[Darkimbolc]

Any polytheists/Earth Worshippers out there?

[lars]

I believe I once confused a polytheism reference of yours (on TB2K) to pantheism. I'll bet there are more pantheists around than polys. Are you like a Hindu, a Greek, a Roman, a Norseman? How does a polytheist know who all the Gods are? I am not being a smartass, I genuinely wonder how it works.

[Brooks]

Can you be a polytheist without being a worshipper?

[Yammy]

Pantheist would be the correct term yessiree.

I do consider myself a pantheist, (although one can be a pantheist and CHRISTIAN at the same time.) I prefer to call myself a Patheist: I follow my own path which incorporates MANY religions/ways.

The general definition being: Finding/worshipping God thru nature.

[Robert]

"The general definition being: Finding/worshipping God thru nature."

I'd say I fit in there somewhere.

[Darkimbolc]

lars:
I believe I once confused a polytheism reference of yours (on TB2K) to pantheism. I'll bet there are more pantheists around than polys.
Currently, I would wager to guess that there are more pantheists than poly theists. Part of what has been termed by many as the ‘Pagan Revival’ is an acceptance of all forms of divinity. Polytheists (Asatru, Hindu, etc) are rarer as they don’t have the universal aspect to them and are considered by some as theistically restrictive as monotheism.

Are you like a Hindu, a Greek, a Roman, a Norseman?
I’m a pantheist myself. So, yes. Chiefly, I work with the Nordic and Celtic deities, though have had dealings with Ganesha, Kali (Hindu), Apollo, Persephone (Greek), and Thoth (Egyptian).

How does a polytheist know who all the Gods are?
How does a Catholic know who all the saints are? Essential (in both cases) it is a matter of study. You read, you listen, you pray, you learn.

I am not being a smartass, I genuinely wonder how it works.
They were honest questions and I took none as offense. Frankly, the only questions that bother me are the over-asked near-idiotic ones (aka Do you have a broom? Of course, I do clean my house after all. Can you fly on the broom? Would I ride the city bus if I did?)

Brooks:
Can you be a polytheist without being a worshipper?
Yes. You could also be a pantheist and the same. Rather like a non-practicing Catholic or a Deist.

Yammy:
Pantheist would be the correct term yessiree.
Well, certain groups are still polytheistic (some militantly so) though, yes, they are rarer than those of the pantheistic stripe.

I do consider myself a pantheist, (although one can be a pantheist and CHRISTIAN at the same time.)
Certainly. YHWH is a God as well. Matter of fact, during a very nice ‘Birth of Gods’ Yule (Winter Solstice) ritual, Yashua was called as one of the Deities represented.

I prefer to call myself a Patheist: I follow my own path which incorporates MANY religions/ways.
In the Pagan world, we call that Eclectic. ;)

The general definition being: Finding/worshipping God thru nature.
Sort of… Honestly you are better off sticking with the ‘poly is many pan is all’ definition. There are many deities which hold cities as part of their ‘portfolios’ (Athene and Marduk come to mind).

Robert:
"The general definition being: Finding/worshipping God thru nature."
I'd say I fit in there somewhere.
Every fits somewhere. Part of the glory of how the universe works. :D


The major reason I asked the question I did is because I was thinking of starting up some regular posts about Pagan/Heathen/Magickal subjects.

[DarkRose]

I would be very interested in that topic.

[nanna]

I was thinking of starting up some regular posts about Pagan/Heathen/Magickal subjects.


I'd be interested in participating, too.

My orientation is probably more "chaos mage" than anything else, though I have an affiliation with Inanna (thus, my board nick) and currently follow the path of Vama Marga (tantrik Buddhism) which sometimes inclines me more towards mysticism.


nanna

[Susan4]

I used to go along those lines at least philosophically but lately I've tended more towards learning about gnosticism and hermeticism or at least the hermetic principles. One thing that's always pushed me away from "practicing" religions is a severe aversion to ritual. It always seemed self-serving to me. My next big reading assignment is Gurdjieff and Ouspensky and the Fourth Way stuff. I also liked Casteneda's The Active Side of Infinity and Wilde's God's Gladiators. Sorry if this is thread drift.

Susan4

[Meg]

http://www.pantheism.net/

Is Nature your spiritual home?

See link above explaining Pantheism by many famous people.