(no subject)
Found in wrong file while moving data around. Put here for proper filing later:
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If you hold that "all Gods are one"... then by the same logic so are all humans. You and me and George Bush and Lizzie Borden are all one. In one sense true, but I'd not advise writing a check off of George W's accounts and attempting to convince the bank teller of the greater truth you're working with.
Or are you saying that the Gods are only One, but we are many? (Going back to "single is the race..." it doesn't seem likely.)
In my direct experience with the Gods, this certainly is not so. The Morrigu is not Aphrodite on a bad hair day. Each Deity is individually complex - as are we. And they are each worthy of being known on their own terms, not just as different versions of an Ideal.
All life may be one life when you get down to the nuts and bolts of Life, the Universe, and Everything... but it is still useful to distinguish between an amoeba and an angry bear.
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That depends. Whether your desires/wishes are physical, emotional, or spiritual, are they reasonable taking into consideration your present circumstances? Are you doing everything you possibly can on the mundane level to bring them about? If so, there's nothing wrong with giving a magical nudge to your mundane efforts. That's not greedy, that's practical use of your skills and talents.
... ...
Of course it affects another's free will. I don't think that's the main consideration, though. What I would look at is whether everything possible had been done on the mundane level about the situation in question. I would look at all the options to see if there were a better way to achieve the necessary goals. (Exactly *why* are you considering a binding? What *exactly* do you want out of this? Will this action *really* help achieve that? Is there another way to do it? Think creatively!) And the most important consideration is: Are you willing to fully accept _all_ the consequences of your choice? Are you willing to take responsibility for the effects that binding/not binding has, not just on the individual bound/not bound, but also on every individual they come into contact with and/or affect?
I can see situations where a magical binding may be the best option available. I do think, however, that in most situations that there are other, better, ways (both mundane and magical) of dealing with things.
I don't believe that magic can be shoeboxed into "positive" and "negative". Every act - mundane or magical - has effects and consequences. Many of those can be considered both positive -and- negative, depending on your point of view.
A magic-user has to consider the related issues carefully, look at the possible consequences (divination helps), and decide if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of each possible course of action. And - no matter what decision they make - they must take full and complete responsibility for that choice.
... ...
Actually, the Rede just advises us to fully consider our actions and their consequences. If you mean the Law of Returns, it's not quite the same as Karma, although there are some points of similarity.
At it's heart, it's simply the basic rules of cause and effect. It's not a giant scale that balances out whacks and kudos - it's a simplified way of saying that past deeds affect future events. But most of it's effects are on a universal scale.
We can be subject to the effects of actions and choices not our own, and events can be set in motion by other causes that we have absolutely no control over. Our only control in those situations is in how we choose to respond to those events. Our choices, in turn, become "causes" themselves and affect the future choices available to us and to others. The goal isn't to "balance Karma". (Karma is a natural force, like gravity. It's *always* balanced.) Our goal is to make the best choices that we possibly can, working toward making better choices available in the future... for ourselves, and for everyone else as well.
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I have problems with such things on a number of levels. First and foremost is the attitude that "all Gods are worthy of honor for those so called - except that one guy over there that makes for bad PR..." Second is the issue of exactly who they're talking about. (For example, we have one guy we deal with that is called Satan by a number of devout Muslims. Is he included in your definitions?)
And the kicker is that not only do such statements promote strife within the pagan communities, but they are absolutely useless to those who most folks say they're intended to affect. To most Christians/Muslims/etc, it doesn't matter. You do not worship *their* God. Therefore, by definition, you worship their devil. In their worldview, ALL other gods are aspects of their devil. It's a fundamental concept of their religion. You're not going to convince them differently with pithy statements.
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(from Adam on A&J, date unknown - probably in 2004 from the date of my note file)
I guess the point for me would be, eventually you've got the tools, and you've got the practice to use them without doing too much damage to yourself. You've got the history and the past of the tradition, and now... well, now, you're a Crafter. Whatcha gonna make? Don't get me wrong, it takes a long time and a lot of practice to get to the point of being able to forge ahead, but eventually, everyone comes to a point where they have to face the issue of "What now?" Some have the gift of clear vision, others need to figure it out for themselves. But the sources of inspiration for Witches come from surprisingly personal, and surprisingly mundane places.
It shouldn't really surprise us, though. If we believe that the God/dess has use for us, we also need to recognize that the instructions are in the 'manual' we came with, and will be reflected in our interests and drives as individuals. When we listen into the silences of our own soul and find our own bliss, our own muse, our own goals of happiness, we find the Work for which we are perhaps best suited in this lifetime. Some find it in history. Some find it in art. Some find it in dance. Some find it in games, puzzles, stories, sex, exercise, teaching, learning, weaving, building, soap operas, broadway shows, music videos, etc. etc. etc. What good would it be to train a worker and then force them to work exclusively on something that didn't engage their soul? Sure they could, but eventually we need to follow our own inner vision, and for those who *can* find it reflected in books, those books will most likely be rather... erm... 'eclectic', at least in taste or scope. There is no shame in our true passions, no matter how unfashionable they may seem.
Remember... "all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals... ." What greater love than for your own passions? What greater pleasure than the pleasure of a Crafter at work in their Craft? Pleasing to us *is* worship of the Goddess, and pleasing to Her. She is a creatrix, and we honor Her by creating, whether it be in the sense of artistry or handicrafts, or just creating a life for ourselves that is positive and pleasing and able to let our inner contentedness shine forth.
And the real gift is, when we find our inner passion and live in accordance with it, even if we don't make our *living* by it, we attract others of like spirit. Other Children of the Goddess. And we can return the gifts that the Goddess granted us by passing them along to the new generation, and making sure that others are trained as we were trained, and others have nurturing environments to practice their Craft skills and gain their own tools.
And so it all goes. [Craft] is about many things, but it's also about helping us as people to live the best lives we can... for us, for Them, and for those who follow.
So Mote It Be.
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Oh... and as a 'quickie' update...
Saw doctor Tuesday. Blood pressure up. Sugar up. Kidneys not looking stellar. (Possibly because of the blood pressure meds that were not doing their job right.) New meds. Orders to "relax and sleep more". (Yeah. Right. I think it's in the schedule sometime around the end of March.) Go back Jan 9.
Two exams down on the certification update. One more to go. (Unfortunately, the one that I usually have the most trouble with. I've managed high enough scores on the first two that if I can just *pass* this one I should still qualify for the bonus CPEs I need.)
More later when I'm a little less fried. For now, finishing up this data dump, then many errands followed by homemade chili and the good company of folks I don't have to censor myself around.
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If you hold that "all Gods are one"... then by the same logic so are all humans. You and me and George Bush and Lizzie Borden are all one. In one sense true, but I'd not advise writing a check off of George W's accounts and attempting to convince the bank teller of the greater truth you're working with.
Or are you saying that the Gods are only One, but we are many? (Going back to "single is the race..." it doesn't seem likely.)
In my direct experience with the Gods, this certainly is not so. The Morrigu is not Aphrodite on a bad hair day. Each Deity is individually complex - as are we. And they are each worthy of being known on their own terms, not just as different versions of an Ideal.
All life may be one life when you get down to the nuts and bolts of Life, the Universe, and Everything... but it is still useful to distinguish between an amoeba and an angry bear.
-----
That depends. Whether your desires/wishes are physical, emotional, or spiritual, are they reasonable taking into consideration your present circumstances? Are you doing everything you possibly can on the mundane level to bring them about? If so, there's nothing wrong with giving a magical nudge to your mundane efforts. That's not greedy, that's practical use of your skills and talents.
... ...
Of course it affects another's free will. I don't think that's the main consideration, though. What I would look at is whether everything possible had been done on the mundane level about the situation in question. I would look at all the options to see if there were a better way to achieve the necessary goals. (Exactly *why* are you considering a binding? What *exactly* do you want out of this? Will this action *really* help achieve that? Is there another way to do it? Think creatively!) And the most important consideration is: Are you willing to fully accept _all_ the consequences of your choice? Are you willing to take responsibility for the effects that binding/not binding has, not just on the individual bound/not bound, but also on every individual they come into contact with and/or affect?
I can see situations where a magical binding may be the best option available. I do think, however, that in most situations that there are other, better, ways (both mundane and magical) of dealing with things.
I don't believe that magic can be shoeboxed into "positive" and "negative". Every act - mundane or magical - has effects and consequences. Many of those can be considered both positive -and- negative, depending on your point of view.
A magic-user has to consider the related issues carefully, look at the possible consequences (divination helps), and decide if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of each possible course of action. And - no matter what decision they make - they must take full and complete responsibility for that choice.
... ...
Actually, the Rede just advises us to fully consider our actions and their consequences. If you mean the Law of Returns, it's not quite the same as Karma, although there are some points of similarity.
At it's heart, it's simply the basic rules of cause and effect. It's not a giant scale that balances out whacks and kudos - it's a simplified way of saying that past deeds affect future events. But most of it's effects are on a universal scale.
We can be subject to the effects of actions and choices not our own, and events can be set in motion by other causes that we have absolutely no control over. Our only control in those situations is in how we choose to respond to those events. Our choices, in turn, become "causes" themselves and affect the future choices available to us and to others. The goal isn't to "balance Karma". (Karma is a natural force, like gravity. It's *always* balanced.) Our goal is to make the best choices that we possibly can, working toward making better choices available in the future... for ourselves, and for everyone else as well.
-----
I have problems with such things on a number of levels. First and foremost is the attitude that "all Gods are worthy of honor for those so called - except that one guy over there that makes for bad PR..." Second is the issue of exactly who they're talking about. (For example, we have one guy we deal with that is called Satan by a number of devout Muslims. Is he included in your definitions?)
And the kicker is that not only do such statements promote strife within the pagan communities, but they are absolutely useless to those who most folks say they're intended to affect. To most Christians/Muslims/etc, it doesn't matter. You do not worship *their* God. Therefore, by definition, you worship their devil. In their worldview, ALL other gods are aspects of their devil. It's a fundamental concept of their religion. You're not going to convince them differently with pithy statements.
-----
(from Adam on A&J, date unknown - probably in 2004 from the date of my note file)
I guess the point for me would be, eventually you've got the tools, and you've got the practice to use them without doing too much damage to yourself. You've got the history and the past of the tradition, and now... well, now, you're a Crafter. Whatcha gonna make? Don't get me wrong, it takes a long time and a lot of practice to get to the point of being able to forge ahead, but eventually, everyone comes to a point where they have to face the issue of "What now?" Some have the gift of clear vision, others need to figure it out for themselves. But the sources of inspiration for Witches come from surprisingly personal, and surprisingly mundane places.
It shouldn't really surprise us, though. If we believe that the God/dess has use for us, we also need to recognize that the instructions are in the 'manual' we came with, and will be reflected in our interests and drives as individuals. When we listen into the silences of our own soul and find our own bliss, our own muse, our own goals of happiness, we find the Work for which we are perhaps best suited in this lifetime. Some find it in history. Some find it in art. Some find it in dance. Some find it in games, puzzles, stories, sex, exercise, teaching, learning, weaving, building, soap operas, broadway shows, music videos, etc. etc. etc. What good would it be to train a worker and then force them to work exclusively on something that didn't engage their soul? Sure they could, but eventually we need to follow our own inner vision, and for those who *can* find it reflected in books, those books will most likely be rather... erm... 'eclectic', at least in taste or scope. There is no shame in our true passions, no matter how unfashionable they may seem.
Remember... "all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals... ." What greater love than for your own passions? What greater pleasure than the pleasure of a Crafter at work in their Craft? Pleasing to us *is* worship of the Goddess, and pleasing to Her. She is a creatrix, and we honor Her by creating, whether it be in the sense of artistry or handicrafts, or just creating a life for ourselves that is positive and pleasing and able to let our inner contentedness shine forth.
And the real gift is, when we find our inner passion and live in accordance with it, even if we don't make our *living* by it, we attract others of like spirit. Other Children of the Goddess. And we can return the gifts that the Goddess granted us by passing them along to the new generation, and making sure that others are trained as we were trained, and others have nurturing environments to practice their Craft skills and gain their own tools.
And so it all goes. [Craft] is about many things, but it's also about helping us as people to live the best lives we can... for us, for Them, and for those who follow.
So Mote It Be.
-----
Oh... and as a 'quickie' update...
Saw doctor Tuesday. Blood pressure up. Sugar up. Kidneys not looking stellar. (Possibly because of the blood pressure meds that were not doing their job right.) New meds. Orders to "relax and sleep more". (Yeah. Right. I think it's in the schedule sometime around the end of March.) Go back Jan 9.
Two exams down on the certification update. One more to go. (Unfortunately, the one that I usually have the most trouble with. I've managed high enough scores on the first two that if I can just *pass* this one I should still qualify for the bonus CPEs I need.)
More later when I'm a little less fried. For now, finishing up this data dump, then many errands followed by homemade chili and the good company of folks I don't have to censor myself around.