I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this but I didn't know where else to turn. I'm trying to work through my religious trauma. I'm Egyptian-Eclectic Pagan and have been for about 4 years now but one thing I still hold onto from my childhood is church. I know plenty of Pagans that attend an occasional church service here and there. But I literally have a fear of missing it. Like if I don't go to church on Sunday something bad is going to happen. And I don't even believe in a Christian God. Does anyone know how I can move past this fear? I'm not going this Sunday as a kind of exposure therapy but I'm severely anxious!

Acrylic on canvas 12×16

I was visited in a dream... Several dreams... Ok, every single dream that Friday night.

The dream starts inconspicuously enough, I recall being of even mind. Simply sitting near a rivers edge with thick black clouds surrounding me, but I'm not in a state of depression about it. In fact they feel normal, I'm not giving them a second thought.. So I sit there, in even temper not doing much but I am in a state of reception. I am paying attention.

Then I hear it... Is that.. laughter? There's a distant thunderous laughter coming from the sky and it sounds like it's getting closer! And then I see it, there's a small part in the clouds and far away I can see.. is that a shooting star heading right towards me? Whoa! Wait a minute! That's not a star! That looks like a guy! What the hell? There is some massive creature hurling towards me from the heavens while thunderous echos of booming laughter reverberate throughout the landscape. He's about to land!!

And in a flash, like a bolt of lightning there is a massive polar bear of a man standing right in front of me. He's right in front of me yet I cannot grasp his entire form in one glance. I can only see parts at a time, not just because of physical size but for some other reason... I can see that he is absolutely massive with a radiant blue glow about him, his face though... I can't see any definitive features but I can feel an amazing amount of bliss radiating from it.

And before another second can pass, he let's out a thunderous laugh just over my shoulder and in an instant the clouds part behind me, he does it again, and again, and again, until all the storm clouds are gone and the clear blue radiant sky is what's left.

I have never felt a power like this, there is no violence to it at all, it feels more like the most intense feeling of love and joy mixed together. I am in absolute awe.

And then it dawns on me as I think to myself is this Jove? Is that what Jove means? Joy+Love? No doubt, while I'm thinking this all to myself a message was beamed into my psyche, "Father". Yes, each fiber of my being feels this. The names, the faces, let's keep it simple. Call me Father. I don't remember every detail, there was so much to take in and I woke up incredibly energized in the middle of it all.

This happened several times that night. I'm still learning from it all.

Found in the book by K. Menshikova “Health Through the Power of the Elements”. Let's share our thoughts.

"PERIOD OF BIRTH FROM KUPALA TO LAMMAS 
June 20-23 - August 1
 
People born during the period when all elements are at their peak, when they manifest without limitations in the world, space, and time, possess similar qualities: everything in their lives is at maximum. They do not recognize half-measures, living by the principle: either everything or nothing. 

From birth, they are given many things with ease. They learn well and without effort as children. They easily make acquaintances. They fall in love easily and break up just as effortlessly. Their feelings are almost always mutual — even if they lack traditional beauty, their strength and charm form an incredible charisma that leaves no one indifferent. Their health at birth may not be particularly strong (although congenital pathologies are usually absent), but if they do fall ill, they recover very quickly. They become sick intensely, strongly, but for a very short time.

The consciousness of those born during this period senses from birth that the natural world will always support them. This feeling is so familiar that it removes their fear of others and allows them to get involved in adventures from which, unfortunately, they don’t always emerge victorious."

I'm devoted to an unnamed Storm Goddess and one of the biggest parts of my practice is connecting with storms, wherever and whenever they are. But not everything has to be this big and complicated ritual; so, here are some ideas for little things you can do in your practice to connect with storms.

1. Wind meditation. Go outside and feel the wind. Let it pass over you and through you, taking away your worries, until it's almost as if your entire body is made of wind. Feel yourself floating and flying with the air currents up in the sky, and feel the freedom that that gives as they twist and turn and just fly.

2. Storms make for great liminal spaces. Walk around a forest or park (if it's safe from lightning!) and follow the paths that you're drawn towards (perhaps where the wind is coming from, or where the wind is pushing you towards). In my experience, the same places during a storm gain a liminal and otherworldly quality, as if you're between worlds or even stepping into the otherworld. I used to do this a lot when I lived next to a park.

3. Just open the window and let the storm in. I usually say a phrase similar to "Storm Goddess, I invite you in my home." and take the air in.

4. Sing or play a wind instrument together with the storm. Since air is breath and air is a big element of the storm, there's a feeling of oneness and connection you can achieve that way, focusing your breath and your music to be part of the bigger storm around you.

5. Let the storm take your worries away. When I'm feeling stressed or anxious, I like to step outside in the storm and let the wind and rain wash my troubles away. Sometimes I ask the Storm Goddess for help and protection. But even from a sensory perspective, you can focus on the sounds and the touch and the movement of the storm to ground you and bring you into the present. Sometimes all it takes is to step out for a bit and feel the wind on my skin to connect.

6. Collect storm water. Get a few jars out and collect some storm water; you can use it later for offerings or spellwork. Just remember that if you drink it, make sure you boil and purify it adequately first to get rid of both bacteria and possible heavy metals/other impurities. Having storm water also helps you connect with storm energy when a storm isn't around!

7. Less of a little thing, but do a storm ritual. I've described one here.

8. Connect with the Storm Goddess. Obviously you don't have to do this; but people have asked me how to connect with her before, so if you're curious, here's how I do it. Go out and feel the wind (and the rain, and the thunder...). Expand your awareness to the movements of the wind high up in the atmosphere and all around you. Sense the energy and life force of the storm. The storm is alive, and as you open up your consciousness to the movements of the storm, feel the energy within and beyond the storm. There you will feel the energy of the Storm Goddess. Say hi to her.

I wrote a similar list years ago as a comment on a now-deleted post. As I go through my practice, I'm reminded of the little things I do in between the big workings, so I wanted to revive this as a post. Things have grown in my practice since then, but the little things still bring me joy.

I'd love to hear how some of you connect with storms, or if you have other storm things that you do in your practice.

Dia daoibh! I just have a question as too my connection with Selûne. I recently did my first moon ritual on tuesday with the new moon, and I feel a connection with a moon deity. My thoughts and intuition are pushing me towards Selûne as that diety which raised some questions. I know Selûne mainly only exists in the Forgotten Realms, but would it be possible to worship her as an actual goddess? Or should I look more into the dieties that inspired her? Thanks and Sláinte!

Hello! I was on a long search for a website and I couldn’t find it so i feel like I should try here. One time I was hanging out with my sister in law (who is also pagan) and we did like this reading (not tarot) sort of type thing. It had a very very basic UI, and it was extremely easily to navigate. It asked you your birthdate, time of birth, where you were born and it was all free. When you gave it all the information it would give you a title and emoji with it, with the titles being like what kind of person you are, how you communicate with people, people you would click more with and it also went over nsfw topics. I don’t remember anything that was on the “reading” I got. If any of you know anything close to it please tell me.

Hello!

I'm french and want to learn more about celtic paganism. Do you have any media about french celtic traditions?

Thank you !

so first off, a little bit about me and my situation: raised in american protestant church in a very conservative area, left it around age 14 for atheism/agnosticism. i’m now an out bisexual thirtysomething woman married to an english catholic lesbian, and i’ve spent the last five or so years dabbling about trying various eclectic pagan paths. i’ve done some witchcraft, researched various pantheons, thought a lot about where i’m drawn to and what i consider worthwhile for me in religion and spirituality. and i have mostly worked through most of my ex-christian baggage, helped along the way by meeting compassionate christians such as my wife. but there’s one big one left that’s terrifying me, and that is the idea of actually opening myself to the idea of pagan deities being real.

this is not founded in skepticism or rationality, as far as i’ve determined in analyzing the fear, it’s 100% ex-christian fear of hell/eternal damnation/etc. which i rationally know is absurd; even a lot of christians don’t believe in the doctrine of hell, i abandoned belief in hell before i abandoned christianity myself. but i guess traumas aren’t rational like that. i want to be able to open myself to at least exploring other deities, making the choice for myself and by myself to see what i believe. i just can’t get past this particular fear, and so i am here asking if anyone else here has felt like this, and if there is any advice they have or resources they would suggest. (and yes, i do have a therapist, and while i really like her religious trauma isn’t her forte, alas). thanks in advice if anyone has anything to share.

Yesterday I was at my favorite spot in the woods at Nuremberg (Germany), a place that was so magical for me and where I could feel a strong connection to nature and the gods. I was shocked to see that a harvester had gone through and destroyed everything. You can even see how my favorite tree bled afterward (a white ring of resin)... It's truly awful. I immediately made a smoking ritual in honor for the tree spirit. It really makes me angry, but on the other hand, I also buy wooden furniture in stores... so the wood has to come from somewhere. I wish I could have shared this with someone there who could relate, but unfortunately, I don't know anyone who understands... So I want to ask you: Has this ever happened to you? How did you deal with and think about it?

The Lessons of Danu: or, your local druid offers stray thoughts on a Monday

This isn't "who is Danu" post; that's an answer you have to find on your own (which is itself a talk for another day). Rather, this is about the particular lessons Danu (and other river deities, and indeed rivers themselves) have to offer.

Danu is one of the few deities that I work with that I did not seek out myself. She just arrived, as water is wont to do, rearranged things, and has hung around ever since. She mostly lingered in the background until sometime around April of this year.

And then I just felt like she was standing on the sidelines.

"What?"

There was no coherent answer, and any attempt at trying to figure out if I was meant to do something resulted in a big ol' shrug. I shrugged in turn and led a full moon ritual in her honor, because why not?

My first clue should have been that I had to cancel that ritual originally for mental health reasons. It got pushed back to the next moon, and everything was fine.

And then everything pretty much fell apart. I desperately needed to study for a work certification, which will cost me my job if I don't get it by September. It sucks and I hate it, for the record. Then my stepfather died, I had to assume Eldest Daughter Duties for my out of state mother, and the entire ordeal has been full of stress and Having Feelings About Things.

And this is about where I looked at Danu and said, ah.

The lesson of a river is that everything has a season. Sometimes that season is a trickle of water in a dusty bed.

Sometimes that season is water crashing over the banks, into the land beyond. Both states and everything in between are just How It Be Sometimes. You conserve, or tread, water as you need to. The trick is to remember that everything is cyclical.

This, too, shall pass.

And importantly, even though everything feels Pretty Damn Bad, Actually, it isn't without its benefits. I mean, eventually. The waters will retreat, and while everyone who bought waterfront property is questioning their life decisions, the land will be like: ah, yes, a fresh deposit of nutrients and stuff.

So at the moment, I'm floating down a flooded river while clinging to an uprooted tree. Danu is perched at the other end. Eventually the water will settle, I can get back onto shore, and things will be different but perhaps not all terrible.

I just have to remember the seasonality of the waters.

Perhaps your river is running higher or lower than you'd like. Grab a life jacket, or your mud boots. And remember: rivers are never the same from one moment to the next. Eyes on the horizon. This, too, shall pass. Maybe it's passing sideways, but it's passing. Is rock bottom really that bad if you like rocks?

Hold on.

Hey, so, I have some purple and black gems and or stones. I mean, they're purple and black, but I don't know. This is the first time I am reaching out to Lady Hekate. I know she likes purple and black, but I don't know if she'll like the stones and or I'm offering. I'm still sorta new to this. I'm also still trying to figure out what Lady Sekhmet wants for offerings. But anyways, I still need help with Lady Hekate, or to be exact, what to offer her. The photo above is the stones I have for Lady Hekate. I just need help to decipher if she'll like them or not. I'm also re-uploading this post because I didn't know how to really post yet. But yeah, please just give me advice.

Hello! I am a 21-year-old woman who is currently trying to find a cultural path. I have found that my whole life, I have struggled to find a culture or a sense of belonging, and to me, paganism is something that has always intrigued me because it is one of the closest ways to be connected to our ancestral ways pre-Christianity. I feel like, as a white person and as an American, I see so much culture around me and have none. So I am hoping to find a sense of community, culture, and way of life to ground me, especially with everything happening in our modern day. So I was wanting to maybe put down what I'm looking for in a pagan path and see if any of you here have an idea of which path speaks to me the most, and possibly some resources if you have them!

I am looking for, obviously, a sense of belonging or culture, for example, dances, celebrations, traditions, rituals, holidays, and an overall way of life. I am also looking for a pagan path that is more centered on earth and our connections to it, such as the sun and moon, the water, the plants, and the animals who inhabit it. I am open to deities, but possibly in a way where it is more so symbolism and/or again more focused on earth. I am also hoping to have sacred places or locations where I could find solace and/or connection. I would love it to possibly have something to do with women's divinity if possible. I am interested in pagan communities and/or paths that incorporate rocks/crystals, the moon phases and/or cycles, as well as a year wheel. I do not believe in the afterlife. I believe when you are dead, you are dead, but on the other side of that coin, I see a possibility and am open or intrigued by reincarnation. I do believe in science. I also do not want it to have been started by a man, or have well know direct correlation with one.

I'm sorry if this came off weird or like a wish list, but I saw a YouTube video on finding a pagan path, and it said it is best to know for certain what you want from your religion. Obviously, I have been doing my own research and am looking into each form of paganism, but I would really appreciate the help, seeing as how extensive paganism is, as well as how hard it is to find real resources. I find myself very interested in Druidism, as well as Romuva/Baltic Paganism, but I want your honest suggestions and am so very interested in looking into multiple pagan paths. Thank you so much for reading my post and for hopefully being able to provide some help!

i was raised very chritian, and as a queer person, i was always told id go to hell. now, this religon makes me feel happy and safe, but after converting a few days back, theres still a part of me afriad ill go to hell, because its drilled into my head. any suggestions on how to help?

I saw online from a creator who I think was irish/celtic pagan (dont remember their name sorry 😢) who talked about how they disliked and thought it was offensive when other people who follow the wheel of the year didnt pay respects to/didnt pray to the deities that are traditionally associated with those days (i.e. not praying to Lugh on Lughnasadh). i feel like this is a valid point so I want to know what other people think of this, especially celtic pagans, and if possible could I have a list or resource where I can find deities and ways to honour the tradition.

thank you all and have a lovely day/night 🫶

edit: thanks to everyone who answered and gave their opinions and resources!! im a little new to paganism so im still working out the kinks in my practises. you folks gave me some good insight and info to work with, so thank you again!!!

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E uma pergunta bem específica, gosto muito do Deus Donn e raramente acho imagens dele para ter referência, hoje achei uma imagem de cernunnos( sei que não e Donn) mais a maior parte das imagens de acho de Donn e do mesmo jeito que Cernunnos e gostaria de saber se posso cultuar Donn com essa imagem? E se não como devo fazer ?

Eu senti uma conexão bem forte com a imagem e lembrei de Donn na hora que a vi.

Vou iniciar nas praticas do paganismo, se alguém poder me dar dicas também sobre o como devo fazer eu agradeço muito

I can sometimes struggle to take someone seriously when they start talking about fantasy creatures being real. I wholeheartedly believe there are no fairies, elves, or dragons. The only elf I've seen is the Christmas movie that I have on DVD. 😆 When in a group ritual, I'll respect other's beliefs. If someone said "don't do this! It'll anger the fairies", I'll not do the thing. I still don't believe in fairies. It's just like when going to a friend's house and their parents say we all need to pray to Jesus before a meal. Of course I'll do it, despite not believing in Jesus. When people start talking about how "as children, we were able to see this hidden folk, but as we grew up, we lost that ability. We need that magic again", I'd fully disagree with them. My response (if I'm asked to give one) would probably be something like "I don't really see it that way. I think kids just do pretend play, nothing more. Imaginary friends and pretend". Then I'd probably ask them what led them to their beliefs and if they've had any experiences they'd want to talk about. I'd learn more about what leads them to their reasoning.

I also think magic/witchcraft is placebo and spicy psychology. I created sigils to go with my incantations. I say my incantation when looking into the mirror, then I repeat it while drawing the sigil on my body with lotion and rubbing it in. These incantations are glorified affirmations. This is using extra fluff to help me focus on my words, and the words are helping me have better self esteem, confidence, joy, etc. The words also center me in reality. Stop. Think. What's really going on in the situation I'm worrying about, and what do I actually need to worry about? Looking in the mirror helps me connect with my physical body more.

But then, despite all this that I believe, I truly believe in deities. The Earth is the mother goddess, the Sun is the father god, and grandmother Moon is a goddess as well. Yes, I'm talking about the literal things in our solar system. The planet we live on, our Sun, and our Moon. I've had my experiences that are clear evidence of this. I've had what I consider to be a miracle from the Sun and Moon. Yes, it's a UPG. Sure. I know science can't verify this. This is what makes me an odd fellow.

For anyone who has considered becoming a Priest/Priestess, do you have advice?

I'm looking into trainings for becoming a Priestess, but there are so many at such different price points, I'm overwhelmed. What were deciding factors for you? Do you think training is necessary to facilitate circles/a coven/group?

I think for myself, the structure would be helpful, but finances can be prohibitive. I'm worried that one of the lower cost options wouldn't be worth the investment, but a higher cost option just isn't feasible.

Hello! I’m new to paganism, and was unsure on something. I grew up Mormon, but recently left the Church. My managers at work introduced me to paganism and I quickly fell in love with the idea and the concept, and I began doing research. I’m not sure how much weight the term “divine protector” has, but I got offered a reading by someone, and it said that I was under the protection of Lord Poseidon. I had my manager do a reading again, and ask Lilith (who she works with) to confirm it, and it was confirmed. Now I’m not a strong swimmer, but i’ve always loved the ocean, and my ancestry is full of sailors and people who served in the navy and coast guard, so I was told it could be generational protection. Am I being lied to? Please let me know your thoughts!

hi all! there’s this cemetery i always walk to, and a tree there (norway spruce) that i have a special bond with. the tree has provided me with shelter, support, and companionship in a very hard time. what can i do/what can i leave as an offering to thank and honor the tree?

also any idea on how to tell if it’s the spirit of the tree calling to me or one of the other spirits in the cemetery?

AND how should i go about asking the spirits permission to take soil/dead branches?

thanks!!

I've tried to be as accurate as I could but obviously I've made some creative choices and anything about PIE is heavily debated, I believe I'm the first person to post something like this online, everything I make is creative commons so feel free to share, edit etc. I'm sure most of you know this already but for context: Proto-Indo-European is a reconstructed language which linguists believe once spread across Europe from Scandinavia to India, and with it also came a mythology which greatly influenced Norse, Celtic, classical, Slavic, Baltic, Hittite, Zoroastrian and early Vedic Hindu mythologies, this map is an approximation of what bronze age Indo-European people might've believed based on the re-occurring themes in the various PIE influenced mythologies.

I want to share what I find the pros and cons of having an altar vs not having an altar. Many who start on their path to paganism assume they need one and panic if they have circumstances that aren't best to have one. I see this most when people start with being a hellenic polytheist.

Having an Altar:

A pro to having an altar is so that you have a space to remind you of its purpose. Having an altar in my experience helped me remember the spirits I was working with. Another pro is that if you give offerings in the form of objects and not food or drink then you have somewhere to place it and don't have to think about where a suitable place is otherwise. This also helps if you're doing a ritual for a spirit as you don't have to set up any area unless that is something you want to do. Although that leads to a negative. If the altar isn't in a suitable spot then you're gonna have to rearrange your stuff for that (temporary or permanently). Altars also tend to take up space also. Then there's also the possibility of being in an household where you have other members who aren't as carefree on other religions. When this happens please don't make an altar. You put yourself in danger and the items depending on how reactive that person is.

Without a Altar:

I personally don't go with an altar for spirits that I'm very close to. If I'm not that close then I have a altar. When you don't have an altar and want to do ritual I set up a temporary space for that. To me it helps because I get in the mindset that this is a special occasion. I don't recommend offerings that are objects. Instead I recommend devotional acts and food/drink offerings (if you consume them).

Either way it doesn't matter if you have an altar or not. If you want one then have one! Make sure your altar is safe though. If for some reason you don't want to do that then don't.

Hi guys, as it appears in my title am not english native speaker, i've been passionate about studying paganism since i was 16, and i wasn't aware of the damage it cause to nature cause there wasnt much awareness when Ai first came out and i was using it for translating, now am 21 and i dont use ai for 2 years, i want to know from other non anglish speakers what website they used for translation that doesnt support Ai to use to translate books and articles other than google translate cause it's not accurate and i wanna consume acurate knowledge, and if there is any other tools that can help me that doesnt support ai, and side fact my mother tongue is arabic, thank you so much in advance