This is one of those topics I'm very interested in but I'm not sure I can articulate the question very clearly. [smile] ÂÂ*Here goes...

If you don't mind sharing, what is your personal perceptions of deity (or the divine, if that fits better)? ÂÂ*Do you see your deity (or deities) as all-compassionate or loving? Parental or perhaps as Rumi saw it, as the Beloved? Does your deity occasionally, or often, scare the holy h*ll out of you? (Sorry, I couldn't figure out a better way to say that.) ÂÂ* ÂÂ*

For that matter, do you perceive your deities as being remote and not very involved or the opposite? ÂÂ*What about immanence - are they present in every and everything or separate embodied (so to speak) beings? If so, does deity seem "diffuse" or so large it seems you and everything in existence are just a tiny, tiny cells with the body? ÂÂ*

Oooo...that turned into a lot of questions. ÂÂ*[lol]

I view them as family..and sometimes they can scare me..especially when I and I sometimes (can be a little bad) will set me straight! I tell them I love them at all times(especially my household deities(definitly the on who welds lighting). and yes I know I am the only nutcase that not only prays but sends them little notes that I remove later when I know they recieve and I do!And I love to talk about them..they make me happy![lol][lol][lol]

i'm a pantheist. so, my perception is that everything is of divinity. the very energy that is in everything that exists is divinity.

laethaween wrote:
I view them as family..

Family - I like that. ÂÂ*

and sometimes they can scare me..especially when I and I sometimes (can be a little bad) will set me straight!

"I and I"? ÂÂ*Who would have thought you and you would be bad? ÂÂ*

I've certainly been set straight too. ÂÂ*In my case, it's usually a "d'oh!" moment. ÂÂ* ÂÂ* ÂÂ*

ÂÂ*
I tell them I love them at all times(especially my household deities(definitly the on who welds lighting). and yes I know I am the only nutcase that not only prays but sends them little notes that I remove later when I know they recieve and I do!And I love to talk about them..they make me happy!

Actually, that's pretty cool. ÂÂ*If leaving notes makes you a nutcase then I guess I am too for some of the things I've done. ÂÂ* ÂÂ*I've bought beer for deities (I can't stand the stuff myself) and played jokes. ÂÂ*Is it any wonder one of my favorites has trickster aspects to Him? ÂÂ* ÂÂ* ÂÂ*

I love talking about them too. ÂÂ*I usually end up thinking, "hey, why didn't I think of that?"[smile]

I guess I could answer my own question...

Do you see your deity (or deities) as all-compassionate or loving? Parental or perhaps as Rumi saw it, as the Beloved? Does your deity occasionally, or often, scare the holy h*ll out of you?

It depends on the deity. ÂÂ*Most of the deities I am drawn to are not all compassionate or parental. ÂÂ*Most often than not, one of their aspects is to act as psychopomps. ÂÂ*I guess I'd come closer to Rumi's idea than seeing them as another mother or father, although considering the deities I've worked with the word 'allies' works too.

One or two has scared, as I said, the holy h*ll out of me. ÂÂ* At least I know now it's not all in my head - or that I'm not too crazy. ÂÂ*[lol]

For that matter, do you perceive your deities as being remote and not very involved or the opposite? What about immanence - are they present in every and everything or separate embodied (so to speak) beings? If so, does deity seem "diffuse" or so large it seems you and everything in existence are just a tiny, tiny cells with the body?

Most of the deities I'm drawn to 'drop in' every now and then but they have better things to do than stick around and care about what brand of bath tissue I use. ÂÂ*

I have encountered one or two that seems very remote, in both senses of the word. ÂÂ*Khnum seemed to me to be both very old, very far away and rather alien. ÂÂ*He also didn't seem to be very concerned about much other than the work on His pottery wheel. ÂÂ*

As for immanence...I've only encountered one deity that I could truly consider immanent. ÂÂ*I suppose She could be the Great Goddess or perhaps the Star Goddess but honestly, I don't think any name actually fits. ÂÂ*It began as a journey where I found myself becoming a part of everything - earth, air, space, stars and there she was. ÂÂ*I guess it's comparable to skyscrapers being so large, ants may not comprehend them even being there. ÂÂ*

Is She the creator of everything? ÂÂ*I don't know.

Oonagh wrote:
i'm a pantheist. so, my perception is that everything is of divinity. the very energy that is in everything that exists is divinity.

That's a neat idea, Oonagh. ÂÂ*Do you see everything as cells of a larger body or simply interconnected? ÂÂ*Perhaps something different? ÂÂ*

A things that make you go hmmmm question.

Well, Azra, for me personally the medicine wheel for women is divided into four aspects of the feminine Creatrix corresponding to each of the elements and to each of the watchtowers or compass points. This means that for each direction/element there is a stage of life of a woman that corresponds directly to an Avatar of the Creatrix.

Recently I have fully gone thru the transition corresponding from maiden to motherhood and I remember it well because the Avatar for that direction/aspect actually got my attention in 3D by manifesting. I knew because one day around the time of Imbolc I saw a woman all in green with bright red hair everywhere I went. I knew that this was some type of message but not until I looked up the physical traits of Brigid/Cerridwen did I realize that this was signaling the end of one phase and the beginning of another. But it was very funny to see leprechauns all day! LOL

So my medicine wheel for the various Avatars of the Feminine Principal would look something like this:

East-Air- Maiden- Artemis
South-Fire-Mother- Brigit
West- Water-Menopause-Freya
North-Earth-Crone-Selu

Avatars are the representation our minds construct to understand something as vast as an omnipotent, omniscient Being that is the Creatrix of the Cosmological Matrix. It is thought of as an Avatar because to different people it changes Its visage to match what the person's mind identifies as Creator. This is why there are pantheons of gods in each religion- they really all represent one Being of such immensity that our mind's cannot truly perceive it in our dimensional reality. Our monkey brains connected to this limited view of reality cannot hope to understand a BEing of such interdimensional construct. (For more on how a Being of this type exists in a multi-verse see my post on AStral Travel.)

It has been my experience through dreaming and other events that Avatars try and get your attention in reality to help you adjust to new life conditions as you grow and evolve in spirit. But this is a FreeWill universe, so you have to request help and intervention for such aid, and be open to it.

namaste,
JB

I always thought that Odin looked a lot like Gandalf...seriously with the long beard and floppy hat, they could be twins!

Hair on the back of my neck stands up!! I will answer this question in a few - creepy crawlies are abounding!!

Originally Posted by Azra

This is one of those topics I'm very interested in but I'm not sure I can articulate the question very clearly. [smile] Here goes...

If you don't mind sharing, what is your personal perceptions of deity (or the divine, if that fits better)? Do you see your deity (or deities) as all-compassionate or loving? Parental or perhaps as Rumi saw it, as the Beloved? Does your deity occasionally, or often, scare the holy h*ll out of you? (Sorry, I couldn't figure out a better way to say that.)

I see the divine as all-compassionate and all-loving. Love gives of itself, and perfect love gives of itself fully and completely. That is what the divine has done in creating, sustaining and guiding us to our destiny, whatever that may be. When we see the divine as less than all-loving (scary, for example), it is because of our failure to see all sides of something. Let's face it: if it takes the Creatrix to do what She does, it goes without saying that we are not up to the task.

For that matter, do you perceive your deities as being remote and not very involved or the opposite?

I think that while sometimes they relate to us intimately, they also withdraw from our consciousness. They do this for our benefit, to facilitate our growth. Nevertheless, despite the fact that we may not sense their presence, they are always near to us.

What about immanence - are they present in every and everything or separate embodied (so to speak) beings? If so, does deity seem "diffuse" or so large it seems you and everything in existence are just a tiny, tiny cells with the body?

I'm of the panentheist persuasion, seeing the divine as both immanent and transcendent. I guess, then, it would be both diffuse and ginormous.

Originally Posted by JayneBond

Avatars are the representation our minds construct to understand something as vast as an omnipotent, omniscient Being that is the Creatrix of the Cosmological Matrix. It is thought of as an Avatar because to different people it changes Its visage to match what the person's mind identifies as Creator. This is why there are pantheons of gods in each religion- they really all represent one Being of such immensity that our mind's cannot truly perceive it in our dimensional reality. Our monkey brains connected to this limited view of reality cannot hope to understand a BEing of such interdimensional construct.

I really like this explanation. I have always found this a difficult idea to get across. Very well done indeed.