What is a "blended path"?
A blended path is an unconventional mixing of religion or spiritual practice in which two or more belief systems are followed or synthesized.
What beliefs do I combine?
I now identify as an all-inclusive mystic and hedonist: Following the analogy of the wise men and the elephant, I now accept all beliefs as partial truths or pieces of the puzzle--even atheism. While a thread of truth or partially perennial philosophy may be a piece of the puzzle, so also are existentialism, skepticism, and even a non-dualism that excludes binaries of good/evil, objective/subjective, conscious/unconscious, scientific/manifest realities, or any approach that validates "world views" at all.
Perspectivism: the idea that the many philosophies and religions each contain some facets of truth, allowing for co-existence and common ground in relativism or even soft universalism.
Mysticism: the personal experience of the divine or transcendent through esoteric spiritual practices.
Hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure at all levels: erotic, hypnotic, physical, intellectual, emotional, ethical, personal, social, spiritual, etc.
Perspectivism: the idea that the many philosophies and religions each contain some facets of truth, allowing for co-existence and common ground in relativism or even soft universalism.
Mysticism: the personal experience of the divine or transcendent through esoteric spiritual practices.
Hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure at all levels: erotic, hypnotic, physical, intellectual, emotional, ethical, personal, social, spiritual, etc.
Conversion, combination, or synthesis?
Conversion, or full change from one belief structure to another, seems the most common path of spiritual change. Conversion usually has the benefits of providing a like-minded community and stable identity; however, the adherent must react against the previously held structure along with the accompanying damage to the psyche or to relationships. For example, a Muslim who becomes an atheist may scorn her previous life.
Combining pathways might allow for practices or relationships from different beliefs to co-exist, but might lead to cognitive dissonance as well as criticism from cohesive groups who maintain barriers. For example, a rigid Mormon attending a coven may face prejudice from her mainstream religion as well as from the pagan community.
Is a true synthesis possible, for example, in a truly Christian Wiccan? Description of difficulties here.
Combining pathways might allow for practices or relationships from different beliefs to co-exist, but might lead to cognitive dissonance as well as criticism from cohesive groups who maintain barriers. For example, a rigid Mormon attending a coven may face prejudice from her mainstream religion as well as from the pagan community.
Is a true synthesis possible, for example, in a truly Christian Wiccan? Description of difficulties here.
My Story
I was raised by an atheist father and Unitarian mother and, so I sometimes say I grew up believing everything and nothing! After multiple divorces and several dysfunctional homes, I suffered from self-destructive alcoholism. At age 30 (27 years ago now in 2019!), I was baptized a Christian and cried during every worship service for about a two year period. I dedicated my life to loving God and serving others, working with children, homeless, and international students and finally teaching in China from 1998 to 2010. A few years ago I began expanding into yoga, meditation, tarot reading, altar work, and Goddess worship. In a breakthrough experience with the divine feminine--a conversation with personified deity--I felt impressed that Perennialism allowed my Christian beliefs to co-exist with my mystical experiences. In 2019, I went through a five-month self initiation to the Morrigan and studied with the Irish Pagan School. On 2020, I abandoned prescribed practices, left the church, and joined an eclectic witches coven. In 2021, 30 years after my Christian baptism, I engaged in a nine-week self initiation into the Left-Hand Path and Emptiness. This spiritual expansion seems to balance communal perspectivism with personal autonomy and individualism as well as science with art and magic with religion.