Hidden religious/spiritual symbolism in My Little Pony

[Macklin 88]

  At the time I post this there is a thread active elsewhere in the forum about the idea of hidden satanic messages in the second half of the Season 4 finale. Which has gotten a few rather tongue in cheek responses, as well as some other perspectives on the hidden religious meaning of Friendship Is Magic.

 

  I am not here to point fingers at any religion, nor to debate the validity of one religion over another. There is no one answer that everyone will accept, even within one religion there are many different beliefs on how to practice and what scriptures mean more than others. I know this is the internet but everyone let's try to put on our big pony hats and accept one truth before continuing; we all have some form of belief background from which our personal view points stem. (Yes even Atheism is a belief, you believe it to be true but it is not proven fact otherwise people would accept it as a truth, like for example the law of gravity.)

 

  Are people wrong to attribute any sort of spirituality or religion to My Little Pony? In my opinion, no.

  Beliefs are deeply personal and get molded and sometimes warped by our experiences in life, that is just part of the human condition. In the end whether we are right or wrong will never be proven. Even if the creators of the show wanted things to mean X, once you add in subtleties by artists, editors, voice actors and script writers X could be twisted into Y.

  Do you disagree? Is a cartoon, just a cartoon and people shouldn't try to look deeper than that? That trying to look deeper makes you so busy digging you don't see what happens around you?

 

  If you do have opinions or belief that some form of spirituality or religion is being reflected in the show then are you willing to share? Aside from the satanism thread, I read a comment in said thread where one person sees Celestia as a representation of the heavenly father. 

  I put this in the Debate Pit because there will be some disagreement over what is or isn't there though if you wish to disagree please do something different than a "Half Life 3/Hoenn confirmed" joke.  Also if you believe there is something there explain why you feel that way, 

 

  Or maybe MLP has affected your spirituality in some sense, if so can you let us know?

 

 Well the trolls may be closing in for they certainly love weakness on the internet and I am about to expose mine. 

 Princess Luna is my dream catcher. 

 I am a person who believes half way between spirituality and psychology is the truth of everything. I suffer from terrible night terrors due to a medical incident I had occur. These night terrors are a side effect of what occurred and will not be leaving anytime soon; at one point I was getting about 5 to 7 hours of solid sleep a week. 

 Then one night Princess Luna showed up in my dreams and literally walked me out of the night terror into a mere nightmare. Those of you that suffer night terrors will understand what a huge difference there is between the two. I'm now up to roughly 30 hours a week which feels so good, things aren't perfect but hey 30>7.

 I spoke to some of my friends about things and as they started talking about dreamcatchers. I have always believed dream catchers, dream pillows, and dream guardians work because there is a part of our subconscious that uses our conscious belief that these things work as a way to help solve whatever problem we were having. A placebo if you would, the problem with placebos is that once you know they are placebos they stop working. Luna hasn't.

 My research showed that dream guardians are believed to take a form that we are willing to accept, which for me is weird that it is Luna because she was always a meh character to me. Maybe it has something to do with her being the guardian of dreams in the show I don't know...anyways I'm straying from my own topic.

 The placebo effect should have ended once it was labelled the placebo effect but it didn't. Could it be more? Going by what I read about what people believed Dream guardians and Dream catchers to be I will label it with a 'maybe', as I, nor any science person, psychologist or Wiccan can say with 100% certainty or proof that it should be a yes or no.

 I bought a 150 dollar custom Luna plushie because it could strengthen the spiritual effect if there is one and it could strength a psychological effect if one is occurring so hey if it brings me up to 32 hours of sleep a week it will be worth every damned penny.

 While it isn't spirituality or religion in the show itself I share this as a possibly spiritual thing due to the show. 

 

 Anyone else willing to share any of their observations or beliefs in relation to what they have seen or experienced with the show in regards to spiritualism and/or religion?

 Please remember to state why you think what you think is occurring don't just say; "It's all a parallel of the Passion!" Give some examples or reasoning to why you think that way.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

What I have gathered from MLP.

 

Celestia = God.

 

That's my entire thesis. J/k..

 

It's not too far fetched. There area  lot of symbolisms in MLP that SasQ has covered in great detail. Symbolism in MLP.

 

You can indeed derive some spiritual edification from the show, if you're receptive to that kind of thing.

 

To tell the truth, I've been considering making a religion based off the show. My Cult of Celestia thread was a joke, but I've been thinking about taking it to new heights. Something equatable to Jediism.

 

I'm hesitant though...some people take the religion thing way too seriously.

 

But...I already got the Wix account. Even did the front page. I guess I'll take it the whole 9 yards one day. See how it turns out.

[Arctic Night 884]

I haven't seen any evidence of this "MLP is religious" tomfoolery. Even Feeling Pinkie Keen, which caused somewhat of an outrage, mostly just says "Sometimes it helps to have faith in something."

 

And no, agnostic atheism is not a belief, because it is my position to wait for evidence, and atheism is not "unproven" because negatives can't be proven.

 

Anyway, until the ponies start praising Jesus or boiling noodles on an altar to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I will not be convinced that there are any underlying themes of religion.

[Macklin 88]

I'm a big conspiracy theorist, so I believe that there would be subliminal messages in My Little Pony (or any children's show).

 

 I believe they call it marketing these days.  

 Yeah, they always manage to stick something in there and to be honest Hasbro are experts at it I am just unsure if the hidden thing is religious based, as opposed to buy more toys based.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

 I believe they call it marketing these days.

 Yeah, they always manage to stick something in there and to be honest Hasbro are experts at it I am just unsure if the hidden thing is religious based, as opposed to buy more toys based.

 

Well there are several mythological references, and many debatable occult references, and many of the themes of the show can also be found in religion.

 

Community, Harmony, Forgiveness, Moral teachings, etc. etc.

 

It's meant to market to children, but I'm just saying that if you want, you can take it in a sorta religious way. Quasi-religious. Spiritual or spiritualish...just whatever floats your boat.

 

Just don't...jump out of the boat and start carrying around cardboard signs that say: Celestia cometh!

 

Sigh...I'll never live that down.

[Macklin 88]

I haven't seen any evidence of this "MLP is religious" tomfoolery. Even Feeling Pinkie Keen, which caused somewhat of an outrage, mostly just says "Sometimes it helps to have faith in something."

 

And no, agnostic atheism is not a belief, because it is my position to wait for evidence, and atheism is not "unproven" because negatives can't be proven.

 

Anyway, until the ponies start praising Jesus or boiling noodles on an altar to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I will not be convinced that there are any underlying themes of religion.

 

 Just to address the atheism is not a belief thing; you know that is the exact same argument Christians use against Hindus right? "You cannot prove to me that Kali exists and because it goes against what I think it is not true until you can give me proof that I am willing to accept that states things 100% otherwise."

  Sounds like belief to me, and this is speaking as an agnostic person. To be agnostic, is to believe that the truth behind the existence of spiritual beings of any power level is unknowable at this current level of science. Not that it doesn't exist, that there isn't enough proof one way or the other to prove it does or does not.

  Atheism is a conscious rejection of all deity concepts which is not agnosticism, its actually the opposite. I know pop culture has twisted around the meaning of what being agnostic means but it ain't atheism. 

  If you wish for science to prove things then you may have to wait because, as the fact we continue to make scientific discoveries this year science doesn't know everything. Or did the Higgs Boson particle spontaneously come into existence because science said it did? If science knew everything we would have all the answers already.

 

 Straying too much, back on topic, you believe that unless its overt it doesn't exist. Fair enough.

 

Well there are several mythological references, and many debatable occult references, and many of the themes of the show can also be found in religion.

 

Community, Harmony, Forgiveness, Moral teachings, etc. etc.

 

It's meant to market to children, but I'm just saying that if you want, you can take it in a sorta religious way. Quasi-religious. Spiritual or spiritualish...just whatever floats your boat.

 

Just don't...jump out of the boat and start carrying around cardboard signs that say: Celestia cometh!

 

Sigh...I'll never live that down.

 

 Did you really do that? Was it actually as a joke? >.>

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

 

 

Did you really do that? Was it actually as a joke? >.>

 

Well that's the trouble with the internet. You can never really know for certain.

 

However, I'll honestly state for the record that I did not do that, and I intended that as a joke.

 

:comeatus: Or did I?

[Macklin 88]

Well that's the trouble with the internet. You can never really know for certain.

 

However, I'll honestly state for the record that I did not do that, and I intended that as a joke.

 

:comeatus: Or did I?

 

 Celestia tells me you actually did. She has totally ratted you out, I'm sorry. 

 

 Its interesting how many of these conversations I'm having via PM and while perhaps while spirituality/religion seems to be up in the air regarding the show I will give Hasbro credit for creating quite the little morality machine.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

 Celestia tells me you actually did. She has totally ratted you out, I'm sorry. 

 

 Its interesting how many of these conversations I'm having via PM and while perhaps while spirituality/religion seems to be up in the air regarding the show I will give Hasbro credit for creating quite the little morality machine.

 

My God, My God, why have thou forsaken me!?

 

  In any case, yeah, it is a little morality machine.

 

Though I think Hasbro could have done a better job with some morals than others. The episode with Maud Pie comes to mind.

[Jamaican Jam 112]

I don't know for sure, but I haven't seen anything related to spiritual or hidden religious symbolism so far. Subliminal messages and other things can sneak its way into any form of entertainment or media, but I just don't see any in the show. Sometimes, I think people are looking too far into the show sometimes for stuff that isn't there.

[SkyDream 315]

As big as I am of a "New-Age Skeptic" type, I'm really, really big into the concept of synchronicity. Seeing specific and familiar numbers far, far more frequently than other numbers are looked at to remember, seeing the same names and people in specific places than otherwise, and having interesting things happen to you or others around times of significance.

 

I'm really big on it because MLP:FiM caused me a completely ridiculous amount of synchronicity. I mean if seeing the number 744 on every clock, microwave, computer, and randomized website or youtube URL is a light tap on the shoulder by some divine finger, then MLP:FiM is like getting repeatedly hit by a tractor trailer being magically wielded by Celestia herself, while she also points a hoof at something glowing and shouting "LOOK THE BUCK AT THIS. NOW."

 

Not even exaggerating. Harr.

 

So religiously, I don't care. What's seen is seen, and what's there is there. You can have your experiences with it, and I can have mine, though again, religiously, there are none. Just putting that out there so I'm staying on topic, huh huh huh. Okay.

 

Essnentially, more than half of the episodes resonated with me in a very fulfilling and practical way, and fully reflected either a recent past experience, or a future lesson I was about to learn. This happened repeatedly until I got the message, and it just kept on coming. Twice a month, while new episodes were being aired, I'd get some sort of emotional throw-back to some point in the week, or would realize some new and interesting innovation that the concept of friendship can offer.

 

Utilizing those traits in my every day life has resulted in clear cookie-cutter positive effects and benefits that I probably wouldn't have enjoyed had I been less of that sort of character.

 

I honestly feel like I was destined to be a willing pawn to the subject matter of the show, as corny as that sounds. But I'm sticking with it. I've learned a lot, and it's been nothing short of a central pillar in my day to day life. Ponies or no, the morals can be fantastic if you apply them right, and know what to look for.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

I honestly feel like I was destined to be a willing pawn to the subject matter of the show, as corny as that sounds. But I'm sticking with it. I've learned a lot, and it's been nothing short of a central pillar in my day to day life. Ponies or no, the morals can be fantastic if you apply them right, and know what to look for.

 

You're a nut case.

 

I whole hardheartedly approve of your message. Let's start a cult and take over the cardboard sign industry.

Edited May 16, 2014 by KelGrym

[SkyDream 315]

Celestia doesn't need any more cults. She needs more libraries across Equestria. Knowledge is power, after all. Yep. We can thank the exploits of Twilight Sparkle for that one.

[Krosp I 114]

Human imagination is unlike anything else on the planet and possibly the universe. A coyote once said:

 

"Consider this! A man is in a desert. He sees a coyote waiting for him to die so that it may feast on his flesh~! 'Boo hoo' he says, 'Soon, I will be in the belly of the coyote so that it may run and laugh another day! What is the power that drives this creature and why was this cruel fate decided for me?' He does not see an animal looking for a meal, he sees the power of a god behind it—a power that has bested him! 
 
This is the curse of man~! He is forever deceived by his mind! It causes him to not see a stone when it is just a stone. Instead, his diseased eye sees a weapon or a symbol or the shape of a woman—a spark of inspiration! The curse causes man to stumble through the world forever asking questions.
 
What is this?
 
What is that?
 
Why is this?
 
And where he does not find an answer, he places one there himself! He sees a mountain crumble and says 'Only a god can do this...'
 
And thus, I am born! HAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

 

So. I ask you: Is the symbolism even there or do we make it for ourselves?

 

Edit: Closed quotes

Edited May 16, 2014 by Krosp I

[Macklin 88]

Human imagination is unlike anything else on the planet and possibly the universe. A coyote once said:

 

 

 

So. I ask you: Is the symbolism even there or do we make it for ourselves?

 

 Oh we totally make it for ourselves, though if we see it then to "us" (the reader) there actually is symbolism there. That's the problem with symbolism it is abstract and only has as much weight and presence as we give it ourselves.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

Human imagination is unlike anything else on the planet and possibly the universe. A coyote once said:

 

 

 

So. I ask you: Is the symbolism even there or do we make it for ourselves?

 

Edit: Closed quotes

 

Unless the symbolism is really put there as just a fun reference to something, we tend to see it ourselves.

 

I'm a positive nihilist. I see no inherent meaning in anything. Meaning is something you decide for yourself.

 

Having said that, I've taken to certain philosophies within Chaos Magick, and like the concept of belief being a tool, and not an end in itself.

 

While I'm rationally rooted in determinism, materialism, and nihilism, I'm very much like a kid with a crayon. If there is no purpose to life, why can't I take my crayon to fill in the blanks, and color outside the lines?

[Krosp I 114]

 

 

I'm very much like a kid with a crayon. If there is no purpose to life, why can't I take my crayon to fill in the blanks, and color outside the lines?

 

Is that not the beautiful irony of it all? Perhaps the purpose of life is that there is no purpose. We have a little less than a century of prepaid time in a massively multiplayer sandbox full of mind-blowing wonder..

 

If only we could do something about the low resolution...

[Yellow Diamond 7,575]

This thread appears to be related to the My Little Pony franchise and/or the Bronydom in general. Thus, it has been sentenced to Sugarcube Corner.

[Virgil 685]

The world of FiM is influenced heavily by Greek mythology; and a couple years back Miss Faust said she was also influenced by the works of Tolkien (LOTR ) and Lewis ( Narnia books ) in the writing of the show, I know Faust no longer has any say in the show but the foundation she built the world of Equestria is packed with influences from Western Myth, both directly and indirectly. Example: Pegasi are Greek to the core; the Sisters by the function they serve in Equestria ( governing the night and day; and being immortal rulers ) one can only describe them as either lesser deities or angelic beings of some sort ( I know the creators of the show disagree with my statement but if I were to describe Celestia or Luna to almost anyone else unfamiliar with the show; they would agree with my assessment ). And it didn't take me long to consider Celestia as a Female equine version of Gandalf ( who just so happens to be a second-tier deity according to the Silmarillion ).

 

In short while not intentionally; the writers have found themselves writing for a show rich in Myth, which undoubtedly leads to having, what I suppose one could call, "accidental religious symbolism". Which I personally find utterly fascinating and delightful.

Found the portion of the interview with Faust btw:

http://youtu.be/cC5YPfMzBK4?t=18m35s

Edited May 17, 2014 by Virgil_Harris

[cuteycindyhoney 13,316]

Cruciform Celestia. If this isn't religious imagery, nothing is! 

 

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

Cruciform Celestia. If this isn't religious imagery, nothing is! 

 

 

*ahem*

 

HAIL THE SUN QUEEN IN ALL HER MAGNIFICENT GLORY!!!

 

All will love her...

 

or despair.

Edited May 17, 2014 by KelGrym