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Author Topic: Are you satisfied?  (Read 4525 times)

IceAngie

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Are you satisfied?
« on: August 08, 2012, 04:19:25 pm »
I have always wondered the deeper aspects of my belief. I wanted to know exactly what I believed in and what I didn't believe in. From that I tried to build a spiritual practice that was fulfilling for me.

At first I used to look for that practice in religions that were already there (Wicca, Ásatrú, etc.). I read about religions and even tried to practice some of them, but eventually I decided I had to create my own. It was back to square one: what exactly do I believe? I kept doing that for some years.

Nowadays, I don't really care about that (the "deep parts of religion/spirituality" I call them). I just do. My practice focuses on two goddesses from different pantheons, and I do my devotions for them. That's it. There's obviously a deeper meaning to this, but I'm not actively looking for it. Right now I'm satisfied with what I do. I'm satisfied with my practice.

So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?
Angeles/IceAngie/Selegna.

Queen of Wands

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2012, 04:58:19 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847

So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?


I don't like the word satisfied. It implies I am settling, compromising. I strive and I accept. I am grateful certainly, but remain unsatisfied because there's always more to be done better. Perhaps that's not the answer you're are looking for though.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2012, 04:58:49 pm by Queen of Wands »

IceAngie

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2012, 05:17:21 pm »
Quote from: RoselynLibera;67850
I don't like the word satisfied. It implies I am settling, compromising. I strive and I accept. I am grateful certainly, but remain unsatisfied because there's always more to be done better. Perhaps that's not the answer you're are looking for though.

 
I'm not looking for any particular answers. One of my questions is if people can ever be satisfied. In your case, it appears you can't. That's fine.

"(...) there's always more to be done better." Ain't that the truth! I agree with you about that. Still, right now I'm ok with things as they are. Probably in the future I'll find something is missing and will try to see what it is and what can I do to find it. I'll try to see how can I improve my spiritual practice. But not right now.
Angeles/IceAngie/Selegna.

Vale

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2012, 05:32:29 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847

So, are you satisfied?

Yes pretty much. I've given up questioning the details ( like what do I name my path; what AM I, Is this right etc etc ) and I'm just going with the flow.

I seem to have taken a whole new direction recently. Whether it is a bend in the road or just a cul de sac remains to be seen but it is right for me at this time and I'm having some experiences that I wouldn't miss for the world.

What will be will be and trying to change that is not something I am interested in attempting.

I am happy with what I am , where I am and what I'm doing.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2012, 05:34:17 pm by Vale »

wadjet

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2012, 05:54:52 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847

At first I used to look for that practice in religions that were already there (Wicca, Ásatrú, etc.). I read about religions and even tried to practice some of them, but eventually I decided I had to create my own. It was back to square one: what exactly do I believe? I kept doing that for some years.


This is where I am at. I am always disappointed when I try to follow a path made by others; not that there's anything wrong with it, but there's always something lacking, or otherwise inappropriate for me. I need community like everyone else, but I can't do it by joining a religion - I've found I need to find satisfaction on my own. So I said (out loud to my partner one day) "I'm going to make my own damn religion". (For the record, he said "I support this idea.")

Quote from: IceAngie

So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?

 
Satisfied? No way. Yearning for it? Absolutely. Do I know what it takes? Not really. Part of it is to have it be an active aspect of my daily life, a part of who I am, rather than something I do occasionally as a hobby...I'm constantly philosophical, but my effort level used to jump around a lot. (Part of that was health related, so hopefully not a problem now.)

But without going too deeply personal, part of my lack of satisfaction is...err, a serious psychological issue with my lack of satisfaction with life itself. I have a strong, driving need to be "Successful", but of course there is no clear definition of what that intangible concept of "Success" really is. So I pretty much always feel like "One Day I'll Feel Satisfied", and that I'll just know it when it happens, but am not exactly clear if my life-goals, upon completion, will actually result in this.

So... yeah. There's some vague "goal" for me in working with the Gods. To be Successful with them. But I've honestly been trying to ignore that and just work on getting to know them, getting to have daily ritual and interaction with the spirits as a part of my life. It makes me happy to do it, which is sort of like satisfied.

SkylarB

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2012, 06:41:48 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847
So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?


This is an interesting question!

I am satisfied in my choice of religion. I questioned it for years and did a lot of soul searching. Even stopped practicing for years as I learned more about myself and what I believe, to see if it matched my choice of religion or not. And come to find out, it does! So I'm satisfied with my choice of religious path and am no longer seeking out another religion to follow. But I'm more than satisfied, I'm delighted and sometimes even ecstatic in my spirituality. It gives me a feeling that I don't get anywhere else, or from anyone else and I don't feel whole unless I'm actively practicing Wicca and doing my daily devotionals and setting aside time every day towards something spiritual.

But ask me if I'm satisfied where I'm at in my spiritual growth, and I'll say no way! I accept where I am, right now, but I continuously strive to learn new things and progress in my spirituality. I don't think I'll ever stop learning about spiritual things, be it learning about a different Goddess or God, learning Tarot, studying a new take on magick, or reading a Pagan book that I've never read before.
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IceAngie

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2012, 07:06:33 pm »
Quote from: wadjet;67864
But without going too deeply personal, part of my lack of satisfaction is...err, a serious psychological issue with my lack of satisfaction with life itself. I have a strong, driving need to be "Successful", but of course there is no clear definition of what that intangible concept of "Success" really is. So I pretty much always feel like "One Day I'll Feel Satisfied", and that I'll just know it when it happens, but am not exactly clear if my life-goals, upon completion, will actually result in this.

 
I think this is an important point. I'm satisfied with my life these days. I have two jobs and am living with the man I love who happens to love me too, and a lot other things that make me feel happy with life in general. Maybe that's the reason I don't feel the need of searching for something else in my spiritual life.
Angeles/IceAngie/Selegna.

IceAngie

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2012, 07:09:07 pm »
Quote from: Vale;67855
I am happy with what I am , where I am and what I'm doing.

 
This. :)
Angeles/IceAngie/Selegna.

IceAngie

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2012, 07:10:38 pm »
Quote from: SkylarB;67870
But ask me if I'm satisfied where I'm at in my spiritual growth, and I'll say no way! I accept where I am, right now, but I continuously strive to learn new things and progress in my spirituality. I don't think I'll ever stop learning about spiritual things, be it learning about a different Goddess or God, learning Tarot, studying a new take on magick, or reading a Pagan book that I've never read before.

 
Ah, yes, there's always so much to learn!
Angeles/IceAngie/Selegna.

Queen of Wands

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2012, 10:05:34 pm »
Quote from: Vale;67855


I am happy with what I am , where I am and what I'm doing.



As am I. :)

MadZealot

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2012, 10:15:00 pm »
Quote from: RoselynLibera;67850
I don't like the word satisfied. It implies I am settling, compromising.

 
This.
I prefer to be pleased, but never satisfied.  I don't know it all and I try to be open to the next learning-phase.
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And my shield
And my... um... slacks.

DashesAgainst

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2012, 11:18:19 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847


So, are you satisfied?


I couldn't be happier (and more grateful) for the relationship I have with my two "Patrons," both Hellenic gods.  

And I am completely happy worshiping and sticking with the Hellenic pantheon.  

I have also added Stoic philosophy to my spiritual mix, and it has really helped me grow as a person.  And that, to me, is what is most important when it comes to a spiritual or philosophical path  - that it not only fulfill you, but push and test you as a person; make you better than before.  

So yes, presently, I am very "satisfied."
"Of all the rest of mankind, make him your friend who distinguishes himself by his virtue." - The Golden Verses of Pythagoras

Liadine (dragonflyeyes)

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2012, 12:15:50 am »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847
So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?


I'm comfortable (not satisfied, just 'this works well and doesn't need anything new for now') with a few things, but as a whole I feel like my path still needs a lot of work, which can be frustrating. I remember posting about 'making a coherent whole' a few years after joining TC (so I would have been... 17 or 18?) and sometimes it feels like I haven't made any process in six or seven years.

That's not true, of course, but it does stick in my gears a bit.

At the moment, I'm frustrated that I lack a lot of path basics - like a calendar, for instance. I use a wheel of the year framework that works well for me, but there are certain festivals I just have no interest in celebrating, plus other days I would like to research and add into my calendar.

In terms of big things, I still feel like I'm lacking that coherent whole, and my regular practice tends to vary wildly both in what I do and how committed I am to my regular duties. I'm lucky to have patient deities as these things go, but I'd rather not test that patience.

'Satisfied' doesn't feel like the right word for where I'm aiming - I want to be fulfilled and I want to be doing the work of my gods, while still leaving room for learning. I'm sort of there right now, but everything still needs a lot of fine-tuning.
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night's a good herd [my religious tumblr]

wadjet

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2012, 02:54:12 pm »
Quote from: Liadine (dragonflyeyes);67938
'Satisfied' doesn't feel like the right word for where I'm aiming - I want to be fulfilled and I want to be doing the work of my gods, while still leaving room for learning. I'm sort of there right now, but everything still needs a lot of fine-tuning.

 
This feels a lot like how I'd like to feel.

It definitely seems from most people's posts that it's not just a matter of spiritual well-being, but a complete package (which I suppose should come as no surprise). My life generally sucked the past number of years, and is only now just setting into something non-sucky. So while I'm pleased with the direction everything's taking, it's not there yet. Satisfied/comfortable/happy people are also happy in other areas of their lives. An important lesson for balance! (Er, for me.)

monsnoleedra

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Re: Are you satisfied?
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2012, 03:25:53 pm »
Quote from: IceAngie;67847
.. So, are you satisfied?
If not, what do you feel you need to be satisfied?
Can you ever be satisfied?
Is the satisfaction part of your spirituality or not at all?


I'd have to say I am content with the religious aspect of my pathway and the dogma that has developed about it.  It answers the questions that I have addressed and researched up to this point in my life.  It allows for the re-evaluation of my perspective and changes to further develope it.

Spiritual wise I have to say i'm never more than at ease with it for the moment.  I say at ease for I know the gods / goddess and Spirit are constantly changing or modifying the construct which makes me re-evaluate any given aspect at any time.  Concepts and meaning are found to be incorrect; not fully developed or were omitted and have to be introduced.

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