a few starting questions?

[fairymom]

Hello,
I would like to ask some questions about wicca.
an you be wiccan or pagan and be an atheist?
I have always been interested and intreagued by wicca,but now as an adult i realize i am an atheist,i do not belive in god but i do belive in nature,the power of meditation,and a slight belief in reincarnation.I know alot of atheists celebrate some pagan holidays.I reallly love the altars you all have shown to own,i guess i have always had my version of this since high school.
so is there a way to be wicca w/o beliving in god?
i would love to have some rituals and holidays for my children,something for them to do so they don't feel lost or like they are floasting with no control on there lives.I hope i am making sence here!
thanks so much
fairymom

[Stacy]

fairymom, first, Welcome to the community :) :) :wave:

Well, I can't tell you much more than just to say aboit my philosophy on that..

I don't consider myself Wiccan, or Pagan or anything official, but I do have certain points that are identical with Wiccan religion (some call it philosophy, as well).

My suggestion to you would be to do whatever feels right for you.. That's also one of the Wiccan points, btw.. Also, in your "atheism" you can incorporate various Wiccan rituals in which you can celebrate the nature rather than God/ess.

Just go by what your heart tells you to do, and you won't go wrong.. that's my suggestion.. Also, reading about Wicca (or other religions may help you in finding your way)

Best wishes on your path discovery :) :sunny:

[Lady Eryn]

fairymom,
Glad to meet you . As for your questions , I feel that being one with nature is good for you aswell as your kiddos. Explane to them about how Mother Earth is an important part in their lives (not just in the litteral ways) . As for as holidays to celabrate do the normals, but put an earthy theme to them. On Xmas go out side and play in the snow. On easter (for lack of a better term) go outside and look for new growth. Stuff like that.

[Raevyn]

an you be wiccan or pagan and be an atheist?

Well, Wicca (IMHO) requires a God and Goddess of some form. Paganism is usually thought of as a group of religions that necessitate a God or idea of the divine in some form. Some people would see nature's energy as divine and consider that God in and of itself. Further, some would see, for instance, the God in the sun, and the Goddess in the earth. This is something you'll have to decide for yourself with some more research.

Wicca can be very much about the idea of the divine in nature itself - the rythms of the earth, moon, etc. form the cycles and seasons we mark with Sabbats and Esbats. God doesn't *have* to be some entity that exists far away.

[Sylv]

Hmm...I'd agree with Raevyn that being Wiccan necessitates the belief in SOME deity, even if it's just an overarching divine that is understood through archetypes. I can sympathize with your direction: before I became pagan I was an atheist, and I still have my moments. :) I'd suggest that you look into pantheism or the Unitarian Universalist (UU) organization if you're looking for a church-ish organization that atheists can identify with. That being said, I think it's perfectly possible for you to celebrate the Celtic holidays (Imbolc, Samhain, etc.) but since the Wiccan myth of the year centers around the Goddess and God, you might want to rework the way the holidays are honored. :)

i would love to have some rituals and holidays for my children,something for them to do so they don't feel lost or like they are floasting with no control on there lives
Once again I'm going to recommend looking at the UU website (http://www.uua.org/) for some help w/ holidays and 'organized' religion-also you might want to research some other ancient-ish cultural holidays (Hellenism reconstructionism has tons!) so that your kids get exposed to more than the Celtic view. Unless you're Celtic and are set on those holidays, of course. *g*
Other than that, it depends on how old your children are. If they're young, I'd read them fairy tales and other books to get their imaginations going (no Carl Sagan yet, lol) and also try taking them to churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. (this will depend on where you live f you have access to them) or at least learning about a lot of different religions-that way they can find their own path (unless you prefer they're raised atheist). If they're older (i.e.-teens) I'd talk with them first to make sure they don't already have a system. After all, after sixth grade I was an atheist, and I studied a lot of different religions during middle/high school so they might already have their own ideas-you just need to find them! I'd also recommend posting in Pagan Parenting for more advice. :) Hope you find what you're looking for!!!

[Shadowlee]

"can you be wiccan or pagan and be an atheist?"

Fiona Horne considers herself a athiest Wiccan - she believes that the gods are archetypal expressions of human traits/consciousness. She says that when she calls on a particular deity, she believes she is connecting with a part of herself.
Her books are very good and worth checking out. They were originally printed in Australia as "Witch: A Personal Journey" and "Witch: A Magickal Year", but she has also combined them into one book for release in the US and the UK as "Witch: A Magickal Journey".