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Post by farrell on Jan 12, 2010 7:17:28 GMT -5
Hello, Just wanted to introduce myself, I am Farrell. I am a beginner on this path, and have taken but a few steps along it. I have many questions, and have few people to turn too. Still, I have enjoyed it so far, and the more I learn, the more I seem to embrace it. I have read several book now, on it, and I intend to read more. I started out when a friend told me she was Pagan. It took be by surprise, and somewhat aback. Most of what I knew of paganism and Wicca was from a little reading and TV. I admit I was skeptical, and even a little frightened. Yes, seems like my Christian upbringing did leave a few scars. I was open minded, however and after discussing it with her, I decided to investigate it, and see just what it was all about. After a few website visits, I was intrigued enough to purchase a couple of books. I am/ or was, an avowed Atheist, and was quite surprised at how well it resonated with me. The more I investigate, the more it seems I not only can embrace it, I wish too. So, my Wiccan path has begun, my own investigation into my spiritualism continues....
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Post by Shannon on Jan 12, 2010 7:50:39 GMT -5
Hi Farrell! I hope we can answer any questions you may have, and I look forward to your unique and fresh perspective shedding new light on any questions that we might have. What books have you read? If you like, you can post a review in the literary board and see if anyone else has read them and what their thoughts on it are. I've been called an atheistic pagan (I'm not sure it was a compliment), so I understand the tendency to be skeptical..yet open to being proven wrong. ;D Look forward to hearing more from you! (If you were invited here, please pm me.)
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Post by farrell on Jan 17, 2010 16:26:05 GMT -5
I have started my book collection with Wicca, a guide for the solitary practitioner, and Living Wicca... both by Scott Cunningham... to me, they both seem to someone touch me.... help me understand a bit more.. Then I have two of Raven Silverwolf's books.. TO ride a Silver Broomstick and A Witches notebook... I like them, but it doesn't quite seem to hit home for me as well... and my last book, Wicca for Life... Raymond Buckland... I have just started reading it... so can't say much about yet.. I do have a skeptic's eye to this, but I have not found anything about it, yet, that makes me scream NO WAY... I will look at the literary board, and add my two cents... As for an Atheistic Pagan goes... I can relate... I have not given up my atheist thoughts, but I am VERY open minded... about this... like I said, nothing about it, so far, has not rang true with me.... So, thanks for the response, I hope to be useful member of the board...
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Post by MsAriel on Jan 20, 2010 10:02:58 GMT -5
Well hello there!! Welcome to the Grove my friend. You'll find a lot of different view points here, so will be able to get a different point of view than just mine.
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Post by farrell on Jan 20, 2010 17:23:14 GMT -5
Thank you Ariel, I love your view point, but yes, others are always welcome. As you well know, I have went from total skepticism, to curiosity, to acceptance with your guidance. I thank you for helping me grow..
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Post by MsAriel on Jan 21, 2010 10:03:08 GMT -5
You're welcome. You'll continue to grow, I'm sure of it.
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Post by Denethor on Jan 28, 2010 1:46:07 GMT -5
Welcome farrell, and while I have posted a more general apology for my long absence elsewhere, I'll reiterate it specifically for you, since I wasn't here to welcome you onto the board. You'll find that atheo-pagan tends to end up being the default tenor of the board, with atheo-heathen a close second. This isn't what everyone here thinks, but more a sort of average. The atheo part is not in any way absolutely necessary, it is an undercurrent that has sort of evolved in this group in response to some of the things I'm sure you have encountered a few other places - the sort of gee-whiz-aren't-I-special-because-I-was-a-faerie-queen-in-a-dream crowd. We won't dogpile on you if you do report an unusual personal experience, we've each of us had circumstances where we were the ones reporting something unusual or "crazy" (here or elsewhere), but like you we tend to have a skeptical mindset about some of the interpretations of such things that are out there. We might dogpile on Silver Ravenwolf though. Just to warn you. Nothing personal - just that if one is going to publish books and make factual claims one should have some backing, imho. Really, you'll probably find Cunningham and Buckland to be far more satisfying. Don't believe any history or science in those books...when in doubt check anything against your own research...but their stuff is more inspiring than hers. Pretty much a match there. There's certainly nothing in the various traditions of connection with nature or meditation or whatever that automatically screams "impossible". Myself, I'm trying to work out my own basis of approach to life that allows for the awe-some-ness of what is real, without having to resort to what is not real, if you catch my drift...so I find myself oscillating between a skeptical view and a more curiosity-minded one, with a strong "live and let live" streak. It's an ongoing project. I don't count myself as a "seeker" or a "student seeking a master" or any of those other things that stroke the Big Egos, so I'm often in trouble in some necks of the woods, as you can probably guess. Our main issue most of the time around here is not much participation, because a we're presently a small group of fairly busy people. In short, we differ from those hoppin' boards full of B/Witch-queens, "otherkin", and New Age wunderkinder because we are actually sound-minded people grounded in real lives. But do check back here once in a while, since most of the time the users here have pretty good things to say in posts on-topic, and the off-topic posts tend to be entertaining. (We also tend to post in "spates", and if you don't check, you might miss an opportunity to post in a spate). Welcome to a fun bunch.
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