Greetings to all;
Raised Roman Catholic, have always felt the Holy is a real presemse in Life, but also thought there was something more for me personally than the beliefs with which I was being presented. Had a spritual experience during a class being taught by a Jesuit priest on 16 March 1975, which led me to giving up the Church the next day. Jesus and I had a heart to heart later in the year and I also left Christianity in full.
I had a rather cluttered spiritual, philosophical and religious search for many years, until...
The afternoon of 8 July 1988, while attending an SCA event in the Black Hills (a private ranch had rented the group a lovely valley with pastures, stream and woods) I was shopping merchants' row to see if there was anything I wanted to purchase. I came upon a jewelry crafter who went by the name of Giovannen, a Celtic recreationist. However, amongst his treasures was a small amulet, hammer shaped, with a dragon head "pommel," that seemed to call to me. I learned it was a variation on a Thor's Hammer. I purchased it on a silver chain necklace and have worn it or another every day since.
That evening, several of us gathered for a ceremony to rededicate a Household we had together. The first part of the ceremony was a sweat lodge meditation in which we were to purify our bodies and minds for the Dedication ahead.
During that sweat I had a Seeing of a Being I have come to believe is Uller, a Norse god noted for his mastery of archery, hunting, winter travel, the outcome of single combat, judging of Oaths, amongst others. He did not speak to me as we sat across the fire from each other in his lodge there in the Yewdales, but I got the sense that he approved of where my search was taking me, then it was over.
After that experience, from his appearance, I started studying Northern European mythology, folk lore and history, gaining an idea of who I had seen, and the worldview he represented, which appeared to be the direction my search was headed.
The night of 1 November 1988, we met again for a ceremony to induct a new captain into our band (the Household centered around a fighting unit, but the new captain was to be the leader of our support folks). During the Sweat that night, I had another Seeing of Uller. This time he and I were standing, face to face, by the side of the fire. In my mind I spoke, "Uller?" He smiled and reached out his hand, which held a large bronze ring, that I grasped...thus the vision ended.
I have come to the conclusion that my personal journey to the Holy goes along Northern ways.
I will not promise to be a frequent caller in this hall, but will check in from time to time and reply as the conversation warrants.
Your merchant services account is a type of bank https://www.bcspos.com/ account that allows you to accept payments by debit or credit cards.
Making a quick visit, still alive and kicking.
My main devotion these days is to pour an offering of Drink on Wednesday and Sunday to the Wights of the House (the guardian spirits, if you will). Once a month, I pou Drink at the little shrines I have around the yard for the nature Wights.
A few times a year I will set up a formal altar by my rock sculpture and fir pit in the backyard to Offer Words, Time, Food and Drink to the Holy.
Good to see you again! It sounds lovely. As long as it gives you peace, harmless. Congrats on 5+years cancer survivor, thanks to science and modern medicine ("grace"? really?). I used to tell my grandson to not hurt the trees (by banging with a stick or "peeing" against them, LOL) because the fairies live there. He grew up to see the story much as he did Santa Claus; a childish story imparting a real life lesson. The rituals of trimming deadwood, clearing around, watering and caring for the trees remains to this day. We don't see it as "Holy" though. Why do you choose that term?