{"id":19825,"date":"2020-08-30T03:00:55","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T09:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?p=19825"},"modified":"2020-08-29T12:35:38","modified_gmt":"2020-08-29T18:35:38","slug":"validating-upg-augury-and-offering-blood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2020\/08\/validating-upg-augury-and-offering-blood.html","title":{"rendered":"Validating UPG, Augury, and Offering Blood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Questions for this round of Conversations Under the Oaks fell into two general categories. In this post, we\u2019ll deal with questions around polytheist beliefs and practices.<\/p>\n

I used names where I have explicit permission. Questions have been edited for length and for clarity.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve read in your posts, when you receive a message from a deity, you usually check it with Tarot to be surer of its meaning. What I\u2019d like to know is if you use a particular Tarot spread, because I don\u2019t know which one to choose.<\/h3>\n

It depends on the situation.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s something where I\u2019m emotionally involved, I\u2019m mainly looking for confirmation. I recognize the Morrigan\u2019s voice, but I want to be absolutely sure this is Her and not me telling myself what I want to hear \u2013 or what I\u2019m afraid of hearing. In this case I\u2019ll usually do a three-card draw. If what I get confirms the message (and it almost always does) I know I\u2019m good with proceeding.<\/p>\n

If the message isn\u2019t clear, then I\u2019ll do a larger spread. Usually this means five cards. When I do this I don\u2019t assign meanings to the positions. I\u2019m looking at the images (and not<\/em> looking up meanings in a book) looking for themes, patterns, and trends. I\u2019m looking for a story in the pictures.<\/p>\n

If the message comes out of the blue, then I\u2019m likely to do a full reading. For that I use the Celtic Cross. I\u2019ve seen some prominent readers running it down, but it works for me, so I use it. I\u2019ve found the Celtic Cross does a really good job of explaining a situation, and of showing what the journey forward will be like. It\u2019s not so good at answering simple questions, or at telling you which option will be best for you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u201cYou\u2019re making this harder than it has to be. Just move forward.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How do you figure out what offerings are appropriate for a given deity?<\/h3>\n

We can look at what was offered in ancient times, and we can look at what contemporary priests and devotees are offering.<\/p>\n

There are certain deities who want very specific offerings, at least some of the time. But in most cases, what you offer is less important than how you offer it. Where people get into trouble is offering cheap stuff and keeping the good stuff for themselves. Or offering things that harm the land, like burning plastic or leaving non-biodegradable objects in the wild.<\/p>\n

People also get into trouble making offerings disrespectfully. Offer the first sip of your drink, not the last sip you weren\u2019t going to drink anyway. Take the time to include a brief prayer \u2013 \u201cpour and run\u201d isn\u2019t much of an offering.<\/p>\n

Give some thought to what you offer. Is there something in this deity\u2019s mythology that would indicate something might be especially good, or especially bad? If in doubt, do divination.<\/p>\n

Occasionally I\u2019m told to make a specific offering<\/a>. On several occasions I\u2019ve been told \u201cI\u2019ll drink what you drink.\u201d Most times, though, the deities I worship just want me to make the offering and make it respectfully.<\/p>\n

How many household shrines\/altars is too many? I\u2019m up to three and counting.<\/h3>\n

You should have as many shrines and altars as you need and as many as you can keep up, and no more.<\/p>\n

I have my main altar\/shrine where I honor the five deities with whom I have long-term relationships \u2013 I pray there most nights. I usually make offerings in outdoor places that are at least partially between the worlds. Not sure if that\u2019s a separate shrine or an extension of the main physical one.<\/p>\n

I have an ancestor shrine \u2013 I make offerings there weekly. And this year I\u2019ve added another shrine for the deities whose statues I have but who I don\u2019t work with on a regular basis\u2026 though just having that shrine has pushed me to honor those deities more frequently.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself neglecting a shrine or altar, perhaps you need to close it or consolidate it with another (if that\u2019s possible). But as long as they\u2019re active? No such thing as too many.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Kim Blair asks \u201cwhen is a crow just a crow?\u201d<\/h3>\n

A meme I see occasionally says \u201cone crow is Apollo, two is Odin, three is the Morrigan, and four means somebody dropped a pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crows, other animals, and other natural phenomena do their own things for their own reasons. They are persons, not things, and they not here to be our oracles or to be the messengers of the Gods. People who lived closer to the land were around crows and other wild animals enough to recognize when they were behaving normally and when they weren\u2019t. You can\u2019t perform augury if you don\u2019t know what\u2019s ordinary animal behavior.<\/p>\n

Crows are often associated with the Morrigan, but that doesn\u2019t mean every crow you see is the Great Queen trying to get your attention. Now, if you see crows doing things crows just don\u2019t do, you probably should pay attention. And if you see crows and you also get an intuition that it\u2019s something more, you should really pay attention.<\/p>\n

A year ago I saw three different rabbits behaving in ways that were ordinary enough, but the combination struck me as more<\/em>. And it was<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When is a crow just a crow doing crow things? Most of the time. How can you tell the difference? It takes lots of practice, and it starts with learning to recognize ordinary animal presence and behavior.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on using one\u2019s own blood in offerings to the Gods, spell work, and rituals?<\/h3>\n

Blood is powerful \u2013 that makes it very useful in religious and magical workings. It\u2019s also a powerful connection to you \u2013 it\u2019s like your Social Security number, your phone number, and your date of birth, all in one. That makes it very dangerous.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve offered my blood to a deity on a very few occasions. There was a good reason for it, and it was to a deity to whom I was oathed \u2013 there was already a high level of trust involved. I\u2019ve facilitated rituals where people sealed an oath with their blood. My experiences have been positive, and if any of the others have had any problems, I haven\u2019t heard about them (and it\u2019s likely that I would).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never used blood in a magical working and I would be very reluctant to do so. My desire to make use of the power in blood is outweighed by my desire to insure that other persons<\/em> not have such a clear and direct connection to me.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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