How I see God

"God made pot. Man made beer. Who do you trust?" -The Irish Times, Washington.

Rather than an acknowledgement of one superior being called "God", I am learning day by day of all kinds of supernatural beings around us. Some are more powerful and govern the order of existence in different ways, while others become more intimately involved with individuals (spirit guides). There are many different cultures in the world which name their gods and goddesses differently, but if you do a study of mythology based on (diggings) in Europe and Scandinavia alone, you will find that they are in fact all the same. I have been amazed to discover the parallels between these religions and Christianity at the time of these beliefs. And was sad to discover that due to the Church's fear to loose political power, the beautiful teachings of "the underworld" were turned in horror stories. (The painting in the pic to the left is one I did several years ago).There is so much to learn about the diversity of expression within spirituality. Yet it is all one. I have found myself very drawn to the Native American Indian culture and their spiritual beliefs, even from the time that I had very little exposure to it. I have several hand crafted drums in my home and often play them while listening to my CDs of Native American Indian chants and prayers. This imagery is often mirrored in my poetry. For example, these words from the poem "Flashback" I wrote for my friend Mimmie when she left for the coast:

I can hear the beating
of your drum,
and the prayers of our spirits
chanting outside of our souls;
crying at the beauty of pain,
and the pain of beauty.

As far as Pagan beliefs go, I love Goddess mythology. I have received a lot of beautiful life insights and encouragement while making my own runes (similar to tarot) based on Goddess mythology. I'm using shell fragments I collected on my last retreat to the coast when visiting Mimmie. She has since moved back to Johannesburg.

My favorite form of worship is dancing. Whether it's meditation dancing (a bit like tai chi) in the solitude of my home or actually dancing in a club, I instantly embark on a journey. My friends say that people are mesmerised by my dancing in public places because I go into my own world and step into rhythms and beats that the crowds don't listen for. I prefer floating around a club on my own mission, simply observing people. Once I step onto the dance floor, however, I'm bust - because I draw far too much interest then. Even while I was a Christian I found dancing most fulfilling in worship - which was of course taboo. For example:

Moonlight Dancer

Splash!
The fullmoon breaks through the treetops,
and saturates me with cool moonlight.
Deep is the slumber of the world
and quiet the night.

But the stars are God's orchestra
and a thousand angels are jubilant.
There is music all around...

The world looks different from
the ballroom of stars.
From my shadow I can see
that I am dancing with my God.

He lifts me up
and carries me beyond my wildest dreams,
not to a fantasy world -
but to where we were created to be.

So here in His presence
I will dance and sing and worship,
even when the world sleeps,
even in the night.

I have always loved the night. I have an incredible passion for it and often have to fight insomnia, as I come alive at night - no matter how exhausted I was during the day. I am a also very fascinated and affected by the moon, especially at fullmoon. At every fullmoon I spend the evening doing "fullmoon rituals" which are simply little symbolic activities to "pull myself toward myself" after a month of manic corporate rushing around. I usually burn my "need fire" in the form of a candle.

I have also read an incredible book called "I am woman by rite" - a book of women's rituals by Nancy Brady Cunningham. After reading this I discovered that I've been practicing little rituals unconsciously during my everyday life. "Ritual is not weird and bizarre, but rather a method of forming a deeper connection with our everyday activities. Even a toast is a ritual since it pulls our attention to one point." - Nancy Brady

Simple pastimes like poetry, walking, painting, music or even driving to work and cleaning the home, pull us into a realm where we are in sync with our deeper selves and we simultaneously feel a connection with the world that differs from our usual perception.

It is not only fullmoon that bears significant, but it does embody the most energy of the moon phases. Other significant times are the changing of the seasons and solstices, going on a long journey or meeting new people. But it's my love for the night and the moon that draws me toward vampires. But that's a very long story...

One of my favorite explanations of "god" comes from a little story called "The fish that was thirsty". Check it out here.

Back to interview with a
a Natural Born Goddess