I've now read the latest posts written by Jow and Jason Miller, and I've found that I can relate to their respective sentiments. Over the years, I find that I have worn many, many labels....some were from school, and others were adopted by myself as a way to fit in and/or find a way to describe who I am, what I do, and I how I do it.
Now, to backtrack to my religious upbringing, it is worth noting that I was raised by a Buddhist mother and a Lutheran father, which led to a great deal of religious strangeness in the home. My father, rather begrudgingly, attended our Buddhist "church" alongside my brother, my mother, and myself, and over time, it was made clear to them, in their infinite wisdom, that I should also be exposed to the Christian side of things. As annoyed as I was at being forced to attend, I find that I must thank them for that exposure.
In tandem with my parent's religious ties and associated exploits, I, from a young age, was brought up and mentored by a spirit. That spirit is someone that I now serve as a fulltime thing outside of my day job, but as a child, much of what He told and showed me was far more in-depth than the other churches I was involved me could provide. I was taught how to do different things to make nasty spiritual presences go away, He taught me to bless things, as well as to curse things.
Such a strange trinity of mismatched religious beliefs and the teachers therein led to a rather different view of the world around me, I find. Instead of seeing things in a very linear, very boxed-in light, I see the spirit world as being as open ended and prone to strange minglings as the physical world. That, as one would expect, has led me to the path I know travel on, as eclectic as it may seem. I frequently weave in an intermingling of various pantheons in a respective fashion, and find myself intimately involved with various deities of completely different traditions and lineages. As such, despite the title I take herein, I suppose that I would best be defined as a pantheist.
Now, to backtrack to my religious upbringing, it is worth noting that I was raised by a Buddhist mother and a Lutheran father, which led to a great deal of religious strangeness in the home. My father, rather begrudgingly, attended our Buddhist "church" alongside my brother, my mother, and myself, and over time, it was made clear to them, in their infinite wisdom, that I should also be exposed to the Christian side of things. As annoyed as I was at being forced to attend, I find that I must thank them for that exposure.
In tandem with my parent's religious ties and associated exploits, I, from a young age, was brought up and mentored by a spirit. That spirit is someone that I now serve as a fulltime thing outside of my day job, but as a child, much of what He told and showed me was far more in-depth than the other churches I was involved me could provide. I was taught how to do different things to make nasty spiritual presences go away, He taught me to bless things, as well as to curse things.
Such a strange trinity of mismatched religious beliefs and the teachers therein led to a rather different view of the world around me, I find. Instead of seeing things in a very linear, very boxed-in light, I see the spirit world as being as open ended and prone to strange minglings as the physical world. That, as one would expect, has led me to the path I know travel on, as eclectic as it may seem. I frequently weave in an intermingling of various pantheons in a respective fashion, and find myself intimately involved with various deities of completely different traditions and lineages. As such, despite the title I take herein, I suppose that I would best be defined as a pantheist.
As a sorcerous pantheist, I find that my goal, regardless of the name chosen for my path, is to experiment and find the most effective methods by which my will can be made flesh. Aside from my relationships with the spirits, that is my first and foremost goal, as it allows me to better my life and the lives of my clients. In realizing this fact, I've come to understand that defining your path is of less import tha
So, with that said, I find that I must agree with Jow's rather eloquent statement: "Our traditions do not define our essence. They shape our practice. They do not tell us who we are, but allow who we are to accomplish something." I'd urge you, dear readers, to keep this in mind as you wander upon your respective path(s), as it certainly is an interesting relations.
Regards,
SE
So, with that said, I find that I must agree with Jow's rather eloquent statement: "Our traditions do not define our essence. They shape our practice. They do not tell us who we are, but allow who we are to accomplish something." I'd urge you, dear readers, to keep this in mind as you wander upon your respective path(s), as it certainly is an interesting relations.
Regards,
SE