I have recently read the book: The Goddess Path by Patricia Monaghan. This is a book that was designed to help the reader to help nurture your own connection to the goddess and to share in her wisdom. Within each chapter that is dedicated to a specific goddess there is history about the goddess, myths involving the goddess, invocations for the goddess, ritual suggestions and questions to aid the reader with exploring their relationship with her.
There will be a few blog posts with my personal responses to some of the questions found in each chapter of this book. I urge you to follow along with me as we experience the Goddess within.
The fifteenth chapter is about Oshun and you can find the questions I will be answering in this post on page 196 of the book.
There will be a few blog posts with my personal responses to some of the questions found in each chapter of this book. I urge you to follow along with me as we experience the Goddess within.
The fifteenth chapter is about Oshun and you can find the questions I will be answering in this post on page 196 of the book.
What do you know about the culture and religion of your ancestral homeland?
My ancestors on my paternal father's side came to American from Canada (French) and on my maternal father's side from Poland. On my mother's side they came from Canada (French). I believe my ancestors were Protestant Christians.
What events, festivals, or other cultural expressions were practiced by your family? Do you practice them yourself now? If not, why not?
My family didn't do a lot of events other than getting together at Christmas time. I do visit my parents and my aunts on both my mother and father's side of the family but other than that we don't really do much together. I have never felt very close to my mother's family. They didn't do much to cultivate a close relationship. I was very close to my grandmother (my father's mother) but she died in 2003. My father has one sister who I've been close to when I was younger but she has had struggles in her immediate family that consumed a lot of her personal time so there wasn't much time for other relationships.
What memories do you have of special foods from your heritage? Can you recreate the recipes?
My great-grandmother, my grandmother's mother, was Polish so I do remember having pierogi, golabki, kielbasa and sauerkraut. French meat pie was something we had often in my grandma's house - she married a French Canadian. My mother's side of the family had more "american" food. Meat and potatoes type of thing.
What cultures or goddess figures draw your attention? What do you know about their special kind of spirituality?
Egyptian culture and goddess figures draw my attention though recently I have found that I am fascinated by Norse and Irish. Since I've been studying about Bast, Isis, Thoth, Osiris and Anubis for years I know a lot about Egyptian Spirituality though I admit not everything as I am always learning. I know next to nothing about Norse and Irish spiritual paths but as I've mentioned I am intrigued and fascinated by it.
Are there cultures with which you feel uneasy or uncomfortable? What about them makes you uneasy?
I am fascinated by all cultures and would love to experience them if I could. I have yet to come across a culture that makes me uneasy.
Think about your friends and acquaintances. Are they all the same kind of people? What similarities do they have?
The individuals that I would consider friends are all open-minded, spiritual people though they come from different spiritual paths and religions. They are expressive and uniquely creative in their own way and using different abilities and talents. They all carry wisdom of their personal experiences and are opened to share and learn from each other.
What comments do you remember from your childhood about people of other cultures, classes, or races? Do you still believe these comments to be true?
The comment that I remember most was, "We are all God's children." and I truly believe that. My parents were and are generous people who I have never witnessed negatively discriminating against any particular culture, class, or race.
If you find someone of another race, class, or culture unlikable, how do you evaluate this? Do you blame them, or do you consider what your own expectations and prejudices are?
If I find someone unlikable it is because of that individual and their characteristics or traits not because they are of a specific race, class, or culture. It is their personal choice to behave the way they do and I would argue with them if they were to say, "It's because I'm Portuguese." or "I act this way because I'm poor." No. It's because you choose to be that way. You made a choice.
What benefits have accrued to you because of the race, class, or culture that you were born into? What has been difficult for you because of your upbringing?
I think it is a benefit to have been born in The United States. We have more freedom than many other countries do but I don't necessarily believe that because I am white or French Canadian that I have been granted any other rewards or difficulties.
Who is the friend you think of as most unlike yourself? Why do you like that person? What special benefits does knowing this person bring to you?
Hmmm ... this is a difficult question to respond to because I believe that all the individuals that I consider friends are like me in many ways. Perhaps there may be one or two who are more materialistic than I am but I can understand where this trait comes from in their childhood. Other than that most of my friends are similar to me. I enjoy people who reflect the same positive qualities I'd like to believe I do.
My ancestors on my paternal father's side came to American from Canada (French) and on my maternal father's side from Poland. On my mother's side they came from Canada (French). I believe my ancestors were Protestant Christians.
What events, festivals, or other cultural expressions were practiced by your family? Do you practice them yourself now? If not, why not?
My family didn't do a lot of events other than getting together at Christmas time. I do visit my parents and my aunts on both my mother and father's side of the family but other than that we don't really do much together. I have never felt very close to my mother's family. They didn't do much to cultivate a close relationship. I was very close to my grandmother (my father's mother) but she died in 2003. My father has one sister who I've been close to when I was younger but she has had struggles in her immediate family that consumed a lot of her personal time so there wasn't much time for other relationships.
What memories do you have of special foods from your heritage? Can you recreate the recipes?
My great-grandmother, my grandmother's mother, was Polish so I do remember having pierogi, golabki, kielbasa and sauerkraut. French meat pie was something we had often in my grandma's house - she married a French Canadian. My mother's side of the family had more "american" food. Meat and potatoes type of thing.
What cultures or goddess figures draw your attention? What do you know about their special kind of spirituality?
Egyptian culture and goddess figures draw my attention though recently I have found that I am fascinated by Norse and Irish. Since I've been studying about Bast, Isis, Thoth, Osiris and Anubis for years I know a lot about Egyptian Spirituality though I admit not everything as I am always learning. I know next to nothing about Norse and Irish spiritual paths but as I've mentioned I am intrigued and fascinated by it.
Are there cultures with which you feel uneasy or uncomfortable? What about them makes you uneasy?
I am fascinated by all cultures and would love to experience them if I could. I have yet to come across a culture that makes me uneasy.
Think about your friends and acquaintances. Are they all the same kind of people? What similarities do they have?
The individuals that I would consider friends are all open-minded, spiritual people though they come from different spiritual paths and religions. They are expressive and uniquely creative in their own way and using different abilities and talents. They all carry wisdom of their personal experiences and are opened to share and learn from each other.
What comments do you remember from your childhood about people of other cultures, classes, or races? Do you still believe these comments to be true?
The comment that I remember most was, "We are all God's children." and I truly believe that. My parents were and are generous people who I have never witnessed negatively discriminating against any particular culture, class, or race.
If you find someone of another race, class, or culture unlikable, how do you evaluate this? Do you blame them, or do you consider what your own expectations and prejudices are?
If I find someone unlikable it is because of that individual and their characteristics or traits not because they are of a specific race, class, or culture. It is their personal choice to behave the way they do and I would argue with them if they were to say, "It's because I'm Portuguese." or "I act this way because I'm poor." No. It's because you choose to be that way. You made a choice.
What benefits have accrued to you because of the race, class, or culture that you were born into? What has been difficult for you because of your upbringing?
I think it is a benefit to have been born in The United States. We have more freedom than many other countries do but I don't necessarily believe that because I am white or French Canadian that I have been granted any other rewards or difficulties.
Who is the friend you think of as most unlike yourself? Why do you like that person? What special benefits does knowing this person bring to you?
Hmmm ... this is a difficult question to respond to because I believe that all the individuals that I consider friends are like me in many ways. Perhaps there may be one or two who are more materialistic than I am but I can understand where this trait comes from in their childhood. Other than that most of my friends are similar to me. I enjoy people who reflect the same positive qualities I'd like to believe I do.
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