Gods as paths, & Scamming B

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From: Elias Kadri (elias_kadri1@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil)
Date: Wed 29 Jun 1994 - 07:57:29 EEST


 Subject:Gods as paths, & Scamming Babeester Gor Greetings, all.

Colin Watson, commenting on Barron Chugg's Runepaths:
> There was a time when the gods walked their paths for the
> First Time. At that time the gods could be thought of as
>"independant" of their paths. But today the gods *are* the paths.

   I think this is too exclusive. I think that, as Barron suggests, beliefs _do_ have power in Glorantha. The fact that the worshipers of a god believe that their deity is a person makes it so, even though the god may be in essence a natural force, or whatever. I find it especially hard to believe that a living hero is going to meekly turn into an abstract construct of rituals as the price of apotheosis.

> God, Cult and Path are somewhat unified.

I agree with this, but I would place considerably more emphasis on the "God" portion than you seem to.

> A certain amount of mental discipline may be required, but I
> don't think that the participants have to hold any particular
> beliefs (other than, perhaps, the belief that the magic
> will work).

Perhaps this goes along with the above. If we say that a god is a collection of rituals, then performing those rituals is sufficient to attain his power. However, if we say that a god is in some sense a "person", then I would say that someone who wishes to be at one with the god enough to wield his powers, must share the god's "state of mind" to some degree, including believing what the god believes.


Barron Chugg:

Well Said! I agree with almost everything you have been saying, except spelling "path" with an "e" ;-)


David Cake, on the non-devout learning rune magic:

   I think my comments to Colin also apply here. IMO, you can't learn Axe Trance, without intending to use it in defense of the Earth. It doesn't matter whether the cult members know who you are or not (except that of course the cult is not going to let someone who is known to be an enemy of their beliefs participate in their ceremony).

   I haven't thought too much about Illuminates, but I would suspect that they have the inner balance to understand and to truly "believe" in the manner required by the spell they wish to learn. 

                                                  Elias



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