Revisiting My Labels: Letting Go of Multiple Faith and Adopting Eclectic?
Here’s some first morning spiritual musings before I head off to eat some breakfast and then lay down for a few hours.
Lately I’ve been revisiting all of my labels, especially of a religious or spiritual nature, which I think it’s healthy to do from time to time.
Anyway, since I’ve come out about worshipping deities from a number of cultures, I’ve been using the word Multiple Faith or Multiple Tradition when talking about the kind of Polytheist I am.
Personally, I find it a little clunky and also a bit of a mouthful to say the least.
I can’t believe it, but I’m thinking of adopting the term Eclectic Polytheist, though I confess I’m hesitant to do so. I’m hesitant to adopt this label because of the asumptions people make of you the moment you utter that word from your lips. I know, because I’ve been there myself, making those exact assumptions all of those years ago.
If I did start using the term, I’d be using it in the sense that I practice a number of religious traditions, forms of spirituality, etc, not that I throw them straight into a blender to make kitchen sink stew.
I know there’s been this tug of war or dichotomy between Reconstructionism and Eclecticism, or between Reconstructionism and other forms of religious and spiritual modality. I’ve never been a full Recon, though I do have a foot in that camp. I also happen to have a foot in the Revivalist camp, and a hand in the woo or whatever it’s called camp.
I’ve always used the metaphor that my spiritual practice is like a house. The foundation is hard as granate or diamond, but my roof is thatched and mix matched with other materials.
I guess I’ve come to the point in my practice where I’ve let go of the idea that Eclecticism is bad in-of-itself, and is instead problematic depending on what you are being eclectic about and how you go about doing it.
I’m still not sure if I’m going to go ahead and change this particular label or not. I think I need more time feeling and thinking it over.
