Interview Meme: SongCoyote's Questions
1. How independent an entity is your primary deity (or one of them)? In other words, do they exist as a separate person / personality / idea / being, or is their essence tied inherently to the energy / worship / offerings / thought-form they are given by those that call to them?
In terms of existing independently from human thought, specifically? I believe the gods and spirits are sentient entities in Their own rights, which does not exclude Them from being influenced by our interactions with Them. I do believe it is possible for the energy of worship to serve as a kind of food that helps a smaller spirit like an individual ancestor or landwight to grow until they are able to attain a direct connection with the Being of Divinity in a way that fully separate, free-floating beings are not connected. We are all part of the Whole, but some are like limbs of the Whole itself, while others are entirely self-contained within the Whole. There is such diversity in life, I see no reason not to expect diversity in sentience as well.
However, my internal jury is entirely out as to how separate any two similar gods are from eachother. Currently I conceptualize this as a sort of web of divine energy where what we percieve as individual deities may well be the tip of a loose end, or a node where strands cross, or a whole portion of the web, and so on. I don't even know how I would know, really. It's probably unknowable. All I know is that I percieve the many aspects of Freya as belonging fundamentally to a single being, but I have percieved paths of Erzulie to be separate beings who belong to a larger complex named "Erzulie". This gets much more confusing with deities like Odin, and still yet more confusing when a deity is the personification of a distinct body, like the Earth, or the Sun, in which case I have to wonder if Gaia and Nerthus and Pachamama are the same deity from different cultural perspectives, or if each represents only a local area of earth, rather than the whole planet, or if They are each intercessors to the true spirit of Earth who is too alien for us to really interact with Her directly, or if They are each a sort of possessing spirit who considers the Earth Their body, while remaining separate from eachother.
I don't so much try not to think about it too hard as I tend to follow my own logic down one path or another and then end with a shrug and an acknowledgement that I will never know.
2. Given a single chance to transform yourself fully into another shape, retaining your personality and mind (inasmuch as it is separate from shape) but having a new form, what would that shape be (or would you at all)? For this exercise, you will not be able to change back for at least 5 years (permanency is optional after that).
With those limitations, since I believe I am in this body in this life for a reason, even if I don't fully understand what that reason is, I believe I would opt for a fully healthy form of this body, rather than some other body entirely. That may sound boring, but to be honest, it would be a pretty darned good body to have even by objective standards. Even just taking my easily-winded, and not entirely flexible, but otherwise quite healthy High School body as a starting point would be a huge improvement, and with my current knowledge, skills, experience, etc. I'd make much better use of myself, eh?
3. If you could easily and readily make manifest one activity, thought-set, art form, or similar that you can well imagine but may not be able to fully express in a way that others can perceive, what would it be and why?
Are you asking after a single project, or for me to take on a single ability to manifest exactly what I'm thinking in a particular way?
If it was a single project, but unlimited in scope, I think I'd want to make a fantasy forest, full scale, as I have imagined and seen in my dreams and sometimes in meditations - complete with the ivy-haired earth elemental and the treehouse I've been imagining for years and so on.
If it was a single ability which I could use repeatedly, but limited in scope, I'd take the ability to manifest altar statues that are exactly what I'm picturing.
4. In your complex relationship, how do you handle issues of jealousy and possessiveness, or do they come up at all? (Or do I have a complete misunderstanding of your situation? ;)
This is the shortest answer I can give you that is suitable for a public filter:
1: My personal philosophy on the subject is that feelings are what they are, and as such they are data to be considered in the wider scope of making decisions. I am responsible for my choices and my actions. I endeavor not to do unto my partner as I would not have him do unto me. That includes not trying to control my partner as I would not wish to be controlled. I have rarely encountered a jealous or possessive impulse that was stronger than my desire to not be a hypocrite.
2: Jealousy is a pointer to other problems that need to be resolved. There is no value in acting on it directly, even for the sake of assuaging the jealousy itself - all that does is bury the real problem even deeper, and create yet more problems to add to the confusion. If I feel like I need to control my partner, something else is wrong that needs fixing. It's a question of trust. Why don't I trust? Is the lack of trust something haunting me from a past situation, or a reaction to something currently present? Do we need to re-examine our agreements? Do I need to re-examine my choice of partner? Do I need to do some personal digging into myself, and in the meantime choose to behave according to the trust my partner deserves?
3: Communication is everything. I can't say it more simply than that.
4: Rules are an algorithm for decision making, not walls to prevent escape. All partners should be following the same algorithm, and, given the same data, should reach the same conclusions. However, the algorithm should be flexible enough that different data allows for suitably different conclusions - equitable is not always strictly equal. If the algorithm fails, it should be re-examined. Honest mistakes deserve forgiveness. If my partner cannot be trusted to be honest in the first place, then he clearly shouldn't be my partner. If I hesitate to forgive a mistake, it's time to examine why that is.
5: If we're still stuck, it's time to get professional help. uncledark has served as a poly communication counselor for me and mine many times, and I would not hesitate to go to him again had I the need and he the availability.
5. What objects, environment, etc. would the ideal place to relax in for you contain, and why?
Hmm...
I would want it to be out in the woods, someplace nice, preferably with redwoods, mostly shady, sometimes misty sometimes sunny, temperate, maybe with the ocean in the distance.
No electronic sounds whatsoever, no chemical smells.
Dimmable light that doesn't buzz at all.
The ability to make beautiful music happen would be good.
Comfortable bedding at a suitable height off the floor that I can sit comfortably with good back support either with my legs up or down, as I please, and of course so I can lie down to sleep.
An area adjacent where I can be creative without having to worry about the mess I'm making.
Cats around to pet and sit on me while they purr and I read is a huge comfort and bonus, but only if their food and boxes are stored in a separate building. Rabbits too.
A gentle fountain I can turn off when the noise gets to me.
A bathing area with very fine controls on the temperature of the water, and a variety of fixtures for letting me sit up in a shower or lay down, or even float in a bath, with jets or without, and so on.
So... basically, a personal spa that's a composite of several places I actually have access to in real life.
--Ember--