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    Re: Describe your path

    What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
    Slovenian (Venetic) Pantheon. See my blog for most of the deities (I'm still working on it >.>) if interested.

    What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
    Mostly healing, protection, cleansing (of the home), prayer/luck, divination, worship, and alignment focused. Not really "ritual" format though.
    I do a lot of what would be considered hearth/folk magic. I have rarely performed a structured ritual (I've found that the intuitive and feeling-oriented practices work better for me).


    Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
    Yes. It's a little complicated, drawing both on things I've experienced that I haven't seen written anywhere and lore.

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      Re: Describe your path

      I have come to know my own gods over the years. Some I know better than others. Some seem associated with known pantheons, but others are not.

      Comment


        Re: Describe your path

        and,

        As for ritual: Little to none. Hence, contemplative. But I do have a sense of reverence and very infrequently a type of evocation.

        As for afterlife: Doubtful but hopeful. My empirical tendencies tell me all our thoughts, feelings, hopes fears, sense of self, and beliefs are a product of our fleshy brain and will die when the brain dies. But my non empirical voice tells me that nothing about know biology/neurology explains the phenomenon of raw consciousness itself (not necessarily the self-consciousness phenomenologists are obsessed with). Panpsychism is maybe the right word for my sense that consciousness exists to some degree or another in all objects living and dead. So as far as afterlife, I suppose consciousness takes on some other form. But who knows.

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        and (sorry but) one more post because I really like talking about myself.

        As for gods, I will have to publicly admit that I have long harbored strong skepticism bordering on firm atheism when it comes to the literal belief in personal entities some people call gods. But I have had enough experience (some very disturbing) for me to believe there are in fact some kind of intelligence out there that sometimes interacts with us in ways that are hard to understand. Are they gods? I don't know. But do be careful because sometimes you get a response you weren't seeking or expecting.

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          Re: Describe your path

          Originally posted by TaiganPagan View Post
          What are basically your beliefs...

          What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
          For me it's mostly Greek with the goddess Artemis , Hecate / Hekate and a Hellenized version of Bast, Pahket and limitedly Mafdet. Perhaps even a hellenized version of the Roman / Arician goddess Diana. As a lunar connection I occasionally look to Selene and Luna and their influence / conflating with and upon the others and have started to read up on Juno's lunar aspect which also tied into Diana's during parts of the Roman republic and empire periods.

          God wise it was the Egyptian god Sekor though he to was probably hellenized in how I see him. Lastly one I simply call The Huntsman as i've never been able to place him in a pantheon of any sort. In some ways he reminds me of Cernunnos, in others Herne the Hunter at times even more of a Hermes.

          What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
          That's a bit harder to define for my life-walk is that of a shamanic practitioner which means it is heavily influenced by my animist beliefs and how I view the world. Basically meaning seeing everything as having a spirit and life of its own and an interaction between all of it. It supports and suggests the notion of "Allies" or entities / beings that work with me and guide me. It suggests the notion of totems, power animals, spirit guides, shadow totems, etc and their relationship to the physical world about me.

          Yet the spiritual aspect of my life-walk is influenced by the gods / goddesses I am bound to and honor. As such I use many hellenic approaches to things such as chthonic divinites get libations, offerings and such via being poured, burnt or buried in the ground. Celestial divinites get the same but upon a raised altar or dias platform with transmutation / transformation via flame.

          I make offerings of portions of food and other things that are left in various places or times of the year. Yet I am also influenced by the Egyptian notion of "Essence" where one offer's the essence of food, drink, etc to the gods / goddesses then consumes the food.

          Many of my rituals / ceremonies are done as I feel encouraged to do them. Some derived against archaic influences or purposes for timing, offerings, etc. Other's are nearly everyday as I speak to my gods / goddesses and may include anything from simple offering of coffee as I have mine to just acknolwedging them as I read and study their history, mythology, tales and how they changed over time.

          Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
          We'll I died in my youth and have vague recall of a place I went to. I also have memories of a time before this life as I waited to be born knowing when, where and to whom i'd be born to. Sadly a lot of that is lost as I have grown older and things I wanted to do are nothing but wisps now. So I am sure of an afterlife in my own way.
          I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

          Comment


            Re: Describe your path

            I believe in a universal energy that created the universe. I believe all forms of worship/ritual can contact this energy, and the ones you choose to practice are the ones that are most powerful to you.

            I usually invoke the greek gods in my craft, but have strayed now and again. Aphrodite is my homegirl. haha

            I use rituals/spells when needed, not as a daily occurrence. They are a small part of my relationship to that energy which I call God.

            Reincarnation is a tricky subject for me, but I've always had this overwhelming feeling that I was a courtesan in Ancient Greece in a past life, so there's that.

            The first time I saw real divine power after using a ritual, was a sexual attraction ritual I did with one of my pagan friends and another who was open minded. The day after, we went to the beach, and a swan came out of the water and sat right next to us. Needless to say, we had invoked Aphrodite and it seemed only appropriate. And, yes, things did come to fruition quickly on the sexual attraction front.

            Comment


              Re: Describe your path

              I have learned, while being on this journey, that it encompasses everything in my life. It does not just incorporate my pagan ideals. Therefore, to tell you about my path would be to tell you about me and my personal story, as that is my journey and my path currently. Learning and honing my spiritual personality is simply learning about me as I mature into an older person. I use many tools, religious, historical, mythological, practical, emotional, etc... on my journey, but worship none. I take what I can use in the end, and what I can't I try to leave for others so as not to weigh myself down. Faith in my continual learning is what keeps me motivated to stay on my journey.

              Comment


                Re: Describe your path

                I usually define my beliefs as 'earth based spirituality'. I believe that the earth is the mother, without her we would not be. Everything we know here on earth comes from her and returns to her. Beyond that I don't know. I'm quite a fan of the moon, but I don't know how she fits in. I like the sun, but I don't know he fits in either (I use he and she, I'm not sure why, maybe it's the little sister and brother or lover or something). I wish I knew what it was. I like to follow the seasons (but I don't very much, hence why I joined up, trying to out some order in my life). All that probably adds up to hedge witch or something, but I am incredibly lazy and don't practise anything.

                Which brings me to order. My mother thinks I'm a closet conservative. Perhaps I am. I like rigor, I like rules, I like being told what to do, but then I also fight against it. I want to follow rules I like. I just haven't found them yet.

                I cast the occasional spell, that's from my introduction to the whole lot though Wicca/witchcraft. But my spells are more to help me and focus my energy to myself or something dear to me than actually trying to create change. Though I've done that too (again not recently-laziness).

                I like the idea of separate god/desses. But I think I'm a bit cynical. I don't know. I can't seem to hold on to them. They fade away a bit. Perhaps they are all just facets of the mother...?

                I'm drawn to the Norse and Egyptian pantheons, have been all my life. Don't know why. I also like Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Pretty mixed bag really. The gods and myths of the first two draw me in, while the practises of the last 3 call to me...

                Also runes and crystals. I'm a big fan.

                Really I'm trying to find a path. Construct my own reality from all these things and stick to it. I want to regularly celebrate the seasons and phases of the moon and nature. These things feel important to me. I want to use spellcraft when I need it. I want to balance and align my life with crystals and such, and guide my path using runes etc. I want to have a relationship with deity. I want to incorporate practises from the above 5 places. And I want it all to work. Then I want to set it all down and follow it, regularly (conservatively?), allowing for change of course.

                I don't know really. Or maybe I do. That's why I'm here.
                ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                RIP

                I have never been across the way
                Seen the desert and the birds
                You cut your hair short
                Like a shush to an insult
                The world had been yelling
                Since the day you were born
                Revolting with anger
                While it smiled like it was cute
                That everything was shit.

                - J. Wylder

                Comment


                  Re: Describe your path

                  I already explained what Frankish Paganism is in my introduction post so I will discuss a few other things about what I believe. I am extremely conservative politically for the record although I am pro-gay rights. I also support the environment. I support the military and believe in war. I feel that conflict makes us stronger and death to me is not this terrible thing that should be thought of with abject terror clenching your soul. If you fear death then you will hate war. I was briefly in the military myself until I was discharged due to medical reasons that are no longer valid. However, my RE code bans me from joining again sadly. I still call myself a warrior however, and that will never change. I have struggled and endured through many things since being separated and I feel that I have earned the right before gods and myself. I believe that should anyone feel that I have not earned that right that he should challenge me or be quiet about it. My beliefs are considered obsolete by most but I cannot change who I am at a soul level. I am an old soul and I believe that I have reincarnated. I can feel the weight of centuries on me as I go through life. The way I see the world is through the eyes of someone who is accustomed to a completely different planet Earth. I would feel perfectly at home being in a state of perpetual war with the threat of the Roman Empire bearing down upon my people constantly. The past six years of my life have been constant struggle and hardship. I do not know peace in this life nor have I known it previously. I am considered to be a brutal person with brutal beliefs but I do not feel guilty. I am the result of past lives and this present life. The afterlife I believe is not always the final destination. Sometimes we come back here or perhaps even go somewhere else. Some of the Celts believed in reincarnation, as do many of their modern inheritors, some of whom are no doubt here on this forum, and I agree with them on that.

                  Everything I believe and everything that I am is what it is. My experiences have shaped my beliefs and I do not consider anything to be coincidence. You will not find me to be a hateful person, nor do I hold worthless grudges, but I try to be honorable, even though I lie more often than I should. There is no perfection for me, no higher enlightenment, only the struggle to find honor, glory, and to pray for an honorable death. If that is denied me then I will likely come back here again in my next life to keep trying to better myself. I have been lazy in this life at times. I own a real, battle ready hand and a half sword, which I should be training with more than I am. But there are times when scholarly pursuits consume me and I do not tend to my physical prowess as I should. I have a temper, a boiling, bloody temper, and I used to be incapable of controlling it. Now it rages only inside of me, and I have mastered it. I cannot stand it when others scream and shout needlessly. Emotions are wonderful things but when they grow out of control they only cause trouble. I belong to a wolf cult that I personally have started. You may know them as berserks but my physical size is not such that I could call myself a bear shirt. My fighting style is quicker than it is raw force. Odin called many tribes to his name and his warriors were all over Europe. Now we rise again and wait to take the field once more.

                  There is much more to be said. I swear upon the gods that I am not a roleplayer, an attention seeker, or a liar. This is who I am and I tell people to take it or leave it. I have however, had to conceal my beliefs from my immediate family, for reasons that I do not want to disclose. I am no longer under their authority but the wisdom of my ancestors tells me that the respect of one's blood is worth more than transparency. I have no need to be accepted.

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                  Originally posted by FrankishPride View Post
                  I have no need to be accepted.
                  What I mean by that is that I have no need to be accepted in spite of my beliefs. Some believe that it is better for the entire world to know what they believe. They would rather be excepted or hated for who they are than for others to believe a lie. In the case of my immediate family I am traditional enough to desire their respect than to be hated for believing what I believe. They are very zealous Christians who place their god over their blood. If they knew what I believe then they would all but cut me off. I would be a house-less wretch and the dishonor that would come from that would be more than I could stand. To me my family name is worth defending and valuable. I cannot lose that or I am nothing. That is what I believe and there is nothing that could convince me otherwise. I have no need to convert anyone so why should there be any need to disclose my beliefs on whim to those who would not accept them?

                  Comment


                    Re: Describe your path

                    My path is an ongoing process. I can say for certain I believe in a universal spirit, but everything else is up in the air.
                    Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. -The Doctor

                    Comment


                      Re: Describe your path

                      What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?

                      I believe in Yahweh but find him to be a brutal, greedy, selfish god. An excellent war god but not the healthiest place to place my affections in more peaceful situations. Alas, he's the only god to confirm himself to me though I sense Amon Ba'al has also tried to interact with me though I don't see how he's any better.

                      What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?

                      Seeing as I'm not a big fan of my god, I don't really bother with rituals. I do commune with him sometimes, ask how I can appease him (I don't usually listen to his ideas, they tend to involve bloodshed) and the like. He's certainly not a stupid god and is just in his own way I find.

                      Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?

                      I do find merit, if not in the actual place the idea at least, in the Norse Valhalla.

                      Comment


                        Re: Describe your path

                        What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
                        My path is to attempt to live as if God/the Divine is always present. I am a Trinitarian panentheist: God is the ineffable potential of all universes (nothingness), begetting eternally Manifest Reality (the Cosmos), making a unified whole of All That Is. In addition to this, I consider myself an animist, but not in a completely traditional way. I believe rocks and trees, animals and people have souls, but of different types. I do not eat meat, but I do acknowledge that the vegetables I eat are also a sacrifice of life. I believe it is possible that ideas have souls. Even a ritual can have a soul, a life. Everything that exists is one holy communion of wonder and life. Rock is not any less alive than us because of its different composition -- it is merely an extension of ourselves, and we are an extension of it. Because God is all that is, I believe other deities from different religions are real and alive. They have their being within the God of All just like we do, and they are not so different from us. We ourselves are gods, and we are God.

                        I believe different religions are windows into the same Reality and they affect how we experience it, so in some sense, they all share in the truth that is Reality/God even when they have different beliefs.

                        What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
                        Ritual is a big part of my everyday life. I consider all of life a sacramental tapestry, an outward sign of an inward grace. Sometimes the veil becomes thin and the true Glory and Deity of everything breaks through in a flood of light. These moments go beyond our conscious minds and cannot be planned. That is what ritual is for -- ritual is sacramental. With ritual one can take an extraordinary moment and make it present again and again in an orderly and contained way. This is why I say I think ritual might have a soul. I participate in the rites and rituals of my church. I pray, meditate, and contemplate in Christian ways. This more traditional aspect of my faith keeps me connected to the seasons and rhythms of life and has given me wonderful friends along the way. I also write my own rituals based on my own experiences of the sacramental nature of reality. These rites in themselves are special sacraments and help me re-create, re-enter, and re-order my own experience of what one might call the Chaotic-Harmonious Web of Life. These rituals help stabilize me and give meaning to what I cannot comprehend with my own reason.

                        Whatever I am doing, ritual or not, is ideally a devotional offering. I even wash dishes and lift this up as an offering for whoever is in need. I offer up distractions in meditation for someone with a perplexed mind. I try to maintain this consciousness in everyday life, to realize that my Godhood is not separate from that of anyone or anything else.

                        Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
                        I believe that time is not independent, but a dimension, not an absolute reality in itself. There was no time "before" the Big Bang. In my view, past, present, and future all exist within one whole in this moment. Eternal life is now. A second in time can be divided infinitely. Every moment in time shares in infinity.

                        I believe in reincarnation in a sense. I tend to think souls could consist together of multiple spirits or that in some beings, such as higher animal life, there can be souls within souls, an equivalent to the unconscious. This is where I think spirit guides come from, at least when they take an unrecognizable form. At death these souls may separate and form into different configurations to create one new soul. Maybe a soul can incorporate other souls into itself without dying, too. This might explain why some particularly powerful and enduring configurations of souls (deities) such as Yahweh or Zeus evolved over time -- they took other souls or aspects into themselves. And yet all is ultimately One.

                        - - - Updated - - -

                        What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
                        My path is to attempt to live as if God/the Divine is always present. I am a Trinitarian panentheist: God is the ineffable potential of all universes (nothingness), begetting eternally Manifest Reality (the Cosmos), making a unified whole of All That Is. In addition to this, I consider myself an animist, but not in a completely traditional way. I believe rocks and trees, animals and people have souls, but of different types. I do not eat meat, but I do acknowledge that the vegetables I eat are also a sacrifice of life. I believe it is possible that ideas have souls. Even a ritual can have a soul, a life. Everything that exists is one holy communion of wonder and life. Rock is not any less alive than us because of its different composition -- it is merely an extension of ourselves, and we are an extension of it. Because God is all that is, I believe other deities from different religions are real and alive. They have their being within the God of All just like we do, and they are not so different from us. We ourselves are gods, and we are God.

                        I believe different religions are windows into the same Reality and they affect how we experience it, so in some sense, they all share in the truth that is Reality/God even when they have different beliefs.

                        What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
                        Ritual is a big part of my everyday life. I consider all of life a sacramental tapestry, an outward sign of an inward grace. Sometimes the veil becomes thin and the true Glory and Deity of everything breaks through in a flood of light. These moments go beyond our conscious minds and cannot be planned. That is what ritual is for -- ritual is sacramental. With ritual one can take an extraordinary moment and make it present again and again in an orderly and contained way. This is why I say I think ritual might have a soul. I participate in the rites and rituals of my church. I pray, meditate, and contemplate in Christian ways. This more traditional aspect of my faith keeps me connected to the seasons and rhythms of life and has given me wonderful friends along the way. I also write my own rituals based on my own experiences of the sacramental nature of reality. These rites in themselves are special sacraments and help me re-create, re-enter, and re-order my own experience of what one might call the Chaotic-Harmonious Web of Life. These rituals help stabilize me and give meaning to what I cannot comprehend with my own reason.

                        Aside from this, on full moons I pray the Rosary and preferably the day before and after. The New Moon is unseen. For me this represents the Father, the uncreated ineffable potential of everything. Thus on this night I contemplate silently without any outer ritual or prayer.

                        Whatever I am doing, ritual or not, is ideally a devotional offering. I even wash dishes and lift this up as an offering for whoever is in need. I offer up distractions in meditation for someone with a perplexed mind. I try to maintain this consciousness in everyday life, to realize that my Godhood is not separate from that of anyone or anything else.

                        Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
                        I believe that time is not independent, but a dimension, not an absolute reality in itself. There was no time "before" the Big Bang. In my view, past, present, and future all exist within one whole in this moment. Eternal life is now. A second in time can be divided infinitely. Every moment in time shares in infinity.

                        I believe in reincarnation in a sense. I tend to think souls could consist together of multiple spirits or that in some beings, such as higher animal life, there can be souls within souls, an equivalent to the unconscious. This is where I think spirit guides come from, at least when they take an unrecognizable form. At death these souls may separate and form into different configurations to create one new soul. Maybe a soul can incorporate other souls into itself without dying, too. This might explain why some particularly powerful and enduring configurations of souls (deities) such as Yahweh or Zeus evolved over time -- they took other souls or aspects into themselves. And yet all is ultimately One.

                        - - - Updated - - -

                        Okay, I seriously messed up with that last post and included some paragraphs twice. I didn't catch the edit in time. I'll post again to clear this up as I find this a really interesting thread and have loved reading it so far.

                        Comment


                          Re: Describe your path

                          Originally posted by TaiganPagan View Post
                          What are basically your beliefs...

                          Things like....
                          What Gods or Pantheon do you believe in?
                          What rituals do you practice and for what purpose?
                          Do you believe in the Afterlife or Otherworld?
                          etc...
                          I believe in all Gods. They who are of the many faced one who revealed it's self in myriad forms to bring wisdom into the world. They from whom all things have flowed. Those who contain within them all Dharmas, who are one but many and maintain the universe. Those who eternally guide us and are all virtues but are not totally synonymous with these virtues. They have always been and shall always be. They will outlast all things. They are distant but have good reasons to be distant. They are like stern parents who allow us our independence and love us but are not lenient when we stray too far from the path of wisdom. The most holy one is God and Goddess but truly neither. I also believe in a host of sacred spirits that include angels, elementals, the seelie fae, and others.

                          I follow the common sabbats that many pagans do. I do this so that I become attuned to and gain understanding of the natural spiritual and mundane cycles of the world. I engage in ritual spells to help me in my search for wisdom and to aid others who need it. I do not work any magic by which others do not profit if any substantial profits/or material benefits are to be gained through it. I perform a rite for purity and meditation so that I can become more aware of the divinity within. Many of these are borrowed from other traditions.

                          I do believe in the afterlife. Unlike many of us I do believe in paradise and hell. One can choose to become more attuned to their inner divine and balance their will with those of others and the universe and save themselves or choose to debase themselves through committing wicked acts and falling out of harmony with the universe. We reap what we sow and if we have made a hell for ourselves in life then that is what we shall experience hereafter. I also believe in a zone just outside our world which is the place where all the most immediately acting forces are.


                          I also have a belief in the progressive spiritual evolution of the human race as a whole and that all things have Dharma. A specific spiritual duty that we are placed on this earth to fulfill and that all things happen for a reason whether they are fated or not. All things have a place on the great wheel of existence. I also believe that human governments are essentially against the moral order of the universe as they can very easily prevent one from doing that which is right and interfere with the natural balance of the world.

                          I do believe in ghosts which can be harmless or malicious, though they are usually just startling rather than outright wicked spirits. I also believe in evil spirits that were awakened by the wrong doings of mortals and prey on those who are in a weakened state while feeding on the negative energy that flows from us.

                          In addition to the traditional five elements I believe in a sixth called shadow. Shadow is not evil. It is the force that resonates with death as transformation, holy secrets, and the night. It is as sacred as aether and is it's holy counter part. I also think of the elements in a fashion that fuses the Chinese concept of the Wu Xing with the western tradition.

                          I draw from many paths including Wicca, Reconstructionist Druidism, Nordic Paganism, Hellenistic Paganism, Thelema, Egyptian Paganism, Judaism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Voodoo, various Native American beliefs, and most recently the Feri Tradition.

                          Comment


                            Re: Describe your path

                            Eclectic Pagan, Pantheist by nature. I conform to the ideal that there isn't necessarily a deity that needs to be prayed to/worshiped/asked permission of.
                            As a solitary witch, I find my ritual come in the form of every day things. Personal hygiene, cleaning of my home, doing my job as a partner/lover/cat mom. I'm not really a ceremonial kind of gal, unless there are others with me or I'm doing something that really needs a lot of time and energy. I find magic in my life and all around me, and use it to bolster my confidence, success, and intelligence. Also, it's hard to have a full size alter, candles burning constantly, fresh flowers set out (as much as that would be AMAZING) with two very active cats running around my studio apartment.

                            Comment


                              Re: Describe your path

                              Naturalist seems to be the best term I can think of. In the past 10-12 hears I've researched or dabbled in a bit of everything searching for that moment when the light bulb would go on and something would click. It never happened. I've never been able to make that leap of faith. I think I only wanted to because of a childhood experience that left me terrified of death. I never had that ah ha moment but I finally came to a sort of acceptance. There have been times in my life when the natural world has physically made me feel an awesome sensation of clarity. I can recall some of them vividly. A thunderstorm in the mountains in Tennessee and another in New Jersey where the air sizzled. The ferocity of the winds on the edge of a hurricane in Virginia. Being caught out in 15 foot white-cap waves on a small boat while on a fishing trip in Quebec. A particularly cold day while watching the sunset at a local wildlife refuge. Even just the scent of lilacs when walking home from a job once. I think Carl Sagan had it right when he talked about star stuff. My consciousness may not carry on but my atoms are immortal. Some day I will die and be put in the ground and eventually I will decay and return to the earth. At some point millions of years from now the Sun will go nova and my atoms will be carried across the universe. I still have anxiety sometimes but I don't focus on it to the point of trepidation. I do the day job because it pays the bills and puts a roof over my head. I get over the silly melancholy of feeling like I sold a bit of myself by becoming a corporate cog. And in my free time I experience nature and feel the universe move around me. I work out as my form of meditation, play in my garden, walk in the rain, dance around the fire, enjoy mild aromatherapy, and occasionally have a glass of one of the many amazing local wines. That's my path.

                              Comment


                                Re: Describe your path

                                Eclectic is the best way I can describe my beliefs. I don't "worship" any entity, but I honor Bast (it comes naturally to me - I'm the loyal guardian/food provider/chew toy to eight cats). I admire her strength and playfulness, and the way she's both protective and fierce. She's the perfect embodiment of a divine feminine.

                                I don't practice much magic because I'm still stuck at home. My family would be less than pleased if they knew about my spiritual beliefs. I just don't want to go there...

                                I absolutely believe that consciousness survives death. I've had enough "paranormal" experiences to convince me of that. What the afterlife is exactly, I can't even guess, and I don't think any of us on this side are meant to know. I do NOT believe in the archetypal Heaven and Hell, but I do believe that people are separated according to how they spent their time on this side. For instance, I don't believe that Mahatma Gandhi and Benito Mussolini are spending eternity in the same place. That's just... a weird thought.

                                At the same time, I'd like to think that there is a chance for less-than-nice people to redeem themselves. I'm no bleeding heart, but it's also hard for me to believe a person can deserve never-ending torture with no hope of absolution (which is what I was taught growing up in a Christian home). I believe we're either rewarded or punished accordingly for our deeds. Who the judge of that is, again, I can't begin to guess.

                                That's just what I think in a nutshell. Philosopher I am not.

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