Why do you wear Religious symbols?

[ximmortalkitten]

Do you wear religious symbols (crosses, upside down crosses, pentacles, ankhs, etc) for religious purposes, or for fashion purposes?

Me personally, I wear my pentacle for religious reasons, but it's a nice looking piece, so it doubles as a fashion item. I do intend on getting a 'nicer' necklace soon though

[CarrionCorpse]

I wear a Wiccan cross, a pentacle, and a rosary. Partially to contradict myself and all religions, partially because I am a Traditional.

[ximmortalkitten]

Now you have intrigued me. For one, what is a Wiccan cross, as I have never heard of this (I Googled it, and got several different images, mostly of the Celtic Cross variety), and what is a Traditional?

..apparently I don't get out much -Laughs-

[CarrionCorpse]

A Traditional is someone who follows the traditional Pagan or Wiccan beliefs. I'm more towards Pagan, but saying Traditional just seems easier. haha
A Wiccan cross is just like that of a normal cross aside from the celtic design and symbols. Mine bears the mark of man, woman, fire, water, the sun and moon.

[ximmortalkitten]

Ooh okay, makes sense. I'm a full on Wiccan, myself xD Eclectic, but I absolutely adore everything to do with the Celts.
That cross sounds absolutely beautiful!

I thought about wearing a rosary, but I always feel a bit of resentment towards the Christians. I don't mean to.. but I've had a lot of 'pressure' from family and what not. I think that rosaries are beautiful though. All those coloured beads..

[CarrionCorpse]

My rosary always gets caught on things though, so I rarely wear it lately. hehe

[ximmortalkitten]

Ahh.. that's always something to consider. I wouldn't even know where to get a rosary :P

[CarrionCorpse]

There's this store in a strip mall down the road from my house called Northwestern books. It's a religious store for Catholics, Christians, Lutherans, etc... But in all honesty the one I wear is for pure aesthetic and was bought at Claires... :O

[ximmortalkitten]

-Laughs- I'm not going to lie.. I like Claire's. But the one in town here closed down for some reason. If I got one, it would be for aesthetic purposes also. But I don't know if I would, as I said I am bothered by it.

[Bete Noire]

Originally Posted by ximmortalkitten

the Celts..

As a unified people, they did not exist.....

And given that the stereotypical "celtic" knotwork and crosses are associated with the christian stage of "celtic" society, particularly in Ireland, I'm not sure how that works....



"Traditional is someone who follows the traditional Pagan or Wiccan beliefs. I'm more towards Pagan, but saying Traditional just seems easier. haha
A Wiccan cross is just like that of a normal cross aside from the celtic design and symbols. Mine bears the mark of man, woman, fire, water, the sun and moon."

What exactly constitutes traditional paganism, or traditional Wicca.
Gardnerian Wicca would surely be traditional Wicca, and that was founded in the '50's I think.
Paganism is not interchangeable with Wicca except in a New Age-y setting, and "traditional" paganism makes no sense at all, given how many belief systems fall under that umbrella.
And given that the belief system of the pre-christian "celts" is largely un-documented until the arrival of christianity, identifying with that would be a litle retarded.
If you're identifying with some other form of paganism you feel qualifies you as "traditional" then I'm interested.

[KontanKarite]

I'm not. Clearly, they don't know what they're talking about unless they do mean that whole pagan stuff from the 50s/60s.

[Stormtrooper of Death]

I think she knows what she's talking about there cowboy, so cool it.

Anyways, I'm not into all that religious stuff, used to wear and ankh, but haven't in a while.

[ape descendant]

I usually don't wear christian symbols... no matter how appealing a jewish vampire is to my sense of irony and aesthetics.

I do wear an "inverted" pentacle at times, it has personal meaning. I get a lot of funny looks when people ask if I'm pagan.. and I say no. LOL

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by Stormtrooper of Death

I think she knows what she's talking about there cowboy, so cool it.

Anyways, I'm not into all that religious stuff, used to wear and ankh, but haven't in a while.

That's fine. I eventually learned that paganism is stupid.

[MissCheyenne]

I don't really see the point in wearing any kind of religious symbol since I don't follow any religion. I can appreciate if something looks nice, however, I don't feel comfortable wearing a symbol for fashion reasons when it is meaningful to a believer of what ever religion it's used to represent.

[Bete Noire]

Originally Posted by Stormtrooper of Death

I think she knows what she's talking about

Ever the optimist... :P

[Solumina]

The notion of wearing a rosary as an accessory kind of pisses me off, and I'm not even Catholic. They aren't pieces of jewlery, they are part of a very personal ritual, and are not meant to be seen by others.

[Saya]

Its only very personal if you make it out to be.

I wear wrist malas occasionally, but once I had one that got caught in something and it broke, so I'm a little paranoid about wearing them now.

[ximmortalkitten]

Originally Posted by Solumina

The notion of wearing a rosary as an accessory kind of pisses me off, and I'm not even Catholic.

Even though I said I'd be interested in one, I'd never wear one. I think that if I saw someone wearing a pentacle who wasn't Pagan or Wicca, I'd be a little upset too. But sometimes things are pretty. Like certain crosses I've seen, I just wouldn't wear one because of my religion.

[ximmortalkitten]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

That's fine. I eventually learned that paganism is stupid.

Please watch what you say. I don't know if you are religious or not, but I am, and I am Wiccan. I don't appreciate my religion being bashed, as I would never bash anyone else's. Thanks.

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by ximmortalkitten

Please watch what you say. I don't know if you are religious or not, but I am, and I am Wiccan. I don't appreciate my religion being bashed, as I would never bash anyone else's. Thanks.

Fuck. You. Your religion is the derivative of fucking acid tripping hippies. And fuck your magic. Where Christianity is almost laughable, Wicca is comedy gold. Sorry, toots, but Tinker Bell certainly doesn't exist.

[korinna5555]

Originally Posted by ximmortalkitten

I am Wiccan

Oh, you've been formally initiated into a Gardnerian coven? No? That's what I thought.

Wicca is a bunch of fluffy bullshit. It's all over the place, not nearly as "reconstructionist" as some might claim, and no way in hell could you ever call it ancient.

[CarrionCorpse]

I don't feel a need to explain my religion. I follow many earth-based religions, but consider myself more Pagan than anything. I know what I follow, so it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. In the end, we all die. What we believe in this life does not affect one anothers beliefs, so say what you will.

As far as wearing the rosary as a fashion statement goes, I understand what you mean, but the cross on this one is so pretty and I like the length of it. But like I said, I rarely wear it anymore. And in reality, it wasn't a real rosary, I would never wear a real one, it would feel too wrong.

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by CarrionCorpse

I don't feel a need to explain my religion. I follow many earth-based religions, but consider myself more Pagan than anything. I know what I follow, so it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. In the end, we all die. What we believe in this life does not affect one anothers beliefs, so say what you will.

Man if only beliefs such as religious ones only affected other beliefs. Too bad they affect much more important things such as life itself.

However, thank FUCK paganism is a joke. At least you're virtually harmless and don't really amount to much at all. Have fun praying to the jolly green giant. ^__^

[CarrionCorpse]

I don't pray to anything, but alright.