I am aware that not all the women on these boards are Christians. I happen to be devoted to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but I am always interested in learning what others believe. I intend for these forums to be inclusive so we can give and take what works with one faith and include, or exclude it within our own.

I have read lovely inspirational posts in these forums from women who have differing beliefs. I'm hoping this forum allows everyone an opportunity to share what they believe concerning their God.

I want to thank Meredith and DJ for suggesting this new forum. Also, thank Meredith for naming it and giving me the subtitle.

What a wonderful "inspirational" addition to our BWS family home. I hope this new forum opens up many enriching and inspirational discussions amongst people of all spiritual backgrounds and leanings.

I too have a profound Christian-based faith, but my faith has been deepened, enriched and graced by the wisdoms, spiritual experiences and inspirational tools that I have discovered, and incorporated into my own faith, by talking with and listening to other people steeped in their own respective belief systems.

Unity in diversity. It might be our best hope for true peace.

Thanks Dotsie for starting this new forum! I wanted a spiritual forum where everyone could feel at home.

Did you know that almost every religion has some variation of "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you"? I'm interested in what unites us, not divides us.

I also volunteered to be the hall monitor, but I don't see my name up.

Anyhow, welcome all Boomer women to the new forum!

[ August 27, 2005, 06:49 AM: Message edited by: meredithbead ]

Dotsis: This openness to share our different views without judging certainly makes this forum special.

Love and peace trascend all barriers of religions, faiths, etc. We all yearn to love and be loved and generally speaking, I don't think I err I if I say we all wish for peace individually, among each other and between nations.

May this forum be a safe haven where we can celebrate our differences and learn to love each other for their uniqueness as a human being, regardless of their belief or spiritual orientation.

Blessings!

I would welcome others spiritual beliefs. I enjoy hearing about different faiths or doctrines and what a great place to be able to do that!

Thank you Dotsie- and Meredith
Dotsie you said that this forum would be a place to share what we believe about our God- there are a tiny few of us who believe in a feminine force - the Goddess
And you are right Meredith that " do unto others" is a part of many faiths
The basic tenet of my beliefs is HARM NONE
and I also believe what you do comes back to you
This should be a good place

Pattyann, tell us more.

Ah, the Goddess factor. When Hay House was working on my book as far as editing, there was a sentence about God and she added "or Goddess" and at first it kind of bothered me but only from the standpoint that it might offend a Christian reader. But, I've come to embrace the word now. I am the Goddess Dianne, lover of fine food and good wine!

I like "Harm None" better than "Do Unto Others", because doing unto others what one would have done unto them doesn't always work in a positive way...unfortunately it still leaves room for abuse. But "Harm None" is straight-forward and leaves no room for misunderstanding.

Ah,Diane- "The goddess factor"
Sounds a little catty- I would not judge your beliefs-or act as if they are not deeply held and well thought out . Seems to go against the intent of this forum-
Blessed be all
And goodbye

Pattyann, I'm sorry if you misunderstood what I was saying. I completely believe in being a goddess...100% and the feminine part of my belief and power in God. I would never judge your beliefs and I'm truly sorry if that's how it sounded.

Dotsie,
This looks like a good forum. I have a few questions, though.
I'm wondering how you see it as different from Faith/Religion?
I'm also wondering why its description says "no proselytizing" but it doesn't say this under Faith/Religion?

DJ, for some reason people weren't posting about other religions in that forum. Perhaps this will be more inclusive.

The only reason it says it here is because Meredith named the forum and suggested the sub-title. Plain and simple.

Dianne,
Now that I've calmed down a wee bit and got my sense of humor back I feel better
But let me ask- if you or I had gone under one of the religion forums or the bible verse one and said- ah the Jesus factor- I've come to grips with that and now I've declared I'm Pattyann lord and savior of the loaves and fishes what kind of hate would that cause- I would never do that that it is so disrespectful- so why would anyone be surprised at my reaction
Wicca is a recognized religion ny the US government- my son who is in the military and is sworn to uphold the constitution giving us all freedom of speech and religion has wiccan on his dogtags so that should goddess forbid something happen to him he will be sustained by a chaplain of our faith and one will inform me and his wife and children
I am a witch I will share my faith and the celebration of it but I would never try to convert
I just ask that I be given the same respect as I give others.
I thought this was a safe and accepting place-yesterday I did not feel that way- whether it was that I was just kerflunked in my own head or whatever what was said hit me so hard, crazy, joyful pagans have feelings too
Today I am ready to try again
I hope I don't sound like I'm yelling Dianne- it's ok

Pattyann, I'm glad you're back. I believe that this still is a safe, respecting and accepting place, and that your voice is vital, and beloved.

Sometimes it will take time - and patience on everyone's part - for us to become familiar with the terminology and sensitivities of the various belief systems that we're going to encounter within these halls.

I for one embrace that learning, but until I'm further along in my understanding, will probably fumble my words and not always know how to express things in the most correct and least offensive way. I beg others to be patient with each other and trust that most of us are not EVER intentionally being disrespectful in our use of the words that are important in another person's faith systems.

For what it's worth, I think yesterday was a very weird day here. Maybe it had to do with our fear and concerns for those caught in the hurricane's devastation.

I love that this forum was created. I am so interested in learning about all of the different faiths and beliefs.
I have read much about Wicca and find it so interesting. I am glad that Patty Ann is here to tell us about her wonderful religion.
I think people find it frightening because they don't understand that it has nothing to do with Devil worship. From what I've read it has mostly to do with nature.
Patty Ann please tell me if I have this right.

I too appreciate this topic. I like to know about other religions.

I am personally acquainted with my God and I know His power in my life.

As I tell my friends of other religions, I believe my prayers to my God will be answered for them by their god.

I guess I just figure all the gods and religions in the world have some sort of extensive communication system kind of like homeland security or the internet or something.

Works for me.
smile

Very well put, Smile!

TVC15
Yes wicca is a nature based practice- we believe that we must nuture and cherish the earth- in fact GAIA- is the earth and many consider Gaia the goddess
The wheel of our year is based on the seasons- we are now in harvest- a time to reap what you have sowen-not just garden wise but in your own personal works
We do not worship Satan- in fact we do not believe in a devil or a hell
We belive in personal responsibilty and in learning and finding our own strengths within
We are a very celebratory bunch, we come together with food and wine . We decorate our homes with wreaths and sheaves of corn around about the first day of autumn
The wiccan faith is the second growth faith in the US next to mormonism.
And yes, yesterday was a very hard day Smile- tho miles and miles away from Katrina my heart ached in such utter sadness for people who are lost now
We all need to join together in whatever faith we have to send our prayers and energy to too many in desperate need

Thank you for the information on your religion Patty Ann.
I join you in praying for the victims of Katrina.

I've been unable to post for almost 2 weeks--mostly spending time getting kids back off to college and getting writing done. But I'm really glad to see this topic. Thanks Meredith and Dotsie for starting it.
My form of Wicca is very much like Pattyann's--in fact I've really enjoyed comparing notes with her a little. I consider myself a Dianic wiccan which means it is basically woman based. I have a group of women I meet with a few times a year for a weekend at a time and we have a lovely time. We're mostly boomer women, though we do have younger women who meet with us also. I have been through training through a woman's spirituality organization and am considering taking the final training to become ordained.
Pattyann described things very well--nature is our main focus.
I appreciate the opportunity to share here. If you believe in astrology at all, I suppose it's the libra in me--I like things to be balanced and get to hear from all sides of things.
Smile--I loved your saying that you believe your prayers to your God will be answered by their Gods (and might I just add, Goddesses). That's the way I've always felt about it, especially since I played music for many different faiths as a substitute for years. Part of my training was to do a comparative religions study and I spent time attending different services. It was fascinating to me.
The only hard time I've had was when I went to a program that a particular church put on near Halloween that they advertised as a "real" explanation of Halloween. I went out of curiosity and a naive belief that I could somehow share in the way I see this group doing. They turned out to be one very scary bunch who whipped themselves into a frenzy over a movie and talk about Wicca being devil worship and witches eating babies at Halloween. And they were serious. I was sad for days after that there was no way to get through to them that there were many different paths for people to take and that that is a good thing. Plus, I'm a vegetarian so I've had to forgo the baby eating. (Okay, bad joke I know.)
Pattyann mentioned that Wicca is a fast growing religion. I think people would be surprised at how many people around them are wiccan. Most of us don't stand out--we're just like everyone else with the same worries, families, joys and sense of caring.
Okay, enough now. I have to catch up on some of the other forums and start posting again.
Dahti

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

As a Baha'i, I only believe that there's one Supreme Being, whatever name you use (God, Goddess, Allah, Dio). I'm gathering from what Smile is saying that she perceives there to be many gods and goddesses ("Prayers to my God will be answered by their god.")and that others agree with this. So I'm wondering whether folks here perceive there to be multiple gods? lesser gods? competing gods (goddesses)?

I personally believe there is one God/Supreme Being...I call Him God, but I believe He/She loves us so much and wants so much to be a part of our lives that She/He goes by many different names and wears many different faces in order to reach us and be a part of our lives right where we're at.

How many forms of wicca are there?
And if it's not too personal, Do you call yourselves witches, or wiccans?

DJ,
I believe there is only one God. I believe people see their god or gods as different because they experience him/her in different ways.
smile

Dotsie, I was profoundly attached to visualizing God as male, and only male, for much of my early life. When I challenged and questioned a girlfriend why she insisted that her God had to be female, she told me that she would never be able to visualize God as anything but female, because of the horrible abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood from significant male figures in her life. I had known her for years, knew her family, worked with her and never even suspected her devastating background.

It humbled me, and I promised God that I would never again question how He chooses to reveal Himself to other people. It was an epiphany for me, that one conversation, of His incredible unconditional mercy and compassion for us...that this God knows how most lovingly to reach into the heart of His beloved and be for each person exactly what he/she need Him/Her to be.

It also made me investigate the possibility that my own attachment to God being male may well have to do with all the problems I had with my Mom while growing up. But in the end, the truth is that I just really love visualizing God as my Daddy, always have and probably always will. I look forward to the day when I finally get to run and jump into His waiting arms!

I have always pictured one God as a man, but I think it is only because that is what i was always taught. this forum is really opening up my eyes. Thanks Dotsie!

This is a great conversation. I recently graduated from a Christian college (yep, took me almost three decades to finish one measley degree) and oddly, came away with feeling less secure in the beliefs I had held all my life. While I subscribe to the "no design without a designer theory" (I mean, really, how can ALL this be happenstance?) I find that I now question so much that I never did before. Do I believe in God. Yep. Can I describe God? Nope. It's just one more area of my life where I find myself more confused than ever. The difference is that I'm old enough now to realize that questions need not be threatening. They can act as catalysts for appropriate change.
Ooooh, don't I sound all grown-up and philosophical today.

I think that's a good point, Fiftyandfine. How can we possibly describe God, or even conceive of a Being as vast as God Who has always existed and will always exist? and Who made us? and who transcends the time and space that circumscribe our puny 3-dimensional existence? It's like the analogy of the painting never being able to conceive of the painter.

I know that a lot of people picture God as a human being. Does this derive from the notion of God creating humans in the image of God? I've always understood this to mean the spiritual image (capacity to love, trust, nurture, be just, etc.) rather than the physical image of God, and thus have not been hung up on the notion of what God's sex is. If God has a sex, then God must have a counterpart of the opposite sex, which would make two Gods, right?

DJ, I'll let someone else tackle that one...I have to ponder it for awhile...a long while.

Fiftyandfine, congrats on your recent graduation! Three decades would make it a very catalystic adventure!

I can relate to your "more confused than ever". I took two years of theology at a Catholic seminary (wanted to be a priest...yep, I did) back in the late 70's. I would swear that they did everything they could to squeeze every ounce of blind faith out of us until we were left with nothing but questions.

In a way it was freeing, because it left us open to letting God be God. Not that I'll ever know for sure if I've interpreted that Be-ing into my own image of who I think God ought to be, or actually been open to possibility and epiphany. But I do have to say it's been a very interesting and often exhilarating faith journey since those days.

Interesting thoughts, there DJ--just the type I was always in trouble for at school! I didn't see how claiming two sexes was any different from claiming a trinity ... Never did get answers to that one
Eagle, I knew from reading your posts you had sorted through some spiritual stuff along the way. A priest, heh? I like what you said about a faith journey--seems like just the phrase to describe my
current spiritual road trip!

Dahti and Pattyann, I'm feeling badly that this thread may have gone off in another direction here. Faith can be such a passionate thing, it's hard not to get excited and chime in with echoes of one's own passion. I've been enjoying your sharings here, and want to hear more, but to be honest, I don't know what questions to ask to get you to share more. I enjoy hearing people get passionate and excited about their faith and hope you're going to tell us more.

In my faith, music has always been a huge part of my spiritual life. Many spirital peoples do have their own special type of music to express themselves. What about in the Wiccan gatherings and your personal spiritual journey. Do you have any special music that you use in your celebrations and meditational lives?

[ September 01, 2005, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

Eagle, don't feel bad. I also enjoy hearing about others' beliefs as long as no one is trying to push me into their way, which no one is doing here. It is a little difficult to know exactly what to tell you because I don't want to be perceived as pushing my beliefs either.
Music is important in my spiritual life also. And from everything I've studied it is in most religions. We definitely have many chants we love to sing when we're in groups and doing ritual--much like playing music for the Christian services and rituals I've been hired to do. Our music tends to be simpler chants often accompanied by drums and sometimes other instruments. I have a degree in early music--a great deal of the medieval and renaissance music I spent so much time studying came from the early Catholic church. Some of the music we do reminds me of that. Off subject only a little: I was a witch attending a wonderful Catholic college to study music with a Jewish musician. I loved that school and graduated from there and now my daughter is headed there for her freshman year in 2 days.
I do call myself a witch, though not all goddess women or even wiccans do. And when I said my form of wicca, I meant that it is a bit like the idea of the different Christian churches. Except that we wiccans aren't anywhere near so organized. Dianic wiccan groups are all women. There are others who are mixed, some like the Gardnerians who have very precise ways of doing things and have hierarchies sort of like Catholics having bishops, priests and nuns, and many who practice their beliefs by themselves and are called solitaries. I think of myself as mostly solitary but I do have my women's group and I celebrate Solstice and other holidays with large groups of people sometimes too. Though my husband and kids aren't wiccan our beliefs are all compatible. We've always considered ourselves a pagan (meaning nature-based) family. My son, who is a scientist, has told me that he finds a lot of his and my beliefs have a lot in common. For instance, we both believe in the Gaia theory which holds that the earth is an interconnected organism. I just happen to see her as a thinking, loving and sometimes hurting being.
I do talk about goddesses (and even gods) as if there are many of them. But I see them as different aspects, for me, of the Great Mother. And I also believe that we do see the higher being/creative force/God/Goddess or whatever we call it, in the way we each need to do, and I respect that.
I hope that wasn't more than anyone wanted to know. I'll be happy to share as long as anybody is curious. Thanks for sharing your beliefs also.

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

I believe in Earth as Gaia but also extend that idea to the entire universe. I believe that everything that is, was and will be, is connected through time & space & energy. I believe that God/Goddess is a part of us and we are a part of Him/Her. I don't believe in a physical Deity of either sex or human form. I think it's energy but I'm not sure where the boundaries are, if there are any. Sometimes I think of Deity as the collective ALL. I don't think we're wholly Deity now because we have these physical forms which limit us. Perhaps when we die we become a greater part of Deity.

Until my mid-30's I had very strong (and more traditional) religious beliefs but I consider myself as more spiritual now. My beliefs have evolved to a point where I see more blur than physical substance, and this makes me happy because I am that much closer to the connections.

I see different religions as arms of a great spiral. All arms lead to the center of the spiral. The further out on an arm you are, the clearer things seem because nothing else blocks the view. The closer to the center you are, the blurrier the view because everything merges in the middle. I suppose that Diety would emanate from the center.

This is an over-simplified visual, but the best I can do.

"Over-simplified" works for me. This is some very interesting stuff, because it describes much of what I feel about humans/the earth/the universe. Although my basic understandings are wrapped in Christian cloth, because I have lived in so many alternative cultures, I think I've absorbed quite a bit from them and like to use it my thinking and my life. I am not "exclusive" as has sometimes been required by various Christian sects. Truthfully, with the personal insanity I've experienced in the last few years, and the global insanity that I now see all around us, I'm willing to entertain concepts that I never would have before. I love hearing about the different religions/worldviews. Thank you for sharing so much.

Dahti, These are wonderful sharings. Your diversity of experiences makes your explanations not only easy to grasp but exciting too. It continues to affirm my hope that there is so much more of the essential that we share than divides us.

Meredith I loved your visual of the great spiral...what I see is that there is a place for everyone and no way for anyone to be left out.

Fiftyandfine, we've seen for too long how refusal to understand each other leads to hateful intolerance and deadly violence. Being willing to explore what in the diversity unites us has to be a better way. Like you, I find myself absorbing so much from so many, integrating into my own spirituality and finding a greater stability and more profound joy in doing so. It's as if there's no limitation to where our hearts and souls can soar if we dare to unchain them from our fear of the unknown and unfamiliar.

This has to be one of the most interesting forum topics that I've seen in a long time. I am enjoying learning about everyone else's faith. Thank you for sharing!

I call myself a witch too- at first I was more wiccan but not being very organized or into shoulds I have since felt more grounded in personal beliefs and have become a more solitary .
When I lived in NJ I belonged to a coven and at first we were all feeling our ways, learning, writing ritual but then a few got internet degrees and proclaimed themselves priestesses and then there was a question of letting men in and it became political
So now I celebrate mostly alone altho I have a good friend in Ny and we write ritual together on the computer and then we know that tho miles apart at the same time we are sharing our feelings for the goddess
Also in the summer months twice a month on Sunday afternoons my husband and I go to drum circlesa- open to everyone where you just bang out a rythnm and it just sounds down to your core- it was started by pagans but now has more christians and it's great
We have a huge solstice celebration open to all- a few years ago there was a write up in the paper about the commercialization of Christmas and how the pagan community invited everyone just to come together and welcome back the light of the sun It's beautiful
I do get together with women in my community to dance in circle- it's a winding in and out snaking round dance- alot of us are pagans but it is a dance organized by feminists for the earth
Chants and rounds are part of my celebration too- it's almost a meditative and mezmerizing celebration
it was interesting to hear everyone's way to picture their ONE
i was brought up in the catholic church- it was always God the father , god the son and god the holy spirit- there are alot of books out now that posture that the early church suppressed the feminine- that there was meant to be a balance- that the spirit was the holy feminine
I was in high school when I lost my faith- we had these incredible dedicated nuns who had so much hope that the second Vatican Council would finally allow them to take there rightful places at the altar and then that hope never came true- alot left the convent and I wasn't surprised when Dahti told me she knew alot of ex- nuns who are witches!

Meredith--that was a beautiful description of Gaia as the universe.
A little shameless promotion here... my novel is a fun read for anyone, but it is about a woman who inherits a very old house from a birth mother who was a witch. There's a tiny bit of fantasy in it, but it also reflects a very real description and story of what witches/goddess women are like. Just in case anyone wants to read it...
Dahti

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

I should add:

In the beginning before time-that-isn't-time there was light. The light was at the center of ALL. The light is/was ALL.

When the light decided to travel beyond its center, it grew the spirals as the way to reach out into every possible corner of the universe.

If one of the arms of a spiral, or any dots along the spiral (that would be us) dies, it gets absorbed back into the center of light/energy to be available for future creations. This is why religions rise and ebb. The light is always there, but it takes different forms. This is also why so many of the same Truths arise in various times and cultures -- they all emanate from the same center.

That is also how I understand reincarnation. The light that inhabits this physical form will return to the center, and eventually be born into another physical form. The light will still be me, though. "Soul" to me is that light.

[ September 03, 2005, 06:24 AM: Message edited by: meredithbead ]

What a great thread! I absolutely am happy that we are all able to chat about this. I have read the posts but want to sit and think about how I want to contribute.

I was raised Pentecostal, converted to Catholicism but since have learned other religions and found I prefer to take what works for me from them. I understand Buddhism and reincarnation and think they are valid. I also believe the Wiccan are just as valid in their beliefs. I believe we all make up a part of the whole.

Will make more comment later after I can put together my thoughts. Thanks so much for starting the link. You know I always tell people it does not matter how we get to our reward, just that we do.

Sandpiper

I believe in the union of three persons [God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost] in one Godhead, or the threefold personality of the one Divine Being. I believe humans are body, soul and spirit; when we die, our spirits live forever with the Holy Spirit. I believe God is everywhere, all the time. And I pray A LOT!!!
"Portals of Prayer" is my daily mainstay. And Sunday, September 4, 2005 the reading is entitled: ASAP. I hadn't thought about it before but "As Soon As Possible" may also signal us to take a breather and "ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER!" Cool huh?
Ciao, brose

Bonnierose, I like that "ASAP". I love snappy little phrases that I can throw at myself throughout the day. Pattyann gave me "Harm None", which has already become a favourite mantra for me in the few short days since she shared it here. And now your "ASAP" will become another.

When my Dad died unexpectedly in 1999, I really foundered in my faith, a faith which had been profound, life-giving and life-long to that point. I was very angry and hurt that God hadn't "saved" my Dad like I'd seen him save so many other people's loved ones. It took me a long time to forgive Him, although in truth, the whole time I was raging at Him I guess I was admitting there was a Him to rate at, wasn't I!

Anyway, as painful as it was to go through that estrangement, it's that much more joyful to be back Home. Still, when faced with rough people and tough situations, prayer doesn't come as automatic as it used to. Your ASAP will change that! Thanks!!!

I believe in one God who sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us. I believe God is love. I know Jesus is Lord and he has such amazing grace and love for us we can not begin to understand how high and how long and how wide his love for us really is

Plus, I'm a vegetarian so I've had to forgo the baby eating. (Okay, bad joke I know.) END QUOTE

that may be 3 yrs old but it stands the test of time joke wise, lol

its a shame manie of those women arn't heer now as of 3 yrs ago, time and stuff change i guess but at lest we can get to read and ponder a good bit of wisome that incorpriates e veryone iea/belife of what or who god/goddess is

good you were reading linda and brought this up again!

just inntime to get everyone take on what is christmass about (if you celibrae it) and what returning sun/son ther is thats celibrated.

hoping someone will pick up and chatt about this time of year and religouse or no religouse based celibrasions.

Celtic, I too really miss the voices of the women who participated in this thread many years ago. I really enjoyed hearing about the beliefs and customs of people of other faith systems. It enhances and enriches us to learn more about others and to celebrate what unites us...I have long cherished our ability to celebrate unity in diversity here at BWS. We've lost so many of those wise women...but I look forward to hearing from others who journey through these threads with us now. This season means different things to many people.