Container God?

In alot of practices, the Gods and ancestors occupy a similar state. In some cases ancestors can act as intermediaries between a living person and deity.

What if it's not our Ancestors per se, but their energy that creates the result. A 'bank' for lack of a better word where the energy that they've dedicated to worship, thanksgiving, service and random bits of self energy that is put into the holding vessel we lovingly call deity.

When we are in a time of need or crisis we can pull that energy back out to a degree with a deliberate mental statement or purpose(we have to ask).

This would be our call out to the universe. The bits and blobs of energy that have been put into god over time- and our perception of how much energy has been put in on our spiritual behalf limits the ammount of energy we can pull from 'god' and what god's name we pull under.

Eg my family is of the Oogedy Boogedy race which worshipped the god Schnargle. In Schnargles name there is the energy of at least ten people related to me spread over 3 generations. I am aware of two generations. Thus I can call upon my ancestors and Schnargle in a time of need to pull that energy back out BUT once that energy is gone it is gone, unless I follow with another act of worship or thanks to replace some of what I've pulled out.

I can also only pull what I am aware of. Two generations rather than three. Maybe why the temptation and taboo of some of the more indigenous paths. We're looking for a place where energy was put into safekeeping in a time of need with our name on it- or at least a name we can connect ourselves to to create the right mental suggestion to allow us access. Whats the password?

People who's families have generations of energy invested in this path don't necessarily want the energy of their path used by people not in their family. I'm going to be pissed if you call on Schnargle and try to pull energy because you are trying to claim jump on my families investment. In this, God is limited.

Over time are we experienceing less of god than our ancestors because we put less energy back into battery god? Because we don't whole heartedly in a belief driven fashion refill vessel god when we have pulled out energy so over time there is collectively less energy to maintain the energy, or the name that it is stored under.

I'm not saying you have to have an ancestral link to draw energy from a belief, but it makes it easier. For people who've had to start anew with a belief system, then there is a period of putting energy into the system before you can effectively pull energy out. You have to drill your own channel so to speak. Then you have to plant your own energy and see if there's a return.

What do you think?

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Kathara Healing?

Has anyone heard of Kathara Healing? The masseur/ spiritual healer I am currently working with suggested he would like to use it with me. He showed me a meditation exercise from the system where I draw energy up from the earth's centre to form a personal energy shield. I found this very helpful and energising (I've been feeling really exhausted lately).

But when I got home I did some research on Kathara healing, and it seems to be a load of New Age nonsense. I was wondering whether anyone has heard of the system and thinks there is any value in it? And do you think it is ok to carry on doing the meditation exercise, even though I don't agree with the theory behind it?

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Scholarship in Religion

How does scholarship impact your path? Is academic scholarship a formal part of your religious outlook, a supplement to your UPG, something else entirely?

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Anti-Neo-Pagan Apologetics?

I often find myself debating my Christian friends on the benefits / negatives of poly and monotheism. As someone who likes to debate, I try to find as much information on "the other side" of the argument as possible.

I often read Christian apologetics (rhetoric used by Christians to defend their faith). There is one question about polytheism that was difficult to come up with a good response...

"If the gods are symbols of a fundamental spiritual reality that transcends the physical world, then it would seem that one is left with a form of fundamental monotheism that is only cloaked with polytheistic symbols.

That being the case, why should one use the symbols? Why not worship the Creator directly and explore the question of whether he cares for and has spoken to man, as monotheism has historically claimed?

In other words, if Pagan Gods are symbols of nature that equal a divine force, then why not worship a creator outside of nature directly?

As a Pluralist, I don't believe in knocking any religion, but as Pagans, we should be able to stand up to these apologetics. I'm having a problem with this one though. I have an answer, but I'd just like some input on how you would all respond.

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Weather and Ritual

Are there any weather conditions that would cancel a planned ritual of yours? Not because of comfort (like not getting drenched in a rainstorm) I am talking about canceling because the weather that came in made the ritual either un-needed or ill-advised in some way.

Are there any weather conditions that would inspire you to do a ritual?

Would weather cause you to alter a ritual? (Other than the obvious "move it inside") Add a goddess or god to the ceremony you hadn't originally planned? Do you have any personal rituals connected to weather?

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Writing Liturgy

Have you ever participated in developing a regular liturgy, either for your own use or for a group? That is, coming up with the form and structure of a religious ritual, particularly one that's done on a daily/weekly/monthly/etc. basis (as opposed to special occasions or holidays)? If so, do you have any tips to offer to others trying to do the same, or resources to recommend?

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On the Edge or Border places...

I remember reading... somewhere... may have been a novel or some essay... that at the edges, boundaries or borders of places; strangeness abounds. Towns on the border of another state... neighborhoods *just* outside city limits, borders between countries, etc. Anyplace where there is a close-by well-defined border or boundary... Several authors have noted this and worked it into novels, etc... Stephen King... Clive Barker... a few others...

I live in a *border area*. Joplin is close to the Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas borders. Strange things abound here...not nice strange things.

Do you think borders can make a difference in behavioral patterns, religious choices, etc? Anybody living close to a National border in their country...is it strange there?

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Non-Physical Realms

I have recently been reading a book on 'Psychic Protection' and it spoke of a number of non-physical realms which interact with our physical world (for example, the astral and spiritual dimensions).

I'm interested in people's opinions as to whether such non-physical realms exist. If so, what is their function? Are they the homes of the Gods or the spirits of the Dead? Can we access them during life (through astral journeys, for instance) or only after death? How do they interact with the physical world?

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Theology -- What Must One Cover?

What do people here believe it is necessary that a theology cover?

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Irrelevant Religious Beliefs?

To those of you with religious beliefs, is there anything that often falls into the realm of "religion" that you find *irrelevant* to your path? What, and why? And is this something considered irrelevant by your path as a whole, or by you personally?

For example, my religious beliefs have a big, resounding "no comment" on the questions, "where does the world come from?" "Where do humans come from?" and "What happens to us after we die?" Those issues have not the slightest bearing on my beliefs and practices. This is likely more to do with me, personally; I follow a Greek path, and how relevant those isues are/were to practitioners seems to vary a lot -- mystery cults obviously cared a lot about the afterlife in a way that average practitioners may not have, for example.

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