#spiriuality

[creature-wizard]

I don't know if I just haven't encountered it yet, but I haven't really seen anyone talking about or acknowledging something that's neither Unverified Personal Gnosis or Shared Personal Gnosis, but rather a third thing: Personal Group Gnosis.

PGG emerges from a small group of people having similar experiences to each other, which may or may not resemble anything that people outside of the group are experiencing.

This isn't inherently a bad thing. But among those who lack critical thinking skills, it can lead to some real trouble if they conclude that their similar experiences means that they're uncovering an actual objective truth, regardless of whether it's congruent with anything anyone outside of the group is experiencing.

One thing that many people fail to account for is the fact that they and their group generally share many of the same preconceptions and biases. For example, a group of younger Wiccans are very likely to believe in now-debunked ideas such as the great goddess hypothesis and the witch cult hypothesis. They'll believe in the existence of pagan gods, but they'll probably have a Christian-influenced understanding of divinity and morality, with little to no comprehension of the role that animism played in the development of pre-Christian traditions, nor with any real appreciation for how different values influenced the stories that people told about gods and other spirits.

They might even be exposed to similar media, which gives them all similar ideas about gods, spirits, and history. Even if they don't directly engage with the most popular media, it can still reach them through second or third hand exposure.

They're also likely reading the same spiritual, occult, and esoteric writers; or at least, reading people who have very similar ideas to one another.

And finally, since they're most likely friends and therefore trust each other, they are naturally biased toward accepting each other's experiences as valid, and working them into their own mental maps of the spiritual or metaphysical world.

In short, they're all primed to have very similar experiences to each other.

Without awareness that exposure to similar ideas can influence similar mystical experiences, it's very easy for a small group like this to generate a sort of shared map of reality that they feel justified in regarding as absolutely, objectively true.

It's at this point that people begin to feel confident telling you that if you just talked to your gods about what they're claiming, your gods would absolutely confirm them to be true. And if they don't, you were never really talking to those gods.

Having one's entire internal map of reality dictated by Personal Group Gnosis can be incredibly dangerous. It alienates you from the rest of the world by making you feel as if the only people you can trust are those who agree with your PGG. It can make you see outsiders as spiritually inferior, especially if they disagree with you outright. It can even encourage conspiracy thinking, because attributing what outsiders believe (or apparently believe) to the actions of a malicious conspiracy is a very common rationalization.

In other words, this is how you get a cult.

Now, a lot of people won't recognize it as a cult (and some will vehemently deny it's a cult) because it might not have a clear leader (though there's almost certainly a small number of people who have the most influence), and it probably doesn't have a financial goal. However, the destructive capacities of small groups of people living in their own reality cannot be denied. Members who don't go along with the group's accepted model of reality are often treated harshly, and are frequently targets for harassment. They may say that if you don't like it you can just leave, but let's be real, that's no simple matter if you believe that these are the only people with a real grip on reality, or if these people are basically your only friends, or even just your only friends who share your spiritual beliefs.

(If you're in this kind of situation? My advice is to start making more friends outside of this group. You don't have to cut yourself off from this group cold turkey; you can just start hanging out with other people more.)

Now, I'd like to emphasize that none of this is to say that PGG is inherently bad; I am only pointing out that it can be incredibly dangerous for people who lack knowledge, perspective, and critical thinking skills. Additionally, a group where there's a lot of this going on can be very dangerous for those who desperately just want to belong and get along, and push themselves to adopt their groups popular beliefs for fear of consequences.

Just like a single person's UPG doesn't dictate reality for everyone, neither does a single group's gnosis. PGG isn't inherently any better or more "correct" than UPG.

[yourbustedkneecaps]

not super fandom related but i find it funny that i’m so into toh while also being a folk practitioner/“witch” myself

before i got into the series i had almost three years of fucking around and finding out my path. by the two and a half year mark a friend showed it to me, but i honesty wasn’t interested. by year three i finally sat down to watch it before the season two drop and fell in love

now my dumbass is hooked on two dumb idiot witch hunters who would 100% murder me in a heartbeat if we met irl

it’s like,,, reverse caleb wittebane arc

[wisdom-and-such]

Root Research from 1960 showing that plants connect and send information and resources back and forth under ground.

“The following drawings are taken from the Wurzelatlas, a book series that began in 1960 and is regarded the standard work on root research. It comprises seven volumes filled with thousands of meticulous field drawings. This grand body of work is the achievement of three researchers: Lore Kutschera, Erwin Lichtenegger and Monika Sobotik, all members of the Austrian Pflanzensoziologische Institut. For these scientists, root research means uncovering roots as they grow in their natural environment and to which conditions they react individually. Prof. Erwin Lichtenegger (1928-2004) drew the exposed roots as true-to-scale mapping, because this manual method allows a documentation that photographic documentation does not make possible. The drawings are unique instruments for visualising something that is otherwise not perceivable in its complexity. Down to the finest details, the drawings show the growth of the roots, so that a different perspective and an awareness of the dimensions of that part of the plants becomes comprehensible.” -- DoorofPerception.com

[natinhaaa]

I allow beauty, joy, love, peace, prosperity, abundance and health into my life. Nothing lacks in my life. Blessings overflow each and every moment that passes. I claim this and so it is ✨⭐

[makingspiritualityreal]

On Spiritual Leadership

Many people have role models, gurus and authority figures they look up to. They view them as perfect, composed, imagining that they know everything and they can do anything, because they feel so good about themselves. Few realize, that to arrive at any sort of actual clarity, one must first thread the path of uncertainty.

It is my uncertainty, that forced me into the path of deeper contemplation. Any answers that I have provided to you, I have, because I know how it feels to desperately want to understand life, and struggle to do so.

When the restricted comfort of clear answers that my family disciplined environment provided stopped being enough, I was feeling so lost, it provoked me into a path of questioning. It forced the search through already established schools of thought, classical academic or spiritual, analyzing other people's lives, values and ideas, for me to try to find out who I am, only to find out who I'm not. It forced me to be stuck under other people's opression and influence, to know exactly how I can accept to be influenced, and what I won't allow.

It is through that confusion and exploration, that I was able to find and communicate the ideas that my mind gave birth to in the process, that I share with the collective, hoping they are of some value. Despite that, I grew to understand that ultimately, nothing and noone can dictate who you are for you. Not Astrology, Tarot, Human design, not any school of thought or esoteric science. Not your job, friends or even your partner or your loved ones. It is your own individual take on all of the energies above and your filter of how you experience them, that creates the idea of who you are. It is going to be your individual expression and how you yourself relate to other people, that will define YOU. Trying to strictly fit into anything only takes you so far in life, as it soon becomes a prison and destiny inevitably pushes you further on your journey.

Maybe that's the person I am for now. Maybe I'm supposed to be searching, until I experience and find something solid. Maybe I'm supposed to not know, until a certain point. Maybe there is value in the quest, even if it feels so rocky, even if it feels daunting and scary, like I can't find my feet. Maybe it's just the fear of not having anything solid to dictate my life for me that is scary. And maybe I should embrace it, and accept that whatever works, works as long as I'm happy, even if it's just for now, and that it's ok to experiment with that and change it if necessary. Maybe there is value in the journey because it takes me away from the narrow confines of thinking that life is always black and white and blind obedience would always work in my favour. Maybe I'll always be in this state, and the point is to realise that there are no absolutes in life, and you have to learn how to navigate it as you go.

There is no model to life. There is no guidebook. At the end of the day, it is your adventure, your experience, and you decide what you do with it. Noone can, or should try to tell you what to do, not even a higher force, which you are after all a part of. All that matters is how connected you are to yourself.

That can scare many of us, because in one way or another, we are often raised to adapt or conform to other people's values. I certainly was, because of my south node in the 8th house, which became a comfort zone. Yet for years now I have been pushed to try to find my own path (2nd house dasha)....and it hasn't been an easy quest, as it left a trail of suffering on its way. People rarely treated me well, when I tried to find or establish myself, because when you take a stand for yourself, everyone around you who never has taken a stand for anything authentic ends up feeling uncomfortable.

There were many moments I wished I never felt lost, scared or directionless. I look back on my earlier life, growing up feeling so pressured to be what everyone else told me to be. Forced to adapt to someone else's idea of me, so that I'm loved and accepted, and hating that. Growing up breaking this pattern, and wishing I stopped being so afraid of punishment for doing so.

It can feel impossible to fight off external influences, when you haven't solidified in your own power yet. When someone comes at you, you find yourself wishing you knew what to respond to that. It can make you scared of fighting people. Not knowing what to defend myself with. Taking your time to find any solid preferences you can find inside yourself, that would be unquestionable. Feeling vague about the few hunches you have.

After you fight all these battles for your self identity, you arrive at realising, that like everyone else, you just want to be happy. That you just don't want to get hurt by people, like you did in the past. That you want to be able to exist without someone forcing you to fit the mold, that you want to feel the freedom of self expression.

You are allowed your quest. You are allowed your journey, even if you don't know where it's going. Because wherever you are, it is a step closer than yesterday. Tomorrow, you will go even further. In a few years, you might not recognize yourself. There is something inside you, that knows the way. Trust it. 

[5thousandspiders]

[infinifi]

Happy happy happy rn drinking wine and watching the red moon at 3am and asking my Tarot cards questions and listening to Bad Omens whilst my friends are asleep.

Alone. Awake. Spiritual. Okay.

[ascendantevolution]

In everyday life, it is easy to get caught up in the race and to lose sight of the bigger picture. When conflict erupts, we are asked to remember our connection to Spirit and to step forward, with all of our strength and abilities, to help guide situations so that the outcome is a reflection of “good for all.” All situations have hidden blessings. And people involved in tense situations are a part of revealing the blessings and teaching us - and everyone involved - something. As wise ones, it is possible to step back, see the big picture, be guided by love and intuition, and to see each soul as the pure child it started out as. We are sums of our parts. We have baggage. And we all need to be seen and heard and to feel valued. Is there a way to handle a tense situation so that everyone walks away feeling heard and valued? ⚖🤍ૐ

I want to thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. I wish you well on your sacred path. Blessed be.

Want to book me for a reading? estara.ascendantevolution@gmail.com

Donations in support of the work are always welcome & appreciated:

CashApp: $AscendantEvolution

Venmo: @ascendantevolution

Interested in the decks I am using? The specific decks are linked in the description box for the Youtube video. I have begun the work of cataloguing my collection of decks. ESTARA’S DECK COLLECTION: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a_B6pp6ezlpW0_GyZJJU_QU4A7DvyAYUHUX6Y3SEDy4/edit# 

[cattlebrained]

^-^

It feel's like I'm spiraling...

[wispers-of-the-moon]

I have been getting this message like crazy, that basically just says:

-Trust your intuition

-Everything happens for a reason

-There are no Coincidences

-Do not doubt yourself

And I been having this urge to meditate, investigate, and invest more on my practice, this aries season has been crazy so far, but I am having a great time, I rarely post, but maybe this message needs to get spread.

[madisonmeadowspoetry]

My Life: The Chameleon

[thegodsfindmecrazy]

I’m honestly feeling at odds with the gods these past few days

Had to say goodbye to my dog of 16 years, Reggie, on the 4th, the night before he wasn’t doing well and ended up having a seizure, he just didn’t bounce back and we had to put him down so he wouldn’t be in pain

But that night he had the seizure, I was driving back from the grocery store, and at the exact time he had the seizure I felt a huge wave of emotion and cried begging for more time with him; didn’t find out he had the seizure until I was home

The fact that we had to let him go the next day, so soon and unprepared for it, I feel as if the gods turnt their back on me

I know it’s the grief wanting me to put the blame to someone, which there isn’t any blame to place, Reggie lived a long life and was just declining due to his age

But I can’t help but feel out of sorts about it, just upset that I begged for more time and was denied, even know we all knew that we’d lose him one day

Just wasn’t ready for “one day” to have come along so soon

The silence in the house is so painful, my family is thinking of getting a new pup to try to fill the silence, but I’m at a lost for it

I know that no new dog will ever replace Reggie, I know that we all have so much love to give to any dog to come into our lives next, but I can’t help but feel like we’re trying to move too quickly

I want to ask the gods for guidance, but I can’t bring myself to because of feeling like my desperate prayers were ignored, and I don’t know what to do

This blog is to share my experiences with my journey, isn’t always gonna be the good stuff, sometimes it’ll be things like this

Faith is hard

[mysticalblizzardcolor]

Gnostic, Cryptic, Esoteric meanings hidden in plain sight within the Bible.

[harvestheart]

Hopi Snake Clan priest in ceremonial regalia, Arizona, 1912.

(The year Arizona became a state of the union)

This was taken 112 years ago in Arizona, USA, on Sunday 31st March 1912 - just a fortnight before the sinking of the Titanic.

It is an autochrome portrait of a Hopi Snake Clan priest, taken in colour by Franklin Price Knott (although it was not published by the National Geographic until 1916).

It isn't colourised.

BabelColour

@StuartHumphryes

[yeonslayjun]

Taking spiriual power MY ASS HE JUST WANTED TO KISS HIM AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm hyperventilatng

[astroismypassion]

hiii , how are you? i’m curious on your thoughts on pluto in the 12th house in a composite chart. thank you 💞💞

Hi!

I'm well, I hope you are fine as too.

PLUTO IN THE 12TH HOUSE IN THE COMPOSITE CHART

This mostly means you might make really powerful art together. You might feel like creatively you are a powerful duo much more than on your own. You might write songs together, poems. Or even all those things about each other. Sometimes when together you are not fully aware of how negative you can be. You might also overthink a lot of things in the connection. You might take spiriuality more seriously. You might also develop substance abuse if not too careful. You may be quite dependent on one another for validation and acknowledgement. But at the same time you might get scared of how much you miss or want to spend time with the other person, so you pull away. You could both possibly take candid photos of each other.

Take care love,

@astroismypassion