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Author Topic: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?  (Read 13701 times)

SatAset

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #60 on: December 26, 2012, 07:27:12 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;45623
Is there a Norse equivalent? *clueless*

There is Disablot which is a holiday to honor the Disir, the ancestral mothers and Frigga and/or Freyja.  

There is also Charming of the Plough at this time as well which I believe is more crops and fertility of the land focused.  And harvest would be honored here.

These festivals are normally February 2 or mid-month.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2012, 07:27:49 pm by SatAset »
I am the Goddess of Who I can Become. I mix the magic of the sorceress with the blade of a warrior. I walk the liminal pathways to see the face of the Goddess, both terrible and kind. As She stares back at me, I tremble in awe and ecstasy.  --SatAset

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #61 on: December 27, 2012, 12:43:06 am »
Quote from: EarthStar;86884
This has been my experience with the Christian God too; i've tried a few times over the years and never got anything. The Virgin Mary, on the other hand, has always been very comforting when i've needed her, which i found strange considering 'Gods' silence.

 
I never got much from Jehovah or Jesus, but I've had pretty decent working relationships with a number of saints in the past, especially Therese of Liseux.

The thing I persistently run into is that, no matter how badly I want to be one of those pagans who works with a single pantheon, I never actually get interaction with more than one or two deities in a pantheon. I work Odin but I couldn't get any feedback from Wayland when I started doing metalwork. I ended up working with Ilmarinen but I can't get more than crickets from Väinämöinen. I love Mara but Dievs isn't interested... *shrugs* I guess sometimes you're stuck being eclectic whether you like it or not.
Hail Mara, Lady of Good Things!
"The only way to cope with something deadly serious is to try to treat it a little lightly." -Madeleine L'Engle

Lynx

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #62 on: December 27, 2012, 10:31:09 am »
Quote from: SerpentineSorcerer;86639
The hellenic gods gave me an interesting feeling. They were very receptive, very respectful if you were respectful but knew what you wanted. But the sense I got was if you were of such and such occupation, or had such and such skills they wanted to see brought out...you were to offer to a specific deity/deities and get along with them. Which made it all the more interesting when it was Hecate who showed up and made it clear that she was here to stay.


You know, I am just now finding my way as a hard polytheist--before I was of the traditional Lord & Lady/every-god(dess)-is-a-reflection-of-the-one Wiccan belief system, but it never quite gelled with me. A goddess appeared to me once in meditation years ago, and I believed it was the overarching Wiccan goddess but I'm not so sure, as at the time she seemed to say that she was appearing to me in the form I was most comfortable with.

It's the hellenic gods that have truly embraced me as a follower, and I know EXACTLY what you mean about the specific occupation thing, though all were receptive to my announcement that I would worship Them.
 
Quote from: Shine;86645
I got the silent treatment, too. Seems to be somewhat common with the Christian god.


This is pretty much what I got from the Christian God. I am from a Christian family, though, and I think it's a respectful silence between us, as I will attend church for weddings and funerals, and I feel something there as a higher power, just not connected to me specifically. I acknowledge its presence in the church silently, and I believe that it--whether it be the Christian God or someone else--will respectfully acknowledge my right to be there to support my family as long as I don't take communion or say the prayers with everyone else.

So I guess other than the Christian god, I have never really experienced a rebuff, probably because I was never really "looking" for gods/goddesses to follow. I just accepted a male and female energy, and my path found me as I delved further into my studies.

Actually, I think it's still finding me.
My (mostly empty) spiritual blog: Writing In Color

Azra

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #63 on: December 27, 2012, 07:28:02 pm »
Quote from: Shine;86645
I got the silent treatment, too. Seems to be somewhat common with the Christian god.

 
Add me to the number who has gotten this treatment over the years.  

I went to a nearby church a while back with a friend.  I probably committed a serious faux pas but during the service, I opened up to get a sense of the deity they were worshiping and...nothing.  i could get a sense of the love and community of all the folk in that building but nothing else.  

I have to admit it was a little unsettling.  That, as if I needed more proof, told me I am not and would not be one of His, no matter what his flock says.
To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.  
 Friedrich Nietzsche

Egarwaen

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #64 on: December 27, 2012, 09:41:55 pm »
Quote from: Azra;87189
I went to a nearby church a while back with a friend.  I probably committed a serious faux pas but during the service, I opened up to get a sense of the deity they were worshiping and...nothing.  i could get a sense of the love and community of all the folk in that building but nothing else.

 
I have vague memories of church services when I was relatively young - early teens, through about 14 or 15 - where I definitely felt some kind of Presence paying attention. This was a fairly liberal, progressive church, so it wasn't really the kind of thing they emphasized either, but the services always had this feel of Something listening in. Even when I did readings, though, it never seemed to pay particular attention to me, and I never felt even the tenuous acknowledgement I usually get (I'm about as sensitive as your average brick) from offerings to Brigid or Manannan mac Lir.

Azra

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #65 on: December 28, 2012, 01:40:33 am »
Quote from: Egarwaen;87240
I have vague memories of church services when I was relatively young - early teens, through about 14 or 15 - where I definitely felt some kind of Presence paying attention. This was a fairly liberal, progressive church, so it wasn't really the kind of thing they emphasized either, but the services always had this feel of Something listening in. Even when I did readings, though, it never seemed to pay particular attention to me, and I never felt even the tenuous acknowledgement I usually get (I'm about as sensitive as your average brick) from offerings to Brigid or Manannan mac Lir.

 
Ah...well, I won't say I'm the most sensitive person on the block either but I have been in a few churches where there is definitely a Presence too.      

This church I went to the other day was definitely not a liberal or progressive.  Hellfire and brimstone for you if you're not one of us - but He loves you! for sure.  Even with all that, I would have thought I would have sensed something but no.  I guess it's already been decided where I'm going, in the eyes of that particular One.
To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.  
 Friedrich Nietzsche

Tana

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #66 on: December 28, 2012, 02:16:28 pm »
Quote from: Azra;87189

I went to a nearby church a while back with a friend.  I probably committed a serious faux pas but during the service, I opened up to get a sense of the deity they were worshiping and...nothing.  i could get a sense of the love and community of all the folk in that building but nothing else.


If this is of any comfort for you, churches felt always empty for me.
\'You had to repay, good or bad. There was more than one type of obligation.
That’s what people never really understood.….Things had to balance.
You couldn’t set out to be a good witch or a bad witch. It never worked out for long.
All you could try to be was a witch, as hard as you could.\'
Terry Pratchett \'Lords and Ladies\'

Confuzzled and proud. :p

Azra

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #67 on: December 28, 2012, 02:18:47 pm »
Quote from: Tana;87352
If this is of any comfort for you, churches felt always empty for me.

 
Thank you, Tana.
To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.  
 Friedrich Nietzsche

Cinder

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #68 on: April 20, 2017, 09:11:35 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;45486
I was talking with Bastemhet on one of my more recent blog entries about being "brutally rebuffed" by gods when you approach them. She mentioned that she's never heard an instance in which the netjeru have done this (and neither have I, actually). I've heard, however, that some of the other gods aren't quite as polite about things like this at times. So, with that in mind...

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

Some of these rebuffs may simply because I'm an impatient person at heart, and tend to move on to the next thing if one thing doesn't seem immediately right. However, here's what I have:

1: Yes, I feel like I definitely have.

2: Polite.

3:

Dionysos: When I was a baby pagan I loved Dionysos (still kind of do, in a distant way) and dedicated myself to Him. He never gave me the idea that He disliked or hated me, but divination and altar experiences led me to believe He was essentially saying "This is nice and all, but you're going in the wrong direction. This is not the path for you".

Odin: One of the deities I said "hi" to when I was having trouble IDing Manannan. It was a mix between nothing and a sort of unimpressed "wrong deity" vibe.

Djehuty: When I first gained interest in the Kemetic pantheon, I decided I should approach Djehuty because I enjoy reading and writing. My rituals for Him were complete disasters, full of many mistakes, and IIRC my first time talking to Him I broke down sobbing because Life (TM). :o

My theory is that He must've rolled His eyes slightly, and gone to wherever the gods talk to each other (coffee shop? bar?) and said: "This girl has been bothering me, and I'm not interested. If anybody else is, I'm sure she could use the help". Because not long after I approached Djehuty, I was approached by Heru-wer and Osiris.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2017, 09:12:03 pm by Cinder »

Pusheen

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #69 on: April 28, 2017, 09:06:40 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;45486
I was talking with Bastemhet on one of my more recent blog entries about being "brutally rebuffed" by gods when you approach them. She mentioned that she's never heard an instance in which the netjeru have done this (and neither have I, actually). I've heard, however, that some of the other gods aren't quite as polite about things like this at times. So, with that in mind...

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

 1. Yes
2. It was silence so... Polite
3. I was invoking La Mureta to protect someone else and what was received was nothing. Silence.
Devotee of Thor and a huge nerd

Dynes Hysbys

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #70 on: April 29, 2017, 08:29:01 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;45486
te about things like this at times. So, with that in mind...

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!


Yes - by Archangel Michael
The first time he was very nice but a definite "you have your own gods what are you doing here?"

I persevered but the second rejection was unequivocal.

Sobekemiti

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Re: How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?
« Reply #71 on: April 30, 2017, 05:25:58 am »
Quote from: SatSekhem;45486

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

 
1. Yes.

2. Polite mutual indifference, for the most part. One consistent case of The Snub.

3. This was at the beginning of my experiments with druidry about four or five years ago, and for whatever reason, decided to do an actual Imbolc rite to Brigid, rather than mod in something else. Nothing went wrong, and I didn't get any sense of anger or rejection. The response I got was something like 'It's nice you made the effort, but we're not your gods, so... Thanks? I guess?'

But then, I've never been particularly interested in the Celtic gods, though, so this response didn't bother me. And at least it confirmed for me that working with Celtic gods was probably going to be a pointless exercise for both of us, so that's always good to know.

Actually, I got a similar feeling from Allah when I prayed to Him for my Muslim friend for the first time (wtf you're not one of mine, why are you talking to me?), but since it's not about me, things are usually okay, and I always get the feeling I've been heard, and it's been left in His hands.

And yet, while I was raised Christian, all I've ever got from the Christian God and Jesus is radio silence. I tend to get the feeling that I'm being snubbed, that because I belong to other gods (Egyptian gods no less, the horror!), I'm not worth their time. And yet, I have a solid relationship with Mary, so. *throws hands up* I'll take what I can get.

I looked into Shinto for a while, too, out of an interest in Amaterasu, and when I thought about praying to Her or setting up any sort of shrine, She basically said, come back when you've done more study. And I got pulled in other directions, so that has never been fulfilled. But I've never ruled that path out yet, so maybe one day, it'll be the time to go back to Shinto.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

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