Belief

Someone asked me- yes asked, politely, sincerely, and without prejudice what my beliefs were when I said I was pagan. i thank him for that. normally, this question is accompanied with a sneer, a disdainful look from my colleagues or friends sometimes a shrug, an "I don't want to ask" attitude- but this was nice, a simple request to philosophise about my ideals, my views, my soul.

I jumped at the opportunity to write it all down, and since i went to all that trouble, here I present to you my response- my first blog post on my religion!

firstly- there is a universal energy- this energy permeates all things, both animal, human vegetable, even the rocks beneath our boots, and the air we breath. from this energy everything is formed- the universe, humanity, society- all life and all of life's habits and cultures. in a way you could say i worship this energy- some call it god, the spirit, Buddha, the god head- nature. always there is a balance of the female energy and the male. none is more important than the other, both are equal. I basically choose to worship this energy, through a conduit- which would usually take the name of a god or goddess from a few different pantheons, depending on the situation. ( which is why i would classify myself as an eclectic pagan if anything)

festivals and esbats, sabbats and equinoxes are a way of recognising the primal energies of the earth, a way to celebrate the turning of the wheel, the natural harmonics and the songs of the earth. the timeless traditions of our ancestors who understood the cycles of nature and the universe, of time and the movement of the planets hold important lessons for our society who have become disillusioned and automated in a world they do not understand. i use paganism as a way to draw myself closer to the natural foundation of our earth- i don't do much, just have some wine with friends, maybe a home cooked feast on the greater festivals, and Beltane festival of course.

this energy that permeates all things can be borrowed ( and this is where i differ from most people) - good acts add to the energy, bad acts draw from your personal energy- spellcrafting or intention willing, ( i dont do spells, but will ask for assistance with something through a conduit by willing it) borrows energy from the universe to increase the odds of the willed action to happen - so before willing i may have had a fifty fifty chance of succeeding at something but depending on the amount of intent behind it, increases the likelihood of success.. does that make sense.. i am sure it does! I give thanks for good things that happen, and ask for guidance if things aren't going to plan.

i think because of these beliefs I have a love for natural elements, i am a texture-phile i love the roughness of tree bark, leaves and grass, i love to craft using leather and wool... I chose to go to uni and study religion and philosophy to better understand other religions, and to understand the myths and legends that make up my chosen path... I feel that the body is a temple of the soul- the everlasting aspect of a person. you must look after the temple to maintain your balance with your soul and the universe.

all in all I think I could say I am a very earthy person, I feel a connection with this planet that fosters us, I like to sit and listen to the roaring silence between its heartbeats, and even though my connection at this stage in my life is close to severed, I can still feel it like a backdrop of white noise in my head...

yep...i think that about covers it.
thanks for reading this far,
love christi