Contents
Teachings
Sagecraft, otherwise known as intuitive polytheism, is most strongly defined by sincere devotion to gods and goddesses – in the myriad of historical and cultural manifestations they take throughout time, as well as deities that are otherwise unknown. Because of that devotion, sages believe that public religion is not required as a means to achieve spiritual wisdom or to cultivate virtue in the world. The most important focus of spirituality is cultivating strong relationships with the gods and spirits. As a sage, you are free to engage in devotional rituals with whichever deities most strongly make their presences known to you – whether they are historical, fantastical or derived from direct personal experience. These strong relationships – when properly explored, should encourage every person to do good in the world. Virtue or goodness can be as public as volunteering or as personal as friends and family.
Sagecraft is not bound to rigid distinctions between exoteric and esoteric practice. In sagecraft, there is no difference between prayer, magic or mystical practice. Sagecraft is direct communion with the gods through inner knowing. Sagecraft avoids dogma and is instead focused on devotional relationships. The direct rituals one can engage in are primarily focused on polytheistic, devotional mysticism. One of the most essential sagely beliefs is that of the nature of offerings or sacrifice. The purest offering one can give is that of praise and adoration – otherwise known as spiritual intent, will or desire. Will is what connects all spiritual practices – transcending the distinction between exoteric and esoteric practice. Votive offerings are considered a direct extension of will. Food offerings and libations are considered unnecessary, but ritual meals can be a valuable tool for their spiritually restorative properties – both to individuals and groups.
Sagecraft should be holistic in orientation. Effective practice honors real and living gods and goddesses – including those that are hidden or nascent. Despite what some purists may say, there is no meaningful distinction between the devotional and the mystical. Truly meaningful ritual is arcane and the most powerful magic. Ritual respects the awesome power of all divinities that emerge from God. How God emerges in the rituals of a particular practitioner is dependent on their unique experiences and shouldn’t be confused with either orthodoxy of ceremonial magick or certain pagan traditions. Good sagecraft should freely incorporate not only what works in the short term, but encourage deeper connections with the divine in the long term.
Divination is not a means to an end. Vision work is a fundamental part of spiritual practice. Seers should be encouraged to regularly cultivate visions and all other spiritual senses as a part of ritual and daily life – paying close attention to dreams, omens and any other sources of spiritual wisdom wherever they go. The sensory impressions that are received during ritual in particular should be welcomed as a part of mundane life – just as much as in spiritual, esoteric workings. This is also another reason why daily ritual is such an important part of dedicated spirituality. Always bear this in mind when developing your practice, and make sure to never take your own unique spiritual skills for granted.
Each person develops their own unique praxis and that is something worthy of both respect and celebration. In particular, effective spiritual practice should always include seership or divination. Divination is not simply a means to an end. Divination is considered an art of foresight – not just because it can help you to divine the future, but because it can help you to know where the next stage of spiritual development is meant to be. This is both for you as a seer as well as those people the gods and goddesses direct you towards helping as you develop your own practice. This is why you should not only find divinatory techniques that work for you, but also should strengthen your connections to hallowed divinities in everything you do.
Kenning
Kenning – often referred to as personal gnosis – is the direct knowledge one receives from deities. Though reconstructionists often derisively this UPG to emphasize how unverified it is in their minds, kenning is the foundation of genuine, intuitive spiritual practice. With kenning, deities from any pantheons – no matter how few or how many – can be honored in whichever manner the gods and goddesses deem appropriate to you as an individual. One can engage in group ritual with like-minded people, but the foundation of kenning is always the personal relationship individual practitioners have with their deities.
Virtue
Virtue – also known as morality or ethics, are the ways we achieve spiritual harmony in the world that comport with our unique experiences and honor the people we care about. These virtues – much like the gods and goddesses one worships, are expressions of the diversity of experiences and values of life. Personal virtue ethics – not as moral absolutes, are ethical abstractions that are expressed differently in each situation and are determined by the individual above all else. An important exercise of virtue, therefore, is to determine which virtues are most valuable to you. You should also be open to changing those virtues as you grow and change as a person.
Theology
The Gods are best understood as a divine multitude of deities – both known and unknown. The Gods can manifest in a variety of ways – including through historical and personal syncretism or in forms derived from direct gnosis. This can also include deities that are lost to history or those that have yet to reveal themselves. Lesser divinities like land spirits and house spirits exist as well. Ancestors are also worthy of veneration.
Praxis
In sagecraft, spiritual praxis is contained with the practice of prayer. Sagely prayer contains all spiritual aspects within it. In sagecraft, you are encouraged to pray spontaneously and without the rigid structures of formal ritual. You can call upon deities collectively or individually, thank them for what they have provided you and petition them for aid in your personal endeavors. Offerings of any kind can be given, but it is best to remember that the act of maintaining a ritual space itself is the true offering. Anything that you do in the service of your devotion to the gods – including the life you live – is the true offering. You can perform any type of divination you prefer, but sagecraft divination thrives the best with pure intuition, so scrying divination – with or without a speculum – is the most recommended.