You can just be, so long as you identify with it, and just live your life as usual? I have studied it for some time, and of course I know a lot about it. I was formally Wiccan as well, though I decided that Eclectic Neopaganism was better for me. No ritual, meditation, Sabbts, spellwork is necessary right? I can just be Pagan because I'm attracted to it and feel Pagan? I love mythology, specifically Norse, and love to learn about the gods. I love nature, and love to be among it. Therefore it is fine for me to identify with Pagan right?

I do understand, however, that there are many paths in Paganism, and many do have dogma. I am simply referring to anyone who wishes to claim the label Pagan. Thanks!

Strictly speaking, there's nothing to stop you from claiming the label.  It's not like there are professional bodies.  However, if you don't plan on 'doing' anything different, what use will the label be to you?

I don't think that Paganism is a belief system, therefore it has no tenets. It's an adjective that can be used to classify belief systems. At TC (at least) it does so on one negative (IS NOT Abrahamic) and one positive (DOES self-identify) discriminator. So, IMHO, using it says nothing about the content of your beliefs beyond those simple facts and is open to you if you find value in it. Like Everfool, I question the point if there's nothing in your belief system that equates to any of the assumptions that others are likely to make about your beliefs if you use it, but that doesn't mean you can't.

Yup, just like I can say I'm a Hebrew National and a space cadet. As long as I want to slap a label on me that doesn't really apply, I can be whatever I want to be, right?

And this was the edited for niceness post.

And a sidenote: 3/4 of your posts in the last month are about the exact same topic. I know less friendly boards that would consider that spam.

Ronald,

Any response to your question is going to depend on what you are actually looking for from other people.

If you are looking for some kind of Pagan authority or hierarchy to recognise your self-definition of 'nothing at all required' and acknowledge that ‘you too are Pagan’, then you have a lot of work ahead of you, I’m afraid. You are going to have to ask every single Pagan that you ‘meet’ because spiritual authority rests within and is autonomous to each and every Pagan. What is recognised as being Paganism is self-defined by each and every Pagan. The Religion of Wicca on the other hand does have known and shared consensus on what is and isn’t Wicca but then it is a documented modern religion. Paganism isn’t.

In the case of the personal authority/autonomy of this Pagan (me), if you want to claim the label, then I would suggest that you just stop dithering and do so. Or not.

If you are looking for a community where you are validated as ‘you too are Pagan’, then just claim the label and participate. Just try to stop looking through the eyes of others for your source of validation.

If you are looking for external approval for not doing anything specific other than just studying and hanging out in nature, again, it comes back to what each and every ‘other Pagan’ might think about this. Again in the case of this Pagan (me), my reaction would be, “And…the point is?” 

If you are opting out of even the generic celebratory calendar of modern Paganism (Sabbats) and are not interested in doing anything ritualistic or disciplined (meditation/spellwork), then what (spiritual) uses are you going to put your studies of myths and gods or that love of nature to (…your self-definition of being Pagan)?

What is that going to (eventually) translate into? A relationship to certain gods? Enacting those studied mythos within your own life to achieve spiritual epiphanies?  Interacting with, honouring, protecting, nurturing the natural world?

What makes you different (aka a Pagan) from all those non-Pagans out there in the world that love mythology and learning about gods and that love being in nature?

As I have pointed out over the decades to more than one book-taught newbie Pagan Witch, reading/studying/being attracted to witchcraft in itself doesn’t make anyone (into) a Witch. And if your definition of (Pagan) Witchcraft is nothing more than loving to watch the sunrise on a beach, then get your ass off the couch, your face out of that book on witchcraft and get sitting on that beach at dawn.

Figuring out what you are actually attracted to as ‘Pagan’ might also be a useful exercise right about now.

Amber

If it's for himself, sure, do whatever, if he wants external validation, he's very unlikely to find it in most places.


Yeah, seriously. And we all sparkle, too.

No-it's our inner light of beauty....