From: luther@saucer.cc.umr.edu (John Luther)
Subject: Re: SOLITARY/TEACHER
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 01:50:38 GMT

The Fool (ksumner@mason1.gmu.edu) wrote:
> I've been working on a papaer dealing with the concept of community
> expressed by various pagan authors.  What I've noticed is that no
> matter how wrapped up a given author is with the importance of the
> community and group relations, it ultimately comes down to a
> solitary experience.

[snip]

> I don't think I've come across a single exception.  I suspect that
> whether you're a pagan or not depends on something that ultimately
> happened to you *as an individual* Everything else--training,
> etc.--is just the frills.

I suggest that this is because spirituality is ultimately an
individual experience/process.  We can celebrate with others, but each
experience of the Divine is within and therefore unique and ultimately
private, hence solitary.

This does not invalidate the idea of community.  In fact, I suspect
community is strongest when the individuals of which it is made all
have strong solitary spiritual experience.  When I am firmly rooted in
my experience I am less inclined to worry about someone elses
different experience invalidating mine.

I know this is not a universal view.  This is all very intimately
entangled with our psychological makeup.  If God(dess) is external to
me then I must anchor mySelf externally.  If God(dess) is within then
I must anchor mySelf within.  When the anchor is within I don't have
to worry about someone cutting the chain.

Or so it seems to me.

Peace,

jwl

           John W. Luther       -(905)-      luther@umr.edu  
  "If a man achieves or suffers change in premises which are deeply 
  embedded in his mind, he will surely find that the results of that 
  change will ramify throughout his whole universe." - Gegory Bateson