From: hz225wu@unidui.uni-duisburg.de (Micaela Pantke)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: PAGAN, was You should be a Christian because (30 words max):
Date: 22 Dec 1992 10:20:47 +0100
Organization: University of Duisburg
Reply-To: hz225wu@unidui.UUCP (Micaela "Stayka" Pantke)
NNTP-Posting-Host: unidui.uni-duisburg.de

Hi there - Stayka is here!

Finally... Finally here is MY addition to the current thread. 

Well, as I am quite new to the whole pagan-thing - in fact, about three 
weeks ago I even didn't know what 'pagan' might be at all - my opinion
may be relatively 'fresh'. 

I watched this group and found out that there are lots of different
views of life, the universe and everything, all of it summarized under 
one expression, namely pagan. 

I use to call myself 'Amyshica Priestess' but that's always a lot of
explaining work to do. Fact is, that this my philosophy/belief/view 
of the things-that-are features ideas that also seem to appear in lots 
of other postings. Of course not completely, because in my opinion 
there are as many philosophies/religions/beliefs as there are indivi-
duals in the universe, but over all there are lots of statements that
sound familiar.
 
That brought me to the decision that I could safely adopt the
nomenclature 'pagan' for myself, but that doesn't mean that I have to
abandon my other 'description(s)' for myself.  In my eyes it's an
ADDITION to the words one would otherwise use to describe hirself.  If
you try to describe a person, you wouldn't leave with saying: "Well, the
person is fe/male." You would add several other terms until it's clear
about whom you are talking. 

It's just easier to start a discussion with someone you know as to 
have a ROUGHLY similar background and start explaining further what 
you are really about than with someone whose category you don't know 
anything about. 

Of course there is that everlasting problem of what a pagan is - and
it seems there are at least as much definitions as pagans in the net (I 
don't want to quote any of them, it has been done in enough postings up 
to now) - But I sincerly do hope that the other ones' definitions match 
mine at least in several places. I really don't care if pagan has Xian
origin or if it is even older - In my eyes and here it's just a term to 
define the connections of people with widely varying backgrounds.

I think everybody should call hirself as s/he thinks fit - but also
think of a way to make communication with others easier. What would you
have said if I had introduced myself as "Hello, I'm that amyshicaan 
astherys from the next probability plane"?  :-)

Well, that's only my humble opinion. If someone has another, it's also
okay - for I still believe that there's no ultimate truth we could 
grasp with our limited minds!

Walk in the Light! 
                   Stayka deyAvemta

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Micaela "Stayka" Pantke  |               Imagination
Westhoffstrasse 111      |          can take you anywhere
W-4200 Oberhausen 11     |              (C.N. Newton)
Germany                  | 
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Newsgroups: alt.pagan