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Why do you consider yourself a pagan?
The may be similar to the thread about what paganism is, but I suppose there is a slight semantic difference.
Like many here, I think a reverance for nature may be a common factor, but generally, I just imagined the world that did not fit into an agnostic nor an atheist worldview. I believe things to be more connected than that, and it's very hard to describe without using such worn out words as energy or force. I have simply chosen to view our universe and how it maintains itself as an energy flow, it goes round and round. I should add, I am a follower of the Big Bounce, so I suppose the idea of something being cyclical is quite important to me.
For a long time I could not fully describe what I meant with energy or force either, until I dug up a bit about Einstein's relativity theory that equals mass to energy. The problem is that when I say, see a flower, I just don't see the flower as a physical object, I also see it as a part of a greater whole where the flower at some point will die, decompose and be meaningful to other lifeforms.
It can however be more properly and throughly explained once Einstein's theory is applied I think, and in a way it is pantheistic/taoistic, which is why I always found it so hard to settle with what to call myself. When I mean pantheistic also, I don't mean it with its original connotations of there being a sentient being, but more something to Spinoza's god, something Einstein also believed in and I think that just makes so much sense.
Like many here, I think a reverance for nature may be a common factor, but generally, I just imagined the world that did not fit into an agnostic nor an atheist worldview. I believe things to be more connected than that, and it's very hard to describe without using such worn out words as energy or force. I have simply chosen to view our universe and how it maintains itself as an energy flow, it goes round and round. I should add, I am a follower of the Big Bounce, so I suppose the idea of something being cyclical is quite important to me.
For a long time I could not fully describe what I meant with energy or force either, until I dug up a bit about Einstein's relativity theory that equals mass to energy. The problem is that when I say, see a flower, I just don't see the flower as a physical object, I also see it as a part of a greater whole where the flower at some point will die, decompose and be meaningful to other lifeforms.
It can however be more properly and throughly explained once Einstein's theory is applied I think, and in a way it is pantheistic/taoistic, which is why I always found it so hard to settle with what to call myself. When I mean pantheistic also, I don't mean it with its original connotations of there being a sentient being, but more something to Spinoza's god, something Einstein also believed in and I think that just makes so much sense.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LeaT on -
So you celebrate them as well? Are there any pagan holidays in American culture at all btw? Here in Sweden we just celebrated midsummer's eve :)
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Permalink Reply by Malena on -
Because I love nature cycles and complexity. And I need to enjoy them in a significant way.
As an evolution theories student, I´m see the world and all its complexity and I find it to be more amazing that any mythical story ever told. I´m see the things throught system stheory and determinist chaos theory, and its not difficult at all, I mean, its the way I have been seeing the world since I was a child. Everything related to everything, and everything belonging, being part of something bigger.
I think that what used to upset me more, being raised in a catholic community, was the anthropocentric look of the world. I have never been like that, I don´t know why, but I have always thought that all life is wonderful and unique. I felt as a child, that saying that we are superior beings was to insult every other life form. I´m more tolerant with that now, but it still bothers me. -
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Permalink Reply by Dutch Kreutzer on -
I consider myself a pagan in the strictest sense of the word. A deep appreciation of all nature has to offer us and no more. No jumpin around beatin on a drum or runnin around nekkid,(too much). No celebrations of any kind. Just as basic as you can get.
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Permalink Reply by Kayla Mars on -
Paganism allows me to connect with the world and my ancestors. I enjoy symbolism and ritual and it helps me to meditate and calm down. I love celebrating life and nature and this helps me do that. It helps me flow my awe and wonder of the Universe, life, nature, etc into something tangible.
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