Goth Test

[fluffymark]

Bet you practice Wicca or Paganism or possibly more liberal Christianity. You probably love Dead Can Dance, anything ethereal, and might be vegetarian. You probably also like to hug people.

What kind of goth are you?

Created by ptocheia

Dammit, they caught me listening to All about Eve again! I'm way way too obvious, aren't I? *giggle*

Comments

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

For some reason I take it as a huge compliment that 'more liberal Christianity' has been lumped in with Wicca and Paganism. I'm sure I shouldn't.

[fluffymark]

*smallsmile* You're not the only one who's glad at that. Given that my current beliefs are a mixture of wicca and liuberal christianity, i'm smiling like a cheshire cat here that someone else has noted the connection. As from the way I view things, Wicca and a liberal view on christianity share an awful lot in common - (they have to, in order for my beliefs to make sense and not overly contradict and confuse me). Historically, this is to be expected, as each belief system stole ideas off the other.

On sunday it was refreshing to find Asylum discussing the feminine side of god. Most people naturally assume the christan god is male, as thats what the established churches keep ramming down peoples throats. However this doesn't make sense in my view, and I go for the Wiccan viewpoint that God has both male and female sides. A more liberal christianity where this is taken onboard is a very good thing.

Christian goddesses etc.

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

Hugely. My practice is to refer to God as male, female or neuter depending on who's listening, and what they'll prefer or be offended by one or the other. In private prayer I just do what I feel like, and very often call God 'mother'.

You'd be surprised about how much of 'the established church' takes that on board (it is, after all, perfectly biblical: in the old testament especially, God is sometimes referred to as female.) I've been to several 'respectable' Anglican churches which begin the Lord's Prayer with 'Our mother and father in heaven' or similar.

And of course there's Sophia, the Judeo-christian wisdom goddess - found in the apocrypha (books of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon) AND the bible (Proverbs,) not to mention Mary the Mother of God (confusing to call her a goddess, in my opinion - she was just an ordinary human being whom God raised to be incomparably more glorious than the seraphim, and queen of heaven and things.)

Do you know this website (http://northernway.org/cpinfo.html) on 'Christo-Paganism'. I don't agree with all of it, but it's very interesting.

I see it as more a case of pagan religions being subsumed (is that the right word? 'Absorbed,' maybe) by Christianity than them standing in anything like an equal relationship. Christianity can't be true if it's not the most important thing in the world. I think that's what's symbolised by the three wise men thing - pagan astrologers not giving up their old beliefs, but using them in the service of the new religion.

If and when I become a priest, I can't decide whether to be Father Catriona or Mother Catriona. The former would show that my orders are just the same as a man's orders and be more... well... you know, but the latter would show that as a woman I'm represented the (neglected) female side of God. To be honest, both sound a bit silly. I don't really see myself as very parental.

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

Hm...funny I got the same. That makes no sense at all. I am not a practicing anything, am not really into Dead Can Dance, would never wish to be veggie and am not particularly huggy.

*looks confused*

Thinking of wicca/paganism...you might know the answer to this. What is the thing you do for the Pagan new year...I remember someone telling me about burning a photo or writing something on a piece of paper and burying it or something like that in order to "start afresh" and I think that this Hallow's Eve I might give that a go...but only if I can be told how to do it properly. Don't want to start mucking about and getting something bad and wrong. No no no.

If you know, I'd be grateful if you could fill me in on the proceedure.

Re: Christian goddesses etc.

[fluffymark]

Yay! Very interesting. When I pray, I pray to whichever aspect of god (male/female) I feel appropiate to the prayer, or quite often both at once (as opposed to a 'neuter' god - i think more in terms of 'hermaprodite'). I am gladdened that some of the established churchs take the feminine side of god onboard - in my experience, I was brought up in a church that never mentioned the female side of god at all, not even with respect to Mary. It was all very male-orientated, which is not a good thing. So when i came across the wiccan idea of an equal male/female god, i quickly took that onboard my belief system. As I take onboard any idea that just appears to make *sense* and be correct, even if thats not the established belief.

You're correct paganism has been mainly subsumed by christianity, and many old pagan beliefs are used in christian rituals. I find that modern wicca appears to take these ideas back again. Any belief systems that co-exist for so long inevitable exchange ideas, creating a overlap of beliefs. You'll ifnd a lot of modern wicca can be viewed as a very liberal form of christianity, with the exception of the question of the divinity of jesus. The form of prayer and moral guidance and beliefs in the nature of god can be identical. I will look at the website you mention later to see what they think about this.

I think you should be simply 'Catriona' as a priest.

[fluffymark]

Eeeep. Well these tests don't mean much really, but in my case it's hugely accurate. Eeeples.

The wiccan new year can be celebrated at any time. The idea is that the year is a continuous cycle, and theres no set 'beginning' or 'end' so you can choose to start or end at any time. Usually chosen to be one of the 8 sabbats, most commonly the Winter Solstice, as it's closest to the calender new year, and shares with the idea that the winter is a time of dying and rebirth, as it is for much of nature. However Samhain (Halloween) is a good time as any for what you suggest. The autumn fall reflects the waning year, and bringing ideas and events to a conclusion. A great time to stop looking back.

I take the view actual celebration itself is of a personal nature, and so anything that feels 'right' is the right thing. I'll throw a few ideas at you anyway.
Create a safe personal space where you feel comfortable (however you feel like doign this -you don't have to do a magic circle....) Mediate in silence. Light a few candles. Write all the ideas down you wish to leave behind on a piece of paper, and slowly burn it, concentrating on the purging of old ideas, staring into the flame. Alternative just imagne the ideas and then imagine throwing them into the flames and being destroyed. If a photo represents some of your ides, burn that too. Then dance clockwise around the candle (if you like!) and then peer into it, thinking of all the new ideas you wish to happen. Pray for yourself, your friends and the whole of nature, and as you do so, light more candles from the first one, each one signifying one of your wishes. Concentrate hard on each wish as you do this. Let the candles burn for a while, and then pinch them out.

Yay

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

Fabulous! I may just give that a go...what, me, do something of a vaguely religious nature?!?! Russia is obviously making me go weird. ;)

Re: Yay

[fluffymark]

I think those finnish missionaries must have pickled your brain *giggle* Val going religious? We can't have that now! :P

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

Certainly not!

Re: Christian goddesses etc.

[excelsis.livejournal.com]

I still don't get the Male/Female distinction.
But I'm probably very odd...
Then again there are fundemental reasons I couldn't be a Christian, some of which are why I can't be Wiccan (although Gardnerian Wicca does gell slightly more, even so it's not right for me).

That said I severely doubt any religion is right for me as I will always find some fundamental belief which I can't believe in :-)