Community Profile

Mission Statement:

spiritual_pagan is a "non-denominational" forum created to fill a perceived gap in the pagan LJ community: an environment where followers of diverse traditions can feel comfortable sharing and discussing their personal sprituality, philosophy, and religious ideas. You are invited to join whether you consider yourself Wiccan or Thelemic, novice or minister, pantheist or nontheist, traditional or eclectic, confirmed pagan or still a seeker; in fact, anyone (including nonpagans) with a strong interest in this aspect of pagan experience is welcome here...as long as you are willing to be respectful and openminded towards perspectives and practices different from your own.

We are interested in discussion of the divine principle, theology, relationship and connection with our gods/goddesses/the universe; philosophical questions and exploration; integration of spiritual and "mundane" life; personal struggle, healing and growth; and what it means to all of us as individuals to follow a pagan path. Firsthand "testimony" as well as intellectual discourse is relevant here...come share your stories along with your ideas and theories.

Because the reality of one's inner life is so personal and so close to one's heart, many will feel uncomfortable talking about their spiritual experience on a personal level. As moderator, I hope this can become a place where members have a sense of "safeness" in this respect. If you are interested in the concepts mentioned above but feel nervous about self-disclosure, please feel free to join and participate at your comfort level, whatever that may be.

Guidelines:

As this community was created to fill a specific niche, please keep these in mind when posting to spiritual_pagan. There are many other communities where the topics listed below are valid and appropriate subjects of discussion, and we by no means intend to imply that said topics are unimportant; merely that they are out of place here.

While we love long, involved, thoughtful posts...that's what the community's all about, really...we do ask that you try to place the bulk of lengthier posts behind an lj-cut. For information on how to do this and use other common HTML tags in Livejournal, we recommend the LJ FAQ.

Inappropriate Topics

* Asking for spells or advice on how to deal with a situation magically. This community is interested in the "why" rather than the "how"...a discussion of what stone or herb to use for a certain purpose would be much better fitted to other communities, whereas a metaphysical discussion of why magic works or when it is appropriate (for example) would be in line with the community focus.

* Similarly, how-tos. We'll be glad to explore the meaning and importance of altars, sacred space, symbols, rituals, etc, but there are other places to debate whether teakwood or oak absorbs magical energy better, to list correspondences, or to compare methods of circle-casting.

* Posts denegrating other traditions or belief systems. Comparative discussion of traditions and explanations of why a particular path is right for you are completely acceptable, as long as they are respectful.

* Politics. Your moderator has nothing against them and holds passionate views on the subject, but once again there are general-interest forums where such topics are much more appropriate.

* Historical debate. This is somewhat of a grey area; any treatment of ancient spiritual traditions and how they influence your personal philosophy or modern paganism in general is fine, as well as insight into mythology/deities from these traditions, but historical background does not validate or invalidate religious belief.

Encouraged Topics

* Sharing significant aspects of your spiritual life--meditation, prayer, ritual, service, holidays, daily practice, etc--and what they mean to you.

* Living your path: how your philosophy and beliefs inform your daily "secular" life outside of your private practice.

* Your experience of the divine and mystical: how you connect with your chosen deities and/or why you're drawn to them in particular, mystical experiences, moments of truth, spiritual guidance you've received (through nature, dreams, trance, divination, meditation, etc.)

* Questions: if you're not sure how you feel about a certain aspect of your path, if you want to know more about a certain deity, tradition, or practice as it relates to spiritual growth, or if you're wondering how others see things, ask! There are no stupid questions; all of us are students with much to learn, as well as potential teachers with wisdom to share...no matter how long we have or haven't been practicing.

* Philosophical ideas/dilemmas and perspectives on humanist issues and problems. Examples: discussion of good and evil, the human search for fulfillment, self-esteem, social ethics, and how these things relate to your personal philosophy.

* Spiritual background: what draws you to pagan beliefs, previous religious experiences, and how your pagan beliefs have changed you as a person.

* Dark and light aspects of paganism. Ideas about death, grief, anger, revenge, Underworld experiences, dark gods and goddesses, loss of faith and self-doubt, feeling cut off from the divine, and shadow aspects of the soul are as important as stories of healing, joy and enlightenment.

A few words of warning from your moderator:

* Labeling a fellow member as a "fluffy bunny" or use of any similar derogatory term WILL NOT be tolerated. This is not a place to be elitist. We are trying to build a warm, safe community that fosters spiritual growth, and is inclusive rather than exclusive. Members who display apparent ignorance or shallow understanding, a lack of dedication, or a limited viewpoint (i. e. so-called "white-lighters") should be gently encouraged to expand and deepen their studies, provided with better information and insight, and pointed to resources that might be helpful. The moderator (erinya_shadows) reserves the right to remove the posting privileges of any member displaying troll-like behavior without warning if she feels justified in doing so. In any case, expect a stern warning and "probationary" status (i.e. your posts will be screened.)

* Similarly, any attempt to belittle, ridicule or criticize someone else's faith is completely unacceptable. Asking posters to clarify their thoughts or expressing an opposing viewpoint is fine, but please remember that faith is subjective by definition, and that what is "right" for you may not be right for someone else. Once again, I must emphasize the importance of respect. If someone's beliefs don't make sense to you, that does not mean they are wrong.

* After your introductory post, you will be given unmoderated posting privileges. However, anyone who's been warned for inappropriate behavior or who has been observed to post off-topic should expect their posts to be screened for as long as the moderator feels is necessary.

Hopefully, we won't actually have to worry about these potential problems, but I figure I should address them at the outset. :-)

Introductory Posts:

When you join the community, it's encouraged that you take the time to tell us a little bit about yourself. If you wish, you can use this questionnaire:

1. What name do you prefer to go by in the community? If you don't mind saying, how old are you? How long have you considered yourself Pagan?

2. What tradition do you follow? What religious/metaphysical ideas (pagan and nonpagan) influence your beliefs?

3. Tell us a little about your religious and spiritual background. What led you to paganism, and what has kept you on your particular path?

4. What deities do you honor (if you recognize any specifically)?

5. What would you say is the most important aspect of your spiritual practice?

6. What do you hope to see in this community? Any questions for us? Suggestions? Concerns?


I know this is terribly long, so thank you for sticking it through to the end! I hope to see spiritual_pagan flourish and become a strong community for pagan fellowship, understanding, study, and support.

Blessings,

erinya_shadows

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