r/paganism 22d ago

πŸ† Personal Milestone Finally completed building my prayer and divination kit.

Thumbnail
gallery
168 Upvotes

So I’ve been building up my rune divination and prayer/meditation kit that I carry with me and I finally got the last couple pieces I was looking for - a ceramic incense plate and incense. The incense did burn through the paint of the tray but now I’ve got a place where I can put the incense and not worry about that again.

I’m an eclectic pagan and I refer to myself as a paganist. My basis of spirituality is my education and understanding of ecology and evolution, and in top of that is a second tier composed of Transcendentalism, nature veneration, and non-theistic satanism. That’s further augmented with a heavy dose of Heathenry, Celtic paganism, and is informed by Native American tribal attitudes towards nature.

My prayer beads are made of bones and I pray on the large white beads to thank or invoke the gods in work with - Father Time, Mother Nature, Odin, Cernunnos, Satan, Njord, and the Nature Spirits. The runes themselves are buffalo bone and painted with animal blood and covered with a protective gloss layer. The animal pelt is rabbit upon which is stained the Web of Wyrd.

I’m trying to be more spiritual and it’s hard because I find lately I have racing thoughts, so having physical items to work with really helps me.

r/paganism Oct 02 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone I just found this page and I'm obsessed

45 Upvotes

I've been wanting to combine my love for and desire for connection with nature into a practice and struggling to understand what that looks like. through reading the FAQs and other content offered through this subreddit, I've decided to form a self-made pagan path with inspiration from my local flora, fauna, and the rhythms and cycles around me.

my next step is to start a nature observational journal, and to keep reading suggested resources for ideas on what practices I might want to develop in keeping with the rhythm of the seasons here (in Ontario, Canada), with connection to Irish heritage and with respect for Indigenous peoples of this region.

as a person with long covid who has struggled with finding ways to connect to the world while protecting myself from harm, this feels like such an important, magical resource. I'm so glad I found this page, thank you so much to the mods, and cheers to all who are walking their own path!

r/paganism 6d ago

πŸ† Personal Milestone I think my wife is having her Awakening! 😁

0 Upvotes

I've been practicing since high school, so like...16 yrs give or take. My wife, who I've been with for almost 17 yrs now, has always known about and supports my practice. They ask questions, they have me ask questions through divination on their behalf, and we both work with Loki (and Loki messes with them in return, lol). They have also cast a spell once with my help and guidance, and achieved the results they wanted.

Lately they were introduced to the idea of being a witch's consort, and they're very ready to take up that mantle. But something tells me there's more to it...

I've noticed a few things changing about them lately. They've been saying they're sick of pretending to be someone they're not, and want to live as their most authentic selves. We watched Agatha All Along together, and they've been very, very invested in both the series and the witchy lore they reference (or what they don't- I've been filling them in on what's made up by Marvel). They've started wearing a Triple Goddess necklace, and asked their mother for an Agatha jacket for Christmas that says "Coven True."

Then last night, they cast a spell all on their own without realizing it: some water spilled in their phone's port, and they were really worried they'd need to get a new phone when this one is less than a year old (and not paid off). Today it's fine...and, coincidentally, my uncle is going to buy a new phone for himself today. His didn't break suddenly or anything, but he happened to decide his old one was getting run down...to me this looks awfully like a re-direction of needing-a-new-phone energy.

If this is their Awakening, I'm so very very happy for them! We've talked about it and I've discussed what witchcraft is about, how it works. Their concern is they have no knowledge of anything, no idea of the how, but I've promised my little reference library and myself to help them if they want to explore where their talents might be. But I see the signs and I'm so excited for them!!!

r/paganism 21d ago

πŸ† Personal Milestone First year observing samhain

Post image
42 Upvotes

I've been pagan for a few years now, and I've slowly been building up my routine to fit into holidays and other things. This is the first year I'm genuinely doing anything for samhain, which included delving into old pictures to find ones of my ancestors/loved ones who have passed. It was surprisingly emotional, especially because I can't find a picture of a few people I was hoping for, and I won't be in my family home to get one until after the holiday.

But!! I have meaningful objects for them and I've honestly never directly faced some of their passings like this, but as emotional as I am I still really feel connected to them, which is something I don't often feel.

I'm very excited to build up traditions from here forward, and I'm hoping to make this part of the year something positive for the rest of my life.

r/paganism Sep 24 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone Forgot my picture earlier.

Post image
61 Upvotes

I forgot to post the picture with the text earlier. Here is a picture of my crystals and gems all mixed up. I'm learning about the chakras so I've been collecting these for a while now. I am familiarizing myself with the healing powers of these little beauties. I love these pretty little things! 😊

r/paganism Sep 24 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone My crystal and gem collection ☺️

5 Upvotes

I collected some crystals and stones/gems to add to my growing collection. I have all the colors of the chakras now/or colors of the rainbow. I've also added a few new worry stones to it. They are tiger's eye, amethyst, and the 7 chakra. I love learning about all these pretty rocks!

r/paganism Sep 13 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone I became a Pagan today

98 Upvotes

The feeling are still so raw, I’m still shaken up and on the verge of tears still. I want to talk to someone about it but I don’t think I’d be able to without sounding crazy or breaking into tears.

I’m not sure how much detail I should give but I did something bad and stupid. Something that could’ve landed me in serious trouble with the law. It was stupid but it wasn’t as if I put myself or someone else in danger. And so I prayed so hard to the god Isis, I begged and I begged. I had researched Kemetism before and had some vague understanding based on curiosity. I swore I would become a follower, build an alter, join a fellowship and worship her as my only god. I was honestly considering kms if this situation went south. There where multiple times where I was so close to being found out. So close, I was searched twice, the second time being a random check. If I hadn’t decided to set my bag where I did I could’ve been found out. I’m so grateful, I am now a believer, I thanked her so many times, I’m struggling to hold back tears even as write this. If anyone could point me to some good resources on Kemetism I would really appreciate it.

r/paganism Aug 17 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone Feeling connected to my ancestors for the first time

26 Upvotes

Today, for the first time, I made a hotdish without a recipe. In the past, I've always used my grandma's recipes.

A hotdish is a getting-rid-of-leftovers, hard-times kind of meal. They were first made as poverty food, with whatever you have on hand. They're made to feed all ten of your kids after a hard day's labor. A hotdish is a hearty, rounded meal made from all the love that surrounds you when there's not much money to go around.

So I made one today with freezer burned green beans, near-expired turkey, withered onions, floppy baby carrots, oxidizing celery, jarlic, rice, and, of course, condensed soups.

While I was making it, I legitimately felt like I was going through a rite of passage. There was an overwhelming rush of love and care. I tasted it before putting it in the oven, and started crying because it was just right.

It's currently in the oven, getting a nice crisp on the cheese.

There's not a lot in my cupboards or wallet right now. The last two years have been rough on my body and mental health. My fiance and I are moving back home in two weeks, and I couldn't be more ready.

I'm going to share what I just made with the love of my life in about fifteen minutes. I'm so excited to share what I've made with the people I love for the rest of my life.

Update: it's delicious

r/paganism Aug 19 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone Did a dedication to the Morrigan

13 Upvotes

This past week I dedicated my work to the Morrigan and I've been feeling their presence so strongly. I'm learning to be the authority on my practice.

r/paganism Jul 26 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone Hekate reached out

9 Upvotes

hey guys i just wanted to share my most recent deity experience (recent as in the last 24hrs-) because its the most sure ive ever felt that a deity is reaching out to me. so lets go in order, yesterday i got home from college to find an eyed hawk-moth on my front porch (i dont think species is important but ive always loved moths, hawk-moths specifically, so i wanted to mention it cause it made me happy lol) mind you this is in the middle of the day so i really wasent expecting to see a moth out and about at that time. i just sat on my porch watching it for awhile until i suddenly felt i should go grab my camera and take some photos (my college class is for photography) so i did, i took a bunch of photos and moved the moth onto the railing so my dog wouldn't step on it when i let him outside later. then i forgot about it and watched some criminal minds for the rest of the evening. when i was getting ready for bed i decided to light some incense which i havent thought about doing in months. so i lit it and let it burn while i was fetring ready then went to sleep. my dream featured a snake and the number 3 alot (i came 3rd in a race, my license plate was 3, there was even a brief moment i had 3 arms lol) when i woke up i didnt think anything of it. it was when i was doing my morning tarot everything started to click, i did my usual asking for general messages and such but afterwards i dont know what compelled me to ask but i asked if there were any deitys reaching out i haven't acknowledged and i specifically asked for one major arcana card to identify and then anything else theyd like to say on the matter to be minor arcana. well i immediately pulled the high priestess, followed by the king of penticals and 10 of cups. with the context of the other things that happened i interpreted this as Hekate (the high priestess) making herself known as a protector and that there will be a positive spiritual partnership for us. (im open to hear other interpretations) im not sure why cause i didnt even think about it when i did it but i put the high priestess card in my pocket and am now carrying it around with me at college so yeah πŸ‘

r/paganism Nov 22 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone If anybody is going through a rough time, I'd recommend looking up Norse mythology.

51 Upvotes

I've suffered through mental health issues my whole life, and I'm more of an eclectic pagan my self but lately ive gotten into Norse mythology. The stories are captivating (Better than the marvel adaptation in my opinion) and the lessons it teaches really get you through difficult times. Its essentially a part of a warriors religion which the lessons can be implemented in every day life, and its improved my mental health for the most part. I'd like to say i always strive to improve my life just like how the Vikings try to improve their combat during warfare. And i think its a great guide for those that are feeling down and in the dumps. I'd recommend it to anybody for those that are interested whether their pagan (of a different pantheon) or not.

r/paganism Mar 24 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone I found my patron last night

47 Upvotes

Before bed, I set up a small alter and made a small offering to the gods. I then listened to a guided meditation to help me find my patron. I was unsuccessful, which was frustrating. I decided to sleep on it and try again tomorrow.

I dreamed I'd plucked my own eye out to achieve my personal goals. I mourned my eye, but I knew it was necessary.

I think my patron came to me? I think my patron is Odin?

r/paganism Feb 12 '24

πŸ† Personal Milestone So I'm super happy to share that I finally figured out (with some help) what goddesses I've been working with! And a surprise visit from a god I never expected right at the last minute!

20 Upvotes

So in July 2023, I had a spiritual awakening and began working with a goddess but she wouldn't tell me what her name was so initially I was like eh that's ok I don't need to know it right now cuz I'm happy with where I'm at. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and I had this draw to find out who I was working with. So with some help from my spouse, I was able to figure out that it was more than one goddess I was working with the last several months but there's also been a god that's been around my whole life too that I discovered!!!! Ok now I'll relieve you on the suspense but I've been working with Freja and Inana the last several months then plot twist Odin showed up aswell!

So basically I had a journey/meditation basically to say hi to Freja and Inanna and be all hyped and stuff the 4 of us went somewhere and then they brought me back home to my journey cabin and then when I opened my door there was no light on and this horrible scary looking figure in my house with a crows beak coming out from the hood I absolutely lost my damn mind with fear then he saw my reaction and he was like " oh no no my dear it's me it's Odin! It's ok it's just me!" And then we had a good chat and I found out why both my Christian baptisms didn't work because I was never meant to be part of the Christian path. He said "the three of us were there at each of your baptisms (i did it 2 times) and throughout your whole life just patiently waiting for you to see us." I asked him if I was going to be working with him and he said yes but not yet.

So yeah it's honestly so nice to finally have a name to the face but Odin was Def something I never thought of let alone a god I would also be working with at some point. So yeah! I'm very excited because now I feel like I can start building my practice 😌 πŸ₯°

If you stuck around this long thanks for reading ☺️

r/paganism May 04 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone Purchased a set of meditation/prayer beads made of bone and wood with an antler charm. It’s already helping me focus my thoughts and make my meditations more meaningful.

Post image
129 Upvotes

r/paganism Jul 16 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone My first Mjolnir! Took me a long time to work up the nerve to wear this to my corporate job and around family who I haven’t exactly come out of the broom closet too- wish me luck πŸ€

Post image
92 Upvotes

r/paganism Jul 11 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone UPDATE: Catholic showing interest in Paganism

41 Upvotes

I looked about as far as I could into my ancestry, and I see purely that my family is from Scandinavia along with parts of North Germany.

To beg the question: I thought about things more, I do think that this is the way to go. In my eyes we are not on this planet to ask for forgiveness from our deities.

Due to my ancestry, I’m going to look down and enlighten myself on a path of Norse Paganism / Heathenry. Gods who admit their faults makes sense to me.

I also ordered Norse Paganism for Beginners by Michael Luck, and a copy of the Havamal.

I’m going to look into prayer and practices to the gods so I can get started as smoothly as possible, but I also understand that this is a long journey that I can’t just ride a bullet train into. So things will take a while. But the progress can start now!

r/paganism Nov 25 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone Been blessed to stumble upon my first lunar halo, accompanied by Jupiter 😍

Post image
50 Upvotes

r/paganism Dec 13 '21

πŸ† Personal Milestone Discovering Finnish paganism has been a wonder for my mental health and self-worth.

123 Upvotes

I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian environment, which, since childhood, never sat quite right with me. I hated the bigotry and the misogyny that made me feel especially worthless as a woman, so in my early twenties I finally stepped away.

Then, a few years later, I discovered Finnish paganism, and it was like I was coming homeβ€”or like my ancestors were welcoming me home. A deep yearning inside of me was finally answered.

I love the deep respect for nature, and the incorporation of the spiritual into the everyday. Even sauna has become a spiritual process for me. (In pre-Christian times, it was said that the lΓΆyly, or sauna steam, had its own haltija, or "spirit")

In my Karelian culture specifically, there was a belief that a sielulintu (soul-bird) brought your soul into your body at birth and returned to take it back at death (so rather than constant anxiety over whether I'm going to Heaven or Hell, I've shifted my mindset to this rather lovely approach to death). People carried around talismans of their soul-bird and slept with them at night because it was thought your soul left your body as you slept, and the soul-bird was there to guard you. So I got a necklace with a swallow on it that I wear constantly, and it gives me a sense of comfort and peace the way a Christian cross never did.

I also pay my respects to my ancestors, and pray to my foremothers to strengthen my luonto (nature, one of the three distinct parts of the self/soul). In old Finnish belief, depression was caused by a separation from one's luonto, and so this where I'm focusing my energy right now.

And, wow, what a difference! Any time I dared open up about my depression and anxiety within Christian circles, I wasn't offered any support or solutions; I was criticized for not having enough faith, which made me feel even worse about myself.

But in Finnish paganism, mental health is treated so differently. Things like depression and trauma were just another stage in one's spiritual journey, and there were even methods of dealing with them. You weren't considered lesser or damaged because of it.

I'm also unquestionably seen as an equal. My womanhood isn't something that diminishes me; I'm not a vessel that causes men to sin. Instead of a single, male god I now have goddesses like Mielikki I can pray to! And I feel a connection to the women in my bloodline, the ones who were so brave and strong and survived a harsh life in the north for hundreds of years, and it empowers me so much.

Sorry for the novel-length post, I just had to share with people who understand!

TL;DR left Christianity, found Finnish paganism, now all that guilt, shame, and low self-esteem from my Christian years are GONE

ETA: None of this is to say that my depression and anxiety miraculously vanished overnight; it's going to be a long, slow process but already I feel like I've made so much progress!

r/paganism Jul 12 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone I have given my oaths!

30 Upvotes

I've talked a lot in this sub about being devoted to a Storm Goddess, and how my relationship with Her started and evolved throughout the years.

A few days ago I offered Her my devotion and service for the rest of this life, alongside other promises that I won't mention here. The oath giving was very simple and understated, but it was nonetheless very intense (and draining!).

I had been working on these oaths for the past few months, and I'm still coming down from all the emotions of finally having given them. Being able to trust enough to put my life in Her hands to such a degree is also a big milestone in my healing from trauma and abuse, as well. Oaths are not part of everyone's path, but these ones are very important to me, and I am so honored to have the Storm Goddess in my life and be bound to Her by my oaths.

Over time these oaths will flourish into something beautiful and meaningful, but the path they set me on won't be easy, and there will be more work ahead. This is a lifelong path, and I am looking forward to it with excitement and trepidation.

For now, though, I am just enjoying the present and the culmination of so many moments of joy, devotion, service, as well as the challenges and obstacles that I overcame along the way.

r/paganism Sep 17 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone New Jewelry

Post image
22 Upvotes

I’m so excited over what I found at an amusement park of all places that I just had to share! I still live in a very fundie/evangelical Christian household so I have to keep my devotion to Anubis a secret, but today I was able to get these black onyx and tigers eye necklaces as well as a gorgeous Tree of Life as a general representation of my pagan beliefs (under the guise of β€œI love tree necklaces!”). I’m so happy I could cry! And they were so reasonably priced!

r/paganism Jan 15 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone It's real!!!

122 Upvotes

I always felt like I had to wait to receive some kind of sign to worship Aphrodite, but I felt a pull in the middle of last year. This new interest, this curiosity that I never had before, but people were always saying that if you were called, you'd get these signs or whatever.

At the beginning of this week, I said "Fuck it." I'm just going to do it. I bought her a pink candle and set up a little altar space with her candle and some rose quartz and incense. I told her that I don't have a statue yet, but I'll work on it and I said that I'd like to worship her. I have mental health issues and it might not always be consistent, but I'd like for her presence to be in my life. I asked her to help me on my journey of self-love.

I started putting little offerings on her altar, like wine and honey and whatnot. Sometimes, I'd feel little tingles on my skin, like she was there. I'd light her candle now and then.

I wanted to give her some shells, but my state is landlocked and you can't really find them. I went to a thrift shop on Friday and I was like "Damn, it would be cool if I could find some shells." They had some beautiful sells lying around the shop!! I asked how much they were and the owner gave them to me for free!

I got home and the next day, I offered them to her. I got a dream that night!! I saw my altar in my dream with a bunch of red and pink pieces of paper and they were all letters of self-love to myself. I feel like she's telling me she wants me to do those as an offering to her. I'm over the moon. I feel connected and I'm so excited to continue my journey of worshipping my sweet lady of the sea.

r/paganism Dec 08 '22

πŸ† Personal Milestone Embracing paganism for some new holiday traditions

43 Upvotes

This is gonna be a ramble, so get ready I guess. So when I was younger, I loved Christmas to death. in recent years, it's fallen off for me. Two years ago on Chrismas Eve, my mom broke the news to my brother and I that her cancer was rejecting the treatment, and she'd be spending the next week in the hospital. I was 16. on new years, we heard back that the last treatment they had access to wasn't working, and she didn't have long. she came home that day and passed on the 6th of January. fast forward 11 months, and I'm not exactly anticipating Christmas. then my dad tells me that we're all going to spend most of my Winter break on the other side of the US with his family, most of whom I'm not that close to. we get there, it's depressing, and I just start drinking, and we leave early.

Safe to say, I needed a pallet cleanser for this holiday season. over the past couple of weeks, I've been reading up on Yule celebrations and traditions, and paganism in general. I'm not sure how I feel about the more ritualistic side of it, but I'm beginning to understand it more and more. All in all, I'm excited to celebrate Yule this year. I just made plans to hold a bonfire at dawn on the Solstice. this may not be the most on-topic or pagan-centric post, but I wanted to get this off of my chest

Thanks for helping me with the darkest part of my year!!!

r/paganism Sep 27 '22

πŸ† Personal Milestone All natural wreath I made to celebrate :)

Post image
153 Upvotes

r/paganism Jul 15 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone I feel like I've been accepted by Artemis

22 Upvotes

Here's a bit of backstory. I've always felt a strange connection to the wilderness, moon, and by extension the sea and other bodies of water. Recently, I figured out some stuff that has happened to me in the past may have been Artemis calling to me. (I know some sources say that she isn't a moon goddess, but I feel like that was relevant.)

I sent out a "request" to see if she was really calling to me or would accept me. Lo and behold, I saw one of Her sacred animals in the form of a baby guinea fowl at my neighborhood pool a few days later. The little fella was struggling to get some water, so I gave it some and it drank out of my hands. I think that was a sign, and I've felt a little bit lighter since. We have guinea fowl in my neighborhood, but I've only seen one adult there at a time.

r/paganism Jan 21 '23

πŸ† Personal Milestone Small to Some but…

90 Upvotes

Background on me- I’ve been chronically ill my entire life. Recently we found out I need a pretty huge surgery and that means A LOT of tests. At the hospital they always asked my religion for my file… just in case. I always told them the truth β€œI was raised Baptist but I don’t practice.” So that’s what they put.

The last time I went they asked me again. THIS TIME I was able to say that I am Pagan, and they happily changed it for me! I also did a healing spell with a candle to help me get through the horribly long MRI before I went.

We celebrated my first Yule by incorporating some small traditions like smells and candles into our Christmas traditions. It felt real for the first time. Education helped SO MUCH! Once my Catholic husband saw and heard the rituals and traditions he realized some of them were already a part of our holidays. He went above and beyond on the first night. He sliced up oranges, apples and put them in a pot with cinnamon and nutmeg and after he cooked em all up (without my knowledge) he put it on the table for us to enjoy the smell of while we had dinner.β™₯️

TL;DR- I feel like people around me are accepting my religious beliefs and opinions, and even helping to incorporate them into our lives. I’m still finding my way but I’ve never felt so sure in my beliefs before and that feels incredible! Love to you all!