Lost for a time

[Debau2005]

I seem to have lost my way a bit. I don't really know where to go with my beliefs. I have read the basic, intro books, but need something to help me strengthen my belief system. I am trying to follow the Druid path. I relate to them on every level.

I guess, I am ready to move past the beginning stages to the next levels and I am stuck!

This forum has been a wonderful place for me.

[icymist]

1. Hello Debau2005!

please excuse my tardiness in replying to your post, I've been away for a while. Try looking on WitchVox where you can find pagans in your area (scroll down to the bottom of the page); maybe you could link up somewhere. Now I would like to ask you, what is your background? What are your beliefs from that? All this can effect what you need. Good luck in your seeking.

[Debau2005]

2. I will go out and take a look

Let's see my background...I was raised in the "church", baptized as a Methodist, and practiced for for a while. Lost my religion, as my mother says, in my college years, but re-found it in my 30's. I had just moved to Metro Atlanta from a small rural Alabama town, and the church more as a social outlet then anything else. I am still close to some of the people I met there. At the time the new minister was starting Wednesday classes on Methodist doctrine, and then on the history of other religions, I was very intrigued and didn't miss a session. I found it refreshing that a minister would be open to teaching about other faiths and how they came to be.

As is the case in most Methodist churches, that minister was moved after a few years, and the spark was gone for me. The new minister was not so open minded. So I left, and tried a few others. After a few years, I didn't try to find a new church home. When Katrina happened, I learned very quickly how the religious view people different from them. One of the churches in South Alabama was a leader in NOT wanting the evacuees to come to their area. I was horrified by the whole thing. Especially since my family supported these views and as I reminded them were in an area that was only 75 miles from the damage and next time it might be them!

I started searching for something to fill the void that I felt, reading online, and getting books from the library, and found that the Druids were what I was seeking. I am currently studying the Goddess, Epona. I feel a connection to her. This is where I have some confusion. Does this change the classification for me from a Druid to something else? I also wonder if I am trying to classify myself because that is what the Christian religions do.

Once I found Epona, I feel and see things differently. When I am making decisions that are "life altering" I meditate and allow her guidance to point me. When I do this I have not made a wrong turn yet. I feel I need to do more to and this is another concern for me, I don't really know where to turn.

Sorry for the rambling!

[havocmom]

3. I recommend a book called People of the Earth By Hopman and Bond

It is a nice overview of several schools of thought. And yes, check the Vox site for a good starting point to find community.

Oh, and when I get to feeling lost, it usually means I need to spend more time outside, touching the Earth. Try going out and tuning in to the energies around you. Send your taproot down to suck up some energy. Let it flow up your spine and out your limbs. Always a refreshing exercise to clear out the soul and get back to work.

Enjoy your journey. It is more about the trip than the destination.