Quote:
Originally posted by Silver Cheetah:
Um, Yorick. Worshiping nature IS worshiping the artist who made it! I don't see nature as being separate from the divine, I totally recognise it as part of the divine, holy, as are you. As am I. I believe that we are all part of god, a living, evolving, concious universe.
Not quite sure I understand that last paragraph - to be honest (I know nothing about black magic, let me just make that clear.) What you call 'magic' or 'witchcraft' is unfortunately larded with superstition and fear.
Ritual is just a way of focusing intention, to my mind, to swing some energy behind whatever it is you are trying to do. (Like developing patience, for example, or opening the heart, or achieving your life purpose, or accessing your creativity, or getting the willpower to stop smoking, or to send love and light to a friend, or an enemy for that matter.
Personally, I use what you are calling 'magic' very seldom, when I do, it's to support the process I have just described, of personal change, in one way or another.
IMHO, the energy used during ritual is very similar to that of prayer, at least IMHO. Ritual doesn't work without passion, and passion is the live energy of prayer. They are the same things.
Unfortunately, there are many people around who use these quite simple management techniques things (because that is what they are) to control and/or influence other people. (Or try to.) I firmly believe that they are for use in one's own personal development, although I do like rituals that generate energy for the greater good, and leave it to the divine as to what form that will take.
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Silver, worshiping a creator awareness seperate from creation is totally different from the pantheistic view of worshipping a conjoined creation/creator. In essence you are worshipping yourself, me and the moon. It is akin to a painted character worshipping the painting - itself, the image next to it, and the canvass itself as being the creator of itself.
I percieve a painter. I worship the Creator, and see creation as seperate. Very different.
Thus prayer and magic are totally different. Prayer is communication with the said creator. Praising, requesting, thanking, simply being with he that made us.
Magic is a means to an end. It is summoning strength into oneself for a certain end. Prayer by contrast can be an end in itself. One does not just pray to get something.
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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....
A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!