(NOTE: I am not trying to insult, bash or talk down about any religion at all, this is just why I chose to follow the path I follow)


I, like many children I knew during my childhood, was forced to go to a christian church, we had no choice in the matter, no say what-so-ever. My family like many other dutch immigrant families I know were very strict on religion. Stating one must know and believe in god for life to go as planned and not to stray from his path or commit sin lest we be sent to he!! The pastor didn't like my questions, my ideas about how there could be not one god but many, how I couldn't understand many of his teachings (it wasn't I didn't want to understand I just couldn't grasp the ideals of christian society.) I felt nature was more of a natural god, one you could touch, see, smell and connect with (I've always been in tune with nature) than a god which you could not see, touch, hear or feel.
As the years went by, me sitting in church on sundays wishing I was out in the woods, or sitting in a field with nature just seemed like my own version of he!! suffering inside feeling forced into things I decided to take things into my own hands, choose my own path, my own life, my own ideals.. I had a hard time grasping the ideals and concepts set before, told to me like a rule that could not be broken. When I hit my early teenage years I decided, it was time to break from conformity, time to break from the strong family rules, meditate and find my own path.
Through lots of soul searching, researching and meeting fellow pagans and wiccans (my best friend is a pagan priestess) I came to the decision that the life of a wiccan was the life for me. To me wicca is about discovering and bringing out your own spirituality, about connecting to the devine gods and goddesses in your own ways, its about naturalism, about freedom.
Over the years, since my initiation ritual, (which no does not involve killing or worshiping the devil as so many seem to think) I have felt the sting of peoples misconceptions. The wiccan rede, or law. Speaks to me in more ways than the bible ever has, I feel free, accepted with my own spirtuality and more in tune with the world around me then I felt when I attended church. I preform rites, passages and rituals at each of the changings of the seasons (I won't use names as some people are unfamiliar of them and their meanings. But two are and can be known as summer and winter solstace, and there is also yule) I have an alter in my home, I pay respects to the gods and goddesses and I feel my religion shows people the real me.
That is why I chose the religion I chose, and I hope everyone accepts that as I accept their own decisions in life and would never talk down about theirs.

It hurts deep down inside, when you hear people words flowing out of their mouths like venom from a deadly snake, about how wicca is poison, unhealthy, unnatural, wrong, its worshiping the devil, you harm animals and so on and so forth. Now I'm NOT saying anyone on this site has ever said that to me.. no one has. And I hope no one ever does. I just felt the need to express myself.

Merry meet and merry part
Blessed be

So does this mean you worship nature:confused:

Good for you!

I dig that, I few of my friends were, and still might be, practicing wiccans.

I bet you'll run into the most opposition from people who want to "save you", I've witnessed it a time or two and man is it pathetic. I am a Christian, but I don't believe in voluntarily saving anyone. I know that most of the time, the missionaries have selfish motives as they believe converting someone will mean they'll be a +1 favorite candidate for heaven. I mean really, what good can that do someone if they don't actually believe in it? Anyway, that was my little rant.

Have you been to Salem, Massachusetts? It's a cool shoreline town with lots of history. Needless to say there's a huge wiccan population there. If you've never been, go this summer if you can.

Your religion is your own business, but be prepared to be condemned for being Wiccan since Christian fundamentalists see it as of the devil. (They see a lot of non-Christian religions as being from the devil).

Your choice, as you described it, seems to be from an anti-Christian position based on your growing up. That's a common reason that Wiccans choose what they choose. Not the best of reasons, but not the worst either.

What's most important is that you have chosen a path. You obviously have a good sense of spirituality. Many people go through life never examining their path. Keep searching.

I have not been to salem yet, but I've been dying to go...

I have always been confemned for being wiccan, it's the way life goes.. I just don't believe people should be the way they are about it when they don't know anything about it to begin with

Athos,
I'm a Christian fundamentalist and found YOUR insight into MY thoughts of the Wiccan religion to be uncalled for and judgemental.

Incidentally speaking of minding your own business, cough cough...
I've always thought it best NOT to speak for others when you aren't asked to, but that comes with wisdom and maturity.. no matter what the topic.

Athos, though I do not feel my choice of religion was based on the "anti-christian" way of my upbringing. Even if I had grown up enjoying church, I feel my life would have brought me to wicca no matter what. Christianity among other religions are just not the ideals or teachings that I believe in

I was raised devoutly christian. I loved going to church. I followed every one of the rules set for me. I was a good little mormon girl for 19 years of my life. I was sure I was right and never took the time to really think about WHY I was right.

When I got to college, I finally had the chance to examine my life and beliefs without having anyone to tell me what I SHOULD believe. I found out that I didn't really believe more of what I was raised to believe in, so I went searching for a new religion.

I found wicca. While it didn't completely fit, it was a good starting place. I now label myself as an eclectic pagan. There's no one pagan path that truly fits, so I explore and borrow and interpret aspects of several paths.

Good for you Binx.

You should know that I started a thread very similar to this over a year ago and it didn't go well. Just fyi. ;)

I'm a Deist, or that's the best description I can come up with, for now. I believe that a God created the world and then walked away. We're just a little ant farm project, left to fend for ourselves.

I was raised Lutheran, went to a Catholic school for 10 years, questioned everything and was told just to accept without questioning. Thankfully my parents were always open to letting me find my own path, which I have, again, for now. ;)

I'm extremely interested in Wicca, it sounds like something that I could really embrace. Sadly the only Wiccan friends I have are on this site, makes learning about the belief a bit hard.

I'm always open to exploring new things, I hate being labeled or put into a little box.

I guess that means I'm still undecided, sort of kind of. ;)

I have a question for you binx. Its something Im not quite understanding. Its not a challenge just a question. Where along the line did you decide to feel comfortable worshiping the unseen? In your OP you had mentioned how it was a struggle and Im wondering how you resolved it?

There is actually a pagan church of canada... its not like regular churches but it allows you opportunities to contact people in your area. Along with some other sites which I`ll try to find. There is also now officially a wiccan college in alberta I do believe, where you can go to classes for herbalism among other things

This is a site run by some friends of mine. You should check it out. They're a great group of people. If they can't answer a question you have, they'll probably be able to point you in the general direction of the answer.

You and lala (lady anastasia) actually remind me a lot of each other. I think you'll either hit it off instantly, or grate on each other's nerves. I'm hoping for hitting it off.

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No worries, I didn't take it as a challenge, see to me paganism, worshiping nature, isn't worshiping the unseen. To me worshiping one god in the ways "god" wants you to, is worshiping the unseen. It took me a long time, and a great deal of research to decide, asking pagan communities, friends, books.. though not really much of the net because a lot of bs that's on there. Finally I looked deep inside myself, and did what I felt was right for me

Please go soon, we've been having amazing weather this summer.

That's good to know slapshot... is it very pet friendly too? I tend to go no where without my dog

May I ask you what are your thoughts of the Wiccan religion?

Hi binny, I have 'played' around with wicca for many years; its such a long journey. So much to learn. Wiccans are definitely confused with witches, which isn't true, for that reason I don't know why you would want to visit Salem, bin. Salem was a turning point for wicca, that's when we had to go underground for many reasons and those reasons are why we are confused today with the dark path. I believe you would find it depressing.

Tick

Tick,
I want to visit salem because of the history behind it and the witch hunts, not because of my religion.I know there is much confusion between "witches" and wicca.. it's a unique place, they hold some neat festivals. Mind you I'd also like to visit holland, egypt and sweeden

Binny, I couldn't go. I am far too much of what they call a 'sensitive by touch' psychometry in other words. It would be very uncomfortable for me. Those of us who are blessed this way are also susceptible to lingering personalities (dead or alive) in an area. Seeing as you chose wicca, binny, are you sensitive in any way ?

Tick