how do you worship and why?

[ChieftheCef]

do you honour the Solstice? do you honour the birth of any gods or goddesses? just curious how to start my path with ritual

 

[Hildeburh]

do you honour the Solstice? do you honour the birth of any gods or goddesses? just curious how to start my path with ritual

Celebration ofthe Solstice varies widely between pagans.. Is your path associated with any particular gods/esses or mythology?

 

[Quintessence]

Druidry often honors the four Solstices and Equinoxes, along with the Cross-quarters. My own tradition encourages careful observation and connection with one's own locale to create celebrations reflecting what's going on in your own backyard. This means it will take at least a solar cycle to create these ritual celebrations - one solar cycle of careful observation, mindfulness, and research about your native ecosystems, landscapes, and folklore so you can see the shifts and changes that occur there. As modern, domesticated humans we are often blind and ignorant of even these simple things that our ancestors knew like the backs of their hands (they had to - it was a matter of survival!).

That said, this approach is appropriate for traditions that are explicitly nature-centered and locality-centered. All historical Paganisms were like that, more or less, but many also added another layer with cults of devotion to particular named gods or goddesses. For devotional polytheism, seasonal celebrations like those of my tradition are less important than observing traditional dates of worship associated with the gods of one's tradition. While I am a polytheist, honoring historically-named gods is not really the focus of my tradition so others would have better advice there than I. Usually I honor historically-named gods outside of solstice and equinox celebrations rather than during them; they get their own special "screen time" so to speak where they are front and center.

 

[ChieftheCef]

Celebration ofthe Solstice varies widely between pagans.. Is your path associated with any particular gods/esses or mythology?

I worship Nature as Science knows her. Would you like to hear a whole story I have composed?

 

[ChieftheCef]

Druidry often honors the four Solstices and Equinoxes, along with the Cross-quarters. My own tradition encourages careful observation and connection with one's own locale to create celebrations reflecting what's going on in your own backyard. This means it will take at least a solar cycle to create these ritual celebrations - one solar cycle of careful observation, mindfulness, and research about your native ecosystems, landscapes, and folklore so you can see the shifts and changes that occur there. As modern, domesticated humans we are often blind and ignorant of even these simple things that our ancestors knew like the backs of their hands (they had to - it was a matter of survival!).

That said, this approach is appropriate for traditions that are explicitly nature-centered and locality-centered. All historical Paganisms were like that, more or less, but many also added another layer with cults of devotion to particular named gods or goddesses. For devotional polytheism, seasonal celebrations like those of my tradition are less important than observing traditional dates of worship associated with the gods of one's tradition. While I am a polytheist, honoring historically-named gods is not really the focus of my tradition so others would have better advice there than I. Usually I honor historically-named gods outside of solstice and equinox celebrations rather than during them; they get their own special "screen time" so to speak where they are front and center.

I will use this basic pagan idea to grow my own independent paganism. I've seen none follow paganism inspired by current-day science, but I have seen them with old. Not at all to say you are not welcome in my heart. I would lend a bundle of sage if I had to.

 

[Quintessence]

I've seen none follow paganism inspired by current-day science...

It's out there. In fact, this is a huge component of my own practice - so much so it's hard to overstate how central it is to how I've built my Druidic tradition. The driving motivation for graduate school and to be a career scientist was to study and serve the gods (aka, nature) for me. It's not something I talk about much. Prevailing cultural narratives are so insistent that science and religion are two utterly separate (or opposing) things it is too exhausting to go into it with most folks.

 

[Hildeburh]

I worship Nature as Science knows her. Would you like to hear a whole story I have composed?

Really? Then you adhere to the scientific method so we would all like to see your paper on how you objectively formulated your hypothesis, tested your hypothesis by formulating your experiment and analyzed your results. Science does not worship nature pagans do.

 

[Quintessence]

Really? Then you adhere to the scientific method so we would all like to see your paper on how you objectively formulated your hypothesis, tested your hypothesis by formulating your experiment and analyzed your results. Science does not worship nature pagans do.

This reply is a little combative for a DIR. Would you like to reframe your question?

 

[Callisto]

I worship Nature as Science knows her. Would you like to hear a whole story I have composed?

If you mean you've developed your own creation story and myth, then no. If you can give a concise, brief, explanation of what "Nature as Science knows her" means, I think that will be sufficient.

In regards to your op, there's no sense in copying others' rituals if your beliefs and practices aren't the same. I honor the Hellenic gods, someone else honors Germanic gods, you'll find some parallels and similarities but they're not interchangeable. I'll not be holding a blot and a Heathen won't be holding a deipnon just because there are common traits among these practices.

 

[ChieftheCef]

It's out there. In fact, this is a huge component of my own practice - so much so it's hard to overstate how central it is to how I've built my Druidic tradition. The driving motivation for graduate school and to be a career scientist was to study and serve the gods (aka, nature) for me. It's not something I talk about much. Prevailing cultural narratives are so insistent that science and religion are two utterly separate (or opposing) things it is too exhausting to go into it with most folks.

Oh very cool. Glad to see I am wrong.

 

[ChieftheCef]

If you mean you've developed your own creation story and myth, then no. If you can give a concise, brief, explanation of what "Nature as Science knows her" means, I think that will be sufficient.

Just what Nature does and did according to Science.

In regards to your op, there's no sense in copying others' rituals if your beliefs and practices aren't the same. I honor the Hellenic gods, someone else honors Germanic gods, you'll find some parallels and similarities but they're not interchangeable. I'll not be holding a blot and a Heathen won't be holding a deipnon just because there are common traits among these practices.

Just looking for examples so I can make my own practice.

 

[Callisto]

Just what Nature does and did according to Science.

That seems pretty broad. But, ok.

Just looking for examples so I can make my own practice.

I don't think it's quite plug n' play but depends on whether what you believe is compatible with another religion despite being different. Generally, polytheism (recon) tend to be orthopraxies (maintaining proper way) rather than orthodoxies (maintaining proper belief). So while there is an emphasis on how to properly go about things (within that tradition) there are underlying beliefs being expressed. E.g., you can have 2 practices that use water for purification but the ritual preparation of it may differ between the two because of their respective underlying beliefs.

 

[ChieftheCef]

That seems pretty broad. But, ok.

I don't think it's quite plug n' play but depends on whether what you believe is compatible with another religion despite being different. Generally, polytheism (recon)

Recon?

 

[Callisto]

Recon?

Neopaganism is a religious movement comprised of various, independent practices. Within it are subsets, the largest being Eclecticism which is largely influenced by Wicca (most but not all) plus an infinite combination of other sources, with individuals mixing and matching per personal preference.

Another subset is Polytheistic Reconstructionism which is several independent traditions that rebuild (reconstruct, recon) ancient polytheistic ("pagan") religions in a modern context. This subset relies heavily upon restoration using primary (ancient) and secondary (academic) resources. It's not a reenactment, they're not attempting to relive ancient societies. There are many of these traditions, like Hellenismos (Greek), Cultus Deorum (Roman), Heathenry (Germanic, Anglo-Saxon), Kemetism (Egyptian), Paganachd (Scottish), Paganacht (Irish), Romuva (Baltic), Rodnovery (Slavic), Tengrism (Central Asia), Anito (Filipino), Celtic, Mesopotamian, and Mayan. This is not a complete list.

Sandwiched between Eclectics and Recons are Revivalists. They're more about reviving the spirit of ancient religions but far less concerned with the actual traditional ways which they may or may not incorporate and to varying degrees.

 

[Hildeburh]

This reply is a little combative for a DIR. Would you like to reframe your question?

No.