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Self Reflection On Your Path

Week One: Discovering Paganism

Finish each statement:
  • I came to know about Paganism because...
  • Three things about Paganism I don't understand or that concern me are...
  • Three things about Paganism I would be interested to study further are...
  • My religion before I was Pagan was...
  • Five things I appreciate about my previous religion are...
  • I appreciate these things because...
  • Three things I wish I could have changed about my previous religion are...
  • I am attracted to Paganism because...
  • The Pagan tradition I am most interested in right now is...
  • The reasons why I am interested in this tradition are...
  • The reaction of my friends and family to my interest in Paganism is...

Week Two: Pagan Holidays

Answer the following questions:

1. Which season of the year is your favorite? What do you remember from your childhood about this season that has special meaning for you? How do you celebrate this season now?

2. Have you ever been to a Pagan holiday ritual? If so, what did you think? Describe what occurred in the ritual and what you liked about it.

2 Alternate. If you haven't been to a Pagan holiday ritual, research common rituals for each holiday and pick one. Describe why you picked that one. What do you like about it? What don't you like about it?

3. What do you think about Paganism including celebrations of fertility into its sacred year? Do you think that the Pagan celebration of fertility offers something positive to the culture? If so, what, and if not, why not?

4. What do you think about Paganism including the processing of death into its sacred year? Do you think that the Pagan celebration of aging and dying offers something positive to the culture? If so, what, and if not, why not?

Week Three: Impressions of Paganism

Answer the following questions:

1. In what ways is Paganism influencing movies, music, commercials, consumer products, businesses, and other religions? What was the first pagan reference or idea you encountered in the general culture?

2. What was your impression of Paganism before you began studying it?

3. Why are you studying Paganism at this time? What do you most want to gain during your studies?

4. Who was the first Pagan you ever met? How did you go about finding Pagans? How did you hear about Pagan events? How do you think Pagans can improve their accessibility to those who are looking for them?

5. Have you ever attended a Pagan festival or convention? What was it like? How was it different from what you expected, and in what ways did it meet your expectations? What would you say to someone going to their first Pagan festival or convention?

5. Alternate. If you have never attended a Pagan festival or convention, research Pagan events in your area. Pick one you would like to go to. Explain why you chose that event. If you can, go to the even and answer the questions from the question above.

Some places to learn about Pagan events:
  • Local metaphysical bookstore - ask people about gatherings and pick up flyers and calendars, gather contact information
  • Search the internet for groups and activities in your area - meetup.com is a great site to get started on
  • Go to multiple rituals and other gatherings - try to attend multiple events and figure out what you like
  • Take classes - Pagan classes are often offered online or at new age stores.
  • Join an organization - some places have groups that meet and plan events, lectures and open circles.

6. What experience have you had with Paganism so far that has been the most fun, the most rewarding, or made the deepest impression on you?

Week Four: Your Place In The Universe

Finish each statement:
  • Three things about my self-image that I like are...
  • Five things I believe about myself and my place in the universe are...
  • Are these beliefs my own, or did I pick them up from someone else (i.e. home, school, church, on TV, etc.)? The origins of each of my five beliefs are...
Answer the following question:

1. How are these beliefs positive for me? how do they satisfy me and help me grow personally and spiritually? In other words, what do these beliefs do for me? This will show me how your beliefs help you grow.

For each of your five beliefs, identify another belief you cannot have as long as you hold onto your original belief. This will show how your beliefs are limiting:
  • If I believe in [insert Belief #1], I cannot also believe...
  • If I believe in [insert Belief #2], I cannot also believe...
  • If I believe in [insert Belief #3], I cannot also believe...
  • If I believe in [insert Belief #4], I cannot also believe...
  • If I believe in [insert Belief #5], I cannot also believe...

 Week Five: Identifying Beliefs

Evaluate yourself.

Take several sheets of paper and mark one "Childhood," another "Teenager," another "Young Adult," and the last "Me Now" (If you are just now a teenager or young adult, eliminate whatever pages do not apply to you).

Think of yourself as a child. What did you believe as a child? Areas to include are beliefs about yourself, your body, your parents, God, religion, school, responsibility, guilt, sex, what makes you a good or bad person, and what is expected of you. Write these beliefs on the paper marked "Childhood."

Repeat this process for each paper.

When you have finished, look at all the paper. Are there patterns? What beliefs haven't changed since your childhood? 

Pick one or two of the most important beliefs that haven't changed. Write them on separate sheets of paper. Where did these beliefs come from? Why do you believe they are true? What influences brought you and now keep you with these beliefs? Do you think these beliefs are positive or negative for you? How do they free you and how do they limit you?

Pick one or two of the beliefs that have drastically changed. Write them on separate sheets of paper. What happened to bring about these changes? What were the people, influences, and events that were relevant to these changes? How did you arrive at your current beliefs? Do you think they are positive or negative for you? How do they free you and how do they limit you?

Week Six: Intersecting Beliefs

Evaluate yourself.

Make a list of the various areas of your life, such as home, work, family, church, friends, clubs, hobbies, and so forth. 

Identify the people in each category who are the most important in your life right now. You don't have to feel close to these people (such as a landlord), but list those who figure prominently. You can also name people you don't know personally, if they have a big influence on you. These people, for one reason or another, are people you have chosen to bring into your life.

For each person, identify what you think are beliefs characteristics of that person that are beliefs you also hold. How do the two of you support each other in these beliefs? For each person, also identify what you think are beliefs characteristics of that person that are in conflict with one or more of your beliefs. How do these disagreements affect your relationship, what you discuss, the things you do, and how you support or not support each other?

Now ask what would happen if you changed any of the beliefs you share with them. Would your relationship be affected, or would you lose their support? Are there beliefs you would change if you didn't fear losing their support? How would a change in your beliefs affect those relationships where you and the person have conflicting beliefs?

If you could change any of your current beliefs, what would it be? To hold that belief, what would you have to do that is different from what you are doing now? Did you identify any people above who hold the belief you are working toward or wishing to change? In what ways are they supporting you in this change? Have things occurred recently where you have drawn people to you who are supportive of your desire to change, grow, and learn?

Week Seven: Opening To New Ideas For Growth

Copy the following points in your journal:
  • You are in control of what you believe.
    • If you have given away your power in the past, take it back now. Time to exercise those ethical and philosophical muscles for yourself!
  • Take personal responsibility for your beliefs and actions.
    • No more blaming the culture, your parents, your first-grade teacher, a church, or the devil for who you are and what you have chosen to do.
  • Allow others full responsibility for their spiritual choices and then be respectful of them.
    • If you expect this for yourself, then you must give it to others. You do so out of respect and the recognition that we are all unique and powerful, and together are learning how to cooperate to create the world we want.
  • Stay objective.
    • You can decide that something works and is true for you without becoming emotionally entangled in it. You do not have to invest emotions in a belief in order to find meaning in it. You can continue to listen to and evaluate other ideas and beliefs in a calm, open manner because you know that doing so does not threaten or offend either yourself or the universe.
  • Stay mentally flexible.
    • Try on new ideas from time to time, even those you disagree with, just to see how they fit and how the world looks. Keep exercising your thinking muscles. Every idea that comes your way is an opportunity for you to try on a new perspective. Stay open to the possibilities, and test every idea for its soundness and usefulness to you. Take it into meditation with you, try it out at a ritual, have energy experiences with it. Test the fires of experience if you can do so safely without violating your ethics or breaking the law.
  • Put off the need to label experience.
    • Resist the urge to label phenomena based on what you already know. You are going to experience many new things. If you are just getting started as a Pagan, you are going to witness and participate in a variety of energetic and spiritual phenomena. Even though you are going to have these experiences from your current frame of reference, resist pigeonholing them.
  • Keep on growing.
    • Your work does not end here. Building a spirituality is a lifelong process. The growing and the learning never stop. Give yourself permission to consider new ideas and try new directions when the time is right. 

Week Eight: Appreciating Your Successes

Evaluate yourself.

Take a sheet of paper and make a list of all the successes you have had in your life. Don't leave out the little things, like knowing how to cook, and don't overlook your health and body. Don't shortchange yourself when it comes to relationships either: are you good with children? Do your neighbors like you? Do your friends confide in you? Take a look at your job, personality, appearance, skills, accomplishments, home, hobbies, relationships, sports and activities, money, possessions, and talents.

Imagine what your life might have been like if you hadn't done the things you listed, acquired those skills, or had those experiences. How is your life now richer because of these successes?

Choose a couple items that seem most important to the quality of your life now. Take another sheet of paper and write one of these items at the top. Below, identify all the beliefs you can that went into its creation. Were these isolated beliefs or did they come in a cluster? Were you aware of them at the time or did they operate subconsciously? In what ways did your beliefs support you in the creation of this part of your reality? 

As you were answering these questions, what kinds of things did you think about? How did your imagination, thinking and visualizations support your accomplishment? Did you see yourself being successful, and did you fantasize about it? In what ways did your mind support you in the creation of this part of your reality?

Think about how you felt while you worked on your accomplishment. What were your emotions and how did they support you being successful? 

Do this for each item you chose as important to you. Then look at them all. Are there any patterns? If you were going to give yourself advice on how to create success for yourself in the future using your beliefs, imagination, and emotions, what would you say? 

Week Nine: Elements of Spirituality

Answer the following questions:

1. What are the essential elements of spirituality to you? Do you think there is a difference between religion and spirituality? Where do you see Paganism fitting in?

2. What beliefs are important to you now? Why are they a part of your personal philosophy? Where do you think they will take you in the future?

Week Ten: A Personal Timeline

Get creative.

Create a spiritual timeline of your life from birth to the present. On this timeline, mark the events most memorable to you, including physical crises, and mental, spiritual, and psychic breakthroughs. Mark those times you experience a noticeable change in your state of being, or a sudden change in beliefs. 

Look at your timeline and ask yourself:
  • How did my world shift and how did my perspective change after each of the events marked on my timeline? 
  • What did I believe before, and what did I believe afterward? 
  • What was I thinking and feeling before, and the after, the change?
Did any of these memorable events or sudden shifts involve people who are or were significant to you? What role did these people play? What did they believe about the situation? Do you agree with them? How did these memorable events change you as a person?

Week Eleven: Thinking About God Beliefs

Answer the following questions:

1. When was the first time you questioned a belief about the Divine or the universe? What happened to bring on this questioning? How did you feel while you examined the belief? What did you end up deciding about it? What do you believe now about it?

2. Identify three or more beliefs about God held by the general culture or your religion of origin, that you believe are unhelpful or destructive. How did these beliefs develop? What supports their existence now? In what way do you find them destructive? If you could replace them, what would you substitute in their place?

3. If you could design the Divine yourself, what would it be like? What qualities would it have? What kind of relationship between you would be possible?

Week Twelve: Writing A Letter To The Divine

Get creative.

If you could write a letter to your idea of the Divine, what would you say? Take a few minutes and think of all the things you would ask your idea of the Divine if you found yourself face to face with them.

Take a sheet of paper and write a letter.

It doesn't matter what you say or how you say it, as long as it authentically captures how you feel. You can express any sort of feelings you wish: happy ones, grateful ones, even angry and sad ones. 

After you've written your letter, put it in your journal or some place safe. If you feel like "sending" your letter to the universe, think of a way that most feels like sending to you. It might be burning the letter, throwing it into a river or ocean, flushing it down the toilet, attaching it to a balloon, or burying it in your backyard. Make a little ritual of sending your letter. 

If you'd like to keep your letter to refer to in the future as well as send it, make a photocopy of it first.

Week Thirteen: Building A Connection With Deity

Copy the following points in your journal:

  • Establish a home base.
    • Your home base is where you start from; in other words, where you are right now in your beliefs. It is also where you will return as you explore other ideas about Deity. As your ideas change, so will your home base. Ask yourself: what do you believe about Deity right now? Take some time to identify your ideas and express them. Make a list of your ideas about Deity and see if you can identify their connecting themes. Begin where you are currently. Study, learn, and experience all you can about your current beliefs.
  • Make a connection.
    • After you've studied and learned for a while, give it a rest. Let all that knowledge and theory percolate awhile. In the mean time, focus on opening yourself to connecting with your concept of Deity. This is the point where you and the Divine intersect. Go find it. 
  • Develop a relationship. 
    • Once you have a connection with your concept of Deity, you need to being forming a relationship with it. How does Deity interact with you, and how do you interact with it?
  • Flex your ethics muscles.
    • Allow your Deity concepts and your ethics to develop together. Your ideas about Deity and your philosophy of life should be in harmony with each other. There is no reason for your ethics and your Deity images to conflict. If they do conflict, something is wrong and you need to take a hard look at both of them. There is no need to do anything you believe to be unethical in your religious practice. Keep your ethical muscles healthy by working them for yourself and insist that your Deity beliefs and your ethics support each other.
  • Keep exploring.
    • When you feel ready, venture away from your home base and explore as many other perspectives for which you have time and interest. Being an explorer is a lifetime process, so pace yourself. Don't let your other responsibilities slide because you're going a hundred miles an hour in your studies. Keep all aspects of yourself in balance. Don't form your opinions on a perspective until you've tried it on. It's even ok to try on an idea you don't agree with. Be open to learning from unexpected sources. Good ideas and insights can come from anywhere. It's ok to agree with an idea originating from someone no one has heard of or who is unpopular, and it's ok to disagree with an idea even though it comes from someone famous. Evaluate an idea based on its substance, not it's source.
  • Be respectful.
    • You are going to encounter a lot of different ideas about Deity throughout your life. Be respectful of what works for others, even if you disagree with them. Sometimes we learn the most from what makes us uncomfortable. While you're respecting the views of others, don't forget to include yourself. Don't bash where you came from or what you used to believe. For whatever reason, you needed to be there then, and where you came from got you where you are today.

Week Fourteen: Beliefs About Deity

Finish the following statements in your journal:
  • I currently believe the following about Deity...
  • Three things I used to believe about Deity but don't now are...
  • Why did I change these beliefs? Why do I think my current beliefs are better?
  • The Deities I am most interested in studying right now are...
  • Why do I want to study these Deities?
  • Where do I want my studies about Deity to take me in terms of my personal and spiritual growth?

Week Fifteen: Your Impressions of Pagans

Answer the following questions:

1. What were the first things you learned about Pagans and witches growing up? Where did you learn this information? How was the information being used?

2. Do you think this culture continues to fear witches and Pagans? If so, why?

3. What can you do to correct false information you hear concerning witches and Pagans? If you've had experience with this already, what reactions did you encounter? How might you respond?

4. If you used to believe misinformation about Pagans and witches, or even fear them, what caused you to change your mind?

Week Sixteen: Your View of Satan

Answer the following questions:

1. When someone mentions Satan, what comes to your mind? What feelings come with the images? Where did you learn the views you currently have of Satan?

2. Can you think of any additional roles Satan has played socially or mythologically? If so, what?

3. Do you find it difficult to approach the issue of Satan from different perspectives? If so, which one is causing you difficulty?

Week Seventeen: Issues Surrounding Satanists

Answer the following questions:

1. Do you know any Satanists, that is, those who follow a left-hand path? What are their general beliefs and philosophy? Do they consider themselves Pagan? Do you think they should? What issues do you think this raises for Paganism, if any?

2. Do Satanists benefit Paganism in any way? If yes, in what ways? If not, why not? Is there anything about their perspective that is unique and perhaps beneficial? Would you ever study the satanic movement and its philosophy?

3. Why might a person become a Satanist? What would you say to a person interested in a left-handed path?

4. How would you explain Satanism to someone who knows nothing about it?

Week Eighteen: Satan, Evil, And Your Spiritual Fears
Finish the following statements:


  • The things I believe about Satan as I was growing up were...
  • My beliefs about Satan now are...
  • My beliefs about demons and evil spirits now are...
  • Three beliefs I cannot hold while believing the things I do about Satan, demons, and evil spirits are...
  • The things I fear spiritually are...
  • I acquired these beliefs and fears from...
  • Something I can do to determine whether my beliefs and fears are well-founded is...
  • In order to feel safe spiritually, I need...
  • Three things I can do to help correct prejudice and misunderstanding about Paganism are...

Week Nineteen: Feeling Interconnected

Answer the following questions:

1. What does the word "sacred" mean to you? How does it apply to your relationship with Deity, with others, and with the universe? Does it have any practical meaning or application for you?

2. Do the statements "everything is alive," or "everything has the spark of intelligence in it," mean anything to you? Have you ever had a sense that the universe is alive? If so, what was your experience and how did it affect your view of the universe? 

3. What does consciousness mean to you? Do you believe it's possible for everything in the universe to be "conscious?" How dies consciousness express itself? Do you think it's possible for its form to be different on levels other than this physical world? If so, what might consciousness look like in these other levels?

4. Have you ever had the experience of feeling connected to everything? What was it like? What insights did you come away with? What effect, if any, did this experience have on you?

Week Twenty: Your View Of The Universe

Answer the following questions:

1. Before you heard of Paganism or became a Pagan, what did you believe about the function and organization of the universe? Has studying Paganism caused you to change or reconsider any of those beliefs?

2. Is the Pagan view of the universe as sacred, alive, and communicative more appealing to you than the current Western mindset? Where do you think you fit into such a universe? How might Paganism's view of the universe change how we behave in it?

3. How does your view of the universe impact your spirituality?

4. What do you think that scientists and mystics are trying to say about us and this universe? What is Paganism saying? What does all of it mean to you? Does it have any impact on your life or spirituality?

5. Have you ever had an experience you would consider mystical? What was it like and what happened? How did it affect you?

Week Twenty One: Beliefs About The Universe

Finish the following statements:

  • The things I believed about the universe and my relationship with it as I was growing up were...
  • My beliefs about the universe now are...
  • The things I find the hardest to accept, that make me sad, or that I doubt are true about the universe are...
  • Things about the universe that I fear are...
  • The kind of relationship I want or wish I could have with the universe is...
  • The experience with the universe I most want to have right now is...

Week Twenty Two: Magick

Copy the following points into your journal:
  • Magick is natural.
    • Magick is a natural act - not a supernatural one - in that it arises out of the structure and nature of the universe. However, many people of various faiths throughout the world, including some Pagans, believe that their forms of magick arise from or are controlled by supernatural forces. Their experience of magick is no less real or powerful than those who believe it to be a natural process.
  • Magick is rational.
    • Many magickal systems, particularly those grounded in scientific principles, are logical and based in reason. The conclusion drawn about what magic is and how it works proceed logically. This does not mean that magick is not also intuitive. Any time you deal with concepts or phenomena that are below the level of physical reality (i.e. that are in the implicate and super-implicate orders where space and time do not exist), you are by definition outside of the objective world. Translating experiences that occur at these deeper levels can be difficult and by their nature involve intuition and subjectivity. However, the subjective nature of some experiences does not make the underlying principles of magick irrational.
  • Magick is cooperative.
    • Most Pagans will agree that magick is a voluntary and cooperative process. We call this cooperative magick. However, there are Pagans who maintain that magick can be used to command or force an action or result through either natural or supernatural means, or that the magick user can dominate another intelligence (such as a spirit, elemental, energy field, or being) and bend it to their will. We call this the command mode of magick. Persons who believe in the command mode of magick can be as successful with magick as those who don't, and their experience of magick is no less real and powerful for them as those who practice cooperative magick. 
  • Magick works regardless of what you believe about it.
    • You don't have to adopt a particular set of beliefs for magick to work for you. We have seen magick work for secular humanists, Christians, Pagan, and agnostics, among others, regardless of what they called it or believed about it. Beliefs are critical, however, when it comes to what you believe is possible magickally, since a limiting belief will block experiences that do not match it.
  • Magick can be performed by anyone.
    • Not only is magick capable of being performed by everyone, it is already being performed by everyone.

Week Twenty Three: Magickal Beliefs

Finish the following statements:

  • Five things I believe about magick are...
  • The ways in which my beliefs about magick have changed over the past few years are...
  • The things I want to learn about magick right now are...
  • The things I most want to do magickally right now are...
  • The things I fear about magick are...
  • I learned these fears about magick from...
  • Useful purposes these fears about magick might serve are...
  • These fears about magick limit me by...
  • My interest in magick might make my friends and family think...
  • My interest in magick might make my religion of origin think...
  • Five ways in which my religion of origin practices magick are...

Week Twenty Four: Understanding Magick

Answer the following questions:

1. Has there been anything you've learned about magick that has surprised you? Is there anything you've learned that doesn't make sense, doesn't seem right, or that makes you uncomfortable?

2. Have you had any experience with magick? What were they, and what happened?

3. Do you think the general culture and other religions misunderstand what Pagans mean by magick? If so, how?

Week Twenty Five: Experiences With Magick

Answer the following questions:

1. What is your definition of magick and how do you think it works? What magickal techniques do you use that work well for you?

2. Have you had any experience with divination? What happened? Have you done energy work or conscious creation? What was the purpose of the work and what happened?

3. What magickal experiences have you had using prayer? Have you ever witnessed a miracle? How would you explain these experiences if you were a Christian? If you were a Buddhist? A Hindu? How would you explain these experiences from a Pagan perspective? Does the nature of the experience seem to change based on what belief system you use to describe it?

4. What do you think limits your magick, if anything? What are your magickal ethics? What is your opinion of harmful magick, and would you ever engage in it?

5. What advice would you give someone just starting out in magickal practices?

Week Twenty Six: Becoming A Magickal Person

Copy the following points in your journal:


  • Embrace a magickal mindset
    • Open yourself to the idea that as a part of the profound interconnectedness of the universe, you are a cocreator of this reality. Your thoughts, will, and intentions are heard by all the intelligences and consciousnesses surrounding you, just as you hear all of them. Take out your old beliefs about magick and really give them a looking over. Be open to trying on new ideas and seeing if they work for you.
  • Develop spiritual relationships
    • What is your idea of the Divine, and what is your relationship with him/her/it? If you want to work with specific energies such as healing, how do these energies feel or appear to you? What is your relationship with them? If you are drawn to the four elements of physical life - Earth, Air, Fire, Water - how do you relate to them? Spend some meditation time with the Deities or energies that are meaningful to you? You don't have to do or say anything brilliant while you're communing, just be present and open to making a connection. In time you will feel at home with the energies or Deities you work with. You will know where to look for them and how they feel when you find them, and it will become easier to work with them magickally because of your close relationship.
  • Put off labeling your magickal experiences
    • Resist the urge to immediately start pigeonholing and labeling your experiences. Simply allow yourself to be open to phenomena as it happens and resist deciding what to call it for now. Your past beliefs may be inadequate to cover what is happening to you as you develop magickally. These old beliefs are more likely to act as restrictive filters than helpful descriptions. Over time you will have many magickal experiences and will begin to gravitate toward beliefs that describe your current understanding.
  • Let magick be wherever you find it
    • For some people it is disappointing to discover that magick can be no more than an urge to turn into a parking lot. There is nothing so humbling as finding the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary. As you work with it, magick will adjust your expectations and help you move from Hollywood special effects to something more mature and lasting. Look for magick in the ordinary things in life, in the ordinary moments, and you will find it without fail. Let magick be wherever you find it, particularly if you find it somewhere non-Pagan. Have problems appreciating the magick of a bah mitzvah, monks singing a Gregorian chant, a healing through the laying-on of hands, the celebration of Ramadan, or a Seder meal? If so, the problem is not with the magick. Whip off your filters and your prejudices and see magick for what it is, wherever it is.
  • Slow and steady wins the race
    • Work magickal practices into your daily life in a way that is sensible and sustainable. Be steady and consistent in your efforts. A half hour with magick twice a week is better than a day-long marathon once a year. Let magick become an ordinary part of your day and keep your life in balance as you do.
  • Keep your ethics strong
    • The ability to form and then live by your ethics is a direct function of your spiritual growth and overall maturity. There is never any reason to act against your ethics when practicing magick. Your ethics and your spiritual practice should never be in conflict. Avoid working magick with any person or group that tells you otherwise.
  • Trust yourself
    • It's easy to dismiss intuitive urgings, to write them off as imagination and daydreams, to put down your abilities because they're just so, well, ordinary. It is a natural part of getting started and being unsure of yourself. Just hang in there. It's also easy to dismiss or distrust intuitive urgings if you were raised to believe that all inner urges are sinful, or that information coming from your subconscious is coming from the devil. One of the most important ideas Paganism promotes is that there is nothing wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with how you are made, and there is nothing wrong with your nature. You don't have to fear your subconscious, your intuitive urgings, or the magickal pages you receive. This distrust is so ingrained in many of us due to our upbringing, how ever, that it can take a lot of time and patience to overcome it.
  • Trust the universe
    • In addition to being taught to distrust yourself, you may also have been raised to fear the universe, believing that at any moment you will become a victim of the battle that rages between the forces of good and evil. Cosmic boogeymen lurk everywhere and constantly seek for ways to harm and deceive you. Paganism does not teach fear, nor does it try to control its members through fear. Paganism takes the position that just as there is nothing wrong with you, there is nothing wrong with the universe. Because most Pagans believe in the profound interconnectedness of all things at every level of reality, Pagans see the universe as supportive and trustworthy. Paganism encourages you to go test this idea for yourself. Again, time, patience, and experience will help put your old fears to rest.

Week Twenty Seven: Thinking About Human Nature

Answer the following questions and finish the following statements:

  • Who do I believe that I am? How was I made, how did I get here, and why am I here? What is the purpose of this life? What is the nature of myself? Am I finite or something else?
  • I was raised to believe that the sort of nature humans have is...
  • Three ways I agree with this view of human nature are...
  • Three ways I disagree with this view of human nature are...
  • Does what I believe about the nature of myself or human nature make any difference in terms of the sort of person I am or how I will choose to act? Why or why not?
  • What would your friends and family think of Paganism's view of the self and human nature? What would your religion of origin think?
  • Three objections the would have to these views are...
  • They would have these objections because...
  • I currently believe the following about death and the afterlife...
  • The origin of my beliefs about death and the afterlife are...
  • Does what I believe about death and the afterlife make any difference in terms of the sort of person I am or how I will choose to act in this life? Why or why not?

Week Twenty Eight: Six Ways Of Knowing And Choosing Values

Copy the following vocabulary into your journal:
  • Authority
    • You take someone else's word that something is true because you believe the external source to be an authority in that area.
  • Logic
    • You subject beliefs to logical tests to determine their validity. For example, since A is true and B follows from A, then B must also be true.
  • Direct Experience
    • You believe something is true because you've seen it, heard it, done it, or touched it for yourself.
  • Emotion
    • You feel that something is right and true, and judge actions by your emotional reaction to them.
  • Intuition
    • You rely on gut reactions and your subconscious, intuitional insights in order to form judgments.
  • Science
    • This is a form of direct experience. You decide something is true because you can test it empirically. That is, you form a hypothesis, test it in experiments, and then determine it to be true.

Week Twenty Nine: Exploring Values

Answer the following questions:

1. Which of the six approaches to knowing and choosing values appeals the most to you? Which has the least appeal? Which one or two approaches do you think your current values are based in?

2. Do you have any personal experiences relating to the Western religious ethic? If you were raised in that tradition, what are your thoughts and feelings now regarding it? What parts of this ethic would you like to bring over into Paganism with you?

3. What is your reaction to Paganism's approach to ethics? Do you agree or disagree that humans seem to have a moral instinct? If Paganism's perspective became the norm, what do you think would be the consequences to you personally and to the society?

4. Do you think people need religion in order to be ethical?

Week Thirty: The Virtues and Goals of Astaru

Copy the following vocabulary into your journal:

  • Courage
    • The bravery to do what you must and what you know to be right
  • Truth
    • The trait of being honest
  • Honor
    • The nobleness of character and respect for this quality in yourself and others
  • Fidelity
    • The loyalty to your country, family, and friends, and being faithful in your commitments to them
  • Discipline
    • The focus and purpose, the willingness to make hard decisions, and put off short-term gain for a longer-term benefit
  • Hospitality
    • The friendliness and the willingness to share and be generous with those who are in difficulty or far from home
  • Industriousness
    • The enjoyment of work, and the willingness to work hard and take pride in what you do 
  • Self-reliance
    • The personal freedoms and independence, not only individually but as enjoyed by your family, clan, and nation
  • Perseverance
    • The persistence, not giving up, and doing all you can to be as successful as possible under the circumstances
  • Right
    • The justice and the rule of law, and represents your rational faculties and desire to live in an orderly world
  • Wisdom
    • The deep intuitive voice that brings you knowledge of the divine and your inner self; the source of your curiosity, sense of adventure, and desire to build your character
  • Might
    • The strength, not only for defense but also to succeed in life's ventures; encompasses your will to power, will to succeed, and your urges to defend and protect
  • Harvesting
    • The recognition of your reliance on the physical, organic aspect of life; acknowledges not only the cycles of nature but also of economics; speaks to your need to plant, reap, and then enjoy the fruits of your labors
  • Peace/Frith
    • The balanced, clear space that allows you to grow and move on to other levels; more than a lack of war
  • Love
    • The feeling and high regard you have for others and yourself, and is also your passion for life; erotic as well as fraternal, and through the gift of love you can appreciate physical pleasures, your sensuality, and the joy of being alive


Week Thirty One: Ethical Systems And Lifestyles

Research "The Rede," and "The Rule of Threes." Then answer the following questions:

1. What is your opinion of the Rede and Rule of Threes as an ethical system? Do you think it is sufficient? If you follow this ethic, have any issues come up for you while putting it into practice?

2. If a new Pagan asked you what system of ethics he or she should adopt, what would you say? If a new Pagan asked you how to tell a good ethic from a bad one, what would you say?

3. What is your opinion of the variety in Pagan lifestyles? How many different lifestyle choices have you personally come into contact with so far? Are there any that make you uncomfortable? If so, why? Would you ever want to be a friend to someone living that lifestyle?

Week Thirty Two: Personal Ethics And Lifestyles

Finish the following statements:


  • My goals for the next five years are...
  • My goals for the next ten years are...
  • My goals for the next twenty years are...
  • I think the things that make life worth living are...
  • When I die, I want people to be able to say the following things about me, my character, and values...
  • The major components of a good character are...
  • The ethics I live my life by right now are...
  • The sources for my ethics are...
  • The ways I wish my ethics were different are...
  • Five things I don't believe I ever want to be a part of my ethics are...
  • The ethic I wished everybody lived by is...

Week Thirty Three: Applying Virtues

For each of the following virtues, answer the below questions:

Virtues:
  • Wisdom
  • Right
  • Love
  • Might
  • Harvest
  • Peace
1. What comes to mind when I think of this virtue? What does it mean to me?

2. How can this virtue be applied in a productive way? How might it be misused? How can I apply it meaningfully in my own life?

3. How did I successfully apply this virtue in the last few weeks/months? When did I fail to apply it? What happened to bring on this failure?

4. What consequences and relations resulted from both my successes and my failures? In what ways can I continue to improve on this virtue in my character?

Week Thirty Four: Putting Your Ethics To Work

Copy the following points in your journal:

  • Put your ethics to work
    • All the ethical theory in the world means nothing if you never apply it. Start with small things and evaluate how your values are doing as you go along.
  • Learn as much as you can about ethical systems
    • This means all ethical systems - not just Pagan ones, not just modern ones, or just ancient ones. The more you can learn about human culture and how we choose our values, the better able you will be to keep your own in perspective. The more ethical systems you learn about, the more knowledgeable you will be, and the more ideas about morals and values you will have to ponder.
  • Get to know yourself better
    • How do you know what your values and priorities are if you don't take the time to find out? Listen to your inner voice, let it tell you about your goals and desires, your dreams, and what matters to you. Let your innate moral sense speak and pay attention to it. Have a little faith in yourself. Decide on your course of action only after you've checked with your own conscience.
  • Keep your ethics and your religious practices in harmony
    • Your spirituality should reflect your ethics, and you should never feel compelled to do something in your religious or magickal practice that violates your ethics and morals.
  • Let your ethics grow as you grow
    • You are not the same person now as you were when you were five years ago. Twenty years from now, you'll be different yet. Your life experience gives you ever-changing perspectives. Hopefully, you will continue to grow and mature over the years. Let your ethics grow and adapt with you, and integrate your life experience into your moral character.
  • Encourage others
    • Encourage others in their quest for ethics, to form their values, and develop a strong character. Support them when they need it and don't be ashamed to offer your thoughts and opinions if you are asked for them. Let your own behavior be a model for others, not only in terms of what they can expect from you, but also what you expect from them. Since we all form moral judgments and opinions, it's okay to admit you have them too, and offer them where it's appropriate. You do not have to keep quiet when you observe an injustice or something that is morally offensive to you. Perhaps your point of view will help others see the situation in a way they haven't before, and might help them in ways you never anticipated.

Week Thirty Five: A Year Of Virtues

Copy this calendar into your journal. In the upcoming year, try to focus on that month's virtues, in the hopes to achieve the listed goal:

  • January & February
    • Goal: 
      • Wisdom
    • Virtues:
      • Intuition
      • Good counsel
      • Devotion (to family, country, faith)
      • Ethics
  • March & April
    • Goal:
      • Right
    • Virtues:
      • Truth and knowledge
      • Justice
      • Honor
      • Faithfulness
  • May & June
    • Goal:
      • Love
    • Virtues:
      • Love for life
      • Generosity
      • Respect (for others and yourself)
      • Self-reliance
  • July & August
    • Goal:
      • Might
    • Virtues:
      • Strength
      • Courage
      • Abundance
      • Discipline
  • September & October
    • Goal:
      • Harvest
    • Virtues:
      • Industriousness and perseverance
      • Cooperation
      • Foresight and faith
      • Celebration
  • November & December
    • Goal:
      • Peace
    • Virtues:
      • Hospitality
      • Loyalty
      • Patience
      • Balance

5 comments:

  1. I just found out about your writing prompts and I'm all in. Sounds fun and interesting. I'll be spreading the word to others as well. :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are wonderful!! Thank you for this.

    I'm trying to develop my own self-study whoo ha and it's a bit overwhelming. This, however, will be great to pair with it. Thank you for making this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are wonderful!! Thank you for this.

    I'm trying to develop my own self-study whoo ha and it's a bit overwhelming. This, however, will be great to pair with it. Thank you for making this!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just came across this page and I am glad I did. The Journal Prompts are definitely something that I am interested in doing. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete