Needing some advice...

[Mata]

Alright, I really dislike making threads of this nature - but I really could use some advice or pointers.

For quite a few years I've been studying, exploring and even practicing various religions in some form or another. I was raised as a general Protestant Christian and considered myself to be vaguely one until I was about 14 (I'm 22 now). Since that time my seeking has begun. I've looked into Buddhism, Judaism, Wicca, Asatru, Gnosticism, general occultism and all kinds of other belief systems and religions - and some really do appeal to me in various aspects, but I haven't yet really found anything that truly connects with me on multiple levels. And I'm aware that I don't need to profess to have a particular religion, nor even have one to begin with. Even so, there's a pull for me to seek and explore that I can't dismiss or ignore, which is something I realized when I resigned to be an agnostic a few years ago. It didn't work out.

Lately I've been dealing with bouts of depression over my lack of spiritual direction and connection. And I really don't know why it's such a big issue for me, but it's very bothersome.

I really don't know why I'm posting this, heh. I guess I'd like to hear if anyone has gone through the whole Seeking Syndrome and found relief from it in some form, or learned to live with it; or has some advice for others on the road. :foot:

Thanks anyway though :}

 

[SageTree]

Felt confused and wondered where I had a home and who I could worship with for sure.

Are you looking for A religion, or do you feel more syncratic in your approach?

Which tradition would you say you feel most rooted in, or is the one you reflect or turn to most often?

 

[Iti oj]

Im a perminent seeker. Always looking always trying alwaysing learning always being always changing always growing.

 

[Mata]

Felt confused and wondered where I had a home and who I could worship with for sure.

Are you looking for A religion, or do you feel more syncratic in your approach?

Which tradition would you say you feel most rooted in, or is the one you reflect or turn to most often?

I can be slightly syncretic. So I'm open to a singular religion, or a fusion of two or more.

And I'd say that I tend to sympathize with pagan-esque philosophies and beliefs. So I tend to use that as a touch stone - since my Christian roots aren't the most confidence-inspiring.

 

[Mata]

Im a perminent seeker. Always looking always trying alwaysing learning always being always changing always growing.

I hear you on that. At times I feel like I should resign to/embrace being a seeker. There's a lot of freedom in it. But all the same, I feel pulled in a million different directions, and you can't walk 12 paths at once - or at least I don't think i can.

 

[Iti oj]

I hear you on that. At times I feel like I should resign to/embrace being a seeker. There's a lot of freedom in it. But all the same, I feel pulled in a million different directions, and you can't walk 12 paths at once - or at least I don't think i can.

use double think
adopt multiple persona
suspend disbeilife
belief is a tool

you know what helped my path as a seeker greatly was chaos magic(not discordian)

i practice it as a form of seekers magic =D

 

[Mata]

use double think
adopt multiple persona
suspend disbeilife
belief is a tool

you know what helped my path as a seeker greatly was chaos magic(not discordian)

i practice it as a form of seekers magic =D

That's an interesting idea. I've read about chaos magic before, but never really got into it. I like to have some certainty, and when I looked at the extreme postmodern and relativist attitudes in chaos magic I was put off.

Do you have any books or websites you find helpful in learning more about it?

 

[SageTree]

And I'd say that I tend to sympathize with pagan-esque philosophies and beliefs. So I tend to use that as a touch stone - since my Christian roots aren't the most confidence-inspiring.

Then perhaps looking at religions through an 'earth based' or 'pagan' eye for elements (no pun) in the traditions you are reading about.


For instance.... seeing when certain festivals fall in a time of year, and then looking at the story behind it, penetrating the holiday's story for more allegory and braiding that back into your own understanding.

You follow me?

Dawali comes to mind as it's a festival of Light and Darkness....

Or Jewish harvest feastivals

or how Yule and Christmas become synonymous over the years and in modern culture.


TLDR; Know the elements of Paganism that inspire you, and see if you can find them in other traditions.

 

[Iti oj]

That's an interesting idea. I've read about chaos magic before, but never really got into it. I like to have some certainty, and when I looked at the extreme postmodern and relativist attitudes in chaos magic I was put off.

Do you have any books or websites you find helpful in learning more about it?

chaos magic is well hard to place to say the lest. i'll try ti dig up some good essays and parts of wiki =D but it might be best if you pm and we can discuss some of it and i can share my thoughts on it and its application to a seeker.

 

[Infinitum]

Most books I've read on chaos magic are definitely postmodern. My advice would be: put your thoughts and beliefs on paper, hide it for a week, go back to it and see if you disagree with something you wrote. Then, instead of looking for a religion to follow, let the religion follow you. Adopt a label or a tradition as your core belief and then add or subtract from it according to your own needs. There really aren't that many people who are "pure" believers of anything, it's just that few come to admit that in public.

Good luck.

 

[loverOfTruth]

Alright, I really dislike making threads of this nature - but I really could use some advice or pointers.

For quite a few years I've been studying, exploring and even practicing various religions in some form or another. I was raised as a general Protestant Christian and considered myself to be vaguely one until I was about 14 (I'm 22 now). Since that time my seeking has begun. I've looked into Buddhism, Judaism, Wicca, Asatru, Gnosticism, general occultism and all kinds of other belief systems and religions - and some really do appeal to me in various aspects, but I haven't yet really found anything that truly connects with me on multiple levels. And I'm aware that I don't need to profess to have a particular religion, nor even have one to begin with. Even so, there's a pull for me to seek and explore that I can't dismiss or ignore, which is something I realized when I resigned to be an agnostic a few years ago. It didn't work out.

Lately I've been dealing with bouts of depression over my lack of spiritual direction and connection. And I really don't know why it's such a big issue for me, but it's very bothersome.

I really don't know why I'm posting this, heh. I guess I'd like to hear if anyone has gone through the whole Seeking Syndrome and found relief from it in some form, or learned to live with it; or has some advice for others on the road. :foot:

Thanks anyway though :}

I see that you have tried to learn and seek through many different religions. According to my belief, the ultimate inner peace can only come from God, the Creator. Sometimes you have people who has everything that this material life has to offer yet they have no peace in their heart and mind - they are restless at heart. That peace only comes through the connection with our Creator. And one of the best way to do that is asking our Creator by remembering our Creator with his most beautiful attributes. One of which I do, is : "O God! You are peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O owner of Majesty and Honor."

Having said that, I would encourage you to learn a little bit about Islam to compliment your journey of seeking. As you may not know, that the Arabic word Islam comes from the same root word as Salaam (which means peace) - meaning to achieve peace within and without by surrendering our will to the will of God. And I think the stories of many of these people sound extremely similar to yours : The Deen Show ~ It's a way of life.

So if you are interested to learn about Islam and know how you can achieve that peace - you can start from the basics here :
The Simple Message of GOD: A Catholic's Request: Dispelling the lies about Islam

Peace unto you.

 

[Mata]

TLDR; Know the elements of Paganism that inspire you, and see if you can find them in other traditions.

This is an interesting idea; one I used to do to some degree, but fell out of the habit of. Perhaps I should try it again, I might get something different out of it now.

 

[Mata]

Most books I've read on chaos magic are definitely postmodern. My advice would be: put your thoughts and beliefs on paper, hide it for a week, go back to it and see if you disagree with something you wrote. Then, instead of looking for a religion to follow, let the religion follow you. Adopt a label or a tradition as your core belief and then add or subtract from it according to your own needs. There really aren't that many people who are "pure" believers of anything, it's just that few come to admit that in public.

Good luck.

This is a really good idea. And your point is very true. I tend to forget about the natural syncreticism that most people do in some form. I can be a little OCD about keeping things demarcated - which doesn't really work out in reality much of the time.

Thanks!

 

[Mata]

Peace unto you.

Thank you, loverOfTruth. I've never really read too far into Islam, beyond some basic tenets and concepts within it. I'll have to explore it some more, before I know whether it's right for me

 

[Mata]

chaos magic is well hard to place to say the lest. i'll try ti dig up some good essays and parts of wiki =D but it might be best if you pm and we can discuss some of it and i can share my thoughts on it and its application to a seeker.

Sounds good to me! I'll send you a PM.

 

[Iti oj]

Sounds good to me! I'll send you a PM.

i look forward to it,

 

[SageTree]

This is an interesting idea; one I used to do to some degree, but fell out of the habit of. Perhaps I should try it again, I might get something different out of it now.

Cheers, Good luck, happy searching and much inspiration to you.

 

[swamplizard]

Greetings,

Concepts of humanity, of substance not. Whether one considers self to be of a religious body is of a thought. To quote SageTree: "Only breath."

best.
swampy

 

[Hevenly Heathen]

I would simply say keep searching, but enjoy the journey itself, destinations tend to muddy the water

 

[Vinayaka]

I have a different take. In 'smaller' decisions (say like buying a car, where to go on vacation) I've found it helpful just to drop it. Stop the circle for awhile. Then after a year or two or three, come back. This will at least stop the frustration, and give you a break from that. The same method has been used to quit smoking ... i.e. to quit quitting first.. leave it. So I see this searching in circles as a habit pattern in and of itself. If you quit looking, who knows what might come to you?