Dibllsmek Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I'm deconverting, almost all the way there, and paganism seems interesting. Is it possible to be pagan, with an agnostic sort of view? Like, you believe that the gods may be more symbols than actual beings, but they might exist after all. I want to learn more about it. Does anyone have any sites or books I could learn something from? Preferably sites because my mom would flip if she found those kind of books.I borrowed a book on wicca from a teacher, but my mom found it and made me go to church and pray with here ;(. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I'm deconverting, almost all the way there, and paganism seems interesting. Is it possible to be pagan, with an agnostic sort of view? Like, you believe that the gods may be more symbols than actual beings, but they might exist after all. Possible? For sure! Technically, I'm in fact an Asatruar with strong agnostic tendencies too, as I consider the Aesir and Vanir Gods to be valid symbols for cosmic principles, even if they aren't literally deities in the conventional sense I want to learn more about it. Does anyone have any sites or books I could learn something from? Umm... there are about 10 billion different types and flavors of what can be included in "paganism". One good starting point (if you find that Asatru is for you) might be The Troth, which was my first contact with what later became my faith. I'm sure other heathen folks in here will be able to give you more hints and links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I have taken up Tibetan Buddhism and echo what Thurisaz says. "Paganism" covers a lot of territory. Although there are deities in Tibetan Buddhism and references to gods, such as Indra, they are to be thought of as aspects or qualities of the enlightened mind. No god belief is necessary, because that is not the focus in Buddhism. Furthermore, the gods have limited lifespans! Zen Buddhism, from what little I know, is even less inclined to reference gods of any type. Gods are seen purely as symbols, not as actual separate beings out there in the sky somewhere. They do "exist" though, in your mind. I am sure many other pagan religions qualify. If you are interested in Buddhism, let me know and I can recommend some sites and books to you. Happy exploring! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Pantheism is a good one, its doesn't contain any gods, but its still awesome nonetheless. Jainism and Buddhism pretty much doesn't make a claim that there is or isn't a god. Epicureanism seems apatheistic, its not really a religion but a philosophy, but its still interesting. Then there is others, but those are good places to start. There is also Taoism, a very interesting philosophy/religion. One thing that you'll notice is that many pagan religions are more philosophy than religion. Especially eastern ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight-mindwanderings Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I started in paganism when I was 16 and it was a good starting place for me. There is a lot of information out there (and different varieties) and its sort of a bastardized version of older western pagan religions so it makes for easy transition if and when you find what sort of spirituality fits you best. I also suggest reading about Taoism because it really helped me to see the concept of god in a different light starting with "The Being that can be named is not the eternal being." Taoism can be difficult to understand but it really helped me open my mind to different ways of looking at things (undoing the hardened christian worldview that I had). In any case here is a good site for introductory browsing on Wicca. That site can also be used to research other forms of paganism as they take your fancy. You could try reading the Tao of Pooh (its a bit simpler than just the Tao De Ching) and it should be something that doesn't concern your parents. I had to read it in school. Here is a quote from religioustolerance.org "The priesthood views the many gods as manifestations of the one Dao, "which could not be represented as an image or a particular thing." The concept of a personified deity is foreign to them, as is the concept of the creation of the universe. Thus, they do not pray as Christians do; there is no God to hear the prayers or to act upon them. They seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and outer observation." Her is a link about the Tao of Pooh. I took the eastern concepts of pantheism but I enjoy the rituals of Italian witchcraft. It took me several years to get here (probably still not done) so give yourself time and don't just think you have to follow any rules or buy any props or cast any spells. This sort of thing should involve a lot of introspection and learning - about yourself, the world and the various pagan paths you have available. I only suggest wicca to start because I found it to be fairly easy to grasp and a good stepping stone to other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight-mindwanderings Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 For me, paganism was a way of getting strength, seemingly at least subconsciously, to deal with stress that I had with no support from family, and to have something to give me a sense of hope when I was in need at the time. I tried dabbling back into it through pantheism, but my days in spirituality and religion were numbered, and I forgot that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunaticheathen Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Yep, pagan religions are huge and varied. One site I like is www.kemet.org , for Kemetic Orthodoxy (ancient Egyptian reconstructionism). Also, http://www.stregheria.com/ is good, Italian witchcraft, though Grimassi can get a little uppity sometimes. Really, to find what grabs you in this huge world of pagan religions, you could just start reading history of ancient cultures. You can find most books at the library, and they all look innocent enough. It doesn't have to say "pagan" or "witch" to be about one or the other. Find some ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Look up Babylonian history and religion (hint, Enuma Elish). Use your imagination and the library. Also, a nice site for, well, everything, is www.sacred-texts.com. It has loads of myths and occult literature, as well as books from practically every religion ever known. You can study Buddhism, Tantra, Thelema, Greek Myths, Gnostic texts, damn near anything, all in one place, and one day (if your head doesn't explode! ) Anyway, good luck with finding what makes you happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibllsmek Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Thanks for the rescouces. I live in a rather small town and have already looked for a lot of books that could help. I've read a couple a few months ago when I started wondering if Xianity was right for me. I'm looking for something that doesn't really practice magick, I haven't ruled out wicca yet. I'm still looking for more than just an introductory. And I looked on Witchvox.com and the closest coven to me is 4 hours away. Is it possible to be a solitary practitioner. And if it helps, I'm 14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight-mindwanderings Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I've only ever been solitary. Its probably best to start that way so you can take your time and really figure out what works for you, what your passion is. Especially being 14 living with parents that don't approve. Most (especially legit) covens, groups, etc require you to be 18 anyway. Unfortunately as a minor you do not have a right to worship as you fit if your parents do not allow it. But as I told my mom at 16, you can control where I am, but you can never change what I believe (or don't believe). Still went to church till I was 18. Being in a small town will be harder. My school was huge and I had many friends with different beliefs: Hindu, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Mormon, Wiccan. It was easy to talk to people about belief systems. See if your school has a world religions course, or philosophy. They can be very educational and will give you a space to speak your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibllsmek Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 How would one attempt to be a solitary practitioner? And my mom doesn't go to church as it is. She wasn't happy about my decision, but after some fighting, we never talk about it anymore. And I was looking into religion courses at school, I'm going to be a sophomore, and all I could find was things on Christianity. I find religion very interesting and have spent days looking up nothing but that online. Lately I have been looking at shamanic beliefs and experiences. It sound very interesting. No certain God. I'm still trying to learn more about wicca though, my library has no books on the subject. The closest I found was one on how "God views the evil of magic and its practitioners." I don't think that would help much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunaticheathen Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I'm 26, and I just this year have gotten together with others for ritual and worship (Vodou). I think most pagans are solitary. Certainly most start out that way, as I started in my teens as well. Just get inventive. Rituals can be done in the middle of the night (I'm a nightowl anyway) with whispered words, salt packets, and birthday candles. You don't have to have ye olde white handled knife of horn from the traditionalist shoppe handed down from fucking Raymond Buckland to be honest, open, and have a very good experience. wicca.com is good for Wicca and Celtic paganism. Other than that, what I already mentioned, and, again, sacred-texts.com - that site kicks all ass. And don't be afraid to "make shit up." The gods understand. Be a pioneer! Be yourself, most of all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 For the Babylonian religion, I'd watch out for outdated material, as there is alot of it, and alot of it has poor translations. I suggest authors like Benjamin Foster, Thorkild Jacobsen Stephanie Dalley and some Samuel Kramer, but Kramers stuff is alot of the time old and it's mostly about sumerian religion. Also, for the sumerian religion, you could always go to ETCSL, Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. It has alot of free translations, and the transliterations of the texts themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MultifariousBirdLady Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Hi Dibllsmek, If you want to learn about some different branches of Neo-Paganism, I'm wondering if you might find Drawing Down the Moon interesting. You might also be able to find it in the library, or at least get it through interlibrary loan. How would one attempt to be a solitary practitioner? Since you mentioned being interested in Wicca, there is a good basic introduction on how to be a solitary one in Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Similar ideas can be applied to many faiths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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