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| One Definition of the Divine |
| 01.11.05 (2:02 pm) [edit] |
As I work out the definition of what I want my shrine to be dedicated to, I find that I am also defining my beliefs. As of right now, this week today, I believe the following. As I read and learn more, I know that my definition will change. This is an integral part of a spiritual journey, or spiritual path. I continue to grow and learn and evolve as I gain wisdom. In my last post, I wrote of the commonalties between The Craft and Christianity. Now I find myself mentioning the differences. The Craft is a journey, a path as illustrated above. For many people, not everyone, Christianity is a religion that is static. You believe the same things about God as a child and as an adult. Yes, I did just make a wide sweeping generalization and I know it’s not true for all Christians. I’m just trying to illustrate a point. It is this static nature of Christianity that made it feel lacking. Just as the freedom of movement within The Craft drew me in. Okay, I’m losing where I was going. Yes, right, my definition of the Divine. As I’ve been working out this definition I’ve had a number of conversations with friends about it and there beliefs. The question was posed, what is the difference, if any between Religion and Spirituality? And here are some of the answers: An email friend said this: “The difference between spirituality and religion is religion is an organization. That and spirituality is generally a result of a genuine path while religion you join or are born into.” During a conversation with another friend, that friend said: religion was external, and involved worship. Spirituality was internal and something done for ones self. Which lead me to ask if he thought my rituals were religion or spirituality. He then asked, do I believe in the Goddesses/Gods. If I did and was doing my rituals for them then, it became religion. If I was doing them for my own personal need, then it was spirituality. So to him anything involving worship was religion, when it was honouring or something of that ken it wasn’t. This of course caused me to define my beliefs about the Divine. Did I believe I was worshiping a deity, or was I doing it for personal need? When I did my ritual for Hecate, did I really believe that a higher power looking like an Old Lady in a Black Robe was watching over me, and even cared what I was doing? Hhhhmmmm, tough questions. So here, we go in the wonderful world of Fairmoon's Spiritual beliefs. Oh and by the way, I DO NOT define my faith as a religion. I do not worship. I honour and celebrate. See post “another email” at this site. So, yes I define it as spiritual not religion. Because I believe the dictionary.com definition of religion: A. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. B. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. Fairmoon's Beliefs about the Divine An analogy that is used excessively, and therefore annoys me, but works is this: The divine is like a diamond. One object, but when cut and moulded by humans comes to have many facets. Each of these facets is a face of the divine. This is how you get all the great pantheons of the world, Greek and Roman- Zeus, Jupiter, Hera, Gaia; Norse- Balder, Odin, Loki. This is also of course why there are so many religions today. Christians are looking at one face, Hindus at another, Wiccan at another and so on. Do I believe this analogy? Most of the time I do, but I also have my moments of doubt. I think we all do. My friend then said that, that was a good way of looking at it, but couldn’t it be that as humans we’ve taken something that is so beyond our own comprehension and anthropomorphized it to have human qualities? There is no way our brains can comprehend how many stars there are in the sky, so we say, as many grains of sand on the beach, but we can no easier understand that either. Saying that though, gives us an image. Something we can picture and even touch if we go to the beach. To him the creation of God/s is the same thing. The universe and why we are in it is incomprehensible to us, so we’ve created something we can understand. God, or a pantheon of Gods with human characteristics and in many pantheons human foibles as well. We have an image, many images, to bring understanding comfort and if we go to Church or the Mosque or our favourite tree in the woods we can touch It too. Much like the Chicken and her egg, which came first? Did God create man, or did man create God? And in the case of Christianity, God created man in His image, just to prove a point. Do I believe this analogy? Did man create God? It would certainly explain why there are so many Goddess and Gods running amok in the world. I’m not entirely sure I believe this analogy either. I do believe that Goddess and God are Archetypal, something that we have imposed on them. Jesus, Balder, Osiris and Dionysis are the Archetypes of the Sun God or Sun Child. Mary, Demeter, and Ishtar are Mother Archetypes. And so on and so forth. But did we create Them? Or did we create the Archetypes from our interactions with Them? And we’re back to the Chicken and the Egg. Which ever the case, and I honestly don’t have answer to this, I love the beauty that believing brings me. And I respect and honour the comfort believing brings to people. Can you imagine taking away someone beliefs? Let’s just rip their hope from their hearts at the same time, because believing in a higher power, no matter what shape that takes, gives people hope. It gives them strength and a place in the universe. Knowing what is above you, and believing something is there gives people a reference point for their lives. Take away the map and we’re lost. I told my friend this too. I know I believe that. So where did we get? What is my conclusion? I don’t know for sure what I believe, but I love the journey and I love the beauty believing has brought me. As I create my shrine and choose the Patron Goddess, I realise that I love working within this framework. This framework of believing there are multiple Goddesses out there who take human form. I love the grace that different Goddesses have brought into my life. While they are all vying for a place of honour in my shrine, I am enjoying that I believe enough to imagine Goddesses having a catfight over my proverbial Golden Apple. |
posted by: shayno (reply)
post date: 01.12.05 (11:18 am)
So where did we get? What is my conclusion? I don’t know for sure what I believe, but I love the journey and I love the beauty believing has brought me.
very honest and tellng about your spirituality. there are those of a liberal chritian persuasion who would say you are on your way to Jesus.
posted by: Fairmoon (reply)
post date: 01.12.05 (1:11 pm)
"very honest and tellng about your spirituality. there are those of a liberal chritian persuasion who would say you are on your way to Jesus. "
Your comments are worth considering. If you mean Jesus in the Divine Spiritual Nature that inhabits each of our souls sort of way then yes i am on my way. I'm simply choosing a different route to get there.
If you mean the guy who live 200 years ago, then yup I'm heading there too, cuz one day I'm gunna die as well.
But if you mean the sinner repents and comes back to the fold of Christianity, then no, I'm not on my way because I never left. I'm not a sinner, I don't need to repent and I never 'left' the Church in the first place, see the 'I am a Witch' post, at my site.
Oh and by the way, Jesus was a liberal rabble rouser who not only wanted people question the nature of their faith, he also wanted then to challenge authority, and love one another, no matter their station, race or religion.
I wish you all the best in your desire to be like him.
fairmoon
posted by: outsider (reply)
post date: 01.17.05 (4:13 pm)
Reply to: Fairmoon
How is it that you have decided you are not a sinner?
When i think of a sinner, i think of people who have not perfected the virtues. By virtue i mean, the right way for a man or woman to act and live. Or do you think there is no right or wrong actions?
Demystifying Misconceptions
This Blog chronicles the journey of one woman as she attempts to define her faith and place in the universe.
I'm a geeky sort of Fae most of the time
Blog Posts of Note:
*Christian and Wiccan at The Same Time
*A Walk with Jesus’ Mom
*Finding God in Wicca
*Universal Myth and Personal Myth- Definitions in Consensus Reality
The Matrix: Systems Healing and Thinking, an Introduction
*Magic, Witches and the Bible
*A brief History of Wicca
*Wicca 101 part 1
*Wicca 101 part 2
*Spells and the Modern Witch
*Do Witches Worship Satan?
*Religious View
*Interview with a Witch
*A Witch's Story of Creation
*One Definition of the Divine
*I am a Witch
* Original Sin, from a Witches point of View
*Why a Witch Could care less about Harry Potter
*Satan is not my Sidekick
*The other people: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Bible