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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Part of the recent renewal of my spirituality has led me to realise that the "Pagan" label no longer feels like a very good fit for me, or very descriptive of my practices and beliefs. Letting go of considering myself as Pagan feels, at the moment, very liberating. While I will always be inspired by that community and discourse, for now I'm opening myself up to other ideas and ways of looking at my spirituality.
I'm continuing to offer mentoring - you can find out more here:
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I consider myself a Pagan because my spirituality is focused on Nature, the World, the Cosmos. I basically don't do hardly any of the "typical" Pagan things. I never felt drawn to the elements of ritual. Haven't really felt drawn to more than 1 deity, so far. I tried all different sorts of things but they never stuck. But I've got a reverence for Nature and the cycle of the year on a natural basis, the changing of the seasons and local seasonal changes/observances, animals and plants in nature, the Solstices and Equinoxes, the cycle of the Moon, but in a natural sort of way. But I feel the "magick" in those things in my soul/being, though I may not do much about it formally/ritually. I have typically felt like the odd one out as a Pagan because I don't do lots of the more typical practices. But I also deal with disabling chronic illness that limits my energy to work with lots of the more typical Pagan stuff, and disability isn't something that's really discussed much as an aspect ofor impact to one's Pagan practice.
I too never really resonated with the cross quarters. They seemed pinned to one locality or area and I don't live there. Though I do really enjoy celebrating Halloween in a secular fashion and feel the change in "the veil" (for lack of a better term) at that time of year.
I've found I'm not much for ritual. I realized I really enjoy creating a seasonal altar, changing it seasonally as the cycle of the year turns, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, plus a fun spooky decorated altar for Halloween.
Ritual is action with intention. It can be so simple, like going outside and looking up at the Full Moon and taking a few slow breaths. I think we tend to overcomplicate things. I do like the word "observance" though. That seems more along maybe what I do instead of ritual.
I think we can get stuck on labels. You can choose a label or not. I think it will be really interesting to see how your journey moves forward. I wish you all the best and look forward to your future videos.
I love this comment. I’ve felt a strong pull to paganism in the last few years. I feel connected to it as an Earth-based spirituality. I don’t care about ritual or holding any specific beliefs about paganism. I also find my deepest connection to the change of the seasons. I was raised as an evangelical Christian and so I am very skeptical about over spiritualizing experiences or the supernatural. I am not an atheist though either. I am excited to learn and study ancient paganism.
The reason I fell into Paganism is because of my love for nature and wanted to connect deeper with it and I love the internal diversity it offers. However, I sometimes feel similar to you and tend to be rather flexible with dipping in and out when I feel like it. I also have narrowed down a kind of baseline with my practice and beliefs - basically a connection to nature/seeing the divine within nature and that is where everything stems from for me personally. I really love that you are doing what feels best for you. I have found that religion and spirituality is ever-changing within ourselves and our communities and I really admire those who walk their own path. The more directions I am pulled towards, the more I learn and take what works and leave the rest, until I learn more. I think this is a really healthy way to be but for many years I envied those who knew what they believed and stuck with one set of beliefs/practices for most of their lives! I also think there is nothing wrong with this but no longer look up to it. How things change... anyway I love how much thought you put into your practice and videos and always appreciate your honesty. Your videos always makes me reflect so thank you.
Yes, I absolutely resonate with this. It's funny how I, like you, was more invested in the idea of forming something long-lasting when I first started on this spiritual path. Now, I have also come to value the fluctuations and the flexibility that comes with walking one's own path. All the best with your ever-evolving practice!
In exploring my spirituality as an adult, I started with Buddhism and have been slowly winding my way toward a pantheistic pagan practice, so I would be interested to hear your thought in going the opposite direction. One thing I particularly liked about Buddhism was the idea of taking what works and leaving what doesn’t. It took the pressure off of feeling like I had to completely buy in to all parts of the philosophy/religion or completely discard it.
For me, the label “pagan” means “nature-based.” Labels are really just a way to give people a shorthand understanding, even if it’s not perfect. Being a “Christian,” for instance, is a shorthand that tells you the person likely believes in a common set of principles understood to be part of Christianity. However, that shorthand is limited. Someone who claims to be Christian could be the kindest, most Jesus-like person you have ever met. They could also be a fundamentalist wacko like members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
I don’t get anything out of deity worship, and this separates me from many people who used the pagan label. I’m not Wiccan nor do I practice typical ritual. Like you, I think “observance” better encapsulates my approach to major holidays, of which I only celebrate the equinoxes and solstices. But I still lean toward “Pagan” because when people ask about my religion, it’s a decent shorthand for the nature-centered category under which my spirituality falls. Is it a perfect fit? No. But it will do for now.
Since we seem have some commonality in our spiritual paths, I would be very interested to know if you settle on a label that you think better fits you. I certainly haven’t found one yet that doesn’t start with “it’s complicated”!
I am an agnostic atheist witch. I was a pagan, many years ago, believing in some vague concept of “the divine” because I thought I needed to believe in a higher power to be a spiritual person. I don’t feel that way anymore. I can do enough work, enough ritual with the energy of the world around me. I am also moving away from the Celtic/Germanic wheel of the year, as it commonly celebrated today. The Irish/Scottish/English part of me wants to learn more of the folklore and traditions of that part of my lineage, but I live in Southern California and seasonal change looks very different here (I’ll be exploring Temperance Alden’s book about creating your own wheel next on my book stack). I look forward to more of your videos as you discuss your journey as my own practices evolve and change.
I wish you would make another video just to share where you’re at now.💖
I also consider myself a Panthiest. As much as I love the witchy, mysterious, nature-centric feel that is Paganism, I've never been able to fully embrace that label. I think it's because my logical, scientific brain kept on saying most of the woo-woo associated with it was a lot of hokum, and didn't align with what science tells us. It's ultimately what took me away from Catholicism and Christianity in general. If anything, yoga and Eastern meditation speaks more to me. Especially since a lot of it centers around mental health and celebrating oneself. Which is what I see you are going towards as well.
I found this video refreshing and affirming. I, too, am a Pantheist with similar reservations and needs in which Paganism did not bring to a whole while practicing.
I am not slighting Paganism, but Pantheism brings wholeness of being for me. I personally likes the part where you talked about ritual vs. observance.
Really interested to see where you are going! Thanks for your clarity and honesty about your process.
Thank you!
I love your honesty here and hope this proved as cathartic as it was interesting. Thank you x
Thank you for continuing to share your experiences and knowledge with us. Considering your recent trip to India, I'd like to offer the saying that there are as many religions in Hinduism as there are believers. The spiritual journey, and the larger journey of life, is like that. We can't tell anyone else how to travel their own path but only leave breadcrumbs upon ours for those that may pass were we once stood. That is what you have been doing with every blog post and video.
Spiritual integrity is one of the hardest yet most vital parts of a spiritual life, at least to me. I'm very sensitive to gimmicks and things that feel "cringe" - maybe that's a result of too much self-awareness, but I find it helps me decipher whether an idea feels true or self-deceiving. Things which are mystical have no weight unless there's something true which grounds them. So I feel that part of my practice is learning to speak honestly in the moment, and sifting through ideas and practices until I find one which resonates. It's like finding a scientific formula which poetically summarizes and explains an aspect of existence in a new way - that's one kind of golden nugget worth noticing and understanding.
That self-deception aspect is so important and I wish it was more widely recognized, both in spirituality and day-to-day life. I think that is essential to building a foundation for growth as an individual.
I relate to what you’ve shared about celebrations. Labels can be tough. It’s why I love the term “witch” because it’s so broad and I fit into it despite not aligning with paganism. I’m happy you discovered this about yourself and thanks for sharing.
I got involved with Wicca because I had a deep love of nature and was looking for a structure and social aspect of religion to apply to my spiritual experience with nature. Eighteen years later I had a "Dark Night of the Soul" and left the community. Safe travels.
Hey, thank you for this. I'm going through the same phase right now and will definitely come back and watch how you shape your practice next. When I explored my beliefs as a teenager, I wrote one phrase in my diary that I still resonate with now - "The journey never ends in one temple". Love your channel and it helps me a lot to explore my own path.
This is interesting to me. I have strayed far away from Wicca and most Neopaganism, but I still feel pagan. I live in Appalachia, and something about this area feels cryptic and ancient. I connect more than I connect to European paganism.
This video is incredibly validating and encouraging to me. Thank you for sharing of yourself.
I really look forward to seeing what you share on your path going forwards. I've also recently been feeling a draw towards Buddhism so anything you share around that topic would be a definite watch for me - but any content you decide to share is always enjoyable too. Wishing you all the best on your path going forwards ☺️
Thank you!
I have been going through a phase in my life where I've kind of veered away from my spirituality. I've really only frequented a select few spirituality based TH-cam channels in the past. Yours has been on my radar for a long time, and though I can't say that I'm frequenter, I poke my head in from time to time. Every time I do, I get something out of it, even if it has very little to do with what you are talking about. Often, it marks an upturn in my practice and understanding. I don't know what to attribute it to, but I'm grateful to you for it. You've done more for my spiritual ideas and beliefs that anyone else on TH-cam.
Thank you, and Truly, Namaste!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. When people ask my religion, I tell them I am a Pantheist, while sometimes I say Pagan. I state these not because of any practices or rituals I perform ,but because they represent my perspective on how I relate to Nature, as a conduit to the Divine. The artist Erykah Badu was once asked about her religion.She replied "I can't allow anything to define my relation to the Creator." It is quite natural in my mind, to have a new perspective on the world, and our place in it, with each new sunrise. Enjoy the journey. Stay blessed.
I'm glad to hear that you're creating a spiritual space that is a better fit for you and not letting the Pagan identity/label limit you. "Pagan" has never been a great fit for me, but it's one of many key words that have led me to interesting people and ideas. I don't think there is any one mainstream label that can describe my spirituality well. As you said, the most important thing is to do whatever feels authentic and fulfilling, regardless of whether it fits a preexisting category or is understood or approved by others--though as far as the content that people want to see, I think people will be inspired by anyone who is speaking their truth, regardless of whether it is under the Pagan label. We appreciate your sincerity and insight ❤
Excited to watch your video, I have to download it to listen to a bit later but just wanted to pop in & say for myself ... I just say I am spiritual & don't try to define it. That's the easiest way for me to feel unbound by any particulars.
Hi I’m a Crone now & a solitary witch who has been practicing for decades. My path is intensely intertwined with Nature yet I have never taken on the name of Pagan. Perhaps this is because I’m not Wiccan & have never worked in a Wiccan way. The Wheel of the Year hasn’t ever grabbed my focus but I am very drawn to moon phases & planetary activity. I had zero interest in deity for decades & hadn’t even really thought about whether I believed in them as anything other than archetypes.....until one made themselves absolutely clear to me. I was really shocked. So I guess what I’m trying to say is at any point on our path we can be surprised by where our belief/practice forks off onto to an unexpected road
Áine, I appreciate your transparency, and authenticity. I subscribed years ago when I was on my Path with An Morrigú. As far as your birthday being on Samhain (how cool is that?), you could always incorporate an ancestor practise, if you're not feeling Samhain. It would be appropriate and stimulating, assuming you haven't done that before. Also, for something to be a "ritual," it needn't be too fancy. Even just lighting a candle, incense, or saying a prayer at a certain time/task can be considered a ritual. (All the same, use whichever terms resonate with you) Thanks for sharing your journey, and I look forward to seeing the next place it leads. (Spirituality should always be a work in progress, anyway) Sláinte!
Yes, that's a great idea, I don't incorporate ancestors much into my practice anymore but I would like to. My first ritual after making this video was indeed simple, though rich in symbolism in its own way. I agree it should be a work in progress! Sláinte!
Thank you for sharing your journey! It's been interesting to watch and I'm excited to see where you go. If you're interested in Buddhism, I'd like to suggest books by Stephen Batchelor: Buddhism Without Beliefs and Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist.
I enjoy watchng your videos, not for the the ritual aspect or your practices...but your "experiences". That's what make you REAL as a youtuber. :) Food for thought: Some of the most influential people in my life, don't have a "label"...nor do they have formal rituals. They consider themselves just as "spiritual". :) Being an American of Japanese ancestry, i'm wondering if you might want to take a peek into Shintoism, as part of your exploration into spiritualism?
I mean...atheist and atheist secular pagans exist. :)
She wrote a portion of the book "Godless Paganism," so I think she knows. (It's a great book, btw. Highly recommend.)
It's more important to be authentic than it is to conform to any perceived labels. Even if you have to make up your own label, it doesn't matter as long as what you do works for you.
You and I, we started in very different places but I think we've come to a similar result. That's not to say that I think I understand you any better than anyone else - the journey is more than the destination - but your story rings true to me.
I look forward to seeing what you do next.