by Gareth Dawson

Created on: April 22, 2010

Why am I Pagan? Because I was before I even had a word for it.

At some point in my childhood it dawned on me that the religion that I was taught at Sunday school and in Religious Education lessons did not match the world I was experiencing.Before I knew that others did it I had naturally started looking at the world around me and seeing portants and patterns that hinted at something more which I was a part of. 

As I grew I learned of the religions of northern Europe prior to the arrival of Christianity and also of the religions of the Indian Sub-Continent and the Far East, partly through my love of history and the a few enlightened RE teachers who taught about other aspects of belief and faith beyond monotheism.

From what I learned I roughly constructed my own beliefs, finding them increasingly to fit within the category of Pagan. I was able to see the similarities in the polytheistic faiths around the world and throughout history. By the age of 13 I had purchased my first set of rune stones, without a guide, and I had started walking my, then poorly defined, path. Though there was not an abundance of information available, I began learning all I could of the Northern European Pagan Traditions and any other polytheistic religion I could find information on in either the present or past.

Since then my path has been a winding one. I have experienced many different aspects of spirituality and magic and learned much about many of the worlds religions and all I have learned strengthens my beliefs, though I am sure that there are some that would, upon closer inspection of my faith, would probably label my belief as something more specific but that would be their choice. 

To me I am a Pagan because I feel the magic in the dawn and the dusk, feel the spirits of the world around me and I don't limit my beliefs to anything produced by mankind. I am respectful to the beliefs of others whilst happy to share my faith with those who enquire about it, without preaching. I have been working with Elder Futhark runes for over 20 years, have experience in different forms of divination and I am continually learning and developing through my own experiences and through meeting fellow pagans and reading as much material as I can. I do my best to live a good life and respect the rule of three.

Learn more about this author, Gareth Dawson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.