Alchemy is a concept that many of us are familiar with, even if only in passing. Alchemy is the refinement of base materials into something more useful -- traditionally a question of chemistry and used in apothecary applications, but also expanding into legend as a source of incredible power including the fabled ability to transform lead into gold. I don't fully buy into most of that. Much of what alchemy once represented has been supplanted by modern science and demystified by the knowledge of chemical compounds and the manufacture of both chemical medications and modern holistic medicine. We now know enough about alloys to understand that, in theory, one can take a lead based alloy and make it appear to be similar to gold, with the proper combinations, and we know that any sort of potions and elixirs were just clever uses of roots and herbs to stimulate the proper chemical responses in the human body.
The philosophical aspects, however, remain relevant, even today. Alchemy wasn't just a profession for chemists and medicine men, it was a way of life. The notion of changing one sort of matter into another was representative of our need for enlightenment. Indeed, this was the foundation of what motivated the pursuit of alchemy. Rather than being motivated by greed (a more modern view of turning lead into gold), alchemists were driven by the reward of seemingly limitless potential that awaited them in mastering their trade. That part of the concept isn't lost to us.
I try to walk the path of personal alchemy, in hopes of refining myself into something better. The prime motivator behind my current pursuit of artistic advancement, physical fitness, and meditative practices come back to that same path. By focusing on personal improvement as a philosophy, one should seek to shore up weaknesses; what made base materials in alchemy such an important part of the philosophy was that they were readily available and relatively worthless on their own. For me, my artwork has always been fairly one-dimensional and limited to a certain style and medium; I have pursued multiple other styles and media to broaden my potential, with varying degrees of success. I've never been in the best shape physically (to the point where I weighed 320 pounds at age 16), but I am currently in the best shape of my life, getting regular exercise and better nutrition. The meditation I'm still working on; not having the time to properly focus and relax makes it very difficult to master the technique.
Ultimately, I think this is a process that any belief system should be able to get on board with. We all have room for improvement, but we also have different paths to follow to get there. It's all a matter of figuring out what your weaknesses are and pursuing a way to compensate, be it through strengthening the weakness or finding another strength that can do the same job. This is, of course, very similar to the nature of self-help literature that can be found almost anywhere. The difference lies in the ultimate goal of the refinement of those weaknesses. The end goal isn't merely to shore up weaknesses and become a better person in the view of the world around you. The goal is a spiritual metamorphosis.
The process of performing personal alchemy is very much akin to that of turning lead into gold in the metaphysical sense, rather than the scientific sense of creating an alloy with similar properties. Rather than simply being a superficial improvement, the process pursues a change to the very core of your being. This is the entire notion of a genuine change; it isn't forced, it becomes a natural part of yourself, one so intrinsic that you no longer recognize that your former state was your own. You must leave the shell of your former self behind you and all of the baggage that comes with it. It's about abandoning the flaws that plague us.
I've by no means completed my journey on this path, and doubt that I ever will. With every weakness that I overcome, I discover others that I will have to turn attention to in the future. It's an ongoing process that is the ultimate life's work. Personal alchemy is not and will never be an easy path, but it is one that is rewarding and quite enriching at every turn. Flaws are part of being human, and no matter how far we may progress, they will remain a constant; what separates us from those limitations is our willingness to accept that those flaws exist and our dedication to proving that they can be overcome.
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Friday, February 24, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
It's that time of year.
For many of the people around me, this is indeed, as the song says, the "most wonderful time of the year". Everyone celebrates some holiday or another, but I don't really see the point.
I work retail, so I have to deal with Christmas whether I want to or not. As a card carrying, Catholic-church-hating pagan, I despise the holiday. I'm aware of its roots, and that makes it worse, honestly. So much of Christmas was blatantly stolen from pagan traditions, and even though that should make it easier to brush off the taint of would-be cultural genocide, it instead becomes more offensive. This holiday, as with Easter, is a reminder of what tools were used to subjugate the ancients. I'm sure that in many ways, I take this way too seriously, but even celebrating Yule seems to have lost its meaning for me. The holidays have been corrupted for me, but ultimately, I can accept that. I'm not fond of holidays anyway, for various other reasons (Samhain is the only one that I really celebrate, other than the equinoxes and solstices), mostly because the things we're celebrating should be honored every day, and not just on that one.
Holidays are artificial to me. They feel like forcible suggestions of things that we never really forgot, and that somehow excuse ignoring that part of our world the rest of the year. We shouldn't need a day to celebrate the beginning of winter and the beginning of the world recovering from the cold, we should celebrate each step along the way. We shouldn't need a day to celebrate the harvest, we should celebrate the bounty of nature throughout the entire growth and harvest cycle. People like to talk about "the reason for the season", but the reason is all around us at all times of year, and it sure as hell isn't the birth of a charismatic man in Jerusalem. It's the cycle of nature, waxing and waning from vibrancy in the summer to its slumber in the winter.
So until a time comes when a holiday really means something, I'll just keep going through the motions as nature does the same.
I work retail, so I have to deal with Christmas whether I want to or not. As a card carrying, Catholic-church-hating pagan, I despise the holiday. I'm aware of its roots, and that makes it worse, honestly. So much of Christmas was blatantly stolen from pagan traditions, and even though that should make it easier to brush off the taint of would-be cultural genocide, it instead becomes more offensive. This holiday, as with Easter, is a reminder of what tools were used to subjugate the ancients. I'm sure that in many ways, I take this way too seriously, but even celebrating Yule seems to have lost its meaning for me. The holidays have been corrupted for me, but ultimately, I can accept that. I'm not fond of holidays anyway, for various other reasons (Samhain is the only one that I really celebrate, other than the equinoxes and solstices), mostly because the things we're celebrating should be honored every day, and not just on that one.
Holidays are artificial to me. They feel like forcible suggestions of things that we never really forgot, and that somehow excuse ignoring that part of our world the rest of the year. We shouldn't need a day to celebrate the beginning of winter and the beginning of the world recovering from the cold, we should celebrate each step along the way. We shouldn't need a day to celebrate the harvest, we should celebrate the bounty of nature throughout the entire growth and harvest cycle. People like to talk about "the reason for the season", but the reason is all around us at all times of year, and it sure as hell isn't the birth of a charismatic man in Jerusalem. It's the cycle of nature, waxing and waning from vibrancy in the summer to its slumber in the winter.
So until a time comes when a holiday really means something, I'll just keep going through the motions as nature does the same.
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Golden Age, Upheaval, and Change
There is a recurring theme of the Golden Age in most mythologies surrounding the time before the fall of the old order. What constitutes the old order can vary widely: to the Greeks it was the act of Prometheus stealing fire and delivering it into the hands of man, to the Norse it was the period following the end of Ragnarok, the Hindu have a 5000 year cycle (the Maha Yuga) with recurring Golden Ages that require a tearing down of their "iron age". This extends even to the Abrahamic traditions with Adam and Eve being cast out of Eden for partaking of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil.
This Golden Age often alludes to nature being incredibly bountiful, providing everything that humanity could wish for and more. There is a pronounced presence of the otherworldly. In many cases, the gods dwelt in the same realm as mankind. In Greece, Pan served as a mentor in Arcadia, living amongst his students in the trees. The Eden myth is almost ubiquitous, depicting a paradise where the Abrahamic God resided alongside his creation. The upheaval and fall of the old order always brings this Golden Age to an end, and humanity is left to struggle with the wilderness in a new and harsh environment, fraught with conflict, etc; you know the drill from there.
This is ultimately one of the myths that leads me to my unified theory about the myths and legends. It is far from the only overlap (I'll likely discuss some of them at another date), but this is a rather striking point. This Golden Age would imply that not only were the myths of the gods true, but might also imply the same for other myths and legends. It is widely accepted that in the post-mythological era, magic and monsters are a thing of the past (albeit, this is an acceptance that took quite a while to be complete), at least in the sense that mythology demonstrates. Depending on one's outlook, myth has either always been just stories, or a thing of the past. The recurrence of the Golden Age concept seems to suggest the latter in my opinion; though it has little to no bearing on the present, the idea that this multi-culture spanning concept could stand as an example of where -- or rather when -- these legends originated seems like too great of a coincidence.
Most of these myths appear to be parallel to each other. The numbers may not be reliable in any sense of the word, nor would they suggest anything remotely resembling the Golden Age returning any time soon, but the idea of a returning cycle seems to make sense. Symbols of eternity are rampant throughout mythology, and much as the seasons themselves, humanity's path seems to move in a repeating circle. The notion of falling and returning to this paradise, to this utopia of a Golden Age doesn't seem so far fetched when one considers how far we must fall and how quickly we climb in our scientific pursuits.
And yet, that poses another question, more philosophical in nature than theoretical contemplation of mythologies: If humanity flows through cycles of time, rising and falling to and from a Golden Age paradise, are we in our current path ascending or crashing down to earth?
This Golden Age often alludes to nature being incredibly bountiful, providing everything that humanity could wish for and more. There is a pronounced presence of the otherworldly. In many cases, the gods dwelt in the same realm as mankind. In Greece, Pan served as a mentor in Arcadia, living amongst his students in the trees. The Eden myth is almost ubiquitous, depicting a paradise where the Abrahamic God resided alongside his creation. The upheaval and fall of the old order always brings this Golden Age to an end, and humanity is left to struggle with the wilderness in a new and harsh environment, fraught with conflict, etc; you know the drill from there.
This is ultimately one of the myths that leads me to my unified theory about the myths and legends. It is far from the only overlap (I'll likely discuss some of them at another date), but this is a rather striking point. This Golden Age would imply that not only were the myths of the gods true, but might also imply the same for other myths and legends. It is widely accepted that in the post-mythological era, magic and monsters are a thing of the past (albeit, this is an acceptance that took quite a while to be complete), at least in the sense that mythology demonstrates. Depending on one's outlook, myth has either always been just stories, or a thing of the past. The recurrence of the Golden Age concept seems to suggest the latter in my opinion; though it has little to no bearing on the present, the idea that this multi-culture spanning concept could stand as an example of where -- or rather when -- these legends originated seems like too great of a coincidence.
Most of these myths appear to be parallel to each other. The numbers may not be reliable in any sense of the word, nor would they suggest anything remotely resembling the Golden Age returning any time soon, but the idea of a returning cycle seems to make sense. Symbols of eternity are rampant throughout mythology, and much as the seasons themselves, humanity's path seems to move in a repeating circle. The notion of falling and returning to this paradise, to this utopia of a Golden Age doesn't seem so far fetched when one considers how far we must fall and how quickly we climb in our scientific pursuits.
And yet, that poses another question, more philosophical in nature than theoretical contemplation of mythologies: If humanity flows through cycles of time, rising and falling to and from a Golden Age paradise, are we in our current path ascending or crashing down to earth?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sifting Through Ashes
Part of being a pagan in the modern age requires you to accept the fact that any heritage you might hold dear from the ancient age is going to be filtered by what laid the ancients low. The simple truth is that most of the true myths of the Celts and the Norse, as with many others, have been twisted and changed without any reliable means of restoration to their original state. Unfortunate though it may be, many of the ancients lacked a written history, and relied on the spoken word to relate their traditions and beliefs through the generations. With the spread of Rome and its conversion methods, those spoken myths took on aspects of the Catholic belief and were subject to one of three fates; either they became vilified as sinister things, or they became remade as saintly figures, or they became fodder for simpler stories that had any sense of belief stripped from them.
The efforts of Rome were perhaps most successful in dealing with the Celts. Not only were the mythologies obscured in the destruction of their oral traditions, but any trace of the mainland-Celts were reduced to interpretations of relics. The druids of the ancient time were all but eradicated, and even the rare mention of them left so little information that we are held guessing as to what their entire purpose was (modern interpretations are certainly inspiring and have a sense of "right"-ness attached for me). Those of us who want to follow in the footsteps of the ancients are forced to sift through the ashes for those bits and pieces left strewn among the remains. We lack a full picture of the "truth" of the old ways.
It is for this reason above all others that I stress finding a personal truth when discussing the matter with pagans new to the path. Belief is a very powerful thing, but if you're adhering to someone else's vision, that belief will never be as strong as its full potential. Yes, there are certainly sticking points that we can all agree on -- the names of certain figures, their roles, their breadth of influence -- and those are points that won't get you far in terms of discussion with others if you ignore them (if you view, for example, Odin as a pink-haired punk rocker on an amplifier turned up to 11, most Norse pagans won't be too amused, even though they'd take that better than a Catholic viewing the same depiction of Christ). The hazier details, on the other hand -- the symbolism, the emotion -- are far more mutable and are made more powerful if taken at a more personal level.
You have to sift through those ashes for yourself and make your own way into the path of your choice. And really, that goes for anyone on any path; I would offer the same advice to Christians. No one can take the journey of discovery for you, and you shouldn't want them to. Use the myths as a starting point, take advantage of what has been pieced together in a reconstructive effort, but don't be afraid to let your mind wander into those uncertain details and ponder what makes the most sense to you. Question everything and take nothing at face value. After all, it wasn't in the spirits of the ancients to just blindly follow what was set before them. They were imaginative, innovators, and creators that pursued their paths in a very honest and genuine way; they resisted the change in the world to resist losing their truth. We, as their spiritual descendents, owe them the same honesty in our pursuit of their half-lost truths.
The efforts of Rome were perhaps most successful in dealing with the Celts. Not only were the mythologies obscured in the destruction of their oral traditions, but any trace of the mainland-Celts were reduced to interpretations of relics. The druids of the ancient time were all but eradicated, and even the rare mention of them left so little information that we are held guessing as to what their entire purpose was (modern interpretations are certainly inspiring and have a sense of "right"-ness attached for me). Those of us who want to follow in the footsteps of the ancients are forced to sift through the ashes for those bits and pieces left strewn among the remains. We lack a full picture of the "truth" of the old ways.
It is for this reason above all others that I stress finding a personal truth when discussing the matter with pagans new to the path. Belief is a very powerful thing, but if you're adhering to someone else's vision, that belief will never be as strong as its full potential. Yes, there are certainly sticking points that we can all agree on -- the names of certain figures, their roles, their breadth of influence -- and those are points that won't get you far in terms of discussion with others if you ignore them (if you view, for example, Odin as a pink-haired punk rocker on an amplifier turned up to 11, most Norse pagans won't be too amused, even though they'd take that better than a Catholic viewing the same depiction of Christ). The hazier details, on the other hand -- the symbolism, the emotion -- are far more mutable and are made more powerful if taken at a more personal level.
You have to sift through those ashes for yourself and make your own way into the path of your choice. And really, that goes for anyone on any path; I would offer the same advice to Christians. No one can take the journey of discovery for you, and you shouldn't want them to. Use the myths as a starting point, take advantage of what has been pieced together in a reconstructive effort, but don't be afraid to let your mind wander into those uncertain details and ponder what makes the most sense to you. Question everything and take nothing at face value. After all, it wasn't in the spirits of the ancients to just blindly follow what was set before them. They were imaginative, innovators, and creators that pursued their paths in a very honest and genuine way; they resisted the change in the world to resist losing their truth. We, as their spiritual descendents, owe them the same honesty in our pursuit of their half-lost truths.
Monday, June 6, 2011
An Anachronism of Thought
Anachronisms are defined as something out of place in the present; a throwback (or occasionally something futuristic) that doesn't quite belong. This can be aesthetic in nature -- someone wearing old fashioned clothing that is no longer considered stylish or comfortable -- or it can be functional -- training with a sword or other large close-combat weapon that is long-since outdated in practical use.
To many, reverting to a pagan belief set is an anachronism in its own right, and to an extent, they're right. The cultures that originally held these beliefs are long-gone, and the monotheistic (in theory) faiths have won the day and led the world to its eventual scientific enlightenment. We have a lot of the knowledge now that we once used stories to theorize; we have no urgent need for a god of the storms, since we understand that what causes lightning and thunder is far from supernatural in nature. In many ways, religion as a whole is becoming obsolete, with the emphasis on science taking on the same role that early Christianity once occupied -- spreading rapidly and changing the collective conscious away from the remnants of mysticism and superstition. Atheism is becoming more and more prominent as a religion (and it is a religion to some -- the conviction found in many atheists is downright inspirational as it relates to unerring devotion), and will likely become the dominant system of belief within the next hundred years or so (and no, I'm not one of those that buys into the 2012 nonsense).
While the fate of the Atheism versus Christianity conflict is up for debate, and my opinion is by no means intended as an endorsement or condemnation of either side, it is clear to me that the times are indeed changing. We are not the same culturally as we were when the Roman Empire spread Catholicism throughout Europe. We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips now that we lacked then, and there is a noticeable drift away from Christianity going on worldwide. Atheism is on the rise and our secular society is responsible for it. For good or ill, the first-world nations are moving further and further away from mysticism each year. This, to me, appears to be a sign of the inevitable decline of religion and dominance of science -- provable knowledge overcoming faith.
So with the religion that drove my ways under the boot heels in the same position now that the ancients were once in, it is hard to say who the true anachronism is. Not only are the children of religious families abandoning religion for atheism, but a significant number are turning back to the pagan traditions that thrived before the spread of Rome, much as I have. It's something that I've personally observed, even at the small-town community college that I currently attend, somewhere that you would least expect to find any dissent from the predominantly Catholic surroundings, let alone to find as significant of a number as I have. This spread of paganism does truly seem to be a youth-driven movement, and one that intrigues me on many levels.
While many of my friends hold strongly atheist beliefs and are certainly science-minded individuals, a good number are also pagans or out and out non-religious. That in and of itself is far from surprising. Youth groups are often expected to deviate from their parents, particularly if the culture is excessively domineering (and with the sheer number of active churches in this town, that could certainly be argued to be the case). Youth is expected to be more progressive in their ideology, with more liberal values and ideas, and both atheism and paganism can certainly be considered more progressive and liberal than Christianity on a generalized level. That's not the part that I find fascinating.
What I do find fascinating comes mostly down to these aspects: the variety of the people turning pagan, the diversity of those beliefs, the extent to which they believe, and -- in unfortunate cases -- the delusions that seem to accompany the pagan beliefs in some (but by no means a significant number of the sample, especially as compared to the delusions of many Christians in the area). The people really do seem to come from all backgrounds, economically, family-structure, professions, etc. For the most part, the common thread is that we come from Christian families, though a few are fortunate enough to have pagan parents to offer some guidance (and some are unfortunate enough to have delusional pagan parents to cloud their judgment). I've met devotees of the Celts, of the Norse, Wiccans (this is, sadly, where most of the delusional types fall), and a solitary follower of the Summerian gods (whom I didn't get to talk to much, mind you). I've met those who believe in the power of prayer to the gods as a form of spiritual healing, those who believe in the power of ritual to perform very subtle magics, and -- sadly -- those who believe they have "mojo" and can influence the world with their minds (that last one makes me ask a chicken and the egg question of which came first, the pagan beliefs or the delusions of grandeur, but I presume it's the latter).
Time is cyclical. What was once dominant may waver, but it may just as easily recover and return to its former glory. You see it all the time in popular culture; we are a very fickle species. I myself value the antiquated and anachronistic ways of the Celts. In the cyclical shifts of time, we are eternally fluctuating from the present to the past. In holding on to such antiquated beliefs, are we becoming the anachronism, or forming the future?
To many, reverting to a pagan belief set is an anachronism in its own right, and to an extent, they're right. The cultures that originally held these beliefs are long-gone, and the monotheistic (in theory) faiths have won the day and led the world to its eventual scientific enlightenment. We have a lot of the knowledge now that we once used stories to theorize; we have no urgent need for a god of the storms, since we understand that what causes lightning and thunder is far from supernatural in nature. In many ways, religion as a whole is becoming obsolete, with the emphasis on science taking on the same role that early Christianity once occupied -- spreading rapidly and changing the collective conscious away from the remnants of mysticism and superstition. Atheism is becoming more and more prominent as a religion (and it is a religion to some -- the conviction found in many atheists is downright inspirational as it relates to unerring devotion), and will likely become the dominant system of belief within the next hundred years or so (and no, I'm not one of those that buys into the 2012 nonsense).
While the fate of the Atheism versus Christianity conflict is up for debate, and my opinion is by no means intended as an endorsement or condemnation of either side, it is clear to me that the times are indeed changing. We are not the same culturally as we were when the Roman Empire spread Catholicism throughout Europe. We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips now that we lacked then, and there is a noticeable drift away from Christianity going on worldwide. Atheism is on the rise and our secular society is responsible for it. For good or ill, the first-world nations are moving further and further away from mysticism each year. This, to me, appears to be a sign of the inevitable decline of religion and dominance of science -- provable knowledge overcoming faith.
So with the religion that drove my ways under the boot heels in the same position now that the ancients were once in, it is hard to say who the true anachronism is. Not only are the children of religious families abandoning religion for atheism, but a significant number are turning back to the pagan traditions that thrived before the spread of Rome, much as I have. It's something that I've personally observed, even at the small-town community college that I currently attend, somewhere that you would least expect to find any dissent from the predominantly Catholic surroundings, let alone to find as significant of a number as I have. This spread of paganism does truly seem to be a youth-driven movement, and one that intrigues me on many levels.
While many of my friends hold strongly atheist beliefs and are certainly science-minded individuals, a good number are also pagans or out and out non-religious. That in and of itself is far from surprising. Youth groups are often expected to deviate from their parents, particularly if the culture is excessively domineering (and with the sheer number of active churches in this town, that could certainly be argued to be the case). Youth is expected to be more progressive in their ideology, with more liberal values and ideas, and both atheism and paganism can certainly be considered more progressive and liberal than Christianity on a generalized level. That's not the part that I find fascinating.
What I do find fascinating comes mostly down to these aspects: the variety of the people turning pagan, the diversity of those beliefs, the extent to which they believe, and -- in unfortunate cases -- the delusions that seem to accompany the pagan beliefs in some (but by no means a significant number of the sample, especially as compared to the delusions of many Christians in the area). The people really do seem to come from all backgrounds, economically, family-structure, professions, etc. For the most part, the common thread is that we come from Christian families, though a few are fortunate enough to have pagan parents to offer some guidance (and some are unfortunate enough to have delusional pagan parents to cloud their judgment). I've met devotees of the Celts, of the Norse, Wiccans (this is, sadly, where most of the delusional types fall), and a solitary follower of the Summerian gods (whom I didn't get to talk to much, mind you). I've met those who believe in the power of prayer to the gods as a form of spiritual healing, those who believe in the power of ritual to perform very subtle magics, and -- sadly -- those who believe they have "mojo" and can influence the world with their minds (that last one makes me ask a chicken and the egg question of which came first, the pagan beliefs or the delusions of grandeur, but I presume it's the latter).
Time is cyclical. What was once dominant may waver, but it may just as easily recover and return to its former glory. You see it all the time in popular culture; we are a very fickle species. I myself value the antiquated and anachronistic ways of the Celts. In the cyclical shifts of time, we are eternally fluctuating from the present to the past. In holding on to such antiquated beliefs, are we becoming the anachronism, or forming the future?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
World Wandering
I've gone to great lengths to avoid being yet another narrow-minded man of faith over the years. I've gained at least superficial knowledge about most of the various polytheistic cultures of the ancient world, and I've retained most of what I learned about Christianity and Judaism from my time in Catholic school. I've looked into Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoist Animism, and several of the Pacific Islander traditions as well. It's easy to become highly specialized when you're drawn to philosophy, and I've tried to avoid becoming so specialized that I can't see the forest for the trees. While I do hold certain. . . antagonistic views toward the Catholic church for the actions of the organization over the centuries since its formation, I have little issue with the religion and certainly no issue with the vast majority of its faithful.
For the most part, I associate myself with the Celtic and Druidic traditions. I place tremendous value in the pentacle as a symbol of protection and elemental balance -- as it should be viewed, rather than the symbol of "the devil" that the media (and the Roman Church) has chosen to slap onto it. I place value in the Triquetra (trinity knot), not as a symbol of the Holy Trinity of the Catholics, but as a symbol of the various triumvirates found in the natural world -- youth, adulthood, old age; life, death, rebirth; mind, body, spirit; I could go on. Both symbols are present in multiple cultures with a few variations, and both typically take on a cyclical or protective aspect, quite similar in effect to what the cross has become for Christians.
However, this eclectic study has left me with a few theological differences from many other neo-Celts/neo-Druids. For one, I don't adhere to a strictly Celtic divinity. When you expand your horizons, you're bound to pick up aspects that suit you well enough to incorporate into your perspective, and my expanded studies has certainly led to that. I've grown to think it incredibly short-sighted to think that a single pantheon is the entirety of divinity when you've already taken the step into polytheism. If there's room for an entire pantheon of gods and goddesses, who are you to say that the others aren't every bit as relevant? My personal theory is that all pantheons are co-existent, if separate; the Celts and the Norse, the Greeks and the Egyptians, the Summerians and the Aztecs can all have equal validity when you look at it the right way. In my view, they are ultimately just different "families" (in a more general sense than the ancient myth structure already presents) descended from the greater source of creation (be it Chaos, some ancient titan figure, or even string theory). That goes for the angelic figures of the Abrahamic faiths, too; after all, what's the real difference between figures such as Michael and Thor?
I've adopted a more hybridized form of the Celtic pantheon. While the Morrigan and Cernunnos feature prominently in my worship, I've incorporated several Norse elements into the core of what I do. Odin, in particular, has become a mainstay, as has the use of runecasting as a form of meditative divination (I don't believe that I can tell the future, let me make that clear -- but I do believe that drawing out runes and using the key concept of those runes as a starting point to study a situation can be incredibly useful). There's a lot of overlap between the two, and there rightly should be -- the Celts and Vikings stand as two of the most enduring of the ancient cultures, and certainly held similar values, not to mention the overlap and mingling of their traditions that occurred during Norman invasions of the future British Isles. I think I'll save the why and how of a lot of the incorporation for another post, though, since it really is a long explanation and worthy of its own entry.
Diversity is the key to finding balance in anything. If you're only looking at a situation from one angle, then you're seeing next to nothing. You need those different perspectives to enable you to truly understand what you're looking at. When it comes to diversifying your understanding of polytheism and how pantheons function, you can really find an enlightening blend; what one pantheon may lack, another will likely provide in spades, and if the core themes of one pantheon aren't right for you but one deity speaks so intensely to what you hold dear, there's nothing wrong with incorporating that into your personal philosophy. Remember: the modern world has become a melting pot; where some might wish to remove impurities, they forget that pure metals are weak, and it is only through blending in carbon and other metals that it becomes strong. Forge yourself from diverse sources, wander the world's collective conscious, and find what fits -- that's the key to an enduring sense of faith.
For the most part, I associate myself with the Celtic and Druidic traditions. I place tremendous value in the pentacle as a symbol of protection and elemental balance -- as it should be viewed, rather than the symbol of "the devil" that the media (and the Roman Church) has chosen to slap onto it. I place value in the Triquetra (trinity knot), not as a symbol of the Holy Trinity of the Catholics, but as a symbol of the various triumvirates found in the natural world -- youth, adulthood, old age; life, death, rebirth; mind, body, spirit; I could go on. Both symbols are present in multiple cultures with a few variations, and both typically take on a cyclical or protective aspect, quite similar in effect to what the cross has become for Christians.
However, this eclectic study has left me with a few theological differences from many other neo-Celts/neo-Druids. For one, I don't adhere to a strictly Celtic divinity. When you expand your horizons, you're bound to pick up aspects that suit you well enough to incorporate into your perspective, and my expanded studies has certainly led to that. I've grown to think it incredibly short-sighted to think that a single pantheon is the entirety of divinity when you've already taken the step into polytheism. If there's room for an entire pantheon of gods and goddesses, who are you to say that the others aren't every bit as relevant? My personal theory is that all pantheons are co-existent, if separate; the Celts and the Norse, the Greeks and the Egyptians, the Summerians and the Aztecs can all have equal validity when you look at it the right way. In my view, they are ultimately just different "families" (in a more general sense than the ancient myth structure already presents) descended from the greater source of creation (be it Chaos, some ancient titan figure, or even string theory). That goes for the angelic figures of the Abrahamic faiths, too; after all, what's the real difference between figures such as Michael and Thor?
I've adopted a more hybridized form of the Celtic pantheon. While the Morrigan and Cernunnos feature prominently in my worship, I've incorporated several Norse elements into the core of what I do. Odin, in particular, has become a mainstay, as has the use of runecasting as a form of meditative divination (I don't believe that I can tell the future, let me make that clear -- but I do believe that drawing out runes and using the key concept of those runes as a starting point to study a situation can be incredibly useful). There's a lot of overlap between the two, and there rightly should be -- the Celts and Vikings stand as two of the most enduring of the ancient cultures, and certainly held similar values, not to mention the overlap and mingling of their traditions that occurred during Norman invasions of the future British Isles. I think I'll save the why and how of a lot of the incorporation for another post, though, since it really is a long explanation and worthy of its own entry.
Diversity is the key to finding balance in anything. If you're only looking at a situation from one angle, then you're seeing next to nothing. You need those different perspectives to enable you to truly understand what you're looking at. When it comes to diversifying your understanding of polytheism and how pantheons function, you can really find an enlightening blend; what one pantheon may lack, another will likely provide in spades, and if the core themes of one pantheon aren't right for you but one deity speaks so intensely to what you hold dear, there's nothing wrong with incorporating that into your personal philosophy. Remember: the modern world has become a melting pot; where some might wish to remove impurities, they forget that pure metals are weak, and it is only through blending in carbon and other metals that it becomes strong. Forge yourself from diverse sources, wander the world's collective conscious, and find what fits -- that's the key to an enduring sense of faith.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Walk like those who have come before.
One of the main tenets that drives me in terms of my personal philosophy is the connection that I feel to my ancestors. "Walkabout", in a more global-tradition sense, is precisely that: a practice of the Australian Aborigines where a young man goes into the wilderness and retreads the footsteps of his ancestors. One could easily compare the spiritual and philosophical journey that I've undertaken to the more literal version of the Aborigines, though certainly my process has been less physically grueling and environmentally challenging (though if there was an opportunity for me to do a true, walk-out-into-nature-for-six-months exercise, I'd be all for it).
A lot of the ideological split that started me on this path of dropping the baggage and seeking my own truth came from learning how the Celts were "converted" to Catholicism, and ultimately that's why I still chafe at Catholic traditions to this day (as well as other political and religious movements, for that matter). While I'm not fond of supporting any opposition to the theory of survival of the fittest (I'm a Darwinist at heart, regardless of spiritual philosophy, and I think in many ways most ancient cultures were, as well), I feel that I have to reject the means used to conquer such a proud people. Subversion and assimilation aren't just tools to integrate new people into a larger collective; they are weapons to eradicate what made an enemy who they are. This is why I cannot accept the Catholic preaching of respecting others and being proponents of peace -- they are and have always been proponents of war and destruction of other cultures.
That was what initially led me to drop the weight of Catholicism to the ground and seek out a new path. When I felt the call of the Celtic traditions, I knew that I was on the right track. Obviously, I'm not saying it's the right path for everyone -- that's something that each individual has to decide on their own -- but for me, looking back to what those traditional myths and legends represented and what those gods and goddesses brought forward was an important step. I also took a good, hard look at what was valued by the Celtic peoples. While much of the true nature of the Celts was indeed eradicated by the Roman Catholic empire's expansion, there are several notes that stand out above the rest: the Celts had a deep love of the arts, a deep love of storytelling, and a deep love for battle.
Naturally, those three things don't tell us much. Every culture appreciates the arts, otherwise we would have nothing left to visualize what those cultures were like. Every culture needed storytelling, as before written history, the oral tradition was all that we had. Every culture prized warfare, because that was the primary means of ensuring one's survival among the others. However, approached from the Celtic perspective, these things take on a different light. Celtic artwork has a certain affect, a certain character, to it that other cultures lacked. Celtic stories relate their world in an ever-so-slightly different manner from other cultures. Celtic warfare reflected the truth of the times, that battle was a primal, dangerous thing better met with ferocity than with regimented drills. While they may have met their ultimate end at the hands of the Holy Roman empire, the Celts were preserved as glimpses in the key holidays, which allowed for the Celtic Revival to occur centuries later. The Celts were survivors, and that in particular is something that I seek to emulate.
A lot of the ideological split that started me on this path of dropping the baggage and seeking my own truth came from learning how the Celts were "converted" to Catholicism, and ultimately that's why I still chafe at Catholic traditions to this day (as well as other political and religious movements, for that matter). While I'm not fond of supporting any opposition to the theory of survival of the fittest (I'm a Darwinist at heart, regardless of spiritual philosophy, and I think in many ways most ancient cultures were, as well), I feel that I have to reject the means used to conquer such a proud people. Subversion and assimilation aren't just tools to integrate new people into a larger collective; they are weapons to eradicate what made an enemy who they are. This is why I cannot accept the Catholic preaching of respecting others and being proponents of peace -- they are and have always been proponents of war and destruction of other cultures.
That was what initially led me to drop the weight of Catholicism to the ground and seek out a new path. When I felt the call of the Celtic traditions, I knew that I was on the right track. Obviously, I'm not saying it's the right path for everyone -- that's something that each individual has to decide on their own -- but for me, looking back to what those traditional myths and legends represented and what those gods and goddesses brought forward was an important step. I also took a good, hard look at what was valued by the Celtic peoples. While much of the true nature of the Celts was indeed eradicated by the Roman Catholic empire's expansion, there are several notes that stand out above the rest: the Celts had a deep love of the arts, a deep love of storytelling, and a deep love for battle.
Naturally, those three things don't tell us much. Every culture appreciates the arts, otherwise we would have nothing left to visualize what those cultures were like. Every culture needed storytelling, as before written history, the oral tradition was all that we had. Every culture prized warfare, because that was the primary means of ensuring one's survival among the others. However, approached from the Celtic perspective, these things take on a different light. Celtic artwork has a certain affect, a certain character, to it that other cultures lacked. Celtic stories relate their world in an ever-so-slightly different manner from other cultures. Celtic warfare reflected the truth of the times, that battle was a primal, dangerous thing better met with ferocity than with regimented drills. While they may have met their ultimate end at the hands of the Holy Roman empire, the Celts were preserved as glimpses in the key holidays, which allowed for the Celtic Revival to occur centuries later. The Celts were survivors, and that in particular is something that I seek to emulate.
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