I think my main issue is whether or not I am "pagan". That's kinda why I'm asking about a path. Besides an extremely eclectic version of paganism, I don't think I'm really all that pagan. To me, I'd be so eclectic that I'm no longer pagan and I would just be stretching the term thin. It doesn't help that I lean more towards a monotheistic mindset. Even when viewing gods as aspect of one divine, I view them more as how WE view the singularity, rather than a multiplicity of divinities creating a whole. Of the pagan pantheons, I'm most interested in Norse and Heathenry. I've noticed that hard polytheism, folkish (to, sadly, racist) beliefs, and a basis towards being non-eclectic are especially prevalent in the Heathen community. These "stereotypes", and personal experiences, have made me shy away from Heathenry. Because of that, among other things, I don't particularly feel "at home" within the community, along with aforementioned discussions.
1. I am a pantheist/panentheist(depending on how you view it) and, possibly(?), a soft polytheist. I believe in the interconnectedness of the universe and that the divine insects and is part of everything. I also believe that this being is beyond the physical universe. This "thing" doesn't have a body or any remotely human qualities, but I believe that the divine may appear as it wills. This includes the deities of the various different religions. From my understanding, the divine is viewed in a way related to culture and history. In that way, I assume that I'm universalistic.
2. My beliefs in the "otherworld" is somewhere between reincarnation and the pagan views of an "afterlife". Honestly, I have my ideas, but I think your life now is more important that the possible outcomes of an afterlife.
3. Although a viable option of religious and spiritual practice for other people, I don't practice magic. The occult and magic have always been interesting to me, but I don't thank that that is something that I'm going for in my spiritual practices. With that in mind, I do find Spiritualism and communication with the dead the most interesting. Somewhat related, I don't go for spiritual healing practices either.
4. I believe in light and dark forces that are inherent in the fabric of the cosmos. Instead of polar opposites opposing each other, it's more like everything is a grey area meshed together with only the extreme edges being "truly" black and white. With that, I also believe that there are entities in the universe that wish to cause harm and help people. Not specifically like the Christian Satan, but things "somewhat" similar.
5. Because of my pan(en)theistic views I an spiritually inclined towards nature. Although I wouldn't say that I worship nature, or anything particularly for that matter, I do feel a deep reverence for and tranquility in nature.
6. In regards to the pan(en)theism, I'm not entirely sure if there are incarnations of the divine among humanity. If that happened, to me at least, the "incarnation" would represent the manifestation of the divine that is inherent in everyone and has been fully tapped into. Because of the inherent dark and light in everyone, this could range from someone extremely "good" to someone extremely "evil". To tap into oneself is to tap into the divine.
Thanks in advance to those looking at this and those that answer. I appreciate all the help that I get.
1. I am a pantheist/panentheist(depending on how you view it) and, possibly(?), a soft polytheist. I believe in the interconnectedness of the universe and that the divine insects and is part of everything. I also believe that this being is beyond the physical universe. This "thing" doesn't have a body or any remotely human qualities, but I believe that the divine may appear as it wills. This includes the deities of the various different religions. From my understanding, the divine is viewed in a way related to culture and history. In that way, I assume that I'm universalistic.
2. My beliefs in the "otherworld" is somewhere between reincarnation and the pagan views of an "afterlife". Honestly, I have my ideas, but I think your life now is more important that the possible outcomes of an afterlife.
3. Although a viable option of religious and spiritual practice for other people, I don't practice magic. The occult and magic have always been interesting to me, but I don't thank that that is something that I'm going for in my spiritual practices. With that in mind, I do find Spiritualism and communication with the dead the most interesting. Somewhat related, I don't go for spiritual healing practices either.
4. I believe in light and dark forces that are inherent in the fabric of the cosmos. Instead of polar opposites opposing each other, it's more like everything is a grey area meshed together with only the extreme edges being "truly" black and white. With that, I also believe that there are entities in the universe that wish to cause harm and help people. Not specifically like the Christian Satan, but things "somewhat" similar.
5. Because of my pan(en)theistic views I an spiritually inclined towards nature. Although I wouldn't say that I worship nature, or anything particularly for that matter, I do feel a deep reverence for and tranquility in nature.
6. In regards to the pan(en)theism, I'm not entirely sure if there are incarnations of the divine among humanity. If that happened, to me at least, the "incarnation" would represent the manifestation of the divine that is inherent in everyone and has been fully tapped into. Because of the inherent dark and light in everyone, this could range from someone extremely "good" to someone extremely "evil". To tap into oneself is to tap into the divine.
Thanks in advance to those looking at this and those that answer. I appreciate all the help that I get.