Path
A guide to my spiritual path
Beliefs
I'm a seer and an independent duolatrist. I worship a sacred duality of feracious character that manifests as Faunus and Fauna. I first encountered Faunus as a child while climbing trees in my neighborhood, or when I was fortunate enough to explore nature trails. I have since experienced his consort as Fauna. For this reason, I consider Faunus and Fauna to be keepers of soughing or psithurism, in both branches and water. This mingling of tempests, forests and waterways represents not only the vital breath of creation, but also the hitched breath of mirthful, sexual desire, as well as harmonious, natural abundance, fertility, potency and sacred mysteries.
The information I've compiled on this page reflects my own evolving spiritual conclusions after years of practice. My spirituality is historically informed, but I am not a reconstructionist. I also do not believe in the occult revelation or egocentrism of much of occult tradition. I believe in the value of direct spiritual encounter and consider group spiritual engagement to be entirely optional. In the best case scenario, religion is a means to organize individuals, but in many cases I consider it a bureaucratic, political apparatus that distracts people from the power of personal gnosis. If you interpret this in bad faith, that's your problem, not mine.
Virtues
I'm a virtue ethicist. But unlike certain classical interpretations, I believe that virtues are dynamic. For that reason, I think they are best determined on a personal level, as a product of life experience and spiritual wisdom, and that they should remain open to change and redefinition over time. To me, a virtue is not merely a desirable ethical quality, but a disposition that helps cultivate an engaged, spiritually attuned life. Virtues encourage me to live with more mindfulness, both about myself and in my relationships with the world around me. The following are virtues that are currently valuable to me.
Favor
Favor is a virtue of generosity, mirth, fecundness and magnificence.
Liberty
Liberty is a virtue of independence, boldness, openness and expressiveness.
Mutability
Mutability is a virtue of change, versatility, openness and receptivity.
Salubrity
Salubrity is a virtue of truthfulness, dignity, health and morality.
Theology
Dualistic Polytheism
My theological approach can best be described as dualistic polytheist. When I engage with a particular sacred domain, I experience it through divine dualities. I experience the divine through god and goddess pairs or syzygies, and I interpret ancient mythologies and theologies accordingly.
Di Fausti
Di Fausti are the fortunate gods that I worship as divine pairs. Each divine pair is associated with various domains, elements and a core virtue.
Faunus and Fauna
Faunus and Fauna are earthen, saturnian and woodland gods associated with generosity, mirth, fecundness and magnificence.
Ianus and Iana
Ianus and Iana are watery, lunar, jovial and marshland gods associated with change, versatility, openness and receptivity.
Liber and Libera
Liber and Libera are airy, venusian, mercurial and grassland gods associated with independence, boldness, openness and expressiveness.
Sancus and Salus
Sancus and Salus are fiery, solar, martial and brushland gods associated with truthfulness, dignity, health and morality.
Spiritus
In addition to my sacred dualities, I also believe in a distributed, innumerated, collective, animating divine potential that precedes everything else. I refer to this as the Roman spiritus or Greek pneuma, the Egyptian heka, the Canaanite rūḥu, the Akkadian zaqīqu, the Gaulish awenos and the Anglo-Saxon wyrd.
Dualities
The following are lists of dualities or sygygies I've observed and assembled in various ancient cultures. Most of these divine pairs are derived from historical pairings, but some are based on historical reconstruction or my own personal gnosis.
Roman
Apollo and Diana — Harmony Caelus and Tellus — Earth & Sky Fidius and Fides — Fidelity Honos and Virtus — Probity Ianus and Iana — Mutability Iuppiter and Iuno — Rule Liber and Libera — Liberty Mars and Venus — Tenacity Mercurius and Minerva — Wisdom Neptunus and Salacia — Water Orcus and Prosperina — Death Sancus and Salus — Salubrity Saturnus and Opis — Time Sol and Luna — Sun & Moon Vertumnus and Ceres — Plenty Vulcanus and Vesta — Fire
Egyptian
Amun and Amunet — Mystery Anhur and Mehit — Tenacity Djehuty and Ma'at — Wisdom Geb and Nut — Earth & Sky Hapi and Nekhbet — Refreshment Inepu and Ineput — Death Khonsu and Bastet — Moon Knnum and Heqet — Creation Nun and Naunet — Water Ptah and Sekhmet — Mastery Ra-Horakhty and Hut-Heru — Sun Sobek and Renenutet — Protection Shu and Tefnut — Creation Sutekh and Nebet-Hut — Chaos Wenenu and Wenut — Alacrity Wesir and Aset — Tenacity
Canaanite
Attar and Attart — Tenacity Chemosh and Šapšu — Sun Dagon and Shalash — Time El and Athirat — Rule Hadad and Anat — War Kothar and Kotharat — Order Mot and Arsay — Death Rašap and Anat — Harmony Saggar and Išḫara — Night Šalim and Šahar — Dusk & Dawn Yam and Lotan — Water Yarikh and Nikkal — Moon
Akkadian
Anu and Antu — Rule Aššur and Aššurītu — Power Duʾuzu and Ištaru — Tenacity Ea and Damkina — Water Enlil and Ninlil — Storms Girra and Ninirigal — Mastery Marduk and Ṣarpanītu — Justice Nabû and Tašmetu — Wisdom Nergal and Ereškigal — Death Ninurta and Gula — War Sin and Nikkal — Moon Šamaš and Aya — Sun
Gaulish
Artaios and Artio — Nature Borvo and Bormana — Harmony Camulos and Andarta — Tenacity Cernunnos and Litawi — Mystery Grannos and Sirona — Sun & Moon Loucetios and Nemetona — Groves Lugos and Rosmerta — Wisdom Maponos and Matrona — Fertility Ogmios and Erecura — Eloquence Sucellos and Nantosuelta — Plenty Taranis and Brigindo — Rule Ucetis and Bergusia — Mastery
Anglo-Saxon
Bældæg and Eostre — Light Beowa and Beola — Grain Earendel and Growe — Stars Frea and Freo — Fertility Mona and Sunna — Moon & Sun Neorð and Neorþe — Earth Seaxneat and Frowe — People Tiw and Hreþe — Law Þunor and Sibb — Sky Weland and Beadohild — Mastery Woden and Frig — Wisdom Wuldor and Sċeadu — Shadow
Ritual
Written as a decastich chiamus in amphibrachic pentameter, my ritual has five fundamental elements — rising, loving, bidding, bearing and resting — with a rhyming couplet dedicated to each. The first and last two elements mirror the bidding in the center. This ritual is sung from memory. I offer this song in lieu of food, drink or incense. During the bidding I allow my sacred Di Fausti to manifest however they choose and I pay close attention to any animal symbols that emerge in my mind's eye.
O Spiritus, welling of fathomless deities' dwelling, I feel your profundity, power and paths you're propelling. O Dei Sacrati, with fairness forfending diseases, I honor your foresight, fulfillment and favor that eases. O Dei Sacrati, with ardor and daring beholding, I ask you to render my daring and ardor unfolding. O Dei Sacrati, with favor fulfillment appeases, I carry your foresight, forefending with fairness that pleases. O Spiritus, pathed by your power, profoundly compelling, I rest in your dwelling of deities' fathomless welling.
Gazing
Both inside and outside of ritual, I engage in mantic or oracular gazing. It can be anchored in a divinatory query, a devotional ritual, or breathworking practice. When softening my gaze and turning my attention towards my inner world, I'm able to get into a trance. While gazing, I often see entire scenes or environments. These scenes can have a mythic or narrative quality and are quite otherworldly in nature. There is also a place I can experience which is just for me that I've taken to calling a spirit sanctuary. Most commonly, my gazing practice is quite simple and direct. I often receive visions of animals that convey spiritual meaning. For that reason, I have developed an animal oracle taxonomical reference that includes groups of similar animals.
Animal Oracle
1. Accipitriforms — Eagles and Hawks — Perspective
2. Actinopterygians — Bass and Salmon — Fluidity
3. Amphibians — Frogs and Salamanders — Transition
4. Anseriforms — Ducks, Geese, and Swans — Fidelity
5. Apodiforms — Swifts and Hummingbirds — Joy
6. Arachnids — Spiders and Scorpions — Caution
7. Canines — Wolves and Foxes — Adaptability
8. Cetaceans — Whales and Dolphins — Depth
9. Chiropterans — Bats — Intuition
10. Coleopterans — Beetles — Resilience
11. Columbiforms — Pigeons and Doves — Devotion
12. Corvids — Crows and Ravens — Intelligence
13. Crustaceans — Crabs and Lobsters — Defense
14. Diptera — Flies and Mosquitoes — Opportunity
15. Echinoderms — Starfish and Sea Urchins — Symmetry
16. Equines — Horses and Zebras — Freedom
17. Eulipotyphlans — Shrews and Hedgehogs — Sensitivity
18. Falconiforms — Falcons — Precision
19. Felines — Cats — Stealth
20. Galliforms — Chickens and Pheasants — Grounding
21. Hemipterans — Cicadas and Aphids — Emergence
22. Hymenopterans — Bees, Ants, and Wasps — Diligence
23. Lagomorphs — Rabbits and Hares — Luck
24. Lepidopterans — Butterflies and Moths — Rebirth
25. Mantises — Praying Mantises — Focus
26. Mollusks — Octopuses and Snails — Mystery
27. Mustelids — Weasels and Otters — Cunning
28. Myriapods — Centipedes and Millipedes — Vigilance
29. Odonates — Dragonflies and Damselflies — Clarity
30. Orthopterans — Grasshoppers and Crickets — Momentum
31. Passeriforms — Songbirds — Expression
32. Pelecaniforms — Pelicans and Herons — Harmony
33. Pinnipeds — Seals and Sea Lions — Ease
34. Psittaciforms — Parrots — Mimicry
35. Rodents — Mice and Squirrels — Alacrity
36. Ruminants — Deer and Cattle — Vitality
37. Selachians — Sharks — Boldness
38. Squamates — Snakes and Lizards — Transformation
39. Strigiforms — Owls — Foresight
40. Suids — Pigs and Boars — Indulgence
41. Testudines — Turtles and Tortoises — Longevity
42. Ursines — Bears — Endurance