How To Become A Pagan

i don't believe in jesus or god what so ever but i do believe that there a gods not just one and i believe every living thing has a soul and a spirt. paganism is atrractive to me because of its beliefs its history its practices. However the only ones that i have read about is wicca and norse paganism. I have read about celtic but not much. but i think i might try a different path of paganism

 

Maybe you would find hinduism interesting as well.

 

You don't "convert" to be a Pagan... you study, you learn and you practice the things you learn. Paganism is an umbrella term for a lot of different paths from Wicca to Asatru to Earthbased Spirituality and more...

I would suggest you study them all... see which ones appeal to you, and learn everything you can about those. You might be like many of us who blend the teachings of many and call ourselves Eclectic.

Beware of people who want to teach you for money. Knowledge should be given, not sold. However, if you do want to exchange something for a fee, people do have a right to make money off of what they know... just make sure you know what you are getting. The ones that I worry about are the ones who say they can teach you EVERYTHING about being a Pagan. No one can teach you everything, since they are coming from their own perspective and opinion. No two Pagans will ever agree about everything.

So learn from many different teachers, read lots (and I mean LOTS) of books, sites, magazines, etc... and trust your intuition.

 

Also there are some branches of Paganism that blend Christian teachings into it... Christian-Wicca, Christian-Pagan, Pagan-Christos, Goddess-Christians are a few that I know about.

 

Not all Pagans believe in a God or Goddess either.. There are Atheist Pagans and Humanist Pagans too...

 

Pagans don't have an authority figure to dictate what you are suppose to believe in. The closest that comes to that are definite groups or covens, that have their own rules.

 

thanks for the advice annwyn' bri

 

Doesn't that depends on the pagan? I think (some of) the celts for instance had druids that did had some kind of authority where it came to their spiritual beliefs.

 

I think the only real requirement to be a pagan is to feel a close connection with nature. Build a fire under some trees and reflect.

 

You have a very fake approach to religion.

Just deciding which religion you'll blindly follow, and memorizing your facts about who you're supposed to pledge your loyalty to, is not "faith", it's a crappy lie that doesn't even convince you.

You don't need pagan sparknotes so you can start telling people you're pagan, you need to grow a pair and admit to yourself and the world that you're agnostic or atheist - you obviously don't have any real belief or else you'd be acting on it, not asking for advice on how to fake belief.

You can't just go religion shopping, and people who try to are very obviously not true believers or adherents, just lame fakers.

 

This is what you do...

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called Artemis; Astarte; Diana; Melusine; Aphrodite; Cerridwen; Dana; Arianrhod; Isis; Bride; and by many other names.
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon be full, then ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all Witcheries.
There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not yet won its deepest secrets: to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye are really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine also is joy on earth; for my Law is Love unto all Beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth; and mine is the Cup of the Wine of Life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold I am the Mother of All Living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven; whose body encircleth the Universe; I, who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the heart’s desire, call unto thy soul. Arise and come unto me.
For I am the Soul of Nature, who giveth life to the universe; from me all things proceed, and unto me must all things return; and before my face, beloved of gods and mortals, thine inmost divine self shall be unfolded in the rapture of infinite joy.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou know this mystery: that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee.
For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

 

There are many varieties of Paganism with many variations of everything involved so what's listed above me isn't the start and end of all Paganism.
I do not relate to anything written above.

Great mothers and star goddesses.. absolutely nothing like this at all in my beliefs.

 

I wish tongue in cheek transferred well in text.

Poster thought they would get a simple answer.

 

Ancient Druids did of course, and modern Druids do, at least some, depending on the group, but only for that group. They don't have one like the Pope, from everything I've studied and experienced.

 

There isn't a simple answer to any question. They all have options, opinions, viewpoints, history...

 

Yes, my point exactly.

 

QUOTE: from above: "For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine also is joy on earth; for my Law is Love unto all Beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it; let naught stop you or turn you aside."

This is a simple transition from-to:' "For his is the ecstasy and his also joy on earth;..." It's like "everything is necessary becoming nothing is necessary..." So which is the pure ideal? the nothing way or the everything way? And if the whole world would be pagan; then, the beliefs could turn to counting who is joyful and who is not (physics), who is loved and who is nought (mathematics). eh?... a good old fashioned trip to Sudbury.

When I think about it in those hippie days it was all about Pentacostal revivals up there.

 

They don't have to be like the pope. So some pagans (as broad and diverse as they are) DO have authority figures where it comes to their religion/spiritual beliefs. Maybe your branch of paganism doesn't have them but that doesn't mean it is right to say pagans in general don't at all.

 

No my point is that there is no one authority figure like the pope that dictates to all Pagans what to believe and how to practice their beliefs. I already said that individual groups, covens, circles, etc.. could very well have one that dictates how the group will be run and what the rules will be for that particular group.

 

You mean pagan covens and individual groups? I think there are forms of paganism (especially historical ones) where people like druids DID had the function to tell how to believe and how to practice their beliefs. I feel this is perceived as something really bad by you (not sure)? It doesn't have to be. It used to be very normal to have some kind of shaman or priest that decided (based on traditional rules of course) and maintained how the rituals are carried out and how the stories exactly are. It was not uncommon at all either that they had some kind of authority on law and justice as well.