Since there appears to be such a motley crew here, perhaps we can all share our particular brand of Paganism.

I'm a Wiccan priestess, an elder in my tradition, NROOGD. I've identified as Wiccan since 1987 and been associated with the San Francisco Bay Area pagan community since 1993. I'm currently in the process of hiving off my own coven from an existing group.

What about you?

B*Bzzz
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

[This message has been edited by Melissa (edited 09-27-2000).]

I consider myself of the earth religion, caring for the earth, and knowing the earth is important. I just call myself a pagan cause it's what people can relate most to and it best reflects some of my values.

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and it best reflects some of my values

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If this it too personal a question, just say so Would you mind trying to summarize your values as they relate to your perspective?

B*Bzzz
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

I have a shamanistic belief system. I believe pagan is defined as anyhting not Jehovanic if I'm not mistaken, so it includes buddists, Wiccans, etc.

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I have a shamanistic belief system.

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Do you have a specific path that you follow? For example, are you sympathetic with the traditional shamanistic tribes as described in Eliade, do you follow a Casteneda or other neo-shamanistic model, or do you subscribe to the western-European shamanism found in Wicca and other Celtic based traditions? Or something else entirely?

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pagan is defined as anyhting not Jehovanic

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That is one definition. The trouble there is that some of the folks who would then fall under the umbrella of Paganism would object (Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, etc.).

Personally, I believe it's more respectful to let people self-identify their religion as Paganistic rather than forcing the label upon them.

B*Bzzz!
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

Alot of the herb power is pluasible and is pretty neat. I get that alot from Wicca/Pagan books. Scott Cunningham

i'm a death totIng motherfucker, motherfucker. i'm superfly TNT. You dont even know what i mean, but i'm absolutely serIous. i dont capItalIze my eyes, except when theyre In words, on PURPOSE�! the dIrt i could dIg up about myself would make satan blush, then gIve HIM dIuretIc bacterIal dyspeptIc dyssenter-Ie!! he ran to the bathroom, now i'm In control of hell. i'm my own GOD, and "Bob" Is my co-pIlot... of DOOM! i have possesion of all so-called lost souls, and i'm takIng them back to urth, because they can recognIze false primedirect profets better than eye can. when eyeve fInIshed that, eye'll move on to hevIn, eye here gOD Is quIte the false profet hIsself. Just thInk've all the pInks he's got under hIs thumb. hE'S practIcally the CON hISSELF!

oh and pagans should learn to trust In the wun troo Nu Wage religion. PRAiSE "BOB"!!

Well uh. Actually I am an intermediate, But I sometimes enjoy practicing magick, be it real or not. Mages, circles, the elements and such.

Reformed Thelemite. Realist Chaotic.

I believe what I see, and sometimes not even then.

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Reformed Thelemite. Realist Chaotic.

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Just for funzies (and I because I can't resist the blatant plug) check out my boyfriend's website; he's a long time practitioner of the Craft and various magical systems; the past few years he's focused on and thoroughly enjoyed Chaos Magic.

4 Winds Bar: http://home.earthlink.net/~fintach

Or directly to his magic section at: http://home.earthlink.net/~fintach/magic.html

B*Bzzz!
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

A combination of personal experience tempered with some of the contact I've had with Yacci (sp?) Tribe Native Americans. I stay out of the metaphysics section of the bookstore and I'm not a crystal Banger.

Yea, alot of crystal stuff is lamo, in my humble opion.

I see wicca (personally) as nothing more than autosuggestion. Visualize this, concentrate on this. Not that there is anything wrong with this. You can just find it in "New-Age" or "Self-Help." Thats how i see it anyways. I wanted to believe in it as a religion at one time, but could not. I was trying to teach myself, so maybe I was just looking in the wrong places.

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I wanted to believe in it as a religion at one time, but could not. I was trying to teach myself, so maybe I was just looking in the wrong places.

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That might have been a factor; Wicca is an experiential and initiatory religion. As a teacher of the Craft within my tradition of Wicca, it's my job to give my group experiences until they have their own "Aha!" moment. Change and repeat as necessary. It's also my job to work with the individuals to assure that I work within their own paradigms when necessary.

It also may not have been a factor at all - Wicca isn't right for everyone. But for those of us that it fits, it's much more than autosuggestion It's a means for each of us to experience direct communication with the gods (trance possession is one of the definitive roles of the priestess or priest.)

Blessings,
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

What kind of pagan am I?

Hmmm. Null-Set? Can I be That?

not quite pagan...

We are all pagans, we all came from the earth

By your logic, bongman, then corn and fungi, garden slugs, spiders, even birds, are pagan.

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We are all pagans, we all came from the earth

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I think this definition is a tad too broad

Generic definitions of the term vary - country dweller, a *worker* of the earth, is one form of definition. A person who is not of monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) is another, and there's bickering within those faiths over how "pagan" is further defined.

"Neo-pagan", is a term where we can be more specific since we've coined it. A Neo-pagan is a person who, in one form or another, reconizes the sanctity of life as found in all around us in nature and beyond.

B*Bzzz
-M
http://www.bbzzz.com

Im an elemental mage. ITs not a good a idea to Screw with someone that can make his fist almost as hard as rock or to take punches as if they were pokes in the ribs

Yeah dude but if I attack you with my +12 Hackmaster I can totaly take you out. It does 2d20 damage and I have a base +14 to attack. I'm a 17th level Fighter/Barbarian /Necromancer and I can punish you...

hahaha eldritch... that was great. but, i still prefer my Monk with duel Kama. he whips ass.

i personally believe that the world and its elements, and its contents were for us to use. In my beliefs, God made all of these things for our use so that we could live. but to treat them right is a holy thing to do.

i do not find sanctity in things found in nature because the Bible defines that as idolitry.

and God, being the jealous entity that he is, rejects having his followers worship any sort of Graven Image. Some may say that the Cross is a graven image by that definition. it is not, it is merely a means by wich we remember Christ.

[This message has been edited by Bar room hero (edited 10-10-2000).]

And I was stoned stoned stoned stoned.