The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

So, hi.
I've dabbled in paganism before, but in the end always feel guilty and go back to my Jewish upbringing. But I can't seem to turn away from the fact that I just CONNECT with multiple gods. Even worse though, the gods I feel close to are Egyptian deities, whom Jews are supposed to completely stay away from. Hence the guilt.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me?
Is there anyway to find a balance, or make it work?

I can't turn away from my heritage, but I cannot seem to turn away from my kemetic inclinations..

As I don't know nearly as much as I should about Judaism, I couldn't say whether or not you can or cannot mix practices, but coming from a Vatican 1 Catholic  (Wiccish-forcibly-turned Catholic) background, I understand the guilt part and also think maybe there's an area between can and cannot.

I still have chats with Jesus from time to time (the Christian God has made it clear He doesn't want me around). The reason I mention this is that if you're connected to multiple gods, you don't have to actively worship them; you can acknowledge them, and say hi and stuff...

You could always reach out via divination or godphone or something, see what both sides have to say on the matter. The important thing is not to rush! If you rush, you will regret it! (I know from bitter, bitter experience).

Just spend some time figuring things out with both sides of the spiritual aisle and then see what's in your heart.

Good luck to you!

So, hi.
I've dabbled in paganism before, but in the end always feel guilty and go back to my Jewish upbringing. But I can't seem to turn away from the fact that I just CONNECT with multiple gods. Even worse though, the gods I feel close to are Egyptian deities, whom Jews are supposed to completely stay away from. Hence the guilt.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me?
Is there anyway to find a balance, or make it work?

I can't turn away from my heritage, but I cannot seem to turn away from my kemetic inclinations..

If it helps, I'm a Kemetic who's had good experiences with Ha-Shem, and had no angry gods on either side. I don't have Jewish ancestry, but He did seem to like me, so. Make of that what you will.

I don't know what sort of advice to offer, except perhaps trying to find a way to preserve your Jewish traditions as a way of honouring your ancestry, but following the gods you feel drawn to, if that's something you feel you might want to do. I have a shrine for the Saxon god Woden up, because it's tied to ancestry for me. But I still honour Sobek first, because He's my primary deity. I still honour the Christian traditions and holidays I was brought up with, because it's a way to connect with family and ancestry. That, and I really like Mary, so.

I don't know if you want to handle having two traditions, whether they're both religious, or if one is ancestral, but that's up to you to decide. Kemetic religion places a great importance on honouring our ancestors, and yes, in the past, those ancestors were Kemetic, but we're not all Kemetic now. We come from different countries and different religious backgrounds. But that doesn't make them any less our ancestors.

I also know there are some Jewish Pagans following a more polytheistic form of Judaism, if that's something you feel might be something you might want to look at. I don't have any links handy, but I know they exist. The orthopraxic nature of Judaism I think makes it a better fit for Pagan practices than perhaps Christianity or Islam, but I don't really have much experience there, so. I hope my rambling helps?

I've dabbled in paganism before, but in the end always feel guilty and go back to my Jewish upbringing. But I can't seem to turn away from the fact that I just CONNECT with multiple gods.

So did lots of people. When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they sang "Who is like thee, O Yahweh, among the gods?", so they recognised the others. Ahab consulted the prophets of all the gods on occasion. A century later, a king of Israel put up an inscription to Asherah. In Hellenistic times, the Jewish colony in Elephantine was still making dedications to Anat. And in Roman times, many small Jewish communities shared a place of worship with the Hypsistists (the God-fearers mentioned in the New Testament). On Saturday morning, it was a synagogue and no-one seems to have been troubled that in the afternoon the Hypsistists would be praying to Zeus and Apollo in the same building!

So you don't have to feel guilty! A lot of the exclusivity in both the time of the prophets and today comes from a natural "pulling up of drawbridges" when faced by very real threats.

So, hi.
I've dabbled in paganism before, but in the end always feel guilty and go back to my Jewish upbringing. But I can't seem to turn away from the fact that I just CONNECT with multiple gods. Even worse though, the gods I feel close to are Egyptian deities, whom Jews are supposed to completely stay away from. Hence the guilt.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me?
Is there anyway to find a balance, or make it work?

I can't turn away from my heritage, but I cannot seem to turn away from my kemetic inclinations..

 
Have you looked into the book the red tent it talks about the beginnings of judaism from anita diamants view point which I consider a good one the ancient jews actually had more than one God it has been proved they kept teraphim or household folk gods, and many women never left asherah behind.

And I don't connect with any of my heritage deities I don't think you have to have that heritage to work with that pantheon.