How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?

[Stardancer]

I have been rebuffed, in fact it was just this past Imbolc.  I was doing a guided meditation to speak to Brid, the first time it was more like mutual ignoring, not sure what to say to her and I got the impression that she hadn't anything to say to me.

My attempts at Imbolc rituals have usually ended up there - or a feeling of a very cold shoulder from Brigid. I've tried to tell myself that there are plenty of pagans out there who celebrate the festival without haveing any particular relationship to her, but it's not really working. I'm more getting the feeling that I should find something or someone else to focus the light-returning-feast on.

And it is significant - it's the first day of the year that the sun gets over the hill and into my living room, so I want to celebrate. But apparantly not with Brigid..

[SatSekhem]

My attempts at Imbolc rituals have usually ended up there - or a feeling of a very cold shoulder from Brigid. I've tried to tell myself that there are plenty of pagans out there who celebrate the festival without haveing any particular relationship to her, but it's not really working. I'm more getting the feeling that I should find something or someone else to focus the light-returning-feast on.

And it is significant - it's the first day of the year that the sun gets over the hill and into my living room, so I want to celebrate. But apparantly not with Brigid..

 
Is there a Norse equivalent? *clueless*

[Morag]

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. Yup.
2. Polite.
3. Sure. I was doing a ritual for Nut because of association with Her as another Lady of the Stars alongside Brighid. I wanted to deepen my LOTS understanding/worship/etc. I got a very clear "That's sweet, kid, but you are SO not mine." and then it felt like She was shooing me away.

I was hurt, but She was pretty dang gentle, and I got over it.

[Morag]

It could be that it's just a quiet period, or I was mistaken. How does one tell the difference?

 
I'm going to reiterate Satsekhem: patience.

There have been plenty of times in my relationship with Morrigan where She's been quiet, and I've wondered if She's left me. They're just fallow times in the relationship. I no longer wonder.

It's like with a friend who lives in another town. You call, email, etc, but there are periods where neither of you do so because you each get busy with your own stuff. And then you start chatting a lot again for a while. Or you fall out of contact and don't renew it again.

You'll know what's going on eventually.

[SunflowerP]

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!

 
It wasn't brutal, but it was very brusque.  Basically, about the time that the culturally-mixed bag of "deities I work with" was coalescing into a personal pantheon, and I was checking to make sure everyone was down with that development, The Old Woman With The Loom (I never had figured out a name for her) pretty much said, "Nope.  I've just been holding this place for someone else anyway; this is my cue to leave.  Don't bother calling."

Since she'd been in the picture for a good many years, I was taken aback.  But it mostly makes sense in the long run; I was being very stupid about the "someone else" - probably an "avoid the over-popular" reaction; at one time, to say one honored Inanna was pretty much code for saying "I'm a goddess-worshipping separatist".  I'm not the latter, so I was overlooking the former.  The one bit that I've never been able to make sense out of is why a probably-Germanic probably-Wyrd-related deity would spend that much time around someone she clearly had no interest in (me) as a favor to a Sumerian deity - but I figure it must be none of my beeswax and their private arrangement.  Just because they're not omni-omni-foo-foo doesn't mean they don't move in mysterious ways.

Sunflower

[SatSekhem]

...The one bit that I've never been able to make sense out of is why a probably-Germanic probably-Wyrd-related deity would spend that much time around someone she clearly had no interest in (me) as a favor to a Sumerian deity - but I figure it must be none of my beeswax and their private arrangement.  Just because they're not omni-omni-foo-foo doesn't mean they don't move in mysterious ways.

Sunflower

 
I've had similar thoughts about various gods. "Why would an Egyptian goddess tell me to check out a Lwa? And what kind of friendship do they have that they don't mind sharing an altar space?" Not quite the same as what you experienced, but similar.

I guess the gods work in mysterious ways.

[monsnoleedra]

.. The one bit that I've never been able to make sense out of is why a probably-Germanic probably-Wyrd-related deity would spend that much time around someone she clearly had no interest in (me) as a favor to a Sumerian deity - but I figure it must be none of my beeswax and their private arrangement.  Just because they're not omni-omni-foo-foo doesn't mean they don't move in mysterious ways.  Sunflower

Not entirely the same but for a short period of time I was the hollow bone for Kali for another person I knew.  Getting visions and other things meant for that person for me to convey or relay to while this was on going.

That person has since faded into the net and I no longer have exchanges with him but Kali still lingers about me.  She doesn't want me and I honestly think Hekate / Hecate is not willing to share me in that capacity with another chthonic goddess.  Yet it doesn't remove the fact I can sense and feel Kali's eyes upon me off and on.  Yet the moment I turn to face her (Kali) I get the sense I am not wanted nor desired but am simply a tool she once used and may use again if that person returns into my life pathway.  But beyond that its turn quickly and leave her (Kali) presence.

[SatSekhem]

Not entirely the same but for a short period of time I was the hollow bone for Kali for another person I knew.  Getting visions and other things meant for that person for me to convey or relay to while this was on going.

That person has since faded into the net and I no longer have exchanges with him but Kali still lingers about me.  She doesn't want me and I honestly think Hekate / Hecate is not willing to share me in that capacity with another chthonic goddess.  Yet it doesn't remove the fact I can sense and feel Kali's eyes upon me off and on.  Yet the moment I turn to face her (Kali) I get the sense I am not wanted nor desired but am simply a tool she once used and may use again if that person returns into my life pathway.  But beyond that its turn quickly and leave her (Kali) presence.

 
For a long time, I wanted to cultivate a relationship with Kali. She scares me. I've only ever wanted.

[monsnoleedra]

For a long time, I wanted to cultivate a relationship with Kali. She scares me. I've only ever wanted.

I tell ya if Hekate / Hecate had not been present when Kali came to me in a dream I probably would never have worked with her.  Hekate / Hecate told me she was allowing it as Kali was unable to get through to the person in question and I was close to him and could relay her thoughs.  I didn't ask why she couldn't and neither of them explained to me why I just took it on faith in that regard.

In just about every instance though I'd dream of Hekate / Hecate or have a pressing sense of her presence prior to Kali doing anything.  Might be for just a second or longer depending upon what was to be conveyed, but it always started Hekate / Hecate then Kali.  I do know the person in question was so busy guessing at what Kali was trying to say that he closed her off in realility to what she was trying to pass to him.  In essence he couldn't see or hear her because he closed off everything trying to see and hear her.

[Aynfean]

I'm going to reiterate Satsekhem: patience.

There have been plenty of times in my relationship with Morrigan where She's been quiet, and I've wondered if She's left me. They're just fallow times in the relationship. I no longer wonder.

It's like with a friend who lives in another town. You call, email, etc, but there are periods where neither of you do so because you each get busy with your own stuff. And then you start chatting a lot again for a while. Or you fall out of contact and don't renew it again.

You'll know what's going on eventually.

 
Thanks Morag. At first I was so sure I was hers, then stupid all-knowing-jerkfaces of the interwebz showed up with some seriously harsh comments that planted a seed of doubt. Now, as she is quiet, it's growing a little. That said I had a raven outside my bedroom window this morning. I guess we shall wait and see.

[veggiewolf]

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

Yes.

2. Was it polite or impolite?

It was...civil.

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

Sure.  Last year I was railing at the fact that so many people were seeing Brighid as Lady of the Stars, while I was getting Nut.  I couldn't figure it out, so I approached Brighid in an attempt to get to know Her better.  She rebuffed me with civility but made it clear that She and I will not have a personal relationship.

It bothered me until I realized that, for me, a relationship with Nut made more sense.

[Auress]

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!

I think all of them have basically said, "Thanks, but I'm not interested."

I've been involved in paganism for almost 18 years, now. In that amount of time, I've put out numerous requests and feelers to almost every deity, and even all deities at once. Trying to find a taker. Not one time have I ever had a response.

It's part of why I border on atheism because I need something unmistakable and I doubt that's going to happen.

So, yeah. All of them have.

I wouldn't view it as either polite or impolite, they just either aren't out there or they aren't interested.

[SatSekhem]

I think all of them have basically said, "Thanks, but I'm not interested."

I've been involved in paganism for almost 18 years, now. In that amount of time, I've put out numerous requests and feelers to almost every deity, and even all deities at once. Trying to find a taker. Not one time have I ever had a response.

It's part of why I border on atheism because I need something unmistakable and I doubt that's going to happen.

So, yeah. All of them have.

I wouldn't view it as either polite or impolite, they just either aren't out there or they aren't interested.

 
I'm sorry you feel that way! ((Vermillion))

[spoOk]

I'm sorry you feel that way! ((Vermillion))

 
not entirely a complete rebuff,but I am continually denied contact with hekate when I try in the format of meditation or dreams.
I get replies and obvious answers very quickly with my tarot cards during ritual,but any attempts in the other formats and I get nothing....not even a regular run of the mill dream. and in fact....my fiancé wakes up rambling about the weird dreams he has had.
I've tried to see if anything in his dreams could corelate to a hekate related thing but alas.
I am still up in the air with how to deal with the eshu/legba situation.
I got alot of flack from the rest of my gang when I tried to throw them into the mix and have since dropped the efforts in favour of a wait and see and feel things out approach.
part of the problem comes from the fact that all my regular deity dealings have been at night in the dark.
eshu and legba (separately or as one-when I asked the myself they told me loudly "pshaw! why do you listen to them?! your getting it right as it needs to be on your own"- because I definately feel the two are one entity for me but with like two sides.) are drastically different energies than I'm used to dealing with,overtly male,hot,warm,day time creatures.....so it's a bit of a bumpy road for me. whenever I try to deal with them by the book....it falls apart and doesn't work.....when I do things intuitively or by following the random urges...I get good results.

anyhow....I went all over the place but my on topic reply is in there somewhere.

[Auress]

I'm sorry you feel that way! ((Vermillion))

I try to remain optimistic. But, I have a real problem with the faith thing.