PV Gap

Chad Said:

Does this sound like any path you know of? How about some recommended reading?

We Answered:

I stumbled onto the same path a couple years ago, and so far I haven't really found any real precedent for it. Which is sad, because it feels really whole and satisfying without really taking you out of reality. My friends and I would make rituals and declare some artists saints or deities of fitting portfolios (M.I.A. was the goddess of innocents grappling with social change, Tim Kasher was the god of divorce, our friend became the patron saint of lost children after taking in at least three stranded or homeless strangers.) We didn't really believe any of these people were divine in and of themselves, but through them we were able to celebrate ideas and feelings; to exult the mundane world rather than trivialize it.

I codified all this in a couple phrases later, after a lot of us had moved or drifted away: Myths, art stories, urban legends, religion... they're all the same thing. They allow us to find or create meaning where we wouldn't normally be able to, giving us the ability to appreciate our lives. A story serves the same function as a sermon, and a gallery, alleyway, and monastery can all be equally sacred ground.

Spinozan pantheism is sort of like this. It's worth looking up. So is the book American Gods. The only other things I can think of are, funnily enough, a couple of out-of-print roleplaying games that sort of nudged me to this conclusion. Look up Mage: the Ascension and Changeling: the Dreaming sometime. They're definitely NOT something to believe in themselves, but the themes and mood are worth looking into.

Hope this's helped.

Rosemary Said:

Wiccan? Druid? Shaman? Is there any religion which comes close to my spiritual world-view?

We Answered:

You sound like a pantheistic pagan to me - there are a few on here.

But just for fun you might want to try this out:
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Q…