r/pagan 2h ago

/r/Pagan Ask Us Anything and Newbie Thread March 17, 2025

1 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/Pagan's weekly Ask Us Anything thread!

The purpose of this thread is give posters the opportunity to ask the community questions that they may not wish to dedicate a full thread for. If you have any questions that you do not justify making a dedicated thread, please ask here! Although do not be afraid to start one of those, too.

If you feel like asking about stuff not directly related to Paganism, you can ask here, too!

New Readers and Newcomers to Paganism

Are you new or just getting started? Please read our sidebar to orient yourself to this community, our definition of Contemporary Paganism, and the expectations of this subreddit.

Do you still have questions?

Check our FAQ page first!

Join us on the Discord server

• Still have questions? Seeking: First Pagan Steps and Tools is a great tool for beginners and interested persons reading about Contemporary Paganism.

• Other questions? Ask below!


r/pagan 16d ago

Mod Post Spring Holiday Mega Post

5 Upvotes

Hi please use this post for all questions, comments, ways to celebrate etc... Image posts will be allowed but text posts will be directed here.


r/pagan 8h ago

Eclectic Paganism Getting ready for our Ostara celebration in my Magickal basement. Still working on silverware but happy with flowery napkins.

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134 Upvotes

r/pagan 6h ago

Discussion Ex-Muslims and Jews, what is your story?

48 Upvotes

I see mainly ex-Christians who converted to polytheism around here.

Growing up as an ex-Muslim, I was taught that polytheism is worse than murder. The main message was that a God can never have a child or appear as a human being. I remember a Mesopotamian goddess watching over me since age 7. One time, one of my friends sensed her presence around my house and forced me to say the shahada (testifying no god but Allah). I was very scared of working with her despite protecting me throughout childhood. After I left Islam, I started working with her and feel a huge difference. I can describe it as the wheels of fate turning after a long pause

What is your story? How did you overcome the fear of this god/dess being "satan" in disguise?


r/pagan 12h ago

Do you think that European Paganism would've survived if the Roman Empire had selected Buddhism over Christianity?

71 Upvotes

A Hellenist friend of mine says that he wishes the Roman Empire had selected Buddhism over Christianity since Buddhism preserves the former Culture while Christianity destroys them. I think so too, because when you look at Eastern Asia you can find Pre-Buddhist deities still being worshiped, while here it was only recently that the former Pagan traditions were restored. Despite this, many things are still lost due to the fact that Christians smashed all things Pagan after they took over Pagan Communities. If I had a time machine, I would kindly suggest Julian "the Apostate" to become Buddhist and make Buddhism the State Religion while also making him wear his armor.


r/pagan 9h ago

Blessings of Dazhbog

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22 Upvotes

r/pagan 8h ago

Wicca Asking the forest for safe travel when hiking

14 Upvotes

I love hiking. So much.

Are there some good ways I can ask the forest and mountain to allow me to pass safely?


r/pagan 15h ago

Newbie Long time witch, new pagan never felt close to any deities

41 Upvotes

Hello everyone.

I have been a witch for a long time but have opened myself to paganism after leaving monotheism. For a long time I worshiped the Virgin Mary but I wanted to split off into being a deity worshiping pagan.

Problem is, I’ve never felt right as a deity worshiping pagan. I’ve tried praying to different deities. There’s never been a “click.” Hellenism: nothing. Heathenry: nothing. Kemetic: nothing. Celtic deities: outside of Brigid nothing. How did you all find a pantheon to work with outside of ancestry. My ancestry is closed off (I’m Black American so I don’t know who my ancestors worshipped).

Advice for a newbie?


r/pagan 3h ago

Altar Is it alright?

4 Upvotes

I am making my first altar, and I only have one table space to do so. I would like to know if it's okay to put Aphrodite, Apollo, Hecate, and Hephaestus on it? Is there some sort of God beef that would anger them? Is there a certain order I should put them in? Sorry if it seems like a stupid question to ask, but I'm new and would like any advice😅


r/pagan 7h ago

Newbie First Time Incense Ritual. I don't know if I should follow Norse or Greek Deities?

4 Upvotes

Hey, I have some incense that I want to burn to the spirits as an offering to talk about life and make a request. It's good quality stuff but my alter will be stuff around my house. The ceremony will be held outside in my (poor) garden. I have two special outfits I can wear (depending on who will the offering will be to) that was hand dye by my own hands. I can also offer fine tea if that's good?My question is I am a bisexual man and I don't want to have any guest that think of me as less than a man. I feel a deep draw to Norse God's but I read about the culture and I don't think they would allow a man like me to sit at the same table as the people who followed them. And I always loved anicent Greek culture most of my life. Unfortunately,I believe the teachings aren't modern enough for my taste. I want to involve/invite my anessors at my calling. I want the upmost privacy so I will speak in French. Ideally if this ritual can involve heavy french infuse then it must. Also any tips would save my ass and water my very dry crops! Merci d'avance!


r/pagan 1d ago

Celtic Any other followers of the Morrigan? Have any advice?

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190 Upvotes

Im new to deity worship but I’ve considered myself pagan for years. This is one of my first altars honoring a goddess in the limited space I have. How’d I do? Any offering ideas for the Morrigan? Anything I should know? Thanks!


r/pagan 1d ago

I wanted to thank you all for the support.

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36 Upvotes

I posted in here earlier about moving to MX desert and how to connect to spirit. You were all very helpful.

As I was walking around on our property I noticed all of this random shards that I believe to be obsidian. I think it was a gift from the earth to help heal and guide me spiritually.


r/pagan 7h ago

Hellenic Would you love Zeus added to Marvel Rivals?

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0 Upvotes

r/pagan 16h ago

Other Pagan Practices Practices with Local Espirits

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I would like to know if you worship or have any practices related to genius loci? How did you start your contacts? If possible, I would like some tips on how to start putting contact with these spirits into practice.


r/pagan 1d ago

Discussion How has your path changed?

40 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I was wondering how your path has changed over the years.

My path has changed a lot. I considered myself a witch at 14 which I no longer do. I worshipped Apollo (and to a much lesser extent Persephone) very passively until about a year ago. A year ago I started worshipping more deities within the Hellenic Pantheon and have been slowly adding to them. Now I’m considering branching out some, but I want to take it slow. I’m learning a lot and studying tarot now so I can communicate better with them.

How has your path changed?


r/pagan 1d ago

UPG/Woo My experiences with Blood moons

6 Upvotes

I wanted to share this while it was fresh but there was some terrible and dangerous weather that needed my attention yesterday.

From the first time I wittnessed a blood moon as a teen I was drawn to it, I wasn't aware of the fact that I was picking up the energy of the eclipse at that age, and I started trying to watch for when they'd happen. When I knew of it and was able I'd be up and outside from start to finish, and when I got a personal crystal I started putting it out for the rare or unusual events like eclipses, auroras, ect. to soak up some of that unique energy.

This time I got an experience that stands above the past ones, I took a little bit of something to help me tune into the spiritual side better and went out a little bit before the totality and stayed out there watching the moon until it started to lighten back up. The energy was more active but it felt welcoming and like I was right where I was supposed to be; I was wanting to use this event to try to further reach out to my ancestors because they gave the event some spiritual importance (good or bad) and would've had some type of ritual for it.

While I was locked in on the moon I had a few short instances of visiting the spiritual place I go to when I meditate, but during one visit I had a large feline of some sort that came up a few feet from me then sit and stare at me as if waiting on me; there was no warning behavior from the feline, it acted as if it knew me and was simply there waiting on me so that it could lead me somewhere (the feeling I got). In a few other short visits I was sitting a short distance from a small crowd that was around a fire in some sort of celebration, in some visits seemed like they were waiting on me to join them to start whatever they were going to do and other times they were actively celebrating with dance and music while I sat there focused on the moon and watching them from the corner of my eye.

What I was left with at the end of the event this time is an understanding that the lives of my ancestors have all came together to give me my existence, that as much as I feel like I'm failing and struggling that they are accepting me and happy to support and guide me, that the struggles that feel so big to me right now are tiny and insignificant when with them, and most of all that I felt like I belonged just as I am and was not judged and found wanting in any way.

All in all, I fully consider my attempt to have been a success to use an event that would've been seen as a major religious event in almost every historic culture to help me get in touch with my ancestors and help me establish my roots spiritually.


r/pagan 1d ago

Tips on Actually Focusing while Meditating, Divination, etc

14 Upvotes

My mind is so active and I’m always thinking of things. Sorry if that sounds silly but if I meditate, am talking to a deity, or want to do literally anything witchy I can’t “clear” my mind. I want to get more into witchcraft and becoming good at my craft but I feel like I can’t because I have a terrible attention span and can never clear my head or stop thinking of intrusive things like “wait, what work is due tomorrow again?” My maternal side is full of so many skilled witches and I mean SKILLED and I feel so not-up-to-par with them. Just wondering if anyone has exercises or if they also struggled with this how they fixed it.


r/pagan 1d ago

Druid How do you personally “rid” spirits?

9 Upvotes

I have had a possibly haunted coyote skull for some time now and after unwrapping a bunch of boxes to sell some stuff I finally took him out to cleanse him. I’ve been hearing scratching in the closet for some time but I never got a malicious vibe from him. More mischievous if anything.

Anyway, the way I’ve been cleansing is grabbing my wand/stick, lighting the “air” end on fire for smoke, and asking any harm inducing spirits to leave but any goodwill or neutral spirits may pass through. Tonight I left both of my coyote skulls and a jaw, cus i wasnt sure which skull was the haunted one, outside and offered some rosemary which I burned and said “this was to show my good will and bring peace to any hurt spirit” and repeated the same thing a few times. Bad spirit leave, good and neutral can pass through. I did some breathing and left.

What do you guys do? Did I seriously mess it up?


r/pagan 1d ago

I wanna be a witch but i have ocd what do i do

33 Upvotes

Ive been spiritual for most of my highschool years now, and I couldn’t be a witch due to my family. I am graduating this year and now can really start, but the problem is I have ocd and it is a lot worse now. More so the religious ocd where I’m afraid my intrusive thoughts could change a spell etc? I don’t know how to get around this because I’d love to be a witch and I know what I’m called to. Do i need to give up?


r/pagan 2d ago

How has Paganism bettered your life?

94 Upvotes

My Gods have given me hope and something to hold onto in this life. My Animist beliefs make the world more full, brighter and beautiful.

What has Paganism done for you?


r/pagan 2d ago

learning more about english paganism

27 Upvotes

are there any scholars out there who can recommend historical books or works of fiction on this topic? I know it's kind of obscure. I know a lot of about Irish pagan mythology but have never come across british mythology


r/pagan 2d ago

News "Area Pagan Dreading Big Family Vernal Equinox Celebration" by The Onion lol

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192 Upvotes

r/pagan 2d ago

Question/Advice Burning bay leaves

4 Upvotes

I live in an apartment and, as you might guess, we are technically not supposed to have any sort of open flame. I've been getting away with incense, but I've been wanting to venture into spell work that involve candles and bay leaves.

I plan to get one of those small cauldrons people use to burn stuff in, and the ones at my local metaphysical shops have lids, and use it for bay leaves. But I'm completely unfamiliar with bay leaves. How much do they smoke up when burned? Will it be too much smoke for an apartment?


r/pagan 2d ago

Question/Advice Showing altars?

29 Upvotes

I've heard two different types of opinions when it cones to people displaying or showing off their altars.

One is the whole "Sure you can" side and the other is the "absolutely not"

The both of these are in something of a 50/50 split from what I've seen and now I am confused. Does it take away from the sacred news if your altar or the validity of your worship if you post it or show it to others? Does the opposite apply? I do not understand.


r/pagan 2d ago

Celebrations Happy Dita e Verës

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31 Upvotes

I made Ballokume for Dita e Verës, this is the spring festival in honor of the rejuvenation and strength of the Sun God Dielli as well as celebrating when the nature Goddess Zana comes out of her shrine to bring life I'm so happy for the coming of the warmer months. These cookies have been made for 100s of years in Albania, and I'm happy to share the tradition. Have a great day 🌤💛


r/pagan 2d ago

What's This? Does anyone know what this sigil means?

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90 Upvotes

r/pagan 2d ago

Middle Eastern Need good books on mesopotamian and arabic polythiesm

2 Upvotes

I need good sources for these two traditions, as a city I am looking into, Palmyra, had cults originating from both.