Pagan Godspell

I’ve been thinking about why I spend more time talking about music, dancing, insects and voles rather than the Gods of contemporary Paganism.  Well, that’s mostly because Pagans worship a lot of different gods, in a lot of different ways (and because some of my gods are music, dancing, insects and voles).  Though I too have a pantheon, and my gods are important to me. 

Now, who the gods are, what they are, what they represent, whether they’re psychological constructs, people I made up to make my life make sense, real beings, forces of nature, and whether they’re infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, etc. etc. ad infinitum or all of the above (always a possibility, as Hecate sagely pointed out in her comments on yesterday’s post)…well, as they say, get 10 Pagans (or any other religious group) into a room and you’ll have 12 opinions.  I welcome yours!  Muckin’ around in there is a lot of fun, like playing with brilliantly colored thea/ological play-doh.  Though, as Caroline implied on yesterday’s post as well – it is more important to me how our beliefs about the gods affect our actions on the ground, how our thea/ologies operate on a day to day basis, how it affects our relationship with the Earth, our bodies, each other.  The abstract is fun dinner conversation – the concrete is “doing thea/ology.”  My relationship with my gods is dynamic, fluid, argumentative, instructive, loving, angry, ecstatic, and my gods, like me, are subject to the flow of Law in the bright scheme (skein) of the Universe.  I learn from them and co-create with them.  I also worship them. 

Defining worship too, is a tangle of silver threads.  This blog is one of the ways in which I worship, in which I grab ahold of things with my teeth and shake them happily (please refrain from envisioning me with flapping puppy ears here…though it may be too late), seeing what falls out and what stays together.  Then, of course, there’s all that dancing I go on and on about.  And of course, there are many gods that I do not worship per se, but that I admire or praise.

Today, for instance, I’d like to give praise to two (out of the thousands, or the 9, or the 12, or the 3, that I love, admire, praise, or worship):

1. Jason Pitzl-Waters has a wonderful post today celebrating the Feast Day of La Virgen de Guadalupe.  I have always felt a profound connection to La Virgen de Guadalupe.  While I would not consider her a formal part of my pantheon (out of respect for the traditions she embodies), I have always loved her strength and her power, and I give her much praise and honor on this her Feast Day! 

2.  Last night, I pulled into my driveway at 9pm.  When I got out of the car, I was immediately hit by the gorgeous silent hush that had fallen over the world.  There was a misty rain and silver fog draped everywhere, under a soft dark sky, illuminating the streetlights.  It was a pregnant silence – full of something wonderful.  I felt caught in it like a small animal – in complete awe of the moment, breathing.  I stood on the concrete as the mintues stretched on and felt every pinpoint of mist touch my face in blessing.  I was reminded to look at the tops of trees and imagine.  To this god (or gods) who washed me in Peace last night – Mother Night, the Rain, the Silence, I give thanks and praise.

In the face of the hush, the rest falls away – the purpose of prayer, the meaning of worship, the face of the gods.  For you, friends, I wish the blessings of your gods and a moment of brilliant hush.