Comments on: Exploring Paganism – Finding Balance

By: Shenkha

Shenkha — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:21:07 +0000

Balance is not Spirituality. Balance is not found through religion and religion is not Spirituality. Balance is not,
knowing how long to work or how many walks in the woods one needs to ‘feel’ balance. Balance is what occurs once we are able to connect with our inner self, admit to all our weaknesses, face our fears, accept them, learn to understand the mechanisms of the two in order to relinquish what does not belng to our Spirit. To love and hate equally each aspect of our rational and irrational sides (right vs wrong, good vs not good, love vs fear etc..) and yet know how to nourish and care for the wounds that we self inflict in order to bring serenity to our existance through these oponents.
Acceptance is the first step to total freedom. Freedom from judgement, freedom from all fears, freedom from the binds that hold us in captivity in our own existence.
Balance is serenity from within for all that is and acceptance of all that which we are.
Balance is the quieting of the mind and the magnificent expression of the Spirit.

How I love this life I have been blessed with to experience.
Love to everyone.

By: Vikki

Vikki — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:20:54 +0000

When I think of balance, I think of:

• Family time
• Significant other time
• Kids time
• Work time
• Hobby/Leisure time

and last but definitely not least:

• Me time!

In the DC area, a lot of people tend to forget about the last item, and I think that’s why the work/life balance is so skewed. If you’re not comfortable with your own company, then you won’t be comfortable, period.

Sorry, Mother Nature and I don’t see eye to eye…so no long and leisurely walks in the woods for this girl here.

By: ocean1025

ocean1025 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:36:42 +0000

Many thanks to those of you who have shared your own thoughts on the concept of balance.

I am especially pleased to see that even those who do not practice a Pagan Path still felt comfortable with expressing their own views… this is what the Crossroads is all about – being a safe place where EVERYONE can feel safe in sharing their thoughts, regardless of your own spirituality. We may not always agree with one another, but we can still come together and learn from each other.

You have all made some good, thought-provoking comments that I have enjoyed reading, and I hope others have enjoyed them as well.

Let’s see if we can keep such comments coming! Feel free to share your own thoughts on what balance means to you!

By: pdurr

pdurr — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:22:34 +0000

last night my kids were watching the karate kid – great scenes in the film about the importance of balance for LIFE

for me balance requires long walks in the woods ; )

most definitions define balance with the terms equilibrium, harmony, a weighing over of ideas (pros and cons etc)

i know many people who excel at having balance – most r folks who have devotion to a spiritual praxis

often for balance to emerge the concept of abandonment into something larger than ourselves is critical

peace

By: birch

birch — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:43:59 +0000

ballance to me means just the right amounts, no giving worship to just one male deity or one feamale deity.also the ballance of ideals, as i am pagan but i am allso wiccan trad and i also practice budisim. i take what works for me from all three and ballance it out. in a way that gives recognition to all three forms of worship. it might not work for every one but its what works for me

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:52:14 +0000

I love this discussion on balance. I am not Pagan, but have studied many different religions. The concept of balance runs through most world religions– Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism. I feel it’s extremely important to live in the balanced “gray areas” as someone said above than to lean too far to the white or black. It’s hard for me to step outside Christianity to look at it objectively since I was raised in it. This is my culture and mostlly I had positive experiences as a child, but I recognize there are gaps in religion. So I will add my two-cents. I believe we are each created with our own internal spiritual “balance” that is unique and precious to us. A spiritual balance has nothing to do with the religion one follows. The religion helps one to connect spiritually. But we can actually connect without a religion because religion is only secondary to spirituality. It’s just a tool to help us connect. You may find spiritual balance as a Pagan, others may find balance practicing Yoga. Still others find spiritual balance climbing mountains or making music. When we live in balance we can respect all for who they are, and how they connect spiritually or if they choose not to connect at all. Those who live in the black and white seem to have difficulties accepting differences in others. This is because they are unbalanced and feel threatened by their precarious positions. When you are balanced you don’t feel threatened by other points of view, other religions, other ways of life, other cultures.