An Introduction
Aug. 21st, 2010 11:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
borealA new journal, a new start, something I've been meaning to do for some time.
I intend for this to be a place first and foremost to write about my faith. I'm what you'd call an eclectic solitary Pagan. I'm eclectic in that I pull from a variety of belief systems. I'm solitary in that I generally practice my faith alone. I'm Pagan in that I find Paganism to be a generally welcoming, inclusive group of faiths. I've also come to find great comfort in observing the Pagan sabbats, often known as the Wheel of the Year.
What all this means is that I believe what I feel to be right, after much reflection based on upon my time in this world, my observations, and my dealings with others.
Unlike many/most Pagans, I don't observe a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but instead feel that there is one divine entity, with many different incarnations in different religions across the world. I guess this may make me a bit of a monist, and I have panentheistic leanings. I suppose I'm also a bit of an animist on some level; I'm not above speaking to a tree or a rock or the ocean now and then.
A lot of what I believe is grounded quite firmly in science. I don't embrace magic in the way that many Pagans (particularly Wiccans) do, though some of the practices I use during ritual are quite similar to what others would term magic. I also meditate a great deal, sometimes to the point of a trance-like state (and I've had a handful of difficult-to-explain experiences as a result). I use divinatory methods to examine quandaries from previously-unconsidered points of view; do I think the answers come from the great beyond? Not really, though I suppose I've never entirely counted out that possibility. Like most Pagans, I don't believe in Satan, as that's a Christian construct; while I believe there's evil in the world, I don't spend my time worrying if my actions will be enough to keep me from going to Hell, because I don't believe that Hell exists. Instead, I try to be conscientious, to treat others with the utmost respect, and to do the best I can in every decision I make and act I do.
I'll be exploring all of this in my entries, so if you're curious, I encourage you to stick around.
Perhaps in part because of my monist leanings, and also by consequence of identifying as Pagan, I feel it's extremely important to be tolerant of other viewpoints and religions. So long as others respect me and my beliefs and don't attempt to convert me or proselytize to me, I get along with people of other faiths just fine.
Regardless of your faith, you're welcome here. Thank you for reading.
I intend for this to be a place first and foremost to write about my faith. I'm what you'd call an eclectic solitary Pagan. I'm eclectic in that I pull from a variety of belief systems. I'm solitary in that I generally practice my faith alone. I'm Pagan in that I find Paganism to be a generally welcoming, inclusive group of faiths. I've also come to find great comfort in observing the Pagan sabbats, often known as the Wheel of the Year.
What all this means is that I believe what I feel to be right, after much reflection based on upon my time in this world, my observations, and my dealings with others.
Unlike many/most Pagans, I don't observe a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but instead feel that there is one divine entity, with many different incarnations in different religions across the world. I guess this may make me a bit of a monist, and I have panentheistic leanings. I suppose I'm also a bit of an animist on some level; I'm not above speaking to a tree or a rock or the ocean now and then.
A lot of what I believe is grounded quite firmly in science. I don't embrace magic in the way that many Pagans (particularly Wiccans) do, though some of the practices I use during ritual are quite similar to what others would term magic. I also meditate a great deal, sometimes to the point of a trance-like state (and I've had a handful of difficult-to-explain experiences as a result). I use divinatory methods to examine quandaries from previously-unconsidered points of view; do I think the answers come from the great beyond? Not really, though I suppose I've never entirely counted out that possibility. Like most Pagans, I don't believe in Satan, as that's a Christian construct; while I believe there's evil in the world, I don't spend my time worrying if my actions will be enough to keep me from going to Hell, because I don't believe that Hell exists. Instead, I try to be conscientious, to treat others with the utmost respect, and to do the best I can in every decision I make and act I do.
I'll be exploring all of this in my entries, so if you're curious, I encourage you to stick around.
Perhaps in part because of my monist leanings, and also by consequence of identifying as Pagan, I feel it's extremely important to be tolerant of other viewpoints and religions. So long as others respect me and my beliefs and don't attempt to convert me or proselytize to me, I get along with people of other faiths just fine.
Regardless of your faith, you're welcome here. Thank you for reading.