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"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matthew 6:23
I recently had a conversation with a stranger about spiritual things. She was a young woman who was at first blush totally disinterested in the things of God. When she saw my Bible she actually wrinkled her nose and scoffed at me for having one.
She at first denied even believing in God, but as we talked the truth leaked out around the corners. Confused thoughts tumbled out of her mouth as she tried to describe her understanding of God. She could not understand Scripture, said it made no sense to her.
As we talked I was saddened by her obvious spiritual blindness. It was as though a great gulf had been fixed between us and I had no way to get her over to my side. She had many questions about God and snippets of knowledge that were more worldly than anything else. Her questions were antagonistic and even hostile as though she was daring me to have an answer. I doubt she would have known if I were lying to her had I just verbally replied, but I asked her to read each answer straight out of His Word. Before I was a Christian, no one really spoke to me about Christ in a salvific manner as I did with her, so I don't recall having the responses I saw in her. There is a specific kind of darkness in the eyes of a person who does not know Christ. Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. (Matthew 6:22-23a)
This was heartbreaking to behold. This young woman who was a literal stranger to me when we began to talk has weighed heavily on my heart and mind. There seemed to be nothing I could say that would unlock her prison of unbelief. The worst part is that she has some very rudimentary glimmers of knowledge but without the Spirit of God there is no hope of understanding. At one point she said that she knew she did not understand what she was reading out of the Bible. I asked her to read 1 Cor. 2:10-15
"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. Her eyes remained darkened and she seemed to plead with me to "make" her understand as though I held some power to persuade her. After a time, it appeared that she desperately wanted to be able to be like me. As I explained with verse after verse the difference between the redeemed and the lost, the Light and darkness, and why there is only one way to have a relationship with God she grew more agitated, frustrated that it made no sense to her. This was sorrowful for me. After a while we parted company in a friendly manner. However, we went away as we came- one saved and one lost.
As a result of this time spent with this person (who was a literal stranger to me) these verses are clearer than they ever were before. To be able to see spiritual blindness is a frightening thing to behold. There is a very real sense of powerlessness about this because I realized in application what I know in a theological sense: who gets saved is not up to me or anyone else. We can present every argument perfectly, be the best apologist possible and if the Spirit of God is not illuminating and revealing no change will take place. We are only conduit carrying the power of God where He wills and to whom He chooses. He did not choose to draw her into His family that day.
I may have been scattering seed on hard ground, or perhaps beginning to furrow the ground of her heart. Who am I to question His wisdom in this matter? Who am I to say that God has made a mistake in this case? I am not omniscient as God is, nor do I have the long view He has on her life. She may still come to know Him at some point in her life. My responsibility and my joy is to present Him in the most faithful way possible to the unbeliever and to leave the results to the Lord.
The Spirit of God goes where ever it wishes and "will" draw those whom He chose. Should I have the opportunity to meet her again, I pray I will know that the time we spent together will have begun the work of change in her heart.
Reference: http://witch-selena.blogspot.com
In his Christmas Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) Message, Pope Benedict XVI said:
"Dear brothers and sisters listening to me here in Rome and throughout the world, I joyfully proclaim the message of Christmas: God became man; he came to dwell among us. God is not distant: he is 'Emmanuel, God-with-us. He is no stranger: he has a face, the face of Jesus. This message is ever new, ever surprising, for it surpasses even our most daring hope.
First of all, because it is not merely a proclamation: it is an event, a happening, which credible witnesses saw, heard and touched in the person of Jesus of Nazareth! Being in his presence, observing his works and hearing his words, they recognised in Jesus the Messiah; and seeing him risen, after his crucifixion, they were certain that he was true man and true God, the only-begotten Son come from the Father, full of grace and truth (cf. Jn 1:14).
'The Word became flesh'. Before this revelation we once more wonder: how can this be? The Word and the flesh are mutually opposed realities; how can the eternal and almighty Word become a frail and mortal man? There is only one answer: Love. Those who love desire to share with the beloved, they want to be one with the beloved, and Sacred Scripture shows us the great love story of God for his people which culminated in Jesus Christ.
God in fact does not change: he is faithful to himself. He who created the world is the same one who called Abraham and revealed his name to Moses: 'I am who I am'... the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... a God merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (cf. Ex 3:14-15; 34:6). God does not change; he is Love, ever and always. In himself he is communion, unity in Trinity, and all his words and works are directed to communion. The Incarnation is the culmination of creation. When Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, was formed in the womb of Mary by the will of the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit, creation reached its high point. The ordering principle of the universe, the Logos, began to exist in the world, in a certain time and space...this truth is revealed to those who receive it in faith, for it is a mystery of love. ONLY THOSE WHO ARE OPEN TO LOVE ARE ENVELOPED IN THE LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS. So it was on that night in Bethlehem, and so it is today. The Incarnation of the Son of God is an event which occurred within history, while at the same time transcending history. In the night of the world a new light was kindled, one which lets itself be seen by the simple eyes of faith, by the meek and humble hearts of those who await the Saviour. If the truth were a mere mathematical formula, in some sense it would impose itself by its own power. But if Truth is Love, it calls for faith, for the "yes" of our hearts.
And what do our hearts, in effect, seek, if not a Truth which is also Love? Children seek it with their questions, so disarming and stimulating; young people seek it in their eagerness to discover the deepest meaning of their life; adults seek it in order to guide and sustain their commitments in the family and the workplace; the elderly seek it in order to grant completion to their earthly existence.
'The Word became flesh'. The proclamation of Christmas is also a light for all peoples, for the collective journey of humanity. "Emmanuel", God-with-us, has come as King of justice and peace. We know that his Kingdom is not of this world, and yet it is more important than all the kingdoms of this world. It is like the leaven of humanity: were it lacking, the energy to work for true development would flag: the impulse to work together for the common good, in the disinterested service of our neighbour, in the peaceful struggle for justice. Belief in the God who desired to share in our history constantly encourages us in our own commitment to that history, for all its contradictions. IT IS A SOURCE OF HOPE FOR EVERYONE WHOSE DIGNITY IS OFFENDED AND VIOLATED, SINCE THE ONE BORN IN BETHLEHEM CAME TO SET EVERY MAN AND WOMAN FREE FROM THE SOURCE OF ALL ENSLAVEMENT.
May the light of Christmas shine forth anew in the Land where Jesus was born, and inspire Israelis and Palestinians to strive for a just and peaceful coexistence. May the comforting message of the coming of Emmanuel ease the pain and bring consolation amid their trials to the beloved Christian communities in Iraq and throughout the Middle East; may it bring them comfort and hope for the future and bring the leaders of nations to show them effective solidarity. May it also be so for those in Haiti who still suffer in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and the recent cholera epidemic. May the same hold true not only for those in Colombia and Venezuela, but also in Guatemala and Costa Rica, who recently suffered natural disasters.
May the birth of the Saviour open horizons of lasting peace and authentic progress for the peoples of Somalia, Darfur and C^ote d'Ivoire; may it promote political and social stability in Madagascar; may it bring security and respect for human rights in Afghanistan and in Pakistan; may it encourage dialogue between Nicaragua and Costa Rica; and may it advance reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
May the birth of the Saviour strengthen the spirit of faith, patience and courage of the faithful of the Church in mainland China, that they may not lose heart through the limitations imposed on their freedom of religion and conscience but, persevering in fidelity to Christ and his Church, may keep alive the flame of hope. May the love of 'God-with-us' grant perseverance to all those Christian communities enduring discrimination and persecution, and inspire political and religious leaders to be committed to full respect for the religious freedom of all.
Dear brothers and sisters, 'the Word became flesh'; he came to dwell among us; he is Emmanuel, the God who became close to us. Together let us contemplate this great mystery of love; let our hearts be filled with the light which shines in the stable of Bethlehem! To everyone, a Merry Christmas!"
What struck me the most in our Holy Father's Christmas message were these words: "Only those who are open to love are enveloped in the light of Christmas." Last night, I attended a Christmas Eve Mass at Our Lady Immaculate Parish in Athol, Massachusetts. I was in a cheerful mood (as always) and prayerfully preparing for Mass when I was approached by one of the parish's deacons who began to lecture me about making room for "elderly people" who were in need of a seat. When I calmly informed him that no one had approached us (I was with family) to ask us if we could slide down the pew, he answered with dripping sarcasm, "Consider yourself approached."
Was the deacon's attitude Christ-like? Is it evidence of a person who is "open to love"? Or does it not betray a lack of charity? The homily at Mass, delivered by Father Richard Jakubauskas, was largely about the need to embrace love and kindness toward one another. But words are cheap when they are not backed up with concrete action.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they were all show. Their actions did not correspond to their preaching. Is that not the case here? Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council tells us that, "Ministers of the lesser rank are also sharers in the mission and grace of the supreme priest. In the first place among these ministers are deacons, who inasmuch as they are dispensers of Christ's mysteries and servants of the Church, should keep themselves free from every vice and stand before men as personifications of goodness and friends of God (cf. 1 Tm 3: 8-10, 12-13). Clerics, who are called by the Lord and are set aside as his portion in order to prepare themselves for the various ministerial offices under the watchful eye of spiritual shepherds, are bound to bring their hearts and minds into accord with this special election (which is theirs). They will accomplish this by their constancy in prayer, "BY THEIR BURNING LOVE", and by their unremitting recollection of whatever is true, just and of good repute.." (No. 41).
Only those who are open to love are enveloped in the light of Christmas. There is a deacon in Athol who should meditate very carefully on those words. Although this unhappy soul attempted to distract me from prayer and to squash my joyous spirit, he failed. Emmanuel: God with us...even if others be against us!
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I started a conversation with the question: Does God care about Justice? There are a number of reaons why I'm doing this, but perhaps most importantly this conversation raises the question as to what our calling is as God's people in the world. Am I called to acts of compassion only, or am I called to seek to change the social realities that marginalize people and work to destroy the world in which we live? To me, justice has to do with (to quote the Disciples mission statement) seeking to bring wholeness to a fragmented world. Regarding the first - I see the kinds of responses that church folk offer to the people of Joplin or Japan. Regarding the latter (justice) I see working to change systems that dehumanize folks. Both are important and even essential, and belong together. In that regard, Bruce Epperly offers some thoughts about justice from the perspective of Process Theology as part of his series on that topic. I invite you to read and respond.
BRUCE G. EPPERLY
Alfred North Whitehead once stated that the aim of the universe is toward the production of beauty. For process theologians, beauty of experience is an ethical as well as aesthetic value. Beauty implies a dynamic relationship of diversity and unity, novelty and order, and contrast and intensity. While these terms seem abstract, they imply an ethical vision appropriate to individual and corporate behavior, grounded in relational and social justice. Just actions and social structures enhance beauty of experience, while unjust actions and social structures deface beauty of experience and limit personal possibilities. Accordingly, we can assert that God is on the side of beauty and justice and seeks relationships and institutions that promote creative, intense, meaningful, and beautiful experiences. A society is judged by its ability to support positive and healthy experiences among its most vulnerable as well as its most elite members.
In the spirit of the prophets and Jesus, process theology recognizes that social institutions - governments, corporations, businesses, educational institutions, are ultimately moral entities. If houses are indiscriminately foreclosed, profits prized over personal and communal well being, children educated in substandard schools, and persons ostracized because of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and age, then governments are failing in the quest for beauty of experience. Process theologians affirm the quest for "life, liberty, and the quest for happiness," provided that happiness is seen as communal as well as individual. Individual creativity and success - and the ideal of rugged individualism - at the expense of the social order and the well being of persons is inherently unjust.
Process theology recognizes that all achievement involves the interplay of the environment, family of origin, and personal decision-making. Even in the most difficult situations, for example, poverty, abusive family relationships, and racism, we have the freedom to choose our attitude and take our first steps toward freedom. Even in positive social settings, people may still make harmful decisions. Nevertheless, unhealthy environments place serious limits on our ability to make healthy and responsible decisions. Accordingly, we have a responsibility to foster healthy environments as well as value-based education that enables people to make life-supporting decisions. Healthy and caring environments provide a tipping point toward personal achievement and well being. Here, I define achievement in terms of fulfilling one's particular vocation.
Process theology's quest for health and beauty-supporting environments requires equality of opportunity and sufficient social resources for all people. For example, process theology's concept of justice implies that all persons should have accessible health care, both in terms of prevention and response to illness. Further, while school districts may differ in terms of resources, these differences should be as minimal as possible. Schools in poor counties should be given resources approximate to affluent municipalities. While some will sacrifice as a result of beauty-producing social policy, affirmative action based on a combination of economics and ethnicity is essential in the quest for justice and beauty. But, opportunity and economic background as well as race must be a criterion for advancement in education and the work place.
A healthy society supports peoples' ability to experience more than mere survival. It must encourage creativity, artistic expression, philosophical adventure, scientific exploration, spiritual discovery, and intellectual curiosity. These are values that contribute to breadth of experience and the ability to transcend one's own experience in a world of many peoples and nations. When difficult decisions must be made, such as those involving the arts, health care, education, those with the fewest resources should make the fewest sacrifices. A good society helps its members, in the words of Whitehead, not only "to live, but to live well, and live better." Justice in personal and corporate relationships supports peoples' quests for abundant life, involving creativity and beauty of experience, rather than consumerism and hedonism. According, just structures must take into consideration beauty and abundance for non-humans as well as future generations on this good earth.
"Bruce Epperly is a theologian, spiritual guide, healing companion, retreat leader and lecturer, and author of nineteen books, including" Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living; God's Touch: Faith, Wholeness, and the Healing Miracles of Jesus; "and "Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry. "He has taught at Georgetown University, Wesley Theological Seminary, Claremont School of Theology, and Lancaster Theological Seminary. He is currently theologian in residence at St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His most recent book is" Process Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed. "He can be reached for lectures, seminars, and retreats at bruceepperly@gmail.com. Note: Bruce will be offering the 2nd Perry Gresham Lecture at Central Woodward Christian Church in September, so keep watching for details. "
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When the teacher is confused, there is no doubt that the student will equally be confused. Even more dangerous is a teacher who, in the process of setting themselves up in guru fashion, becomes lost in the world of delusion and thus, the fruits of the student become that of delusion or, at the very least, disappointment. The Golden Dawn tradition has been crafted, by the Cipher Manuscripts, the Z documents of the Rosicrucian Inner Order and the traditional practices of the early Temples. They received their primary direction from teachers such as S.L. Macgregor Mathers, William Wynn Westcott and, of course, earlier and more ancient sources, such as the German Rosicrucian Adepts.
Later, a portion of Golden Dawn material was put up for publication to the outer world by Aleister Crowley in his infamous Equinox series. Following this, Regardie also published a four-volume set based on his experience in one of the Stella Matutina Temples, an offshoot of the Golden Dawn. Much of the information that was published, especially in the lower grades of the Outer Order, was already commonly available to the student of the Mysteries, even at the time when the Golden Dawn was at its heyday, in the early 1890's. It doesn't even take a great researcher to be able to uncover the Hebrew alphabet, for example, or some of the early forms of meditation, such as the fourfold breath, and other aspects of the earlier grades. Geomancy, for example, was widely used by people outside the Golden Dawn. It should be remembered that the Golden Dawn was a synthesis of ancient, medieval and modern knowledge. It is this knowledge, this basis, that provides firm footing for the aspirant who wishes to advance in the grades and later receive invitation into the Second, or Inner Order. The Second, or Rosicrucian Order is an Inner Order often referred to as the R.R. et A.C., wherein even greater knowledge is revealed. The student will do well to remember that the climb upward to the summit of a spiritual mountain begins at the base, or, as the ancient Chinese proverb puts it, 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Therefore, the outer Order grade material and its knowledge, initiations and advancements are absolutely critical before advancement or study in the Inner Order.
Here is where the axes begin to grind. Crowley also published some Inner Order material. Fortunately, neither Crowley nor Regardie were members of the Second Order for long enough to accumulate the vast storehouse of knowledge within the Second Order. As one Adept in another Order pointed out to me in a conversation, 'I have a whole basement full of unpublished papers that still need a thorough going-through.' In addition, it must also be remembered that the Second Order, like the study of the Kabbalah itself, developed a very powerful and strong oral tradition that continues to grow to this day.
But back to the ax-grinding. Several years ago, in the late 1990's, a few individuals decided, on their own, to overhaul the entire Golden Dawn tradition. Not only did they overhaul the entire tradition by placing the bulk of Inner Order material into Outer Order grades (a very dangerous thing to do), they re-designed the whole Second Order, based primarily on some French Martinist papers. So, let's stand back and look at the picture that they have created. They took the published Inner Order material of the Second Order, threw it into a bowl with the Outer Order material and put a blender to it. Then they changed all of the mystical passwords and titles that are associated with each of the grades of the Golden Dawn. That left them with a problem, in that they no longer had a Second Order because all of the material was now in the Outer, so now they had to create a new Second Order curriculum. Yet, at the same time, they claim to be doing the traditional Golden Dawn work. They claim to be following the tradition set forth by S.L. Macgregor Mathers, William Wynn Westcott and others. Now, I don't think that it takes a person with a Ph.D. in logic to see the fallacy and danger to the new student or aspirant in this kind of thinking or modality.
Now, to make things even more complicated and frightening to the student of the Mysteries, they claim to have a Third Order that, from all impressions, you can enter when you are ready. Let's quote S.L. Macgregor Mathers and see what Mathers says about the Third Order: 'I do not even know them by their earthly names. I only know them by certain mottos. I have but rarely seen them in the physical body; and on such occasions, the rendezvous was made astrally, at the time astrally appointed by them. For my part, I believe them to be human, and residing upon the earth, but possessing terrible superhuman powers.'
Mathers makes it very clear that if these beings of the Third Order exist, they remain on the earthly plane, yet in the ether at the same time. Not all of Malkuth is visible to the naked eye. (Malkuth is the lowest sephiroth on the Tree of Life.) So, the truth of the matter is, to be blunt about it, that we don't really know very much about these Third Order brethren at all. Those claiming that the Secret Chiefs are simply physical beings living in a physical dimension and that they have met with these physical beings or being, such as Lux E Tenebris, would do well to provide photos.
The essential message of this blog is this: if a person is really going to do Golden Dawn studies and is really going to participate in the creation of the pentagram within, they must learn the rudimentary knowledge found in the Outer Order of the Golden Dawn, which goes from 0=0 to 4=7. Then they should receive an initiation into Portal, which is the second degree, and a grade attributed to Spirit. This formulates the pentagram the doorway to the perfected man found in 5=6. It doesn't mean that you become perfect after you have finished with your Golden Dawn studies. It does, however, mean that you have been challenged by each element, as well as having learned to integrate that element in a unique and powerful way with your Sphere of Sensation. From a Western Mysteries perspective and a traditional Golden Dawn point of view, this becomes essential to unlocking the doorway into the Second or Inner Order. Then, after entering the Second or Inner Order, the student of the Mysteries will soon discover that there is a lifetime of work and of study. There is more to learn and know and do than one could manage in a lifetime. Even the published Inner Order material is expounded upon and expressed in far more depth through our unpublished documents and the oral tradition, which continues to grow and to expand. We believe that it is absolutely critical for someone who truly wants to do the Great Work that they begin at the beginning line that was established by the forefathers of our Order. Our Order continues the tradition of classical Golden Dawn studies, along with several other Orders, groups and independent Temples.
Your Brother in the Great Work,
Frater PDR
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Hello, friends!
First of all, as always, I want to thank you guys for your awesome words of support over my little "drama". *sigh* I do overreact, don't I?! But it was a good lesson to learn, and now life goes on!
I just finished three new felt rune sets filled with herbs for my Etsy, they look so lovely! I filled them with pinches of rosemary, lavender and calendula dried seeds. I'll try to find some mugsworth and jasmine in the local shops, they have all to do with divination (the purple set is not filled with any herbs, this is the one I forgot to add them to it...):
Also I created a sweet Gaia Goddess, another suggestion made by Lucas (seems like soon I'll have to pay him some commission! LOL). She looks so cute I wanted to keep her to myself! :o):
Now I'll go back to my little witch: he's got another tonsilitis crisis! *triple loud sigh* Tomorrow afternoon I'll take him to the doctor, and see if there's anything else I can do to make him stronger. Fortunately this time is a mild crisis, with no high fever, so he's at home being fed and spoiled! :o)
Credit: http://ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com
AETV Community
"Know thyself." Socrates. (Inscribed over the entrance to the oracle at Delphi)In our search for the sacred, there is a common tendency to want blissful experiences, full of light and love, and to turn away from the mundane, the nasty, or what we judge as darkness or evil. This applies to what we see as the darkness in ourselves as well as in the rest of the world.
It is relatively easy to look at the wider world with all it's shadows and pain; much more difficult to turn the moving eye toward and see what dark shadows may lurk within ourselves. However, if we are to enter right relationship with others and the wider world, we must also embark upon that voyage of self-discovery to enter into right relationship with ourselves which includes both the light and the shadows.
Sometimes, what the ancients called "the dark night of the soul" may be a spiritual emergency that precipitates a deeper spiritual search. Many paths to source can potentially lead us into a recognition of our own darkness. We may be inclined to prefer the sweeter experiences, but when we see the darkness, it is important to remember that it, too, has teachings for us.
When the shadow is embraced and integrated, we become whole, healed and, paradoxically, more energy, not less, is available to us.Throughout the ages, in many spiritual teachings, from the Upanishads to the Bible, from the Sufi and Christian mystics of the middle ages to the modern-day Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Nanh, the same message is conveyed that the light and dark exist in all things, both are part of the One/the Creator/God, and the union of the two forces through acceptance and compassion is a universal goal.
In becoming individuated, that same goal for each human being presents itself-to work not only with the light within ourselves, but also our shadow side.As joy and light are part of life, so are darkness and suffering. The struggle with the darker part of ourselves is well illustrated in countless mystical texts and other writings about the inner journey.
It forms part fo the typical hero's journey in popular culture both ancient and modern, from Persephone's journey into the underworld of Greek mythology to Luke Skywalker's struggle within himself in the Star Wars series. Such archetypes inform us of the nature of the endless human endevor to balance the light and drak in each of us.
This is beautifully illustrated not just in the stories of adult experiences, but by the daily trials of children as they come to terms with right and wrong, desires, guilt, ingratitude, lust, envy, anger, and so on. All the everyday tussles with the nine deadly sins and more, begin in our earliest awakenings in childhood.
At an early age, children exhibit a capacity to perceive the choices between "good" and "bad" that face them. Adults are often surprised and touched by the compassion of children (sometimes dismissed by the worldly wise as naive or unrealistic) and their ability to see the world and it's wrongs, and possible solutions, in uncluttered and obvious ways.
Ram Doss, in his many teachings, often tells the tale of his reflections and meditations upon the different, including the darker, parts of himself. As he observed each of them as seperate entities standing before him-the parts of him that were the friend, the professor, the son; the parts that showed lust, anger, despair, possessiveness, and so on- he suddenly became aware that, if they were all out there looking at him, then "who's minding the store?
" In other words, these elements of ourselves, our ego, our personalities, are not us. Something else, deeper and more mysteriously aware, is both involved with and stands apart from who we think we are.As we come to witness all those parts of us that we have created and that have been created for us down the years, we can begin to enter a new relationship with the world.
When we realise that we are not who we thought we were, we can come to understand the real "I" that exists beneath all those constructs and ties to the personality. When we can relate to the real "I" then the power of who we thought we were is diminished. We emerge chicken-like from an eggshell into a new perspective of who we really are.
All the darker parts of the self are but grist for the mill, teachers, things to work with as we follow the road that leads to deeper understanding of the self. However, so often we seek to bury our nastier side, attempting to hide it in the belief that if ignored it will go away, or at least lose it's influence over us.
The opposite seems to be the case. To do spiritual work, to discover the sacred within ourselves, we cannot bypass the emotional work. All the great spiritual teachers down through the ages sought not to bury their darker sides, but to work with them, suffer with them, and bring them into the light.
However, for most participants in the search, the darkness in ourselves, in the sense of what we see as as bad or undesireable, and in the sense of the unknown realm of the unconscious, has become something to avoid. I have attended many gatherings, meetings, and "New Age" events where everyone appears to be happy, shiney, and smiley.
However, the darkness could be sensed underneath all of it. The light is but a front, placed like a mask over the face. David Steindl-Ross writes of the New Age searchers for whom "The shadow has been in conspicuous by it's absence. Seekers are often led to believe that with the right teacher or the right practice, they can transcend to higher levels of awareness without dealing with the more petty vices or ugly emotional attachements.
" He cites on Colorado journalist Marc Barash, who says "Spirituality, as repackaged for the new age, is confection of love and light, purified of pilgramige and penance, of defeat and descent, oh harrowing and humility."This does not mean that we have to deliberately plunge ourselves into a pit of danger and dispair if we are to pursue our understanding of our spirituality.
Nevertheless, the path should be approached with care and caution. The Cloud of the Unknowing, believed to be a late midevil text on the spiritual journey by an unknown author, reminds us that we should "be careful in this matter, and do not overstrain yourself emotionally or beyond your own strength.
Work with eager enjoyment rather than brute force. The more eager you work, the more humble and spiritual it becomes." Jesus, in the Gospel of St. Thomas, urged "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over all.
"Making the "trouble" a source of learning seems to be the object lesson in confronting the shadow in ourselves. Thus we have become alchemists of the soul, transforming the lead into gold. In the shadow, there is hope and possibility.
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Into The Darkness
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THE EVIL SPIRIT WHO ATTACKS WOMENIN 1981 THE MOVIE "THE ENTITY" WHICH WAS STARRED BY BARBARA HERSHEY AND BASED ON A TRUE STORY, DEPICTED THE STORY OF CARLOTTA MORAN A WOMAN WHO IS PERMANENTLY ATTACKED BY AN UNSEEN PRESENCE TO THE POINT OF BEING PHYSICALLY AND SEXUALLY ABUSED. RESEARCHERS OF PARANORMAL PHENOMENA HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS CASE VERY WELL AND THEY HAVE SOME THEORIES ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PHENOMENON. NEVERTHELESS, THEY DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY THE SOURCE OF THIS PHENOMENON AND THE SOLUTION TO THIS CASE.
SESSION 11/APR/03"MEDIUM": JORGE RAUL OLGUIN
"ENTITY THAT CAME TO DIALOGUE": MASTER RUANEL.INTERLOCUTOR: WHO WILL SPEAK TODAY?RUANEL: I AM RUANEL. HOW ARE YOU?INTERLOCUTOR: I'M GOOD, MASTER, AND WITH MANY QUESTIONS. WILL YOU GIVE SOME MESSAGE OR SHOULD WE START WITH THE QUESTIONS?RUANEL: NO, NOT A MESSAGE, I WILL SIMPLY MAKE A SMALL COMMENT. THE PHYSICAL PLANE IS AN ENORMOUS GRAVITATIONAL WELL; I HAVE ALREADY SAID IT MANY TIMES. ALL THAT IS PHYSICAL, ALL THAT BELONGS TO THE PLANE 1, OBVIOUSLY HAS GRAVITY. BUT IT IS ALSO GRAVITATIONAL AT A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL.HOW THE PHYSICAL PLANE ATTRACTS TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD! FEELING THE EMOTIONS. NOTICE THAT WHEN ALL THE SPIRITUAL BEINGS EMBODY, THEY REASON WITH CERTAIN PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE, SAYING THAT THE PHYSICAL PLANE IS A PLANE OF SUFFERING, WHERE THERE IS PAIN, DISAPPEARANCES, ETC., MORE IN THE PLANET EARTH WHERE THERE ARE MANY WARS. HOWEVER, THE SPIRITS AS A USUAL EXPRESSION SAYS IN THE PHYSICAL PLANE: "THEY STAND IN THE QUEUE TO EMBODY AGAIN"INTERLOCUTOR: THE SENTENCE MIGHT BE OLD BUT IT IS VERY ILLUSTRATIVE.RUANEL: THE PHYSICAL PLANE HAS SOMETHING THAT ATTRACTS SO MUCH, THE FEELING OF THE FIVE SENSES, TO BE ABLE TO SMELL A SCENT, TO TOUCH. NOTICE HOW THE SEX ATTRACTS IN THE PHYSICAL PLANE THAT THERE ARE BEINGS OF THE PLANES OF ERROR 2 AND 3 WHO DISEMBODIED WITH CERTAIN ENGRAMS AT SEXUAL LEVEL, AND ALTHOUGH THE SPIRITS HAVE NO SEX, MANY OF THEM HAVE THE FEELING OF SEXUAL DESIRE. AND FOR THAT REASON THEY MAKE FOCUS ONTO CERTAIN WOMEN.INTERLOCUTOR: ARE WE SPEAKING OF PREDISPOSED WOMEN?RUANEL: CORRECT. IF THESE WOMEN WERE NOT SO PREDISPOSED SOMEHOW THAT BEHAVIOR OF THESE SPIRITS OF ERROR WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE, BECAUSE THE LAW OF FREE WILL WOULD PROTECT THESE WOMEN. IF A WOMAN IS UNSATISFIED FOR SOME REASON, SHE GIVES SPACE TO THOSE SPIRITS AND SHE ATTRACTS THEM. OBVIOUSLY THAT SPIRIT BELIEVES, IN HIS SELF-CENTERED DECEIT THINKS THAT HE IS COPULATING PHYSICALLY WITH THIS WOMAN, BUT SINCE THE SPIRIT HAVE NO ORGASM BECAUSE IT'S A SPIRIT, IT DOESN'T REACH THE CLIMAX AND THEREFORE HE IS ALWAYS WITH THE UNSATISFIED DESIRE, AND THAT BRINGS HIM MORE ENGRAMS. THESE ARE ENGRAMS THAT ARE RESTIMULATED PERMANENTLY.INTERLOCUTOR: AND HOW DOES THAT SPIRIT COME OUT FROM THAT SITUATION?RUANEL: IT IS VERY, BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET OUT FROM THAT SITUATION. I WANTED TO MAKE THIS COMMENT BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW IT.INTERLOCUTOR: MANY WOMEN HAVE TOLD US THEY HAD THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCES.RUANEL: AND THEY WOULD BE MANY MORE IF THEY WEREN'T ASHAMED TO TELL THOSE EXPERIENCES, BECAUSE THAT WOMAN WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT, LIKE SOME OF THEM HAVE ALREADY SAID IT THAT THEY HAVE SEXUAL NEEDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FULFILLED BY A MAN. THE MOVIE CALLED "THE ENTITY" IS IN FACT BASED ON REAL FACTS, SOMETHING THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.INTERLOCUTOR: YES, WE KNOW THAT ALREADY.
THE WISER THING BEFORE THESE NEGATIVE ENTITIES WOULD BE SENDING LIGHT TO NEUTRALIZE THEM. AND IN A CASE LIKE THIS, THEY SHOULD TRY TO WRAP THEMSELVES MENTALLY WITH CHRISTIC GOLDEN LIGHT SO THAT NO HARMFUL VIBRATION REACHES THEM... IN THAT WAY THEY WILL RECOVER THEIR ENERGY. IN MANY CASES I HAVE CONFIRMED THAT AN ENERGETIC GOLDEN COVER STOPS ALL KIND OF DAMAGE... IF THESE SPIRITS ARE TOO ANNOYING, YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT TO PROF. JORGE OLGUIN.
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TARA BRACHSep 21, 2012
During the years right after college, I was the director of a yoga studio at the ashram where I was living near Boston. One day, at a time when we were behind in promoting our major event of the year, which featured a number of well-known teachers, the head of our local community arrived late to our weekly staff meeting, visibly upset. I asked him what was wrong.
In a barely controlled voice, he thrust in front of me a flyer I'd created for the event. "Just take a look at this." Immediately, I saw the typo in bold print-it was the wrong date. My heart sank: we'd just printed three thousand of them; I'd screwed up big time.
Although my mind scrambled to solve the problem, the weight of failure sat like a big stone in my chest. At the end of our meeting I began an apology: "This was my responsibility," I said in a low monotone, "and I'm really sorry for messing up..." Then as I felt the others' eyes on me, I felt a flash of anger and the words tumbled out: "But, you know, this has been a huge amount of work and I've been totally on my own." I could feel my eyes burning, but I blinked back the tears. "It would have been nice if someone had been available to proofread... maybe this kind of thing wouldn't have happened."
For the rest of the week I was trapped in self-disgust. Hour after hour my mind replayed every recent incident that highlighted my flaws: I'd lied to get out of a social obligation, exaggerated the size of my yoga classes to another teacher, gossiped to feel more like an insider. Instead of generosity and selfless service, my focus was on my own spiritual progress. Once again I found myself facing what I most disliked about myself: insecurity and self-centeredness. I felt disconnected from everyone around me, stuck inside a self I didn't want to be.
Because my self-doubts seemed so "unspiritual," I didn't talk about them with anyone. At work I was all business. I withdrew from the casual banter and playfulness at group meals, and when I did try to be sociable, I felt like an imposter. Several weeks later, the women in our ashram decided to form a sensitivity group where we could talk about personal challenges. I wondered whether this might be an opportunity for me to get more real.
At our opening meeting, as the other women talked about their stress at work, about children and health problems, I felt my anxiety build. Finally, when there was a pause in the conversation, my confession came pouring out. "I know I do a lot of yoga and teach a lot of classes, that it looks like I'm a helpful, caring person... That may be true in some ways, but it's also a front. What I'm covering up, what I don't want anyone to see, is how self-centered I am, how selfish and judgmental." After pausing and glancing around at the solemn faces, I took the real plunge. "This is hard to say, but... I don't trust that I'm a good person, and that makes it hard to really feel close with anyone."
Directly after the meeting, I retreated quickly to my room, curled up in fetal position on my futon and cried. By naming my experience out loud, I had stripped away a layer of the small self's protection. Feeling raw and exposed, I started mentally berating myself for having said anything. I told myself I should get up right that moment and do some yoga. Instead, I began trying to figure out what really had gone wrong, what was making me feel so bad about myself.
Suddenly I realized that this inner processing was yet more of the same. I was still trying to control things by figuring them out, by trying more practice, by trying to manage how others might see me. Recognizing these false refuges stopped me in my tracks-I didn't want to stay stuck. An inner voice asked, "What would happen if, in this moment, I didn't try to do anything, to make anything different?" I immediately felt the visceral grip of fear and then a familiar sinking hole of shame-the very feelings I had been trying to avoid for as long as I could remember. Then the same inner voice whispered very quietly, a familiar refrain: "Just let it be."
I stretched out on my back, took a few full breaths, and felt the weight of my body supported by the futon. Again and again my mind tried to escape into reviewing what I'd said hours earlier, or rehearsing what else I could say to explain myself. Again and again the intention to "let it be" brought me back to the fear and shame I was experiencing. Sometime during the night, lying there alone in the darkness, these emotions gave way to grief. I was struck by how much of my life-my aliveness and loving-was lost when I was caught in feelings of unworthiness. I let myself open to that fully too, sobbing deeply, until the grief gradually subsided.
I got up, sat on my cushion in front of my small meditation altar, and continued to pay attention. My mind quieted naturally and I became increasingly aware of my own inner experience-a silent presence suffused with tenderness. This presence was a space of being that included everything-waves of sadness, the feeling of my drying tears, the sounds of crickets, the humid summer night.
In this open space thoughts again bubbled up -the memory of being defensive at the staff meeting and my subsequent attempts to offer a real apology; then a flash forward to me teaching the yoga class I'd scheduled for the following morning, trying to project a positive, confident energy. This time, as these scenes came into view, I felt like I was witnessing a character in a play. The character was continually trying to protect herself, but in the process, she was disconnecting more and more from herself, from authenticity, from the potential sustenance of feeling connected to others. And in each scene, I saw her perpetually "doing" in order to feel better about herself, "doing" in order to avoid pain, "doing" in order to avoid failure.
As I sat there watching this play, I had, for the first time, a compelling sense that this character wasn't really "me." Her feelings and reactions were certainly familiar, but they were just ripples on the surface of what I really was. In the same way, everything happening at that moment-the thoughts, the sensations of sitting cross-legged, the tenderness, the tiredness-were part of my being but could not define me. My heart opened. How sad to have been living in such a confined world; how sad to have felt so driven and so alone!
That night by my altar, an old sense of self was falling away. Who was I, then? In those moments I sensed that the truth of what I was couldn't be contained in any idea or image of self. Rather, it was the space of presence itself-the silence, the wakeful openness-that felt like home. A feeling of gratitude and reverence filled me that has never entirely left.
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This opinion piece, appearing in the Jewish Press several days ago, is of interest. The author is Sinem Tezyapar, She is an executive producer at A9 TV, broadcasting from Turkey, Istanbul. She is a political and religious commentator and a peace activist. She is also a Muslim. She wrote a lengthy piece in The Jewish Press proposing that the Temple at Jerusalem, which is currently closed to Jews for prayer while open to Muslims, is a spot where both faiths could share. The piece is titled: A NEW MUSLIM VISION: REBUILDING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE TOGETHER
Here is an excerpt of her piece:
"As a devout Muslim, I take pleasure when Jews pray to Almighty God, and their praying anywhere in the world, including at the Temple Mount, would be a glad tiding for me as well.
As a devout Muslim, it would be a joy for me to see Prophet Solomon's Temple rebuilt as well. No, you did not hear me wrong. Prophet Solomon's Temple being rebuilt in all its magnificence and glory would be a great delight for me, as it would be to any Muslim. Under different circumstances, in an atmosphere of trust, love and brotherhood, Muslims would welcome this with enthusiasm. The Temple of Solomon is also a historically important place, and rebuilding it would be a wonderful occasion for all believers to contemplate. Every Muslim, every believer, will want to experience the spirit of those days again, and strive to bring the beauty of those days back to life. Actually, it is everyone's aspiration for that city to be adorned, to be beautified, and to regain the magnificent glory it had in the days of the Prophet Solomon.
Solomon's Temple being rebuilt does not entail any harm to these shrines."
This piece is only one opinion after all, so why do I take especial note of it? Because here is what the bible says the Temple will be like during the Tribulation:
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.(Revelation 11:1
There are three different areas of this holiest of sites that are mentioned in the verse.
-The temple building itself. This includes holy place, the holy of holies, the altar and the people who gather there to worship
-the outer court, the open area that surrounds the temple. In the verse John is told not to bother with that
-the holy city, the city of Jerusalem.
The temple will have been rebuilt by the time the Tribulation comes along. We know this because the antichrist stands in it and stops the sacrifices (Dan 9:27) Verses in Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 also refer to the temple during the Tribulation. For there to be sacrifices, there must be a holy place. For the antichrist to stop the sacrifices, they must have started.
We also know that the Temple Mount organization has spent much time developing all the items necessary to resume sacrifices. They have trained Levitical priests, practiced sacrificing, woven the priestly garments, and built an altar. All this they did according to Old Testament Law. They have even gotten the cornerstone and blessed it. It is like a pre-fab building, parts are ready and all they need is the go-ahead to build. It won't take long, perhaps a month, I've read. Later today when I come home from work I'll put up the links to all these so you can see how far along they are.
The only problem, aside from the political one and the religious one, lol, is the spot to build it on. Many people have said that there IS room at the Temple Mount to build a third temple, and not have to touch the Muslim Al Aqsa mosque which squats there like a buzzard. And according to the verse in Revelation 11, there does seem to be a picture of the two existing side-by-side at the same time.
End time students already know that the third temple will be rebuilt, the discussion has always been, where. Some have proposed that the last days wars of Psalm 83, or Ezekiel 38-39 would mean that the Muslim mosque is razed during the fighting. Others have said that a spot at Shiloh for the third temple is likelier, because Shiloh was the original place of the tabernacle for 400 years. Still others deny that any temple at all is built, but we see from the verses in Daniel and Revelation, among others, that this is the least likely scenario.
The most plausible one is that the two religions co-exist and the temple is re-built on the exact spot we all think it will be: atop the temple mount in the holy city of Jerusalem. There has always been room for a temple at the holy spot, despite the Muslim occupation at their mosque. And the Revelation verse proves it. What we could not imagine was the climate of the day allowing such a thing as side-by-side religious activity.
Today's evil spirit is of an ecumenical bent. We see too sadly, Evangelical Christianity co-existing with Catholicism, Buddhism's mystical side permeating fundamental Christianity, Chrislam, etc. Judaism and Islam "will "co-exist as revelation shows, exactly as the Muslim opinion writer proposes. The Lord will see His plan come to pass. Changing minds and hearts to see that it happens is the very power of God. Praise Him in all His ways!
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Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught. But those things which proceed out of the mouth came forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These are the things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. How fortunate are the poor; they have God's kingdom. How fortunate the hungry; they will be fed. How fortunate are those who are crying; they will laugh I am telling you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer your other cheek as well. If anyone grabs your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to anyone who asks, and if someone takes away your belongings, do not ask to have them back. As you want people to treat you, do the same to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
Even tax collectors love those who love them, do they not? And if you embrace only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Doesn't everybody do that? If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even wrongdoers lend to their kind because they expect to be repaid.
Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of God. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good; he sends rain on the just and on the unjust Don't judge and you won't be judged. For the standard you use (in judging) will be the standard used against you.
Can the blind lead the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit? A student is not better than his teacher. It is enough for a student to be like his teacher. How can you look for the splinter in your brother's eye and not notice the stick in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the splinter in your eye', when you do not see the stick in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the stick from your own eye, and then you can see to remove the splinter that is in your brother's eye. A good tree does not bear rotten fruit; a rotten tree does not bear good fruit. Are figs gathered form thorns, or grapes from thistles? Every tree is known by its fruit. The good man produces good things from his store of goods and treasures; and the evil man evil things.
For the mouth speaks from a full heart. Why do you call me, 'Master, master', and not do what I say? Everyone who hears my words and does them is like a man who built a house on rock. The rain fell, a torrent broke against the house, and it did not fall, for it had a rock foundation. But everyone who hears my words and does not do them is like a man who built a house on sand.
The rain came, the torrent broke against it, and it collapsed. The ruin of that house was great. When someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go,' Jesus answered, 'Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.' When another said, 'Let me first go and bury my father,' Jesus said, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead.
'Yet another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me say goodbye to my family.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God'. Sell your possessions and give to charity (alms). Store up treasure for yourselves in a heavenly account, where moths and rust do not consume, and where thieves cannot break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. Seek after the treasure which does not perish, which endures in the place where no moth comes near to devour, and no worm ravages. Someone from the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' But he said to him, 'Sir, who made me your judge or lawyer?
' He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced in abundance, and he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?" Then he said, "I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul you have ample goods stored for many years.
Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him, "Foolish man? This very night you will have to give back your soul, and the things you produced, whose will they be?" That is what happens to the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich in the sight of God'. Go. Look, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
Do not carry money, or bag, or sandals, or staff; and do not greet anyone on the road. Whatever house you enter, say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a child of peace is there, your greeting will be received. But if not, let your peace return to you. And stay in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the worker deserves his wages.
Do not go from house to house. And if you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Pay attention to the sick and say to them, 'God's kingdom has come near to you.' But if you enter a town and they do not receive you, as you leave, shake the dust from your feet and say, 'Nevertheless, be sure of this, the realm of God has come to you'.
I am telling you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Think of the ravens. They do not plant, harvest, or store grain in barns, and God feeds them. Aren't you worth more than the birds? Which of you can add a single day to your life by worrying?
And why do you worry about clothing? Think of the way lilies grow. They do not work or spin. But even Solomon in all his splendor was not as magnificent. If God puts beautiful clothes on the grass that is in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into a furnace, won't he put clothes on you, faint hearts?
So don't worry, thinking, 'What will we eat?', or 'What will we drink?', or 'What will we wear?' For everybody in the whole world does that, and your father knows that you need these things. Instead, make sure of his rule over you, and all these things will be yours as well. He who wishes to follow me must know himself and bear my yoke.
Jesus said: He who would know everything, but fails to know himself misses the knowledge of everything. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand. And those in the house see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light.
But if it is bad your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness. Because of that I say this: Whoever is emptied will be filled with light; but whoever is divided will be filled with darkness. Strive to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter by it and will not be able.
Once the owner of the house has locked the door, you will stand outside, knock at the door, and say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Get away from me, all you unrighteous people'. No man can serve two masters. Either he hates the one and loves the other, or he is loyal to one and despises the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth (Mammon). Then Jesus was led into the wilderness by the spirit for trial by the accuser. He fasted for forty days and was hungry. The accuser said, 'If you are the son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' But Jesus answered, 'It is written, "No one lives by bread alone.
"' Then the accuser took him to Jerusalem and placed him at the highest point of the temple and said to him, 'If you are the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "He will command his angels to protect you", and "They will carry you with their hands so that your foot will not strike a stone.
"' But Jesus answered him, 'It is written, "You shall not put the lord your God to the test."' Then the accuser took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, and he said to him, 'All these I will give you if you will do obeisance and reverence me.' But Jesus answered him, 'It is written, "You shall reverence the lord your God and serve him alone.
"' Then the accuser left him. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away. For What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?. Shame on you Pharisees!
For you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of greed and incontinence. Foolish Pharisees! Clean the inside and the outside will also be clean. Shame on you Pharisees! for you love the front seats in the assemblies and greetings in the marketplaces. Shame on you! for you are like graves, outwardly beautiful, but full of pollution inside.
Jesus said, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are given good news'. Jesus said, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are given good news'.
The Kingdom is spread out over the whole world, and people do not see it. Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. Judas asked, "How does one begin to walk the Way?" Jesus answered, "By developing love and compassion.". The Kingdom is not coming with signs to be observed.
The Kingdom of God is within you. This Way you have found, even the angels do not know it. It comes from the unity of the Father and the Son, for they are One. Travel this path you have found. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things through Him came into being.
In Him was Life, and the Life became the light of men. And the Light appears in the darkness, and the darkness has not apprehended it. Before that which is visible came into being, all existed in Him, He embraces all, nothing embraces Him. I Am the one who is with you always. I am the Father, the Mother, the Son.
I cannot be defiled or corrupted. I have come to teach you those things that are, and those things that will be, so that through this revelation you will perceive the perfection of humanity. Original Man had a single mind within him. Be aware of which is right in front of you; then you will be able to grasp what is out of your sight.
For there is nothing hidden that will not be known. I (Mary Magdalene) saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, "Lord, I saw you in a vision." He answered me, saying "You are blessed because your vision of Me did not falter. Where the mind is, there is your treasure." I said to Him, "Lord, what allows one to see a vision?
Do we see it with the soul or with the spirit?" The Lord answered and said to me, "One sees not through the soul or the spirit, but through the Mind-which is between these two." You recognized Spirit and became Spirit. You saw Christ, and you became Christ. You saw the Father and you will become the Father.
And yet, if you do not recognize these things as your Self, you will not become what you see. But if you recognize your Self, that which you see, you will become. There was a man of great wealth who said to himself: "I will fill my storehouses with all my produce, and then I will be secure." This is what man thought, but that very night be died.
Those who have ears to hear, should hear. Sending out his disciples, Jesus said, "Tale no gold, nor silver, nor sopper in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food. Do not accumulate earthly possessions, which moths and rust can destroy, and which robbers can steal.
Rather, store up heavenly treasures which cannot be destroyed or stolen. For wherever you heart is, there is your treasure as well. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Truth finds those who are virtuous and wise. Those who are wise are like the fisherman who caught many fish.
He chose the largest fish to keep, and threw the small fish back into the sea. How fortunate is the wise man who seeks after truth. When he finds it, no one can disturb his peace. Understand what is here and now, and you also understand the mysteries. Love your neighbor as yourself. You have heard it said that, "You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
" But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for thosewho persecute you, so that you might be children of your Father who is in heaven. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...
What you did to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did also to me. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. You will then become children of your Father in heaven. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Be careful that your spiritual practice is not public, so that others know that you are spiritual.
When you give to charity, do not announce it like the hypocrites do, so that others may praise them. They already have their reward. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Do charity in secret, and your Father will reward you in secret. Not everyone who says to me "Lord,Lord" will be saved, but only those who do works of righteousness.
Keep away from those who consider themselves to be learned, and like to parade around in their fine vestments, and who love to be noticed and honored in public - those who take the seats and honor in the synagogues, and at feasts. These hypocrites steal from widows even while they say long prayers. The judgment which comes upon them will be great.
Learn to hate that hypocrisy, which is produced by evil intentions. Hypocrisy never comes close to truth. If you knew of to suffer, you would have the power not to suffer. Know how to suffer, then you will have power not to suffer. Blessed are those who are persecuted; they will rest in the light. I (John) saw his suffering and could not bear it.
I turned away and wept. But the Lord stood before me in a vision of light and said, "John, those below us see me as being crucified, pierced, and given bitterness to drink. But hear me-the one who stands before you- and hear what I say...it was not I who was on the cross. My true being is not the body that surrounds me.
Therefore, I did not suffer, nor was I in anguish at any time. These people did not harm me. Rather, the rulers of the universe destroyed my body, and it is fitting that they should have done so. Be merciful that you may obtain mercy; forgive that you may be forgiven. What you do is what will be done to you.
As you give, so it will be given to you; as you judge, so you will be judged; as you serve, so will service be done to you; with what you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return. Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged. Agree with your adversary quickly while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to his officer, and you be cast into prison.
Amen, I say unto you, you will not come forth from there until you have paid the last farthing. The soul will be punished...according to transgressions of which it is guilty...then the Virgin of light will bind that soul and hand it over to one of her judges to have it cast into a body which is appropriate for its crimes.
When what animates a person is removed, that person is called dead, and when what is alive leaves what is dead, that which is alive will be summoned. Do not run from death, but seek it out. For when you look at death closely you will discover within your salvation. For no one who fears death will be saved from it.
Scorn death and take thought of Life! The souls of every human generation will die. When these people, however, have completed the time of the kingdom and the spirit leaves them, their bodies will die but their souls will be alive, and they will be taken up. I have overcome the world. Do not let the world overcome you.
I have become free of the world. You too become free of it. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. When all the trials of life are ended, and one awakens, he sees nothing like it was before. Such a path is attained by those who have ended ignorance, letting it go as if it was nothing more than a dream.
No longer do they value those things of the material world. They lleave ignorance behind like sleep. Because you have renounced all, and have endured all sufferings, and because of your rebirth from one body to the next, you have become pure light. You will ascend and be king of the kingdom of Light
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From what appears in the foregoing pages the fact has doubtless been perceived that the worship of a Virgin and Child does not, as is usually supposed, belong exclusively to the Romish Christian Church, but, on the contrary, that it constitutes the most remote idea of a Creator extant. As has been hinted, there is little doubt that the earliest worship of the woman and child was much simpler than was that which came to prevail in later ages, at a time when every religious conception was closely veiled beneath a mixture of astrology and mythology. After the planets came to be regarded as active agencies in reproduction, and powerful in directing all mundane affairs, the Virgin of the Sphere while she represented Nature was also the constellation which appeared above the horizon at the winter solstice, or at the time when the sun had reached its lowest point and had begun to return. At this time, the 25th of December, and just as the days began to lengthen, this Virgin gave birth to the Sun-God. It is said that he issued forth from her side, hence the legend that Gotama Buddha was produced from the side of Maya, and also the story believed by the Gnostics and other Christian sects that Jesus was taken from the side of Mary.[31]
Within the churches and in the streets of many cities of Germany are to be observed figures of this traditional Virgin. She is standing, one foot upon a crescent and the other on a serpent's head, in the mouth of which is the sprig of an apple tree on which is an apple. The tail of the serpent is wound about a globe which is partially enveloped in clouds. On one arm of the Virgin is the Child, and in the hand of the other arm she carries the sacred lotus. Her head is encircled with a halo of light similar to the rays of the sun.
One is frequently disposed to query: Do the initiated in the Romish Church regard these images as legitimate representations of Mary, the wife of Joseph and Mother of Christ, or are they aware of their true significance? Certainly the various accessories attached to this figure betray its ancient origin and reveal its identity with the Egyptian, Chaldean, and the Phoenician Virgin of the Sphere.
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The title of this blog may be misleading, because there is no way to 100% insure that you will NOT EVER be lonely feeling. But my hope is to give you a little bit of comfort and tips if you are a solitary, and are feeling a little isolated...
I feel there are 2 types of solitary practitioners; those who have or would belong to a group but choose otherwise, and those who are solitary because they cannot join a group (for whatever reason) so they must practice alone.
First off, we must recognize that within Traditional Wicca, the focus was on the group, the coven. No one was "self taught" like today. A lot of people feel that you cannot learn or experience wicca and magic without IN PERSON mentoring. That said, I feel this is impractical and to some degree, untrue.
Can an author/ mentor know that their readers or students are doing the work and doing it "right"?... No, but being an optimist with faith in humanity, I feel those with the sincerest intentions will DO the work, because they know it will lead to their own spiritual growth. Also, it is very difficult for someone who hasn't done the work to accurately explain the feeling of these experiences, the feeling of energy, of grounding, and of trance.
But, I am drifting away from my goal... A lot of us are solitary, or "part time" solitary. At first, when everything is new, and exciting, and deep being a solitary is EASY. You spend your time studying fascinating, exciting ideas and concepts. You try a few exercises and low and behold... THEY WORK!
However you cannot be a person alone. We are a social species and we learn about ourselves through interaction with others. Almost every single faith is "group based". They offer individual benefits, yes, but you learn and grow through interacting with yourself AND others. Early "coven" wicca was this way. They energy was raised and directed in a group, with a heavy emphasis on union and transference.
However, wicca today is probably comprised of more solitaries than it is of coveners. Solitary practice is the best way to get in touch with your self, to find confidence spiritually and emotionally, and to follow your own path. Solitary wicca can look however you want it to... truly! Who is to say otherwise?
Loneliness arises when we feel lost, unsure, scared, disconnected, or "tapped out". We relay our cofidence off of the actions of others, this is natural. If you have ever decided to do a skyclad ritual and suddenly you think ; "somehow, for some reason, i would feel a lot less silly if there were 3 or 4 other people in the room doing a ritual naked with me" you know what I mean. We never ever want to be the only one. That is what is good about being a solitary... eventually you build the confidence to not NEED validation from your peers. If you are certain the sky is green, you don't need everyone to agree, and you don't think you are crazy.
But getting to that point takes time... a lot of it.
The other problem we face as solitaries, is eventually you hit the solitary "ceiling". 99% of information about wicca is "wicca 101". It is the smae thing over and over in book after book. Yeahm one book says that fire is red, and in the next it is orange... but essentially they all go something like this"
1. The wiccan rede and the law of return
2. Wiccans aren't satanists.
3. How to set up an altar
4. How to cast a circle
5. How to open a circle
6. The Sabbats
7. Other Rituals
8. Spells
9. Correspondences
10. Thanks, read my other
1. If you are stuck, branch out... Read more, outside of specifically "wicca"
2. Start Reflecting... whether it is journaling, art, blogs, vlogs, or meditation... take some serious time and mull over your thoughts... I used to journal to my spirit guide. I would start each entry like a letter; "dear " You can give yourself a lot more comfort and "community" than you realise. Allow yourself to talk and discuss with yourself. If you are confused about something, consider two sides of the issue and debate them, listing the pros and cons of each...
3. Reach out. If you can, start discussing your ideas or beliefs in online forums, or join a chatroom and start talking. You can really find a sense of belonging in online groups, especially if you see the "person" behind the computer screen. If online is not an option... express your faith by joining groups (even non-pagan ones) that align with your values. Sometimes when we are alone all we need is another person around... it doesn't matter what we are DOING together, as long as we a are together.
4. Don't forget there is life beyond wicca. A practicing wiccan is wiccan 100% of the time, HOWEVER, that doesn't mean they focus on it 100% of the time. You are not a bad wiccan if you get "burnt out" occasionally. If you miss the full moon esbat because you went to a movie, that is ok! Every full moon and dark moon I TRY to do a ritual, however, life happens. What I DO, however, is recognize the occasion, and make sure to at least mentally connect for a few minutes with the gods.The mistake some solitaries make is to neglect the rest of thier lives by focusing too much on wicca. Remember, we have faith and spirituality to better our lives, NOT life to better our faith and spirituality. Sound odd? If we are living for the benefit of our souls, we still cant forget we are here to LIVE. Sometimes, that means skipping the spiritual to enjoy the mundane.
5. learn to self-validate. Every day look in the mirror and say'; "I am beautiful/handsome, inquisitive, strong, focused, intelligent, important, spiritual and divine". People with a healthy self image are healthier in general. I am not saying that you have to be completely vain, or feel "better" than everyone else. Self validation helps you be truly, deeply, confident and satisfied. You can always improve, of course... but as a solitary you need to be able to rest your confidence in YOURSELF. You are in the uncomfortable position of being both student and teacher... you are a true leader and you MUST believe it.
Do I have lonely days? Heck ya! Days where I feel inadequate, yes. However... the more I feel like I am a person worth hanging out with, who has interesting thoughts and ideas, and is a hoot, I feel a little less lonely, and a lot happier to be so luck to be with me! hehehe...
Blessed Be!
-Megan
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