Response to questions about "paganism" - please join

[Dyllea]

Hi Gary,

I want to post this to the group for their response, others may share
different experience.

Glad to answer the best I know about what paganism is, who pagans are,
why they have different beliefs, and what some beliefs practice.
Again, please understand this is my spiritual interpretation based on
what I've learned. I cannot speak for all pagans because paganistic
beliefs really are "Spiritual Individualism".

I can explain to some degree that the spiritual "being" of every human
is paganistic, we are born that way. Religion is taught, and sometimes
force-fed.
Young humans are sensory, but intuition is universally denied in favor
of adult logic and custom.

Watch a healthy young child grow, and see they are instinctively "free
spirits". They believe in everything around them, what they see, feel,
and what they touch. A child believes day dreams as well as sleep
dreams. They will feel and see more around them at this time of life
than they ever will again, because they have not learned denial.

It is clear that a young child is spiritually open to all things as
long as their bodies are adequately fed, kept comfortable, and they
know they are not alone. That is a simple truth.

Obviously there are factors that affect each child differently
depending on both nurture and nature. They grow as individuals
according to what they are subjected to in formative years to
adulthood. Religion is typically enforced as parental beliefs systems
are imprinted on a child. Health is another factor, it may be related
to nurture or simply misfortune in birth (nature).

The point here is that we all begin life as intuitive spirits that
rely on our internal sensors -our spiritual self- to respond to our
world. We were created to be part of a natural instinctive existance,
but most religions and some cultural teachings deny this belief in our
potential to understand more than what we can see and touch.
Therefore, most adult humans have lost their access to the greater
understanding of their spiritual existance. So, humans walk about as
individual bodies with silent minds... but there are humans who have
the potential to see, touch, and feel beyond their own bodies. Those
people are often paganistic and spiritists, and many will seek
individualistic beliefs. Some carefully hide their differences and may
even develop psychosis, a common human response to feeling emotionally
ostracized. A very sad truth.

> > We see the female aspect as spiritual energy, since the universe uses the
> > feminine body to generate life, and we see the male aspect as the
> > material balance that maintains our continued existence.


> OK, now this is new to me. Could you elaborate on this a bit more.


> > Pagans often prefer to venerate the feminine spirit, and may favor
> > feminine attributes in our ritual works. The Goddesses that pagans
> > embrace have specific identities. They exist in almost every faith, it
> > is not the names but rather their personal characteristics that are
> > recognized in pagan devotions and rituals. I’ll give you a couple
> > examples:

This is not universal, but groups that believe in God/Goddess worship
aknowledge that there are feminine/masculine spiritual attributes.
Some individual and groups prefer the feminine aspect, they don't deny
the masculine, it is simply a personal preference. Dianic groups are
an example that prefers feminine spiritual energy worship.

> > It is a simple truth that has not failed to produce tangible result.

Nature-based, Wiccan, Shamnism, and Native beliefs (as well as many
others), aknowledge feminine and masculine aspects. For instance
"Birth" is a manefestation of these two aspects coming together that
result in "creation". What is more spiritual and more physical than
new life? This includes all life, not just human, it means all growing
things in all their forms.

The feminine aspect is considered "spiritual energy" since it is the
only sanctum in which creation can occur and manifest new life. It is
the spirit that internalizes primal energies.

The masculine aspect is considered "material balance" because the
earthly exisitance requires a physical body to house a spirit. The
male influence is also the protective spirit.

> > Paganism from a Western perspective, often refers to spiritualist,
> > animistic or shamanic practices or beliefs. Polytheism is typical,
> > meaning a belief in various gods.

Together, these aspects are the qualities we associate with "God", but
we know them to be separate aspects in the earthly existance and to
have qualities unique to themselves. Some ritual celebrations and
worship are symbolized in Goddess or God aspects, but "ALL" are
ultimately directed towards the one "universal creator". Pagans have
always aknowledged that we receive life-giving gifts, like the natural
fruits and grains of the earth (adequately fed), the warmth of the sun
(body comfort), and that propagation is a gift (we are not alone).
When we understand that we are created and we ourselves are able to
create, this is a clear and tangible example of the difference and
similarities in female/male attributes. One aspect cannot exist
separately from the other, but each aspect combines to create a
"whole".

Put your hands together and inter-twine your fingers. There are
obvious differences and similarities, but you intuitively know they
are meant to work together.

>Could you share a little more about this. Why do you do this? What
>course of events led you to believe that the Gods/Goddesses wanted or
>delighted in ritual works in their honor. Please don't take this
>question the wrong way. I am not asking you to defend your beliefs or
>anything like that. I really only want to understand all aspects of
>Paganism and this is one I know nothing about. I have never been
>compelled to pray to a God or Goddess (that I was aware of anyway).
>That is most likely because I never considered them to be anyone that
>could or would help me because of my background. Not because I don't
>believe in them (though my belief in them at this point in my journey
>is probably different than yours), I just have nothing to base or
>begin a belief in them from.

I can try to share that when pagans feel a deep need to be thankful,
we choose to worship in a manner than fits our individual
interpretations. If you have known a liturgical religion, you have
seen how ritual is a powerful tool in veneration as an example of
group worship. However, the assembly or congregation do not
participate, they are present and subject to those in authority.

Pagans do not regognize a human authority, and prefer a direct
connection to the creator. They worship as they choose, intuitively.
The diversity can be a heartfelt prayer from an individual for what
they receive; to prose written about desires while delivered with
burning candles, incense, and a table of materials that represent the
elements of earth, air, fire and water.

In many ritual practices, pagans are not asking for God to provide,
they are using the God aspect within themselves to accomplish their
desires. You may have heard the term "So mote it be", or "So it is
done". Rituals may be used in mental preparation, particularly to
"make it happen", whatever "it" may be in the heart of the pagan.

One, two, or more people may come together can perform small to large
acts of veneration that represent their belief in a universal God,
Goddess, or God-like qualities. Various God-like qualities are
associated with specifically named Goddesses and Gods. Fall is time to
harvest, a pagan might celebrate natures produce by preparing a ritual
and giving homage to a specific diety associated with a harvest
blessing. Many pagan beliefs are built around the calendar of annual
events, the four seasons and the natural occurances with each. I have
to refer to the intuition of humans here, because paganism was most
certainly spontaneous with ancient human progression. It is a
naturally occuring belief system - closely tied to the properties of
simple living. Of course it has diversified with human development,
including technology.

Humans may feel the same drawings across all the earth, to define a
personal ideal. The difference between a pagan and a faithful follower
of a group lead by designated officials, is that a pagan prefers
direct association to meet their needs.

Pagans often belong to groups, but they are likely to participate as
equals rather than subjects. They seek like-minded individuals, test
the waters intuitively, and that leads them through whatever direction
they choose spiritually. There are some who prefer to follow their own
path, often thought of as "ecclectic", and they may have a spiritual
calling.
--------------------------------------------
I'm sorry if my answers didn't catch all your questions specifically,
but I tried to give you an angle on how things tie together in many
areas. Keeping in mind it has to be broad, my description is simple
and limited to my understanding.

I'm not sure anyone can confirm a universal conciousness would delight
in worship, but paganism allows for our unique spiritual responses to
follow our internal concious connection. Let what we know inside to be
true, be our guide.

"Blessed be" is a common Wiccan closure to a communication, as a pagan
I hope you live with a blessed spirit.

Magick