Mana

[Aštra’el]

Let us talk about "mana".

"Mana" is a term that I use to describe the inspiration, the motivation, and the influence generated by deep spiritual-religious acts that evoke powerful thoughts, feelings and emotions. Mana is energy generated by those spiritual-religious acts that fuels the growth and power of a spiritual-religious system and its god(s) through or within an individual or an entire culture or people.

-Is there another term that you or other cultures you are familiar with might use to describe what I am referring to? Might you or them have another way of perceiving and understanding this?

-Do you or them define the word "mana" differently?

-According to my definition, what ways do you generate mana within your own spiritual-religious system?

Let your thoughts be known.

 

[Quintessence]

There are some similar (but not analogous) ideas in contemporary Druidry. The closest analog is undoubtedly awen, the cultivation of which is a significant focus of OBOD in particular. A decent introduction to the concept per that Order can be read here, while the BDO has a somewhat more lengthy and academic article over here.

I'll have to come back to this thread later when I've got more time.

 

[Quintessence]

Wanted to pop in and revisit this thread briefly with a few more thoughts. I feel you've hit upon a very important concept relevant to many of the world's religions - nay, perhaps something that strongly distinguishes living a religious life from living an irreligious one. It's something that has definitely piqued my interest and I want to give more thought to, so thank you for that!

The concept you are talking about feels similar to awen in some respects, but different in that awen isn't typically thought of as "generated" by people, but as a pre-existing force that we are either open to or not. The spark of inspiration can come from anywhere, and often from unexpected places where we aren't looking for it. A single sentence read in a sets of a light inside your mind; a particular tune touches you so deeply that you have not the words to express the feeling of it; you witness the generosity of another human soul and are overcome with the immensity of what was superficially a small or trivial act; perhaps the soft rustling of autumn leaves blown by the wind spirits evokes a spark?

Something I came to know very early in my path is that there is but one key to the Mysteries - and I think it applies to this thing you are calling "mana" as well. That key is paying attention. Mindfulness. Being fully present in the moment. Heeding the right here and now. Through paying attention, we experience more deeply and are open to inspiration, whether it is understood as something we generate or a pre-existing thing that simply flows where it wills. To me, a heart of contemporary Pagan paths is encouraging this flow or generation. I don't know if we have a great vocabulary for it yet. Like so many things for this new religious movement, we're working on it. This "mana" might become a piece of that story.

 

[Cassandra]

Let us talk about "mana".

"Mana" is a term that I use to describe the inspiration, the motivation, and the influence generated by deep spiritual-religious acts that evoke powerful thoughts, feelings and emotions. Mana is energy generated by those spiritual-religious acts that fuels the growth and power of a spiritual-religious system and its god(s) through or within an individual or an entire culture or people.

-Is there another term that you or other cultures you are familiar with might use to describe what I am referring to? Might you or them have another way of perceiving and understanding this?

-Do you or them define the word "mana" differently?

-According to my definition, what ways do you generate mana within your own spiritual-religious system?

Let your thoughts be known.

My view:

Frankly I never heard of mana before. Looking it up it seems to mean something like the spiritual force in things. I know Pagans used to be able to feel this force in beings even stones very clearly. Some stones had detrimental effect and were circled anti-clockwise to ward them off, and some stones had beneficial force/energy and were circled clockwise to gain the effect. Better than spiritual force would probably simply be spirit. Objects can contain spirits too, most people used to be able to feel that quite clearly. It was however replaced by book idolatry.

Objects were never worshiped for themselves but the spirit they contained. One can even "inspire" an object through worship. For instance Hindus before any worship ask their Divine inner spirit to take place in objects to give them a reference point to the Divine essence to worship. Over time such objects start to contain spiritual energy. The same goes for prayer beads, that may only be touched by two fingers (thumb and index finger) and are turned clockwise. Some materials are seen as better suited to contain spirits than others.

I think this is really so. It is well known that objects often used by deceased people can bring you in contact with their spirit as well. Even if people do not understand that, that is one of the reasons people want to pay huge sums of money for objects that once belonged to famous people.

While material people seek to inherit wealth from their parents, spiritual people rather seek the objects that were really dear to them. Simply touching these objects brings them near. And if they were good strong people than wearing them brings support. A much stronger effect than a tattoo or other symbolic reminder.

Monotheist religions claim to have done away with these polytheistic practices, they regard as idolatry. That is because they worship a very jealous spirit who is offended by worship of any other spirit. Maybe that is why Muslims circle the Kaaba anti-clockwise to diminish its effect. For fierce jealousy is probably the most harmful and destructive of all Demonic traits. It is also the deeper reason behind their consistent destroying of Pagan temples, statues and places of worship.

Luckily Pagans are free to worship spirits on the basis of their benevolent nature and rather than bondage to one jealous, wrathful spirit seek a respectful union with all good spirits. It may not give us world dominance but it will guide our soul along the path of evolution to become higher beings.

Another important application is being aware of the spirits that remain in houses. A troubled spirit can effect your health and well-being negatively. That is why Pagans often use house cleaning rituals before they move into new houses.

Our Pagan ancestors were very aware of these things and build their houses and especially places of worship according to energy points, where the felt that energy lines crossed. When Christians destroyed their holy places they often build churches on the same spot. Another way to deprive people of their connection with their spirits.

These spirits were then presented as saints to make their power seem to come from their God and in the service of this God. Abrahamism is a very sophisticated system of spiritual repression to make people submissive to a repressive megalomaniac spirit. Spirits with which conquering people made a special bond to gain wealth and power over others and an eternal resting place in his spiritual roam. Just read the Bible, it is all there.

 

[Whiterain]

I am uncertain myself... All the sorcery and witch craft studies were considered contraband, taken by the church and later evolved into modern sciences.

Mana to me was some type of "Arcane" energy source, perhaps generated by the body. There are no such teaching in contemporary religion or contemporary heathenry.

In Eastern/Asian teaching there is "Chi" something I am familiar with. But it is not a residual force in humans better for much more than parlor tricks, to me, by the most adept in using it.

The Shaolin, other Martial Artists and Guru's train their whole lives to master the chi around them and their own, the dedication is short coming to me, however the mastery of your own willpower is extremely beneficial.

To me their greatest teaching is the "Tao," many people mock it, but to me it is the simplest form representing the balance in yourself.

Contemporary Western religion is horrible. Indentured prayer and divine intervention, it was just another form of slavery.

 

[Cassandra]

I am uncertain myself... All the sorcery and witch craft studies were considered contraband, taken by the church and later evolved into modern sciences.

Mana to me was some type of "Arcane" energy source, perhaps generated by the body. There are no such teaching in contemporary religion or contemporary heathenry.

In Eastern/Asian teaching there is "Chi" something I am familiar with. But it is not a residual force in humans better for much more than parlor tricks, to me, by the most adept in using it.

The Shaolin, other Martial Artists and Guru's train their whole lives to master the chi around them and their own, the dedication is short coming to me, however the mastery of your own willpower is extremely beneficial.

To me their greatest teaching is the "Tao," many people mock it, but to me it is the simplest form representing the balance in yourself.

Contemporary Western religion is horrible. Indentured prayer and divine intervention, it was just another form of slavery.

My view:

Mana has nothing to do with witchcraft. Sorcery and witchcraft were rejected and persecuted in civilized Pagan traditions long before monotheism. The Greek loathed the Persian Magis and their sorcery. They also persecuted cults that did that. It is actually Abrahamism that itself is build on Demon worship. Just read the Bible, it tells how a deceptive person Abraham (he told everyone his wife was his sister to invite men to make courtship to her, and then demand compensation), made a pact with a spirit to achieve wealth and power for him and his offspring. Read how Moses sorcery was claimed to be stronger than that of the Egyptians. Abrahamism is a continuation of Persian Zoroastrianism and its magis practicing magic. It is the art of creating bonds with evil spirits for ones own benefit. It made the Romans and Arabs jealous and they made new bonds to inherit wealth and power with equally possessive spirits. But deceitful as they are they make it seem it is the other way round and mainstream Pagan traditions are the ones that engage in what they call "pacts with the Devil" for worshiping more noble less jealous Gods. Sure within Pagan traditions such demon cults around evil people have always sprung up, Abrahamism itself came from that, but it is not mainstream civilized Pagan tradition. Even today people performing sorcery are still being killed by Pagans like Hindus if they suspect them of evil deeds. No one likes to become victim of evil spells and curses.

 

[Jonathan Ainsley Bain]

Let us talk about "mana".

"Mana" is a term that I use to describe the inspiration, the motivation, and the influence generated by deep spiritual-religious acts that evoke powerful thoughts, feelings and emotions. Mana is energy generated by those spiritual-religious acts that fuels the growth and power of a spiritual-religious system and its god(s) through or within an individual or an entire culture or people.

-Is there another term that you or other cultures you are familiar with might use to describe what I am referring to? Might you or them have another way of perceiving and understanding this?

-Do you or them define the word "mana" differently?

-According to my definition, what ways do you generate mana within your own spiritual-religious system?

Let your thoughts be known.

Trying to define it by capturing it with words is a bit like trying to hold quicksilver.
By its nature, it is something that is dynamic and mystical.
I can try and use the words 'mindstuff', or 'spirit' or 'ether'.

But once one rejects the notion that mind is an epiphenomenon of the material world.
Once one accepts that the material is just the lowest form of mind,
then one has to accept that 'mana' exists.

Beyond that, it is something which can cause physicality and logic to come into being 'out of nothing'.
It defies all the laws of material physics. But the material existential questions, also can only be answered
by realizing that there is no logical reason for logic to exist!

Hoo-boy!
Thats enough to get some materialist trying to condemn me as kooki!

At this point, it probably best to suggest that it is most effectively described by Terry Pratchet in his book 'Small Gods'

 

[Cassandra]

But once one rejects the notion that mind is an epiphenomenon of the material world.
Once one accepts that the material is just the lowest form of mind,
then one has to accept that 'mana' exists.

My view:

As I see it, once one accepts fantasy as real, there is no end to one's delusions as from one fantasy springs another and finds proof in the first.
This kind of acceptance created the idea that the Universe was created out of a fantasy of a (male/mind) super being. That is belief and if you make others believe it, it is make-belief.

Science shows us the universe developed through evolution and there is no supernatural control over universe.

Pagans generally do not make a real division between mind and body, spirit and matter. Spirit is inseparable from matter. That is why everything has a spirit of its own. That is why even a stone has a spirit. Every being has it own special kind of consciousness that connected to its very nature.

This idea that spirit is the base of lower matter, is what caused this misogynist thinking of the Gnostics and Buddhists, in which the material aspect of reality was renounced as "shackles of the mind". It is what creates this unhealthy mindset in which people denounce their body, like Jesus freely letting his spirit being tortured out of his body so he can rise to heaven. Because the other fantasy was that the sky/heaven was the place made of light and mind where free spirits lived. It also led to depreciation of Women as the female is associated with Matter. Matter comes from Mater=mother.

One can "believe" those things but I think science disproved that. Let us look at the original Greek thinking. Out of Chaos rose Gaia: Mother Nature. And out her came Uranus (Father heaven). They then married and created children. I personally think that symbolism is much more in line with Science than the "Spirit-created-it-all" fantasy. For Nature shows that first there was asexual reproduction, and only later sexual reproduction. The female aspect manifested before the male aspect. But the female aspect was never without the male aspect, first is was fully in her, later it manifested out of her as partner.

Of course Abrahamism turns everything upside down with the strange story we have to take literal that the first woman Eve was created out of rib of Adam by the super spirit in heaven/sky. Okay, in the age of airplanes they changed their story and made heaven a mysterious other dimension to hide their ignorance. Now it is all hidden by intellectual art and fancy words. The temple priesthood will forever change the interpretations of their stories, but it is and remains fantasy.

That at least is my personal view as a Pagan.