Pagan

[foxyshaman]

Poppin' in for a minute... <waves hello>

I am looking forward to participating in the conversations. I practice shamanism and have for almost two decades. I believe that everything is alive and all things have a place in the world. I experience the worlds as all connected. I believe we live in a multiverse and not a universe. I think all people should be free to practice whatever they want, free from discrimination, judgment and oh yeah the biggie... no threat of death. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a place that allows me the freedom to be who I am.

Must get back to work before the pile of paper on my desk becomes a landslide...

[Bit]

{{{{{{{{{{{foxy}}}}}}}}}}}}} Wooohoooo!! You're here!! *rubs hands together gleefully* I fully intend to talk your ear off... um, so to speak. Today I have other obligations but I'll be back!

[Gryph]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Poppin' in for a minute... <waves hello>

I am looking forward to participating in the conversations. I practice shamanism and have for almost two decades. I believe that everything is alive and all things have a place in the world. I experience the worlds as all connected. I believe we live in a multiverse and not a universe. I think all people should be free to practice whatever they want, free from discrimination, judgment and oh yeah the biggie... no threat of death. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a place that allows me the freedom to be who I am.

Must get back to work before the pile of paper on my desk becomes a landslide...

Nice to see you here!

[JustLovelyJenn]

*jumps up and down and does a very exuberant happy dance*

I found it, I found it. I knew Bit couldn't be here and there NOT be a pagan thread. Me so happy. Thank you, thank you Bit.

[Gryph]

So, in another spot I was starting to talk about using a pendulum. Her name is Gladys and she is Peacock Ore for the holding stone and Citrine for the pointer. I have had a couple others over the years and they work really well for me. Better in most cases then using cards.

I use a protective devise called Mirror box and that works really well. In cases of real need I will ask my Ancestors if I can push a person's karma, but its only in a major case of some one doing serious harm to several people.

[Gemme]

I am neither Pagan nor Wiccan, but follow my own way, taking pieces from both as well as other religions and ways I've come across. I find more understanding and tolerance in the Pagan and Wiccan communities and so I always tend to gravitate to folks who have some connection to either, if not both. I love the dialogue that is going on here.

For myself, Karma is as real as I am. I'm one of those people that when I do something that I know is 'below me' or just not right, I feel the repercussions very quickly. I've been known to joke that Karma not only has my address, but has me locked in on GPS no matter how fast I go.

I've learned to look within a bit more and not wish negative of another and to be more in general and it's helped with my perceived Karmic backlash.

Doing a little bit more instead of reacting has helped too.

The consequences to negatives actions/thoughts/etc seems to come to me far swifter than positive actions/thoughts/etc. Maybe that is just my perception or maybe I am just not able to see the teeny tiny ripples that come back to me some days. I'd like to think of it that way, instead of thinking that I'm only on Karma's 'naughty list'.

[JustLovelyJenn]

Originally Posted by Gemme

I am neither Pagan nor Wiccan, but follow my own way, taking pieces from both as well as other religions and ways I've come across. I find more understanding and tolerance in the Pagan and Wiccan communities and so I always tend to gravitate to folks who have some connection to either, if not both. I love the dialogue that is going on here.

For myself, Karma is as real as I am. I'm one of those people that when I do something that I know is 'below me' or just not right, I feel the repercussions very quickly. I've been known to joke that Karma not only has my address, but has me locked in on GPS no matter how fast I go.

I've learned to look within a bit more and not wish negative of another and to be more in general and it's helped with my perceived Karmic backlash.

Doing a little bit more instead of reacting has helped too.

The consequences to negatives actions/thoughts/etc seems to come to me far swifter than positive actions/thoughts/etc. Maybe that is just my perception or maybe I am just not able to see the teeny tiny ripples that come back to me some days. I'd like to think of it that way, instead of thinking that I'm only on Karma's 'naughty list'.

I think that often we tie as many labels to spirituality as we do to sexual orientation and gender and so many other things. This shouldn't be necessary. Your spirituality, your belief, does not have to or need to follow anyone elses. Even within more organized religions you will find a variety of individual thoughts and beliefs.

I would not call myself Pagan, or Wiccan, or even Druid (though this is strongly tied into it). My beliefs have been gleaned from all of these, as well as Native American, Buddhist, and so many others. I am spiritual, committed, and I believe very strongly, but my belief is my own.

As far as karma is concerned. It is often easier to see the negative responses to our actions then the positive. It is so easy to take the good things for granted. A thank you, a smile, or simply a day where nothing goes wrong can be that karmic return. Never the less, it is always good to keep karma in mind. I have seen the results of such things in my own life. Karma has always made its presence very known to me, it reminds me often to keep on track and do what I know is right.

[Mitmo01]

My beloved Diego passed away on friday and he was truly loved beyond belief..
he had restrictive cardiac myeopathy and had a heart attack on the way to the vet...
the night before him and i were alone together and i whispered to him that it was ok to go and i loved him so much...to not hang on for me...and the next day i think he chose to pass..

thank you for all of your help and i believe he will always be with me just like all of my other furbabies that have passed, he is in a better place

[Gryph]

Mitmo,
Sorry to hear about Diego. Yep, he will always be with you in some form or another. Since I believe in reincarnation, I do suspect he will give you grieving time and then find another body to come back and be with you physically. Cath agrees with me on that.

[SelfMadeMan]

Originally Posted by Mitmo01

My beloved Diego passed away on friday and he was truly loved beyond belief..
he had restrictive cardiac myeopathy and had a heart attack on the way to the vet...
the night before him and i were alone together and i whispered to him that it was ok to go and i loved him so much...to not hang on for me...and the next day i think he chose to pass..

thank you for all of your help and i believe he will always be with me just like all of my other furbabies that have passed, he is in a better place

I am so sorry for your loss - I work at a Veterinary hospital and I have seen patients deal with Diego's condition, and it is so unfair. But you loved him and made him happy while he was here and he was lucky to have you! Peace to you...

[Pennysparkles]

"pops in and waves"

Hi - I'm really glad to see this forum. I teach and practise Reiki, meditation and as an empath I strive to help wherever I can without forcing my views on anyone.

I look forward to interesting posts and healthy debates on here!


Blessings, Penny

[Linus]

Hey everyone. I hope it's ok to ask this question but I was curious, for those who have kids, what did you do for winter celebration and how did you address the Santa for younger kids? K and I were discussing this and how we would address winter holidays, particularly with younger kids. (Although K is Atheist and I'm buddhist we both agreed that it would be fun and an important family time with the kids).

[Bit]

Hi Penny, welcome! It's nice to meet you! Please feel free to comment or ask questions anytime!

Linus, that's a great question! I don't have kids--maybe a couple others will talk about that--but I can tell you that Santa is the strongest memory we have of an indigenous Northern Shaman. Red, black, and white are the colors of the Goddess in all the most ancient cultures, because they are the colors of Life itself. In those far northern cultures, reindeer (caribou, on this side of the pond)were sacred, the givers of life.

These days Shamans talk about the drumbeat being the "horse" they ride to do their work, but back in the mists of time, horses were unknown to the Northern peoples; their Shamans rode the flying reindeer in the drumbeat.

Evidently there was a strong tradition of the Shaman visiting villages at Midwinter, telling stories, singing songs, wrapped in his sacred furs and bringing his sacred reindeer with him. I don't know if gifts were part of the celebrations, but certainly they have been part of many other cultures' Midwinter feasts, so they might have been---and the tie between Santa and gifts DOES go back several hundred years if not a thousand, so who knows? Maybe that was an integral part of "Scandiwhovian" Midwinters also. It might also very well be that the Shamans were also traders, bringing trade goods to the villages at Midwinter, and that the "gift" tradition is a dim memory of that.

Hope this gives you a starting place!

[JustLovelyJenn]

Originally Posted by Linus

Hey everyone. I hope it's ok to ask this question but I was curious, for those who have kids, what did you do for winter celebration and how did you address the Santa for younger kids? K and I were discussing this and how we would address winter holidays, particularly with younger kids. (Although K is Atheist and I'm buddhist we both agreed that it would be fun and an important family time with the kids).

My family situation is so interesting for religious holidays. We live with my parents (who are Mormon) and my beliefs are not really... tolerated in the home. The compromise I have made is one of "don't ask, don't tell". I have an alter set up in my space but my mother just lets herself assume its an end table of knickknacks. I celebrate some of my traditions for holidays mixed in with theirs, and my children are taught that Christmas (or Yule, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or whatever someone calls the holiday) is about giving, and appreciating those around us and all they do for us. That it (and Santa) are more of a feeling. Santa is most assuredly real, and as long as long as there are people in the world who give of themselves with complete selflessness, he will never die. I also tell them that each of them can be a Santa to someone else. That Santa can't survive unless we all do a little bit of the work... Its part of Santa's Magic. Santa exists because of people who give like Santa would give.

[Bit]

Originally Posted by JustLovelyJenn

That Santa can't survive unless we all do a little bit of the work... Its part of Santa's Magic. Santa exists because of people who give like Santa would give.

I like that very much! Thank you for sharing it, Jenn!

My sympathies on having to live stealth. I had to do so for five years and oh my, what a strain that was... more of a strain than I realized. I have a letter I wrote about Stealth Paganism around here somewhere; after I finish I'll find it and post it.

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by Gryph

Nice to see you here!

Thanks Gryph. I look forward to hanging out and chattin' away!