Pagan & Primal? page

[DebFM]

Are you Pagan? If so, what's your focus?


As for me, I'm mainly a Goddess initiate. I work a lot with the energies as expressed in some ancient Egyptian dieties as well as some ancient Greek - both male and female. Right now I do a lot of work with plants using shamanic techniques, but that's a whole other ball o'wax.


Would love to hear what other people are into.

[PrimalWannabeGirl]

I'm Jewish by culture and upbringing but SO not into the Big Guy with the Beard in the Sky.


I'm an avid herbalist, and I've been making my family's first aid and minor illness cures for years. Oddly enough for a mainstream-trained physician, I don't believe in using herbs as isolated preparations, like concentrated St. John's Wort for depression, so much as the Old Ways of using the whole plant. I feel very much in tune with plant energy in that way.


I also, over the years, have had profound experiences that lead me to appreciate energies. (If anyone is interested, I almost killed someone by saying the wrong thing---and my resident saved the patient by saying the right thing after I almost killed her. I'll tell the story on request.) If that's not a spell, I don't know what is.


That experience (from when I was a medical student) and many others over the years, have made me sort of pagan by default.


I enjoy reading the literature about goddess worship in Canaan, and its influence on the early Hebrews as a way of understanding how the Jews lost their Goddess.


And finally, as a disciplined meditator, I have a growing awareness of how all things are interconnected, that shimmering web of being within which we are all embedded.


I actually have a hunger for a 'tribe' of my own, and I consider myself as one who is seeking a spiritual community, tribe, and 'home.'


Sooze

[DebFM]

Sooze, fellow herbalist here! Sounds like we have the same outlook on the plants. I'm trained in the Wise Woman Tradition - using the whole herb, simple formulations, etc.


We definitely need to chat sometime - I'm also trying to construct some kind of community/tribe. Very cool! If you're on Facebook, I think this'll take you to me: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/deb.fatemental?ref=search&sid=1819321708.787281671 ..1

[Diana Renata]

Pagan, Kitchen Witch, Religio Romana...


I recently discovered and took on the title of Kitchen Witch. I don't know why it never crossed my mind to blend my interests in food and nutrition with my spirituality. Now that I have, it feels so natural.


Early in my path I was drawn to herbs. I pushed it away for a time, though I'm not sure why. I'm rediscovering an interest in it, however, and am eagerly awaiting planting a veggie garden and an herb garden. I don't, however, have a very green thumb it seems. Most of my house plants survive only by chance.


I'm named after Diana (actually spelled Deanna,) and have always gravitated towards her identity as Artemis. It wasn't until college that I discovered I'd grown up Pagan, so when I decided to dedicate to the path, I dedicated as a Daughter of Artemis. She's been a part of me ever since. I do occasionally honor other gods, but in reflection I learned that Artemis tends to be my only female deity. The rest are male. Similarly, it seems like every career step I take, I tend to be the only female. A scary reflection. I've attempted to get closer with Vesta/Hestia, but I just don't *feel* it. Maybe when I step out of maidenhood and become a mother...


An interesting thing to note- Artemis is accompanied by hounds, one of her sacred animals, and I'm also born in the year of the dog. I seem to be a lot like her in a lot of ways... which makes dating difficult for me. Why oh why couldn't I be more like Venus!? LOL The whole hunter/gatherer thing works out so well being dedicated to a huntress.

[StoneAgeQueen]

I'm a pagan. I follow the Babylonian pantheon, my patrons being Marduk and Ishtar.

[AmyMac703]

I would not describe myself as pagan by any means but I do find wisdom and truth in many of the older belief systems.

How does this relate to being primal? Well, I see my primal lifestyle as a way to achieve my maximum mental and physical potential as an individual (I believe it's impossible to be mentally healthy if one is completely unhealthy physically). Many ancient belief systems are defined by values that focus on humans as individuals rather than the human race as a whole.

[DebFM]

@Diana, definitely, you'll feel more of the energies of dieties like Hestia when you start moving into a slightly later stage of life. Artemis sounds like she's a good fit for you. She the helper to those giving birth, too & I like to think of that including projects not just progeny.

[dragonmamma]

When people ask my religion, I tell them I'm a Born Again Pagan.


I know it's not the right season, but have you ever heard "The Pagans and the Christians" by Dar Williams? It's a must-hear:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KiHRHwaAs


When I used to play Magic:the Gathering tournaments, I registered as Kitchen Goddess.

[Funkadelic Flash]

Haha, YEAH MTG! I used to play that quite often in my early jr. high/high school years. Haven't played in years now, but damn, that game was fun!

[Sharon C.]

I'm an ex Catholic who went to a Baptist church for a while but then stopped going to any church. I am not sure anymore what may or may not be true about religion. I just care about other people as much as I can.