The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

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I...think I have been rebuffed (multiple times, might I add) when I really think about it. By Lucifer of all beings. Whenever I tried, I just kept getting silence that made me think "Hm. Maybe I shouldn't honor him...". I must've been annoying because I kept trying (until I eventually gave up, I guess). If so...at least he didn't chew me out?

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?

Yes.

2. Was it polite or impolite?

In addition to complete silence, I have got polite "Well wasn't that nice, but you really shouldn't have." (I don't remember from which Goddess), "Sweet of you - run along now, child." (Djehuty), but also anything but polite "Piss off!".

3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

 
Since the polite "no thanks" aren't that interesting, I'll tell about the impolite ones. :p

So, being Finnish and living in Finland, I thought it might be a good idea to try and honour Finnish gods. I read up, go through studies, read collected poems and whatnot. I use this knowledge to write up what I'm going to say to what Gods and Goddesses and do and finally head off to the woods.

So far so good. I begin my ritual and everything gets odd. Doing offerings doesn't work, as I can't really get anything open, candle flames get blown off - after I've struggled to get them lit AND everything I say comes out all wrong, like my brain's being messed with. I stopped and offered my apologies for bothering the deities (found my ability to speak properly at that point)... After that, I started over with a generalized ritual without any kind of addressing of the Finns.  

Fast forward a couple of years.

Not having learned my lesson, I decided to try and contact Ukko.  Safely at home, this time. :  Well, having dogs means they need to be walked, so I take the Pharaoh I had then and head out. We get far enough to be on a path between fields, when I notice signs of a rain storm approaching. "It's still just signs of a storm, but better turn so we won't get wet", I think. WRONG. The storm rode towards us fast as heck and soon we're running down the path with rain starting to beat our backs and soon I hear thunder and see lightnings behind us.

Not good, not at all! To get home, we have to run under power lines and when you're practically chased by lighting, it really doesn't feel like a good idea to go under them. Not that it feels like a good idea to be out in the open either, but you get my point. Taking a chance I and the poor dog run a bit faster to get the going under the power lines done and over with, when CRASH-BOOM! A lightning strikes the power lines directly above our heads! We both duck and I feel like every single pore in my body had opened at the same time, pushing sweat out. The lightnings took it much easier after that and we got home quite shaken, but safe.

I do count that experience as a quite clear "Piss off!" from a deity. :

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!

A couple of years ago I attended a group ritual in which we tried to invoke Freja. She came, laughed at us and then vanished. We must have been completly ridiculous... :whis:

:eek:
I think it is save to say, you translated that one properly. :

 
You don't say! :p I have to say, at the moment of the lightning striking, I did really have a fear of a god in me!

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!

When I first started out I did a whole probing of which gods I was drawn to. The Celtic gods flat out gave me the brush off, like I was that creepy guest who crashes the party. I meant no disrespect but it was a clear sign of "No Vacancy". During that time I just followed my nose. I had a number of native american spirits come through who would share with me some lessons on humility and to concern my self with my living life. So I left any considering of the gods alone for a time.


 Then there was that time period where I started reading about runes and my germanic heritage. That's when Wotan showed up and gave me a very paternal "Son, you're on the right path but this isn't your stop." and set me back on my path. IT was during this time I had encounter with Lillith (not in her child-devouring lamastu form, but more of the chthonic, independent woman/patron saint of feminist issues form she's been giving in the contemporary age) which was interesting and she put the bug in my ear to get back to what I always felt a home in.

Then shortly thereafter I got a kick in the pants by the Netjeru of "Come home boy! Quit wandering in the desert and return to where you've always belonged". So yeah, I got a major sign of thwapping because I hadn't come home and hadn't seen the very obvious signs they'd been putting out that said "You are our child". The only other gods who've given me such a potently strong feeling/sign of me being theirs are the Katsina spirits of the Hopi, which is part of my heritage (their welcoming was that of "you are of our people, our blood. Your heritage comes from here, and here you have returned and we welcome you wayward child").

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.


But the one god that gave me the no apologies "git off mah lawn!" treatment was the Christian god. Even before I was confirmed polytheist, I got the silent treatment then the "you're not of my flock, have nothing to do with me". It was a sobering experience when you're first starting to explore religion. However it did open my eyes to a few other revelations from other entities in my exploring of christian religion (the whole realisation of what angels really were and whom they actually served)
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I got the silent treatment, too. Seems to be somewhat common with the Christian god.

Well, yeah. I didn't even think of listing him, as at the time when I did my "hullo, anybody there?" I was about seven. : Anyway, the monotheistic ways haven't ever given me any kind of "this way!" vibe, quite the opposite.

Well, yeah. I didn't even think of listing him, as at the time when I did my "hullo, anybody there?" I was about seven. : Anyway, the monotheistic ways haven't ever given me any kind of "this way!" vibe, quite the opposite.

 

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.

A sort of 'I am here while you are here but we won't have much to do with each other' insignia.

 
This is what I get from Him all the time.  I've never gotten "why are you here."  Then again, I'm usually there because the church is the venue for our concert, and our chorus often sings music that is relevant to His followers.