Pagan 101

Welcome to Pagan 101: A safe place to ask questions! The Ask box is currently closed This tumblr blog is here to answer any and all of your pagan (or witchcraft) related questions. The moderators here have all been approved by the tumblr pagan community at large. You will not be yelled at for asking questions. It doesn't matter what they're about, we're here to be a resource you can go to without worrying about repercussions or being looked down on. So, ask us. We're here to help.

[pagan101]

I am still sorta new to our practice and have been having a really hard time finding other people to talk to about my questions/in general. Do you know any site or group that I would be able to find people willing to help a new pagan on her journey?

-- pumpkinspicebrownies 

I don't necessarily have anywhere in general to send you to, but I know that many people are often willing to help out. I'll put out a call and see if anyone answers. Were you looking for any flavor of paganism in particular?

-- BookofWisdom (Canaanite polytheist)

I can't think of any groups or other sites outside of tumblr, but there are plenty of 101 type pagan blogs out there. You can take a look at this list from Just Another 101 Blog to find more.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

I've never claimed a God, but recently I've felt really drawn to Loki in particular. I've heard some really disconcerting things about him from other people, like that they feel uncomfortable when dealing with him or most pagans avoid him, which makes me weary of learning more about him, let alone approaching him. I don't know what to do, am I being misled?

-- miss--flowers

Honestly? I'd say look into him. Do research, talk to some Lokeans, and see how you're feeling about it. I know quite a few people who worship Loki, and you certainly don't have to avoid him. If at any point in your researching you find something that makes you feel uncomfortable or that screams Not-For-Me, then stop, but I find the occasional practice of seeing Loki as some great evil not helpful.

I mean, I have a deity in my pantheon that I don't like to mention, but I'm perfectly aware that other people may be 100% a-okay with him. Everyone's worship is very personal and dependent on themselves.

-- BookofWisdom (Canaanite polytheist)

[pagan101]

What do you know of Avalon?

--Anonymous

I personally only know a very little about Avalon. It's a mystical island from Arthurian legend where Excalibur was forged. If I'm remembering correctly Arthur went there after a battle to rest from his wounds and is said never died but sleeps there until needed again. But this is all I know about it. Maybe some of our followers know more?

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

Is any of the lore on CWs Supernatural real? I know a lot of it is supposed to be based on the Key of Solomon, but I'm curious how much of the angels and demons stuff they put on the show is actually based on real stuff

-- Anonymous

The show as a whole is fiction, but there are quite a few things that are based on actual facts and historical information but for the most part, the writers find their inspiration for story lines from myth, and then embellish it to make it more entertaining for a television audience. 

--TheWitchyandtheturtle

[pagan101]

So I have recently started following the Norse pantheon, and the emphasis they place on oaths made me think. I chose to be baptized at a young age, so by not following Yahweh anymore, am i an oath breaker? I think he has been punishing me for it too.

-- lofndottir

I'm not a Norse based Pagan so I can't speculate on whether or not this would make you an oath breaker. I'm not really familiar with the idea of what that is on more than a surface level. I don't know if baptism and oathing are equal nor do I know under what circumstances you were baptized.

You could try seeking someone like grumpylokeanelder or thorswoman's advice, but at the moment that's all I can point you towards. Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

do you know of any deities where their gender is either ambiguous, nonexistent, or changes often? thank you!

--queerpropaganda

Hermaphroditus - Hermaphroditus is two-sexed and the origin for the word Hermaphrodite.

Agdistis - A two-sexed deity who castrated herself.

Dionysus - Dionysus is often described as androgynous.

Loki - A shape shifter who has given birth in a female form.

Ishi-Kore - A transgendered Kami.

Inari - A shape shifting Kami who has taken on the form of both genders.

Guanyin - A Bodhisattva who shows up in both male and female form.

Lan Caihe - A deity whose gender is unknown. Usually depicted in gender ambiguous clothing.

If anyone knows of other gender ambiguous, multi-gendered, or agendered deities, chime in!

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

So This is the End

I am stepping down from P101 as of this post. I enjoyed my time here and I am glad I was able to help people. 

If you want to still see me answering questions you will have to come directly to my blog. 

I am just sick of being bullied for trying to do my job when there is literally no one else there. 

Whether anyone knows it or not, Pagan101 has 2 people actively working. 

Congratulations WhoreofAbaddon, Soloontherocks, and the slew of others that have refused countless times to accept my apologies for any misinformation I seem to be awesome at spreading, you have won. 

--TheWitchyandtheTurtle

[pagan101]

So, I've been drawn to honoring Thor lately, but I'm (mainly) a pacifist; I try to look to violence only as an absolute last resort and only in retaliation for previous violence. Would my non-violence offend him? I know the Norse gods seem to be pretty into fighting...

--Anonymous

I wouldn't say that the Norse Deities are into Fighting (I am not a follower of this pantheon, just going by what I have seen from that community) I would say that the Norse are into Self Preservation and Honor and sticking up for yourself. I don't think the Norse Gods (well, not all of them anyway, there very well may be a couple who do) enjoy just walking about and fighting with everyone they see randomly on the street. I think they try to find justified means for their acts of Violence or fighting or what have you. 

--TheWitchyandtheturtle

[pagan101]

I'm wanting to inniciate myself into norse paganism, and I have yet to choose a patron deity. I'm drawn both to Mimir and Saga, but I do not know if it's possible to have any of them as a patron deity, because there isn't much reference to them in the Eddas and I don't think there was an organized cult for them... What do you think?

-- Anonymous

I'll preface this with the fact that I am not a Norse based Pagan nor do I have any experience with Norse gods, but I think if a deity or entity exists, you can worship it. If there aren't any preexisting cults or traditions, you may have to gather the resources available on them and come up with your own ideas. But I think it's possible. Since I'm not involved with Norse deities, I'm afraid I can't give you any more advice than that. I suggest approaching someone like grumpylokeanelder for further help.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

Hi! I'm a bit new at this, but I've done some research and experimentation over the past few months, trying to figure out which direction I should go. I feel like I have an ok grasp on energy manipulation, but I'd also like to incorporate my love of gardening and cooking into my craft. Is there some specific subset of witchery that deals with what I want, or should I pull from two or three separate "types" ? Thank you so much for helping a newbie out!

--Anonymous

Cottage witchcraft may incorporate both gardening and cooking. It's craft involving the home and that could possibly extend to the garden. There's also green witchcraft and kitchen witchcraft, each of which deals with gardening and cooking separately. For search purposes, I think any of those could work, and I'd track all three tags. For labeling purposes, I'd suggest investigating each of those to discover which fits you best.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

I'm seeing signs of angels everywhere. I'm having dreams about angels, almost every time I turn on the radio a song with the word angel will play, I stumble across angel related stuff when I'm on the internet and not intending to and other things... I just know this is some sort of flashing neon sign but I don't understand what it's supposed to say. Any help with a direction I should go in to figure all this out?

--emeraldthunder

You could look into Archangels and Biblical Lore. My first instinct is to tell you that you have a Guardian looking after you and they want to be recognized. 

--TheWitchyandtheturtle

If you want to ask someone on tumblr about angels I would point you to whoreofabaddon or carpeumbra. You can try a few of these links to help with your research, but I am by no means an expert on angels and thus cannot verify how good they are.I do not know if one should do anything in particular if an angel makes itself known, but either of the two users I pointed you to above may know if there is.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

Hello! I have become very interested in paganism and have read some books and researched and whatnot. But, I am still pretty confused as to how exactly to get into it and what steps are among the first+ I need to take. Can you help?

--Anonymous

Here's the link to our resources. The first section should be useful to you as it addresses first steps and general pagan basics. You could also utilize the other sections in exploring the various branches of paganism as you move forward. It's a long journey so buckle yourself in and get ready for a ride!

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

I consider myself to be a newborn Lokean, but I am very attracted to Apollo, since I connect to music very well. It's been on my mind for days, and since I don't exactly know the Greek texts/myths/etc, how do I approach Apollo?

--Anonymous

Here's the theoi.com page on Apollo! I think learning about a deity's mythology is a big step towards making a connection to them. Get to know Apollo. I also recommend reading these articles.

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

I feel very connected to the Moon and especially Diana. This urge to work with her is unstoppable and I'm always fascinated by the moon and would love to do offerings for her and possibly just connect with her. Is there any way to do so? Would you recommend astral traveling? Also, what should I offer her, and during what Moon phases?

-- sleepyforestfairy

I don't really have any experience with astral traveling so I can't tell you whether or not that's a good idea. I'm also no expert on Diana, but as a Goddess of the hunt and wilderness, you could offer her deer meat or representations of deer, bow and/or arrows (full sized or not), representations of dogs, representations of the moon, flowers, and I may have read somewhere that oak was sacred to her, but I'm not 100% on that. Other than that you have your standard wine, water, and bread options. I don't know whether or not Romans placed any emphasis on the moon phases, but if they didn't there should be plenty of Wiccan sources out there on the matter that you can use if you choose to incorporate them into your worship of Diana.

If there are any Roman based Pagans or followers of Diana out there who can help sleepyforestfairy out, please chime in!

--the-brambled-way

[pagan101]

Here's another ask for you: I hear a lot about house wights. Can someone tell me more about them? Are they in all houses? What do they do?

-- lilith-epona

I asked GLE a bit about house wights, and he stated that:

"there are so many different kinds that there's not much of an all-encompassing thing other than "they tend to do chores, different kinds have different taboos, but for the most part they like you leaving grains/porridge with butter and cream/milk out for them, and also they are repelled by human bodily wastes." Some like clothing and small gifts, some get offended by that. Some get mad if you don't thank them, some get mad if you do. Brownies, Tomte and Nisse, Kobolds, all different kind of house vaettir."

He also recommended looking in to Kveldulf Gundarsson's Elves Wights and Trolls, reading the folklore of the region that you're interested in and checking out these various tags.

-Devo/TTR

[pagan101]

I feel very draw to the Goddess Bat, but I'm not really sure what to offer her? I've read that water and bread are fine for pretty much all Egyptian Gods, but I know that Bat is also associated with the stars. Do you have any ideas on what to give a celestial deity? Also, if it's okay to ask two questions, what can I do to become closer to my deity?

-- nerwenss

For starting off, you can approach and offering various NTR pretty much the same things. The Egyptians liked to keep their rituals and offerings pretty standardized- so I always recommend starting there and branching out as you feel more comfortable.

Links and resources that may help:

Henadology

Saying Hello to NTRW

Kemetic starter guide

Kemetic offering guide

Making Bright’s Resources Page

Mystical Bewilderment’s 101 & Guides Page

Satsekhem’s Resource List

Becoming closer will depend on your own personal practice style and what the deity has in store for you. I found that making an effort to sit in shrine and talk with the gods every day helped to strengthen my connection to them and that it helped me to hear them better, too.

After a while, my gods had 984756985476 plans for me- and then I gained more closeness through that- so it really depends. Find some activities that make you think of your gods, and perhaps try doing those as well. Eventually, it becomes easier to figure out how to become closer.

Hope that helps! -Devo/TTR

[pagan101]

Can someone help me with the basics of kemeticism? I feel like I rushed into everything to quickly. What should I be saying to the Netjer when offering? A rite? I'm really unsure and hope I didn't offend them the first time..

-- Anonymous

No worries! Odds are you haven't offended anyone. The NTRW are often pretty laid back and easy going :) 

For resources on Kemeticism, I recommend the following:

Henadology

Saying Hello to NTRW

Kemetic starter guide

Kemetic offering guide

Making Bright’s Resources Page

Mystical Bewilderment’s 101 & Guides Page

Satsekhem’s Resource List

Gods and God-phones 101

If you have questions, most Kemetics' ask boxes are open. And if you leave questions in the #kemetic tag, we often find them :>

-Devo/TTR