What Makes a Pagan?

[Baladas]

I ask this, because I wonder whether or not I am one...I feel the strongest of kinship with my Celt ancestry.
What I would consider my greatest spiritual awakening happened when I was in Ireland, the land of my ancestors, and it seemed like all separateness fell away. I was a part of the land, the people, the trees.
I long constantly to go back, but so far it hasn't been feasible.

I honor Nature, I venerate trees, rivers, mountains and my ancestors. I honor the Tao (Primordial Essence, Ground of Being, etc) and believe that we are all issuing forth from it every moment.

Where I hit a snag is here: I don't have any gods that I worship. I enjoy many of the tales of the gods, and I honor them for what they have been to others, but I have not had a connection to one myself. I am drawn, for some reason, to the Dagda, but I know very little about him.

I once worshiped Jesus as a Christian, and he did feel real to me, I knew him. These experiences have been cast into doubt though, and I have come to believe that I was actually encountering Tao in these intimate moments.

Does a Pagan need to have gods?
How can one find and connect to a god?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Jainarayan]

Does a Pagan need to have gods?

No.

How can one find and connect to a god?

You could read up on different pantheons. It's not unlike wanting to meet new people, so you go to some social event, maybe a club, and start sizing up people that you may feel a connection to. Someone once said there are no strangers, only friends we haven't met. It could be the same way with a deity. Not all deities are the in-your-face type.

 

[Baladas]

No.



You could read up on different pantheons. It's not unlike wanting to meet new people, so you go to some social event, maybe a club, and start sizing up people that you may feel a connection to. Someone once said there are no strangers, only friends we haven't met. It could be the same way with a deity. Not all deities are the in-your-face type.

I will read into Dagda and others in the Celtic and Norse pantheons then. Thank you.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I ask this, because I wonder whether or not I am one...I feel the strongest of kinship with my Celt ancestry.
What I would consider my greatest spiritual awakening happened when I was in Ireland, the land of my ancestors, and it seemed like all separateness fell away. I was a part of the land, the people, the trees.
I long constantly to go back, but so far it hasn't been feasible.

I honor Nature, I venerate trees, rivers, mountains and my ancestors. I honor the Tao (Primordial Essence, Ground of Being, etc) and believe that we are all issuing forth from it every moment.

Where I hit a snag is here: I don't have any gods that I worship. I enjoy many of the tales of the gods, and I honor them for what they have been to others, but I have not had a connection to one myself. I am drawn, for some reason, to the Dagda, but I know very little about him.

I once worshiped Jesus as a Christian, and he did feel real to me, I knew him. These experiences have been cast into doubt though, and I have come to believe that I was actually encountering Tao in these intimate moments.

Does a Pagan need to have gods?
How can one find and connect to a god?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

hmmm. got a little trigger happy...having to edit a blank post...

My answers for your questions: No a pagan (notice the lowercase) does not need to have gods. I'm a pagan of the animist variety, and am entirely agnostic about gods and deity in general. I know of others who do not have gods, as well.

I have no idea how one goes about finding a god; generally, I assume that if any deity really wants my attention, they will do so. So far, none has.

 

[Quintessence]

May I ask what your idea of "gods" is?

Keep in mind that gods look very different in Paganisms compared to Abrahamic religions.

 

[Baladas]

May I ask what your idea of "gods" is?

Keep in mind that gods look very different in Paganisms compared to Abrahamic religions.

My idea is of gods is that of powerful higher beings, possibly ascended ancestors.

 

[AmyintheBibleBelt]

I ask this, because I wonder whether or not I am one...I feel the strongest of kinship with my Celt ancestry.
What I would consider my greatest spiritual awakening happened when I was in Ireland, the land of my ancestors, and it seemed like all separateness fell away. I was a part of the land, the people, the trees.
I long constantly to go back, but so far it hasn't been feasible.

I honor Nature, I venerate trees, rivers, mountains and my ancestors. I honor the Tao (Primordial Essence, Ground of Being, etc) and believe that we are all issuing forth from it every moment.

Where I hit a snag is here: I don't have any gods that I worship. I enjoy many of the tales of the gods, and I honor them for what they have been to others, but I have not had a connection to one myself. I am drawn, for some reason, to the Dagda, but I know very little about him.

I once worshiped Jesus as a Christian, and he did feel real to me, I knew him. These experiences have been cast into doubt though, and I have come to believe that I was actually encountering Tao in these intimate moments.

Does a Pagan need to have gods?
How can one find and connect to a god?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

I dictionary.comed that. Nature worship and polytheism according to Webster.

 

[Jainarayan]

My idea is of gods is that of powerful higher beings, possibly ascended ancestors.

That's very close to the Ásatrú view of the gods, I daresay 99% close. In fact, we think of them as elder, greater, more powerful, wiser kin. We don't call Odin 'All-Father', or Thor our big brother for nothing.

 

[Baladas]

hmmm. got a little trigger happy...having to edit a blank post...

My answers for your questions: No a pagan (notice the lowercase) does not need to have gods. I'm a pagan of the animist variety, and am entirely agnostic about gods and deity in general. I know of others who do not have gods, as well.

I have no idea how one goes about finding a god; generally, I assume that if any deity really wants my attention, they will do so. So far, none has.

Thank you. I think that this is part of why I want to explore these aspects of spirituality. Not only to honor my heritage, but also to honor any gods who might be speaking to me.
My experience in Ireland was life-changing, and I just knew that the reason for my experience was my ancestry. Recently, I have been wondering if this sense of deepest connection
and experience of closeness may have in fact been a god speaking.

Back then, I considered it to be the voice of the Christian god.

The consensus so far seems to be that I do not need to be certain of gods or worship them to be pagan...though I do worship Nature. Thank you everyone.

 

[Baladas]

That's very close to the Ásatrú view of the gods, I daresay 99% close. In fact, we think of them as elder, greater, more powerful, wiser kin. We don't call Odin 'All-Father', or Thor our big brother for nothing.

Very cool. I am primarily Irish Celt, followed by English and Norse as my main ancestries. Maybe it's the Norse in me?

I am still agnostic towards the existence of gods, but I am very open to the possibility that they are there. If so, I should like to know them.

 

[Quintessence]

My idea is of gods is that of powerful higher beings, possibly ascended ancestors.

Then no, it's not required.

That said, it's worth remarking that my gods are neither "powerful higher beings" nor "ascended ancestors." They're still gods. Gods are basically that which you deem worthy of worship. It is that which you value, consider sacred, worth honoring, worth respecting, worth celebrating. These things don't have to be "powerful" or "higher" or "beings" or "ancestors." They can be whatever you want them to be.

 

[Baladas]

Then no, it's not required.

That said, it's worth remarking that my gods are neither "powerful higher beings" nor "ascended ancestors." They're still gods. Gods are basically that which you deem worthy of worship. It is that which you value, consider sacred, worth honoring, worth respecting, worth celebrating. These things don't have to be "powerful" or "higher" or "beings" or "ancestors." They can be whatever you want them to be.

It's true, my idea of godhood still has some coloring from my Christian days. I am growing and learning....That which I deem worthy of worship.
Perhaps I do have gods then. Thank you.

 

[Quintessence]

It's true, my idea of godhood still has some coloring from my Christian days. I am growing and learning....That which I deem worthy of worship.
Perhaps I do have gods then. Thank you.

Keep in mind you don't need to use that word "gods" if you're not comfortable with it or don't feel it's the right term. I avoided it like the plague for a long time too, for reasons similar to your own situation.

One of the books that really helped me break down some mental barriers was Joyce and River Higginbotham's "Introduction to Paganism." There are things in that book I disagree with, but it has a direct treatment of the deeper theological and philosophical issues that go into religions. It can be useful even if you don't stay within the contemporary Pagan umbrella.

 

[Baladas]

I will keep your advice in mind. I will also look into getting that book. Thank you.

 

[Riverwolf]

Thank you. I think that this is part of why I want to explore these aspects of spirituality. Not only to honor my heritage, but also to honor any gods who might be speaking to me.
My experience in Ireland was life-changing, and I just knew that the reason for my experience was my ancestry. Recently, I have been wondering if this sense of deepest connection
and experience of closeness may have in fact been a god speaking.

Back then, I considered it to be the voice of the Christian god.

The consensus so far seems to be that I do not need to be certain of gods or worship them to be pagan...though I do worship Nature. Thank you everyone.

Consider this.

The worship of Mother Earth as a Goddess is as old as the settlement of Europe itself. Roman writers tell us that Celts and Germans both worshiped Mother Earth with a very high degree of reverence, and this reverence hasn't diminished even to this day. Mother Earth, Mother Nature, is still highly respected in our culture, even if this respect doesn't translate to actually taking care of Her, or regarding Her with the right type of respect. (She's beautiful and kind, yes, but She's also fierce and unforgiving and has no sense of what we would think of as "justice".)

I recommend looking into Nerthus.

 

[Baladas]

Consider this.

The worship of Mother Earth as a Goddess is as old as the settlement of Europe itself. Roman writers tell us that Celts and Germans both worshiped Mother Earth with a very high degree of reverence, and this reverence hasn't diminished even to this day. Mother Earth, Mother Nature, is still highly respected in our culture, even if this respect doesn't translate to actually taking care of Her, or regarding Her with the right type of respect. (She's beautiful and kind, yes, but She's also fierce and unforgiving and has no sense of what we would think of as "justice".)

I recommend looking into Nerthus.

I will look into Nerthus.

Thank you. I certainly would say that I worship Mother Earth in some sense at least...I have offered praises to Her by the name Gaea before when admiring a beautiful sunset or a breathtaking overlook.
Just not consistently...The more I post here, the more I realize that I am undeniably pagan.

 

[Sees]

You can definitely use what terminology you feel is most comfortable, accurate, useful in communication and any or whatever mix of such. You can study Taoist traditions and whatever else you want and identify with those the same or even more. The most beautiful part of paganism as a whole is understanding and respecting diversity. It goes hand and hand with acknowledging and honoring our connections - which wouldn't exist in absolute sameness

In China the Taoist philosophy and practices went hand in hand with cultural, ancestral paganism of the land and people...no reason it can't with the pagan flavors of other lands and peoples.

We're all pagans at the core, we just dance a little differently

 

[Baladas]

This is true, Taoism is very flexible and adaptive.
Even if it weren't per se, I wouldn't care very much. I'm not about to be bound up in dogma again. I'm a free spirit.

I have noticed that about paganism, that it is so accepting, and it is part of what I like so much about it.
I love what you said there about accepting diversity going hand-in-hand with recognizing our connections. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?
If only more saw that.

Thank you.

 

[Sees]

A good site to explore some Celtic stuff So What Do You Believe?

A lot of the pages are good and on the page linked I especially like this part -

"Through all of this, I aim to honour the gods, spirits and ancestors, and maintain the well-being of my family: Slainte, dochus is sonas. Health, hope, and happiness."

It's a good summation using few words that hits home for most of paganism in general.

Some well researched info all around on Irish and Scottish specific traditions that many sites don't have.

 

[Baladas]

Thank you, Sees. I will check that site out.