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Within most spiritual communities, one hears the word "path" mentioned frequently to describe one's choice of spirituality or religion. Paths are usually searched for, found, and then walked upon. Occasionally someone will leave one path for another. At other times, the path will be left entirely in favor of a journey in which one makes their own path. The story of the Grail knights comes to mind in which the knights came to the edge of a forest. Some entered the forest upon paths already trod by others before them....while the rest entered where there was no path and made their own way through the forest. Those that made their own paths invariably found that which they sought.



There seem to be many these days nearly obsessed with finding the "right" spiritual path...whether to bring comfort to their soul, power to sustain them, or an assurance of a heavenly afterlife. Books litter the shelves of bookstores, spiritual groups are founded almost daily, and online forums abound which offer hundreds of options for a path-seeker to explore. This is not to say that seeking a spiritual path to call one's own....or even walking an established path is wrong. However, I have found, through hard experience, that sometimes the journey itself....as well as finding a place along the way to call home....is far more important than the path taken.



Some climb mountains to reach the Light at the summit, while others plumb the depths of the earth in search of wisdom in the Darkness.....still others make their way through tangled forests of oak and pine to draw closer to Nature, and a few even explore the vast desolation of the desert, seeking the perfect Emptiness. It seems safe to say that one will not find a stately, ancient oak in the depths of a cave....nor massive sand dunes within a forest. However, many seem to search for the needs of their soul within the wrong "terrain", bringing only frustration and depression when their heart remains empty...unsatisfied.



Still others stumble blindly in the darkness, groping desperately for signs of a well-trod path....and a signpost and light to guide their way along it. Little do they know what wonders they may behold if they only draw forth the light from their own soul and begin forging their own path through the wilderness. What mysteries may be found in an unspoiled glade, never seen by human eyes, compared to the trampled grass, raped flower stems, and man-made landmarks found along the beaten path!



Indeed, certain paths have their appeal: fellowship and shared insight of others, comfort in familiar surroundings, and the knowledge that there is indeed something at the end of the trail. However, when all is said and done, give me a place far from the beaten paths to come home to and enjoy. The unique sacredness of my soul's own haven cannot be transcended.

Another anecdote from my old days in the Pagan forums. Posted in response to the question of why people who are not actually following a Wiccan path still insist on calling themselves Wiccan (something I see happening around here as well)



1) Ignorance -- Due to the poliferation of Wiccan books (and especially due to the large percentage of bad Wiccan books), many people have the idea that Wicca is Paganism. So, even if their beliefs may drift away from the core of Wicca, they continue calling themselves Wiccan, because they don't know of any other path. I'd say this is common only in true newbies who have just started on the path



2) Convenience -- For the purpose of brevity (especially around people who aren't versed in all of the different Pagan paths), it can be more convenient to just call oneself "Wiccan" instead of either having to go into lengthy detail about one's beliefs or trounce out an unfamiliar or made-up term that will only confuse the listener and require one to explain one's beliefs.



3) Popularity -- Wicca is, of course, the most heard-of Pagan path and, therefore, some people are eager to jump on the bandwagon and call themselves Wiccan. Also, there does tend to be a larger community of Wiccans than most any other Pagan path, so by calling oneself Wiccan, one can become a part of this community and have a sense of belonging with greater ease than say an Asataru or Discordian.



4) Unsurity -- This oftentimes follows 1) in that someone who has been calling themselves Wiccan...and whose beliefs may be quite Wiccan, is now finding out about other paths and researching them. Their beliefs may be slowly drawing away from Wicca, but they have not come yet to the point of stepping over the line into a new belief system and, therefore hold onto the Wiccan label until they have settled into a new system.



5) Rebellion -- There are some who may not agree with all aspects of Wicca, yet still hold onto one or two core beliefs and decide that they are going to start a new, improved form of Wicca...and to heck with what everyone else says or thinks. It's kind of a "They think that I can't be _____ and still call myself Wiccan...well I'll show them that I can!" mindset.



6) Stubborness -- More or less, an extreme version of 4) where someone steadfastly refuses to drop the Wiccan label even though their beliefs have shifted away from it because....well, they've always been a Wiccan and, by golly, they're not about to change now.

I was perusing through old posts from back in the days when I was a regular in various Pagan forums and found a quote that I found to be rather insightful...surprisingly, it came from me... ;)



You have to be able to be alone with yourself and your faith without anyone else to back you up. Some people I know could never be true solitaries because their faith would crumble without someone there reinforcing that they're actually on the right path. There's nothing wrong with comunity and associating with others on the same path (if I thought that, I wouldn't be here!), of course. But if you can't sit alone in the dark with just your beliefs and nothing else, and be secure enough to say "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, I know I'm on the right path", then something's wrong.