This is just how I practice animism in my everyday life and how I personaly believe in things. I believe that everything has a spirit. All the animals, all the plants, rocks, water, everything. And that there is a god for everything. A fox god, a hare god, a potato god, etc. I believe that plants are worth as much as animals and vice versa. My spirit animal is the hare and I mostly pray to the hare god, and I have a very good relation to that god. I believe that my spirit is that of a hare, and for some reason I have been given the physical form of a human, for what reason I do not know yet. I believe that from the very beginning there was one god, which I refer too as the great light which is the source of everything good. From this light all the gods where "born" and created creatures in their image all over the universe. Giving them their forms and guidelines. Like the carnivore gods told their "people" that it's okay too eat meat, but not plants. And some could eat both meat and plants in order too create a balance. Just as the human gods gave the humans their guidelines. The 10 commandments from the good god. For humans I belive there are two gods, one that is good, and one that is evil. And they both influence humans to do both good and evil. Every night before I go to bed I thank the gods for everything - both good things and bad things. And I ask them too watch over everyone and keep them safe. I communicate with the gods and spirits by asking for signs, omens and visions. Whenever I've asked the hare god for a sign or omen I have seen a hare and often known what it means. But not always, then I ask for a vision, mostly seen in dreams, or through trance. I'm a vegetarian due too my nature, and I instinctivley know that I should not eat meat. The way I enter a trance state is that I sit down at my altar, light candles, incence and use a crows feather too draw a protective circle and sphere around me, and I honor the hare god and ask for a guide. I then take deep breaths too calm down and begin too throat sing, and it's the vibrations from the throat singing that brings me into the spirit world where I get too meet the guide. When I eat a meal I thank the gods and spirits for the plants that gave their lives so that I get too live for another day. I use "magick" too help myself and others feel better, through talismans and rituals. I've used spiritual herbs a few times. Mostly salvia and cannabis. On Salvia I felt a great warm energy hit my body as ocean waves hit the beach. This I believe was the energy of the universe. The energy from the gods and spirits. On cannabis I feel a great sense of unity and I get very happy and social. I believe certain plants open you up for good energies. And some open you up for not so good energies, like the angels trumpet which gives you really horrible visions. I think I covered most things, but I might have missed something. If you are wondering over something feel free too ask. How do you practice your beliefs?
well i don't believe there is such a thing as a god of badness. bad things happen because many people can't be bothered to consider what they create incentives for by what is important to them. don't even think about what is important to them, let alone what incentives they create, let alone what incentives would create a kind of world they would want to live in. a world the would find real gratification living in. that's the only reason bad things happen, bad conditions come into existence, inconsiderate people come into power, all of it. now as for practice, i do try to pay attention. especially to avoid deceiving myself as to what priorities create what incentives. that is what i call my beliefs and what i call living them. whatever unseen things there are, this part of it, is completely up to us. we do it to ourselves. not individually but by statistically. but its still ourselves, not some other kind of forces doing it. now i met these non-human spirit people, the ones that are my teachers, when i was very young. i'm not sure how they've tried to teach and guide me. i think i may in some ways reflect some things about them, but i don't really know that. i'm just happy to have met them is all.
I agree with Themnax. I don't believe there is a God of evil. I will say that there are destructive forces, and there are those spirits, such as tricksters, that may seem evil to us. But there is no supreme evil one that is out to tempt us, or do evil things, or however one would think such evil ways are ruled over. All the spirits and forces have a purpose and they are all here so that life may continue. Sometimes destruction is necessary so that new life may spring forth. When we fall out of balance than bad things happen. We can fall out of balance and get stuck on a bad path, which carries on us on an ever-increasing destructive journey. We can deceive ourselves into blaming others. But in the end it is just us---and how we shape the forces around us. As far as how I practice----most of what I do today centers around the chanunpa---the sacred pipe. However I still go into a trance state on occasion---though trance is not really the right word for it, but I do go on spirit journeys---I prefer the drum, though I know there are numerous ways including throat singing. However I have found that Lakota ceremony such as the sweat lodge, the hanblechiya (Vision Quest), praying with the chanunpa, and yuwipis and House ceremonies also put you quickly and easily into spirit, and allow for one to experience an altered reality. (I do these with a group of Natives that are mostly Lakota, however there are a few Cheyenne and other Native Americans participating). The medicine wheel is also very important to me. The wolf is my spirit guide, but the Red Tailed Hawk has also come into my life. When I pray with the chanunpa, I offer the tobacco to numerous things, including the wolf and the Red Tailed Hawk, but mainly the 7 sacred directions. I make the offerings in Lakota, and as much of the actual prayer as I can in Lakota. There is a lot of responsibility in carrying a chanunpa. Therefore one could always just carry a tobacco pouch, and offer tobacco in a similar way and still have powerful prayers and offerings without the responsibility of carrying the chanunpa.
Having rebelled against dichotomy - I see things as a matter of perspective and perception. I attempt to practice my beliefs in the Way I live, striving to pay attention and grow in awareness. I often fail....but continue.
ah tricksters. annoying and amusing at the same time. and also poignant, because i don't think they're just being stupid when the hurt themselves to make a joke. they are accepting the pain the bring themselves, to show us how to avoid hurting ourselves the same way. that is their strange and wonderful gift, that is not always easy to understand. i don't mean to sound i am as wise as those who were raised in traditions i was not. i just grew up wandering around in the woods, reading a lot, and meeting those guys when i was really young.
Lessons are so often mistakes redeemed by learning from them. Many people call mistakes a failing - in that they did not discern a more appropriate choice. To think that we do not fail, within the parameters mentioned (a perception based on my own perspective), seems to this poster to be self-deception.
I have been away for quite a while. Things are starting to settle down and I want to try a practice session. The question is, how do I put in my picture and description? If I scan the picture into my computer do I need to set it up as a jpeg? or something else? Any suggestions? Thanks
