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 Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:36 am
Yes, you. Specifically, your path, your religion, your opinion, your beliefs, your thoughts, your calling, your purpose, your ideas, your Magnum Opus, your raison d'etre, your faith, your following. I'm aware the Introductions thread is kind of like this, but I'm after specifics here. =o Take a whole post to tell me. Don't be afraid to write a little bit, come back later, and edit your post to add in some more. I want it all, goddamnit. When I say "path", I mean your faith, religion, style of magick, branch of psionics, tradition, whatever. And I mean /your/ path, as in, how /you specifically/ practise it. I'll add further questions to the bottom of this list if I think up any more (feel free to suggest some by the way). For easy replies, I'll put the list in code tags. [list]
[*][b]What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?[/b]
[*][b]What are the central ideas in this path?[/b]
[*][b]What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?[/b]
[*][b]Why have you taken this path over all others?[/b]
[*][b]What events in your past led you to this path?[/b]
[*][b]What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?[/b]
[*][b]What do you feel are your strengths in your path?[/b]
[*][b]What are your weaknesses?[/b]
[*][b]What do you like most about your path?[/b]
[*][b]What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?[/b]
[*][b]What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?[/b]
[*][b]What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?[/b]
[*][b]What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?[/b]
[*][b]What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?[/b]
[*][b]List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.[/b]
[*][b]What are your paths views on Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Sikhism? Shinto? Wicca?[/b]
[*][b]List a few (about five or six) links to more information about your path, or links that contain information you read, use as a resource, or the like.[/b]
[/list] I'll no doubt be given funny looks by adding this last bit, but in particular, I'd like replies from the following people especially. If you aren't one of these folks, post anyway; I'd like to find out about as many people as possible. Once you've posted, I'll strike you off the list. Abarrach, Aila-al-Jehan, a**l Jesus, Azana Brown, Blind Guardian the 2nd, [BlkCat], Darin Rosewood, Dorian Requiem, DrasBrisingr, Epsilon Riddle, Ges, h3rsh, iolitefire, Joshua RItter, Kaena Wraithson, Khalida Nyoka, LadyAnubis, Loagaeth, LoBo_23, Lost Elf, Nuadu, Obscurus, Pageantry, PsycheLapis, Raistlin of Krynn, The Resurrection, Sengem, Sinesthera, ShadowHail, Starlock, S p a r o l, Subrosian, Terg, Tsuzuki, WingedWolfPsion, Wings of Aegis. That list will likely be added to over the next few days, by the by. If you're not on there, don't be disappointed or I'll kill you dead. tORS thread Mysteric Realms thread
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:58 am
My reply, so you can see what I'm going for:
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
It doesn't have one. I used to practise chaos magick, but my path's veered over to a more personalised method of eclecticism.
What are the central ideas in this path?
Use what works, discard what doesn't.
Weird things are possible.
Magick manipulates probabilities.
Personal gain is everything.
Magick should always be about having fun.
Reality is different for everyone.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick is good. Psionics are interesting, but I don't concern myself with it much. Occultism is fun. Humanity fills a spectrum from insanely awful to insanely good, and people's actions are never black or white; Gods are archetypal forces in a form comprehendable to humans; Nature is alright, but we don't all live in farms; the soul is probably there; death is The Great Unknown; my path is the lazy man's path that relies on other people doing hard work then you pilfer their methods to make your own life good.
Why have you taken this path over all others?
It works, it doesn't tie me down, I can accomplish what I want or need with it, it's fun, and it's interesting.
What events in your past led you to this path?
-- I'll come back to this one.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
Don't sweat the small stuff.
If it bugs you enough, magick it away.
Magick can be used whenever you feel like.
Personal gain is all.
Reality is a business partner and could not care less about your own morality.
There is never one singular path towards anything.
Low, material magick is more worthwhile for me than high, spiritual magick. You may have mapped the 42nd Aether, but you still work in McDonalds, your cat still needs food, and you'll still want to go out for a drink without scaring people.
Symbolism is everything.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
I'm more down to earth than a lot of occultists because I want results on the material plane rather than methods of "ascending" out of the realm of earthly desires.
I know a little bit of everything.
What are your weaknesses?
I neglect spiritual progression in exchange for pragmatic magick, so I'm clueless when it comes to astral travel, vision, power animals and the like.
I choose industrialised/man-wrought things over nature.
What do you like most about your path?
It allows me to do whatever I want without tying me down with restrictions that do nothing to help.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
The fact that people need to categorise and compartmentalise everything they experience.
Lots of people have to either be something other than human, or have some odd, unheard of -kinesis skill, or otherwise be special in some way.
People who completely disregard an idea because it's Christian/by Silver Ravenwolf/written by an idiot.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
Freestyle ritual, off-the-cuff sorcery, tying up symbolism and miscellaneous knowledge of random esoteric goodness.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine.
Prime Chaos by Phil Hine.
Postmodern Magick by Patrick Dunn.
Pop Magic! by Grant Morrison.
Unknown Armies RPG sourcebooks.
Tactical Magick by Seth.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
--Come back to this one.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
--And this one.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:05 am
Holy crap. I just realized that I was on the list of those specifically requested to post. I feel special. x3
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?It has none.
What are the central ideas in this path? Pursuing knowledge on topics that interest me, Soul searching, Development of the self using knowledge
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick: Although I don't feel that I should practice magick because I don't subscribe to any particular religious beliefs, I'm not opposed to other people using it. If I wanted a spell cast, I'd just see if someone who works with spells could do one for me.
Psionics: I believe strongly in Psionics, but I believe that there are limits as to how strong such powers are able to be. I can't fathom anyone "Force Choking" anyone else in the near future..Though, it would be entertaining. I seem to have a bit of natural psychic ability. Mostly with precognition and such. But, I suppose it's safe to say that I dapple in Psionics a bit on the side.
Occult: I'm not at all bothered by the occult. In fact, I've sought out information on some occult topics because they have piqued my interest.
Humanity: I seem to have little patience for people in general. I'm pessimistic, sarcastic and cynical if you catch me in the wrong mood or if you annoy me. If someone piques my interest, I will seek them out and try to talk to them..I may befriend them..or just grow weary of them or of prodding at them with questions. Needless to say, my social skills need major work. sweatdrop However, I guess I tolerate Humanity. I don't seek to destroy it, and I've come to accept that it cannot be changed. So, I just deal with the fact that I hate where our society is going, and just sit back and shake my head. I can be a nice person, though. If you can get past how much of a guarded person I can be when I first meet someone.
Gods: Seeing as a guy who claims to be Maahes reincarnated is a chat buddy of mine, I believe that they could exist. But it wouldn't just be the one. *shrug* When I can, I refer to them as "The powers that be". Part of the reason I'm not into religion is I dislike referring to "The powers that be" by any real names(and yes, I do see "God" being used in the Christian context as a name). I don't care if other people do it, it just doesn't feel right to me. I also don't really pray. Mmmhm. *starts singing to the tune of I'm a little Teapot* I'mma little heathen short and stout. Where is my bible? I threw it out.
Nature: I believe that it should be respected, if not honored. It hurts me on an emotional level when I go for a walk in the woods or something and see garbage strewn all over the place. This probably is part of the reason that I dislike society. No respect for nature. I mean, sure, people TALK ABOUT how the planet needs to be treated better, and everything..But NOTHING ever seems to be done about it. >.>
The Soul: I believe that it exists. I believe that it's possible to carry this collection of lifeforce energy(or fragments of it) with us from life to life.
Death: It's either temporary, in the sense that there is a period of reincarnation sometime afterward...Orr..It's permanent and we just cease to exist. There's also the idea that we don't realize that we're dead. Because that could totally happen to, IMHO.
On Itself: I don't see my path as being the 'right one'. I don't see it as being the 'wrong one'. All I know is that it works for me, and so long as I'm happy with it, that's all that matters. Like you'll find that I tend to poke fun at a lot of religious subjects, my path is more than welcome to be poked fun at as well.
Why have you taken this path over all others? I'm not sure, but it's gotten me this far, so I'm not gonna start to complain.
What events in your past led you to this path? Being raised in a Catholic household probably played a role in it. Along with the fact that I've always been a little bookworm who tends towards information hoarding. Add in my mysterious interests here annnnnnd..BAM! Presto, you got yourself a path..Or something..
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path? To quote Aleister Crowley "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law..." I believe strongly in this with regards to other people. I follow it myself, to a point. Though, I'm really hard on myself. I usually don't feel that I know enough, and am therefore ever learning. However, it could be argued that that is what makes a good student.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
They say that knowledge is power..Therefore, more knowledge equals more power. How can you go wrong with that? Other than packing your brain so very full of information that you give yourself an aneurysm? =D
What are your weaknesses?
Sometimes I get outdated information on things. Since I lack social skills, I tend to use my knowledge as a weapon in a psychological warfare sort of way when people irritate me and/or piss me right off.
What do you like most about your path? I'm almost always learning something new. Or, at least I try to be. If not, I'm just gathering more knowledge on things that I already know about.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
Probably some of the annoying kids who feel the need to lie and make grandiose tales about themselves to feel special. Or to purposefully mislead people, thinking that it's all some kind of game. MPRILC has dealt with their share of them, and I'm sure many of you remember them as clearly as I.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
Specifically? I'd say that I have a wealth of information on Modern Vampirism. Probably my richest pool of knowledge to draw from because of how much reading I've done on the subject. *geek* XD;
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
I seriously have to think about this one. I'll come back to it later.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
Ironically enough, it was a ridiculously stupid moment of mine. Buuuut, it was at Heritage Day. Sit down and make yourselves comfortable, kiddies. This'll take awhile.
The Order of the Eastern Star had a table set up in the park that day, to sell all sorts of snacks and goodies. I, however, knew of the Order from what I'd been reading up on Freemasonry. Upon finding the table, I approached it cautiously. Like one would expect, the booth was being run mostly by older ladies..and one gentleman. I stood off to the side so as to not be in the way of the cash register and the people buying stuff. The man, who was probably in his thirties or so, asked me if I was planning on buying anything. Then, as I usually do first when I'm scoping things out, I employed the 'play stupid' tactic.
I'm all "Uhh..Aaaaaactually..I was wondering what the Order of the Eastern Star was.." knowing full well what it already was in the back of my mind. Provided this was the same group. Were it not, I'd at least be prepared for an answer contrary to what I'd been expecting.
He told me flat out that it was an organization for the female relatives of Masons. I smirked. Just what I'd been hoping. Finally a chance to weasel my way into Freemasonry and gain access to all of that secret knowledge!
Then he's all "..Actually.." and he reaches into his pocket, only to pull out a lodge ring. My eyes widen at first, but then I'm all "So, I see you're a traveling man!" and then he nearly jumps out of his skin. Being all "Wha-What?!"
You see, that there, kiddies, was what I'd read to be a secret Masonic greeting when one Mason spots another by their lodge ring or whatever. Aaaanyway..
So, then I'm all " Sorry~! I totally couldn't resist! *nervous laugh* ^^;;;;;;;;;;;" meanwhile thinking to myself DAMN YOU CROWLEY FOR BEING RIGHT. XDD;
Annnd..We chatted a bit. Ugh, he was SO arrogant. He seemed mighty sexist too. Bastid. Soo..Anyway..It eventually reached a point where I just casually ask "So, how can I get involved?" He snorted and told me that I couldn't because I was a woman. Then I retorted with the fact that historically, there have been women inducted into Freemasonic lodges. Then it went like this.
"No, never."
"Oh? Look it up on the internet."
"You've been lied to."
"Wikipedia begs to differ, my friend."
Annnd then he said nothing. And I asked if I could get involved with the Order, then. And then it was all...
"Sure. Is your father a mason?"
"Nope."
"Your grandfather?"
"Nope."
" Have any uncles who are masons?"
"....Nooooo.............I got shafted on this one, didn't I? >.>;;; "
And then I talked about WHY I wanted to join. Annnd..Then he said something about how I could get a boyfriend, get him to join the Masons, and then I'd be in. Me, thinking Screw That, then promptly shot back with:
"Or, I could just go crawling to the O.T.O. and join them instead. =P"
Then he said that he didn't know what the O.T.O. was. I smirked.
The last part I remember of that conversation, was the one that took the cake by far.
"So, what degree initiate are you, anyway?" I asked, expecting him to be a first or second degree-er.
"Oh, I'm a Master Mason. But, you doing your reasearch, would know what that means."
And I'm suddenly thinking JESUS CHRIST ITS A MASTER MASON GET IN THE CAR!! OH SHI-- ..Okay..I lied on that last part, though it would have been funny. No, I was more like thinking "SHITSHITSHITSHIT I WAS MOUTHING OFF TO A MASTER ******** MASON IMSODEADOMG"
It wasn't long after that that I managed to excuse myself from the conversation. To this day, I'm thankful that he has no idea who I am, or what my name is. XD;
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
I'd have to say that I'm not really a huge fan of the idea of disturbing the spirits who may be at rest, for whatever purpose. I definitely cannot see me trying to summon something anytime soon. I'd be too afraid of upsetting the entity that I'd be calling forth. After all, I'm sure they'd have better things to do than come visit with me and listen to me asking them to do stuff for me. Not to mention ALL of the other people who may well be calling on that same entity. I don't really care if other people do it, I'm just stating that it's not really my bag, so to speak. I've seen and tried to deal with angry spirits in the past, and I wouldn't want to do it again.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
Only three?
One: My path is actually similar to the one designed by Joshua Ritter for the followers of that god he had created awhile back, with the whole pursuit of knowledge thing.
Two: Despite all my information hoarding, I still have no idea what my True Self is supposed to be. Soo, I pretty much gave up on looking for awhile and decided that I am simply myself. For now. Until life throws me a brickbat or something that I can't ignore or reason away.
Three: I can be prone to having an unhealthy desire to seek out knowledge, not at all unlike Goethe's Faust. Also, like Faust, my desire to learn(mostly about people to better understand them) has gotten me into trouble/backfired on me a few times. Yet, it never fails to discourage me. Perhaps I am a little s**t disturber at the very core of my being. xd
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:40 am
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any? I consider myself a Pagan. I'm happy with this classification; it's given me plenty of option and room for discovery.
What are the central ideas in this path? The best explanation I've ever heard was, ironically, from a Catholic priest and psychoanalyst. He described it as finding spirituality in all aspects of nature and culture.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick: I don't really feel the k is necessary, seeing as how people can usually figure it out in context. Other than that, I'm fine with the practice and study in such things myself.
Psi: Runs in the family, actually. I also study this, though a lack of time has resulted in a bit of rustiness.
The Occult: What do you mean? Supernatural things? Many people consider magic and psi to be in this category. I'm always willing to entertain possibility, though the chances of things (like Hollywood-esque sanguine vamps) have almost no possibility of existence.
Humanity: They have an infinite capacity for stupidity, but every one of them has at least one good idea in them. They contain fascinating stories of love and hatred, creation and destruction. Overall, they are good, but easily misguided.
Gods: They are everywhere and nowhere. There are many. None are omnipotent over all things, choosing to specialize over regions and areas of expertise.
Nature: Is alive and should be revered, instead of conquered and domesticated. I believe this is one of the largest problems in Christianity, the view of Nature as an object.
The Soul: We all have one, it lives on after death, and finds its spirituality in things of the past and of the earth. The Spirit, closely related to the soul, finds spirituality in "heaven" and in the future. A full spirituality balances both needs.
Death: It happens. It can happen at any time. It can be scary, as it is instinct to fear it, but that doesn't change any facts. I do hold belief in reincarnation, but I wouldn't mind if I would take a couple hundred years to chill in the afterlife.
Why have you taken this path over all others? I keep getting kicked out of dogmatic paths, so I decided to stick with one without any. smile
What events in your past led you to this path? I went to church for a while, though I had many unanswered questions. I started learning about Paganism, trying to balance the two, until I experienced a past life regression which, according to the "one life" principle of dogmatic Christianity, didn't exist. I trusted my own experience over dogma, and so finally decided which path to take.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path? Well, tolerance towards other paths as long as they don't interfere with my free actions as a person. So, militant evangelists, scarily adamant pro-lifers, and people who commit hate crimes against another...definitely off that list. Always learning, always questioning, always trying new things to find all that this realm has to offer.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path? An intellectual approach, a heartfelt conviction, a desire to help others learn and be open to one another.
What are your weaknesses? Getting distracted by other duties, trepidation at confessing my beliefs to Christian friends. (I'm cool with Jesus, the holy hippie...his fan club scares me, especially after hearing someone having to run for their life out of a fundie church.)
What do you like most about your path? The room and freedom it gives me to investigate, discover, and adapt.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general? Wild BS claims. It gives us all a bad name, and gives me a headache as I explain why that wouldn't work.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in? Telepathy, Empathy, Electrokinetics. Healing and protection magic, occasional weather magic. I more often than not use incantations and songs, but I would love to do a full-blown ritual at some point for the experience. I also work with Hypnosis.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path? The internet is my friend. smile Public library, used book stores...I look everywhere for hidden gems of knowledge.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path? I think it was the first real vivid trance I had. It awakened a part of me, and I completely lost track of time. I thought I was under for a couple minutes...it was a half an hour. Ironically, it happened on a school bus on a long trip.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with? The existence of sanguine (blood-sucking) vamps, physical shapeshifts. Stuff like that.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
Sorry, I don't have anything for this. smile I consider myself pretty run-of-the-mill, to be honest.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:04 am
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
Since instead of following a path I tend to just beat the trees out of my way as I wander around in the forest, there really isn't a name. The closest I can get is a mix between New Age, Neopagan (Eclectic), and Omnitheism.
What are the central ideas in this path?
Personal spiritual growth, love, and aiding others however I can.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
I do believe in magick, although this is a recent phenomenon. My beliefs are still growing and settling into their own little niche. I do believe in psionics as a whole, as well as the occult, although I'm a natural skeptic and there are some areas I'm more convinced of than others. For instance, empathy and spirits are definite a definite 'yes', while telekinesis and demons are a hesitant 'maybe'. I try not to deny the existence of things, though.
I love humanity deeply. I feel it's why I'm even here. I have this tendency to kinda glaze over people's negative traits and naturally focus on their positives. This has caused me painful encounters, but no matter how hard I try, I can't see people in a negative light. They're amazing. I believe in one God; if God is like the sun, than spirits are the rays coming from that sun--reliant on God, yet God is not reliant on them for existence. My idea and feeling of God are pretty abstract, and I'm open to the idea of multiple gods in that they are aspects of the same Ultimate Power.
I wasn't raised in any religion, and for some reason, I always thought reincarnation was just common-sense. I didn't even find out there was a word for it or that not everyone believed in it until I was around 15 or so. I believe souls are incarnated here to learn lessons, but we choose to come here to learn; we aren't forced here. Although sometimes I think I made a big mistake. xd
I laugh about my path a lot; to me, humor can be divine. Some things I think and believe strike me as funny, but just because I'm lighthearted about it doesn't mean I'm not serious. Plus, this way when people criticize me, I just criticize myself to and get the other person to laugh.
Why have you taken this path over all others?
I've TRIED to take other paths, believe me. Christianity, I tried for a year and a half. Baha'i, I tried for a year. Buddhism, I tried for six months, Satanism for two months...I could go on. Finally I just realized that I'm not really even ON a path...I'm just being me, believing in what comes to me naturally.
What events in your past led you to this path?
Oh, man. I'll give an abbreviated version. When I graduated elementary school, I underwent a DRASTIC change in personality. I just kinda waffled about for a while, and I have extremely few and scattered memories from before I was 16 years old. 16 was when the high levels of anxiety turned into a deep depression. I was a staunch atheist. It was a really hard time for me; I cut myself when I didn't even know others did such things--I thought I was all alone. I attempted suicide, but...something stopped me that night halfway through. Sure, it could have just been my brain's survival instincts kicking in, I'll agree that's a possibility. But, that was the night I first started to believe in God. Of course, it wasn't all peachy keen...it took another two years to stop hating God. I'm working on my BA in Religion right now, so I also have several years of constant studying of various religions under my belt. My path grows and changes with me.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
I basically just do what I feel is right; I place heavy reliance upon my internal compass.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
Tolerance is a big one. Undestanding and empathy as well, since I believe all religions hold truth to them. I've met so many amazing people from so many different walks of life because of this.
What are your weaknesses?
Skepticism and self-loathing. Working on both of them.
What do you like most about your path?
The fact that I can do what my heart tells me to and listen to my intuition.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
I dislike the stigma it carries in society the most. I haven't had too many issues with people over it, but that's because I know to keep it quiet.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
I'm an empath. Lines really blur for me with terms, so I'll just describe it a little. I can pick up and experience people's emotions, and I also have an energy that naturally sooths others. I can also sense, read, and mildly 'lock-on' (only tried it four times, succeeded four times) to a person's energy signature that allows me to know about the person, as well as creates a mild telepathic link. I have dreams about information I shouldn't know, as well as precognitive ones. I communicate with angels, and I dream lucidly. I work with crystals as well. I'd hardly consider myself an expert in any of these areas, though.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
The Divine, my heart, my guides, all other people, and the Earth.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
My entire path is one huge memorable moment.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
I don't agree with practicing dark arts at all, period. I'm skeptical of a lot of other things, although usually individual claims. I'm often very skeptical of things I claim to be as well.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
It goes by many names, but most people refer to it as 'Katieism'. I actually just started to keep a Book of Shadows. And in my path, we're ALL going to heaven...eventually. razz
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:40 am
...Ok....I'll probably do some of this now, come back, and edit it and s**t.
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
I can't really give it a name. I used to refer to myself as Christian, but since I can't really say I believe Jesus is someone other than a symbol of morals, I guess I'm not exactly Christian.
What are the central ideas in this path?
It's hard to say. I mean, instead of any sort of "afterlife"...I guess I believe that any afterlife is self-contained. Kind of like...your body dies, but your mind/consciousness doesn't. If you're satisfied with your life (ie: "at peace), you'll be free of guilt and other plagues of the mind, and thus be in your own "heaven". If you're dissatisfied, you'll plague yourself eternally. There is no cosmic "realm" where everyone collects after death. I suppose it's possible to "see" people again who are already dead, but only to the extent that you can in your dreams now. You can replay memories of them, and create your own..."memories" of how you suppose they'd act, but they're not actually there. Yeah, it sounds like a crackpot theory, but hey. It makes sense to me.
Other than an afterlife, I suppose I believe that people's decisions decide (is that grammatically legal?) their "path". And the paths of other people. While I think there is some sort of other-worldly governing force, I don't think it does more than loosely shape the outcome of universal events. People decide whether they're good or evil, for the most part. Nature can be overcome, but it does have some sort of slight affect on an individual.
I don't know. I don't really sit down and define my beliefs often. I just kind of...let them evolve on their own.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick: as I believe people's decisions affect their destiny, I can see how magick might...be...legitimate. I'm no practitioner, but I suppose there's room for it somewhere.
Psionics: same with magick, partly. But I think energy manipulation (etc.) is possible, to some extent. I don't really see how it could be possible on a large scale, but on a small scale, yes.
The Occult: eh, I don't know. I guess it's kind of the same with the other two. I guess for me to answer this correctly, you need to be a bit more specific.
Humanity: ah, my favorite subject. Humanity is ********. Yep. We've screwed ourselves over one too many times, and now there's no hope. Especially America. "Land of the free," my a**. See what our precious "freedom" has done for us? America's the first country to have obese poor people. How retarded is that? Even our poor can afford McDonald's. Is it better to be obese or underfed? Obesity or malnutrition? Actually, both are usually malnutrition. But anyway. I got way too excited. I have little faith in humanity.
Gods, the Soul, and Death I kind of already explained.
Nature: assuming you're not referring to human nature, I love it. It's abused way too much, but such is life. I don't, however, believe that "we're sinning because we're defiling God's earth." We're defiling the earth alright, but that's about the extent of it.
Opinion of itself: ....I don't know. I know that it's probably wrong. If you take what we know about everything (which is practically nothing), and add the number of belief systems there are (quite a few), the chance of me being right is almost zero. But, as most religions should be, I can only hope. Regardless of the fact that I'm almost certainly screwed in any "afterlife".
Why have you taken this path over all others?
I've never been a fan of Christianity. Even when I went to a church just because it was the only time of the week I could hang out with one of my friends. I could pretend to enjoy it, but I was bored as hell. There wasn't a point. I couldn't believe that some guy was hatched from a virgin and died so I could go someplace happy. After that, and a series of events that left me with the impression that there really wasn't anyone "watching out" for me, I decided that it was myself and other people that were making my life hell (figuratively speaking, of course). Other than Christianity, I wasn't exposed to many other religions as a young child. As an adolescent, I was some, in history class and such. Most religions are a bit too symbolic. I feel like they've been dumbed down for the masses, and thus have lost their meaning. As you can tell, I'm not exactly a fan of organized religion.
What events in your past led you to this path?
...I need to start reading the other questions before I respond to one of them. But...er...I guess I could go into some detail about that "series of events that left me with the impression" that there was no God. Between the time I was 12 (I think) up until recently, there have been 5 deaths of close relatives in my family and many more deaths of more distant family members and close family friends. The last death was a little over a year ago, so I was 16. In 5 years, I had 3 grandparents, a young cousin, and an uncle die. It's hard to believe that there's something there when everyone around you starts dropping like flies. Also during this time (pretty much right after I hit puberty), I started having heated arguments with my father over virtually nothing every month or so. "Heated" meaning he usually ended up chasing me around the house (when I chose to run); dragging me around the house by various limbs, articles of clothing, or my hair; shoving me against walls; completely trashing my room (overturning bookshelves, dressers, and desks); and other such occurences. I ran away (literally; he would stand in front of my car and wouldn't let me take it) from home 4 times, each time to be retrieved at either a friend's house, or dragged off a road or out of the woods. He only actually hit me once, which he later denied, of course (he "pushed" me. but when was the last time you "pushed" someone in the face?). Puberty was also the time when I started getting hit with bouts of depression. It was probably a combination of genetics (my father is clinically depressed), and an environment that wasn't exactly emotionally healthy.
So yeah, those, along with other things, are reasons I probably stopped believing in God. I think it really hit me when I prayed for God to kill me one night, and, well, you can see what (didn't) happen. That was...I don't know...two or three years ago.
I don't tell people this s**t, usually. But hey, you asked.
Oh, and if you're interested, my aunt attempted suicide two nights ago (Aug 26). So yes, the universe is conspiring against me. Any and all gods that are out there hate me. Probably because I don't believe in them. And am angry at them. But they deserve it.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
A lot of these questions seem kind of repetative. But, um...I kind of follow the normal set of morals that most human beings follow (don't go on killing sprees, don't become a kleptomaniac, don't bludgeon people randomly, don't be a complete b***h all the time, etc). I'm a strong believer in sarcasm and wit, but not so much in benevolence or gossip. Unless you're teaching old people Spanish or helping feed underprivileged dogs, which I (used to) do on a regular basis. What else...I have random little philosphies, but they're boring. I have my own theories (like the one where I believe mirrors are wrong), but they're also kind of boring.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
I'm not limited by "do this or God shall smite you to the earth!" Nor do I let my religious views get in the way of my moral views ("I don't see what's wrong with gay people, but my religion tells me they're evil" sort of thing). I also like that it's free to change whenever it pleases. If, when I read the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Job for my philosophy class, I decide that, "wow, Christianity is really cool," then I'll go with that.
What are your weaknesses?
Um...everyone thinks I'm ******** insane? But, you know, that's a given, anyway. Other than that, it's kind of a bleak outlook. But, hey, it's what life has shown me.
What do you like most about your path?
Refer to 'strengths'.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
The fluff. And the fact that even the non-fluffy types have a little bit of fluff to them. I'm sorry, but I don't believe you created hurricaine Katrina with your mind.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
That area. Yeah, you know. That one. No, I really don't consider myself an expert at anything. I'm a pretty good skeptic, if that counts. But I think I'm a nice skeptic. Or at least a respectful one. Unless you make outrageous claims. Then my religion won't let me say, "that's nice, dear." No. I will say something, and it won't be nice.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
The non-religious kind. I don't like religious books. I don't like other people to tell me what they believe, and why I should believe it, too. But I'll name some good books that have helped me...shape certain aspects of my "path" and myself.
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan
1984 by George Orwell
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
I'll have to think of another one to put here.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
I'll have to think about this one for a little bit.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
Apparently the term "occult" confuses me. But...I don't know. I don't think about, nor am I exposed to much of the occult.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
Hmm...should I put in my treatise on the deception of mirrors? I don't know. I don't really have any, considering it's not a "formalized" religion.
What are your paths views on Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Sikhism? Shinto? Wicca?
They're all essentially "good ideas," but through centuries of existence, most of them have been dumbed down for the masses. The masses, meaning those who need religion as a psychological crutch, and are incapable of making their own decisions. Now, that's not to say every practitioner or those religions fall into that "masses" category. No, not at all. I've met several people of high intelligence who chose to follow those paths.
List a few (about five or six) links to more information about your path, or links that contain information you read, use as a resource, or the like.
Er...yeah...I'll do this later. Procrastination FTW, yet again?
Edit 1: I just realized that this wall of text is already longer than everyone else's. So I'll try to keep the other answers brief. I tend to get a little loquacious. Edit 2: Eck. Wall of text. I apologize. I should probably edit it up a little bit. But now I have to go read some Beowulf.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:27 pm
0.o I'm one of the one's you want to know about? blaugh What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
My path. Simple as that.
What are the central ideas in this path?
Anything is possible, you just need to find out how to do it.
Do what feels right for you, not the other guy.
Life is here to be enjoyed, just so long as you don't ruin it for everyone else.
Help others as best you can.
Explore possibilities.
Try everything!
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick: As far as it goes, I approve of it and would like to learn more about it. Heck, I also would love to learn how to use it.
Psionics: It's there and people can use it. Again, love to learn how to do so myself, as I think I'd be pretty good at it once I got going.
Occult: This sorta covers a large area, but as I'm interested in just about everything, bring it on!
Humanity: Well... I think that for the most part, people are good natured. i dislike the fact that we've been messing up the earth so bad, but it looks like we may be moving in a direction to fix that somewhat. So yeah, we've screwed up big, but I don' think humanity is all that bad a thing, as long as we can fix our mistakes and learn from them.
Gods: Well, I duno honestly. I'd have to say that I don't have enough of an idea to give an opinion on the subject.
Nature: Home sweet home! Everything about nature makes me happy, even the nastier bits like tornadoes and such. I feel I've got a very good relationship with animals, plants too, to a lesser extent.(Mostly only a few trees that I've known for a long time.)
The Soul: Ever read "His dark Materials"? That is quite possibly the best notion of how souls work.
Death: No idea whatsoever, although I personally hope there's something after it, who really knows?
Path itself: It's a path, I follow it. We'll see how it goes from there.
Why have you taken this path over all others?
Because it's my personal path. ^_^
What events in your past led you to this path?
My whole life has molded my path, everything that happens changes it slightly I think.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
I follow my own principles, morals and whatnot.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
It's a very open path, very accepting. I've got alot of willpower behind whatever it is that I do.
What are your weaknesses?
I'm extremely easy to distract, and perhaps a bit too imaginative and not realistic enough. I'm also shy in person, if not over the net.
What do you like most about your path?
The fact that it's so free. Perhaps also the fact that it can easily work alongside another person's path.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
Probably the fact that it's so damn hard to learn. That makes it even more worth learning, but it's still a pain in the a**. >_<
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
Or rather what areas will I have expertise in? Largely I'm concerning myself with psionics, energy manipulation and spirits of all kinds.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
His Dark materials(Series), The Belgariad(Also a series). I may have more, but I can't think of em at the moment. <.<
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
In terms of magick or psionic that would likely be the time I actually heard one of my cats die from miles away. I'd been working with something that I can only think of as psionic, or maybe energy manipulation. Out of nowhere I heard a sharp mew and later that day I found out that my cat had fallen out of the undercarriage of our car and died. =/
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
I strongly dislike... Very little actually. So far, the only thing I've encountered that I dislike are the ideas of summoning big bad nasties to destroy the world. >_<
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
Well, it's not really a formal Path.
Duno about the rest, if I come up with something, I'll make note of it. And thank you for wanting to know more about me! ^_^
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:57 pm
Bloody chuffed to be on the list, friend.
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
Mahayana Buddhism, with a heavy emphasis on Zen philosophy. I don't follow any particular sect, but the monk who introduced me to the thoughts was of the Obaku. To me, they're all different schools with something valuable to teach so I wouldn't bother pinning myself to one in particular.
What are the central ideas in this path?
The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Five Precepts and the Sutras of the Buddha in order to help find enlightenment. Google these for any information you want, but there are many interpretations and translations. I myself take the ones that sound the most reasonable. I'll come back to this later.
Zen Buddhism itself, however, stresses the importance of meditation in order to discover your true self. The belief is that when you discover your true self through inner journey, you will attain Buddhahood.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Well, first things first. Magic. (I don't do this whole "k" thing, to me, magic is the proper word. We dropped the K in middle English, and we don't need it back to make it a more viable concept.) To a certain extent, I do believe in magic. Forms of it are practiced in Buddhism such as cleansing rituals using insence and sounds, and my particular belief in Japanese Mahayana Buddhism means that a degree of magical items are included too. Such as talismans. As for certain rituals? Well, it depends how they're intended to work. Calling upon the spirits of noble ancestors (asura) or higher beings (deva), then yes. I believe that have influence. But trying to bend the will of the universe on your own terms? I'm not so sure.
Psionics? Yes and no. As a martial artist as well as a Buddhist, I believe in ki (chi or qi, whatever you want to call it.) which in some instances could be considered psionics. But I only believe ki to be capable of certain things. I believe it can influence your body, and the bodies of others. As far as objects, energies other than bodily, and thoughts go? I have seen no evidence to make me believe it's possible, so I am going with "no". I don't believe people can move objects, know the thoughts of others, or manipulate energies like fire or light. I'm not saying it's impossible, however. I'm simply saying I haven't experienced and won't believe it until presented with evidence. My mind is not closed, I just require something to make me see truth.
The occult interests me to a degree, but mainly because of its role in many cases of crime and fiction. It's something that I love to read about, but not something I dabble in. Anymore. ninja
Every human life is to be valued, and while all life is life in itself, only human lives have the potential to gain enlightenment without divine intervention. It is therefore important to preserve the lives of already existing humans. Don't force them onto a path, but don't allow them to miss their chance. I also have the faith that inside every human was once, or still is, a good person. Some people lose their way to sometimes horrifying locations.... and that's what happens in lives without compassion.
Nature is to be admired and protected, but at the same time, it is not to be held above other items of existence simply because it grows around us. It is to be conserved, not seen as something which needs to dominate human behaviour, or ever placed as higher value than humanity.
Gods exist. Not one God, but many, each who were once people who have attained the knowledge, power and status to help those who are still in suffering. I do believe that gods are man made, but not in the way that atheists suggest. Gods are people. At least, they were once. Buddhas and Bodhisattva (celestial, once human beings who attain enlightenment but forsake Buddhahood and defer entry to Nirvana until all beings still in the insufferable cycle of life and death are freed) who despite being so great will hear the call of those who need them.
The soul exists. It is only immortal in the sense that it cannot be taken out of the wheel of life until it attains enlightenment. Yet it is not a part of existence that retains memory or knowledge from previous lives. It, like your body, is a residual component that travels from body to body, life to life. The only thing that travels with your soul is its karmic data. The record of what its bodies have done, what actions it took in past lives and how that will effect next lives and the future of the present life.
Death is simply an area where one life ends and another begins. Nothing truly dies.
As for major opinions? Can't really say I have any that I can recall unless a topic is suggest. Path's view of itself? Other religions do not stop people from becoming righteous, well meaning and even enlightened people (for instance, I believe Jesus himself was an enlightened being. Maybe not the son of a god, but certainly, certain enlightened). But the likelihood of people from other religions becoming enlightened compared to the likelihood of a good Buddhist becoming enlightened are considerably smaller.
Why have you taken this path over all others?
What events in your past led you to this path?
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
What are your weaknesses?
What do you like most about your path?
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
EDIT: Unfortunately this task will have to wait until tomorrow. It's early morning and I need to get to bed for now.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:51 pm
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
I don't think it has a name, as it's mostly a mish mash of stuff I've put together.
What are the central ideas in this path?
The Universe and existence is essentially one thing: God. All is One, One is All. We're all here as different aspects and manifestations of this One Force in order to learn or experience various things before returning to it. For what reason I'm not sure.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick: Just another manifestation of the Universe; a tool to be used for learning and gaining experience.
Psionics: See above.
The Occult: Another path that leads to the main path.
Humanity: Capable of great things, but only if we can throw off our self-imposed shackles of ego.
Gods: Archetypes or flavors of God (The Source). Representative of different aspects of this Source.
Nature: Something we should all try to live in harmony with and learn from, as everything springs from it.
The Soul: Our essence, our higher selves, our superconsciousness. Basically everything we are minus the trappings of ego. Another aspect of the Source, gaining knowledge on a journey back home.
Death: A transition into another mode of existence.
Any other major opinions?: Not that I can think of.
My path's opinion of itself: It's just another way to gain knowledge. Everyone has a different path and mine may not be for them, but I feel that all paths lead to the same thing.
Why have you taken this path over all others?
It makes the most sense to me as I've found through experimentation and testing of belief. Naturally it's all subject to change.
What events in your past led you to this path?
I wasn't happy with the answers I was given so I began to look for my own.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
I feel that this is what works for me. It provides me with answers yet keeps me searching and living and loving my life. I feel that's all any of us really want.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path? It's highly adaptable, as the tenets are based on experience and contemplation rather than dogma.
What are your weaknesses? Perhaps it can be too broad in scope or maybe too accepting of things that might be blatantly false.
What do you like most about your path?
It fits me well. It allows for everything I love to fall into the framework, as well as most other beliefs and paths as well.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
I don't like how each denomination or school likes to bicker about details. I also don't like how it's just vague enough to be outside of the scope of undeniable evidence.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
I have experience with psychokinesis, telepathy, astral projection and lucid dreaming, precognition, and probably some other categories that seem to mesh together. I'm well versed in symbolism and correspondence. I also see everything as a manifestation of the will of the Source, so I realize that things happen for a reason.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
This is tough. I'll give you a list as of right now, not necessarily in any kind of order. 1) The Flamel College Alchemy Home Study Program, 2) Astral Voyages by Dr. Bruce Goldberg, 3) Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee, 4) The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, and 5) The Ninja And Their Secret Fighting Art by Stephen K. Hayes.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
When I came to the realization that everything is the same thing and I learned how to apply that.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
I'm not sure I believe in Otherkin or vampirism in the same way as most of the people that identify with those groups. I also don't believe in indigo or star children or whatever. I don't agree with the notion that the "Veil" is going to fall and the astral and physical planes merge. I'm sure there's more, but nothing that comes to mind immediately.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
1) It's based on the study of Alchemy, Buddhism, Occultism, New Age beliefs, Martial Arts philosophies, and science as well as life experiences.
2) I'm probably the only person I know that has such a path of being.
3) My path doesn't really have a name. If I give it one that might undermine the entire thing, I think.
What are your paths views on Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Sikhism? Shinto? Wicca?
I don't a lot about some of those paths, but my mode of thinking includes all faiths as merely different paths leading to the same place. All religions have similarities and the differences only seem to be in the details. They're all after the same thing, in my view.
List a few (about five or six) links to more information about your path, or links that contain information you read, use as a resource, or the like.
I'll just give you some of my bookmarked sites. www.flamelcollege.org www.sacred-texts.com www.psipog.net www.psiarcade.com http://www.hermetics.org/ebooks.htmlhttp://www.ninjaa.com/kuji2.htm
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:37 am
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any? Umm, I'm not realy all the religous. Sorry.
What are the central ideas in this path? Three words; Live, love and Strength
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick; It realy intrests me, but I have little desire to do it.
Psionics; I would realy love to get into it.
The occult; I would reather learn on my own to do things but it would be also fun to learn new things from other people.
Humanity; It should be cherished and loved. I hate it when I see people smokeing, drinking and risking their lives to do stupid stunts.
Gods; I beleve in diffrent gods, not just one.
Soul; its who we are, not someone else.
Death; lets not talk bout it.
I can't think of anything else, now. sweatdrop
Why have you taken this path over all others? I just want this path to be right for me and mold me into a person that I want to be.
What events in your past led you to this path? I've been hurt too many times in the past when I moved. I shut down my emotions alot when I was younger.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path? Again, Three words; Live, Love and Strength.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path? I will know what I want to be. I will know who I would love, and I know my inner strength.
What are your weaknesses? My emotions.
What do you like most about your path? How I would know who would truly love me.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general? N/A
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in? I would love to lean some type of healing Magick and I don't know what I want to learn in Psiconics.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path? I do not know. Its hard. XD
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path? It hasn't happened yet, but going into highschool.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with? No answer.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path. Seriously, nothing.
What are your paths views on Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Sikhism? Shinto? Wicca?
Not to be rude to Christains out there, but the whole Christianty thing is aload of bull.Its all, God did this and God did that. GOD MADE THE WORLD IN 7 DAYS! (omgomgomgomg) I would rather skip to Buddhism and Shinto because I know those things good. My personal oppinon of Buddhism is that it is a spiritual religon. Based on Meditateing, awakening and re-birth, I think it is a good religon to find pure strength. Shinto is a religon I like and take up, if I ever get to live in Japan. (I would personaly like to go to the Ise Shrine, Dedicated to Amaterasu ōmikami.) But Is a religon of Spirits and luck. Lots and Lots of luck.
Sorry its not at all like everyone's, long. I know what to say, but to say them, its not good. sweatdrop
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:14 am
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
I don't have one. The closest thing will be the religion of Luminor whenever that projects completed. [Still working on the scripture, here.] But let's not get into that and say I just don't have one. I see sense in both light and dark, left-hand and right-hand paths.
What are the central ideas in this path?
Hmm...Honesty is the best form of respect, Deception is a horribly dangerous and powerful tool. Honor and Respect your equals, which should be everyone. The principles of Black and White are astonishing, but Gray is even more so; and it's everywhere in life. Hold compassion for all living things; try to understand people as best you can, no matter who they are. The universe evolves. Spirit and willpower is the future of humanity. Progress and hard work lead to mastery.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick, for me, as well as Psionics, is a difficult question. I've never really exhibited anything out of the ordinary. I can't say I've ever really tried solid magic, by that meaning nothing complex, nothing where I could know where to look for results and find it. I can't sense energy or manipulate it the way it seems psions can, heck, maybe I can do that, but I wouldn't know. The concept amazes me; it gives a sense of control and power that anyone would find tempting...but, if I could be proficient at such a thing, I wouldn't know exactly what I'd use it for. I believe in it all, though, if only to rebel against atheism, over the fear that we're "going to die and that will be it." Trying to comprehend what it's like to be non-existent...well, I don't think you can comprehend it. So thus I trust in the soul, willpower and belief, and all things attached. I also could say I dream, the way a Star Wars fan dreams, that there are infinite universes out there, where there just could be, for example, a galaxy far, far away...Yeah, it's stupid, but I also believe there is strength in admitting things like that. I could elaborate on it all, but I won't here...
Why have you taken this path over all others?
Answering the questions of life yourself, I feel, is just the way to go. And by that, I don't mean alone, I mean using your own life and the people in it in order to comprehend what it all means.
What events in your past led you to this path?
I was raised in extremes, divorced parents, shared custody, with one sugar-coating everything and the other the exact opposite. Of course, I favored the former at the time, but in the end, I respect the latter more. I was a Christian, as many people are raised as, once I was vehemently so, but after getting into a relationship with a Wiccan, I too, was one. After that relationship was over and done with, I had acquired a new hatred and drifted away from Wiccan paths. Now, as I have said, I do not follow any specifics, and I haven't for quite a while now.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
I basically already answered this.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
Understanding people has really brought me a sort of compassion for them, as well as respect. Friendship has kept my willpower strong, and is a very strong motivator.
What are your weaknesses?
I'm defensive, I fear rejection, criticism of my beliefs. Also, I internally argue with myself over things I should or shouldn't do, and when I take a risk, I worry of the consequences vehemently. Overall, I tend to care what people think of me. People I respect or care about, anyway. Thus I fear whenever I feel I may be doing something to spark a negative opinion.
What do you like most about your path?
It gives me resolve, lets me feel that I have an inner strength. That itself makes life a little more pleasant.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
Sacrifice, perhaps. Harming something innocent, like animals. That part of magick is still around, somewhere, I bet. As for Psionics...well...I just wish I could do the stuff, if only so I knew that we're not all delusional.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
Nothing, sadly. There are times I wish so much that I'd have something I could really specialize in. I was about to say that would probably be enough from me, but I wouldn't know that until I got there, would I? Greed exists.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
I have about that many occult-related books in general, and so far all of them have been regarded as light-reading. Even though they're not all so light.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
Hmm...maybe I'll think of something later and come back to edit this.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
Another null question. In truth, I'll only really, truly believe in something when I can do it myself or see it with my own eyes.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
The idea of making magick from fiction [that works] seems quite amazing to me. If you can do that, then the possibilities are endless.
I tend to romanticize things; if something has it's own specific style, I probably am interested in it.
Even though it contradicts most of what I believe in, I'm just a little bit of a sexist. Ouch. [Remember, strength in admitting things...]
What are your paths views on Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Sikhism? Shinto? Wicca?
I'll skip the ones I feel aren't worth mentioning, merely to keep this short.
Christianity: Well, the fanbase is certainly a little ******** up. I tend to like Christianity for a few of the wrong reasons...the Old Testament Jehovah/Yahweh, the very angry Father, if you will, intrigued me. I'm beginning to understand the compassion of Jesus, though...I don't really care if he worked miracles or not, any of the more holy stuff they attribute to him, he seemed like a good man. Then again, can't say I've really read much of the Bible. Oh, I tried once, actually, stopped somewhere after/during Genesis.
Islam: I wish from time to time I got into actually studying this religion, to compare it to the others, but I haven't.
Buddhism:Thanks to history class I'm a little familiar with this one. But only the bare bones stuff, really. Seems a peaceful choice of a religion; although I probably won't ever consider taking it myself.
Shinto:I had a Tauren character on World of Warcraft named Shintoism [that count?]. He was supposed to be a roleplay character, so I actually looked up a bunch of stuff on the religion. I don't know though, it seems like the whole things a little ancient.
Wicca:A relationship got me away from Christianity and into it, and that same relationship got me out of it and into nothing. I just love machines and technology too much, and in the end, it's too feminist for me. Sorry, Wiccans.
List a few (about five or six) links to more information about your path, or links that contain information you read, use as a resource, or the like.
Ill be the first jokester. and The fun doesnt stop there. Wait, one more. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. But I don't really have any specific occult sites I go to.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:32 pm
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
spiritual satanism
What are the central ideas in this path? to acheive self empowerment extremely basicly.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself?
magick's possible. psionics would be nice to become adept in. not sure about the occult. humanity is corrupted. gods:satan and is demons. nature might die from humanity as far as earth goes. the soul is what keeps the body alive. death isnt the end. my paths opinion of itself isnt realy important to others. my path is right for me and the decisions i make are mased on my veiws of good and evil.Why have you taken this path over all others?
because of the reliability and beliveable nature of the path.
What events in your past led you to this path?
my constant questioning of "why am i following the path someone else thinks is right when i'm almost possitive that its corupt?". then by chance i happened apon a website that answered so many questions and opened so many doors for me. it was like the opening of my eyes. What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
the only prinicles i have are: not to go against father, and to live life the fullest, do what you can while you can still do it, to empower myself as much as i can before i die.What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
i supose if i have any strengths it would be my ability to tough it out and myu ability to comprehend thing... and maby charisma?
What are your weaknesses?
love.
What do you like most about your path?
that its free and bold, yet destinct. theres only two ways to mess up and either would be the end of my chosen path, yet theres infinite ways to excel.What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
i suppose the only thing i dislike about either is that its so hard to proove that they are acheiveable.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in? if anything, i supose that if i were best with something in psionics or magick, it would be self hypnosis or prophecy.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
i suppse it would be... the first five books from the sword of truth series? i havent read any books on my religeon or on magick or psionics so yeah...
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
when i found the JOS website. i read a few things that just struck a chord in my head. it was as if i was washed over with a sudden wave of enlightenment.What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
the sacraficeing of animals or humans to summon demons. its a silly notion and summoning demons can be acheived without adn such non-sence.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
oh this will be fun and explanitory..
1) demons are not evil or unfriendly. they will useualy help out when and if you ask them, though they may want something for helping you, which is understandable though none of the demons ive ever made contact with wanted blood of animals (most demons ,includeing satan himself, love animals).
2) satanism and devilworship are two completely diffrent things. devil worship is, if i recall, was reaction to crisianity adn atones sacraficial offerings to some entity. satanism, on the other hand, has been prooven to predate (again, to my knowledge) all other religeons.
3) ill end my three facts with this: though my path is right for me, its not nessecarily right for other people. things i do or see and hear might make perfect sence to me, and at the same time you may struggle with the consept of it because you veiw it in a diffrent light because its wrong to you and right for me. with that, i'll end with good luck to everyone no matter what you choose your path to be.
haha that last bit about 'dont be disapointed or ill kill you dead' done made me smile.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:10 pm
Whoa boy... here we go!!!
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any? Ok, I'll be the lamb to the slaughter... I'm Catholic. It's as simple as that, without all the little nuances and stuff like that. HOWEVER... I'm not a bible thumper, so please don't think that about me.
What are the central ideas in this path? Pretty much, God created the world, men screwed it up, then a few thousand years later, Jesus came to earth to forgive men of their sins. Granted, Mary plays a rather big part in there, as do all the saints, but eh. The aformentioned are the nuts and bolts of what I believe.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions? What is your path's opinion of itself? Jesus performed miracles, and the same word is used for miracles as magick in the original Hebrew. There's a verse somewhere in scripture about God descending down upon man, after Jesus was taken up to heaven, and He sent down POWER, so, yea I believe in that stuff too. I'm going to skip the occult, because I'm not familure with how you would classify the word. Humanity is created in God's image, so yea, people are important. There's only one God. God created nature, and all it's healing properties. The difference between Wickens and I would be that they worship nature and I worship the creater of nature, or at least that's how I feel about it. Everybody posseses a soul, but it's up to the individual as to what they're going to do with the soul. Everybody's gonna die. As to what happens next is still up to interpretation. Me personally, yea, there's a special limbo section called purgatory, a Heaven and a Hell. BUT, just because you don't believe in Jesus doesn't mean that you're going to go to Hell. There are alot of other opinions, but I don't want to get into them right now. My path's opinion of itself is that it's the best one for me.
Why have you taken this path over all others? Because it works for me.
What events in your past led you to this path? I ran away from the whole Bible thumping, if you're not saved, you're going to hell upbringing, because I saw God as a much nicer diety than that. The God that I saw was forgiving. After that, I went straight to Wicka, because everybody loved everybody else, and there was no judging. Then, my local chapter broke up, because there was deception amongst the ranks, and I went away from that. On my way, I ran into my mentor/sage now, and he showed me the Catholic Church.
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path? People are just people, none of them are exceptionally bad, nor are they exceptionally good. It changes from each individual, but you should respect everyone, because they are special, and made in the image of Him who created us.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path? I have a huge organization backing me up.
What are your weaknesses? See above.
What do you like most about your path? the fact that everybody is special, and plays a part in the whole universe.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general? The fact that it's so misunderstood.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in? I don't think that my path has expertise in anything.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path? Oh, boy, here we go...
1. The Bible
2. The Rosary
3. Prayer Book
4. The Catacesis of the Catholic Church
5. "How to Meditate"... it shows different methods. My favorite would be the laberynth.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path? The moment that I realized that the spells and the meditation that I was doing was the right thing to do.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with? Killing animals as a sacrifice. I'm not sure if that's true anymore, but yea.
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
1) Meditating is essential to your spiritual growth.
2) Talking to the spirits of this world (saints) is perfectally ok, and is very much accepted.
3) Most people aren't going to go to Hell. It is up to God to decide, because only He knows your heart as you die.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:07 am
O EM GEE IM BACK Sorry I took so long >.>
What is the name of your path/faith/religion, if any?
I...STILL don't have a name for it...but you know it.
What are the central ideas in this path?
Balance, Justice.
What is your/your path's opinions on magick? Psionics? The occult? Humanity? Gods? Nature? The soul? Death? Any other major opinions?
What is your path's opinion of itself?
Magick as well as psionics and the occult: "Study every profound enigma of this world and the next" That should cover it XD.
Humanity: Eh, not sure. It's hard to say, my own opinions on mankind kinda cloud that ^^;
Gods: I don't see what opinion there would be here o.O
Nature: It's corrupted for the most part by humanity
The Soul: The true body
Death: A return to where we came.
Opinion it's self: o.0...um...idk?
Why have you taken this path over all others?
I was tired of finding so many religions that I agreed on a lot of but disagreed on quite a few things as well. So I put together my own religion.
What events in your past led you to this path?
Idk
What are your principles/philosophies when it comes to your path?
Everything must have Balance. Your heart most importantly. Your life, what you do, what you think, everything. You give without expecting back, but still knowing that balance will right what you may have lost in giving.
What do you feel are your strengths in your path?
The stronger connection I have with Ma'at, Bast and Eris, and how close I've grown to them.
What are your weaknesses?
I don't know to be honest, I have weakness' but I don't see any that would be influenced by my path.
What do you like most about your path?
The prospect of Balance and Justice.
What do you dislike most about magick & psionics in general?
That it's more subtle, than straightforward and obvious.
What areas of magick/psionics/your path have you expertise in?
Aerokinesis, for the first time thursday I changed the direction of the wind.
Normal energy manipulation, draining, healing, sending energy, ect.
What five books (or other sources) do you value above all else when it comes to your path?
Hmm, no books have been written for my path, yet XD. So...I get all my information from Egyptian resources, and the deities themself.
What is your most memorable moment in regards to your path?
Learning of who I was.
What occult-related ideas don't you believe in or agree with?
....Do I really have to list them all? XD....
List three odd, unknown and/or interesting facts about your path.
Um...Blood is sacred, it's a beautiful part of the body, with such rich and flowing energy. Blood contains the soul itself, and thus the energy of the soul and body, the spirit.
Thats the only one I can think of atm and I'm being rushed XD.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:06 pm
Aw man, thanks very much for the replies so far, guys. Keep adding more pls 8D
Just so you know, I've added two more questions to the bottom of the survey, alphabetised the list, added links to people's posts, and added Dorian Requiem, PsycheLapis, Sengem, Aila al Jehan, Sinesthera and a bunch of others to it too.
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