I have been on this site for some time now.  I have responded to a number of other posts and felt that it would be appropraite to give a proper introduction of myself.

While I respect the views of Wiccan belief, I do not claim them as my own.  I tend to follow a blending of Druidic and Native American beliefs; rather, the beliefs I have developed through study, contemplation, and practice tend to side themselves more along the lines of these great and noble peoples.

For a whole slew of reasons, I have been a solitary practitioner of my version of the craft.  Chief among the reasons is my lack of ceremony; beyond calling to the four elements and the various spirits of the realm in which I practice, I follow no spellbook or recipe.  I lay my trust in the knowledge I have gained and the wisdom of those who aid my efforts.

I follow the only rule that is worth following: harm none.  It is this one rule that brought me to the general sense of paganism in the first place.  I was raised to believe in a deity but no effort was made to dictate what deity or religious belief to follow.  So I used my love of reading to help make such a decision.  I spent months in the religious sections of my local library and I discovered one thing: if the rules that made little sense were removed (don't eat this animal on a certain day, and similar) all the other rules boiled down to the golden rule: treat others as you would have them treat you.  Harm none is the simpler way of viewing that rule and general paganism most closely matches that sentiment.

So I continued to read of paganistic religions and sifted through a plethora of books for what I felt had merit opposed to what I thought was romanticized or demonized (depending on author) and came to the form of paganism I claim to follow.  My followings rely upon self and nature only.  Being open to nature's beings and the teachings they offer has granted me the ability to accept the hermetic outlook of how I work.

Now many of you reading this may ask: if you work alone and can cope with that, what the hell are you doing here?  It's a good question, tis true.  I believe that my main reason for developing a presense here is three-fold (the best things usually are).  Firstly, there is a wealth of knowledge being shared here and I always am willing to learn something new.  Second, there are a number of people here who are seeking help, direction, or knowledge; I wanted to share what I have learned even if it is sometimes viewed as eccentric.  Finally, even though I follow a solitary path, it is comfortng to know the others who share a similar enough path that we may in fact share the direction.

My hope in creating a formalized introduction of myself is the ability to give some sense of where my beliefs stem.  This way if I offer advice to another's query, some basis of where the advice stems is available.  Afterall, no suggestion should be taken without an understanding of where it the ideas behind it originated.

The Solitary Druid
a.k.a. COpagan

merry meet COpagan!

as a solitary witch whose come to her understandings via a similar sounding path, I declare it's ok for a solitary to converse and share knowledge with other pagans, even in this realm  

you'll find many here in the castle like yourself, and many others who've mastered knowledge in areas we solitaries merely brush up against. ironically, you are not alone  

be well,
realeyez

Welcome COPagan,

Diversity is not only welcome but appreciated.....we all have our own Paths to tread....sharing the wisdom that you learn along the way only enhances everyone elses awareness...thank you for your introduction and I look forward to seeing more of you in the days to come!

How enlightening, COpagan!  Nice to meet you and Welcome

Ah, yes.  It is in our differences that our true likeness can be found.  Welcome to the castle, COpagan.  (I'm assuming the CO part is a state?)  I believe that we will be further enlightened by your presence.  

well he could be a cobalt pagan, maybe a cash order pagan, or a conscientious objector pagan, possibly a company pagan, or a Commanding Officer pagan, which isn't really a very pagan thing to be, or a partner pagan, or correction officer pagan...

  Or a COP agan...

(cop)

CO is in fact the state of residence.  My trade is currently that of a craftsman; I make and sell chainmail jewelry and any other items that can be made of chainmail.  No corrections officer, cop, or company.  

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

*in some imitation man voice* - "i'm undecided but my wife's totally pagan, so i'm just co-paganing for now..."

you're in good company - we used to live north of boulder and CO is Lady E's home state she has much fondness for the turf.

I love this state...spent most of my life here.  On various occassions I left the state, for school or work, and always came back here thinking that leaving was a bad idea.  I am particularly fond of Colorado Springs with it's nearby woods, Garden of the Gods, and Pikes Peak.

Glad to know I am not the only one who is fond of this state.  

i follow a similar path as well, the closest i can define myself is as a pagan...... claiming to be wiccan or druidic or shamanistic don't feel right since i use  from each branch what i like or can identify with and discard the rest. i'm not quite suited to be a leader however i'm not a follower either so i haven't joined a coven and won't start my own form of paganisim either.  being solitary is just right for me, but being able to talk with people of a similar vein helps when there's no one else that you can discuss things with.

There are more and more people following this way lately.  I believe we are at the cusp of a different form of understanding or "following" that hasn't yet been named.  It is neither druidism, paganism, Shamanism or what have you, yet it is all.  It is sort of a universal belief and practice, encompassing all beliefs and practices that are good and right.  I think, too, that most of us choose solitarianism  because we have come to a place now in the world (at least in the non-third-world) where no one has learned to "socialize" the way the old ones did.  We don't have a tribe mentality anymore...hell, we don't even know the neighbors.  I, too, am solitary, and content to stay that way, having been raised solitarily in an open-minded semi-Christian household, but, having had very bad experiences with the church outside of my family. (whew!)

— COpagan wrote

I love this state...spent most of my life here. �On various occassions I left the state, for school or work, and always came back here thinking that leaving was a bad idea. �I am particularly fond of Colorado Springs with it's nearby woods, Garden of the Gods, and Pikes Peak.

Glad to know I am not the only one who is fond of this state. �

Colorado is my home as well...I was there almost my entire life...the Denver area is where I lived.

I miss it so much I cry sometimes....it is such a magickal, mystical and marvelous place...my parents are buried there, my children are there, my sister....all my memories are there.

My most sacred spot is a little rain-fed pond in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Forest....you have to hike to get to it...it is SO special that I would like my ashes placed in the area when I pass this realm.

Louisiana is not where I belong, but it is where I am...for now.

I know there is a reason why I am here...and it wasn't the original reason I moved down here (work).

When I gather the opportunities that await me here, and acquire the wisdom, I know I will be able to go back home.

In the meantime, it is a place of considerable beauty, and the wildlife is spectacular...the people...not so much. I have met a handful of people that I call friends...but only about 4-5. Living in the buckle of the bible belt is a bit traumatizing sometimes. The lack of ecological safeguards and disregard for nature has broken my heart....not to mention the trauma of allt he storms that pass this way....hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are the norm...

I am babbling.....time for more coffee.

Lady Elaine,

I had the misfortune of living in Louisiana a few years ago.  I moved there, also chasing work, a year after Katrina.  I agree with your assertations of the wildlife and people.  I felt very closed off due to the very limited acceptance of my beliefs.  Hence, one of my returns to Colorado feeling that leaving was a bad idea.

What I learned from my going to Louisiana was that $3 more an hour is not worth leaving Colorado again.  I learned that money really does not bring happiness.