Not Rituals & Ceremonies (ePub)

How can one be religious yet not believe in gods? Isn't belief in a god one of the necessary precursors to religion and religious worship? Can one practice rituals, ceremonies and magic without belief in such things as angels and demons? Is magic real? What is the difference between the power of the gods and the power of magic? The intent of this book was not originally to pose such questions or to answer them, however in the writing of this book the answers to those questions and many more ended up coming forth. Religion and magic have the same origin and the same purpose. They were created by humanity to explain the world and to give us an avenue by which we can affect change in our world. They are both there to give us some kind of sense of control over forces we cannot fully understand. Through religion, the religious implore the gods for help and guidance and direct the gods to act on their behalf thus affecting change in the world around them. Where does this power of the gods come from? It comes from deep within the person who implores the god for help. It starts deep inside as a need or a plea. The person shapes it in the form of a prayer and focuses their energy intensely on the outcome. They then emanate this energy in a wave or stream through a direct connection to their god. Mentally and spiritually they envision their god affecting the change they have requested in the world around them. Does it matter if the god exists or not? No, it does not matter. It works regardless of actuality of it because the person makes it work through sheer belief. The religious call this prayer. We call this magic. But it is truly the power of the manifestation of changes in reality through conscious will. Myth: Through magic, we implore unseen forces for help and guidance. Truth: Through ourselves, by tapping the wellspring of energy that is our spirit-consciousness, we affect change in the world around us for help and guidance. Because the method by which we do this cannot yet be fully explained scientifically we remain at liberty to call it "magic." We engage in either or both to affect our futures.