents were involved in the movement in the 60's and 70's (my parents were nearing 50 when I was born). But even with this, I would have found Druidry, its just home.

My husband, H-Alba, converted to Druidry (before meeting me). He said it is because he just felt comfortable in the pagan world, with druidry being closest to his belief.

Oh, really? I mean, I know some people must have been raised in these religions, but followers of them are just so rare (and so recent) that I didn't really expect to find a second-generation follower here.

[Ora Amaris]

I roughly follow druidry, but I love the other ones as well.
I don't fully believe in literal gods, but as instead archetypes that are known through the collective psyche of humanity. This is especially regarding Wicca. A lot of these religions are not very well understood, but they are quite fascinating to me because of the lore, the symbolism, the mythos and the rituals. I also much prefer the idea of imminence to transcendence, because it is more scientifically valid. Basically, I like these religions because it represents to me a sort of symbolic and ritualistic naturalism that gives a sense of community while straying from the "woo". That's definitely not what other people believe, but I sort of believe in this as an add-on to naturalistic pantheism, and gives wide ranging analogies and symbols for the functions of nature.

It makes much more sense to me, and is much more fulfilling, than the traditional abrahamic religions.

[Vinerstand]

Sweet, I ain't the only Pegan on NS!

[Dralonia]

For awhile now I've been into pagan things. I believe in magic and that everything in nature has a soul, and I have also always been drawn to nature. I don't though believe in any sort of gods, mostly just spirits of things. I don't know if there is a certain label for those beliefs, but if you know of one I'd really be interested.

[The USOT]

Directly at the OP, there were a few things I am interested in.

1) Are you purely celtic/druidic? Or a Celtic Wiccan?

2) You said you did some celtic practices as a child without realising? What were these?

3) When you spoke about spirits in the trees, do you beleive you actually saw them/experienced them in a physical manner?

[Phocidaea]

My other question: why are these religions so disproportionately popular on the internet? The gap between actual ratios of pagans in the world and the ratio of paganists on the internet makes the disproportionate amount of atheists on the internet look downright representative of reality.

[Cill Airne]

Directly at the OP, there were a few things I am interested in.

1) Are you purely celtic/druidic? Or a Celtic Wiccan?

2) You said you did some celtic practices as a child without realising? What were these?

3) When you spoke about spirits in the trees, do you beleive you actually saw them/experienced them in a physical manner?

I. I am not a Celtic Wiccan, I am very much so a Druid with quite a few Celtic Reconstructionist influences. I was not introduced to any other pagan path until I was around 16, a few years after I had started practicing my path.
II. I mention them in the OP, the "games" I play as a child, and my belief in the spirits, &c.
III. Yes, I certainly do believe that the spirits, deities, and Sí that I believe in are real in a physical sense.

[Glen Ifhrinn]

I was raised a Druid, my parents were involved in the movement in the 60's and 70's (my parents were nearing 50 when I was born). But even with this, I would have found Druidry, its just home.

My husband, H-Alba, converted to Druidry (before meeting me). He said it is because he just felt comfortable in the pagan world, with druidry being closest to his belief.

Oh, really? I mean, I know some people must have been raised in these religions, but followers of them are just so rare (and so recent) that I didn't really expect to find a second-generation follower here.

We're in a generation that certainly has children growing up pagans. You have to remember that in the case of Druidry (and Wicca) they both took off in the late 40's and early 50's. They really bloomed in the 60's and 70s, and have continued to grow.

[Ashlak]

Not a pagan myself, but I am interested in the subject. I did use to be a Wiccan when I was younger, though.

If I were to be a pagan though, I would be a Germanic pagan. I'm very interested in Norse Mythology.

[Dralonia]

My other question: why are these religions so disproportionately popular on the internet? The gap between actual ratios of pagans in the world and the ratio of paganists on the internet makes the disproportionate amount of atheists on the internet look downright representative of reality.

I don't really think it is that disproportionate, I know quite a few pagans outside of the internet. Most are just rather quiet about it in society due to the negative views associated with pagans.

[Cill Airne]

My other question: why are these religions so disproportionately popular on the internet? The gap between actual ratios of pagans in the world and the ratio of paganists on the internet makes the disproportionate amount of atheists on the internet look downright representative of reality.

For this we have to look at some recent Pagan history, which is something many do not know outside of the pagan community.

As late as the 1940's paganism (which was in its early stages of Contemporary paganism, but still known) was very much so not welcome. Anything related to it had a very negative connotation. Go forward two decades and Gerald Gardner had popularised Wicca, and Ross Nichols founded the OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids). Paganism began to become more known and accepted. However, it still had a negative connotation to it. This is a time when pagans would publish things like, "Friends of the Path/Way (or other terms) ___ Person is giving a lecture on _____." To get the message out there. In the 80s and 90s we see an emergence of pagan newsletters, newspapers, &c. In the 2000s many people begin to go online, and it has allowed for pagans, around the world, to discuss their beliefs, meet, &c. I think, because it is a safe(r) place, and a place we can all meet to discuss our beliefs and practices with others, Pagans go online. However, I think its because many pagans are not open to strangers, it just seems like theres less around you then there are on the internet.

[Faolinn]

I am an eclectic pagan with heavy thelemite leanings.

[Ostroeuropa]

A friend once framed it this way for me.

Deism is to monotheism
as
Pantheism is to paganism.

Would you all agree with that?



FOR CLARIFICATION:

A lot of monotheistic religions start from the Deist premise (god created the universe) and then add a bunch of stuff specific to their religion.

Pagan religions contend the universe (or parts of it) are god (Pantheism), and then add a bunch of stuff specific to their religion.

[Cill Airne]

A friend once framed it this way for me.

Deism is to monotheism
as
Pantheism is to paganism.

Would you all agree with that?



FOR CLARIFICATION:

A lot of monotheistic religions start from the Deist premise (god created the universe) and then add a bunch of stuff specific to their religion.

Pagan religions contend the universe (or parts of it) are god (Pantheism), and then add a bunch of stuff specific to their religion.

No, I would not agree with this. I do not believe the universe, or parts of it are god. I, however, do not believe my gods created the universe either. The universe created them, just as it created us but when I make this statement i mean in a similar sense to evolution and the big bang theory.

[Phocidaea]

My other question: why are these religions so disproportionately popular on the internet? The gap between actual ratios of pagans in the world and the ratio of paganists on the internet makes the disproportionate amount of atheists on the internet look downright representative of reality.

I don't really think it is that disproportionate, I know quite a few pagans outside of the internet. Most are just rather quiet about it in society due to the negative views associated with pagans.

I've never, ever, met someone who said they were a pagan, or any non-mainstream religion ("mainstream" here referring to "Hindu/Buddhist/Christian/Jew/Muslim/Atheist"), in real life. But I've met a lot of internet users calling themselves pagans, satanists, some obscure old religion, or pretty much any other obscure faith you can think of. I'm just not sure why.

[The USOT]

I. I am not a Celtic Wiccan, I am very much so a Druid with quite a few Celtic Reconstructionist influences. I was not introduced to any other pagan path until I was around 16, a few years after I had started practicing my path.
II. I mention them in the OP, the "games" I play as a child, and my belief in the spirits, &c.
III. Yes, I certainly do believe that the spirits, deities, and Sí that I believe in are real in a physical sense.

I should perhaps have better clarified. You said that you played games, but what were these games?

[Cill Airne]

I don't really think it is that disproportionate, I know quite a few pagans outside of the internet. Most are just rather quiet about it in society due to the negative views associated with pagans.

I've never, ever, met someone who said they were a pagan, or any non-mainstream religion ("mainstream" here referring to "Hindu/Buddhist/Christian/Jew/Muslim/Atheist"), in real life. But I've met a lot of internet users calling themselves pagans, satanists, some obscure old religion, or pretty much any other obscure faith you can think of. I'm just not sure why.

Its because most pagans do not openly tell people about their beliefs (though we're getting to the point that more and more pagans are becoming open about their beliefs). You have probably met quite a few without knowing it.

People are just more open about themselves on the internet

[Dralonia]

I don't really think it is that disproportionate, I know quite a few pagans outside of the internet. Most are just rather quiet about it in society due to the negative views associated with pagans.

I've never, ever, met someone who said they were a pagan, or any non-mainstream religion ("mainstream" here referring to "Hindu/Buddhist/Christian/Jew/Muslim/Atheist"), in real life. But I've met a lot of internet users calling themselves pagans, satanists, some obscure old religion, or pretty much any other obscure faith you can think of. I'm just not sure why.

Well there's also the point that the internet allows you to meet people from all over the world and not merely in your community, and there is also probably many people that deem themselves satanic just to get attention. It is not an overly popular religion, but there are people that truly believe in it. I live near a very liberal town that even has a Wiccan store so I tend to me some pagans.

[Cill Airne]

I. I am not a Celtic Wiccan, I am very much so a Druid with quite a few Celtic Reconstructionist influences. I was not introduced to any other pagan path until I was around 16, a few years after I had started practicing my path.
II. I mention them in the OP, the "games" I play as a child, and my belief in the spirits, &c.
III. Yes, I certainly do believe that the spirits, deities, and Sí that I believe in are real in a physical sense.

I should perhaps have better clarified. You said that you played games, but what were these games?

Well, I thought of them as games. They were just various things, but they always involved talking to the spirits. For example, I would start out by saying that I call upon the spirits, and they would repeat what I said. They did not like it, I thought it was fun. As a result at my first, proper ritual at a a druid grove, I realised a lot of the things there quite resembled the things I liked to do as a kid.

[Vazeckta]

I'm a Christian, but I have a very close friend of mine that is Wiccan. We have some very interesting discussions on the topic. She's very nice and all, and it's not a violent religion or anything. I don't respect it in the sense that I believe those who practice are saved (by my own belief), but I respect that those who practice have the choice and that they usually aren't arses about it. I can't speak of other Pagans because I haven't known any.

[Acrainia]

I have no problem with paganism, although the whole spell casting thing some groups believe in is a little too much for me.

Pray to whatever spirits you like, but try to turn me into a newt and things will get 1692ish really fast.