The Guild of Pagans

[razorskiss666]: well, i know wicca is the most widely known pagan religion, if someone asks what i am, and doesnt understand the term pagan, i relate it to wicca for them, then explain the differences. so it doesnt surprise me that the most common "brance" for lack of a better word, of paganism would be the most widely represented.

[Delladreing]: eh maybe one day i will get around to doing a wiki about what i am lol, if i have the time and will to do so

[Shardae]: It's the most widely known as a Pagan religion. Now, Buddist is the most widely known of the Pagan religions.

[Delladreing]: *nods* thats true

[Shardae]: Yep...

[Magdalena Snow]: of course, i dont really know what to represent myself as, seeing as how mine doesnt have a name yet, i'm just a goddess worshiper.. and i did make a wiki about it tho

[razorskiss666]: why does it need a name? your a solitary pagan. if you dont follow anyone elses traditions, that doesnt take away paganism from what you do.

[Delladreing]: *Nods* well said, although they might find it easier to relate themselves to somehting in attempting to explain it to others

[Morbid Poet]: ya that is true very true

[razorskiss666]: i just relate by explaining the differences between me and wicca

[Delladreing]: yes but think about it, not everyone would understand that without a "name" for it, I am not saying you are wrong to do so, that is literaly what I do, but not everyone finds it all as easy as that.

[Shardae]: i just say that if you worship a god or goddess then you worship the high ones

[SAHS]: 'Goddess worship' is name enough for me. I've not been asked what I am in relation to religion in a long while, but... Ecclectic Wiccan is always a good answer, even though I don't necessarily follow Wiccan ways. 'Goddess worship' is about as much explanation as most people need, I find, unless they're genuinely interested in learning about religions other than their own.

[sapphiresphinx]: It's so nice to see a pagan wiki that has intelligent people on it and is fairly active!

[Master Wolf]: Good call, Willow... That's pretty much what I tell people, too, and it makes it a little easier with people who would flip about the word "Wiccan". Sometimes I think I'm only still alive because I disguise it in semantics

[lady.crimson]: here wiccan and the label satanist are one so i say pagan or old religion

[razorskiss666]: the other day i ran into one of the ones whose actually interested. was actually very tricky explaining my personal belief system in a way he could understand, hes from the virgin islands, and hes pretty good with english, but explaining a belief system can get really fancy. but it was a fun challenge. maybe i should go door to door at 7 am handing out little flyers saying "Want to learn how to use magic and worship ancient mysterious gods and goddesses? THEN BECOME A PAGAN! BLAH BLAH BLAH PAGAN BLAH BLAH GARDNER BLAH WICCA! " etc... just kidding, dont label kme heretic...

[Master Wolf]: Actually, in some areas that might not be a bad idea, but I've found through personal experiance that teaching magic to the uninitiated is a bad idea... BTW, another interesting alternate word for those who use magic, in particular, is a Metaphysicist. just make sur eyou know what metaphysics is before you use the term

[Angel of Shadows]: I saw this package of Chai tea in the store the other day that had the usual description of Chai tea except for the last line, which was "So good, its metaphysical" That was great

[razorskiss666]: oh, i wasnt teaching him magic, i was explaining my beliefs, with a little less information on magic then you can find in your standard book written to explain paganism to someone who doesnt understand.

[Master Wolf]: ok... it's often best just to make sure... for the most part pagans seem to have a slightly larger helping of common sence than most, but there are some of us that are just dumb

[Famous Last Words]: everybody check out my wiki La Hallow

[eyes of frost]: Blessed be. Sorry I have not been here in a while. I have had much to do. I have a role play that you all might be interested in. It is called, Land of the Faye. Please look at it.

[sequeena_rae]: Hey welcome back it's nice to see you ^_^ I'll take a look :D

[gypsygirl]: how do you put the wiki image up in your house? (i'm horrible at this stuff)

[~*Lonely Wanderer*~]: right click the picture and select properties, then highlight the url and copy it. go to you house and change your description. place < then IMG: and then paste the url address then put this > at the end of itso it goes okay?

[sequeena_rae]: Or if you have something like photobucket you can right click it and save as then upload it into photobucket copy the url then put

[lady.crimson]: greetings my fellow enlightened beings...

[Magdalena Snow]: enlightened?

[sequeena_rae]: Blessed be [lady.crimson] and [Magdalena Snow]

[Insomniaque]: nyesh. so, I guess you 'join' by putting the banner in your description?

[Magdalena Snow]: and adding your name on the guild members page if you want. personally i dont put banners in my house

[Magdalena Snow]: blessed be [sequeena_rae]

[razorskiss666]: yeah the banner seems like it would just raise unnecesary controversy, which is pointless

[Delladreing]: controversy? oh no wait i never did care if i caused that lol i always did what felt right to me

[sequeena_rae]: lol but whats wrong with the banner? It's the moon lol

[Delladreing]: exactly, it says guild of pagans, if you dont want controversy you sare in the wrong wiki and possibly even the wrong religion. btw im not speakin to any individual i mean in general

[sequeena_rae]: Ah right I get it now

[pinefairy]: hey does neone have a blessing spell for an atheme?

[Delladreing]: one or two yes

[pinefairy]: Can you share them with me please? IF you could leave them in a message that would be exacallent

[Delladreing]: sure thing, two seconds while i tpye them up ^^

[pinefairy]: Thank you so much!

[Morbid Poet]: i haven't been in here for a while will someone fill me in please and thank you

[Joey18]: Hi I am new on Guild of pagan. I am curently studying Wicca.

[sequeena_rae]: Blessed be [Joey18] I hope you learn a lot and make lots of friends. [Morbid Poet] I don't think you have missed much lol so don't worry

[Master Wolf]: blessed be, joey. Hail Eris!

[Morbid Poet]: ok thank you [sequeena_rae]

[sequeena_rae]: You're welcome.

[razorskiss666]: ugh no internet lately. rather loathable roomate stopped letting me use his computer. if anyone gets obscenely bored, or comes thru central texas, gimme a call, 2542854732

[Shardae]: hey....who are we hailing?

[Master Wolf]: Eris.... Goddess of Chaos and Confusion. Looks like she did her job already

[sequeena_rae]: Ah! Got to love chaos ^_^

[Ŧhe Jøker]: how do i put that image on my house? ive never put anyting in my description... >_>

[sequeena_rae]: Right click on it, go to properties then highlight the URL and copy it, go to your house and type in the link goes in between the : and >

[Ŧhe Jøker]: ok, thank you [sequeena_rae] ^_^

[sequeena_rae]: Welcome :)

[Joey18]: i just started studying wicca last march and have been waiting til samhain to do a dedication ritual i haven't found any authors i personally like but that could be because i have only read two books most of my study has been via internet can anyone recomend any authors they think are good

[Ŧhe Jøker]: Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham I really liked, i think its a great book...

[Shardae]: I've heard it is also. Hey Joey, I will give you a few bits of advice. Stop studying over the net, find books. And don't start practicing yet. Give yourself another month or two. I have waiting, myself, over 1 year to retake up rituals or spells. Maybe close to 2 years. But this is because I chose to study over the net and I ended up getting bad information and I was in Wicca for the wrong reasons. I like Konstatinoes, just to say.

[Fireblade K'Chona]: One good website is www.collegewicca.com , and another is www.wicca.com . I've looked at both and they're pretty reliable.

[sequeena_rae]: I'll take a look at those thanks :)

[lady.crimson]: i'm really having trouble choosing a craft name, i cant find one that fits me perfectly, or where i know in my heart "this suits me, ths is how i want to be reborn"....can anyone help me?

[Fireblade K'Chona]: You could meditate on it, but it ultimately takes a lot of time. If you have a god/dess who means a lot to you, like...I don't know, the Morrigan, you could choose Raven, though that's kinda overused. Still, if it suits you, then do not care about overused-ness.

[Master Wolf]: on the other hand, it is not nessesary to take a Craft name... I think that the name I earned, Michael, is more than suited to me, and I use it every day

[Lakayana]: If you have any mystic problem please feel free to check me at banou's cove

[sequeena_rae]: I'm not sure how I can help you [lady.crimson] but when I chose my craft name, I went for Celtic names. Is there any type of culture that you particulary like? You could use a name out of that then :)

[*~`Lady of Avalon`~*]: The Dark Underground

[Morbid Poet]: so how is everyone on this fine night

[sequeena_rae]: *checks* this shitty morning I'm okay and you?

[Morbid Poet]: im doing ok saw a rainbow this morning

[sequeena_rae]: oooo nice

[Morbid Poet]: ya i knw it was beautiful here in alaska

[sequeena_rae]: aaww

[Morbid Poet]: where do you live?

[sequeena_rae]: Uhh...*thinks* Wales

[Shardae]: lol Wales? is it kool there?

[sequeena_rae]: It's okay you know lol

[Morbid Poet]: i don't even know where that is i live in alaska

[Magdalena Snow]: same

[Morbid Poet]: where is Wales

[sequeena_rae]: In the Uk

[Joey18]: I'm so excited Samhain is like three weeks away and I'm doing my first ever self dedication ritual.

[Delladreing]: woot. this is my eigth year...i feel so old >.<

[Morbid Poet]: oh wow

[Delladreing]: :p

[sequeena_rae]: go dela go dela

[Delladreing]: ...riiight then :P

[sequeena_rae]: *cough*

[Delladreing]: crazy welsh *says the crazy scotts lady*

[sequeena_rae]: ^_^ I know it, you know it, everyone knows it!

[Delladreing]: hell yea XD

[sequeena_rae]: Us celts, we just rock

[Delladreing]: we oh so do indeed

[sequeena_rae]: Hehe bring on the English

[Delladreing]: XD bring it on

[sequeena_rae]: *attacks the english*

[Delladreing]: ...try not to offend too many people on here dearest...thats my job :p

[sequeena_rae]: oh yesh *coughs* attack the.....*****

[Morbid Poet]: oh really now huh

[The Monochrome Rainbow]: i have a little english blood, but more native american.

[sequeena_rae]: *coughs once more* the english playgans *proud grin*

[Delladreing]: *nods* better. I think most people have English blood, what happens when they take over the world with their Empire. Then again lots of people got Scottish blood too because they chucked us off our land and sent us over to the Americas *shrugs* happens.

[sequeena_rae]: *clings to welsh flag* Noo!!!

[Delladreing]: ...it doesnt happen anymore I should probbaly stress...

[sequeena_rae]: *calms a bit* No ones ever going to get me of this land....Except maybe Johnny Depp

[Delladreing]: Johnny Depp or someone taller than me and capable of lifting my weight...but even then they'd have a struggle :P

[sequeena_rae]: Lol shut up :P Not literally of course

[Delladreing]: hehehe :p

[sequeena_rae]: I weigh a lot lmao I'm like a baby whale!! Wooosh!!!

[Delladreing]: lmao oh i doubt that :p those things are huge

[sequeena_rae]: Okay it's closer to 11 stone lol

[Master Wolf]: 11 stone? that's... nothing

[sequeena_rae]: It is...To me

[Master Wolf]: I suppose the fact that I can squat 40 stone makes a difference...

[sequeena_rae]: Don't lie to me!

[Delladreing]: its not a lot hun. actally not a lot at all. im tiny, in frame height size etc etc, i lift roughly that every day, its not that heavy :p

[sequeena_rae]: Oh *calms down* I can lift a can of heinz baked beans

[Delladreing]: lol good for you :P it starts with the little things ;)

[Master Wolf]: I don't lie... I can squat 40 stone, though mostly because i bike everywhere I end up riding upwards of 30-40 miles a day

[sequeena_rae]: ooo *is feeling pathetic* lol

[razorskiss666]: not so great on the massive lifts, but i can do physical stuff all day... nothing like walking 4 miles an hour all day long carrying a 60 pound rucksac, 30 pounds of combat gear and a rifle...

[sequeena_rae]: Meh I think I need exercise >.<

[Shardae]: Seq why do you think you need to exercise?

[Master Wolf]: I think razorkiss might have me beat

[sequeena_rae]: Because of what everyone does for exercise...I uh...Catch a bus?

[sapphiresphinx]: Happy Samhain everyone! (even though I celebrated it yesterday)

[sequeena_rae]: And to you also ^_^

[Shardae]: lol well happy Samhain to everyone (a bit late, but better late then never)

[sequeena_rae]: Aye lol you too

[Shardae]: dododododoodo

[Fireblade K'Chona]: I gots a question! First of all, does anyone know about the mystery religions of Greece and Rome? Secondly, does anyone still follow these mystery religions today?

[Shardae]: I know very little and what I do know comes from Marion Zimmer Bradleys books

[Fireblade K'Chona]: Hmm. Other people-were those accurate at all? And Shardae, what do you know?

[Shardae]: Some Greek gods tis all

[Fireblade K'Chona]: OK.

[Shardae]: yeah not enough to mean much

[Morbid Poet]: what Greek gods do you read about

[teladobix]: Is this only for Wiccas?

[sequeena_rae]: No it is also for Pagans and anyone who is open minded about other religions I suppose

[Fireblade K'Chona]: It's WiccaNs. Calling yourself a 'wicca' isn't good.

[Delladreing]: ...*mild cardiac arrest*

[Fireblade K'Chona]: .....I'm sorry, Dela. -hugs- If I'd known you were hanging around here today I would have...I don't know...filled up the box to spare you. -hugs-

[Delladreing]: *Hugs* dear lord when, when will it end ><

[Fireblade K'Chona]: When teenagers stop being stupid? -grins- (and I am a teenager, so I can insult myself. Muaha.)

[Delladreing]: no i meant people in general :p

[Fireblade K'Chona]: Oh. OK.

[Delladreing]: wheee im sleep deprived @_@

[Fireblade K'Chona]: Poor Del. Actually, poor me, too. I haven't had too much sleep lately either. And this weekend isn't really a weekend for me. I'm WORKING the whole !@#$%#$%^#$#%$@!&^%%@#$!^@$%^%$%#!&%$# time.

[Delladreing]: meh ditto, why im sleep deprived

[Fireblade K'Chona]: You want to reconsider the both of us running away and having a small place in the country where everything is sickness free and two nice Internet connections? (To everyone else: this is a standing joke. Don't mind us.)

[Delladreing]: ah yes, such a lovely idea

[Morbid Poet]: ok

[razorskiss666]: while we're on the sleep deprived thing... anyone got a pillow to spare? every other nite im not getting sleep nowadays, prepping to deploy really sucks. im heading to iraq within 2 weeks, and theres no time to sleep or eat now...

[ThEGranDWazoO]: um..hello...im a tad confused...i was raised wiccan/pagan and ive never seen the star of david used as a symbol...anyone care to explain that to me?..~*Blessed Be*~

[Delladreing]: well thats because the star of david is a jewish symbol, its used in my home, but thats because my family has very distinct jewish roots, its not something commonly used by us. seen as how we have our own star :)

[Delladreing]: it is also a primarily eastern symbol i believe, and with wicca being a primarily western religion im not sure it would have been included in Gardners thoughts of thinking. I also have some useful links explaining the origions etc etc http://www.aish.com/literacy/concepts/Star_of_David.asp  http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/star.html  I hope they help somewhat. :)

[Master Wolf]: There is also a lot ofsymbolism in the odd-numbered stars vs. the even-numbered stars... it's a Mystery, and you kind of have to figure it out for yourself

[Fireblade K'Chona]: One way of looking at it I saw somewhere was that the triangles facing up/down represent, er, Air and Water, I think, and with the line through them Fire and Earth, so if you stick them together they form that star. I have also seen it elsewhere, but I don't remember where.

[Master Wolf]: the five points of the star represent the 5 elements (earth, air, fire, water, spirit) as well as the five points of a human (hands, feet, head, spread out in prayer and joy), as well as (I have seen once) the 5 levels of priesthood

[Master Wolf]: The star also conforms to the Golden Ratio of mathematics and biology... aproximately 1.68:1

[spongemonkey]: somebodies been reading their daVinci Code. :)

[xXFallenXx]: I was half way through the daVinci code and then I had to put it down. I wanted to pick it up again but I haven't been able to pick it up because of being so busy, it has been 1/2 year sadly.

[xXFallenXx]: That is interesting because I have never heard of the 5 points representing a human.

[spongemonkey]: yeah, therre are all theses different points O_o theres supposed to be something about 3 too, but I dun really remember...

[lunarflames]: i am kind of new to this.... but which form is most often used? i found a drawing that i apparently made when i was younger but dont remmeber and it was of the 5 point star and i had written all five of the elements there.... is that a sign? lol.. and i wanted to know if i had them in the right position, if someone could tell me so i can fix it if needbe

[Master Wolf]: I'm not sure there is a "right" position for anything... it's all about how you feel about it. as far as signs... well... maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. The Goddess speaks through your heart, not through signs

[lunarflames]: alright. well, i know that but, i figure if i knew that then, it must be meant for me to continue following what i know and believe in.  may i add myself to the guild?

[Master Wolf]: I see no reason why not, unless there's a prereq I forgot about

[Dracotot]: Duncan Chow Fans

[Dracotot]: thats strange, there coould be alot of reasons - Im completly devoted to dragons and Ive loved then since I was young and when I was about 15 I met a woman who said I had a dragon watching me, and i was connected to them in a past life (that was strange but figures now i do dragon magick and im so at peace)

[BarleySinger]: well "xXFallenXx", there is a very famous drawing of a male humans proportions in the center of a star. As for the 5 pointed star and the elemental meanings, those meanings vary from place to place int he world. In china they are Metal, water, wood, fire and earth. The western meanings for elements and 4 directions that we take for granted in modern neopaganism came originally out of the late 1800s with oganisations such as the Golden Dawn and their interpretation of kabbalistic magic.. Gardener was involved with a number of "hermetic orders" including Crowleys group (Mrs Crowley didn't like him). When he created Wicca he took a lot of his ideas for ritual structure straight from those

[BarleySinger]: other groups, including the invocation of the circle & the four directions, as well as the phrase "so mote it be". It is important to remember that Wicca is a recreationist religion created originally by Gerald Gardener and heavily influenced by Doreen Valiente who was his first priestess (she rewrote all of Gardners rules and rituals so that they would sound older). This was all an effort to create a religion based on the ideas brought forth in Frasier's "The Golden Bough" and other writing of the time that claimed that there was once a great "witchcraft religion" across all of europe. That basic concept of the great "witchcraft religion" has long since been abandonded by archeologists

[BarleySinger]: and historians as incorrect. However that discovery has come with new information. It is now known that mother deities by some name or another have existed since paleolithic times or even earlier. The basic ideas of what people know is important for life formed the ideas of their gods. That is why there are so many similarities around the world...so many "grain gods" who give up their lives, so many mother goddesses. Parallel examples of "deity archetypes" are all over the globe throughout history. When agriculture became important there were agricultural deities. When hunting and gathering was the basis of life, gods of the hunt were easily found. Now that people are finally

[BarleySinger]: coming to grips with the importance of the fragile blue planet that we live on, more and more people are being drawn to religious expressions that are more centered on the importance of the earth. There are plenty of concepts to choose from the past, and there is no reason not to create your own ideas of what is important to you in your life as long as they reflect reality instead of trying to shove it into a box that does not fit.

[BarleySinger]: According to the Wikipedia entry Issac Bonewits (a well known neopagan leader and author) wrote, Somewhere between 1920 and 1925 in England some folklorists appear to have gotten together with some Golden Dawn Rosicrucians and a few supposed Fam-Trads to produce the first modern covens in England; grabbing eclectically from any source they could find in order to try and reconstruct the shards of their Pagan past. Crowley published the aforementioned Blue Equinox in 1919. All this means to us (IMHO) ) is that there is an honest interest in a return to religions that care about people more than institutions, about the earth more than profit, and about the basic core concepts of life,

[BarleySinger]: about admitting that there might be more to the existence that what we have been able to explain so far, and there is some sort of real subtle power in the belief of people, and that ritual is a tool that people can use to make change in themselves and in the world around them. Frankly I think that part of all this is that many people are tired of religions that condemn people for having evolved into people instead of something else that is more saint-like, tired of being made to feel bad for enjoying the good parts of being alive, and want a better answer as a way to celebrate and observe the real world as it actually works. Just my opinion.

[abandonedhouse7 7]: Wow twas a long opinion. *blink* *applause* you're very knowledgable ^^

[Delladreing]: yes Barley is,as is [Rondel] that said give my regards to [Rondel] :)

[Cenyre]: Ok, this'll sound stupid but I really don't have the time to go look it up anywhere. How is "Wicca" pronounced, with a "w" or a "v"? My dad's driving me insane saying "Vicca". He thinks he knows how to pronounce any "foreign" word. :P

[Delladreing]: Its W. "Whicca" I suppose

[Cenyre]: That's what I thought..

[dead~spirit]: (May I join?)

[Delladreing]: Guild Members Page 2 add away :)

[lunarflames]: [BarleySinger], that, I believe is actually called/based off of The Vitruvian Man, by DaVinci, who actually himself study a pagan form of religion, if I am correct....

[lady.crimson]: i wonder if anyone can give me some guidance? i am having serious trouble choosing my spiritual name!! i've meditated on it for a year!!

[lunarflames]: Guild Members Page 2 is starting to get too big, now.....maybe a third page? I know its a lot but, it needs to be done....over 305 members? yeah, i think so, lol

[BarleySinger]: You don't necessarily -need- a spiritual name. Some people choose to have one because they do not want everyone in the world to know what they believe and want a way for people to refere to them without giving away who they are. 

Unfortunatly there are other people choose a "spiritual name" in order to sound "special" or "spooky" or "cool"..you know, they combine a "dark sounding name" with an animal or something supernatural sounding. Names like : "Dark Raven" or "Grey Eagle" or "Black Wolf" or "Onyx Crow" or "Jet Bear-skull" come to mind, as obvious attempts to be overly spooky while trying to impress people.

My favorite purely silly name, which follows this bizzare tradition of trying to appear spooky using this type of combination, is (da da dum) "Styggian Budgie").

However, some people feel that there is a name that describes something about them that is not there in the name that they were born with. Some might use that sort of name as a "craft name" to hide their true identity, and others just use that sort of name as an internet name, for talking to people online. 

If you want to have a spiritual craft name, by all means go ahead, as ther are privacy advantages. Just think about what is unique to you, what are you drawn toward? What describes you?

[lady.crimson]: i agree with the, my name should show how awesome i am-trend!

but i mean more spiritual the kind that doesn't double as your internet handle! a private, between you and your gods type name...

i do have an affinity towards crows but its so cliche i'd rather avoid a typical name...

im really stumped! i practice green magic, very planty so maybe a modified plant name? this isn't something i take lightly and i really want to be sure before calling my new name into the universe!!

fortunately i like my real name (Danielle) so i'm fine with using it till inspiration hits!

thanks for the advice!

[The Dark Wolf]: mine and most of my coven members, craft names have come to us hidden in are dreams. only after writting the dream down and discussing the dream was the name found.

[Fireblade K'Chona]: I don't really have a pagan name. For some reason nicknames of any sort don't stick to me at all. The same thing has happened with craft names. Weird.

[Magdalena Snow]: I never bothered with a "spiritual name" really,although my friends do sometimes call me Lena instead of my real name. Maybe that counts, I don't know. All in all, I wouldn't sweat it if you dont have a name.

[The Dark Wolf]: thats true! dont worry if some thing doesnt come to you!

[The Dark Wolf]: ^^ hello

[The Dark Wolf]: Tell people about my new RPG i need key players... here take a look. Evil wars if you like Vampires Were Wolfs and War this is the Wiki for you!!!!

[Melocrie]: Does anyone know how to pronounce Cleití? I think Clay-téé, but I'm not sure. Help! (it's gaelic for 'feathers', if im correct)

[Mordigen]: i think it's Klay-chee....but dont quote me on that

[Melocrie]: That's indeed a possibility...

[Madame Black]: someone posted a link above to Esoterica of Leesburg... who was that? I'm curious... I live in Leesburg and I frequent that store.

[Tyrvald]: Hello I was wondering if anyone could give me a hand, im looking for a Pagan wikki mailey based on Asatru but im having a hard time finding one. Anyone know of a similar wiki?
Thanks for your time.