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    #61
    Re: Where did you start your path?

    When did you first *discover* paganism?
    Probably as a child through books. I fell in love with the Greek deities in C.S. Lewis' Narnia. Even though those books were about Christianity, you couldn't have told me that. They were about Bacchus and naiads and such to me. As an adult, I came to paganism through tarot. I started seriously studying the cards right around 1998/99 and that brought me to archetypes and symbolism. That led to more research and that "coming home" feeling that everyone talks about when the find the Goddess.

    Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?
    I started by reading books. Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner was my first. Then I met some folks through meetup.com and just kept going out to meet them. I spent time on some other online forums as well.

    How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?
    Not long. Like I said, many people have that feeling of coming home when they discover a pagan path. ANY pagan path.

    Do you still follow the same tradition?
    I never really had a tradition to begin with. I studied books on Wicca because that was what was available, but I've never actually called myself Wiccan. (caveat: I have to folks who don't understand paganism. If you say "I'm Wiccan" they sort of leave you alone). I'm one of the few with the very unpopular opinion that you should be initiated into that path. *ducks as tomatoes are thrown*

    ETA: Taliesyn and I just had a conversation about this thread and he informed me that I'm an idiot. I have been initiated as a Wiccan because the HPS of my coven (who was an initiated Gardnerian) initiated me. This never occurred to me because I didn't consider our coven to be purely a Wiccan coven. :P Not that it really matters that much to me. My deities have accepted me and that is more important than human acknowledgement.

    How have your beliefs changed?
    I started out by calling upon deities who had not called upon me. I think we all do this, we have to start somewhere. Now I have deities who have laid claim to me and I speak to them.

    What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?
    Taliesyn had a good one and I agree with that. Not every pagan is nice. lol I'd like to add that now I take "teachings" with a grain of salt. I do not read books on paganism or any other topic and take the contents for fact. If something resonates with me, I accept it. If it does not, I pass it by. I no longer think that what someone published is the "right" way and what I'm doing is the "wrong" way.
    Last edited by Omidottir; 26 Feb 2012, 07:46. Reason: stupidity

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      #62
      Re: Where did you start your path?

      When did you first *discover* paganism?

      early this year I started looking Into different forms of Paganisim.

      Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?

      I met a girl who told me she was a Christo-Pagan or somthing but I thought she was a nut.

      How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?

      Quite a while, It was a very emotionally engaging experience.

      Do you still follow the same tradition?

      Yes Egyptian Paganisim.

      How have your beliefs changed?

      I started off worshipping only like five Gods which has grown Into 14 Gods also I practice magic now.

      What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?

      When I was 13 I tried Theistic Satanisim on that Joy Of Satan website because I was mad at my christian parents.

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        #63
        Re: Where did you start your path?

        It was odd for me: I knew some girls in middle school who were "witches" - they watched The Craft, and the next thing you know they're walking around wearing nothing but black, scribbling in a spiral bound notebook from K-Mart at school and blabbering about how it's their Book of Shadows. I wish that sort of fluffy bunny really was just a stereotype. I believe that was the first time I heard anything about witchcraft being an actual practice, though I knew they were full of it.

        The first time I heard about actual paganism and Wicca was in one of those "gee wiz, real witches actually exist!" news articles you see around Halloween. I was 13 at the time and picked it up because I was really into fantasy novels and Charmed. Yeah, guilty. When I realized it was some boring fringe religion I threw the paper down in disgust.

        Flash forward to age 17. I had been in a terrible relationship and went to church to try to feel comforted and healed (I had been an active church member up until the school year before this). However, I felt judged for being away and dressing like a punk rocker. No one was very welcoming (just a lot of stares) and what the minister said didn't really click anymore. The stuff about being forgiven and it all being ok just felt cheap, as if being a terrible sinner was really what this was all about. It just didn't seem that simple anymore, even if it would take me another few years to full understand that sentiment. It was like I had become a big girl and couldn't go back to Narnia. Out of nowhere something clicked in my head and I remembered the news article about people who took their faith, growth and healing into their own hands.

        I picked up some books from the library and started to practice Wicca. I have refined it into a combination of neo-paganism and Buddhist philosophy over the years. It hasn't been easy, but when I did my self dedication the summer of 2004 I felt like it was the best decision I ever made. Paganism allowed me to grow and heal in a way Christianity never did. Now I wouldn't trade the knowledge and balance for anything.

        - - - Updated - - -

        You first heard about it from The Craft fan girls also? I thought I was the only one! Thankfully they didn't spoil real witchcraft for us :-)

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          #64
          Re: Where did you start your path?

          I think it was when my grandmother gave me this extremely old books about Mesoamerica, the Amazon, Amazonian culture, etc. I remember it was a very nice hardback, plain grey with a raised Aztec calender. All the contemporary photographs were taken in the 60s-70s. I just remember sitting there for hours and hours, being fascinated by the jaguars most especially but all these seemingly free people, living with nature, in that glorious 60-70s vein of photography. I still have that book and when I'm feeling down or depressed, I always pull it out because I guess, it was the only thing my real mum gave me. After that, I sought out every book on Mesoamerica that I could get my hands on and when I started to get into Mayan and Aztec spirituality and religion, it just all clicked. I started to try to practice it, as accurately as possible way before I even knew about the Pagan community or if other people even worshiped the Gods of old like I do or anything. It made total sense to me, still does given my spiritual inclinations and world -view, it always has coincided with what I already held to be true. I will say for the longest time though, I felt real odd, so I just kept it a strictly private matter.



          What really solidified it for me was when I had made an artificial but realistic skull rack, then later that night in an unrelated matter I ate some peyote and eventually, I made my way to my creation while at my peak and I just sat and stared. I couldn't describe properly all the things I felt and saw but it was enough to reassure me, this is where I'm going, this is where I'm at.
          Attached Files
          Last edited by Ramses II; 22 Jul 2012, 08:44.

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            #65
            Re: Where did you start your path?

            I was about eight years old. Ironically, one of the nuns at my old Catholic school gave me a book on Greek mythology (if you guessed the D'Aulaire book, you'd be correct). Took me over fifteen years to get on track, though.
            Of Thespiae

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              #66
              Re: Where did you start your path?

              When did you first *discover* paganism?
              I was born into the Jehovah’s Witness religion and they speak a lot about the “pagan” religions. (Basically, anything that isn’t Christian-based) I knew from as far back as I could remember that what I was being taught was not sinking in. I never felt the connection I was supposed to. I had lots of unanswered questions and I would get chewed out just for asking them.

              Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?
              Some time in middle school one of my crazy friends brought a huge Book of Shadows to school and started proclaiming she was a White Witch. It was a silly phase for her, something to grab people’s attention, but it did spark my curiosity and eventually led me to go online and start researching myself a few years later.

              How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?
              I was scared when I first began researching about anything pagan. The nagging voices in the back of my mind were making me think twice about the validity of the JW religion. It took me a good few hours to finally hit the search button without having a sense of dread all over me. Lol I pushed myself through it though. I wasn’t about to allow any person or religion have that kind of power over me.

              Do you still follow the same tradition?
              My beliefs have never stayed the same for more than a few weeks at a time. They are always evolving. I prefer it that way. Every time I’m researching about a topic, I find information about something else and digress for another several weeks.

              I began studying highly structured Wicca-esque rituals and quickly found they weren’t for me. I love some of the ideas behind it though, such as the four physical elements and what they represent, so I include some semblance of it into my work now. I say “work” because I don’t think what I do will qualify as a ceremony or ritual in the traditional sense. *shrug*

              How have your beliefs changed?
              Ever since then, all of my workings have been mostly introspective. Meditation plays a huge role; visualizations with mantras and the like. Sensory stimulation is just as important as mental, so I tend to include incense and essential oils, music and focused sounds- especially a bell or singing bowl, color and light- like candles. Magickal correspondences really don’t do much for me… so I made my own. I follow a more medical/healing based reasoning than any of the correspondences found online.

              I have recently been incorporating crystals, although not in the metaphysical sense. I use crystals as physical, more tangible, representations of whatever intent I have at the time. I place them at specific locations on and around my body help direct my attention.

              What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?
              The first time I laid out my materials to perform what was going to be my first “ritual” as per the Wiccan tradition I couldn’t go through with it because even though I was in my apartment, all by myself, I felt so silly. I ended up just doing an extended meditation while burning Frankincense.


              [color=red]My friend's mom - "What's the name of that movie with Mel Gibson and the ailiens?"
              My friend- "Passion of the Crist"
              Me= *ROFLMGAO*

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                #67
                Re: Where did you start your path?

                Greetings all.

                Knowing the definition of 'Pagan' I was born one, but not in the old European sense. I am an indigenous person who has never been converted into any other large mainstream religion.

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                  #68
                  Re: Where did you start your path?

                  When did you first *discover* paganism?
                  When I was around 13 or 14 years old.
                  Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?
                  Two of my classmates discovered Wicca and printed out around 300 pages about it in one of the school's computer rooms, then one of them met me in the hallway and asked if I could hold the papers for her while she did something else. Naturally, I started reading the papers, hehe.

                  How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?
                  Right away. From the moment I read the first page. I knew that I had to know more and try things out, but I was mainly interested in the magic. It took me around 6 months to realize that Wicca meant more to me than that.

                  Do you still follow the same tradition?
                  I don't think so. It has expanded.

                  How have your beliefs changed?
                  I have had trouble understanding why others feel the need to include different gods and godesses in their practice, in their magic. I believe in Livskraft (Life Force) and therefore have a hard time seeing the great idea about worshipping gods and godesses. A couple of days ago, however, I think I finally understood the bigger picture.


                  What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?
                  Hmm. Well, those classmates/friends of mine lied to me about there being awful demons out to get those who didn't obey the Threefold law. I believed them - for a couple of hours, haha. Otherwise, I have no clue. Sadly, I have spent most of my path reading and researching so far. I have only worked with magic once or twice.

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                    #69
                    Re: Where did you start your path?

                    When did you first *discover* paganism? Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?
                    I 'discovered' paganism roughly in my first year of high school. My mom mentioned it and got me interested in it. We both started reading up about it. I am starting (5 years later) to actual do some spells and rituals, still very confused and still very unsure of myself.


                    How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?
                    Almost immediately. I figured out it was for me because I always felt a connection towards polythesism as a kid. I was not aware polythesism was still practised until high school.

                    Do you still follow the same tradition?
                    No, but my mother still follows the same religion because she realised that some of our family members are Stregas.

                    How have your beliefs changed?
                    I'm not entirely sure. I turned atheist a long time ago, so everything about my beliefs have now changed entirely.

                    What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?
                    ... I'm not entirely sure, because I am still in the early stage. One thing is trying to do a spell with a lot of negative energy around me.

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                      #70
                      Re: Where did you start your path?

                      in this forum , learn a lot from this forum , specicial froum.

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                        #71
                        Re: Where did you start your path?

                        When did you first *discover* paganism? Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?I was brought into the catholic church by my parents when I was 13. I despised it. The hypocrites, the condescending attitude if you questioned the illogical traditions that were carried on. The fact that because I'm female I was worthless to the church. I hated it. I explored other christian religions and found them as illogical as the catholics. I had a Wiccan friend who was accepting. She didn't care that I knew nothing of wicca or paganism. She said to find what was right for me. "We all have to start somewhere" was her reply when I had to ask about the basics. "what's a book of shadows?" "what's the pentagram for?"(she said it just looks cool) "do you cast spells?" she was patient and she explained. You never got an explanation in the christian churches. I was astounded.How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for? I still don't know what *this* is. I think it's something we never fully learn. Theres always more to know. (I figured that as my philosophy when my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer...long story on that leading to the philosophy)Do you still follow the same tradition? How have your beliefs changed? I broke with my family's tradition. I've accepted that no one has the 100% perfect answer. We all know part and are all right and wrong.What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?I didn't realize that there were more groups than Asatru, wicca, and druids. No idea about Kemetics or anything else.

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                          #72
                          Re: Where did you start your path?

                          The best answer I have is when I was aware that I had a connection to the world around me. As a child I was periodically brought up in the church, mainly when my mother felt the need to repent. I could not stand the hypocrisy of church members for example I am of mixed race and the church my mother chose for her worship was that of her family's church and that might seem fine, for her, but when the congregation is comprised of racist people there isn't much happiness to be found for a little mixed girl. That is when Christianity lost it's luster for me. As I grew up I was fortunately able to spend time in the forest surrounding our farm land and I noticed as a child that I felt different surrounded by those stately trees. From there throughout my life the people I came in contact with were always Pagans and Paganism would always spring up in my pathless life. So in secret I stared to research and the more I read the more things began to make sense and above all else the energy felt right! Reading was wonderful, but I wanted a mentor to share their knowledge of this new world, however, many years later I am still seeking a teacher. Though I walked with one foot on the path and my other somewhere else. It wasn't until I got sick and close to death I really looked back on my life and realized the universe is calling me to walk the path of old. Once i recovered I made up my mind that regardless of not having a teacher I would continue my studies and do what feels right to me. That is where I am today and the way I look at things the sky is the limit for me as long as I stay true to my heart! I wish for everyone to feel the peace of being on the right path in this life.

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                            #73
                            Re: Where did you start your path?

                            I was born and raised in a Christen Methodist family, and I started to doubt my faith when I was abused by my Grandfather at quite a young age. Then my Step Father died and my Mother decided she no longer wanted to live, became addicted to alcohol and tried to take her life on more than one occasion, by which time I had become anorexic, and totally disillusioned with life in general and the Christen faith. For a very long time I wanted nothing to do with any faith what so ever, but in my late twenties I had began to feel that there was an hole in my life where my faith had been, so I started to look around at other faiths.

                            The first book I picked up was Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the solitary practitioner, and instantly it appealed to me, I read up on a number of other books covering Wicca, along with Green Witchcraft, and set about trying to piece together something I could relate to. Upon trying to come to terms with what my Grandfather put me through as a kid, I started to doubt myself and my ability to be able to forgive and except and believe in the three fold law and certain other factors in my new found faith, but I struggled on for some time.

                            Then one morning I woke up and realised that I was slowly becoming hollow inside because I felt I could not live up to the things I felt I should be as either a wiccan or a Green Which and that it would be better to go back to having no faith at all, than feel like I was a sham. There were things that still felt right to me about the path I had chows, my connection towards the Celtic God's and Goddess's, a desire to give thanks for the Earth on which I lived, and the food for which I ate. However casting a circle no matter how I tried to connect to it felt wrong, and calling down a God and Goddess just did not sit right with me, I felt far to humble to be doing such a thing (at this point I would ask any one reading this to please understand I mean no disrespect to those of you who find meaning in doing so).

                            I got to a point where I wondered if I would ever find a faith that I could truly feel comfortable with, it just seemed that I had tried so hard for so long, and still been found wanting, that I felt like giving up, but deep within me there was always something nagging at me not to. I decided to concentrate on straightening out my life, learning to love me for who I was and try to heal the scars, or at least come to terms with the scars that still haunted me from my past. A year or so later I happened to come up on a Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism Webb page, and by land and by sea HERE IT WAS! I knew instantly I had found what I was looking for, every thing clicked in to place, all toughs years of searching, and never quite getting there now gone. I had found a faith that goes right back to celebrated the traditional agricultural festivals of the Celtic people (giving thanks for my Earth and its bounty), that had a set of ethics I felt I really wanted to try and live up to, and would be proud to say I lived by.

                            I guess I never really ever followed a tradition as such, I would still say I don't I tend to go with what feel right to me at the time, and I am happier for it. Yes my beliefs have changed to a certain extent, although the Celtic connection in my path as always stayed the same.
                            As far as what I would consider to be the dumbest newbie thing I have ever done. I would say it was to try and take what I first read too literally, having said that I also try to look on every experience no matter weather I consider it right or wrong to be all part of a process of learning. Because in my experience life is far to short to beat yourself up over what you should have done or did not do, learn from it move on and try not to do it again.
                            When life hands you lemons make lemonade and find someone else who life handed them vodka and have a party.

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                              #74
                              Re: Where did you start your path?

                              Yey, my first post (not counting with the Introduction)...

                              When did you first *discover* paganism?

                              Did you read a book, or meet someone that told you about it?

                              I come from a country where I can say that 90% of the population is Catholic and there isn't pretty much an alternative or most of the people never question it. As such I was raised in catholocism but as my mother is not really into the religion thing, I also never quite involved as the majority does. As she is a historian I got to know different cultures and beliefs and since a young age I was fascinated by the Celts. I can say I got into paganism because I really liked the Celtic culture and even nowadays they have influence in the traditions of my land as they mixed with the Iberians in northern Portugal. I read the Mist of Avalon too early for my age, now that I think of it, but that also pushed me further into paganism although at the time I wasn't really aware of it.

                              How long did it take you to figure out that *this* (whatever the heck that *this* was for you) was what you were looking for?

                              A while I think. I was a pagan as I said without being aware of it. Only when I knew a girl in high school that was Wiccan and we started to talk. Altough I never was and am Wiccan, I could find many similarities as the love for nature and really thinking for ourselves.


                              Do you still follow the same tradition?

                              Yes, I do, although now I'm less "ceremonial". I celebrate certain important dates but only when I feel up to it. I've been discovering a much more deep and primitive connection with everything around me, without the need for rituals and I like it more that way. I like to follow the old ways, and the principles that were present in the celts, like Honor, loyalty, being true to yourself, stand your ground and have courage in every aspects of life.

                              How have your beliefs changed?
                              Like I said, I became less ceremonial...and I talk more to Morrigan than the rest of the gods. (Sorry for that if you're listening )

                              What (in your estimation) is the dumbest newbie thing you did or thought?

                              Well, two things. First, at the time I thought iI had to do everything by the rules, but I soon found out that I could make my own way and I've been doing that ever since. Secondly, and also due to the
                              acquaintanceship with some Wiccans I thought, in the beginning that I had to give more attention to the Goddess than to the other gods. Not criticizing but I don't think that is right, at least for me. The Goddess, the God, all the the minor gods have the same importance, although I feel more close to Morrigan, but that doesn't mean I am only devoted to her.


                              "I was born from a Spark and Fire I became"

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                                #75
                                Re: Where did you start your path?

                                My family was nominally Catholic, although my dad is an Atheist and I'm pretty sure my Mum only went to church for the sake of us kids. Anyway she stopped dragging us along when I was 8 or 9, presumably picking up on our total lack of interest. A few years later my older sister got into the fluffier end of Wicca and started lending me her books. Neither of us stuck with it for long, but while she drifted back to Christianity later on, for me it was a gateway to a wider world of paganism, the occult and various forms of alternative spirituality. I did a lot of reading and study through my teen years, though little actual practice, and stopped entirely for a few years in my late teens/early 20's, only to be drawn back to it a year or so ago, this time practicing actively along with my study.

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