I’d planned to write a long post about the place of Ethics (yes, with a capital E) in an eclectic path, but my keyboard ran out of E’s…. Joking, the keyboard is fine, but I’ve run out of Energy (yes, with a capital E) tonight. So it’s going to be a short and to the point post tonight.
Someone once referred to my spiritual life as eldritch, which is a poetic way of saying weird, eerie, and otherworldly. I wanted to argue the point, but couldn’t… really couldn’t. By walking the path that I do, I’ve opened myself to experiences that are quite far beyond the pale… in terms of both the beautiful and ecstatic as well as the revolting and terrorizing. In the midst of some of these experiences, I’ve had moments when I’ve doubted my own sanity and have had difficulty suspending my own disbelief.
My point… if I have one… and I’m not sure that I do… is to be a cautionary tale for those who would take this road less traveled: You’ll see and experience things that will make you doubt yourself and your choices. When you start working with the forces of nature, with ghosts and souls, with energy, etc, you can expect to come across things that defy description, science, logic, and rational thought. If you’re new to the world of paganism (or spirit work or anything that puts you in touch with anything beyond the mundane and ordinary), ask yourself this: Is this something that you’re willing to deal with or do you prefer the safety and comfort of ordinary reality? Best to make that choice before you no longer have one because what’s seen can’t be unseen and what’s learned cannot be unlearned. What you find when you wander these paths may, figuratively and literally, haunt you forever.*
*I really can’t argue the eldritch thing, can I? I really don’t mean to go for the ooky-spooky thing here. I just think that too many people dabble in things that they aren’t really prepared to handle. I’ll probably have more on this later, when I’m less exhausted and less… well, eldritch.
Into the Mists 
There is nothing wrong with trying to stay in consensus reality, Aubs.
But it can be so boring! 🙂
I wonder if by my constantly coming to a rational explanation if I’m trying to stay in the realm of reality or if I’m just a very well trained puppy. I guess I’ll find out.
What Tana said! Keeping at least one foot solidly grounded in reality is not a bad thing at all.
Thanks. Sometimes, it’s nice to know that my rationality can be an asset. 🙂
Paradoxical Belief!
It is all about this. The faeries told me.
*runs out with manical laughter*
Can you guess, that I agree? 😉
I just came to accept it. To accept that there are contradicting things (or seemingly contradicting things), that are all true at the same time.
But I am not sure, everybody’s got a brain that can manage that.
(Oh and I like the word ‘eldritch’ – maybe because it reminds me of the ‘Elvedritsche’, a local legendary being, kind of an animal, its name containing the word ‘elf’.)
Paradoxical belief… thank you, those are the words I was looking for, but my brain was on overload at the time. 🙂
Oh, you’re welcome. I knew it was for something, when I got the message. 😉