So Everfool wrote this on another thread:
"I've regularly seen people decide that this or that random event, or their latest purchase, or whatever, means that they've been picked out by a deity. It isn't that I have a problem with people finding something *spiritual* in an event, as that tends to reflect a more personal and internal feeling. I find it somewhat incredible that many suggest a practically concrete and *obvious* spiritual event."Similar discussions have come up everywhere and usually result in a lot of "Oh, you know when people come to paganism, they're discovering their spirituality and everyhting is all new and shiny and they're still learning." But I've known folks who have been pagan for years who still take every little thing as a sign or omen of something or of someone trying to communicate with them, or encouraging new folks who think that every little thing is a sign of something to continue believing that it is. For some people, NOTHING can ever be taken at face value, and to suggest that something might really not have a significant meaning or that it's a coincidence is frequently akin to high treason and likely to get one flamed....I also said this in the same thread:
Someone sees a crow on the telephone pole and OOOoOH it MUST be a message of grand importance from The Morrigan, with whom they've NEVER had any past experience. But suddenly, this crow must mean something. Or "So I saw some horses in a field today and then when I went to the bookstore, they had a book on horses in the window. I think Epona's trying to tell me she wants to be my patron goddess." There's never the possibility that it's national horse week, or their making special note of it being Justin Morgan's birthday or the Kentucky Derby is three days away.I've seen people posting on other forums, what seems to be every few minutes "the cream swirled clockwise in my coffee today instead of counterclockwise and I forgot to add enough sugar, do you think it's a sign of something" or "My cat's been more affectionate lately than usual. I just know it's because Bast is trying to send me a message" or "My dog turned seven years old on the seventh of this month...why is the number seven trying to get my attention? Huh" (These are actual examples that I've seen in the last few years of things that seem like they have much more obvious logical reasons...there's always a possibility that there might be other significance, but taken alone, it's FAR more likely that it means nothing. dog turned seven on the seventh? Well geez. I think that's about as significant as the fact that I once turned two years old on December second. Unless you die before reaching that birthday or were born on leap year, everything that was ever born has a birthday like that.
Enough examples, you know what I mean.
So...WHY is it such a horrible thing to put forth this suggestion that something just be taken at face value, or to wait and see if anything else related crops up before jumping to the "Oooooh mystickale special" conclusion? why must it constantly be encouraged by some folks that every little thing be looked at as some huge omen or sign or mystical connection?
Discuss.
Oh...just a note, this is NOT commentary on the thread from which this tangent originated. This is a "general pagan world" discussion.
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