tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post6969073365823570815..comments2024-03-23T07:29:54.230+00:00Comments on A bad witch's blog: Steve Ash on The Great Old OnesBadwitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10548605170878666546noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-91521945932612462432008-10-10T22:42:00.000+01:002008-10-10T22:42:00.000+01:00To Steve's comment about believing in order to mak...To Steve's comment about believing in order to make rites work, I see his point. But it sounds much like my experience in church, where if you prayed for something and it didn't happen, you were told perhaps you didn't "believe" enough. Which is strange--so if Chrisitians believe enough, then God will do anything they ask? Sounds like we have more power than God.<BR/><BR/>They never consider it might simply be the power of positive (or negative) thinking--or maybe that prayer doesn't work at all. <BR/><BR/>So to come back around to Steve's comment--you do have to believe in order for things to work. But they only "work" because you expect them to, not necessarily because these forces exist and can be manipulated or act independently. <BR/><BR/>I don't know much about quantum physics or, in truth, even Wicca---just some honest thoughts here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-35101252440152887872008-10-10T18:01:00.000+01:002008-10-10T18:01:00.000+01:00I agree with riverwolf funnily enough, as I think ...I agree with riverwolf funnily enough, as I think scepticism is important. Personally I'm an agnostic on this, but you have to 'believe', or at least accept the possibility and suspend disbelief, while performing the rites or they don't work. For me a big part of the theoritisation is to facillitate that. There's also the 'diplomacy' of belief in working with aggressive entities who might exist :)<BR/><BR/>Given what we know about Quantum Physics, and the human conceptual mediation of experience, together with a scepticism on universal reason, I think the paradigm is highly plausible though.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the comments.<BR/><BR/>Steve Ash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-68295472884483660732008-10-10T17:50:00.000+01:002008-10-10T17:50:00.000+01:00In the original talk I mentioned that Cthulhu was ...In the original talk I mentioned that Cthulhu was in the Pacific, under a group of constellations called the Ocean, which contain all the Greek sea monsters, like Cetus.<BR/>Theres a page on that on my website.<BR/><BR/>Badwitch has done a great job at transcription, but it was a long, dense talk, a couple of minor errors are inevitable, will email corrections. :) <BR/><BR/>Steve AshAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-63447764629567670382008-10-09T08:09:00.000+01:002008-10-09T08:09:00.000+01:00Those are extremely valid points.Those are extremely valid points.Badwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10548605170878666546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-86739540026055686542008-10-08T21:36:00.000+01:002008-10-08T21:36:00.000+01:00First, a disclaimer--I haven't read any of Lovecra...First, a disclaimer--I haven't read any of Lovecraft's books yet. <BR/><BR/>But I think I understand what Ash is getting at, although I may be coming from an entirely different direction. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I'm skeptical of all magick, gods and goddesses. And yet the mythology is inspiring, the rituals comforting. So for me, this is no distinction between a fictional spirit entity or a "real" one such as Cernunnos. <BR/><BR/>But I think Ash makes a good point about how some fictional characters are more readily available to our subconscious, and therein lies the appeal or why they work. However, I think this is no different from why Christianity, Hinduism or Islam works. Something within these religions connects with many people. Others get connected to pagan traditions. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure there are folks who would disagree, but I don't see any spirit beings as good or evil. I think it's our intentions that carry those values. And still further, good and evil can change depending on your culture. <BR/><BR/>Despite all my skepticism (informed as it is by my rejection of Christianity), I still have room for mystery. There is much we don't know about our existence, our reality (at least this one we're currently in!). There is much that science will reveal as time marches on, just as it has in the past. So I try to hold all this in balance and maintain a playful, open spirit to whatever gets revealed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-60610739745009355842008-10-08T10:31:00.000+01:002008-10-08T10:31:00.000+01:00I think he gets around :)I think he gets around :)Badwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10548605170878666546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152532055090335650.post-20854577941959696052008-10-08T09:12:00.000+01:002008-10-08T09:12:00.000+01:00under the Atlantic oceanAhem... presumably this wa...<I>under the <B>Atlantic</B> ocean</I><BR/><BR/>Ahem... presumably this was deliberate obfuscation, in case any reckless listeners decided to go and look!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com