Dictionary.com Unabriged

1.reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations: a prayer full of piety.

3.dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc.: filial piety.

 

I, unlike many others involved within the Paganism movement, was not raised in a religious home. I was not baptized or christened - to be Catholic would not allow for Protestant Godparents, and to be Protestant meant to promise to attend Church weekly (and my parents weren't going to lie.) Religious piety is not something I was every raised with.

Filial Piety, this brings food for thought. I take this to mean the respect, love and duty I feel for my family. When my mother's side - her parents and siblings - moved to Canada with very little money, they stuck together because they only had each other.

As they each married and had families, they still remained close as did their children. I think this is really reflected in how when I visited my cousin at Samhain 2007 and had a laugh how I was just like my mother in my mannerisms. He used to be in my place, being in his early twenties, visiting his aunt and her little daughter - me.

In comparison, I always thought I didn't have as close a relationship with my father's side, but that's not true at all. I realize this the more I am exposed to the families of others. I am actually quite fortunate.

In my family, we respect each other, we feel a duty as family to be a part of each other's lives. We feel we're lucky to have each other, and enjoy each other's company. We also realize we must mind our own business and be polite to each other, and this is where we differ from many others. (In fact, I do know other families that believe they should be more polite and accepting of strangers than each other. I am proud my family does not feel this way.)

Given this, I do have some personal experience with Piety as far as my family. How is religious piety different from filial piety?

Religious piety also requires respect and commitment, but becomes more complicated.It is defined as following in the DP Manual:

Correct observance of ritual and social traditions; the maintenance of the agreements, (both personal and societal), we humans have with the Gods and Spirits. Keeping the Old Ways, through ceremony and duty

Some people say they don't want to one of those "Only Pagan 8 times a year" types - people who only observe the High Days.

I am always a Witch. It's always at the back of my thoughts, often without my being aware. My noticing of changes in weather and in the land, in animal patterns, an awareness of omens. Prayers of need, or of thanks. Certain things I began doing intentionally as I started my path are now natural habit.

I would certainly call myself "spiritual". I observe most of the High Days. I understand them well. I rarely have other rituals - I do not do spellwork as one would do a ritual. I am not simply "Pagan-8-times-a-year". In contrast, I do not consider myself "pious". Joining ADF was part of my attempt to integrate more frequent acts of religious piety in my life. I feel that this is lacking.

Duty, humbleness, awareness and acknowledgment, devotion, responsibility, commitment, intention followed by action - these words make up my understanding of Piety.