#spirituality philosophy ideology religion

[ketchuplaser]

Spirituality, Philosophy, Ideology, Religion

"Master, what are we doing on Arami?"

"Remember Diel, just call me Guise. We're undercover."

"Apologies Ma- Guise."

"And we're here because of bacta smugglers. With the crowd coming for the Boonta Eve, they think they'll be able to blend in."

"Do we have a plan to find them?"

"Same as always, follow the living Force. Listen to it's call and be fluid."

@starwarscultureweek

This is probably the highest variety of species that I’ve ever drawn! Can anyone name them all? There are nine, not counting our heroes.

[universoulreiki]

In this weeks message from our planet, Mother Gaia explains that the spirituality of the divine feminine is meant to be in balance with the physical reality of the divine masculine. She also cautions that these energies do not equate with gender presentation.

Channeled by Daniel Zafer-Joyce on April 12th, 2023

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"Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. Calling on modern society to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust works to care for damaged Native lands, revitalize Native cultures, and return Native land to Native people through public education programs, legislative reform, and rematriation programs."

Music: Moonlight by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au

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Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

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[mindumedia]

Restoring the context of Arcane Manuscripts: The Vedas

Through the ages our attempt at gaining a understanding the universal principles of the Vedas from a religious point of view has suffered at the expense of ideological and ontonological differences. This article will explore how these differences obfuscate our understanding of the archane texts we inherited from former and foregone civilizations. The Upanishads and Vedas are ancient texts that…

[astrosky33]

The Best Career for you: Asteroid Industria

◉ Industria is an asteroid in astrology that can represent the long term career industry you will work in. Based on the readings I’ve done this asteroid is very accurate in predicting your long term career

◉ Asteroid Code: 389 -> How to find asteroids

House Meanings

Asteroid Industria in the 1st house

Your career will be a major part of your identity (more so than others careers would). Your career may change or constantly be testing your outlook/view on life. This career will be something you’re very passionate and ambitious about. You may use lots of mannerisms in this career. It most likely is going to involve your physical body, fighting, beauty, confidence, and/or individuality

Ex: Athlete, Model, Makeup Artist, Fighter

Asteroid Industria in the 2nd house

Your career will be a major source of stability (not just financially but also emotionally) for you in your life and your career may boost your self esteem/self worth. It is going to revolve around material items. It most likely is going to involve either your singing voice, finances, cooking, giving, receiving, and/or material resources

Ex: Singer, Banker, Accountant, Chef, Product Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 3rd house

In your career you will use your voice to spread an important message. You will express many of your ideas to others. It most likely will involve communication, literature, teaching, transportation, influencing, social media, the mind, and/or phones

Ex: Author/Writer, Social Media Influencer, Driver, Teacher

Asteroid Industria in the 4th house

Your career will be in an industry where you’re using lots of emotion toward your work and/or caring for others. It won’t be a job far out of your comfort zone. It likely will involve houses, home related things, food, and/or self-care

Ex: Real Estate Agent, Nurse, Baker, Home Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 5th house

Your career may revolve around you and be in an industry where a lot of spotlight/attention is on you. You’re going to work in an industry where you use your talents. It’s going to be a career you really enjoy and that makes you happy! It likely will involve entertainment, romance, events (such as a festival or concert), children, talents, and/or drama

Ex: Actor, Event Planner, Child Psychiatrist, Talent Agent

Asteroid Industria in the 6th house

Your career will have a set schedule and steady income. In this career industry you’ll constantly be working on self improvement. It likely will involve health, fitness, hygiene, your analytic nature, animals/pets, and/or giving service to others somehow

Ex: Doctor, Nutritionist, Fitness Trainor, Dentist, Vet

Asteroid Industria in the 7th house

Your career will be one that’s based around equality or partnership. You’re going to be working towards harmony or peace in this career. It will likely involve commitment, marriage, attractiveness/attraction, contracts, conflicts, negotiations, and/or equality/sharing

Ex: Wedding Planner, Lawyer, Model, Fashion Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 8th house

Your career will be one that’s based around a lot of transformation, power, or mystery. In this career industry you’ll constantly be working on changing for the better. It will likely involve crime, death, taxes, psychology, surgery, investments, the stock market, business, loans, secrets, your inheritance, reproduction, and/or spiritual transformation

Ex: Detective, Psychologist, Tax Preparer, Surgeon

Asteroid Industria in the 9th house

Your career will be one that helps you grow a lot as a person. In this career industry you will learn a lot more than most people do in their career. It will likely involve travel in general, air travel, exploration, television, media, teaching, higher education (college/uni), religion, beliefs, ideologies, philosophy, interviews, courts, law, cultures, ethics, viewpoints, and/or languages

Ex: College Professor, Pilot, Newscaster, Photographer

Asteroid Industria in the 10th house

You are more likely than others to be very successful when having this placement in your chart. Your career will teach you how to set long term goals for yourself and succeed. It will likely involve being in charge/a boss, business, peoples reputations/images, sense of mission, responsibilities, being famous, and/or status

Ex: Manager (anywhere), Publicist, Movie Director

Asteroid Industria in the 11th house

You’re more likely to gain wealth from your career with this placement since the 11th house represents financial gains -> read more here. Your career will be one that introduces new ideas to the world and may be a more unique career compared to most peoples. It will likely involve technology, film, politics, science, inventions, chaos, sudden change, friendship, groups, desires, manifestations, hopes/wishes, humanitarianism, social networking, clubs, and/or parties

Ex: Engineer, Scientist, Film Producer, Politician

Asteroid Industria in the 12th house

Your career is one that will transform you spiritually. In this career industry you will heal others. It will likely involve spirituality, hypnotism, isolation, music, karma/karmic debts, hidden enemies, the subconscious mind, subconscious memory, sleep, dreams (the ones you have when you sleep), old age/people, mental health, fears, losses, endings, impersonations, closure, self-undoing, bed pleasures, intuition, illusions, and/or the afterlife

Ex: Therapist, Song-Writer, Astrologer, Psychic

➠ [READ] the examples listed aren’t the only possible careers for each house only some, so there can be more interpretations than the ones listed

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚! 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗢𝗡 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

© 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

[astrolovecosmos]

The 9th House: Spirituality, Religion, Rituals

Part 1: Aries - Virgo

Aries in the 9th house can be impulsive and righteous with their beliefs. They won't hesitate to fight for them. At times this may indicate an opinionated or zealous person, but Aries in this House may also easily get impatient or burn through beliefs and causes. Spirituality may be focused on what works for the self or one's desires. They can be adaptable and open-minded in some ideological and academic realms - their passion and fiery nature geared towards learning and teaching. Introspection can be a complex subject for them, tending to either lack it or have an overabundance of it. Aries in the 9th may find empowerment through higher education, traveling, teaching, studying, religion, or through a belief system. They likely aren't creatures of habit or strict ritual, and they may get a thrill out of learning about how other's tick, their culture, their values. Some with this placement may also be competitive with their beliefs or may have a short-fuse in philosophical debates and discussions. This is the warrior in the house of theory, knowledge, and religion and they are ready to play that role.

Taurus in the 9th House may be big on "believe it when I see it." They can be highly realistic and may be stubborn with their ideals and philosophies. Taurus in the 9th may have a strong skeptical side. They may also have a close connection to nature, finding inspiration or value in it, or even spirituality. Despite a practical or rigid approach to ethics, they can be very patient and willing to listen or at least be level-headed when dealing with others' beliefs. This placement can easily fall into materialism or greed, valuing hard work, loyalty, and reliability but also pleasure, reward, and security of the self. They may want the status of certain degrees or schools, or be most interested in the fashion, food, the tangible aspects of a culture or place. Their spiritual world and their hunger for knowledge is strongly connected to the physical world. Taurus is a routine sign that craves comfort, from this they can find it challenging to get into a different mindset or set of rules in terms of beliefs. They may crave belief systems that have a lot of structure. This sign can also be about beauty in life and peaceful ideologies.

Gemini in the 9th House can be incredibly curious and open-minded in the areas this house influences. They were likely the kid who always asked a million questions in school or church. But they can also be argumentative or opinionated about their beliefs. They may love a good debate, but that can sometimes go overboard into heated arguments. While Aries may act as a warrior or crusader for their beliefs, Gemini can also put up a fight for their ideals, especially via arguing. Gemini in the 9th can also have a talent for spreading the word, teaching, and persuading others to see their side of things or to follow different ethics. This placement may love to try new practices or rituals for the fun of it or for educational purposes. Someone with this placement who is very devoted to a faith or philosophy may still be open to new ideas or to learning about others spirituality or values, even if they are vocal about theirs being the "right one" or "best one". This placement could also struggle with the depth and focus this house sometimes demands. The 9th House is of long-standing vision and goals, study, theory, bettering the self or expanding horizons, abstract or very tangible beliefs and consequences. Introspection, patience, focus, depth, possibly planning or at least seeing the big picture work well in the 9th House's sphere. Gemini is a scattered, fast-paced, impatient, possibly shallow sign that is focused on the daily gossip, facts, or problems. Gemini in the 9th can swing back and forth from conformity to questioning. They may have a great love/hate relationship with things like higher learning, the media, storytelling, and long-distance traveling or foreign affairs. Overly simple beliefs or beliefs that can encompass a lot of variety and change may make sense to them.

Cancer in the 9th House may take things personally easily. This sign indicates a very deep and emotional connection to beliefs, spirituality, and growth. They may be very private about their beliefs. They can be loyal to their ideals and may have strong rooted beliefs that come from traditions or parents. They may also insist that their family should follow their same ethics. Cancer in the 9th may feel most at home with beliefs that are more understanding or that can stir emotion. Beliefs that promote introspection, looking to the past or at heritage are connected to them. They may be protective over their beliefs or those who share their values. Beliefs that can give them security, reassurance, and structure are likely of interest to them. Religion or a certain philosophy may encourage them to be more kind, compassionate, giving, or forgiving. Their spirituality can be a great source for inspiration. Cancer in the 9th may not long for faraway travels and may not desire the boasting rights of going to an impressive university. Cancer in the 9th finds a lot of growth and fulfillment from their family, community, or through more heart-to-heart relationships.

Leo in the 9th can be passionate about their beliefs. They may also be leaders in some form when it comes to their ideals or spirituality. Maybe this is seen by them inventing new and popular rituals or through preaching and teaching. They can certainly have pastor, priestess, or cult leader vibes. They may also act as a role-model by following their beliefs faithfully and/or hopefully. Leo in this house can be either open-minded or closed-minded with their beliefs, but whichever approach they take they are likely to make this clearly known. Leo in the 9th House may be outgoing and brave about their values or spirituality, or it may be a distinct part of their personality. Even without a personal planet in this house, Leo creates an atmosphere that encourages powerful and strong beliefs, ethics, or meaning. Those with this placement might find a lot of confidence through their philosophies on life, relationships, and humanity in some form. Feeling stable and inspired by their beliefs, through the knowledge they take in, or through their travels and exploration is important to them. Not feeling secure or feeling dull here can be a great source of struggle or pain. This placement might also find empowerment through beliefs or the exploration and learning about beliefs, culture, foreign affairs, and the world. The self-centered and stubborn part of Leo can make them blind at times to certain teachings. They may also be too focused on the big picture of things; they may struggle with details and important steps of a belief system. Getting carried away or easily disillusioned with beliefs may happen. They may need to be careful about becoming too biased, zealous, self-righteous, or power hungry in this area of life. This sign is very generous, and this may be someone who helps and takes impactful action due to their beliefs.

Virgo in the 9th House can be a studious placement that thrives in higher education or an intellectually challenging or stimulating environment. They can have a special devotion and interest or even obsession towards religion, spirituality, or philosophy. Their patience, humility, and need to help or be useful may be compatible with many beliefs and be a virtue in their practices. Virgo's need to always be improving may manifest in self-help verbiage and beliefs or be a source of meaning and inspiration for them. However Virgo's perfectionism and judgment may distance themselves from their spirituality or distract them from what they truly enjoy and/or believe in. Virgo in the 9th house can manifest as being highly critical of their beliefs and others. They may feel like they need to prove themselves through tasks, study, or sacrifice. They can be highly habitual and routine in their beliefs, traditions, or rituals. Virgo's overthinking may cause moments of frustration, misunderstanding, or confusion surrounding their own beliefs. They may easily swing from doubt to dutiful. Their wired mind may lead to unease, nervousness, or existential crises. But through spirituality or following an ethic code this placement may find a lot of depth, reward, and contentment. They need a sense of moral stability and a way to constantly understand and analyze the world. They may be cautious and practical when it comes to travel and worldly themes. But they can also be adaptable and clever in that area. Their curious yet grounded traits can lead the way in the 9th House.

[salixsociety]

Germanic Paganism Resource Masterlist

Notes: - Updates will be beyond infrequent. - Feel free to pop into my ask box requesting resource recommendations at any moment. - Resources do not reflect my personal beliefs or practice. I may include otherwise great resources that include theories and ideologies I do not support (such as the 'sign of the Hammer'), because I make extensive use of cross-referencing, reflection, etc to determine everything I incorporate into my craft. - I will never consciously add resources written by (Neo-)Nazis and the like. If you spot them, feel free to let me know. - You may notice there is a seemingly disproportionate amount of sources also or primarily talking about Scandinavia and Iceland, and even some primarily covering England. This is because continental Germanic paganism has only barely survived the ravages of time, and one can only learn about it if they supplement their knowledge with the more complete pictures of Anglo-Saxon paganism and Norse paganism.

Legend: [No language identifier means the source is English.] [D] - The resource is written (primarily) in Dutch. [G] - The resource is written (primarily) in German. [ON] - The resource is written (primarily) in Old Norse. [OD] - The resource is written (primarily) in Old Dutch. [OG] - The resource is written (primarily) in Old High German. [L] - The resource is written (primarily) in Latin. [F] - The resource is written (primarily) in French. * - I have not read the resource in its entirety. ** - Read with caution. !! - There is more of the resource available/this is one part of multiple.

Historic Texts and References

Tacitus' Agricola and Germania

Tacitus' Annals

The Prose Edda

The Poetic Edda

The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus

Contemporary Books, Essays, Other Media

Myths and symbols in pagan Europe : early Scandinavian and Celtic religions - H.R. Ellis Davidson

Kleinere Altniederdeutsche Denkmälen - Heyne [G]*

Religion and Philosophy in Germany : a Fragment - Heine *

Deutsche Volkskunde - Adolf Bach [G]*

Teutonic Mythology - Grimm

Swedish Legends and Folk Tales - John Lindow

Scandinavian Mythology : an Annotated Bibliography - John Lindow *

Trolls : an Unnatural History - John Lindow

Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas - H.A. Guerber

Northern mythology : comprising the principal popular traditions and superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and The Netherlands - Benjamin Thorpe | VOL 1, VOL 2, VOL 3

From Myth to Fiction : the Saga of Hadingus - Georges Dumézil *

The Stakes of the Warrior - Georges Dumézil **

Gods of the Ancient Norsemen - Georges Dumézil **

Zum Tamfana-Rätsel - Edmund Weber [G]*

De Tijdstippen van de Cultische Jaarfeesten - Boppo Grimmsma [D]**

Nederlansche Volksoverleveringen en Godenleer - Van den Bergh [D, OD]*

Tales and Legends of Tyrol *

Germanic Spirituality - Bil Linzie

Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Auberglaubens - Baechtold-Staubl, Hoffman-Krayer

Goden van de Lage Landen - Gunivortus Goos [D]**

Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples - Dickins *

Gods and Myths of Northern Europe - H.R. Ellis Davidson

Old Norse - Icelandic Literature : a Critical Guide - John Lindow

Vikings : a Very Short Introduction - Richards *

Norse Mythology : a Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs - John Lindow

Antwoord op de Vraag, door het Zeeuwse Genootschap de Wetenschappen - te Water [D]*

Verhandelingen over het Westland, ter opheldering der Loo-en, Woerden en Hoven, benevens de natuurdienst der Batavieren en Friezen - Buddingh [D]*

De Goden der Germanen - de Vries [D]*

Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neopaganism - Stefanie von Schnurbein (in the series Studies in Critical Research on Religion which I highly recommend)

Digital Libraries, Dictionaries and the Like

Digitale Bibliotheek voor Nederlandse Letteren [D]*

Digitised Collection of Historic Sources of the WWU in Münster [G, D, OD, OG]*

Oudnederlands Woordenboek [D, OD]*

Ons volksleven : tijdschrift voor taal-, volks- en oudheidkunde. Jaargang 2-12 [D]*

Het Rad - Digitale Bibliotheek voor Germaans Heidendom, Runen, Seidr [D]*

Volkskunde (search results on Delpher) [D]*

Goden van Eigen Bodem - Digitale bibliotheek voor heidens erfgoed van de lage landen [D]*

Godinnen van Nederland en België [D]**!!

Forgotten Gods - Reginheim **

The Rune Poems *

Kronieken van de Westhoek (Flemish Folk History) [D]*

Brabantse Folklore, bulletin van de provinciale dienst voor geschiedkundige en folkloristische opzoekingen [D]*

Project Gutenberg has a wealth of resources about pre-christian Germanic religion*

Mimisbrunnr.info has a wealth of information including starter guides.

Author Recommendations

J.R.W. Sinninghe [D]

John Lindow

Benjamin Thorpe

H.R. Ellis Davidson

The Grimm Brothers

J. Haver [D]

To be continued.

[skaldish]

Could you expand upon your ideas around how Venerating a Deity doesn’t mean trying to embody what they represent? I was raised in a church that literally said the word “worship” meant “to try to become like”. So I’m fascinated by how you could worship a deity of a thing and not want to make more of that thing out in the world. I want to learn a new paradigm

Happy to! I love talking about paradigms.

Firstly…

Different religions and denominations conceptualize "worship" differently.

This includes "what you do to worship" but also includes ideas around "what gives worship its value."

"Trying to become like a deity" is something I've seen specifically associated with Evangelism and Fundamentalism (perhaps others, but this is what I know). It's derived from the idea that Christians are warriors of god and that it's their duty to act as his voice and hands on Earth. This is derivative of their doctrinal idea that they need to "save" people by any means necessary. (Teaching people to define who they are through God makes people dependent on God for a core sense of self, which is a huge reason why it's so psychologically awful to leave these denominations. It robs you of everything you are and leaves you with no way of creating yourself anew.

It's one thing to admire a deity and aspire to adopt some of their attributes as a point of personal growth; it's another altogether to teach people that they need to replace their inherent personality with a prescribed ideological construct. I loathe it entirely.)

Now, Catholics don't tend to interpret worship as the act of "trying to be like God." Given what I've observed and what I know of their ideology, worship for them is largely a function of sacrifice. You sacrifice your time, skills, wealth, etc. to God, because giving up things that are difficult to give up is how you show you really mean your devotion.

(I've seen this behavior in Heathens, actually, when they do things like buy top-shelf mead only to pour every last drop of it out on the ground for Odin or similar.)

I also take a lot of issues with this form of worship because I know why it exists: Extortion. The Church learned hundreds of years ago that guilt-tripping people out of their money (in exchange for salvation, an unfalsifiable concept that they neither had to prove nor procure) was an excellent way to get rich and powerful with impunity.

Clearly you caught me on a day I'm feeling extra-spicy towards Christianity. But I bring those two up in detail because I know a lot of my followers come from these backgrounds, and having more points of differentiation is important.

See, the real pitfall here lies in thinking that Christianity represents the "default" for how religions work, when in reality it's the grand exception, given all of human history.

The other religions I know about (with the exception of Judaism) are distinctly polytheistic: Shinto, Hinduism, Buddhism, and various flavors of Paganism. These all have different models of worship because they all have different, culturally-informed philosophies about how divinity works. Religions are inseparable from the cultures that create them for this reason, and why switching religions is a function of adopting a completely new mindset, not just a new set of gods to venerate.

Norse Heathen Worship

Since this is a Heathen blog I'm obligated to talk a bit about this.

How we worship as Norse Heathens is still a matter of debate, but that's because we're still figuring out how to define "worship" within the context of how it operates as a spirituality.

At no point did Norse Heathenry have a governing body, a religious figure, or a holy book to guide practice. Things developed organically, unique to their time-period and location, and stories were (and are) passed down via oral tradition rather than written down.

Many Heathens mistakenly think we're missing religious mandates, hence why they're so bent on trying to find them or devise them. I think this is a mistake.

A religion's architecture derives from the values, worldviews, and agendas of the culture/people behind it. The reason why a Christian's relationship with God looks like a Lord/servant dynamic is because the religion was shaped by lawmakers, and "loyalty towards the law" was a value they wanted to instill in the general population. Christianity was used to shape politics, so politics in turn shaped Christianity.

Norse Heathenry didn't have this function, so rather than reflecting political values, it reflects cultural ones. The stories are allegorical representations of cultural ideas, which themselves are based in the context of animism—the idea that everything operates as an ecosystem, and divinity is inseparable from that ecosystem.

This is all to say that the way Heathens worship is largely a byproduct of how they interface with that ecosystem. How this looks is something we choose based on what we find connection with, as opposed to mandates given to us.

Some people might find this kind of answer unsatisfying because it doesn't lead to any directive on "how to worship," but that might be because we're used to thinking of worship as a "duty," as opposed to what is actually, anthropologically is: A type of enrichment.

How I Worship

The way I go about worship is the same way I go about any kind of social bonding; through collaboration. In my mind, venerating deities is functionally identical to socializing with them, and like any socialization, how that's done varies from deity to deity. Anything I do in my practice—offerings, devotional art, etc—is informed by what I perceive them liking.

(Keep in mind I'm a hard polytheist, and I'm a hard polytheist because it's the only descriptor that could describe how I experience deities; as beings with autonomy divorced from my own will. A soft polytheist would conceptualize this entire thing differently.)

I also personally conceptualize "veneration" "devotion" and "worship" all differently, which is why you'll see me use the word "veneration" to describe what most people call "worship:"

Veneration is the general state of reverence or respect for something we hold spiritually important, such as a spirit, deity, or ancestor.

Devotion is a kind of enthusiastic dedication that emerges from love.

Worship is a ritual activity done as a gift for a god.

But this is just how I understand things for myself. They're not a reflection of how these things are thought of in Norse Heathenry. (In fact, they're mostly a product of the fact I initially learned about worship through observation, rather than experience. But I figured I'd bring it up anyway to provide an additional dimension to your paradigm explorations.)

I'm not sure what else to say so, uh…feel free to follow up with questions in case you want me to dive more into something.

[eternal-echoes]

I wonder if a lot of Christian witches in this website started playing around with demonic magic because the Christianity they were taught was rote and mundane, so they try to look to foreign religions for a sense of mysticism. They probably weren’t taught about Eucharistic adoration and just went along with Christian traditions in a robotic routine so they didn’t think to go to Christianity to quench their thirst for spirituality by reverently worshipping in the Mass and admiring the beauty of the Biblical imagery in churches built in medieval period. They weren’t adequately taught about the mysticism of prayer so to answer that tug that says materialism is wrongheaded, they went to occultism, tarot card readings, and black arts.

Kinda like how there are communist Catholics and white nationalists Catholics. They were probably only taught that the only political stance that the Catholic Church stands for is anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage not the political writings of Pope Leo XIII and St. Thomas Aquinas on the role of the government so they think it’s okay to be a communist Catholic and white nationalist Catholic. They didn’t think that the Catholic Church having the fullness of Truth would also have teachings on the proper earthly ruling in a way that is conducive to man's salvation so instead they thought political ideology and religious truth as separate rather than having the teachings of the Catholic Church shape their entire worldview.

It’s sometimes unavoidable to be cafeteria Catholics when we’ve only been fed little bits of Catholicism in small packages rather than the whole buffet. Granted, spiritual growth doesn’t take a day and sometimes the Holy Spirit can only spoon feed to us the truth so we can eventually learn more the full picture of the Catholic Social teaching and priests can only fit so much in a homily every Sunday but we can at least start by saying that the Catholic Church has the fullness of truth, she transcends all political ideology that every man has ever thought of and whatever doubts you have about the Faith she has the answer in the treasury of her wisdom so that can at least lead to the search for truth. Not everyone is into politics but anyone who is inclined to law has a duty to be an advocate for Catholic philosophy in that regard. Likewise, Christian witches would be better taught about the mysticism in contemplative practices within some religious orders for the sake of their salvation since their natural inclination for deeper spirituality has been disorderly led to pagan religions.

But even then, we can’t always look for that feeling of mysticism to feel God. Because in His silence is when He is the most active in our lives. Despite feeling of hopelessness we always have to remind ourselves that God is there because He is omniscient.

[clonehub]

I've reblogged about this before but here's the official list of themes for Star Wars Culture Week!

#StarWarsCultureWeek will be from April 1st to 7th.

Day 1 - Music & Art

Day 2 - language

Day 3 - SPIR (Spirituality, Philosophy, Ideology, and Religion)

Day 4 - Life and Death

Day 5 - Food

Day 6 - Fashion

Day 7 - Diaspora

There's bound to overlap between some of these themes, but that's okay! If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to @starwarscultureweek.

[ineffable-endearments]

The Crow Road and Good Omens: Further-Out Thoughts

Here are a few more thoughts; they're more interpretive yet than the ones in my original post about The Crow Road.

I see some similarities between Prentice and both Aziraphale and Crowley.

Prentice feels this need to believe there's something beyond this life, in large part because this life can be ended so quickly and so easily, and it isn't fair. Throughout the novel, he is never very interested in organized religion; his interest in spirituality is truly about the feeling that there has to be a deeper meaning to existence than this one life.

Likewise, I tend to interpret Aziraphale as willing to consider that the people who make up his institution are fallible, but still stuck on the idea that Heaven is performing an essential role: someone should be up there Doing Good, or, more accurately, encouraging people to Do Good. He has reservations about the existing spiritual establishment and how reflective of truth it is, but he still has this feeling that there has to be a greater power and a greater meaning that can be given to people, himself included, because otherwise, what would be the point?

Then again, there is a nonzero amount of Crowley in Prentice, too (and I know the point is that everyone has a little of each). Prentice is a college-aged young man trying to figure himself out in a world that can be profoundly unfair, and he wants to be allowed to experiment with the idea of life after death. Considering perspectives different from one's parents is part of growing up, after all. Kenneth is determined to steer his sons toward a specific worldview, and as much as Kenneth's perspective on spirituality is supported by the narrative, his stubbornness is also ultimately the thing that gets him killed. Prentice observes his mother's hands-off approach to ideology may have ultimately been more effective.

Doesn't this sound a little familiar? Prentice wants to be allowed to question, and he isn't willing to just shrug and accept unfairness without an argument. When he can't find satisfactory answers, he also tends to drown his anxiety and depression in alcohol and other substances.

All in all, I feel we may have seen the conflict between Crowley and Aziraphale playing out in Prentice's character development; they are the angel and demon on his shoulder, as usual. But the conflict was resolved in the way that I think and hope Crowley and Aziraphale's will be on a grander scale. Prentice ended up having to surrender his philosophy, especially the life-after-death stuff, but then his deep need for a sense of meaning was satisfied much better by finding that meaning here on Earth.

There's also an interesting interaction between the two stories in relation to the afterlife. Namely, The Crow Road takes place in a universe that presumably works just like ours, while we know for sure that in Good Omens, there is an afterlife of one kind or another. We can't be sure how it works, but we've seen human characters in both Season 1 and Season 2 maintain their consciousness after death. I wonder if maybe in the world of Good Omens, human mortality is somehow being exploited by the higher-ups?

Anyway, as a result of this difference, Good Omens also has a special opportunity with the "death doesn't give life meaning - life gives itself meaning!" message. Its main characters are immortal. The book already subverts the whole "oh, being immortal sucks, everyone eventually wants to die" trope by portraying Crowley and Aziraphale's motivation to maintain their Earthly lives instead of starting Armageddon. Season 2 added depth to that, and Season 3 has an opportunity to fully flesh out why exactly life on Earth is where meaning is created even when there is no time limit, even if people don't have the inevitability of death looming over their heads.

Another thought: something a little ironic in The Crow Road is that the incident that led to Kenneth's death "should," theoretically, have made Prentice believe in higher powers, if it was really about that. It certainly convinced Hamish. However, the whole conflict between himself and his father was more about the meaning Prentice sought, so instead, it pushed Prentice toward Kenneth's ideology.

I am wondering if this points toward an event that Aziraphale "should," theoretically, take to mean that Heaven is right or all-powerful or otherwise can't possibly be defied, but which will be the very thing that convinces him the entire system is wrong.

Finally, @loverdosis brought up the great point that memory and history are also major conceptual themes in The Crow Road. In The Crow Road, memory and history give the characters their sense of identity. Prentice also mentions it as one way people can achieve a kind of continuity that doesn't infringe on the importance of life itself. And all of that meshes with Good Omens. So far, Gabriel's plot has involved a very strong focus on memory issues, and through that, we've seen that there is something going on with Crowley's memory as well, although exactly what it is - how much of his memory is missing, who took it, whether he can or wants to get it back - is uncertain. Beelzebub described Gabriel's memories as "All your...you," implying that memories are the majority of what gives Gabriel his identity. The memory wipe punishment is very much a death sentence.

After consideration, I would not be surprised to see memory make a roaring comeback as a theme in Season 3. It could even bring themes of identity and purpose with it.

[determinate-negation]

The logic of cultural assimilation and the desire to climb the ladder of prestige led the Jewish bourgeoisie to send its sons to the University, especially towards the end of the nineteenth century:

“Just like the majority of German businessmen, Jews wanted to climb socially… They wanted their sons and sons-in-law to be more valued than they were. A career as an officer or as a high-ranking government official, which were the goals of a young Christian man, was closed to Jews … only university studies were open to him.”

As a result, in 1895 Jews comprised 10% of the student body in German universities, which was ten times the percentage of Jews in the overall population (1.05%). This massive presence of bourgeois Jewish youth in higher education quickly led to the formation of a new social category: the Jewish intelligentsia. Jewish intellectuals of German culture had, of course, existed since the late eighteenth century (Moses Mendelssohn), but it was only at the end of the nineteenth century that the phenomenon became so widespread as to constitute a new social fact. These Jewish intellectuals, déclassé, unstable and free of any precise social attachment, were a typical example of the sozialfreischwebende Intelligenz that Mannheim spoke of. Their condition was eminently contradictory: deeply assimilated yet largely marginalized; linked to German culture yet cosmopolitan; uprooted and at odds with their business and bourgeois milieu of origin; rejected by the traditional rural aristocracy yet excluded in career terms within their natural sphere of acceptance (the university). In a state of ideological availability, they were soon attracted to the two principal poles of German cultural life, which could be named after the famous characters from Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain: ‘Settembrini’, the liberal, democratic and republican philanthropist, and ‘Naphta’, the conservative/revolutionary romantic.

For many young Jewish intellectuals, rationalism, progressive evolutionism, Aufklärung and neo-Kantian philosophy became the primary reference, in some cases combined with a Judaism that was diluted or reduced to monotheist ethics (Hermann Cohen). From this world-view several political options were available, ranging from moderate liberalism (the ideology of the Jewish bourgeoisie itself), to social democracy (Eduard Bernstein), Marxism (Max Adler, Otto Bauer and the Austrian Marxists) and even Communism (Paul Levi, Ruth Fischer, Paul Frölich, August Thalheimer).

Nevertheless, at the turn of the century, anti-capitalist romanticism was the dominant movement within the culture of Mitteleuropa. Sociologically speaking, it was inevitable that a significant portion of the new university-trained Jewish intelligentsia would be attracted by the romantic critique of industrial civilization: ‘Naphta!’ The intelligentsia eagerly discovered the nostalgic and anti-bourgeois Weltanschauung predominant in academia – notably in the Geisteswissenschaften (Humanities), where the majority of Jewish students enrolled. These students subsequently rejected their fathers’ business careers, revolted against their bourgeois family milieu and aspired intensely to an ‘intellectual life style’. This generational break, which many Jewish intellectuals speak of in their autobiographies, opposed the anti-bourgeois youth – passionately interested in Kultur, spirituality, religion and art – to their entrepreneurial parents – merchants or bankers, moderate liberals and good German patriots, indifferent to religious matters. In a recent autobiographical interview, Leo Löwenthal, the Frankfurt School sociologist of literature, summarized the feeling that was common among many intellectuals of his generation: ‘My family household, as it were, was the symbol of everything I did not want – shoddy liberalism, shoddy Aufklärung, and double standards.’

Redemption and Utopia: Jewish Libertarian Thought in Central Europe, Michael Löwy

[jvlianbashir]

Ok so I’ve now thought about this, and after a tiny deep dive into what each suit stands for and this is my suggestion for you to consider. (The four suits were meant to symbolize the four “pillars” of medieval society)

Hearts symbolizes the church/clergy: TOS, it’s the thing everything else is built on, it established star trek’s ideology and it’s the most idealist

Spades symbolizes the military/aristocratic class: TNG, I think it makes more sense. If only because Picard is Like That. My explanation for this isn’t super strong but the vibes are there

Diamonds symbolizes the merchant class: DS9, obviously. They’re the shopping mall at the airport.

Clubs symbolizes the peasant class, or if you want to be less openly hierarchical about it, agriculture: VOY, let’s be real, they’re doing the backbreaking work to survive here. They don’t have anybody else supplying them with what they need so they’re cooking food, scrounging for resources, etc

ohhhhh very cool to learn the lore and history of card suits! thank you!

my only gentle counter proposal for hearts is that DS9 is definitely the trek that comes to mind for me regarding the discussion of faith, religion, and clergy (at least if we are speaking literally as opposed to sense of idealism and philosophy/principles.)

more than one of the main cast are religious or even function as central religious figures themselves, with sisko being the Emissary for the bajorans and odo being a Founder, who are revered by the vorta and jem'hadar as living gods. the first officer is openly devout and we have more than one space "pope" character for the bajorans who are plot-critical. the ferengi religion is also explored in relative depth and their cultural/spiritual leader is featured prominently as well. even the primary antagonist dukat sets himself up as a cult leader and later as a physical vessel for the spirits of the opposing side of the bajoran religion.

from the beginning the prophets and the bajoran faith are deeply woven into the core of the story.

that said, i definitely agree that TOS establishes the overarching ideology of trek and is most faithful to it and i like DS9 being aligned with the merchant class as well, with how many civilian (and merchant!) characters it has in its cast

[starwarscultureweek]

Here is the official schedule for #StarWarsCultureWeek, a week dedicated to the various cultures present in both Star Wars and the fandom!

PROMPTS:

Music & Art - Statues, paintings, songs, instruments, and all the ways that people make art and music!

Language - Mother tongues, accents, pidgins, creoles, slang, dialects, and any other form of verbal or nonverbal communication!

SPIR (Spirituality, Philosophy, Ideology, Religion) - Religions big and small, personal philosophies, and spirituality! Show us the major and minor celebrations, the festivals, the superstitions, the daily practices, and everything in between.

Life and Death (And everything in between) - birth, courtship, wedding, and funeral practices

Food - snacks, meals, candy, and anything edible!

Fashion - clothing, accessories, makeup, hair, tattoos, anything!

Diaspora - Cultural mixing, borrowing, sharing, reclaiming, and everything that immigrants and their descendants do in diaspora!

RULES:

BE RESPECTFUL!

It’s okay to post late! If you want to make sure we see your work, be sure to tag us @starwarscultureweek

Please properly tag all warnings and triggers!

Credit properly if you are using others’ designs or inspirations!

There is no limit on the number and variety of things you can post, but please don’t spam!

Reblog! Like! Retweet! Share! Show support!

Please remember: this event is meant to uplift and support people of color and other marginalized communities in celebrating their identities. Bigotry or harassment of any kind will result in an automatic block. 

And most importantly: have fun!

Image description:

Infographic of yellow text on dark blue semitransparent background with an image of space behind it. A pale teal stylized icon of the Queen of Naboo and 3 white lines decorate the lower right corner. A light blue rectangular outline frames the text.

The text reads: Star Wars Culture Week. April 1st to 7th. Day 1 - Music & Art. Day 2 - Language. Day 3 - S.P.I.R. (Spirituality, Philosophy, Ideology, Religion). Day 4 - Life & Death. Day 5 - Food. Day 6 - Fashion. Day 7 - Diaspora.

/End image description.

[astrosky33]

HOUSE MEANINGS IN ASTROLOGY

[READ] People often question why there’s so many meanings for each planet/house and the reason is so that you can learn more than just one thing about yourself through each placement. Otherwise astrology would be very vague and boring. These are all meanings that I’ve learned from my astrology classes at Kepler College

1ST HOUSE: identity/self, outward personality traits, outlook on life/approach to life, appearance, physical body, beauty, confidence, beginnings, how you initiate/ambition, your mannerisms, your outward behavior, physical fights, your presence, individuality, and passion

2ND HOUSE: money/finances (how we spend it, store it, and manage it), work, short term jobs, your work ethic, material possessions, self worth, values, emotional security, stability, financial security, how you meet financial obligations, your singing voice, giving/receiving, and resources (both material and non material)

3RD HOUSE: communication, your speaking voice/the way you talk, your mind, the way you think/your thinking skills, your perceptions, your opinions, your conscious mind, neighbors, siblings, interests, gossip, ideas/information, mathematics, literature, transportation (only ground not flying/air), local media, social media, cell phones, phone calls, visits, social activity, publishing, early education (before college), short trips, and short journeys

4TH HOUSE: homes/houses, family/family roots, your parents (particularly the mother/motherly figure), your inner child, emotions, foundations, your childhood, heredity, tradition, self-care, places of residence, real estate, properties, femininity, and conditions in early life

5TH HOUSE: children, childlike spirit, talent, creativity, drama, risk-taking, spotlight, romance (shows short term relationships, flings, hookups, and if long term relationships then only puppy love), hobbies, pleasures, objects of affection, vacations, games, speculation, fertility, concerts, festivals, and joy

6TH HOUSE: daily routine/day to day life/daily tasks, your health/fitness/the work you do on your body, your duties, self improvement, consistency, step-siblings, your hygiene, innocence, systems, service to others, co-workers, analytical nature, diets, animals, and your pets

7TH HOUSE: long term relationships, marriage, concern for others, attraction/attractiveness, charm, conflicts, partnerships, business partners, contracts, love affairs, open enemies, close associates, lower courts, negotiations, peers, agents, equality, harmony, and sharing

8TH HOUSE: major transformation, sex, death, longevity, changes, joint/shared finances, investments, stock market, your partners resources, taxes, inheritance, reproduction, seduction, intimacy (in general not only sexual), rebirth, merging, taboos, resurrection, loans, assets, secrets, mystery, businesses, spiritual transformation, magic (especially black magic), psychology, surgery/operations, trauma, periods, and the occult

9TH HOUSE: wisdom, law/laws, beliefs, religion, philosophy, higher education (college/university), viewpoints, languages, foreign environments, in-laws (your relatives through marriage), ethics, long journeys, travel, ideologies, higher courts, media, television, interviews, cross-cultural relations, grandparents, and learning

10TH HOUSE: your legacy, your career, your public image, your status, your reputation, fame, long-term goals, worldly attainment, sense of mission, responsibilities, recognition, authority, father/fatherly figure, experts, bosses, achievements, and professional aspirations

11TH HOUSE: friends, friend groups, gains, money made from career, desires, step/half parents, step/half children, uniqueness, inventions, technology, film, social awareness, influence, manifestations, hopes and wishes for the future, ideals, humanitarianism, associates (not just close ones), groups (in general), politics, social networking, where you make your debut into society, companions, allies, science, socialization/social interaction, clubs, organizations, and parties

12TH HOUSE: healing, the hidden, karma, karmic debts, old age, sleep, mental health, solitude/isolation, dreams (the ones you have when you sleep), hidden enemies, hidden causes, illusions, secret bed pleasures, spirituality, fears, losses, endings, escapism, impersonations, closure, need for withdrawal/privacy, afterlife, limiting beliefs, subsconcious memory, subconscious mind, hypnotism, self-undoing, hidden desires, the past, delay, and restrictions

MASTERLIST

MORE BEGINNER ASTROLOGY

PLANET MEANINGS

© 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

[newscroll]

Aang from ATLA, in addition to Luke Skywalker (and maybe Optimus Prime?) were some of my favorite characters growing up. For some reason it was never the "cool nuanced" heroes like Han Solo that compelled me, as much as the "vanilla" ones? But looking back I think understand.

I'm devoutly religious, but in my childhood I didn't have a super close spiritual community. But I was deep in the fandom space, and I think my kid brain looked up to characters like Aang and Luke as examples of "religious" people in the media I liked? The Air Nomad religion and Jedi philosophy are a foundational part of their stories and encourage them to be compassionate and kind. They also have healthy relationships with their ideologies, questioning when advice from mentors (Guru Pathik and previous Avatars, Obi-Wan and Yoda) doesn't sit right with their moral compasses and knowing when to hold on to tradition and when it's ok to accept change (letting go of the Northern Air Temple, for example).

TLDR: I think my kid self took the idea of TV heroes being role models way too hard and now I think of my calling to pacifism and healthy spirituality in terms of Aang and Luke Skywalker. Oops.

[astrolovecosmos]

The 9th House: Spirituality, Religion, Rituals

Part 2: Libra - Pisces

Libra in the 9th House can be highly tolerant of other's beliefs and feel most at home with philosophies that promote equality, harmony, and collaboration. Libra is the sign of peace and in the 9th House this promotes the balancing of logic and spirituality, a desire to solve problems or find common ground, and their ethics likely focus a lot on relationships and relating to others. Libra in the 9th House can have a strong sense of justice which may be compatible with their religion or beliefs, but they may also become blinded by their own sense of justice at times. Libra is known as the people-pleaser sign and there may be a desire to not just learn about other beliefs, religions, or cultures but to be part of them. They may desire a sense of belonging or acceptance through shared values. They may conform to beliefs they don't believe in or that they dislike to make others happy or to not make waves. This sign is known to struggle with introspection/self-awareness which may be a challenge in this house. They may lose their identity in a religion or ideology. This placement may feel at home in a university setting - intellectually stimulating, always active, full of people to meet. They tend to make for an adaptable, persuasive, and diplomatic traveler. They may have a love/hate relationship with debating, devil's advocate, or opposing views and information. Having a romantic partner who shares in their beliefs or inspires their beliefs is something beneficial for them. Finding a religion or establishing beliefs that allow them to explore themselves while also exploring others is ideal.

Scorpio is associated with mystery, magic, the occult - in the 9th House their spirituality can be deep, profound, and maybe intense. They can be highly willful, unmoving, opinionated, and emotional about their beliefs. They may be a passionate leader and/or follower to a religion. They could also be firm and loyal to a personal code. Trust issues are highly associated with Scorpio and in the 9th House this may signal someone who is very skeptical of religion or certain morals. They may also be on a path to learn to trust themselves and others in some sort of spiritual capacity. These people may greatly fear the unknown or a lack of control and growth and meaning can be stunted by this. But Scorpio may also be fascinated with the unknown, with darkness, and taboos. They might not be able to help themselves when presented with old, sacred, or uncommon knowledge about a people or belief. Obsession can also easily exist within their studies and curiosities. When it comes to tradition or rituals they take them seriously, the word "sacred" has a real place with them. They can be highly private or even secretive of their beliefs. Those with this placement may have strong intuition or a good sense for the areas this house influences. They must be careful of following philosophies that promote isolation, self-destruction, or even paranoia or suspicion. They must be careful of falling into beliefs that are fear-oriented or thrive in fearful environments. Scorpio is a sign of extremes, power, empowerment, and transformation. They may find liberation or healing through their spiritual side.

Sagittarius in the 9th House may at times feel at home in places like universities, churches, publishing houses or places of media, in transportation hubs, or anywhere that is foreign to them. Their curiosity and need for greener pastures may never be satisfied. Those with this placement are likely adventurous, open-minded, impulsive, optimistic, and always looking ahead in the realm of beliefs and study. They never walk away from a situation without learning something or trying to find meaning in it. They have a love for the big picture, the theoretical, or the abstract. This placement may stay up all night talking hypotheticals or philosophy. They can develop a zealous nature and they might have a natural rebellion towards authority or a belief. They may not listen to those who share in their ethics, disliking most advice or not wanting any guidance. Sagittarius in the 9th could also not take their spirituality or ethics seriously until forced to. This placement might also fail to follow their own advice. Sagittarius in the 9th could be a free spirit who makes their own rules or a devoted follower of a religion. Sagittarius represents the spiritual fire, a spark of inspiration, and the spreading of belief, a story, or values. While beliefs that promote freedom, independence, and self-focus may be appealing to this placement, Sagittarius in the 9th is flexible and will follow any ideals that allow them to grow, find and feel enlightenment, and that they can put their passion behind. Sagittarius in the 9th can be intuitive, inspiring, risk taking, brave, and honest in their beliefs. They have a good grasp of or tend to seek their personal truth.

Capricorn in the 9th can be faithful and predictable with their beliefs. They may tend to see things in black and white or be rigid with their ideals. Capricorn in the 9th House can hold tradition close and take it seriously. Capricorn is a very stable and logical sign; they can approach their search for truth in a careful and deliberate way. Capricorn in the 9th may lean more towards conforming, but they have a great capacity for self-reflection. Authority is a hot topic here - they may highly respect it or question it. There can be a desire for spiritual authority here as well. Capricorn in the 9th House can be disciplined, humble, and hardworking in this area of life. Learning to be more open-minded, understanding, and to take things less seriously is an area they can improve upon. Their beliefs should promote sanctuary and peace rather than control, pressure, and smothering. Capricorn in the 9th may also know well how it feels to be restricted by a belief system or religion. Tapping into their own liberation, education, and empowerment may be a way they open their mind or find more meaning in life. Patience with themselves and others is important in terms of the spiritual. Judgment, ambition, and influence are all double-edged swords for this placement. These can be traits that bring them closer to their own truth and spiritual high or be what keeps them stuck in shallow, materialistic, greedy, or selfish beliefs.

For Aquarius in the 9th House let me first state this is the placement associated with "unconventional" beliefs. But in our diverse world this may be hard to actually translate and see practically. They may gravitate to beliefs that are different or opposite than the majority in their society. They are likely rebellious towards beliefs they may have grown up with or towards beliefs others may try to force on them. But Aquarius has a part of them that conforms to trends and mainstream opinions. The desire to fit in and be part of a group may drive them to follow a religion or philosophy closely and loudly, even if it doesn't fit them or their lifestyle well. Fellowship both on an individual level or among a congregation is something deep, real, and important to them. Aquarius values freedom, independence, intellect, and the sharing of ideas. In this house, they can open their minds and hearts to new ways of thinking and being. They can also explore different faiths and beliefs and are likely open to the unknown. They may thrive in higher education and love learning about different cultures. They may be highly critical of traditions and rituals. Aquarius is known for being detached and not passionate, but their passion tends to burn in causes or ideals. In the 9th House this airy, cool, spacy sign might be hot, opinionated, and determined. They need to watch out for a hypocritical side, a low-key controlling side in spirituality, and their fixed nature. The stubborn side of Aquarius, despite their open-mindedness and reputation for progressive ideals may cause them to get stuck in a specific viewpoint. Embracing their inquisitive nature and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is important for this placement. Learning, exploration, and innovation are their spiritual strengths.

Pisces in the 9th House may follow a code of intuition and emotions than an actual structured religion or belief system. This placement has a powerful urge to connect with their spirituality and the spirituality of others and the world. They may be attracted to more vague or abstract spiritual practices. They want to connect with the universe. This placement may be prone to getting lost in a belief, being manipulated by those who promise them enlightenment or more connection, can get easily disillusioned, and may actually struggle between logic and spirituality, materialism and the intangible. They may experience an indecisiveness or doubt within their spiritual self. They may try to find spirituality through romantic relationships or by "saving others". They can have a great capacity for compassion and service through their beliefs but must be careful of being used. They may make up their own rituals or be imaginative with them. They prefer beliefs that have room for interpretation. Travel, foreign affairs, and higher education may be great to exercise their imagination and understanding but they may lack structure, ambition, and stability in these areas. As natural healers and as a sign famous for its spirituality it can paint this house nicely, but this is also the sign of drama, emotional fluidity, emotional highs and lows, and hypersensitivity. The challenges and turmoil this placement may face within the spiritual realm can be hard to navigate and especially hard in a world and environment that doesn't value spirituality. Finding grounding is important for Pisces in the 9th along with plenty of acceptance and support from those who share their ideals.