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    Pagan minimalists

    We just moved to our new home. It's way bigger than the somewhat tiny house we left. A family with two teenagers lived here before us. We don't and will not have kids, so we have the luxury of two leftover rooms. One will be an office. The other a spiritual room where I can do yoga, read books, meditate and maybe do some ritual work. After unboxing everything, I realized I have such little stuff to put in there (or the entire house for that matter). Only a few books, a small table to use as an altar and a few tealight holders. The only ritual objects I have are a crow's feather I've had for a long time and a leg bone, probably from a small deer I found in the dunes.

    When I do spell work or a ritual, I use whatever I can find in my home or from nature. The rest is in my head. I don't buy much at all. I don't even own a grimoire anymore, only a notebook to write my experiences in. I used to have way more items, especially when I just started my pagan journey. I bought stuff in bulk for the sake of buying :O I just gradually got rid of it all over the years, rather than collecting stuff.

    Is it weird to have such little objects after 15 years of following different pagan paths? I feel like I should have boxes full of stuff by now. Are any of you minimalists when it comes to your paths?
    Last edited by Eleanor; 19 Nov 2018, 12:57.

    #2
    Re: Pagan minimalists

    I'm just a minimalist in general.

    My "witchy" things fill exactly one box when all packed up together. My reference material is one additional box, but that includes spellbooks, textbooks, mythology, herbalism, etc.

    All of my worldly belongings fit into the back of a pick up truck.

    I find that "stuff" is really unnecessary. All my furniture is hand me down, and I replace it with other used items whenever I move, and I otherwise only own books, clothing, outdoor gear. Things can be reused and remade, and I don't succumb to impulse shopping.

    Knowledge doesn't take up physical space.


    Mostly art.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Pagan minimalists

      I agree that having lots of stuff isn't necessary too. Every time I'm thinking of buying something I ask myself whether I truly need it. Most of the time the answer is 'no' and I won't buy it. Saves a lot of money.

      Maybe I'll just buy a few things to make it look more like a spiritual room. It's very empty at the moment.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Pagan minimalists

        I don't believe that there is anything weird about having little "stuff" to show for your practice.

        There seems to be a predisposition of some Pagans to go out and buy "the essentials" that they have interpreted as "must-have" items from a book that they have read. It's about your own spiritual connection to and relationship with whatever power that you believe to be of significance that matters, not material things.

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          #5
          Re: Pagan minimalists

          I don't have a ton of stuff, and it's only been in the last couple years that I got any "bigger" items. I have a dragon table. Something like this only friendlier and more naturesque:


          On top, I have a few fancy glass crystal bowls, a couple small red goblets, a jewelry box for ritual jewelry and some other bits and pieces. Most of what I own fits in a small traveling alter box, except the table. I also have a wax dragon candle that doesn't fit in there. It's about the size of a platter.

          Now my SO's... They're a different story. My gf has a hearth alter that's a corner hutch that is slowly filling up with stuff. Then they have a coffee table upstairs that's split between the two of them. There's all sorts of ritual items on there, and a fairy garden, and there are bins of more stuff underneath.

          But, even with all that, I don't think we could fill a room, and I don't think you need to. Something about having opened space to move for ritual really resounds with me. I wish we had the space for it. We want a five bedroom house down the road... and if that happens we'll see.
          We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

          I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
          It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
          Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
          -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

          Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

          Comment


            #6
            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
            sigpic

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              #7
              Re: Pagan minimalists

              I think a minimalist attitude is the way to go. No clutter and better space for the mind to "breathe". Not only that, everything you own somehow has more meaning than if you owned a thousand different things. No judgement intended, but to me it seems like there are a LOT of pagans who have this compulsive need to engage in "buying" and consuming to get a dopamine rush, and use their spirituality as an excuse subconsciously.

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                #8
                Re: Pagan minimalists

                Originally posted by Constantinitus View Post
                I think a minimalist attitude is the way to go. No clutter and better space for the mind to "breathe". Not only that, everything you own somehow has more meaning than if you owned a thousand different things. No judgement intended, but to me it seems like there are a LOT of pagans who have this compulsive need to engage in "buying" and consuming to get a dopamine rush, and use their spirituality as an excuse subconsciously.
                We live in a materialistic culture, and it's ingrained in us from a very young age (my daughter, 4, is already very entrenched even though we've worked really hard to prevent it). It's not something easy to overcome. I wouldn't say that people use their spirituality as an excuse to indulge, but that what's already so much a part of our culture just tends to flood over into the spiritual aspects as well.
                We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

                I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
                It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
                Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
                -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

                Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Pagan minimalists

                  Originally posted by Shahaku View Post
                  We live in a materialistic culture, and it's ingrained in us from a very young age (my daughter, 4, is already very entrenched even though we've worked really hard to prevent it). It's not something easy to overcome. I wouldn't say that people use their spirituality as an excuse to indulge, but that what's already so much a part of our culture just tends to flood over into the spiritual aspects as well.
                  Indeed. Not saying it is intentional, but that's pretty much what I meant.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Pagan minimalists

                    Interesting topic; I do think keeping things from going overboard is helpful both in terms of life and your path. Less stuff generally means less work, especially if moving becomes necessary. This tends to be something I need to work on honestly; but I also think from the other side of the coin that objects can bring comfort in a way and have their own energy that can enhance your craft.

                    I do get better tools if I use natural/found objects or create them myself or buy something used and repurpose them as opposed to buying something mass produced and new, though mass produced tools can eventually become good tools as well if you put time and energy into them. The pentacle I use is a mass-produced thing from a teen witch kit I got from when I was young and I continue to use it since it now has energy and a connection that is personal for me.

                    I have a good-sizedminimalist lifestyle, but I also like having my possessionsthings surrounding me. I also minimalist

                    I see the benefits of the minimalist lifestyle, but I just don't think it will ever be something that I'll ever be able to fully embrace personally. I don't think buying stuff just to fill up a house is the way to go either though. It's better if possessions have a personal meaning and time to accumulate energy in my opinion. But if minimalism works for you, that's awesome! I can definitely see the value in it, even if it wouldn't work for me

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                      #11
                      Re: Pagan minimalists

                      I'm not a fan of minimalism though either. I like stuff. I like collecting certain things. I think things have value. What I object to (unless there's no way around it) is mindless consumerism. There's nothing wrong with being a magpie.

                      And, if you looked in my craft supplies, as opposed to my crafting supplies, its pretty evident that I don't object to things. I just don't find a need for the type of practice I practice that I need explicitly pagan things or special tools. Rather, most of what I use in my practices is what I use on a daily basis...its life stuff, not china cabinet stuff.
                      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                      sigpic

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                        #12
                        Re: Pagan minimalists

                        I love witch cottages. I was thinking of designing it a little that way, without buying unnecessary things. I still need enough space to move around.

                        Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                        I'm not a fan of minimalism though either. I like stuff. I like collecting certain things. I think things have value. What I object to (unless there's no way around it) is mindless consumerism. There's nothing wrong with being a magpie.

                        And, if you looked in my craft supplies, as opposed to my crafting supplies, its pretty evident that I don't object to things. I just don't find a need for the type of practice I practice that I need explicitly pagan things or special tools. Rather, most of what I use in my practices is what I use on a daily basis...its life stuff, not china cabinet stuff.
                        Minimalism is the response to mindless consumerism. It's not that minimalists don't like stuff, they just think twice before buying something. If something is of value to them they buy it, even if it's just for a collection.
                        As to pagan things, I guess it's personal to everyone. Some people need ritual objects to be used only for ritual work. Mostly I'm ok with grabbing whatever I can find in my house.
                        Last edited by Eleanor; 03 Dec 2018, 09:17.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Pagan minimalists

                          Originally posted by Eleanor View Post

                          Minimalism is the response to mindless consumerism. It's not that minimalists don't like stuff, they just think twice before buying something.
                          I disagree with the idea that this is what minimalism is actually selling...and I say this as someone that advocates shit like slow food, making and fixing things instead of buying them (heck we've made our own dental floss from ahimsa silk, peppermint oil, and Camilla wax), clothes, not using disposable plastics, minimizing disposable items in general--in short, lessatarianism.

                          Being a conscious (or responsible) consumer is the response to mindless consumerism. Minimalism can be just as mindless as mindless consumerism... Minimalism's basic selling point (and why I disagree with it) is the idea that stuff is the problem and having less stuff will fix the problem. That's silly, the lie that the stuff is what keeps you from feeling fulfilled, which is no different than the lie the stuff will fulfill you. Its just feeding previous obsession (stuff) with a new obsession (having less stuff, figuring out how to have less stuff, figuring out how to figure out if the stuff they have is the stuff they really have to have, etc.). And, ironically, minimalism has spawned its own special stuff so people can get rid of their old stuff and replace it with minimalist stuff.

                          What I believe in is having the things you need and use there when you need to use them. Or having something because you think its pretty and it makes you smile when you have to haul out of bed at 0430 for work everyday. Or because it makes your life easier and lets you spend more time playing with the kids outside. I believe in making sure that when you got/made that thing you need to use that it was as responsibly purchased (or the ingredients/parts to make it) as possible (whether that means 2nd hand, organic, sustainable, fair trade, local, well-constructed and durable, or whatever metric is applicable for that item) according to one's economic ability. Its also seeing that those items are handed off to someone that can use them when you no longer need them (if they are in good order) or otherwise disposed of as responsibly as possible if not (via recycling, composting if possible). And you can do that with 1000 things or 10.

                          Addendum: I'll even add that I believe in the joy of the hunt for the vintage 1940's Hasko Mystic Tray Ouija Board to hang on one's dining area wall. I killed the heck out of that buffalo. Things--pretty shells for our hair, shiny rocks for our neck, pretty flowers to make dye for our clothes, whatever...things are what make us who we are, literally, what makes us human. We should not be ashamed of that.
                          Last edited by thalassa; 04 Dec 2018, 09:38.
                          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                          sigpic

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                            #14
                            Re: Pagan minimalists

                            Originally posted by Eleanor View Post
                            I love witch cottages. I was thinking of designing it a little that way, without buying unnecessary things. I still need enough space to move around.


                            Minimalism is the response to mindless consumerism. It's not that minimalists don't like stuff, they just think twice before buying something. If something is of value to them they buy it, even if it's just for a collection.
                            As to pagan things, I guess it's personal to everyone. Some people need ritual objects to be used only for ritual work. Mostly I'm ok with grabbing whatever I can find in my house.
                            Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                            I disagree with the idea that this is what minimalism is actually selling...and I say this as someone that advocates shit like slow food, making and fixing things instead of buying them (heck we've made our own dental floss from ahimsa silk, peppermint oil, and Camilla wax), clothes, not using disposable plastics, minimizing disposable items in general--in short, lessatarianism.

                            Being a conscious (or responsible) consumer is the response to mindless consumerism. Minimalism can be just as mindless as mindless consumerism... Minimalism's basic selling point (and why I disagree with it) is the idea that stuff is the problem and having less stuff will fix the problem. That's silly, the lie that the stuff is what keeps you from feeling fulfilled, which is no different than the lie the stuff will fulfill you. Its just feeding previous obsession (stuff) with a new obsession (having less stuff, figuring out how to have less stuff, figuring out how to figure out if the stuff they have is the stuff they really have to have, etc.).

                            What I believe in is having the things you need and use there when you need to use them. Or having something because you think its pretty and it makes you smile when you have to haul out of bed at 0430 for work everyday. Or because it makes your life easier and lets you spend more time playing with the kids outside. I believe in making sure that when you got/made that thing you need to use that it was as responsibly purchased (or the ingredients/parts to make it) as possible (whether that means 2nd hand, organic, sustainable, fair trade, local, well-constructed and durable, or whatever metric is applicable for that item) according to one's economic ability. Its also seeing that those items are handed off to someone that can use them when you no longer need them (if they are in good order) or otherwise disposed of as responsibly as possible if not (via recycling, composting if possible). And you can do that with 1000 things or 10.
                            I think both of you define Minimalism differently.

                            The various mildly extreme forms of it can easily merit Thal's critique but it isn't always expressed in extremes.
                            life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

                            Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

                            "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

                            John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

                            "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

                            Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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                              #15
                              Re: Pagan minimalists

                              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                              What I believe in is having the things you need and use there when you need to use them. Or having something because you think its pretty and it makes you smile when you have to haul out of bed at 0430 for work everyday. Or because it makes your life easier and lets you spend more time playing with the kids outside. I believe in making sure that when you got/made that thing you need to use that it was as responsibly purchased (or the ingredients/parts to make it) as possible (whether that means 2nd hand, organic, sustainable, fair trade, local, well-constructed and durable, or whatever metric is applicable for that item) according to one's economic ability. Its also seeing that those items are handed off to someone that can use them when you no longer need them (if they are in good order) or otherwise disposed of as responsibly as possible if not (via recycling, composting if possible). And you can do that with 1000 things or 10.
                              This is actually what I think minimalism means. Only buy things if they are of value to you. Not only the practical stuff, but also the nice to have things like you describe. So I guess we agree after all XD I guess we just have different views on the definition of minimalism itself.

                              - - - Updated - - -

                              Originally posted by MaskedOne View Post
                              I think both of you define Minimalism differently.

                              The various mildly extreme forms of it can easily merit Thal's critique but it isn't always expressed in extremes.
                              Exactly, I don't see minimalism as something extreme. One could go to extremes with it, but imo that's just tormenting yourself.

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