About 10 years ago, before the dean of our college would sign my for my graduation, he made me swear a solemn oath that I would only use me powers for good. Talking to several people from my program, NONE of them had to take the same oath.

Anyone else have a similar story?

Wow, that's spooky! Any idea what powers he was talking about?

Nope, can't say I have any similar story.

ahhh, what kind of powers do you have, Crystal???

Are you a witch? You know like on the movie the Craft~~~~~~ with zapping powers or something?~~~~~Do you put spells on people?~~~~~~~

Actually Jamie, I'm a neo-pagan, and yes, I have cast healing spells.

My profession is computer security. When you have access to everything on a network, well, if you are not scrupulously ethical, you can do a lot of damage. you know were all the bodies are burried, so to speak. ... If you are designing the security controls in a system, well, you can put in back doors so you can come back and really do a lot of damage to a system...

Hey vinesqueen would you cast a spell and make me not like ice cream, chocolate and men who are no good for me...Thanks I could use all the help I can get

"I ain't going to church till they get a smoking section"

Define a neo-pagan? I'm just curious!

Me too Jamie, just call me a little backwards or slowww.

There are many classifications within paganism. Think of paganism as a tree from which many practices branch off. Just as there are many denominations of Christianity. Neo Paganism is the branch from which druidry, wiccan, asatru, etc. Many people (because of Hollywood crap) confuse paganism with satanism. And from each of those sprouts even more branches of practices from those. For example: a wiccan branch would also branch off to eclectic wicca, feminine wicca, etc. Actually, satanism is within the realm of a mono-theistic(one higher being) religion rather than the poly-theistic (many gods/goddesses). Many pagans do not even recognize or have little recognition of any type of "satan" other than the gods/goddesses that deal with the more darker sides.

Neo paganism is derived as a form of "new" pagan from the culture and beliefs from ancient paganism. Paganism is also referred to as the "old religion" in which it was in place as the majority belief system before Christianity became the majority belief.

Pagans are extremely tolerant to other faiths (even though they are often not tolerant of ours) and are completely accepting of all that wish to practice without denial.

Think of "casting spells" more in terms of how others "pray". Same basic principle idea. The only thing is that the term "witch" has had such negative press or hollywood glam that is does not give the real true meaning. (case in point: "the Craft" movie... very hoaky but only with some underlying truths into the religion itself)

The best site that I can think of that explains paganism to inquiring minds is http://www.religioustolerance.org/neo_paga.htm hope this answers some of your questions.

Jenna

Yeah, what Jenna said!

Good explanation Jenna.

Cool!! If I were to embrace a religion, that would be it.

Crystal, just wondering...

everyone has a story. When did you start practicing paganism? and why? (gosh, I hope I dont get slammed for this question)

Paula dear, why would you get slammed? That is a perfectly resonable question, if you ask me. Unless you mean by slammed by information... hehehe

My parents were both raised atheists. Both sets of Grandfathers were American Communists in the 1930’s and were heavily involved with the early labor movement. So they were both atheists. Then comes along this little girl with long brown hair with curls who taught herself to read at the age of 4.

Public schools wouldn’t take me for another year, so my parents sent me off to alma Heights Christian Academy, affiliated with Pillar of Fire Ministries. Talk about your culture shock. At school they told me that my parents were going to hell or alternately, that they would be smitten by God. At home, my patents told me that the teachers and staff were misguided and there was no god. my mother also told me later that she wanted me to make up my own mind about things.

When I was about 7, I had this major epiphany during Thursday Chapel. The sermon had to do with the number of days a man has on earth, and how no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless they are perfect. Right then and there, I realized that reincarnation was the only way things worked because there was no way for anyone to attain perfection in such a short amount of time. I figured it would be sort of like repeating a grade because sometime you don’t learn all your lessons and have to come back and learn them again or better. In 1967, this was a radical idea, especially for a little girl going to a religious private school. My parents thought this idea of mine was just one of my little flights of fancy, ranking right up there with my imaginary friend China. (I met here while I was digging a hole to China in my backyard….)

I was forever getting in trouble during prayer because I would not bow my head. I only wanted to look up to heaven to see Jesus. I was told repeatedly that God would smite me dead. Of course, that prompted the question “but I thought you said Jesus was all loving?” and then they would wax joyously about the eternal love and joy of Jesus and God’s love.” To which I would replay, so why do I have to bow my head. “He’ll smite you dead.” At which point I had to point out their fundamental logic flaw. I was eight.

The next step came in 1972 when my parents decided that they needed some sort of spirituality in their lives. They discovered a group called Mind Dynamics (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/eldon.braun/awareness/mind.htma). This really saved their marriage, and stopped the brutal fights they were constantly having. Wolves, remember. After they went through the seminars, they decided that all five of us kids should go through the program as well. It was amazing, given my religious background. I learned about Krishna consciousness, some Buddhism, some Zen, some Taoist philosophy.

About the same time I was learning about these alternative philosophies, I was becoming less and less happy with the teachings I was receiving at school. I was told that I could only be a Mommy, a teacher, a secretary or a nurse. There were no other jobs I could do. And If I wanted to be a mommy, I couldn’t do anything else. I knew these were lies because my Aunt was a doctor and my mother worked with computers (mainframes) and she was still my mommy. I also got sent out of math class because they were teaching the boys how to use slide rules. Since I was a girl, I was never going to do anything technical anyway, and it would have been a waste of time teaching me that skill. (Hah! Showed them!) One of the other things they taught me, that I knew was a lie, was that angels literally lived on the clouds in the sky. And that if you could go up there, you would see them. Because I was an airline brat, I flew all the time. And no one I ever spoke to had ever seen an angel on the puffy white clouds with wings and a harp and a night gown. Ever. Although I do firmly believe that I met an angel when my sisters and I got bumped off a flight in a strange little town. This man in a brown suit bought us dinner and then just walked away.

Anyway. It was the combination of the eastern philosophies and the strict Christian doctrine that helped me form my own belief system. I’ve been a neo-pagan for my entire adult life, even before I had a term for it. My husband is a Christian, by the way. He doesn’t really think I’m a neo-pagan, he’s convinced that I’m more of an animist, because I believe that everything has a soul and in the divinity of everything. If one possesses a soul, then one is touched by the godhead. If one is touched by the godhead, then one is divine.

The basis for animism is acknowledgment that there is a spiritual realm which humans share the universe with. The concepts that humans possess souls and that souls have life apart from human bodies before and after death are central to animism, along with the ideas that animals, plants, and celestial bodies have spirits. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/animism/beliefs.html

Vinesqueen

I read the WHOLE thing..Absolutely fasincating.. Seriously intriguing.

In church (like you not bowing your head) I refuse to say "It is right to give him thanks & praise" instead i say"It is good to give him thanks & praise."

I figure God is all forgiving & won't deny those who don't praise & always give thanks. But that he will reward those who do.. thats why I say its Good not necessarly right. Get it? Silly but I 've been like that since I was around 10. I was raised Catholic but practice Methodist for the past 8 years.

I think how you have expanded your knowlege of so many religious beliefs is great & really really cool;0)

I read the whole thing too. Loved it!

I knew you had a story, and knew it would be a good one! Thanks for sharing.

Has your husband ever tried to get you to sway towards christianity?