Modern Pagan... Keeping Faith (Paganism and Neo-Paganism in General)

Member Name: QuinnElaine

Product:	Paganism and Neo-Paganism in General
Date:	21/07/08 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: many... faith is very uplifting

Disadvantages: preconceived ideas of the uninformed and prejuidice

"Pagan" is a broad general term best defined as One who is not a Christian, Muslim, Jew, or member of another recognized formal religion. Pagans are often worshipers of a natural or polytheistic religion, but not always. Most people today who have heard the term Pagan, or the more recent term Neo-Pagan, seem to think that all Pagans are Wiccans (or worse... missing a few gears, or Satanists, etc). This is a simple misconception, and easy to make if these spiritual paths are outside of your knowledge or experience.

"Pagan" is, obviously, more of an umbrella term like Christian. One can be a Christian and not be, say, Methodist. While Wiccans are Pagans, one can be Pagan without being a Wiccan, and quite likely, folks who could come under the term Pagan by the definition I have given, wouldn't necessarily consider themselves to be Pagans. The closest I can come to an accurate label for my beliefs is "Eclectic or Green Solitary Practitioner" and I'm quite comfortable with the Unitarian Universalists, although I do not attend any services at this time. On Government or official forms the term would be..."Other" lol. Garden Witch works just fine for me too, but Pagan is usually the most easy for others to recognize.

Some folks I've encountered, Pagan and Non-Pagan, go out of their way to avoid this term, as it is still seen as a negative label. Others, embrace the term wholeheartedly, and still others prefer the even more emotionally charged term "Heathen". There are also Plenty of people who, for whatever reason, believe most firmly that Pagans or Witches in general are Satanists, which is actually a religion based on the beliefs of Anton LeVay as laid out in his Satanic Bible. Personally, I've always felt this was more of an 'anti-religion" than a real doctrine of faith, but that is just my opinion. Satan, however, is a Christian concept, not a Pagan one. There is no Devil in any of the Pagan belief systems I have encountered.

If your religious/spiritual practices could be listed under Shamanism, Polytheism, or Animism...you could consider yourself Pagan. "Neo-Pagan" is just a recent term someone coined to refer to the slow but steady trend of people turning to such alternative spiritual paths. It does seem to specifically refer to modern reconstruction of ancient Pagan belief systems though; Asatru, Druidism, Goddess Worship, Wicca, Witchcraft. Keep in mind too that there are many different types of Wiccans... Gardnerian, Dianic, Alexandrian, and Caledonii just to name a few examples.

So, what does all of this mean? It means that some in today's society have been seeking outside the traditional, established religions for spiritual guidance, solace, and a sense of unity. Nor is this exclusive to one nation! Pagans can be found in most countries with a varying degree of social acceptance.

I have always resisted labels as I feel that they are dangerous tools, much like fire. Potentially very useful...or very destructive. I believe that it is basic human nature to label things, however. To label something is to bring it out of the realm of "unknown" and make it "known". People fear the unknown and putting a label on something makes it "safe", even if the individual doesn't actually take the time to try to truly understand whatever they have just labeled. Hence, in my eyes, the potential for disaster.

I've spent a good many years trying to figure out how best to answer people though when asked about my religion. I was raised Catholic, but I was also raised to actively seek out information and experiences with as many religions as possible. I was attending a yoga group regularly with my mother long before I started school and the Eastern philosophies had an early and profound influence on my personal path.

The words of Black Elk and Chief Seattle also reached me at quite a young age, and as time has passed... I have found myself increasingly drawn to the Traditions of the Native Nations. Primarily though, I have been a loving student of the Natural World and have learned the most from the Creature and Nature Teachers I have encountered along the way. I was taught by both of my parents, who separated when I was two, that it was far more important to have Faith than to follow a Religion. It's rather a fine point by some standards, but I continue to believe it is the wiser course for me. I also believe that everyone has the right to choose, follow and practice their own spiritual path without harrassment or discrimination from others. I'm not alone in thinking that religious tolerance is important either...

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." Carl Jung


"When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow." Anais Nin


"Religions are many and diverse, but reason and goodness are one." Elbert Hubbard


"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." His Holiness the Dali Lama


"The heresy of one age becomes the orthodoxy of the next." Helen Keller


"In the matter of religion, people eagerly fasten their eyes on the difference between their own creed and yours; whilst the charm of the study is in finding the agreements and identities in all the religions of humanity." Ralph Waldo Emerson


"I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant." Rufus from the film "Dogma"

Now, more than ever, people in general need to make room for the spiritual in their lives. It has been said (Beyond 2012 by James Endredy for one source) that in the past it was enough for one open and aware person to receive spiritual enlightenment and pass it on to others. Hence, the many prophets and teachers who have inspired people through the ages from Buddha to Mother Teresa. But now, we have reached a stage in our development as a people when this is no longer acceptable. We must not blindly follow some leader. Instead we must open ourselves directly to our Creator and become enlightened for ourselves. We must make conscious effort in our daily lives to live in a spiritually aware and embracing manner, whatever path you may choose. I belive this to be true for a number of reasons.

Many people, most in fact, are walking through their lives as if they were asleep. They have not Awakened and truly do act and react as if they were literally asleep. Such people are living within their own self-created reality, and while their dreams may echo reality and their subconscious is aware and absorbing reality... they are in fact asleep. In this state, one cannot make sound decisions nor see and accept Truth readily. We often take actions or say things that are oddly or even wildly out of place or out of character with our true selves. People will do many things while sleeping and dreaming that they would never do while awake.

We are often so comfortably asleep that we will resist all efforts to wake us and may even lash out violently against those who attempt to wake us. We can believe ourselves to be a Awake and Aware for years and can move through proverbial nightmares and "oh Now I'm awake" moments over and over before we truly awaken, just as one who is literally asleep. It is so easy to be lulled back into this deceptively peaceful state, and like the frog who sitting in the pot which is slowly brought to a boil, if we don't wake up to Reality soon, it may be too late.

Anywhere you look in the world today, you can see symptoms of this hypnotic trance we as a people have been under. In a way, it is almost as if we are hypnotized by our own self-destruction whether on a personal, local, national or global level. When I personally encounter a deeply sleeping individual, it is almost automatic for me to attempt rousing them, but when such attempts fail... as they sadly do all too often... I remind myself that they are not truly responsible for their words and actions yet... they are still asleep. Perhaps they are not ready to wake up or perhaps I am not the one to rouse them from their slumber. I try not to take it personally and remind myself that however inexplicable their actions and choices may be to me now... I too was once soundly asleep.

I see more and more individuals waking every day, some for no apparent reason and some after much prodding. This gives me hope that someday we may finally all be Awake and Aware enough to not only sit down and enjoy a real family meal together, but begin the important task of healing the damage done while we blundered around the world in our sleep. I have faith that all things happen as they should.

Wherever you are in this waking process, Good morning! Nice to see you and would you like a cup of coffee or tea with your breakfast? It is the most important meal of the day. Please try to wake up the person next to you. It's ok if you didn't know you were asleep. You haven't overslept and it's not too late. I hope you slept well though. We've got a lot to do today.


"Here comes the sun, do do do do
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling
It's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling
It feels like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, do do do do
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right" ~ Here Comes the Sun, Beatles lyrics

Helpful/Informative sites for further study:
http://wolfs_moon.tripod.com/contentsindex.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/neo_paga.htm
http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/contents.html
http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/celtic.ht ml
http://www.buddhanet.net/
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/chakrates t.php
http://www.dalailama.com/
http://www.godchecker.com/
http://www.ecauldron.com/

http://www.jamesendredy.com/

Summary: Many rays lead to the same Sun