Pagans, what influenced your choice to become pagan?

It just made sense to me. Everything I believe is evidenced in nature.

I don't think I'm going to be alone with this statement, as I've heard it all before.

It wasn't really a choice for me to become Pagan, but simply to adopt the name. When I found out what Pagan was, I realized that that was what I was. I had been a practicing Pagan for years without having a name for it. It just felt right.

I have considered my self Pagan for most of my life, I am 53. I always attended church as a child, but was allowed to choose which denomination I wanted to attend, my mom was very cool that way. Since I had a natural curiosity about religion, I chose to explore any and all that I could. However, none really satisfied the deep feeling of wanting to belong and be a part of the whole that I had inside. Enter Paganism. I think I always was drawn to the natural world, perhaps it is a family thing. My mom and gramdma would tell me the names of plants and tell me things about weather and such. Folk remedies were always being used in our home, which I attribute to my great grandma being from Ireland. Somewhere during my teen years, the mind expanding 60's, I discovered that Mother Nature could be a real entity, or as real as a god can be anyway. The more I learned and the more I sought out answers to my questions about life and death, the more I found Paganism to be the answer my soul was looking for. Instead of an old man in a long white beard, my god was a woman with flowers in her hair. Instead of living in the clouds with angels, boring, I will dwell in the Summerland, with all of my loved ones and learn enough to return again in a new life. I have no need to go to a church to worship, I only need look out my window at the trees and birds in my yard. On sabats, I go into my woods behind my home, and there beneath the pine trees feel as close to the Goddess as I believe anyone can feel close to their god. I believe as a child of nature, I am constantly taking part in honoring my Mother, Gaia, by living a mindful life. By recycling, by gardening, by using natural compost instead of chemicals, by caring for animals, by trying to leave as small a footprint on the earth as I can, I honor my Mother, the Earth. I think that perhaps the best part of being a Pagan is the tolerance it teaches me for the rest of mankind. I only wish that other religions would practice the same and then my grandchildren would not have to face war and destruction.

I'm a gnostic pagan, and they don't choose, they discover, so I can't help myself really. But I would say it's the spiritual freedom and not having to comply with anything. No churches, dogmas, do this don't do that, etc. Plus also Christianity lacks the cosmology, and you can't go exploring into the unknown (how sad). Gee, you can't even talk with angels without being "under the spell of the devil." So it's about exploration and I'm privileged to have control over my own destiny.

When I left christianity after being raised in it and being forced Sunday after Sunday to go to church and to bible class I read a number of religious texts trying to find the one that fit my own concept of spirituality. When I came across books on Wicca I found a name to what I had been believing since I was old enough to correctly form the thoughts. After reading a number of books on Wicca I knew that was the path that I wanted to walk. I am a solitary practitioner so I rarely came across anyone that also was a Wiccan; I tend to find many more now than 21 yrs ago.

I know this has been the correct path for me.. once found I have never left it. I was christian for only 14 yrs but have been a Wiccan for 21 so now at age 37 over half my given life I have walked the path true to myself.

I like how Paganism is much more open-minded, not restricted by dogma. I feel much more comfortable being able to observe my faith my way rather than having to follow rules set by others. I like not feeling I have to go to a certain "special" building to pray. I also like how Paganism isn't so prejudicial, favoring one sex over another, it's more balanced to me than the monotheistic religions are. Another thing I like about Paganism is how it respects and honors nature, using not abusing the world around us. Paganism just feels right to me.

It just called to my soul. So, I started reading books when I was 13 and here I am 14 years later still reading and learning but, very happy with myself and my spirituality.

It makes more sense to me than believing in something I don't have proof of.

I have proof of nature and of time and of stars and galaxies. It just felt right for me. I should hope that people only ever fall into a religion that feels right for them.

I have a complete lacking of superstition. Without it there can br on belief in Gods, fairies,angels,zombies,mother goose, or any other figure in the minds of the superstitious.

A more free approach to religion and faith.