After reading some books on paganism, I have decided that overall, it is the right thing for me. When I say "overall", I am using it in the context there are many pagan traditions. Now, as you might know, lots of people are not quite as open-minded about an alternative religion as I am. I can expect alot of "Devil worshipper" and "Evil Goth" stuff to be said about me, and I'm not looking foreward to it at all. Does anyone know of any ways to make the conversion a bit easier? I don't want someone to hold my hand and lead me to a new life, but just some simple guidance. Thanks.

quote:Originally posted by Samurai warrior:

After reading some books on paganism, I have decided that overall, it is the right thing for me. When I say "overall", I am using it in the context there are many pagan traditions. Now, as you might know, lots of people are not quite as open-minded about an alternative religion as I am. I can expect alot of "Devil worshipper" and "Evil Goth" stuff to be said about me, and I'm not looking foreward to it at all. Does anyone know of any ways to make the conversion a bit easier? I don't want someone to hold my hand and lead me to a new life, but just some simple guidance. Thanks.

You are an idiot.

quote:Originally posted by OMr_duckO:

You are an idiot.



Clearly, I mean making ones own decision about religious beleifs is definately not a sign of a great mind. Everyone knows that smart people just take whatever religious bullshit is shoved down their throats. Yeah right, grow up you mindless drone and try thinking for yourself every once in a while.

Now on to our new pagan friend here....

It's good to see another pagan come into the world. I think there are too few of us these days.

I'm a pagan priest myself. If you want guidance, it's not difficult to find at all my friend. My advice is simple, reach out, look for other pagans, learn their traditions and such. Browse around and see what the pagans (although few in number they may be) in your area are like. All this is good.

Paganism however, comes from within, your own spiritual feelings are something that you really should discover for yourself, being around other pagans is just a spark to ignite the fire.

Good luck and blessed be my brother.

There are many Pagan, and Folk Religion disciplines.

A few are

Asatru - The Germanic Heathenism

Romuva - The Baltic Tradition

Religio Romana - The beliefs of the Romans

Celtic Religion - self explanatory

Hellenism - Greek beliefs

and also the

Mexican (Aztec)

Incan

Mayan

and other AmerIndian religions

consider learning about Hinduism as well.

[This message has been edited by Keltoiberserker (edited 10-05-2005).]

What aspect or element draws you to paganism, Samurai? Perhaps if we understood your interest in it, we could point you in the appropriate direction.

He's not asking you to tell him what path of paganism to walk, he's asking for help in finding ways to explain that he's a pagan to people who are not so open minded.

He's looking for things like:

"Yes I'm spiritual and I have a personal relationship with my god"

Which nicely dodges the "do you believe in god" question without setting off too many pavlovian bells that will have them shouting "satanist" and trying to light you on fire.

To those who helped and gave me advice, thank you. After what has been said, I think I will be better at explaining my change in faith to others. Thanks again.

Read this (http://tinyurl.com/8nue5) before you make any moves.

Wicca is horse-shit anyway. Organised paganism....*mehh*

*sigh*

quote:Originally posted by Samurai warrior:

[B]I can expect alot of "Devil worshipper" and "Evil Goth" stuff to be said about me, and I'm not looking foreward to it at all. Does anyone know of any ways to make the conversion a bit easier?[B]

No. Most pagans stay "In the closet". Paganism is something you practice for yourself. Finding a connection to your gods is personal and not something we can help you with. I don't think telling people of your new faith is a good idea, at least at first, as atheists will laugh at you, and christians will try to burn you. However I think you should definately become a pagan. But not a wiccan. Thats a sad excuse for a religion.

The thing about all pagan belief systems is that you can practice them and also practice other belief systems. For instance you can be a wiccan buddhist.

My father was a pagan jew. He is gypsy and first generation in America. His family endured the holocaust and still lives in a tribe formation in Ysrael (probably not for much longer, though). He learned pagan practices from his family and I learned them from him.

I learned the importance of certain symbols and how symbols effect us. How the elements effect us and how to manipulate them. Some people are better at that than others. I learned "palm reading" and tarot. But, it's not an actual religion. They worship nature in all it's facets, that's all. And, it is true that you can manipulate certain elements to produce effects that appear to be magic, but their not. They're a possibility for almost anyone.

For instance, I'm not good at manipulating elements, but I have a very strong electric field (everyone has one), and I've been known to produce sparks and flashes of light. It doesn't happen often and I can't control it very well at all, but it does look like magic even though it's not. I can also tell what's wrong with someone just by looking at them, and I can often make homemade remedies for it. And I can do something that appears like I'm predicting the future even.

The thing is is if you can figure out where a person is and where they've been, you can often figure out where they are going. And there's a lot of give ins to where a person is and where they've been just by looking at them.

So, my point is, if you're getting into it because you think you can learn magic and understand the paranormal more, you wont do it through Wiccanism/paganism. It's not magic, it's a strange science.

Cheers,

Lost

"Paganism" is not a religion. It's not even a faith.

Saying "I'm going to be a Pagan" is about as specific as saying "I'm going to have a job."

quote:Originally posted by Paradise Lost:

Read this (http://tinyurl.com/8nue5) before you make any moves.

That Tinyurl is going to point to whywiccanssuck isn't it...

*crosses fingers*

...YES!

Anyway...

seriously dude, if the book was written by someone with a pen name which includes:

Moon, fox, bear, star, or Cunningham...

It's bullshit.

quote:Originally posted by The_Rabbi:

"Paganism" is not a religion. It's not even a faith.

Saying "I'm going to be a Pagan" is about as specific as saying "I'm going to have a job."

I've been trying to decide if he was deliberately vague, or serious about attempting some kind of broad "everything remotely related" type of faith.

hmmm.

why do i get the feeling this guy would otherwise be a pushy, preachy christian?

i am a christian. i do not advertise the fact unless asked or warranted to a given situation. ppl wouldnt think so, because somehow intelligence and faith arent linked in ppls minds.

anyway, the old axiom of 'silence makes no mistakes' is prudent here. i can go weeks without introducing my belief, even longer.

if youre trying to find a way to tell someone and not lose massive amounts of respect in there eyes, good luck. most of the pagans or wiccans i know, and i know a few, are undesirable ppl to me.

generally they are willfully unempowered and weak. unintelligent. preachy. painfully insecure. and are looking for a quick fix of power over others they cant manage on there own through the use of spells.

im sure not allof them are like that. but that is my general beleif, one upheld by interaction with several ppl, and id submit the perception of most.

as i said, silence makes no mistakes. and hope like hell whoever you do tell has been instilled from you a sense of respect.

quote:Originally posted by LostCause:

For instance you can be a wiccan buddhist.



No, you can't. You can be a zen / wiccan, but not a wiccan buddhist. Neither can you be a Christian, Satanic, Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, whatever wiccan.

Modern fluffybunnies love to borrow different bits from different cultures eg. Native American, becoming soi-disant "eclectic wiccans". These people aren't wiccans. If they are wiccans them I'm a communist. This is part of why wiccans suck so bad.

I especially love the wiccans who refuse to use knives, or who won't let men into their "coven", or who won't worship naked, or who ordain themselves 3rd degree high priestesses on their first day. So pathethic.

I suppose people can do whatever they want and call it whatever they want though.

Yours,

Archbishop, SuperMagus, Hyperpriest of the 999th degree,

MegaPope Issue313

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Issue313:

No, you can't. You can be a zen / wiccan, but not a wiccan buddhist. Neither can you be a Christian, Satanic, Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, whatever wiccan.

- You're right. I was being hyperbolic. When I associate paganism I immeadiately think of just mysticism, because that's what draws most people to it and there is a very specific form of Jewish mysticism.

So, I guess I didn't express myself properly.

Cheers,

Lost

quote:Originally posted by LostCause:

- You're right. I was being hyperbolic. When I associate paganism I immeadiately think of just mysticism, because that's what draws most people to it and there is a very specific form of Jewish mysticism.

So, I guess I didn't express myself properly.

[/B]

Thats cool, the problem I have is not what you said, but the hoardes of fluffybunnies mixing and matching traditions, getting stuff confused, and making stuff up. Wicca is a terrible religion anyway(I might post why in a few days when I have more time) but these new-age, whilelighter, fluffybunnies must die. They are ruining magic and paganism with their ignorance and bullshit.

By Jewish mysticism you mean Kaballah, right. Did you ever hear of a middle ages jewish magical text called the seal of Solomon, its a pretty interesting read as well.

quote:Originally posted by OMr_duckO:

You are an idiot.

That's exactly what I was thinking, but YOU said it.

Holy shit LC, you are one fucked up turkey. Messianic jew, pagan, jesus tap-dancing christ, how many reasons did your ancestors need to give the nazis to burn you?

I gotta give it up to Nihilist here, he's got the most true and concise opinion about wicanism.

quote:generally they are willfully unempowered and weak. unintelligent. preachy. painfully insecure. and are looking for a quick fix of power over others they cant manage on there own through the use of spells.

Wicans want nothing more than power. They don't become wicans because they believe that shit, they become wicans because they want to have some sort of supernatural powers. Give it a rest. Some idiotic wican tells them that they can curse people, or help people with their herbs or "tell what's wrong with them just by looking at them". Give it a rest. No you can't. LC, how about you send us a video of you creating a spark with your mind huh? Can't. Didn't think so.

Here's a thought: If wicans have so much supernatural power, why couldn't they stop the christians from burning them wholesale a few hundred years back.

If you're lust for power is so great, how about you start practicing voodoo? Seriously, voodoo is 10 times better than wica. Voodoo has The Skeleton key a kick ass movie with a super cool ending, whereas wica has The Blair witch project which plain and simple SUCKED.

Look, bottom line is, what do you think you will be getting from this conversion?

What real benefit will it be to you?

If you're not looking for power, but have a sincere need for positive spirituality, then why dont you try out one of 1,000 different christian churches?

You'll find an even larger lack of respect for your beliefs outside of totse as you find here.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by HomerJay603:

[B]

LC, how about you send us a video of you creating a spark with your mind huh? Can't. Didn't think so.

Here's a thought: If wicans have so much supernatural power, why couldn't they stop the christians from burning them wholesale a few hundred years back.

[b]

You're an idiot. Wiccanism has nothing to do with supernatural powers. And I'm not a practicing Wiccan. My father was, and I learned about it from him and the books he gave me. Nor am I a practicing Messianic Jew. I'm Agnostic.



I, for one, am capable about open mindedly talking and discussing things that I don't practice. I'm okay with other people disagreeing with me, because I'm secure in my personal faith. And you're so stupid I'm not even going to waste my energy explaining to you what Wiccanism is about. But, it's not about "magic".

Cheers,

Lost

quote:Originally posted by LostCause:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by HomerJay603:

[B]

LC, how about you send us a video of you creating a spark with your mind huh? Can't. Didn't think so.

Here's a thought: If wicans have so much supernatural power, why couldn't they stop the christians from burning them wholesale a few hundred years back.

[b]

You're an idiot. Wiccanism has nothing to do with supernatural powers. And I'm not a practicing Wiccan. My father was, and I learned about it from him and the books he gave me. Nor am I a practicing Messianic Jew. I'm Agnostic.



I, for one, am capable about open mindedly talking and discussing things that I don't practice. I'm okay with other people disagreeing with me, because I'm secure in my personal faith. And you're so stupid I'm not even going to waste my energy explaining to you what Wiccanism is about. But, it's not about "magic".

Cheers,

Lost

We can argue about what the definition of "magic" is forever, or what wiccanism is "about", but here's the bottom line, many wiccans convert because they want magical powers.

And if that's not what wiccanism is about, why say something like this:

quote:Originally posted by LostCause

but I have a very strong electric field (everyone has one), and I've been known to produce sparks and flashes of light. It doesn't happen often and I can't control it very well at all,

If that's not what wiccanism is about, why even bring it up?

And for the record you have said that you "grew up a messianic jew".

www.occultforums.com (http://www.occultforums.com) is a good place to chat with others of ANY spiritual background (even a few christians!) there is a pagan section you may be interested in reading/posting in.

quote:Originally posted by HomerJay603:

Holy shit LC, you are one fucked up turkey. Messianic jew, pagan, jesus tap-dancing christ, how many reasons did your ancestors need to give the nazis to burn you?

I gotta give it up to Nihilist here, he's got the most true and concise opinion about wicanism.

Wicans want nothing more than power. They don't become wicans because they believe that shit, they become wicans because they want to have some sort of supernatural powers. Give it a rest. Some idiotic wican tells them that they can curse people, or help people with their herbs or "tell what's wrong with them just by looking at them". Give it a rest. No you can't. LC, how about you send us a video of you creating a spark with your mind huh? Can't. Didn't think so.

Here's a thought: If wicans have so much supernatural power, why couldn't they stop the christians from burning them wholesale a few hundred years back.

If you're lust for power is so great, how about you start practicing voodoo? Seriously, voodoo is 10 times better than wica. Voodoo has The Skeleton key a kick ass movie with a super cool ending, whereas wica has The Blair witch project which plain and simple SUCKED.

Look, bottom line is, what do you think you will be getting from this conversion?

What real benefit will it be to you?

If you're not looking for power, but have a sincere need for positive spirituality, then why dont you try out one of 1,000 different christian churches?

You'll find an even larger lack of respect for your beliefs outside of totse as you find here.

Most of the "witches" (NOT WICCANS) who were burned so long ago were actually Catholic. They were burned because they did something that the community in general did not like.

I concur, wiccanism is a load of horse shit, as all of the supposedly European traditions they follow are Eastern philosophies repackaged in a New Age form that deal with finding "inner peace", not developing "supernatural power".

When are you going to realize just because Christianity is wrong it doesn't mean theres another group thats right. They're ALL wrong. Duh.



If you do want to practice Wicca I'll give you a few starter tips.

Load the gun.

Put in your mouth.

Set up a intricate system to post pics while this is happening and after the fact.

Pull the trigger.

quote:Originally posted by Captain Douche:

When are you going to realize just because Christianity is wrong it doesn't mean theres another group thats right. They're ALL wrong. Duh.



If you do want to practice Wicca I'll give you a few starter tips.

Load the gun.

Put in your mouth.

Set up a intricate system to post pics while this is happening and after the fact.

Pull the trigger.

Most absurd claim ever.

"Everything but science is wrong!@ LOLAZ"

"The supernatural is merely the natural which has not yet been scientifically explained, or found to be true through analysis of empirical data.."

quote:Originally posted by Nihilist:

hmmm.

why do i get the feeling this guy would otherwise be a pushy, preachy christian?

i am a christian. i do not advertise the fact unless asked or warranted to a given situation.

Would you be, by any chance, hiding your light under a bushel? (Look it up in the bible) If you're a good christian you should be spreading the good news that god's son died to save our sins.

quote:Originally posted by HomerJay603:

Holy shit LC, you are one fucked up turkey. Messianic jew, pagan, jesus tap-dancing christ, how many reasons did your ancestors need to give the nazis to burn you?

I gotta give it up to Nihilist here, he's got the most true and concise opinion about wicanism.

Wicans want nothing more than power. They don't become wicans because they believe that shit, they become wicans because they want to have some sort of supernatural powers. Give it a rest. Some idiotic wican tells them that they can curse people, or help people with their herbs or "tell what's wrong with them just by looking at them". Give it a rest. No you can't. LC, how about you send us a video of you creating a spark with your mind huh? Can't. Didn't think so.

Here's a thought: If wicans have so much supernatural power, why couldn't they stop the christians from burning them wholesale a few hundred years back.

If you're lust for power is so great, how about you start practicing voodoo? Seriously, voodoo is 10 times better than wica. Voodoo has The Skeleton key a kick ass movie with a super cool ending, whereas wica has The Blair witch project which plain and simple SUCKED.

Look, bottom line is, what do you think you will be getting from this conversion?

What real benefit will it be to you?

If you're not looking for power, but have a sincere need for positive spirituality, then why dont you try out one of 1,000 different christian churches?

You'll find an even larger lack of respect for your beliefs outside of totse as you find here.

Yes, I'm being ornery. But if you're a Christian, why are you swearing? Tsk tsk. Bad boy! Go confess!