Blessings, Darlings!
I'm on fairly good terms with several Goddesses and Gods. I occassionally hear Their voices, sense Their energies, and They usually send a bit of Their power to some of my rituals and magical workings I don't have this with many of the Goddesses and Gods, just a select few - and I didn't sellect all of those few, some - maybe all - selected me.
But I am not as intimate with any of Them as I would like to be. I'd like to hear Their voices more, learn more from Them, manifest Their purposes in my life more.
WHAT IS INTIMACY?
Familiarity is a large part of it - sort of the 'putting the name to the face' part of intimacy. Looking at the definition of intimacy I see "a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationshipo with another; a close associatoin with or detailed knowledge of a subject; an epression serving as a token of familiarity, affection or the like; etc." I'd say it's close to the 'knowing' aspect of the Kabalistic sphere of Binah.
WHY WANT INTIMACY WITH THE GODDESSES AND GODS?
Why would you want intimacy with the Divine Ones? That, of course, will depend a lot on your spiritual views, or why you are working with magick or the occult. For me, I feel that I'm here to help manifest the Divine - I'm kin to the Gods, I am Their hands on this plane. The hands really ought to know what they are supposed to be doing!
Okay, that's the egotistical but altruistic reason. I also just crave to be that close to the Divine Ones. I want to hear their voices more often and more distinctly, to feel them more powerfully in my own life.
HOW INTIMATE CAN WE BE WITH THEM?
Clearly we are not in a position to fully 'get' the Goddesses and Gods. We aren't that spiritually developed - maybe only another God or Goddess can fully get another God or Goddess. We just aren't that big, and they ARE that big. I just have the conviction that I'm not as intimate with any of them as I can be.
ARE THERE WAYS TO GET MORE INTIMATE?
To quote someone or other, Yes we can. All spiritual disciplines, everywhere, are ways to become more intimate with the Gods and Goddesses or the more amorphous 'Divine'. Whether it is the Kabalist washing himself following the path of the lightning bolt, the Christian in prayer, the neopagan in ritual, whatever - there's an app for that. Actually, in every spiritual discipline, there are a whole raft of apps for that!
The fact that others have blazed this trail before us is important and helpful. Their work has left its mark on the spiritual landscape. The can'dles they've lit light the path before us, and our work allows us to see that while lighting the way for others after us.
I'm setting off to build more intimacy with my Patron. How about you? Coming along?
Frondly, Fern
wonderful post, me love, and you and i view these matters in much the same light.
ReplyDeletei made a lot of progress with the intimacy with my theoi this past winter. not so much lately, but i'm not stressing. my life tends to run in waves, so some ebb and flow is just as it otter be.
i recently had a theoxenia day with demeter, where i prepared a big fancy breakfast especially for her, set the table for Her, feasted with Her, and then spent the day with Her, gardening, cooking, keeping her always foremost in my thoughts. back in the winter i did this with apollon. i've found it a wonderful way to deepen the connection.
khairete
suz
Wonderful post - I'm leading a trance/journey as part of our Mabon festivities this weekend and we'll be working with a God and Goddess I'm familar with but not intimate with. For the past few weeks I've been developing a relationship with them both.
ReplyDeleteThe patron Goddess I work with (we'll call her C) informs a great deal of my practice or, at least, I view a lot of my practice through the lenses of Her story.
Gwion