What have you found so far?

[Me Myself]

Catch: you gotta make it as concrete as you can

I am interested in reading about your seeking, and more than anything, your findings. More than beliefs, I am interested in concrete findings, not because the more "ethereal" ones are any less important, by all means put them, but I am curious on the ways they may have manifested in your life.

 

[Iti oj]

Love beauty joy compassion

 

[Jainarayan]

I am interested in reading about your seeking, and more than anything, your findings. More than beliefs, I am interested in concrete findings, not because the more "ethereal" ones are any less important, by all means put them, but I am curious on the ways they may have manifested in your life.

I've been seeking to understand God, other people and myself, and how we're all tied together, and to make myself a better person. What do I mean?

My findings are coming from studying the Bhagavad Gītā. By studying I mean reading through it over and over, and reading commentaries and thinking (meditating?) on them. I'll often read the same verse several times until it hits me. If it does not hit me because I am too dense, I'll find a commentary.

The results are that for the most part, I am a calmer person, more inclined to just completely turn things over to God, be they personal interactions, financial affairs or day to day problems. Some days are harder than others. For the most part I'm more inclined to just draw a deep breath when someone does something that would in the past have set me off, and into a rage. In those instances, I try to remember

6.30 He who sees Me in all beings, and all beings in Me - to him I am never lost, nor he to Me.

and the verses from chapter 12:

13-14. Friendly and compassionate to all and without any touch of hatred; devoid of possessiveness and arrogance; ever content and contemplative; alike in happiness and misery; self-controlled and firm in conviction; dedicated to Me with all his heart and all his soul - dear to Me is a man who is thus devoted.

15. Who causes fear to none and whom none can frighten, who is thus free from the agitation of the moods caused by euphoria, anger, and excitement - such a person too is dear to Me.

16. Desireless, pure, resourceful, unattached, unworried and without any sense of self-centred agency - a devotee thus endowed is dear to Me.

17. He who is free from elation, anger, sorrow, and craving, who neither seeks the pleasant nor shuns the unpleasant - dear to Me is the man who is thus devoted.

18-19. Alike to friend and foe, alike in honour and insult, alike in heat and cold, alike in praise and blame - unattached, contented, homeless, and steady in mind - dear to Me is a man who is thus devoted.

Those work wonders to keep me balanced. I also (try to) keep in mind Matthew 7:1-2 and not be judgmental. To me, this clearly describes an aspect of karma:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 

[Me Myself]

Love beauty joy compassion

you didn´t read my OP

 

[Quintessence]

I've been working on understanding the Four Elements since... pretty much since the same time I discovered contemporary Paganism existed. I have this bad habit of getting overly-intellectual with things, and I seek a deeper, more experiential understanding of the Four in particular. As I've been writing things for my Book of Shadows, I've been re-crafting some attunement rituals I wrote a few years ago. And then, more importantly, doing them. I go into them with no expectations, but the energies I end up feeling are very real to me and truly reflect the character of each the Element I'm communing with. It's intense, and that's good, because it means the ritual is written well and it is worthy of inclusion in my printed Book of Shadows.

I did the communing with Elemental Fire last evening and the energy kick I got ended up giving me a bout of insomnia. That... I am going to have to remember it does that, because it was inconvenient. >_>

Specific enough for ya?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Magick works and makes me feel like crap.

 

[Me Myself]

I've been working on understanding the Four Elements since... pretty much since the same time I discovered contemporary Paganism existed. I have this bad habit of getting overly-intellectual with things, and I seek a deeper, more experiential understanding of the Four in particular. As I've been writing things for my Book of Shadows, I've been re-crafting some attunement rituals I wrote a few years ago. And then, more importantly, doing them. I go into them with no expectations, but the energies I end up feeling are very real to me and truly reflect the character of each the Element I'm communing with. It's intense, and that's good, because it means the ritual is written well and it is worthy of inclusion in my printed Book of Shadows.

I did the communing with Elemental Fire last evening and the energy kick I got ended up giving me a bout of insomnia. That... I am going to have to remember it does that, because it was inconvenient. >_>

Specific enough for ya?

Yes . I would say not really concrete, but given my experience with insomnia, a wall to the head is less concrete than not enough sleep :cover:

Magick works and makes me feel like crap.

We want details

Okay, I want details... diarrhea?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

We want details

Okay, I want details... diarrhea?

Stuck with an expensive bracelet I can't seem to sell, broke up a friend's relationship twice unintentionally, got myself haunted twice (the second time on purpose with unintended results)...

 

[Me Myself]

Stuck with an expensive bracelet I can't seem to sell, broke up a friend's relationship twice unintentionally, got myself haunted twice (the second time on purpose with unintended results)...

I must ask... what were you trying to do? and how did it go so wrong? o.o

 

[Iti oj]

you didn´t read my OP

Maybe I find these things concrete

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I must ask... what were you trying to do? and how did it go so wrong? o.o

"One must have chaos within oneself to give birth to a dancing star", so I did an invocation of chaos. That already sounds bad. I was going for the chaos of chaos theory, however the word I used for the incantation translated to primal chaos, aka the stuff Lovecraft wrote of. Nightmares and minor hallucinations for a week.

 

[Me Myself]

did you ever tried a more... "harmless" spell?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

did you ever tried a more... "harmless" spell?

Yup, and that's how I got saddled with a bracelet I can't get rid of.

 

[Me Myself]

Yup, and that's how I got saddled with a bracelet I can't get rid of.

will you make me beg for each detail separately?

How did that happen? now tell

 

[Gjallarhorn]

will you make me beg for each detail separately?

How did that happen? now tell

Made a sigil (actually a bindrune), asked a friend to lend me energy (was using the rest just to keep me upright), and went to help at my work's Christmas party. They always give away prizes like nice TVs, jewelry, etc and the last time I won something was when I was 9 or so, so I thought I was "due". Ended up winning a silver charm bracelet worth about $150-$200, but no one willing to buy. (not including the cook who wanted $50 for it. Cheap *******.)

 

[Willamena]

Have you tried E-Bay?

 

[bulmabriefs144]

I've been working on understanding the Four Elements since... pretty much since the same time I discovered contemporary Paganism existed. I have this bad habit of getting overly-intellectual with things, and I seek a deeper, more experiential understanding of the Four in particular. As I've been writing things for my Book of Shadows, I've been re-crafting some attunement rituals I wrote a few years ago. And then, more importantly, doing them. I go into them with no expectations, but the energies I end up feeling are very real to me and truly reflect the character of each the Element I'm communing with. It's intense, and that's good, because it means the ritual is written well and it is worthy of inclusion in my printed Book of Shadows.

I did the communing with Elemental Fire last evening and the energy kick I got ended up giving me a bout of insomnia. That... I am going to have to remember it does that, because it was inconvenient. >_>

Specific enough for ya?

It's Five Elements, not Four. Because Four is Death.

Mwahahaha, at least I am free to post links!

 

[sandandfoam]

Catch: you gotta make it as concrete as you can

I am interested in reading about your seeking, and more than anything, your findings. More than beliefs, I am interested in concrete findings, not because the more "ethereal" ones are any less important, by all means put them, but I am curious on the ways they may have manifested in your life.

My seeking brought me to the view that there are no concrete findings.

 

[Quintessence]

It's Five Elements, not Four. Because Four is Death.

Er... no. I follow the classical Greek model, not the contemporary one. "Spirit" was never an Element in natural philosophy. And where a "fifth substance" was mentioned, it bore little resemblance to how folks appropriate the idea today.

 

[aewbarnes]

That pretty much sums up, in a very simplified way, the conclusion I have come to draw after 30 years of searching and examination.
My search has taken me from Protestant Christianity to Agnostic and back, then through New Age movements of various hues to Taoism, Buddhism and more recently Vedanta.
I have come to view all religions and spiritual philosophy as human efforts to understand the underlying 'spiritual' enrgies of the universe and their effect on us. This contemplation is then translated into the language and concepts of the time and place in order that they may be passed on to the community.
Sadly, the core teachings in most all traditions have among some got lost thanks to too much emphasis on dogma. Failing to see the forest for the trees, as it were.
Now, since thought is itself an energy within the matrix of the whole and so shared thought, and by extension, belief, is a much more potent and vibrant energy, each religion is true for the holders of those beliefs and as valid as all others.
Science, for me, is increasingly showing the truth of the underlying enrgy system/s through it's own empirical and/or formulaic interpretations. This does nothing, however, to diminish the wonder and splendour of those systems.
It is only through a joourney through belief that we can come to appreciate the divine in nature and the cosmos. The atheistic scientist will simply observe the mechanistic nature around them whilst the more spiritually inclined will also see the beauty of the inherent patterns and intelligence within everything.
So, I feel priveleged to be able to stand in awe of the spiritual essence present in everything. Some call this God. I call it OM.:yes: