I went back through the old posts to see what still holds true and what doesn't. So far, I have taken the Celtic names off the holidays and decided to stop keeping up with the actual astronomical dates in favor of a static list. I rarely celebrate the holidays anyway, and I am by no means a Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan or Wiccan. I still think the wheel of the year makes for a good holiday schedule, and if I feel the need to celebrate, I'll probably still use the Celtic names when inviting people to said celebrations or inviting myself to someone else's. Which brings up the question: What are YOU doing for Litha? If there is food and/or liquor involved, count me in.
Caedo's Model of Truth still works, but I am less comfortable than ever about my dippy label choices.
To summarize 2009-2010, I spent most of that time trying to define my belief system or dharma. I started out as a Mormon and have since browsed the basic tenets of various religions without finding any with which I want to identify. The animistic and spiritistic (yeah, that's totally not a word) systems, e.g. Shamanism, Voudou/Ifa, Shinto, and Kebatinan, are the ones that appeal to me the most. Buddhism and Hinduism are nice to visit, but I don't want to live there, as both are too philosophically confining for me. I'm sure that many Buddhists and Hindus would find that hard to believe, but that's what I think.
Somewhere along the way, life lost its magic. I abandoned Beauty, who had always been good to me, and instead shacked up with Truth, a spiteful whore who framed me for the deaths of Santa and Jesus and left me alone in a stark, cheerless universe with no way out.
Fuck this. I've had enough. Time to make my own magic.
Fuck this. I've had enough. Time to make my own magic.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Return
Welcome back, you! And by "you," I mean "me." It's been almost two years since the last post*, but I've been busy. Got divorced, slipped a few notches on the socioeconomic ladder, painfully restructured my entire life, went on a date that somehow lasted eight months, and finished up by hurting someone that didn't deserve it. All in all, I think it's time to reflect more and interact less, at least for a while.
*I actually removed most of the previous posts because I felt they didn't offer anything in the way of substance or insight. That implies that the ones that I left do, but I'll leave that up to the reader.
*I actually removed most of the previous posts because I felt they didn't offer anything in the way of substance or insight. That implies that the ones that I left do, but I'll leave that up to the reader.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Caedo's Model of Truth
This is an edited version of something else I had on my old MySpace blog. I don't know the exact date, but it's probably at least a year old. I've been struggling with this subject off and on for a while now.
Let's begin with a definition. Truth, as it is used here, refers to an indisputable fact that pertains to life and/or the universe. That said, I have to point out that, indisputable or not, some truths are subjective. Others are transitory. In other words, what is true for one person is not necessarily true for another, and some truths are rendered invalid by changing circumstances. I believe, however, that the following model holds for all cases.
As I see it, there are four types of truth. The first two types are natural truths. They rule the primal, animalistic side of life. The second two types are (wait for it) unnatural truths. These unnatural truths govern the high-minded, civilized aspects of humanity. For the heck of it, I’ve given the four types dramatic-sounding names. It’s probably silly, but the nomenclature makes it all a bit easier to explain. Anyway, the four types are blood, fire, spirit, and reason. I feel that all four types are critical to emotional and/or spiritual development.
Blood is truth of the body. No matter how much we distance ourselves from nature, we share the same set of needs that govern all living creatures. Denying that we have these needs puts us at odds with our own bodies, a struggle that cannot be won. Know, however, that blood is never satisfied. Nature must be appeased, but left unchecked, blood will consume all.
Fire is truth in passion. Fire is the motivating force, the catalyst that allows us to act. Where blood is need, fire is want. Without passion, we grow mentally and physically stagnant, and ultimately we wither and die. On the other hand, too much fire will exhaust us and burn us to ash.
Spirit is truth of the will. Spirit is the understanding of self, awareness of the imperceptible, and the complex relationships between the two. Self-esteem, confidence, and empathy are all reflections of spirit. Neglecting our spiritual development causes us to isolate ourselves out of shame and mistrust. Overindulgence of the spirit leads to hubris and self-righteousness, and we isolate ourselves out of contempt. Either extreme results in the erosion of our humanity.
Reason is truth in law. Reason is the understanding of cause and effect. Where spirit deals with the imperceptible, reason deals with the empirical. It makes life predictable and liberates us from fear. It prevents us from deceiving ourselves and being deceived by others. Untempered reason leads to tyranny, the lack of reason to anarchy.
Each of these categories represents a set of individual truths, understandings of how things are. Over the course of our lives, everything we learn about anything is an aspect of one of the four types of truth. For example, learning to use potholders when taking something out of the oven is reason. Learning how much alcohol or food or sex is too much is blood. Learning effective ways to motivate oneself to exercise is fire. Learning to be comfortable with your imperfections or limitations is spirit. As human beings, we choose much of what we learn, and that is why it is important to be aware of what we currently need to learn.
As an aside, I'd like to point out that natural truths (blood and fire) are inherently destructive while the unnatural truths (spirit and reason) are inherently constructive. The reason I have attributed to this is that nature is cyclical and seeks endings so that the cycle can begin anew. Man, on the other hand, seeks to break cycles to hold onto the present.
In the end, I don't know that creating this model really accomplishes much. It helped me to put some things in perspective and to realize the importance of balance in the pursuit of truth. Maybe I'll put it to practical use in later posts. Maybe not.
Let's begin with a definition. Truth, as it is used here, refers to an indisputable fact that pertains to life and/or the universe. That said, I have to point out that, indisputable or not, some truths are subjective. Others are transitory. In other words, what is true for one person is not necessarily true for another, and some truths are rendered invalid by changing circumstances. I believe, however, that the following model holds for all cases.
As I see it, there are four types of truth. The first two types are natural truths. They rule the primal, animalistic side of life. The second two types are (wait for it) unnatural truths. These unnatural truths govern the high-minded, civilized aspects of humanity. For the heck of it, I’ve given the four types dramatic-sounding names. It’s probably silly, but the nomenclature makes it all a bit easier to explain. Anyway, the four types are blood, fire, spirit, and reason. I feel that all four types are critical to emotional and/or spiritual development.
Blood is truth of the body. No matter how much we distance ourselves from nature, we share the same set of needs that govern all living creatures. Denying that we have these needs puts us at odds with our own bodies, a struggle that cannot be won. Know, however, that blood is never satisfied. Nature must be appeased, but left unchecked, blood will consume all.
Fire is truth in passion. Fire is the motivating force, the catalyst that allows us to act. Where blood is need, fire is want. Without passion, we grow mentally and physically stagnant, and ultimately we wither and die. On the other hand, too much fire will exhaust us and burn us to ash.
Spirit is truth of the will. Spirit is the understanding of self, awareness of the imperceptible, and the complex relationships between the two. Self-esteem, confidence, and empathy are all reflections of spirit. Neglecting our spiritual development causes us to isolate ourselves out of shame and mistrust. Overindulgence of the spirit leads to hubris and self-righteousness, and we isolate ourselves out of contempt. Either extreme results in the erosion of our humanity.
Reason is truth in law. Reason is the understanding of cause and effect. Where spirit deals with the imperceptible, reason deals with the empirical. It makes life predictable and liberates us from fear. It prevents us from deceiving ourselves and being deceived by others. Untempered reason leads to tyranny, the lack of reason to anarchy.
Each of these categories represents a set of individual truths, understandings of how things are. Over the course of our lives, everything we learn about anything is an aspect of one of the four types of truth. For example, learning to use potholders when taking something out of the oven is reason. Learning how much alcohol or food or sex is too much is blood. Learning effective ways to motivate oneself to exercise is fire. Learning to be comfortable with your imperfections or limitations is spirit. As human beings, we choose much of what we learn, and that is why it is important to be aware of what we currently need to learn.
As an aside, I'd like to point out that natural truths (blood and fire) are inherently destructive while the unnatural truths (spirit and reason) are inherently constructive. The reason I have attributed to this is that nature is cyclical and seeks endings so that the cycle can begin anew. Man, on the other hand, seeks to break cycles to hold onto the present.
In the end, I don't know that creating this model really accomplishes much. It helped me to put some things in perspective and to realize the importance of balance in the pursuit of truth. Maybe I'll put it to practical use in later posts. Maybe not.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Beautiful Truth
In spite of what my little rant at the top of this blog may imply, beauty really can't exist without truth. As I see it, truth is the fabric of reality, the whys and wherefores of existence, whereas beauty occurs at those points where reality happens to come together in a pleasing way. We can't change truth; the universe is what it is. We can, however, arrange those truths we have discovered in just about any way we wish. The pattern of our lives is up to us, and history will judge us by the skill with which we weave it.
For a decade or so, the pattern I wove was rather unpleasant. It was a shameful, plaid sackcloth whose only virtue lay in its strength, a rag that would've gladly gone to the dustbin as soon as it was cut from the loom, so I'm starting over. Unraveling years of effort will be painful, but I am hopeful that this second attempt will yield something beautiful and lasting.
For a decade or so, the pattern I wove was rather unpleasant. It was a shameful, plaid sackcloth whose only virtue lay in its strength, a rag that would've gladly gone to the dustbin as soon as it was cut from the loom, so I'm starting over. Unraveling years of effort will be painful, but I am hopeful that this second attempt will yield something beautiful and lasting.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Repost
The following was originally posted to my MySpace blog on August 3, 2009. I thought it fit the theme here.
Something Missing
I've come to the conclusion that the je ne sais quoi that I have been chasing for most of my adult life can be summed up with one word: wonder. By wonder, I mean awe or amazement, as in the phrase "childlike wonder." It occurred to me today that most, if not all, of my hobbies and much of my philosophical pursuits revolve around my need to experience wonder. I would imagine that this need is not unique to me, so how do others satisfy it? Am I so much more jaded than everyone else?
As I sat thinking about my life and the frustrating struggle to enjoy it, it occurred to me that oftentimes in searching for wonder, I wind up settling for novelty. If you stop to think, it's fairly obvious that the two aren't synonymous, but it is easy enough to confuse them in the midst of a given moment.
The problem is that novelty is fleeting. Once a novel experience is over, the associated euphoria is gone, never to return. True wonder, on the other hand, seems to linger indefinitely. I have a handful of memories, mostly from childhood, that still excite me when some random stimulus brings one of them to mind. I definitely need more of those, and I need them doled out to me at semi-predictable, acceptably frequent intervals over the remainder of my life. Is that too much to ask? Thought so.
Something Missing
I've come to the conclusion that the je ne sais quoi that I have been chasing for most of my adult life can be summed up with one word: wonder. By wonder, I mean awe or amazement, as in the phrase "childlike wonder." It occurred to me today that most, if not all, of my hobbies and much of my philosophical pursuits revolve around my need to experience wonder. I would imagine that this need is not unique to me, so how do others satisfy it? Am I so much more jaded than everyone else?
As I sat thinking about my life and the frustrating struggle to enjoy it, it occurred to me that oftentimes in searching for wonder, I wind up settling for novelty. If you stop to think, it's fairly obvious that the two aren't synonymous, but it is easy enough to confuse them in the midst of a given moment.
The problem is that novelty is fleeting. Once a novel experience is over, the associated euphoria is gone, never to return. True wonder, on the other hand, seems to linger indefinitely. I have a handful of memories, mostly from childhood, that still excite me when some random stimulus brings one of them to mind. I definitely need more of those, and I need them doled out to me at semi-predictable, acceptably frequent intervals over the remainder of my life. Is that too much to ask? Thought so.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Wheel of the Year
You may have noticed my "Important Dates" list on the sidebar. For those of you not in the know, they are the standard neo-pagan holidays: the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days (the days halfway between solstice and equinox). Those of you who are in the know might draw the conclusion that I am Wiccan. This is not the case.
I choose to celebrate these holidays for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, the fact that only small number of people observe them means they are largely immune to commercialization. It also means that I can celebrate them quietly and peacefully. No stress. No spastic, ill-behaved relatives. No frantic shopping or conspicuous consumption. Just calm contemplation of the changing seasons and the cycles of nature.
Currently, I have no special rituals corresponding to any of these holidays. It is enough for me just to mark their passing. Ironically, without all of the blaring advertisements like those that remind us that Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. are approaching, I sometimes miss a sabbat here and there. That's fine, though. No one will think less of me for it, which is exactly as it should be. Holidays were never meant to be contests or yardsticks by which to measure our success. Failure to realize that is what makes holidays so miserable for so many people.
I choose to celebrate these holidays for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, the fact that only small number of people observe them means they are largely immune to commercialization. It also means that I can celebrate them quietly and peacefully. No stress. No spastic, ill-behaved relatives. No frantic shopping or conspicuous consumption. Just calm contemplation of the changing seasons and the cycles of nature.
Currently, I have no special rituals corresponding to any of these holidays. It is enough for me just to mark their passing. Ironically, without all of the blaring advertisements like those that remind us that Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. are approaching, I sometimes miss a sabbat here and there. That's fine, though. No one will think less of me for it, which is exactly as it should be. Holidays were never meant to be contests or yardsticks by which to measure our success. Failure to realize that is what makes holidays so miserable for so many people.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Labels
I'd like to label myself. Labels make things a lot simpler, even if they aren't entirely accurate. When it comes to spirituality, however, I can't even apply the really generic labels like theist, atheist, pantheist, deist, dualist, etc., much less consider myself a member of a particular religion...ugh, the very word makes me shudder. I think all human beings, for whatever reason, have some need to interact with the sacred, but it seems like the process of defining and codifying that interaction hopelessly obscures whatever we thought of as sacred in the first place. There must be something more intuitive, less contrived that would satisfy that need. Let's see if I can find it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
