Describe your path

[Little Baal]

Re: Describe your path

I would consider myself to be a pagan and I believe that the universe has endless possibilities. There are more gods and spirits that can be comprehended. I currently am not sure if I have a patron god or not but if I had to guess I am very drawn to El and Ishtar. I'm one of those who is not entirely sure what I believe and I have experimented and prayed to many gods and worked with a variety of rituals. I notice that I keep having dreams about finding little statues of the god Baal and I don't know what this means. I have always had an interest in him but I notice he has a lot of negative associations. I think the reason for my interest is that Ive always loved thunderstorms and felt close to deities of this kind.
I am still working on connecting with the divine in as many ways as I can. Nature holds a great importance to me as well and I believe that everything has a spirit.

[Wonderland]

Re: Describe your path

As I've been reading and discovering things I feel the closest to Pantheism.

I don't have nor believe in a certain anthropomorphized god/goddess. I see the Universe as a whole spiritual energy that balances life. I currently practice meditation with some personal rituals that I do just in representation of things I'd like to acknowledge in my life. I also revere the elements and nature but not to the point of converting them to deities.

I've adopted different beliefs and symbols from many religious paths such as Hinduism, Taoism and Wicca as well because I identify with their significance. I'm still on the journey of discovering new things and as I go along I will mix and match, I consider myself an eclectic on that aspect.

[yellowwood]

Re: Describe your path

I believe that everything in nature is connected and everything is part of the Ultimate Reality. I believe all gods are one god and all goddesses are one goddess. That being said, Rhiannon and Cerridwen are the two particular goddess manifestations that I feel especially close to and do a lot of work with. I celebrate sabbats and esbats as well as perform other rituals to keep myself grounded and ask for guidance and wisdom. I have an interest in learning to use herbs in rituals as well as for natural medical purposes, so that is what I've been researching currently. As far as the afterlife, I believe in reincarnation, but with time in between lives to rest as well as reflect and learn from other, wiser beings how to correct the mistakes in our past lives and prepare for a better future. I believe ghosts, fairies, vampires, and the like exist, although they may or may not live in our world.

[ThorsSon]

Re: Describe your path

What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
n/a
What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
n/a
Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
no
etc...
I believe that there is/are no god/gods.
I believe that there is no afterlife.
I believe that this life is all we get.
I believe that we should make the most of it.

[Auseklis]

Re: Describe your path

What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
Dievturi (ancient Baltic paganism) and my patron God is Auseklis and the Goddess Māra. I also feel aligned with Freyja, Sekhmet, Faunus, Baphomet, although they are not of my chosen Pantheon.
What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
Dievturi practice is much like the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, celebrating the seasons but the celebrations are more of a family affair than religious. Dievturi have some more complex rituals for weddings, birthdays, deaths, courting etc. Much of the celebrations are done with song and games.
Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
Yes in a abstract kind of way. I have no choice after being clinically dead a number of times and had vivid experiences.

[Wickedjr89]

Re: Describe your path

I believe in the Lord and Lady/God and Goddess, same thing to me lol. I do believe all the different gods and goddess are a part of them though. I don't know much about the different gods and goddesses yet but I plan to learn about them. I think i'll still just go with God and Goddess though rather than a specific one or set, i'm just more comfortable that way. Everyone is different. I might, once I learn about them anyway, find an affinity with a certain one or ones for all I know but I won't know until that happens if it does.

I've been really, really lazy lately. If I wasn't lazy though I do observe the esbats and sabbats. Celebrating the cycles of the moon and the seasonal celebrations. I feel the divine is everywhere in nature, all around us and in us, and celebrating the earth's and moon's cycles can help put me in tune with it all and get closer to the divine.

I do believe in an afterlife, sort of at least. I believe in reincarnation though I don't think it happens instantly or at least not usually. I believe in a place called the summerlands, where we go to rest from the toils of our previous life and reflect on what we've learned and wait for the right time to reincarnate into our next life.

I'm not sure if i'm eclectic Wiccan or just run of the mill Wiccan. Either way though .

[SaintElvis]

Re: Describe your path

What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?

I recognize all Pantheons. I do however am drawn towards Much of the Tibetan, Shinto and Algonquin Pantheons, the last being tied to my family's tribal traditions and the first two relating to my practices. Upon my altar I place a Sakyamuni Buddha and a Green Tara to show the Feminine and Masculine for Enlightenment.

What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?

I recognize the Wiccan Sabbaths as well as Christmas(I love the season of gift-giving). I practice an eclectic form of Wicca, involving some of the aspects of Zen meditation, Shinto Practices for some ritual and some Tibetan Practices as well.

Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?

Yes. I also believe we are being reincarnated until we achieve our fullness in Existence, which is Complete Enlightenment. We are also evolving as a spiritual and physical being to progress mankind towards this enlightenment.

[wildcat]

Re: Describe your path

When I was younger, I identified myself with the Hellenic pantheon, but as I grew older and had more personal experiences and made rational observations about the world around me, I changed my approach around. I supposed I'd be seen as a type of naturalistic polytheist. I believe the gods were born out of the Universe. I don't see the Universe as "god", and I don't make any claims about it. It's the ultimate source that has created the gods. I view the gods as forces of nature, which I hope should explain my stance. The Sun God is the sun. It is the force and mechanism that powers the sun. And so I extend that type of belief to all forms of nature and the universe. (That's why I say the Universe birthed the gods. The Big Bang occurred, and forces such as suns were created, which I deem gods of nature). These gods interact with one another naturally and thus have created the reality we know.

I believe in both impersonal gods and personal gods. I consider the Sun God, Ocean Goddess and Earth Goddess to be impersonal. They are simply too great, unapproachable to us, and their consciousness/spirit is on a much higher wavelength than us little creatures that roam the earth. We are the products of their natural interactions however. I consider those three to be a our creator gods. They didn't create us on purpose, but rather, their natural interactions with one another provided the possibility for life.

As forces of nature and life evolved on the planet, I believe lesser gods evolved with it. Using the word lesser, I don't mean less powerful, but rather more closely intertwined with the earth, more specific in their nature and characteristics, and more able to connect with the consciousness of living beings (such as humans), and it is those gods that have been revealed to humankind, and that we can commune with. Those are the personal gods. I acknowledge all pantheons of gods. I truly do believe that many gods have been revealed to people, and these gods are numerous. I follow one specific goddess that has revealed herself to me, and I believe I have a close relationship with her, through intuition as she communes with me on a conscious level. I used to refer to her as Artemis when I was Hellenic, but as I explored her characteristics more, I feel she isn't confined to the Greek description, she has many other characteristics and different intentions for me that go beyond, and sometimes against, the Hellenic one, so I refer to her as a nameless god that I call The Huntress, as I don't want to presume that she is the same goddess as Artemis, for all I know she is a different entity.

As for my practices, I'm fairly simple. My worship of the gods includes reverence for their nature. I don't do rituals, I always was really uncomfortable with rituals. I felt like I was following blind instructions and I didn't connect with the act at all. Taking a walk through a forest and sitting against a tree and watching nature live is my way of revering The Huntress. I talk to her on a frequent basis, and get intuitive gut feelings on what I think her response is. I very rarely actually approach her for a prayer (asking for a favour). I think such approaches should only be done in important circumstances. When I do, I offer offerings and sacrifices, since I don't believe in approaching a god empty-handed, as I believe it makes the prayer selfish and come across as not serious. The offering should be something that means something to me personally, to gain her favour.

As for an afterlife, I might be a rare pagan here, I'm not sure, but I don't believe in an afterlife. From my observations, I believe our specific consciousness will die with the brain. The energy of our bodies will go back into the earth, and sustain the circle of life. New life will be generated with our energy. We have our "turn" at experiencing and appreciating the universe, we must die, so other new lives can be born to have their "turn". I've never been able to believe in an afterlife, as I feel it places a lot of importance on the individual and can come across as egotistical (hopefully doesn't offend anyone), I don't see why we (tiny little creatures on a tiny little planet in a vast universe) is important enough that each of our souls live on. I think our spirit lives on in the transference of our energy, but I don't believe our consciousness goes on. BUT - I would be pleasantly surprised to be wrong, of course an afterlife would be great, but I don't live my life assuming that it exists. To me, to best way to appreciate this life and live it to the fullest, is to know that it's the only one we got. Just assuming there is an afterlife that is bigger and better than what we got right now, really cheapens the wonderful and beautiful world that is right before our eyes.

Maybe I'm influenced by my favourite movie The Lion King. It's all about the Circle of Life. lol. Nature is beautiful, death must occur for new life. I believe that even the gods will die. The Sun God will eventually die as we know that all suns/stars die. The earth will be fried and the Earth Goddess that breeds life on our planet will die. But the energy will live on, and new gods/new forces of nature will be born to take their place.

Long explanation, I'm sorry! I'm a rambler.

[Briar]

Re: Describe your path

What are basically your beliefs...

Things like....
What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
etc...

To answer the second part first;

I have no deity beliefs so no gods or goddesses for me. Rituals are whatever is needed at the time. For the most part it is a "barter" of sorts. I'll do for you if you do for me, with the energies around me. I tell them what I need, they tell me what they need and we give to each other to get things done. Does that make sense? Afterlife, yes, no energy can be created or destroyed, it can only be changed. This is a fundamental law of energy. Will I have a conscious when I am dead? I don't know, nor do I care. Being the wind is just as wonderful to me as being a human. Do I believe in an Otherworld? No. All is here, as above, so below, however it is stated, I do not believe that there is this place somewhere "out there" that is not here.

What I do believe; humans are a very small part of the equation of the universe. A star burning a trillion light years away could care less if a rock hurtles itself at the Earth and destroys it. For me to work with the energy of that star means I have to forget all about being human and try to understand the star--not as a being like me, but as a star. I do not give other thing human traits (no pregnant human representing earth--something like that) because that would limit my connection to the energies.

It's like working with the energy of horses. To work with a wild horse, I have to not try to make the horse think like a human...it can't. I have to think like a horse, a prey species, while I am a predator. I have to give up being human or this horse will crush me, kick me, bite me, kill me. It is bigger than I am and its fear gives it more strength than I have. Working with any energy is the same thing. I have to not look at it like it is human, but know it, respect it for what it is.

Even if it is human energy, I have to look at it without judgment. Such as working with human greed. We like to think it is bad and we don't have any of it. When I actually met greed and worked with it for the first time I realized how much power it had over me. I had to acknowledge this, come to peace with what would happen if I did work with such a power. What was I willing to give up and/or how could I change me so I didn't lose so much? Needless to say, that was some of the hardest magic I ever did. I'm better working with non-human based energies, I think because I can be more objective when working with them.

Most of the day to day energies I work with I have worked with so much that I just ask, they tell me what they need, we barter a bit and the deal is done, like sitting down with a friend at the kitchen table and saying I'll help you sheer your sheep if you help me trim my horse hooves. Sometimes I don't even have to ask, I just show up to help them and they come and help me later. A lot of them we don't even keep score, so to speak, which I think leaves me on the better end...I'll take it.

That's a very basic description of my beliefs.

[Sondst]

Re: Describe your path

What are basically your beliefs...

Things like....
What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
etc...

I believe we are in a realm. The god and goddess. They are one. They are the world its self. I can call on powerful entities to assist me.

There are numerous gods all of which were human or sometype of living being at a point, perhaps some not even from our realm. There are countless other realms, and sometimes we can pass through, and if we do we do not always come back much like if they come to ours.

If one becomes powerful enough over many rebirths and lifetimes one can create a realm and all beings in it ect.

I believe in the summerlands, a place or rather realm most of us travel to and make future decisions on rebirth. Its not good and its not bad. Its a meeting place of spirits in short. I think we await our time till rebirth here.

[anubisa]

Re: Describe your path

When I first started along the path I identified more with Celtic and Norse paths. Later on in my life I was still afraid of the dark (crazy for an adult I know) and Lord Anubis came to me. So after he came to me I found that the Egyptian path was more for me and that Anubis was the god who identified with me. I really haven't found the right goddess from the Egyptian path yet, but I respect all of the deities from the Egyptian path.

[Tubaman]

Re: Describe your path

What are basically your beliefs...

Things like....
What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
etc...


I am new to paganism , however this is how I feel.
I believe there were 2 gods, 1 male and 1 female. I know not their names for that has not been revealed to me. I have no rituals at this time for I know none to do. My altar is my mind, For if the gods do exsist it is there I must know them. I have not found anyone else that feels similar for me to compare to and ask question of. Maybe someone here can identify with me and help guide me upon this new path for me in life

[Hekla]

Re: Describe your path

What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?

I believe all gods exist, but follow the Norse and Slavic closest.

What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?

I don't really do rituals, but I do have a set of runes that I use for guidance. That in itself is kind of a ritual though, as I call on the Norns and Odin to make sure I interpret them objectively, especially with matters I may have more of an emotional investment in.

Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?

I believe Earth is separated into two planes: spiritual and physical. As such, I believe all the realms of the gods are connected just like all the regions of the physical world are connected.

[blue_coyote]

Re: Describe your path

Taoist-hindu-christian with shamanic tendencies...If you're wanting a religious based explanation.

Very much believe in the all inclusiveness and relatedness of everything.
Have had personal experiences that have led me to the awareness of all things being from the one same source. That source never being separated from its creations The creations always being found within and connected to their source.
It is almost like an endless ocean of energy with infinite swirls, currents and patterns found within.
Everything is a manifestation of the source and its interpretations are endless.

I view that there is one god with many reflections, names, and forms.

I don't really do "rituals." For some reason I just seem to have a personal problem when it comes to following any defined form of religion.

I do believe that there is something when we leave this world. When I was very young I had an experience a few days after someone who was very close to me had passed away. 24 yrs later, I still remember it quite clearly.

[Klia]

Re: Describe your path

I consider myself Eclectic but maybe down the road I will describe myself as otherwise.
Mostly I cast circles and pray. I feel it brings me closer to the Gods while helping me become more spiritual.
I love and follow Ganesh. I thought Lalita was my matron deity, but I've yet to feel her or work with her.
I believe in the afterlife, reincarnation, and a place where souls can be forgiven and mended before starting a new life.
I believe Karma and the circle of life are the most important things to live off of in the present life.

Blue_Coyote, I from Fredericksburg. Small world huh?