Eclectic meaning:
a person who derives ideas, styles, or taste from a broad and divers range of sources.
I recently heard Eclectic Paganism described as the "salad bar" of Paganism. However true the metaphor may be, it did irk me a bit. Yes, I pick and choose parts of multiple religions in order to create my own, but that is, quite frankly, how all organized religions start. To hear a fellow Pagan refer to my beliefs as a mere "salad bar," felt like I was being judged by one of my own. Pagan paths have all been formed by other paths.
The term Paganism covers a wide range of different paths. I list a few of them in my infographic, found here. That's only a short few of the numerous different forms of paganism. I try to explain it by comparing Paganism to Christianity. Stick with me while I explain.
Christianity is the general term used to describe religions and those who believe in a Christ figure. It includes:
· Catholicism
o Catholic
Church
§ The
Latin Church
§ Eastern
Catholic Churches
o Other
churches and movements
§ Independent
(self-identified as Catholic)
· Eastern
Orthodox
o Eastern
Orthodox Church
o Other
churches
· Oriental
Orthodoxy
o Other
Churches
· Church
of the East
· Other
early Christians
· Medieval
sects
· Protestantism
o Lutheranism
o Anglicanism
§ Anglican
Communion
§ Other
Anglican Churches
o Calvinism
§ Continental
Reformed churches
§ Presbyterianism
§ Congregationalist
Churches
o Anabaptists
and Schwarzenau Brethren
o Plymouth
Brethren and Free Evangelical Churches
o Methodists
o Pietists
and Holiness Churches
o Baptists
§ Spiritual
Baptists
o Apostolic
Churches – Irvingites
o Pentecostalism
o Charismatics
§ Neo-Charismatic
Churches
o African
Initiated Churches
o Messianic
Judaism / Jewish Christians
o United
and uniting churches
o Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers)
o Stone-Campbell
Restoration Movement
o Southcottites
o Millerites
and comparable groups
§ Adventist
(Sunday observing)
§ Adventist
(Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
§ Church
of God movements (Sunday observing)
§ Church
of God movements (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
§ Sabbath-Keeping
Movements, Separated from Adventists
§ Sacred
Name groups
§ Movements
not related to the Millerites but comparable to them
· Sabbath-Keeping
movements, predating the Millerites
o Other
· Nontrinitarian
groups
o Latter
Day Saints
o Oneness
Pentecostalism
o Unitarianism
and Universalism
o Bible
Student groups
o Swedenborgianism
o Christian
Science
o Other
non-Trinitarians
· New
Thought
· Esoteric
Christianity
· Racialist
groups
· Syncretistic
religions incorporating elements of Christianity
· Other
o Christian
Movements
o Mormon
o Internet
Churches
o LGBT-affirming
Christian denominations
o Interdenominational
(ecumenical) churches and organizations
o Non-denominational
churches and organizations
§
Revivals
This reminds me quite a bit of Eddie Izzard. Check out this video for some good laughs on this subject.
Anyways...
The term "Christianity" covers ALL of those. It's like an umbrella. The term "Paganism" is an umbrella-term as well, covering many different religions. Each religion has broken off from another, for various reasons. Generally, one person did not agree with the teachings of one religion, so they set off and start their own religion, using foundations that they like from previous religions. The whole concept of religion is eclectic!
So to call my beliefs a "salad bar" is quite hypocritical.
Anyway, my rant of religious salad was not the intent of this blog posting.
My point in this blog was actually to discuss my Goddess and my God.
In my very first blog post, I talk about what exactly I believe. You can read it here, but basically the spark notes version of the post is this:
- I believe in 1 God and 1 Goddess
- I believe the world was created through their sexual union
- I believe my Goddess' domain is over nature, creativity, inspiration, the senses, and the general right side of the brain
- I believe my God's domain is over logic, reason, mathematics, morals and the general left side of the brain
- I believe people can have a closer relationship/connection to my Goddess or my God
- I believe some people can have an equal relationship to both my Goddess and my God
It seems simple enough. But it has it rough spots. One of the rough spots I'm still trying to work out is my Goddess' and God's name, shape, form, etc. Many people have statues of their deities that help them focus their prayer and meditation. I don't, and I want it. I believe a visual reminder of my deities' presence will help me spiritually. Yes, I have my pentagram, and I can always use general goddess/god forms. Some examples below (thank you Carole Hiscock @wildseawitch for allowing me to use your image):
But even those are difficult for me to use... I know the foundations of my Goddess and my God, and what they are and what they reign over. But I don't know who they are.
It sparked some interest and research on the subject, which has uncovered some interesting possibilities:
- Aluluei - an oceanic god, reign over knowledge and navigation. He has two heads, one to see where he is going, one to see where he has been.
- Brighid - a celtic goddess, reign over healing and craftsmanship, patron of learning and poetry
- Cernunnos - a celtic horned god, typical god among Wiccans and Druids, reigns over virility
- Lug - a celtic god of the sun, master of all arts and skill and crafts
- Sucellus - a celtic guardian of the forests
- Kupula - a slavic goddess of water, sorcery, and herbal lore
- Mati Syra Zemlia - a slavic term translated to "moist mother earth," earth goddess
- Orula - a santerian god of human destiny
- Anshar and Kishu - mesopotamian god and goddess, parents to all other gods/goddesses, Anshar is god of the sky, Kishu is goddess of earth
- Kingu - mesopotamian god, keeps the tablets of human destiny
- Nabu - mesopotamian god of writing and speech, keeps records of human's actions and presents them at judgment time
- Maat - mesopotamian goddess, earth mother,
- Atira - a northern native american goddess of earth
- Thoume - a northern native american god, supposedly taught humans how to make love, clothes, and fire
- Apollo - a greek god of light, prophecy, music, medicine, herbs,
- Artemis - a greek goddess of childbirth, maidens, fertility
- Gaia - a greek goddess, mother of all things, earth mother
- Moros - a greek god of destiny, all other gods/goddesses are subject to him
- Flora - a roman goddess of flowers and blooming plants
- Janus - a roman god with two heads, represents past and future wisdom
- Tellus Mater - a roman goddess of earth
- Han Hsiang-Tzu - a chinese god, a scholar who studied magic most
- Bast - an egyptian goddess of music, joy, and dancing, takes form of a cat
- Thoth - an engyptian god of wisdom, music, magic, medicine, astronomy, geometry, surveying, art, and writing
- Ganesh - a hindu god, depicted with an elephant head, reign over obstacles, beginnings, art, science, intelligence, and wisdom
- Odin - a norse god of wisdom, wealth, inspiration, poetry, battle, hunting, magic, and prophecy
- Pan - a greek nature god
These are just some of the many ancient pagan gods/goddess. I thought these were most similar to my Goddess, and my God. More can be found on this webpage.
Many of them sound very similar to one another, but none of them are exactly my Goddess, and my God. It is something I will have to discover for myself it seems.
Oh, and by the way. In honor of my religious Eclectic salad, here's a pretty infographic for you to enjoy:
Oh, and by the way. In honor of my religious Eclectic salad, here's a pretty infographic for you to enjoy:
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