{"id":2266,"date":"2009-08-01T01:10:46","date_gmt":"2009-08-01T06:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=2282"},"modified":"2009-07-28T14:43:03","modified_gmt":"2009-07-28T19:43:03","slug":"pagan-theology-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2009\/08\/01\/pagan-theology-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Pagan Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pagan Theology Short:\u00a0 Pagan Finances <\/strong><\/p>\n

Past surveys of Pagans say that we work mostly in the computer, education, and \u201chelping\u201d professions.\u00a0 Thus the economy may not be impacting us as much as it is others.\u00a0 However the question of how our religion relates to the economy, and economic difficulties, is an interesting one.\u00a0 The Christian religion has it relatively easy, the manual they were given from the Jewish tribe has a lot of passages that repute to tell them how to build wealth, and go about asking their god for wealth.\u00a0 We are in a slightly different situation, with little or no guidance about practical matters in any historical document, unless cattle raids count.\u00a0 We have to rely on our own ability to think things through.<\/p>\n

So what role does the Pagan religion have to say about our personal finances [1]?<\/p>\n

Based on my past ramblings I\u2019d say that we should look to three elements of our religion for inspiration and assistance in matters of money:\u00a0 community, the Gods and Goddesses, and magical practices.<\/p>\n

It is important to realize that I\u2019m talking about only a religious perspective on finances.\u00a0 There are serious, concrete, things you can do to affect your financial situation, and you should be doing those first [2].\u00a0 All the magic in the world will not get you a job if you don\u2019t look, and feeling better about your relationship with the Gods and Goddesses won\u2019t stop a foreclosure.\u00a0 In fact if you find yourself in trouble, or don\u2019t want to get in trouble in the first place, I\u2019d suggest checking out the financial advice of someone who has a practical, no nonsense, approach to personal money management.\u00a0 A guy who says stuff that makes sense to me is Dave Ramsey [3].<\/p>\n

Using the three concepts of community, deity, and magic, we can construct some things to do as Pagans if we find ourselves without a job, or facing financial hardship.<\/p>\n

Stay in your circle.\u00a0 One of the most important things religion provides is the support and spiritual nourishment that comes from community.\u00a0 Note that I said \u201cspiritual\u201d nourishment: the best way to lose friends and alienate people just when you need them most is to exploit your circle relationships for money or financial support.\u00a0 Instead look to your circle for the emotional and spiritual support that you need, that you would need in any time of trouble.\u00a0 Ritual gives you a chance to bring your troubles into the sacred space and speak them to the community.\u00a0 The collective support of the community, and the Gods and Goddesses, in circle can give you spiritual hope and strength.\u00a0 Use that as a way to refresh the well of your spirit that is most certainly being drained by the worries and needs of everyday life.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Circle is a refuge, a refuge you need now more than ever.<\/p>\n

Remember the circle.\u00a0 As Pagans we celebrate the eternal cycle of seasons, creation and death, warmth and cold, abundance and depravation.\u00a0 We know that the Goddess gives and takes depending on the season of the year, as well as the season of our lives.\u00a0 If you are in trouble, it is the time of winter and the Lady has taken what is hers.\u00a0 But you also know that life is a wheel, and it will turn eventually.\u00a0 What seems bleakest now will be the source of rebirth in the future.\u00a0 Of course this does not mean that you should sit back and wait, on the contrary, it means you should work hard tilling the ground and planting the seeds, with the confidence that eventually the spring will arrive and reward your hard work.<\/p>\n

Read the stories.\u00a0 We have few texts that provide us with direct guidance, we wouldn\u2019t really be Pagans if we did.\u00a0 What we do have are stories that have come down to us about the Gods and Goddesses, their challenges, and how they overcame them.\u00a0 Whether through bravery, or trickery (if you\u2019re Irish), the stories describe how the ancients thought about things like initiative, honor, and taking care of business.\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to providing inspiration, they are free [4], and in reading them you are learning more about your religion (and taking your mind off of your troubles).<\/p>\n

Go to the well.\u00a0 Wells connect the world of the living with the world of the Gods and Goddesses.\u00a0 The Lady of the well provides water, water that nourishes, soothes, and refreshes.\u00a0\u00a0 Leaving small offerings at holy wells is a way of giving our attention and love back to the Lady.\u00a0 Drawing waters from the Lord and Lady, through ritual, meditation, or merely being out and about in the natural world, are a way of drawing their love back into us.\u00a0 The power of the Lord and Lady to sooth, calm, and center us should not be underestimated. When we are worried, upset, or concerned their power is a tool that can be used to remind ourselves of our place in the world, and the beauty of that place.\u00a0 The Lord and Lady are greater that what we are now, as we too are greater than what we are now.\u00a0 Knowing that you are more than your circumstances can help when you are only worried about what is going on right now.<\/p>\n

Do the right magic.\u00a0 Ah, I suspect that most people\u2019s first inclination when confronted with financial difficulties is to do some sort of wealth or money spell.\u00a0 Silly rabbit.\u00a0\u00a0 Direct wealth spells are like playing the lottery, maybe something random will happen and deposit a large sum in your lap, but maybe not.\u00a0 More like maybe not.\u00a0 Instead of playing the lottery another way of getting wealth is to work for it.\u00a0 Do things to improve yourself, reposition yourself in the market, and work to create something that others might want to have (like your labor).\u00a0 In those cases spells can be much more effective in framing the problem, and in helping your change yourself in ways that might attract wealth.<\/p>\n

Creating a spell that will have a practical effect on your current situation is, in itself, a useful exercise.\u00a0 First you have to understand exactly what \u201cyour current situation\u201d is.\u00a0 Are you unemployed?\u00a0 Are you simply unhappy in your job?\u00a0 Don\u2019t have enough income coming in to meet the bills?\u00a0 Are you over extended on credit?\u00a0 Specifying exactly what is wrong, what you want to focus on, is a first start at actually thinking through your problems. The second step is to think through your objectives, assets, and options with respect to the problem.<\/p>\n

If you need a job, what is the best way to find one?\u00a0 Not what you are doing now, but the absolute best way?\u00a0 What do you need to start down that path?\u00a0 Perhaps increasing your network would be the best way to find that job, so how might you do that?\u00a0 Find other people with similar skills?\u00a0 Where do they hang out?\u00a0 How might you approach them?\u00a0 Do you need courage and some social skills to help you when you do meet them?<\/p>\n

As you go through the process of thinking about your problem, what your objectives for that problem are, and how you might break down the process of achieving those objectives, you will discover things that you need, opportunities that have to happen, or traits that you lack or require reinforcing.\u00a0\u00a0 At that point you have found the focus for your magical working.\u00a0 The courage to meet and befriend new people?\u00a0 That is something that a magical working can help with.\u00a0 Need a new skill or to refine existing skills?\u00a0 A magical working to clarify how you do that, or to give you confidence to start working on your skills, would be very likely to work.<\/p>\n

Of course following up on the problem, working as hard to make your task happen in the real world as you expect the spell to be working in the spiritual world, is essential.\u00a0 Spells only help on the margins, they only make it easier for you, they don\u2019t do it for you.<\/p>\n

Even if the magic fails, as it often does, thinking through the problem, and working hard to make it happen, most likely will make whatever you are doing work out anyway.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself in financial trouble nothing magical or religious can fix the simple equation of what you take in must exceed what you spend.\u00a0 Nor can it make money out of nothing.\u00a0 But what our religion can do is give you comfort, help you become stronger, and provide you with a community of caring fellow Pagans so you don\u2019t have to face trouble alone.\u00a0 And, maybe, with the right magic, some careful thought, and some hard work, the circle will turn sooner rather than later and your spring will be as joyous as the winter has been hard.<\/p>\n

[1]\u00a0 I am not a financial adviser, I am not giving you specific financial advice here, if you do something I suggest and it does not work out you have only yourself to blame for not finding someone who knows what they\u2019re talking about and doing what they say instead of what I say.\u00a0 Again, I am not a financial advisor or giving financial advice so if you are really in trouble seek help from a trained, licensed, financial advisor.<\/p>\n

[2] Things like getting your income up, paying off debts, behaving responsibly in your personal relationships and saving money are simple things that will do a heck of a lot more for your bottom line than anything I\u2019m going to say about religion.<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0 http:\/\/www.daveramsey.com<\/a> He comes at it from a Christian perspective. But if you ignore that you will find his basic advice about getting rid of debt and behaving responsibly is about the best path to building wealth there is for regular schlubs.<\/p>\n

[4]\u00a0 There are lots of translations available on the Internets, just look around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pagan Theology Short:\u00a0 Pagan Finances Past surveys of Pagans say that we work mostly in the computer, education, and \u201chelping\u201d professions.\u00a0 Thus the economy may not be impacting us as much as it is others.\u00a0 However the question of how our religion relates to the economy, and economic difficulties, is an interesting one.\u00a0 The Christian religion has it relatively easy, the manual they were given from the Jewish tribe has a lot of passages that repute to tell them how to build wealth, and go about asking their god for wealth.\u00a0 We are in a slightly different situation, with little or no guidance about practical matters in any historical document, unless cattle raids count.\u00a0 We have to rely on our own ability to think things through. So what role does the Pagan religion have to say about our personal finances [1]? Based on my past ramblings I\u2019d say that we should look to three elements of our religion for inspiration and assistance in matters of money:\u00a0 community, the Gods and Goddesses, and magical practices. It is important to realize that I\u2019m talking about only a religious perspective on finances.\u00a0 There are serious, concrete, things you can do to affect your financial situation, and you should be doing those first [2].\u00a0 All the magic in the world will not get you a job if you don\u2019t look, and feeling better about your relationship with the Gods and Goddesses won\u2019t stop a foreclosure.\u00a0 In fact if you find yourself in trouble, or don\u2019t want to get in trouble in the first place, I\u2019d suggest checking out the financial advice of someone who has a practical, no nonsense, approach to personal money management.\u00a0 A guy who says stuff that makes sense to me is Dave Ramsey [3]. Using the three concepts of community, deity, and magic, we can construct some things to do as Pagans if we find ourselves without a job, or facing financial hardship. Stay in your circle.\u00a0 One of the most important things religion provides is the support and spiritual nourishment that comes from community.\u00a0 Note that I said \u201cspiritual\u201d nourishment: the best way to lose friends and alienate people just when you need them most is to exploit your circle relationships for money or financial support.\u00a0 Instead look to your circle for the emotional and spiritual support that you need, that you would need in any time of trouble.\u00a0 Ritual gives you a chance to bring your troubles into the sacred space and speak them to the community.\u00a0 The collective support of the community, and the Gods and Goddesses, in circle can give you spiritual hope and strength.\u00a0 Use that as a way to refresh the well of your spirit that is most certainly being drained by the worries and needs of everyday life.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Circle is a refuge, a refuge you need now more than ever. Remember the circle.\u00a0 As Pagans we celebrate the eternal cycle of seasons, creation and death, warmth and cold, abundance and depravation.\u00a0 We know that the Goddess gives and takes depending on the season of the year, as well as the season of our lives.\u00a0 If you are in trouble, it is the time of winter and the Lady has taken what is hers.\u00a0 But you also know that life is a wheel, and it will turn eventually.\u00a0 What seems bleakest now will be the source of rebirth in the future.\u00a0 Of course this does not mean that you should sit back and wait, on the contrary, it means you should work hard tilling the ground and planting the seeds, with the confidence that eventually the spring will arrive and reward your hard work. Read the stories.\u00a0 We have few texts that provide us with direct guidance, we wouldn\u2019t really be Pagans if we did.\u00a0 What we do have are stories that have come down to us about the Gods and Goddesses, their challenges, and how they overcame them.\u00a0 Whether through bravery, or trickery (if you\u2019re Irish), the stories describe how the ancients thought about things like initiative, honor, and taking care of business.\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to providing inspiration, they are free [4], and in reading them you are learning more about your religion (and taking your mind off of your troubles). Go to the well.\u00a0 Wells connect the world of the living with the world of the Gods and Goddesses.\u00a0 The Lady of the well provides water, water that nourishes, soothes, and refreshes.\u00a0\u00a0 Leaving small offerings at holy wells is a way of giving our attention and love back to the Lady.\u00a0 Drawing waters from the Lord and Lady, through ritual, meditation, or merely being out and about in the natural world, are a way of drawing their love back into us.\u00a0 The power of the Lord and Lady to sooth, calm, and center us should not be underestimated. When we are worried, upset, or concerned their power is a tool that can be used to remind ourselves of our place in the world, and the beauty of that place.\u00a0 The Lord and Lady are greater that what we are now, as we too are greater than what we are now.\u00a0 Knowing that you are more than your circumstances can help when you are only worried about what is going on right now. Do the right magic.\u00a0 Ah, I suspect that most people\u2019s first inclination when confronted with financial difficulties is to do some sort of wealth or money spell.\u00a0 Silly rabbit.\u00a0\u00a0 Direct wealth spells are like playing the lottery, maybe something random will happen and deposit a large sum in your lap, but maybe not.\u00a0 More like maybe not.\u00a0 Instead of playing the lottery another way of getting wealth is to work for it.\u00a0 Do things to improve yourself, reposition yourself in the market, and work to create something that others might want to have (like your labor).\u00a0 In those cases spells can be much more effective in framing the problem, and in helping your change yourself in ways that might attract wealth. Creating a spell that will have a practical effect on your current situation is, in itself, a useful exercise.\u00a0 First you have to understand exactly what \u201cyour current situation\u201d is.\u00a0 Are you unemployed?\u00a0 Are you simply unhappy in your job?\u00a0 Don\u2019t have enough income coming in to meet the bills?\u00a0 Are you over extended on credit?\u00a0 Specifying exactly what is wrong, what you want to focus on, is a first start at actually thinking through your problems. The second step is to think through your objectives, assets, and options with respect to the problem. If you need a job, what is the best way to find one?\u00a0 Not what you are doing now, but the absolute best way?\u00a0 What do you need to start down that path?\u00a0 Perhaps increasing your network would be the best way to find that job, so how might you do that?\u00a0 Find other people with similar skills?\u00a0 Where do they hang out?\u00a0 How might you approach them?\u00a0 Do you need courage and some social skills to help you when you do meet them? As you go through the process of thinking about your problem, what your objectives for that problem are, and how you might break down the process of achieving those objectives, you will discover things that you need, opportunities that have to happen, or traits that you lack or require reinforcing.\u00a0\u00a0 At that point you have found the focus for your magical working.\u00a0 The courage to meet and befriend new people?\u00a0 That is something that a magical working can help with.\u00a0 Need a new skill or to refine existing skills?\u00a0 A magical working to clarify how you do that, or to give you confidence to start working on your skills, would be very likely to work. Of course following up on the problem, working as hard to make your task happen in the real world as you expect the spell to be working in the spiritual world, is essential.\u00a0 Spells only help on the margins, they only make it easier for you, they don\u2019t do it for you. Even if the magic fails, as it often does, thinking through the problem, and working hard to make it happen, most likely will make whatever you are doing work out anyway. If you find yourself in financial trouble nothing magical or religious can fix the simple equation of what you take in must exceed what you spend.\u00a0 Nor can it make money out of nothing.\u00a0 But what our religion can do is give you comfort, help you become stronger, and provide you with a community of caring fellow Pagans so you don\u2019t have to face trouble alone.\u00a0 And, maybe, with the right magic, some careful thought, and some hard work, the circle will turn sooner rather than later and your spring will be as joyous as the winter has been hard. [1]\u00a0 I am not a financial adviser, I am not giving you specific financial advice here, if you do something I suggest and it does not work out you have only yourself to blame for not finding someone who knows what they\u2019re talking about and doing what they say instead of what I say.\u00a0 Again, I am not a financial advisor or giving financial advice so if you are really in trouble seek help from a trained, licensed, financial advisor. [2] Things like getting your income up, paying off debts, behaving responsibly in your personal relationships and saving money are simple things that will do a heck of a lot more for your bottom line than anything I\u2019m going to say about religion. [3]\u00a0 http:\/\/www.daveramsey.com He comes at it from a Christian perspective. But if you ignore that you will find his basic advice about getting rid of debt and behaving responsibly is about the best path to building wealth there is for regular schlubs. [4]\u00a0 There are lots of translations available on the Internets, just look around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}