I've never heard the voices of the Gods and Goddesses I worship, but I have been in contact with them on numerous occasions. I know people whom the Gods actually, literally, speak to. I have never been that girl, and that is just fine by me. That way, I'm sure it's not just the inner sock puppets--a term gratefully borrowed--I'm dealing with. See, I talk to myself all the time. I talk out loud--to my dinner, my computer, my cat, my books, anything--but I also talk to myself a lot in my head. I have entire internal dialogues, especially when I'm in bed. Adding a Divine voice to that would freak me out.
This, however, does not mean that I'm never in contact with the Gods. I have come to rely on a certain gut feeling that is impossible to describe. It feels a little like someone puts a hand on your neck and lower back at the same time and pinches. I spoke about the feeling in my post about synchronicity, and those times, I definitely feel that presence. Due to that feeling, I also know exactly which of my divinations and meditations are Divinely inspired. Then there is another thing from which I know I'm on the right path in life: déjà vu's.
I haven't figured out exactly how it works, but I am absolute rubbish at remembering my dreams. I just can not remember them. I tried training my memory to remember them for a while, trying to keep a dream diary, but as soon as I wake up, the dreams fade into my subconscious. Unlike my girlfriend, they also don't come back to me when I go to bed at night. Yet, when I get one of those Divinely inspired déjà vu's, I simply know that the situation was already shown to me in a dream.
Sometimes, these situations are situations in which I could use some help. The déjà vu shows me what to do, say or where to go. Sometimes, I get a feeling that I need to go somewhere and I get rewarded with a déjà vu on the way there, letting me know I'll experience or find something that will aid me. And I always do. Sometimes, I do, buy or try something and I get rewarded very shortly after with a déjà vu. These déjà vu's usually don't have anything to do with the situation at hand; they are simply scenes to show me that I took the right fork in the road and ended up in the right place at the right time for the Divine plan to come to fruition.
I realize this may sound very New-Agey. In fact, I don't really like talking about these things. I'm better at talking about my practice. But this is part of the kharis between me and the Theoi, and that is important to me. It's all UPG, of course, but it has been--and still is--one of the foundations of my daily religious life.
Do you interact with the Gods you worship? If so, how? If you don't, is this something that bothers you? I look forward to hearing your stories.
My relationship with intuition and inner guidance has (as far as I can remember) always been... er, pretty crappy. Then again, I have the distinct feeling that my parents unconsciously raised me to ignore it - my dad having an interesting relationship with spirituality, and my mother having described her ability to sense these things having abruptly shut off one night when she was eight.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying little, little things to practice letting 'it' - They? I don't know - make a presence known. So far what I've managed is this: your discussions of Hestia and the hearth-flame gave me the idea to try lighting a candle whenever I'm in the kitchen doing, y'know, kitcheny stuff... I've realized after thinking back over my pattern of doing or not-doing this that I've only felt that it was 'right' when the kitchen has been in a state that I feel is fit to invite a higher power into. End of intuitive idea. Ergh... this is going to be a long process.
Dreams have been a better source of this. Most of my dreams are easily identified as light entertainment or working out current life situations, totally normal; and then there are the Other Ones, the rare ones, that I know are significant even as I'm still dreaming. In the past they have usually involved an animal - a black hawk large enough to shadow an entire field stands out in my memory - but, as I've written elsewhere, I had that one dream-laden night this summer that was more specific and kind of shaman-driven. I wish I could report that anything else has come since, but it hasn't.
I like your practice with your flame :) When I move to a bigger house where I won't be able to look upon my main altar from the kitchen, I'll make a separate shrine to Hestia in my kitchen as well.
DeleteI also understand what you mean about the 'feeling right' part; it's a respect thing for me. I can't invite Gods into a house that is unkept and untidy.
You shared your dreams with me before and I agree those come from another source. Perhaps you could try to set aside some time to meditate, light a candle and invite whomever gave you the summer dreams to share more with you. It will be up to you to convince him/her/it that you'll have an open mind to it and not one troubled with worry about mundane things like school, dishes and groceries. Good luck, hun!
I'm glad you don't think any of it's silly. :) I have such trouble convincing myself that there is a value to thoughts and actions that I couldn't explain to my Statistics professor...
DeleteI was thinking something similar... that I'll keep this all mostly tucked away until I have the time and resources to do it justice. Thank you for the suggestion on how to make it known once I do!
I believe I'm able to "hear" Zeus. I'm not sure if hear is the right word since it's not my ears from which his voice comes. It's hard to describe, but his voice comes from within me. I hear him in my head, but it's different than if I hear my lover's voice in my head or my father's, etc. Usually I'm able to sense Zeus's presence before "hearing" his voice. What I find interesting is that all of my internal chatter quits when he is speaking to me.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have the types of dreams that Memory Walker described, but that has only happened once to me when Hades sent me a dream.
It sounds like a beautiful thing, your connection to Zeus. And yes, it is very interesting that all the other chatter cuts out when He is there. Count your blessings on this one; direct contact with a God? Not so common.
DeleteAnd yes, I think we would all love to have the dreams Memory Walker describes ;)
I hope nobody misunderstands my comment. There are plenty of times where I can't hear Zeus at all or when his presence isn't felt. Sometimes when I ask him a question about my studies or what have you, the answer is awhile coming, should he choose to answer it at all.
ReplyDeleteI worked with Aphrodite for many years when I was a Dianic Witch. I hardly ever felt her around me or heard her voice. Usually she would grace me with her presence during a ritual or private times with my mate.