I’m not looking to convert, but I am interested to hear from Richard (and any others here) about this whole (neo?)paganism deal. What is it you believe, and what drew you towards this? What were you raised to believe and why did you switch? Do you believe in the Greek pantheon of Zeus & Co. and all their river gods and wood nymphs et al? And what about the afterlife?
I’m honestly just curious, I am not going to start attacking, I’ve discussed my reasons for non-belief in any “supernatural” beings sufficiently elsewhere.
First off, the question is too broad. There are a whole slew of relgions covered under the Pagan (or more accurately neo-pagan) umbra: Asatruar, Wiccan, Druid, Recon, Shammanism just to name a few of the major categories. And the differences are not just variations of sects such as the difference between say Luthernas, Mormons and Catholics; or even between Christianity and Judaism.
I’ll have to add more info as I ahve time (running a bit behind this AM getting ready for work, and to REALLY answer this question would take a day of face to face rather than a message on a board).
@froodster:
I’m not looking to convert, but I am interested to hear from Richard (and any others here) about this whole (neo?)paganism deal.
Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.
HAN SOLO, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
@ncscswitch:
First off, the question is too broad. There are a whole slew of religions covered under the Pagan (or more accurately neo-pagan) umbra: Asatruar, Wiccan, Druid, Recon, Shamanism just to name a few of the major categories. And the differences are not just variations of sects such as the difference between say Luthernas, Mormons and Catholics; or even between Christianity and Judaism.
I’ll have to add more info as I have time (running a bit behind this AM getting ready for work, and to REALLY answer this question would take a day of face to face rather than a message on a board).
Well you can just start with your particular brand. I can look the others up on Wikipedia.
If I went pagan, I’d go for the Greek/Roman version. Ever notice the similarity between the names “Zeus” and “Theos”? Even “Jupiter” apparently has the same root: “Theo” becomes “Deo” becomes “Djo” and the “piter” was “pater” as in “Father”. At least that’s what my greek/roman mythology professor said.
I’m partial to Baachus.
so who wants to prance naked around trees, playing a lute and fornicating in the forest!
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so who wants to prance naked around trees, playing a lute and fornicating in the forest!
I don’t know about the lute, but the rest sounds pretty good…
I would prefer the Roman model of paganism. I don’t think that word was what the Romans called it. I fear it was a slang word from the Christian sect who hated the Romans. They used the word pagan to denote the whole gambit of different ideas that were not Christian.
OK, short version for me.
I am your typical non-practicing religious person…like the Catholic that perhaps goes to mass once very few years, but still follows the faith and believes without question. I went through my "hard core"phase, lost jobs because of it too. And I did enjoy some of the perks of being in my early 30’s but at festivals with wiling females in their 20’s and 30’s (and even one 19 when I was 33). I loved gatherings.
But I ahve settled down to a quiet faith, very eclectic that is not along any of the main paths.
I am non a “lineaged witch” so the Trads don;t care for me.
I am far too conservative for most of the Pagans out there (I am somewhere WWWAAYYYY Right of Ronald Reagan or Newt Gingrich when counted among just Pagans)
And I am too radical for most of the other active groups in terms of followng the mandates of Gardener et.al.
And not into enough of the “Witch Wars” anymore to deal with the conflict that is rampant in the lack-of-community.
For me, it is that I ahve simply come to an understanding with teh world around me. I live in it, I work with it. By I ahve not detached myself from the “real world” I notice little things, and give thanks to them and for them. And I acknowledge that there is a supreme power in the multiverse. Not God. Not a being you pray to. But a POWER (forgive me you Han Solo quoting folks, but a “force” that simply makes things BE.
I do offer prayers (especially before dice rolls :-p ) but not to a single divine. In that regard I am like the Catholic, directing my prayers through an Aspect that is associated with what I am seeking.
Anyway, I am not going to bore folks to tears. If you are interested in Wicca, Cunningham is a good place to start 9probably one of the most level headed folks out there). Ravenwolf is a bit too fluffy even for me (though i understand why, I know most of her teachers). Can;t stand Starhawk, she is an Anarchist who regularly gets arrested at WTO meetings (not kidding). And Buckland is jsut an idiot. And Gardener himself was just a dirty old man looking for some young females in my personal opinion. Most of the other stuff you find is pure crap. So you read a bunch of it, draw a kernel here, and tid-bit there, and then you integrate it into your life, and you go forward with it. Demetre George and “Mysteries of the Dark Moon” perhaps was my greatest personal inspiration.
If it is an act, somethign you play at to attend a festival where you can see nekkid folks running around and get laid, you will walk away soon enough. If it is genuine for you, and if you have events that SET your belief, then perhaps it becomes your life… a faith as complex and personal and pefect for you as is possible.
And that to me is “spirituality” instead of religion. Some folks do find spirituality in organized religion, but not many. Some find it in dis-organized religion. Some find it in PERSONAL religion, which is where I ended up… a personal religion with a loose framework of eclectic neo-pagan holdign it together.
So are there any named deities that are significant for you, or just this cosmic force?
And what do you think of the afterlife?
Nix (not the gamer here) the Dark Mother that predates the Greek gods.
And yes, I am looking forward to my next lives…
I heard that wiccan believe in the concept of colored auras. Is that true?
I heard that wiccan believe in the concept of colored auras. Is that true?
It is not specifically a Wiccan thing, just perhaps moe commonly accepted in that community, but also well known among other religious groups.
Falls more into the New Age category than the Pagan category.
OK what was the religion of the Roman or Greek gods called?
And yes, I am looking forward to my next lives…
but what does that mean? reincarnation? heaven/hell? and what determines how you are reincarnated/sent to heaven or hell, etc.?
there are so many conceptions of the “afterlife” or “next life” that you need to clarify a bit…
@Imperious:
OK what was the religion of the Roman or Greek gods called?
My guess is they didn’t have a name for it - it was just the “truth” and what all civilized people practiced. They probably referred to other religions as superstitions etc. Just a guess though. Religion wasn’t really separate from the rest of life so it could have a name of its own, there was no distinction between “science” and “religion”.
And yes, I am looking forward to my next lives…
but what does that mean? reincarnation? heaven/hell? and what determines how you are reincarnated/sent to heaven or hell, etc.?
there are so many conceptions of the “afterlife” or “next life” that you need to clarify a bit…
My next life HERE, after a brief rest and review of my life this time around in the Summerlands. I’ll come back around, with a couple of lessons to learn that I will set for myself, perhaps lessons I failed to learn this time. Then I’ll be back here, with no real memory of what went before, but with a purpose set for my life with the starting point of my life determined by what I have set out for myself to learn.
interesting…what are the summerlands like?
Asatruar introduction course; (well it´s from the top of my head so bear with me)
Asatrue (Asatro) is the nordic style paganism.
Basically it was originally a very masculine faith, based in a lot of things around battle, feasting, and things to do in the afterlife.
But it was very popular in the whole populace of Norway, Sweden (and earlier in Denmark, they converted first)
And often people think all “gods” where Asar, (wich Oden, thor and some other indead are) but that is not true, there are two or three categories of gods living in AsgÃ¥rd, they are Asar, Vaner, and Alfer (elves)
The main deities (gods) are Oden (Odin, spelling varies a bit) (the master “ruler” of the gods, father to Thor among a few), Hes said to be the source to intelligence and wisdom, he sacrificed his left eye to gain the knowledge of the future, he also have two ravens, Hugin and Munin, that are collecting news for their master.
Thor is the god of thunder and war/vengance (most of the gods are involved in warfare)
Freja is the Goddess of growth and fertillity she is the daughter of Njord (the god of weather), and her Brother was Frej (also a god of fertillity)
Njord, Frej and Freja was not Asar, they where Vaner (and was a part of the peace deal between Asar and Vanner that fought a war)
In the Asa religion they ahve divided the world into seven “branches” or realms you could say, they where all connected to each other in some ways… (do´t remember)
The realms where: Midgård (realm of man), Asgård (Realm of Asgård), Jotunheim (realm of the Giants), Hel (underworld).
There are also a realm for Vanerna, the elfs and black elfs have one realm each…
It was a long time ago i read a book on the nordic mythology, but it´s kinda hard to grasp it, a lot of things happened, and a lot of worlds, people and gods of all kinds are involved…
It´s speculated that Vanerna (religion of fertillity) was the religion in the Nordic countries before the Asatru, and that there was a real war between the religions, and that´s where it was incorporated into one religion…
All in all, the most celebrated day in Sweden is the Midsummer day, when we all go out dancing around a large pole stuck in the ground, and two “rings” hanging around it (you probably get the point), then we also get really drunk…
I will defer to someone far more knowledgable than me regarding my Asatruar brethren…
