Guest Snugyul Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 How I got here: In my teens I was a member of a number of Pentecostal/Evangelical Churches for about 5 years which caused untold angst as I also knew I was gay. Whilst I never admitted my sexuality to the main church leaders throughout that period I had forays into other Charismatic meetings where I went forward for excorcism they "removed" homosexuality, bi-sexuality [just in case] and Jezabel! but it didn't stick! So not being really comfortable with that particular brand of Christianity I started moving towards Liberal churches who could accept me as I was. It was then I went to university - away from the church, new member of the LGBT group and friends with a Goth type person - so I sort of stumbled into Paganism - but once I found it (my first book was Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner) I felt at home. I'd always enjoyed ritual [dressing up, candles it's a gay thing I think!] and had an interest in Tarot/divination etc which clashed somewhat with the Evangelical stuff - but I think I convinced myself I was researching the "Enemy"! The Uni Pagan group was mostly headed up by OTOers and Chaoists so my early reading was around Thelema, Chaos Majik, ceromonial magick etc. My reading on Paganism widened [although the Anti-Gay comments in the Farrars Witches Bible set me agin them] - I still was able to learn from a number of authors and adapt some of their rituals for my own purposes. Where I am now: So for the last 10 years I've been working a fairly eclectic Pagan path my Books of Shadow (1 Sabbats, 1 Esbats & others) draw from a variety of sources so I'm not using any one particular author but finding what works for me and works well together with the other parts of the rite. I still have an interest in Magic/k & Majik and I think this will always colour my particular flavour of Paganism as it was the first area that I studied though I have no intention of joining an occult order or similar and self identify as Pagan. I don't honour any particular Pantheon - prefering God/dess (my goddess symbol is a glass sphere and god's a onyx pyramid!) but have great affection for Bast, Buddha, and if "forced" to pray to a specific deity it would more likely be Graco-Roman/Egyptian as that is where I feel more comfortable. Blessings Snuggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JP Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Welcome to ExC, Snuggers! Here, you'll find people from all walks of life, who have deconverted from whatever type of Christianity had ensnared them and moved on to other forms of spirituality, agnosticism or atheism. You'll fit right in. I myself have never gotten into Wiccan/Pagan beliefs, although I've often considered doing some research. Seems interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurari Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Welcome to the forum! It's a great group here. I'm glad you were able to come into yourself and realize there are other spiritual options. I'm curious what you meant in the exorcism thing to remove "Jezabel?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Snugyul Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Welcome to the forum! It's a great group here. I'm glad you were able to come into yourself and realize there are other spiritual options. I'm curious what you meant in the exorcism thing to remove "Jezabel?" I assume it was a reference to Rev 2:20????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-COG Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Welcome, Snugyul. Welcome to the forum! It's a great group here. I'm glad you were able to come into yourself and realize there are other spiritual options. I'm curious what you meant in the exorcism thing to remove "Jezabel?" I assume it was a reference to Rev 2:20????? Is it that "Jezebel spirit" that, in the eyes of the church, afflicts women? I mean, we're always rebelling against male headship and authority, according to the fundamentalists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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