I decided it is high time to start a blog based on my spiritual evolution. I have tried a lot of religions. I did Aztec reconstruction for 7 years. I won't go back.
Some of the recons I knew, even outside of the sphere of Aztec, hated eclecticism, learning new religions or philosophy, and called me a "religious butterfly" for not conforming to their standards. (Like no one has tried different religions in their life or are eclectic?) I was also turned off by their incessant pushing of hard polytheism-a concept non-existent in the ancient world but is default for recons. It became sort of like Abrahamic religion with hard monotheism, and I felt that, even though they called me pushy and offensive about upg, they are were far more pushy about their opinions/upg about gods. The I am right, you're wrong mentality. (Elitist to a point and declaring themselves priests by divine order, too.) I eventually became socially ostracized which never helped me as a recon, I did things by myself for those 7 years. Completely lost. The negativity I encountered with the community has scarred me for life. (Cultural purists would be more of what I would call them.)
I have always incorporated Indian beliefs in my Wicca and witchcraft because of the help Buddhist philosophy and Hindu gods helped me. I do not consider myself Hindu, (More of Indo-Wiccan) I am very liberal and I eat cow, also meat. Though I understand the philosophy of ahimsa. I've been trying to go back to Neo-Wicca because it made me the happiest of all. But even though I love Egyptian, Celtic, Greek, and Roman gods, whom I still work with, I have been drawn by India.
Today, I live in the middle of nowhere mountain area, I went to go get cigs. (Yes, I know bad habit.) I know the guy there, did not know he is Hindu. I laid my phone on the counter and Kali ma's image was my wallpaper. He asked to see it. I showed it to him and he began to pray.
He started telling me how he couldn't believe I worship Hindu gods, and knew he Durga was. He told me of how he got his green card and he prayed, they almost deported him. (He has no crimes at all.) He told me that he does mantras like I do and he felt a kinship with me. "You're Hindu. I feel like you're my sister now!" I have never been so welcomed by practitioners before and I met many pagans.
He told me India felt very spiritual, but America not so much. I can see what he means by that. India is a very spiritual place.
