Welcome to Gaia! ::

Why do you choose to be Pagan or similarly, why choose to be Wiccan? Just that it coincides with what you already believe or..?

How do you know when you appreciate nature, that it really matters? How do you know when you communicate with the fae, elementals, elves etc that your voice is really being heard, rather than echoing into a vast microcosm of particles? Is it just a matter of faith?

It seems like I can't entirely be sure about anything. Why celebrate Pagan holidays? To show respect for old traditions and cultures? Or more likely, because you see things the way those traditions and cultures do. But what keeps your spirituality in Paganism over other things? What ties your spirit to Paganism or Wicca? What makes you not doubt it enough to fully practice it?

I just ask you these questions because I ask myself these questions.

On another note, I had my friends and myself have a bonfire in this colder season dedicated to the fire elementals. This time of the year, they're the least represented element, so I figured they would appreciate it and could take the chance to charge their warm energies again before it starts snowing. It was freezing and my friends were hesitant but I encouraged us all to do it for them as somewhat of a service. It was early morning and everything was also covered in an icey morning frost, so it didn't seem like we would start a fire easily. Though, I said this was especially dedicated to the fire elementals and all were welcome, the fire started on the first try, frost melted and we turned it into a bonfire. Best fire we'd all personally had thus far.

Now it could of been that the presence of salamander and other fire elementals would have amplified the warmth and intesified the fire and could've been why it started so easily and turned out so well. Or it could just be that there wasn't enough frost and moisture to seriously hinder the burning of the otherwise dry wood. I also picked up a stick that stuck out to me, shaped somewhat like a natural dagger/wand. It has termite carvings in it and in one spot it clearly shows "T y" almost as in like "Thank you". I kept the stick, it's neat. Could this be a "fae gift"? Or is it just a neat stick I happened by?

As much as I love to appreciate nature and the elements, how do I know I'm not just talking about nothing but my imagination when attempting to communicate with or appreciate them? Or is that just up to me to determine based on my own experiences with/without them? If they are there, I really don't wanna miss out on noticing them, ya know?

Honestly, you could ask the same of any religion or belief. You can never get a straight answer with evidence. You must just believe that your belief is right and true. However, you should also keep the respect of others who believe that their belief is right and true for them.

also...I would have thought that in this colder season, fire would be the most represented. especially with Christmas and Hannaka and a few others that celebrate the festival of lights (usually done with candles).

With the stick, one could look at it both ways. If you tend to be one who believes in mere coincidence, then the stick has no meaning, but if you truly believe in those whom you worship or dedicate a ceremony to, then the stick would have meaning. Only you can decided that.

Go ahead and appreciate nature. Everyone should. I mean the plants give us the oxygen our bodies need to breathe! Plus, they tend to look neat and some have good smells and good medicinal purposes!

I chose to be spiritualist because it is compatible with the religion my parents raised me in and what my uncle has taught me. It matches with my beliefs and has yet to prove to be faulty, at least to me. But then it also tends to be a very loosely structured faith. xd But when questioning your faiths and beliefs, the most important thing to do is recognize their value to you and why, or why not.

How do I know that my faith and beliefs matter? I don't, but as a general rule something usually happens to let me know that "Somebody" is listening. The responce isn't always immediate, or even recognizable at the time, possibly not even the way I expected it. But I do get a responce. We just need to be patient enough to recognize it when the recognition does come. I'm still learning this, but try your best not to question the unique or "coincidental" experiences you come across, and accept them as you feel they were intended to be. So if a bunch of termites or carpenter ants carved a path in some wood that looks like "TY" don't argue with what you feel it could mean...(heheh you should read the story I posted in Psychic Experiences http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=6785503 )

As for traditions and holidays. That depends on you. For some it is just a break from the everyday that we have been doing since the notion first caught on. To others it is to honor our past and keep it alive in years to come. The original reason may sometimes get forgotten or altered as history passes to each generation, but that is to maintain its value for those who have forgotten the history.

I hope that helps a bit. Sometimes we need to question our faiths and beliefs to help make them stronger.

Best wishes

I got my new camera yesterday so I can share the stick I found

It sure is

That is beautiful - if it were me, I would keep it just to remind me to believe, and to question! It's our beliefs that make us the individuals we are, and it's our questioning that makes us human and helps us further explore our paths and avoid falling into the "ritual without meaning" slump!

I thank you for this thread, it calls me to contemplate what exactly I believe!