tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382184804747180588.post7157175019433558667..comments2024-03-27T09:04:12.454-07:00Comments on Baring the Aegis: Conversing with non-Hellenistic ReconsElani Temperancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05611003885755154591noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382184804747180588.post-90674981710440740182014-07-12T18:14:49.367-07:002014-07-12T18:14:49.367-07:00i love coming across posts like this because i wan...i love coming across posts like this because i want to let everyone out there know- it IS possible. Actually it's more than possible. I'm in a grove right now with 4 other girls. Ifocus mainly on Hellenic with one celtic deity (Brigid). Another girl is working to become a Celtic Shaman and has worked with Pele, Hecate, and Hades in addition to that. We also have a Kemetic in the group that is protected by Aathena. ANd we have a Hekatean in the group. and a Beginner who belongs to Nyx. <br />We've got celtic, greek, egyptian, and hawaiian in there. and we all work together to help teach other and help each other out. It's actually really educational and helpful at times. <br />So don't think you can't talk to other recons, it just takes a little practice. But after a while you actually learn a lot from each other. <br />By the way- i love your blog.<br />-macy.hpsmacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092517848015850219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382184804747180588.post-46495212602230217062013-01-30T07:10:11.532-08:002013-01-30T07:10:11.532-08:00I certainly get a lot out of my discussions with a...I certainly get a lot out of my discussions with and reading blog posts by other reconstructionists, without necessarily delving into the minute specifics of their beliefs. <br /><br />Reconstructionists as a group have many shared problems in common; the issue of whether a cursory knowledge of core principles is sufficient, for example, which you mentioned, is something that most recon faiths have in common.<br /><br />Of course, the questions of applicability of specific beliefs and practices can vary from one recon faith to another. For instance, although I'm a Norse reconstructionist, there is such a high degree of overlap with Anglo-Saxon reconstructionists that we can have in-depth discussions on principles and concepts with minor differences of emphasis (most of the time). <br /><br />Other Indo-European reconstrucionist faiths, such as the Religio Romana, Celtic Reconstructionism, and Hellenismos, each have more or less in common with my own faith, and I can find enough common ground there to have a meaningful discussion as well.<br /><br />When we get outside the IE language family, things become much more problematical. Other than the most general issues common to all reconstructionists, there's very little I have in common with a Khemetic or Canaanite Reconstructionist, and thus discussion of commonalities gives way to the same sort of interfaith discussions I might have with anyone, be they Catholic, Wiccan, or whatever.Greyhawk Grognardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13929743865700766901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382184804747180588.post-39689822107502463052013-01-30T06:51:06.982-08:002013-01-30T06:51:06.982-08:00I realize now I should have been a *lot* more spec...I realize now I should have been a *lot* more specific when writing this. The Ma'at example was given in reference to modern practice, not the practice of the ancient Egyptians. Also, I should have said this was about as generalized as one can get ;) But yes, you're right; the core concepts of a religion are hard to find, and often even harder to define. <br /><br />Thank you for your comment!Elani Temperancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05611003885755154591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382184804747180588.post-72136366281805110952013-01-30T06:02:50.027-08:002013-01-30T06:02:50.027-08:00"Ma'at, for example, to me means the acti..."Ma'at, for example, to me means the active endeavor to promote order (as opposed to Isfet--chaos). This means living to the letter of the law..."<br /><br />... and there doesn't seem to have been any "written law" in Egypt, so no letter to follow. Things were decided by judges acting as agents of the king, sworn to be impartial and protect the weak from the strong. (in theory, at least!)<br /><br />And Isfet seems to be more of an "erasing" than "chaos." The undifferentiated "everythingness" was angry because some of it was taken away to form the universe, and it's trying to get it back.<br /><br />That's a perfect example of how the core concepts of a functioning religion are hard to find. One positive of "interfaith" discussions is that they can encourage us to think about and clarify those definitions. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com