a request for help

[Sarkana night]

Re: Hello! (Ola!)

Welcome to the forum!!
Don't worry about your English, it's fine. I'm half Danish and half Spanish, so English is not my native language either, but I have improved my English alot while being here, so maybe you'll do too

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

Re: Hello! (Ola!)

Welcome to the forum, Morrigan

[phoenix]

It's Dangerous to Go Alone, Make a Friend

Well, hi!

I've been a practicing Witch for about 3 years now, but I'm completely solitary as far as religion goes (not always by choice ), so I have just been looking for a place where I can ask opinions and get help if I need it. I'm sorry if I come off as whiny at times, I try to keep my teenager syndrome to a minimum! My mother and step-father both know about my choice in religion, I got lucky there. My mom has no problem with it, and even involves herself at times and encourages me. I take my practices from a little bit of everything, so I don't belong to any one sect. If I had to say I was involved in one tradition more than others, I'd have to say I'm influenced the most by Reclaiming, the tradition started by Starhawk.

I love to read just about anything except cheesy romances, I'm more of a realist myself. I like to watch documentaries and ghost hunting shows, but music is my favorite hobby, I mostly play the flute and guitar, and I sing. I love animals; I have an orange tabby cat named Cosmo, as well as a Shetland Sheepdog named Tinkerbell. I'm a grammar nazi, and I can be brutally honest and skeptical, so if I hurt feelings, I promise it wasn't ill-intended.

There I am in a nutshell, I'd like to think I'm pretty friendly, so feel free to talk to me or ask me questions. If you kept reading this far, it's a miracle.

See you all around the forums!

[Jadine]

Hello Everyone.

As far as my religion goes, I don't know yet.

I can tell you that what I do know that paganism sounds ... fulfilling so far, but it is so hard to find information on just paganism! I have been looking for two weeks to learn what paganism is about. I've looked into my local library, used book stores, Barnes and Noble, and the Internet. But still I can't seem to find any information that separates Paganism and Wicca.

Does anybody know of any books I can order that might help me out?

Can anybody tell my how they decided to be pagan while knowing what other non-pagans thought of them?

What about the whole "going to hell" issues? How did you get through that?

Can you be pagan without being Wiccan?

Anybody else not like the term Wiccan? Why?

I have so many questions, and I'm sorry my first post is so full of them!

[Jadine]

Re: I'm not good at intros...

I know what you mean about the lack of information part. And I've searched beyond the internet trying to find it.
I wish you luck in finding the information you seek.
I am new as well.

[Gardenia]

Re: Hello Everyone.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy it here.

I can tell you that what I do know that paganism sounds ... fulfilling so far, but it is so hard to find information on just paganism! I have been looking for two weeks to learn what paganism is about. I've looked into my local library, used book stores, Barnes and Noble, and the Internet. But still I can't seem to find any information that separates Paganism and Wicca.

Sometimes you do see someone who simply identifies as pagan, and usually that means they're an eclectic pagan - essentially, someone who pulls from different pagan traditions to form their own. There isn't just one single pagan religion, though. Instead it's a grouping of tons of different religions, of which Wicca is one (and within Wicca, there are also different traditions). It is very hard to make general statements about paganism due to how many traditions fall under the term - views on deity, morals and ethics, holidays, religious rituals, and everything else, can all very vastly from one pagan to another.

Can anybody tell my how they decided to be pagan while knowing what other non-pagans thought of them?

Well, in my experience, if I were to tell someone I'm a pagan, the usual reaction is just "what's that?" I'm not too worried about what others think, really... Doesn't matter what religion you are, someone is going to look down on you for it, might as well stick with the one that works for you.

What about the whole "going to hell" issues? How did you get through that?

Probably helps that I wasn't raised Christian. Sometimes I have my moments of "what if...?" but hell doesn't really make a lot of logical sense to me, so... not something I think about too much. This thread is all about that topic, so you might find it helpful.

Can you be pagan without being Wiccan?

Absolutely. There are tons of pagan traditions which are non-Wiccan, and as I mentioned, there are also the eclectics who don't follow any particular tradition, but still identify as pagan. Additionally, while Wiccans are (generally) witches, not all witches are Wiccan. There are many non-Wiccan witchcraft traditions, as well as eclectics, about as well.

Information about Wicca tends to be the most common to come across, which sometimes leads to the idea that all pagans/witches follow the Wiccan rede, worship the Wiccan God and Goddess, follow the Wheel of the Year, cast circles, and so on - which is not the case. Individual pagans/witches may choose to incorporate these elements into their own path, but they're not required to be a pagan/witch.

Anybody else not like the term Wiccan? Why?

In itself it doesn't bother me... I dislike when people assume I am one, but it's nothing against Wiccans or the term Wicca, I'm just not one. Is there something wrong with it?

I have so many questions, and I'm sorry my first post is so full of them!

Hey, don't worry about it. There's a ton of good information around - you might find the traditions and paths section helpful, and there's some good sticky threads there with resources about some of the different pagan traditions. There's also the search bar if you're looking for a particular topic, but don't see it in the recent threads. If you don't see what you're looking for, feel free to ask questions.

[Jadine]

Re: Hello Everyone.

Anybody else not like the term Wiccan? Why?

In itself it doesn't bother me... I dislike when people assume I am one, but it's nothing against Wiccans or the term Wicca, I'm just not one. Is there something wrong with it?

First of all thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, and 'showing me a few directions.'

I don't have a problem with Wicca or Wiccan traditions, and you kind of summed up why I don't like the term too. "Information about Wicca tends to be the most common to come across, which sometimes leads to the idea that all pagans/witches follow the Wiccan rede---which is not the case."
To me Wiccan traditions, from what I have seen, (but not fully researched) look ''Dark''. From things like the colour black, the book of shadows., ect. I don't like the Idea of being considered dark. I know I shouldn't care what people think but I do. If I delve into magic I want it to be magic of luck, light, happiness. Why does the practice look like they are trying to raise the dead, or cast an evil curse.

I know I sound ignorant and uneducated, I hope that I don't offend anyone who reads this.

[lynx]

Hi from Me

Hi,I'm new here. (obviously) I've felt lost religiously for years. I am now in a financial situation where I am able to live away from my family. They are staunch christians and although I'm not sure exactly what group I fit in with I don't understand christianity. The indigenous groups from around the world tend to be polytheistic and many of the stories overlap between cultures. Therefore I'm inclined to believe they have the right idea. At a young age I began seeing things before they happened. It was kind of cool. I enjoy witchcraft. Especially when the results are plainly visible. I'm hoping to fit in here and maybe find myself a little more. Sorry for the lengthy intro.

[Jadine]

Re: Hi from Me

Here's to looking!

[Gardenia]

Re: Hello Everyone.

To me Wiccan traditions, from what I have seen, (but not fully researched) look ''Dark''. From things like the colour black, the book of shadows., ect. I don't like the Idea of being considered dark. I know I shouldn't care what people think but I do. If I delve into magic I want it to be magic of luck, light, happiness. Why does the practice look like they are trying to raise the dead, or cast an evil curse.

It's sort of interesting that you say all that, because Wicca usually gets the reputation of being all fluffy love, light, no bad things ever, "harm none" and so on. Which is not totally what traditional Wicca teaches, but is what a good chunk of Wicca seems to have become... Actually, there are a lot of pagans/witches who left Wicca and shy away from the term because they don't want all those "only light things" associations. Really though, traditional Wicca, and many other forms of witchcraft and paganism tend to put more of an emphasis on a balance of 'light' and 'dark' - dark not necessarily meaning evil.

Anyway, all that said, it sounds like you actually haven't looked much into Wicca. Wicca isn't really all that dark, especially not in it's more popular forms. Like I said, you certainly don't have to be a Wiccan to be a pagan, but you might want to have a better idea of what it is before you dismiss it. If for no other reason than really knowing what it is you disagree with, and why you disagree with it - which can be helpful in narrowing down what you do agree with. You might want to start by looking at the Wiccan Rede, and what it means, to get an idea of the sort of ethics Wicca usually follows.

[RrR]

Hello

I'm R (and I actually do go by an initial in real life too) and I've been pagan since I was thirteen. Like many I started out with eclectic wicca but have since moved away from that. My parents think I inherited the 'religious nut' gene from my grandmother, but I blame them - I was raised by a lapsed catholic married to an atheist, with my formative years in a very traditional muslim country, and regularly saw a space clearer (space clearer as in 'clearing negative energy from spaces/people' - to me he was always just 'the christian magic man').

It's pretty funny how the different packages for witchcraft affect people's reactions. But I digress. I tend to be a silent lurker on forums (even ones as friendly as this place seems to be), but I thought I might as well introduce myself anyway.

[Gardenia]

Re: Hello

Welcome to PF!

[Walkingman]

Re: Hello

Hi R, Welcome here.

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Hello Everyone.

Hello and welcome to PF! questions are great, and mostly we do not mind answering them! Everybody had to start somewhere, this is as good a place as any!

I don't think that looking for what "paganism" itself is is a great idea, as it is so encompassing, and the definition varies from person to person.

being a religion should not be based on what other people think of you, it is a bad idea, and you won't get much for you out of it. I am personally pagan because I did not feel like the christian religion had the answers I needed, and were too closed minded for me. I was very much a christian for most of my life, but after I realized that I could not hold with the bible or the god, or Jesus, or any of it, I knew I wasn't really a christian anymore. I was not an atheist though either, so I found what worked for me, and honestly it started with Wicca... I am not a Wicca, but a lot of my research started there, and there are many wiccans with some really good advice and awesome ideas, so there books are not bad to read, Wicca or no. that said, many wicca are considered "light", and somewhat "fluffy" compared to some other pagan and magical traditions, some terms may seem shadowy, but that may even be because of certain historical factors, and an emphasis on secrecy in some cases, but shadows and such are not exactly evil, they are just the balance in between the light and dark, and balance seems to be alot of what many traditions of wicca focus on.
Yes you can be pagan without being wiccan, I think that wicca just may have more info and scources out there, and that is why you are coming up with so much wicca related stuff. Barnes and noble is not the most awesome place to go and get books, amazon is much better as far as selection, as far as reccommending books it would be hard to do without knowing a starting place.

as to the "going to hell" problem, I had stopped believing in hell even before I knew I was not a christian, so that probably helps. I do not fear hell because I think it is not there. I think death is something that we can't really understand, and hell is used to make people "good," I don't like it. I would peruse the forums. Get some more info at least about the possibilities of paganism, rather than the limitations. Good luck!

[Maria de Luna]

Re: It's Dangerous to Go Alone, Make a Friend

Hello and welcome!