Enlightenment

[Belial750]

Hello everyone, I would first of all like to say that this is a very nice guild smile
I feel the need to introduce myself.
My name is Greg. I am 16 years old, and a sophomore in highschool.
I take either all honors or AP classes, included multiple online college courses in theology.
I have come to this guild with high hopes that you guys will teach me as much as I can learn about Paganism.
Is there anything you guys can refer to me to?
Any random facts about paganism?
You guys get the hint I think.
Give me anything. I am here to learn.
mrgreen  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

I have some advice for you here, cross reference everything you learn here, as there are people who differ on several points (coughcoughWiccaninitiatorydebatecough). As it is, I don't really do well in handing out loads of general information. Is there anything in specific?  

[Belial750]

hah... i like the signature....
anything in specific...
I'm terribly sorry if I come off unorganized, It is hard for me to choose a starting point with such a colossal topic. I want to know everything...
Lets see... we will start with this question.
Could you give off the names of a few pagan religions, for examples, and what makes them pagan?
I am pretty sure I know. But I am learning everything, even what I already know from scratch. As to make sure I know fact, not fiction.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Pagan pretty much means anything not part of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). The origin of the term is similar to heathen, it was used by the Roman military to refer to the natives in rural areas of Europe that they were invading.

A couple examples could be Celtic, Norse, Sumerian religion, the worship of the respective pantheons.  

[Pelta]

Then there's Wicca, Asatru, Hinduism, Buddhism, Satanism, Khemetic Reconstruction, Greek Reconstruction, Shamanic practise... The list is rather endless.

The question is, what do you want to learn about?  

[Starlock]

I think he's asking more for NEOpagan information, not general Pagan information. NEOpaganism has a narrower definition at least in that it refers to modern revival practices rather than ancient history or unbroken Pagan traditions (such as Shinto or Hinduism).  

[Pelta]

Starlock

I think he's asking more for NEOpagan information, not general Pagan information. NEOpaganism has a narrower definition at least in that it refers to modern revival practices rather than ancient history or unbroken Pagan traditions (such as Shinto or Hinduism).

That still includes almost everything that Nihilistic Seraph and I mentioned. It's a long list. wink  

[Belial750]

Nihilistic Seraph

Pagan pretty much means anything not part of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). The origin of the term is similar to heathen, it was used by the Roman military to refer to the natives in rural areas of Europe that they were invading.

A couple examples could be Celtic, Norse, Sumerian religion, the worship of the respective pantheons.

well, with that being said. I know a lot more about it than I previously had thought. I heard someone I work with say that, but I didn't quite listen to him.

I have detailed knowledge with all abrahamic religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Satanism (both), Celtic, Norse, Sumerian, Greek, Roman, etc. There are more but you get the general idea. Pretty much most off all the major or slightly minor religions. Shamanic religions however I am not too educated on. Care to name a few and some things about them?

Also, neopagan stuff sounds right as well. I don't follow how there can be a Neopagan. If pagan is anything that is not abrahamic, how can there be a New anything that is not abrahamic? Or does the word not follow the most common form of neo?  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

As far as I know, there aren't really any shamanic religions, they're just different ways fo workin within a pantheon, like Native American, or the pantheons around the more chilly parts of Europe.  

[Belial750]

ok... this is off of the primary topic. Kinda. However it was my topic smile so whatever.

I am an atheist, so whatever I say here I am asking for YOUR opinion. smile don't think I am something different.

late last october I had been home alone, my family was in florida without me. Back then I used to get a lot of sleep. I had gone to bed around 10pm After talking to a good friend of mine.. Then I had fallen asleep. I normally don't dream, and If I did, I never realized it. I also have a past with very awkward dreams. I will give an example:

From the ages of 8-12 I slept about 5 hours a night. The rest I was up horrified. for 4 years, at least 4 times a week I would have the same dream. The dream was of myself waking up in the middle of the night. I did not realize it was a dream. I had always felt as If I really did wake up. I remember always "waking up" with a feeling of severe overheating. I would be sweating and everything. I would get out of my bed, and walk around the house. Everything was always eerie and quiet. Still even. Eventually I would freak out after what felt like hours, and try to wake up my parents. No matter what I did they would not wake up. After multiple attempts I would go in my bed and pretty much cry until I really did wake up. I would ALWAYS wake up with tears and very upset. Each dream differed just a BIT with only what I did while I was wandering. Sometimes when I really woke up i was in my living room. I had to go to a doctor to get that checked, but I never shared the dream with anyone but two friends just recently. I occasionally get that dream every once and a while. once every other month or so. Minus the crying. lol

But regardless. Since then, I have had many accidents in paintball and my martial arts that have effected my memory. I remember facts, but events go easily.

back to where I was. october, sleeping. yeah..
But I had a dream. It felt real, too real. In my dream I was the age I was at the time(no younger, 15). I had stayed at my karate class late. Til roughly 11pm (it was a dream, because I would never stay that late). I had decided to walk home, which is roughly a 2 hour walk. It was very dark out. About halfway through the walk I had gone through the large cemetery on the side of the road. I do that often when I am bored, look at cemeteries. But as I was walking through this one, I had seen lights. What I saw was a coven. There were 13 people. All in black. They were preparing to do something. My curiosity led me to walk over and ask. I am a very curious person. I introduced myself, and they introduced themselves by name. then i asked what they were doing. As I asked, the lady in charge asked if i wished to participate. In which I said yes. They were doing some funky stuff (nothing sexual, don't get the wrong idea), and then I felt a sharp pain. I was being stabbed. Mainly around the back of my ribs and one on my stomach. I remember feeling that pain. It hurt badly. I passed out. then I woke up in my bed. All messed up in my sheets. But what got me is I was bleeding. Where I thought I was stabbed. I had small gashes. Not large ones, but large enough, and was teary eyed. I still have the scars as well. After a minute or so I called my friend and told them everything. I was scared shitless for a bit.

I threw that dream aside as self-mutilation in my sleep. (atheist, ha).
Never happened again. I had forgotten completely (I told you, crappy memory)
Today I had exams in school. I took my personal finance exam. Then got on a computer in the room. I spent 20 minutes researching pagan stuff. Wicca came up. I saw the word Coven and eventually became really tired. I went back to my seat and took a nap. That dream came back. Same exact results. my scars had torn open a bit. they were slightly bleeding. Which was very irritating.
my explanation is my severe lack of sleep and over imagination caused me to itch them open during my dream. Therefor no classmates would think anything different. Because no one said a word.

I want to know what you guys think, on everything I have said. No I am not crazy. if you need a second account I can have the friend I called get on. They have a gaia.

thoughts? I know you guys have them. Don't hold back.
Wanna call me crazy? go ahead.
No i am not an emo person. I never have been, never have cut. None of that stupid stuff.
So it would have been a first time thing for me there.
but regardless.
thoughts?  

[Belial750]

forgot to also mention . I had a background of sleepwalking from the ages of 7-9  

[Starlock]

Belial750

Also, neopagan stuff sounds right as well. I don't follow how there can be a Neopagan. If pagan is anything that is not abrahamic, how can there be a New anything that is not abrahamic? Or does the word not follow the most common form of neo?

There was a thread I made on this a while back that you can find HERE where the issue is discussed.

Neopagan doesn't refer to anything 'new' that is not Abrahamic or at least I've never seen it used in that context. It's used to describe the modern Pagan movement which is reconstructionalist in nature. They are modern reinterpretations of old religions that have been long out of practice. It could also be used to refer to individuals who are practicing a form of Paganism but have no direct ties to that culture. Some examples.

A person practicing the ancient Greek religion will always be Neopagan. That religious system fell out of practice centuries ago and any modern practices will always be reconstructions and recreations.

A person in America practicing Shinto with no ties to Japan or Japanese heritage would be Neopagan. Even though Shinto is an existing Pagan religion, practicing it outside of its native context will undoubtedly be reconstructive (and some would really object to doing this at all).  

[Belial750]

smile That is an easy enough concept. Thats one thing down... Here is another topic.
The causes of the demise of the old pagan religions. What stopped them? Anything other than scientific development? Revolution? Invasion? etc.

btw, don't forget to respond to my big post. I am curious on thoughts  

[Azana Brown]

I have heard from some that incredibly vivid dreams such as that one can have psychophysiological effects. That may explain the mysterious gashes, but barely. As for your dream, having it in October seems to have me think you walked in on some sort of Samhain ritual in your dream, though I don't know any modern one that would do that. The drowsiness and the repetition of the dream at the word "coven" is what intrigues me. Whether it's state-dependent memory or not, I have no idea, but if I were to take a mystical stance on this, it would sound most like a past-life memory that got wrapped into your dream. Still doesn't really explain the gashes, though.

I really wish I could be more help to you. But it's hard to completely sort out with what knowledge I have.  

[Belial750]

Azana Brown

I have heard from some that incredibly vivid dreams such as that one can have psychophysiological effects. That may explain the mysterious gashes, but barely. As for your dream, having it in October seems to have me think you walked in on some sort of Samhain ritual in your dream, though I don't know any modern one that would do that. The drowsiness and the repetition of the dream at the word "coven" is what intrigues me. Whether it's state-dependent memory or not, I have no idea, but if I were to take a mystical stance on this, it would sound most like a past-life memory that got wrapped into your dream. Still doesn't really explain the gashes, though.

I really wish I could be more help to you. But it's hard to completely sort out with what knowledge I have.

this is where I get to learn smile I have no idea what a samhain ritual is. the word "coven", just made me remember the dream. my memory isn't the greatest unless I am reminded. What more knowledge do you need?