How did you become pagan

[budamus]

When I was 15 I had no religion, It just didnt feel right, then in an msn group I found a friend theyanna, who then became my teacher. everything then just felt right, I had a feeling of holeness

Then after months of searching I found out that pagans meet every week in a pub just down the road from me lol
and now I have people to do rituals with and have a massive libary of books to read on all kinds of subjects.

how did you all start of for you ? ? ?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Hmm... Tricky question! I think I started out as a Pagan, though Christianity was what I was raised with and what I believed. I grew up aware that I (and many others) had the ability to do things that were explained by that religion. At about 20 or so, I became aware that I was being called along the shamanic path. (Or, really, that I'd always been called, but had somehow only just learned to listen.) Paganism, specifically for me Dianic and Pictish Paganism, was what suited me as a 'category' to fall in to. *grin*

 

[blb01]

I was a Christian for a while, but I didn't feel like I was at the right place. I started to look at other religions. That is when I became Wiccan. However, I learned about Wicca before pagansim. I wasn't at my right place there either. That is when I finally converted to paganism.

 

[BFD_Zayl]

well, for me it took a long time of soul searching, and web surfing.. lol, nothing felt right at first, then i came across Asatru and everything seemed to click and it felt great, although its hard because theres almost no Asatruars in the state im in. but i manage by my own when i can. the gods understand.

 

[Circle_One]

Like Feathers, I think I've just always been Pagan. It always called to me, but again, like her, never understood what it was that was calling, never had the ability to listen, until I was about 14. I've never converted from another religion. From the beginning, I've always just been Kemetic. Before I even knew what Kemeticism or Kemetic Reconstructionism was, I was Kemetic. The anicient Egyptian ways have always just called to me, since I was very little.

It sounds odd, to non-believers, but I've known things about ancient Egyptian history and religion and culture before I even began to read about it or study it. It's always just been an innate knowledge to me.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

After being Christian for 16 years, I started to question things, and I had alot of problems with it. I prayed the right religion would be revealed to me, and after much searching, and many lessons, Druidism was revealed to me, and it's basic teachings and philosophies felt like what I had been searching for. After about a year of that, and looking into Wicca and Shamanism, and not feeling the same strong pull, I answered the call of the night.

 

[MaddLlama]

I wasn't really raised in religion, so I had no conversion really. In my early teen years I became friends with a girl who was raised Wiccan, and we all went to ritual at her house. It was pretty cool. I don't consider myself a Wiccan now, but that exeperience was certainly a great foundation.

 

[Lemon]

My story is almost the same as MaddLlama's, I wasn't really raised with any religion. In my early teens my older sister became interested in Wicca, so I read a few books about it. For a few years I considered myself Wiccan, however this year I decided that wasn't the path for me. Now, I'm an Eclectic Pagan with influences from Hindu, Celtic, and Egyptian religions.

 

[DyingAsylum]

My mother was /still is a High Priestess so I grew up with Paganism. That wasn't all I was exposed to though. I attened Synogog with my friend Joey and his family, my grandfather's Catholic Church, and a local Buddhist temple. I kept coming back to Paganism and as I got older it just stuck with me. Now I am who I am and I like it!

Peace,
Dying Asylument:

 

[Freedomelf]

I was raised in the Catholic faith, went to Catholic schools and spent time in a convent as a postulant. When I became an adult, I switched to Episcopalian, and taught Sunday School for about a dozen years. After that I turned from Christianity and kept searching, but my inherent "brainwashing" that paganism was Satanism and automatically evil prevented me from finding my true path until about 2 years ago.

When I finally did, it was like a millstone that I had been wearing all my life was removed, and I was free and happy.

I still love Christians dearly, as most of my family is still Christian. I am just glad I found my own road, and wish them well on theirs.

 

[Draka]

I was raised with Christianity, but can't really say that it was instructed or forced. My mother was always very open with things, never went to church, and believed in spirits, divination, and much more that is usually tied to Pagan faiths. I knew by the time I was around 13/14 that I didn't believe in the Bible or Christianity at all. Something was missing. I had my own beliefs but didn't know they fit into any religion until in my twenties. I had been browsing the religion section in a Barnes and Noble (I always have found different religions interesting to study) and was actually looking through books on Buddism when a book on Wicca caught my eye on another shelf. That was it. I started reading on Wicca and everything I was reading made total sense to me for the first time in my life. It was like I just found a name for what I always was. Since then, my knowledge and revelations have broadened my thoughts and beliefs further a bit beyond what Wicca covers, but I strive to define myself in a way that I see fit, not what others see.

 

[Mike182]

wow... how did i miss this thread? :areyoucra

i was brought up in a christian family, my parents being sort of christian, kinda skeptical, with my Aunt being a fundamental christian directing them (along with me and my Brothers - older and younger)

i accepted her stories, and grew into her faith.... came to the age of about 12/13, asked questions, got answers that didn't add up - i got to about 15, and started completely rejecting christian dogma

through out all of that time though, there was something empty feeling about the whole thing for me, that i was missing an important message - that divinity is not somehting alien we must strive for whilest never actually reaching it, divinity manifiests itself throughout all of this world, a few google searches later (on "nature, earth based religions") i was concidering the pagan faith

 

[FantasyDream]

I was a Christian at first. I accepted some of the beliefs, but wasn't so sure about some others. After a friend told me about her religion (Wicca), I decided that an earth-based religion would be a better path for me. Since I was little, I was always drawn to nature. I read up a lot about Paganism and Wicca before I chose the Pagan path. It felt like I finally hit "home". Being a Pagan, I feel like I am one with the universe and closer with the deities. Deity isn't such an unreachable thing anymore. I know I made the right choice.

 

[Mike182]

I was a Christian at first. I accepted some of the beliefs, but wasn't so sure about some others. After a friend told me about her religion (Wicca), I decided that an earth-based religion would be a better path for me. Since I was little, I was always drawn to nature. I read up a lot about Paganism and Wicca before I chose the Pagan path. It felt like I finally hit "home". Being a Pagan, I feel like I am one with the universe and closer with the deities. Deity isn't such an unreachable thing anymore. I know I made the right choice.

hoot! bright blessing on your journey!

 

[kreeden]

I'm not sure that I am . I grew up in the country , went to Sunday school , and of course grade school , etc . Never found all of the answers in any religion , or science , or philosophy . So , for me it is just a Path to discover who and what I am , and by doing so , discover who and what we all are .

But I feel that I fit the Pagan label better then most . And if I must wear a label ....

 

[Vigdisdotter]

I was 18 and two things happened.

1) my girl friend brought a tarot deck to school an I was just enraptured with the idea and

2) I had the "joy" of spontaneously experiencing past life visions, specifically my death. So much fun that. Anyhow, it spurred me to look for the local pagans, whom I found and when I found them, it was a wonderful realization that people understood me, that I wasn't completely bonkers (just mostly ) and that there was still so much to learn.

So I became eclectic pagan, then wiccan....now I'm heathen

 

[Zephyr]

A while ago I looked around at Wicca for a bit, but it was way too fluffy for me. It was just so inconsistant and fruity. After a while I read some stuff here on RF, and it got me curious about Asatru. I studied it a lot more and here you have it.

 

[Draka]

A while ago I looked around at Wicca for a bit, but it was way too fluffy for me. It was just so inconsistant and fruity. After a while I read some stuff here on RF, and it got me curious about Asatru. I studied it a lot more and here you have it.

Do you think it would be possible for you to do the kindness of not insulting a recognized religion in a forum that happens to include such a religion? You have qualms with Wicca then either keep it to yourself or take it to debate. This is not the arena to voice your insults.

 

[Vigdisdotter]

Do you think it would be possible for you to do the kindness of not insulting a recognized religion in a forum that happens to include such a religion?

Not trying to speak for Zephyr, I doubt that insult was meant. I can understand what he means because that DOES describe a lot of books out there. And there is a huge difference between the "Wicca" found in books and that which is actually practiced by those who know the mysteries.

 

[Zephyr]

Not trying to speak for Zephyr, I doubt that insult was meant. I can understand what he means because that DOES describe a lot of books out there. And there is a huge difference between the "Wicca" found in books and that which is actually practiced by those who know the mysteries.

Indeed. All I meant was that from my experiences it just really wasn't right for me. I'm sorry if I offended you. It was not my intention.