Paganism?

I myself have an...animistic(?) way of viewing it. The gods and goddesses are less so people/higher powers, and more so an embodiment of the life around us. I believe life is about learning, growing, and changing with the world and energies around you to become the best person that you can be. For who I follow, I have been accepted by the goddess Nox, and I reach out to the energies she provides to guide me in trying times, and to protect those that I cannot in person if I fear for them.

Mmm...it's a bit strange from an outsiders perspective, I gather, but that's kinda my answer to the question. Sorry if it doesn't really answer anything.

 

We actually had a thread all about Paganism some time ago, and I'm not sure where it went.

For me these days, I've been torn on putting a label on my identity because there's so many terms and badges out there that it can be hard to string them all together. But I'll try to sum up my beliefs to the best of my abilities, and I'll try to say what I did almost word for word that I did in another thread, but elaborated.

At the moment, I think of myself as a naturalistic pagan or pantheist with strong influences in Satanism and Bokononism (from Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle").

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Do I believe there is a higher power that governs the universe; be it inside our bubble of reality or outside it? No. So, I'm an atheist in that sense.

However, if the name or idea of what a god is could be applied to anything tangible; then it would be the universe---all power, ever-changing and everywhere at once. That being said, the difference comes in that the universe isn't a sentient, self-aware and all-knowing entity in the same manner that a god would; nor does it interact with us in the way that you'd think, such as through divine intervention, prayer, and miracles.

As far as the gods and goddesses themselves go, while I don't view them as actual beings we can have a one on one discussion with, I do see them as living things in terms of the metaphors, symbols, and stories they stand for and represent--if that makes sense, and they continue to live on within those who continue to tell their stories and follow them. I know for some time, I've thought about turning to Prometheus as a muse to keep me inspired and driven to continue learning everything I can about the different fields of science I'll explain in the next part.

For me, what also ties things together for me is my deep seeded love for science and studying the natural world around us; especially that of astronomy, cosmology and space related sciences. Neil deGrasse Tyson said it best when he said this;

"We're all connected; to each other biologically, to the Earth chemically, to the universe atomically."

Carl Sagan and Lawrence Krauss (and others) have added that we're all made of stardust, and the universe is within us. And that for me is more awe inspiring than any scripture out there. I've heard many pagans say it's an oxymoron to be an atheist and a pagan, and how it doesn't make sense--and that's okay. Paganism comes in all unique and different shades, and they're all valid in their own respect.

 

I'm just here to say that I'm not too fond of the negative undertones of the word "pagan(-ism)", not to mention the vagueness of it.

Ok and I guess the way I see it (as it sits now), is that it's a very personal, varied belief system. I can't think of much that is somewhat universal in pagans other than ritual (just like every other religion... I think that's kind of the defining factor isn't it?), and multiple deities/spirits/souls/whathaveyou.

 

I have a god, I don't know his name, and it's entirely possible that he's just energy. He doesn't control anything really, but he has influence. I was having practically the worst day of my life some time ago and was sitting by myself in the hall and at that point one of my friends happened to walk by and sat to talk me through it, and I took that as assistance from my god. I'm interested in learning about Heathenry, not necessarily as a possible path, it just interests me.

I guess I'm eclectic but that's about all I know.

 

Hey Alexander, are you on tumblr? There's a few paganism blogs out there and one called The Pagan Study Group Page has tags about unknown deities that might be of interest to you.

 

There are things about Paganism that appeal to me, but I no longer belief in the supernatural. That includes gods or magic, or anything else. I consider myself an Scientific Pantheist. I celebrate the changes of the seasons, Solstice etc, and appreciate nature, but that's it.

 

Humanistic/Naturalistic Paganism is pretty awesome. For myself, the mysticism with paganism pushed me away at first, since it's not something I vibe with either.

https://humanisticpaganism.com

 

I wouldn't say I'm a strong believer, but I appreciate the aesthetic of Buddhism to a certain degree. Also, the temples are really pretty too! (I've only visited ones in China though) Even though I like to eat meat, the cuisine at the temples are delicious!!!

 

thanks for the info!

 

No problem