Do you practice your religion/beliefs/worship/magic solitary or in a group?

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[Waldfrau]

I think it's hard to find a group too, as you are constantly having to deal with people that have watched one too many episodes of Buffy and Charmed and really want to practice magic, not a religion.

LOL, I like those for the absurd fun they give, but everytime I watch Charmed I'm annoyed by its Christian concepts and the display of magic as something supernatural only for people who have been gifted with these 'powers'.

Btw, are the good guys called 'angels' and the bad ones 'demons' or is that just the crappy German dubbing?

[Mannun]

I just wonder how many Pagans practice in a group at all. I'm a newbie and don't have any experiences with Pagan groups.

Please notice that you can select more than one option.

Please name what kind of religion your group practices if it isn't obvious from your profile.

I am a Gardnerian and have been for the last 8 years in which my wife and I now lead a Gardnerian Coven. This being said we also attend local functions all the time, as a matter of fact we [our coven of 10] are attending the CUUPS Ft.LAuderdale Beltain celebration this Saturday. I also cook once a month at A Pagan Picnic that was put together years ago, where the attendees are Traditional and Eclectic.

[FireWillow]

are the good guys called 'angels' and the bad ones 'demons' or is that just the crappy German dubbing?

The good guys are called "white-lighters" or "witches" or in at least one case a "muse" and the bad ones are indeed called "demons" or "warlocks".

[Waldfrau]

The good guys are called "white-lighters" or "witches" or in at least one case a "muse" and the bad ones are indeed called "demons" or "warlocks".

LOL, the "white-lighters" get dubbed as something in German that means 'guardian of light', but they also get refered to as 'angels' quite often. I just need some crap sometimes for a good laugh.

[southerngoddes]

Oops! I think i couldn't vote correctly

[Diamond NightShade]

I just wonder how many Pagans practice in a group at all. I'm a newbie and don't have any experiences with Pagan groups.

I am sort of a solitary by choice atm. I haven't had a chance to define myself with my religion just yet.... Haven't done any rituals but two, and I stopped anything pagany *not intentionally, but I can't seem to find a match or lighter half the time so I gave up on candles and incense*... Also things are a bit too hectic to do anything with ritual, even on a solitary basis. Although I could do small little things I guess.....

If I were to do anything anytime soon with anyone but myself at this point, it'd have to be my boyfriend, because he knows me as well almost as I know myself......

But, I am new still to this form of my spirituality, so who knows when or if I might choose something else later.

[PurpleCrow]

I just wonder how many Pagans practice in a group at all. I'm a newbie and don't have any experiences with Pagan groups.

I personally would love to be part of a coven and eventually, once I feel I am ready and know enough then form a coven myself. However, I feel unsure in my beliefs and knowledge at the moment and feel I need to discover myself more before involving myself with others (at least in "real life").

[V23]

I personally would love to be part of a coven and eventually, once I feel I am ready and know enough then form a coven myself. However, I feel unsure in my beliefs and knowledge at the moment and feel I need to discover myself more before involving myself with others (at least in "real life").

I would like to point out to you, (Not because I am picking, just supplying some info), that there are all kinds of groups out there besides covens.  

In my experience there are basicly three types.

1).  New Age Orgs - Usually a group of soltiaries banding together for a cause, i.e. enviormentalisim, self help, we hate that group over there, etc.  Good place to get your feet wet, and start attending festivals with.  Get used to Veggies, hiking boots and granola bars.  Chances are slim that you will find a good teacher.  Usually has the best parties.  Always based around ideals with little substance.  Little to no religious faith.  Loves aliens, crystals, and cute animals.

2).  Covens - Usually a group banded around a single leader for the pratice of their form of, wicca, asstru, generic pagan, reconstruction, etc.  Some times harder to get into because of a clique, but seems to be taken more seriously by others at the festivals and the pagan community at large.  Chances are good that you might find a teacher who will pay attention to you, (probally only after you sleep with them.)  Family oriented and has usually very drab parties, (pot luck and little kids everywhere).  Based around a religious structure that can change at a moments notice due to the whim of the High Whatever.  If you expect to stay, learn to parrot whatever you hear around the circles and wear lots of pagan bling.

3).  Lodges - Usually a group of former coven and/or lodge members that have been kicked out of whatever respectable group that they were originally part of.  Organizations are usually based on a bastadized version of either the OTO or the Golden Dawn.  For every 10 members you will find 15 opinions.  Usually can never get any kinda membership since they are too elitist to let you in.  If they do acquiesce to you becoming a beginning acolyte, get ready to be used and abused for awhile and pay lots of money in dues.  Once the hazing stops, you have the best chance of finding a good decent teacher, (who luckly will be too old to try to sleep with you).  Fair to decent parties, with their kids who have learned to take as much drugs as possible in order to deal with their parents.  Little to no obvious religious structure, unless they have dedicated their temple to something besides money  If you want to stick around, get ready to read a lot of books that you have no intrest in and buy a shit load of merchandise.  Note: they love Dungeons and Dragons.

I hope that helped you make your choice.

V

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

I would like to point out to you, (Not because I am picking, just supplying some info), that there are all kinds of groups out there besides covens.  

My goodness, biased much?

Sheesh.

[V23]

My goodness, biased much?

Sheesh.

yea

[V23]

My goodness, biased much?

Sheesh.

What?  Did I forget a group?

lol

[Darkhawk]

What?  Did I forget a group?

You persist in arguing from the illusion that pagan religious groups are arranged like magical societies, even when that is completely inappropriate; this appears to lead to, among other stunning displays of factual inaccuracy, remarkable malapropisms like "asstru covens".

When come back, bring facts.

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

What?  Did I forget a group?

lol

None of them apply to my religion, certainly!

[V23]

You persist in arguing from the illusion that pagan religious groups are arranged like magical societies, even when that is completely inappropriate; this appears to lead to, among other stunning displays of factual inaccuracy, remarkable malapropisms like "asstru covens".

When come back, bring facts.

Earth to those who see themselves and their path as more important than what they actually are . . .

Take a joke, get a massage, get a life, and grow a sense of humor.

(sheesh . . .Its like I am telling jokes to zerox machines)

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

Earth to those who see themselves and their path as more important than what they actually are . . .

Take a joke, get a massage, get a life, and grow a sense of humor.

(sheesh . . .Its like I am telling jokes to zerox machines)

er - you're the one making no sense.  We're just calling you on it.

If these are jokes, perhaps you need to move to the humor folder?  Instead of derailing actual conversations with "jokes" that look to me to be the kinds of "jokes" bigots tell?  (you know .. the kind that when people get insulted, you say "oh, but it was a joke!  can't you take a joke?" ... but it's only a joke when someone gets offended)

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