Afraid of Change

Why are we, as humans, afraid of change?  Safety and stability go hand in hand, it seems.  It is so difficult for us to embrace change, and for some reason it is especially hard to embrace that change when it is good for us!

Look for instance at a good friend, or even an acquaintance for that matter, who is in a bad relationship.  You know they are unhappy, they look unhappy, they act it.  Goddess knows, some part of them knows it as well.  But when they are finally out of the relationship, are they happy?  No.  They don't see the end of their relationship as the beginning of the re-growth of their self esteem and independence.

We all have those things, something different for each on of us.  We have to be pushed and pushed and pushed before we do it, only to find out we love it!  I personally will admit to be a huge stick in the mud.  I like things to stay the same.  Really, I hardly even read new books.  I have about 70 books that I love, and I read them over and over.  Same with TV shows.  When Sean and I first started dating, he tried to get me to watch Smallville.  I declined immediately, of course.  It was about a superhero!  I don't watch those kinds of shows.  Or at least, not until we were super bored one day about a year later and he tried yet again, for the millionth time, to get me to watch it.  "Fine," I replied, sighing just a little.  I figured I would watch the first episode, tell him I didn't like it, and that would be the end of that.  Little did I know that I would be instantly hooked, even with how crappy the first season is.  We watched 6 episodes that day...ah, the days before babies.

So, what does all this have to do with anything now?  Nothing really, other than giving you examples of how I react to change.  So imagine my reaction when it finally became clear to me that I'm being called by a different set of Gods.  When I first found Wicca, I followed Celtic Gods.  Shortly after, though, I changed.  For so many years now, I've followed the Egyptian Gods.  Lately, however, I've been called by the Norse Gods.  This is, of course, somewhat uncomfortable for me at the moment.  Being that I too am human, I naturally have some amount of hesitation when it comes to change.  Being that Wicca is nothing if not a path of evolution and change, I will get used to this new idea eventually.

How long does it take you to get used to such radical change?  How often have you been called by a God or Goddess you didn't expect?

Goddess Bless,

Stacy

The Pagan Household!

Alright all!  Today is one of those Fridays, my post is up over at the Pagan Household today.  It touches further on things said in my "Are we bullying our kids" post.

Remember to follow the Pagan Household!  It has marvelous content.  They have a facebook page as well.  And remember, so do I!

Hope everyone has a great Friday, and a great weekend!

Goddess Bless,

Stacy

Guest Post by Katrina Kent!

 Well folks, here it is.  The 100th post!  In celebration of that, we have a guest post today of by the talented Katrina Kent.  So here it is!  Enjoy

Do Pagans Fear The Word ‘Religion’?

I’ve found myself recently thinking about the word religion. Some members of the Pagan community spend a large portion of their time trying to prove to the rest of the world that we are a religion like any other. Yet it seems the rest of us shy away from the word “religion” entirely.

Are we a religion like any other? I’ve been on the Pagan Path for over ten years now and I discovered recently that I hesitate when it comes to the word religion. Why is that? Do we automatically associate “religion” with “Christian”? Do we fear being associated with the negatives of religious history? So many of us will say “I’m not religious, I’m more spiritual.” What exactly does that mean? I’m not saying you can’t be spiritual, I’m saying don’t label yourself “spiritual” simply because you are afraid of what it would mean to label yourself religious.

No matter what the reason is that so many of us shy away from the term “religious”, I think it is important that we are aware of it and examine it within our own minds and our community. I believe this is an important step in our own growth as individuals and in the growth of the various religions pagans attune to. By shying away from the word religion we merely perpetuate our negative emotions toward the members of other religious followings.

One of the things that first drew me to Paganism was the opportunity for acceptance. We are a religion like no other, but a religion all the same. I believe we need to embrace this word religion. Embrace the strength that comes from being a religion.

Do you shy away from using the word religion? Or is it just me?




Katrina Kent is an aspiring writer from New England who has been walking the Pagan path for over ten years. She works as a direct care aid to children on the Autism spectrum and is working toward her B.A. in English.  Find her on her blog and on Twitter!