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Any Mary-worshippers here?

Nightingveil

Nightingveil
There is a recent revival of Collyridian belief called Collyridian Filianism. It can be thought of as a denomination of Déanism (the monotheistic worship of Dea, or "Goddess"), which recognizes Marian iconography as a Western representation of Dea.

More info may be found at besplendid.tk and ifcflibrary.wikispaces.com. Information about the more general Déanism may be found at Mother-God.com. I hope this is helpful!

Although I am not a Collyridian (Kollyridian) Filianic, I am very familiar with the group, and have associated online with several of its members in recent years. I would add to your list, a possible to subscription to the online blog of the Oregon Collyridians.

As for the influences of Paganism on Christianity, of course it existed. Where you do think Easter, Christmas, and the concept of Hell came from? Before Christianity existed, there was Zoroastrianism, and Mithraism, and they had holidays at the same times of the year. For instance, the concept of shepherds watching their flocks by night, and wise men coming to visit the baby? Shepherds would have been doing this in the Springtime, not in December. Early church fathers didn't agree on a date. Origin didn't care when it was. Clement though it was in April. Hippolytus stated it was December 25th, but there is speculation that the information was an interpolation. Sextus Julius Africanus thought it was on March 25th, and that was actually the most pervasive belief until the 4th century. So that means it is possible we should be celebrating Christmas next Thursday. Hell comes from the name Hel, a Nordic Goddess that was in charge of crossroads, and dwelled in in the Underworld. Easter is Saxon in origin, and comes from the name Eostre or Ostara. The concept of the Easter bunny stems from it being an important animal to the Nordic Goddess, Freya. It's a fertility symbol, and that was one of her realms.

Am I saying that Paganism didn't become influenced by Christianity? Nope. Syncretism is an almost inevitable result when you have long-standing civilizations in close proximity to one another, when their are political feuds that result in one group winning against another in wartime, etc. Most of the shrines that had once been Hellenic places of Isis worship, were changed into ones revering Mary.

I'm currently writing a book on this topic, and so could go on about it ad nauseum, but I think you get the points I am trying to make. Are there other books in the genre? Absolutely, they'll be some of my sources, but mine has a distinctly Gnostic Pagan slant, and includes everyday applications.
 
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