how important is religion to you

what do you practice?

how does it affect your life?

do you feel it will better the world?

when did you first discover you were different?

do you practice privately or publicly?

Should this be in the Otherkin forum? Also several of my headmates have different religions but I'll let them answer for themselves.

what do you practice?
Both me (Capsha) and Alezandra are members of the Kemetic Orthodox faith.

how does it affect your life?
Quite a lot, I would say. It's not a half-hearted religion. When I initially took the beginners class I was taken back by how much time and energy one had to put into the faith because of it's antiquity. If after the beginners class you decided to become a member of the faith and the church you become a Remetj. Part of becoming a Remetj means that you will perform a daily ritual called Senut. Senut can be performed at any time of day although there are some rules that come with it:

You must perform Senut at a shrine. For this it means you actually have to build your own shrine. For people who travel a lot it means building a static shrine and making a travel shrine. You need to bathe with a special salt called natron (which you have to make yourself) before Senut so that you become ritualistically pure. You need to make your own incense (kapet). Although you can buy these things it's more personal to make them yourself. No one is going to give you a row if you don't practice Senut but when you join the church you're expected to. The only reason you don't perform Senut is if you are ill, menstruating, have open wounds, or are suffering from a short-term mental problem such as stress. Senut in itself takes around 30 minutes to perform, excluding bathing.

I also have to take part in online events and chats for various festivals, celebrations and ceremonies. Each month, for example, there is an online event for honoring your ancestors called an Akhu Dua. Every Wednesday and Friday there are online prayers called Heka Prayers where people of the church gather to share their prayers for the week ahead.

When the time is right I'll find out who my Parent god/s are and I'll have to build a seperate shrine to honor them above all other gods. I'll also, at some point, take my vows to 'graduate' to the next level of membership, Shemsu. Although there are no differences in authority or power, Shemsu are full converts to the faith, have their Parents divined, are able to be given a Kemetic name and learn the Egyptian divination methods. It takes time, a little bit of money, and effort to be part of the Kemetic Orthodox faith.

do you feel it will better the world?
Yes. There's an Egyptian goddess and term called Ma'at which means "justice, truth and mercy". At judgement our hearts are weighed against a feather of Ma'at. Each member of the faith, myself included, try to live by the terms of Ma'at. It's somewhat similar to karma in that if we do someone harm then Ma'at will be angry. If we do something like give blood then Ma'at will be happy. Living by Ma'at certainly doesn't do the world any harm!

when did you first discover you were different?
I'm not sure I understand this question, I thought we were talking about religion.

do you practice privately or publicly?
Most of what I do, prayers and Senut, is done in private. However, with online events it's done in a public atmosphere with other members of the faith. But my religion is no secret.

~Capsha

Ooh I like this. Hmm I was thinking about this recently since I'm not religious but experience the world and make conclusions based on that. Like, through talking to spirits or doing readings sometimes I understand a little more about something that I didn't before. I feel like this is pretty much scientific method sort of stuff like, I look for evidence and if it's supported I form a hypothesis o_o lol but it can't be measured in a lab or anything so it's probably best just left at the far side of "spiritual."

I was thinking about this recently because I wanted to figure out a new name for my (mundane) self and I have to sort of grasp at the true deep core of who and what I am for that. It made a lot of stuff come up, like connections to the Earth that I try not to think about because they're overwhelming, and something about dragons o_o. I'm starting to feel that dragons are like really really important to like... everything. But that's only come up in the last day or two. A hypothesis! I will sit on it and explore it until more stuff pops up.

what do you practice?

Something like shamanism. I read books about modern day shamans that sounded like my own experience.

how does it affect your life?

It helps everything. Knowing more about the (spiritual) world makes everything less overwhelming and also puts me in a position where I can explain the things that I've found to seekers. I find that I'm becoming a bit of an authority in matters of the spirit and that is fulfilling.

do you feel it will better the world?

Who knows. Either that or we'll undo reality. That would suck for the first 5 minutes. But then after I guess it would be okay.

when did you first discover you were different?

Er, I don't understand this question either ...

do you practice privately or publicly?

Recently I practice publicly. I've moved into leading group rituals, sharing my findings and experiences with others in a way that they can reproduce them - like having talks and meditations on how to connect with your own spirit guides, what I talk to when I do readings for people - and discussing my "human/non-human" nature.

I have knowledge and Spirituality.
There is no need for religion for me..

Dear Ogygian,

What and where was the "aha" moment that changed your overall perspective in this incarnation?

Ousa

It was years three past and a visit from my forefathers, though They did not speak to me. instead they sent me imageries to discover the cluttered roots of my lineage as a hybrid. From that day onwards i dedicated my entire life to spiritual sustenance, attaining knowledge , truth, growth, metamorphosis, finding real purpose and fulfillment and discovering what and who I am, and where i fit into this world today.

I practice enochian, and qabbala,rieki and hypnotherapy.

it affects every part of my life because without my path I would not be the man I am today.

I hope everyone I help will be bettered and they will bring their good will to others and pass it on.

I discovered I was different when I was 5 and I spoke to my dead uncle the night he died in the astral.

I practice publicly hopefully because I hope I change someone perception of witchcraft and other religions.

what do you practice?


I haven't found my calling yet, but I know it's not religion. I personally find religion to be something that people put faith in when they do not have enough faith in themselves.(no offense to anyone)



how does it affect your life?

Hmm, at times I feel lost, but I don't pin it to religion, but on me not knowing my true self enough.


do you feel it will better the world?


I'm not sure, don't really care much for this world, not in a bad way. only that the desire to return home overrides that care.



when did you first discover you were different?




when I was around 6-7 I felt this world was not all that it showed, and that I wasn't all my being showed.



do you practice privately or publicly?



If I had something to practice I would do it privately until I am comfortable with public.

i practice alot of different things because i have been thru alot so i have done alot.I have practiced voodoo, goetia,kabbalah, chaos magick, wicca, coven magick, blood magick, enochian magick.
I think its important because i want to better the world with my magick by using my skills to help others and the world by one person at a time and i think when i get older i might be a spiritaul teacher of some sort.

Sounds like an excellent idea.

Bruce Lee said something along time ago that pretty well much sums up my beliefs " I am not one way...I am always!"

Ousa

what do you practice?
I don't practice anything. I'm an atheist.

how does it affect your life?
I grew up in what I like to call the "Bible-Belt" of AK, so a lot of kids I went to school with were religious, and couldn't understand why I wasn't. I got a lot of crap for it over the years, but after high school it stopped being a problem.
These days, it has no effect one way or the other.

do you feel it will better the world?
It won't make it better, but it won't make it worse either.

when did you first discover you were different?
Not really sure what this has to do with religion, or lack of it in my case.

do you practice privately or publicly?
I'm pretty vocal about my atheism, but only when it's relevant. I'm not one of those pushy people who tells complete strangers that there is no god. Being atheist doesn't mean I have to be a bitch.

Anamika wrote:

what do you practice?
I don't practice anything. I'm an atheist.

how does it affect your life?
I grew up in what I like to call the "Bible-Belt" of AK, so a lot of kids I went to school with were religious, and couldn't understand why I wasn't. I got a lot of crap for it over the years, but after high school it stopped being a problem.
These days, it has no effect one way or the other.

do you feel it will better the world?
It won't make it better, but it won't make it worse either.

when did you first discover you were different?
Not really sure what this has to do with religion, or lack of it in my case.

do you practice privately or publicly?
I'm pretty vocal about my atheism, but only when it's relevant. I'm not one of those pushy people who tells complete strangers that there is no god. Being atheist doesn't mean I have to be a bitch.

Atheism makes no sense to me, would you care to explain? =P