Jar Shrines

I found some neat pictures of shrines in jars (like a spiritual ecosystem, as one comment says) and I thought they would be a great idea for those of us who are short on space and/or cash:

http://pimp-my-altar.livejournal.com/280738.html

and

http://www.blogher.com/crafty-chicas-glass-jar-shrines

Has anyone made anything like this before?

I have a salsa jar that's big enough to use for a craft like this, so I think I'll try it and post some pictures when I'm finished.

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Orisha

I remember there are a few of us here that honor some of the Orisha.

1) Who do you honor?

2) How do you honor them? In an ATR or ADR religion? Within another framework? Something else (other)?

3) If you aren't in an established religion that honors them, how do you do it? What resources do you use to help you honor them?

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Buying vs. Receiving a Tarot Deck

I've decided to try my hand at other forms of divination besides the pendulum, and since there are many resources available for tarot, I decided to start looking into getting a deck.

I remember being told years ago, though, that you're not supposed to buy your own deck(s) — that you're supposed to receive it as a gift. I know that from the other threads on this forum, people buy their own decks all the time. Is there any significance behind receiving a deck instead buying your own, or is it just teenage superstition?

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Gods as Archetypes

This may be a silly question, but I've heard that some Pagans view the gods/goddesses such as Pan, Demeter, Lugh, Thor, Isis etc as archetypes what does that mean?

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A Playlist for your Gods

I noticed that a lot of us at some point ends up putting together a playlist for the deities/spirits we have a relationship with.

Part of modern worship I suppose.

I thought it could be fun -and useful - to share. So, what's on your patron-inspired playlist? Or... there's a song that, when you listen to it, always brings you back to a certain deity/spirit?

Share!

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Books and Resources on the Use of Stories for Spiritual or Therapeutic Purposes

Do you know any other good book or resource about the use of stories for spiritual or emotional growth (for adults)?

I can only think of

- Clarissa Pinkola Estés: Woman Who Run With the Wolves. Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

which I can recommend as an interesting read in relation to this SIG although it focuses on women. It's been a while since I read it, so I don't remember it in much detail, but I think she doesn't only interpret several fairy tales and explains their healing properties, but also talks a bit about storytelling as an art and the responsibilities of the storyteller.

***

Can anyone else recommend a book to enhance our understanding?

It might be interesting to see how other spiritual paths (maybe Druidry???) use stories to guide people on their spiritual journey or how stories are used in psychotherapy to process emotional issues.

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Suddenly Spiritual Moments

Tonight, minutes ago as I was walking home from a Boy Scouts meeting, I was pseudo-meditating. I was mostly thinking about my relationship with the Kami, and what people would think about a Westerner practicing Tao-Buddhist-Shinto, since my Japanese and Chinese blood isn't readily evident. As I was mulling over these things, I stared up into the sky.

At first I thought it was a satellite, but as i watched I realized it was a shooting star. a Big one at that. I watched it soaring across the heavens, set against a beautiful background of stationary stars. The thing had to last for at least seven seconds. It had a beautiful trail behind it too.

It was such a profoundly spiritual experience, I just had to bow and say "Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Kami-sama!"

So what other moments have your Gods revealed themselves in ways you didn't expect?

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Spirituality, Where'd you go?!

So I've been battling a pretty bad injury for the past couple years and it culminating to me getting a whole new joint at the ripe ol' age of 32. Anyways, while all this has been going on I've been a good lil' Pagan doing ritual both Esbats and Sabbats but here is where the problem is. Normally, as in when I was healthy, I felt awe-filled and lifted and blessed but recently... NADA. I can't figure if it's from the injury and all the good energy is going there (to the injury) or I'm just not into it because I'm injured. All I can say is that it feels like I'm walking through the rituals instead of experiencing them but when I don't do them at all I feel crappy too.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?

http://www.ecauldron.com/forum/showthread.php?1934-Spirituality-Where-d-you-go-!

Tarot and Energy Problems

I've done ten readings in the last two days. I'm kind of practicing for utilizing Tarot readings as a quasi-business adventure. (I'm not sure if I want to do that, actually, but I figure practice makes perfect, eh?) Anyway. Yesterday, after the first batch of five, I found myself exceedingly exhausted. I mean, to the point where I ended up in bed by seven o'clock last night. This is entirely unheard of in my house: I'm a ten o'clock to bed kind of person.

Today, I finished up the last five readings and found myself pooped again. I wasn't as exhausted as yesterday, but still felt like I could take a nap for an hour or three.

I've done 'mass' readings before when I was in college (and thereby younger) so I didn't think that the readings or the number of them would impact me as much as they have. It's a little daunting to see this happening since, as I mentioned, I think I might try and do this professionally in the not-too-distant future.

Is it possible that I'm doing something wrong? Devo had mentioned that perhaps I was putting too much of myself into the readings, but I don't see how. My basic premise is shuffle, shuffle with the name/image of the querant in mind, and then get down to the reading. Since that's the gist of it, what the heck can I be doing that's sapping me so much?

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What do you believe?

I have been researching Paganism and it's many paths for the past few months and for the first time today I identified myself as a pagan. Now I know finding a path often takes years of research and meditation but I would like to here about different paths from the mouths of it's followers. I'm not asking you to choose my path for me but I am curious as to what paths and beliefs out there especially if you are eclectic or follow a path that is not often mentioned.

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Android Apps for Spirituality?

I finally took the plunge. I had to face the fact that my beloved Blackberry -- which has held my life for the last few years -- was on its last legs.

So, out with the Blackberry and in with the Android.

I spent an embarassingly long time browsing through apps today, which made me wonder what sorts of apps y'all might use to assist with spirituality-related things.

I've got a pretty good sun/moon widget. And I know I need to spend some time setting my google calendars up with reminders for my various Cill shifts.

Any other interesting apps out there?

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Grounding and Centering Techniques

Grounding and Centering is one of the first things that gets mentioned when someone starts talking about energy work or how they are feeling, but I seldom see (in the wider pagan universe) a conversation on technique.

For me at least, grounding and centering did not at all come naturally and I really struggled with this "first step" on the path. And because I struggled with grounding and centering, my shield work was a complete mess. Which was, at the time, hugely discouraging since it seemed to be taken for granted that these were a skills anyone should be able to do.

Eventually, I had a couple of people walk me through their process step-by-step and we worked out something that I could use. This would likely have taken much less time if I hadn't been so shy about announcing my struggles to the world, but it's hard to admit that you aren't getting something.

So, since I am once again exploring various pieces of my belief system and practices - I'd like to go back to this "first step" and see if I can learn something new. (And maybe help other people who find themselves similarly stuck.)

When you find the need, how do you ground and center? Are the certain motions you make? Images that you keep in mind?

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The Matter of Mysteries

This is one of those subjects that comes up a lot and is hard to talk about because Mysteries are hard to talk about and a lot of people are unclear on what they are, why they're important, and so on.

From a religious witchcraft standpoint, most formalised Craft traditions have Mysteries, and this is the core of the practice; generally speaking, what training is done in the tradition prior to initiatory work is intended to prepare people to receive those Mysteries without damage, establish a basic language for those Mysteries, or otherwise lay groundwork. When there are multiple degree systems in those traditions, the additional degrees seem to come with additional Mysteries.

From a reconstructionist standpoint, Mysteries are controversial. THere is evidence for their practice in many ancient cultures, often as distinct sects on the edges of mainstream religious practice. However, because Mysteries were either secret (oathbound) or difficult to discuss, the tangible evidence for how they were conducted is pretty thin on the ground and the procedures for bringing people to the Mystery have been largely lost. We have hints, but not full stuff, and when we have full stuff (way way back on Delphi there was a thread Loreley started about a major ritual that might have been a full description of how to go about a Mystery initiation) we don't necessarily know if we have all the components. (If something required a full town's participation we're not too likely to recover that.)

Anyway. So: What are Mysteries?

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Celtic History & Spirituality Books

Are there any new books on Celtic History that anyone would recommend. Also are there any good spiritual Celtic books that anyone would recommend as well. I have been away for a while from this site and I'm getting back into Celtic Paganism.

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Favorite Stories From Mythology

This was a thread on the old board and I thought it'd be fun to continue it. Maybe we'll hear some new stories.

What are your favorite stories from myth?

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