Religion and spirituality - one of my favorite topics.

I have always found religion and spiritual paths absolutely fascinating. I was raised a loose Christian, Catholic. As I got older I stepped away from the religion, as my heart didn't sing true to it. I explored many, many...emphasize many different religions and spiritual paths. I, being a very hippie(ish) individual (at least named as such from many people I know), am connected very much so to Nature. I was naturally drawn to Paganism, more specifically Wicca. I've read many books on the subject, and may I suggest a read from Scott Cunningham for anyone even remotely interested, and practiced many of the rituals associated with the religion. I have celebrated the Wheel of the Year, tried connecting to the God and Goddess, yet, never truly felt a connection 100%. I still have an even more profound reverence of the season changes and I still celebrate them (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Litha etc.) for their rich Pagan history. I will forever be thankful to Wicca and Paganism for showing me some of the most peaceful practices I will ever experience. Although a truly beautiful religion, I don't particularly connect with a deity. Whether I believe in a higher power in general is still up in the air. To me, Nature in and of itself is as mysterious and reverent worthy as it gets. Thus I explored Pantheism and Panentheism. I felt personally that something was missing in the latter and later, and then went on to discover Buddhism. I found so much comfort in the practice of Metta (something worth researching if you're interested), and found a love in my soul that I honestly, and fore truly never knew I had. I am not one to 100% agree with everything 100% of the time though (and I also found through Zen practices that that is entirely okay, no one has to do something and believe something 100% of the time, and if you do, then that's good too), so I then went on and found Taoism. Lao Tzu taught me through the Tao Te Ching that life, as complicating as it can be, and as simple it really is, does not have much of a beginning or end...it kinda just is. I will forever be grateful for what I learned through exploring Taoism, and continue to learn everyday...sometimes not doing something is doing more than you ever would have been doing actually doing something. I also found the comfort of yoga and the Sanskrit spirituality relating to the Hindu culture and Vedas that again, fascinated me.

I have been touched by so many different religions and spiritual paths, I am truly blessed. So, if someone asks me what I believe in, I really just smile and reply with, "Nothing in particular". I believe in so many things all together that I have learned from so many years of exploring and happenstance, I don't have a name for my spirituality and thankfully, I have realized for some time now, I most certainly don't need one. 

I have met many people (both religious and non and spiritual and non) whom both I have enjoyed the company of and not enjoyed, and I can say that with full sincerity, it is not the beliefs that make the person, it is their energy and intention. I respect and continue to be so intrigued by what people identify with and their reasons for doing so. Then again, I'm equally intrigued by someone's not identifying religiously/spiritually and not having much a reason for it. In the end of this small story I've written here, if there is one thing I do believe in for sure, it is that there is nothing better in this beautiful world we live in than just being happy.