The Soul

[Aino Ailill]

TeaDidikai

Loona Wynd

Shade: A reflection of our personality kept in the underworld which exists so long as some one in the world remembers you.

Any particular reason you're lifting σκιά?

What does the dot above the alpha represent? Also, how do you type Greek letters?  

[TeaDidikai]

Aino Ailill

What does the dot above the alpha represent?

Acute accent. It's just a diacritical mark.

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Also, how do you type Greek letters?

I copy and pasted it from notes I have.  

[Sam Oaken Willow 17]

Loona Wynd

ShadowCatSoul

Sam Oaken Willow 17

Loona Wynd

To the one that I serve

The SuSoul: The heart and personality as well as our direct connection to the Gods. The suSoul may or may not be a part of the Gods.

I will give my all

Are you suggesting that you don't know if the suSoul is a part of the gods or not, or are there instances where it is and when it isn't?

Sounds like Loona isn't sure.

To the one that I serve

exactly.

I will give my all

Ok just making sure. smile  

[Bastemhet]

I wrote a little bit about the Egyptian conception of the soul(s) in my pathways thread.  

[Loona Wynd]

TeaDidikai

Loona Wynd

Shade: A reflection of our personality kept in the underworld which exists so long as some one in the world remembers you.

Any particular reason you're lifting σκιά?

To the one that I serve

It's a concept that makes sense to me. My theory on the soul is still developing based on the research I've done into various philosophies and paths. Hellenic Paganism isn't the only path with an aspect of the soul being a "shade" as it were. According to The Witching Way of the Hollow Hill Artisson also used the term shade to refer to the reflection of ourselves that exists in the underworld after death.

I will give my all

 

[Loona Wynd]

Sam Oaken Willow 17

Ok just making sure. smile

To the one that I serve

Like I just said to Tea, my theory about the soul is still evolving and changing. It evolves and changes as I explore different paths and their philosophies.

I will give my all

 

[bobkitty1123]

Chaos Blue

Example, my best friend who is Christian believes that "Animals do not have a soul". I wanted to know how that was (and whether or not anyone else of this faith or personally believes the same thing) and what made them not have a soul. If they don't then why are we the only ones that do? I asked her, she said "Because they're animals" . Though I feel like this answer doesn't set, or doesn't seem complete somehow.

Humans are animals in my opinion and I personally believe that it is wrong to say that we are better than animals and thus we are granted a soul when they are not. I do not as well know where this idea came from. I mean, who are we to dictate whether something has a soul or not. I believe in souls but who is to say that souls don't exist at all. So I believe that animals have souls because they are like us. They are not as "advanced" (as in technology) but they feel pain, they love, they hate, they live, they die.  

[Ishtar Shakti]

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Not too sure if this has been discussed, sorry if this is a repeat topic...

A soul-

What is it, exactly? What proof is there that it exists? I mean, I know that on a scientific level, it could be expressed as energy, and cannot be broken down. So does that mean when we die, our soul (or energy) scatters onto the world (reincarnation?)? It's thought provoking since the soul can be described in so many contexts through so many traditions.

I think of it as an Identity an expression of will. What would define it in this context is the ability to produce change. To know whether something is producing change is a matter of observation but mostly an expression of movement which cannot be explained through a specific chain reaction. Meaning it can't completely be explained by physics. While still working within the boundaries of physics something may produce a chain reaction, the start of events so to speak and that initial spark is the soul.

I don't believe a soul dies when the body dies from observation (this is usually expressed on a scientific level by the fact the mass of the body actually changes when a person dies. It becomes lighter. Some use this as proof of a soul not sure about the science there) I have seen that a person can practice magic (or produce change) independently of their location (they can move their soul from their body and produce change in different states and countries) thus (while this could be explained in several ways) I have taken it as existence of a soul that is independent of the body. This and many other reasons such as interactions with spirits etc.

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Example, my best friend who is Christian believes that "Animals do not have a soul". I wanted to know how that was (and whether or not anyone else of this faith or personally believes the same thing) and what made them not have a soul. If they don't then why are we the only ones that do? I asked her, she said "Because they're animals" . Though I feel like this answer doesn't set, or doesn't seem complete somehow.

I believe animals have a soul, I believe perhaps the souls interaction with the animal is not the same as with humans because we have different physiologies. There are explanations as to why animals wouldn't have souls, and this mostly goes into biblical reference. Supposedly from what I gather it has to do with the making of man and instilling the "Holy Spirit" inside of man. In some belief systems god gave us breath as he rose us from the aches and he made us special. We have souls because we were risen from the ashes by the breath of god. It depends on the version and translation and interpretation of the bible you are using and which sect of christianity you belong to.
Sometimes people just assume these things because in bible school they have a habit of teaching children that humans are special. Why are humans special kids because god made us to look after the Whole Kingdom etc. Its kind of implied the hierarchical values which make man special in many of the teachings. It really depends on your church.

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I'm of the belief that we all have a soul, a spark of some sort, a conscious. Something that keeps us running, imagining and creating (collective conscious?).

Alot of people are...

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Another thing I wonder, is if the spirit and soul are interchangeable definitions for the same thing. What are some of your takes on the soul/spirit/energy?

Well I take the soul as being... the spirit as a form for that being. Like Soul is will spirit i manifestation of will into a form... like my body I currently would classify as an extension of my soul. Energy is much like the ripple affect. Objects can also be an extension of my soul... or they can just be infused with energy.

I use this in a technical sort of sense to organize my thoughts when reading and dealing with others energies. The level of interaction type of interaction and meaning of interactions between entities relies alot on being able to tell the distinction between the three classes. Also being able to tell where their energy originates from can be important when reworking other peoples energy systems. People have a tendency to make a mess of their energy systems sometimes.

Its not really Important though unless you do energy work. Also people may define things slightly differently then me based off of their definitions and understanding of energy. Peoples energy are much like onions... but way more complex. Some peoples souls don't actually even mesh with their bodies completely... sometimes their bodies aren't one with their souls. Sometimes the soul is Highly linked and souls can exist on multiple levels or just on one. It can have several forms at once, or several expressions of will which may seem to be independent from each other.

So it Really all depends on the person how their will is expressed and what form shape and means to which it wants to express itself and to which it is Allowed to express itself. I don't really think much of its really important until your dead, in which most of this is observable... or if you deal heavily with spirits... which isn't really all that practical while you are alive.  

[Brass Bell Doll]

I believe that the word soul is an attempt to describe an inherent nature of the Self that transcends this lifetime.  

[Collowrath]

I haven't exactly worked this out according to my tradition. I'm tempted though, to say that the soul is the animating force within a person that grants them their reason.

My tradition also involves a bit of animism - trees, rocks, animals, etc have this animating force within themselves as well, but often, it must be awakened. The best example I can think of is with trees, which are considered in folklore to be conscious creatures.

I probably can't express myself too well on this - but I'd definitely like to come back. Thanks for giving me some food for thought!