I’m lazy.
No, not when it comes to going out and working, taking care of the family, or the stuff that really matters. When it comes to personal projects, this blog for example, I have loads of ideas and thoughts on what to do with them, but when it comes time to actually sit down and do something with it, I just lack the motivation.
Arokk: solitary. build a family trad and be done with it
Blackbird O’Connell: the family trad part is more scary
Blackbird O’Connell:(…)
Children are a grossly under-served demographic when it comes to Pagan resources. When one narrows things down to specific traditions, however, “under-served” becomes synonymous with “criminally neglected”. With the(…)
December of 2009…
I want to say that it was the worst month of my life.
I want to say that I was smacked in the face by reality, that I didn’t expect what happened.
The(…)
Over on The Wall Street Journal‘s website, Matt Ridley posted an article entitled “Inside the Cold, Calculating Libertarian Mind” which referred to assertions made regarding libertarian mindsets in a paper by Dr. Jonathan Haidt and Ravi Iyer. Among these assertions was the inference that we “displayed less emotion, less empathy and less disgust than either conservatives or liberals” when it came to moral dilemmas. I disagree with this assertion.
How’s that for an original title, eh?
So, one of the few friends I have online who is not afraid to stand up to me and call me on my bullshit (spiritually speaking) recently called into question my devotion to my Gods due to the fact that my view of Them has become symbolic, rather than literal.
I had begun seeing Them as representative of ideals, as goals for my spiritual development, rather than dynamic, living beings who are able to affect my daily life. They weren’t worthy of devotion in and of Themselves, but had devolved, in my mind, into mere focal points for use in my personal plans.
What I discovered, as part of this evolution/devolution, was that life seemed a bit empty without a deeper meaning behind what I casually referred to as “my Gods”. They suddenly became two-dimensional, seemingly drawings, rather than the three dimensional transcendent sparks of creativity, imagination, and morality that I wanted and needed Them to be.
As a result of this “evolved” view, my very personality began to suffer. The fire which once defined who I was somehow died to smoldering embers. Even my speech patterns began to change. My will was broken by my own intellect. What I thought was an epiphany turned out to be an extinguishing of a vital part of my humanity.
I realize now that I have a need to believe in my Gods as living entities rather than usable quaint relics of the past. No, I still don’t believe that They shape my destiny…but They are the pillars that support the road I am travelling…allowing my journey to continue.
Here’s to the rekindling of fires, kicks in the ass by friends, and finding what was once lost.
Hey, Blackbird…thanks for being such a bitch.
“Is that a tattoo? Lemme see it!” *turns over arm so the gawker can gawk* “Ohhh, did it hurt?” “You could say that.” “Why would you do that to yourself?” I can’t tell you how many times I have had this conversation, or a variation thereof when people notice I have tattoos. No, I’m not […]
Continue reading…
I was going to write an entire article on websites and services offering free or low cost online education courses, and then I came across this post on a self-help blog. I can’t, in any way, improve upon the post. Behold the power that is Marc and Angel Hack Life. I’ll hang up and listen.
Continue reading…
I have decided to get back on track with my personal improvement goals. If you have been following my blogs for more than a year, you may remember my old fitness blog. On it, I regularly tracked my weight losses/gains, eating habits, exercise habits, and prayer habits. I did pretty well with it, but fell […]
Continue reading…
Changing and fluid viewpoints are pretty much par for the course in one’s spiritual development. Even those of a “hard and fast” Christian belief system will see ebbs and flows in their beliefs at varying points in their lives. We all see ourselves slowly becoming more conservative or more liberal in our beliefs, depending on […]
Continue reading…