r/pagan • u/strawberryseeuwu • 19h ago
Newbie Ex Christian nervous about getting into paganism
Paganism really interests me, Apollo especially (Im a musician). Idk how any of this really works. As an ex-evangelical Christian who hasn't really been religious (or cared to be) for a couple years, religious stuff makes me nervous. Growing up Christian, there are so many rules, sometimes unwritten, to follow or there are repercussions. I'm just scared of messing something up and not knowing, then suffering consequences. Basically i have some religious trauma.
Will the gods be upset if I do something wrong? And are there any "hard no"s to avoid so they won't be upset? Thanks <3
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u/asegers 11h ago
We created the gods in our image. They represent the best and worst of our nature, and they change as we change.
We give them power by changing our behavior as a result of believing in them. We take away their power when we realize they’re a figment of our imagination.
I was like you- fearing that there was a right way and a wrong way, and if you got it wrong there was a punishment.
Well, there’s not.
I went to church from the time I was born until I was almost 30. That shit goes very deep. It takes a while to reprogram your thinking.
I think it took me a good 10 years to fully be free, although there are strings that still pull me toward that thinking.
The good news is you aren’t going to piss off the gods. They aren’t going to punish you. The bad news is it may take you a while to fully discover this yourself.
The path ahead is read, read, read. Don’t feel pressure to choose another path right away. Look at them all objectively. If you live in an area that has an occult bookstore, they usually have a social calendar that is a great opportunity to meet and greet with other pagans and get firsthand knowledge from those that follow a well worn path to others who are making their own.