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I come from a previously Christian family (they stopped going to Church or talking about it when I was still small). After that, my mother went through all kinds of newfangled religious phases (none of them either historic or monotheistic). I tried to like what she was into (my father wasn't into anything at all), but none of it really moved me. And I was looking for a tradition to identify with, I think, and no one was passing any on to me, even to let me make my own decisions about it.
So I found Judaism as a young adult just out of my father's house and fell in love with it. Tradition? They have lots of them, and a *loooong* history.
I lived as an Orthodox Jew for almost twenty years (I'm 40, as of this posting). Five years into it, I did the actual conversion. Got married and moved to Israel with my husband and children. While we were there, I discovered Christianity. (In Israel? LMAO but true) Tried to make the two work together, but that ended very badly.
After moving back to the States and a short period of atheism, I looked into Christianity again. Decided Orthodox Christianity (as in 'Eastern Orthodox,' not a euphemism for 'doctrinally correct') was closest to the source. Tried that for several months, but it was too far for us to travel every week and too demanding (all that fasting and self-examination- phew!). Decided not to be 'religious' ever again, since that had only led to insanity and tragedy for me.
(Note: in Jewish religious law, the designation "Jew" never goes away, because it's actually a tribal/family affiliation, rather than a religious one (they just insist you practice only Judaism- go figure...). As an example, you can ignore your mother, but she'll still be your mother. So technically, I am still a Jew- but at this point, who cares?)
A couple months ago, my husband mentioned Asatru to me in passing, and I looked that up. It has much to speak for it, but I am still not interested in actually joining a religion, though I do long for the social aspects of "fellowship".
I do believe in the Divine (I guess you could call me a heathen Deist?), but I think of the gods and goddesses of Norse literature as more archetypes that resonate with me (for good reason, I think: my ancestors come from Germany, England (Middlesex, Cornwall and Wales), and Slavic countries (Poland, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania), all of which were colonized by Norse/Scandinavians) and as role models ("What Would Thor Do?") with whom I can have more detailed and relevant mental conversations with, the more I learn about them. I think everybody needs stories they can connect to. For me, those stories are traditional Germanic/Norse myths and their actors (gods, heroes and villains).
Magic? Divination? I'm quite skeptical about those, though I do love ritual and symbolism, in addition to mythology. (For example, I keep a container of rock salt, rice and coins next to my bed- not as a charm I believe in, but as a very personal expression of what moves me.)
Do I fit in? :bounce:
I come from a previously Christian family (they stopped going to Church or talking about it when I was still small). After that, my mother went through all kinds of newfangled religious phases (none of them either historic or monotheistic). I tried to like what she was into (my father wasn't into anything at all), but none of it really moved me. And I was looking for a tradition to identify with, I think, and no one was passing any on to me, even to let me make my own decisions about it.
So I found Judaism as a young adult just out of my father's house and fell in love with it. Tradition? They have lots of them, and a *loooong* history.
I lived as an Orthodox Jew for almost twenty years (I'm 40, as of this posting). Five years into it, I did the actual conversion. Got married and moved to Israel with my husband and children. While we were there, I discovered Christianity. (In Israel? LMAO but true) Tried to make the two work together, but that ended very badly.
After moving back to the States and a short period of atheism, I looked into Christianity again. Decided Orthodox Christianity (as in 'Eastern Orthodox,' not a euphemism for 'doctrinally correct') was closest to the source. Tried that for several months, but it was too far for us to travel every week and too demanding (all that fasting and self-examination- phew!). Decided not to be 'religious' ever again, since that had only led to insanity and tragedy for me.
(Note: in Jewish religious law, the designation "Jew" never goes away, because it's actually a tribal/family affiliation, rather than a religious one (they just insist you practice only Judaism- go figure...). As an example, you can ignore your mother, but she'll still be your mother. So technically, I am still a Jew- but at this point, who cares?)
A couple months ago, my husband mentioned Asatru to me in passing, and I looked that up. It has much to speak for it, but I am still not interested in actually joining a religion, though I do long for the social aspects of "fellowship".
I do believe in the Divine (I guess you could call me a heathen Deist?), but I think of the gods and goddesses of Norse literature as more archetypes that resonate with me (for good reason, I think: my ancestors come from Germany, England (Middlesex, Cornwall and Wales), and Slavic countries (Poland, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania), all of which were colonized by Norse/Scandinavians) and as role models ("What Would Thor Do?") with whom I can have more detailed and relevant mental conversations with, the more I learn about them. I think everybody needs stories they can connect to. For me, those stories are traditional Germanic/Norse myths and their actors (gods, heroes and villains).
Magic? Divination? I'm quite skeptical about those, though I do love ritual and symbolism, in addition to mythology. (For example, I keep a container of rock salt, rice and coins next to my bed- not as a charm I believe in, but as a very personal expression of what moves me.)
Do I fit in? :bounce:
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