Ask a Pagan

[VioletVortex]

Ask me anything about Norse Paganism, other forms of Paganism, European history, what led me to Paganism, and my personal beliefs.

 

[Nakosis]

Do you have Scandinavian ancestry?
If so is this part of the reason for you becoming Pagan?

 

[Sundance]

What do you believe as a Norse Pagan?

How did you become a Pagan?

 

[George-ananda]

Ask me anything about Norse Paganism, other forms of Paganism, European history, what led me to Paganism, and my personal beliefs.

What's your belief on life after death?

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Do you see there being any differences between a god and a spirit?

 

[VioletVortex]

Do you have Scandinavian ancestry?
If so is this part of the reason for you becoming Pagan?

Most of my ancestry is in fact Slavic, though I do have a lot of Celtic, Germanic and Nordic descent as well, and probably some Uralic ancestry. I am a bit less than a quarter Slavic. Unfortunately, most records of Slavic and Uralic Paganism have been destroyed. I would certainly say that my European descent makes me more inclined to Paganism.

What do you believe as a Norse Pagan?

How did you become a Pagan?

I became a Pagan through Satanism. I referred to myself as a Satanist for a while, but eventually I realized that the Pagan deities resonated with me. I find the most in the Norse theology. The deities are personification of various spiritual essences or forces that exist in nature. As for afterlife, I believe in reincarnation, and that different afterlife realms are symbolic of different kinds of lives lived.

Do you see there being any differences between a god and a spirit?

A god is a type of spirit, but not all spirits are gods. I believe in certain spirits which are more present than others; these are the deities. There are more specific spirits, which are symbolized as Daimons, Alfs, Norns etc.

 

[VioletVortex]

What's your belief on life after death?

I touched on your question in my previous post, but I think I will give you a more detailed explanation. I believe in reincarnation, to put it simply. I believe in two types of reincarnation. One is ancestral reincarnation. I think that a parent passes on a copy of part of their soul on to their children through their RNA. This would explain why parents are often extremely protective of their own children, often to the extent of valuing them over their own lives.

I also believe that another part of one's soul can reincarnate regardless of whether one procreates. This part is less important when it comes to defining one's personality and innate memories, however.

Traditionally, ancient Europeans would perform certain rituals or ceremonies to emphasize ancestral reincarnation, and this is said to awaken or materialize the forgotten memories of one's ancestors that still live on in a dormant form.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Traditionally, ancient Europeans would perform certain rituals or ceremonies to emphasize ancestral reincarnation

Like what?

 

[George-ananda]

I touched on your question in my previous post, but I think I will give you a more detailed explanation. I believe in reincarnation, to put it simply. I believe in two types of reincarnation. One is ancestral reincarnation. I think that a parent passes on a copy of part of their soul on to their children through their RNA. This would explain why parents are often extremely protective of their own children, often to the extent of valuing them over their own lives.

I also believe that another part of one's soul can reincarnate regardless of whether one procreates. This part is less important when it comes to defining one's personality and innate memories, however.

Traditionally, ancient Europeans would perform certain rituals or ceremonies to emphasize ancestral reincarnation, and this is said to awaken or materialize the forgotten memories of one's ancestors that still live on in a dormant form.

I also believe in reincarnation. Do you believe in continuation of consciousness at death as suggested in the Near Death Experience phenomena.

 

[VioletVortex]

I also believe in reincarnation. Do you believe in continuation of consciousness at death as suggested in the Near Death Experience phenomena.

I think that our sentience becomes subdued after death, our memories do not survive coherently, rather they become somewhat twisted, with missing pieces. They can however be re-awakened through certain rituals. That may be part of the reason we have traditions.

In effect, yes, reincarnation does represent a continuation of consciousness.

 

[VioletVortex]

Like what?

The Halloween tradition of children taking items from their ancestors grave mounds, most notably.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

I have never read of such a custom; do you have a source of it? In any case, that's not really reincarnation...

 

[VioletVortex]

I have never read of such a custom; do you have a source of it? In any case, that's not really reincarnation...

It is a symbolic act to recognize a reincarnation which has already occurred, and possibly to re-awaken old memories.

I do have a source, but it would be in my interests not to post it here.

 

[George-ananda]

I think that our sentience becomes subdued after death, our memories do not survive coherently, rather they become somewhat twisted, with missing pieces. They can however be re-awakened through certain rituals. That may be part of the reason we have traditions.

In effect, yes, reincarnation does represent a continuation of consciousness.

OK, this part is somewhat different than what I have come to believe. I think there is an expansion of consciousness without the clunky meat coat dense link in the chain of consciousness (death). On the astral plane we are freer and lighter to experience enhanced beauty and consciousness. Eventually tough, most will see the need for more growing experiences on the physical plane (reincarnation).

 

[VioletVortex]

OK, this part is somewhat different than what I have come to believe. I think there is an expansion of consciousness without the clunky meat coat dense link in the chain of consciousness (death). On the astral plane we are freer and lighter to experience enhanced beauty and consciousness. Eventually tough, most will see the need for more growing experiences on the physical plane (reincarnation).

I do think that we exist on alternate planes as well.