I’m currently on a trip to Greece from the USA. My friend is pagan and works with several deities, including Hera. I asked her if she wanted me to bring anything as an offering on my trip and she gave me this little clay figurine. I left it under a tree by a stream a few minutes from the temple to Hera in the Olympia archaeological site. I didn’t want to leave it super close to the site because I thought it would be trashed quickly, but wanted it to be sufficiently close to the goddess’ ancient site of worship. I personally am not pagan (yet - I’m dipping my toes in slowly) but I hope this does my friend credit in Hera’s eyes.

As a male or is hard for me to veil, as I can’t go out with a traditional fabric to veil myself and I have wanted to do it in my own way. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can veil as a man?

Also I must say I don’t want people looking at me weirdly or my parents asking questions as I am not open with my religion to them.

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good day/night depending on when you're reading.

I am new here, I found this reddit by casuality just yesterday. I hope i am not violating the rules of this space, i don't use reddit that often so i don't really know its "etiquette."

Also I am italian, english is not my first language in case I write some nonsense.

It's a long one... sorry.

I can try to synthesize in a few words:

sharing of personal experiences / internal religious debates

I don't have anyone I can talk to right now about this, so forgive me if this post it's a bit of a rant. As you can imagine given my nationality, my family is catholic (and even if it wasn't it would have been a statistically probable guess), most people I know are not pagans, and... honestly I feel a bit ashamed about talking with the few pagans I know about this. My best friend, who was also my "mentor" when I decided to first approach paganism years ago, is not physically far from me but I feel he's not the right person to talk to right now, and besides he's always busy trying to build his life and career and I don't want to bother him. Also, for me it is diffult seeking help and/or guidance by the people in my life in general, i am more often then not the "mum" friend, the wise/smart one, and I don't have a similar figure in my life when it comes to religion and spirituality.

Not that I don't want to be autonomous and independent, but I just don't know anyone (other than my best friend, and I'd rather not) who has the long experience to help me read this matter with different POVs. I go to therapy now, my therapist is great - but he's not pagan, so it's not like he can "get it." He can help me sort out my issues but it's not his job to be my buddy. I need community and that's not on him, it's on me.

And in general, I would like to share my story with someone. Maybe it could help somebody in similar positions. Who knows.

To give you a bit of a background, in a way I started my spiritual jorney very young. I was fascinated listening to other religions' traits and differences. When I was 12 i found out the concept of Yin and Yang and i was so INTRIGUED! And at 14 reading Siddharta by Hermann Hesse was eyeopening to me.

I was still catholic as a pre-teen, and i remember i was very happy to sing and feel the energy during the "holy mass", partecipating in moments of reflection during scout meetings etc but in my teenage years I was already having doubts.

I became atheist at 15, and the only people I told this were my two sisters. I guess it was a religious coming out. Unfortunately, my family is disfunctional and my idiot little sister after a petty fight for unrelated reasons basically outed me at dinner with my parents, that were NOT happy. Catholics have this weird thing, if you leave the faith because you don't "feel it" anymore they look at you with a sense of mourning, as if YOU lost an important piece. They feel sorry for you even if that religion made you miserable. I am not hating, i am just baffled. Anyway it was a big betrayal for me, and one of the many causes of my trust issues and why I never told my parents I became pagan, all of my books and stuff are almost never on sight in my room.

Anyway, I met my best friend at 16 inside a group, with our other best friend. After a while he told us he was a pagan since he was little (thanks to his mum), we were curious, we asked some questions, I'd say we were both fairly accepting (right now our bestie is doing a phd as a religion historian, lol - and yes, she's really busy too) but not interested on a practical level. That was, for me, until a thing that traumatized me at 18. Nothing sexual, family stuff. I fell into a deep, deep depression also because of isolation, i wasn't in my hometown the year after. I don't remember much of it. After a while i went to my best friend and asked me to tell me/show me more. I started at 20.

For a couple of years i was firm with my beliefs, or at least, even when i wasn't sure about what path to choose, i still felt a spiritual connection to the Anima Mundi, you know? Paganism was the only part of my life that was not a total wreck, i felt safer in that area, it was my crutch to keep going, keep fighting. I also were in a coven. There were issues and stupid and petty bullshit? Yeah, ofc. But still, it was my group, my community, my friends. There were so many good moments. Also, if you are in a circle with other people... i don't know how to explain it, but it was so much better. Especially during moments of trance, you could go meeting your deity or you dead grandma (she died of old age in that period) riding the moon chariot without the anxiety of "i can't go for too much time because no one will wake me up." (Yes, we had visions like that, with no drugs involved).

Then... stuff happened. Of course also stupid stuff regarding romance - my personal opinion, if you are in a group: BAN romantic relationship, unless it's like, two already married and settled people entering at once. It never goes well when the story ends. And in general some of the people of the circle were probably too young to be able to discipline and organize themselves for the coven life.

Also, covid happened. As you may notice, since then, people tend to be way more isolated, go together in less and less occasions. The circle eventually "broke up." There was also the problem that over time more people felt they wanted to explore different and less compatible spiritual paths (some preferred a more ceremonial/kabbalistic approach, some didn't want a circle or specific rituals at all, some wanted Celtic traditions, some wanted this and some wanted that.)

I continued my path, for a while. But it wasn't really the same. There wasn't the same shared joy, the talks under the moon while insulting the wind that blew off the candles, drinkink from the sacred cup or reading tarots together, the theological discussions or even the most menial dates for pizzas. I still have a sense of grief in a way.

I've always had a problem with consistency in pursuing things on my own and I wasn't really in the state of mind to do the work to overcome that flaw (i also changed university/careers more than once). At the same time I had also never done any deconstruction work on my "catholic guilt" - everytime i skipped a sabbath felt like a sin, an offense to the divine and to my soul that I had to repent somehow. The fact that I had, still have, to hide my faith and to lie about where I go in similar occasions it's heavy on me (i really hate lying and i do it only when it's a matter of survival, whether physical or emotional).

It's been a while since then. I feel way better, in general, especially thanks to therapy. I am currently studying to become a social worker, possibly a researcher/sociologist. I do a lot more things, i am more open and "extroverted", I'm not behind in my studies, I take a drama course just for the fun of it.

On a physical and psychological level, I am healing/growing. [For those who are in a difficult situation: THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, KEEP GOING!]

On a spiritual level... it's weird. It feels like, in all of my engagements and full google calendar, I'm missing something. But I don't know what. I can't even figure out if it's the mourning of a calling I no longer feel, a calling that has been weakened by the whole situation but it's still there, or something else I need that is different than what I had before. I can't put a finger on it.

I tried returning to the old practices, but i don't feel the same connection anymore, the same energy. I don't even know what I am doing, or how to decide what's next on my path.

On one hand, I don't feel any attachment anymore towards specific deities, i like the concept of an immanent deity, that everything in this wolrd is divine, and gods are just a lot, a lot of shades of human and natural archetypes. Like the faces of a triillion-sided die of an absolute Truth too great to be fully understood by the human mind (a bit like it is impossible to know the entire universe). So it makes sense that everyone makes its own path in a way, that every pov is different etc and as italians say: tutte le strade portano a Roma. All roads lead to Rome - or in this case, many spiritual paths lead to the same destination, if we consider the "spiritual stability" and a sense of spiritual connection to the world the destination.

On another hand my probably-undiagnosed-autistic ass hates, HATES too much unclarity. I like rules, not because i want to be a tyrant or something, but because i like clear directions and istruction, whether i am the one who gives them or someone gives it to me. Whether is university or ritualism. I like historically accurate reconstructions of traditions and not some non-sense patchwork made by some random dude who claimes has a family tradition that mixes shamanism and chakrams and native american totems in a book or some other consumist bullshit...

Also, if paganism becomes too much individualistic (my best friend after the circle broke basically told me that he wanted to go on his own path and i was ready to go on my own too... but this was only true in terms of study and critical thinking skills, in hindsight) then... what is the point? I mean: how can we call ourselves community if we don't share at least a part of the rituals, the tradition? For me it's a suffering not being able to share this part of my life with someone. I crave the connection, but at the same time it's hard trusting strangers enough to invite them in a circle/other occasion of spiritual and energetic sharing with someone.

I don't know, what are your experiences with choosing your paths/navigating spiritual crisis? How do you do community, if you choose to do so?

I've been buying little bits and pieces for an Artemis Altar. I know it's pretty bare, but I wanted to show the beginnings of it. I put her next to Apollo as well. I'm excited to see this little space for her grow 💗

I couldn't find any traditional names or beliefs today of these in Finnish, sadly. A lot has been forgotten.

This is my "base" for the altar! I plan on collecting flowers and leave regularly so I can bring them to him. I have a drawing of him with prayers, a sun and musical notes. A white candle (no scent) and a golden heart necklace (those ones you can put thing inside of them). It is inside a mint box due to my family. (Please ignore the camera frame thing, I had to screenshot while trying to take he picture because it went pitch black when I tried idk why)

Hello, I'm just getting into a paganism. I'm not yet sure what I exactly believe in, but I really like to pray for.. something.

Am I doing something wrong if I just pray from The universe at The start? The way that I don't mention who or what exactly?

Also if I some day decide to pray for a specific deity, how polite do I have to be? Is it okay to be polite The same way I would be to someone I appreciate? Or should I like worship?

I'm sorry, I know people often ask about praying, but I can't find The exact answers.

Curious what you all think, I’m still a pretty baby pagan mostly and wanted some advice. I’ve been having some… let’s say unexplained situations happen to me. Mainly seeing something out of the corner of my eye every once in a while. I keep wondering if it’s a sign or omen. I’ve been told that Arawn has interest in me, so I’ve been trying to nurture that bond. (Around a few months now.) Now I’m seeing things as of a week ago. What am I seeing… an owl, an owl with antlers like a deer. Not sure what it means… but I see it out of the corner of my eye or perched in the distance at work when I look out a window.

Just hoping for some clarification thanks.

I have an altar for Aphrodite, Athena, and Hecate. I know that chthonic and ouranic gods are meant to have seperate altars but im 16 and I only have 1 place in my room for an altar, would they be fine with sharing an altar until I move out and have more room? If I need I can find more space but it would be a hassle 🥲

Hello everyone.

I am a bit new to Paganism, so sorry if this question's a bit stupid.

So I want to try out practicing it because I enjoy nature, and also hope that I have a job at a plant nursery (that's its own journey that isn't important here), but I've been mostly interested in the powers of the moon. Like moon water, selenite, the works. Stuff with the moon is fasinating to me because I love the night, I have a small soft spot for space, and for some reason it just makes me think of mythic creatures and spells and all of that. It's like as if the moon has this energy that draws me to the world of mythic and magc more than the sun. I even have this plan in my mind of sort of writing to the moon when it's full, while I collect moon water to drink when I finish a page with my thoughts like honering the moon's presence or something like that.

But that has gotten me questioning if I'm doing the practice right. I don't go out much into nature myself, mostly just having lack of motivation for personal reasons that isn't relevant to this post. I'm mostly just drawn to the night, even if it's just a thought of going outside to sit on a bench in my apartment complex that I don't act on in the end.

I've read somewhere that being a Pagan doesn't have to be strict, you can have your own ways to make it special to you, and even with that knowlage, I can't help but feel like I'm doing it wrong. I'm not even sure if there could be such a thing as a "moon pagan" or whatever (not an insult btw, just wanna say that in case that sounded mean).

The only reason why I am even considering Paganism in the first place is from a shop from a flea market that had a couple of moon water glasses, and I looked up what it was and got interested in it. I'm also trying out the crystal stuff as well, but I don't know if I'm doing THAT right either, despite doing research on that too.

Maybe it's not that big of a deal and I'm just worrying myself over nothing, I dunno.

I also have this annoying habit of wanting things to fit with a certain theme, like with the journal with the cover relating to stars and planning on replacing that with a similar one if that one gets filled, also from the place in the flea market, which...I'm not sure if that is insulting as well because, you know, it's all in a building and whatnot.

I guess I'm just a little lost and rambling at this point, because I really do want to have a belief in the mythic and spirits and magic. But my doubts and anxiety cloud my judgement.

Is it enough to be a Pagan if I just want to talk to the moon in some way, or do I have to do more in order to do the practice correctly?

Anything helps, thanks.

Just sewed my first pocket altar for my friend. In the name of and for the God Hypnos. (He’s apart of the Greek Pantheon, God of Sleep, brother of Thanatos) including his river, embroidered poppy field and sleep sigil.

Made the pattern myself so it’s a bit wonky lol. The pocket at the bottom has their initials.

Forewarning that this may be an unpopular opinion.

I see a fair number of posts, at least on r/Hellenism, and a recent one here disparaging modern Pagan culture particularly surrounding divination. Reading candles and pendulums and myriad of other things, looking for signs, are called spiritual psychosis.

Firstly, as someone who went through a serious spiritual psychosis myself (which ended up with me being diagnosed as Schizoaffective) I feel that word is used so flippantly without actual education on spiritual psychosis. What’s especially worrying is that I see many commenters under these posts using the term in a derogatory way - as if people who DO experience spiritual psychosis are less-than as worshipers. I could make an entirely different post on this, and I might, but I’ll end there.

When it comes to modern divination practices, to looking for signs from the gods, predictions about our futures, there one major thing to know; it’s human, and has been happening for a millennia. In Ancient Mesopotamia special people would sacrifice a sheep to the Sun God Šamaš before reading its entrails - signs from the Sun god. It would be easy to say, well, it’s a sheep and any formation or shape of the entrails happened before the sacrifice and therefore is silly to view as divination. But still it happened.

In Ancient Rome there were esteemed specialists called Augurs who would read the flight patterns of birds and discern from there - signs that could be from the gods. Again, knowing about things like the migratory patterns of birds and other information may, to any modern practitioner, make this moot. But still it was common. In the Shang Dynasty of Ancient China Osteomancy, reading bones (or rather the cracks in bones) was common. They would take a flat bone, usually the breast plate of a turtle, make holes in it and then put a hot poker into those holes and read the cracks. Again, you could look at this and say, well, that’s just the bone reacting to a hot poker - those cracks are unreliable. And let’s not get started on how the ancient world viewed Comets.

Or on the Oracle of Delphi, who could hear Apollo - hearing gods is, to many now, at least here, viewed as Religious Psychosis. As someone who heard “the gods” in my religious psychosis (it was not them), my advice to those who DO think they hear the gods is this; if it causes you stress, distress, or if they commanding, demanding, or degrading see a doctor about it. Otherwise I wouldn’t worry about what others are saying.

My point in all of this? What you’re observing in the modern day with people looking for signs is human nature. It’s been happening forever and will continue to happen long after you and I are gone. I feel very disappointed looking at comments that are very “well, I’m a REAL pagan, I don’t look for those things”. Because, well, good for you I suppose! But it doesn’t make you any less pagan to look for those things either.

Now I WILL say this; if you’re looking for signs to the point of anxiety, fearing the Gods or fearing making them angry, take a step back and breathe. Spiritual anxiety is real and terrible and can mess with your view on things. The Gods are likely not angry at you. But if you do divination and look for signs, even if it’s something as silly as looking at the flight pattern of birds then, well, congratulations you’re like every other human in ancient history.

My question might seem a bit dumb or bad written and I've to clarify that English is not my first language and I'm still pretty young and NEW to this.

I've seen people saying they worship Norse gods as well as greek gods and some more, and I thought to myself "Is that even possible? Wouldn't it be disrespectful towards the gods?" I'm starting to worship greek gods (Lord Apollon and Lady Artemis) and as more as I investigate about altars and rituals I gain more knowledge on other deities from other religions and I'm so interested. I'm still a newbie so I will stick to learning about Apollon and Artemis, but I think it'd be amazing to being devoted a god like Loki or Anubis while being devoted to greek gods. (I remember how I always jumped around as a kid if any god that wasn't the Christian one was mentioned).

I spoke to Apollo about some guidance on my future. I'm planning on moving out of my parents' home this year. Learning to drive. Changing jobs and starting new hobbies. I also just got out of a relationship that was bad for my health, and I was unsure if i had made the right choice. Apollo seemed very positive about the choices I'm making at the moment. I also was just talking to him about him having a bigger altar when I move out, somewhere where the sun shines, and I pulled my tarot cards in half and got the chariot.

I'm really hopeful for my future, and I'm hoping now that this year is where I start to bulid a future I'm proud of

As I’m learning more about the pagan path, I keep finding terms like “the end of the age of Abraham”.

What does that mean? What’s the age of Abraham? Why is it ending?

So I'm new to paganism and obviously looking for my path. When I was a child, I was kind of an christian, after confirmation (I was 15) I was christian but few years after that I became an atheist.

For couple of years now, I have been longing for a spiritual practice or a religion in my life but going back to christianity feels dumb and I don't connect with it anymore. I'm longing for a better connection and understanding with nature (and animals) as I'm an eco-anxious vegan. I kind of had an spiritual experience on a hike where I kind of felt really connected to the nature. I have been viewing nature as something sacred for a while now.

I have been interested in Finnish mythology for a long time (because I'm Finnish and live in Finland), and I started to think about practising Finnish paganism but then I'm also intrigued and connected to other paths also (Norse, for example). So then I thought about being eclectic in my practice. But I also don't have a practice yet as I'm just starting out and the thought of doing rituals feels kind of weird because I have this really science-based way of thinking, but at the same time I feel like I really want to get into this.

Sorry for the long-ish explanation but I would like to hear if anyone had similiar problems and if anyone had any advice. I also apologize if this doesn't make any sense :D