Blasphemy in Paganism

[Lila Malvae]

I've been giving some serious consideration lately as to what my patron deity would find blasphemous, and I was curious as to what that word means to those of this guild. Is it littering or driving a gas-guzzling "Suburb" all by yourself.
Is it dying your hair with artificial dyes, the internet, driving a car at all, or supporting this unnatural 9-5 commercialized lifestyle? I know that some deities wouldn't like it at all, and I'm not sure I do either, but if that is blasphemy, what are our options?  

[SlaineWildfire]

Strange. I've never even considered what might or might not be construed as blasphemy. When I was in a more intimate relationship with Bast, She usually let me know when I was doing something She didn't like. But I haven't had a patroness in a long while, so I'm pretty much just going with my own personal conscience these days. Don't litter, don't destroy plant or animal or human life, etc.

But it is an intriguing question.  

[MST3Kakalina]

i've never had a patron deity, so i can't answer on behalf of him/her.


i do think the most blasphemous aspect of our society (and by society i mean American society because...well..i'm American) is how we treat the disadvantaged, whether they're disadvantaged due to mental illness, socio-economic class, an ethnic minority (not to say that being a minority is a disadvantage. err. crap.), etc. the second one is what really gets my goat at the moment, probably because i just watched a documentary on Wal-Mart and its practices. ( http://www.walmartmovie.com , for those interested. please check it out, if you can.) we are one of the richest nations in the world, yet we have a ridiculous homeless problem and children starving within our own borders, and all the top 10% does is think about ways they can squeeze even more money out of the lower class. it's disgusting.  

[WebenBanu]

Usually, when I've heard of Pagan "blasphemy" it's been of the tongue-in-cheek variety. Pagans overall seem to be a bit more relaxed on this subject, as our gods seem to have a pretty good sense of humor and we know better than to really start pushing Their buttons.^_~

In my tradition there are such things as taboos- I suppose you might call it blasphemy to knowingly bring one of those into the ritual workspace. I'd simply call it unwise- these things have an adverse effect on ritual workings, and sometimes on the deities Themselves (upsets Them, you know?^_^'), so they're really best avoided.

Standard taboos are urea (a chemical derived from urine), dung, and flowing blood. Urea is sometimes used in clothing dyes- this is easily enough avoided since it's traditional to wear white for ritual anyway- and perfume oils (this is how you're more likely to find it, so essential oils are preferable). Dung is sometimes used as a cheap filler in stick or cone incense- it helps to mold the shape- so unless you make your own or are on intimate terms with your producer's practices, it's best to use loose incense. Flowing blood is straightforward enough- if you're injured or bleeding in any way, it's best to forgo rite until it stops. And no live animal sacrifices in the temple- if you're butchering your own meat, do it outside. You can bring a bloody, raw steak in as an offering- Skhmt would love it- but it tends to bring out some of the deities' more primal, predatory sides and you better be sure that's what you want.^_~

Many deities also have Their own, specific taboos- these can be found through familiarity with Their myths. Don't offer fish to Wsyr, because it was a fish that ate His phallus. During Hrw's contentions with Stkh, They both turned into boars and did some pretty unclean things to each other, and since then pork has been taboo to both Hrw and His mother, Ast- I'm not so sure about Stkh, so I've never tried it on Him. I just learned an interesting thing about this taboo from a book I'm reading, and that's that it's OK to offer pork to Hrw when you're offering to Hrw the Child (not Hrw Son of Ast- that's a different form), because the boar incident has not yet happened to Him at this point. I haven't tried this out, myself, but it comes from Erik Hornung and he's usually pretty reliable. Another example of an individual taboo is Ra's taboo on turtles- turtles swim in the underworld river where He sails His boat through the night, and these turtles are in league with Ap/p (who also lives in that river) and try to overturn the boat as it goes. So don't bring turtles into Ra's presence- He won't like it.

Other than that, there are things that we can do that will upset the gods, but I don't know- "blasphemy" doesn't quite seem the term. To me, "blasphemy" is an insult directly to the gods, and most of the things I'm thinking of are things that humans do to themselves. Of course, anything that people do to themselves will work its way through the system and eventually affect everything else, and then of course it does affect the gods (it messes with the world which They created and live in)- but "blasphemy" to me just seems like it should have a more direct and dramatic effect? Perhaps it's a holdover from previous religions... well, I'll be interested to see what others think.^_^  

[PhantomPhoenix0]

I havent seen much in the way of blasphamy, nor do I really think there is, unless we go against the gods, or try to do them harm.  

[LadyEladrin]

I'd say doing or saying something that directly flies in the face of your faith/god/dess would count as blasphemy. For me, driving the gas-guzzling SUV, shopping at Walmart, forgetting or not bothering to recycle, destroying wildlife and plantlife would all fall under 'blasphemy'.  

[Sivirs]

EladrinStarmist

For me, driving the gas-guzzling SUV, shopping at Walmart, forgetting or not bothering to recycle, destroying wildlife and plantlife would all fall under 'blasphemy'.

I'd have to say that, um, I tried NOT driving that gas guzzling SUV to class one day in the winter, and I nearly got myself killed. Three times. I may be a good driver, but snow + ice + other drivers who suck = huge hazard. The SUV minimizes the first two and leaves me only to fend with the third.

I don't make that mistake anymore. And I don't really think my gods would want me needlessly risking my life either.

Now, people who drive ginormo trucks and have no need for them (people who've got a farm or a business where large stuff gets regularly transported, sure, that's understandable), or people who drive SUVs solely in a climate that doesn't warrant them, that I can get behind. But SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles are a lifesaver once the snow starts falling, or when you have to transport giant setpieces or farm tools, whether or not it's cool in the eco-kid circles to treat them and Wal-Mart as the devil. They're there for a reason, one I believe the gods can appreciate and understand, and do.

And hey, don't you just see the gods as archetypes anyway? How do archetypes have blasphemy?  

[LadyEladrin]

If you reread my original post its' "faith/god/dess" actually. So while I'm not blaspheming against a god or goddess, I consider myself blaspheming against my faith, which does include a higher power, it just doesn't have a personality or face.

And I understand where you're coming from with the SUVs. I should've been more specific. It's when the people who live in downtown Toronto, where they get an inch of snow in the winter and the land is entirely FLAT, drive around in an SUV that makes me a little irked. It's not neccessary, it's just a status symbol.  

[Doctrix]

Hmm... I'd have to say that the closest thing to blasphemy to me would be oathbreaking.  

[saint dreya]

Sivirs

And hey, don't you just see the gods as archetypes anyway? How do archetypes have blasphemy?

some of us don't see the gods as archetypes, though. some of us see them as real, and independent beings. some of us have genuine personal relations with certain deities. some of us will acknowledge that thor, zeus and jupiter are deities who have an association with thunder, but they are still very different from each other.  

[LadyEladrin]

If you check out the Maiden Mother Crone thread you'll find a long and interesting discussion between believers like you and myself, someone who doesn't see the Gods as actual real people. Its' interesting, if you want to take a look.  

[SlaineWildfire]

*inserts random Eddie Izzard interlude*
Blaspha-mee and blaspha-you... Blaspha-everybody...
*ends*  

[Shavis]

So to summerize what pretty much everyone is saying.... Just walk the path set before you and don't do anything to blatantly anger your Deity.  

[LadyEladrin]

Pretty much. Paganism's fun that way. ^__^  

[crystal_raye]

I've never had a patron diety before so I just kinda follow my own morale. I try to do the right thing and avoid negative actions. I do my best to keep everyone happy and find some middle ground. I say my "please"s, "thank you"s, and "sorry"s. I don't do things that would obviously upset the Divine and I ask for forgiveness for the times I mess up and don't even know it.