Pentagrams & Rituals

So this week Eric & I encountered a new bump in the road..or so to speak. We knew going into this relationship that our religious backgrounds, (him being raised in a strict Catholic home, as I mentioned, & me having been raised by Christian pastors) are no longer the paths or belief systems we believed in. And while I am still up in the air on my beliefs, he, however, is a practicing Pagan. We knew this from the beginning, so that's no surprise and not a problem for either of us, unlike in some relationships when it comes to religious beliefs.

Now before anyone starts filling their head with scenes from various halloween movies of demons and witches and bloody sacrifices, understand that is NOT what Paganism is. Unfortuneatly I am not familiar enough with it to expand (yet), but that does lead me to the point of today's topic. And that, my friends is learning, not only to tolerate and respect your partners religious beliefs, but also to make an effort to understand it for yourself. Or at least that is what I am going to do.

So, I took a little trip to New Moon (this new age store here in kalamazoo, that we both love) and picked up a book entitled "Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions."

I'll let you know how it goes and my thoughts on the tradition (as it is called by those who follow these sets of beliefs) but for now, as part of my "What is Love?" blog, my personal lesson is that of acceptance, tolerance, understanding, and respect for the man I love & what he believes. I feel that this will not only be beneficial for our relationship, but also for my to help me gain the knowledge I need to decide what it is that I believe in as well.

**This post is by no means encouraging you to convert religions for another person. Stick to what you believe and know why you believe what you believe. But understanding and being able to discuss what you believe with another person is a layer of intimacy a lot of couples (at least those my age & that I know) completely omit those types of conversations & it effects the breadth of intimacy that their relationship has.