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Your Relationship to your Deity/Deities? Posted Monday, January 05, 2009 by Randall
In what relationship do you see yourself to your deity/ies?
- Do you see any hierarchy between you and your deity/ies? - Is he/she or are they like a parent/parents? (In what way?) - Or more like a friend/friends? (How so?) - Or is he/she/are they like a business partner/business partners? (In what regard?)
How does that influence your worship?
What do you give to your deity/ies or do for him/her/them and what do you receive from her/him/them?
Topic: Earth-based Belief Systems vs Other Belief Systems? Posted Wednesday, December 31, 2008 by Randall
Aside from polytheistic tendancies, what makes "earth based" belief systems any different from all the other belief systems out there?
In the so-called 'earth based" ones you have apparently a implied freedom to choose whatever deity suits you and implied freedom to choose what, if any, rituals to perform. However it seems that there is still this seemingly implied requirement to worship and cater to a deity to the point of having your life being run by said deity...so it SEEMS.
AS for "magic" it also SEEMS that a disproportionate amount of emphasis is being placed on tools and symbols to the point that it SEEMS that they are being viewed as magic rather than mere tools and intermediaries.
So what makes earth based paganism any different from any other belief system. What is the point of switching when it SEEMS one ismerely making a lateral transition from one method of worship to another?
I am not trying to offend but attempting to understand.
Having a Spiritual "Fling"? Posted Wednesday, December 31, 2008 by Randall
I've been turning this idea around in my head for a while. I'm not sure where the spark came from... perhaps the number of people who try out Wicca before discovering a path that's a better fit. I don't really remember.
At any rate, I thought the concept might be worth exploring. We often look at someone who takes up a short-term interest, be it exploring a spiritual path or learning a practical skill such as tarot, as being flighty or "fluffy"--particularly if they have a series of these sorts of flings. They're just looking for the bright shiny stuff, we moan. Or we gripe that they don't have the dedication to explore something that's really fulfilling.
In some cases, that's probably true. But I think that many times, our spiritual flings do serve a good purpose. We've all had things we've thrown ourselves into headfirst. Sometimes it's a personal relationship. Sometimes it's a hobby. Sometime's it's a diet. Whatever it is, we're convinced at the start that this new thing is wonderful! The best thing ever! And we're totally committed to it!
Then a few months or years down the road, after we've examined all the thing's flaws and annoyances, we may find that this just isn't for us after all. But we've still learned, even if we've learned that we don't like knitting. Or that Norse gods don't truly speak to us.
Have any of you ever had a spiritual fling? If so, what did you learn/gain from it? Or do you think the entire concept is just silly?
Anyone read this? - it looks interesting but I need another book like a hole in the head. However I can probably squeeze it in somewhere if it's worth it.
Opinions on Magical Pathworking by Nick Farrell? Posted Tuesday, December 30, 2008 by Randall
Just wondering if anyone has any opinions of the book _Magical Pathworking:Techniques of Active Imagination_ by Nick Farrell? I picked it up recently for a few bucks at a used bookstore. I've only gotten a little into the first chapter...
How to Connect with Deity? Posted Sunday, December 28, 2008 by Randall
My question is essentially, what would be a good way to connect with deity(-ies) and maybe interact with him/her/them that I don't have to find a book for? (I'm basically in the category of no-job-no-car-and-nowhere-to-go-get-them-even-if-I-did category at the moment lol) In addition to that, I'm not sure if I'd know when I was in the presence of a deity, so is that something that someone could tell me about or is it in the realm of "You just have to experience it, and once you do you know it" kind of things?
Prefering indoor or outdoor worship/activities on your path? Posted Friday, December 26, 2008 by Randall
I wonder what reasons there are for you to worship and do other spiritual/religious activities inside or outside?
* Is there any spiritual/religious meaning for your path to indoor or outdoor activity? Does your path require or favor indoor or outdoor activities for some reasons?
* How do you meet your beliefs/opinions about indoor and outdoor activities practically? How do you deal with logistic, space, time, weather and group issues? When would you decide against the place you favor spiritually/religiously for pragmatic reasons?
* Do different forms of your spiritual/religious activities favor different places? How about ritual, offerings, invoking deities/spirits, devotional shrines, meditation work for example?
* Are you satisfied with how you actually meet your preferences in praxis?
Raising children in your religion? Posted Friday, December 26, 2008 by Randall
If you have children, do you plan to raise them in your religion? If so, how much? Will you just tell them about your beliefs, or will you expect them to participate in your rituals with you as well? What are your reasons?
This is something I've been thinking about a lot. I was raised Christian. I was taught that all other religions were "false". I had to go to church every Sunday. My parents read the Bible to each of us individually every night. I was completely surrounded by Christian teachings and didn't meet anyone who believed differently until I was in my late teens, unless it was people I was supposed to try to "convert."
Unfortunately, I found the Christian religion and most of its teachings quite depressing, and I am still struggling with some of the feelings I had because of my religious upbringing.
Now, my parents are strongly pushing their religion on my two-year-old niece. It makes me a bit uncomfortable, because she's only two years old so she isn't old enough to decide for herself. I wish I'd been allowed to decide for myself as a kid, and I don't want her to go through life dealing with some of the things I had to deal with. I don't want her growing up afraid she'll die in the night and go to hell, or thinking she can't stand up to people who bully her because she's supposed to "turn the other cheek" or think she's supposed to be subservient to men just because she happens to be female. (I realize that's probably not what the Christian teachings are intended to mean, but kids can easily get those kids of ideas and then have a hard time shaking them when they're older, which is what happened to me.)
So now that I've decided I want to be a Pagan (even though I don't know which path yet) and I am of the age where I could have children, I sometimes wonder, will I teach them all I can about my path (when I choose one) but still let them decide for themselves when they are old enough? Will I teach them about lots of different religions so they feel comfortable with people with lots of different beliefs but possibly be confused? Or will I just leave religion alone and let them discuss it if they want to, but not bring it up on my own? I think I want them to at least know what I believe, but I don't want them to feel pressured to believe it themselves.
Those of you who have kids, how have you chosen to deal with their religious upbringing? And those of you who don't have them yet but might someday, how do you plan to deal with it?
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