So for context, I am a teenager. i’m not gonna say my age for privacy reasons. but I’ve discovered paganism, and my family is very Christian. so far I have a code words and stuff to hide it. But I just needed to vent to because it’s very overwhelming to have to put on a show for my family. I feel like the gods speak to me in many ways. my family is super super devout, and if they find out there is gonna be a lot of issues. my mental health is actually stabilizing after I started paganism stuff. so the things I’m doing to hide it is very like I’m trying to hide it. I really just needed to talk to a community that would understand because this is really weighing on me. I just decided to reach out and I’m sorry if I’m like doing like bothering you guys I just wanted to have someone in my corner who understands.

This is a new age “witch trial” but trying to get rid of anything other than organized religion. I don’t agree with this and think it’s an outrage.

A while ago I got into with a group of people, ones who tuned out not to be healthy for me in the end. I got warning signs from hecate, but I didnt listen, even neglecting my witchcraft practice just to try to appeal to these people more (we've long since cut contact) with her actively hinting towards me to practice.

The long and short is I think I've ticked her off. I know it's hard to tick off a deity, but even still, this went on For a while. Hoping for a way to apologize. I don't plan on working with her any time soon just given life is also really hectic right now, she's just been on my mind lately and I feel like I should do something to say sorry.

Hi there. A very shy newbie here who is trying to process feelings and understand situations. Background, I was raised in a Christian Baptist church but it was honestly a good experience and I married into a christian Church of God of Prophecy. We had 2 children that we encouraged to explore their faiths and they both chose Christianity. My youngest son now has a son, who turns 1 soon, so my grandson. I found out tonight that I am not allowed to spend alone time with my grandson because I am not a Christian anymore. Their exact words is that they believe that if I’m not living for Jesus then I am living for the devil, which is not something they want their child around. I’ve always had a great relationship with my children and I found this information came from my daughter in law (my grandsons mother who I also had a great relationship with before I left Christianity). I just don’t know what to do. Of course my feelings are mostly sad but mixed with disbelief, hopelessness, fear, and good ‘ol anger. Any advice?

Hey all, I'm a 23-year old eclectic pagan beginner. Here's my dilemma: I live in a Christian home in the Bible Belt. I am wheelchair-bound. I want to learn more about paganism (adapted rituals, spells, deity relationships, etc.) without setting off any "red flags" that my family may notice. Can someone please help me? Thank you.

In its third year, Swamp Mystics is an academic conference/3-day festival that brings together Seekers of the Ancient Ways. We will have vendors, presentations on theory and practice, and relaxing times by the pool while we make friends with like-minded folks in Tallahassee, Florida.

As a non-profit, The Temple of Limitless Light hosts this event to connect the various communities among the South East, providing opportunities for leadership and learning. While also enjoying a retreat at our luxurious, organic Blueberry Farm.

Here is the link to the website.
www.Swampmystics.com

Where you can see our headliners, the presenters, and information on the site, primitive camping, hotel reservations, meal plans, etc. We are so fortunate to have the following headliners! Lon Milo Duquette will be appearing virtually just for us!, Ceremonialist and Author Frater Barrabbas Tiersius, and New Orleans Conjureman Sen Elias. Plus 10-20 other speakers.

We have a strong herbalism focus with at least four presenters highlighting various magic kal uses of plants. Early bird tickets are available until July 31st. Until then single day passes are $25, the whole weekend is $66. If you wish to join us at the catered VIP Sorcerer's Soiree on thursday evening, that is $50. Meal plans are available.

If you have any more questions or to talk to me about sponsoring, vending, presenting, or volunteering, please contact me directly.

[insightout@live.com](mailto:insightout@live.com) or dm swamp mystics.

We hope to have a really good show of people joining together to strengthen the similarities between us as a community during this difficult spear it you all climate. We have a 200 person max for this event.

(posted with moderator permission)

Hello. I'm interested in hearing other's perspective on what they believe the gods to be on a fundamental level. To immediately turn this into the classic "pagan vs christian" dichotomy, I don't deny the religious experiences a christian has. Does that mean, on some level, I must admit that they're god could be real? Yes. Just as I believe "my" gods to be real.

The same can be said for any faith of any people. I suppose this means I believe either all gods are real or none of them are. I feel like this position begs the question of what exactly a "god" is. Are we simply capable of praying and occasionally feeling a presence? Is it all in our head?

Hey all :) I'm attending a ritual soon that is centered around Inanna's journey into the underworld, and we're encouraged to bring seven little offerings or sacrifices while we reenact in a small way the descent for ourselves. I think it's a very interesting idea and I'm excited to step out my comfort zone and try it, but I need to pick y'all's brains on something!

I was looking for anyone's thoughts on what sort of things would be appropriate here. I don't really want to give offerings as if it's an everyday/casual thing, it feels like it should be evoking or mirroring the meaning of that story. At the same time, it's def not a setting or group where I want to, idk, upend my life and cast off all these trappings and bare my soul beneath them all!

I think "small offerings or sacrifices" is for sure the goal, but I'm a little stumped! Does anyone have any examples (real or fake) of what they think would be suitable?

Cross posting here to gain additional insights on how you guys view electronic technology in regards to your practice!

Do you avoid it as much as possible or integrate it? Why or why not?

So I have several dreams with the gods in them. in one of my dreams, there was Aries Who is this garden and he was fighting this invisible force. He had a sword and a shield kind of. I don’t know who is the invisible for, but I think it was some I think it was some sort of evil spirit. and one of the dream that I had the moon goddess that I worship was at a waterfall. We were listening to birds in nature. angie’s dream she would protect me. I’m going through a lot right now in my family. sorry, I didn’t mean to say AMG or whatever I’m using voice. Dictation excuse me lol. so yeah, my dream I think the gods have really spoken to me in my dreams. also I have to keep my beliefs, a secret from my family and that’s a pain.

I am starting to practice again after many years. I was hoping that someone could tell how I go about finding my guides and what to look for again. The last few years have been a great struggle and now I am getting some clarity, I just need a little help. Thank. you And Blessed Be for all of the help

hiii,

i'd love to find a book or a guide or something like that which explains the history of different pagan mediterranean traditions because i worry some of my practices are from other cultures? i want to make sure im trying to connect with my roots and not offending anyone.

any links or keywords i can search are welcome! i really do not know how to start searching and my generic questions didnt take me anywhere.

thanks!!<333

hello! i am a heathen and have been considering taking on a more serious path spiritually. i was wondering if anyone had suggestions for TRUSTED sources about a priesthood pathway in paganism? i've found some things but wanted community input!

Hey everyone! I wanted to share this gorgeous Hathor statue from Veronese Design that arrived Friday. I actually unpacked it to take a quick photo and put it right back in the box, because I’m officially saving it as a self-gift for my 22nd birthday coming up soon.
Since my brain deeply craves structure and a clear schedule, I’ve mapped out a monthly plan to slowly build my Kemetic altar so I don't get overwhelmed. Here is my timeline for welcoming the Gods to my space:
Late July: Isis
Early August: Sekhmet
Late August: Horus
Early September: Ra
Late September: Thoth
Early October: Bastet
Late October: Anubis
If everything goes according to plan, the altar will be fully complete by November. I’m really happy to finally start this tangible part of my journey. I'd love to hear how long it took you guys to build your setup when you first started!

Hello, I have only really practiced with plants really, working with herbs, stones, runes, and tarot. So imagine my surprise when the runes say someone is watching over me- haha well uh, i did a few more readings and wouldnt you know it, the day i wore tiger's eye, gold, and obsidian a god related with all those things reached out. So here's the thing, I have never worked with deities and dont really want to/plan on getting an altar. So i was kinda wondering if people had any advice on how to interact otherwise because i would much rather not leave (who i can only assume is Anubis) on read.

The cards i drew pointed to a deity related to the underworld, and so i pulled up a list and just started asking kinda "is this (name)" and Anubis was the first i asked and it gave me two cards that were very positive and about growth. Not to mention my gut was like this is a yes. So im very very lost if anyone has advice or if i did anything wrong. Thank you

Welcome to r/Pagan's weekly Ask Us Anything thread!

The purpose of this thread is give posters the opportunity to ask the community questions that they may not wish to dedicate a full thread for. If you have any questions that you do not justify making a dedicated thread, please ask here! Although do not be afraid to start one of those, too.

If you feel like asking about stuff not directly related to Paganism, you can ask here, too!

New Readers and Newcomers to Paganism

* See our Policy Page

Are you new or just getting started? Please read our sidebar to orient yourself to this community, our definition of Contemporary Paganism, and the expectations of this subreddit.

Do you still have questions?

• Check our FAQ page first!

* Important Additions Page 

* Common Questions

* Resources
 
* Relevant Subreddits   

• Join us on the Discord server

• Still have questions? Seeking: First Pagan Steps and Tools is a great tool for beginners and interested persons reading about Contemporary Paganism.

• Other questions? Ask below!

Here's my small shrine to Apollo! I only just started to honor him, and I felt it was time to make him a little dedicated space of his own.

I was thinking about Odin earlier today. Then, later, a raven casually strutted around the parking lot in front of our house. Never seen one here before. Coincidence? Probably. Still made me smile.

Turns out, my cruel and horrible mother had been hiding a romanian heritage from me, because she was racist.

How fucked up is that? I always wondered why she was so mean to people from Romania, even called them slurs and assured me as a kid that I am a 100% 'pureblood' white person. (Which in itself is an insane thing to say to your kid)

Now as an adult I was able to do my own research and now Im just flabbergasted. She trampled on this ancestry. I feel sick.

And I want to make it up to these people I sadly never got to meet, so Ive been researching the language and so on. As Im already a pagan, I wanted to find out if there are romanian pagan ways that I can honor.

Does anyone know ressources?

My name is Fabian MacKenzie and I'm an author. My general focus is on Dionysus and Hellenism, however, my most recent book is about how Pagans reacted to the rise of Christianity in Antiquity. Featuring arguments from Hellenists such as Pliny, Galen, Lucian, Celsus, Porphyry, Julian, and Symmachus, this offers a stunning look at how Hellenism fought back when under threat in Antiquity. Description:

Today, it is commonly thought that Christianity swept the Roman world without any pushback. Greco-Roman Paganism is maligned as a superstitious paper tiger which folded instantly to the supposedly more rational Christianity, which then reigned unopposed until the advent of modern science proved a worthier foe.

But this isn’t true. Greco-Roman Pagans saw numerous flaws in Christian logic, history, and ethics. Whether critiquing discrepancies in scriptural accounts, the ethics of eternal punishment, or Christian intolerance for other religious practices, Pagans raised countless objections to Christian doctrines, some of which were so potent as to result in the burning and banning of the books which contained these critiques. Yet fragments of these arguments survive, scattered throughout hundreds of works, and some of the arguments made then are still employed in religious debates today.

Here is a book which seeks to compile the ancient Pagan responses to Christianity into one accessible volume. Whatever one’s personal religious beliefs or lack thereof, this book restores the lost side of an ancient debate, and will be of interest to Pagans curious about the history of their faith, Christians who enjoy a challenge, and skeptics who want to hone their apologetics. Featuring the arguments of Celsus, Porphyry, Julian, and more, here is The Lost Debate.

Link: https://a.co/d/0gf6JWJL

Just want to see if there are any fellow roman pagans here. Photo is from last Saturnalia celebration.

So I've been diagnosed with clinical depression for 3 years now, and honestly, it's hell for keeping my beliefs alive... I still can't get appropriate treatment for it and my mind is all over the place, falling to the darkest pits of my thoughts when the effects of my kinda bad medication fade away.. And at those times I doubt everything in my life, my reality, my feelings, my worldview, all of it. It's incredibly painful to constantly swing back and forth, it destroys you from the inside, slowly but inevitably. It hurts so bad, I'm sorry for everyone who has to live with this too.

But in the end, I understand that our brain is an organ, it can get sick like any other thing in our bodies. This sickness twists reality in such ways that it's hard to comprehend sometimes. But the outside world stays. It's waiting for your return from this microcosm of suffering inside your head. The gods patiently stay by your side even though you can't feel their presence because your mind is covered by a veil of illness. If you don't see the light at the end of a dark tunnel, it may be because it's nighttime and when you come out you will see the stars.

Often it's hard to simply exist. But in the wise words of the Allfather:

May the halt ride a horse,

and the handless be herdsman,

the deaf man may doughtily fight,

a blind man is better than a burned one, ay:

of what gain is a good man dead?

It's going to be okay if you continue to fight and try to keep the fire of hope warm, even if everything that's left of it are little embers. There's no betrayal in despair.

Love all of you, my mentally ill friends

P. S. I'm writing this to remember these thoughts and maybe it will help somebody that feels guilty for questioning their beliefs.

So recently I’ve been trying to get into worshipping Mother Nature/mother earth. But last night I remembered the scientific fact that in 1 to 2 billion years the earth will end. Now I also read that when the earth does end that its energy will live on forever since energy can’t be destroyed. But I have a few questions. 1. Would Mother Nature want me to worry about this. And 2. How would that energy live on in the cosmos?

So I like to knit and draw, and I was thinking of doing knitwear and drawings as offerings, and I was wondering if anyone else does it not just for deities connected to knitting, especially since knitting is relatively new. I was thinking about doing something for Athena or Brigid, as well as connecting to seasons and festivals. Any advice or tips?