One of the women in a forum I frequent asked us all if we would be willing to talk a little bit about our faiths. She is a former Christian, and recently joined a Christian Forum to face some of what she had left behind. So I thought I would share mine. Keep in mind though, my beliefs are very personal to myself, and I don;t want to hear anyone criticize me. I won't tolerate it.
Without further ado, here it is:
My path can be difficult to understand, and it raises eyebrows from both christian and pagan communities. I make no excuses, nor am I ashamed, for these beliefs are my own. I believe in God, and Jesus Christ. I have since I was a child. I was brought up going to all sorts of churches, be it baptist, or protestant, I even (briefly) attended the church of ladder day saints as a child. I love them, worship them, and give praise and thanks often. However, I also believe in my Goddess, the mother of both heaven and earth. Some believe she was God's wife. I also give praise to her. I worship her, and talk with her. To be honest I feel much more connected to my Goddess, and this is the reason I find it hard to attend a traditional christian church.
I believe in a forgiving God. I don't think he is as hateful and judgmental as some christian's make him out to be. I'm not sure if I believe in hell either. I'm pretty sure though, if hell does exist, that it's not eternal. I don't believe God would damn an individual to an eternity of torture. I think hell is more the absence of heaven than a fiery pit. Who can say for sure? I know that the Bible was written by man, and therefore, contains man made errors, and man made influences. It is also centuries old, and quite often is mistranslated, to suit the beliefs of current individuals, and their politics. I take it as a guide, not as my only source of insight.
For those who are wondering, I celebrate the 8 Sabbaths, as well as the christian holidays, and give praise and worship to the respected individual. My Goddess gets the Sabbaths, and God would receive Christmas, and Easter, and so on. I also celebrate the sun and the moon, and can oftentimes be found outside once a month standing under the full moon, performing a tiny ritual, basking in the glow, and soaking up its energy for the month ahead.
I have an altar set up in my home. On it are candles that represent the four elements, as well as a candle to represent God, and my Goddess, and then I have two that sit upon a stone that represent whichever season we are currently in. It also holds my sage, my tarot cards, my crystal, and a small cross to represent Jesus. I don't typically do traditional offerings on my altar, I find it more of a quiet meditating sort of space. I stand in front of it and light my candles for added peace and positive energy. I also perform the occasional spell work (though rarely).
I would be classified as a Green Witch. I base my path off of the world around us, I believe everything has a soul, even the dandelions growing in the front yard. My offerings consist of giving back in the form of a compost pile outside. I do my best to keep my carbon footprint at a minimum, and I try to take a few minutes each day to celebrate the earth around us. I would rather heal myself with herbs than pills. I think everyone has a right to worship in their own way, and this is the way I choose.
I could go on for a couple more pages, but I will stop it here. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I am very much an open book.
