Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

    I know this is likely a silly question, and this is likely my anxiety talking, but I'm really looking for advice here. As I'm starting my path and am leaning more and more towards Celtic paganism, I have this worry that if I listen to or sing songs that are about deities other than what I worship, that my deities would be upset with me. I'm heavily leaning towards either The Morrigan, Elen, Brigid, Rhiannon, or Ceridwen, but open to other possibilities. Would the gods be offended by this, or would they be understanding, knowing that these kind of limitations were exactly what caused my anxiety and depression in the first place, because of christianity? Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    #2
    bhajans (devotional music and songs), and even occasionally recite mantras of the deities. These bhajans and mantras explicitly praise the deities, for example:

    om namo hiranyabahave hiranyavaranaya hiranyaroopaya
    hiranyapataye ambikapataya umapataye pashupataye namo namah


    "I trust in divine essence, eternal nature, to form immortal, eternal Lord,
    Lord of Parvati and Uma, Lord of wild animals , I bow to you."

    I have not felt anything negative. I don't feel that this is disrespectful to the Norse gods since I have an affinity, respect and reverence for the Hindu deities. Many (most?) polytheists believe their gods are not omnipotent, omniscient or omnipresent. I would think that at times "our own" deities would be happy to have help from deities of other pantheons, and that we would respect those deities. Many polytheists have multiple pantheons. It's a matter of worshiping them in the proper context of their cultures. For example, worship Celtic, Hindu, Norse, Yoruba deities per those cultures, keeping them separate.
    śivāya vishnu rūpaya śivaḥ rūpaya vishnave
    śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

      Originally posted by toxicyarnglare View Post
      I have this worry that if I listen to or sing songs that are about deities other than what I worship, that my deities would be upset with me.
      I don't think they would be upset. It's not like there are rules among deities saying that the only religious songs you can enjoy must be about them. Like Thorbjorn said, there are many polytehists who believe in multiple pantheons. If you're feeling uncomfortable about it, you could try talking to your gods and seek for answers. I like Matisyahu (which isn't even pagan) and I've never felt the gods were upset with me about it.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

        While I am not Native American, I do enjoy meditating to Native flutes and drums. The music gets me in tune with the divine and quiets my mind. I don't think Mother Earth, whatever name you give her, is upset with me for doing so. I too have a Celtic affinity and worship both the Dagda and Brighid. I also have a strong affinity with Cernunnos and the Green Man as spiritual guides. I would think that both Odin and the Dagda, though from different pantheons would occupy the same aspect of All Father as they are both seen as father of the gods in their respective pantheons. I think that whatever meditational music gets you in the spiritual mood is what you should listen to.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

          I agree, I don't think it's a silly question, at all.

          I often listen to music from every corner of the globe, and have never yet found it displeased any of those I understand to be my ancient elders and shining ones.
          I love Celtic Music, but I also love mantras, I love Scandanavian metal, but I also love Gregorian chants.
          I've never experienced any problem from listening to any of those mixed up and jumbled together from my path point of view.
          Sometimes it disturbs me how eclectic I can be, but that's just me!

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

            Thank you guys. I read all the responses thoroughly, and hearing from you all that you don't notice anything negative is really good to know. It's still kind of stressed me out today, so I'm mostly working on letting it go while remembering the things you guys said, and well, the fact that there's tens of thousands of Pagans, if not more, out there that don't feel this is a problem.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

              I think that if the worryment is manifesting stressful feelings within your own realm, perhaps other music is not best for your relations with your deities. Everyone has their own ways: For myself, I listen to a lot of Buddhist chants, Native American Circle Music, and Drums from all different types of cultures. I find it invigorating to explore different cultures, and for most, music played a very important role in each of their traditions. Just feel it out for yourself, but keep in mind, music knows no master.
              "In the shade now tall forms are advancing,
              And their wan hands like snowflakes in the moonlight are gleaming;
              They beckon, they whisper, 'Oh! strong armed in valor,
              The pale guests await thee - mead foams in Valhalla.'"
              - Finn's Saga

              http://hoodednorseman.tumblr.com/

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

                Originally posted by Norse_Angel View Post
                I think that if the worryment is manifesting stressful feelings within your own realm, perhaps other music is not best for your relations with your deities. Everyone has their own ways: For myself, I listen to a lot of Buddhist chants, Native American Circle Music, and Drums from all different types of cultures. I find it invigorating to explore different cultures, and for most, music played a very important role in each of their traditions. Just feel it out for yourself, but keep in mind, music knows no master.
                After a few days, I'm really starting to think its just in my head though. I've had anxiety like this before where I can't seem to reason something in my head and I get anxious over it. I am suffering from General Anxiety Disorder, so more than likely it's just a manifestation of that. When I've tried asking for Divine help or advice in this matter, I always either get a ping of some kind of good feeling, or have been told its okay.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Pagan music from different pantheons than ones you worship

                  Originally posted by toxicyarnglare View Post
                  I am suffering from General Anxiety Disorder, so more than likely it's just a manifestation of that. When I've tried asking for Divine help or advice in this matter, I always either get a ping of some kind of good feeling, or have been told its okay.
                  I hear you... I have GAD also, as well as bipolar 2 (hypomanic/depressive), OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), and very probably Asperger's. Despite the seemingly confident tone of my earlier post, I should say it's taken me quite a while to get to the point of not being anxious about offending any deities. Part of the problem is conflicting information and advice on the internet, especially when it becomes dogmatic in nature, and it involves people like us who are easily rattled.

                  In any religion that does not have a central governing authority or text, and/or is revivalist or reconstructionist, just about everything, within certain boundaries and guidelines of course, is open to interpretation and UPG. Even Hinduism and Buddhism with their unbroken practice are fertile grounds for arguments about whose interpretation is "correct". I think it's best to go by inner feeling, which may very well be the Gods talking to us.
                  śivāya vishnu rūpaya śivaḥ rūpaya vishnave
                  śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X