I have been doing a lot of reading and research into many areas, and I have come to one conclusion. There is no single set way to do anything. I have to first give credit where credit is due. Scott Cunningham's approach is what opened my eyes to this. I got the understanding that you take everything in that you feel is worthy and build from that. His books were talking about the solitary practioner building his path. How you can read 3 different books covering a certain aspect about paganism, and you will get three different views and even some contradicting information. But you need to follow what your mind and heart feels. And for me that is a major step forward because I am a staunch Celtic Recon. And don't laugh at this one, the other piece for this revelation actually comes from a movie. From Dragonball Evolution, Goku was told that he needed to make the movements his own to get better results. Goku was trying to mimic his master with some success, but then when he made everything feel good to himself, he did much better.
So why is this so important? We seek approval on some level with others that walk a similar path. We fear that we might be doing something wrong. Or we want to be just like a certain person that we have a great respect for. I am guilty of all the above. Because of my experiences with the religious debate group, I know that I should have all my ducks in a row and so if anyone asks a question, I can respond quickly. I want to be able to have a well defined set of rules and my gods and goddess known and established , so that I can exchange views with others that walk a similar path as mine.
But this is my path, and I am the only one that needs to be happy with it. I should be able to take the bulk of the Celtic path and use as much of it as I can. When the gaps and the grey areas appear, follow my gut , and proceed with courage.
This is similar to the talk about what language to use when you are creating seals and working with energy. Do you need to write the keywords on the seal in Latin or in English? You should follow your heart and use the language that gives you comfort and energy. What sounds more magical to you "Behold the Sacred Fire " or "Seo an Teine Coisrigte"? They both mean the same thing, just one is English and the other is Scot Gaelic. Do you need the fancy wand to do energy work? No , the wand is just an extension of the body and works as a focus. All the spellwork that you do is a focus for the energy that you send out to achieve a certain goal. And it all boils down to , What would help you focus and shape the energy the best. SO if you need 3 candles lit , your athame in hand and a salt circle to perform a spell, if it helps you, then go for it.
There is a danger to all of this. While it is true in my opinion that you need to follow what is right for you. You do still need to have things worked out and have them make sense. There is still the need for balance. There is still the need to know what you seek and how to seek it. Too many pick and choose itrems from such a wide variety of paths can lack the common thread to stay strong. It would be like sewing together 10 different types of fabric and expecting them all to perform at the same level. Flannel would be warmer than silk. Denim is stronger than tulle. Durlap is itchy compared to Courdaroy. You just can't mix everything together and expect it to work.
A good example to this is Runes. I have done my research and the Celts didn't have runes. THe norse had runes and they are heavily used by many pagans. Some even classify Norse runes and Celtic runes as one style of runes. So wat is a person to do. There is the Ogham alphabet , but I have my doubts about it. It should feel fine with the love for detail, but it isn't comfortable to me. Maybe I should use the Norse runes, surely the Celts did deal with the Norse on many levels. And then there is the possibility that I use basic images to express my desire. It worked well with primative man. I am still thinking about that at the moment.
My message to you tonight is to make your pagan path your personnal path. Unless it feels good to you, it will not grow and work at its best.
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