Reading blogs and reading my own email and sometimes even the comments on my blogs, I realize that it is difficult for us to leave behind the concepts of deity that we are surrounded with in this society. I am talking about the role of the minister, rabbi, imam, priest, preacher.....and unfortunately the perceived role of the high priest or high priestess.
Do you still, sometimes, think of your deities as being 'over there' or 'out there' or 'up there' and they speak to an intermediary who will tell you what they said?
This is one reason I left Christianity.
I speak to my goddess.
I speak to the elements.
I speak to the spirits of the land
I speak to my spirit guides
and
THEY SPEAK TO ME.
If some little voice inside your head is right now going ....yeah-but....please take a deep breath, tell yourself out loud that you do not need anyone to speak to deity for you and say something out loud to the deity or element of your choice.
We are so conditioned to believe that someone else may speak to deity, but we, individually, do not. People with tin foil hats might speak to deity (or aliens) but we do not. Ministers and other clergy who are somehow morally superior may speak to deity but we do not. The high priestess may speak to deity, but we do not. We can grovel and beg and pray, but we do not converse.
Please leave that thinking in the closet where it belongs. If you want to have a personal relationship with deity, spirits, ancestors, elements or anyone else, you can do it. It is not weird, you are not crazy and there are no special requirements.
I found a book that can help you along this path, if you are interested but still skeptical or hesitant. Michelle Skye's book Goddess Alive is primarily a series of guided meditations and rituals to help you connect with deity. She focuses on the Celtic and Norse goddesses and their associations with sabbats and esbats. I recommend that you check this book out, it might be available at your public library. If a different pantheon is calling to you, this might still be helpful in showing you how to research and write your own meditations and rituals to connect to a particular deity. If you are seeking Celtic or Norse goddesses then she has done the hard work for you.
If you decide to use this book, please let me know what you think and whether or not it helped you.
I completely agree. In fact, I would be deeply suspicious of anyone on ANY spiritual path who told me that they could "connect" me to the Divine better than I could do so myself. No intermediary is EVER necessary.
ReplyDeleteI agree too. And ditto to what Debra said. I think the Gods and Goddesses hear, listen and speak to us directly all the time. Whether or not we hear, listen and speak back is completely different. Some people are afraid to believe that the little voice they hear guiding them is deity coming to them directly. They have been told all their lives that you NEED these other people to intercede. I say rubbish. I feel that the main purpose of having a high priest or priestess is to have an experienced leader to provide guidance to those who have little to none in a group setting. But what do I know, I am solitary anyhow. :P
ReplyDeleteI've purchased this book, but haven't read it yet. I'm taking it down from the bookshelf now and starting it right away - thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree and I've never thought otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this book recommendation. My chosen pantheon is primarily Celtic, but I also have an affinity for the Greek as well.
Off to add it to my Amazon cart! :D
)O(
boo