Inannasstar

Hello and Happy Saturday Everyone!

First up, I want to thank Cora for her very interesting and informative post! I, for one, very much enjoyed it!
Today we have a new post- please welcome 'inannasstar'. She is a Pagan and I know you will enjoy her post as well.

Here Is Inannasstar's Introduction:

I am a Jersey Girl married to my Jersey boy for 13 1/2 years strong raising my son and 2 goofy boxers that were rescued from kill shelters. I enjoy gardening, reading, wasting time on the web, opining on things that probably shouldn't involve me and being an all around drama queen. My Spirituality is in every cell of my body and in every act of my day.


1) What religion do you practice?
I am Pagan. More specifically, I am a Solitary Eclectic Witch.

2) Did you convert or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I was not raised by Pagan/Witch parents. My father was an Atheist and my mother never spoke of religion, but now that I'm older I believe she was Agnostic. I never practiced any kind of religion and actually had and still have an aversion to "organized religion" including Wicca.

3) Would you consider yourself a moderate, conservative or other.
I consider myself to be moderately liberal.

4) In your opinion, what makes you moderate/conservative/other?
I feel I'm moderately liberal because I believe in pro-choice, that gay marriage should be legal, that marijuana should be legal and that everyone who walks this Earth has a natural born right to health care.

5) In your opinion, what makes someone conservative? What makes someone moderate?
I consider someone conservative who looks out for themself and their own beliefs. i.e. A wealthy heterosexual straight and narrow man really has no vested interest in abortion rights/gay marriage/legalizing marijuana or health care; therefore, he doesn't necessarily care if other people have access to those things. Also, I believe that, unfortunately, organized religion (especially the big 3) have force fed and brainwashed their flocks at the voting polls.
I believe that a moderate person is more open to looking at the issue from more than just his/her side but rather from a universal angle.

6) What's your heaven/paradise like?
I don't believe in heaven.

7) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I don't believe in heaven.

8) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Since I was as old as I can remember I always felt a connection to the Earth, the Seasons and the Elements. I knew that my body was from the Earth and shared the same energies. It is as natural to me as eating and drinking. I don't question it, it just is.

9) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I celebrate the 8 esbats (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas and Mabon); the Full Moon and the New Moon. Each esbat is celebrated differently as the energies surrounding same are obviously very different. Sometimes there are elaborite Rituals and sometimes it's just me lighting a candle in Her honor. On the Full Moon and New Moon, it's the same thing. I go with my heart. If I want to go outside and light a fire and breathe in the energy of the night, I do. If I'd rather stay inside and light a candle, then I do that. It's all about intention with me. Whatever I do, I never do it because I'm "supposed to". I do it because my heart guides me.

10) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, I do have friends who are not Pagan or Witches.

11) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Of course I would. I do not believe that any way is right or wrong. I believe that if you feel true peace and love from your practice, then it is good for you. To that end, I expect the same respect of my practice.

12) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
When I see a woman in a burka I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry that her feminity is viewed as a sin in and of itself. I feel lucky that I was not born into that religion. I also feel lucky that I live somewhere that there is a choice to learn and follow another path. Patriarchy makes me feel nauseas and angry.

13) What are your thoughts on women not being allowed to become priests? Again, Patriarchy makes me feel nauseas and angry.

14) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
I do not have a place of worship. The Earth is my place.

15? How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
I don't even consider my beliefs to be a religion (I guess I just don't like that word). My thoughts and actions are my "religion". They are so intertwined that one does not exist without the other.

16) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I want my child to be healthy, happy and in love. That's all I wish for him.

17) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I do not believe in hell.

18) Who do you think is not a practising ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
I believe that Paganism is such a personal path that there are no rules or regulations to speak for.

19) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No, other than dirty looks when wearing my Pentagram.

20) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
NEVER

21) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
ALWAYS

22) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes I do. I look to nature for those lessons. In the Spring the Earth is born. In the Summer it is ripe with life. In the Autumn it is shedding it's leaves and preparing for the end of the cycle, in the Winter it is dead. Then again, the spiral continues and Spring returns. I believe this body I walk around in carries a soul that will return to this Earth.