Where Waters Gather

Tagged “theory”

  1. My animist taxonomy

    theory

    Animism is an easy perspective to state, and a hard one to fully conceptualize. “A world full of persons, only some of them human” leaves aside the extents of what the others are. Some texts I read state that all living things (but only living things) are persons, are ensouled, others talk about the spirits of the natural world, still others say “everything has a spirit”… but perhaps don’t agree on what is covered in “thing”.

  2. On animist ethics

    theory

    Living in a world where everything has a spirit raises all sorts of complicated questions about how to best live one’s life. Those topics get even more complicated when one starts to consider working with those spirits in a way that goes beyond everyday interaction. In this essay, I’ll explore animist theology and ethical expectations, trying to forge a guide for how we can exist in good relationship as part of a world of beings, not all of them human.

  3. What is “energy”?

    theory

    It’s hard to read any discussion of magic in a pagan context without seeing someone talk about “energy.” Raising energy, sending energy, feeling energy. The metaphor is so common as to almost feel cliché, which certainly shows that it’s useful to some people. But ever since I first saw a magic tutorial talk about “energy,” I’ve never quite been able to stop thinking about what it really means.

  4. Conflux Virtues

    virtues theory

    Systems of virtue ethics help people decide the right thing to do by focusing on internal traits, “the kind of person you want to be”, contrasting with utilitarian ethics (maximizing some external goal) or deontological ethics (finding specific rules to live by). At their best, the tenets of a virtue ethics system inspire people to change themselves to exist more in positive relationships with the world around them.

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