Subject: Re: [chaoskaos] Directly connecting with the higher power
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 00:40:29 -0500
From: Psyche < psyche[at]spiralnature[dot]com >
<< Ok, here goes. This is my first post since I signed up in this group. I anticipate a lot of interesting comments on this one. >>
Oh dear. Now I have performance anxiety.
<< First a question for clarification. Do any of you believe in a higher power. Call it God or whatever. >>
Define God. Does it include Goddess? Does it include Self (note capitalization)? Does it include Universe? Does it include…? Does it exclude…?
‘[H]igher power’ is too vague a concept to define whether or not I believe it it or not as the phrase is used by everyone from Christians to Satanists and everyone in between. You’ll have to be more specific.
<< Secondly, in a lot of the pagan beliefs, there are many gods that are drawn upon for their supposed ability to provide “power” to help resolve situations. If these “gods” are based on actual real people because of their links to the one God, doesn’t it make sense to strive for that same connection to God rather than request assistance from one of the “gods” who in turn would just draw their power from God anyways? >>
Now you’re getting into egregores, godheads and identities of the Self, or identities of the Universe, masks, etc. There is no one set answer on this.
If you’re working wit the egregore concept, then what you’re doing when you contact ‘the Gods’ is really contacting an egregore – which is a collection of power gained from mass belief and the strength of belief and form given to it over time/practice/etc. Egregores exist independent of your belief in them, because others’ beliefs feed it just as well. It’s an identity you can connect with and work with depending on your understanding of one and how to contact, methods it’s used to, etc.
Godheads, pretty much the same thing, but more defined and specific.
Identities or masks of Self, this getting into the more psychological or spiritual model (depending on the views here). This means getting in contact with ‘parts of your Self’ that you do not normally have access to – usually due to the interference of the conscious mind and Ego. This can be transcended by ritual, prayer, or whatever methods get you going.
Identities of the Universe may be more along the lines of ‘God’ in the sense of an independent Being. (Though in my personal conceptions of Universe, it is not sentient in the ‘traditional’ sense. You may see things differently.) There are many methods for contacting this, sustained gnosis is one. ‘Enlightenment’ (by whatever means) is another.
There are probably many more models, but these are the ones that I think are the most common, and the ones I personally use. Now, as you can see, that these are quite varied, so answering your question is a bit difficult because of this. It may be your spiritual desire to strive for permanent contact with Universe/Self/some random egregore/etc but some people just like to fiddle around a bit and go about their mundane and/or magickal lives.
3… 2… 1…
<< Ok I am ready Blast me =) >>