Animist?

[Deoridhe]

There are definite aspects to animism in what I believe. When I moved into my apartment, I did a quiet landtaking (the tree is slowly warming up to me; I don't think it liked my predecessor), and I get definite "feels" of places and things. Many of the artifacts I have 'called' to me in one way or another, for example.

My experience has been that usually when something isn't talking, it's a problem on my end - receiving wise - rather than theirs.

Lately I've been struggling with reconciling my personal experiences with being "called" by things with the wider socio-political implications of white/western colonialization of other cultures and traditions.  

[Koravin]

Fiddlers Green

Koravin

I think spirits spend some time disembodied before bonding to another organism.

Think you that such an unattached spirit might be coerced into something?
If so, would it affect that object it entered in any appreciable way?

Also, to clarify on the spirit detaching after death...
What of things that are not viewed as alive anyway, such as a river, or an iron ingot... would those have no spirit to begin with?

My thoughts are this:
I don't know if you could coerce a spirit into something. I would think if you did, it would be A) horribly immoral and B) dangerous. I know that I would be pissed if forced into a form I did not desire.

I wouldn't go near an object with a spirit forced into it. Unless I were to try to free it. Perhaps breaking the object would free it. I would think that the object would be maligned, and would not function properly as the energies would be channeled in an incorrect way. (that's sort of a complicated issue, hard for me to explain)

Inorganic material does not necessarily have a spirit. Spirits can reside in them, but are not as bound to the inorganic material or location as they are to organisms.  

[CuAnnan]

Koravin

Perhaps breaking the object would free it.

Not neccessarily.
Could destroy it, could damage it, could have a backlash effect on the local geomancy.
All depends on the means used to bind it in the first place.

Koravin

I would think that the object would be maligned, and would not function properly as the energies would be channeled in an incorrect way. (that's sort of a complicated issue, hard for me to explain)

I think what you're getting at, but I dissagree.
Spirits can be used solely as batteries.  

[patch99329]

CuAnnan

I think what you're getting at, but I dissagree.
Spirits can be used solely as batteries.

Is it moral to do so?

--
Hmm, I still stand by the fact I am not an animist.
But at times I can honestly see it. When I did my art exam I worked with the same paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

This leaves a big gaping hole in my beliefs, because I've never actually given this subject much thought. I will begin now.  

[Deoridhe]

patch99329

CuAnnan

I think what you're getting at, but I dissagree.
Spirits can be used solely as batteries.

Is it moral to do so?

I think it would depend on the spirit's goal/desire/medium.  

[CuAnnan]

patch99329

CuAnnan

I think what you're getting at, but I dissagree.
Spirits can be used solely as batteries.

Is it moral to do so?

Depends on the spirit.
Creatures of flame, for example, have consented to it in my case for binding to weapons.

patch99329

paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

The Spirit of the Painting is Awake.
The Spirit of the Towel is not.  

[Calixti]

CuAnnan

patch99329

paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

The Spirit of the Painting is Awake.
The Spirit of the Towel is not.

How can you tell?  

[CuAnnan]

The Indubitable Katie-Kat

CuAnnan

patch99329

paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

The Spirit of the Painting is Awake.
The Spirit of the Towel is not.

How can you tell?

I've never had a conversation with my towels.
I was not speaking in generals, there, but in specifics.  

[Calixti]

CuAnnan

The Indubitable Katie-Kat

CuAnnan

patch99329

paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

The Spirit of the Painting is Awake.
The Spirit of the Towel is not.

How can you tell?

I've never had a conversation with my towels.
I was not speaking in generals, there, but in specifics.

I'm sorry, I meant how can you tell, in general, if a spirit is awake or asleep?  

[CuAnnan]

The Indubitable Katie-Kat

I'm sorry, I meant how can you tell, in general, if a spirit is awake or asleep?

If it doesn't talk to me when I use it, I assume it's asleep.  

[Deoridhe]

I've been trying to wake things up. It's a very odd sensation.  

[CuAnnan]

Deoridhe

I've been trying to wake things up. It's a very odd sensation.

Don't blame me if your towels start talking to you.  

[Deoridhe]

CuAnnan

Deoridhe

I've been trying to wake things up. It's a very odd sensation.

Don't blame me if your towels start talking to you.

They see me naked; I don't want them to talk to ANYONE. gonk  

[Calixti]

CuAnnan

The Indubitable Katie-Kat

I'm sorry, I meant how can you tell, in general, if a spirit is awake or asleep?

If it doesn't talk to me when I use it, I assume it's asleep.

Oh. I guess that makes sense. ^_^  

[patch99329]

CuAnnan

patch99329

patch99329

paintrbrush for 10 hours, I could picture this thing having a spirit.
But them I look at a towel or something, and it seems illogical again.

The Spirit of the Painting is Awake.
The Spirit of the Towel is not.

How would one go about awakening something, to test?