Praying, Atheist-Style

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 I may be an atheist, but I still pray. Let me explain:

No, I do not pray to any gods. I do not strictly believe any of them exist. What I do is open my mind to the greater collective consciousness of the Universe. Some people may try to call that a god, but I do not believe it is independently sentient, nor do I believe it is omnipotent or omniscient. Call it the hive mind of the cosmos, the metaphysical version of the internet, comprised of all the individual minds and energies in the entire Universe.

Sometimes, I pray by having a conversation with my late father and patron saint of the Path, Myles R. Aldous. I believe that something of his consciousness remains and is watching over me, so I reach out to him upon occasion for advice or just to commune with his energy. 

I also consider the work I do with Tarot cards to be praying, of a sort; I am consulting that same cosmic energy, using the cards as a medium. I do the same thing when drawing rune stones. 

Of course, my pagan rituals and spells are a kind of prayer, because I am invoking specific god-like energetic archetypical constructs like the Horned One and the Triple Goddess. I also honor such constructs from certain other spiritual traditions in my rituals to mark the turning of the year. 

The point is, being an atheist doesn't mean you cannot also be a profoundly spiritual person.

Namaste.

Reverend CJ Carlin


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