The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Have you ever ensouled a statue or another focal point for deities or spirits you work with?  What are your beliefs about this?

That the responsibilities entailed from having an opened icon are way above my pay grade, really.  People who can maintain that sort of commitment are hardcore in a way I am not built for.

 
Do you think the identity of the spirit makes any difference to that?  A similar thread on this topic said ancient practices centered around this could be really intense.  But in some of the stuff I've read about Santa Muerte people baptize the statue in their home to invite her into the image and it doesn't seem to entail having tons of priests or temples, though she does require respect and devotion and there are some guidelines on how she wants the altar set up.

Have you ever ensouled a statue or another focal point for deities or spirits you work with?  What are your beliefs about this?

 
I agree with Darkhawk. It's a huge commitment, not one to be taken lightly.

Do you think the identity of the spirit makes any difference to that?  A similar thread on this topic said ancient practices centered around this could be really intense.  But in some of the stuff I've read about Santa Muerte people baptize the statue in their home to invite her into the image and it doesn't seem to entail having tons of priests or temples, though she does require respect and devotion and there are some guidelines on how she wants the altar set up.

 
I think that the physical work it entails may differ from tradition to tradition, but the emotional and spiritual work is likely similar in intensity.  

I'm only really familiar with it from my own tradition, though.

I thought a statue or picture of the deity was "ensouled" once you start doing daily worship at a complete altar - deity's seal, image (statue or picture), offerings, etc. Apparently I was mistaken. Would someone care to explain the difference between an "opened" statue and a regular one? Thank you so much!

 
I can try, but please keep in mind that my explanation is based my own tradition; I cannot speak for others.  Also, please keep in mind that I do not have any open statues, nor do I plan to open any at this point in my life.

An open statue is a statue that has been opened, by ritual, so a deity can reside within.  In my tradition, the ritual used is called The Opening of the Mouth and, if it is successful, the statue becomes the deity and requires a specific level of care.  This care includes, but is not limited to: bathing, clothing, feeding, and anointing with oil and/or perfume.  

In my opinion, based on my tradition, care of an open statue requires the commitment level of a priest; the priest who opened the statue is responsible for the care and feeding of a god and that is not something best left to a layperson.

Unopened statues, on the other hand, are meant to represent a deity but are not the deity.

Interesting concept that raises lots of questions ( I know nothing about this and I'm curious)

Is it safe to assume that the deity in question sort of visits the statue rather than residing in it? After all, one wouldn't want to imprison a deity. If it's just visiting, how does one know when it's visiting? Or is it just a case of keeping the place tidy in case it decides to drop in?

In this case, the statue is now the deity and the deity is the statue.  The statue isn't the totality of the deity, but it is the deity.

Is it confined to the statue like a butterfly in a jar or can it move freely about the house/temple/space?

It is not confined.

Are visitors aware that there is a deity present and watching/listening to them? Does one warn visitors about this?

Typically, open statues are not on display.  In Ancient Egypt, they were within a temple complex.  In modern times, they're kept "off view", so to speak.

There are issues with this, of course.  For example, the Penn Museum in Philadelphia has two statues of Sekhmet on display and both are open.  I doubt the archaeologists knew this when they acquired them, and I doubt most museum staff are aware of it.  I'll tell you that I noticed it immediately, and there are phenomena in the room where they are that my husband notices...and he had no idea what it was, just that it felt "odd".

How does one know if an 'opening' ceremony has been successful and one has  a deity within the statue?

I don't know - I've not performed the Opening of the Mouth.  Hopefully, someone else can chime in here.

What happens if a person decides they are not into this process anymore - is there some kind of , hmm , eviction process? And are there risks associated with this?

Thanks!

There's actually a thread around - can't remember if it is on this incarnation of the boards or the one before this one - where we talked about this.  I'll see if I can find it and link it over here.

I've never seen it suggested that a statue can be closed once it is opened, and I don't know of anyone who has done it.  This is why I recommend people not do it unless they know what they're getting into.

In this case, the statue is now the deity and the deity is the statue.  The statue isn't the totality of the deity, but it is the deity.
It is not confined.
Typically, open statues are not on display.  In Ancient Egypt, they were within a temple complex.  In modern times, they're kept "off view", so to speak.

There are issues with this, of course.  For example, the Penn Museum in Philadelphia has two statues of Sekhmet on display and both are open.  I doubt the archaeologists knew this when they acquired them, and I doubt most museum staff are aware of it.  I'll tell you that I noticed it immediately, and there are phenomena in the room where they are that my husband notices...and he had no idea what it was, just that it felt "odd".
I don't know - I've not performed the Opening of the Mouth.  Hopefully, someone else can chime in here.
There's actually a thread around - can't remember if it is on this incarnation of the boards or the one before this one - where we talked about this.  I'll see if I can find it and link it over here.

I've never seen it suggested that a statue can be closed once it is opened, and I don't know of anyone who has done it.  This is why I recommend people not do it unless they know what they're getting into.

Thank you! Very informative. This may sound fanciful but I sometimes wonder if this can happen by 'accident' ( and by that I would give as an example some statue or object that had been used for a long time by people ). There isn't really the vocabulary to write about this with so bear with me . I have gone into all kinds of temples , cathedrals and just places known for some characteristic ( a bit like genius loci). Sometimes when I've gone into a cathedral, I will feel my attention drawn to some carving or object, even something small like a corbel. And this can feel either pleasant or , well, creepy.  When one goes into someplace like the British museum you can get this big time. Some of the statuary are just interesting antiquities and some are like " I must leave this room right now!". And yet there is nothing particularly different about one installation from an other. (of course there is no way of knowing if something from antiquity had been 'opened' before some institution acquired it)

Hmmm.........

Sorry, just raveling a thread (so to speak). I don't believe in deity, but I do believe in patterns of ...energy? And perhaps some 'deities' are personifications of certain types of this ( I hate the word 'energy' in this context - it's been hijacked by the new age people so that it has become meaningless) . I think one would have to be very careful to really, really know and understand what they were inviting in. And - how to get rid of it, to put it ungentley.

My kid bought me an African deity statue and man, we could just not live in the same place with that thing. I tried because it was a gift but when my child began having nightmares about it, we both agreed it had to go. And I suppose this kind of thing is also the genesis of all those stories about passing on or receiving strange objects which start to generate unpleasant and scary stuff.

(No offense to people thinking strictly in the religious area)

I know of people who have encountered ancient statues from temples in museums and gone "HOLY SHIT SEKHMET HI".

(I mostly hear about this with Sekhmet.  Possibly because she's terrifying.)

 
This *exact thing* happened to me at the State Art museum. I walked into the room and there she was, all like WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING AN OFFERING? And I was like oh shit...