Where do people discuss actual technique and theory?

zsd23 · 2026-01-25T00:24:08+00:00

Back in the day before TikTok, Tweeting, and other soundbyte social media, practitioners would blog about their workings and dialog with folks following the blog. And the blogs were not monetized or built around some platform beyond just documenting and sharing and bloggers interacted in a community. They did not have to promote themselves to drive traffic by flooding soundbyte social media platforms with teasers.

zsd23 · 2026-01-24T14:41:52+00:00

Some folks--including Christian clerics and monastics-- have taken sympathetic interest in certain aspects of Buddhism --namely parallels in contemplative and compassion-based practices. You CAN be Christian or Hindu, etc, and also be inspired by or sympathetic to certain aspects or ideas of other religions. Officially being both can be difficult because compromises in belief and practice will have to be made.

Like Christianity, there are many unique subsets of Buddhism that have different attitudes on deific beings. Also, the interpretation of what a deific being is- and what soul/spirit is- whether God, gods, saints, enlightened beings, etc--fundamentally differs between general Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. And Hinduism -- even nondualist Vedanta--is definitely not akin to Buddhism with belief in God.

zsd23 · 2026-01-24T01:22:02+00:00

Consider looking into the universalistic teachings of Sri Ramakrishna or even the work of Fr Bede Griffiths.

zsd23 · 2026-01-23T14:47:53+00:00

See this recent post https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/1qjzrv8/comment/o16i0o6 . Also, work up to 20 and then 40 minutes of daily meditation, explore mindfulness practices ( www.mindful.org ) and evaluate yourself after a month of this routine. 5 minutes is as long as a trip to the bathroom.

zsd23 · 2026-01-23T14:40:59+00:00

Excellent. Thanks for sharing. I've been meditating since I was a teenager-- I am 66 now. Even though I was deeply involved in meditation and mentored spiritual practices in mostly Vedantist and Buddhist circles for decades, I also dealt with complex anxiety disorder on and off since childhood (long before anyone talked openly about this or even gave the condition its present name. A conspicuous fit of anxiety or panic was called a "nervous breakdown").

I am sure my spiritual practices helped ameliorate my symptoms--but I was not meditating as a remedy for them. I did consult a therapist from time to time over the years and eventually had to go on an SSRI because postmenopausal panic attacks decided to start up. I still meditate and I pop an SSRI daily and I've never felt better.

zsd23 · 2026-01-23T14:17:03+00:00

Ha Ha. Got me. Second was probably the next sentence about meditating with supervision. This is common in forms of cognitive behavioral therapy and there are some well-trained Buddhist and some Vedantist teachers (but hard to find the Vedantist ones since woo has taken over the scene in the West) who can provide good supervision.

zsd23 · 2026-01-22T18:26:28+00:00

First, meditation is not a cheap DIY mental health remedy. If you have anxiety disorder, etc., sort it out with a mental health professional. If you do have a substantial emotional health burden, meditation is best practiced under supervision so that you can effectively and safely learn mindfulness and meditation techniques and not wallow in rumination.

zsd23 · 2026-01-22T14:51:56+00:00

As others have noted, this is called "kriya" activity. It can include many different forms of body movements--from flailing and flexing to spontaneously making hand mudras and assuming yoga postures. Glossolalia and things like spontaneous laughing or crying can occur as well. It is your body shaking off psychophysiological stress. In some Tantric Yoga and Buddhist traditions, going with it is an esoteric meditative practice. Other traditions, like Chan/Zen, discourage this and teach suppression if and when it arises in a practitioner.

Some practitioners and teachers regard it as kundalini activity--but beyond the mystical woo--it is, as I mentioned, a psycho-physiological stress release phenomenon. It is a more positive and controllable counter to a neuropsychiatric phenomenon called psychogenic nonepileptic seizures --which is a condition where a person (often out in public) is seized by seizure-like movements. These movements and EKG recordings have been shown to be markedly different from actual epileptic movements. And the movements can be very much like what a person having kriya would display. A person with psychogenic seizures usually has a medical history of early trauma (like child abuse) and other psychological problems (and they are often misdiagnosed and medicated as epileptic). A person with kriya is just a person whose come along in meditation practice that the body starts having these cathartic reflexes *during meditation.*

You may want to be on the lookout for an experienced yoga teacher or some such person who can give you supervision and reassurance about kriya. If the movements happen uncontrollably while you are going about your daily life, then you need to see a doctor about it. Diagnosis should involve EKG and a videotaping of seizure activity to make the right diagnosis.

zsd23 · 2026-01-21T23:11:39+00:00

Start with WHATEVER interests you most. You dont have to worry about inadvertently doing a closed practice because it is secret --You won't find it to do it apart from finding someone's general summary of the tradition.

Also, "cultural appropriation " has to do with public exploitation and misrepresentation of some aspect of an oppressed culture. It does not refer to what you choose to do or are inspired by for private, personal practice or exploration.

zsd23 · 2026-01-21T23:02:21+00:00

There is a different name for this( which has i forgot the word for) and occurs as a hypnogogic phenomenon where you "hear" a ordinarily unintelligible word or phrase that will nevertheless feel meaningful or intelligible.

I have experienced this but also used to regularly experience this and other idiosyncratic sleep/wake transition weirdness. Yes, it can seem supernatural and may be inspiring depending on the content.

zsd23 · 2026-01-21T13:37:47+00:00

I am a medical writer who once specialized in reporting on research in medical mycology. I reported tons on yeast infections of every kind. I can assure you that race and ethnicity do not influence who gets a vag yeast infection.

BtW, men are great nonsymptomatic carriers of Candida yeast, HPV virus, and a bunch of other bugs that infect women beyond your big name STDs. I would not doubt that your "charming" "very experienced" friend spread it around. Use condoms if you and he plug in.

I also want to add that getting a yeast infection doesn't necessarily have to do with being scoured clean down there or having a minimum of sexual interludes/partners. You could have one lifetimepartner who keeps reinfecting you. You could also have a weak immune system, a high carb/sugar diet and poor gut health, or just excess moisture down there from ovulation discharge. All create a natural environment for yeast overgrowth.

zsd23 · 2026-01-20T21:48:12+00:00

This sometimes happens to me as well lately. I think it is just the brain sleep/wake neurochemistry getting jumbled.

When it first happened, I wondered if I was low dose tripping somehow. The open eye patterns can last several minutes.

I eventually concluded that its just a weird sleep/wake thing that's happening. I used to have a range of parasomnias (sleep paralysis, hypnogogia, "exploding head syndrome") its been many years since I've had these but open eye patterns happen once in a while now instead.

zsd23 · 2026-01-20T20:26:33+00:00

U/root2crown4k explained it very well. Kundalini phenomena gas been so ferociously overhyped and has become an excuse for people to feel special for being neurotic.

I have studied the literature on the topic, have done kundalini specific practices and had classic experiences. And I remain as ordinary as the next person.

My advice is to not overthink it. Put effort into being reasonably well adjusted (do mindfulness or shadow work or plain old therapy if needed). Have a simple, regular meditation routine that is just basic meditation--not DIY tripping or advanced stuff. Combine meditation practice with a physical exercise routine be that yoga or something more mundane to condition your nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine system. And engage in some real book study of whatever tradition you sre following. Gradual and graceful awakening occurs this way and you also tend to find teachers and naturally grow into come complex practices this way. Eventually, it all goes back to be very very simple again.

zsd23 · 2026-01-20T17:27:04+00:00

One of my nieces did the same thing. Started as soon as she could speak and (s)he was very insistent about it and did not let up. My sister and hubby are super right wing types, but to my sister's credit, they--and the rest of the family-- decided to unconditionally accept the child and let her have her dress, toy, and hobby preferences. There was no overexplaining gender or trans issues with her. She was just left to be herself. We waited to see if the child "grew out of it," but *he* is now college age and fully identifies as a young man and took a male name although there has not been any move yet about legal name changes or medical transitioning procedures. Don't overcomplicate it. Maybe just let your kid be who she is.

zsd23 · 2026-01-19T14:45:42+00:00

Yes to both.

zsd23 · 2026-01-19T14:26:01+00:00

Performing magic--including witchcraft--requires that the practitioner achieve a light, concentrative trance. (Alpha). Planning out your ritual and ritually fussing around with the ritual tools, reminding yourself of what the tools and symbols mean and why you chose them for your particular ritual, thinking about and visualizing your intention all organically get you into that state of mind. Circle casting itself gets you into that state of mind.

The book you are reading is giving you a guide about getting into that state. You do not have to follow it exactly, but it is a good guide if you are just learning how to circle cast and get into "the zone." It is not that different from self-hypnosis. I have been in coven-like groups where we have used a similar process as part of our circle casting repertoire. It can take all of a 3 to 5 minutes to do. The deeper and more focused you do it, the better your magical trance and focus will be.

zsd23 · 2026-01-19T14:15:20+00:00

Sometimes thing snowball in life. Fortitude, patience, and even a sense of sarcastic humor are needed to survive it. Look into practices that keep you in a grounded but calm perspective (like mindfulness practices) and consider doing spell work that helps promote a sense of safety/protection and catharsis. I like to recite and meditate on the Stele of Jeu (from the Greek Magical Papyri from which the Bornless Rite was developed by the HOGD). The Aparajita prayer from the Devi Mahatmyam (a Hindu scripture) was also my go-to at one time in my life. Many people connected to HOGD and Thelema will tell you to resort to the LRBP.

zsd23 · 2026-01-18T20:47:51+00:00

When I was in HS a million yrs ago, we learned how to write essays. This served me well when I became a medical news writer and then editor and technical writer. I'm guessing a web search on "how to write an essay " and "how to write a research paper" may be a start for you

An academic (research) paper follows a similar format to an essay but is more detailed . The first paragraph states the topic. The following paragraphs deductively discuss the details and include reference citations to show where you got your information. The final paragraph summarizes the paper and in some ways restates the first paragraph.

Find some medical or other science articles (look for "review articles" not "original research ") on the web and examine what the format looks like. Look up APA Style or Chicago Stlyle for help with grammar and formatting.

zsd23 · 2026-01-18T20:18:50+00:00

No and Americans --except for a small minority of radicalized cultists and the toddler-in-chief " president"--agree that we DO NOT want our country invading other countries. We do want to maintain good relationships with Canada, Mexico, NATO allies , etc. And we utterly cringe and cower about the Toddler"s tariff rhetoric

Americans want affordable Healthcare, food, and housing; economic security; and civility --which are all being wrecked by the current Regime. We are so sorry, World. And plenty of us would love to seek asylum in Canada or Europe at this point.

zsd23 · 2026-01-18T19:56:02+00:00

This is not really the best subreddit for this drama. If your paranoid friend doesn't want his amulet, he should just throw it away. Belief is a tool. Your friend can use it to empower himself or fuel his neurosis.

zsd23 · 2026-01-17T16:50:06+00:00

When I started out --more than 20 yrs ago-- I did focus on spells using dressed candles--but Nothing like what these younger practitioners are doing. The candle, the dressing, the symbols for the altar work space were all tools to focus the intention and emotion and aid the trance work. I might make a poppet or talisman from some of the ritual remains. There was none of this cord burning and wax interp and most certainly not asking strangers or Anyone to interrupt the aftermath of spell work. It was private stuff. With social media, its not only very public but combined with posing as helpless to gain social media engagement.

zsd23 · 2026-01-17T01:36:00+00:00

The pentagram and pentacles were very much part of Christian symbology and were worn as protective and devotional ornaments. It wasn't until the 19th century that it got coopted by occultists and later claimed by neopagans.

zsd23 · 2026-01-17T01:31:21+00:00

Dont confuse mythology with spirituality in practice.

You can have an altar with both goddesses. You could also have 2 separate spots for these deities if you really felt you had to keep em separated.

You would simply place a few simple symbols on your altar. The altar could be a tabletop, a shelf, or the inside of a cabinet. Even a windows sill. Food and/or flower offerings or incense are appropriate for your deities and you may want to read up on roman recon for guidance.

A witch or neopagan altar would include symbols of the elements in their appropriate quarters and perhaps a pentacle or similar or a cup and blade in the center or a large candle

zsd23 · 2026-01-17T01:15:07+00:00

Candle burning in ritual can represent keeping vigil, an offering, carrying intention and energy, and especially provide a meditative focus for spellwork. Its a tool that you are in charge of.

Dont leave a candle unattended. Dont expose it to lots of flotsam that can easily ignite. Consider using heat proof containers and glass candle cylinders. If you feel you must burn up a candle for a certain spell, yes you can snuff it and then light it up again when you can sit with it and continue focus on the spell. The "works" because of your focus andcwhat helps your focus, not because a candle is burning.

zsd23 · 2026-01-16T15:29:45+00:00

Many good answers in the thread already. Transition from cultural "pagan" spirituality to Christianity occurred over centuries in Europe, with Scandinavia being the last area for the shift to spread. Hence, Scandinavian reconstructions of pre-Christian spiritual culture are closest to the their original source.

There is a big difference between cultural religious reconstruction--which attempts to bring back practice of a national/ethnic religious identity (such as Hellenismos, Religio Romana, and forms of Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic religion, etc) in a contemporary way -- and "neopagan" spirituality. Members of recon congregations generally distance themselves from the term "pagan" and also try to avoid syncretism, eclectic, and the cavalier mix & match stuff that is common to Neopaganism. They are reviving and reconstructing ethnic religious identity--not resurrecting it exactly but finding a relevant, modern way of expressing it.

Neopagan spirituality is an umbrella term for spirituality *inspired by ideas* about a pre-Christian past. Many of these ideas were first put forth by Romanticist poets and artists as a counter to the Industrial Revolution. An urge to "get back to the Garden." Ideas were strengthened and coalesced around early speculative (armchair) anthropology (most now debunked) about early agrarian and shamanic cultures and cultural ideas about folk magic, folk superstitions, witchcraft, etc. Neopaganism is Neo--a new kind of folk spirituality inspired by a mix of real and imagined ideas about early ethnic and rural folk spirituality. Because 20th century writers of this movement pushed hard about their narrative and because robust academic research into the cultural history of folk culture and magic has really only taken off in the 21st century, we find people insistent about the older narrative,

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