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I would suggest caution in considering the spiritualism experiments done by Gary Schwartz as being good science. His testing methods have serious flaws which basically invalidate his conclusions. I remember watching a television show on him and his research and through the whole thing I was...

If I'm understanding what you're saying, a sperm is only involved in an act of sexual magic when it meets with an egg in union, correct? By that definition a man fornicates every time he has an ejaculation, even if a baby is conceived. After all, in each ejaculation there are thousands of...

This is a gentle reminder from a moderator to keep the discussion respectful. While it is acceptable to discuss issues please refrain from slandering specific religions, sexual orientations, or individuals. For instance, it is treading on dangerous territory to pick a religion (any religion)...

Here are some links to Theosophy websites that also provide access to the texts of Blavatsky and other theosophists. http://theosophical.org/ http://www.blavatsky.net/ http://www.theosophy.com/ http://www.theosophy.org/ You'll also find a few keys texts on Theosophy at...

Since Paganism is a rather generic term that encompasses a wide variety of distinct religions it's not likely that there will be very many books that deal with an all-encompassing Pagan philosophy -- since there is no single Pagan philosophy. However if we look at specific Pagan religions we...

Wicca is a very eclectic religion. There are bits that were clearly drawn from Hinduism and other eastern faiths, so it wouldn't surprise me if Jain concepts might have been borrowed (indirectly if not directly) over time.

There are a few myths that I see surfacing in this thread. I'd like to take a moment to clear them up a bit. Pagan is a very broad and rather generic term that covers a lot of different religions -- many people define it as any religion that is not Judaism, Islam, or Christianity...

Just clarifying! ;) Ben Gruagach

Some postulate that the essentially unknowable One is more of a collective than a singular individual. Just because we mortals are individual and see ourselves as distinct from other members of our species does not mean that the Divine has to be this way. That might be considered to be "making...

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that no conflict throughout history was ever triggered or justified by religious claims? Wars and other political conflicts are rarely ever simple with just one clear cause. Religion is certainly not the sole cause for any war but it is...

Not necessarily. "First cause" and "creator" imply a beginning point. There is nothing inherent in the philosophy that the various gods and goddesses are different faces or aspects of a larger Divine that requires belief in a starting point. The Ultimate Divine could have always existed, and...

Most modern Pagan groups do have clergy who lead, teach, and generally keep things running. However it is true that few if any of these clergy "make their living" as clergy. To pay the bills they have regular day jobs. Even the vast majority of modern Pagan authors have other jobs because...

Not all Pagan religions consider there to have been a starting point to reality and therefore not all Pagan religions include the idea of a "first cause." The Pirahã people of Brazil for instance do not have a creation myth. The myths of Ireland are another example where there are no creation...

Aleister Crowley's work was certainly influential on English occultism and Paganism but it is hardly the standard that all occultists or Pagans live by. Crowley's theories and rules are only applicable to those who choose to follow them. (And it doesn't follow that Crowley's laws are...

Very interesting, gwenwifar23. Which is me then -- the ape or the external inspiring agent? If the external inspiring agent is the human soul then how can it be the real me if all my perceptions are thoroughly from the ape's point of view? Just curious. ; ) Ben Gruagach

I agree that probably the most practical way of using divination methods including the Tarot is to use it as a way to tap into your psychic ability. However, there are indeed systems of divination (including systems for reading the Tarot) that are structured in such a way that no psychic talent...

I prefer to think of it as "everything has SOME truth, but none has it all." All religions and philosophies are not necessarily equal but neither is any religion or philosophy so perfect that it is clearly superior to all others. ; ) Ben Gruagach

While it is true that there are polytheist philosophies (such as that of Plotinus and the others you mentioned) which reduce to monism, it is a mistake to assume that this is true for all polytheists. Polytheism is not a single uniform philosophy or religion but a rather generic term for...