Paganism

I once asked a horse whisperer if he could help with the arthritis in my hands; he held my hands for a while and when I went back to the car I all but got an electric shock from it as I touched the door. Make of that what you will, but it's never happened since. I've had Reiki a couple of times and each time I've felt very warm in that part of my body, as if the circulation has been improved. Can't say if the arthritis was any better for it but in both cases there was some sort of physical change due to the treatment. I was told that Reiki practitioners can't recieve payment but can have gifts.

Nothing to do with the subject, but I often get a shock up my arm when I open the car door on a hot day - static electricity?

I did have a strange experience once when I was chatting to a reiki practitioner.

I asked him how it worked and he demonstrated by running his hand down my arm about six inches above my bare skin. I was sceptical and therefore surprised to suddenly feel a strong tingling in my arm.

Sympathetic magic, isn't it? Mystic gestures, and sometimes mumbled incantations... recorded whale 'music'... candles...

From the Skeptics Dictionary : "The word 'pagan' is derived from the Latin word for country dweller. The pagans were the Greek and Roman polytheists who followed the cults of Mithra, Venus, Apollo, Demeter, etc. Today, however, Christians generally reserve the appellation for those who belong to no religion or who belong to one of the New Age nature religions or anti-Christian cults."

Thanks for the links, Silverfish. The first gives me 'not found' and the second appears to be a blog (in Japanese) which in this case is about a cat. I can't find 'Reiki' in my Japanese dictionary. Wiki says Usui invented Reiki in 1922. I believe some people do have the power to heal but not sure if it has anything to do with whatever Reiki is. I often get static shocks from my car door handle and from my hair on cold dry days. You can make your cat bristle by stroking it with a silk hanky.

Each to their own. Terrible things have been done throughout history in the name of religion. All of them.

My mother went on a very determined quest to find a religion that suited her, from when I was about ten, and she hauled me along with her to everything because she was too shy to go alone, I think. I saw some pretty strange things and met some very odd people. I would have loved to have believed in a few of them, but simply couldn't.

Wicca's World (so called by a young priestess not much older than me when in our teens) was the one that appealed most, although there was a Paganist group in the same area at the time we didn't like the sort of things they got up to, but in the end I really don't believe in any of them but do like most of the moral guidance provided by the CofE, apart from its stance on homosexuality, and its misogyny. It's a very flexible and forgiving religion.

My mother and two of my sisters, however, are now spiritualists and my mother married the worst medium I have ever come across. Lovely man, and very kind, but oh dear...

So I have to put up with a visiting sister saying things like 'nanna is just behind your right shoulder, she says how lovely to see us all together.' To which my usual reply is that I didn't invite her. I get quite irked because they keep trying to convert me. Their argument is that I have a closed mind, but I don't. I had years to study and watch, and made my own rather too well- informed (by any standards) opinion.

There are definitely times of grief when I wished I did have something that I could believe in, but my brain tells me that it's simply not logical. Science has even come up with an explanation for the light at the end of the tunnel that I saw when I was having a bad time during childbirth, and that was my last doubt finally eradicated.

Lilygran, Usui may have founded (not invented ) reiki in 1922 but it is an ancient Japanese healing from hundred of years ago. Just type in 'reiki' to google and you will find lots of sites. Hope you do as its a lovely thing to practice and most people love having a treatment.

I agree, Silverfish.

I do not charge for reiki but many people do as they say that they have to live, so the giving of reiki or any holistic treatment is an exchange where they do the treatment and are given money. It is also said that if we give a free treatment then it is not appreciated by the client, whereas if they had to find the money they would value the treatment more.
I understand London prices for reiki is about £30-£60 a treatment and where I live its about £20.
I do not mumble or chant, stay silent unless the client speaks to me and yes I play new age music but its relaxing and calming, however if someone wanted to play pop music or classical then I would do so.
Many people think its a fraud but they are entitled to think what they like, however, everyone I have treated has felt a heat or tingling sensation as I do the treatment. By the way you do not take off your clothes nor do I.

I don't think there is a better religion to follow than Christianity. Not in any narrow way, but in the broader sense. If you live your life as Jesus intended you to, it would be a very kind, honest way to live, not very easy however,because we are not naturally made that way, but I can't think of a better.Forget the church rulebooks though, go to church if you want to, or not at all, it's not as if we can't follow Christianity any other way because we can.It IS hard to believe in life after death, it doesn't seem logical, but then we just don't know anything much really do we?Life, death, the nature of the universe, how and why all was created, it's still a mystery to us.I would say don't get drawn into things [paganism, druidism etc] just because you are searching for some meaning to your life.
Somebody once said [who?] 'when people stop believing in God, they don't then believe in nothing, but in everything!' Which is true.As Dave Allen used to say ' Goodbye, and may your God go with you'.

I do remember him saying that, although I was very young - or maybe they were re-runs? And I thought, what a sensible and wise man.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

I know this is an old thread, but........
I am pagan and proud of it. I do not have any issues with people who follow other religions or paths. Everybodies beliefs are valid for them, and that is all that matters.
I would like to point out that paganism predates christianity and a lot of pagan rituals and celebrations have evolved or been adapted as christian.

Also, when you look at how many wars have been and still are fought in the name of religion, pagans do not figure.
As to witchcraft, all witches are pagan, but not all pagans are witches.

I am a witch and basically I work with herbs and candles and revere this planet we live on. I would never cause harm to anyone or anything.

Tiggums26, my daughter is pagan as are most of her close friends. Although her lifestyle is different to mine, I respect her choices and the things she stands up for in her life. Her (late) closest friend was a witch.

There are lots of interesting and colourful beliefs out there but none that I am interested in. I am more informed about Christianity because I live in a Christian country. What worries me about some of the beliefs is what is done in their name. From that point of view Paganism seems quite benign to me.

jingle, is turning someone into a pillar of salt as a punishment merely for looking over her shoulder as she runs away from the destruction of her home any more believable than a god of thunder?

Sorry – I hadn't noticed that there were lots more posts after your comment about Thor.

I think Humanism is the way to go. I went to a humanist funeral last summer and it was beautiful.

Well I suppose all these beliefs are harmless enough, but still... can you really see that 'working with candles and herbs' is going to have any effect at all on a planet that couldn't care less about its being able to support this strange infestation called 'life'?

Whitewave - you do know that Christians are a minority in this country now? Or are you perhaps somewhere in the Bible Belt of the USA?

Even if there is only one left, that still matters to a city. God took notice of that in the bible.

My friend is a witch - a priestess, so she can perform marriages and so on. I went to her wedding some years ago - a beautiful ceremony on a hillside in Kent (a "significant" place) at sunset on October 21st - a "significant" date.

A week later my daughter (who had also been at the other wedding) was married in a lovely big garrison church, where ancient battle honours hung, with all the military ceremony - swords, uniforms, music.

Both marriages seemed to me to be equally valid, although my daughter's was the most moving because she's my daughter!

Anyone can perform a wedding anywhere but it has to be registered to make it legally valid. If you don't have a church wedding that means going to the register office or having the registrar at the ceremony - if it's in a place licensed to hold weddings.

Perhaps there is a bit of the pagan in most of us. I have splashed water from an ancient spring in Herefordshire on my leg excema (it worked) and kissed the thorn tree at Glastonbury. (not sure that was supposed to do) (there was no one else near at the time )