There are a couple of books that I am (sort of) currently reading that were at least in part channelled (either from a divine or semi-divine entity). Since I am not completely sold on channelling, I am wrestling with how I should value these works. If, in fact, they weren’t channelled at all (that is, the author consciously wrote the works themselves), are they worthless? Or what if the works are more of a super- or sub-conscious channelling on the part of the author, rather than coming from another entity? Without knowing the author personally, how are we to know?…
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I’ve been feeling a bit spiritually empty lately. It is not that I am dissatisfied with my religion, but more that I am unhappy with how I practise it (or, more accurately, how I don’t). It pretty much comes down to the fact that being a mom is difficult. The Baby Man is nearly nine months old, and far from being self sufficient. (Although he can hold his bottle now, so that’s a start.) So, while he is awake, everything revolves around him. Sure, I can get in some knitting or cross stitching once in a while, while he is…
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Along the same lines of yesterday’s post is this video featuring James Randi, magician and skeptic extraordinaire. He as made it his life’s work to expose fraudulent “magical” practises. In the video below, he looks at how Uri Geller’s (psychic and Michael Jackson confidante) demonstrations can easily be duplicated by trickery. He also shows how Peter Popoff was able to know so much about the parishioners in his mega-church. I suppose some of you might be wondering how I can still believe in the occult when there is evidence around, like I’ve shown the past couple of days, that points…
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While I do consider myself a student of the occult (a very lacks, and possibly failing student…), I am not a fan of TV psychics. I suspect that most of them are just really good at asking leading questions and reading body language. It turns out that Barbara Walters may be a bit of a sceptic too. Apparently, after his appearance on The View, medium James Van Praagh took Ms. Walters aside and said that he felt she had a problem with her blood and lower back. Ms. Walters proceeded to have herself checked out by doctors, and was given…
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Wicca is generally viewed as a Celtic-inspired faith. The names most Wiccans use for the Sabbats come from Celtic culture, as to some of the most common names used for the Lord and Lady. In actuality, Wicca has very little in common with the religious practices of the Celtic people. But this doesn’t stop people of Irish/Scottish/British ancestry from saying that they are drawn to Wicca because it reflects the ways of their ancestors. I am of Scotch-Irish stock, and I am a practitioner of Wicca. However, my path isn’t that of Traditional Wicca, the path most heavily influenced by…
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The other weekend I read The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. On the surface, it seems like this would be an odd choice for a Pagan, but I found it very interesting. Maybe that was because I am fascinated by all religious practises, or maybe because A.J. Jacobs is a very funny writer. The book deals with Mr. Jacobs attempt to live by all, as in 700 some odd, rules in the Bible for a year. Some of them he tackles only once, like living in a hut in his living room, and others he tries to follow…
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A few days ago someone wrote to me about their difficulty blending religion and reality. This person asked questions (rhetorically) that most thinking religious people do: If the gods made the universe, who made them? How did they create the universe? Etc. I responded to this person very honestly, writing that I often wonder the same things myself. I come from a background heavy with math and science, and questions about the reality of my beliefs have often kept me thinking about how a rational person can believe in super beings who know and can do all. It sounds pretty…
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I’ve been fascinated by Irshad Manji since I first saw her on QueerTV. She is a feminist, proudly lesbian, and also proudly Muslim. But she is also a radical, and thought by many fundamentalist Muslims to be the devil. Her book, The Trouble With Islam Today (originally The Trouble with Islam), details how she feels the Islamic faith is failing women, and, really, all modern Muslims. She says of it: “The Trouble with Islam is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of reform, to concerned citizens worldwide – Muslim and not. It’s about why my faith community needs…
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Last week, in the meditation class I attend every other week, the teacher talked about the different levels of teaching that Buddha presented to his followers. There were teachings aimed at householders (the average people), and teachings for dedicated monks. We began to talk about how many, maybe all, religions are like this too. There are easy to understand teachings aimed at people who are not necessarily looking for easy answers, but are looking for teaching that can be easily applied to their lives. Good examples of this include the Christian Ten Commandments and the Wiccan Rede. For people looking…
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I’ve been attending meditation classes off and on since August of last year. Although my daily practice hasn’t been terribly consistent, I still have seen some benefit from my practice. It is amazing how much of a difference remember to breath can make in times of stress. Today, my wonderful meditation teacher sent me a link to a video on YouTube. It is a music video, but also a Buddhist teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan lama. Watch it, please, and stick with it until the end. It is a wonderful lesson for all of us.