Pagan Discussion Thread II

[The New Sea Territory]

Welcome, to the second edition of the Pagan Discussion Thread, a general forum thread for the discussion of contemporary paganism. The last thread was started by Meryuma, and faded into inactivity before being locked. An attempted gravedig was shut down by mods.

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What is paganism?

Modern Paganism refers to a collection of new religious movements, but drawing lines between what is and is not paganism is difficult. Often, paganism refers to reconstructed religions from pre-Christian Europe, forms of modern witchcraft, or modern interpretations of ancient religions and mythology. Typically, paganism is not an organized religion, without much dogma or orthodoxy, and many pagans are not part of a pagan community. Wicca, Asatru/Heathenry, Druidism, Rodnovery, Hellenism and many other traditions all fit under the label "modern paganism".

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Possible Topics

• National Pagan Organizations
• Historical Sources and their Accuracy
• Forums, Blogs, Subreddits or Podcasts
• Ritual and Altarwork
• Pagan Art or Music
• Witchcraft
• Pagan Theology
• Left-Hand Paths within Paganism

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Pagan Resources

Interfaith

• r/pagan and r/paganism
• Patheos Pagan Channel
• Gods and Radicals
  
  Slavic Paganism
• Lug Velesa (Serbian Rodnovery) and their Youtube Channel
• Rodna-Vjera (Slavic Pagan Tumblr)
• Slavorum (Often has news about Eastern European Paganism or information about mythology)
• The Slavic Polytheist (Blog)
• r/Rodnovery
  
  Heathenry/Asatru
• Heathen Talk or Nordic Journeys on Youtube (Heathenry/Asatru)
• r/Asatru
• The Road to Asgard (Left-Hand, Odinism)
• Jackson Crawford (Academic, Old Norse Expert)
• Sundorwic Hearth (Anglo-Saxon Heathenry)
  
  Celtic Polytheism
• r/druidism
• r/Paganacht
  
  
  Greco-Roman Paganism
• Elani Temperance (Hellenismos Youtube)
• Baring the Aegis (Blog)
• Hellenion
• r/HellenicPolytheism
• Labrys (Hellenic Polytheist Organization in Greece)
• Pomegranateandivy (Hellenic, Tumblr)
• Cultus Deorum Romanorum (Nova Roma)

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Personally, I am a practicing Slavic and Germanic polytheist, drawing from Russian, Polish, German and Old Norse sources and folkloric customs. I am not affiliated with any national organization or kindred, and will probably continue my practice as solitary. I'm a staunch hard polytheist, interested in left-hand interpretations of Odin, Slavic folk customs and rune magic. Chwała Bogom!

Note: This is a work-in-progress OP. Suggest resources that should be here below.

[The New Sea Territory]

Merseburg Charms. Lasting pieces of of pre-Christian literature in Old High German.

[Major-Tom]

I mean, grandpa called me a pagan when I came back from a concert, but I'm pretty sure he didn't know what he meant.

[Big Jim P]

People
Against
Goodness
And
Normalcy.

[Grave_n_idle]

People
Against
Goodness
And
Normalcy.

That was Dragnet, wasn't it?

On topic - I think there's usually a suggestion that 'pagan' practises are particular to nature-based movements - 'heathen' and 'pagan' both originating in (derogatory) terms to describe rural non-Christians.

[Big Jim P]

People
Against
Goodness
And
Normalcy.

That was Dragnet, wasn't it?

On topic - I think there's usually a suggestion that 'pagan' practises are particular to nature-based movements - 'heathen' and 'pagan' both originating in (derogatory) terms to describe rural non-Christians.

Yep. I couldn't resist. The devil made me do it.

On serious note, I find it interestin that Paganism has a left-hand path. I never knew that.

[Conserative Morality]

I respect those who acknowledge the myth-making of their religious revival or, conversely, go full-on reconstructionism.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Not a pagan myself, though I do have some strong interests in Hellenism and have spent a bit of time learning about the modern versions of the religion. If I ever willingly converted to any religion that's probably what it would be.

I mean, grandpa called me a pagan when I came back from a concert, but I'm pretty sure he didn't know what he meant.

I'm kinda sad my grandparents never called me such things.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I mean, does Tengrism count if I'm also a Buddhist?

[Washington Resistance Army]

I mean, does Tengrism count if I'm also a Buddhist?

I'd say so.

How widespread is Tengrism nowadays anyways? I don't really know a lot about it.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I mean, does Tengrism count if I'm also a Buddhist?

I'd say so.

How widespread is Tengrism nowadays anyways? I don't really know a lot about it.

As far as I know, it's just Mongols and a few others in that region, and most of us are also another religion

[The New Sea Territory]

That was Dragnet, wasn't it?

On topic - I think there's usually a suggestion that 'pagan' practises are particular to nature-based movements - 'heathen' and 'pagan' both originating in (derogatory) terms to describe rural non-Christians.

Yep. I couldn't resist. The devil made me do it.

On serious note, I find it interestin that Paganism has a left-hand path. I never knew that.

A book I want to get about left-hand paganism is The Left Hand of Odin, which is about Asatru and left-hand ideas.

[The New Sea Territory]

I mean, does Tengrism count if I'm also a Buddhist?

I would think so. Tengrism is a pagan religion.

In terms of keeping the thread on topic, conversations about how Buddhism and Tengrism overlap would be on-topic, while conversations solely about Buddhism would not.

[Cetacea]

- 'heathen' and 'pagan' both originating in (derogatory) terms to describe rural non-Christians.

they weren't derogatory, in Old English Heathen just means inhabiting the heath (open country) whereas Pagan is latin term for rural villager. Pagan probably only became derogatory due to Roman soldiers referring to the rural non-combatants in the empire as 'paganus' and thinking of themselves as civilised

Paganism thus refers to the traditional beleifs that persisted in rural communities as opposed to the new religions that developed in Urban areas with support of Nobility/Church.

[Big Jim P]

Yep. I couldn't resist. The devil made me do it.

On serious note, I find it interestin that Paganism has a left-hand path. I never knew that.

A book I want to get about left-hand paganism is The Left Hand of Odin, which is about Asatru and left-hand ideas.

Definitely something I will check out. I have a slightly more than passing interest in Odinism/Asatru, and of course, left-hand ideas.

The only thing I have read about left-hand Paganism (assuming one considers Wicca to be pagan) is "Nocturnal Witchcraft" some time ago.

Not many Pagans follow the Left-hand path it seems, although many mistakenly consider Satanism to be Pagan.

[Estonland]

I'm muslim and polytheism is the worst sin according to Quran
But hey,I don't have anything personal against you,it is your own beliefs

[The New Sea Territory]

For anyone interested in Slavic neopaganism, Lug Velesa is a Serbian Rodnover community whose youtube channel puts out cool videos, some with English subtitles.

[Washington Resistance Army]

For anyone interested in Slavic neopaganism, Lug Velesa is a Serbian Rodnover community whose youtube channel puts out cool videos, some with English subtitles.

The videos don't seem half bad, pretty decent subtitles and all.

On the topic of Hellenismos I'm probably gonna be picking up some books on modern practices and whatnot soon. Still not sure if I'm actually a believer or whatnot but I have a pretty big interest in the religion.

A book I want to get about left-hand paganism is The Left Hand of Odin, which is about Asatru and left-hand ideas.

Definitely something I will check out. I have a slightly more than passing interest in Odinism/Asatru, and of course, left-hand ideas.

The only thing I have read about left-hand Paganism (assuming one considers Wicca to be pagan) is "Nocturnal Witchcraft" some time ago.

Not many Pagans follow the Left-hand path it seems, although many mistakenly consider Satanism to be Pagan.

Is Big Jim gonna become a pagan?

Find out next time on NSG!

[The New Sea Territory]

For anyone interested in Slavic neopaganism, Lug Velesa is a Serbian Rodnover community whose youtube channel puts out cool videos, some with English subtitles.

The videos don't seem half bad, pretty decent subtitles and all.

On the topic of Hellenismos I'm probably gonna be picking up some books on modern practices and whatnot soon. Still not sure if I'm actually a believer or whatnot but I have a pretty big interest in the religion.

I'm pretty sure Meryuma worships Hellenic deities, so you could talk to them if their still active.

If not, check out r/pagan. Here was a thread asking about Greek polytheist resources.

[Cetacea]

I'm muslim and polytheism is the worst sin according to Quran
But hey,I don't have anything personal against you,it is your own beliefs

So Pagan Monotheism would be okay then?
Tengri, Shangdi, Aten and Makuru are all Singular gods in various pagan traditions. Yes there are other lesser spirits in those traditions too but the Quran also allows for angels and jinn

Also a general question for the thread - another thing I have wondered are Sikhs considered Pagan?

[Superior-Minnesota]

I am a Norse Pagan specifically, taking my mythology from the Poetic and Prose Eddas, as well as the Icelandic Sagas, but also I look at German and Anglo-Saxon myth as good sources. I practice alone, but I don't like the communal religious setting because I am more interested in knowing, but I might join an organization in the future.

I personally think if you are going to be a pagan you should look to your ancestry and not just pick something​ because of how you feel. I made that mistake at first but I feel more comfortable with the gods of my distant ancestors.

Hail Odin!

[Washington Resistance Army]

The videos don't seem half bad, pretty decent subtitles and all.

On the topic of Hellenismos I'm probably gonna be picking up some books on modern practices and whatnot soon. Still not sure if I'm actually a believer or whatnot but I have a pretty big interest in the religion.

I'm pretty sure Meryuma worships Hellenic deities, so you could talk to them if their still active.

If not, check out r/pagan. Here was a thread asking about Greek polytheist resources.

Thanks for that, I'll check everything out.

Also a general question for the thread - another thing I have wondered are Sikhs considered Pagan?

I'm inclined to say no but depending on what exactly you consider "pagan" you could probably make a decent argument that Sikhs fit the description.

[Menassa]

I wonder how many Pagans are theistic?

[The New Sea Territory]

I personally think if you are going to be a pagan you should look to your ancestry and not just pick something​ because of how you feel.

This is something not evidenced by historical paganism.

Put simply, the amount of cultural and religious syncretism during the pagan Roman Empire was astonishing. The cult of Serapis, for example, an amalgamation of both Greek and Egyptian polytheism, shows that people who did not have Egyptian or Greek ancestry could worship these gods. It's a mixture of cultures. A similar situation occured in Gaul. Source. Not only did Gauls adopt many different Roman cults, but a celtic goddess actually was adopted by Romans across the empire: Epona.

In terms of non-Roman syncretism, the fact that Norse settlers mixed with Slavic peoples shows that even a pagan religion heavily based on ancestor veneration (heathenry) could adapt and synthesize with other cultures and their practices. This is reflected in the similarities in mythology. For example, Perun and Thor are more than just connected by being Indo-European thunder gods.

Also, Hellenistic Judaism was a thing. As is the worship of ancient Aztec spirits and gods as Christianized "Saints" (read: not officially canonized) in Latin America.

I always advise people interested in paganism but lacking a sense of direction to go to their ancestors' traditions, but that's not a necessary thing to do.

[The New Sea Territory]

I wonder how many Pagans are theistic?

Most.

There are varying ideas about theism (pantheism, henotheism, polytheism, etc), but atheistic paganism is generally the minority in all the reconstructionist traditions I've seen (can't speak for Wicca or other neopagan/eclectic traditions)