tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.comments2021-03-24T15:06:49.437-06:00Hrafn's ReflectionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-29918691897004258762010-06-28T20:08:18.376-06:002010-06-28T20:08:18.376-06:00Thanks for this. As another transit meditator--th...Thanks for this. As another transit meditator--though in an automobile, and with a Quaker practice of gratitude--I related to your daily practice.<br /><br />And as someone who is attempting a "plastic fast" as a response to a spiritual leading, I will try to remember to keep the focus on the moment, and on the small.<br /><br />Blessings.Cat C-B (and/or Peter B)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10002916434676859262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-49787294609915330522009-11-15T15:51:02.143-07:002009-11-15T15:51:02.143-07:00This is an excellent post, and very relevant to th...This is an excellent post, and very relevant to the topic of your blog in general. <br /><br />People who are involved in certain spiritual practices sometimes suffer from these conditions, which others, if they become aware of them, often use as "evidence" for why all that mystical, magical, spiritual stuff is complete bullshit. After all, if so-and-so admits to having mental health issues, that must mean that they're just delusional about all the spiritual experiences they've had which don't fall neatly into line with accepted primary source material and general opinions, right? It's easy to dismiss unpopular opinions as simply springing from insanity, after all.<br /><br />But just as mentally healthy people aren't always right about everything, never delude themselves or never act out of fear, anger or other irrational feelings, those with mental disorders are not always wrong, delusional, looking for attention or acting from a place of irrationality.<br /><br />I take an anti-depressant for MDD. I'm not ashamed of that fact. The difference between how I function when I'm on versus off the drugs is so dramatic that I know it isn't that I "just need to get my shit together" -- at least, not any more so than most people do. It does mean that in order to have anything close to a normal life I *need* that medication. <br /><br />That has been hard for me to accept. I have asked myself why; I don't feel as if someone taking medication for arthritis or Lyme disease is indicative of a lack of moral fiber, so why do I view taking anti-depressants in that light? The answer, of course, is because of the stigma associated with mental illnesses and the tendency, even among people who ought to know better, to believe that it's all a matter of a lack of willpower, laziness or immaturity.<br /><br />This isn't to say that every mentally ill person is so easily treated or is never responsible for their behavior, but recognizing that often, behavioral issues have as much, if not more, to do with simple brain chemistry than anything supposedly lacking in someone's character would go a long way towards improving our general view of mental illness.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03363417454752298074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-25535850190229585312009-11-12T17:17:31.776-07:002009-11-12T17:17:31.776-07:00Thank you.
Mental illness runs rampant in my fami...Thank you. <br />Mental illness runs rampant in my family, PTSD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, etc. I am the only female not medicated that is older than 35. And the only reason that I'm not is because of my spiritual practice.<br />I have all these little "quirks" that years ago were diagnosed major depression and medicated. <br />I took drugs that severed both my connections to my deity of choice and my creativity, just to feel,well, disconnected from everything else.<br /><br />I just stopped taking the drugs. <br />Which means now some of my days are a little bluer, and I have to check my reality on a constant basis. But I've worked through the primary causes for most "quirks" and am still working the process of health, in all aspects emotional, spiritual, mental and physical. And I'm now in a position to help others do the same.Piperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17424466349844492620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-80663598427929960952009-11-12T15:16:41.016-07:002009-11-12T15:16:41.016-07:00Yes.
I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2002. I also ...Yes.<br /><br />I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2002. I also had "treatment" which exacerbated the PTSD. I find a lot of doctors just want to throw chemicals at people and while that may be useful for immediate stabilisation, it is particularly counter-productive for a disorder like PTSD where eventually you have to feel these things and process them and work forward. I am doing a Hel of a lot better than I was seven years ago but the first few years following my diagnosis was not fun due to stigma from "friends" and "family" and being inappropriately medicated and put in unhelpful forms of therapy (and in coercive treatment at that).<br /><br />Not to hijack your blog, but thank you. I also think the mental health issue is huge among (Name Preferred Term for Spooky Woo Person Here). On a regular basis I have to do reality checks and I've often wondered if the woo is so much brainhacking for self-preservation. I think it is entirely possible to be spiritually gifted and have a neurological or psychiatric condition, and I think in many cases the spiritual journey is to rebuild the broken spirit. Nonetheless, it would be nice if people would learn the facts about mental health as opposed to treating folks as if they are incompetent and everything they say is delusions, because they have a diagnosis. I'm glad other people get it.<br /><br />Welga,<br />SiggyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-88684659340457071942009-11-12T13:38:27.842-07:002009-11-12T13:38:27.842-07:00Yes. *Thank you*.Yes. *Thank you*.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-22054941361341137672009-10-11T03:55:49.563-06:002009-10-11T03:55:49.563-06:00Hi Hrafn
Are you planning to continue this series...Hi Hrafn<br /><br />Are you planning to continue this series? I've really found them *so* helpful so far.....:)<br /><br />BroccAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-24953574379589240362009-09-14T07:03:12.437-06:002009-09-14T07:03:12.437-06:00Very informative, thank you.
One of my most destr...Very informative, thank you. <br />One of my most destructive(and paradoxically instructive)recent experiences had to do with a teacher that couldn't keep teacher and sexual partner separate. <br />It's a thorny question.Piperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17424466349844492620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-32350152250533124592009-09-10T20:11:10.801-06:002009-09-10T20:11:10.801-06:00The last two of Friedman's suggestions were em...The last two of Friedman's suggestions were emphasized in the ethics in counseling class I took my first semester in gad school. One of the main issues I face by ultimately putting myself out there as a poly/kinky/pagan/queer/etc. friendly LPC once I'm in practice is going to be avoiding multiple relationships, particularly because these are all pretty small, insular communities. I'm already trying to formulate a list of recommended referrals for cases that are too close to home for me to feel comfortable taking on, as well as colleagues I can consult about individual cases. I definitely think that others who may not be trained counselors but who take on similar roles in a spiritual sense should be well advised to take note of this post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-68602450639686789652009-09-03T07:11:52.773-06:002009-09-03T07:11:52.773-06:00Leave it to you to make everything businesslike ;)...Leave it to you to make everything businesslike ;) Truth be told, this is a wonderful, amazing, fantastic idea. I already have some general guidelines in place for myself, but I'm interested to see what you come up with(Advertising?).Piperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17424466349844492620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-3723825436923692302009-09-02T16:34:33.985-06:002009-09-02T16:34:33.985-06:00Thanks for the comment ^_^
The politics part of t...Thanks for the comment ^_^<br /><br />The politics part of that has been infuriating me lately. It seems that people are more interested in scoring points and distorting the situations beyond recognition than they are in actually having a rational discussion.Hrafnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104546134642378367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-54757325205328064132009-09-02T11:59:56.416-06:002009-09-02T11:59:56.416-06:00This is a great comparison! The sad thing is that ...This is a great comparison! The sad thing is that human beings have a tendency in general to play the one-up game, whether it's martial arts or spirituality or politics or what one's kids (if you have 'em) do as far as sports and school go. And yet the over-emphasis on competition dilutes the focus on the self-discipline in these things, as well as distracts from paying attention to the actual practical comparisons that can be the difference between no skills or damaged knees, and an effective system for training the body.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-60523060434288932202009-08-14T00:16:24.446-06:002009-08-14T00:16:24.446-06:00Yay! So glad to see this being written about. Whic...Yay! So glad to see this being written about. Which you know, since I think we had this conversation two days ago. >_> But anyway... Looking forward to this series!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-81533732217315729592009-07-21T17:26:32.254-06:002009-07-21T17:26:32.254-06:00This post reminds me of a line from the Sandman co...This post reminds me of a line from the Sandman comic where Dream muses that things need not have happened to be true ;)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03363417454752298074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-8190939814826293432009-07-20T20:01:02.765-06:002009-07-20T20:01:02.765-06:00Excellent post.
A couple of thoughts here:
-Whil...Excellent post.<br /><br />A couple of thoughts here:<br /><br />-While I believe the Gods have lives and we occasionally get glimpses of Their reality, I think the mythos as transcribed by Christian monks loses something in translation. Even those of us who get glimpses through a Heathen filter are going to not always see the big picture.<br /><br />-The Germanic Gods are not omnipotent nor omniscient but are capable, as Gods, of existing at multiple dimensions of reality.<br /><br />-The Anglo-Saxon world tree has seven worlds (which is not a Christian influence; seven is to the Anglo-Saxons what nine is to the Norse, and the number has rather huge significance all throughout the Anglo-Saxon culture), as opposed to the nine worlds of the Norse tree, and the way the Anglo-Saxons relate to their cosmology is different than the Norse... far less militant. Yet I accept both realities are true for different people. My journeying and seeing seven worlds does not invalidate someone who sees nine worlds, and vice versa.<br /><br />It gets more complicated from there, of course. :)<br /><br />If someone is not hurting themselves or someone else with their personal gnosis, I'm not going to get too worked up if it differs from mine. My main concern is when people try to impose theirs on me, but even then, no one can force me to change my mind on an issue. It matters less to me if someone agrees whether or not, say, Frey is sacrificed yearly at Lammas, so much as do they respect what He is if we are going to be in a community together, sharing a horn. That sort of thing.<br /><br />Anyway, excellent post... good food for thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-45815833975834205142009-07-16T14:56:19.213-06:002009-07-16T14:56:19.213-06:00That should be "goes on," not "does...That should be "goes on," not "does on." Meh.Elizabeth Vongvisithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533923721625694394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-51437718669222385622009-07-16T14:55:09.684-06:002009-07-16T14:55:09.684-06:00The flip side of this is being careful not to attr...The flip side of this is being careful not to attribute "spooky foo" causes to something unexpected that happens. Not every instance of misfortune is a punishment from the gods, just as not every fortunate occurrence is proof of one's favor from Them. And real cursing/hexing does on far less often than is imagined, I believe. Sometimes shit just happens.<br /><br />I'm convinced that real instances of divine intervention are fewer and further between than is commonly believed, even for people who're heavily god-bothered or out-and-out owned. Most of the time we reap what we sow, that's all.Elizabeth Vongvisithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533923721625694394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-27362141366837388002009-07-10T17:41:52.343-06:002009-07-10T17:41:52.343-06:00Excellent, excellent post and something I've t...Excellent, excellent post and something I've tried to hammer into people's heads for years.<br /><br />These things can work together but it's too easy to invest fully in the magical and not in the physical. Warding your house works, but should be in tandem with locks and alarms, as opposed to thinking you can leave your door unlocked (or worse, wide open) because big bad scary witchcraft will protect you. Hehehehe.<br /><br />Thanks for this!<br /><br />-SiggyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-74479620520784748412009-06-26T13:00:33.927-06:002009-06-26T13:00:33.927-06:00Good post.
"There is no piece of knowledge s...Good post.<br /><br />"There is no piece of knowledge so obscure and so arcane that it is not worth knowing."<br /><br />SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE ODINSMAN. ;)<br /><br />...More seriously, we share self-honesty as a major personal value. When I covered sóð in the Twelve Ætheling Thews, I really meant what I said. I am not condemning lies that are told to protect oneself, such as from being raped or attacked, or in the interest of a resistance movement (like the Underground Railroad or the resistance cells during World War II). I think that knowing oneself and being honest with oneself even when that is uncomfortable, is the key to living ethically. Lying about one's likes and dislikes, what one can and cannot tolerate and accept in one's worldspace, can cause a host of problems.<br /><br />Thank you for putting in your thoughts on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-68077324080769255212009-06-21T23:53:58.504-06:002009-06-21T23:53:58.504-06:00Frige does indeed like a clean house; cleanliness ...Frige does indeed like a clean house; cleanliness is next to godliness in Her world. I am OCD enough to appreciate this, I'll admit... (I don't suffer from CHAOS but perhaps its opposite, I absolutely _cannot_ function if things get past a certain point of clutter.)<br /><br />I agree with the idea of why Odin is more popular than Thor in this day and age (and as always, I think Frey needs more love because He's awesome...). But it's good to see someone else who realizes Thor's strength isn't just brute physical force. He was known as "the Deep-Minded" in Scandinavia, and His challenge of Alviss proves He wasn't just a brainless yutz...<br /><br />Thank you for this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-8767846364829261062009-06-18T19:49:25.264-06:002009-06-18T19:49:25.264-06:00Thank you for your comment ^_^
I hadn't heard...Thank you for your comment ^_^<br /><br />I hadn't heard it before, but I really like the expression that "the water always tastes of the pipes." It has two apparent consequences, both the one mentioned here and that sometimes people grow accustomed to the "taste of the [particular set of] pipes" which can have other side effects.Hrafnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104546134642378367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-70781150279229259392009-06-18T17:59:28.416-06:002009-06-18T17:59:28.416-06:00It is interesting, to me, the degree to which this...It is interesting, to me, the degree to which this post echoes not just my experiences as a Pagan priestess, but with the Quaker process of making discernments around vocal ministry.<br /><br />The whole process, of course, is complicated by the way that, as the Quakers say, "the water always tastes of the pipes." It has taken me a long time to accept that, and let it go. As you say, "Even if the gods are completely objective entities, their representation within my own mind will never be."Cat C-B (and/or Peter B)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10002916434676859262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-82812273577209331642009-06-14T02:07:33.464-06:002009-06-14T02:07:33.464-06:00I am still debating the format for the next sectio...<i>I am still debating the format for the next section of beads. I may do a god a week and go more in depth, or go more shallow and keep covering 3 at a time.</i><br /><br />It's ultimately up to you to decide which way to go, but I think it would be awesome to do a god a week and go in depth. Sure, it may take longer to go through the prayer beads, but I can imagine that it'd be a wonderful resource to have here. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-38541012436469791792009-06-12T03:18:42.428-06:002009-06-12T03:18:42.428-06:00I've had the experience of the revelation from...I've had the experience of the revelation from the sketchy source. Back around the time I was trying to figure out how to write again, I decided to take a random bus and see where it led. I made it as far as the bus stop when I was accosted by an unwashed, liquor-smelling man. He told me that it was too late for him, he was an alcoholic and a sinner, but he wanted to save my soul for Jesus.<br /><br />He talked for some time, though. Once I got over the initial reaction to him, I realized that he had just told me why my writing wasn't getting anywhere. I was trying to make everything excessively verbose, to show off my vocabulary (a habit that hasn't gone away for non-fiction writing purposes), and what I needed was simplicity.<br /><br />I never did get on that bus. I went home and wrote my best story in years.<br /><br />I can't say for certain whether it had anything to do with gods or spirits or just my subconscious looking or a way to say something it had already figured out, but I'll take it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-80208980738260037732009-06-07T16:28:08.437-06:002009-06-07T16:28:08.437-06:00"I have also, despite the general reputation,..."I have also, despite the general reputation, generally had a more positive reception among the døkkálfar than among the ljósálfar."<br /><br />You aren't the only one. That's been my experience, and that of a few others I know as well.Elizabeth Vongvisithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533923721625694394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8958890722353672695.post-8131133259254129012009-06-02T11:12:15.977-06:002009-06-02T11:12:15.977-06:00This has more or less been my approach to things ...This has more or less been my approach to things -- whether or not the gods actually exist or not isn't something I can ever prove, but the fact that Their influence has had a noticable and positive impact on my life speaks for itself. And I feel that internal consistency is important when teasing out theological issues for myself. If nothing else, it gives me a system and a particular world-view to work within...as well as the chance to discover for myself which parts of it are not necessarily as I first imagine them to be.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03363417454752298074noreply@blogger.com