What kind of Pagan are YOU?

[HeathenMaiden]

Asatruar I am :D

[CoyoteShadow]

I'm one of those neo-shamans everybody whines about.

Except I don't falsely claim Native American heritage. I don't worship at sites sacred to Native Americans. In fact we have very little in common with Native Americans. I'm far more concerned about what I discover than what they have discovered and came up with.

So, yeah. I guess you could call me an eclectic pagan, too.

[Avalanche]

I said Asatru since it's probably close enough. I don't know what to call myself.

[mystic_peacock]

I voted General Pagan, but I'll write my personal beliefs to give you a better idea of my vote :)

I believe in the polar energies of Male and Female... I think that there is a Divine God and Divine Goddess, however I do not think they are sentient: I believe that they do not listen to/grant prayers or favors, not because they don't want to but because they are energies, not individuals. They do not "hear" in the way we often attribute to them. That is why bad things can happen to good people. Nature is nature, part of the divine, the divine's physical manifestation maybe, but not CONTROLLED by the divine as we think of gods controlling happenings.

I believe that the individual gods and goddesses are archetypes, representations that humans invented and feel more comfortable with. Such faces were created because humans have an easier time worshipping an image than an idea: gods and goddesses are faces used to worship the Divine Male and Female energies.

I think that if people believe enough their beliefs can shape the energies around them (much like magic) and so for some people divination is real, magic is real.

I also think myths are stories used to explain things before science came along... which ties in with my belief that the gods are archetypes and not individuals.

:)
Have a great one!!
--Serra

[Mesektet]

Though I'm following a Hindu path, I would not rightly call myself one until I am actually ready and go through the namakarana. Until then, should the need for a title or name come up, will-worker is more than adequate.

[angelmikayla]

Eclectic Wiccan

[Arcana]

I voted "Other", but I don't call myself anything. My beliefs are influenced by Taoism and certain forms of Gnosticism to an extent, but with the exception of one, the deities I honor are "pagan".

[Twinkle]

I'm an Other.

Hellenic Polytheist

[calm under waves]

general pagan.

i guess.

i like certain aspects of wicca and celtic/druids. so i'm generally a pagan, and incorporate different types of stuff in my life.

[BlueWaves]

i'm a chaos mage with a belief of a creator. I use chaos and create by will and intention. I don't subscribe to any deity and thus i'm not on their timewatch.

I do however do some pratices or rituals from other pagan groups as they are fun and make me laugh sometimes. :)

[rainqueen]

Of those choices I guess "nature loving tree-hugger" fits best, since that's what drew me to paganism, and other than that I'm not quite sure where I fit in. I guess "general pagan" fits too. I'm interested in witchcraft and Celtic paganism/ druidry, but don't know enough yet to identify myself as anything specific.

[Jolixte]

A bad one!

[peggarty]

Has a lot of Karma . . . have some more

[cesara]

I chose other. Gnostic Witch with a current interest in more hermetic aspects.

[LadyAquamarina]

I am a Wiccan, training with the Sacred Mists Tradition online, in "real" life I am solitary.

[Skadi]

I'm Asatruar.

[Searching_Soul2586]

I put down that I was general pagan due to the fact that I'm not knowledgeable enough in any one type of path. I do, however, believe in some basic ideas related to paganism...so I guess that's where I stand as of now. I am looking more into Asatru and I'm feeling a stronger pull from it than anything else...too bad there isn't a Metal Pagan :lol:

that'd be awesome

[Whitewolf]

Along with my interest and leanings toward the Egyptian pantheon, shamanism and animism I am also fascinated by the Celtic and Norse Gods/ Goddesses. I'm sort of ecclectic when it comes down to it and I'm an open minded person.

[VioletJadeWolf]

Earthy esoteric Christian Witch.

[Anita]

I'm a druid but my prefered deities are Bast, Het-Heret (Hathor) and the trinitarian Yahweh.

Druidic beliefs such as Awen, divine inspiration, beliefs about cycles and the emphasis on learning all suit me very well.

[Astara Seague]

witch..greenwitch to be exact

[brytmaiden]

Dianic Wiccan

[SoulFire]

So fill out the poll above and let me know which sect fits you the best. (I apologize in advance - I know I can't have remembered every sect possible, hence "Other".) Then tell me in this thread what led you to that particular sect, and why it fits your beliefs better than any other.

I'm interested to discover what beliefs we as pagans have in common, and where we differ. For instance, I've seen posts on this board that say that not all pagans are nature-based, and that not all pagans believe in the universality of deity. So what do you believe? The floor is open!



Feri/Faery Witch (non-Wiccan), Vicia line. I call myself simply a country Witch.

I was initiated into this path when I was 19 by a former teacher and again later by the founders of the tradition. I founded the Vicia line.

Ours is nature-based, and I believe in the universality of Deity, whom we call the Star Goddess or Father-Mother God. I am also polytheistic.

This tradition fits me because I believe that ritual should not be performed by rote but have a certain amount of spontaneity, that eroticism or ecstasy is the driving force in the universe (not polarity necessarily), and I relate to the Godhead as female primarily, plus I love folk lore and folk magic. Being somewhat old-fashioned, I also prefer to learn and teach by hands-on instruction, and do not read many of the newer books on the Craft. In Vicia, we highly value oral tradition. Tools may be simple or elaborate, and I prefer handmade tools. Rituals are simple, direct, and stylistically diverse. I believe that magic should be practical, and it may be used in self-defense or to bind someone when necessary (I am not a passivist). I believe in Honor, Loyalty, and Truth. I believe in the ideas of the Copper Decagram (Love-Wisdom-Knowledge-Law-Liberty-Sex-Self-Passion-Pride-Power) and the Tenets (as espounded by Sybil Leek in The Complete Art of Witchcraft). The secrets of the Craft are not shared with outsiders. We feel that initiation is required for full participation in the Craft (at least in our tradition). I prefer to teach one-on-one in an apprenticeship model. We do not actively seek converts. We also do not deride other paths or religions, including Christianity.

B*B,
SF

[MagickalHack]

I practice a form of shamanism that I have adapted to fit myself.

Basically many influences involved, Shamanism being the most prevalent[sp?]

[BFD_Zayl]

I voted as other, being a necromancer I could be called a cerimonialist, but I do other stuff.

[spiritbear99]

I put "other"... I am in General Paganism right now until I learn more about Shamanism and Asatru/Vanatru. I won't dive into anything until I research it and know that it is right for me.

[Windsmith]

Oooh! I've undergone a transformation and can now offer a new description of myself (oooh! aaaah!): Pagan Pantheist.

[WhoseLineBabygirl]

i really dont know i just do little spells here and there and go about my day *shrugs* i'm still learning since i just started about a year ago

[SSanf]

What kind of Pagan are YOU?

Uh.......lazy?

[October]

I'm a little of a lot of things. Mostly I'm a witch, a practical witch, meaning not much actual worship. Sometimes I remember to do my devotions, but it's mostly occasional spells and I do holidays when I get the chance. I call myself Celti-Pictish because the old Celtic faith (sans sacrificing, though I do see the importance of it. Unfortunately, the closest thing I have to livestock is my cat. And that's just not gonna happen!) speaks to me most, and the Pictish faith is more practical and less ceremonial. I do occasionally pray, mostly to Rhiannon, who spoke to me in a meditation, and has spoken to me at one other time. At other times, I try to do things in a "Pagan" way, stirring food deosil, cleaning with purification (and not pouting) in mind, etc etc. I think that's about it, really.

[Coinin]

I am pround to say that I am a tree-hugger!
- Well, not really. But I love the thought:)
I guess I am just a human these days, discovering her ways and where the path leads her, We'll see, I've never liked labels too much (so, why did I post here..). I am learning to know nature itself. So, I do not know if it makes me a shaman, witch, chaos-magican or buddhist...

[Windsmith]

I am pround to say that I am a tree-hugger!
- Well, not really. But I love the thought:)I invite you to hug as many trees as you can, as often as you can. It works wonders for the aimless spirit.

[aranarose]

I am other. Of course I'm not entirely what other means at this point. It's sort of an eclectic blend of Hoodoo (not Voodoo, though I've studied it), Kitchen/Hedge Witchcraft, and personal beliefs

[wskruse]

I have to agree with a lot of whats already been said. Defining oneself as something specific seems to put boundaries on what is, at its heart, a purely emotional venture. Having said that I find that I would probably fall into the general pagan catagory, but my personal beliefs are pretty diverse making it difficult to call myself anything, even something so general as "pagan."

[Amythyst]

I am a wildly eclectic female witch who will try any type of magick once...if it works, I just may use it again. If it doesn't, I'll find something that does.


_vb_

[~ lowlinora ~]

Thats what I am trying to find out. So many choices, so much to learn. I may end up learning that there is no "one" path that fits all my beliefs and choose an interesting mix. :reading:

[CheshireEyes]

I'd tell ya, but then i'd hafta wipe your memory clean right after....and that can be SOOOOOOO time-consuming....:goodgrief :cool:

[Rainsong]

I generally consider myself eclectic wiccan but I am not sure now that that's the right "label." I Believe in the God and Goddess but pull from the pantheons based on my needs. I am drawn to Hindu Gods and Goddesses the most but find Budda and Quan Yin hanging out in my dreams on a regular basis. I even practice some shamanistic ways due to my husbands belief system. So I don't really know how to classify myself other than just "pagan."

Anyone have any comments or suggestions for me? Feel free to let me know.:)

[RenDjembe]

Elemental/Celtic Pagan. My Witchcraft is Hoodoo.
I have studied African Vodun Haition Vodun & New Orleans Voodoo.

[Evernight]

Egyptian Pagan. Reconstructionist and kitchen witch.

[Dark Phoenix]

I guess I would call myself a Wiccan although I have debated on whether to just call myself a plain old witch or pagan.

[Ælfred]

I chose Asatru/Norse Paganism. Basically I practice Anglo-Saxon heathenry (ASH) but have no problem with borrowing from other Germanic traditions. There are some Hindu/eastern ideas I incorporate into be own beliefs as well. So I couldn't be considered a strict reconstructionist.

[Whitewolf]

I already discussed what kind of pagan I am earlier in this thread, but still if I had to label my path it would be: a polytheist Shamanistic ecclectic pagan. I believe in many gods and goddesses. I feel a very strong connection to the Egyptian God Set. My favorite pantheons being Celtic, Egyptian and Norse. Although I have a connection to other deities besides the ones from those pantheons.

[Sage]

Well this is a hard question, I have been trying to answer for a couple of weeks. So in answering this poll, I hope to gain some clarity for myself as well.

Choosing from the options, I would say I am a soft Pagan, learning Druidry and Celtic teachings (hoping to build an Irish Celtic Druid Pagan path), Green Witch, so it goes without saying I am also a nature loving-tree hugger. As a lasp Muslimah, if you will. I do still keep some of the learnings from that path as well.

Um, I guess its a start for me to clarity in understanding myself.

Sage

[Sharpchick]

It's hard for me to put a label on what I am - when asked, I say "pagan," and when pressed, I say "solitary pagan," but that seems a tad simplistic.

I incorporate elements of the traditions of my Caddo ancestors into my practice. They honored Father Sun and Mother Earth, which explains to me at least in part the reason that for years, I've been drawn to and collecting images of a radiant sun and hanging them on any available vertical surface in and outside my home. It also helps to explain why I get an almost obsessive need to get outside in my garden on a daily basis (I content myself with my houseplants in the winter and one of my co-workers calls my office at work a jungle.)

The bottom line for me is that deity has both a feminine and masculine face, and I refer to it as the Great Spirit. I believe that the creation looks like the creator and so at various times, I can easily relate the aspects of many deities to situations and my moods. I use statuary of various deities (from many pantheons) as tools for meditation, either for aspects I find I need to work on or things I have recognized that I should celebrate.

The posts in this thread are very interesting reading for me.

[Amythyst]

I am wildly eclectic with a taste for the Black Arts and a strong leaning towards Hoodoo. At the same time I revere the Goddess and her consort and abide by whatever rules I think are pertinent to my well being and that of my family.

And remember...rules are meant to be broken.

[Fire-scryer]

Asatru

[Tanya]

I follow a generally Wiccan path... we have some family tradition which is Appalachian Folk tradition.... but the two seem to fit.... worship to practice....

we'ld lost a lot of the ritual that Wiccan rituals seemed to fill well, but we have a strong kitchen/green tradition of practice.

lol I guess its "Long Reconstructionist" (Long being my Welsh ancestor who brought most of our folk wisdom to America.)


and i'm a pretty rabid tree hugger.

:)

[Mits_Giotix]

Wiccan.,although I do like druidry and I want to learn more. But as for now, Wiccan.

[Baby_Grl00]

I would say that I am Pagan. I am researching other forms of paganism, but sticking to what i feel is right for me. I follow my own beliefs and let my spirituality guide me.

[The Amityville Ghost]

I guess I'm an Eastern pagan, since I'm a Yezidic polymonohenopantheist. (Try saying that when you're drunk!)

[Halstrom]

I voted General Pagan, though I have a general bent towards Hellenismo, I actually don't know about enough it to truly call it my path, that and the fact that I'm just a seeker at this phase. I've actually called myself Wiccan, and for a short while Asatru, only to find out that they were not the paths for me.

[FaeSpirit39]

This was a hard one for me, but I chose nature loving tree hugger, doesn't quite describe me, but general pagan doesn't either. I am in an inbetween stage while I am searching for the right path for me.

[Tanya]

non sectarian with Wiccan values, a family tradition, a poet, a passionate practitioner of natural history, healing, animal work, and herbalism...

so at the momment that means I'm a hedgewitch

[Nyctale]

I guess I'm just a boring General Pagan, student of the natural world, the unnatural world, and the accelerating universe :)

[Solya]

I'm another one of the non-sectarian pagans, but I'm still seeking for the right path... Druidry has appealed to me for quite some time now and I really do want to look into that sooner or later... but I can basically find something I like in almost any "section" of paganism and I think I need to search more before I can be sure. I'm non-sectarian until decided otherwise, then. :smile:

[Amilee]

Little help in this would be nice. I'd say that spiritually I'm a scholar, I study gather and research things about magic and meditate on them.

I have two gods at the moment but they chose me. Mnemosyne and Hermaphroditos. Both are Greek in origin.

I have strong skills in Empathy, Clarivoyance and other Divinatory arts.

....I'd like to know where I belong. It would help in my studies to be sure.

[PrincessKLS]

Other, I'm a Christian witch/Christopagan that draws inspiration from Wicca, general witchcraft (celtic and Far Eastern inspired ideals), Catholicism, and generalized/simplified Protestantism.

[Mysterious Willow]

I picked other because I pick and choose which works for me. Right now I'm a Draconic Wiccan but there is no difference other than calling upon dragons to assit you in magick and such.

[patch]

I'm a hellenic polytheist. (thats greek btw).

So I voted 'other'.

[peggarty]

Think I originally voted '"Witch" not Wiccan, now I'm leaning towards Wicca more and more.

[Nightlady]

I´m a tree-hugging-nature-lover in the scense that my beliefs are mostly animist... I do however bring in aspects of old Norse and old Finnish folk religion...

[Babylon]

Hi, I picked other. I'm a Babylonian Polytheist and Near Eastern Astrologist. My beliefs are heavily astral so that I worship the 7 traditional planets and stars of the zodiac as iconic symbols of various deities.

[Shanti]

Wow, 2003 and first now I did the poll. LOL
Other.
I am a happy shake and bake mix of me, myself and I beliefs pulled out of nowhere from nothing!! ;)

[LibraMoon]

a bit of this, a bit of that pagan :)

[Avalonia]

Apparently, when I voted on this, I considered myself "Wiccan".

In any case, I'd be under "Other" now. XD I consider myself a somewhat heretical Christian now.

[Louisvillian]

Eclectic Wiccan here. Hey, someday it will be an "old tyme religion". :D
Same here. I am a solitary eclectic.
I see the God and Goddess are supreme gods in a broad pantheon. While I venerate and honour Them above all others, I also venerate other gods and beings as corollaries to the Lord and Lady, but within their own context. For example, I'd never invoke Zeus with Juno, or The Dagda with Isis. I'd invoke them in the context of their original pantheon, so as not to be rude or disrespectful.

[Thyrsos]

I'm a Rhapsodic Bohemian

[Hunger]

I've worshiped quite a few deities over time, they change names a lot of times, and sometimes they mix and match, but usually the same one or two are the ones being mixed together and then divided back up.

Ankei and Akass

Antat, Mot and Refa-im

Djehueti, Ausset and Asaar

Pretty much just a litany of gods and goddesses of death, knowledge, magic, and the underworld. They exist in pretty much any culture I've ever bothered to look at though within the subgroup they tend to be mixed and matched, though they all also tend to possess the same personality mix as well as spheres of influence.

[Dushara]

I'll have to vote "other" for this.

I am a Yemenite Pagan. Yemen or "Al-Yaman" means "The South" which refers to South Arabia in the ancient world and the official country of Yemen in the world today.

I am firstly a Polytheist. I believe in a pantheon of deities, chiefly Semitic.

Secondly my path would be considered reconstructionist, however there is so much to reconstruct and understand that simply can't be done without literary and further archeological evidence.

Thirdly, the reason for my attempt of such a darkened and cloudy path, interest, and reverence is primarily from divine inspiration lol :)

[David19]

I'll have to vote "other" for this.

I am a Yemenite Pagan. Yemen or "Al-Yaman" means "The South" which refers to South Arabia in the ancient world and the official country of Yemen in the world today.

I am firstly a Polytheist. I believe in a pantheon of deities, chiefly Semitic.

Secondly my path would be considered reconstructionist, however there is so much to reconstruct and understand that simply can't be done without literary and further archeological evidence.

Thirdly, the reason for my attempt of such a darkened and cloudy path, interest, and reverence is primarily from divine inspiration lol :)

That sounds really interesting, Dushara, I'm really interested in the ancient religions and Gods of the ancient Middle East, I'm a Sumerian Recon, and I worship and serve Ereshkigal, a Goddess and ruler of the Kur (the Sumerian underworld), and I really would love to learn more about ancient Arabian religions and Gods, or anything to do with the ancient Arabs. Are there any good resources you could recommend, I'd really appreciate it :).

Also, good luck with your reconstruction, I know how hard it can be reconstructing a religion, and worshipping Gods, or a specific God, etc, without much info, I have to do a lot of research too, about the Sumerian religion, and Gods, and there's not much published on Ereshkigal (Inanna, Enki, and, sometimes, Enlil, etc are the more popular Gods that are written about and worshipped, especially the first 2). Although there is one book I want to get on the underworld in Mesopotamian sources, which I really, really want to get, I just need to find out how much it is, and see if I (or, hopefully, my mum ;)!) can afford to get it (I can't remember the title, but when I find it again, I'll post it :)).

[Élistariel]

General, I guess. I don't worship anyone or celebrate any pagan holidays.
I do like celtic myths, if that counts for anything. I wouldn't begin to know how to celebrate a holiday, not to mention all my family is baptist and I do Christian holiday stuff with them. I'm also to broke/lazy to bother doing something just for me.
Right now I'm (trying to) concentrate on getting a job.

[YoungSoulRebel]

I'm an Hellenistos; I practise Hellenismos/Hellenic polytheism.

[ninurta2008]

I put other, because I am a Babylonian pagan.

[Pagan Mantis]

I'm a Druid! :boing:

[Sionnach le Fey]

3 years ago, when I first posted in this thread, I was a 'nature-loving, tree-hugging witch'.

Fast forward to 2009 and I'm still a witch, only now I'm also a Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu :smile: With some Tameran Wicca practices on the side.

[Gaudior]

I chose "Eastern Pagan" since I am drawn to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shintoism.

[la tortuga]

I am Asatru. :)

[Y Ladi Wen]

I voted "other" cuz I'm about 4 or 5 things mentioned in that poll. :uhhuhuh:

[ninurta2008]

I'll have to vote "other" for this.

I am a Yemenite Pagan. Yemen or "Al-Yaman" means "The South" which refers to South Arabia in the ancient world and the official country of Yemen in the world today.

I am firstly a Polytheist. I believe in a pantheon of deities, chiefly Semitic.

Secondly my path would be considered reconstructionist, however there is so much to reconstruct and understand that simply can't be done without literary and further archeological evidence.

Thirdly, the reason for my attempt of such a darkened and cloudy path, interest, and reverence is primarily from divine inspiration lol :)
What are some of the Yemeni deities? Never heard of it before, I am a believer in babylonian gods, they too are semitic, so I wonder if there are any similarities.

[amidalen]

I said other. I am an eclectic pagan, a witch, and a nature loving tree hugger.

[Ara]

I choose other.

I'm practicing Armenian paganism or recon polytheism or however you wanna put it! lol
I usually describe it as Armenian polytheism.

Armenians were probably an ancient Iranian people related to Scythians, Saka, Persians, Sarmatians, Massagetae, and other known tribes of Iranic origin. Their religious beliefs in pre-christian times had Iranian, Graeco-Anatolian, and Syrian elements. A pantheon of 12 national deities show up in classical times and were worshipped by the people. They continue to be honored to this day in Armenia and maybe by a few like me outside of the country who came to be inspired by them ;)

[*oonagh*]

i'm a pantheist.

[Paulienm]

I guess general, since I'm a little bit of everything from the above... But without any specific path.

[TheLittleWitchy]

I am a non-Wiccan witch, and a bit of a tree hugger too. :hahugh:

[Lokian]

...I could fit into more then one though I felt "general pagan" didn't cover it. I guess to me "general pagan" refers to someone who doesn't specifically work with certain paths or systems, or who works with many different ones in a mish-mash type of way, or who couldn't specifically point out which paths and systems they draw from.


Exactly. I do worship mish-mashy and I couldn't pick just one or even define where I draw from. But instead of using my brain and hitting "other" [lol] I voted Norse, since that's where I get Loki. ;)

[Twinkle]

I voted "other".

I am a Traditional Hellenic Reconstructionist - a practitioner of Hellenismos.

[Papilion Hija]

Recovered from Christianity.
Lapsed agnostic.
Quite surprised to find myself on the pagan path but have been drawn to it.
Other is because I am moving in a couple of the directions above and will have to wait and see what path unfolds.

[C. Iulia Regilia]

Basicly pan-middleastern as much as that makes sense. Mostly Babylonian, though I include dieties from other regional pantheons (Nabatean Arab and Canaanite, mostly).

Personally, I think this is the closest you can get to a primievil religion. Judaism, Islam and Christianity came from Canaanite religion and Babylonian religion.

[herbal_legends]

Not religious...just a traditional witch :cutie:

[volrath50]

I've been loosely trying to follow Asatru for most of the past seven years.

[Somnious]

I voted "Other", but I probably should have went with General Pagan. I pull from Buddhism, Norse, Pantheism and consider myself a bit of a Natural Witch. I'm still trying to get use to considering myself Pagan at all, though.

[Louisvillian]

I went on a bit of a personal journey and after I spent some time in a state of ambivalence about Wicca. I explored a more generalised, eclectic paganism. But I kept being drawn back towards the gods I had worshipped and worked with, and the ritual structure of Wicca that had worked well for me.
By now, I've come full circle and am back to actively practising a semi-eclectic, semi-traditional form of Wicca. My girlfriend has joined me, and we practise as Solitary Wiccans of-sorts. Not of any tradition or sect, but not just on our own since we both join in rituals.

[The Grumble]

I started off waaaay back in my preteens as a Wiccan, and then slowly evolved throughout my adult life to be something more like an Atheist Pagan. I don't believe in deities, just energy. I do what feels right to me. :)

[a shining light]

I suppose I follow more of the Wiccan route, though I've done a lot of research and feel drawn to the Celtic/Druidry path as well. I traced my ancestry back to ancient Scotland and Ireland so I guess that's why I feel so drawn to it.