Destiny vs. free will

[CelticRavenwolf]

Do any of you ever get the feeling that you have been put on Earth, in this time, this place, for a purpose? Something specific that you are destined to do?

I vascillate between believing that I do have a purpose that I am required to complete and believing that I am utterly alone and unguided with no goal in life. There are days where I think I'm being watched over - the pet project of some goddess who is protecting me until I fulfill a predestined purpose. I believe this because I feel I have been incredibly lucky in so many ways - cheating injury and death, acquiring certain skills, etc.

On the other hand, I feel like I have no direction in life. I am the epitome of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. I'm really good at an unbelievable spectrum of things, but I don't really excell at anything. I'm 26 years old, and have no direction in life. I don't even know what I want to do! It changes every day!

This is why I'm here. My beliefs are pagan, but my faith is wavering. I am a solitary practioner, but not out of choice. I have yet to meet anyone - in real life or online - who shares my particular set of beliefs. It never used to bother me, but lately I feel very much alone.

So to my original question - do you believe we have a destiny, or that life is simply what we make of it?

 

[Reverend Rick]

There is no such thing as prophecy without destiny. It just sounds to me like you have a bad case of Wintertime blues CelticRavenwolf. What we all need is Spirituality. Organised religion has failed miserably and sent so many on a spiritual quest.

The feeling of obtaining spirituality can be fleeting when your on your own and a person needs to have like minded peers to sustain the needed substance of life.

Man and women cannot live on just the physical to survive. To be a whole person you have to have all your needs met. Being on the internet and finding like minds is a great step in the right direction.

Make no mistake about it, we are all on this earth for a purpose. Your purpose in life may have not been revealed to you yet. Rest assured it will in good time.

 

[Sunstone]

Have you ever had a mentor, CRW?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

Unfortunately, no. In fact, I've never actually met another Celtic reconstructionalist, or any other Celtic variation, for that matter. Just a couple of hokey "druids" who read a book and think they know it all, the kind who live up to the pagan stereotype - so non-conformist that they're all alike kind of deal.

 

[Sunstone]

What sort of skills do you have? Where do your talents lay?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

Spiritually speaking or just in general?

 

[Sunstone]

Spiritually speaking or just in general?

Both spiritually and in general. Besides your gift for words, what other talents and skills do you have?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

Lol, I don't consider it so much a gift as... well, I don't know what you'd call it for typing, but 'verbal diarrhea' comes to mind!

Seriously, though, I don't really know. I'm a poor judge of character in people, I certainly don't claim to be psychic, have a talent for magick, or anything like that. I read Animal Oracle cards and occasionally tarot, but only for myself. If I can claim to have any skill in that regard, it would have to be in communicating with animals. That sounds so cheesy! But I mean in the sense that I have a pretty good understanding of their language, particularily horses and dogs. Communicating with them on a level that they understand. Certainly not a spiritual skill, because there's no mysticism involved, however in awe some people may be. Other than that, it's more just a feeling of awareness that I can't quite describe.

In general... I'm a halfway decent artist, an okay writer, better than average horseback rider. I can weld in a pinch, drive bit vehicles with or without trailers, give you advice on just about anything related to paint. I used to play piano and euphonium - again, pretty well but nothing special. I cook and bake lots, can prune a tree or change a radiator, oil or brake pads.

And more of the same. Lol, odd little things. I have a huge collection of things that I'm good, but not great at, and nothing that really draws me to excel at it. It just feels so... weird to me.

 

[Sunstone]

Tell me a bit about your art? What mediums do you prefer? What subjects? When was your most recent work? What did you try to accomplish with it? How well did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish?

 

[Sunstone]

Do you live in a rural area? A small community? Were you raised in a religious household?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

I'll do you one better:

http://www.celticravenwolf.com/artframe.html

I do mostly horses and dragons, my choice of medium is pencil. I didn't draw for about 2 years, but recently I've started again, and have been somewhat pleased with the results. No recent scans, unfortunately. What I try to accomplish with my drawings is to capture something of the source. The personality of the horse, or the impression of a movement. Sometimes I feel I succeed, other times I just abandon the drawing if I can't catch it.

I've lived rurally for much of my life, though the better part of my childhood was stuck in the city. Chronologically it was rural, city, small town, rural, university (ie temporary city), and currently small town.

Raised strictly Roman Catholic, renounced at the age of 16, and not just on a teenage whim. I just didn't believe in what I was raised to believe.

 

[Sunstone]

You're much more than a little talented in drawing. I'm curious that you haven't made a career of it?

BTW, do you know of this site? http://www.wildhunt.org/blog.html

What's happened recently in your life that you haven't kept your journal up? Did you just grow tired of it? Or, is there some other reason you haven't posted in it for a couple of months now?

 

[Sunstone]

Raised strictly Roman Catholic, renounced at the age of 16, and not just on a teenage whim. I just didn't believe in what I was raised to believe.

What does the phrase, "Be true to yourself" mean to you? How would you interpret that? Is it something you have a positive feeling about or a negative feeling about?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

No, I've never seen that website, but I'm sure checking it out!

As for the blog, mostly life got in the way. I was pretty well away from home for weeks at a time all summer with my job, and when I came home I had so much to do that writing in my journal just wasn't at the top of my list. And since things have been so slow in the winter, I just never got back into it. Too time consuming, I guess. I do kind of miss it as an outlet, but I'm just too lazy to write in it when I could be out for a walk with my dog, or catching a movie with my husband.

What does the phrase, "Be true to yourself" mean to you? How would you interpret that? Is it something you have a positive feeling about or a negative feeling about?

Lol, that's actually a tough question and I have no idea how to answer it. I guess I keep swearing that it's what I'm going to do, but then I don't do it and end up hating myself for it, and swearing that this time I'm really going to do it, and the vicious circle continues.

I keep thinking about trying to sell some of my artwork, but I'm a champion procrastinator. I don't really draw enough to really make a go at it, I think. I used to take commissions, but I stopped because I wasn't able to fulfill them all. I could get in a rut and go months without drawing something I was satisfied with.

 

[Sunstone]

Lol, that's actually a tough question and I have no idea how to answer it. I guess I keep swearing that it's what I'm going to do, but then I don't do it and end up hating myself for it, and swearing that this time I'm really going to do it, and the vicious circle continues.

What does being true to ourselves involve? Could you give me an example of what it means?

Do you feel there's any area in which your talents and skills meet the needs of society or of those around you?

 

[Willamena]

So to my original question - do you believe we have a destiny, or that life is simply what we make of it?

Both! Both are true; destiny is not an "either-or" question, it's simply a matter of perspective. I say this as a defender of divination against the 'Machine of Destiny'.

Divination today is largely seen as "fortune-telling" or foreseeing "what will happen," but in ancient times it was a religious device that served to allow people to "speak" with the gods, consult them and get their advice on matters of importance to them. They asked gods what should be done about a future they've determined for themselves, not what would be done in a future they had no control over: "This is what I will; does it meet with your favour?" The god would then give some acknowledgement of a yes/no type through omen, 'give it the nod' so to speak, and this 'nod' could change from moment to moment as the intentions of man changed, in other words as he wrote his own course.

According to author Geoffrey Cornelius, "Despite the immeasurable authority of the numinous realm called upon by divination, the question of destiny is in effect a fliud and open project --the gods may be propriated, the sacred may be approached."

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

What does being true to ourselves involve? Could you give me an example of what it means?

Do you feel there's any area in which your talents and skills meet the needs of society or of those around you?

Lol, I get the feeling I'm being psycho-analyzed...

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

That's a really interesting viewpoint, Willamena! Kind of like the butterfly effect on different level. I certainly never thought of it that way, but it's definately worth considering!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Namaste, RavenWolf, and welcome to the site! (I haven't properly replied to your intro thread, but I figured I'd make a start, at least!)

You raise some very interesting questions! I'm not sure what I believe about destiny versus free will. I have met people, though, who I feel were incarnated so that they might help others or to make the world a brighter place. A very immediate example would be in your artwork. Particularly in your beautiful rendering of 'mythological' subjects, one is reminded of the talent of a person who is able to see those things that avoid the gaze of others.

 

[Mike182]

Lol, I get the feeling I'm being psycho-analyzed...

yeah, normally when Phil is asking questiosn he is leading up to something, but i really can't see where he's going with this questioning either....

welcome to the forums though! i am deffinatley no expert on the Celtic religions, though have been interested in learning about my country's elder religion for quite some time! i stole a book from a friend on Celtic Mythology which i will hopefully have time to read soon, and depending on what i think after reading that i will decide if i want to research it further or not.

have you ever heard of Ronald Hutton? he wrote some good stuff about Europe's Pagan history, you might find him an interesting read!

and i've just realised that i'm posting in your thread without actually writting about anything you posted about in your OP :sorry1:

:bb:
mike