How Have the Gods Said, "Thanks but No Thanks," to You?

[NibbleKat]

Yes, yes, and yes for $200 Alex.



From rituals that ended in hilarity (as I tripped over my own feet and hocked a loogie on the altar), from feelings of silence to the idea that I was annoying him. Because I probably was. In the end, we have a relationship of "casual worship", not in that I do not pray to or offer him anything at all, but more that he is included in the grand worship of the Olympians and may or may not interact with me at will.

*chokespitguffaw*



One of the reasons I love Hermes.

[NibbleKat]

This.


Hermes used to silent for years too, right up to when He made first hand contact started to announce His presence loud and clear.

Somewhat off topic, but would you care to elaborate?

[NibbleKat]

Interestingly enough this was kind of the topic of my Pagan Blog Project post this week. I'm in a period of wondering about whether this was the case with the Morrigan. While I felt her moving strongly in my life for a period of a few months, after I dedicated myself to her, not so much.

It could be that it's just a quiet period, or I was mistaken. How does one tell the difference?

I've found for me, personally, that when it's a quiet period, it's usually that I'm not listening, as opposed to they're not talking.

[NibbleKat]

Yes.



It was...civil.

Brigid is also one of those who, although I didn't turn to her to try and worship her, has made it clear that she's not the one I've been looking for. She's always been civil, but when others have suggested, "Maybe it's actually Brigid you're looking for", I get a "Nnnope" in a sort of non-condescending-but-smiling sort of way.

[IceAngie]

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

1. Yes, more than once.

2. Polite.

3. First, when I discovered about Wicca (I was 18 yo), I started worshipping the God and Goddess. I never got anything out of that. I was completely ignored. Then I tried to worship Diana. That didn't work out either. Probably because I wasn't being serious about it, so She never answered.

Years later, when I found out about Ásatrú and started studying it, I could never get along with the Vanir. I thought Freyja was there for me, but it wasn't Her, it was... Brighid *headdesk*. I didn't know Her at the time, so She came to me as Freyja because that was what I knew. (Or at least that's what I think now, and neither Brighid nor Freyja have denied it.)

[Lokadyne]

*snip*

I...think I have been rebuffed (multiple times, might I add) when I really think about it. By Lucifer of all beings. Whenever I tried, I just kept getting silence that made me think "Hm. Maybe I shouldn't honor him...". I must've been annoying because I kept trying (until I eventually gave up, I guess). If so...at least he didn't chew me out?

[altshift]

I was talking with Bastemhet on one of my more recent blog entries about being "brutally rebuffed" by gods when you approach them. She mentioned that she's never heard an instance in which the netjeru have done this (and neither have I, actually). I've heard, however, that some of the other gods aren't quite as polite about things like this at times. So, with that in mind...

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

Yes, it was Thoth. I wouldn't say he was polite or impolite. I wanted desperately to learn from him but anytime I tried to contact it was like contacting nothing. Not far away, or being ignored, just...nothing.

Through Thoth I found Hermes. He was and still is extremely polite. He said he wasn't for me, that I needed to be patient and wait for whoever was suppose to teach me. I even tried asking a few dozen times who I was waiting for me he'd never say. I get the feeling he just let me hang around so I wouldn't feel lost and alone. And I did hang around, for at least two years. He's still very polite and we're definitely friends/family now. Anytime I come to him now for questions/advice he bemusedly tells me I should be asking the teacher I have now and not him.

[Fausta]

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?

Yes.

2. Was it polite or impolite?

In addition to complete silence, I have got polite "Well wasn't that nice, but you really shouldn't have." (I don't remember from which Goddess), "Sweet of you - run along now, child." (Djehuty), but also anything but polite "Piss off!".

3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

Since the polite "no thanks" aren't that interesting, I'll tell about the impolite ones.

So, being Finnish and living in Finland, I thought it might be a good idea to try and honour Finnish gods. I read up, go through studies, read collected poems and whatnot. I use this knowledge to write up what I'm going to say to what Gods and Goddesses and do and finally head off to the woods.

So far so good. I begin my ritual and everything gets odd. Doing offerings doesn't work, as I can't really get anything open, candle flames get blown off - after I've struggled to get them lit AND everything I say comes out all wrong, like my brain's being messed with. I stopped and offered my apologies for bothering the deities (found my ability to speak properly at that point)... After that, I started over with a generalized ritual without any kind of addressing of the Finns.

Fast forward a couple of years.

Not having learned my lesson, I decided to try and contact Ukko. Safely at home, this time. Well, having dogs means they need to be walked, so I take the Pharaoh I had then and head out. We get far enough to be on a path between fields, when I notice signs of a rain storm approaching. "It's still just signs of a storm, but better turn so we won't get wet", I think. WRONG. The storm rode towards us fast as heck and soon we're running down the path with rain starting to beat our backs and soon I hear thunder and see lightnings behind us.

Not good, not at all! To get home, we have to run under power lines and when you're practically chased by lighting, it really doesn't feel like a good idea to go under them. Not that it feels like a good idea to be out in the open either, but you get my point. Taking a chance I and the poor dog run a bit faster to get the going under the power lines done and over with, when CRASH-BOOM! A lightning strikes the power lines directly above our heads! We both duck and I feel like every single pore in my body had opened at the same time, pushing sweat out. The lightnings took it much easier after that and we got home quite shaken, but safe.

I do count that experience as a quite clear "Piss off!" from a deity.

[Tana]

I do count that experience as a quite clear "Piss off!" from a deity.

I think it is save to say, you translated that one properly.

[Waldhexe]

1. Have you ever been rebuffed by a god/spirit/OTHER(tm) before?
2. Was it polite or impolite?
3. Would you care to share the experience? If so, please do!

A couple of years ago I attended a group ritual in which we tried to invoke Freja. She came, laughed at us and then vanished. We must have been completly ridiculous...