Hi, yes, well there are several/many interpretations of what it means to be "Pagan" today, and your example is certainly one of those. Also, an interpretation of what is "divine" or whether creation, existence is "divine" or just "is"?
~Caroline.
---- Pat Bellavance <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Interesting points Caroline, but here's food for thought:
>
> For those people who identify themselves as pagan (or neo-pagan),
> wouldn't some of them at least recognize that they, themselves are
> inherently divine and part of divinity made manifest (as in creation
> around them)? I've met many people who consider themselves pagan give
> little more than a passing acknowledgment to a deity because of this.
> They simply choose to view and connect to deity in a slightly different
> way -- maybe as a possible way to empower 'self' within the context of
> creation. Whether or not that is a conscious choice is a different
> question...
>
> Blessings through Wisdom,
>
> Pat
>
> Caroline Tully wrote:
> > Actually, that reminds, me, when I was working on Witchcraft Mag a lot
> > of readers - modern Australian Witches - got really cross when I
> > insinuated that they were atheistic, which they were. They didn't see
> > that Witchcraft (modern non-initiatory Witchcraft, although
> > stylistically derived from Wicca, which *does* have deities, the "God
> > and Goddess" at minimum and full blown religious interaction at max)
> > had anything to do with gods, belief, recriprocity...The "gods" of
> > Witchcraft, apparently, were a way for women to love their periods,
> > and for men to explore being gentle... Although in spells the gods
> > might or might not be mentioned/incorporated in the text, my
> > impression was, for those readers, that they didn't particularly
> > believe in or care about deities - although these same people *would*
> > also identify as "Pagans". (But without deities... what is a Pagan???)
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