In order to worship in any particular religion all that is required is to perform or participate in just an occasional ceremony.  It doesn’t matter how many or how often.  For the period of that one ceremony you are considered worshiping in that religion under that god in question.

This is where you choose to follow all of the ceremonies with a particular religion.  In this you make great effort to follow through with all the god and religion require of you. 

This is where the gods chooses you to follow them.  Often times it will be just one god in particular.  It could also be any being that is strong enough to effectively play the part of a god as well.

 

Many times some of these beings will try to find ways to trick or force you into following them.  The methods they use can vary quite widely.  The method will also vary from person to person depending on who they are after.

 

Quite often being chosen involves being offered something to you.  This would be in exchange for something that the god requires in exchange.

 

Often times you will have more then one chance to accept.  That isn't always the case however.  Once a choice has been made it isn't guarantied that further contact will happen either.

 

Make not of the fact if you get to this point your life will be changed forever.  This can be for either good or bad.  It is quite possible that once one of these beings becomes aware of you eventually others will as well.

 

It is your choice in weather or not to accept such offerings.  Be prepared however to accept the consequences of your actions.  Not all offerings have to be to your advantage either.

A sign is a single object that tends to answer a given question about what the future holds.  Quite often this question is purposely asked about a specific thing.  Hopefully the person asking the question can understand the answer.

 

A prophecy is a given set of events that will happen if a set of actions is followed.  Quite often you won't be told exactly what that set of actions will be.  More often then not it will be something that is about to happen or will happen in the near future.

 

In both of these instances it isn't necessary for them to point to anything to your benefit or of a positive nature.  It isn't even necessary for what they are or how to follow them to be spelled out either.  In many cases it could be a riddle that needs to be solved.  Quite often it is possible to ask questions concerning it.  Depending on who is involved you may receive answers you can use.  This will also depend hugely on the quality of the questions that you ask as well.

 

Take great care in which ones you choose to fulfill.  Often times they may require sacrifices on your own behalf in order to complete the cycle.  Other times it may require that you do nothing in order for them not to be completed.  Each and everyone have to be looked at separately and evaluated for its own merits.  

Religious symbols can have many meanings.  Quite often those who use them never consider the true meanings or implications of the symbols that they use.

 

Many pagans use the symbol of the pentagram in their daily lives.  With this symbol the single point will point either up or down.  The single point represents the element of Spirit always.  When it points up it means that the element of spirit is the highest of ideal to strive for.  When it points down it means that the ideal of spirit is the last thing to strive for.  This means that things of material nature are sought after before the ideals of the spirit.

 

The cross is another very common religious symbol used by many faiths.  The cross was an inexpensive and painful way to execute a person.  The common cross is used quite often will have the figure of Jesus Christ being executed on it. 

 

I have never managed to hear an explanation of why that symbol is used.  One thought is that Jesus was executed and was reborn.  However only during the Easter season do they show any symbols of the rebirth?  That leads me to think the rebirth in this case isn't the main idea here. 

 

Another though is that he died for our sins.  There are many more references to this point.  Because of this I am led to believe that this is the reason that the symbol is used. 

 

Many times a cross is used with out a figure of Jesus on it.  In this instance it becomes unreasonable for the person wearing it to assume the viewer will imagine that Jesus is upon it.  Because it is now just a cross it is all just an executioners tool.  I tend to think many things of a person who knowingly displays such things and is proud of showing them off.

These areas consist of any place where you perform religious ceremonies.  This could be an altar, church, room or any other area that is used for this purpose.

 

Any and all decorations and devices used should fit the needs, likes and desires of the god you have chosen.  To accomplish this it is necessary to figure out what the god is normally noted for.

 

If it is a god of love then things that represent love and romance should be used.  That is both colors and objects of these ideals.  Be aware thought that sex isn't necessarily loved.  Good ideas would be a mother holding a child.  Stones, candles, incense that are normally used in similar rituals are also good ideas.  A picture or two of two lovers embracing each other, though not necessarily participating in sex is another good idea.

 

If it were the god of war that is worshipped then weapons and armor would be good ideas.  Pictures that show warfare could be put on the walls.  Remember thought that out right violence isn't war.  Murder and rape aren't warfare and have no place with in it.

 

These should give you some ideas as to how to decorate these spaces.  Quite often the simpler the ideas that are used for decoration the easier and pleasanter the surroundings will be.

These are any and all celebrations and rituals that the god being followed requires.  The formula to be followed is already known and prepared for.  Anything and everything can be done here.  It all depends what the gods needs are in question is.  It doesn't matter if it is in the best interest of either follower or god.  However, not following the formula can have dire consequences.

A priest is a person who has been accepted by a particular god to carry out his or her will in the mortal world.  That is the priest first and primary purpose before anything else. 

 

There is no way to get around this acceptance.  Quite often it is an extremely obvious experience.  Usually it is in some form of direct contact and confrontation with the god in question.  Quite often the god in question may require some sort of contract or sign that you have accepted any and all responsibilities the god has placed upon you.

In all cultures legends abound.  They speak of all kinds of acts and accomplishments of quite a few different gods.  The only problem is that with time the original story becomes distorted.  From this distortion more often then not the true accomplishments, philosophies and personality of any god can and will be distorted. 

Great care should be taken in choosing any particular god.  Quite often once this choice is made there is no turning back.  It is even possible that some gods will go out of their way to trick or force you into following them. 

Many religious texts are quite old.  Over the centuries they have been written and rewritten.  The Bible is a common example.  There are so many different versions it is almost impossible to say which one is the most accurate.

 

Quite often these texts are thought of to be the word of the god in question.  These works of writing are supposed to speak the truth and only the truth.  Being the word of god it isn’t possible to misspeak anything in them.  If this were the case it wouldn’t be possible to be able to write a different version.

 

Another thing to remember is the age of these texts.  They were written for different ages and times.  The basics of why they were written in most cases are still sound and valuable.  Unfortunately most of the information isn’t transferable into our current society.  The principles in which they were written for in many cases simply don’t exist.

 

It is possible to look at these old texts in another way.  Think of modern day medicine.  If we based the rules we use medicine in the same way we use religion we would have to still use the same techniques and technologies that were used in the dark ages.  That is when most of these works were put into writing.  However, we don’t do that with medicine, we do it with religion.  The question is why are we still using such outdated values and practices?  Quite often the religious values even disagree with the legal values we currently hold. 

Many times I have heard of a person professing to be both a pagan and a Christian.  Quite often I catch myself wondering how this could be.  The two religions in many cases simply don’t mix.

 

One of the main points of the Christian religion is that of a single god.  The main point of many pagan religions is that of many gods.  The Christian religions simply can’t accept or acknowledge a person who has broken that first rule. 

 

If you break the tenants of one of the religions, you can no longer consider yourself part of it.  Simply put the religion you wish to be part of rejects who you are. 

 

It is the priests that have ultimate say.  Ask the priests of each religion you choose to be a member of.  If the priest from each religion accepts you then you belong to each.  If either of the priests doesn’t accept you then you no longer belong to that particular religion.  It is the priests, who is the voice of the god, who determines who can or can’t be a member of that religion in question.