Any Pagans Out There?

[thesoapycauldron]

Hi all, not been on for aaaages cos we're getting ready for our Handfasting on the Solstice!! Woooooo!!! So much to do, so little time... my 2nd degree is coming fast as is OH's 1st Degree initiation... wowsers...

Fabulous to see so many pagans on here, I love it. I don't *think* Fred-Up is on here Shel, but I could be wrong he he

Uniqui- what sort of thing interests you? Is it Wicca, Druidry or Paganism in general? There are so many different paths it can be confusing LOL

Gaia- have I bought from you recently? Nice to see you in any case

And Sunny me ole mukka *hugs*

[somersethedge]

congrats for the handfasting and your 2nd and OH 1st soapy...

there seems to be a lot of us here now

[cerridwensdragonflywings]

Big congratulations Soapy on your forcoming Handfasting,and your initiations..Im really looking foward to Solstice too,even though ours wont be a fraction as special as yours..im just hoping and willing the weather to be dry at least,as here in the midlands,its forecast rain for the next few days...
we have to settle for celebrating in our garden this year,and will be keeping the fire going all through the night..iv also a beautiful big sunflower to put into the ground,under the light of the moon..
We get the chance to get away somewhere special now and again, and it was the other weekend we were in wales...it was gorgeous,just me and my man,no children ,not even the dogs...Beautiful sunshine all weekend, so we spent it on the beach..hardly a soul about,just the odd dog walker,so we were able to absorb and be energised by mother nature...the sunsets were awesome,and i really wish we were going to be there this weekend...
we found lots of treasure...a big piece of driftwood to use as a staff...driftwood for a wand,shells,pebbles,feathers..it was wonderful...
I love being by the sea...and since weve been home,weve been so much more relaxed and completly stress free...
wishing you a blessed handfasting...
love and light jx

[moonwitch]

And Sunny me ole mukka *hugs*

Are you going soppy in your old age or has all this lovey dovey stuff gone to ya head?

*hugs right back*

[redmerlin777]

Hi there everyone
I'm 64. My Grandmother brought me up and in those days the things she taught me were to be kept VERY secret.
These days people are so much more tolerant but I still find it difficult to talk about all that my grandmother taught me..
She only had one rule
"An it hurt no thing do what thou wilt"

I have lived by that rule all my life andI have a wonderful tiny wildlife garden where I grow as much as I can of all kinds of plants, wild herbs,cooking herbs, veg and flowers.
All creatures and humans are welcome there and it is a very restful place.

I my children and step children laughingly call me a witch, but I don't think I am. I don't do spells or have any special rites. BUT I do perform, I suppose these are rites, solitary acts of thanksgiving. as my grandmother taught me. I return to the earth or water a gift always after taking from the earth or water. I greet the new moon every month. and greet the sun every morning.

I light candles on the shortest day and watch the sunrise on the longest. I have never had names for these. Just things Grandma taught me.

I have lived happily with these "attitudes" to life. I see things others seem to overlook and see beauty in the smallest plants and creatures.

I think the most scary thing tho is sometimes I get "Feelings" and then something happens quite out of the blue.

So I suppose I am a pagan. I am not sure what I would call myself. All I know is that the things I have learned seem to have been passed down in our family on the female side for very many years.

And it's good to see peole finishing with Blessed be.

[somersethedge]

should you every really need to put a label on what you are, you are what use to be called a "wise woman" and as with most wise woman or cunning man it has been handed down from the generation before. Hopefully you will pass it on to one of your children or grandchildren in the years to come.

you are also a copy of my mother, she would never call herself a pagan but follows all the pagan principals and all are welcome if they mean no harm.

as for your kids calling you a witch..... it goes with the territory

I would welcome you to the site but after 280+ posts it's a bit late now plus we have yakked before

[redmerlin777]

Thanks Somerset....I don't feel very wise most of the time!!

But I have passed on a fair bit to my daughter it would appear! I can't really remember telling her things but now I see her doing things that I do and shee too has a love of the natural world and I am looking forward to teaching my grandaughter all about the flowers and plants in my garden... and about the animals too.

[somersethedge]

thats the way it worked..... never realised what my mother had tought me until I found myself doing it..... the only differnce is I was an only child so it has entered the male side of the family not the female.... however I have no kids of my own so unless I teach maples grandchildren it ends with me.

[pdreams78]

Hi all - I know of you Soapy from the other place, though I am usually very quiet on those boards. I would describe myself as an eclectic, scholarly, cynical pagan on a very meandering path. Though I simply do not have the time to be as scholarly as I want. I used to tarot read professionally, currently like geomancy and love learning about the many methods of prediction that others use. I found the way to this path myself, or rather it found me. I will teach my children bits and bobs of paganism but will teach them about as many religions as I can, its up to them whatever path they choose to follow, hopefully they will be respectful of all.
Mind you I despair of teaching my son to use a spoon so I’m not sure how all that will go…..

[moonwitch]

Hey!!- redmerlin!!! - another wise woman here - didnt occur to me I might be pagan until I read up about some pagans when I was in my 30's

(in the Pagan Federation magazine as it happens)

I went to a few of their meetings but soon realised the group thing just didnt feel right for me - so I guess I would be what some would describe as a hedgewitch - or a mad old bat

I am also into a lot of what is called 'New Thought' - like Louise L Hay's stuff and laughed out loud when my son told me that things in his life must be down to the Law of Attraction - had no idea any of what I said had been taken in