Posted: 12/21/2009 10:11:54 AM EDT
Pagans
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Quoted: Quoted: Are there really that many "Pagans" left? Depends upon what/who you consider a "Pagan." Some hold that most of the world's population is pagan in belief/practice... I dunno. It's been a long time since I've heard somebody say "so mote it be", or profess a belief in Woden, or whatever. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Are there really that many "Pagans" left? Depends upon what/who you consider a "Pagan." Some hold that most of the world's population is pagan in belief/practice... I dunno. It's been a long time since I've heard somebody say "so mote it be", or profess a belief in Woden, or whatever. Wotan was also correct  |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Are there really that many "Pagans" left? Depends upon what/who you consider a "Pagan." Some hold that most of the world's population is pagan in belief/practice... I dunno. It's been a long time since I've heard somebody say "so mote it be", or profess a belief in Woden, or whatever. Wotan was also correct I couldn't remember which it was, so I googled it real quick. One of those "Did I do that right?" moments.  |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Are there really that many "Pagans" left? Depends upon what/who you consider a "Pagan." Some hold that most of the world's population is pagan in belief/practice... I dunno. It's been a long time since I've heard somebody say "so mote it be", or profess a belief in Woden, or whatever. Wotan was also correct I couldn't remember which it was, so I googled it real quick. One of those "Did I do that right?" moments. Odin, Wotan, Woden, Wodan are all correct just depends on what each individual Germanic tribe called him. |
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And a Joyous Solstice to yourself. Happy Saturnalia, Merry Christmas, Froehliche Weihnachten, Gledileg Jol, Nollaig Shona Dhuit, Nadolig Llawen.
Hanukkah is over, so never mind. My Lebanese wife's family is mostly Christian and I have no idea what the Druze holidays are. ETA - Imbolc is coming up in a little over a month, and that's a whole bunch more interesting holiday. Hail Brigit, patroness of healing, poetry and smithcraft! (gunsmithing is still smithcraft, right?) 
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Some cool history I stole from another website: In pagan Scandinavia the winter festival was the yule (or juul). Great yule logs were burned, and people drank mead around the bonfires listening to minstrel-poets singing ancient legends. It was believed that the yule log had the magical effect of helping the sun to shine more brightly. Mistletoe, which was sacred because it mysteriously grew on the most sacred tree, the oak, was ceremoniously cut and a spray given to each family, to be hung in the doorways as good luck. The celtic Druids also regarded mistletoe as sacred. Druid priests cut it from the tree on which it grew with a golden sickle and handed it to the people, calling it All-Heal. To hang it over a doorway or in a room was to offer goodwill to visitors. Kissing under the mistletoe was a pledge of friendship. Mistletoe is still forbidden in most Christian churches because of its Pagan associations, but it has continued to have a special place in home celebrations. In the third century various dates, from December to April, were celebrated by Christians as Christmas. January 6 was the most favoured day because it was thought to be Jesus' baptismal day (in the Greek Orthodox Church this continues to be the day to celebrate Christmas). Around 350, December 25 was adopted in Rome and gradually almost the entire Christian Church agreed to that date, which coincided with Winter Solstice, the Yule and the Saturnalia. The merry side of Saturnalia was adopted to the observance of Christmas. By 1100 Christmas was the peak celebration of the year for all of Europe. During the 16th century, under the influence of the Reformation, many of the old customs were suppressed and the Church forbade processions, colourful ceremonies, and plays. |
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Are there really that many "Pagans" left? Depends upon what/who you consider a "Pagan." Some hold that most of the world's population is pagan in belief/practice...
I dunno. It's been a long time since I've heard somebody say "so mote it be", or profess a belief in Woden, or whatever. I know a few people that follow the Norse belief system. I personally follow an Irish/Celtic one. So yes, I am quite Pagan and "so mote it be" is about as much wiccan bullshit as the "rule of three" Gardner needs beaten to death with a wet noodle. |
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I knows a few "pagans" of assorted types but not too many. The older you get the fewer you know since it seems to mostly a highschool/early college thing. Or maybe they just shut up about it as they get older, and stop wearing all black with crystals hanging everywhere. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: That would be Wiccan, and no, just not ignorant. Monotheist Plus your mean.  There's that ignorance again. Also hypocrisy, from the troll.  Btw, it's "you're". I don't remember peeing in your Cheerios, what's with all the name calling?  Can't we just have a fun thread about Pagans without someone getting upset? Now I am rethinking my Happy Summer Solstice thread.
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Quoted: I don't remember peeing in your Cheerios, what's with all the name calling? Can't we just have a fun thread about Pagans without someone getting upset?Now I am rethinking my Happy Summer Solstice thread. What's with the faces every time you mention pagans? Religious intolerance? What's "fun" about mocking other people's religions? That's trolling, to my understanding. |
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Quoted: Quoted: I don't remember peeing in your Cheerios, what's with all the name calling? Can't we just have a fun thread about Pagans without someone getting upset?Now I am rethinking my Happy Summer Solstice thread. What's with the faces every time you mention pagans? Religious intolerance? What's "fun" about mocking other people's religions? That's trolling, to my understanding. Sorry the is so offensive....but I did discuss the Yule log  , plus the is what I do, it's my trademark in GD and people do it back to me. |
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I knows a few "pagans" of assorted types but not too many. The older you get the fewer you know since it seems to mostly a highschool/early college thing. Or maybe they just shut up about it as they get older, and stop wearing all black with crystals hanging everywhere. No most of the people I knew who were pagans moved on to other religions or being nonreligious as they got older. |
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No most of the people I knew who were pagans moved on to other religions or being nonreligious as they got older. Ah, ok. Know one that was Catholic/Discordian/Catholic/Agnostic/generic Christian/Catholic. The dude's a little messed up. Most of the others finally got real jobs and inlaws and I have no idea what they are. I guess I'm either atheist or reconstructionist druidic and have been for 25 years or so. Probably the only pagan to demonstrate FOR Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility. I made up a sign that said "Peace through superior firepower" (and checked my spelling) while the other damn Boulder hippies were trying to block the railroad track that carried shipments. Dumbasses. If those trains wanted to get through, a bunch of squishy hippies wouldn't have slowed it down. The deputy sheriffs that were keeping an eye on them told me it was probably a good idea if I just moved along. They were grinning when they said it, but a single 17 year old really wouldn't have stood much of a chance against a bunch of squishy hippies. By the gods of my people, I miss the Cold War and Ronald Reagan. |
