Celtic and Kemetic

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[Black0lSun]

I have a question. It's been a while, and hopefully I didn't alienate too many people with some older posts..

I haven't been studying as much as I should about kemeticism (I can't even remember if that's the right way to say that oi), and I feel like I'm being drawn to many things, but I'm not sure if they can work together. It's like a stand still point right now. Somehow I feel pulled toward Celtic beliefs, and mythology, then I'm also pulled toward Kemetic. I feel like there's too much of a vastness to just simply think one way, and exclude everything else.
Like many things feel so familiar to me in the Kemetic beliefs. I'm recognizing things from my childhood that stood out to me that Kemeticism has the same vibes and feelings coming off of. The same views. It's hard to explain..

I went on a vacation to my hometown recently in the Houston area. There's such a large blend of cultures down there. It was culture shock when I moved up to the South Plains where when I was a teenager it was considered common to be in a church group. I hadn't even heard of a church group before I moved to here! I've always been more spiritual then religious.
Where I grew up it was in the woods area, so maybe it's not hard to understand why I'm drawn to Celtic things.

It's not just these two either. I also feel a subtle closeness to the darker side of Wicca. Like the dark side of the moon view kind of. It's hard to explain since I haven't done as much research as I want, and should do. Hard to find sources :/. I need to look more.
Was just hoping for yet again some advice lol. I'm sure people have gone through this before. I don't want to end up throwing all these things up in the air and hoping something falls in the right place... Maybe I'm being too logical? I'm pretty universal when it comes to paganism. I'm interested in the old religions in general at this point.

[herumetem]

I have a question. It's been a while, and hopefully I didn't alienate too many people with some older posts..

I haven't been studying as much as I should about kemeticism (I can't even remember if that's the right way to say that oi), and I feel like I'm being drawn to many things, but I'm not sure if they can work together. It's like a stand still point right now. Somehow I feel pulled toward Celtic beliefs, and mythology, then I'm also pulled toward Kemetic. I feel like there's too much of a vastness to just simply think one way, and exclude everything else.
Like many things feel so familiar to me in the Kemetic beliefs. I'm recognizing things from my childhood that stood out to me that Kemeticism has the same vibes and feelings coming off of. The same views. It's hard to explain..

I went on a vacation to my hometown recently in the Houston area. There's such a large blend of cultures down there. It was culture shock when I moved up to the South Plains where when I was a teenager it was considered common to be in a church group. I hadn't even heard of a church group before I moved to here! I've always been more spiritual then religious.
Where I grew up it was in the woods area, so maybe it's not hard to understand why I'm drawn to Celtic things.

It's not just these two either. I also feel a subtle closeness to the darker side of Wicca. Like the dark side of the moon view kind of. It's hard to explain since I haven't done as much research as I want, and should do. Hard to find sources :/. I need to look more.
Was just hoping for yet again some advice lol. I'm sure people have gone through this before. I don't want to end up throwing all these things up in the air and hoping something falls in the right place... Maybe I'm being too logical? I'm pretty universal when it comes to paganism. I'm interested in the old religions in general at this point.

I completely understand what you mean This has been an issue for me as well, but as a soft polytheist, it's kinda resolved itself. There's always the issue of culture and practice, and you start to feel like you're cherrypicking, eh? Maybe you can console yourself with the knowledge that even if you picked only one to identify yourself with, you'd still be cherrypicking, because you're American, not Irish or Egyptian. You'll always use your own filter of values no matter what religion you're a part of. That said, I wish you the best of luck!!

[Devo]

ISomehow I feel pulled toward Celtic beliefs, and mythology, then I'm also pulled toward Kemetic. I feel like there's too much of a vastness to just simply think one way, and exclude everything else.

Really, I don't think you need to worry about the vastness btwn them, or picking one and excluding the rest. For example, I'm Kemetic- hard core. I love the religion, and try to work more exclusively with the pantheon. However, I still have a soft spot for Celtic, and Asian pantheons/religions. I have a habit of visiting a nearby shrine that is dedicated to Brahma. Hardly an Egyptian god. However, it doesn't make me any less Kemetic. I'm a hard polytheist, so all of the gods are separate, and available for me to work with/commune with. So the differences btwn cultures doesn't bother me, and makes it easier for me to incorporate multiple forms of paganism if the mood happens to strike me.

I would tell you to do some more research, and delve into both avenues (or all three) that strike your fancy. The more in depth you get, odds are, the clearer your decision will become.

Good luck.
-Devo

[Black0lSun]

I am Irish . Lol.. Very Irish actually. Just not from Ireland .

I kind of feel the same way about gods and goddesses. I don't know if that's bad or good. Guess I won't know till I actually research it, huh?

[Devo]

I am Irish . Lol.. Very Irish actually. Just not from Ireland .

I kind of feel the same way about gods and goddesses. I don't know if that's bad or good. Guess I won't know till I actually research it, huh?

More than likely It's amazing what learning can do to clear out the haze. Whenever I'm not sure, I tend to look into things more, and it'll make more sense.
-Devo

[Chalfont]

I have a question. It's been a while, and hopefully I didn't alienate too many people with some older posts..

I haven't been studying as much as I should about kemeticism (I can't even remember if that's the right way to say that oi), and I feel like I'm being drawn to many things, but I'm not sure if they can work together. It's like a stand still point right now. Somehow I feel pulled toward Celtic beliefs, and mythology, then I'm also pulled toward Kemetic. I feel like there's too much of a vastness to just simply think one way, and exclude everything else.
Like many things feel so familiar to me in the Kemetic beliefs. I'm recognizing things from my childhood that stood out to me that Kemeticism has the same vibes and feelings coming off of. The same views. It's hard to explain..

I went on a vacation to my hometown recently in the Houston area. There's such a large blend of cultures down there. It was culture shock when I moved up to the South Plains where when I was a teenager it was considered common to be in a church group. I hadn't even heard of a church group before I moved to here! I've always been more spiritual then religious.
Where I grew up it was in the woods area, so maybe it's not hard to understand why I'm drawn to Celtic things.

It's not just these two either. I also feel a subtle closeness to the darker side of Wicca. Like the dark side of the moon view kind of. It's hard to explain since I haven't done as much research as I want, and should do. Hard to find sources :/. I need to look more.
Was just hoping for yet again some advice lol. I'm sure people have gone through this before. I don't want to end up throwing all these things up in the air and hoping something falls in the right place... Maybe I'm being too logical? I'm pretty universal when it comes to paganism. I'm interested in the old religions in general at this point.

Hi BlackOlSun,
I'm getting late into this, but here are my two cents worth. From my experiance, as it is, I find that my interest in various pantheons of gods and different traditions comes from two things.. My ancestory and my past lives. I have worked with 3 different groups of deities, Celtic, Egytpian and Norse. They are all wonderful and they are all unique. By all means, explore where you feel lead. But do it in and orderly fashion. You might try devoting six months to one culture then six months to another. Remember, the gods have been around for a long time. They will wait for you to "catch up"! As far as the "dak side of Wicca" goes, good for you! I love me some dark gods/goddesses!

[Bastemhet]

I have a question. It's been a while, and hopefully I didn't alienate too many people with some older posts..

I haven't been studying as much as I should about kemeticism (I can't even remember if that's the right way to say that oi), and I feel like I'm being drawn to many things, but I'm not sure if they can work together. It's like a stand still point right now. Somehow I feel pulled toward Celtic beliefs, and mythology, then I'm also pulled toward Kemetic. I feel like there's too much of a vastness to just simply think one way, and exclude everything else.
Like many things feel so familiar to me in the Kemetic beliefs. I'm recognizing things from my childhood that stood out to me that Kemeticism has the same vibes and feelings coming off of. The same views. It's hard to explain..

I went on a vacation to my hometown recently in the Houston area. There's such a large blend of cultures down there. It was culture shock when I moved up to the South Plains where when I was a teenager it was considered common to be in a church group. I hadn't even heard of a church group before I moved to here! I've always been more spiritual then religious.
Where I grew up it was in the woods area, so maybe it's not hard to understand why I'm drawn to Celtic things.

It's not just these two either. I also feel a subtle closeness to the darker side of Wicca. Like the dark side of the moon view kind of. It's hard to explain since I haven't done as much research as I want, and should do. Hard to find sources :/. I need to look more.
Was just hoping for yet again some advice lol. I'm sure people have gone through this before. I don't want to end up throwing all these things up in the air and hoping something falls in the right place... Maybe I'm being too logical? I'm pretty universal when it comes to paganism. I'm interested in the old religions in general at this point.

You're in luck, Kemeticism is an open tradition, and in ancient times outsiders and foreigners were welcomed as long as they adopted the practice and devoted themselves to the gods.  However I've heard that Celticism and Wicca are closed traditions, and in order to be Wiccan you have to be accepted into a lineaged tradition.  I think for Celtic religion you have to be of Irish blood and culture, but I'm not really sure.   There is a lot of misinformation offered in books, so be wary. 

[Devo]

You're in luck, Kemeticism is an open tradition, and in ancient times outsiders and foreigners were welcomed as long as they adopted the practice and devoted themselves to the gods.  However I've heard that Celticism and Wicca are closed traditions, and in order to be Wiccan you have to be accepted into a lineaged tradition.  I think for Celtic religion you have to be of Irish blood and culture, but I'm not really sure.   There is a lot of misinformation offered in books, so be wary. 

I have no idea about Celtic stuff, but I can say firmly that Wicca is no longer closed. I was accepted into a working coven without any lineage what-so-ever. Part of Wicca's appeal is that you can join without being from "a long line of witches" or something like that.
More and more, I think all traditions are becoming more open to people who's family may not have a background in it. Makes sense, since most of us weren't raised Pagan.
-Devo

[Bastemhet]

I have no idea about Celtic stuff, but I can say firmly that Wicca is no longer closed. I was accepted into a working coven without any lineage what-so-ever. Part of Wicca's appeal is that you can join without being from "a long line of witches" or something like that.
More and more, I think all traditions are becoming more open to people who's family may not have a background in it. Makes sense, since most of us weren't raised Pagan.
-Devo

I think it depends on the level of Orthopraxy.  I don't know anything about your coven and its internal workings, but what I do know is that unless you have been initiated to a lineaged tradition, including swearing an oath to not divulge the mysteries of Wicca, then what your group is practicing may be Wicca flavored, but not Wicca.  From what I know, it is a mystery/fertility cult, and as such, none of what makes up much of the tradition is divulged in books that you can buy in a book store, and there is only a small amount of information that is available to the general public.  Even then, if you have someone in your coven that had been initiated and decided to break away and divulge all the information to whoever they wanted to divulge it to, I'm not sure that would be well looked upon by other practitioners.  Ultimately I don't know, and I leave this question to someone who is in the know about it.

[Marilyn (ABSENTMINDED)]

I have no idea about Celtic stuff, but I can say firmly that Wicca is no longer closed. I was accepted into a working coven without any lineage what-so-ever. Part of Wicca's appeal is that you can join without being from "a long line of witches" or something like that.
More and more, I think all traditions are becoming more open to people who's family may not have a background in it. Makes sense, since most of us weren't raised Pagan.
-Devo

The lineage referred to here is not the personal pedigree of the person wanting to join the coven - it is the coven's traceable link to the original Gardnerian and Alexandrian lines.  Lineage is conveyed through initiation, not brought in by the applicant.

This is for BTW.  Neo-wicca and wiccish forms of religious witchcraft may or may not have specific requirements for joining established groups or establishing new ones.

Absent

[Devo]

The lineage referred to here is not the personal pedigree of the person wanting to join the coven - it is the coven's traceable link to the original Gardnerian and Alexandrian lines.  Lineage is conveyed through initiation, not brought in by the applicant.

This is for BTW.  Neo-wicca and wiccish forms of religious witchcraft may or may not have specific requirements for joining established groups or establishing new ones.

Absent

Aah, that's what I was getting confused on *feels a bit stupid* okay, yeah, I've noticed that with most people/schools/covens. They list where they got their skills from, and who those people got there skills from... etc etc. So yeah, that was present where I was. However, even though there is lineage, people who have no background in it can still join up, or learn about the religion, and work their way "to the top" as it were.

-Devo

[Finn]

However I've heard that Celticism and Wicca are closed traditions...  I think for Celtic religion you have to be of Irish blood and culture, but I'm not really sure.   There is a lot of misinformation offered in books, so be wary. 

That's not true. At all.

 For one thing "Celtic" is a word that covers far more than just Irish culture. For another, the Reconstructionist movement (given here as the example because there are all kinds of Celtic-inspired and Celtic-based groups/individual practices out there, but Celtic Reconstructionism places the most emphasis on research and historical fact) makes it very clear that under no circumstances is any racial discrimination to be tolerated. Whoever feels a connection to the deities and to the culture in question is free to explore and be a part of that culture. Period.



Sorry if this sounds brusque. It's a little early, and this is something I feel should be abundantly clear.

[Bastemhet]

That's not true. At all.

 For one thing "Celtic" is a word that covers far more than just Irish culture. For another, the Reconstructionist movement (given here as the example because there are all kinds of Celtic-inspired and Celtic-based groups/individual practices out there, but Celtic Reconstructionism places the most emphasis on research and historical fact) makes it very clear that under no circumstances is any racial discrimination to be tolerated. Whoever feels a connection to the deities and to the culture in question is free to explore and be a part of that culture. Period.



Sorry if this sounds brusque. It's a little early, and this is something I feel should be abundantly clear.

Let me correct myself.  The Gaelic culture is closed.  The Breton not as much. 

[Bastemhet]

Aah, that's what I was getting confused on *feels a bit stupid* okay, yeah, I've noticed that with most people/schools/covens. They list where they got their skills from, and who those people got there skills from... etc etc. So yeah, that was present where I was. However, even though there is lineage, people who have no background in it can still join up, or learn about the religion, and work their way "to the top" as it were.

-Devo

Sorry, I thought you meant the coven wasn't lineaged. 

[Black0lSun]

The Gaelic culture is closed.

What does that mean?

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