Hellenic Round Table topic 8: feelings of inadequacy
Do you ever feel inadequate in your practice/personal devotions, and of so, why? How do you handle these feelings? […] I know I personally struggle with getting rid of miasma a lot because I usually have no spoons to do such things as showering and cleaning […]. Do other people deal with this, too?
So, here are some things to consider:
Do you ever feel inadequate in your practice or devotion? If so, why? What kinds of situations or “offenses” cause these feelings?
How do you handle feelings of inadequacy? What are your coping mechanisms, religious or nonreligious?
If you are mentally or physically ill, how do you deal with these issues in relation to your religion? If you have low spoons, how does that affect your practice? Do you have any tips for Hellenic polytheists who deal with illness?
1. I often feel inadequate in my practice. Very often. Almost every Hellenic polytheist I’ve talked to feels inadequacy occasionally. How could we not, when we are mortals honoring the immortal? I feel--and not everyone agrees with me--that while we are not obliged to prostrate ourselves in front of our Gods, we are somehow less than the divine. That’s why it’s the divine, after all. This is a hard thing to express; I believe unconditionally in the value of humanity, and also believe that humans are unique and powerful in many ways. But I bow to divinity, as I feel is only right, and so when I do less than I know I could to honor that divinity, I feel inadequate. It’s certainly complicated, and the details of this answer are probably a little different for everyone. Coming from a religion where the best offering was suffering (yes, literally, suffering), I have a distinct view of Being--mortal relationship that not everyone has.
The feelings tend to be caused by inactivity: not praying, not doing research (I don’t read the right things as much as I should), not giving offerings, missing festival celebrations I was looking forward to. Balancing severe mental illness, physical injury, a busy schedule, and my devotion doesn’t always come out the way I want it to.
2. Well, I sort of don’t. I just try to do better. I use my faith as a way to get me through the tough times, and often do things like offer my runs or even self-care, like taking a shower while super depressed, to various deities; usually Artemis, Apollo, or Athena, but it varies. I’ve considered making a list of self-care-like activities that I do that are inspired by various Theoi, but I think for right now it’s too personal.
3. I’ve covered some of this in the previous two items. Solo has a great post on related issues here that I’ve found to be extremely helpful. Since I hurt my hands, I haven’t really been practicing much, and that’s been difficult for me. October through December has been one of the hardest times of my life in terms of mental and physical capability, and I’ve been struggling to survive. In the new year, with a new place to live, I’m hoping to regain some of the strength my practice had before. As far as tips, I’d say just do your best; offer all that you can to your Gods, but don’t hate yourself for being unable to do what you think you should. We have to take care of ourselves in order to continue serving the Gods.
mention @hellenicroundtable
