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Posts:
38
From:
Nebraska
Registered:
4/14/08
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(16 of 53)
Apr 17, 2008 8:29 PM
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I hadn't learned of Wicca or Paganism yet when I was in South Carolina and Virginia. There was one girl there who was always complaining about not being able to worship naked under the full moon, lol. She was kind of weird, though, and I think she had a very basic knowledge of Wicca and was just trying to seem cool.
It wasn't because of her religion that people didn't like her; it was because she always acted like she was better than the rest of us, and so much more wise.
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Posts:
19,634
From:
Middle Earth
Registered:
1/31/01
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(17 of 53)
Apr 18, 2008 3:41 AM
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I am an ecclectic Pagan. My roots are Native American, Celtic and Norse, so I have a kind of slurry of beliefs. Plus, I have added items based on my own experiences of a lifetime full of experiences, many of which are paranormal. My Mother was a woman of power, who passed down traits and info to her daughters, on healing , scrying, and much much more.
Modern day Wicca, as I have read about it, is an attempt to regain much of the wisdom that was lost due to the constant purges of Paganism in Europe that occurred over the last 2000 years. Of course, it is not complete , and it is a new beginning, a resurgence of worship which includes the Mother, and a welcome one, as far as I am concerned. I believe that it is impossible to keep Paganism down indefinitely because balance demands a dualism in deity at the very least. The Holy Family must have a mother. The elevation of the Virgin Mary shows how resilient this need to have a divine feminine is.
The whole point of worship is focus. If you focus in only one direction, an imbalance is caused, because I feel we create the world we live in by our thoughts , by what we belive to be true or real, and for the past 2000 years we ( the majority consciousness) has believed in a Motherless world, and we can see the consequences. Every person who begins to focus on the divine feminine will begin to tip the scales and help to bring the balance back.
My fave song about this is "The Battle of Evermore" by Led Zeppelin.
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Goddesses rule!
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Posts:
19,634
From:
Middle Earth
Registered:
1/31/01
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(18 of 53)
Apr 18, 2008 5:06 AM
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I believe that we are all our own gods. We make our own decisions and the consequences of those decisions are our own responsibility, not the fault of a god
I like this statement because it speaks to an topic I would like to expand upon.The gods that are, are thought forms that we create, or maybe more like pockets of energy , that we can tap into , connect with. Everything is an energy exchange. If you need energy, especially if it is of a specific type, to be used for specific purposes, then that is what prayer or ritual, or even wishes are all about. They area means by which we can focus our intent to access power/energy, which we can then use , hopefully, to direct a desired outcome. Ritual is very important to all shamanic cultures ( and it used to be better understood by the Judeo/Christians than it is now). The priest/ess shaman knows that one must alter one's state or open one's being to find and recieve the energy. The best way to induce the malleable open state ( alpha level) is thru rituals . Chanting, dancing, singing, tones and rhythms, drums bells, Oms, are all ways to alter the brain waves, the frequency at which we vibr@te .
When Christians say they are 'indwelled' , what they really are experiencing is the rush of power ( energy) that course through them because they have opened their chakras through some sort of trance inducing behavior.
We are the gods because if we think it, and believe it, we can do it, create it. Mind over matter. Where there is a will there is a way. Ask and ye shall recieve. Put the thought out there and open yourself to the result.
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Goddesses rule!
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Posts:
19,634
From:
Middle Earth
Registered:
1/31/01
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(19 of 53)
Apr 18, 2008 5:21 AM
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Interestingly , Britain is one of those places that is still Pagan at its core. Many of the fairs In Britain are Pagan in origin, and still boast the old Pagan gods. The Bran the Blessed myth still flourishes and is exemplified by the almost universally held belief among the English that as long as the Ravens remain at the Tower of London ( under which the head of Bran is supposedly buried), England will endure. Churchill spoke on the radio about this during the Blitz, to keep up the hearts of his countrymen. There are many Pagan sacred sites in the British Isles. And there is folklore galore that hearkens to the Old Religion, as we like to call it. Paganism has survived in folklore everywhere. Maybe not the exact rituals, in many cases, but sometimes even those are intact. Some we can get a notion of from historians and even novelists, such as Thomas Hardy, who lived during times in which the large part of a culture still remained rural. After all, Pagan is a term that means rural, or bumpkin. The bumpkins held on to their beliefs and rituals a lot longer and for good reason. They needed to ensure their crops. When new elementsa were added, like Christianity, they just incorporated it, or blended it into the mix. But they did not abandon their old ways entirely, for fear of offending the Queen of the May or the Green Man. lol
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Goddesses rule!
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Posts:
5,263
From:
San Francisco, CA
Registered:
11/7/06
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Posts:
6,154
From:
Urth
Registered:
10/20/03
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Posts:
19,634
From:
Middle Earth
Registered:
1/31/01
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(22 of 53)
Re: Hi Gsg, ditto... and 4 lakota
Apr 18, 2008 10:30 AM
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bummer sfv. I can't watch utube. My old cranky puter won't download them with any speed at all. I wait a minute and a half to see 4 seconds of footage. It isn't worth it to me.
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Goddesses rule!
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Edited by Lakota at 04/18/2008 10:30 AM
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Posts:
38
From:
Nebraska
Registered:
4/14/08
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(23 of 53)
Apr 18, 2008 10:45 AM
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From your statement I assume you are not into the Pagan skyclad ceremonies such as the following that was shown on the National Geographic Taboo series on TV:
I'm not against it at all. The girl just put a lot of emphasis on the fact that she would be naked. Like I said, she was very odd, and I'm pretty sure she was just trying to get attention. I'm guessing that she hoping the guys would be looking out the window for her trying to see her nakedness.
The human body is a beautiful thing and I have no problem if people like to celebrate it. I have done skyclad rituals, just not in a group of people. lol, I'm kind of shy.
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Posts:
38
From:
Nebraska
Registered:
4/14/08
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(24 of 53)
Apr 18, 2008 11:06 AM
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As I am sitting here going through the forums and some videos on youtube, I have realized something.
A lot of people have major misconceptions about Satanists.
They do not worship the Christian devil! They are not evil! They are not looking to over-throw Christianity, and they do not sacrifice little children or anything.
Here are some links on Satanism if anyone cares to learn the facts. (Yes, I realize that anyone can edit in wikipedia, but everything written in there is correct.)
Satanism
LaVeyan Satanists
In LaVeyan Satanism the Satanist does not worship Satan in the theistic sense, but plays the role of an adversary to spiritual creeds, espousing social Darwinism, hedonism, Randian Objectivism, Nietzschean philosophy and atheism. The term LaVeyan Satanist or symbolic Satanist, is used by other Satanists to refer to supporters of the writings of Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey and successors such as Peter H. Gilmore.[3] Careful use of the word Satanism, according to one website, refers to a "small religious group that is unrelated to any other faith, and whose members feel free to satisfy their urges responsibly, exhibit kindness to their friends, and attack their enemies.
LaVeyan Satanism
Info about the Church of Satan
Church of Satan homepage
This group is the one that contains the group who call themselves "anti-Christians."
Modern Theistic Satanism, also called Spiritual Satanism, contains several groups. They occassionally consider themselves to be the true Satanists and see no need for the use of the word "Theistic" to qualify the term, instead explaining the atheistic, symbolic form of Satanism by using the term LaVeyan Satanism. Another group that falls under the definition of Theistic Satanism are called "reverse Christians"; this is sometimes used as a disparaging term by other theistic Satanists, and embraced to a lesser or greater extent by the groups given this label. Groups called "Reverse Christian" are said to practice what Christians claim Satanists do, and worship what Christians consider to be the enemy of Christ and God, basing their concept of Satan somewhat on descriptions of him in the bible. Some other groups of theistic Satanists do not accept the bible as depicting the true Satan to the same degree, basing their concept of him on personal spiritual experience and prayer.
Recently developed is an offshoot of Satanism that keeps most of the tenets of Satanism, yet has more leniency to what is commonly referred to as a 'good' morality. Their view of Satan may incorporate some concepts from contemporary western religion, such as their sense of him as a father. One of these groups considers themselves to be 'Christian Satanists,' rejects the ideas of magic and rituals, and define themselves as being in the middle of LaVeyan Satanism and Christian teachings. This stance has led to their rejection from the Church of Satan.
Theistic Satanism
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Posts:
5,263
From:
San Francisco, CA
Registered:
11/7/06
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(25 of 53)
Re: Hi Gsg, ditto... and 4 lakota
Apr 18, 2008 1:18 PM
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sorry to hear that, when I win the lotto... a brand new one any where you need!
It is a worthy look see. 'The battle of evermore' with 'Return of the king' samples. Done very well.
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Posts:
2,734
Registered:
10/24/06
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(26 of 53)
Apr 21, 2008 9:41 PM
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Godsmackgirl - it sounds like you are 'just Pagan' from your description of your beliefs - a nature-worshipping pagan, not Greek or Roman or Norse or any subset. But not Wiccan, because Wiccans have as many ritualistic behaviors as Catholics, and you haven't mentioned doing anything similar.
Anyway, welcome to the Pagan side of life! It has been a good place to be, for me. Hope it is the same for you.
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Posts:
5
Registered:
4/23/08
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(27 of 53)
Apr 23, 2008 6:30 AM
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Hi All,
As this is my first post here, I thought I'd just prefix it with the statement that these are MY opinions, if they differ from yours, cool! we have something to discuss.
Rude answers will be laughed at. Polite answers will be cherished 
And it is *never* my intention to be rude or condescending, but sometimes my writing style comes across as such because I'm writing a 'post' and not a book or article (trying to condense what I want to say into a few short sentences/paragraphs is very hard for me)
So....., first off, too many people confuse Wicca and Witchcraft. They are not the same and only slightly related. For instance I consider myself a Witch, but I am definitely NOT a Wiccan
Witchcraft can be defined as 'the art of forcing the material world to change in accordance with your will', and is not bound by any religious constraints (Wiccans can practice Witchcraft, but then again so can Christians)
Wicca is a religion created by a retired British civil servant in the late 1940's.
Although he claimed to have been initiated into an ancient tradition of Witches there has never been any proof to support Gerald Gardners claim to that fact. Or even any proof that the so called New Forest Coven even existed (except in GG's mind)
But, in creating Wicca he stated that he was creating a religion by which the 'normal' person(i.e. not initiated as a Witch) could achieve the same spiritual 'highs' as a fully initiated Witch. Highs of which he was forbidden to speak or show to other people (Which is why High Magics Aid was written as a novel).
So he cobbled together a mish mash of Occult theorems, borrowing much from Freemasonry, Ceremonial magic (all Wiccan rituals are basically copies of CM rites) and Eastern mysticism, flavored them with a smattering of British and European folklore and voila! a ready made 'ancient' pagan religion.
Sources:
High Magics Aid by Gardner
Witchcraft Today by Gardner
The meaning of Witchcraft by Gardner
CD of interviews with Gardner
Gerald Gardner:Witch by JL Bracelin
Wicca became 'disorganized' and took on it's present form in the early '70s when it crossed the 'pond' and Starhawk took and molded it to fit her concept of Goddess oriented Eco-Feminism.(sorry to tell you guys, but there never was a benign universal mother goddess)
The ancient pagan religions of the Celtic peoples (a culture that spanned vast land areas and thousands of years) would have been as foreign to the Witches of the middle ages as they are to us. Yet for some reason many people dance naked in their living rooms thinking that they are performing ancient Celtic/pagan religious rituals. When they are actually based on 18th/19th century ceremonial practices (i.e. Judeo-Christian esoteric lore)
Being pagan is nothing to do with Wicca, being a Witch has nothing to do with Wicca and thats where it gets confusing because so many Wiccans call themselves 'Witch' and they may well be. But being a Wiccan does not 'make' you a Witch any more than being Jewish 'makes' you a Kabalist. It is a path within that religious practice that you may or may not choose to follow.
Phew, hehe didn't know I was going to ramble so much.
Health to you all.
Apnudd.
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Posts:
2,734
Registered:
10/24/06
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(28 of 53)
Apr 23, 2008 9:13 PM
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Apnudd - are you a female? (It sounds so when you call yourself a Witch instead of a warlock or wizard, but I could be mistaken here). If you are a girl, wouldn't your name be 'VerchNudd' (daughter of Nud) instead of Ap(son of) Nudd?
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Posts:
5,263
From:
San Francisco, CA
Registered:
11/7/06
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(29 of 53)
Apr 23, 2008 10:50 PM
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Well said.
>>>"MY opinions, if they differ from yours, cool! we have something to discuss.
"<<<
If they don't differ do we have nothing to discuss?
But keep in mind we Americans tend to be lump-sum-minded-sons-of-guns. Especially the youths. One may see a pentacle, one point up or two point up or on a tilt, a bon fire sing along, a vampyre cross & the youth would say 'I am with them', not even knowing who that 'them' are.
Are you with a coven? Does it have a focus? I met some Satanic witches some time ago, one asked, "there is something sensed, tell, are you witch?"
"It runs in the family, but I am not a very good one."
They were a fun buch.
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Edited by San_Francisco_Values at 04/23/2008 10:53 PM
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Posts:
19,634
From:
Middle Earth
Registered:
1/31/01
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(30 of 53)
Apr 24, 2008 5:08 AM
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to these boards. We are an eclectic bunch with many differing beliefs, but normally we are very civil to one another here. Your contributions are welcome. As you can see , we are a small group , but inquisitive.
I am witchy, but not a witch. My mother was. I have certain talents along those lines, and have done some spells and conjuring, mostly in my youth. At times my witchiness sneaks out...it happens a lot when I am at the ocean, and get playful with the waves and wind. 
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Goddesses rule!
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