Originally, when I embarked on my journey through Paganism I considered myself a follower of Native American Shamanism, but as I explored the many variations that paganism consists of I became fascinated with Wicca as well. At this point, I find myself conflicted between these two religions. It seems to me that they are close in their premise but their practice is very far. So, my questions is, are these two faiths isolated and cannot coexist, or can their differences be reconciled by combining them into a general belief system consisting of elements of both?
Merry Meet white raven. Your path sounds alot like mine, I too studied shamanism before formally studying with a coven. I combine alot of what I have learned through shamanism into my practice, which has evolved to something of an eclectic Celtic kitchen witch. =)
Hey WhiteRaven I admire your spiritual search.. however, I noticed your age and my first thought now is that you shouldn't have the feeling that you have to 'choose' between certain religions. Adolescence is a time or finding you own path and it's ok to doubt and stumble while you're going. When people that choose to rigidly on a young age it is called 'foreclosure', which means that you close your search too early. My advice would be to just gain knowledge of what's out there.. maybe find some people that have been shaman, wiccan or witch for a longer time so they can tell you about their path first hand. After a while you may notice that one path becomes more clear and you'll start following that without any overanalysing, it'll just feel right. Or maybe, like most of us here, you'll end up being ecclectic, just picking up those things that are of value to you. Hope this helps! Good luck!
Paganism is very liberal, and very flexible... it is possible to intertwine two different practices in to one... so absolutely! The trick is how creative you can be to do so...
Thank you for your help. And Velvet, I appreciate your concern very much and I understand what you are saying. I guess I didn't make myself very clear on how I seek things. I have been on a spiritual search my whole life, and I know for a fact that I will always be on a spiritual search. I would never think of closing myself off to a quest that could possibly expand my consciosness. In the course of the past four years, I have considered myself a Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, and a Shamanic Practitioner. But I never really limited myself to these views. Even while I was an Atheist I did an extensive study of The Divine Comedy, several Buddhist texts, Hindu literature, The Screwtape Letters, The Prophet, Islamic literature, and many African traditional religions in addition to the more prominent Atheists such as Nietzsche and Freud. I am the type of person who never would undergo "foreclosure," as you put it. I do not see that being pagan limits me in any way to seek other religions. If I read some literature or had some startling revelation that Christ was the savior of mankind then I would certainly adapt to this spiritual change. And is this not a basic principle of non-salvationist religions, to adapt your beliefs to your environment rather than the environment to your beliefs? That is one reason I made this thread. I am seeking a religion which does not confine one's beliefs. Take a look, momentarily, at most organized religions. There is no room in salvationist dogma for spiritual change or digression, nor for the evolution of the consciousness. The Bible, Koran, Tripitaka, Torah, Talmud all are cages because they believe the essence of the universe (God, if you will) to be distinct and greater than mankind. They are concrete and do not bend to the changing of times and places. In Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance he says: "To doubt the literal meaning of the words of Jesus or Moses incurs hostility from most people, but it's just a fact that if Jesus or Moses were to appear today, unidentified, with the same message he spoke many years ago, his mental stability would be challenged. This isn't because what Jesus or Moses said was untrue or because modern society is in error but simply because the route they chose to reveal to others has lost relevence and comprehensibility. 'Heaven above' fades from meaning when space-age consciousness asks, Where is 'above'?" In conclusion, I was experimenting to see if paganism allows for evolution and adaptations as one develops one's consciousness. Whether I am 15, 40, or 92, I certainly hope that I won't "foreclose," for that would be the end of all growth. But thank you, once again, for your concern. And to all the others who have clarified the religion, thanks to you also.
Wow. Thanks for the enlightening piece there. good stuff. I think the spiritual path should be marked in the beauty of discovery. Shamanism and the wiles of the kitchen witch both have that strange environment of unknown but in a more direct hands on sense. That's probably, for me, what drew me to that type of activity in the first place. Seemed the didactic more heady stuff was cool for awhile but then I just got bored with it.
I think most people would be surprised by the "intelligence" of the teenage population, but in our culture the education system is such that it stifles creativity and original thinking; all thought is directed in service of the schools and what the teachers want. It does not promote individuality. If we were to erase this component of the equation then we would be amazed by the absolute greatness of a mind not limited by institutions and the metaphorical "box" that imprisons us all. But thank you for that compliment. I totally agree. Discovery is what feeds the spirit. I could see how that could happen but I am the type of person who is obsessed with philosophy, theology and analysis of ideas. I could never get too much of it.
