Kokopelli

Aupmanyav said:

Sacrifice a fowl in his name and drink beer, I think. All honoring is done like that.

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seekingtruth said:

I am interesting in communing with the god Kokopelli.
Does anyone here worship this god, or know of him?

How is it that one would go about honoring him?

Any advice at all is appreciated.

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Politesse said:

I know this is a DIR, but as no one else has replied in earnest and this is an issue close to my heart, I will step in and say that Kokopelli is not a "God" to be surgically removed from his "pantheon" as Pagans have done to other traditions. The part he plays in the renewal of the world cannot be understood outside of the Puebloan cosmology, nor is the means of honoring him separate from the year cycle of holidays. Most Native folk see this kind of "slice and dice" approach to their faith as an act of familiar violence, taking what does not belong to one simply because one has privilege over others. If you wish to get to know Kokopelli, you need to travel to the Southwest and start getting to know the people who know him best, and humbly taking part in the festivals that are open to the public. But don't assume that you will get a warm welcome, and definitely don't assume that you will get what you want without sacrifice. Stepping into a new worldview for real is a frightening and confusing experience, but nothing else will do. If Kokopelli is truly calling to you, you'll find your way through. But this isn't and can't be a halfway thing. And you will never really be accepted by other people - native religion is not a religion that you become, it is a way of life and the living of a history that you have not shared with them if you are asking this question at all. This shared identity and memory can't be bought and won't be given. But who can speak for Kokopelli himself? We are all children of the same powers in the end, and it may be that you are being called home.

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beenherebeforeagain said:

A couple I know, sort of new agey or broadly pagan, decorated their house more or less in a southwest/Kokopelli motif, and they couldn't understand why weird stuff started happening to them. This continued until they split up, and she undecorated the house and both moved elsewhere. Haven't heard from him recently, but things do seem to have settled back down for her.

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Politesse said:

I've heard of things like that happening before. I think at the end of the day, respect is the most important thing. Respect for other people, respect for your own elders. And definitely respect for symbols. There's no such thing as "just a symbol", our lives are moved along by them and changed by them. So you have to be careful what symbols you use and how.

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Politesse said:

I know this is a DIR, but as no one else has replied in earnest and this is an issue close to my heart, I will step in and say that Kokopelli is not a "God" to be surgically removed from his "pantheon" as Pagans have done to other traditions. The part he plays in the renewal of the world cannot be understood outside of the Puebloan cosmology, nor is the means of honoring him separate from the year cycle of holidays. Most Native folk see this kind of "slice and dice" approach to their faith as an act of familiar violence, taking what does not belong to one simply because one has privilege over others. If you wish to get to know Kokopelli, you need to travel to the Southwest and start getting to know the people who know him best, and humbly taking part in the festivals that are open to the public. But don't assume that you will get a warm welcome, and definitely don't assume that you will get what you want without sacrifice. Stepping into a new worldview for real is a frightening and confusing experience, but nothing else will do. If Kokopelli is truly calling to you, you'll find your way through. But this isn't and can't be a halfway thing. And you will never really be accepted by other people - native religion is not a religion that you become, it is a way of life and the living of a history that you have not shared with them if you are asking this question at all. This shared identity and memory can't be bought and won't be given. But who can speak for Kokopelli himself? We are all children of the same powers in the end, and it may be that you are being called home.

Click to expand...

Politesse said:

I've heard of things like that happening before. I think at the end of the day, respect is the most important thing. Respect for other people, respect for your own elders. And definitely respect for symbols. There's no such thing as "just a symbol", our lives are moved along by them and changed by them. So you have to be careful what symbols you use and how.

Click to expand...

Aupmanyav said:

Are you a vegetarian or Vegan?

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seekingtruth said:

I am vegetarian...I am planning on going fully vegan when I can.

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