Journey to Ixtlan

The following quote by Robert Frost was shared by chimerae in a comment about teaching and sacred mysteries:

"We dance around the circle and suppose, while the secret sits in the center and knows."

I believe that the true nature of the divine stands outside of any number of words and practices that humans attempt to use. These are the dance that Frost refers to. In this dance we are the blind men who 'see' the elephant in a variety of complimentary but contrary ways. The visible faces of God only provides analogies to the true magical essence of the divine.

What can be said about the divine? We all have our own opinions, our own glimpses. What have I personally learned about the nature of the divine? Who is my God? To me God is two legged, four legged, six legged, eight legged, and more. God is no legged, non-physical, and more. They are my God. Music is my God. Art is my God. Love is my God. Anger is my God. The human experience is the shining start of my God.

I find the "my" word to be presumptuous. Teachings are the road signs to God. No teaching can own God. God is not mine or anybody else to have only for themselves. God is what I share with all those things that are around me and that are part of me. In the big picture, I have no GOD. Instead, I am god. You are god. My cats are god. If I have to put a name on the breadth of this infinitely nameless thing, I call it Spirit.

Thoughts on the divine and teachings provoked me to write the following free verse based on an Eastern story:

Who Is God?

I asked my teacher 'Who is God?'
He stood and said, 'There'
I blinked and heard the word
I blinked and saw my teacher
I blinked and saw the outstretched finger
I blinked and saw the puddle to which the finger pointed
I blinked and saw the reflection of the Moon
I blinked and saw the Moon
I blinked and…

Honesty is a big part of the pagan life. "What happens in circle, stays in circle" is a mantra for many covens. Indeed, a commitment to a coven requires a large amount of fidelity - faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances.

In a coven, or any serious teaching situation, both student and teacher must be honest to the obligations of the teaching contract. In this context, honesty takes on the flavors of integrity and devotion. The student must put aside their prior beliefs and embrace, with honest fervor, the instruction of the teacher. Honesty also has a shadow side as it pursues integrity and devotion. The shadow is one of dogmatism. "Being honest to one's beliefs" can lead to a dogmatic embrace of those beliefs and the rejection of others' beliefs.

These expressions of honesty and fidelity are contrasted with the openness of paganism. "Do what you will, so long as it harms NONE" is another craft mantra. Can honesty exist in a place of people doing what they want? What is the function of honesty when differences of opinion ('doing what you will') occur?

How important is honesty to you in your path? Does your path ask people to embrace honesty more than the 'norm'? Is there diversity in your life that asks you to put aside personal honesty and instead embrace non-dogmatic acceptance of contrary beliefs? Your opinions please!