Pagan Journeys

Pagan Journeys => Pagan Chat => Topic started by: otacon122 on August 14, 2011, 07:51:37 PM

Title: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: otacon122 on August 14, 2011, 07:51:37 PM
Being new here, I would like to know why everyone chose their specific path and what, if any, assistance everyone had along the way, be it metaphysical, spiritual, or physical assistance.

I was raised in the Christian Church, being a church boy until I was 12 years old, at which time I left the church because of a conflict of interest.  After spending a few years moving from church to church trying to find my calling, I took a break from any religious gatherings for about a decade or so, then in January of this year, I felt compelled to do a google search for Occult shops in my area.  After finding one close to me, I went to pay them a visit and find out what they were all about.  After listening to my situation, the shop owner picked up a book and showed it to me and told me it was a very valuable resource with lots of good information on Paganism and witchcraft, so I bought the book and took it home with me, but then quickly became nervous about what my family would think, so I left the book on a night stand in my bedroom.  One day, a month after I bought the book, the book seemed to be pulling me toward it wanting me to read it, so I laid on my bed and began reading.  The first five chapters of that book, "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Christopher Penczak, were several pages long each and it literally took five full chapters to detail the history of Paganism.  It really sparked my interest and I felt like this was the right path for me, but I wasn't sure which aspect of Paganism I should focus on, and initially, I didn't feel a calling to any one specific path, but then one night I was laying in bed and began thinking about what it would take to learn wilderness survival.  The next morning, I still had the subject of wilderness survival in my head, so I went back and read the first five chapters of Penczak's book again and that was when I discovered that my interest in learning to live entirely off the environment was an almost perfect example of Druidism, but I also felt a calling toward shamanism, so I spent the rest of my time focusing most of my attention on researching and following the ways of the Druid as well as trying to achieve Shamanic Consciousness.  I was introduced to a website that featured metaphysical brainwave recordings a few weeks into my Paganism practices, and my first purchases from that site were Alpha Wave Meditation and Deep Sleep, with my initial intention being using the Alpha Wave Meditation to help train my brain into getting into a meditative state, as I knew meditation was one of the key elements of Paganism.  The first Alpha Wave Meditation session was an experience that is impossible to describe, but it was an exciting and definitely an interesting experience.  At the same time, I also began noticing that the Alpha Wave Meditation was affecting me in more ways than just by giving me inner peace, I also noticed that it raised my awareness, I was a lot calmer than usual, I could actually concentrate, and that I was awake yet it seemed like my mind wasn't.  That night, I decided to combine the Alpha Wave Meditation with the Deep Sleep to see if it would help me get to sleep faster, but instead of putting me to sleep, it put me into a trance-like state - I could feel vibrations as people moved around the house and I could hear the sounds from the recording, but I was physically unable to move.  It was a strange and initially somewhat frightening experience, but once the recording was done, I willingly brought myself back to full consciousness and almost immediately, I felt as if I had just slept like a dead man for 10 hours straight even though the total amount of time I spent listening to the two recordings was only an hour and 10 minutes.  From that day, I began focusing all my attention on the exercises in Mr. Penczak's book. taking whatever free time I had to practice the energy manipulation exercises that were described in the book.  I happened upon this site by doing a Google search for "Pagan forums" and after exploring the different sites that popped up, this one seemed to want my attention, so now here I am and hopefully this will be my second home as I continue with my practices.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: vordan on August 15, 2011, 12:39:28 AM
In ancient myth the sound of a distant flute sometimes draws people into the trackless woods. The world is not as cut and dried as pure rationalists would say or is it as presented in the Christian Bible. I did not go down this path to be cool or different but because it called me. This type of spirituality is a constant expansion of the mind. I have rewritten this response because claiming some sensitivity to the unseen seemed pompous and deflects the deep philosophical richness found in all of this. The spirituality of the Eclectic Wiccan and pagan movement makes sense to me combining many of the things I came to believe on my own.  My beautiful, funny, free spirited high priestess once looked at me when I said that I was pretty conservative for a pagan and laughingly replied, "Ya think? H*ll, you would be a pretty conservative guy for a Baptist." Our paths often chose us. None of us are the same here but we are all on a journey.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: WhitePhoenix on August 15, 2011, 10:21:26 PM
My path to Paganism has been nothing short of turbulent. When I was quite a bit younger, I'd gotten into an argument about Harry Potter with some girl in a Christian teen chat room. I was, and still am, a huge fan of Harry Potter, so I was going to defend it to the death, meanwhile she was having a fit. "HARRY POTTER IS FROM SATAN, HARRY POTTER TEACHES KIDS WITCHCRAFT, HARRY POTTER IS WICCA!" I really thought nothing of it at the time, since even at that young age I was beginning to see that Christians could be incredibly irrational. But that word, "Wicca", lodged itself in my brain, unbeknownst to me. It wouldn't be until I was twelve-ish that that little argument would come back to me, along with that strange word I didn't know.

Upon remembering "Wicca", I got online and did a search. And oh my, was I ever surprised and excited. This Wicca thing sounded pretty cool, and like something I could get into. Well, it fizzled out before it could start. I was dragged to a Christian youth group shortly after I made my discovery (the two things weren't related), and for whatever reason, I decided I'd rather be a Christian. Probably because of all the scare tactics they used, threats of hellfire and lists of things that put you in league with *The Enemy*. It wasn't long before I became thoroughly disenchanted by Christianity, after watching perfectly nice, easy-going friends turn into judgmental snobs, all because of what this youth group and church was preaching to them. I was at a bonfire with the youth group when I heard the call of the Goddess. She basically asked me what I was thinking, and told me that I knew where I belonged. And I did. Before long, that youth group was a member short, and I was much happier.

I started with studying structured Wicca, but as time has gone on, I've sort of developed my own practice. I have my own relationship with the Lord and Lady, and I create my own spells and rituals in the manner that I choose. Some people might say I'm not being properly spiritual, since I don't belong to a structured religion, but I don't agree. I'm secure in my beliefs and practices. As a solitary Witch, that's all that matters, right?

As a parting thought... I find it funny that I learned more about Wicca from that girl who was harping about Harry Potter being evil than I ever would have from J.K. Rowling. Oh, the irony. ;)
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: Mongo on September 14, 2011, 11:33:07 PM
With me it was simply me just aimlessly wandering through life with a set of morals and ethics but with nothing spiritual in my life. The concept of a Christian God didn't set well because frankly the way he was portrayed by my church elders made him out to be a complete  :censored:.

So I kind of drifted away from Christianity and into agnosticism. I was sort of sure that something was out there but had no clue what it was.

Then one day I found the rede. Bugger me if that didn't sum up my moral and ethical subroutines (yes I am quoting Data from Star Trek...I'm a geek after all). So I went out and found a couple of books on the subject. The Scott Cunningham books on being a solo practitioner came in handy since at the time I lived in an area that barely figured out that someone banging the rocks together to make fire was not evil magic.

And while that is an exaggeration, it is not that much of one.

So the more I studied, the more I felt that I belonged.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: Demonic Kitten on September 15, 2011, 11:17:51 PM
I've always said that I don't have a specific path, but lately I wonder if that is true. I'm starting to believe that while trying to find a path, I have created one of my own. If that makes any sense. I don't know if that is called Paganism or not, it's why I'm here.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: Green Seeker on September 16, 2011, 09:35:22 AM
I've always said that I don't have a specific path, but lately I wonder if that is true. I'm starting to believe that while trying to find a path, I have created one of my own. If that makes any sense. I don't know if that is called Paganism or not, it's why I'm here.

Sounds like Paganism to me! Paths we create ourselves can offer very intimate ways in which to commune with the Divine.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: Belmont2500 on March 24, 2012, 09:58:28 PM
I'm not going to explain much on why I follow this path, but I will say this: Redemption is one of the reasons.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: Wolfsrain on March 25, 2012, 08:23:18 PM
I'm not going to explain much on why I follow this path, but I will say this: Redemption is one of the reasons.

It's alright. :) We all have our reasons one way or another. Some of them are personal and best spoken loudly from the heart, but silently within it.  :squeezes:
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: rainshadow on May 19, 2012, 03:46:00 PM
I was raised Catholic, and growing up, I felt like absolutely everything I did was wrong or a sin. During my teen years, I had a friend whose mother was a witch (her mother is now my best friend). This friend would do some energy work with me and make comments that would seem to stick with me.

I started reading about paganism when I was 16... sneaking away to the library and hiding pagan books under my bed at home so my mother wouldn't find them. The thing that resonates with me the most is the love I felt reading those books... like it felt right and I was supposed to be there. I then had a boyfriend a short time later whose mother was pagan. He gave me Scott Cunningham's "Solitary" book and I fell in love. I had this urge to want to do everything!

I had a not so great experience at a Christian summer camp when I was 17 (having been baptized and all while I was there), and it made me realize there was something more to seek, something more to look for and find.

Throughout my life, at least from the age of 13 on that I can recall, I've always had someone that practiced a pagan religion in my life, whether or not I knew it at the time. Looking back though, things clicked and it all made sense to me that Catholicism and Christianity weren't the right paths for me.

Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: BronwynWolf on May 20, 2012, 03:22:36 PM
Interestingly enough, I had this conversation with a young lady today....

I was raised Roman Catholic. When I was young, I was enthralled by the pageantry of it. By the time I reached 15, I started realizing I didn't like being treated as inferior because I was female, I noticed decrepencies between various translations/editions of the Bible that had nothing to do with language shifts, and the hypocrocies became so blatant I was sick of it. I started looking around...first at other Christian sects, then further.... and when Cerridwen tells you she isn't finished with you, and Bridgit tells you to suck it up and tap the Warrior withing...you better listen, or you'll wish you had.
Title: Re: Why did you choose your specific path?
Post by: wellpriestess on August 21, 2012, 11:25:02 AM
I was raised Roman Catholic, and oddly enough, I was very into my faith as a child. Then as I got older, I really started questioning it and I wanted more out of it.

I'm not sure how I discovered the first direction towards the path I'm on now, but it was through a site online called "SpiritOnline.com". I found the section on witchcraft and paganism and Deities, and it was an amazing moment. As I read through the information, it just felt so right and perfect to me.  I had a few friends in high school who lent me books on the subject and I devoured them and took so many notes. Then my mother accidentally stumbled on them and that was the first real struggle I had with my new path.  She basically refused to accept the path I had chosen because of a bunch of reasons, and even went one step further to try and convince me that my friends had a "dark" influence on me and were sucking me into a dangerous lifestyle, even though I was trying very hard to explain to her that it wasn't dark or evil at all.

Anyway, I strayed from it a little after that, when I went to college and afterwords, but it was always something I came back to. I don't think I chose it at all; I think it chose me.