# Pagans



## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

Hello everyone

I was wondering if we have any Pagan's here on Fertility Friends


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## sallywags (Jun 27, 2005)

ooh i was hoping someone would post that - wasn't quite brave enough myself!! I'm not religious particularly in any direction, but quite interested in all religions.

I have had some input with paganism/wicker, and it fascinates me - it seems so natural and 'real' somehow.

In fact i saw a clairvoyant yesterday who said i would get interested in studying all different types of religion.

Paganism is definitely one that draws me....


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

Thats what drew me in how natural it is and how much you start to apreciate nature and the cycle of the seasons.


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## sallywags (Jun 27, 2005)

Absolutely - it's the feeling of 'worship' (whatever that means!  ) what you can see, rather than something/someone that you can't.


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

Yeah i class the countryside around me as my special place , i see the Goddess and God in everything  

I think aswell at time Paganism and the different paths that lead off are hugely misunderstood. But i think over the years more people are embracing Paganism and its link to mother nature.


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## PINK-LADY (Mar 4, 2008)

*waves* I am a pagan witch!!. I never really 'got' organised religions as i was growing up,they never sat right with me,and i have always been fascinated by witchcraft since i was young.

It turns out that quite by chance the vast majority of my friends are also pagan witches,a fact i never knew at the first time of meeting them. I seem to somehow be drawn towards fellow pagans!

I am a solitary hedgewitch which means i work alone, not with a coven. My boys arent really interested but my 2 girls are both very into it,and they both wear a pentagram,and my eldest is learing tarot reading.

My family have been quite accepting of my being a witch,i kept my beliefs hidden for many years,but only in the last few years have i actually been quite open about them.


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Me too Pink Lady....I'm very much into Wicca, witchcraft and paganism. But I have no beliefs in god whatsoever but not a devil worshipper either.... I haven't picked up my tarot cards for a long time. I love anything Gothic. People who know me and have met me off here will think I'm really weird now, but when I was younger 17-late 20's I was a goth, loved dressing in black..Now I'm getting that calling again to the sheer horror of my hubby and oldest son. Especially when you get labelled an 'Emo'

Some people just don't understand what being a goth/pagan means.


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

Mee toooo, well I think I am more like Sallywags. I was brought up a Methodist and we always discussed and visited other religions. As I got older I read more and then I met my mate who was starting to get more into wicca and I have followed him, not practicing but I have a dabble  
Mrs R ~ you have just reminded me that I haven't picked up my tarot cards in a long while  
Strawberry Angel ~ you have said elsewhere you go on the IOS website right ? It is now twice I have stopped post on there   not sure why   I think I have too much to catch up on here


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## sallywags (Jun 27, 2005)

Just realised i spelt wicca as in basket, not paganism!!!  oops having a blond moment....


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

*Sallywags * 

Wow pleased there are other Pagans on here 

I also a solitary eclectic wiccan and i have been for just over a year now 

*ShelleBell * - I do indeed go to IOS i am a reader on there


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## DizziSquirrel (Feb 15, 2005)

Strawberry Angel 
Guess your not alone 

And Pink Lady I love your avatar 

If I love charmed and wished I was Piper does that make me pagan too 

Mrs R ! dont change your hair! I love the new look!
~Dizzi~


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

Dizzi ~ perhaps Mrs R could have a long straight black wig for special occasions


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Shellebelle

If anything I'm going to colour my hair darker. I'm going to let it grow a bit as well.


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## babycrazy (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi strawberry angel.
i noticed your 1st post here you originaly put it in  the religion section and it was moved to here.
Did you question why it was moved as Paganisum is a religion, your religion.!
XX
BC
i


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

I was going to question it. But don't want to argue over religion on an internet forum. There's enough going on in the world over religion without it on here as well.  

We on this thread have our beliefs and thats what people should respect, and on this forum there is respect for each other, as we respect others beliefs in the deities they worship.

Vicki x


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## babycrazy (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi Mrs Redcap, 
So by what you said in the above post, In my book, this makes you the most/more Spiritual/loving hearted being /person. Good on you!!
I am not a Pagan but a Christian Spiritualist and i too believe each to there own and what they are happy with 
X
BC


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

I never questioned it no, as it has been said by MrsRedcap there is enough arguing and bickering of religion in this world. We do not need it here. 

I am happy knowing there is a little thread somewhere on here where Pagans can come and chat about the cycle of the year and the sabbats   and everything else inbetween.


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## sallywags (Jun 27, 2005)

Hmm, i didn't notice that actually - i have just been replying on my new posts button.

I'm a bit disappointed actually - i am not going to formally question it, but it is quite sad that it has been moved.  paganism is one of the oldest religions - and just as valid as any other.

You are right that there is enough dispute about religion in the world without making mountains out of molehills, and maybe it has upset someone else, which is why it has been moved? Not sure why it would - paganism is a profoundly peaceful religion, from my knowledge of it.

In fact one of my favourite sayings has origins in wicca - 'if it harm none'.

Hey ho, at least we still have the thread.


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Thing is, some people in the world think of Pagans as devil worshippers and all things evil, dark and demonic...Paganism is nothing of the sort and is actually quite beautiful. You like to be as one with nature and life and you believe in the magical elements and symbolics of trees and flowers, you appreciate all the beautiful things around you. I love reading gothic poetry and listening to gothic music and the song lyrics can be very deep and thoughtful and express everything you feel inside and you can take words/feelings to another level. The babies I've lost, I feel have gone to a higher place than heaven.

Sallywags...I certainly agree with your motto.

Vicki x


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

There alot of misconceptions with Paganism, One of my friends on another board wrote this which i think it covers alot of them 

*One big misconception is that all pagans are wiccans. Not so. Wicca has become the beloved of the media in the past few years, (Charmed, Buffy, various teen shows are to blame!) but in a sense it is the soft, safe face of paganism. 'Wicca' is not an old religion, but the invention of retired civil servant, Gerald Gardner and dates back to the 1950s. Wiccans believe in the Lord and the Lady, a god and goddess. There are three degrees a coven initiate can pass through. Traditionally, the first degree took a year and a day although it varies from coven to coven, now. Wiccan rites are often based around the moon. Druid rites centre around the sun - both balance male and female. In the post feminist age, many women are attracted to paganism simply because it honours the feminine when major monotheistic religions are perceived as male-orientated.

Witchcraft is different to wicca - it is the surviving 'old religion'. Some witches work with others, many are solitaries. Some have no religious side, just do spells and divination. Others worship their gods as well as manifest magic. Some witches practice what outsiders would call *white witchcraft* ( a term most pagans seem to reject). Others do the positive and the negative. Wiccans have something called 'the threefold law' which suggests that if you do something negative to a person, then it will come back to you threefold. Wiccans also have this saying: *An it harm none, do as ye will*. ('So long as you aren't hurting anyone - do what you like'). Many witches wouldn't hold to this. I, for one, don't buy the threefold law but amongst the pagans I know, I'm probably in a minority!

Druidry, wicca and witchcraft all have nothing to do with 'satan' or the devil, as that is a later, Middle Eastern concept, not a European one and as such has no meaning for us. There is no evidence for the native European religions having a firm 'dark side' - although you get the odd trickster god, like Loki, he's more of a pain in the bum than out and out evil! The whole good/evil duality thing is not relevant in paganism as the world tends to be seen in a subtle sense, hard for me to convey here what I mean, but I'll try another time!

In druidry we also have three degrees, and you must pass through them in order, but no one is implicitly more important than any other. In my own Order, the first grade (bard), takes a minimum of a year, usually half a dozen years. Ovate takes several more years. Druid is the final grade. Once you have completed the grades, you can return to the level you want to be, and reconsecrate yourself at that level.

So paganism is not something you 'become' or covert to overnight. It takes many years of study, meditation, and practice, to work your way through the grades. You have to learn how to cast a circle, 'do' magic, meditate, and maybe many other things besides. There is no canon of literature, no firm liturgy, no gurus, and as Western Mystery Traditions, we don't actively preach or convert as we don't require 'bums on seats' to keep a priesthood/buildings/infrastructure afloat.

The history of paganism has often lent itself more to only admitting a select few to orders, and even today covens strictly regulate who is allowed to join, who can come to closed or open circles, as the group dynamic is valued. We also don't ever, under any circumstances, try to 'recruit' anyone under 18 - although it seems to have a fascination for young people, and a certain glamour. People must come to these paths in adulthood, of their own accord, in their own time. It is not a numbers game. As very many pagans (certainly all druids) don't believe in war, there is no reason to try to convert, or persuade, or change anybody. Many druids (not all) believe in reincarnation, so the buddhist idea that people come back to learn life lessons and evolve gradually over lifetimes, is one a lot of us buy into. For this reason, you couldn't convert or persuade anyone as if they don't come to us of their own accord, they're not at the point where it's going to happen.

Another significant branch of paganism are the 'heathens'. Heathens follow the Old Germanic gods - usually Norse or Anglo Saxon. These gods were worshipped for centuries across Europe until the coming of christianity, so many Europeans can identify with their native gods and when they seek to re-connect with a religion they can identify with, Odin and Co are a natural choice!

We have developed rituals but also often create our own, too. The wiccans here could tell you a lot more about their liturgy than I can, as although I have many wiccan friends, I've yet to get to one of their open circles.

Some pagans choose to work in covens, orders, or groups and others work as 'solitaries'. Some are initiated, some self initiate. Some believe in the Lord and the Lady, others whole pantheons of gods, others are pantheists and don't have any gods but believe that the earth, trees, the whole of nature is holy. Many pagans have their own 'special' god or goddess, to whom they dedicate themselves. Some witches have no religion at all, just do the workings ('spells') and many see druidry not as a religion at all, but a philosophy. Within my own order, there are ordained christian priests as well as pagans, all studying the same material, all learning from eachother. There are, apparently, even 'christian witches' although I have never met one, I understand there is such a thing.

One things all pagans have in common is a love of nature and the land. Most of us - whatever deities we believe or disbelieve in - hold in common a belief that not only people, but animals, even places have souls.

Our reputation as bloodthirsty virgin sacrificers probably comes from the Romans, as our own druidry was effectively wiped out by them in the 1st Century AD. Unfortunately, the only written sources of info about druidry come from classical sources and it's impossible to know how much they are exaggerating, as the victorious side.

The one misconception I think most pagans (druids, witches and wiccans alike) would love to see laid to rest is the one that we are all 'devil worshippers'. Paganism is not the same thing as satanism. In fact, from a pagan point of view, satanism is a sub-branch of christianity, as it takes characters from the bible and uses them as its deities. As pagans, we don't believe in the devil, so could not possibly worship him! The confusion of the concept of 'devil' with our own gods is very sad. Cernunnos, or 'the horned god' can be found in one version or another right across Europe, long before any Middle Eastern religions were imported. As new religions come, the old have to be demonized but amazingly, this confusion has survived into the 21stC. We have not helped ourselves with our culture of secrecy but then, that is also a deeply felt part of what we are, as pagans. Also, pagans had to develop secrecy in order to survive in a hostile culture for so long.

There are so many forms of paganism it's like trying to herd cats, trying to cover all the bases here. So other pagan cysters please jump in and give us your views!

And if anyone has any questions about the above, or a new question - ask it! Maybe you want to find out about something you always wanted to know but daren't ask! Because our beliefs and practices have been shrouded in mystery for so long, it's not surprising that non pagans know very little about us. So ask away!*


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## sallywags (Jun 27, 2005)

That was brilliant - thanks - i'm not very educated in this, but i know i have always feel slightly drawn, and have had a little experience with circles etc, but not for a while now.

it may be something i would like to develop in time, but really not sure what dh would make of it - he is a classic 'flat earth' person! (i.e. non believer!)


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Sallywags..You are who you are hun and if thats what you feel go for it. I'm slowly winning the battle with my hubby to be able to be able to dress in black and be who I really am. He too is a non believer, and as athiest as it gets, just go slowly getting into it.

He's actually agreed that I can get some New Rock boots  and most of my wardrobe consists of black anyway


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

Just to tell you that the thread was moved as the religion board is for the religious aspect and the pagan thread had become and still is a wiccan discussion thread

It has nothing to do with whether pagan is a religion or not  

x


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Hi Girls!

Do any of you do spells? Sorry if no-one does and I am barking up the wrong tree  

I need a love spell thats all or one casting.

Give me a slap if I am wrong, I am naive to paganism althought it is something that intrigues me I have never had the time to fully get into it.

xxxxx


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Saila hun,

When it comes to love spells they can have the opposite effect... you can't actually 'make' someone want or desire you. But you can help it a little.

Here's an easy little spell that should work and have known it to work for a few. This is not a harmful spell. All you're trying to do is send a message out to that person.

Get two photos. One of yourself and one of the person in question.
Take a paper clip and put them together
Then take a piece of red ribbon and tie the ribbon around in a bow on the photographs. Whilst you do this focus on the person you want to contact you
Then place it one of your drawers (preferably top) and leave it there until that person contacts you. It won't work straight away as with a lot of things time is precious. But it usually works within 3 months. Once the contact has been made you thank the spell and then dispose of it either by burying it or burning it.

See how it goes

Vicki x


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## ♥samonthemoon♥ (Apr 2, 2007)

Waht a fab thread   As Mrs R said saila, there aren't spells that can make people fall in love with each other but there are certainly ones to open peoples up to love  

Sam xxx


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Also the other thing is...If it's that person's destiny to be with that person then it will happen with or without intervention. From conception your destiny is mapped out for you.

What's meant for you...won't go past you


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

I'm not a big believer in fate   Will that make the spell not work...

I do sometimes believe in fate but when bad things happen I like to think if someone chose a different path they can change their life

The spell is not for me... it's my sister and my DH's friend. He likes her and she is unsure... I know she isn't ready at all at the moment far far from... but I am very upset about the way her life has gone   She is a beautiful beautiful person with a wonderful soul and I want her to be happy and I am convinced he is right for her.

I just want to help them on the way so their futures are entwined! Thats why I thought of a spell xxx


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

You can still do the spell Saila..you just focus on the people who it's for. You just try and get 2 photos of them both and do it that way then channel your energies for them. As long a you mean no harm then it should be ok as you're doing it for a good reason if you feel they are right for each other. After you've done the spell do not interfere anymore and let things take their course by themselves

Vicki x


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## PINK-LADY (Mar 4, 2008)

Dizzi Squirrel said:


> And Pink Lady I love your avatar
> 
> If I love charmed and wished I was Piper does that make me pagan too
> 
> ~Dizzi~


I love Piper she is my fave(after leo of course!!lol) i said to dh that hers is the one power i wish was real the power to freeze people!!!lol


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

When it come to having a superpower, I would love to have the power of Telekinesis.


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

I'd like to be able to spin round and change my clothes. Handy that


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

That would be good like  


I think though that i would like to have the power of healing


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## babycrazy (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi SA
You have it!!!, All it takes is a willing & loving heart.!!
XX
Karen


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

Everyone can heal in their own way... aparently my shelley hugs are legendary


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## Strawberry_Angel (Feb 28, 2008)

I know  

But like mega healing powers where i could heal the Earth in one touch would be great


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## Mrs Nikki (Nov 13, 2004)

Hi guys you are not alone I have studied for many years, my paths have crossed both the wiccan side and the paganism side but I am getting pulled more and more recently towards the paganism side currently for some yet to be revealed reason - I am sure that reason will show itself soon.


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## Tina xx (Aug 30, 2006)

PINK-LADY said:


> Dizzi Squirrel said:
> 
> 
> > And Pink Lady I love your avatar
> ...


I loved the episode where she kept freezing Leo while they were having sex


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## DizziSquirrel (Feb 15, 2005)

Missed that one Tina! 

My Fav is the one when Leo & Piper were having a row and Wyatt Switched them!


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## Tina xx (Aug 30, 2006)

I like too many episodes to say which is my fave, I thought that the final episodes were brilliant


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Girls have moved this here as feel it fits better here .. 

Cat x


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## Mrs Nikki (Nov 13, 2004)

Anyone who has children - did you hold a naming ceremony at all?  Its something I want to do for my twins.


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## Mrs Nikki (Nov 13, 2004)

Just want to wish every a happy Winter Solstice today to those celebrating it.


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