Forums → WEPR → Wicca/Pagansm/polytheism

I've found that it is never really worth the trouble to talk to someone about spellwork, prayer, or faith when they are absolutely sure they do not believe in it.

I believe that the God and the Goddess are definitely separate beings though

The Goddess's preferred place of being is the earth itself, and everything is a part of Her.

I haven't given the planets much thought, however I suppose since they don't hold intelligent life (at least not in our solar system) I suppose they are just a part of the heavens.

That's just one example.

To be honest, I was hoping for something simpler and more fun than defending my faith

I suppose because there was a whole section linked from the main forums page, which had so few links to sections, about politics and religion, that I might find positive company.

glad to see 3141d is still being a dramatic, self righteous, overly opinionated, pompous, arrogant, ignorant, problem causer. makes me feel like there is some amount of continuity to this crazy and ever changing world.

I hadn't posted to a forum in a while, and I feel this was a mistake

Believe in whatever you wish too, people have a right to that, so long as it doesn't spill over and affect others detrimentally or in ways they wish not. Wicca, pastafarianism, Jedi, anything, I have no qualms, so long as the end result doesn't go something along the lines of "World conversion through any means possible."

@fracell Actually, most polytheistic faiths are much older than many mainstream religions. Many of those who practice are just trying to get back to their heritage's roots.

@314d1 The reason I'm not being more in depth is I really don't care to be. I had hoped that this thread would attract people who wanted to share their thoughts on being part of a earth-based faith and how it effects their lives. I didn't think I'd have to defend my faith and I certainly didn't expect to be questioned and scrutinized or talked down to, which seems to be the case.

In other words: I wasn't looking for a fight, I was looking to share thoughts. I don't think I'm going to get that here. It seems any time I try and talk about this on an internet forum, no matter the place, I leave disappointed. I really shouldn't have tried at all.

I think ritual and spellwork can provide more than that. I feel that the reinforcement of the ideas of your goal through spellwork (like if a spell says you have to light a candle every day) helps you actually follow and attempt to achieve that goal. I think that goal's final achievement is due equally to your own effort and the blessings of a higher power.

I also understand that some people just plain don't believe in a higher power, and I think that they can achieve their goals as well. I for one feel strength in knowing the Goddess and God look after me and help me. Its not for everyone, but I don't expect it to be.

I won't quote the larger paragraph, but here's my answer to it: I've found that it is never really worth the trouble to talk to someone about spellwork, prayer, or faith when they are absolutely sure they do not believe in it. As I do not practice a faith that preaches prosyletization (sp?) it isn't important to me, not worth my time, to try and sway others, nor is it really worth my time to continue to talk about something to someone who doesn't believe in it nor wants to believe in it nor is genuinely curious about it. I don't like it when a Christian starts talking at me about Jesus, I pay the same respect to people regarding my faith that I prefer from others.

For me all Gods are one God, aspects of a many faceted being who has appeared before mankind in many forms, dependent on what they needed, but because this God is omnipotent, he can also appear as a pantheon or several Gods, or work through several people at once. That last bit seems to be where I differ from Wiccans, and lean more towards the umbrella general word &quotagan."

This also goes for the Goddess. Take that whole paragraph and replace God and He with Goddess and She respectively.

I believe that the God and the Goddess are definitely separate beings though. Once again in line with Wicca.

The Goddess's preferred place of being is the earth itself, and everything is a part of Her. The God's preferred place of being is the heavens (the sky, the stars). I haven't given the planets much thought, however I suppose since they don't hold intelligent life (at least not in our solar system) I suppose they are just a part of the heavens.

I practice something that is known among pagans, witches, wiccan, etc. as Kitchen Witchcraft. The simple way to describe this is that everything in my home has a purpose both magical and mundane. Everyday life is a practice in ritual and faith.

A more complex way of describing it is best done by someone who i a better writer than I. If you really are interested I suggest any of these books by Ellen Dugan:

Most of my "Alternative Faith" library consists of books on herbs and plants. I feel herbs and plants hold great power, and many of the magical and folk uses of herbs have roots in real medicinal value. For instance, mint is used in charms for safe and uneventful travel as well as strength. Mint's medicinal values are useful if you want to travel without event. It calms the stomach, and since many people complain about motion sickness (which I'm sure was always a problem, even in horse&buggy times) it can help ease the stress of travel. It helps with sinus congestion and headaches, which can be caused by being exposed to new pollen when travelling through an unfamiliar area. Easing headaches also helps people realize potential physically. Headaches can cripple some people.

I will be here all day and night describing my faith and why I practice the way I do. However I feel many people who posted in this thread were being hostile and were not genuinely curious, nor did they want to share things with eachother. I hadn't posted to a forum in a while, and I feel this was a mistake. It certainly wasn't the right company to bring this topic up in, and I'm starting to find that it is never a good idea to discuss religion at all on the internet. I suppose because there was a whole section linked from the main forums page, which had so few links to sections, about politics and religion, that I might find positive company.

To be honest, I was hoping for something simpler and more fun than defending my faith. I work from home, I have a lot going on in my life, and I don't want something this time consuming added to it.

glad to see 3141d is still being a dramatic, self righteous, overly opinionated, pompous, arrogant, ignorant, problem causer. makes me feel like there is some amount of continuity to this crazy and ever changing world.

I'm glad a few people popped in to help me feel slightly less stupid for posting as I did.

@Kasic My point is that I don't really want to deal with the stress of discussing faith with someone who adamantly wants to tell every person who has faith that they are wrong. I think, at least with some of the people who posted here, it was more important to be right than it was to discuss a topic with a level head and open mind.

I believe in two deities rather than one because the Sacred Masculine and Sacred Feminine are represented all around me. In the basic building blocks of our world. In humans and animals. Even in plants and stones. And I do mean that the Goddess is literally the earth. The earth is a creature, and all of us on it came from that creature and go back to Her. We cannot thrive without the heavenly bodies and the motions they set for us. As for other planets, I feel as of right now I have no cause to believe that, within our solar system, there are any planets that have the kind of connection and power to its organisms that earth has. I know there are organisms found on mars, bacteria or single cell organisms, but it isn't sentient life like here. However, it is always possible that the God and Goddess can thrive beyond themselves, just like humans can. I just don't have cause to believe that has happened yet.

As for the example I used for herbs having power, many of the folk uses were used long before medicinal uses were proven, and there are other folk uses that I know to be true. Such as keeping a chunk of Dragons Blood resin (its a tree, no one believes its an actual dragon, before anyone jumps on that!) in a white or red pouch keeps negative people away from me. I use it when I'm afraid there might be an argument, or when I'm at a convention (I sell merchandise at anime cons for a living) and someone is being very rude about my handmade items. I just hold it in my hand, take a deep breath and before the person can go any further they just leave. It works every time. Or how washing your hands in a lukewarm tea made of chamomile before gambling is supposed to help you win more (I've never tried this as I don't gamble much). My example of mint was just a way of showing that SOME folk uses had roots in proven medical science.

I feel religion should be a happier subject than it is. We live in a culture that puts religious focus on proselytizing faiths, faiths that think it is their job to convert, faiths that think they are the only one true way to the Divine. This puts many people who have no faith or don't have a strong opinion about faith on edge. I think opening up mature and open minded dialogue could help that, but I think that's just a pipe dream.

@reaperbackinaction Thanks for the kind words. I wasn't aware of the reputations some people have on the forums, as I don't really post to them that often.

@nichodemus I feel that lumping Wicca in with pastafarianism and Jedi was meant to be a rude dig.

@HahiHa Well it is a modern take on an old faith, but aren't faiths meant to grow with the times? Haven't Christianity and Judaism and Islam changed a bit over the years? Christianity is especially different from what it was in the early years. Even the dates of many holidays are different, changed by the Catholic Church so they would better coincide with the pagan beliefs or norther Europe and the British Isles, making the natives less reluctant to convert. So while Neo-Paganism, Wicca, and other "alternative" faiths may be modern representations, vastly changed from their historical counterparts, you can say the same about mainstream religions as well.

Glad to see random Newbs still recognize me.

you'd recognize me as well, if you didn't help get me banned 2 years ago mate. another one of your "intellectual" approaches to winning an argument. if you cant beat em, whine to a mod friend and get them banned. works every-time.

regardless, i had a question for you 3141d, as an atheist, and an A-sexual atheist at that. is it possible that you and all of your cohorts are wrong? not saying you are ( Heavens no), but is it possible?

regardless, i had a question for you 3141d, as an atheist, and an A-sexual atheist at that. is it possible that you and all of your cohorts are wrong? not saying you are ( Heavens no), but is it possible?

I wouldn't get him going. I'm just not going to respond to him anymore. He didn't come here to discuss anything, he came here to make himself feel better while trying to make others feel bad. He doesn't want an honest conversation, he wants to yell at his screen and tell everyone who doesn't think like them that they are crazy.

I thought the point of this thread was to have alternate religion buddies talk instead of others verbally destroying their religion.

314d1, I hope you don't think I'm rude, but why do you have to dissect everybody's religion?

I understand you're an atheist and I respect that, I have an uncle who is atheist, but do you really have to question every tangent and dissect every ideal of their religion? It's really quite unnecessary.

Frankly, I'm pretty interested about their religion. Doesn't mean I'm going to switch from being mormon to this, but I at least want to show them the same respect as I hope others would show me.

Again, I hope I haven't offended you.

On a side note, the reCaptcha is driving me crazy. I know it's needed, but I can barely read the words...

Wiccan...

The OTHER Satanists...

-Chillz - Your Friendly Neighborhood Satanist

I thought the point of this thread was to have alternate religion buddies talk instead of others verbally destroying their religion.

314d1, I hope you don't think I'm rude, but why do you have to dissect everybody's religion?

I understand you're an atheist and I respect that, I have an uncle who is atheist, but do you really have to question every tangent and dissect every ideal of their religion? It's really quite unnecessary.

Frankly, I'm pretty interested about their religion. Doesn't mean I'm going to switch from being mormon to this, but I at least want to show them the same respect as I hope others would show me.

Again, I hope I haven't offended you.

On a side note, the reCaptcha is driving me crazy. I know it's needed, but I can barely read the words...

Whenever I read what you post, I feel an interesting combo of rage, pity, and amusement.

...It's strange.

And I may be just a squire, but Merlin and me chill on weekends. And he owes me one.

Watch out.

As for the example I used for herbs having power, many of the folk uses were used long before medicinal uses were proven, and there are other folk uses that I know to be true.