But God is Soooo Big! v. 1.13(Page 1)
by Iain Mac an tSaoir

   Most of we human types, at some point, begin looking to fulfill that deep spiritual longing that sounds from deep within us. Even if we don't actually call it such, we begin "looking for G-d". There are probably ten thousand religious paths out there. Most of us end up somewhere on one of them. Even those who say they "don't do organized religion". Different reasons set the stage for different people to tread upon their own paths.

   Now don't sweat it, I am not one of those who broad-brush Pagan paths. Remember, I too walked that way at one time. However, one can, to varying degrees of accuracy, state that where modern pagan religions are concerned, most fall into one of two groups. Some have Jungian psychology at their foundation. Here, the myriads of gods and goddesses are seen to be "archetypes", patterns of the mind so to speak. For others, the distinct but traditional minded minority, the gods and goddesses are real, individuals, ancestral, and manifesting in various things of the natural world. Now bear in mind that I'm not talking about athiests and agnostics who for some reason feel compelled to influence the development of modern Pagan religion. Nor am I referring to the 'party pagans' or role players who hang around because they think being Pagan is chic - and an excuse for all sorts of bad behavior. I'm not talking about people like them. I am talking about people like you. The sincere person who is looking for something that fills the void within. When I was Pagan, we called them "seekers."

   Have you ever sat down and thought about yourself and all the other "seekers" you've known? Have you ever contemplated just why they are "seeking" all of their lives? Maybe almost finding something that mostly fit, or mostly felt right, but not quite. Perhaps you've noticed them moving from path to path? Or maybe going into an established path and then trying to reform that path to be something other than it was? Have you considered what possible thing causes people to see themselves as "seekers" all their lives? If they remain seekers, then isn't it reasonable to conclude that they haven't found that original Source of all Things Divinity they started out looking for?

   There is a term that I am sure you've heard used when referring to that Source of all Things. That term is "the Great Ineffable". The term in itself connotes Something-Place-Being that cannot be described or known. You know that this Being-Place-Thing is there but you just can't connect. There seems to be a wall there. So some begin to adopt the idea that all the gods and goddesses are facets of that One-Being-Place-Thing that they call the "Great Ineffable". In all three types of person, there then begins building a series of methods for addressing those individuals.

    Think about what I just said for a second. They then begin compiling methods to go along with their ideas. To be concise - they begin building a religion. Let me present my case. The idea of Wicca was formulated by Gerald Gardner with input from Alister Crowley in the 40's and 50's. Their nucleus was greatly expanded upon by talented people like Doreen Valiente. From there it moved through Alex Sanders and by now a gazillion others to be what it is today.

    Even looking at more traditional paths like the Asatru and Celtic Reconstructionism, and the culturally defined paths we see a similar process. The process is humans creating religions to address a perception of the "Great Ineffable" or the "facets" thereof. Even the most conscientious of the culturally defined paths often find themselves at odds with the ancient methods of the religions they are reviving. More often than not these revolve around the themes of sacrifice. Certainly the old gods required animal and human sacrifice. So these latter look to the cultures they are emulating to find existing cultural traditions that addressed the idea without actual slaughter. Be sure, those traditions exist. Hence humans trying to either renew the world, or placate their ideas regarding the facets of the "Great Ineffable", using methods devised by themselves.

   All speak of "finding the divinity within". Some out there use drugs. Others use ecstatic dance. Still others meditate using mantras and their repetitious syllabic intonations to enter a state of self hypnosis. Yet others relinquish their self control over to some group leader and use "guided meditations", another form of hypnosis. But does it make sense to look into the emptiness within to look for what you already know isn't there? If it were you wouldn't have been seeking to begin with.

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