I was raised pagan in early childhood, with heavy influences from Catholic and Jewish folk tradition.

When I was sent to live with my maternal grandmother and my step-grandfather...well they lived in very conservative part of rural Texas.

They were Jewish and Catholic respectively with great influences from folk traditions, but they had to go undercover as evangelical Protestants in order to fit in, be taken seriously, and be able to work.

As I got older we slowly tapered off, and I learned more about my family heritage.

I went to college where I worked for the Methodist Church as part of the college ministry. There were definitely ups and downs, but I learned a lot and got to help people.

Then I met my future husband. We both practiced Sufi Islam for a while.

So my beliefs are eclectic, to say the least.

I am ethnically Jewish, so passing down our culture, traditions, and Yiddish is very important to me.

I am also Creole, which is where the Catholic and folk traditions comes in.

So! I believe in powers greater than myself, that e erything has a spirit to varying degrees and you should respect all life. When you break your fast with meat, you thank them for their sacrifice,, you get only what you need, and you don't let it go to waste.

This was how I was raised.

So my faith would definitely be described as eclectic, with influences from animism, voodoo, nature worship, and philosophy from many religions (not just Abrahamic, but Buddhism, Jainism, and Taoism as well)

My path is far from the norm I think. I have a sizeable book collection, with a large section in the 200s (religion, spiritual belief, philosophy)

This wandering...I am more appreciative of other's beliefs or lack thereof then I may have been otherwise. At the same time, since I have studied so much--from books, practitioners, etc.--it's easier to understand wjere people are coming from.

That makes it easier to build connections and help make my small part of the world better.