Pagan-only: Considering paganism (long?)

[Circumradiant]

Hey, I'm new here. I attempted posting on another site about this, but my thread didn't show up. This forum seems pretty nice overall and I'm enjoying the posts.

So, I'm in my mid-twenties and I never had a religion. I read a little about the major religions and a few niche ones, and I've had people explain concepts to me. My family is largely Christian and I was baptised Catholic, but never practiced.

I'm Brazilian and have a mixed race background (black/white/indigenous, all direct).
I have little information on my non-European ancestry, not just due to historical factors but other reasons. My great-grandfather was indigenous, but we know almost nothing about him and his traditions. He died when my mother was young. I considered Afro-Brazilian faiths, but they don't resonate with me. I'm intrigued by two of the orishas, though.

I want to honour my ancestors if possible, but that's not a major concern. I dealt with lifelong shame and unhappiness and I want to be proud of my roots for once.

I love cultures, and have had this curiosity about tnem since I was very young. I'm especially keen on the Inuit and Japanese cultures. I read about animism and Shinto and was left with a positive opinion.

My interest in neopaganism began in 2013-14 after I discovered the band Coil and related projects. Some, if not all of its members, were involved in occultism - and one of them considered himself a "born again pagan".
Over the years I interacted with people who identified as occultists, and I met a Wicca or two. They all told me to read about chaos magick and Thelema, but I didn't understand much.

I have my own beliefs, some of which I hold since childhood, and others were acquired along the way, but they are largely my own and not influenced by peers or media. Some of these beliefs align with existing religions (yin and yang/duality, reincarnation, etc). There are others, however, that are a bit "new age", but that's unintentional, and I don't identify that way. I'm apprehensive about telling others about these "new age" ideas because I don't want to be judged.

There's also the fact that I'm polytheist, but I believe in a Source/Creator that is not necessarily the Abrahamic God. In my view, this Creator works with the deities. There may be other beings... I don't know.

Nature is powerful, and I feel a connection to Gaia, as well as the sun and especially the moon. Water is relevant (perhaps due to my astrological signs). It feels like Gaia and the moon are calling me to do something. I would like to explore these connections.
There are other female deities that I'm drawn to, but I'm not opposed to honouring a God.

I thought about becoming Wiccan, and am reading books on it, but these facts I presented make me doubt that I can be accepted in Wiccan circles.
I don't have the money or space to make an altar right now, nor can I afford the expensive items that are required (like an athame). My chronic illnesses limit my income options.

I'm curious about witchcraft... don't know if you're allowed to talk about it here.
My focus would be in the spiritual practices more than witchcraft itself. Just want to find my path.

What should I do?

Thank you and sorry for the long post. Blessed be.

 

[VoidCat]

I'm curious about witchcraft... don't know if you're allowed to talk about it here

You can talk about witchcraft here. Im a witch.

 

[Callisto]

The "TLDR": there is paganism as in ancient and indigenous traditions, and then there is paganism as in Neopaganism that can but does not always draw influence from ancient/indigenous traditions. Much of Neopaganism descends from Western esotericism, primarily via Wiccan influence. Wicca is a modern religion, originating in England at the beginning of the last century.

Neopaganism is a movement consisting of several religions, most of which are unrelated to one another though there are some parallels and similarities, depending on which are being compared. Overall, they divide into categories like Reconstructions ("Recon") of ancient polytheistic traditions, Revivals and others that are not recons but sometimes draw inspiration from ancient religions, and others that are wholly modern. Each category has subcategories. Other categories are Occult, Witchcraft, and Eclecticism. The latter is the largest segment of Neopagans and is a catch-all for anything and everything that is not a definable tradition, it consists mainly of highly individualistic practices.

I want to honour my ancestors if possible, but that's not a major concern. I dealt with lifelong shame and unhappiness and I want to be proud of my roots for once.

Ancestor veneration is common in both Reconstructions and Eclectic practices. The former endeavors to rebuild traditional veneration while, like everything else, Eclecticism is a mix of taking inspiration from them to creating entirely new practices.

My interest in neopaganism began in 2013-14 after I discovered the band Coil and related projects. Some, if not all of its members, were involved in occultism - and one of them considered himself a "born again pagan".
Over the years I interacted with people who identified as occultists, and I met a Wicca or two. They all told me to read about chaos magick and Thelema, but I didn't understand much.

Again, not necessary. Any similarities are superficial to the core practice and the contact between the founders of Wicca and Thelema was fleeting.

I thought about becoming Wiccan, and am reading books on it, but these facts I presented make me doubt that I can be accepted in Wiccan circles.

Can you elaborate? Real Wicca is an orthopraxy, not an orthodoxy so there is a fair amount of variation when it comes to beliefs. It also depends on what you're calling Wicca and what books you're reading. Tbh, most Wiccan books are... lacking, to be kind.

I don't have the money or space to make an altar right now, nor can I afford the expensive items that are required (like an athame). My chronic illnesses limit my income options.

An altar doesn't require anything other than a designated space you set items on and use as a focal point. Some people have the luxury of keeping an altar set up 24/7, others set theirs up when they're going to use it. People use anything from the top of a footlocker to a TV table to a window sill. Ancient populations were primarily dirt poor, yet every home had an altar(s). You don't have to buy anything fancy, you likely already have things you can use. And if you do need to acquire something, thrift shops and yard sales are often good places for bargains.

I'm curious about witchcraft... don't know if you're allowed to talk about it here.

Witchcraft isn't a singular thing but a heading under which there are different practices. Much of what you'll find are practices that have been cultivated by individuals researching folklore and magic. So, it depends on what you're interested in. Most of the books marketed to Neopagans are Wiccan-derived which isn't very helpful if you're looking for non-Wiccan craft. Generally, witchcraft is culturally based so, for example, researching witchcraft of the British Isles will be different from witchcraft in South America which is different from Italian witchcraft. You'll want to look for books outside of those marketed to Neopagans, such as folklore, history, regional herbalism, etc.

My focus would be in the spiritual practices more than witchcraft itself. Just want to find my path.

What should I do?

Thank you and sorry for the long post. Blessed be.

Unless you're feeling a particularly strong affinity for a certain practice, you may simply want to start with just getting an over view of what all Neopaganism encompasses. Then, if a particular path intrigues you, start diving into its research. Some general books to start with:

Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler

The Path of Paganism by John Beckett

A Million And One Gods – The Persistence of Polytheism by Page DuBois

A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry Into Polytheism by John Michael Greer

 

[Harel13]

*Mod Post: Thread moved to Seeker's Circle*​

 

[Circumradiant]

The "TLDR": there is paganism as in ancient and indigenous traditions, and then there is paganism as in Neopaganism that can but does not always draw influence from ancient/indigenous traditions. Much of Neopaganism descends from Western esotericism, primarily via Wiccan influence. Wicca is a modern religion, originating in England at the beginning of the last century.

Neopaganism is a movement consisting of several religions, most of which are unrelated to one another though there are some parallels and similarities, depending on which are being compared. Overall, they divide into categories like Reconstructions ("Recon") of ancient polytheistic traditions, Revivals and others that are not recons but sometimes draw inspiration from ancient religions, and others that are wholly modern. Each category has subcategories. Other categories are Occult, Witchcraft, and Eclecticism. The latter is the largest segment of Neopagans and is a catch-all for anything and everything that is not a definable tradition, it consists mainly of highly individualistic practices.


Ancestor veneration is common in both Reconstructions and Eclectic practices. The former endeavors to rebuild traditional veneration while, like everything else, Eclecticism is a mix of taking inspiration from them to creating entirely new practices.

Again, not necessary. Any similarities are superficial to the core practice and the contact between the founders of Wicca and Thelema was fleeting.


Can you elaborate? Real Wicca is an orthopraxy, not an orthodoxy so there is a fair amount of variation when it comes to beliefs. It also depends on what you're calling Wicca and what books you're reading. Tbh, most Wiccan books are... lacking, to be kind.


An altar doesn't require anything other than a designated space you set items on and use as a focal point. Some people have the luxury of keeping an altar set up 24/7, others set theirs up when they're going to use it. People use anything from the top of a footlocker to a TV table to a window sill. Ancient populations were primarily dirt poor, yet every home had an altar(s). You don't have to buy anything fancy, you likely already have things you can use. And if you do need to acquire something, thrift shops and yard sales are often good places for bargains.


Witchcraft isn't a singular thing but a heading under which there are different practices. Much of what you'll find are practices that have been cultivated by individuals researching folklore and magic. So, it depends on what you're interested in. Most of the books marketed to Neopagans are Wiccan-derived which isn't very helpful if you're looking for non-Wiccan craft. Generally, witchcraft is culturally based so, for example, researching witchcraft of the British Isles will be different from witchcraft in South America which is different from Italian witchcraft. You'll want to look for books outside of those marketed to Neopagans, such as folklore, history, regional herbalism, etc.


Unless you're feeling a particularly strong affinity for a certain practice, you may simply want to start with just getting an over view of what all Neopaganism encompasses. Then, if a particular path intrigues you, start diving into its research. Some general books to start with:

Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler

The Path of Paganism by John Beckett

A Million And One Gods – The Persistence of Polytheism by Page DuBois

A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry Into Polytheism by John Michael Greer

Hey, sorry for the delayed response, I've been tired and anxious for the past few weeks, and didn't want to interact with many people.
I appreciate you and the other users taking the time to read my thread. I'll reply on mobile, so the formatting won't be proper.

From what I saw, I seem to identify more with neopaganism. I read a little about recon and eclectic, as well as some random stuff about occultism and witchcraft. From what I understood, I feel like eclectic neopaganism aligns more with my beliefs.

It's good that I don't need to learn about Thelema specifically, so I can focus on other things that interest me.

The Wicca resources I checked out were websites, forum posts, and Théa Sabin's book that is recommended by some people around the Internet - it's called Wicca for Beginners. What I didn't relate to completely was the adoration of a God and Goddess, because so far I only feel a connection to feminine deities. I appreciate the duotheistic nature of Wicca, however, as it corresponds to my faith in duality and the yin and yang. I think that if I were a Wicca it would be more comfortable for me to associate the deities with the moon and sun, since these are important to me. I was also worried about not being able to create a circle or partake in the rituals. I heard that a circle isn't super necessary, but it might be nice for certain purposes.

Another thing that I was anxious about is my belief in a single Source for everything and my "new agey" thoughts, I feel a bit embarrassed for having them, even though I don't identify as that, lol. Not that I have a prejudice against it, but people often don't understand and there's a lot of derision out there. Also, I would rather not be associated with a movement I don't belong to, doesn't matter which one. I always made my own conclusions about spirituality and I'm still coming to terms with that.

Thanks for the tip about the altars, I guess I could make a simple one with what I have. I looked at local esoteric shops online and noticed that athames and other items aren't that expensive, so maybe in the future I could buy them if I really want to.

And for sure, from what I see, European witchcraft is different from the practices we have here in Brazil, though both are viewed negatively by the public who doesn't understand what witchcraft means.
Thank you for the book recommendations, I'll track those down. I heard about Margot Adler before, and I'll definitely read about other topics related to esotericism. A friend of mine is a Wicca who's into shamanism, I don't want to get into that necessarily, but it's intriguing.

I feel like a weight was taken off my shoulders and hopefully I can explore my spirituality further.

PS: Sorry for posting in the wrong subforum, I think I was confused at the time.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I dealt with lifelong shame and unhappiness and I want to be proud of my roots for once.

Welcome to the forum. Who stops you? Be proud of all where your roots are. Native/Afro/Christian.
As for religion, that is your choice. Since I am an atheist and belive in science, I would suggest that keep away from occult.

 

[Circumradiant]

Welcome to the forum. Who stops you? Be proud of all where your roots are. Native/Afro/Christian.
As for religion, that is your choice. Since I am an atheist and belive in science, I would suggest that keep away from occult.

Thanks for the welcome. I would like to be proud of my roots. I think it's going to be a lifelong journey for me. As for occultism, still considering it. I do think there's a place for science, but there are things that I feel are unexplained by scientific evidence. I respect atheism though.