Do you feel your magic is something that comes mostly from within yourself, or mostly from external sources? For example; crystals, herbs, candles etc.
If you feel as though it is from both, like I do, where do you predominatly draw your magical energy from? Internally, or externally?
Since this came up in some threads we were discussing recently I thought it would deserve an own thread. (If any newbies are reading this: UPG is short for 'unverified personal gnosis'.)
Are there differences between your personal experiences with deities and the way they are described in myths and sources? (Could you give a few examples?)
How do you explain the differences? How do you deal with them?
What's more important to you?
Did researching myths and history influence your personal experiences with a deity? (Like you started to 'visualize' them differently or clearer...)
Do you think ancient deities have changed over the centuries or is their perspective of things still rooted in ancient times?
How do they relate to issues of the modern world?
Do they have archaic/ancient characteristics or perspectives you find sometimes hard to deal with (or do they find it sometimes hard to deal with your modern perspectives)?
I am fairly new to the tarot, but I have been absolutely in love with the tarot deck for about four months now. I've read everything I can get my hands on about the history of the deck, interpretive possibilities of cards, symbolism, intuitive readings, etc. I have started with a deck with art based on the traditional Rider-Waite deck, and I am now looking to find some decks that I connect with more strongly.
I have researched lots of different decks, but I haven't felt comfortable with any of them, and I'm finally figuring out why--in almost every deck I've seen, everybody is white, with anglo features, and generally fits the traditional definition of beauty in western culture--thinnish, anglo features, fair skin and hair, etc. In addition, I'd love to see some diversity of sexualities in the deck. For example, why can't The Lovers card have a possible male and male or female and female option, depending on who you are doing a reading for?
I have read the book and seen some of the Motherpeace cards, which go a ways to deal with these very issues, but I don't really connect with the art and I feel that they are often missing the really potent symbolism that makes the Rider-Waite deck interesting. So I guess I'm looking for something that keeps the potent symbolism.
Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced working with cards that are more inclusive and less supportive of the racist/sexist/ageist, etc. status quo (for example, why is the high priestess always young and pretty? Why not make her an older woman? Why not a middle-aged woman? These kinds of things drive me a little nuts).
I'm not an anthropologist, and I haven’t read widely on the subject…but there seems to be a fundamental human need to have stories. This is in every culture worldwide, ranging from myths (deeply meaningful religious stories about Life, the Universe, and Everything) to soap operas (somewhat less meaningful stories about life, sex, and everything) to comic strips (ditto).
Why?
If you think about it, we could exist perfectly well without stories; we could still eat, sleep, have sex, even if we never heard or told another story. Sure, stories serve various social functions—one function of myth, for example, is to give social cohesion to a group, I believe—but then a wolf pack reinforces its social cohesion by howling at night, no stories required. So why do humans do it with story? Why do we do so many things—entertainment, education, and on and on—through story?
We even tend to edit our experiences selectively—on an individual level, our memories, and collectively, our history—so that they make a tidy story.
Why not accept the chaotic mess as it is, rather than try to impose some narrative order?
If we were ever to meet intelligent aliens, do you think they’d also tell stories? For the same reasons we do?
I was meditating last night, and was shown a tri-fork that I could relate to large areas of my (ahem.. various..) paths. The number three seems to run through a lot of things for me; both in the three pillars on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the 3x3 days Odin was sacrificed, the three rune aettir (lineages). I have been taught they corresponded to 1 - the basic forces, 2 - internal work, and the 3. - community activity. (Which seems similar to the three wiccan+derivatives degrees?) There's also the upper/middle/lower worlds of when I do journeying.
Are there numbers that are significant for you?
Does your work in some way revolve around numbers? Numerology?
Do you find particular numbers cropping up in your life? (42 and 23 are perfectly valid answers. Fnord.
Just researching pagan paths at the moment, as they seem to encompass many things I have always believed but have never really explored spiritually. I'm exploring how far these things match up with ideas I am comfortable with before plunging properly. In advance, thank you for any help.
One thing which for years I have privately at least, held in place of a proper belief system is a series of "heroes" drawn from myths and fiction. These operated for me as a moral code, an ideal to strive towards and source of strength. It's not like I worshipped them, certainly not. But I have always used the concept of the characters themselves as a personal guide for my behavior and sense of self-improvement.
It sounds nuttier written down than in my head.
It's not something I've come across yet in books/site, but it does seem to correspond to the importance of symbolism and tradition in pagan paths, drawing on the symbolic concept of a particular deity or animal because of a personal response.
So is there any place for hero archetypes in paganism, either personally or in things you have seen other people believe?
Although the thread title has an obvious implication, I'm not actually intending to ask how your spirituality effects your careers or your goals. In this instance, I'm interested in asking whether anyone feels as though their career itself functions as something spiritual or *equivalent* for them.
A long time ago I saw a poster - I want to think Jenett, but I could be wrong - remark about finding a path, that you should look at those already on the path, and think about whether you want to become more like them.
I've recently embarked on a doctorate level degree programme. It's something I'd thought about in the past, but I'd always shot myself down: 'There's too much competition in academia,' 'you're not at a high enough level for this work' etc. It took a long time for me to decide that I could do this, or at least give it my best shot.
Now, I don't believe in deities, or magic, or spirits. I don't feel like academia is 'fated' for me, or that it's in my 'nature' to do this. It just feels like a very good fit for me, and I feel like I'm waking up. I'm having experiences that change me, so that I feel like I'm becoming part of the academic field I'm interested in. Now, where a religious or spiritual experience might be something like hearing the Voice of God, or some moment of clarity, my experiences are more on the lines of discussing theory with my peers, and enjoying being around people who share my values and aims. And of course, the feeling of becoming someone different, whom I want to be.
It strikes me that this is the kind of thing that many people talk about in terms of their religion and/or spirituality. Where I don't have either of those, I still find myself appreciating some of those experiences, even if the target is different.
So, is my attitude towards my life and occupational goals just because I'm an atheist and have no religious comparison? Does anyone here who regards themselves as religious or spiritual have a similar feeling towards their own occupation/ life goals?
I've recently had a couple of first experiences with a deity (I think it was Artemis) and are trying to cope with them for a while now. I'm not thinking about any formal relationship like a dedication yet, just want to explore and work out my experiences. I'm very confused. I wonder how more experienced members went about their first experiences.
Have you had an encounter with a deity or have you approched him/her yourself?
How would you react to an encounter with a deity?
What steps did you take to explore the deity and your possibilities? How do you find out why you had this encounter, what to expect of the deity and what he/she expects of you?
How did you develop a relationship?
I need advice. I don't know what I am doing. I am a member of a Unitarian Universalist Congregation and we have a earth centered group Gaia Spirit Circle (GSA).
The group stated in 2005, I don't want this group to go by the wayside. Both of the leaders of the group have left the Congregation. I have called a meeting of GSA, for Wed Feb 4, 2009 (GSA used to meet the 1st Wed of the month). Yesterday I had gotten 6 people who say they will come.
Does anyone have any advice as to how to get the group restarted. What questions do I need to be asking those who come?
I know this is not a lot of helpful information, as your questions I will answer as best I can.