Question about the God and Goddess

[Ementine]

In a different topic me and another user were talking about how the Lord and Lady send us lessons. I call them tests, it's just the word that comes to mind. Well, I started thinking more about what that person thought and what I thought about it; I came up with that if They don't punish us for failing to learn the lesson or for doing something bad than why do bad things happen to me if I think something negative or things along that line? It
happens almost every single time and it's also when I am supposed to be trying to learn a lesson, it makes it look like I am supposed to do the improbable. Which is, to be kind to everyone no matter what, live by the Lord and Lady and never do anything wrong, ect. I'm not really sure what to do here, I don't know why any of these things happen. We all get upset and think something negative, that doesn't mean we need to be "punished."

Like for that job I wanted, I didn't get it. I found that out the day after I had gotten upset with my cousin. I know it can just be caousinadance (I can't spell to save my life) but it's just too ironic because this happens to me so often. I try to stay positive but something gets in my way. A new thing to overcome in order to get what I want. But it just gets so mentally exhausting to stay positive and happy and still overcome something. The feeling is great when I do, but it's just so hard for me because I know it will happen again.

Maybe I am living too much by the Three-fold law?

Can anyone make sense of why this is all happening and what I REALLY am supposed to do to appease the Lord and Lady? It's the one thing that hasn't made sense to me, I just assume that everything happens because of Them and maybe that is why I am having such a hard time. The few times I have told them that i would handle my issue and not ask for any advice they seemed happy, but my mind was blank and I was lost on what I could do. Right now, this is like trying to learn math for me. It makes no sense and it will need to be explained carefully in order for me to understand it all.

Thanks in advance.
Blessed be.

[Gardenia]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

It's the one thing that hasn't made sense to me, I just assume that everything happens because of Them and maybe that is why I am having such a hard time.

Well, imo, not everything happens directly because of Deity... For example, if humans have free will, and someone abuses that free will to punch you for no reason... who is to blame? Deity, or that particular individual? I don't think Deity is there to protect us from every little bad thing that can happen to us - nor do I think they're there to punish us for failure, or other such reasons.

I think it's too easy to make links between events when there really is no connection. Something bad happens to you, so you think back to the last 'bad' thing you did, even if they're not really connected. So you didn't get a job, that happens to most people - reasons could be anything from the crap economy, your resume wasn't as good as it could have been, someone else was more qualified, or any number of other factors. So why automatically go to it being a punishment for something unrelated?

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

It just happens consently, I'll want to get something or want something to happen but it won't even if I think it will and around that same time a new complication occurs. I don't really overcome the complications and than something else happens that makes things even harder and it just becomes a big mess. It's just really hard to tell what is going on.

What exactly are the Lord and Lady supposed to do for us?

[orchestrion]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

I'm currently reading Gede Parma's "Spirited"- it has a lot of basics but I picked it up wanting a new perspective and I'm glad I did. Besides having a wonderful style and voice he tells it like it is when it comes to the threefold law and the rede. He has himself cast binding spells on three people in his life- but for good reason, and was not punished. He has a really down to earth perspective.

"Wicca's Threefold Law teaches that all actions incur a threefold response. Whether Gardner truly adhered to the Threefold Law is debatable. It is believed that Raymond Buckland and the other early Wiccan practitioners who actively taught after Gardner's death took the prevalent threefold symbolism in the initiation rites literally and, focusing on Gardner's promotion of karma, established the Threefold Law as a major operative tenet."

"Many Wiccans tend to view karma or the Threefold Law as directly influencing their magickal work rather than life in general. Before a spell is cast, several precautions are taken to honour the spiritual significance of the Threefold Law. Phrases such as 'for the good of all' and 'with harm to none' are included in the wording of many chants to ensure that no backlash occurs.

Pagans in general accept karma as a valid spiritual tenet that promotes acts of kindness. Take an active role in your spiritual life and determine what makes sense and feels right to you and what doesn't. Keep in mind the blessings of upholding the positive aspects of humanity as well as the peace of mind that comes with the right to the negative ones as well."

Basically, the rede and the threefold law aren't to be taken absolutely rigidly and unquestioningly. If you honestly let either of those dictate your life you should consider what parma says.
Mrs. Penry had a brilliant quote about how good and bad spells still come home to roost- basically there are consequences for all actions, good or bad, that you can't help. Wicca shouldn't be about white vs black and not everything comes down to karma or the Lord and Lady.

- - - Updated - - -

As for what the Lord and Lady are hypothetically supposed to do for us. I feel they honestly aren't obligated to do much of anything. Look at various cultures' mythologies- the instances of gods serving men are limited. In the old religions we very much toys for the gods, and mortals would praise them out of fear and reverence.
Personally I find the Lord and Lady less self serving, but at the same time, I look to them for comfort and guidance and not much physical reward. I praise them because I find the idea of them beautiful and worth the energy it takes to honor them. I don't ask much of them in terms of spells or anything, i see spells as generated from the power and potential of the individual, not some outside force unless that's what a specific spell calls for.
The idea of god serving man is mostly one Christians developed, and recent Christians at that. I feel like praising the Deity or the Lord and Lady should be mostly selfless and in that way opens us up intellectually and spiritually.

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

So, I am taking the whole thing too seriously?

[orchestrion]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

So, I am taking the whole thing too seriously?

Not necessarily too seriously. It's important to consider the impact of your actions. Just don't let the Threefold Law dictate every step you take. Like Parma says, that originated in initiations and was intended for magic, not absolutely every aspect of your life, and even in magic there's leeway.
and in terms of the God and Goddess I would say to just praise them for the sake of praising them and moving outside of yourself but to keep the notion that they're somehow obligated to help you out of your mind.

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

Okay, that makes sense.
When my friends are gone, I'm going to start working on something. I just found out some..interesting news and I need to recover from that.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

So, I am taking the whole thing too seriously?

Emmentine.... have you considered that you may be taking EVERYTHING too seriously? Maybe the gods just want you to lighten up a bit.

And by the way, I'm sorry you didn't get the job, I know it would have meant a lot to you.

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

Emmentine.... have you considered that you may be taking EVERYTHING too seriously? Maybe the gods just want you to lighten up a bit.

And by the way, I'm sorry you didn't get the job, I know it would have meant a lot to you.

Maybe, things just seem to be really too much for me because I seem to be expected to do everything at once. Like today, I was totally ready for everyone to leave my house, I was going to cleanse and refresh everything here. But then I found out some interesting news about my two best friends and it's kinda painful. Since one of my friends is still here I can't do much about it, so right now I am trying to stay calm, keep my anxiety down and talk to some people on my phone.

Edit: Thank you, it would have been nice but part of me knew it wouldn't happen. I'll figure something out.

[Gardenia]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

What exactly are the Lord and Lady supposed to do for us?

Perhaps it would be better to start by considering why Deity must do anything for us? Or, the other way around, why we must do anything for Deity? What do you really want from a relationship with a Deity, and why? What do you get out of it, what does Deity get out of it? Those sorts of things... (I'm not really expecting you to answer these questions here.)

Maybe, things just seem to be really too much for me because I seem to be expected to do everything at once.

But who is the one expecting you to do everything at once? Is it Deity, or is it an unrealistic expectation you put on yourself? Again, it comes down to does everything happen because of Deity, or do things sometimes just happen? Honestly, I think this is the problem with thinking something like the threefold law affects every last little aspect of your life. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad people get away with crimes. Sometimes things pile up faster than we can deal with them. We just have to do our best, and we can learn from the hard times - but that doesn't mean the hard times are always Deity-sent lessons. (Sometimes they may be, sure, but always? Likely not...)

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

But who is the one expecting you to do everything at once? Is it Deity, or is it an unrealistic expectation you put on yourself? Again, it comes down to does everything happen because of Deity, or do things sometimes just happen? Honestly, I think this is the problem with thinking something like the threefold law affects every last little aspect of your life. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad people get away with crimes. Sometimes things pile up faster than we can deal with them. We just have to do our best, and we can learn from the hard times - but that doesn't mean the hard times are always Deity-sent lessons. (Sometimes they may be, sure, but always? Likely not...)

I have my own expectations that I want to work on, but than my family wants me to work on everything else that they think I need done. I keep them out of my personal life, they think I don't do much and even if i do anything I should be able to get everything else done too. I'm just not sure how I should get everything else done too.

Edit: I know tonight, or later when my friend is gone that I am going to pray to them. Someone I love and have been linked to for three years has lied to me again and hurt me. So I am going to have to find a way to heal my heart.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

Maybe, things just seem to be really too much for me because I seem to be expected to do everything at once. Like today, I was totally ready for everyone to leave my house, I was going to cleanse and refresh everything here. But then I found out some interesting news about my two best friends and it's kinda painful. Since one of my friends is still here I can't do much about it, so right now I am trying to stay calm, keep my anxiety down and talk to some people on my phone.

Edit: Thank you, it would have been nice but part of me knew it wouldn't happen. I'll figure something out.

Number One - everyone has to multi-task. It's part of the territory called being human.
Number Two - Don't let yourself be distracted.
Number Three - Put the bloody phone down. If I was your mother I would probably have flushed it down the loo by now.

Remember a problem shared is not a problem halved. A problem shared is a thought form doubled.

[orchestrion]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

Mrs. Penry gives brilliant advice, Ementine, I really hope you seriously think about what she's said to you.

[Ementine]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

Number One - everyone has to multi-task. It's part of the territory called being human.
Number Two - Don't let yourself be distracted.
Number Three - Put the bloody phone down. If I was your mother I would probably have flushed it down the loo by now.

Remember a problem shared is not a problem halved. A problem shared is a thought form doubled.

Well like most teens I am just learning. I don't know how to balance my life and what Mom wants me to do.

I went for a long walk that made me feel better. I had to walk a friend to meet someone. I'm still kinda upset about what happened earlier. Anxiety attacks don't help.

I understand that I shouldn't always be on my phone. But I also don't see the problem with it. I've done tons of research projects on cell phone addiction for school, but I just still don't see what's wrong with it.

Um...I'm sure I probably should have worded that all differently..but I'm not sure how.

[Gardenia]

Re: Question about the God and Goddess

I have my own expectations that I want to work on, but than my family wants me to work on everything else that they think I need done.
Well like most teens I am just learning. I don't know how to balance my life and what Mom wants me to do.

What sort of things are we talking about here... Because, sometimes parents don't always put reasonable demands on their kids, and it can be helpful to recognize if this is the case. Sometimes you can't do (or don't want to do) everything your parents think you should do. On the other hand, if we're talking about things like, do the laundry, help with the dishes, etc., well... You gotta do those things.

I understand that I shouldn't always be on my phone. But I also don't see the problem with it. I've done tons of research projects on cell phone addiction for school, but I just still don't see what's wrong with it.

Now don't get me wrong, phones can be great, making it easy to communicate with people, get information quickly and all... but you don't see what's wrong with being addicted to something?