Year of Faith

A few of my pagan friends suggested to me that this month would go much smoother if I picked a principal deity to worship and focus on. Something that fit, something that I could identify with and thus make this whole experience more personal. At the moment I am taking an introductory course on classical mythology, so I already had a decent idea about what most of the Greek Gods and Goddesses were about, and which ones were interesting to me.

It’s interesting being able to pick from a group of deities, something totally unlike most of the other religions we have practiced so far. Jainism had various Tirthankars, and Buddhism similarly had many Bodhisattvas, both numerous, semi-divine beings who tend to represent a specific trait or idea in their religions. But these were all secondary characters, for the most part. In this particular flavour of paganism you get to pick the protagonist of your own faith, your own figure of worship, and still be a part of a whole community of like minded people. Not only that, but each God, Goddess, and Titan are linked, not only as a complex family, but in the grand story that details their births, trials, and characters. Each of them is needed to form a complete theogeny.  So in theory, even though everyone could be worshiping different Gods or Goddesses, they are all needed in order for us to understand who they are. It initially seems individualistic, but it can actually be quite the communal religion.

So after a bit of consideration, I settled on the second generation Titan Prometheus as my patron deity. His father is Iapetus, the son of two of the primordial forces, Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth), and his mother is Clymene, an Oceanid, which is one of the many daughters of two other Titans- Tethys and Oceanus. He is probably most widely known for stealing fire from the Olympian Gods and giving it to mankind, thus ushering in the first enlightenment in human civilization. It is for this act, as well as other qualities, that I find Prometheus to be quite a fitting match.

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At the start of my little foray into cartomancy, I had some assumptions about divination. I though it would be prudent to share these ideas and see whether or not they would change over time. I hope I don’t sound too flippant or dismissive or in any way negative. Just my initial thoughts.

1. Cartomancy is bullshit. I mean this quite literally. I don’t think that cartomancers are outright lying to people when they are doing their readings, nor do I think that the meanings and interpretations of the cards are fabrications set out to deceive people. In my mind truth, absolute truth, doesn’t enter into it much. Cartomancy seems to me to be about selling your particular interpretation, to make the cards adequately reflect the life of the enquirer or a reasonable answer to a question. If it makes sense, it’s because the meaning of the cards, especially in relation to each other, are so ambiguous that at least some of it is going to ring as ‘true’ to the one looking for answers. There is no magic involved, only a clever system that lets you read into it whatever you will. Again, by bullshit I do not mean something that lies or deceives, but seeks to convince someone of a certain state of affairs.
2. Cartomancy should be realistic. Many of the books I’ve read on this art seem a bit too positive and optimistic. No challenge is insurmountable, and nothing negative is necessarily unavoidable. Sometimes this is due to a specific interpretation of the cards, other times it is a conscious decision not to use reversed interpretations. But as anyone can tell you, life is hard and unfair, and I think the cards should reflect this. Also, if a deck comes with jokers, you should use them. Since the joker is a wild card that is completely random and unpredictable, some cartomancers don’t use it, and when they do they only use one. Despite the fact that my deck came with two identical jokers, I intend to use both. I don’t think that all this necessarily follows if one is to practice this kind of divination, it is just a matter of taste.
3. Cartomancy should be a good show. This may be difficult for those using Tarot cards, as they are often larger and more cumbersome than normal playing card decks. But when doing a reading with a deck of playing cards, one might as well make it look good. Too often I keep seeing the same tired stereotype of the wizened, old, bejeweled, speckled, diviner puzzling over worn cards on a dusty mat. If you are going to tell people that those cards can give them glimpses into their past, present, and future, make them at least seem magical. One should use flourishes and tricks to make the cards seem alive. If you are going through all this trouble to sell something, you might as well be a good salesman.

It’s odd how convincing the cards can be, even to one like myself who is quite skeptical of their use and meaning.  I often find myself looking forward to what they tell me is to come, and glossing over the cards that don’t make any sense or seem out of place.  I suppose that is the strength of cartomancy.  We are so impressed by the few times the cards get it right (or should I say the reader?) that we don’t notice how often they get it wrong.

All in all, it’s a lot of fun.

The theme was fire, and change.

Paganism doesn’t seem to believe in death and endings the way most people do.  Nothing is ever completely gone or wasted away.   Everything is simply changing, from one thing into another.  When one thing ends, another thing begins, something else is born.  Death isn’t something final, it is just part of the endless cycle.  Like the seasons.  One thing ends so another can begin.

This was a lot of fun.  It wasn’t terribly formal or awkward, it just felt like a few good friends getting together to celebrate the solstice.  I tried to imagine what it would have looked like in a larger setting, a hundred or a thousand years ago.  I wondered what they would have thought, that first person or persons that figured out that one day in particular was longer than all the others.  I wonder what it felt like.

But anyways, the theme was change.  We called on the elements to complete the circle, and were invited through several methods to leave behind what we wished and to step into the future that we wanted.  It was interesting to have to envision the whole process.

Paganism, in many of it’s aspects, seems to understand the power of positive thinking, of focus.  Of what I have read and experienced in rituals, magic making, and divination, the emphasis is frequently put on envisioning what you want and getting you to make the first steps towards attaining it.  I am, for the most part, not so great at being productive, so it will be interesting to see if this ritual has any effect on my life.

My heartfelt thanks to my friends Anthony and Mimi for providing such a ritual for us to partake in.  It was a memorable experience.

I’ve been a flaky pagan.

I have two new part time jobs, school, and a general lack of direction this month. The only thing I’ve been doing faithfully is studying and practicing cartomancy. But I feel inspired, thanks to this article about atheism, which is apparently a pretentious and cowardly idea. So I best get out of it now, right?

The sweeping generalizations and bad arguments were enough to stir my philosophical ire, and I won’t get into all of them here. What really bugged me are the parts that he gets correct. The “militant atheist” crowd does tend to make generalizations and avoids specific cases unless they are in their favour.  There is no central atheistic movement or set of beliefs to which the religious can compare themselves, and many of us are genuinely ignorant of the religions which we deny.

But that is why I started the Year of Faith, to become more enlightened about religion.  Not so that I can argue against religion, but so that we can create a dialog between those who believe and those who do not. So that we can start talking to each other and stop the screaming, stupid insults.

This is a chance for me to prove that not all atheists are ignorant cowards.

Reading some basic introductory textbooks on paganism and new religious movements, I am coming to understand that paganism is essentially a step backward. That isn’t to say that it is uncivilized, behind the times, or a bunch of crock. Paganism steps back from the normal diversions and divisions between man and nature. It steps away from modernity. It rekindles mystery and magic. Though parts of some pagan movements may be new, its roots are very, very old.

During my month of paganism I am going to be taking up cartomancy, which is divination through cards, such as the classic Tarot deck or a simple playing card deck. I picked up a book and deck of playing cards a few years ago, but never did much with them. Now I hope to be able to do basic spreads by the end of the month, or ideally by the solstice.

Divination seems to me to be one of the quintessential characteristics of paganism. It involves interactions between people and the natural world, the proliferation of supernaturalism and mystery. It brings us back to the times when we didn’t know everything about the world, when there were still forces at work which we did not understand. Divination is about the magic and mystery of nature, of the things about us and the world which we do not understand. That stuff that leaves room for superstition, spirits, Gods, and Goddesses. Old things and old beliefs.

Paganism, in my mind, is a very general term for indigenous religions, animism, and the spiritual religions of Africa. We will be following a certain set of practices based on western Paganism, but I will be doing my best to write about a very large variety of religions that I think fall under this category. Expect to see topics concerning Native American religions, Voudon, Wicca, ritual magic, and various forms of divination.

Once upon a time we cared about nature and the magic of life. Paganism remembers those days, and seems to still be keeping them alive.

“Practice mindfulness.”

“Free Tibet” was something that hippies would say.

That is my first recollection of that slogan and of that part of our world. Tibet was something that was not free, for some reason, and for some other mysterious reason the people with the wild hair and tie dye shirts really, really cared about it. I was a kid, OK? I didn’t know much about the world. When you were flaky and couldn’t hold a job you would take drugs, have a lot of sex, and scream about wars and about Tibet. This is how my passing knowledge came to paint the issue in my small, formative years.

Later, as I came to know more, I began to understand what all the fuss was about, and I began to get angry. I understood why all those hippies had been yelling and stitching “Free Tibet” patches on their bags. It was an outrage, a global atrocity.

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I’ve never had a problem sitting in silence with other people. I have had my share of awkward silences, but for the most part, when I’m sitting next to a friend on the bus, or just hanging out at a coffee shop, I see no reason to always be holding a conversation. Sometimes I prefer to sit and let myself experience the moment, to reflect on it all whilst in the company of good friends. It sure beats doing it by yourself.

I think this explains the immediate attraction I felt in February when I had the opportunity to meditate during Jainism. It certainly wasn’t an easy requirement, and it didn’t get much easier this month either. But the payoff was there. That feeling of calm and peace, of being in the moment. That is the sort of thing I have glimpsed at while meditating, the sort of thing I have only experienced while silently enjoying the company of others.

Buddhism taught me this month that meditation is a deceptively simple thing to do. It seems that all it is, when you get right down to it, is sitting. That’s it. Just sit.

Sitting, being something we do everyday, doesn’t seem like a big idea, right? Sitting cross-legged with proper posture might present a bit of a challenge, but come on, it’s just sitting. But usually when we sit, we aren’t just sitting, but sitting and thinking, sitting and fidgeting, sitting and drinking or eating. We are not immersed in the moment, nor are we performing that one simple action with all of our concentration. In meditation, the goal is to be immersed in that moment, to be focused on that one simple action. In order to do this we must reign in the mind and make it concentrate on that one action, to the exclusion of all else. That kind of concentration is the part that isn’t easy, but it seems to come with practice.

When I meditate I noticed that the rest of my day would be improved. I felt calmer, more in control of things and usually more productive. I felt at home with myself. This was in stark contrast to the days when I felt I couldn’t be bothered, the same days when I would feel lethargic and uninterested in the things I needed to accomplish. I really felt like I was living in the moment.

As I have said before, I am sure that it is a practice which will follow me into the months and years to come.

The last sect of Buddhism that I will be writing about is Vajrayana Buddhism. This school of thought is predominantly found within Tibet and seems almost synonymous with Tibetan Buddhism, so I will be treating the two as pretty much the same. It is similar to Mahayana Buddhism in its rich rituals and symbolism, but differs because of its origins in Tibetan culture. Vajrayana bills itself as the fastest path to enlightenment, so for all those wishing to find themselves a diamond in the rough, better brush up on your Tibetan (and your Chinese, really).

Tibetan religion in pre-Buddhist days was centered around shamanic rituals and offerings to keep the powers of nature appeased. A great emphasis was placed on magic and incantations, which must have meshed well with Tantric Buddhism as it moved into the region in the 7th century BC. The Tantric school came out of Northeast India and was centered around key texts (tantras) which opposed the the usual Buddhist status-quo of avoiding bodily pleasures and sexual acts, and also gave magical words and phrases that helped the Tantric practitioner. Tantric Buddhism saw the body as an aide in one’s quest for enlightenment instead of a hindrance, and the sexual union of the opposites of male and female was seen as an example of unity instead of a taboo.

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Although many different vehicles of Buddhism have claimed to hold the original teachings of the Buddha, Theravada Buddhism is considered the oldest and most conservative branch of Buddhist philosophy. It sees itself as carrying on the traditions and teachings introduced by the Buddha, and as such it does not concern itself with rituals, deities, or anything beyond reliance of the self, though some Theravada Buddhists venerate relics of the Buddha, such as the hair at the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.

This doesn’t mean that Theravada Buddhists are left to their own devices in order to attain enlightenment. Those who achieve sainthood (and once they die, Nirvana) by their own means are considered to have performed the same feat as the Buddha. This is not something that is impossible, as this branch of Buddhism believes, like the Mahayana tradition, that there are many Buddhas in the past, and that there will be more in the future. Though they do not consider the Buddha to be a deity or anything above a very wise, mortal man.

As achieving enlightenment for oneself is considered the ideal in Theravada Buddhism, the monk lifestyle is the ideal path for its practitioners. Laypersons do have the potential to achieve Nirvana, but for the most part they contend themselves with supporting the monks with alms and hoping to be born into a better position to attain sainthood and Nirvana in their next life.

Ordination as a monk is not always permanent. Many youth go through a brief period as a Buddhist monk as a rite of passage into adulthood. Once they join the monks, they are completely reliant on laypeople for food and new robes- living a life that would approximate that of Siddhartha’s.

Theravada Buddhism, in comparison to the other schools, is very conservative in that it has held on to most of its practices since its inception.  It maintains that the only way to enlightenment is the life of the arhat, of the person who will achieve Nirvana through meditation and asceticism.  It lacks the role of the Bodhisattva that was present in Mahayana Buddhism, and is less forgiving to those who do not choose the monastic life.

It is more of an ‘all or nothing’ school of thought, it seems.  With more focus on a life lacking material possession, wants, or passions.