Help With My Path of Paganism!!

[Creativemind243]

Hello! My name's Megan and I was raised Christian. Over the past year or so, I've decided that Christianity isn't the right path for me, so I've been looking into other paths to follow. Upon doing my research, my friends have introduced me to Paganism and Wicca. I've been studying Wicca since before February 2014, and I feel drawn to it. Well, I really want to do rituals and honor the Goddess and God. My problem is that I chicken out right before the ritual. I'm just really nervous. Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God? I know I'm probably just overreacting (like I always do), but I just want to find a path that I can stick to. How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

[SleepingCompass]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

My very first ritual was actually something I tried with a couple of my friends; I'd gotten a book on witchcraft for Christmas that year and I talked them into trying to cast a circle with me and honoring nature with me. It was quite an experience, feeling magik for the first time. I know now that we only raised a tiny bit of power, but it felt amazing to me at the time. I don't really know how they thought about it; we never mentioned it again afterwards and never did anything else along those lines, although we were still close friends.

I think that as long as you approach the Deity in question with reverence and respect, you'll be fine In my experience, Divinity tends to be very forgiving and understanding to beginners.

Good luck with your rituals and welcome to the forum

[Torey]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

I think that this expectation that something "bad" will happen is common in folks who come from a Christian background.

What I would say is to simply look around at the large number of Pagans who are quite unscathed and came out of their first rituals A-Ok. Everyone has to begin somewhere. I also agree with SleepingCompass in that so long as you keep it simple and respect the deity/deities in question, you should be fine.

[Creativemind243]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

Thanks to you both!

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

My problem is that I chicken out right before the ritual. I'm just really nervous. Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God?

Why should anything evil come after you? How wrong do you think you can be? Believe me, with people starving in this world, people being bombed, tortured, maimed, denied basic human rights etc., any gods and goddesses (and God, let's not leave him out) worth believing in, have a LOT more to get angry about than whether you drop the odd clanger in your rituals.
Good luck and don't worry.

[Ash Branch]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

Don't worry about finding what your path is. Just see what happens.

[Thorbjorn]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

...I was raised Christian. Over the past year or so, I've decided that Christianity isn't the right path for me, so I've been looking into other paths to follow. ...

Yep, been there, done that, got that T shirt (as have 99% of us I daresay). You are in good company.

My problem is that I chicken out right before the ritual. I'm just really nervous. Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God? I know I'm probably just overreacting (like I always do), but I just want to find a path that I can stick to. How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

When I practiced Hinduism I felt the same way about doing pooja (small worship ritual). In my case I didn't feel anything, and/or I was doing it wrong. Little did I know at the time that Hinduism isn't my horn of mead. Anyway, irrelevant as that may seem, I can relate to the fear of doing something wrong. But I think that few deities get pissy about rituals performed "incorrectly" when they are done with love. Hell, even lighting a candle and/or incense, placing a cup of water and saying a prayer or two is usually enough. Here's a simple prayer I gleaned from a few sources and re-worked in my own words:

Gods, I come before you to light this lamp. I know that a lamp is not a great sacrifice; it is almost nothing of me, almost nothing of my work, almost nothing of my money.

It is only a sign that I want to remain in your presence for a few moments now, in prayer, in contemplation, in conversation. It is a sign that I have come because I know that you hear and see me, that you are near to my life, to my problems, my family, my work, my surroundings, and my future.

This lamp is a sign of trust and my faith in you, my Gods. I trust that it can rekindle my own heart's fire. When I go now, this lamp remains as a symbol of my presence, until it has consumed itself. Receive it as my sacrifice, receive it as my prayer, and receive it as a sign of my love.

Sometimes I too feel remiss in not doing offerings as often as I'd like. This is because I know Thor loves his mead and ale, but there are times I can't drink with him (medications). I feel it's not a proper offering, which is a silly way of looking at it. Of course, there's nothing to stop me from using apple juice, sparkling cider, non-alcoholic beer or another drink.

[SilverShadow]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God? I know I'm probably just overreacting (like I always do), but I just want to find a path that I can stick to. How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

If you do something 'wrong'.... What do you mean by 'wrong'? Wrong as in accidentally call into being a creature of unimaginable evil? That doesn't happen as often as Hollywood would like you to believe. In fact, I'd say it happens close to none of the time. A lot of rituals are based around our intent first and foremost, so unless you're intending on calling something evil, the likelihood of something evil showing up is slim.

Angering Gods and Goddesses? If a deity gets angry at a beginner for not getting it right the first time, then they're not a God you should waste your time on. Besides, the Gods have a pretty good sense of humour. I'm sure I've heard them laughing when I messed up a name or tried to put out a candle, or worse tried to LIGHT a candle and it just wouldn't happen!

One way that I can think of about being less nervous (because I get nervous doing rituals) is to at first, not make it a ritual at all. You don't need to cast circles or call quarters or any of that stuff, in order to honour your Gods. Sometimes, I simply sit down and meditate. I often visualise a protective circle around me and then ask them if they want to come and chat. Sometimes I even ask them for guidance in a ritual, including what to offer them. It doesn't always work, but sometimes just thinking on it, going through what I'd like to do in my head, helps me when the time comes.

As for my first ritual? I made a complete mess of it, walked out of the circle numerous times because I forgot little things like....matches for the candles, the right incense, the words that I thought I'd memorised but were actually in some book somewhere.

[Vel]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

Hello! My name's Megan and I was raised Christian. Over the past year or so, I've decided that Christianity isn't the right path for me, so I've been looking into other paths to follow. Upon doing my research, my friends have introduced me to Paganism and Wicca. I've been studying Wicca since before February 2014, and I feel drawn to it. Well, I really want to do rituals and honor the Goddess and God. My problem is that I chicken out right before the ritual. I'm just really nervous. Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God? I know I'm probably just overreacting (like I always do), but I just want to find a path that I can stick to. How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

Hello there, Megan.

Congratulations on having studied Wicca for so many months so far. I tried to study Wicca once and it lasted for a week or so. I hope your spiritual journey is enlightening and leads to personal development.

From what I understand doing something wrong or incorrectly would not result in something evil coming after you unless (1) you intentionally invite such an entity into your life and (2) you do something that would provoke the anger of such an invited entity. If Wicca as it is presented in helpful books written by Wiccans who are Traditional or otherwise innovative/eclectic is your field of study and what you want to practise, you have nothing to worry about.

I have an introductory and book-learned understanding of the Goddess and God of Wicca. Even with my limited knowledge I do not see them as deities who would become angry or judicial if you stand in a certain posture, speak to them in your native dialect, or give too little of an offering in some rite.

The Wiccan mythos is a beautiful one. The cosmos was birthed by the Goddess and that means you are one of her progeny. I would say don't be nervous about your rituals and devotions since you are basically returning to your primordial parents in your chosen path.

I hope my post is helpful.

[thalassa]

Re: Help With My Path of Paganism!!

Like, what if I do something wrong and something evil comes after me? Or what if I do something that angers The Goddess and then God? I know I'm probably just overreacting (like I always do), but I just want to find a path that I can stick to. How can I be less nervous about my rituals? What was your first ritual?

I think something evil coming for you is unlikely, whether or not you do something "wrong". And I think its fairly impossibly to do something in ritual that is "wrong" provided it meets a couple criteria (which I will expand upon shortly)*. If something angers the gods (regardless of which gods one is talking about), then apologize...but I'm with the idea that a deity that would take the sincere efforts of a new worshiper and be angry over them isn't worth it...and I'm pretty sure that the sheer magnitude of diverse ways in which Wiccans worship the Lord and Lady makes it pretty obvious that they prefer earnestness over technical proficiency.

Once upon a time I was Wiccan, so I've done Wiccan rituals (I've done them well and poorly) and I've never had something evil come calling (then, or in the 20 years since--and my practice today is almost entirely unscripted and improvisational). If this is something that you are truly worried about, then Wiccan ritual is a great place to start--it has a certain level of protectiveness written into it from the get go--the act of cleansing ritual space prior to ritual, creating a circle, calling quarters... Just do your best. The only way to get comfy doing rituals is to DO THEM!!!

With that being said, start small and build up over time. It takes practice to develop a flow. A ritual is only something that you do over and over and over in a certain order and pattern. Brushing your teeth and washing your hair is a ritual. Making your bed and getting dressed and cooking a meal are rituals. Use the rituals you already practice and make them Rituals. Find the symbolic and the magical and the mystery and the inspired in the mundane--when you vacuum your home, suck up bad juju...when you brush your teeth, honor expression and cleanse your self of saying hurtful things (even to yourself)...when you cook a meal, stir in love or luck or good health or relaxation.

My first Ritual was cleansing and blessing my room...its not something that is difficult. Anyone can do it...and its not particularly religious in and of itself (heck, some Christian traditions have their own methodology for it). In all technicality, all you need is *you* to do it, but I've found that its an activity that I like having props for. Some folks will smudge, or they might ring bells (or use other instruments), or use herbs, etc. I have asthma, so I used blessed salt water infused with traditional cleansing herbs (astringent herbs which tend to have anti-germ properties and happen to smell good) in a spray bottle...


*The only way, IMO, to do religion "wrong" is to do it with less than your whole heart, to act without compassion, to ignore the free will and autonomy of others, to close your mind to the possibility that you are wrong, and to let others dictate your own self worth as a practitioner.