Allow me to reintroduce myself
So I don't know if or when I might be posting to this blog. It's kind of the one I have the least commitment to. It's funny how it all progresses. You open an account at one stage of your life, build a life around it, get busy, and the next thing you know, your interests have shifted and you no longer want to be the social reblogger of other people's ideas you once were.
This blog was previously dubbed "Color Me Gothic," but I'm just not passionate about it anymore, and a secondary blog on this account gained a lot more interaction, so I am dedicating my time there. As the new title might suggest, @paganquestions has something to do with Paganism! Specifically, it's about neopagan questions and answers. It's a safe place people can go to ask questions about Paganism and neopaganism, but I don't really get to talk about my own life there so much as advise on what the religion calls for as an experienced practitioner.
My history with religion is broad and thorough. I grew up as a Jew in a Jewish and Protestant Christian household, going to temple during childhood, and church in my teens and early twenties, but consistently finding solace in Paganism throughout that time. I practiced first as a Wiccan but found some faults with Wicca, so I have come (like many) to practice neopagan witchcraft ever since. I still identify as a Jew and also observe many Jewish customs and I'm an agnostic spiritualist. I study most world religions and their scriptures. I have a passion for Taoism, Islam, Shinto, and Buddhism. I grew up alongside a Native American community and I share beliefs, stories, and customs rooted in campfire legends and star gazing stories. I also grew up with my father telling me the greatest hits of Greek myths while explaining the map of the stars. From this vantage point, I have found myself particularly successful discussing religious topics.
I attempt to provide advice and insight from a very central perspective, and I often use Celtic metaphors given that much of Wiccan and neopagan conversation centers around Celtic and Norse lineages while mixing in Greek pantheon mythos. As a person who grew up between cultures and has a deep understanding and appreciation for white privilege and varied views of appropriation, I attempt to respect Wiccan and neopagan beliefs while drawing boundaries and creating understanding from a North American perspective. It's a tall order.
Giving advice on a religion and walking that narrow cultural line does take its tole often, so I am partitioning @pagananswers off from @paganquestions as a way to express and explore my own Pagan views, post art, and blog daily life as a neopagan Jew (mostly the pagan part, obviously). I also have a separate blog with a more secular approach @thefallenshelf where I discuss gardening, political views, and daily life as a physically disabled queer 30something woman in a heterosexual monogamous relationship, adjusting to career changes, cohabitating, and the wonderful world of "What do I do now?" that comes with a career-ending spinal injury. Whaaaat?
Feel free to check any of these blogs out as I am bound to focus more on one than another at any given time and if you like one, you're likely to enjoy at least one of the others. Feel free at any time to submit a respectful question. I love to interact. I'll catch you on the other side. Peace :-)
