A question to those who are not particularly religious

[AuroraWinters]

My interest in paganism has waxed and waned in cycles over the past 6 years. I am very interested in some of the concepts, but have always eventually been put-off by some of the religiosity that I don't really want to participate in. I was Wiccan for 2 years but eventually found it to be just as stifling dogmatically as previous religions I tried but did not click with. But again and again, I come back to paganism as a core structure of belief and ritual that I feel connected to since, to me, at its heart, it is about the reverence of nature and the seasons and the energy in the universe - all things that make sense to me and that I would like to tap into and celebrate. I am very interested in magic, herbalism, and celebrating the seasons. My problem is that I have trouble when trying to do rituals and spells since most of the information available is for those who do it for more spiritual/religious reasons. There is a lot of talk of the god/goddess and certain ritual tools having more spiritual meaning than, I guess what I see as, practical reasoning for performing spells/rituals. They seem more for those who make it a more religious-ceremonial matter. It is difficult to know how to form these rituals to my needs.

I'm wondering if there are any others who practice in a way that reveres nature and works with the energies of the universe, but does not call upon gods/spirits. Which ritual tools do you incorporate and which do you deem unnecessary? How do you reword spells/chants/whatever so that they reflect a belief that nature is powerful and deserving of respect but does not specifically call upon a god/goddess force?

I feel silly or like a sham if I try to just do what more religiously oriented books/websites say to do, when I know that deep down I do not feel like I am actually talking to a deity/spirit. But they are my only source.

[routeeleven]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

Awesome question and in a sense I can relate to you.

I have been studying the occult for less than a year - and have noticed that many spells call upon a God or Goddess - which I don't believe in.

My belief is strictly this:
Our Creator is simply the universe. We are all connected as one.

I have an Altar - which I added items that I put meaning into... such as, I want more peace, love, family, friendship, health, wealth, freedom, and creativity. I also added my childhood ballet shoes because I want to attain that feeling of being a kid again. I don't have any symbols or idols of Gods or Goddesses.

So, since I don't believe in a God or Goddess of any sort, I just don't do any spells that involve calling upon one. In fact, to be honest I rarely do spells in general. I practice stuff along the lines of metaphysical healing, psychic powers, "the law of attraction", various tools of divination, meditation, yoga... Basically I am healing myself on a spiritual level meanwhile improving my natural psychic powers (that we are all born with, however, society doesn't teach them to us like they teach subjects at school, so we don't know how to use them).

There are plenty of spells that don't call upon Gods or Goddesses. But I'm sure you can reword one by saying, "the universe" instead of the name of the God/Goddess.

[routeeleven]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

I posted a reply but it didn't show up :s Darn... I will try and remember what I wrote.

I am spiritual, in a sense that my belief is strictly this:
The universe is our Creator and we are all connected as one.

As for re-wording spells, just use spells that don't call upon a god or goddess. I barely use spells but when I do I use ones that don't call upon a god or goddess. The reason for that is because:
I tried a spell that called upon a goddess but when doing so I felt like a phony. I didn't feel right doing it. And when it comes to the occult matters, definitely do what you feel is right. If you feel what you are doing isn't right (be it bad, or you feel phony) then DON'T do it.

I am sure you can reword a spell. Just change the part where it uses the name of a god or goddess and say "universe" or "creator" instead. That way, you believe it wholeheartedly and don't feel like a phony/sham.

[thalassa]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

I posted a reply but it didn't show up :s Darn... I will try and remember what I wrote.

Its up now!

We have this super-mega spam-inator filter thingy, and sometimes it catches the replies of new members in it (but it means less spam overall on a daily basis)...and then it takes a second for a mod to get around to approving it...but you should be good now!

[Ophidia]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

I am very interested in some of the concepts, but have always eventually been put-off by some of the religiosity that I don't really want to participate in.

It's kind of like this - you can practice the 'ten commandments' of Christianity without being a Christian. Things like helping your neighbors out, respecting your parents, not running around murdering people, etc. It's the same with Paganism. You can be a Pagan without believing in or worshiping any deity or 'supernatural' entity.

Using spells or rituals out of books & off of websites is good practice when you're just starting out using magic. Just like cooking & cookbooks, most people feel uncomfortable with creating their own spells/rituals at first, but you'll pick up on the basic framework of spellcraft and tailoring it to your own needs. Magic works much better when it's coming from you and your emotional energy. Which means that if a spell calls on the power of a deity, you can cut that stuff right out of there and add other things to it. If you're uncomfortable with what you're saying or doing, your spell is probably going to fizzle anyway because your state of mind will interrupt your ability to concentrate and lose yourself in the moment (ceremonial or 'high' magic is the exception to this - it's very mental and the robes are itchy).

Even though I am a hard polytheist, meaning I do believe in all Gods, I've never called on any of Them to aid in magic. I don't feel it's necessary because the driving force behind my spell work has always been based on the idea that we're all connected to everything, kind of like the concept of quantum entanglement, or the way two unrelated heart cells will begin beating in time with one another, even if they're in separate petri dishes.

[Monk]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

I fall into the same type of path as you in my Pagan beliefs as I rarely call on any God or Goddess by name. You will note I did not say "Same path" because as solitaires(I'm making an assumption here) we tend to wonder around and "Pick" things up along the way use them if it feels right or discard them if not and move on. I hope you don't mind I'm going to write out one of my favorite incantation/prayers/or whatever you wish to call it. So this is how I do my opening and closing whatever you want to call it. Let me add that I in no way think of this as the"Only" way to do it, but the way I've evolved my ceremony to my needs and likes.

Life forces of the ages.
Powers of creation that exist in all things.
Help us all to better understand the tools you have created.
The magik places, the crystals and the gems.
And the powers with in us all so that we may live in harmony with all things you have provided as it was meant to be.

I say this as I light the five candles that form a pentagram on my alter. I start at Spirit then move to element Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. At the last element I move the candle(That I've used to light the others with) back to the element Spirit them circle the candles to complete my pentagram.

If I may make a suggestion since you are new is that you at least check out a book called Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler. It is full of information on different groups as well as well....please check it out. Also you may want to look into a book written by one of Pagan Forums own Tylluan Penry called Seeking the Green. The thing that is most apparent in her book is she leaves it up to you to find your path while providing great information for you to build a foundation for your own beliefs. But the most important knowledge I believe I can give you is to read everything that interest you on Paganism, filter out what doesn't feel right for you and write down what does.
As far as tools go(wands,cauldrons,athames, and other alter paraphernalia) again use whatever you feel is right for you.
Anyways here is a list of what I use the most. Most of these things I have made or picked up at garage sales or second hand stores. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get things you feel you need to use.
1. Candles
2. Incense
3. offering bowels
4. Goblet for wine
5. Pentagram
6. Athame
7. Alter cloth
8. Candle holders
9. My mind

I think the best part about being a pagan is I am responsible for me, my beliefs, my practices, and how I treat my planet and all the things that live here with us.

[AuroraWinters]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

These are all great responses, thank you so much! I've tried to do the thing where I change the god/goddess name to "the universe/powers of nature/etc" but it always seems to disrupt the flow of whatever the other person wrote. So I've been trying to write my own... but they just sound so bad lol I guess it's like anything else - it will take practice.

Thank you for posting, Monk! Those are some great guidelines and I will definitely be making a trip to the bookstore soon, so I appreciate the suggestions. The main book I learned off of, aside from many internet sites, was The Craft by Dorothy Morrison, because it was recommended to me by a friend. Originally, it was a great starting place. But as I move on from Wicca into a different pagan path, it just isn't as relevant anymore. Sometimes it's hard to tell what to spend your money on.

[Monk]

Re: A question to those who are not particularly religious

Thank you.
Yeah, I've written and rewritten many over the years and did the same name swapping as you. It just takes time and when it's right you'll know.
One of the things I try to do with books is to skim sections randomly to see if I agree at least some what with the author and if I like their writing style. If I find to many things I don't like I just keep looking and that's OK. Because If the book is written in to demanding of a manner(Like you must do this and only this)forget it, I won't read it let alone use it. Plus I probably just through away $25 bucks I can't afford to wast.


P.S. There is some very good information on this forum being posted by very knowledgeable people so have fun looking at some of the current post as well as older ones.