Thread:User talk:Reckless Noise Symphony/Um,/reply (2)

That's a hell of a question. It all goes back, oh, to over 10 years ago. I left Christianity at age 12 as a result of being fed up more with the practitioners of Christianity than the religion itself (mind you, I had been bullied throughout grade school by some of the most hardcore churchgoers from some of the most "Christian" families). Not having known anything other than the Christian religions and Judaism and not caring much for any of it, I was an agnostic; though this was more out of ignorance about other religions than anything. Then came age 16, where I met one of my greatest mentors and he introduced me to Buddhism. Mind you, or perhaps you know, Buddhism is more of a lifestyle choice than an actual religion (as the Buddha lives inside your soul). This came in handy as the meditative pracitces and teachings of Buddism helped me deal with some personal, internal struggles I had been fighting for ages (anxiety disorders chiefly among them) because I was taught how to "live in the moment." I was never very devoutly into Buddhism, but I learned a lot about various techniques to help center my focus on the present. A few years later, I would convert to Neopaganism by total accident. My girlfriend at the time was heavily into Wicca, and had convinced me to join her at some ceremony long forgotten. While I took passing interest in the ceremony, I met people ther who I found much common ground with and who I started hanging around with based mostly on our common interests in European history, philosophy, and mythology. Based on discussions of these things, I joined them at their group meetings and learned a bit more about Neopaganism and how their brand centered around ancient European history with some learning about the Native American histories and stories along the line, as well as a high respect paid toward the Earth as our home and for us to preserve (a belief I had held since I was very young).

Nowadays, I consider myself a nondenominational Neopagan because there's things in Wicca that I do not follow (astrology, for one). But I follow a sort of combination of British-traditional Wicca mixed in with some elements of various Native American (specifically Dakota) teachings about living in harmony with the Earth and add in a tinge of Astaru teachings. It's got less to do with the so-called "magic" within the Neopagan religions themselves and more to do with their messages about living in harmony with the Earth, the connections we have as a part of the universe, the heritage of the human species, respect for the world around us (as we are just one species amongst billions of others), thier focus on the various oral histories and mythologies handed down for centuries, etc., etc., etc.