I encountered a goddess today

[brenainn]

Earlier today, my family and I drove to a river in the eastern part of our state. This river is near the site of a relatively minor battle from the War of 1812. Each fall, historical reenactors and vendors arrive for a battle reenactment and to sell really cool replicas of 18th and 19th century tech. For someone aspiring to "crash now and avoid the rush," this annual event always proves to be an informative and educational experience that contributes just a little extra knowledge of how to survive in a faltering industrial civilization.

But the river is my primary concern for this post. Last year, when I attended the reenactment and explored the various vendors' tents, I got the distinct impression that the deity of this river was making her (I think it is a goddess) presence known to me. I had this sense of a benevolent power touching me, and filling me with a sense of hope and purpose. I don't live near this river, so when I left for home, I did not think too much about this experience.

That changed today. When we arrived at the river, I eventually began to feel the benevolent presence of this river goddess. An idea that occurred to me during my time there last fall came back to me: to take something from the river back to my home and use it as part of a shrine or altar to worship this goddess. As I waded about in the water (we went there to swim and lounge on the river bank/beach), my feet began to feel out different stones that I sensed were "just right."

Eventually, I collected a few small stones, and my nieces and nephew also collected a few for me. I can't say why but I cannot shake the feeling that the goddess of this river would like me to use them as part of the shrine that I will build for her. I've even made my first offering to her: as we were leaving, I tossed a couple of coins into the water. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

I'm now thinking more about Unverified Personal Gnosis. I had not given much though to UPG until now. I have no idea what manner the local Amerindians would have worshiped a river deity or spirit. So, I'm not sure how this deity is used to receiving worship in times past (or present). But she seems quite benevolent and has been, so far, very patient with me. So, UPG seems like the sole means that I'll have to guide me as this relationship develops.

We'll see where things go.

Comments

[boccaderlupo]

Interesting. I have had similar "encounters" at a local waterfall, and have made similar gestures. The lady of the place seems benevolent and sometimes a little melancholy.

Never heard the term "UPG," but that seems pretty apt; it is, I suspect, the "knowing" that Iamblichus speaks of, the "inborn knowledge of the gods" that is antecdent to proofs and reasoning.

Axé!

[brenainn]

I only encountered the term "UPG" a few years back. At the time, I had been more influenced by reconstructionist pagans, and didn't think much about UPG and my own experiences of the gods. It has been a slow learning process for me. It would be interesting to hear more about your experiences with the deity of your local waterfall. The gods and holy powers are increasingly making themselves known again.

I finally feel like I have a good working knowledge of Neoplatonism, so I'll definitely be reading Iamblichus soon. I find this "inborn knowledge of the gods" intriguing. I don't know if you're familiar with it but some Christian philosophers have defended a position called "reformed epistemology." But it has an interesting take on knowing the divine in an "inborn knowledge" kind of way. Probably not quite the same thing, but I did think their position worked better in a polytheistic worldview. Certain objections against it only work if one is a monotheist. It'll be interesting to see what Iamblichus has to say, and to compare it with the philosophy I already know.

[boccaderlupo]

I'm afraid I don't have much to report on her activities per se, aside from that sense of presence, which I nonetheless think is a real thing.

If I remember right, this idea of "inborn knowledge" resurfaces in various ways, even winding its way into Christianity. Plotinus has his "nous," which seems to be the faculty of the soul whereby an individual can discern divine reality, and this seems to get absorbed into the vocabulary of the Desert Fathers, where the "Intellect" (same term) takes on a highly technical meaning, namely "the highest faculty in man, through which—provided it is purified—he knows God or the inner essences or principles...of created things by means of direct apprehension or spiritual perception." (This from the Philokalia glossary, emphases mine.) It seems Thomas Merton even makes an allusion to this idea when he speaks of two "lenses" of the soul, one which regards "exterior" things, and the other, the "inward soul," which is imbued with "spiritual intelligence."