Pop Culture Neo-paganism/spirituality

[EverChanging]

I was wondering if any forum members here incorporate pop culture entities -- comic book characters, dead celebrities, etc. -- into their personal pantheon or otherwise petition, venerate, or work with them spiritually in any other way. Also, do you incorporate any other pop culture or fictional elements or ideas into your spirituality?

I am incorporating pop culture entities into my spiritual practices and am curious about how others do the same or otherwise incorporate pop culture elements into their spiritual life.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I never thought about incorporating veneration of dead celebs into religious practice, which is surprising for me since there's many pop culture idols I have. I like it!

 

[Quintessence]

Yes, though I would describe it less as "pop culture" and more as "modern mythos." To me, saying something is "fictional" simply means it is part of the otherworlds. I spend a great deal of time journeying into contemporary otherworlds. It's a major reason I love games like Skyrim and Fallout. "Worship" is perhaps too strong of a word to use for how I tend to approach denizens of the otherworlds who have been revealed in a more contemporary context, but on occasion there are those who stand out. They aren't tales I tend to tell very often, both because it is very personal and because it is not well-accepted even amongst this particular community.

For the most part, it's just like working with anything else in the otherworlds, though. And working with things in the otherworlds isn't that dissimilar to working with things in the apparent world. Basic ground rules are to spend time with whatever it is you want to develop a relationship with to cultivate a good relationship. Most of all, have fun!

 

[VioletVortex]

I think that people have souls, and that those souls live on. In ancient Europe, it was customary to deify the dead. Our desire to do this now is sort of the remnants of that tradition.

I see some people who come off as very intelligent as sort of "demigods", as if they are above the level of mundane men. Examples of these kinds of people include Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead and GG Allin. When you hear them talk, they cast forth an aura of intelligence and control.

 

[EverChanging]

They aren't tales I tend to tell very often, both because it is very personal and because it is not well-accepted even amongst this particular community.

Indeed, and I am drawn to two of the most contentious sources of spirituality within neo-paganism: pop culture paganism and Christopaganism. And even with Christopaganism I am not drawn to any neo-Wiccan based approaches which is all I've found of Christopaganism online.

 

[Politesse]

I don't know about persons, but I do use motifs and language from literature and movies all the time. When practicing magick, for instance, sometimes Harry Potter concepts often make more sense to me than, say, old-school Wicca type language. So I roll with it, figuring that intent needs clarity, clarity of mind favors simplicity, and that means going with what you know. I could try and come up with some clever rhyme in ye olde Englishe, and sometimes I do if it's a holiday or a ritual long-prepared, but if I'm in a tight spot and "Ennervate" is what I mean, well, that's what I'm probably going to say.

I have a friend whose altar includes a figure of Carlos and Cecil from Night Vale, that they made themselves. I think it's lovely, and a good example of where an LGBT person might frankly find more personally relevant meaning in a "modern" pantheon than an ancient one.