Why did you choose the path you're on?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Mar 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Melissa`	30 Mar 2003
Hey everyone, This is a spin off of the post Umbrae made. I hope you do not mind, Umbrae. To answer my own question first. I have been a practicing Witch for almost 4 years now. I was at one time a Christian I suppose you could say. Not by choice or because my family is. Actually about my family, I really don't know. The only person I am really close to is my mother and my sister. To this day I have never know my mother to go to church. She didn't even get married in a church. She went straight to the court house at age 19. Years later after my sister was born and my parents split up, thats when my father started going to church and calling himself a devoted Christian. I have no problem with this! The only time my sister has been to church is when my father took her. Back to my story... When I was younger and my father wasn't around.. My grandfather stood in. He paid for my tuition to a private school here in town. My mother thought I would get the best education there than a public school. Boy was she wrong! The school happened to be a 'Christian' school. Non-denominational. Anyways, several years into the school I literally began to hate it. My mom noticed a difference in my attituded, lack of social activity, temper, self esteem lost. I would break down an cry at the least little thing and it took me until I was 22 to shed that skin and grow a thicker one. It was years before I stepped into a church. Actually I have been to church 5 times in the last 15 years. The school scared me. I turned my back to Christianity. Then I took up studies into Paganism. I was comfortable. I started doing 'soul searches'. I found out why I turned my back. Wasn't because of the religion itself, or the bible for that fact. It was the people who where teaching me. The fear that they embedded in me that I carried with me for so long. I thought it I would never get over it. Now I am learning how to deal with it. Yet I am extremely happy for the path that I eventually stuck with. I'm not Wiccan.. I would rather just be classified loosely under Pagan. I am happy. And to top it all off. Yes I am an devoted Buffy fan! Proud of it too!. To be even more honest, I laughed and put down the show a few years back. It wasn't until the last few months that I became addicted to watching it. Not because of the 'magic' portrayed in it. Thats tv magic :) .. But because of the lessons that you can pull from it. Might sound silly but its true. Enough of my rant. Perhaps now some others would share why they have chosen a different religious path or just simply turned to using Tarot cards. (even if it was because of the 'new age' shows and movies out there today) Can't wait to hear others stories! Blessings, Amaya

anjocoxo	30 Mar 2003
Like I said before, this path was something very natural to me. My parents are not christians or catholics, they don't believe in jesus and they hate the church as an institution. My parents rarely get into a church (just for weddings) although they believe that jesus christ was a man that really existed and died in the cross (my parents have an excelent culture, they read a lot about various themes), but that the church institution ruined the words of jesus. Anyway, a few years ago I felt drawn to tarot cards, and now I feel totally happy with the things I've been learning (tarot, cristals, chakras, astrology, etc). My parents are ok with it (my father thought it a bit weird in the begining, but he accepted it very well) and they are even encouraging me do a bach flowers or reflexology course. They have been my best friends and support since ever. Well, enough of it... you are probably sleeping by now.... Anjo

coldsuns	30 Mar 2003
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12666&perpage=10&pagenumber=4 The link up there is a story about my path! I almost took the wrong path and get myself into big trouble. I might not be able to type at here now happily talking to you guys if without the help of my teacher. We should treasure everyone around us. They might be the one who secretive or suddenly give you a hand to help!

Kiama	30 Mar 2003
Hmmm... This is a tough one. *Kiama thinks waaay back* I've always been a spiritual person. Up until the age of 10, I was in close contact with the Sidhe (I'll post a link to that story here... Its long, and explains where I'm coming from!) http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=11510&highlight=Faeries The second post by me tells the story. My parents were token Christians: They raised me with a fairly modern Western view of things, that was loosely based around Christian values, e.g- No lying, cheating, stealing, do unto others etc... They never eally talked to God about me, and they made a rule in the house when they got married that the two things which would never be talked about in the house were religion and politics, simply because they had seen it split up so many previously happy families before. Given this however, they taught me a belief in 'Something' which they did call God every now and then, and they would, on my request, read me stories from the Bible about Jesus. Mind you, they also told me Hindu and Islamic stories aswell! When I was between 11 and 14, I became Christian by choice. I was always searching for something, and a way of connecting with teh Divine, and at the time I only really knew about Christianity, so I turned to that first. It didn't work for me, because much of the beliefs didn't fit me: I believed that sex before marriage and homosexuality were fine, whereas all the Christians I knew believed the complete opposite. It should be pointed out here that through all this, I was using Tarot cards from the age of 9, and I still managed to mingle Christianity with Tarot quite effectively. When I was 14, I discovered Wicca. Mainly because I was looking for information about spells on the internet and in books, but I also discovered the spirituality side of Wicca. I became Wiccan for a while, but then found that it didn't quite suit me either, though it did suit me more than Christianity. So I turned to Witchcraft. But that didn't suit me. I had always been interested in the Celtic deities, and had always done things pretty much my own way, so I turned to Paganism, more specifically Celtic Paganism. Then, due to lack of reliable information about Celtic Paganism, I turned away from that, and became what I am now: WHat I call a 'Pagan Mystic', and a Priestess of Brighid. (A Celtic Goddess) I chose this path because it feels right for me. I have finally found a way in which to connect with the Divine that suits me, nd it has room for me to change bits of it and add bits. To this day I still keep alot of Christian morality (Do unto others, love thy neighbour) but I also have Pagan morality and beliefs, along with some morality which came from... Disney! (Long story...) Kiama

Fuzzmello	30 Mar 2003
My path chose me. I can't seem to get off it, try tho I might. Fuzz

Inana	02 Apr 2003
Mmmmh... this is hard question. My background: my mother is catholic and also interested in eastern religions and esotherics, my father is ateist and skeptic. I never felt good with catholic religion while i was a child. So after going to church, etc I was lot of years being agnostic, atheist,agnostic, atheist... turning from one to another thing. The last year while making an investigation about vikings, i heard for first time about neopaganism. I searched info about asatru. Didnt fit me. If i cant believe in a christian god, neither i can believe in old norses ones. What i needed was another concept for the word 'god'. Anyways I liked some statments on neopaganism: the concept of being more close to the human roots and to the nature. So i tried to mix a more scientific and psychological approach with an spiritual one, until find a explanation that fits fine to me. Same goes for tarot. It interested me early, after i left for lots of years. Now im dealing again with it, but now i see it in a different way. What im trying to say with all this is that when talking about spirituality, i see it more like a labyrinth than a path. It has lot of ways. Sometimes you take one, after another, go further, turn back... its not straight. But you take a bit from here and a bit from there to build your own beliefs, absorving a bit of all as you go on. At least, thats what i do. I dont like to be adscribed to anything. Just use what i like, fits me and seems correct to my eyes.

Demonesse	02 Apr 2003
You know what, I don't HAVE a spiritual path...I have no idea why I don't feel compelled to seek it out, but somehow, this suits me just fine. I just like to keep my eyes open and learn from those who do. Others have tried to change this, and I daresay someday I may want to take tentative steps along such a path - but for now I'm comfortable like this. ;)

azuremariposa	02 Apr 2003
i don't know if i'm necessarily on a path, if i am it is evolving daily... my background is...odd...to say the least... my mother is catholic, but also brazilian (as in born in Rio de Janeiro ;) heh), and the family practiced Umbanda (i have no idea how to describe it, but it's like a brazilian version of Santeria that only deals w/"good" spirits)...so, i grew up around mediums and psychic goings-on... my father is agnostic, at best w/some belief in "other worldly things" but not much...he was open to astrology and Tarot, but i think that was pretty much his limit... myself, i've studied various things over time...astrology from 8 yrs old, numerology, mediumship, channelling, crystals, auras, psychic phenomena in general...for a time when i was a teenager i got into Witchcraft, but it wasn't for me, so it was abandoned rather quickly...an interest in Tarot developed when i was 16 or so, and i've delved deeper into auras and crystals since then as well... like i said, i don't know if i'm on a "path" or not...but whatever you want to call it is definitely evolving...and it definitely includes a search for more knowledge...my biggest thrill in life is learning something new...the day i stop learning is the day i die... many blessings to all...

FantasyWorld	02 Apr 2003
I was an Episcopal as a child but my parents divorced when I was 8 and we moved away from him and after that never really went to church. My mom always seemed to be searching for the right place though. About a year and half ago I discovered Wicca and have found that to good for me also quit smoking within a year of that time. So for know that's what I am and hopefully years to come I will still be that. I always seem to "know" things when I was little and liked the Ouji Board and other supernatural things.

wolfen045	17 Apr 2003
I was raised in a fairly strict Irish-Catholic family. I had a great aunt who was a nun and several of my mom's male realatives were priests. I was a good little Catholic and was very proud when I made my first communinion,ect. At the same time, I realized I had a natural affinity for "nature". ( I put that in quotes because I think In Western society, we seperate ourselfs from the rest of creation as if it is somehow beneath us.) I still have that sense: I can touch a tree and feel its life force and most animals I meet, both wild and domestic seem drawn to me, and I to them. Anyway... By the time I reached college, I knew the Catholic Church was not working for me... I am bisexual, for one thing ( being told to fall to your knees and cry out your shame ,in public I might add, can be a real turnoff to Christianity/Catholism!) Also As I have said In athread on magickal names, in reading certain books for courses in medieval history, I began tolearn about and to reflect upon the Burning Times. I Re-membered that I had lived during them as a healer and teacher of the Old Path.( Yes, I have a strong belief in reincarnation.) I began to read books on the Goddess and neopaganism and Wicca. I just Felt so Right in praying to Goddess rather than God. My prayers seemed to be answered more readily. I learned Healing and candle magic, which is what I do to celebrate my religion along with my readings of the tarot. BTW, Amaya I am also a big fan of Bufffy myself. I like stories of all kinds about vampires, werewolves ect. If you Like to read, try the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels. They have been described as an R-rated Buffy. I agree!

divinerguy	17 Apr 2003
I didn't choose my path, it chose me. I never made a conscious decision to follow the path until I realized that I have been practicing a pagan lifestyle for years. While I do not worship a Goddess per se, the world around me is a female presence, keeping me safe in her bosom. My God, the sun, keeps me warm, and helps the plants grow. Life is good, and my world is in a state of dynamic equilibrium.

Jeanette	17 Apr 2003
Everyone's answers are very beautiful and I am so happy for everyone that is content with their spiritual path (or labyrinth, as Inana said). I, too, am constantly searching along my path and it continues to lead me in different directions. But I try to enjoy the journey and learn something new when I can! Blessings to all!

lunalafey	18 Apr 2003
I'm one who was not introduced to "church"....I spent two years at one of those non-demoninational christian high schools, I rather enjoyed it..BUT...I enjoyed it because of the horses...{and it was boarding school away from the parents...co-ed!..no uniforms...} I remember going for the interview with the girls dean. I was nervous because I did not know what to say if I was asked about going to church. I asked my mom what I should say. She told me, 'say, on occasion'. I started laughing so hard.{I was14 at the time}.....I had been to church a total of 3 times in my life...my baptism (dad did it for the 'family')..I was 1...my aunts renewal of wedding vows...and my grandfathers service.... some place here in the old threads is part of how I came to be on the 'path' I'm on.....It certainly chose me....and I credit that to my parents. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1689 http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10010

Celtic_Dragon	18 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Demonesse You know what, I don't HAVE a spiritual path...I have no idea why I don't feel compelled to seek it out, but somehow, this suits me just fine. I just like to keep my eyes open and learn from those who do. Others have tried to change this, and I daresay someday I may want to take tentative steps along such a path - but for now I'm comfortable like this. ;) Alright Demonesse!! you go! As for me, yea I'm a pagan. Always have been, always will be, just never knew what it was until highschool. I didn't know, when I was a kid, that there was a religion (uck, gotta wash my mouth now) that believed in two gods; one male, one female. But at the same time I "worshiped" a god and goddess. :D get this, you'll think it's soo cute, I followed mother nature and father time. In a way I still think it's vaguely correct but it's just one of those things when you're young and ignorant. And I believe it was said in another thread that I wasn't conformed to it, it just was naturaly right from the moment I was born.

Kyrielle	18 Apr 2003
I was always uncomfortable in church. At first it was just the fact I had to sit still and quietly for so long, but then I realized I can't feel a connection to the divine when there's so many other people around. Spirituality, for me, must be private, between me and divinity. The traditional services seemed too stodgy, while the contemporary services were too raucous. Both were empty for me. Through this all was a quiet interest in light fortunetelling and fairy lore and mythology. And the energy of rocks. But no one really believed in that stuff, did they?... Then I went to college. Because I identified as a Christian, I joined up with another girl who wanted a "prayer partner." I quickly became very uncomfortable with her religious attitude and the stance of the little course books we used. The breaking point came when she insisted that I stop communicating with my friends who are gay ( I have several) because that was "communion with the devil." Waaaaiiit a minute.... I broke off the "prayer partnership" at the next semester and donated my course books to the free-for-the-taking shelf at the local library, where I hoped they found someone comfortable with their teachings. Thus began a slow turning toward a spirituality with room for all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of humanity and of the universe. When I was little, I reasoned that Mother Nature was married to God. I was always making "fairy salads" -- picking bits of grass and seeds, shredding spent flower petals for color, putting it all on a leaf or rose petal and leaving it out for their dinners. How refreshing it was to find that it was a matter of choice, not of truth, whether you believed in fairies or the gods of mythology! I'm not Wiccan, but I identify with much of that philosophy, and I lean somewhat toward the Far Eastern mysticism and shamanism. Even Biblical mysticism is interesting. I suppose if I'm anything now, I'm an eclectic pagan. And I work in a church, in a daycare. No discussion of spirituality necessary, but I have nothing against truly Christian people. It's just not my path. -- Kyrielle

Violet Gargoyle	18 Apr 2003
I have never really looked for a path, I am more of one to look for a map of all paths instead, just to see how they connect on the same land. I know what I like and dislike, and can find the universal themes, the light and the dark to appreciate both and all. I am trying to be more of a spiritual librarian rather than an adventurer, I guess.

C.N.	06 May 2003
Well, I grew up as a christian, but a few years ago I decided to follow the advice of Jesus and judge the tree by its fruit. I then decided that I was not a christian anymore. Now I consider myself having a worldview that is more close to New Age and Taoism.

sagitarian	16 May 2003
welll...this is my story. My path choose me. One night, i was horribly upset (with my parents about something) and I went to my room (don't remember if i was sent there, or went there to get away from them). I was about 12-13 yrs old at the time. Well, i've had this snoopy doll since i was 5 and when ever i was upset, i used always grab him, hug and cry into him. One night when i did this, he moved his arms and hugged me tighter. After that happend, even though it was kinda comforting, i FREAKED out. Then all the sudden, i started hearing "voices" in my head (only). It's almost like your concious, but different, the thought comes out of no where and the words are different then your own comfortable thoughts. "He" started talking to me this way. I told him to go away, but he wouldn't. I tried using the bible on him to cast him back to hell, he didn't go and laughed, but it wasn't an eerie laugh, it was your silly laugh. I tried EVERYTHING to get him away from me, and he kept saying, sorry hon, you're stuck with me, face it. Finally, after a few months of this, i started to get comfortable with him around and decided to ask him what he wanted. He said, i'm your guide, and i'm here to teach you. I asked of course, teach me what? And he said, to teach you about your natural gifts. So it was then that my life changed. He took me out of my body, taught me all kinds of things that i won't get into here. He taught me about different spirits, good and bad, about my other guides, how to use my empathy. Later on, i started getting attracted to crystals and found out that I have QUITE a knack for them, all the way up to putting your heartbeat into a crystal/medallion whatever. Some i self taught, other things, i just knew, and others i learned from books, or other sources anyways. As the years went by, I learned about tarot, divination, mediums, and was called a natural medium by many many other psychics. I keep developing more and more as the years go by. Keep learning more and more. As for Chris (that's what i decided to call my spirit guide) after about 2 yrs of intense study with him, one night, he said good bye, but he'll stop off every once in a while to see how i'm doing. Every now and then i can feel him, and if i need him here, all i have to do is call out his name. But i think he taught me what he was suppose to as he's never since been a "close" guide to me, not like that. For those two yrs, he was with me ALWAYS constantly! It was traumatic in many ways when he left, but now i understand (i think) why he had to go. Anyways, like i said, it choose me, and I dont' know why, but I've always felt like I NEEDED to know this, be this, etc for a better purpose. I've tried in the past to turn my back on it, but something always calls me back somehow someway. I've long since accepted it and accept more of my abilities as the years go by.

The Why did you choose the path you're on? thread was originally posted on 30 Mar 2003 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.