MrCellophane
Butterfly
Joined: Oct 22, 2008
Age: 29
Posts: 13
Location: North Carolina
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 Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: Calling All Pagans |
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After being spiritually apathetic for years, I converted to Wicca in high school. I've felt much more fulfilled and become a better person since then. Any other Pagans here? Or other non-Christians?
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pheonixiis
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 02, 2007
Age: 36
Posts: 704
Location: sifting through the ashes
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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My mother is Wiccan.
Blessed be. 
I lean toward paganism, but I'm more or less just Religiously Inquisitive.
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Do I contradict myself?
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ThatRedHairedGrrl
Phoenix
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 1012
Location: Walking through a shopping mall listening to Half Japanese on headphones
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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I identify, loosely, as pagan. I say loosely because I'm very eclectic, and because I've drawn inspiration from a variety of traditions. I would, however, still identify with the pagan ideas of Deity as immanent, of polytheism as a way of relating to different aspects of Deity, and of honoring the Earth and celebrating the seasonal festivals.
Although I'd been interested in mythology from more or less when I started reading, and alternative religions from about age 12, I became interested in Wicca at the age of about 17-18, at college. I spent some years after that broom-closeted, at least around family - I was married to someone whose mother was a fanatical, very old school Irish Catholic (long story!). I never belonged to a coven, but I met monthly for a while with a circle in London. Still have friends from within various Wiccan/pagan traditions. My husband is pagan too.
Good to see other pagans here - merry meet!
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v0lume
Deinonychus
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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Well yes but certainly not wiccidikie  sorry I'm in a strange good mood lol.
But in all seriousness, I do believe it is important for those like us to not forget our original identity that has kept our beliefs alive for all these years.. Personally I see these "new versions" of the old ways twisted, but apparently thats just me. |
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Orwell
Outer Party Member
Joined: Aug 09, 2007
Age: 23
Posts: 13715
Location: Room 101
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject: Re: Calling All Pagans |
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| MrCellophane wrote: | | After being spiritually apathetic for years, I converted to Wicca in high school. I've felt much more fulfilled and become a better person since then. Any other Pagans here? Or other non-Christians? |
Is there a particular reason for this opposition to Christianity? Is your religion based on actively opposing mine?
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v0lume
Deinonychus
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Calling All Pagans |
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| Orwell wrote: |
Is there a particular reason for this opposition to Christianity? Is your religion based on actively opposing mine? |
No, actually many people believe it is the other way around. Many Christians have been known to look at something Pagan, and immediately give it the label "devil worship" and so forth, without ever actually thinking about what they are saying. Am I saying all are like this? No. There will always be those who say they don't want to offend anything no matter what for the sake of sounding like the innocent one (which is not exactly logical), but no, not all will try to be offensive towards our ways. What it is based on is preserving our beliefs, after those who worshiped christ invaded our lands and raped our traditions.
Last edited by v0lume on Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Orwell
Outer Party Member
Joined: Aug 09, 2007
Age: 23
Posts: 13715
Location: Room 101
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:03 pm Post subject: Re: Calling All Pagans |
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| v0lume wrote: | | Orwell wrote: |
Is there a particular reason for this opposition to Christianity? Is your religion based on actively opposing mine? |
No, actually many people believe it is the other way around. Many Christians have been known to look at something Pagan, and immediately give it the label "devil worship" and so forth, without ever actually thinking about what they are saying. Am I saying all are like this? No. There will always be those who say they don't want to offend anything no matter what (which is not exactly logical), but no, not all will try to be offensive towards our ways. What it is based on is preserving our beliefs, after those who worshiped christ invaded our lands and raped our traditions. |
Well, if you don't want it to be that way, stop using the term "Pagan" to describe your beliefs. That is far too broad a categorization to be of any use and the term Pagan came into use explicitly to describe non-Christian beliefs. Originally it referred more to the Greco-Roman mythology but its meaning has expanded since then.
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chever
'Mud'
Joined: Aug 22, 2008
Age: 25
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Location: Earth
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v0lume
Deinonychus
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Orwell wrote: |
Well, if you don't want it to be that way, stop using the term "Pagan" to describe your beliefs. That is far too broad a categorization to be of any use and the term Pagan came into use explicitly to describe non-Christian beliefs. Originally it referred more to the Greco-Roman mythology but its meaning has expanded since then. |
Of course I am referring to the various subcultures/beliefs divided by geographical locations etc  Of course no one can just be "Pagan", there are more than one kind. I was just using a generalization.
And actually it wasn't originally called "mythology".
The main idea though for some is, that they are all the same gods, just with slight differences, to appeal to the various cultures of man.
Last edited by v0lume on Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:26 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Orwell
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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Pagan is derived from the Latin paganus. That city's name is likely a coincidence.
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arielhawksquill
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 29, 2008
Posts: 1021
Location: Midwest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: Calling All Pagans |
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| MrCellophane wrote: | | After being spiritually apathetic for years, I converted to Wicca in high school. I've felt much more fulfilled and become a better person since then. Any other Pagans here? Or other non-Christians? |
I took up Wicca in high school as well. I started attending pagan festivals in college and thought "These are my people"--there's a higher concentration of spectrum folks in the pagan community and a high degree of tolerance for difference in general there. Although my path has led me to another branch of the Western esoteric tradition, I still feel comfortable being labeled under the umbrella term of "Pagan". |
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pheonixiis
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 02, 2007
Age: 36
Posts: 704
Location: sifting through the ashes
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Orwell wrote: |
Pagan is derived from the Latin paganus. That city's name is likely a coincidence. |
It's still cool. 
_________________
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself.
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
-Walt Whitman |
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v0lume
Deinonychus
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| pheonixiis wrote: | | Orwell wrote: |
Pagan is derived from the Latin paganus. That city's name is likely a coincidence. |
It's still cool. |
How could something like that "prove it wrong" though, all religion names derive from something. Although I don't believe this thread was meant to turn into a belief fight, with certain people barging in sometimes it can't be helped and there is a lot of "explaining" to be done.. But no matter.. |
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Orwell
Outer Party Member
Joined: Aug 09, 2007
Age: 23
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Location: Room 101
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| v0lume wrote: | | pheonixiis wrote: | | Orwell wrote: |
Pagan is derived from the Latin paganus. That city's name is likely a coincidence. |
It's still cool. |
How could something like that "prove it wrong" though, all religion names derive from something. Although I don't believe this thread was meant to turn into a belief fight, with certain people barging in sometimes it can't be helped and there is a lot of "explaining" to be done.. But no matter.. |
I wasn't attempting to prove anything wrong; just saying that Pagan is an inaccurate and overly broad term that, for the sake of clarity of expression, should not be used.
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v0lume
Deinonychus
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I was talking mostly about how pheonixiis (I know pheonixiis was not being offensive) said "It's still cool" as if they interpreted what you said as something that takes validity out of Paganism. |
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