Meme: Another Handfull of Words - Paka's
If you want to swap a handfull of words with me, comment accordingly.
This set of words is from Paka. I have less of a need to separate my analytical sense from my personal response this time around. No idea why...
Shrine
I sort of think of shrines as sacred spaces that are contained in all 3 dimensions, wheras an altar is generally confined only by gravity to a horizontal surface, but otherwise can spread out quite a bit. Shrines can be as big as rooms into which you may walk, sit, kneel, or even sometimes move around white a bit, or they can be smaller, like boxes with doors you can open and close. I don't think of myself as making shrines, generally. I have a fair few altars to set up and they mostly have to go all in the same temple space, rather than each being a separate shrine. I try to respect that not all powers want to share altar space, or even "see" eachother, and keep things at least on separate furniture, and with some arrangement for blocking angles within reason, but it's not always easy. If I worked in terms of full on shrines, walls and all, it would be easier to ensure that lines of sight were exclusive while still using the space effectively.
I think the reason I don't is that the kind of altars I understand to be "shrines" feel closed to me, conservative, almost secretive or... I don't know, even a little ashamed? Wheras altars feel expansive, open, welcoming, I feel like there's always room for the gods to reach me and for me to reach them. So I don't usually *want* a roof, walls, or a door to my altars.
But lately, it's an artform that has started to interest me, at least in certain contexts...
Catholicism
My respect for Catholicism has grown the more involved with Afro-Diasporic traditions I get, but I don't think I started to become comfortable with it until I started attending Santa Clara University and could really take a look around. Do I approve of the whole history of the church? No. But then I can't remember any organized group of any really significant age that hasn't done some things that I find at least mildly horrible, and the Catholic Church has been around long enough to commit atrocities worthy of empires. But I'm kind of impressed with the progress of Vatican II, although I do regret that the current Pope seems to be undoing a lot of that good work.
I don't know, I'd never choose to be Catholic, but I'm a lot more comfortable visiting, and I'm a lot more interested in studying Catholic doctrine and culture now than I ever was before.
And I'm a lot less scared of 'em, if that makes sense. I was never all that scared before, but now I'm not scared at all, really. I still fret over being disrespectful in their space, but I'm getting over it.
Rabbit
My oldest and probably most important, perhaps primary Animal Spirit friend. Rabbit is possibly a misnomer. He is just as likely a Hare. He's a Lagomorph, anyway, but Rabbit is all I've ever known to call Him. There seems to be no area of my spirituality that He cannot tread. Even my gods seem to have territories sort of blocked out, but Rabbit is one of the ones who can go just everywhere, and I really appreciate it.
Before I was a cat person I was all about the bunnies. I loved Peter Rabbit and the White Rabbit, and the Velveteen Rabbit, and even Pooh's friend Rabbit. Easter was all about hunting for colorful eggs and candy left behind by a generous Bunny. I was even a morning person, if you can believe that.
I don't regret learning to be a nocturnal cat person from my family of nocturnal cat people, but I do think of myself as a child as a Bunny.
American Indian
This is a huge topic. I've been interested in learning all I can about American Indians for as long as I can remember. I know I was no older than 12 when I started wearing breads in my hair with feathers, and little leather "medicine" bags with whatever charms I could find to put in them. I took on what I thought was American Indian style as a personal fashion statement, and put tribe maps, dream catchers, and medicine wheels on my wall. I don't think it started with 4th grade Mission assignments, because by then I was already inclined to take the Indian Basket Making very seriously. I don't know how it all started, maybe I've always been this way...
I do feel like I have no choice but to skirt that line between intrusive cultural appropriation, and respectful curiosity. It's hard to find reality betwen centuries of vilification and romanticization. Cultures always fascinate me, but the cultures that belong to this land that I love so much fascinate me even more so. Only once again, I'm so white it hurts (especially if I hang out in the sun too long, eh?) All in all, I've run into a handfull of folks who find me annoying, and at least three times that many who like that I care, and encourage my interest.
Today, I suppose that interest manifests as a respect for the landwights and indigenous plants. I have a strong desire to take any class I can get away with in American Indian studies - so far I've taken North American Indian Art, North American Indian History, and Mayan Spirituality. I want to take North American Indian Spiritual Traditions as well, at least, and we'll see what else I can find. I am both drawn to and hesitant to engage Native powers like Coyote, the Grandmothers, and so forth, feeling that I have too little to go on for "doing it right".
And then there's how drawn I am to Oxossi. I like to believe He's drawn to me too, and I have some evidence that this is the case, but for some reason I find myself doubting it more than with most other Powers. A lot of us in the House seem to get Oxossi as a North American spirit, and I believe that's very valid, because a God of the Land is going to be as much a God of the land you actually live on as He is the God of whatever land He originally came from. In Oxossi's case, though, that's several layers. He came from Africa to Brazil, so He is the God of the land of those parts of West African AND a God of the land of Brazil. But now here, for us, He's also a God of the land here in California.
It took me a while to get used to Oxossi imagery without cringing, and even now I try to swap in somewhat less annoying examples while still keeping the important symbols in mind. In Brazil and here images of stereotypical Plains Indians, complete with feather headdress, and bow and arrows are used to represent Him. I suppose Hollywood is to blame for imposing North American Plains Indians on the Amazon - shouldn't Oxossi in Brazil be represented by Amazonian Native imagery? And I do believe He is, but I'm no expert. Then there's the Caboclos, which I am not educated enough to talk about in any depth, but they go in here too. And then there's our own local landspirits and native tribes and peoples to consider. To top it all off, my own ancestors are from none of these places, not California, not Brazil, not Africa... but I am not land, so maybe that doesn't matter?
I don't know, for me this is a topic I am very hesitant to discuss at length in public, because there are just so many ways I can screw something up, insult somebody, or show myself to be an idiot. I just have to keep admitting my ignorance, and expressing my sincere interest, and hope I can keep learning.
Ancestor
Them what we're all descended from! I do take my actual blood ancestors very seriously as such, but I also take "Ancestors of the Spirit" seriously too. My work with the Ancestors isn't as strong as it needs to be. I'm still building it up, and it's going to be a while before I will feel I'm doing all I can or should for Them. I feel a bit behind, but nevertheless as though I am learning steadily and building as I go, so I guess I should just be patient with myself?
Ancestor reverence and Land Spirit reverence are the core of both Heathenism and Afro-Diasporic tradition, as well as many other original practices that call to me. They're the common denominator that in some ways tie it all together for me at the near end, while Pantheism, the Wholeness of the One ties it all together at the far end. I'm not saying each culture doesn't have important nuances and differences of tradition for how to revere the Ancestors and Land Spirits, and I try to be aware of and respect those differences, rather than declaring it all one big universal mishmash, but the commonality is nevertheless a foundation and a comfort for me.
--Ember--
This set of words is from Paka. I have less of a need to separate my analytical sense from my personal response this time around. No idea why...
Shrine
I sort of think of shrines as sacred spaces that are contained in all 3 dimensions, wheras an altar is generally confined only by gravity to a horizontal surface, but otherwise can spread out quite a bit. Shrines can be as big as rooms into which you may walk, sit, kneel, or even sometimes move around white a bit, or they can be smaller, like boxes with doors you can open and close. I don't think of myself as making shrines, generally. I have a fair few altars to set up and they mostly have to go all in the same temple space, rather than each being a separate shrine. I try to respect that not all powers want to share altar space, or even "see" eachother, and keep things at least on separate furniture, and with some arrangement for blocking angles within reason, but it's not always easy. If I worked in terms of full on shrines, walls and all, it would be easier to ensure that lines of sight were exclusive while still using the space effectively.
I think the reason I don't is that the kind of altars I understand to be "shrines" feel closed to me, conservative, almost secretive or... I don't know, even a little ashamed? Wheras altars feel expansive, open, welcoming, I feel like there's always room for the gods to reach me and for me to reach them. So I don't usually *want* a roof, walls, or a door to my altars.
But lately, it's an artform that has started to interest me, at least in certain contexts...
Catholicism
My respect for Catholicism has grown the more involved with Afro-Diasporic traditions I get, but I don't think I started to become comfortable with it until I started attending Santa Clara University and could really take a look around. Do I approve of the whole history of the church? No. But then I can't remember any organized group of any really significant age that hasn't done some things that I find at least mildly horrible, and the Catholic Church has been around long enough to commit atrocities worthy of empires. But I'm kind of impressed with the progress of Vatican II, although I do regret that the current Pope seems to be undoing a lot of that good work.
I don't know, I'd never choose to be Catholic, but I'm a lot more comfortable visiting, and I'm a lot more interested in studying Catholic doctrine and culture now than I ever was before.
And I'm a lot less scared of 'em, if that makes sense. I was never all that scared before, but now I'm not scared at all, really. I still fret over being disrespectful in their space, but I'm getting over it.
Rabbit
My oldest and probably most important, perhaps primary Animal Spirit friend. Rabbit is possibly a misnomer. He is just as likely a Hare. He's a Lagomorph, anyway, but Rabbit is all I've ever known to call Him. There seems to be no area of my spirituality that He cannot tread. Even my gods seem to have territories sort of blocked out, but Rabbit is one of the ones who can go just everywhere, and I really appreciate it.
Before I was a cat person I was all about the bunnies. I loved Peter Rabbit and the White Rabbit, and the Velveteen Rabbit, and even Pooh's friend Rabbit. Easter was all about hunting for colorful eggs and candy left behind by a generous Bunny. I was even a morning person, if you can believe that.
I don't regret learning to be a nocturnal cat person from my family of nocturnal cat people, but I do think of myself as a child as a Bunny.
American Indian
This is a huge topic. I've been interested in learning all I can about American Indians for as long as I can remember. I know I was no older than 12 when I started wearing breads in my hair with feathers, and little leather "medicine" bags with whatever charms I could find to put in them. I took on what I thought was American Indian style as a personal fashion statement, and put tribe maps, dream catchers, and medicine wheels on my wall. I don't think it started with 4th grade Mission assignments, because by then I was already inclined to take the Indian Basket Making very seriously. I don't know how it all started, maybe I've always been this way...
I do feel like I have no choice but to skirt that line between intrusive cultural appropriation, and respectful curiosity. It's hard to find reality betwen centuries of vilification and romanticization. Cultures always fascinate me, but the cultures that belong to this land that I love so much fascinate me even more so. Only once again, I'm so white it hurts (especially if I hang out in the sun too long, eh?) All in all, I've run into a handfull of folks who find me annoying, and at least three times that many who like that I care, and encourage my interest.
Today, I suppose that interest manifests as a respect for the landwights and indigenous plants. I have a strong desire to take any class I can get away with in American Indian studies - so far I've taken North American Indian Art, North American Indian History, and Mayan Spirituality. I want to take North American Indian Spiritual Traditions as well, at least, and we'll see what else I can find. I am both drawn to and hesitant to engage Native powers like Coyote, the Grandmothers, and so forth, feeling that I have too little to go on for "doing it right".
And then there's how drawn I am to Oxossi. I like to believe He's drawn to me too, and I have some evidence that this is the case, but for some reason I find myself doubting it more than with most other Powers. A lot of us in the House seem to get Oxossi as a North American spirit, and I believe that's very valid, because a God of the Land is going to be as much a God of the land you actually live on as He is the God of whatever land He originally came from. In Oxossi's case, though, that's several layers. He came from Africa to Brazil, so He is the God of the land of those parts of West African AND a God of the land of Brazil. But now here, for us, He's also a God of the land here in California.
It took me a while to get used to Oxossi imagery without cringing, and even now I try to swap in somewhat less annoying examples while still keeping the important symbols in mind. In Brazil and here images of stereotypical Plains Indians, complete with feather headdress, and bow and arrows are used to represent Him. I suppose Hollywood is to blame for imposing North American Plains Indians on the Amazon - shouldn't Oxossi in Brazil be represented by Amazonian Native imagery? And I do believe He is, but I'm no expert. Then there's the Caboclos, which I am not educated enough to talk about in any depth, but they go in here too. And then there's our own local landspirits and native tribes and peoples to consider. To top it all off, my own ancestors are from none of these places, not California, not Brazil, not Africa... but I am not land, so maybe that doesn't matter?
I don't know, for me this is a topic I am very hesitant to discuss at length in public, because there are just so many ways I can screw something up, insult somebody, or show myself to be an idiot. I just have to keep admitting my ignorance, and expressing my sincere interest, and hope I can keep learning.
Ancestor
Them what we're all descended from! I do take my actual blood ancestors very seriously as such, but I also take "Ancestors of the Spirit" seriously too. My work with the Ancestors isn't as strong as it needs to be. I'm still building it up, and it's going to be a while before I will feel I'm doing all I can or should for Them. I feel a bit behind, but nevertheless as though I am learning steadily and building as I go, so I guess I should just be patient with myself?
Ancestor reverence and Land Spirit reverence are the core of both Heathenism and Afro-Diasporic tradition, as well as many other original practices that call to me. They're the common denominator that in some ways tie it all together for me at the near end, while Pantheism, the Wholeness of the One ties it all together at the far end. I'm not saying each culture doesn't have important nuances and differences of tradition for how to revere the Ancestors and Land Spirits, and I try to be aware of and respect those differences, rather than declaring it all one big universal mishmash, but the commonality is nevertheless a foundation and a comfort for me.
--Ember--