From Within or Above?

This post is really a continuation of the last. I have been thinking about spirituality in moments of difficulty, and having great conversations with my partner about it. My questions are how to view these moments, what to do during them, and how they fit with my overall perspective of how to be in the world.

My conceptualization of spirituality goes something like this:

The Divine → The Divine manifested in the world → The Divine manifested in the self

The Divine (or more specifically components of the divine) can be addressed as specific Gods and Goddesses. I chose which deities to address based on what makes sense to me. The God Pan for example, is the manifestation of sexual energy and indulgence. At a particularly wild party I may comment that Pan is certainly alive and well! Or perhaps I will make an offering to Pan, to acknowledge the joy and satisfaction that a little indulgence has brought me. The divine in the self furthers this idea. I strongly believe that the many aspects of the divine live in each of us, and each demand attention at certain times (sometimes at the same time!). 

So, how do I bring about comfort and spiritual strength when facing a dark situation?

This is where my focus changes from the divine "above" to the divine "within". Rather than praying for divine intervention from all-powerful deities, I can call upon the divine part of myself. The strength and patience of the huntress Artemis perhaps. Or the sly cunning of Odin. However one conceptualizes these divine forces (and they truly are divine) the first step is to recognize their presence within.

This is a much more empowered view to take, although I admit the idea of divine intervention really appeals to me. Praying for a change and then seeing it manifest - wow! The problem is that I don't really think it works this way. At least I don't think that a God is listening to my plea, and then deciding whether or not it should be granted.

Now it might sound contradictory when I say that I believe in prayer. Because I do. But the prayer itself is the power. It is an energy being sent out into the world, a divine energy. Where that energy goes, I don't know. That is part of the mystery. All I know is that when I recognize and call upon the divine in myself, I gain something that I didn't have before. And that feels real, and really good too.