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Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

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    Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have


    #2
    Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have



    Neither - they are a mash-up between inside and outside.

    - Have you ever had an experience in which you are sure you are interacting with your deity or a spirit?

    Yes.

    - If you have, how is it you are sure that it is that and not just something that can be explained otherwise? Is it a feeling, thought, something you can hear or see, etc.?

    There a million ways to explain anything...
    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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      #3
      Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

      1) Yes.

      (This question is a false dichotomy)

      2) Yes.

      3) I'm not certain of anything....certainty is an illusion for fools in need of reassurance, my grandfather liked,to say. The UUA had a saying a couple years ago that when like this--when in doubt, pray; when in prayer, doubt. Personally, the greatest skill a person can have in matters of religion is doubt.
      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
      sigpic

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        #4
        Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

        1) yes

        2) I have tons of experiences with spirits of this earth. God and Goddess alike. Faery's and ghosts mainly because I am open to those meetings.

        3)Faith. I know because of faith.
        "If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -- Sirius Black

        "Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."-- Ford Prefect

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          #5
          Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

          Originally posted by Thrudr View Post
          Maybe it's closure for my pagan path. As for the past few months, I've been looking into modern satanism. I read the LHP threads and LaVey's book and I agreed with most of his philosophy. So for now, I decided to call myself a modern satanist. Basically, I'm an atheist and I don't believe in magic like I did before. Only the satanic philosophy itself seems to fit me.
          Magical thinking is not for everyone. I wish you well with your new path.
          Once a man, like the sea I raged;
          Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
          And there is in fact more earth than sea.
          Genesis lyric

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            #6
            Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

            Originally posted by Thrudr View Post
            – If you believe in/ work with deities and spirits, do you believe they are actual living beings with a will/conscious or do you think of them more as symbols?
            Symbols that have a consciousness... like a sigil, symbols are given meaning and left to its own devices becomes its own consciousness (How wearing Mlojnir reminds one of Thor's Strength, or wearing a Baphomet Sigil reminds one of the Satanic philosophy).

            Originally posted by Thrudr View Post
            – Have you ever had an experience in which you are sure you are interacting with your deity or a spirit?
            Yes, more than once.

            Originally posted by Thrudr View Post
            – If you have, how is it you are sure that it is that and not just something that can be explained otherwise? Is it a feeling, thought, something you can hear or see, etc.?
            Recurring signs throughout the day, multiple 'coincidences' during a ritual, or a manifestation of the deities blessings through a situation or through other people (which can really only be explained by having the experience first hand).

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              #7
              Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

              Originally posted by THANK... View Post
              Symbols that have a consciousness...
              Could you elaborate on what you mean by this?
              Once a man, like the sea I raged;
              Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
              And there is in fact more earth than sea.
              Genesis lyric

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                – If you believe in/ work with deities and spirits, do you believe they are actual living beings with a will/conscious or do you think of them more as symbols?
                I accept deity and spirits as they present themselves. There are multiple facets of each individual and no one person can know the all of either.
                – Have you ever had an experience in which you are sure you are interacting with your deity or a spirit?
                Yes! The thing is that those with me experienced it in a more physical manifestation than I. For me it was a profound mental/spiritual experience.
                – If you have, how is it you are sure that it is that and not just something that can be explained otherwise? Is it a feeling, thought, something you can hear or see, etc.?
                The one that stands out more than any of the others was an Invocation of the Father aspect of God. My consciousness exchanged places during the invocation and the group in circle with me said I was a full two inches taller and my voice changed. I was able to see the entirety of time and able to know that while I could make any change I wanted it would not change the ultimate result. I found that even the gods do not interfere with free will.

                It is always good to ponder those things that happen to you. When I am touched by by spirits or deity It is what I ultimately choose to believe it is. I have an engineers mind so faith is not my strong point but all religions have that point where there is some kind of leap of faith. When you find a set of beliefs where that leap is small enough to take and you have little conflict with the practices then you will find yourself home. Religion challenges you to grow so if you are comfortable all the time you may not be in the right place. You do need to have shelter and warmth of contact with others who share in some of your beliefs but we need to be challenged too.
                The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
                I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

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                  #9
                  Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                  To be honest I don't believe in coincidence. What may seem like mundane, such as a feather dropped by a crow even though you feed them often, is more likely something more. Especially if that is the first time it ever happened to you. With that said, it may have been an indication for you to reevaluate your path and to make changes as needed. It is always good to question our beliefs but please, though, don't overthink it. When we overthink things we tend to talk ourselves into things that may or may not be right for us. My own spirituality has been transcended a couple of times over the years. I grew up LDS-Christian. I became an alcoholic early in my life and also found recovery early in life. I took my ideal of God into AA and it helped me transcend that early ideal by teaching me that God is not someone else's ideal but my own. Since that time I have become pagan and am early on that spiritual path. Perhaps some day I will even transcend that path. But for now this is where I am and where I plan on staying for a time. Blessed be and have a Blessed Yule.

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                    #10
                    Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                    Originally posted by Thrudr View Post
                    If you believe in/ work with deities and spirits, do you believe they are actual living beings with a will/conscious or do you think of them more as symbols?
                    Living beings.

                    Have you ever had an experience in which you are sure you are interacting with your deity or a spirit?
                    Yes.

                    If you have, how is it you are sure that it is that and not just something that can be explained otherwise?
                    There's always an alternative explanation if you want one. But that's why there are evolution and climate change deniers, UFO abduction believers, and conspiracy theorists. When it comes to experience, a sound rule is that an experience of X is prima facie evidence of an experience of X unless there are compelling reasons to think otherwise.

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                      #11
                      Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                      Originally posted by Porpoise View Post
                      Could you elaborate on what you mean by this?

                      like a sigil, symbols are given meaning and left to its own devices becomes its own consciousness (How wearing Mlojnir reminds one of Thor's Strength, or wearing a Baphomet Sigil reminds one of the Satanic philosophy).
                      Like the theory of egregors, if the egregor is not given further instructions or is not destroyed it becomes conscious of itself and thus a form of artificial intelligence. Such as the quote above - a hanging hammer is now a worldwide accepted symbol of Thor, but it is not exactly Thor who bestows the power to the wearer but what the symbol has come to represent to its bearers. The combination of the original intent of the creation of the sigil, the qualities given to it over time and the energy that the sigil (or pendant) bestows becomes its own power. Or the Deific Mask/Spirit takes control of the symbol making it a host for its unique consciousness.

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                        #12
                        Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                        - Neither. But I'm not entirely sure.
                        I have had such experiences and I have been sure but at this moment? No. However, I can be sure that I've had experinces that are sacred to me. Ironically, I've wanted to feel genuine devotion and commitment to a deity for many many years and now when I can do that and 'pick' any deity I'd like to connect with, I can't do that anymore. But all these paradoxes are a part of my path.

                        - If there is an experience that has some (spiritual) value for me, I don't need to explain it in any way. It happened and it mattered. It can be a feeling or a thought, anything. Even though I don't have a rock solid literal belief in deities, I still can't control these experiences. They happen when they happen.
                        baah.

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                          #13
                          Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                          The act of believing is where the magic lies. What you choose to believe in is simply the focal point or the reference by which you model your life.

                          What are the Gods we pray to or spirits we call if not somehow role models? Are they living beings? Of course - but perhaps not in the same context of reality as we know it through our physical-reality filters.

                          No such thing as coincidence. Every event has its own synchronicity, whether we're intended to be privy to it at the time or not. Sure, there are logical explanations for many things... sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... but even the secular, scientific world is beginning to draw logical conclusions that spiritual teachers have been aware of for thousands of years.

                          All that said, you do you. Whatever fulfills you is the right path.

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                            #14
                            Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                            To be truthful I have to answer both. Consider Artemis for instance. To me she is alive and possess both free will and consciousness and I have interacted with as an individual. Yet I also recognize her as a symbol in how she is utilized in some capacities that are a reflection of peoples perceptions. Figure as the symbol of the eternal youth who is unbound to structure for instance.

                            More than a few times. Yet no so frequently that it has become the norm which in my opinion would lessen the experience.

                            You might have noticed I use Artemis as an example for many things. So Imagine being a young boy walking down a mountain trial and never having heard the name Artemis at the time. You come around a bend in the trail into sort of a boxed in area and are face to face or almost nose to nose with a deer. As you stand there looking at it you hear a voice in your head or maybe spoken aloud, I am never fully sure on that aspect. The voice tells you "I am Artemis and you are mine!" There are other things spoken but they are not for here. How long it lasts I really can not say, a few seconds, minutes or longer time had no measure to me then. That is one example of things that have happened.

                            Other times it is a though that fills you and even serves to drive or propel you forward. Sometimes it is simply a feeling that engulfs and surrounds you. At times both a though and a feeling that combine to inspire. Imagine it being a full moon night and your speaking to her and are uncertain and say you really wish you would get a sign. Then from out of the deeper tree's a large stag walks out and stops to stare at you for a few moments before turning back into the forest. Knowing the Stag is one of her avatar's you sort of accept on faith it is a sign from her. Perhaps a smell that suddenly appears on the wind that you associated with some deity or spirit. Yet you rule it out as being the norm due to when it appears, it's like smelling honey suckle when the ground lies frozen and covered in snow. It might be memory recall but it could also be her presence about you.
                            I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                              #15
                              Re: Changes in my (pagan) path and the questions I have

                              This is probably the single most useful thing I have ever learned, concerning religion:
                              - If there is an experience that has some (spiritual) value for me, I don't need to explain it in any way. It happened and it mattered.
                              (Well said!!!)
                              Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                              sigpic

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