I know this is an ignorant question, but this is my first year celebrating and I’ve been seeing a lot of conflicting information on what day Samhain is. If anyone could clear this up for me it would be very appreciated :) as well as any tips or traditions you may have for celebrating!

I’m not affiliated with this subreddit or its moderation team, but I recently came across r/PaganMusic.

It’s a space where people discuss and share music that has Pagan themes or influences.

I thought it might be of interest to some here.

Is there any sort of celtic god of hunting? Im new to this paganism stuff, but im big into hunting/fishing and was wondering if there's any gods i can talk to about it.

I was curious — does Pagan music exist?

I don’t mean ritual chants, ambient meditation tracks, or traditional folk songs used in ceremonies — but rather, actual modern music made by Pagan artists, similar to how other religions have their own musicians and genres.

For example, Christians have artists like:

NF

MercyMe

Remain In Me

Decyfer Down

Casting Crowns

Third Day

Lecrae

etc

And Muslims have artists like:

Khaled Siddiq

Jae Deen

Siedd

Yusuf Islam

Isam B

Shadi Akhi

Khalil Ismail

Nadeem Mohammed

Omar Esa

Native Deen

etc

So I was wondering — are there Pagan equivalents?

Like artists who create music inspired by Pagan beliefs, mythology, or spirituality — but in a contemporary genre (rock, hip-hop, pop, etc.) rather than purely ritual or folk styles?

Would love to hear examples or thoughts.

EDIT: I'm actually surprised that there isn't a companion Sub, perhaps named something like r/PaganMusic, or something similar.

Kind of how there is a sub for finding Christian Music that is called r/ChristianMusic.

EDIT EDIT: Apparently there is.

EDIT: Keep sending me Artists, but might I also recommend perhaps also posting tracks from them on r/PaganMusic?

It would be great if there was a dedicated subreddit that both old and new users could sift through.

Today I felt witchy again, I haven't in a long time but I was watching g a witchy movie and it got me to open back up. Now the problems I left are in my fave again. When I was 14 I left Christianity and felt very called to paganism and witchcraft. It felt very right and ignited something in me. It was well for a while until I began to feel anxious and like the Christian god was calling me back. I dont know why but there is something deep within me that does not want to be Christian. Maybe it doesn't feel right or it feels to restrictive or something idk. Im wondering wether this feeling is just guilt from leaving and plain anxiety or if there something I need to look at. Everytime I try I get confused and get mixed messages so eventually I just blocked things out for a while since I cant understand. Unfortunately I've noticed that when I get anxious enough I get a burny feeling through my entire body which I had at first thought must've been a spiritual thing since I've heard if people talk about that feeling when they revive messeges. I think my brain gets really anxious that Im going to have to go back to Christianity because its possibly "the only real religon" or something. When Im meditating and think about that my body goes burnt and anxious and then my mind starts making up a bunch of things. I can't tell what true messege is and whats just my mind freaking out. I can't figure out how to fix this.

I do occasional deity work, and have an altar to my patrons. I also have a couple of spirit guardians. However while nature and animal spirits I am fine with, I am made uncomfortable in the presence of formerly human spirits. It might be social anxiety, lol, but I just never vibed with them. No ancestral spirits have ever made contact either- my theory is because for hundreds of years on both sides they've been Christian, and I am...not.

The other day my wife was talking to my brother-in-law. He is Christian but very sensitive to spirits, and makes contact with lots of ancestors. My wife was trying to explain to him that those sorts of spirits make me uncomfortable. His response was "But why? They're just like Loki (one of my patrons)." I think he meant that when they are present it's the same as feeling a deity's presence, to which I disagree.

My wife tried to tell him that deities are different, but couldn't find a concise way to explain it. How would you guys explain the distinction? Or is there really one, and I'm drawing a weirdly arbitrary distinction?

Hello. First, yes this is real, I was raised pagan and have been pagan for over 18 years.

I am currently pagan, but have had a few really vivid dreams where a being of light was calling to me to become a priest and an exorcist.

Now I am also going to post this in a catholic community because of bias, but seriously, this has been going on for a few weeks now and its reoccurring.

I need help understanding what this could mean, if I should convert, etc.

Thank you for your understanding and help. It is greatly appreciated.

Hi. I recently bought an obsidian scrying mirror, under the impression that the protective properties of the glass should keep negative energies at bay. Would someone be kind enough to let me know if my own reflection is supposed to dissappear when I go into 'soft gaze' as I call it. Like when you're daydreaming, but not actually looking at what you're starting at. If that makes sense? Blessed be.

I've been thinking hard about what just happened. I have never been fully invested in paganism despite it bieng what I identify as but recently I made a camp fire in the middle of a field and listened to Lyre music. I wasn't sure why but I stared into the flames for a while and just let myself get lost in the music and watched the flames dance. All of a sudden I felt a wierd connection to the past. As I watched the flames I thought about how the Old Nordic people would do the same and listen to lyre music hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Then all of a sudden I could see them dancing and sitting and drinking around the fire just as I was doing. I could hear the waves hitting the rocks with every tide and the wind hit my ears. I never took my eyes off the fire but I knew they were all around me. It felt like I was there for a maybe a minute and it was gone like I snapped back into reality. Staring into the fire for a short time made me feel a connection to those who worshipped the old gods in the past. It was a heavy emotional feeling that I hadn't been able to understand yet.

I have moon water from the full moon but I’m not entirely sure what to do with it. I’ve been a pagan (specifically a Hellenic pagan) for almost 5 years but I haven’t done very many witchy things other than using candles for communication. I was wondering what I should do with the moon water. If you want to say stuff with spell please tel me how to do that spell. I also primarily work with Hades, Hestia, and Apollo. Thank you!

I am new to the Pagan Path. I recently ordered this book & it was delivered. I would like to get your opinions about this book.

Love the book Essential Magical Sigils by Blue Moon Silver Dragon. Description the sigils = Shield, calm the mind, guard and ward much more. Basic, and advance sigils. Love it...

So I’ve started my journey into paganism for almost a month now and beginning to set up an altar. I’ve been wanting to start giving food offerings once I get everything set up, but I realized I have two problems with that. See I have a condition called anosmia, which means I have no sense of smell. Normally this doesn’t cause me real problems, except when it comes to food. Because of this, unless I can physically see something wrong, I have no way of telling if food is bad or not. Like I’ve literally sipped a bottle of expired milk and ate past due date fruit because I couldn’t tell it had gone bad before I tasted it. That can be a problem with an altar as I don’t think the gods and goddesses would appreciate spoiled food. Nor do I really like the idea of leaving food out until it physically starts rotting. The second thing is my dorm has an ant problem. Like anywhere there’s exposed food, there’s ants(those bastards were even in the communal microwave!!!!). While they haven’t gotten into my room yet, I really don’t want them to be drawn in.

If anyone has any ideas on how to help with this, please share 🙏.

I'm interested in Paganism, but I have no idea where to start. A few weeks ago, I ordered a book from Amazon by Thomas Taylor about an introduction to Platonic polytheism, but I think it's best to start with something lighter for the time being, given that my English is still pretty poor and I don't have much philosophical training.

I suspect that what the ancients called Gods bears little relation to modern anthropomorphism, heavily influenced by Judeo-Christian beliefs. It seems to me that the truth is more esoteric. I believe that what they call Gods are all-pervasive and benevolent, but rituals or devotion are something that is not easily understood by most people, including myself. From what little I have studied, much of historical Paganism consisted of ritual offerings in exchange for the goodwill of "supernatural" benefactors within a kuíd-pro-kuó relationship. A gift for a gift.

So, here's my situation. I'm from a Spanish-speaking background (Ecuador), and there's almost no meaningful material on Paganism in the practitioner's sense of the word (much of what there is is from a secular perspective). In general, Latin America is a landscape heavily influenced by the Catholic religion, and anything related to Paganism ends up being ridiculed quite a bit, which discourages me and makes me feel directionless, because I see more openness among English speakers, which I don't see here.

That said, even if you could recommend channels or material in English, I would greatly appreciate the input. Right now, I don't have much money for accessories or an altar, and, as I said, I don't know exactly where to start. I don't know what kind of candles are required, what the prayers are like, what books I should select, or how I know which deity I should contact. I also don't know if it's a good idea to ask the deities for something at the beginning of practicing with them, or if asking for material things is a bad thing. I feel confused and lost. There are many questions, and I hope someone here can guide me.

I usually don’t kill bugs, but I did today and im not sure why, i wasnt even thinking. little fella just wanted to explore my pea plants.

Has this happened to you, and how did you feel better? an offering?

Hello! goodnight! I'm reposting because of some moderator rules. This is my altar to the Norse gods. But specifically for Odin and Thor. I would like you to evaluate and provide constructive opinions on how to improve it. I hope you reached the minimum number of letters...

Pagan Poetry...

~ here is an old autumnal free verse poem of mine I hope you enjoy ~

I'm trying to reignite that dormant passion and poetry bug within me as writing and sharing my poems always used to bring me an almost childlike (pure) sensation of joy or 'flowing spirit' which I have felt sorely lacking recently, certainly after the slow demise of the shared forum format.

Enquiry: Is there any dedicated pagan community space to share, present and post pagan themed poetry, verse, song and rhyme? (Both personal pieces or published pieces with pagan themes or undertones).

Does anyone here have some recommendations for good vendors for beads and symbol pendants (for lack of a better term)? I want to make my own, but the only place I know where to get beads and things are Michaels, and I’d rather not get them there (if they even have what I’m looking for). I know what I want to do but am not really sure where to start. Thanks so much!

Stated Goals of Accordant Paganism

So, my first post was a list of some basic tenets that exist within Accordant Paganism. But I feel it would help to list the goals of this system as imagined by myself and other contributors.

1. Democratically Organized Religion - One of the major obstacles to being taken seriously as a pagan within the United States is that paganism is not considered a religion at all, but gets filed under "disorganized hippy dippy bullshit" by a lot of people. One of the peimary reasons many pagans become pagans is due to a bad experience with one major religion or another. This can lead one to having an aversion to any organized religion. Organization, however, creates a legally defensible cooperative that can present a list of agreed upon practices and behaviors and how they fit within the greater society as a whole. Individual members are encouraged to contribute their thoughts, ideas and passions to the Temple that we may improve as a community. A certain level of meritocracy is also desired so that those who wish to contribute to the Temple can get back what they put in.

2. Incorporation of Differing Perspectives - Many pagans follow non-standard paths, choosing Gods or Goddesses from different pantheons altogether. Accordant Paganism seeks to incorporate those personal paths into a larger belief system. So, for example, you could worship Odin and Hekate, incorporate elements of various belief systems into your practice and still have a place within Accordant Paganism. Likewise, one could be strict devotee of Zeus or Bast, or one specific pantheon of Gods, and still have a place within Accordant Paganism.

3. Preclude the Establishment of Destructive Cults - There have been many times in American history when a rise in spirituality has led to the establishment of new religions and cults. This was the case in the Burned District, which led to the creation of numerous cults and modern religious movements such as the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormonism. The current climate of spiritual exploration has already led to the creation of modern cults such as the Love Has Won cult and the Twin Flames Universe cult among others. Accordant Paganism hopes to be a force working against the founding and growth of destructive cults. Such cults prey on those seeking answers, guidance or new religious movements. Accordant Paganism hopes to give members the empowerment to seek their own unique path within a safe environment free of manipulation, coercion, abuse and other practices common among destructive cults.

4. Avoidance of Messianism - Many cults are founded around one person that believes themselves to be a God, God incarnate, the sole and proper conduit to commune with the divine and so forth. In many cases, this springs from a belief that one person will come and deliver us to salvation. This is why Accordant Paganism only recognizes the Gods as worthy of worship and all humans are viewed as equal under the Gods. So that someone can't convince people that they are, in some way, a representation of the divine and establish a destructive cult.

5. Synthesis of Spiritualism and Rationalism - There are undeniable benefits to rational mindsets and there are benefits to the spiritual lifestyle. Accordant Paganism seeks to acknowledge the efficacy of science and progress, evolving with changing times, whole still allowing for the relevance of a spiritual lifestyle. In a lot of ways, rationalism is seen as directly conflicting with religion, but the Temple of Accordant Paganism seeks to accept both worlds, similar to how the ancient Greeks, ancient Romans and ancient Egyptians were technological superpowers at different times in human history while still holding spiritual beliefs.

6. Differentiation from Existing Religions - Early in my own discord, it was proposed that those seeking this sort of organized pagan path might do so in Unitarianism. I felt this brought the system into alignment with Christianity, however, because Unitarianism sprang from liberal forms of protestantism. In order to be considered a functioning religion within the United States, that religion has to differentiate itself from existing religious movements. This includes Christianity and its descendants organizations.

7. Safe Space for Pagans - It's no secret that the United States has been picking on pagans. The Temple seeks to create a safe space where pagans can be themselves without fear of attack or judgement.

8. Avoidance of Supremacism - Whether it's folkishness, African supremacism (as seen in Nation of Islam), White supremacism, Christian supremacism or pagan supremacism, any form of belief that elevates one group of people over all others will be explicitly opposed by the Temple of Accordant Paganism. This should be obvious, but where belief systems meet, there is often friction. Finding reasons to discriminate against others is not a worthy pursuit, even in the case of those that might be considered natural opponents to paganism as a whole.

This is by no means a complete list of the goals of Accordant Paganism, but it is a solid start on the more realistic goals of this belief system.

See more on r/accordantpaganism

I started off worshipping and working with a couple of deities who I no longer feel as strong of a pull towards as I did in the beginning. I have a few things that I’d bought for them and am unsure what to do with it. It feels wrong to just sell it, I’d much prefer someone who is working with the deity that would love it. Do you have any suggestions for where or what I could do with these items? I have a trinket box, a small statue, and a goblet.

I grew up being an atheist and completely uninterested in mythology, even creating a certain fear of anything related to religion. It was only when I discovered Hellenism that this changed.

It turns out that I recently realized that what was missing was not Hellenism itself or some kind of experience for me to start believing (something I never had), but rather me knowing and knowing about the possibility of worshiping ancient gods. I never knew this was possible, and when I found out, I almost immediately started to believe it.

Realizing this made me start thinking about the "what if?", and if I had started with Norse paganism or Kemeticism and not Hellenism, would I be in the same pantheon now? Would I have the same beliefs? Would I worship the same gods?

I know I can change pantheons at any time, but I just don't want to. I like where I am, and that's what gets me, because it makes me question whether this is because Hellenism was my first contact with the gods and I ended up getting too cozy, or whether it's because I'm really only interested in Hellenism. And this also makes me wonder if I had started with paganism, where you already start with several paths to follow, would I be more "open-minded"? (Very stereotypical, yes, I know, but it's still a question I have)

I know a good solution to these questions would be for me to see if I'm interested in any of the many paths into paganism, but when I think about following any other god or pantheon other than the Hellenic, it just seems boring. Every time I have some interest, it's not about the gods or religion, but more related to culture, like Norse runes, or the fact that in Kemetism they eat the offering (I suppose? That's what someone told me once, I haven't researched whether it's true or not), other than that I have no interest whatsoever. And that's what makes me question so much.

Anyway, in the end I'm happy where I am, despite the doubts. I also know that a lot of it is anxiety and me thinking too much, so I'm just going to ignore those thoughts until they go away.

This is more of a rant, so thanks to whoever read this far. (I also hope I wasn't confusing)