Many of us have a faith, a religion or a spirituality that we believe in. Often times, it provides us with purpose and meaning. I’m no different in that way, Paganism has provided me with a rich sense of faith, one that I didn’t have before.
But, a lot of my friends and family don’t know about spirituality. Which inspired me to try and outline my beliefs.
In fact, I made this blog because I’ve wanted to write about my beliefs and my spiritual journey.
Orion the Witch is my outlet to write about Witchcraft and Paganism, where hopefully, I can inspire and empower you on your own journey.
Spirituality and religion are tools for us to grow and develop alongside Spirit and find meaning in our lives.
My faith is important to me, I value my spirituality and what it has given me. I have a sense of purpose and meaning in my life that were non-existent.
Here’s a bit about my spirituality, how it changed my life and the importance that faith has had in my life.
A Sense of Spiritual Freedom
Most notably, a part of my love for Paganism is the sense of Autonomy.
A lot of faiths have defined practices and beliefs. But with Paganism, there are tons of varying ideas, concepts, and beliefs that we can incorporate to create our own unique paths.
While most Pagans have a similar set of beliefs, each of us personalizes our faith based on our experiences and what has worked for us.
Here are some of the core concepts I’ve found to be true for me and the other Pagans I’ve known. These are not required beliefs, some of these things might not apply to all Pagans.
Core Values and Common Beliefs in Paganism
- Pagans do not have a central holy book. Many views myths to be the closest form of sacred text. Individuals may view certain texts as sacred if it greatly influenced them personally.
- Pagans do not require a priest or other intermediary to teach them about the divine. Pagans act as their own priests, communing with their gods personally.
- Most Pagans do not have a temple/church.
- Paganism is a nature-centric faith, nature is sacred to Pagans, as well as a source of wisdom.
- Nearly all Pagans believe in a God and Goddess, sometimes more. But nearly all reject the belief in a single male deity, looking to nature and how nearly all species have two genders.
- Some Pagans, like myself, perform spells and rituals to work with our gods to create change in ourselves and the world.
- We honor and celebrate the Wheel of the Year. An annual cycle marked by four or eight holy festivals known as the Sabbats. These can vary depending on different branches/traditions of Paganism.
A belief in and Connection with the Divine
Primarily, most religions try to answer the question: Who or What created the u
In my belief: The Divine is the universe. Not just its creator. The Divine and reality are inseparable. They exist within one another.
This belief is defined by the term, Pantheism. Pantheism describes beliefs where reality and deity are identical. Everything in existence composes an immanent god/divine figure.
Similarly, in Hermetic Philosophy, this is known as the Principle of Mentalism
“The All is Mind; The Universe is Mental.” -The Kybalion
Hermetic Principle of Mentalism from “The Kybalion,” by Three Initiates
Personally, I refer to “The All,” aka the Divine Creator as the Great Spirit, Source or the Divine Mind. Simply put, The Great Spirit is the creative force of our universe.
Hermeticism, the Bridge between Spirit and Science
Similarly, Hermetic Philosophy has been an important aspect of my path.
In fact, Hermeticism is an ancient set of philosophies that outline the laws of reality through the lens of spirituality.
Surprisingly, Hermeticism actually inspired scientific theories and corresponds to several established scientific laws.
Hermeticism has been my bridge between spirituality and science. It goes to show that science and religion don’t have to disagree.
My Belief in a God and Goddess
On its own, Pantheism doesn’t make me Pagan. In my belief, the divine is more than the Great Spirit. But, like many branches of Wicca and Witchcraft, I’m duo-theistic. I believe in a God and Goddess.
You see, our universe is full of duality and polarity – life and death, night and day, sun and moon, Earth and sky. With that in mind, it makes sense to me that a God and Goddess would exist to represent this polarity from the Great Spirit.
Additionally, if the Divine is a part of all things, then it cannot
However, I’m what you would call a “soft-polytheist,” because I view the god and goddess as archetypes or personalities of the Great Spirit. Not completely separate beings.
Archetypal Deity, the Psychology of my Belief and the “Diamond of Divinity”
Archetypes are re-occurring symbols or motifs in art, literature
Likewise, Archetypes have since been used by mystics and Pagans to better explain mentalism and the divine.
As a psychology student, I’ve studied some of Jung’s concepts. His ideas have inspired aspects of my beliefs and even been the basis of a metaphysical theory I’m working on.
One such concept that uses archetypal deities is known as the “diamond of divinity.”
Author and Witch, Christopher Penczak developed this concept and explains
Not only do I love his concept, but Penczak has been one of the key influential writers in my spiritual development.
According to Penczak, the concept is that the gods can be explained through a diamond. Inside the diamond is a shining light which is divinity. Meanwhile, each facet of the diamond is a different distinct god. We look through the facets to understand the divine light inside.
This isn’t a literal structure, but a type of diagram which we can better picture archetypal deity with.
For some, that means they look through a single facet.
Meanwhile, others like myself look through multiple facets.
Certainly, both ways are equally right in this concept. But the concept does allow us to see that we have a unique and personal experience with the Divine.
Although not all Pagans view deity this way, it has worked really well for me. If divinity is all of reality, then the different aspects can represent different parts of creation and differing personalities.
Additionally, we all have unique relationships with deity. Each of us has something different that we work best with or want most in our relationship with the divine. Therefore, the concept of archetypal deity helps explain how the Great Spirit can take on a role that best serves us individually.
Furthermore, the diamond made me realize that we all work with the same Divine. The Christian God is one of the facets of that diamond. When I learned that, I began to see that all religions are simply different methods of connecting with the divine.
While one way might work for one person, it doesn’t always work for another. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less real.
How I became a Pagan
Long before I became a Pagan, I had already been practicing Witchcraft. Witchcraft isn’t a religion. In fact, you don’t have to believe in a higher power at all to practice. You also don’t have to be a Witch in order to be a Pagan.
Generally speaking, Witchcraft is the use of spells and magick to create change.
Magick is often spelled with a K in esoteric and occult writing to distinguish from stage magic and fantasy.
When I first began practicing Witchcraft in high school, I didn’t involve deity at all. Even though a lot of resources talked about using the gods in spells, it wasn’t something I felt comfortable with.
You see, in high school, I lost my faith and conviction as a Christian. I struggled to identify God and the divine. There’s a lot of reasons why, but simply what I believed in at the time wasn’t working for me.
Yet even in my Craft, it felt like something was missing. I had been studying and trying out different religious and spiritual views, in hopes of finding faith. But I didn’t realize how much I wanted a relationship with the Divine.
Hitting Rock Bottom and My Spiritual Rebirth
During my senior year of high school, I was finally forced to confront these things.
For years, I had been struggling with depression and other mental health issues. At one point, it became impossible to maintain the lifestyle I had been living.
Luckily, something changed inside me. With some professional help, I began to see the things that had gone wrong in my life, what I was really struggling with, and work towards creating a solution.
Through therapy and introspection, I discovered that a sense of faith and spirituality were extremely important to me. After I had lost my previous faith, I had never really found something else to fill that hole.
Suddenly, it became clear that I had attached my sense of purpose to my faith and belief in God. For me, it was impossible to cope with the idea that there was no higher power and no greater purpose for my existence.
Finding My Path
Once I had come to that conclusion, I decided to search for my spiritual beliefs once more. I had tried Buddhism and a few other practices, but those hadn’t been the right fit.
But I had never considered Paganism and Wicca. I knew what they were from learning about Witchcraft. Yet, I had always thought they were too strange or completely fake.
Unexpectedly, that all changed. During a session with my therapist, we worked on some type of psychology profile. Essentially, we went through a big form that asked a bunch of questions about who I was.
One of the questions asked, “what are your religious and/or spiritual beliefs?”
At first, I was going to mark agnostic. But something felt off. I hesitated.
And for a moment, I felt like something was calling out to me. Something inside me was saying that there was a better answer. Ideally, I like to think that was the moment I reconnected with the divine. After searching on my own for so long, the divine was finally showing me the way.
That’s when I saw the right answer. Paganism/Wicca was one of the options listed.
Yet there I was, suddenly resonating with them. It felt like a spark went off inside me. A thought flashed through my head, probably something I read in a book. I don’t remember the exact words, but the meaning is still there.
Wicca and the Craft are what you choose to believe, your craft and belief are yours alone to create and define.
reconnecting with the divine
Although, there is also a part of me that thinks it was the divine saying this. After searching for so long, I had hit the lowest point in my life and I was finally open to seeing what deity had been trying to show me.
At that moment I changed my life and started a spiritual journey by labeling myself as a Pagan.
Overcoming My Fear – Reconnecting with the Divine
Afterward, my therapist asked me about Wicca and Paganism. She said most kids labeled themselves Atheist. I told her the truth that I only knew a bit from practicing Witchcraft. I said I had been learning about different faiths and was trying to find something that worked for me.
With that in mind, my therapist told me how learning more about Wicca could be a good idea, it might even help me find the meaning I was looking for.
That day I was told: faith helps give our lives meaning. But while one faith works for some people, it doesn’t always work for others.
That same day, I went to the bookstore and bought my first books about Paganism and Wicca. Immediately, I became absorbed in the reading. It wouldn’t take long for me to start to define my beliefs.
Several months later, I was still learning about Witchcraft and Paganism. I absolutely loved it. Paganism resonated with me in a way no other faith had.
And on midsummer of 2017, I declared myself as a Pagan Witch during my first self-dedication ritual.
Why my Faith Mattered to Me
Witchcraft and Paganism taught me that I had the power to create change in my life. The gods were there and they would help me. But they weren’t going to just do it for me.
The solitary and eclectic nature of my journey allowed me to learn from all sorts of places. I had complete freedom in my beliefs.
And that is exactly what I’ve needed to believe in.
My Patron Apollo and “Perfect Love”
Even though Paganism helped me believe in the divine, I was still hesitant to try and develop a relationship with it.
However, when the time came and I felt ready to reach out to deity, strange signs and messages began appearing in my life. Once I learned what the signs were saying, my Patron deity, Apollo, came to me. Apollo was the first god I was able to connect with.
Most importantly, Apollo cast a ray of light into my heart and showed me the divine spark that had been inside me all along.
Through Apollo, I learned the nature of divine love or “Perfect Love.” It’s a phrase often used in Wicca. In terms of the divine, Perfect Love is the love our gods have for us.
Perfect love reminds us that deity loves us unconditionally, we are accepted no matter what in their eyes and will always be safe with our gods.
For me, that was when Apollo helped me understand that it was perfectly fine for me to be gay. After all, Apollo is bisexual. But I held an irrational fear that the divine would hate me for being gay.
My personal connection with Apollo and our similarities made it possible for me to work the Divine. He cast away my fear and has been a guide, a teacher, and a friend ever since.
Symbolism within Paganism
My path has been full of symbolism. Just like in stories and myths, my spirituality if full of symbolic meaning. As a writer and thoughtful person, I have always loved this fact.
On my journey, I have been able to find and create meaning in the things I find important.
Personally, I have always needed a practice that let me choose and create meaning. One that didn’t just hand me all the answers, but rather gave me the tools I needed to find them.
Conclusion
Ultimately, even if my beliefs aren’t real, I’m not worried about it. They have helped me grow and provided me with a meaningful life and purpose. And that’s all that really matters.
What about you? If you’re a Pagan, Wiccan, Witch or mystic of some kind, what do you believe in and how has this impacted your life? Please feel free to comment below or share your story with me on social media!
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