@Melora_Fae I believe we have met on another thread, but I wanted to formally introduce myself. I’m Siofra_Strega from Cape Cod. I have 3 children, 2 adult boys & a newly teenage daughter. I am currently learning about Celtic history, culture, lore, and magic; all of it. I also use Tarot, Runes, Oracle, Astrology, & a Pendulum. I work with healing energy, energy centers (Chakras), I’m an Empath, & I work a lot with crystals & recently obtained my Certification in Crystal Healing.
As @Mistress_Of_Herbs said, you are not alone. I actually just found out that my grandfather was a part of the Episcopalian church & had a medal that he wore when he was at the service & then when he was at home. My father raised me Roman Catholic. He went to Catholic Schools in Boston. My grandmother was from Italy & they were Catholic. My mom was Catholic, my mother changed religions to either Baptist or Christian throughout her lifetime. After I was confirmed in the Church, I just about stopped going altogether. The only time I can remember being in a church recently is for my mom’s funeral in 2003. It was a gorgeous church, that is one thing I love about old-style churches… the stained glass & architecture.
Sorry, for rambling, you are not alone in that respect at all. Feel free to reach out with any questions that you may have. Everyone here is very friendly & supportive of each other.
@Mistress_Of_Herbs thank you so much. That means a lot. And we’re close in age, I’m 41!
@Susurrus yes, I commented on your Ogham study! Thank you for the supportive words, too. My father’s side is Mormon all the way back to the beginning, though he and his siblings went through some soul searching in the 60s and 70s. My mother was Catholic, her family up that line was another denomination. I don’t remember which. But she was a rebel in the 60s as well.
I’m so very happy that I posted here, it’s great to get to know you all!
Welcome to the forum- thank you so much for sharing your introduction! It is a pleasure to meet you
When it comes to religions, philosophies, spiritualities, and traditions, sometimes labels help but sometimes they can get in the way. Many of us come from different religious backgrounds, and there’s nothing wrong with being a Religious Witch! Feel free to explore, try on different labels, and find the path that feels best for you. It may change with time, and that’s okay! We are all learning and growing
Know that you are warmly invited to join any forum activities and discussions that call to you. Please make yourself at home here!
Looking forward to talking with you more soon- Blessed be!
A fellow Alaskan?! That’s awesome. I’ve been absent from the Coven for awhile but I’m so happy I had the time to check in and come across your post.
I can feel your energy while reading about how you describe your beliefs and various practices. I wholeheartedly understand those feelings all too well. It’s almost like… being engrossed in whatever the subject matter is and then it opens up a rabbit hole for a new discovery and then SQUIRREL! Lol. I’m always squirreling out so I feel like I never have both feet into anything, which actually becomes rather frustrating for me.
Well hello there @janelle ! I’m up in Fairbanks! Nice to meet you! I’m glad you happened upon my post, I was literally wondering this morning if there were any other Alaskans here.
Oh that’s such a neat thing to say. Thank you for sharing that. What kind of energy do you feel? I’m curious!
Oh my goodness… yeah you described it really well. I’ve been bouncing around in circles for a few years now and it is exhausting. I thought I’d settled on Hinduism but nope… back around to the beginning again.
Lol you’ll love my posts, then!
Thanks for taking the time to reply, I really needed that little poke today.
@Melora_Fae
Hey snowgirl, welcome.
It’s so sad when our childhood religious systems fail us. As these systems have not evolved as man has. Not right or wrong, there will always be right and wrong. I’m talked abuse of either partner by the other, In 1,000 AD, you could not only beat your partner, but you could kill her and also sell, her and her daughters. Then, it was called political alliances, in actuality, it was legal slavery. The sons had value so they faired much better.
Back to Spells8. There are so many directions you can go, in Spells8.
If you’ve started your lesson, search Results for “types of witches”, I think, you’ll be surprised at the different types of witchcraft.
I’m Eclectic, Solitary Witch🧙♀️ This breaks down to this, I grew up in the '60s, So I have a problem with authority figures. And I don’t do well with 'groups of people.
I’ve been allowed to Take the lessons. The Book club is great. TheTravelWitch, I call her Bry runs a Weekly Witchy Challenge. Someone suggests a subject to her and she throws out a challenge about that subject. We’ve gotten the most amazing suggestions and Ideas, especially from the newbies.
There are some rules, but easy to adhere to. My personal favorite is simple “Be Nice”.
The choice of Deity is yours! If you feel called, look into it. If you ask about choices, you may get opinions, but again the choice is yours.
Don’t you worry a bit about being ‘in the closet’, it’s a good safe place when you’re starting. You’ll come out when you’re ready.
But Melissa, even if you never come out, that’s OK too.
Life is hard, we all know that. Don’t put yourself under any more undo stress.
My eldest brother was Mormon and he never sat in judgment of the fact that I was Pagan.
The rest of my family thinks I’m just the elderly eccentric Aunt. Others think I’m a nut-bunny.
But at this my stage of life, I’ve changed the diapers of most of them.
You can’t get embarrassed by someone whose butt you washed and diapered.
Again, welcome and Blessed Be
Garnet Elder, healer and Blessed by Dragons
I agree. I had so much faith, blind faith but I was still comforted for so long by being in the Mormon church. I did have frustrations and doubts from the time I was really young, though. I also believe that the way I saw God was different from the Mormon version, and I always wondered where ‘heavenly mother’ was. So I don’t think it was ever for me, though I do have fond memories and it did help shape who I became.
It still makes me sad sometimes though. To have my beliefs shaken that hard is rough.
Oh I know! I love all of the content here.
I’ve been interested and dabbled in witchcraft since the early 2000’s, though I naturally did things my whole life that honestly show I’ve always been drawn to it. I did look into a lot of pagan beliefs… Druidry, Heathenry / Asatru, different witch paths, Wicca, and though it’s not technically Paganism, I practiced Hinduism deeply for a year after learning about it off and on since 2017.
I feel like I’m running in circles but it’s been quite the journey and learning experience.
I wish I could focus on one pantheon and have a solid system but when I box myself in too much I quickly abandon it. I love the Norse pantheon, it really stirs my bones due to my ancestry (a huge amount of my family on my father’s side came from Denmark in the 1800s. My
Mother’s side had German farmer immigrants at the end of the 1800s).
But there’s already established Norse Pagan groups, which have very different practices than neo-Wicca or general Paganism. So I’m still muddling through what I want to do.
I think I’m making it too complicated, I’ll be honest.
Thank you for these words of comfort. I was raised in fear, and I’m not 100% sure that will ever leave me completely. My daughter on the other hand is 19, and she wears her Pentacle necklace openly, though she respects certain situations where she feels it’s best to tuck it in her shirt. I am very proud that she is so solid in being herself.
I do this to myself a lot! As I’m sure you can tell. It’s manifested into health problems. It’s something I have to work on for sure.
My family here is mostly relaxed about other people’s beliefs… they’re from my father’s side and many of them have been around the block. I’m grateful for that. But aside from them knowing I’m different, I probably won’t ever feel the need to tell them directly what my spiritual path is. My Aunt and my Father in Law know I’m pagan, I told them directly. My Aunt briefly tried to change my mind but I’ve heard nothing since.
Ha! So true! Most of my cousins here knew me as the big sister / baby sitter throughout the 90s. One of them is scared of me now, as I am about a decade older and saw him run around naked when he was a toddler, lol. Even though I’m still the cousin, I think many of them see me as the eccentric Aunt, too!
Big hugs to you, @Garnet … I appreciate the warm words. BB
Everyone here is very friendly & supportive of each other.
today.