Merry Meet...We have created a new group, Subeta Pagan Alliance. It is a safe space for anyone who identifies as 'Pagan'-that can include: Wiccan, Druid, Asatru, Strega, Hedgewitches, FamTrad, Heathen, Santeria or any other Earth-based spirituality not specifically named. This is our public chat group, so, remember, if you are not 'out' as Pagan on Subeta, this is an open thread.

If you wish to join Subeta Pagan Alliance, please follow this link: Subeta Pagan Alliance. We would love to keep a fun and interesting public chat going here as well, so feel free to post here, and let's meet more Pagan players!

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I'm so excited! We really exist now!

I belong to an interfaith church that is primarily Pagan in focus, and last night I led our Full Moon Service. We performed the Gardinerian Wicca Rite and it went beautifully. Only about 25 people were able to attend, due to a forecast of a very bad ice storm, which, Gods be thanked did not actually happen. It was a beautiful evening.

How did you celebrate the Full Moon?

Hello! I'm Ruby! Though I am unsure where I belong on the scale, though I know I am Pagan and my views surround nature. I have tried to find out, but never had a safe place for a discussion or anything for help/guidance.

~Love

Merry Meet and welcome. Between this board and the closed boards for the group, maybe we can help you clarify, and if you don't find clarity, we'll all scrunch over and make room for you under the good old-fashioned 'eclectic' label.

I think that Nature and the Natural World are what draws many of us to these paths. I know that I have a deep need to be in the woods as much as possible. I'm lucky to live in some very pretty tall hills or short mountains with large rivers nearby. Do you have easy access to nature where you live?

I hope so! I am excited to find enlightenment.

I agree, the earth makes me feel alive and free. Yes I have 2-3 acres of woods, along with 2-3 acres of grass lands of sorts. I am at ease the most when there is water of sorts around, given if its rain or lakes

(sorry if i don;t have much to say ^^)

No worries, hon, you just said a mouthful! I lovelovelove the rain. Thankfully we get a fair bit of rain here. I love to go out and walk in the rain, and in thunderstorms too, to be honest. Something about the rain makes me feel extra alive and connected to everything! I especially love rain in the Autumn, that smell of the rain falling on the fallen leaves is so satisfying to me. My church knows that if it rains and the other priestesses don't want to officiate ceremony in the rain that I will always step up. :D

I used to go running through the woods during the summer and fall during a rain shower or storm just to clean my head. It's almost electrifying in a way. I often spend hours in the tub full of water or a shower. It's my clarity to be honest. OH! I would love to attend a Ceremony!!! It must be nice to have others to converse with and share your ideas. I love night, especially when the moon is shining. I used to open my window in order to sleep. Even though I know the saying, if you sleep in the moon light you become a lunatic! Or something like that.

Then we can be lunatics together! I need fresh air and moonlight to sleep at night. They say sleeping in the moonlight helps to balance the body's rhythms. I think humans in general are healthier and happier when they are more connected to the Earth, to nature. I'd much rather get my food from the farmer's market than the supermarket, I think it tastes better, and I feel better when I can eat that food. We just live in a time that makes it possible for us to be completely disconnected. I try very hard to choose to stay connected as much as I can. And I do know how lucky I am to be part of this church...I have been there for over 20 years now, and it never ceases to amaze and nourish me. But you can still have a deeply satisfying spiritual life as a solitary, I did that for many years as well.

Yay! I am glad! I didn't know that, its good to know that it is actually beneficial and not me being weird (as my friends say). I think so too, I mean it is what makes us a living being. I haven't had much healthy food the way I'm set up. I have realized that, though its more in the city that kids are more disconnected then country folks. Solitary is satisfying and all, yet it's kinda bumming I can't discus stuff with others. Mostly they tear it down or ignore me. A church seems very comforting and open.

If you are in a city, you can always try the local UU (Universalist Unitarians) they usually have a Pagan circle and many have teaching and discussion groups too. Or you can tell me where you are, and I can see if I know of a group there. (I am more familiar with the Northeast, but I have friends all over the place) Practicing in the city is not as hard as you might think. There is a whole branch called 'Urban Shamanism' and they do some incredible stuff. Also most Chaos Magicians swear by being in an Urban environment. We can always choose to bloom where we are planted! I'm in Pittsburgh, deep in the rust belt, but there are so many woods and wild places here. In the Summer, I specialize in 'vacant lot salad'...it is amazing how much food I can gather from vacant lots and roadsides!

Huh. I had no idea there was a term out there for traditions passed down through generations of family. Like a specific 'thing' in the pagan community. FamTrad. Interesting.

Admittedly though I don't do a lot of digital research or connection with the community worldwide just in general.

I put in a request to join the forum group.

I am old world pagan (always seemed the easiest descriptor) through Germanic background passed down through the family up through the maternal line.

I glazed over Imbolc this year and I'm rather disappointed in that.

This was a very rare night out for me, but it looks like either or got you accepted into the private group. We are doing an activity this week in the Spell Share thread if you want to come play! FamTrad stuff is so cool. I have a small pile of wisdom that was passed to me from my family who live in the Southern Appalachian highlands...just little bits of hedgewitch lore...some of it is fun and funny, like "The first day in Spring when you see 3 crows, the ramps will be ready to pick" (I LOVE that one and it has always worked for me. In case you are not from the Southern US, ramps are a very strong wild garlic plant that is prized for cooking and some wildcraft in the South. I don't know if they grow in other places, but I live in Pittsburgh now, and I can find ramps growing if I drive South about an hour,

Ah, blessed Allium! :) It even manages to grow up here in Tahoe, 'tho I won't be smelling it till early June here. My grams always used to say "when you smell the Ramps, it's safe for plants."

BTW I'm a solo kitchen-witch living with a temperamental Asatru husband, two kitties, a couple of friendly ravens, and a black bear who's currently hibernating under my deck. And yes, I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and movies.

I requested to join. Nice to meet you all! My name is Austin an I'm a fledgling druid. Currently looking into it and its definitely along the lines of how I feel. I look forward to getting to know you all hopefully.

I'm Canadian in British Columbia and I am familiar with ramps actually. I live in a valley very rich with produce and I'm lucky enough to have a healthy farmer's market in my community. Right now being that it's winter the market has gone indoors and the selection is never quite as good so I don't make the trek often. I went a couple weeks ago for some falafel and my favourite perogies but without the fruit and veg (they have root veg sure, but so do I) it's not as good. So I bought my dry goods (heirloom beans) and now I'll wait until April when it goes outside again and I'll get my Saturday morning market back! Last I bought ramps I slow roasted them.

I posted in the Spell Share activity. :)

Wow! I had no idea ramps grew so far away. I like your little ramps poem-yay for Grams' wisdom! It sounds like you have quite the collection of critters. I have a friend who has ravens, they are so amazing and clever...but I have never met anyone with a bear before! When I was a kid I loved the "Gentle Ben" books, and always dreamed of having my own bear! How is it to live with a bear?

You've been accepted into the group, so come hang out when you can. Several folks are interested in/involved with Druidic ways, so you'll probably meet some kindred spirits. :)

Today I am learning just how widespread ramps are! I love the flavor of them so much that there are rarely any leftover for spell work, but I always try to pickle a few pints to tide me through the Winter months. Our farmers' market just closes entirely from mid-October to April and I miss it awfully when it is closed. Veggies from the grocery store are never half so good.

Mostly worrisome. I don't so much have the ravens, as have the trees they like to roost and nest in towering over my house. They are curious and friendly and not afraid to fly right up to my kitchen window to steal anything i leave out. the bear discovered the backyard habitat I created for the wild birds and bunnies and moved in on me. She is a destructive nuisance, but her cubs were so cute when she brought them by for thimbleberries one day. Here she is chilling in my pond. I call her Booger.

Thank you! I look forward to it. :)

That's a great name for her! She is beautiful. Was it much of a surprise when you first noticed you had a bear chilling at your house?

I'm with ...how was it to discover you had acquired a bear as a lawn ornament. I understand they can be very destructive, but also kind of cool. My friend keeps bees and has a real challenge keeping bears from destroying his hives. He calls bears something a lot less cute than Booger.But I bet the cubs were adorable!