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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2017 23:41:08 GMT -5
Skip vid to 1:47 if it didn't already.
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 17, 2017 0:01:35 GMT -5
Skip vid to 1:47 if it didn't already. I've only seen a little bit of this show when I was younger, and I forgot how funny it was. XD
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 0:02:56 GMT -5
@ christianland thread: Who said we're un holy? Our shoddy housing says otherwise.
Anyway hello.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 0:03:54 GMT -5
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 Who's line is responsible for about 50% of my overall humor.
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 17, 2017 0:04:59 GMT -5
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 Who's line is responsible for about 50% of my overall humor. Everything makes sense now. XD
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 17, 2017 0:30:49 GMT -5
@ christianland thread: Who said we're un holy? Our shoddy housing says otherwise. Anyway hello. This pun made my day
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 17, 2017 0:46:44 GMT -5
I've wondered this for a while now, but how did you guys get into paganism and/or witchcraft?
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 17, 2017 1:28:53 GMT -5
thats actually a difficult question for me to answer, Moth!
I can't really remember exactly how, but as I recall, it went something like this; For starters, my family has never been overly big on religion. I suppose technically speaking, our immediate family is atheist in some shape or form (although I do have some crazy grandparents who are devout catholics) so I've always been encouraged to believe in whatever feels right for me. On some level, I suppose I've always been drawn to paganism - I've been collecting crystals since before I was six years old. I remember visiting a speciality crystal shop for the first time shortly after id durned six, and I thought I'd found paradise. Somewhere along the way, I discovered the healing properties of crystals and never really looked back. From about the same age, I developed an interest in Egyptian mythology, and I subconsciously began 'praying*' to Egyptian deities instead of a Christian god. I didn't consider myself pagan until much later, however, until I took up meditation a few years back - I don't know why that was the catalyst for me, but it was.
I suppose for me, getting into paganism was simply realising that what id been doing for years had an actual name, and from that, I began to branch off into other things, such as herbal magic and more intense forms of meditation. My interest in voodoo didn't really manifest until much later, but looking back I suppose I've always been drawn to that, as well. As a child, I had an obsession with snakes/lizards (both of which I consider today to be a totem/spirit animal of some kind) since when I was about seven, I got myself a stuffed lizard, but it was filled with sand instead of stuffing, and carried it with my everywhere. Now that I'm older, I have a beaded lizard charm on a necklace that I usually have with me.
I don't actually know if that answers your question, but thats all I got XD
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 0:28:32 GMT -5
@ christianland thread: Who said we're un holy? Our shoddy housing says otherwise. Anyway hello. This pun made my dayXD
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 18, 2017 0:44:11 GMT -5
thats actually a difficult question for me to answer, Moth!
I can't really remember exactly how, but as I recall, it went something like this; For starters, my family has never been overly big on religion. I suppose technically speaking, our immediate family is atheist in some shape or form (although I do have some crazy grandparents who are devout catholics) so I've always been encouraged to believe in whatever feels right for me. On some level, I suppose I've always been drawn to paganism - I've been collecting crystals since before I was six years old. I remember visiting a speciality crystal shop for the first time shortly after id durned six, and I thought I'd found paradise. Somewhere along the way, I discovered the healing properties of crystals and never really looked back. From about the same age, I developed an interest in Egyptian mythology, and I subconsciously began 'praying*' to Egyptian deities instead of a Christian god. I didn't consider myself pagan until much later, however, until I took up meditation a few years back - I don't know why that was the catalyst for me, but it was.
I suppose for me, getting into paganism was simply realising that what id been doing for years had an actual name, and from that, I began to branch off into other things, such as herbal magic and more intense forms of meditation. My interest in voodoo didn't really manifest until much later, but looking back I suppose I've always been drawn to that, as well. As a child, I had an obsession with snakes/lizards (both of which I consider today to be a totem/spirit animal of some kind) since when I was about seven, I got myself a stuffed lizard, but it was filled with sand instead of stuffing, and carried it with my everywhere. Now that I'm older, I have a beaded lizard charm on a necklace that I usually have with me.
I don't actually know if that answers your question, but thats all I got XD That actually does make a lot of sense. Thank you. ^^
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 18, 2017 0:49:59 GMT -5
you're welcome, moth!
how about you?
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 0:52:25 GMT -5
I've wondered this for a while now, but how did you guys get into paganism and/or witchcraft? Getting Minty to answer questions in detail is harder than you may think. *breaths in* But here's a go. Don't know if you wanted my story since I'm not, per say, pagan. But I'll give it a go. My family is much the same as Dingo's, so there was never any pressure to be one religion or another. I remember as a young child going to Catholic church. I went for a long time, actually. My beliefs still hold some aspects of it and I try to evolve my beliefs to hold onto that as well as including the possibility of any and all beliefs. For quiet a long time I couldn't figure out what I believed in or if I had a higher power/s. I've had the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Gods of my own creation, (as well as God), as my main deities over the years, but they never stuck long for me. They were background noise, like. I believed in them, but never felt I needed them. About...4 to 5 years ago I started sensing something hiding in the corners and sides of my mind, dreams and thoughts. Didn't know what it was, so I called out to it. That's when I met my spirit guide. After that, things started to fall into place on what I believed in and what I needed to focus on. I don't consider myself pagan because I still don't have gods I pray to. I have some aspects of paganism, catholic, and everything else shoved into my religion and until 4 years ago I didn't know how it all fit inside my own head. So it's a religion of my own making. Just kinda wish I could come up with a name for it... If that answers the question? ^^'
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 18, 2017 1:01:57 GMT -5
I've wondered this for a while now, but how did you guys get into paganism and/or witchcraft? Getting Minty to answer questions in detail is harder than you may think. *breaths in* But here's a go. Don't know if you wanted my story since I'm not, per say, pagan. But I'll give it a go. My family is much the same as Dingo's, so there was never any pressure to be one religion or another. I remember as a young child going to Catholic church. I went for a long time, actually. My beliefs still hold some aspects of it and I try to evolve my beliefs to hold onto that as well as including the possibility of any and all beliefs. For quiet a long time I couldn't figure out what I believed in or if I had a higher power/s. I've had the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Gods of my own creation, (as well as God), as my main deities over the years, but they never stuck long for me. They were background noise, like. I believed in them, but never felt I needed them. About...4 to 5 years ago I started sensing something hiding in the corners and sides of my mind, dreams and thoughts. Didn't know what it was, so I called out to it. That's when I met my spirit guide. After that, things started to fall into place on what I believed in and what I needed to focus on. I don't consider myself pagan because I still don't have gods I pray to. I have some aspects of paganism, catholic, and everything else shoved into my religion and until 4 years ago I didn't know how it all fit inside my own head. So it's a religion of my own making. Just kinda wish I could come up with a name for it... If that answers the question? ^^' Yeah, that definitely answers it. Thanks! ^^
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 18, 2017 1:15:49 GMT -5
you're welcome, moth!
how about you? Oh, I'm actually not a witch, nor a pagan. However, I've been interested in witchcraft for years now. Before, I admittedly thought it was just fiction and growing up in a Catholic home and also going to a Greek Orthodox school, I was pretty much raised to believe that if witchcraft did exist, that it was "the Devil's work". I can't remember exactly when I started doing more research on it, but I'm really glad I did. I've even considered of learning witchcraft, but I'm pretty hesitant about it since I'm worried about messing up. ^^" Yet, the more I hesitate, the more eager I feel to learn. I hope that made sense. ^^" That, and I also worry how my family would react. However, I did mention in an earlier post that my uncle could read tarot cards, my step great grandmother could apparently look into the future (though she'd claim they were fake despite her predictions coming true anyway), I apparently have Romani ancestors, and one of my aunts as well as my great aunt both practice Santería, so the reaction probably won't be too bad. Hopefully.
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 18, 2017 1:25:42 GMT -5
Oh, no worries! Thats one of the benefits of being raised in an atheist family, I guess! I don't practice 'magic' as such - not like the other users on this thread do - but when I do, I focus solely on the more 'positive' elements of magic. I am a big believer in the Law of Three, which essentially means that anything you put out into the universe comes back to you threefold, so I am apprehensive to experiment in anything thats not positive. I recommend not practicing until you're really ready, so take your time!
That's so cool that your family has such an interesting history! I don't have anything like that in my family (the closets I get is an old friend of my mums, who seemed to know exactly whenever something was wrong). I certainly wish I had a gift. I do really want to get myself a set of tarot cards and learn to read them, though. On the topic of heritage, I have a great, great (great?) grandmother from Mauritius, (which I like to honour through practicing voodoo, even through it comes from an entirely different part of Africa) but I'm pretty boring XD
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 18, 2017 1:45:53 GMT -5
DingoleapI think I remember hearing about the Law of Three a few times, I just didn't know the name if it. ^^" Either way, it's interesting. And thanks for the advice. I actually want to learn more about my family history, but sadly, every website I go to either costs money or just isn't helpful at all. ^^"
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 18, 2017 3:06:41 GMT -5
No worries! Well, I'm glad I could help with something XD
I know national geographic can trace genetics, but I think thats really expensive... My grandfather actually traces our family tree. He's been doing it for years, and is back to the 14th century or something. He does it mostly the old fashioned way now, and traces paper records. Apparently, my family used to be really rich, and own several wealthy estates in the English countryside, then they chose the wrong side in a civil war of some kind, lost all their land, and then were beheaded :/
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 4:29:32 GMT -5
O.O And here all I know about my family is that they immigrated from Germany. Then we have every other country in there as well. None of mine got beheaded as far as I know... o.O
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 18, 2017 4:46:39 GMT -5
Thats cool, Mint!
It helps to remember that Australia only really became a country because England decided to send all their criminals over here, so I have some pretty, uh, interesting ancestors. Aside from the ones that were beheaded, there was also a thief and a member of a womens gang XD
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 4:54:22 GMT -5
Yeah, I remember that (after you reminded me xD ). Interesting is right!
Some of mine fought in the Civil War. But that isn't too uncommon. Other than that... I don't remember. I've read some of the family history, but it doesn't seem to go that far back, and other than some personal stuff it isn't interesting enough for retelling. I loved reading it, but it was a lot of land deeds and stuff like family trees.
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Post by Dingoleap on Jun 18, 2017 5:29:53 GMT -5
Yep XD
That's cool! o: Ah, land deeds. Sounds fascinating XD
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 5:41:29 GMT -5
Fascinating/boring. Equal each of those things.
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Post by Sour Candy on Jun 18, 2017 8:37:42 GMT -5
Screee
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2017 12:30:44 GMT -5
*sleep walks*
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#a3c5e6
Name Colour
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵
Warrior Fanatic
All hail me, the flower-flushing queen of Prague
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Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Jun 18, 2017 12:34:16 GMT -5
No worries! Well, I'm glad I could help with something XD
I know national geographic can trace genetics, but I think thats really expensive... My grandfather actually traces our family tree. He's been doing it for years, and is back to the 14th century or something. He does it mostly the old fashioned way now, and traces paper records. Apparently, my family used to be really rich, and own several wealthy estates in the English countryside, then they chose the wrong side in a civil war of some kind, lost all their land, and then were beheaded :/ Cool! Well, except for the losing land and beheading part, of course. ^^" I think one of my family members from my mother's side told us we were a little rich too... in Ecuador. My father's family used to own land in the Dominican Republic, but my father sold it. I have never been to either country.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2017 8:43:24 GMT -5
Pwee.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2017 10:14:37 GMT -5
𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 This is going to be a long post, possibly a bit of an overshare or a tmi but I feel like paganism is something so ingrained in my life and in me, I should tell of the long, depressing events surrounding it and how I got involved. This does include the reaction of my family and peers. As everyone may know, I grew up strictly christian, southern baptist to be exact and in a very very conservative household. My family was essentially, everything that I am not and expected from me thins that I was not or could not do even aside from religion it was toxic and abusive and I'm glad to be away. I grew up going to church every Sunday, went to the little kids Sunday schools and the during service other misc. kids activities. And then on to the youth groups and their events. Camp, etc. It was all fun and well and good. In fact, I'd wager to say I knew and understood the fundamentals of being a Christian better than some of them even would. I'd know exactly how to argue and reason and "work-in" finding God in everything. I was baptized and professed Christ twice, was made to do a bible study, and yet at the end of the days I was never close. There was no connection to what I was doing even though I continued to try because I thought that was the right way, and the only way. Gradually throughout high school I began to feel pretty confused and angered by the whole thing. It continued to nag at something in the back of my mind that something was wrong, something was flawed, and it troubled me greatly. And it wasn't that Christians themselves were contradictory to the bible either, as that was to be understood under the flaw of humanity. No, the logic itself was a flaw. Why would a God, who loved his creation so much that he sent his sinless son to die for us, only to damn us again later if we mess up? However God is timeless, and died for all. So that includes for future sins we make as well, no? The only explanation I got, and the one that was least flawed is that those who reject or ignore the gift perish instead. And as we progress through linear time, we must constantly repent. But why would this be? What of the people who have never heard of Jesus himself and only God? There's no logical way to explain that one away, other than damning the ignorant and thereby innocent. True that people have a conscience and may know right from wrong but knowing that is different from having knowledge of a man who died centuries ago. And don't you have to believe in him to go to heaven and not suffer forever? What of people with mental health issues who do not actually have that innate right from wrong knowledge? Should we damn them for being born and living their human lives because of their body chemistry? They should not endure endless suffering from not knowing, or not being under control of themselves. That is cruelty at it's finest. Especially from a God who expects, protects, and is love. He is not love, he is wrath. He is smite. Plenty of the old testament can attest to this without me needing to say it. Sure, you may explain away that people didn't follow directions, or were evil, but what of the multitudes who knew no better? Not by their fault, but by the fault of others, so were taught that wrong is right and right is wrong? One may even make the argument that being ignorant of the law does no make you exempt from the law but in reality, it should. Even in legal cases, what may be obvious to one may not be to another. The only thing to do is to teach, and teach, and continue to teach. But then those who die without being taught, tortured forever? Why? There is no good reason for this. No one. Absolutely NO ONE deserves to be tormented for the rest of forever, endlessly. Not even Hitler, for all he caused is deserving of that. Where is mercy? Where is forgiveness from the God of those things who is none of them? His "chance" at eternal life is a fluke. When I realized this, and no one and nothing including the bible itself and hours of desperate prayer proved to be fruitless, I gave up. I felt nothing. No presence, no response. I honestly cried for days on and off. Sometimes still going back to it, but then realizing I wasn't going back in good faith, but in fear of hell. I do not want to suffer forever because I have screwed up. I believed in God of some sort, but it wasn't in him. Sometimes this resulted in lashing out at anger, rejecting and picking fights with people or intentional disobedience that if i was going to suffer forever, I might as well do something to actually deserve it. My first encounter with a wiccan was actually my freshman year, and I knew of them and yet mostly ignored it or even arguing with them about certain religious things every now and then to prove somehow I was right at the time. They were still good, average people aside from that and I didn't hate them but I was inclined to believe they were still somehow dangerous So I kept my distance. When I changed schools junior year, the whole crowd and atmosphere was different, more relaxed, less pretentious, and subjects were actually usually talked about freely and openly. I met more pagans and witches who actually became my friends, and several of them without me even knowing it until I delved into it myself through research. Which was... not exactly right. About a year and a half ago by now, while I was dating my ex who at the time I guess was smitten with me enough to support me before showing his true colors, he pushed me to learn things. He himself was Christian, or claimed to be but also frequently talked about vampirism and Lucifer and other occulty things. It was unnerving but I looked. I did not approve many times over for sure and it should have been a red flag. But I looked. Vampirism and vampires became a major and main focal point of study for a very long time and I would consider myself somewhat expertise in that area still. He took me to the local pagan stores and I immediately became engrossed with collecting stones, something I had also done when I was little and had almost forgotten about. This led me to study a number of things as I bought books and continued online research, I learned more about wicca at first and the traditional God and Goddess halves of the divine. Even under minimal knowledge something about it really spoke to me and I constructed several spells of my own and when I prayed to them, though no God or Goddess in particular I actually FELT something for once. I was finding myself! I was enjoying things and not being depressed! I was getting RESPONSES that I could see or feel were from something out of myself happening! The spells were usually healing and protection, which is still what I do and prefer to do. I learned the differences and things practically flew from there. Until my parents found my then-book of shadows. They already were the type of parents to invade personal space and give no privacy and I hadn't given them a reason to "trust me" yet, after the time that my dad had me physically trapped and pinned to the floor and was hurting me and i kicked him in the stomach which then in turn they called the police on me for and jailed for a week because there were no witnesses except my mom, who allowed it to happen and told his story. I was grounded for two years with no computer and no internet, though offline video games for atari/wii/playstation were acceptable about 6 months into it. So hiding my involvement was tricky, but not impossible. I'd take my book to school with me most of the time since I had to use the computers there or ask my other pagan/witch friends about for what I was looking up and could write down, and then tucked under my bed when I slept. Then I had forgotten to do homework too much and suddenly over the weekend I was told they'd empty my entire bag on the kitchen table and go through everything every day after I got home and I knew they couldn't see it but I didn't have a locker. So while I was gone the book stayed under the mattress. And then, without warning my mom suddenly "cleaned my room for me." Something that had stopped happening after middle school. She would surprise clean for me, which was sometimes nice when I was too busy but most of the time ended in me being completely afraid of her finding something, anything, to find fault with. She found the book. My shelves were then stripped of books and everything on the floor was on my bookshelves while all of my books went to the basement in boxes save for warriors, goosebumps, choose your own adventure, and several other books she permitted. My bedframe was taken so I couldn't hide anything and I was limited to three notebooks, two for school and one for home. The following day she had apparently read it and taken screen copies of several pages while I was at school and she had the school police officer pull me publicly out of class and take me away in the car and refused to tell me where I was going. I was terrified. Then it turned out I was going to a mental hospital and was accused by my parents of vampirism by drinking blood from my then-boyfriend (I gave him a hickey... or four? Lol but never drew blood.) and being a Satan worshiper. I was told to be grateful, since my bf's mom could have pressed charges and gotten me jailed again but he didn't. After I got out, seeing each other became secretive too but it didn't stop me. School was out in a month, and after turning 18 last year I was out of there so fast. My ex came with too. The past year has had a lot happen and of course I learned more and made my own path that is not wiccan, and certainly not Satan worship. My mom still spreads those kinds of rumors about me still. And my grandma "caught" me with a pentacle around my neck. Only gave me a miniature lecture about what I was getting myself into and otherwise has remained the same loving grandmother since. My ex went away for a few days to be with family for his brothers wedding and church, only to abandon me for several weeks and then come back a "new man", get into several physically and verbally abusive and scarring fights that caused me to have a temporary substance abuse issue because I was so depressed, break up with me for also being a Satan worshiper, despite the fact he knew everything I believed and was my support to begin with, and then leave again taking everything with him. ( Then he wanted me back, but would not stop pushing Jesus at me every time we talked and ignoring not only logic but hard fact that had nothing to to with religion at all, and recently his forcefulness at me after lots of other drama and ignoring boundaries and overall being disrespectful. But of course, my parents loved him. Sad it took me this long to realize he was just as toxic as them.) Being alone forced me to move. Also because my grandma needed professional care I could not give and was losing the house. For a while, I tried to reject what I had learned and be Christian again in hopes that I could prove to be better and maybe I was wrong, but I began to spiral into depression even further. My best friend, now boyfriend saw and knew this and convinced me to stop what I was doing. Through more cause-and-effect, we fell in love with each other and I got the support and healing I needed. I started learning and practicing again and still am, and now I even teach him little things here and there. And hopefully, I have taught and can continue to learn and show what I know to other people and the rest of this thread for as long as I am here.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2017 10:27:27 GMT -5
I'd also like to add that one should always apologize or try to correct what they did wrong or how they "sinned" towards another person or people, though not out of fear of consequence or anger, but out of genuine feeling and knowing you messed up and have something to be sorry for.
I'd say my parents taught me that lesson better than anything because sometimes they would reject an apology over and over until I could stop being mad and came at them sincerely. Which was sometimes hard because I held and still hold a lot of bitter resentment there that's been hard to let go of for good reason, but I did. Though then sometimes they'd find fault with my apology, and then I'd have to apologize for my apology? Ridiculous but that's still another matter entirely.
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Post by Sour Candy on Jun 19, 2017 10:32:05 GMT -5
I cut my finger ;~;
Also, happy birthday Chester!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2017 10:33:29 GMT -5
I cut my finger ;~; Also, happy birthday Chester! //kiss it make it better? I am old.
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