How did you find paganism?

[Kaylara]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Posted by Kaylara on 7:00 pm on Dec. 31, 1969

MM All!
I thought that it may be interesting to find out how you found paganism. What influenced you to look up this religion? What was your initial feeling about the craft when you first understood what it really stood for? How has it changed your life, personality, etc.

Blessed Be!
Kaylara





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Posted by Ari on 7:00 pm on Dec. 31, 1969

I sort of just drifted in. Becoming pagan didn't involve a major worldview change, because I was raised with very pagan values.

I became vaguely interested in the occult in general in 7th grade when a close friend was into numerology and astrology; There was a Wiccan in our year from whom I got the names of a couple of authors, started reading, and it just evolved from there.

I already did a lot of 'outdoors' kind of things (camping, hiking, climbing, kayaking), and energy work (meditation classes, martial arts) and so the only real lifestyle change was the amount of ritual I was doing.

[Wyld Wytch]

Greetings!

I have to say when I first stumbled upon Wicca it wasn't really what I had hoped for. I longed for the days when I could be like Samantha on BeWitched, and I was horribly dissappointed when I found out that was not reality! And yet still I was intrigued enough to push further into the path and find out that I loved it! Other then the reruns of BeWitched I spent my childhood with an active imagination. My grandparents encouraged belief in magic to the point of giving me "penny spells" that I would preform. Waking up in the morning to pennys all over the front and back yard, little did I know they were the ones behind it! All the little things drew me to be interested in Wicca. And my first book ever was _True Magick_ by Amber K. I absolutely LOVED this book, and I highly recommend it to all. I feel I am going off topic now...I'll prevent myself from further babbling!

Brightest Blessings,
Wyld Wytch
http://www.wyldwytch.com

[Trevi]

I guess you have to keep answers brief or you get booted around here! I already answered this one, but apparently it was too long winded. Lets try this again...
I was raised VERY VERY VERY catholic. Mom almost became a nun! She wanted my hubby and I to adopt children because if we had natural children "it's an outward sign to the whole world that you have sex!"
I started rebeling against this a LOOOONNNGGG time ago! Church seemed very contradictory to me, even at a young age. Then, the nun inmy school was arrested for assult and battery, a priest for indecent exposure and a brother had inpregnated two 15 yr old girls! High school wasnt much better!
By college, I had bad opinions. then I had my own run in with a priest when I needed help from him the most. Its too detailed to go into here, but, that was it! I left the church, bought some books..... and thats it!
I met my first real witch about 8 years ago and she's helped me alot!

[mol]

Originally posted by Trevi
I guess you have to keep answers brief or you get booted around here! I already answered this one, but apparently it was too long winded. Lets try this again...

We would never do that! ;) I dont know what happened to it...hmm....i need to go check the database methinks..

[Trevi]

Dont be too surprised if you dont find anything in the database! I have THE original Fred Flintstone computer! It could very well have been MY mistake. I'm not, how you say? Computer-literate?!

[mol]

Originally posted by Trevi
Dont be too surprised if you dont find anything in the database! I have THE original Fred Flintstone computer! It could very well have been MY mistake. I'm not, how you say? Computer-literate?!

Hehe...I couldnt find it. Must be the Barney Rubble machine!

:)

[Trevi]

It's a little older than that, I think! :)

Well, seriously, I cant seem to get in any long letters. That could just be the higher powers telling me to keep it short. :) I can be VERY long-winded! One never knows!

[Rosabelle]

i have to admit that i did get interested in wicca after watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV, but then i researched and found out about the real thing and not just about wicca, but about all (well....some) of the pagan religions. and that is how i got here, and now it isnt just some silly 'wicca group' which has no males in it and only concentrate on spells and baking cakes ;) and go around killing things that probebly didnt mean to kill that person. :)
Rosabelle

[mol]

Originally posted by Trevi
It's a little older than that, I think! :)

Well, seriously, I cant seem to get in any long letters. That could just be the higher powers telling me to keep it short. :) I can be VERY long-winded! One never knows!

Long-keyboarded eh?

Sorry, its late. Im tired. Heh.

[~¤*ëÑ©åñ†®ìX*¤~]

I was fond of mytholgoy and fairys growing up and then in junior high school I learnt of Greek mythology, then I read all I could find on Celtic Mythology and eventually onto Arthurian, Atlantean and Avalonian stories.
From books like MOB by MZB I got my logging for magic, and then became even more fascinated with Buffy's Willow, and The Craft, Practical Magic & Charmed.
I love Merlin, and Morgan Le Fey. If anyone would like to help me on my continued search for wisdom I would love to learn of Celtic wiica/magic or Druidism especially.

BLESSED BE & MAY STARS LIGHT THOU PATH!

[sharon_fitzhugh]

I come from a rather unique Southern Irish family and had the good luck to have a father that (usually) encouraged me to explore and THINK!
As a teenager I was into Jimmy Page and discovered that (at the time) he lived in Crowley's old house in Scotland. A little research and I discovered who Aleister Crowley was - however, I found his system to be, well, too hard-lined and went from there into the study of Pagan religions as a whole.
I was lucky enough to get into contact with Jo and Janes Dixon of the late Castle Rising during this time, and learned a lot of the Old Religion from them and their affiliates.
Eventually I delved into the Qabalah, which satisfies my theory of an all encompassing, Universal Power parenting the incarnation(s) of the Lord and Lady as most modern Pagans know them.
Nowadays I seem to favor a mixture of Ceremonial Magick and good old fashioned Earth Religion, as influenced by the above studies. I'm not saying that it's for everybody, of course, but it seems real to me. I also want to stress that this does not negate any of the temets of the Old Religion, as these would govern our behavior while in this incarnation as well as certain laws that after deeper study seem to tie into the Tree of Life.

[random]

It was mainly throught the interent that I learned of Wicca. I found some people on a certain message board that were kindly enough to share with me some of their beliefs. At the time I was an evolutionist. But before that I was very into Christian beliefs. My father being a scientist and evolutionist, this doesn't bother him. Although my mom is a Christian and so are my sister and brother, they are a bit confused on my goings this way.

I have gotten alot of my information from the internet, websites and such like this. My comming to Wiccan has sprong one of my best friends path. She asked me what Wicca was as far I knew at the time, since I am very outwordly about it and open to all questions and hate-words, and I told her, much later that month she brought to me papers of what she had researched and told me that she was very interested in Wicca as much as I was. We have been going through our paths together discussing many ideas and theories. WE have discovered that our beliefs are very different, and fortunatly we both accept that. I am trying to craw all information in to my head, and get my homeowrk done. I have been succesfull so far, but I dont have to do that over spring break or sunner.

I am still continuly learning every day.