The Temple of Testosterone and other unconventional houses of worship

[Ashmire]

Wait, did I miss something? I started the thread by describing how the gym felt like it was akin to a devotional setting like a temple...so why would exercise being spiritual fall outside the scope of the thread?

You missed the fact that I'm predominantly worshipping Health deities, specifically including the apotheosis of someone who could arguably be considered the Ultimate Gym Rat( or at least a fairly intense example thereof), and the thread was about mundane things that feel spiritual without being inherently part of your practice.    So it goes a bit beyond being "almost" spiritual, because for me it's pretty integral to my practice.

[Morag]

I think the problem with other kinds of ritual (for me) is that it's all essentially theater, but it's often not *good* theater, so it falls flat for me.

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The same is true for me, which is why the better rituals I've been part of include other folks with a theatre background -- people who know what they're doing. Not all of them, but enough to make up for the shortcomings of the folks who don't know what they're doing.

Add in that the people who don't know performance and theatre as well often are quite good at channelling whatever energies they're there to channel, and the experience comes pretty close to a really good show.

You know, thinking more about it now...I think this is the main reason the Aquarian Tabernacle Church has been the group I've kept coming back to and continued to feel most aligned with, even in my stubbornly solitary state. (The natural size of a coven is one.)

Not everyone in ATC has a theatre background, no, but enough people involved at the higher levels do -- for example, the Archpriestess of ATC Canada has worked in theatre for years, and the theatre at which she works pivoted to livestreaming performances in light of the pandemic, so that means that she's been able to help guide the Mother Church through making the festivals and rituals digital while we weather Covid.

(She's not the only influence within the church that has helped so much with this, of course, but the one I know the most about because she's also a dear friend of mine.)

I might not be on the same page beliefs-wise with most of the people in the ATC, but holy hell can they put on a ritual performance that is deeply moving -- even online with webcams and technical difficulties. 

[Aster Breo]

You know, thinking more about it now...I think this is the main reason the Aquarian Tabernacle Church has been the group I've kept coming back to and continued to feel most aligned with, even in my stubbornly solitary state. (The natural size of a coven is one.)

That's really interesting. I'll check them out. I doubt I'd be compatible, but it's worth looking into.

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