How did you get here?

[Maria de Luna]

So my question is sort of for everyone with a path, (sorta.) How did you decide that this was the path for you? What set of decisions or happenings determined that you would land amongst the deities that you landed amongst. Did you pick them or did they pick you? Is it your background, was it the draw of a particular deity, or was it the whole thing? Did anyone feel pulled in multiple directions? Like there were 2 "right" choices, (or more?) Do you think that people should pick a group of deities and stick to it, or can they fluctuate? All opinions are welcome, and more would be appreciated.

:meow:

[Dez]

Re: How did you get here?

Sounds to me like why so many people don't put a particular "box" around their brand of paganism, or even reject the title entirely. There is rarely just one good path available. I'm finding that the further I go with this, the more options I find that I had no idea even existed.

[JamesByrne]

Re: How did you get here?

Celtic neopaganism - neo-wicca/Ecclectic Witchcraft - Ceremonialism - cultural activism - celtic neopaganism.

It was a progression from nievety - ignorance - self development - true self efficacy - and self knowledge.
I was always interested in what Im doing now... I just didnt have the skills I needed both developmentally and socially so I put aside my trads as a part of my neopagan spiritual life and kept them as personal believe for the years it took me to mature...

And thats still an on going process :P

[JamesByrne]

Re: How did you get here?

Eh after my little ego rant there :P

"How did you decide that this was the path for you?"
I just liked it and over years as I grew as a person I grew into it. The people involved in it have a similar temprement to me in comparason to other types of neopagans so it makes networking easier.

"What set of decisions or happenings determined that you would land amongst the deities that you landed amongst."

Really the main thing was getting involved in cultural activism.

"Did you pick them or did they pick you? Is it your background, was it the draw of a particular deity, or was it the whole thing?"

I personally persue relationships. I look at deities choosing people in the same way as I look at people 'doing magick' just by picking up a spell book. Id look at background in a similar way. Im Irish but that means nothing in terms of my 'background'. My family like all european families always have been are a blend peoples. Indigenous cultures are multi ethnic and what are countries today were far more multi cultural in the past then they are now.

"Did anyone feel pulled in multiple directions? Like there were 2 "right" choices, (or more?) Do you think that people should pick a group of deities and stick to it, or can they fluctuate? ."

I wouldnt know about right and wrong choices in terms of neopaganism. Id say that real neopaganism involves an understanding that there are loads of deities and loads of ways of celebrating life. Confronted with that the only wrong choice is to assume theres one right direction for yourself or anyone else.

In terms of deities I think people should embrace their experiences but should correctly understand them and catagorise them appropriately. Over the short span of my life Ive met lots of deities and Ive never said oh I dont like you cos I dont know you. STRANGER DANGER! please!. Vast incorporeal beings are every where and if you can genuinely interact with them youre not going to ignore them because no 1 you cant and no 2 reading a book somewhere at some stage that said you shouldnt wouldnt stop anyone...unless theyre some bible scholar or something. But theres no neopagan bible.

[Jembru]

Re: How did you get here?

I was expelled from Sunday school because of my violent childhood tantrums. I hit, kicked and punched one of the staff for killing an aphid on the picture I'd made from leaves I'd collected. I was already vegetarian and a member of the RSPCA's 'animal action' group at that time, so was militant about loving 'all of God's creatures'. I was later thrown out of the brownies for throwing a girl who'd chronically bullied me for several years, into a duck pond! I figured Jesus didn't want me, but I never stopped believing that the natural world was sacred somehow. I had an imaginary friend in my teens and around that time, I discovered Paganism via some girls who'd seen the Craft at the cinema. My imaginary friend encouraged me to read up on witchcraft, which took me to paganism and wicca. I just loved the fact that reverance of nature featured so strongly and I hungered for a spirituality (I was already into yoga and meditation even then). It was a no-brainer.

I think I've written elsewhere about why I came to worship Brigantia and Bregans. It's a long story, but the short version is that I wished to connect more with the spirits of my local area. I discovered a Celtic deity of the river that runs through my hometown, and he led me to Brigantia. Bregans came to me in a vision. I asked him his name and one of the dozens of deity names I'd been reading at the time, popped into my head. There is more to how I came to know Them, but now, I can't explain it, I just know it in my heart.

[MaskedOne]

Re: How did you get here?

I'm not generally pulled in multiple directions these days so much as trying to decipher a slightly garbled single direction. There are things I like in several paths and I use what feels appropriate where I can but the elements used are always filtered slightly to fit my quirky worldview. Few of the things I pull from are attractive enough to me in their entirety to provide a strong pull to focus on one element. Plus there's a choice (and no I'm not explaining, gotta live up to my name somehow ) made years ago that still has valid grounds and that tends to factor in everything.

[Pellethie]

Re: How did you get here?

Non-Christian indigenous person.

Background, heritage. I didn't wake up one morning and decide to be something else, or because it was trendy, or a way to make new friends.

[Charmed Fool]

Re: How did you get here?

How did you decide that this was the path for you?

It took me a while to realize that I am not labeled as one group or another. Or labeled as one spiritual path or another. I'm me, and to be honest, how can I ever debate whether or not that is "right" for me or not?


What set of decisions or happenings determined that you would land amongst the deities that you landed amongst?

I have always felt connected to Nature and the moon, the darkness, the change of the Seasons. It always felt right to talk to Mother Goddess (Gaia if you would like a specific name). I also commune with other Energies (there are so many I am friends and companions with) such as the Energies of the Seasons, tree and plant Energies, moon and sun Energies, animal Energies, among various others.


Did you pick them or did they pick you? Is it your background, was it the draw of a particular deity, or was it the whole thing?

Like I stated above, I did not pick anyone or anything. Mother Goddess, Gaia, has always, always, always spoken to me. Even way long before I even knew the term "Pagan" or "Goddess spirituality" were even words and phrases. I commune with Gaia and various other Nature Energies because they choose to be my companions, partners, and friends. The connection I feel with these Energies and Mother Gaia is astounding.


Did anyone feel pulled in multiple directions? Like there were 2 "right" choices, (or more?) Do you think that people should pick a group of deities and stick to it, or can they fluctuate?

The story of my life was being pulled into multiple directions for the longest time. I went from claiming to be Wiccan, to Taoist, to "Eclectic Spiritualist", but then...I came to a revelation. What am I doing? I am me. I believe what I believe, do what I do, and am happy doing it. Why should I bend and sometimes snap into other directions and try to fit just one or two, or even ten different spiritual paths? Why label myself, why limit myself? I'm me, and not that labels and specific paths are "bad" by any means, they are wonderful in their individualistic types, however, beneath all of the labels, you (or anyone else) are you underneath it all. Your views may change, you may add or exclude some beliefs or practices along your life, however, whatever that label changes to, you will stay you beneath it all. No matter what you choose, be true to yourself and always be you.

[Hoho]

Re: How did you get here?

I love surveys and hearing peoples' responses!

How did you decide that this was the path for you?
It feels right.

What set of decisions or happenings determined that you would land amongst the deities that you landed amongst.
Well, truth be to;d, I'm deity-less. Through my life journey, albeit small, I've become aware of many different sorts of deities and they just didn't resonate with me. I'm happy with my deity-less-ness though.

Did you pick them or did they pick you?
I did the pickings with regards to my deity-less-ness.

Is it your background, was it the draw of a particular deity, or was it the whole thing?
My background, I think. I suppose one could classify me as more rebellious and independent.

Did anyone feel pulled in multiple directions? Like there were 2 "right" choices, (or more?)
Newp.

Do you think that people should pick a group of deities and stick to it, or can they fluctuate? All opinions are welcome, and more would be appreciated.
Change is the only true constant.