Pagans, please explain your faith

dlamberth said:

Thanks, I do have more questions.

I think I'm understanding that the window you are pointing towards is consciousness. I hope that's right as I ask my question with that in mind. What I'm wondering now is how does that work for you as experienced through "panpsychism as a form of neo-animism"? Innwardly, what's going on for you there.

I hope my question makes sense.

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Panpsychism asserts that consciousness is some sort of fundamental building block that exists in tiny pieces that can be built up to a level of complexity eventually reaching our own (as its one solution to the hard problem of consciousness); but if we're at one level, it follows that other things are at a different level, maybe not so complex, or maybe not with any clear complexity. However these building blocks might also count for some sort of spiritual agency in nature. In my view, its essentially materialistic while giving a potential viable explanation to how objects may come to possess a spiritual spark. Does that make sense?

Keep in mind this is a very loose working theory and hasn't been put through any deep philosophical rigor, as I am still exploring other questions this one has sort of fallen by the wayside.

Unofficial Reverand Alex said:

Could you share some of it?

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No scriptures, though some reconstructionists for specific faiths such as Hellenism often may refer to ancient texts of Homer, Hesiod, Plato and so on; they're not held to the same scriptural authority that the Bible or Quran would be held to. There are some books and reference texts that help people kick off their religious journey though.

Like awitch, I keep my own document that's a book of shadows (sort of a personal religious manual) and a journal; its filled with thoughts on religion but also a written system of correspondences, useful religious symbols, ritual structure and more. While this isn't a given for pagans, it is more common among Wiccans and eclectic practitioners.

It's the only really compiled manual of my religious thoughts in one space, someday I will transplant it to a digital medium but its sort of erratic by nature, its something I've poured quite a bit of energy into.

Most Pagan faiths don’t have and didn’t have religious texts this would be excluding Hinduism, Bhuddism, and Zoroastrianism, apart from that the Greeks, Romans, Vikings and those like them didn’t have scriptures some weren’t even organized faiths. I used to be a pagan for a short while after searching for a new religion other than the one my family had. As a pagan I used to believe in multiple deities that could get married have kids, fight, form plots against each other, and etc. I still have an idol of the pagan goddess Ishtar, nowadays she’s just decoration and over looked by the cross and icons on the shelf across her.

There I stood

I stand bewildered
Uneducated and alone
I heard a cry in the streets
There I listened to wisdom's tone

She was calm
She was clear
I heard as she spoke
Someone is near

I looked to hear
I looked to see
Then she said
I am speaking to thee

She explained
In court I can not see
Out on the street
My eyes go before me

Al Masihi said:

Most Pagan faiths don’t have and didn’t have religious texts this would be excluding Hinduism, Bhuddism, and Zoroastrianism, apart from that the Greeks, Romans, Vikings and those like them didn’t have scriptures some weren’t even organized faiths. I used to be a pagan for a short while after searching for a new religion other than the one my family had. As a pagan I used to believe in multiple deities that could get married have kids, fight, form plots against each other, and etc. I still have an idol of the pagan goddess Ishtar, nowadays she’s just decoration and over looked by the cross and icons on the shelf across her.

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That's pretty interesting; I know a few people who are interested in Sumerian or Mesopotamian reconstruction but the sourcing for good information in English is kind of limited.

Unofficial Reverand Alex said:

Thanks again for your input. Here's my next question: Do you use any sort of holy books, or sacred text? Or is there a particular kind of literature that you draw extra inspiration from?

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I'm very interested in humanity's spiritual and philosophical heritage, even if most of it is now outdated and purely historical. But no, there's no text I regard as extra-special. They are all relevant to our quest for understanding.