All Gods, No Masters

As I travel these innertubes conversations and groups, a thing I encounter too frequently is a search for some kind of purity. Pure Heathen. Pure Slav. Pure ____. There is an urge to codify, which I see as a holdover from the Christian impulse to control access.

My main person-to-person study started with a wonderful human being known at the time as A Contemporary Vitki, now known as Currents Of Mystical Energy. We studied Norseness together, but also discussed other gods and energies from other paths. While I love my Norse gods and goddesses, I also started feeling a bit confined, which we explored. Others were calling, and I wanted to answer. So I have. My house of worship is huge, most are welcome, and my altar holds many energies. I am happier for it. Who am I to say No if a god comes calling? (Unless it's someone I actually do not want to work with, or work with yet. Boundaries are good in every realm!)

Purity is a trap. I am not saying to not commit to one or another path - if that's where you belong, then definitely do. I am saying to not limit yourself. We live in a time of extreme connection. Surprise, though, because various human groups have always moved through connections - there is ample archaeological and other evidence of this. We are mobile. It is only right to get aquainted with the gods of the lands.

Of these various practices, it is our gift to develop our own path. The foundations of mine are honesty, kindness, and justice. There are many ways to bring these things about.

It is also possible to honor gods without appropriating. I am not initiated into Voudoo, but they are local energies, and I respect them, and love a few who have made themselves known. I would never claim expertise in these areas, would never call myself a "practitioner" of Voudoo. Because I am not. I know some things, but I am not In. I will not make you a voodoo doll. That is not my area. I can make you another sort of doll, but it is different. I would, and do, ask for their help in the appropriate venues, and make a contribution at altars (Voodoo Authentica on Dumaine is wonderful for this, and for asking for any workings I would need from an initiated practitioner). It is a closed religion. There are historical reasons for this, and it is important to honor those reasons.

Othala teaches us to know what is inside and outside the house and grounds - even when we are the outsiders. It's okay. Settle down.