Discover Top Posts Tagged with #divinities

Simone Weil, from First and Last Notebooks (trans. Richard Rees) [ID'd]

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#hermaphrodite #greek mythology #gods and goddesses #divinities #fuck transphobes

What do you think the difference between a spirit and a deity is (if there is one)?

Hi, thanks for the question! There definitely is one, but in my experience, it's neither an easy nor reliable distinction to make in every case.

For one, there is a lot of relativity: these are English words; other cultures and languages may have more specific and varied terms. And indeed "spirit" in English is very vague. And for another, many stories show us examples of individual spirits or mortals becoming divine somehow.

In my experience, there's a tangible difference in the way a divinity feels. This shouldn't be the main factor to distinguish deities from other beings, but I have noticed it, somewhat by accident. With deities there's a sense of vastness, like when I pray to them I am peering into another place. There's a multiplicity, like they are (or are in) myriad things and places at once. There's also a distance, not in terms of space but in terms of disposition or attitude maybe. As if they are seated, listening, smiling, not exactly reacting.

Spirits that I might categorize as daimones, sub-lunar beings, or similar entities often seem a little bit more solid, less expansive. They can certainly still be expansive, but there's a sense of a singular being that is in the room with you, rather than a sense of peering off into flashes of the cosmos. They tend to appreciate offerings in some ways similar to deities (the gesture, the dedication, the honor) but many kinds of spirits actually want the substance of offerings in a way that's more akin to human 'eating' than with deities. They also tend to be slightly more relatable or happy to meet you on a more egalitarian playing field.

Not only are these points subjective and insufficient, there are also important exceptions to them. For example, when I pray to my ancestors I get a similar sense of peering in somewhere else, and of vastness. When I pray to Hekate, I usually sense a more spirit-like presence or absence, solidity, and conversationalism.

Even within modern and modern-anglophone traditions, there are gray areas of this distinction that are (and should be) debated. Angels, for example - whether Christian or otherwise - could be considered a form of emanation from a divinity. They carry, embody, and concern themselves with the will of the divine/of divinities. Whether they even have free will is debated. Similarly, other more autonomous daimones can also wear divine authority like an emissary would.

Spirits can be vast and gods can be niche, but there are still noteworthy distinctions in their authority. Gods hold a greater authority in general, and spirits usually either answer to them or actively serve them in some capacity. Just like with human leaders, though, their authority can be hard to get in minor matters, and you'll have a hard time ensuring their investment in your concerns and will find them harder to access; unless of course you know them or know someone who knows them well. Therefore, other forms of spirits (and in this case especially human dead) are generally a little more invested and a little more accessible. But this is a great time to reiterate how intensely generalized I am being. Most of these points could be acutely refuted, and rightfully so. But I hope they painted a picture of what my experiences have given to me, grains of salt included. Thanks again for your question!

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"...The Muses are not the only pagan divinities who preserved their influence over mankind in modern times; for every age has its sirens, and every siren her votaries; when beauty and talents, both powerful in themselves, are united, they become still more attractive." From Wonder of the World!! Fairburn's Account of the Mermaid (1822).

(via @danskjavlarna)