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Author Topic: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy  (Read 2548 times)

Rinkelle

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Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« on: October 12, 2013, 02:46:11 am »
This seems like an odd thing to ask, but I'm really struggling with it; I can't tell if the Deities I believe have chosen me really did choose me, or if I'm just projecting my desires onto Them.

I've tried meditating on it but I can't seem to figure out if I'm just making it all up and picking-and-choosing what I want (being so new to this, it wouldn't surprise me) or if I really was chosen.

Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?

stephyjh

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2013, 02:58:29 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011
This seems like an odd thing to ask, but I'm really struggling with it; I can't tell if the Deities I believe have chosen me really did choose me, or if I'm just projecting my desires onto Them.

I've tried meditating on it but I can't seem to figure out if I'm just making it all up and picking-and-choosing what I want (being so new to this, it wouldn't surprise me) or if I really was chosen.

Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?

 
Give it time, patience, study, and prayer. You don't have to have a relationship with the gods straight off the bat. Most people never have it, and let me tell you, being godbothered isn't all it's cracked up to be. I've had the gods butt into my love life, my job selection, even my craft projects, demanding everything from charity work to tattoos. It's a rewarding relationship, but if they take an active interest in you, they will drive you NUTS until you develop clear boundaries. Don't feel pressured to have the godphone in your head ringing off the hook if that's not what's going on at the moment.  Like I said, time, patience, study, and prayer. Read ALL THE THINGS, especially as it pertains to your path and the gods to whom you feel drawn/called. Know what you're getting into, because it's not something you're going to have to commit to right away.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

Liadine (dragonflyeyes)

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2013, 10:24:02 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011
This seems like an odd thing to ask, but I'm really struggling with it; I can't tell if the Deities I believe have chosen me really did choose me, or if I'm just projecting my desires onto Them.

I've tried meditating on it but I can't seem to figure out if I'm just making it all up and picking-and-choosing what I want (being so new to this, it wouldn't surprise me) or if I really was chosen.

Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?


I used to struggle with this a lot, even after having some tectonic shift experiences. After all, they could have been just my imagination/reading too much into things/being crazy/something misfiring hard in my brain... you get the picture. I've pretty much resolved it into "well, if I'm wrong then I'm crazy, but if it's just crazy then I'd be really surprised, and it's making my life better, so let's go with 'I'm right about this' and move on". It took a lot of time to get to that perspective, so I second what stephyjh said.

Another perspective to take is that even if you weren't called by specific deities, it's unlikely that they'll take offense if you work to build a relationship with them. In that case, it doesn't matter if they called you; it's hard to go wrong by treating them with honour, doing their works, and whatever else you feel called to do.
We owe it to each other to tell stories [Neil Gaiman]
night's a good herd [my religious tumblr]

Fionnbharr

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2013, 10:41:15 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011
Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?


The mind is kind of like the sea, when it is calm it is far easier to navigate, so just take it easy and let your answer come to you in their own time. Until they come, I think the thing you should ask yourself is whether or whether not your practice (or what you call it) enhances your everyday. If the answer is yes, does it then matter whether it is what you call reality or fantasy. Just a thoughts...
Grief and sorrow grows on the far banks of the river Styx, go there and visit them and you might not find your own way back home. - Achilles

Tana

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2013, 01:20:41 pm »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011
This seems like an odd thing to ask, but I'm really struggling with it; I can't tell if the Deities I believe have chosen me really did choose me, or if I'm just projecting my desires onto Them.

I've tried meditating on it but I can't seem to figure out if I'm just making it all up and picking-and-choosing what I want (being so new to this, it wouldn't surprise me) or if I really was chosen.

Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?


Now that is a totally sensible question imo.

And that you ask it, shows that you think about stuff and that is a very good thing. People falling victim to the so-called 'snowflake' syndrom usually don't bother to wonder about, if the perceptions they have are real. ;)

Like it has been said: time and experience will help you to tell. And even with years of experience under my belt, I am sometimes asking myself the very same questions. ;)

What I would recommend is, don't dwell on it and do things, you will only learn by doing and maybe realisation and Oh! moments will come along. They often do.

May I ask who the gods in question are?
\'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

Laveth

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2013, 01:39:22 pm »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011
This seems like an odd thing to ask, but I'm really struggling with it; I can't tell if the Deities I believe have chosen me really did choose me, or if I'm just projecting my desires onto Them.

 
Disclaimer: I am sick and loopy and on Dayquil (again), so if what I say makes no sense, please disregard.


I always found the word 'chosen' to be a very ambiguous term. Chosen for something? Chosen because they like you? Chosen because you fit a particular dynamic? Or chosen to be the one and only savior of some group?

That being said, even if you were 'chosen' you may never really know why. But it is definitely worth doing the initial explorations of whatever it was that chose you, read into the background, investigate the practices or philosophies, and see where it all takes you. :)

Rinkelle

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2013, 11:23:51 pm »
Thank you all so much for your help. I'll do as suggested and just let the answers I seek come to me with time.

Quote from: Tana;125097

May I ask who the gods in question are?

 
Cernunnos, Brigid, and Epona, to answer your question.

Thanks again so much for all your help everyone, it really means a lot to me that you'd all take the time to help me.

stephyjh

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2013, 11:27:53 pm »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125154
Thank you all so much for your help. I'll do as suggested and just let the answers I seek come to me with time.


 
Cernunnos, Brigid, and Epona, to answer your question.

Thanks again so much for all your help everyone, it really means a lot to me that you'd all take the time to help me.

 
My personal experience with Brighid is that she recruits people for whom she has work, and she's not going to be terribly fussed over whether you develop a relationship right away, if you're doing the work. She's patient, or at least, she's been *very* patient with me.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

Tana

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2013, 05:37:37 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125154

Cernunnos, Brigid, and Epona, to answer your question.


Cernunnos will make himself and his presence known with a very distinct energy. You'll know it, when you feel it. ;)

Also he is quite patient and will wait for you to get 'there', then he might ask you to do some work for him.
\'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

Rinkelle

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2013, 12:20:07 am »
Quote from: stephyjh;125155
My personal experience with Brighid is that she recruits people for whom she has work, and she's not going to be terribly fussed over whether you develop a relationship right away, if you're doing the work. She's patient, or at least, she's been *very* patient with me.

 
Quote from: Tana;125181
Cernunnos will make himself and his presence known with a very distinct energy. You'll know it, when you feel it. ;)

Also he is quite patient and will wait for you to get 'there', then he might ask you to do some work for him.

 
That's certainly reassuring. I hope that if I have been chosen they're as patient with me (though I did have an odd dream last night where I tried doing 'work' and was strictly told not to because I'm not ready for the 'work' yet, so maybe someone was speaking to me?).

Tana

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2013, 05:37:44 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125373
That's certainly reassuring. I hope that if I have been chosen they're as patient with me (though I did have an odd dream last night where I tried doing 'work' and was strictly told not to because I'm not ready for the 'work' yet, so maybe someone was speaking to me?).

 
That could very well be the case.
You know time is not a factor for them. I started to feel like a long-term project at some point. ;) They might even think with us in the ways of lifetimes. It doesn't matter to them, I guess.
\'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

Medulla

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2013, 07:09:19 am »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011

Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers? Or is there some form of divination I should try to tell the two apart? Or should I just let the issue solve itself with time and patience?

 
I don't think that everyone gets chosen by deities in a way that is obvious to them. You have all these stories about people who get many hints and signs but also many people who didn't get any clear ones, not at first at least.

If you had that dream maybe you need to do more research first. Find out all the information you need and assess what you really want to do. Even if it wasn't a sign from a deity it might be your subconscious mind telling you something.

I also think it's important to not overthink. Whenever you feel you're finally ready, start with something small. In most cases I don't think it's wrong for you to start out with simple first contact forms of devotion instead of immediately pledging to worship them forever or anything like that. Doing something basic and waiting to see what reply you end up receiving, if any, may be a good first step.

Another thing that's helped me in the past was to see if I had any very strong impulses to worship any deities or any weird coincidences happening. A good piece of advice I got shortly after I started out when I had a question similar to yours was to casually wait for unmistakable signs in my surroundings.

Materialist

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2013, 03:27:13 pm »
Quote from: Rinkelle;125011

I've tried meditating on it but I can't seem to figure out if I'm just making it all up and picking-and-choosing what I want  or if I really was chosen.
Should I meditate on it more, or pray to them for answers?


Deliberately picking a deity to worship is fine. What might be helpful to meditate on is if the deities you mentioned meet the needs of your life. If you did worship them, what would they do for you? How can they help with what's going on in your life?

Rinkelle

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Re: Discerning between Reality and Fantasy
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2013, 02:06:03 am »
Quote from: Materialist;125481
Deliberately picking a deity to worship is fine. What might be helpful to meditate on is if the deities you mentioned meet the needs of your life. If you did worship them, what would they do for you? How can they help with what's going on in your life?

 
Oh, that's good advice. I'll definitely ponder that (sounds pretty important in regards to worshiping a specific deity).

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