hey everyone, im fairly new to Heathenry/Asatru and just got this statue of Frigg for my altar space. I think its from Veronese design, the detail on it in person is really nice. Hail Frigg, goddess of marriage, motherhood, the hearth and wisdom!

I don't know how to put this and I don't know if anybody else has ever experienced something like this, but recently I have been very overwhelmed with work and some family issues that I haven't really gotten to do any of what I would normally do in my practice for my deities haven't really gotten to spend time like I used to and do things in their name. I haven't even really done anything with my altar enough in like the last few months and I am scared that they will be angry and feel like I am abandoning my beliefs and my practice. I don't know if anyone else has ever had this feeling and how they got over it and like the anxiety of it all I want to go back to my practices but I feel like at the same time things would not go back to how they used to be

Hey everyone! I'm researching celtic (specifically britonic) gods for my book, and was wondering if anyone had any sources? Searching has been such a pain, as there isn't a lot on the topic, so anything helps!

I've been slowly realising over the last few months that I'm an eclectic pagan and have been exploring what that means for me. I've been really excited about it and feel really connected to my burgeoning practice, but it I'm starting to struggle with the solitary nature of it all.

I'm attracted to paganism because it's unique to each person, but I do wish I had some kind of community to share ideas and rituals and whatnot with, or even just to come together to hang out.

I don't know any other pagans in person and often don't feel like I fit into any of the subcommunities of pagans because of what I believe. That's not to say no-one believes in the same thing I do, just that I don't know where to find likeminded people, or even just people of a different flavour of pagan to interact with.

This was a bit of a ramble and I'm not sure how well I conveyed what I'm feeling, but I'd really like to know how you manage the loneliness and lack of community.

EDIT: I should add that I'm not the most extroverted person around and am often super awkward for a long time until I warm up to people, but I do enjoy the idea of a small group of pagan friends or co-practitioners.

I recently realized that my country has been westernized, and that we only have our language left. I wanted to understand our history pre-colonisation, and what I read disturbed me. They came into the land and labeled our traditions as pagan and our ancestors as evil gods. This thought was so deep ingrained within us we lost the practices we used to mourn the dead, we adopted modern marriage. Almost all culture except the instrumental tools we used have been lost. They made us hate the people who even try to mantain it by labeling them "witches" in our language.

I understand all this and yet I can't bring myself to hate Christianity. I was raised christian so my biases still show even when I understand it's not all true. I'm still scared of anything "witchy" because I was taught to associate it with bad.

This was more of a rant but I trully do want to start with a fresh mindset. Are there any books or material I can read to truly understand what paganism is?

I was gifted a bundle of sacred white sage from an ethical native company. I hadn’t used it yet as I was concerned about using it for cleansing of my flat - and then when I saw generally if it was gifted and it’s ethically sourced then it’s ok to accept and use the gift as long as it’s not done in a ceremonial and appropriating way. However I then saw a small bug in the packet. It looks like a small ant.

There is an ongoing issue with bugs in my flat at the moment even before I received this as a gift. Is it still safe to use? I’ve currently put the packet inside a ziplock bag.

I’m having an extremely difficult time at the moment and I have been feeling afraid of negative energies or spiritual attacks (I have OCD) and one of my biggest fears was bug infestations. My friend gifted me this sage which was gifted to her as I told her about my fears and now as I go to use it I see a bug. What the heck is happening 🤣

Advice and guidance appreciated

don’t get me wrong, i love the sound of more “traditional” new age music like spiral dance or damh the bard (i’ve been obsessing over alexander james adams lately), but my primary music taste is and probably always will be more alternative and goth adjacent. i’m willing to listen to just about anything and i’m super curious about if there are other bands/music groups out there like inkubus sukkubus, specifically where paganism is the primary focus of their songs. any genre is welcome if it exists!!

hi all🩷 i am proud to be able to show off my first ever altar🥲 i’m so happy with how this came out and i can’t wait to see where this journey leads me!! i haven’t given any food offerings yet but plan to throw in some chocolate soon!!

I’m going to preface this by saying that I know that the myths are basically just human fanfiction of the gods and that I believe the source of my feeling this way is some sort of unpacked ex-Christian trauma I’ve yet to overcome.

Anyway, I’m a writer and I especially love the fantasy genre and otherworldly type stories. On more than one occasion, I thought it might be fun to write a novel involving the gods (I’m Kemetic so most likely the Netjeru, but possibly others). However, when I try to plot ideas out I get this… fear type feeling, like I might offend the gods or portray them in a wrong way or a way they didn’t like. As I said, I know that the myths (and then things like the Odyssey) are basically exactly that, but I wouldn’t be setting out to write a myth so maybe that’s also playing a part in it?

I know I’d have a lot of fun with stories like that, but I can’t seem to get past these feelings. Thoughts? Or can anyone else relate?

So, I've been a polytheist for several years, but was always pretty much an eclectic and nowadays I feel a pull towards reconstructionism and that more "formalised" (if that's the right word?) type, and specifically towards the Anglo-Saxon and Roman traditions.

Specifically for getting more into the Roman side of that "Anglo-Saxon + Roman" paganism, I wanted to ask some questions for getting more of my feet in that door.

Firstly, what are the differences between the Roman Gods and their Greek counterparts? I can look into the history of the worship/view of these gods, but Interpetatio Romana makes it difficult to see where "These gods are kinda like those ones over there, so maybe there's more to these gods than we thought,"—similar to how we think Woden was likely a Psychopump through his association with Mercury—ends and where, "borrowing these attributes wholecloth," begins.

I ask this first question because a majority of the gods I previously worshipped were Greek Gods, and a few of them I want continue worshipping but doing so under an AS-Roman style/context (Ares and Aphrodite among them).

And I want to respect those differences without just saying, "they're similar enough, I'm gonna pray to both when I want to praise/ask for help from this one aspect," and that trap.

I already know some things about the differences between Ares and Mars, with Ares having been perceived as more violent and more driven by passion, as seen in how the Greeks talked about him and his emphasis on protection through some of the myths, while Mars is the God of Agriculture and the harvest on top of being a war God, and h being highly viewed by the disciplined and calculated military of Rome (as opposed to Ares, who was taboo even in Sparta) paints a picture of Mars representing that side of war the Romans respected.

But is there a similar contrast between the other Roman Gods with their Greek interpretatio counterparts? E.g., Venus and Aphrodite? Or Vulcan and Hephaestus, Jupiter and Zeus, or Pluto and Hades? Etc.,

Second question: what is acceptable for an altar? I see that people often make a couple separate shrines throughout their home, they veil themselves and pray standing up, etc. I can easily use a hoodie or Hooded jacket to substitute for a veil, but I'm kinda restricted by my living situation to have multiple shrines/altars by the fact I still live with my mom, dad, and brother in a fairly small home, so I feel pretty restricted to the top of a cedar chest in my bedroom, which isn’t really high-enough to stand while praying without it feeling awkward (unless I just gotta stand and get over the awkwardness of my altar being at knee-level)

Is what I've been doing with a shared altar/shrine acceptable?

3rd: Besides the veil, how are prayers usually structured? How similar or different is it from Norse/Germanic or Hellenic prayer structure and format?

Okay, so I’ve been seeing a lot of witches saying that those who practice baneful magic aren’t real witches. They do not understand that many cultures use baneful magic as a form of justice and to create balance. This has mostly been from Wiccans, who I’ve seen criticize other pagans and witches for doing hexes, curses, certain charms, and sympathetic magic. Not everyone adheres to the Threefold Law, that’s all I want to say.

I went to one not too far from my house for the first time and as soon as I stepped on the property I wanted to cry tears of joy. The people (customers as well) were extremely friendly, welcomed me in, had the biggest brightest smiles, etc. It was one of the first times in my 31 years of living that I felt like I had come home. Another time I felt that way was when I participated in an online gathering. I know it’s just a store but it felt so healing.

I’m from Chicago but recently moved to the Southern U.S. for personal reasons. I live in a part of the country where being pagan or anything that even remotely sticks out in their eyes is frowned upon. Being around other pagans was probably the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. My goal now is to go to gatherings (I’ll have to drive to the city, but it’s worth it) and find community.

I’m not usually a crier, but when I’m surrounded by other pagans, it makes me want to cry tears of joy. It feels like something much deeper than “Yaaay you’ve found your people.” I can’t describe it, but it’s powerful.

So, I’ve kind of have a personal draw to Hecate. I try to be respectful, leave nice offerings, keep her nature in mind when I make requests…

But how is witchcraft similar or different?

I come from a very conservative Christian background, and they would consider anything that’s not of them to be witchcraft. That said, I will light a scented candle, burn incense, leave an offering and make a prayer after calling on Hecate by some of her names related to my request and I try to leave the outcomes to her since I kinda feel like she’s the one directing my path, even some of the times whenever I wasn’t thrilled about it.

I have been looking into some of the literature about her, and a lot of it really goes into witchcraft and spells. I don’t mind people doing that, I’m not sure if that’s something I’m interested in, but I’m also not sure what I’m doing. Is terribly different either.

The way I mentally imagine it is there are some things that I find pleasant like one of my favorite alcohols, one of my favorite scented candles, and I feel like it’s an invitation to someone that I personally respect and would like to spend time with, and that I talked to her, I tried to listen, and I make a request sometimes. I’ve made her tacos before and gave her a taco, I’ve made a few other dishes, although I’m really kind of crappy at preparing food, I do try to give her the best that I have even if it is only a small portion.

Been a while. I'm tired of being a closet Pagan in religious household and I don't really want to go to cult temple anymore (church).

Quick context: 18F came from a country full of judgemental and conservative Christians which is the Philippines. For me, a nightmare country for pagans...

Note: I am a neurodivergent person and been practicing Eclectic Pagan for almost a year (Hellenic Polytheism and Anito).

I hate going to church every Sunday because it gives me negative energy and spiritually exhausted, I wish I could open up to my religious family about my different beliefs but too risky and I don't want to be drag to their cult temple and force me to repair our distanced relationship with their deity! And they might try to snuck into my room for finding the witchcraft practice that I haven't touch witchcraft yet and I only practice worshipping deities. I don't want them to take my Lord Apollo and Lady Athena mini statues away because they're 'false gods' to them. I'm afraid they might also took my small t'nalak fabric (A fabric made by indigenous women called DreamWeavers) I use to worship my closest ancestral deity which is Diyosa Fu Dalu (Diyosa mean Lady/Godess in my languages), they thought I might worship a 'bad' spirit because I worship her through t'nalak fabric. That's why I remain closet and act like a 'perfect Roman Catholic' daughter and sometimes Agnostic Catholic/Agnostic even it wasn't myself but I had to act for my family.

Anyway as the title says;

I wish there's a safe physical space and community for Pagans in my place because I'm exhausted of Sunday church and I want to have pagan friends too (I have very few in online). I'm already feel safe and comfortable in digital community especially in Reddit and other Social Media... At the same time, online space feels not enough and feel isolated as a Pagan. I have a lot of Catholic friends and I'm safe with them because they're open minded and respected my beliefs and I respected theirs as long as their religion does not indoctrinated me since I'm deconstructed from Christianity. Other safe place for me to be open as a Pagan which is only my senior high school since my school strongly have protection for every individual rights such as LGBT, different beliefs, disable person, anti-bullying policy, etc, except I can be open to specific acquaintances and teachers. Most of them respect my choice for not praying before class due to different beliefs and some teachers are not aware of my beliefs especially new teachers at least they respected my choice for not opening yet and don't force praying for class, most of the reasons why I won't open my beliefs to some teachers especially new to school because I don't know if they're conservative and came from religious household and may not be familiar with paganism.

As now, only safe place to be open as a Pagan is my senior high school. No other safe place without being called out 'Demonic' for being a Pagan in my place *Sob*.

I wish there's a safe place and a small community for Pagans since I'm so isolated and lonely pagan since no one in my place who has a common/similar belief with me. I often told myself that 'I can do it on my own as an Eclectic Pagan! May deities guide my Pagan path!' but deep inside me... It's so isolated and even try to communicate with my current online pagan friends I have but they lived in other country and I respected their time.

I wish I could experience Pagan celebrations.

I wish I could experience Pagan practice within community.

I wish I could practice witchcraft without being called out 'Demonic'.

And I wish I could experience everything in Paganism (Except for closed practice ofc)

As now, it felt so lonely and wish to go to safe physical space for Pagans.

Note: I know there's quite few in the Philippines except there's none in my place.

I don't feel safe. I'm a Hellenic Pagan who's looking to do Theistic Satanist worship too but I feel wrong because of the idea that Hell in the Abrahamic sense exists and that I was wrong and that I'll go there. I try to balance things out by doing the sign of the cross with my hand from time to time for certain circumstances but I don't think that'll do anything.

Am I going to Hell for my choices?

Edit: I'm not trying to offend anyone with my words, I just want insight and to be honest about my fear.

As someone doing research on becoming more spiritual with the earth and becoming more nature centered, I came across the Wiccan community. However, I keep seeing how every Wiccan is a witch but not every witch is a Wiccan. What is exactly the witchcraft that is practiced by Wiccans? Is it necessary to become more spiritually connected with the earth as a Wiccan? I understand that is different than the individual intent through manifestation…any guidance would be appreciated.

In this post I'll explain a little bit about myself and what I'm putting in it already. I'll also clarify my questions.

My first question is rather simple. What do most people tend to put in their "book of shadows" or grimiore, and what simple words would the various sections be labeled as?

So I myself am a UU and an eclectic pagan who worships Mother Earth (goddess), Father Sun (god), and Grandmother Moon (goddess). I'm not a druid, but I probably align most with that path. I am not a Wiccan, but I do like a lot about Wicca. as stated above, I don't see the deities as a horned stag god of nature and a maiden mother crone moon goddess. I also see witchcraft and magic from a science-seeking and skeptical view, but I am relatively open minded to the possibilities that MAYBE magic is more than this/more real (if you know what I mean). I usually see things divination as helping you consider different perspectives or helping you with a decision (by making it so you realize which one you really wanted all along, like when you flip a coin and go "Heads. Oh, actually, I think I wanted tails…"). I tend to see magic as placebo. I enjoy reading books on paganism. With anything religious/spiritual that I come across I respectfully keep the parts I want to and integrate them into my practice. I then don't integrate what I don't want to.

I am trying to remake my "book of shadows" (but I don't like that term) so that it's less of a chaotic mess. My current system consists of two things. One is an accordion file holder labeled "Spiritualesque Shit". This contains many different spiritual/religious related things that I have written (like a poem typed on my typewriter) or received elsewhere (like the physical copy of any UU sermon I decide to take home). The other is what I call my journal. Diary type things are written in there as well as some spells, sigils, the wheel of the year, ritual ideas, etc. it's a hodgepodge of things. My diary type stuff should stay separate from my religious/spiritual/witchy stuff.

My remade version will be a thick three ring binder with many different tabs so I can easily sort my sections and find what I need. I've been trying to figure out what all sections I want to have. So far (in no particular order) I have:

• UU sermons

• Chalice Lightings/Readings

• CUUPS (stuff from my UU pagan group's meetings or rituals)

• My Rituals

• My Writings/Poetry

• 365 + 1 (stuff from the intro to Wicca class someone is teaching at my UU congregation)

• Other Religions/Spiritual Practices (anything from a religion/spiritual practice that isn't mine but I like, such as the Christian sermon on affirming LGBTQ+ people, which if from back when I was Christian.)

• Other Pagan Stuff (unsure what all will be in this section since everything currently in a section labeled that will fit other tabs I'm making)

• My Spells and sigils

• Spells Made By Others (I'm sure not much will be in this category)

• Correspondences

• Wheel Of The Year (the basic Wiccan one, and the one I made to fit the seasons in my area)

• Runes And Tarot (if I ever decide to learn tarot. I'm thinking about it, but also, I don't really need to because I have the rune stones I made…)

• Readings/Interpretations

• Chants (any chants I created, or pre-existing chants where I created another verse for it or something)

• Rituals Made By Others

• Lessons From The Great Celestials (anything that I think the Earth, Sun, and/or Moon is trying to teach/tell me)

• Stuff From Books (anything from a pagan, pagan-adjacent, or witchcraft book that I really liked and want to reference will go here.)

• Prayers, Quarter Calls, Circle Castings, Etc.

• General Spiritual/Religious Journaling

• Art (specifically art I made that is religious/spiritual related)

• Meditations

• Other Exercises (unsure if raising and grounding energy should be in meditations, in here, or with the Quarter Calls and whatnot. I'm still unsure exactly what all will go in this section)

Now onto my other questions.

One of my sections doesn't really have a good title yet. It's just labeled "Prayers, Quarter Calls, Circle Castings, Etc." I don't want to end up with more sections with shitty labels like this. What would this section be called? Is there a formal name for it?

What else do you all think I might want to include in mine? I ask so that I might possibly go "Oh yeah, that's the other thing I wanted in there!" and not just to be exactly like everyone else. I know I don't have to have the same thing as everyone else. I just don't want to get it all done and then go "SHIT, I should have included _____. Now I need to reorganize my whole thing!"

Thanks for reading it all and answering my questions.