{"id":991,"date":"2016-10-24T15:39:22","date_gmt":"2016-10-24T05:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/hearthwitchdownunder\/?p=991"},"modified":"2018-01-24T13:32:09","modified_gmt":"2018-01-24T03:32:09","slug":"how-far-would-you-go-for-the-gods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/hearthwitchdownunder\/2016\/10\/how-far-would-you-go-for-the-gods.html","title":{"rendered":"How Far Would You Go For The Gods?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In my previous post<\/a> I spoke of how I love to read posts by other people that make me go, \u201cNo I can\u2019t do that!\u201d But I never explained why I like those posts so much.\u00a0 The answer is simple, and maybe a little complex at the same time.<\/p>\n

I like to read about the things others do or want to do, that I can\u2019t do, because it makes me face up to myself.\u00a0 It makes me think about the depths of my devotion within my religion.\u00a0 And I think these are important things for us to think about.<\/p>\n

If we are going to be religious and worship Gods who may just ask things of us, we should be willing to look deep into ourselves and see our own limits.\u00a0 How far would we go?\u00a0 What are the lines we will not or cannot cross?\u00a0 When do we need to say \u201cNo!\u201d to Them, for our own sakes?\u00a0 And when are we just being wilful or silly about it?<\/p>\n

This questioning and searching of ourselves isn\u2019t about judgement, it isn\u2019t about comparison \u2013 none of that, \u201cthey\u2019re a better Pagan\/Polytheist than I am\u201d silliness.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t about seeing if you are truly devoted (though that is important of course), this is about being honest with yourself, being honest with the Gods and also keeping yourself safe.<\/p>\n

\"How
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son. Public domain via wikimedia commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Question the Gods<\/h2>\n

Some of the things we might be asked to do, and have limits for, might be very simple and seem not dangerous at all.\u00a0 One of the posts that prompted this one here was by PSVL a couple months ago<\/a> (yes, this post has been on the burner for that long) \u2013 in that post PSVL was discussing, among other things, whether they should be asking seemingly silly questions of the Gods.\u00a0 Things like, what colour underwear should I\/shouldn\u2019t I wear?<\/p>\n

Doesn\u2019t seem important right? I agree, and yet I can also see that there could be times where it might matter.\u00a0 We need to remember who and what the Gods are and what They can do.\u00a0 For example, some can see the future.\u00a0 So what if a deity could see what your day holds and They can see that if you wear red underwear some creep will catch a glimpse and become dangerously obsessed with you in that moment.\u00a0 Leading to an atrocity happening to you later that day.<\/p>\n

Would you pay attention then?\u00a0 I would.\u00a0 But I have to admit, when it comes to something like the colour of my underwear, it would need to be that\u00a0good a reason They are making demands like that.\u00a0 Because, \u201cI like blue better\u201d just isn\u2019t good enough for me.<\/p>\n

So, in my opinion, reasons matter and it\u2019s important to ask questions.\u00a0 I personally am one of those, \u201cMany Gods, no masters\u201d polytheists, that\u2019s who I am and I won\u2019t pretend otherwise.\u00a0 So yes, I will question what is asked of me, because I still claim final authority over myself \u2013 even if I turn out to be wrong.\u00a0 Others don\u2019t question, and that is fine.\u00a0 But sometimes it might be worth questioning.\u00a0 Yourself, and the ones asking things of you.<\/p>\n

Question Yourself<\/h2>\n

In that previous post of mine I spoke of Galinas aspiration regarding prayer for hours a day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI read that and imagined myself doing that and\u2026 immediately felt exhausted.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t do it.\u00a0 Not that, no way.\u00a0 It\u2019s too much.<\/p>\n

For me.\u00a0 Because I know myself.\u00a0 I am able to recognise, usually, what my limits are \u2013 my strengths and weaknesses.\u00a0 I can imagine myself doing what Galina wants to do, I can imagine how amazing her goal is and I can recognise that if I were to try it \u2013 it wouldn\u2019t be so amazing, because I would be doing it.\u00a0 It would not be amazing because I know, at some point, I would feel more obligated and less awed by it.\u00a0 It would begin to feel like a chore, that I might come to hate.\u00a0 For me, that level of devotion would be bad.\u00a0 I could wish otherwise \u2013 but I know the truth of myself.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a good reason to question yourself, and indeed your own motives.\u00a0 One could look at the idea of praying or doing other devotional activities for hours each day and think, that\u2019s how a real polytheist\/Pagan does it.\u00a0 I must do it too!\u00a0 One could think that and thus try to do it and then end up exactly where I said I would end up.\u00a0 In a position of hating your religion and by extension, the Gods you are trying so hard to please.<\/p>\n

Recognising this sort of limit is very important.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t see your limits in this area, you risk losing everything.\u00a0 Question yourself, find your limits, find your lines.<\/p>\n

The Gods Aren\u2019t Always Nice<\/h2>\n

The Abrahamic God does not have the monopoly on cruelty.\u00a0 The Gods, They can be nice and helpful especially if you are so to Them \u2013 but They don\u2019t often have our best interests at heart for our own sakes.\u00a0 They have Their own agenda.\u00a0 We can see this in mythology and lore.\u00a0 Zeus thinks Prometheus is playing a trick on us, with that Ox sacrifice.\u00a0 Zeus takes fire from us, gives Pandora to us.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t always love us.<\/p>\n

And that means They have, They do, They will ask things of us that are not in our best interest but are in fact in Their best interests.\u00a0 If you are okay with providing that sort of devotion, more power to you.\u00a0 But I suspect a large majority of us just aren\u2019t.\u00a0 Why? Because we are egocentric humans.\u00a0 And that\u2019s okay too.\u00a0 We each have our roles to play.<\/p>\n

But you need to know which side you fall down on \u2013 are you doing Their will for Them, or Their will for you?\u00a0 If it\u2019s for you, then you know your line \u2013 cutting off your own tongue<\/a>, probably off the table until after\u00a0Kali has granted your wishes.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So how far would you go for the Gods?<\/em><\/p>\n

Would you wear Their preferred coloured underwear?<\/p>\n

Would you pray for hours every day?<\/p>\n

Would you cut off your tongue?<\/p>\n

Would you kill for Them? Die for Them?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Personally, it\u2019s a mixture.\u00a0 I do things for Their sakes and for my own.\u00a0 If They demand something of me, it doesn\u2019t necessarily need to be in my best interest, but it cannot be to my detriment.\u00a0 So I question, I question Them and I question myself.\u00a0 And then I make my choice.\u00a0 But I know one thing for sure.<\/p>\n

My tongue stays right where it is.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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