Post No. 034 - Doing things differently [Content Warning: automatic/unconscious biases are criticised]

Something I have never had much time for is following stupid restrictions - there are a lot of good rules and conditions that I DO follow, such as speed limits. However, others, such as always doing things in certain directions prescribed by others I don't necessarily follow: I will think about the matter, and judge it on it's merits. I don't just do something simply because book such-and-such, or alleged authority so-and-so, say so.

I sincerely hope everyone reading this blog has the same attitude. 

In my life, probably one of the first areas this showed was in the topic of associating elements with particular directions. In my initial workings, I genuinely could not feel any reason to associate a particular direction with an element. Now, a couple of decades later, one of my teachers has made the comment "where does a radio receiver have to be placed to work?" Well, calling in the elements is a bit like tuning a receiver; DOES it matter where it sits in the room?
The answer is basically no, not as far as the energy is concerned. The significance is in the mind of the beholder.
When I was learning, I worked out my own method of working where I called the four elements plus spirit from each quarter (by drawing a pentagram and calling one for each point). Is that less valid than the other, more traditional systems of calling one element from each quarter? No. 

It has the disadvantage of not connecting to the energies that traditions have built up over thousands of years of workings, but if that grates with whoever is doing the working, that discomfort FAR outweighs the advantages of connecting to a tradition. (As far as connecting to "built up energies" go, there's quite a bit of energy/thought form being developed around some film spells through sheer volume of [almost completely undirected] thought-energy: are you connecting to that?) 

If someone has been taught to use a particular form of working (e.g., doing invocation counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere to follow the Sun) and is set on that method, there is no point in trying to change it. However, that does not mean the preferred method is more valid. 

I personally get annoyed when people in the Northern Hemisphere make no allowance for the difference of seasons and direction of the Sun in the Southern Hemisphere, and will dig my toes in on doing things to match the southern seasons to make a point against "Northern cultural imperialism". (I almost wrote "comrade" ... and when staff in Australia Post offices try to use American spelling on money orders ... !) 

However, if I am doing a working for myself, the direction I work with respect to things like direction of invocation, I am likely to tie that to the (desired) directions of spin of chakras that I am working with (which also means I will devoke in the same direction, to keep the desired direction of spin going; ironically, that often means invoking in a clockwise direction [as per common Northern Hemisphere practice] and devoking in a clockwise direction [as per common Southern Hemisphere practice] to connect to both spirit and earth). 

I do things as best suits me (keeping in mind the Rede "an' it harms none, do as ye will" [and countless other variations of wording]). I'm very wary believing there is one "perfect" way to do something: in the real world, "perfect" is a word in the dictionary. 

May the Goddess bless you in your search for your perfections. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
This post's photo was taken at Ocean Grange, in Werribee.
Tags: about me, chakras, energy work, cross-fertilisation (ideas), interpersonal interactions, judging others, personal characteristics, symbology,
First published: Thursday 17th January, 2008
Last edited: Thursday 17th January, 2008