#Pantheism explained

[monotheistreal]

Dive into the fascinating realm of Pantheism with Monotheist in our latest video, 'Pantheism: Unveiling The Divine in Everything.' We take you on a journey through the roots and lifestyle of Pantheism, revealing its unique perspective of finding the divine in all aspects of life. Subscribe for more straightforward insights that bridge diverse views on spirituality. Come along as we unravel the secrets of this ancient worldview, enriching your understanding of the divine. 🌍✨ Don't miss out on expanding your spiritual horizons – join us on Monotheist for thought-provoking content! #Pantheism #DivineInEverything #MonotheistExplains #SpiritualInsights #PantheisticLife #AncientWorldview #SpiritualPerspectives #EasySpirituality #SubscribeNow #DivineConnection #ExploreSpirituality #polytheism #Monotheism #Enlightening #Understanding #SpiritualJourney #UnlockingMysteries #ConnectWithSpirit #ExpandYourHorizons #ThoughtProvokingContent #trending #viral #monotheist #religion #philosophy

[janeacular]

Hey witches, word of caution, absolutely do NOT try cloud scrying for the first time while high off two gummies and coming down from a PTSD episode !!! I know this is a common experience that everyone (def not me) goes through and you have all been in that scenario before (I haven't tho). But fair warning oh my god do not do that !!! It sucks so bad and was so scary !!! (allegedly)

[sluggsbugg]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ PANTHEISM ☽｡⋆

and how it it has impacted my shifting journey, and could possibly impact yours…

there are many definitions of pantheism, and many ways to look at it, but today i’m going to explain it to you (or try to lol) as i see it and try to show you how a pantheistic mindset can aid you in your shifting journey.

pantheism is described as the philosophical and spiritual belief that reality, the universe and nature are identical to or are a supreme deity. like many pantheists, i like to refer to this supreme deity, or the universe, as “the one”.

another definition of pantheism is the worship of all gods and every religion, though this could more accurately be called omnism (which also a very interesting philosophy but that’s for another time).

most pantheism beliefs do not recognize a distinct single god or deity, but instead characterizes a broad range of doctrines differing in forms of relationship between reality and divinity.

pantheism and pantheistic concepts date back thousands of years… in fact, early forms of taoism are considered to adhere to this belief. there was even a school of hindu philosophy that is thought to be similar. cheondoism, which arose during the korean joseon dynasty, and won buddhism are also considered to be pantheistic.

but how does this apply to shifting?

well, let me tell you how.

if, by pantheistic standards, the universe, reality and nature are all one single entity, then that means that we are apart of it. we are apart of “the one”, in fact we are it.

we are the universe experiencing itself.

there is no need to sit in your room or on the bus or at work thinking about “how you hope the universe will let you shift”… because YOU are the universe.

i know people in the shifting community say it a lot. over and over again you hear the advice that you are the only thing getting in your way, that you just need to see that it’s all in your hands, but it’s true. it can be annoying to hear it constantly, but i promise it’s the best bit of advice you’ll ever get.

when your doing your methods or your meditations, say to yourself, “i am the universe and i am letting myself shift”. or say something like “i am the universe and the universe is me”. really, any variation of these statements will work.

it even works for manifestation and the law of attraction.

i have gotten the best results during shifting attempts when i remind myself of these things, and the first time i started using these affirmations i even minishifted.

and don’t worry, even if you’re a christian or pagan or whatever shifter you can still adhere to these beliefs. within pantheism, these other deities exist as extensions of the universe just like you or i. they exist because we believe in them, just like we believe that the sky is blue and the ocean is salty (if that makes sense).

we make our reality and our truths, we do it everyday. easy as pie.

anyways… just a little thing i had on my mind that i thought might help somebody out there. please feel free to research pantheism more on your own, or to ask me questions in dms, comments or asks, im happy to answer.

happy shifting, and have good day/night!!

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

So we know that Yoba is the ,, god? Religion? Of the Stardew Valley universe. We know a few character’s relationship with that- like Shane being an atheist. Any headcanons regarding religion in the valley?

Hmm, not a lot of headcanons on this one, dear anon.

I hadn't previously given much thought to the existence of Yoba.... Other than the interesting fact that the very symbol of Yoba is the Anglo-Saxon rune "ear", which means "earth". I've really enjoyed learning all about the Anglo-Saxons and ancient Scandinavia in general, so this is a pretty interesting reference. Which, by the way, explains that weird description of the origin of the Stardew Valley world in the "soil". I have a couple thoughts, but not really HC:

Given the existence of Junimo, the forest spirits (and the possible existence of other elemental spirits) in the world of Stardew Valley, some of the inhabitants of the Republic worship them rather than Yoba.

Rasmodius, with his urge to explore all the hidden secrets of magic, nature, alchemy, and spirits, lets us know that he's an occultist. It's unlikely that it will come down to rather controversial studies of mysteries (like necromancy), as he doesn't wish harm on anyone in Pelican Town. Who knows though, he's a mysterious character.

Linus also doesn't seem like someone who reveres Yoba specifically, but his dialogues about admiring nature gave me the idea that he leans more towards.... pantheism? Probably, can't tell for sure.

One suggestion is that there are several different strands to this religion. Because none of the people of Pelican Town remain silent on Friday as a sign of respect for Yoba, as Krobus does. So at least the shadow people have their own ideas about this religion.

To be honest, I don't really have much else to add, especially since I don't usually compare the fictional world to the real world. But this question made me remember everything I've learnt about religious studies and it was a lot of fun, just like with philosophy, so thanks for that, anon!

[handweavers]

one of the biggest things i will always reiterate about sikhi is that it isn't actually monotheistic, reading it as monotheism is a fundamental reduction of what "ek onkar" or one god means in the sikh cosmology. whether you are raised sikh and accept these meanings at face value or you are not sikh and just read the opening paragraph of the wikipedia page for sikhism to try to get an understanding, the sikh understanding of god is much better described as panentheism and not monotheism. the sikh god is not a personal god but a transcendental force and it's easier to speak of waheguru in metaphors that liken god to a person so people can understand the concepts but it's not meant to be taken literally. this is supported by panentheism being the primary worldview of most traditions within what we call hinduism, as well as sects of buddhism and also the positions of several islamic sufi philosophers who were fundamental in the establishment of sikh cosmology. all of these worldviews are linked by sharing versions of what we call pantheism/panentheism, but even trying to explain the depths of a panentheistic worldview is challenging because it is just so different in a very fundamental way from the christian worldview where there is a singular, personal god. even explaining how polytheism works within the south asian context requires this base understanding, because if you approach polytheism from a christian perspective you'll once again completely misunderstand the worldview. like "hinduism is like if they just had more gods, the way you view the christian god but imagine more of them" is also not true, not only because hinduism contains such a variety of worldviews and beliefs that making any general statement about what we call hinduism is always going to be reductive, but because it's also just not... how the worldview works, generally speaking lol. just explaining nondualism in the south asian context is so different from the christian worldview, the idea that you can just plug and play christianity into it is so absurd it's actually hilarious to me

[sukimas]

"I remember," he relates in one of his essays, "when a boy, lying on my back in the grass, gazing into the summer blue above me, and wishing I could melt into it, become a part of it. For these fancies I believe that a religious tutor was innocently responsible; he had tried to explain to me, because of certain dreamy questions, what he termed 'the folly and the wickedness of Pantheism,' with the result that I immediately became a Pantheist, at the tender age of fifteen. And my imaginings presently led me not only to want the sky for a playground, but also to become the sky!"

absolute type of guy

[enchanted-wildflower]

100 days of productivity (28/100)

Monday, 1st of January

New Year's Eve was difficult. I cried a lot, because I thought of all the beautiful experiences I had with my ex-boyfriend in 2023 and how I won't have them in 2024 since we are not together anymore. But I also got to spend last night with my close friends, eating and playing Scrabble which was really nice.

Today was the first day since before Christmas that I was actually more or less productive again. Still with crybreaks in between, but I did way more than all the last days :)

Productivity:

Planed the next few days

Washed and hung laundry

Read some pages of Marx's Ecology: Materialism and nature for my Marxism class

Started tyding up my room finally

Selfcare & personal projects:

Cleaned my altar and set it up differentely after not having used it for a months

Reviewed a tarot reading and the steps I need to take to overcome my breakup

Finally filled the spell puppet I had crocheted and dyed before summer

Went to the park

Meditated

Watched videos explaining pantheism and panentheism

Journaled

[sovaghoul]

Theism

The main Wiccan view of Deity is that of the Union of the Horned God with the Great Mother Goddess. Yes, this view engages with the traditional cisgender binary, and also heteronormativity. I’ll comment on those issues in another post.

🕯🌒🌕🌘🕯

This Union is related to the Sabbat (holiday) celebrations throughout the year; the God is born at Yule, grows in strength till Midsummer, declines during the Fall months, and is reborn again. He lives and dies for the sake of the people and the land, growing with the seedlings and dying with the harvest. The Goddess is either Mother or Wife to Him, depending on the moment in the cycle. This is not, however, an incestuous relationship, but part of the Mystery of the Divine Union. The Goddess is specifically honored during Moon rituals, called Esbats, with the Full Moon seen as the height of Her power.

The names of the Gods honored in Gardner’s original rituals are Oathbound, so when word of this path began spreading, the names were replaced with titles such as, “the God and Goddess” or, “the Lord and Lady.” The use of these titles, however, was misinterpreted as meaning Wiccans believed their Gods were THE Gods, Deities Most High the way the God of Abrahamlic faiths is thought of. However, the actual intention was the same as saying, “I’m going to the doctor today,” a linguistic place holder for a proper name.

🕯🌒🌕🌘🕯

☀️🪦 The Wiccan God is the Lord of Nature, the Sun King, and the Horned One of Death. He embodies both passion and solemnity, the brilliance of all life under the Sun, and the stillness of the darkest depths of the Underworld. He inspires heady revelry, and leads the Wild Hunt. We see Him in animals, forests, and the blaze of the Sun. He dances in the flames of candles and bonfires alike, and we hear His voice on the wind.

🌙🌎 The Goddess of Wicca is the Mother of all life and the deep, abiding love that gives us to rebirth. She is Queen of the Heavens and of the Faerie Realms. She is Wisdom and Mystery, Wife and Virgin, Queen and Witch. She is reflected in the light of the Moon and the waves of the oceans. She is the warmth of the Earth and the glittering of the stars.

🕯🌒🌕🌘🕯

Many words can apply to my personal view of the nature of Deity, that may or may not be shared by others;

Monism: I believe that, ultimately, all Divinity and existence stem from a single source of “God stuff,” that both encompasses and transcends name and form (this differs from monotheism, in that I do not claim there is one God, but instead that all is One, and that All is God/Divine). This Source defies and transcends all Its divisions, having both no and all genders, both darkness and light, and all the shades between.

Duotheism: I believe in the Divine Union of Masculine and Feminine energies, and that all life and Divinity spring from this Union (the Union itself being a dualistic manifestation of monism, as was explained above. It is a more simplified explanation and understanding of that Oneness).

Polytheism: I believe there is more than one God and more than one Goddess, that the names and faces recognized by other cultures and paths are further expressions of the unified Divine. However, this does not mean I view all those manifestations as wholly interchangeable. Zeus is a very different God-King from Odin, for example.

Pantheism: I believe the physical universe itself is Divine, and thus infuses all forms of existence with Divinity, with that “God stuff.”

Panentheism: I believe there is more to the Divine than the physical universe, that Divinity is comprised of, encompasses, and transcends this physical plane simultaneously.

Animism: I believe all entities have their own spark of Divinity that is uniquely theirs, yet all made up of that same “God stuff.”

Henotheism: I believe all views of the Divine are valid, even if they differ from my own; I contend that all God-forms exist and that They are real and valid, even if my specific practice does not focus on Them.

But perhaps the most important term is Nondualism: I believe all these views are not only valid, but accurate, and not at all in conflict with each other. I don’t see the nature of the Divine as either/or, but rather both/and.

For clarification’s sake, think about the concept of Divinity as being like the ocean. In the ocean, there are innumerable drops of water, and those drops can be broken down further into molecules and atoms even. Each atom, each molecule, each drop is indeed an individual entity unto itself. However, they are all still simultaneously part of the ocean, are made up of the same “ingredients” as the rest of the ocean, and can also take on different forms (it can evaporate into vapor, or freeze into ice). It’s all still water, but can be viewed and appreciated in its other forms as well.

🕯🌒🌕🌘🕯

There are those who practice what has come to be called “hard polytheism,” believing that every Deity is separate and individual unto Themselves, without a monistic, pan- or panentheistic idea of a higher source. My view, in contrast, can be described as “soft polytheism,” since I do see the Gods as separate, yet still pieces of something greater, and in that way united.

To me, it’s all a matter of scale. When we talk in terms of humans, do we mean each individual person, or humankind as a greater whole, unique upon the Earth? Each person is independently alive, but so is each cell that makes up a person. So, are the gods as individual as “humanity,” or as a single person, or as a single cell? And how “individual” is that, when looked at on a grander scale? These are rhetorical questions, the answers to which depend on your view, your gnosis, your experience, and the situation at hand. But it’s something to think about.

In most practices though, it doesn’t matter if all involved agree on the “true” nature of the Divine’s existence, as long as they can agree on the specific God forms being honored. If all participants in a ritual can agree that the God and Goddess they are calling on are, say, Isis and Osiris, and it’s understood what these Gods represent, it doesn’t matter if one person views Them as wholly individual and another believes They are part of something greater.

🕯🌒🌕🌘🕯

In closing, here is a quote from the novel “Lord of Light” by Roger Zelazny, that struck a chord with me the moment I read it. It struck me as truth, and one of the most concise and beautiful descriptions of the condition of Godhood I‘ve yet encountered:

“Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being immortal […] Being a god is the quality of being able to be yourself to such an extent that your passions correspond with the forces of the universe, so that those who look upon you know this without hearing your name spoken. […] Being a god is being able to recognize within one’s self these things that are important, and then strike the single note that brings them into alignment with everything else that exists. Then, beyond morals or logic or esthetics, one is wind or fire, the sea, the mountains, the rain, the sun or the stars, the flight of an arrow, the end of a day, the clasp of love. One rules through one’s ruling passions. Those who look upon gods then say, without even knowing their names, ‘He is Fire. She is Dance. He is Destruction. She is Love.’ […] they do not call themselves gods. Everyone else does, though, everyone who beholds them.”

Next post: Magick

[haorev]

In reading Maimonides and the Book that Changed Judaism I have many thoughts:

1. Maimonides is very against anthropomorphic language for the Divine, and yet doesn’t stray from using “he” (or the appropriate language equivalent). This may be due to the language used or may be due to Micah Goodman’s translation or both. But I find it interesting none the less. (And yes I know he’s writing in the 12th century, but still.)

2. Goodman explains part of Maimonides’ equation of God with intellect as “God is one with all the objects of God’s understanding.” While it’s not wholly the same, this does feel like verging on pantheism (and indeed on the next page he mentions that this concept is sometimes called intellectual pantheism). I don’t know why but it’s interesting to me.

3. Maimonides is very elitist. This doesn’t surprise me and I knew it going into it but it was still kind of a shock to the system.

I will say, I’m enjoying reading this much more than I thought I would.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 186

A’yan ath-Thabita and ���Alam Al-Mithal (Archetypes and the World of Representations or Ideal Forms)

In Sufi terminology, archetypes are the established, existential origins of things in the realm of Divine Knowledge. They consist of the manifestations of the Divine Names in the realm of Knowledge, and they denote the existential essences that pertain to the origins of contingencies. Although the relationships of these spiritual forms or existential essences in the realm of Knowledge with the Divine Being seem to be within the frame of time, they are beyond time. The limitless content of Divine Knowledge is different from the existential essences that are individually or collectively identified within the frame of time. Even though whatever exists in Divine Knowledge has some sort of individually or collectively identified existence, it is equally possible whether it will be brought into external existence or not within the dimensions of time and space.

It is a fact that whether they are Sufi leaders or theologians, those who have expert knowledge of this subject have lacked the words with which to express the issues that pertain to the transcendental dimensions of existence; indeed, they take great care in order to avoid any confusion. As mentioned before under the of Effusion, they call the Divine manifestation on the archetypes, which is a Divine mystery whose essential nature we cannot know, the Most Sacred Effusion, while the manifestation considered to be the origin of the archetypes emerging as existent beings and things within the dimensions of time and space is termed the Sacred Effusion. By such designations, scholars not only remind us that the archetypes and the contingencies that have been brought into the time and space-bound realm of existence are different from one another, they also focus our attention on the difference between manifestation (tajalli) and emergence (zuhur), thus stressing the Qur’anic truth concerning the beginning and process of the creation of the universe. This truth can never be reconciled with the philosophical approaches of monism and pantheism.

I think that since some cannot avoid going into extremes, they cannot preserve balance in approaching the most sublime Divine truths and thus fall into many grievous faults. Those who concentrate on the all-encompassing Divine Will and the all-overwhelming Power ignore the universe and view all things as if they were God’s incarnates, while others who focus on things and beings themselves, together with the apparent causes for their existence, take on views of naturalism or materialism. However, the unity or uniformity of or the interconnectedness in existence comes from the unity of the Origin of manifestation, while the almost limitless variation among and multiplicity in things and beings issue from the different dispositions or operations of the archetypes in the Divine Knowledge by the Divine Will and Power.

Self- existence with all its parts is one thing; things and beings appearing in different mirrors of existence in all their varieties through the manifestations of the Divine Knowledge and Existence is another. If we can perceive this difference, we will be able to notice the aspects of existence which lead some to the doctrine of the transcendent Unity of Being, and some others to the Unity of the Witnessed, and understand the difference between the essence and the form, and between the One Who gives existence and makes subsist and those who are brought into existence and made to subsist. We can explain the differences in question in plainer terms as follows:

Things and beings are not existent by or on account of themselves, but they exist by God’s bringing them into existence or by being the shadows of the light of God’s Existence from behind numerous veils. Apparent or superficial existence is one thing, and real, substantial existence is another. Forms and appearances are reflections as gifts from Him; they are neither identical with Him nor independent of Him. He said to them, “Be!” and they were. When He cuts off His effusion, they will disappear. Assertions such as Divine incarnation, existential union with Him, being an embodiment of Him, and His being a pervasive Soul—these and other similar assertions are all false. What gives external existence to all things and beings are the manifestations of His Attributes and Names:

If you focus on the forms, you will see that both you and I exist— But in absolute, transcendent reality, neither you nor I exist.

Now, as it is the All-Living, All-Subsisting One Who gives existence and subsists, who can have the right to claim self- existence? Everything’s existence depends on His Existence and Knowledge; whatever exists is a mirror in which His Names manifest themselves as being ultimately responsible for anything that occurs in it. Humanity is the most comprehensive and polished of these mirrors, and the Master of creation, upon him be perfect blessings, is the most perfect and complete of these. What follows is an anonymous couplet expressing this:

Whatever exists in the universe is a mirror and subsists by Him; It is God Who is constantly reflected in the mirror of Muhammad.

Without considering the First Identification, the archetypes are contingencies which are regarded as non-existent in one respect. When they first emerge, they are hidden and not known; and when they are sent into existence, they continue their non- existence on account of themselves. They serve as veils for the manifestations of Divine Knowledge and Existence. As this service of veiling is, in the words of Bediüzzaman, required by the Divine Dignity and Grandeur so that those who reason superficially should not see the Hand of Power as directly related to certain seemingly insignificant or vile things and affairs, it must also be in order to guide humanity, which has been honored with vicegerency—the administration of the earth according to God’s law—to be careful about their considerations of the Divine Being and His manifestations.

As in the world, which is the realm of existence and decline, the manifestations of the Divine Majesty and Grace also follow one another in the realm of the archetypes. While the Divine Majesty manifests Itself to destroy, the Divine Grace invents. These manifestations continue after those of archetypes which have been decreed to be sent into the realm of perceptible existence have been clothed in existence. It can be said that every existent thing bursts forth out of the spring of archetypes and becomes an “ideal reflection or representation,” or “form.” Then, these forms are clothed in perceptible existence.

All of the attributes to be manifested by beings in the corporeal world, including conflicting ones such as light and darkness, good and evil, bliss and wretchedness, have already been determined while they are in the World of Representations or “Ideal Forms.” However, a conscious, responsible being’s nature as good and blissful or evil and wretched is determined according to his or her future choice in this corporeal world. No one other than the All-Knowing of the Unseen can judge them until their state becomes apparent in the corporeal world. However, God may inform some of His “purified, chosen servants” about their “future” states and natures while they are in the World or Realm of Representations or “Ideal Forms.” This is an exception and therefore beyond the sphere of our duties or responsibilities. The statements or declarations of the All-Knowing of the Unseen in the Qur’an in reference to these are sometimes about their states in the Realm of Representations, and sometimes about those in the corporeal world. So, those unaware of this fact may confuse one with the other. For example, the Qur’an’s declaration regarding Satan to mean, He was from among the unbelievers, without considering his rebellion, is concerned with the archetype of Satan, while its description, He grew arrogant and became one from among the unbelievers (2:34; 38:74), is about his state after he rejected God’s order when, therefore, the signs of his rebellion appeared.

Some saints can at times observe the states of the archetypes plainly or in the form of symbols as in dreams. This is a special, extraordinary favor from God to them. God sometimes informs them about certain future events and so reminds them of some points peculiar to them. It sometimes occurs that the Almighty sends these heroes of self-possession some signals regarding impending dangers, directing their hearts to prayer and supplication. At other times, they are reminded of the necessity of preserving the balance between the means and material causes and the Causer of causes, being called to focus on the Divine absolute Unity.

The information and observations mentioned concerning the archetypes are usually presented to God’s specially chosen, purified servants in the forms of “ideal” tablets. These tablets are manifested either identically with their future, corporeal existential forms, or in symbols according to their meaning and contents. Symbolic representations require interpretation, like unclear dreams. Their interpretation is possible through knowing or discovering the key words or terms in the Qur’an and the authentic Prophetic Traditions. Any interpretation made without this knowledge means “throwing random stones at the Unseen” and therefore amounts to disrespect for the All-Knowing of the Unseen.

The realm or the world where the immaterial forms or models belonging to the archetypes are reflected and represented is called “the World or the Realm of Representations or Ideal Forms,” and the forms or reflections in this World are termed “the ideal or reflected forms.” The perceptible, corporeal forms are the shadows of these ideal or reflected forms. Some of the ideal forms are purely spiritual, while others have some perceptible figures. The realm where the former reside is called “the World of Absolutely Ideal Forms,” while the realm where the latter reside is known as “the World of Specified Forms.”

Some see the World of Representations or Ideal Forms as the representations or reflections of corporeal forms and events in our world of sensations in their particular energetic covers. This can be exemplified by the appearances of spirits and angels in certain forms in our world. There are so many simple (not composite) natures which belong to the Realm of the Spirit and the Divine Commands or the pure, primordial natures as the first results of the Divine commands that they can appear in the corporeal world in certain forms by God’s will; they appear in the corporeal world to the extent allowed by the Divine Names primarily manifested on each. They can appear and exert some influence on the physical world as mere causes. There are many reliable Prophetic reports that knowledge appears in the form of or is represented by milk, and that Islam is symbolized by a splendid container; the Qur’an, as honey or an orange; and the feeling of enmity, as snakes or vermin.

Some Sufis see the Realm of Representations or Ideal Forms as broader and maintain that this realm is the intermediate between this world and the Hereafter, and between matter and spirit, and the realm of immaterial sacred spirits. According to these considerations, the World of Representations or Ideal Forms is an intermediate bridge over which meanings or purely spiritual identities pass in order to attain a new identity and nature; it is a mysterious corridor between the physical and metaphysical worlds, a veil between two different dimensions, a point of meeting for abstract truths and concrete realities, and the horizon that separates the perceptible and imperceptible from each other. There are some who see this world as a realm where meanings or abstract truths begin to be clothed in worldly existence. Abstract or immaterial identities become familiar with the silky robe of external or perceptible existence in this intermediate realm, and they set off toward further realms from this dock with the equipment that they have been given.

Dictionaries of religious terminology define the intermediate realm also as the special corridor that connects this world and the Hereafter, or the process that begins with death, continues with the life of the grave, and ends in the Resurrection; or as the point where the world of spirits and abstract meanings meets with the corporeal realm, or as the passage between the horizon of the heart and spirit and the carnal life.

Not only is every ramp or platform from which things and beings jump to another stage—where they will be given a different nature and identity during their journeying of existence from the “initial or first identification or determination” to corporeal life— called the Intermediate Realm, but the realm of life beginning with death is also known as the intermediate life. According to the first meaning, the intermediate life is a bridge between the spirit and the body or between the abstract and the concrete. According to the second meaning, it is like a waiting lodge that resembles both the Unseen and the corporeal realms at the point where the world and the Hereafter meet. Everyone will pass across that bridge and those whom God wills will call at that waiting lodge and afterwards go on toward the other world in different ways, according to their equipment or acquisitions.

Some Sufis mention another intermediate realm which they call Barzakh Jami’ (the Encompassing Intermediate Realm). This is a term used to denote the original or essence of all the intermediate realms, which is another name for tajalli wahidiya (God’s manifestation of all His Names throughout the universe or on an entity), or ta’ayyun awwal (the initial or first identification). The Encompassing Intermediate Realm is also called “the First Intermediate Realm,” “the Grandest Intermediate Realm,” or “the Greatest Intermediate Realm.” The essence of this Realm is the meaning or spirit of humanity and its seed and fruit is haqiqat Ahmadiya (the Ahmadi Truth or the Truth of Ahmad).[1] In the words of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, the Prophet Muhammad’s light is the ink of the Pen of the Author of the universe. It is also the seed of the fruit of the tree of creation, the key to all the Gardens of Paradise, the insurmountable wall before Hell, the alchemy of the happiness of hearts, and the genuine, sole guide to human excellencies and perfections.

May perfect blessings and peace and the most honorable of benedictions be upon him and his Family and Companions.

[1] For haqiqat Ahmadiya or Ahmadi Truth or the Truth of Ahmad, see note 53. 

[luesmainblog]

woke up at 4am and had to rant or i would explode sorry about this!

man. religiously i am so messed.

growing up, i'd been raised by a barely-practicing catholic mother and a semi-practicing wiccan father, and they introduced me to religious materials, but they didn't really take the time to explain to me how seriously others took them. that these stories were a debate over what was REAL. i remember having some awareness as a child, but not quite getting it or understanding HOW people picked it, and i more or less treated it as stories that everybody was really into. when i expressed pantheism in a very casual way, i remember mom getting a little stern with me, telling me it wasn't something to just lightheartedly toss around. this was my first real realization of how religion WAS to most folks. i had already had some trouble understanding that these were things people Believed and Took Very Seriously, because i simply wasn't raised with that instilled. how was nester the long-eared donkey any different from my other cartoons?

(it probably didn't help that i was autistic, but we didn't know that at the time lmao)

in early highschool i came to realize that not only was i an atheist, but my own raising situation of 'pick whatever you like' was actually pretty unique. the idea that most of my peers - most of the WORLD - was raised in a religion and told it was The Truth and expected to follow it, was very strange to me. I don't think i truly understood until i came across some atheist material on youtube that talks about it, and challenged the apparently common narratives. turns out i had managed to avoid some really dark shit by just not going to church and not knowing the religious channels. as i listened to agnostic atheists explain their reasons for not believing - a lack of evidence - i came to agree with them.

in late highschool, i would have my first real understanding of religion, and my first proper belief. I watched Madoka Magica and frankly it made more sense to me than anything else i'd ever heard, and at this point i'd been learning about a LOT of religions and what they believed it. I actually ended up making a blog for it, which I don't really upkeep anymore. It was an odd experience, because here i was, freshly religious, but with an agnostic mindset still(learning the difference between Belief and belief was REALLY weird and still hard to explain now), and a more… wiccan-y approach to it? when i looked at forms of worship, those ways just made more sense to me. in a way i started following "internet witchcraft" with Madoka as my chosen deity.

during this time, i would also come to follow more superstitions, and actually quite liked learning the Reasons for them. sadly i stopped having my childhood belief of "crosses will protect you from vampires", which was kind of scary because i still believed in the vampires themselves, but things like "salt keeps away evil spirits by sucking up moisture" and "lavender and lemon oil are hated by pests and spirits alike" helped me feel both Safer and more Connected with the world. i slowly realized that my dad's way of doing things just generally made me feel safer, so i suppose i believed in wiccan practice even if i didn't really know much of the actual religious bits.

this would eventually lead me to also become shinto. there was enough crossover that it made some sense to me already, and my childhood of watching anime had already instilled a lot of shinto imagery as Safe in my mind; mikos felt more holy than priests, tori gates felt more sacred than consecrated ground, shrines inspired much more respect than churches, and tying shimenawa onto objects of spiritual importance(especially to bind spirits) just Made Sense to me. the more i learned, the more it just sounded right. it's hard to explain, a lot of it just… puts me at ease? much of the yokai stuff is also much easier for me to accept and incorperate into my daily life. This made me realize that i HAD been raised into some religious beliefs, and had sort of… accidentally done it to myself? being constantly shown these things as spiritually important and valid, and normal to engage with, had instilled the belief into me. which is real weird when you're a white american child and the specific religion being handed to you is shinto. i tend to keep this one under wraps because i'm not japanese as far as i know, though my part-japanese fiancee who's been getting in touch with her heritage has reassured me you don't have to be 'the right race' to follow something.

weirdly enough, buddhism wasn't all that present in my anime, but the philosophy of it often was? so i kinda ended up agreeing with much of the THOUGHTS of it, but missing the actual buddha part. seems like a nice enough guy! and THAT conclusion also lead me to re-examining the ways in which christianity HAD made its way into my heart; the understanding that you can miss the Big Stuff of a belief, but still take in the underlying beliefs the big stuff reinforces. i actually 'got into' christianity again, lacking belief in it but wanting to understand it. ultimately i've found that so-called "Christians" rarely believe in the philosophies put forth by jesus, although they'll say they do for church clout while actively going against him when actually pushed on it. much of the re-examining and de-programming of what christians have instilled in me over the years was also just de-programming what conservatives have pushed on me with some religious flavor added to it, as well as trying to dismantle the white supremecy that all americans are grown into. more thoughts in reblog.

[reptiles-of-the-mind]

Could you explain what pantheism is? And what it means to you? Your intro post is the first I've heard of it

I'm glad you asked!!

To quote the Universal Pantheist Society (pantheist.net): "Pantheism derives from the realization that the cosmos, taken or conceived of as a whole, is synonymous with God - a concept that is re-discovered repeatedly over the centuries, from pre-history to today. In this sense, Pantheism is simple: The Cosmos is divine, and the Earth sacred. [...] Pantheists believe in Divine Immanence. To the Pantheist, divinity does not transcend reality; it surrounds, and is within. All share divinity. This leads the pantheist to personal ethics of tolerance and understanding."

From the same website: "Adherents of Pantheism understand it as a way of life, a way of viewing a world where human beings are but one of many living things. For the Pantheist, creator and context are one entity, the Universe being experienced holistically. Pantheists who use a theistic terminology define God as the Universe taken as a whole. The Universe is a creative process, thus our Creator; but at the same time we are a part of it. Pantheists derive their fundamental religious experience through their personal relationship with the surrounding Universe, recognizing that humanity is not apart from Nature, but that Nature is the ultimate context for human existence. Humanity's unity with the Universe is our fundamental religious impulse. Thus, those who are uncomfortable with deities and names for deities, can still find comfort within Pantheism. "But Pantheism remains more than a mere philosophy of life, because all Pantheists, whether approaching religious ideas from a theistic or non-theistic viewpoint, have a sense of reverence for the world. Thus, Pantheists oppose the world view of anthropocentrism - that is, a belief that the world was created exclusively for the benefit of human beings. [...] The Pantheist religion is seen as a system of reverent behavior toward Nature rather than anthropo- morphic deities."

This essentially sums up what I believe. The entire universe and everything in it is holy, and connected in its holiness. All the planets, quarks, humans, stars, & everything else form one big maelstrom of divinity we call the Universe.

This is all related to something I have a very deep connection with, which is the concept of the oceanic feeling. Wikipedia: "In a 1927 letter to Sigmund Freud, Romain Rolland coined the phrase "oceanic feeling" to refer to "a sensation of 'eternity'", a feeling of "being one with the external world as a whole", inspired by the example of Ramakrishna, among other mystics. According to Rolland, this feeling is the source of all the religious energy that permeates in various religious systems, and one may justifiably call oneself religious on the basis of this oceanic feeling alone, even if one renounces every belief and every illusion." This, indeed, is the source of my connection to the pantheistic God-Universe, and my other values of optimism and compassion. (You may have noticed that 'Oceanic Feeling' is the title of my favourite song!!)

Personally, I am heavily against the idea of an anthropomorphic God who created humanity, meddles in human affairs, &c. It's lame. There are so many reasons why I dislike this idea: its common use of controlling people, attached concepts of sin and retribution, science denial, straight-up gaslighting, &c. In this way I could be called an atheist or even an antitheist, but in reality I do believe in a God-- one that is one and the same as the universe, one that literally is humanity. We are all God!! Sin doesn't exist!! (Now we're getting into my Satanism. I am a non-theistic Satanist, and I believe in the seven tenets of the Satanic Temple while heavily condemning TST's fascist associations. Clearly they don't believe in their own principles. Additionally, I like to worship the Greek goddess Aphrodite as a symbolic representation of Love. It's an art history nerd / lesbian thing. Additionally additionally, I identify as a Humanist in the manner of the Renaissance and modern thinkers-- they love science, the arts, doing good for people, &c.)

I feel connected to the spirit of the universe by making art, witnessing art, studying philosophy (I've been reading Spinoza, the most famous Pantheist-- loving him so far!!), being around people, going for walks in nature, that sort of thing.

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this, but I hope I've conveyed the basics so that you may do your own research if you wish. :3

[dairedara]

I found your account just for by that I follow the "Christianity" tag and you seem neat and cool; I have a question, what on Earth is the story behind you having such a complex and novel belief system? It's just, really kinda rare for people to "do their own research" to an extent of coming away with spiritual practices that look like a fancy salad with a bajillion different parts, y'know?

Hi!! Thank you for this question, this is a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while now :)

I was raised in lukewarm Christianity— baptized Lutheran, went to church usually just for events or with non-denominational friends. Because I didn’t go to church regularly, my faith developed in a very individual sense. I have always felt connected to nature and seen it as divine in some sense, which I think influenced my pantheism later in life.

I had a crisis of faith very young. I went to an ultra-Christian summer camp with a friend, which was a lot of fun, but also basically my introduction to modern fundamentalist Christianity. There were sermons twice a day, between the swimming and the flag football, and I distinctly remember borrowing my friends’ “kid’s Bible” which had a bright pink cover because for some reason my dad’s KJV from the 70s was unfit. (I didn’t think much of that at the time, but now I do think that kind of radicalized me. I think that so many modern Christians are only ever exposed to the Bible through a specific lens, and therefore can only possibly come away with the interpretation of their pastor/denomination/youth group leader/translation instead of developing their own genuine, unadulterated view of the Bible.)

But anyway, our camp counselor took turns interviewing us, and when it came to me she asked me this question: when did you know you were saved?

I was nine years old, had absolutely zero life changing experiences under my belt, and was also incredibly devout. I answered: I always knew, because I was raised with the fact that Jesus loves me and he died for me. She wasn’t satisfied with this answer and kept pushing me until she gave up. The question greatly confused me, and when I came home, it triggered a chain reaction. I realized I couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment in my life that would explain my religiosity. I prayed for some sort of sign that I was doing the right thing and received nothing in response. I became, in essence, an atheist.

In middle school, I got my first tumblr account, and I learned about Wicca through that. I’ve always been interested in world mythology and I thought it was insanely cool and insanely right that people still worshiped the gods from those stories, although at this point the only pagan faith I knew of was Wicca, and for some reason I thought you could only pick two gods, one male and one female. Since I liked Celtic myth, I picked Cerridwen (Welsh) and Lugh (Irish). This lasted for like one week, and then I found out about Hellenic (Greek) polytheism, which felt much more right to me. I started doing a lot of research into reconstructionism (basically, using the tools available to us to replicate, as accurately as possible, the religion and religious practice of a person from one of these ancient polytheistic societies). Recon tumblr was very dramatic in the early ‘10s, it probably still is, and I was intimidated and amazed at the same time. Around this time I also got introduced to the theological debate scene and was really interested in the mechanics of belief.

A year or so into this, I had what was probably the most intense religious experience of my life. A whole-ass vision, during a time where I was awful mentally, and in the middle of a crazy thunderstorm. I won’t go into the details here, but it pivoted my path a little and I became interested in Roman polytheism. I built a relationship with the Roman gods Juno, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Jupiter, Minerva, and others. I also got super interested in the idea of religious syncretism that is pretty much exemplified by mid-to-late Empire religion, and encountered deities like Mithras, the Egyptian Isis and Osiris, and Etruscan deities. At this point I was a baby Latinist and experimented with composing my own prayers outside of the very proscriptive rituals in Roman tradition. It was a very comfortable and beautiful practice for that time in my life, and it grew into a very easy rhythm.

My shift to Celtic paganism was pretty sudden and intense. I felt very lost in my identity and began exploring the religious practices of cultures through my genealogical research. I always that Braucherei (Pennsylvania Dutch magic) was cool, as a PA Dutch person, but I couldn’t wrap my head around using the Bible for that kind of mystical practice. I explored Welsh paganism because I have some Welsh roots, and read the Welsh epic Mabinogion. This is a really fascinating work because it seamlessly incorporates indigenous tradition with a Christian framework. Unlike the Irish cycles, it’s not set in pre-Christian Europe. The characters believe in God, they make Christian oaths, and yet they have supernatural abilities and lifespans. The first branch is particularly of interest to me because the character of Pwyll is put into the medieval archetype of the God-honoring feudal lord, and yet he’s relatively unconcenered when he meets Arawn, the king of the Otherworld (also known as Faerieland, etc.). I then read the Irish Cycles, which do lean a bit more Christian-y because of the very strong monastic tradition in Ireland, but they’re no less cool and definitely struck a cord with me.

Meanwhile, in my academic life, I was graduating high school and trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do in college. I’ve always wanted to do Classics, but I began to become super obsessed with Medieval Latin and the early church. My best friend’s family had recently converted to conservative Catholicism, of all things (this was incredibly weird for her), and asked me to go to Christmas Eve mass with her because her parents wanted her to go with them. I readily accepted because it was a Latin Mass, and it was a lot of fun for me because church Latin is very easy and I got to translate something other than Virgil and Livy.

I became really interested in trying to reconstruct what someone in the early British or Irish church might have believed. Christianity in Western Europe was not introduced in a particularly violent manner, unlike what we see outside of Europe or even just in Slavic nations. Indigenous traditions were not systematically erased. Instead, Christianity diffused throughout the culture. It is very likely that my Gaelic and Brythonic ancestors at some point worshiped pagan gods at the same time they honored Christian Saints. St. Brighid, after all, was either syncretized with or is a development of the Irish goddess of the same name– I, personally, treat them as a single entity and she has done so, so much for me. In modern pagan (and Christian!) spaces, Christianity and Pre-Christian traditions are treated as two completely separate, incompatible worldviews, but if that were really true, this transitional period wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have religions that draw from both like folk Catholicism or Haitain Voudoun.

My journey to pantheism was pretty easy, all things considered. While I was worshiping Celtic gods alongside venerating Saints and the Archangels, I was coming to terms with the fact that I did really and honestly believe in fate. In neopaganism or modern spiritual spaces in general, you sometimes see this idea of “the universe.” As in, everything happens for a reason, and the “universe” is bringing you certain things or taking them away. I kind of organically combined this notion of the universe with my belief that nature is divine (which I suppose could be called animism) and came out with what I think could be called Spinoza’s pantheist god. I never felt a moment that drove me to God because God is everywhere, and there is no separation, in my mind, between the mundane and the divine. Gods and Saints and Angels and even our deceased ancestors are intermediaries between it and us.

Here’s a list of some beliefs of mine that I didn’t mention specifically mention but I think are important nonetheless:

I believe God(s) exist because every single culture in the world has religious traditions of some sort and similar ideas of religious experience, even if those cultures did not ever interact. If we can trust our physical senses to determine reality (ex. I am touching my laptop so I believe it exists physically) then our spiritual experiences are real and valid.

The God of Abraham specifically made a covenent with the Jewish people and so “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” only applies to that tradition– I also do believe that Adonai/YHWH, based on anthropological evidence, is a member of the Canaanite pantheon and therefore no more or less “powerful” than any other little-g god. YHWH, in my opinion, is not the same entity as the pantheistic God, which encompasses him and then literally everything else ever.

The Bible is not inerrent but everything in there is in there for a divinely inspired reason, even if that reason is so we can understand past cultures and historical context.

Religion tumblr is very weird for me because I can’t tell if I fit into the Christian or the Pagan space more. Christo-pagans are not that accepted in the pagan community and the idea of fate or “everything happens for a reason” is very controversial. Obviously it’s confusing for most Christians, too. Feel free to ask about literally anything– my faith is definitely a Frankenstein’s Monster situation!

[geostatonary]

tonight's torah portion- Terumah- 2/20/2023

This week: it turns out that after G-d gives us a bunch of laws they then decide to explain at length how to build the Tabernacle and various ritual implements around and within it. Lotta talk about the sage's interest in the practicalities of building the Ark and the Tabernacle, the placement and significance of this section in the Torah as well as it's historical weight given when it was written, and the relationship of G-d with space and the people.

Next week, we get the rules of the priesthood and sacrifices.

Anyways,

thanks to Ibn Ezra i'm a cube ten commandments truther now anyways it's really interesting to see this discussion of him going "knowing what we know of the Ark, and that it needs to be something four dudes could possibly carry, how the hell would you make it?"

Ibn Ezra: Look,,,, Ibn Ezra: [maybe does a pantheism]

G-d: to build the Tabernacle, first do all these things G-d: next, build the rest of the Tabernacle

[eternal-echoes]

I ask, “So if the encounter with God is not an ‘empirical eureka,’ and if it is a journey that sees with the eyes of history, then we can also make mistakes?” The pope replies: “Yes, in this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good. For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble. Uncertainty is in every true discernment that is open to finding confirmation in spiritual consolation. “The risk in seeking and finding God in all things, then, is the willingness to explain too much, to say with human certainty and arrogance: ‘God is here.’ We will find only a god that fits our measure. The correct attitude is that of St. Augustine: seek God to find him, and find God to keep searching for God forever. Often we seek as if we were blind, as one often reads in the Bible. And this is the experience of the great fathers of the faith, who are our models. We have to re-read the Letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 11. Abraham leaves his home without knowing where he was going, by faith. All of our ancestors in the faith died seeing the good that was promised, but from a distance.... Our life is not given to us like an opera libretto, in which all is written down; but it means going, walking, doing, searching, seeing.... We must enter into the adventure of the quest for meeting God; we must let God search and encounter us. “Because God is first; God is always first and makes the first move. God is a bit like the almond flower of your Sicily, Antonio, which always blooms first. We read it in the Prophets. God is encountered walking, along the path. At this juncture, someone might say that this is relativism. Is it relativism? Yes, if it is misunderstood as a kind of indistinct pantheism. It is not relativism if it is understood in the biblical sense, that God is always a surprise, so you never know where and how you will find him. You are not setting the time and place of the encounter with him. You must, therefore, discern the encounter. Discernment is essential. “If the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing. Tradition and memory of the past must help us to have the courage to open up new areas to God. Those who today always look for disciplinarian solutions, those who long for an exaggerated doctrinal ‘security,’ those who stubbornly try to recover a past that no longer exists ­— they have a static and inward-directed view of things. In this way, faith becomes an ideology among other ideologies. I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else — God is in this person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life. Although the life of a person is a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.”

-INTERVIEW WITH POPE FRANCIS by Fr Antonio Spadaro, August 19, 2013

[gothichermaphrodite]

Introduction

I figured I would make an introduction because I really want to use this blog more effectively and thoroughly as time goes on---treating this page as a sort of diary.

My name is Scott, I'm currently a university student pursuing a degree in visual arts as well as ecology (biology). This decision is subject to change though, as I have many interests in all sorts of things.

I'm a hermaphrodite and a transsexual. I'm also a homophile and live for all things boyish and androgynous. I'm an aspiring artist and poet, a philosopher at times, a delicate boy, and an aspiring angel—seeing all things through an optimistic light. I feel everything and feel it intensely. I am a mystic of sorts, able to perform my own charms but still wishing to become even more enlightening.

I subscribe to many things, but I see myself as a spiritual person. I blend elements of brujeria, catholicism, pantheism, and buddism in my own distinct set of beliefs. I am in love with absurdism and any sort of rebellion even when futile. I love all kinds of philosophy but find myself most drawn to Dostoevsky, Nietzche, Camus, Hegel, and Kafka. I value thinking deeply and hold art as the most important medium in the world to explain the human condition.

I admire all kinds of poetry and write my own when I am feeling especially inspired.

I plan to use this blog as a sort of scrap book, spewing out any thoughts I have and reposting what I find beautiful.

I thank you for your time.