Finding your path.... Any path....

I'm a newbie poster here and would like some friendly advice and conversation. My need for advice centers around a question. How do you find your path, and stick to it when it goes against your upbringing? Yes, I understand that the simplest answer to this is - find what you believe and follow it. And that's all well and good, but my problem is that I don't know what I believe and I don't want to be wrong. I don't want to choose a Wiccan, Pagan, Druidic - or even Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim pathway and be wrong and be damned for all eternity (or any other definition of Hell.)

I grew up Baptist. Spent time in Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and non-denominational churches. But my problem with Christianity has always gone back to the holes and discrepancies in the Bible - not to mention the clear absence of HIM in my life. I'm not saying those who believe are wrong. I envy them in fact. I envy anyone who is able to find peace and purpose in any religion. Eventually, I spent some time as a pseudo Christian Wiccan. (Please don't flame me for this one, I know many people disagree on whether such a practice is even possible. Let me simple say that I 'practiced magic' (simple job, protection, etc spells - but called on no additional deities.)

There are a few things that I 'feel right' about. I know I like to think of my higher power as a loving, merciful, woman and not a temperamental, dictator-like man (aka "My Impressions of God.) I know I want magic to be real, but I don't know how much of what my spells accomplished was due to the spell, and how much was coincidence or fate. I know that Brigid, seems to strike a note with me, but I don't know why. Many would say those two things alone are enough to pick a path. But again, having grown up in Christian religion, I don't want to 'piss God off'. I can't prove He's out there, but I can't prove He's not either.

I'm sure I'm not alone in these seemingly murky depths. Please forgive this early post any offense. Please try to understand the spirit in which it is intended.

Any help and support is *GREATLY* appreciated.

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Pagan vs Heathen

Can someone explain to me why some people here differentiate between pagan and heathen?

A heathen is someone who doesn't believe in the JCI god. So is a pagan. So obviously they are not using the standard definition.

What is meant when someone says they are a heathen rather than a pagan?

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Helping Your Children Learn Along With You?

I have three very small children, and it's easy to include them, because they don't know anything, really, and can't ask the tough questions. My nine year old is another story. It's hard to answer her questions, because a lot of times I don't really know myself. Are there any books out there geared toward her age group? Even something geared toward the teen-age group?

I suppose I should add that I'm following the Wiccan beliefs.

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Imbolc is Coming!

I'm feeling very much like I want to make this Imbolc very special. I'm not sure why. (Actually, I think it has something to do with this being the year that my older daughter turns 18.)

Anyway, I'm looking for fun, creative, meaningful, family-oriented ideas for ways to celebrate. By family, I mean my husband and me, our 2 teenage daughters, their boyfriends or friends-who-are-boys, and my parents.

And, of course, only 2-3 of us are actually pagan...

But, since it's Brighid's Day, it's a particularly important day for me.

So, what do you do?

At this point, I'm thinking along the lines of taking the day off to *really* cook (maybe even some good Irish soda bread and some butter cookies -- yummmmmmm), and finding some kind of art project we can all contribute to. Maybe a paint-your-own-pottery type of thing. Or maybe a big canvas that we all paint on.

And, of course, I've considered a tattoo...

I don't know... But I'd LOVE to hear your ideas!

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Playing Card Divination?

I have been reading about divining with playing cards. This sounded really cool, until I found out that they have the same meanings as Tarot decks (just without the major arcana). So I was wondering: are there other, original, ways of divining with playing cards?

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The Morrighan as an Earth Goddess?

I have read a few articles about The Morrighan originally starting out as an Earth Goddess somehow associated with Anna, but I am not sure if that is reliable? Would anyone like to set me straight on this?

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Calling the Quarters?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but calling the quarters seems to me to be standard for most Wiccan and non-Wiccan rituals. I've tried to understand the reason behind this, but I'm stumped. Why would calling on earth, fire, and water make any difference? Are they considered to be sentient spirits of these elements, or the elements themselves? Is it to provide balance? Or have I forgotten something incredibly basic? Am I just completely confused?

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Annual Donation Drive Info For 2008

We have had our donation drive in February in the past. We are moving it to January this year because LyricFox will be starting radiation treatments for her cancer in late January or early February and we do not want to be dealing with tracking donations and cancer treatments. Our annual web hosting bill for ecauldron.com (the main web site with our articles, reviews, newsletters, etc.) is due next month, so it is time for our annual Cauldron Donation Drive. If those of our members who can afford to contribute $5, $10, $20 or more in the next few weeks would do so, we'd probably have all the money needed. The Hosts usually donate $50 toward the fund, but given our medical bills, we may not be able to do so this year.

Don't worry, if we don't get enough donations, the main web site will not disappear. The Hosts will scrape up the money needed somehow, so there's no "if you don't donate the web site will disappear" nonsense some other sites have been known to do. We just appreciate all the help we can get as the Hosts are not rolling in money any more than you are and a large bill in one month would really work havoc -- even more than usual this year.

Donations can be accepted via PayPal or the Amazon Honor System (or even by money order). Paypal is slightly better than Amazon as they take a slightly smaller fee out of what is donated. If you want to be personally credited and thanked for your donation, be sure to use PayPal and mention your message board login name in the Comments box (if one appears -- as we have to encrypt the code to prevent spammers from getting the address, it probably will not) or send us a separate email from the same email address giving us your message board login name. (Amazon donations are anonymous so we can't email you our thanks). Note that donations to TC are not tax-deductible in the US and probably aren't elsewhere either.

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Keeping Religious Practice Fresh?

I've been reflecting a lot in the last few days. One of the things I'm currently struggling with is keeping my spiritual growth "fresh". I'm not 100% sure I know what I mean by that. I think I'm concerned about getting into a rut, getting stale, not staying as close in touch with Brighid as I want to.

Some of this is because I've been quite sick over the last few months with horrible migraine and cluster headaches. And then the neverending zombie stomach bug from hell. I've had a lot of time to just lie there and think.

I light my lamp for Brighid every night, and I keep an electric LED candle on always. I have my little "shrine shelf" at home, and an unobtrusive shrine-let at work complete with LED candle. I continue to study and read about Irish mythology and related topics. I continue to wear my "Brighid jewelry" and listen to my "Brighid music". I even just received a beautiful pair of stylized Brighid's cross earrings for Christmas.

But I'm missing that zing -- those lightbulb moments -- that shivery feeling.

Could just be that I've been sick and medicated. Or could be that I've gotten into a rut and need to break out.

I'd love to hear suggestions for what works for others who have found themselves in the same boat.

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It's 2008 -- Happy New Year

The Cauldron hosts and staff would like to wish all members, friends, and visitors to our website a very happy new year -- and the best possible 2008.

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