What are pagan's beliefs?

mrusse01

Excuse my ignorance but can someone please elaborate on what pagans believe in, what your values are, what you do or practice as a result of your beliefs, what rituals/activities do you do, how many roughly follow paganism in Ireland, and subsequently if you don't mind sharing your rational why you follow paganism?

Sorry I know there are a lot of question.

Thanks In Advance!

Urizen

Can of worms there mate, Paganism is a ridiculously broad umbrella term. There's no one answer.

Wikipedia will give you a very broad introduction, but it's like trying to fill a bucket with the Pacific Ocean; far too much to condense down. Still, I'd say it's the place to start your investigations. Enjoy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_paganism

sawdoubters

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/idr/

hairyheretic

The stickys here might help give you a start in answering those questions

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055635754

but I'm afraid it's very much going to come down to individual beliefs, given the amount covered by the term pagan.

mrusse01

I genuinely appreciate everyones reply. However, I'm looking for a person/people who believe in paganism to give an overview of their personal experience as being a pagan in Ireland, what they do etc.... Not to be rude but I could have easily looked up stuff on google before posting the question so I'm not really looking for links to external website - Thanks all the same!

Morag

It's personal different people do different things and many don't see why they should have to disclose personal practices to a complete stranger, who isn't even part of the boards.ie community.

mrusse01

Hi Morag, there really is no need to be defensive as I'm not here to attack ones personal belief. I understand that this kind of activity may happen on other threads and it is understandable why you may appear defensive but I assure you thats not my intention. My intention is to use boards as a platform for discourse and information. And if people wish to keep their practices personal then I advise them to exercise their right to anonymity and not partake in this thread. However, I am interested in those who are interested in sharing......

Dub_Guy

Morag is not being "defensive."

Morag is simply pointing out that it is not likely to happen here. Why would anyone volunteer something so deeply personal on this platform?

Care to offer up your own personal beliefs?

Who are you, Michael? And what purpose does such information serve you?

badknees

I use the word Pagan quite freely.I am a member of the Pagan federation.Alas here on this island some are afraid to express their spirituality as freely as I do.Don't be shy be proud and hold your head up high.

Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again

moondaisy

Personally for me I don't like labels and names as spirituality is such a broad subject. If you had to put me in a box that box would say solitary, as I work alone. I follow My heart. I feel deeply. Everyone is different. It's very personal. It is not something I chose, I just am. Some people are wary of questions, and that is understandable, where I live there are no others, well there probably are :-) but I don't go around with a sign. My experience is an uplifting, breathtaking, comforting, reassuring adventure.
Hope this helps.
X

Taltos

mod note:
a person. - you've been warned in some of the other Religion forums on the level of contribution required. That doesn't change just because you jump into Paganism or even the Islam forum. I have deleted your post, please consider carefully how you are trying to interact in the forums here otherwise your posts may draw more official moderator action.

Taltos

looksee

I think it is an interesting question, and like the op I was not aware that there was such a degree of sensitivity in asking about people's beliefs. If you do not wish to discuss your beliefs, then surely it would be possible to say 'I prefer not to discuss my beliefs as they are very personal to me' rather than being upset that the OP would even ask. Or just not post.

I have considered whether I am pagan or not at times, I feel a closeness to nature, but I would not come close to expressing that in any form of worshipful way. I would not have any interest in polytheism and my attitude towards 'pagan' rituals would be much the same as towards the rituals of formal religion. That is, they can be charming, interesting, culturally and socially satisfying, and serve to remind people of a spiritual aspect to life, but as rituals they would mean nothing special to me. Any spirituality I have goes on in my head with no outer display. Other people prefer to express their beliefs or feelings, and that is fine. Each to their own, only provided they are not doing harm to anyone else in the process.

Morag

I guess intent is part of it, why a person is asking and how they ask.

For some starting such a conversation is about sharing or discovering but for other's they are just looking for something to pick holes in and to have an argument about.

The Op was very broad, and it's like they didn't google anything at all.
If someone was to ask a more specific question, say about reincarnation or diety then I would be more likely to engage.

vikinglass

Hi there, Mrusse01, as others have said, paganism is a catch-all phrase, an umbrella term to cover a whole raft of faith systems. It is often used by followers of particular pagan faith systems to those in the wider world, to save long and wearying explanations.

Specifically you asked
"what pagans believe in,"
"what your values are,"
"what you do or practice as a result of your beliefs"
"what rituals/activities do you do"
"how many roughly follow paganism in Ireland"
"and subsequently if you don't mind sharing your rational why you follow paganism?"

I would recommend some reading to get a base level of knowledge. Most pagan paths are experiential, i.e. the "answers" or the work towards personal gnosis are not to be found in books, however they are a good place to start, and for many, the only place to start the lifetime's journey. Beware of many websites out there, especially American ones, as they tend to the love and light and pretty crystal approach (nothing wrong with that per se, however, personally I feel they're missing the point!)

With that in mind, here are some reading choices for you. I've kept it simple, there's a world of good and terrible books ot there. I believe these are well researched, and are from well regarded pagan authors, some of whom I have met and worked with.

"what pagans believe in,"

Really briefly? read this and all its subsections - paganfed.org/cms/index.php/paganism/introduction-to-paganism

These books will give you a good introduction:
Paganism 101 - An introduction to Paganism by 101 pagans (edited by Trevor Greenfield)
Pagan Paths: A Guide to Wicca, Druidry, Asatru Shamanism and Other Pagan Practices - Pete Jennings
Wicca - a guide to the old religion in the new age - Vivianne Crowley
Druidry - Living Druidry: Magical spirituality for the wild soul - Emma Restall-Orr
Asatru - Our Troth - Volumes 1 & II - Kveldulf Gundarsson

The last 3 are just 3 strands to pagansim, there are many others, including Goddess spirituality, those who don't follow specific path and just prefer "pagan" plus initiatory Wicca and off-shoots, you've got those who follow a more shamanic path, Male spirituality, reconstructionists e.g. Hellenismos, and Khemites -argh, the list goes on.

"what your values are,"

Living with Honour" by Emma Restall-Orr

"what you do or practice as a result of your beliefs"

Meh - can't really give you a book on this - this is something you have to DO. There are open rituals held in various places around the country, especially on the main festivals of the year. Research through witchvox, or via the Pagan Federation, and social media. Open rituals in my experience differ from private solitary or private group work, in that the participants can be strangers, and the work is, or can be, less intense, though this is not always the case. Depends on who's running it, and what the reason for the ritual is and so on.

Me personally? Honour the Ancestors, the land and the God/esses to be brief.

"what rituals/activities do you do"

Well from the books I've listed so far you should have SOME idea of what people do. Trouble is, plain text on a page tells you nothing really. Nothing about intent, energy, the Old Ones, the Ancestors, spirits of place, the group "mind" and so on. The purpose of ritual. The embedding of the love of life, learning and deities that imbues one's very life. It is not a path that is taken out and dusted off just for high days and holy days. Remember what I said about experiential paths?

I can will add that part of my personal belief system is to honour the earth, and tread lightly upon Her. I have used ritual as action, viz a vis anti-fracking work. Conservation, planting, removing alien species (japanese knotweed for example), habitat renewal, recycling, upcycling, rubbish clearance etc. Putting beliefs into practice in the real world, and making a difference. I'm no "eco-warrior" lol, but work as, when, and how I can.

I hope this helps. Do read the books I've listed and do come back and ask if you've got any questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question, ever.

Viking Lass

silverfeather

Pagan orginally meant peasant. It was a term coined by puritans wishing to connect non christian traditions with more rural and rustic communities so that it came across as old fashioned.

It's an umbrella term for many people. I think some see it as simply spirituality that has no other name. For some it's about many deities rather than monotheist traditions. Some people have no interest in polytheism.

In reality that's what you find when you encounter people. Some meet with others and many simply practice alone.

'If it harms none do what you will. ' Is generally an accepted value what that means however is obviously up for interpretation. 'Love is the law', is another phrase.

What people practice could be said to be trying to be in tune with the seasons there are festivals groups or people who work just alone.

A personal experience is not something i can give you on the net. It include people I connected with. My own journey. It might mean nothing to you. That's why it's personal.

You don't need my personal experience you need your own. If it's not about you but some type of journalistic piece etc that is different. I can't give you that.

A word though. The pagan community is private and it's built on trust. It's not a converting path...pagans don't seek converts. Infact the opposite. It's not closed or anything. But it's generally not open to observation by third parties in a frivolous way. And in a way that is as much to protect the third party as paganism. Meet anyone who wants to play the great guru to you or 'convert' you and you should run like the plague.

I like to tell people really we're all maniacs in the best possible way.