Sounds like a good plan. I had this discussion with Skippy a few years ago and asked him how someone as smart as him could be a theist, to which he responded that it makes him feel better believing in god, and that's a pretty good reason.
I personally find the world nice enough without the metaphysical, but if I was religious, I think I'd gravitate toward something of the Wiccan variety. If I was to go Christian, I'd say Catholic is the way to go (their sservices are the most pleasant) and I'd say stay the fuck away from orthodoxy.
I like the abundance of pagan elements in Catholicism. I tried my share of Magickal practices, with varying degrees of success. One intractable problem was that everyone who practiced with me was a big gamer. Don't get me wrong, I'm also a big gamer and harbor others like me no animosity. But it made things feel less genuine because everyone was practicing the religion they wanted to be true, but I wasn't convinced that they were convinced.
Which, again, makes them exactly like me. It's a sort of hardcore pretending. But I need to feel like people are absolutely certain, almost ignorantly certain. That kind of fervor gives the ritual power. I wish I could find a bunch of original pagans, like back in the day when people didn't even have the cultural knowledge to question it. That's why I think I'll start with religions that people really think are real.
On the other hand, I had some pretty crazy mystical experiences with Avalon and Pagan Chris on a couple occasions. So basically, the company has to be right.
haha, yeah I hear what you're saying. This is why I've gravitated to the Burner community down here; unlike gamers who want to create a fantasy reality, burners just live in their own creative reality. And honestly it is really hard to find genuine pagans who aren't just rennies.
It's kind of a shame you missed the 209 days of Demarest. The year before you came we use to hold sabbat and moon rituals that were phenomenal; they totally created a genuine feel of love and happiness. Damn I really miss those :)
I miss the religious feeling too, which I've written about before on my journal. But it's a lot like the way I miss the feeling of believing in Santa Claus--I just don't see how that's going to come back. The idea that it's "psychologically possible" to temporarily occupy certain belief-states seems dubious to me. On the other hand, I'm not sure that's exactly what you're doing. It's a tricky question just what is happening when you do what you do
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Also, I think it's very difficult to distinguish between intense aesthetic experiences and intense religious experiences. Some people think it's just as hard to distinguish between aesthetics and ethics. It's all wrapped up in some intangible emotional phenomenal state that can be expressed in words, but whose essence won't ever be captures (except by the most gifted writers) in words. Music is the easiest example, but I've had similar experiences with paintings, novels, poetry, and even, more recently, literary theory and criticism (which open up the possibilities for aesthetic experience).
I suggest a visit to the Religious Society of Friends in South Seaville. On Route 9, about two or three miles north of my parent's house, is a Quaker church that I always intended to visit. I don't know much about Quakerism except what I've read on Wikipedia, but I suppose I felt drawn to them because of their history of peaceful politics. From what I've read, they seem to pepper their services with a healthy dose of mysticism.
I would also like to go to a service at a synagogue or a mosque. Judaism and Islam are so steeped in tradition and sometimes mysticism that I imagine it would feel like stepping back in time (at some services).
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I personally find the world nice enough without the metaphysical, but if I was religious, I think I'd gravitate toward something of the Wiccan variety. If I was to go Christian, I'd say Catholic is the way to go (their sservices are the most pleasant) and I'd say stay the fuck away from orthodoxy.
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Which, again, makes them exactly like me. It's a sort of hardcore pretending. But I need to feel like people are absolutely certain, almost ignorantly certain. That kind of fervor gives the ritual power. I wish I could find a bunch of original pagans, like back in the day when people didn't even have the cultural knowledge to question it. That's why I think I'll start with religions that people really think are real.
On the other hand, I had some pretty crazy mystical experiences with Avalon and Pagan Chris on a couple occasions. So basically, the company has to be right.
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It's kind of a shame you missed the 209 days of Demarest. The year before you came we use to hold sabbat and moon rituals that were phenomenal; they totally created a genuine feel of love and happiness. Damn I really miss those :)
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I would also like to go to a service at a synagogue or a mosque. Judaism and Islam are so steeped in tradition and sometimes mysticism that I imagine it would feel like stepping back in time (at some services).
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