Aloha, all.

It's easy to say you're an agnostic or atheist when your life is cozy. "There are no atheists in a foxhole." My cat is missing, has been for 2 days. My old religious tendencies reared their heads, and suggested I pray, commit ritual, burn incense, candles, etc. I realized that all of these actions are no more than a coping mechanism. Part of the grieving/healing process involves bargaining: "Give me a miracle, and I'll faithfully worship you forever and ever. Amen." Sure, it makes people feel better, it does take a load off their shoulders. The release of emotional and physical energy during prayer/ritual does help, but it isn't divine, just physiological. Realizing this, I can't bargain. I miss the bonding and emotional release of ritual (which is healthy), but to understand the sham behind it... it does take a lot of the healing out of it. So, on to real, productive measures: microchipping pets, meditation, checking the Humane Society. Oh, yeah, and having a good cry helps a lot when done at the appropriate time and place.

I'll not stay on long right now - virgins to do, villages to pillage, work, work, work. I'd love to ask you to pray for the safe return of my beloved pet, but instead I'll ask you to do something far more productive. If you care enough to pray, then care enough to get your pet microchipped.

"Walk your true path, in sacred truth and beauty." - Sy;)

Aloha, all!

Just wanted to say a few things, and I suppose this is as good a place as any to say them. I suppose first things first: I'm Syona, average housewife in an average suburbia, leading an average life. At least, on paper. Since this is the Internet, I guess I can let my hair down.

I am a housewife, that much is true, but hardly average. As a kid, I tried being a Christian, which failed spectacularly. After high school, I then moved on to the official role of "Wanderer," and soon settled into Eclectic Wicca. While a far better fit than X-tianity, it still wasn't "home." So, I set off to wandering again. By coincidence (like that ever happens), I met an Asatru priestess(a gythia). Intrigued, I made inquiries. I had found "Home." No matter my mood, my situation, or my wanderings, my Kindred and my Deities (if they exist) have stood beside me. Here I am ten years later, an agnostic atheist Heathen that enjoys studying religions and their cultural impact. I don't know if deities exist, not just mine, but anyone's anywhere, even in the Pleiades. I don't think they do - I'm pretty certain they're a combination of cultural conditioning and neurophysiology. However, mythologies have been around since the invention of the man, and for a reason. The lore of any religion provides a crucial insight into the culture that spawned it. This is part of the reason that cult is the root word for culture.

Well, I'm so tired the font is distorting as I type. G'night, all. - Sy;)