PBP :: E is for Eclectic

When I was starting out on my pagan path, I relied pretty heavily on the Wiccan system.  It was relatively simple and straightforward, something that I found inviting, particularly as a solitary trying to wade through the sea of information before her.  To this day, I still find it a bit amusing that I follow a primarily Wiccan path with Greek gods as my primary deities.

Over the first several years that I was officially out as a Witch, I tried out the specifics of several different Wiccan traditions, trying to find the right fit for me.  The one I wanted to try the most was the one that I couldn't attempt because of the deities that had chosen me.  I was, and in some ways still am, very drawn to the Dianic tradition because of the female empowerment and Goddess worship, but Poseidon's [among others over the years] hold on me is too strong to turn my back on Him.

 

I think that truly was the point where I began piecing together my eclectic path.  Up until the last couple of years, I've always begun a new study program on Samhain that lasts a year and a day.  Sometimes I would focus on a type of divination, really study it and work with it for the entire year to see if it was something I wanted to keep in my repertoire or not.  Other years would see me researching the hell out of some pagan belief system or other, usually the ones that fascinated me the most.

For example, in 1999-2000, I studied various aspects of the Voodoo traditions, and then turned around and wrote several papers for college courses about it.  The idea came about because of the end of my favorite television show, Poltergeist: the Legacy.  I wanted to know more about the traditions that Alex's Gramma Rose and her slave ancestors would have practiced.  I can admit that this research was partially for story research, but also from a spiritual standpoint.  I still am utterly fascinated by this particular belief system, and have been known to get lost in research from time to time, even a decade or more later.

But what I learned as I did each year [or more] of research is that there have been aspects of those systems that really called to me.  And I'm not talking about the fun, exciting, or attention-grabbing aspects either.  I don't incorporate anything into my personal belief system/tradition without really researching how it fits into its original tradition, so I can really understand how it works.  At that point, I can make modifications to suit my tradition, if necessary.  There have been a lot of things I've found and wanted to incorporate into my tradition, but haven't because of various extenuating circumstances.

I have followed a primarily Wiccan tradition over the years, hence calling mine an eclectic Wiccan path, but I've incorporated aspects of Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Haitian Voodoo, Native American, and Druidic traditions.  Mostly, it's been cases of feeling a pull to a particular god or goddess that has prompted me to do the research into each tradition.  Some of those deities have continued in my pantheon, most have not.  But I have also learned a lot of information and added additional layers and nuances to my spiritual practices, which ultimately brings me closer to the deities I honor.

There are a lot of things I could be doing differently in the practice of my tradition, and there will be some changes made in the upcoming year or so, but I am happy with where my eclectic tradition has taken me so far.
-- Sadie