Gods, gods everywhere...
Dec. 12th, 2005 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madwitchI’ve been pondering the nature of belief lately. This train of thought was started off by a conversation with the lovely Mr Granville Smith at work, he of the obvious nickname and also unexpected pagan type. Yes. Pondering. Things.
Long before I realised there was a name for my beliefs and more of us and it wasn’t just me being odd, I still felt much as I do now, and in the absence of any kind of contact with others of like mind, I read. And read. And read some more. Dotted around my mums house, my room and a certain boy in Bracknell’s house, are book after book of tales of our lovely pre Christian Gods, from most of the polytheistic cultures. I knew their stories, I had wonderful conversations with my parents about them, the dodgy old ‘C of E, honest’ that they claimed to be when required. And it all seemed very straightforward. Possibly what drew me so much to the path I’ve ended up on was how these Gods were, in fact, just like us. Well, that and it’s obvious rightness, of course. *grin*
Bouncing thoughts off Granny last week, I started wondering (again, I’ve done this a lot) when exactly did these lustful, greedy, spiteful, petty, vengeful and completely wonderful Gods turn into sweet, nice and almost fluffy things? I know that most of the pagan types that I know have a very clear view of exactly how harsh their Gods can be, so where did this come from?
It’s all terribly…
1960’s.
At this point, I would like to state that I think all Gods mentioned below are truly fantastic and great and yes, I’m covering my arse here. They’re best in the original form. *grin*
Also, none of the sects/fellowships/groups mentioned below are wrong. Except, y’know, for me.I just honestly don’t get where/why/how the change happened. And where I don’t get, I question.
Artemis, f’rinstance. The COA apparently want ‘to promote an ethical approach to Wicca in accordance with the Wiccan rede ‘An it harm none, do what ye will’. Good on them. Really. They’ve got a lovely picture of Artemis and a stag on their website.
This is the same Artemis who turned Actaeon into a stag and set his own hounds on him because he saw her naked. And who turned Callisto into a bear and killed her for being seduced by Zeus. Who, with her brother, killed a bunch of kids because the kids mum had insulted Artemis and Apollo’s mum. Yes, there’s the whole fertility Goddess thing, but there’s also the fiery wrath and possessiveness.
Athena; Goddess of Wisdom. And War. Liked boys who went on quests. Liked to squabble about who was the prettiest. In the short form, anyway. Rocks. Like a thing that rocks muchly.
Isis. She was (is) fierce. Much on the guidance and the giving of life, yes. Also big on the manipulation and control. The getting Ra to tell her his secret name of power because if he didn’t she wouldn’t give him the antidote for the poison from the snake she’d set on him? A nice move.
The Fellowship of Isis are just a bit…yeah. Great Rite-y. Always sets my hackles going, that one. Yes, yes, can be one of the most important and wonderful rites ever. Can be. Can also be a darn sight more dodgy. Also, apparently ‘Throughout the ages people of varying cultures have learned to communite with those from other spheres: we need all the knowledge, understanding and good feeling we can obtain, in order that we may live here in peace with each other and with all creatures’. Nice idea, but again, where did they get this? With Isis?
And as for the Celtic Gods…
Lugh. I love him. He’s great. Of all the Gods, I love him joint best. He Is The God For Me. Sun God, God of light and the harvest, craftsman, great warrior, king, slayer of Balor, harper, sorcerer, poet – historian, and generally fantastic. Shining golden boy of Celtic Gods.
A contender for most vengeful person ever.The Children of Turenn says it all. They kill his Dad, he sets a blood price so nasty it’s guaranteed to kill them in the paying. And it did. And he wouldn’t heal them, even though he could have. Lugh is harsh. I love him lots. Don’t I, boss? *grin*
‘We are known as "The Craft of the Wise" because of our knowledge of energies and the natural and spiritual laws that govern the workings of the Universe. To work within these laws is wisdom, to work against them is chaos.’
Have you really thought about these laws? Yes, no question, Nature is life, nurture, peace. She is also red in tooth and claw and survival of the fittest. Balance, in all things.
Yes, the Earth needs some healing. She needs our respect and our efforts. She’s going to kick us off when we push it too far, you know. Don’t ever think she won’t because some of us care.
I’m inclined to think that Wicca became so…nice and bloody bad poetry in an attempt to be as far away from traditional views of Witchcraft as possible. ‘See, we’re good, we do harm to none, we’re not evil.’ It makes my palms itch, it really does, and I very much doubt that all those lovely pre-christian followers of the old gods were all nice and ‘doing no harm’. They had wars for fun. Okay, cattle raids, baby wars, but still. Yes, culture changes, things develop, but still, there is good and bad in all things. No Devil, remember? No Hell. Just us, and our choices.
And if you take a good look at these Gods we follow? Well, the thing is, they’re just like us. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Giving in to love and hatred. Petty and malicious and generous and caring and all at the same time. Human. Fallible. Wonderful.
The best and the worst of what we are. As we are the best and worst of them.
I am a great believer in the threefold law. What you do, you get back, and threefold. Make your choices, live as you will, be prepared to deal with the results of your actions. Strive not to harm, respect, balance. Grass roots, and all that.
And this above all. To thine own self be true.
End thoughts.
Long before I realised there was a name for my beliefs and more of us and it wasn’t just me being odd, I still felt much as I do now, and in the absence of any kind of contact with others of like mind, I read. And read. And read some more. Dotted around my mums house, my room and a certain boy in Bracknell’s house, are book after book of tales of our lovely pre Christian Gods, from most of the polytheistic cultures. I knew their stories, I had wonderful conversations with my parents about them, the dodgy old ‘C of E, honest’ that they claimed to be when required. And it all seemed very straightforward. Possibly what drew me so much to the path I’ve ended up on was how these Gods were, in fact, just like us. Well, that and it’s obvious rightness, of course. *grin*
Bouncing thoughts off Granny last week, I started wondering (again, I’ve done this a lot) when exactly did these lustful, greedy, spiteful, petty, vengeful and completely wonderful Gods turn into sweet, nice and almost fluffy things? I know that most of the pagan types that I know have a very clear view of exactly how harsh their Gods can be, so where did this come from?
It’s all terribly…
1960’s.
At this point, I would like to state that I think all Gods mentioned below are truly fantastic and great and yes, I’m covering my arse here. They’re best in the original form. *grin*
Also, none of the sects/fellowships/groups mentioned below are wrong. Except, y’know, for me.I just honestly don’t get where/why/how the change happened. And where I don’t get, I question.
Artemis, f’rinstance. The COA apparently want ‘to promote an ethical approach to Wicca in accordance with the Wiccan rede ‘An it harm none, do what ye will’. Good on them. Really. They’ve got a lovely picture of Artemis and a stag on their website.
This is the same Artemis who turned Actaeon into a stag and set his own hounds on him because he saw her naked. And who turned Callisto into a bear and killed her for being seduced by Zeus. Who, with her brother, killed a bunch of kids because the kids mum had insulted Artemis and Apollo’s mum. Yes, there’s the whole fertility Goddess thing, but there’s also the fiery wrath and possessiveness.
Athena; Goddess of Wisdom. And War. Liked boys who went on quests. Liked to squabble about who was the prettiest. In the short form, anyway. Rocks. Like a thing that rocks muchly.
Isis. She was (is) fierce. Much on the guidance and the giving of life, yes. Also big on the manipulation and control. The getting Ra to tell her his secret name of power because if he didn’t she wouldn’t give him the antidote for the poison from the snake she’d set on him? A nice move.
The Fellowship of Isis are just a bit…yeah. Great Rite-y. Always sets my hackles going, that one. Yes, yes, can be one of the most important and wonderful rites ever. Can be. Can also be a darn sight more dodgy. Also, apparently ‘Throughout the ages people of varying cultures have learned to communite with those from other spheres: we need all the knowledge, understanding and good feeling we can obtain, in order that we may live here in peace with each other and with all creatures’. Nice idea, but again, where did they get this? With Isis?
And as for the Celtic Gods…
Lugh. I love him. He’s great. Of all the Gods, I love him joint best. He Is The God For Me. Sun God, God of light and the harvest, craftsman, great warrior, king, slayer of Balor, harper, sorcerer, poet – historian, and generally fantastic. Shining golden boy of Celtic Gods.
A contender for most vengeful person ever.The Children of Turenn says it all. They kill his Dad, he sets a blood price so nasty it’s guaranteed to kill them in the paying. And it did. And he wouldn’t heal them, even though he could have. Lugh is harsh. I love him lots. Don’t I, boss? *grin*
‘We are known as "The Craft of the Wise" because of our knowledge of energies and the natural and spiritual laws that govern the workings of the Universe. To work within these laws is wisdom, to work against them is chaos.’
Have you really thought about these laws? Yes, no question, Nature is life, nurture, peace. She is also red in tooth and claw and survival of the fittest. Balance, in all things.
Yes, the Earth needs some healing. She needs our respect and our efforts. She’s going to kick us off when we push it too far, you know. Don’t ever think she won’t because some of us care.
I’m inclined to think that Wicca became so…nice and bloody bad poetry in an attempt to be as far away from traditional views of Witchcraft as possible. ‘See, we’re good, we do harm to none, we’re not evil.’ It makes my palms itch, it really does, and I very much doubt that all those lovely pre-christian followers of the old gods were all nice and ‘doing no harm’. They had wars for fun. Okay, cattle raids, baby wars, but still. Yes, culture changes, things develop, but still, there is good and bad in all things. No Devil, remember? No Hell. Just us, and our choices.
And if you take a good look at these Gods we follow? Well, the thing is, they’re just like us. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Giving in to love and hatred. Petty and malicious and generous and caring and all at the same time. Human. Fallible. Wonderful.
The best and the worst of what we are. As we are the best and worst of them.
I am a great believer in the threefold law. What you do, you get back, and threefold. Make your choices, live as you will, be prepared to deal with the results of your actions. Strive not to harm, respect, balance. Grass roots, and all that.
And this above all. To thine own self be true.
End thoughts.
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 08:45 am (UTC)It's coming up to that time of year when I get all spiritual again. Well, one of them. Midwinter and (for some unknown reason) September.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 09:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 09:47 am (UTC)...and not a drop to drink?
:-)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 09:51 am (UTC);-)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 09:55 am (UTC)The old gods should not be made fluffy! It bothers me that they are so often portrayed as being so. They must all be sitting up/down/left/right/wherever they sit and cringe at the pastel shaded books that are published featuring bad poetry about how lovely and fluffulent they are, rather than raw, passionate, natural beings of wildness...
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 10:16 am (UTC)The bardic traditon is a thing to be respected, not played about with.
I am the psycho anti fluff creature today. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 10:56 am (UTC)I feel all druidy now. I want to stand on a hill in Dorset with my cloak getting tangled up in the howling wind and getting drenched from the pouring rain before retiring to a country pub with a nice warm fire (and beer of course) :)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 10:21 pm (UTC)