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uk.reuters - Although most Americans are Christian and many are devout it hasn't stopped some members of the flock from believing in astrology, reincarnation or the ability of trees to trap spiritual energy.
A poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows a surprising number of U.S. adults claim to have had supernatural experiences such as ghost sightings or hold beliefs associated with the New Age movement or Eastern religions.
And some of them claim allegiance to more traditional faiths such as Catholicism or evangelical Protestantism.
"American religious folks hold a variety of views and there is overlap among their beliefs and practices. Many do not fit into simple boxes," said Pew researcher Alan Cooperman.
The poll released on Wednesday showed that three-in-ten Americans say they have felt in touch with a dead person and 18 percent say they have seen or been in the presence of a ghost.
Other Pew surveys have shown that relatively few Americans would identify an Eastern religion or New Age spirituality as their core faith. But about a quarter of those surveyed say they believe in aspects of Eastern religions.
Nearly 25 percent said they believed in reincarnation and 23 percent said yoga was a spiritual practice. Twenty six percent said they believed "spiritual energy" could be found in objects such as trees.
A quarter said they believed in astrology, while 16 percent of U.S. adults think that an "evil eye" exists or that some people can cast curses or spells on others. Among black Protestants the evil eye figure is 32 percent.
The number of Americans who profess a belief in astrology is about the same as the number who claim to be Roman Catholic. Nearly 30 percent of Catholics surveyed said they believed in astrology. Among Catholics who attended church each week the figure was 16 percent.
Much of this would be jarring to - among others - many evangelical Protestants, who account for one in four adult Americans and take their Bible very seriously.
Still, 13 percent of white evangelicals profess a belief in astrology and about 10 percent accepted the possibility of reincarnation. Although the percentages are lower than in other groups, they are high enough to curl the hair of a Southern Baptist preacher.
Researchers said they were careful to stress that reincarnation meant being reborn again and again in this world and did not refer to, say, the resurrection of Christ.
Evangelicals, who place a heavy emphasis on spiritual conversions, are much more likely than most Americans to have had "a religious or mystical experience - that is, a moment of religious or spiritual awakening," according to the poll.
About half of Americans claim to have had such an experience but among white evangelicals the number is 70 percent and for black Protestants it is 71 percent.
The nationwide survey of around 4,000 adults was conducted in August. Interviews were done in English and Spanish.
Reference: http://witch-selena.blogspot.com
I don't know where to start... So this is just going to come out in some order.
Okay first, correct me if I'm wrong, God knows everything? And God has a plan for everyone's life?
And God knew what our life was going to be like before we were born?
So, God knew that Adam and Eve would eat the forbinned fruit, which causes sin to enter the world, right? But why? Couldn't God just have made sin when the world was created? But why was there even sin in the first place?
Moving on...
So.. Again, God knew what our life would be like, right?
Then why would he make someone an atheist? And then doom them into an eternity in Hell..
I know that Hell was not made orginally for us. It was made to trap Satan and keep him divided from us and God.. But since he knows everything, why would he want someone to suffer in Hell?
I'm just really confused.. It doesn't make any sense at all. I'm Christian, it just doesn't make any sense.
Origin: http://witch-selena.blogspot.com
The above is another name the Prayer Book gives today. And so on this last day of the Pentecost season, I will take the opportunity to remind our readers of three posts regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit beginning Easter Monday (when the Epistle from Acts 10 refers to Jesus being "anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power").
Anglican Catholicism and the Charismata
The Charismatic reality of the Church
Being Filled with the Spirit
A subsequent post quoting Bishop Brian Iverach's email to me sent in support of the above articles created some controversy. At least some of this controversy seemed to be due to ascribing views to the Bishop (such as denigrating medical science) which could only be extracted from the letter by ignoring the actual words and illegitimately attempting to read between the lines. There was even a reference to the completely irrelevant heresy of Christian Science, as if to prove guilt by a non-existent association.
In order that the record be set straight, here are some further thoughts from Bp Iverach, written by him to me after I asked him to look at the thread and its comments:
The plus in the discussion is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit have been in focus, with mention of the wide spread application of such gifts. In the case of the miraculous healing of Lana's eye, this did not lead her into Christian Science. It lead her into the healing ministry in the Body of Christ, the Church,... The full impact that her ministry has had on others is known unto God. Most recently we praised God for the healing she received at the hands of a highly qualified surgeon and in nursing care during many weeks in hospital.
The down side of the discussion has been the distracting focus on the exercise of the gift of glossolalia, especially in public, and the shame of some disparaging remarks about healing miracles. As Anglicans we have the discipline to apply all the gifts as mentioned by the blessed Apostle, such discipline not prevalent in the practice of some of our Pentecostal brothers and sisters. Should the excesses of modern day Corinthians preclude ministry in the Gifts of the Spirit? No. Are any gifts (apart from those specifically I speak from experience; of what I have personally seen in an Anglican congregation when the Spirit of God moved upon the people. All was in good order. The occasional prophesies were given during the offertory preparations or during the ablutions after communion. There was no grandstanding whatsoever. Nothing was forced. Worship was not disrupted. The prophetic blessings were applied in the life of the parish. The congregation grew in numbers exponentially and also in love and service of the Lord, in ministry outreach into the local community, and into the barrios of Mexico. The youth went over the boarder to help build housing and schools for the poor, shipments of beans were regularly delivered, and all the time the parish contributed the largest tithe to the diocese. We speak of the fruits of the Spirit. All glory to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
The main difference between my liturgical suggestion and the Bishop's past experiences is that I put the allocated time for prophetic ministry before the Sermon as "communications... enjoined by lawful authority", to quote the Canadian 1962 Book of Common Prayer, whereas the Bishop mentions the Offertory and Post-Communion times. The latter options, effectively corresponding to pre- and post- Consecration thanksgivings, seem not dissimilar to the timing implied in 1 Corinthians 14.16 and the Didache 10. The reasons for my suggestion were given in the first article above.
It is also appropriate here to thank my Metropolitan for his kind, eirenic words in this post. I would like to make two observations, however, about elements of what was said therein.
To begin at the end, so to speak, the Archbishop finished with the following paragraph:
"I am not a 'cessationist'. I believe in miracles and do not doubt that God can infuse knowledge of unknown tongues or prophecy. I do not presume to judge any man's personal religious experience, except by the proper standards of charity, of consistency with the known and authorized teaching of the universal Church, and of the spiritual fruit of Christian living. But I also believe that where the faith is truly taught and the sacraments are rightly administered, personal religious experience is mainly of private significance."
While the last sentence makes perfect sense if referring to the gift of tongues uninterpreted, which was the subject of much of the previous discussion, it cannot be said to apply to other gifts such as the gifts of prophecy or tongues as interpreted. Why not? Because St Paul makes abundantly clear that such gifts are provided by God specifically to edify the Church as a whole. They are not meant to be limited to personal edification (1 Co. 14.3-5). And it would be wrong of us to pretend that any gift God truly gives is an optional extra that we don't need because we have the sacraments and orthodox teaching!
Which brings me to my next qualifying point. Archbishop Haverland also said: "When the Catholic faith is alive and well, however, neo-pentecostalism tends to be at best unnecessary and at worst divisive." If neo-pentecostalism refers to the belief (common among Pentecostals) that all must speak in tongues or demonstrate some other outwardly miraculous gift, or they cannot be filled with the Spirit, that is one thing. And that belief has not been defended here. However, if neo-pentecostalism was taken to refer simply to the resurgence and use of all the charisms, including among the laity, the statement above would suffer the same problem I mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph. In the latter connotation, "neo-pentecostalism" is perfectly in accord with the Catholic faith and any division caused should not be assumed to be the fault of those simply wanting to exercise or experience the benefit of, in decency and order, true gifts of the Holy Spirit designed to edify the Church.
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This is "fantastic" news. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has announced that Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1st.
If you're not familiar with the process, let me explain briefly. The point of canonization is two-fold. First, just as St. Paul does in Hebrews 11, the Church lifts up those who lived (and died) by faith as a model for those of us still running the race. We try and live as faithfully as they lived, and they show us what it means to be truly Christian. Second, we know that God is the God of the Living (Luke 20:37-38), and that those who have finished the race aren't just models of Christian living, they're also the "crowd of witnesses" cheering us on during "our own "race (Hebrews 12:1-2). So we both look to them as a model of what to do, and rely on them for help - asking for their prayers and intercession, etc.
So in the canonization process, the Church is looking for two things: (1) did the person live the kind of question that should be emulated? and (2) is the person now in Heaven, interceding on our behalf? Those two questions aren't quite the same. After all, there are those whose lives seemed holy and righteous on the surface, but who were secretly evildoers - Matthew 7:22-23 speaks of evildoers who did "great works" in the name of Christ, yet weren't saved. Likewise, there are those saved who the Church "doesn't "uphold as a model. All of us who are saved are saved "in spite of" our sinfulness and errors, but if the Church is going to hold up models of Christianity, that sinfulness shouldn't be so glaring that it's scandalizing (or worse, convinces people that certain sins or errors aren't so bad).
Instead of looking to their earthly lives, the second question is answered through MIRACLES - if we ask them to intercede for us, and then miraculous events occur, we can know that they're of God and with God. All that said, here are the four steps to becoming a canonized Saint:
* SERVANT OF GOD: This is the first step. Usually, this begins no sooner than five years after the death of the individual, but in certain cases, the pope will waive that requirement, when the person's virtuous life is well-known (the two famous cases being Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II). At this point, they investigate everything about you. It's easier to get Top Secret clearance. They read through all of your writings, including private ones, to see what you were "really" like. For example, it was during this process that it came out that Mother Teresa went through years of spiritual dryness, where she couldn't feel God's presence and had to walk solely by faith. They'll even exhume up your dead body (this process is actually helpful, since some Saints are "Incorruptibles," meaning that their bodies don't decompose after death. If you exhume the body and it looks like the person died five minutes ago, that's a huge hint they're a Saint.
* VENERABLE: After the investigation is complete, if your life is one worthy of emulation (this goes to the first question, remember), the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will recommend that the person be declared "Venerable." It's a declaration that you lead a life of "heroic virtue" that others should follow. At this stage, you don't have a feast day (after all, we're still not positive you're in Heaven), but prayer cards are permitted and even encouraged. It's through these prayers that the next steps are completed. This is the stage that John Paul II is currently at.
* BLESSED: Beatification takes the next step, and says it's "worthy of belief" that the person is in Heaven. It's starting to answer that second question. For non-martyrs to be beatified, you must not only be Venerable, having lead a life of heroic virtue, but "you must also perform a miracle after your death". In John Paul II's case, he suffered from Parkinson's disease. Shortly after his death, a nun suffering from Parkinson's disease prayed to him; shortly thereafter, she was miraculously cured. And to count, the cure must be spontaneous, instantaneous, complete and lasting, and without any known medical explanation. Having investigated this extensively, the Congregation has confirmed that this was, in fact, a miracle, not just a medical fluke. And of course, we trust in God that when this process goes on, He's not going to mislead us by having miraculous or miraculous-seeming events happen when a person is prayed to who "isn't" in Heaven. On May 1st, John Paul II will no longer be "Venerable John Paul II," but "Blessed John Paul II." At this point, a feast day is permitted, but usually only local ones (in this case, the Polish church will likely be permitted to celebrate it).
* CANONIZATION: This is the Church's declaration that the person is a Saint, and certainly "does "enjoy the Beatific Vision in Heaven. To establish this, you need to perform two more miracles. At that point, the evidence is overwhelming - the person seemed saintly, and when we pray to them, miracles keep happening.
Now, of course, the Saints are in Heaven well before the Church canonized them. In fact, they "have "to be, since the entire test with the miracles determines if they're already there, interceding for us. So canonization isn't about the Church giving people a permission slip to get into Heaven. Rather, She's recognizing that they're already in, so we may know that we have one more person advocating for us in Heaven.
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The word of Sin is Restriction.
I am a Black Guard.
On the Border of the Realm of Light I sit, watching for denizens of the vast Wasteland who may
wander to my single Post.
I, who was a Dark fiend.
I who was utterly repulsed by the Forces of Light and all they
represented.
I am a Black Guard.
What has brought me to this place?
...
One winter I grew bored with the gloomy Underworld.
I decided to foresake it and live in the Land of Light.
I visited, yet did not have the Will to remain.
I was given sustenance, comfort and rest.
I returned to the Darkness
refreshed.
Thereafter I made occasional visits to the Upper World.
I wandered the Wasteland alone,
content in solitary exploration and unexpected joys.
One evening I was returning home,
when I heard a Voice.
She said that She could not tell me who She was,
but that She would like to know Me better.
I was just as interested and,
over time, fell deeply in love with Her.
Gradually, She led me to forms in
ee Me
and come to know Me.
If I served faithfully, and with diligence,
She would one day wed Me. I name Her Hikaru, Goddess of the Sun.
Thus I sit, a Black Guard,
watching for my kin who come to plunder and destroy;
dreaming of bells and flowers,
kisses and tears.
Wondering when my Love will call Me from this Post
into Her Temple of Delight.
I wait, I watch. I dream...
and I smile.
Invoke Me under My Stars! Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Nigris, Tyagi Nagasiva.
part two
-
To Me! To Me! Ever unto Me!
so long I waited, the tears of loneliness dried
and came to rest within my Heart as joy.
quested to champion the Dark and translate
the babbling utterances of fiends to the fauns and daffodils.
oh My Goddess, Hikaru, I serve faithfully, and with
diligence, knowing that in Your Beneficence,
You will see My love for You in its purity, and call.
the Light Demons I have befriended and loved withdrew,
understanding the horror of My appointed Task,
abandoning Me to solitude and subversion into Tao.
ages I forget the day She'd wed Me. forgotten Her
name, when comes no Word from Her Quadrant, Her Throne.
still my Heart beats with joy in the Heat of Her love,
enthralled in the passion of service to My Queen,
that Center of Xenophilic Splendor,
Source of Pleasure and Bastion of Wisdom...
My waiting become enchantment, watching ensorcelry,
delusion dreaming, an Arrow moving faster and faster
toward a Target never seen, blinded to Eye and Mind.
My smile a haggard memory of assignment to My Post,
the Post a life of encrusting armor, sealing Me in.
I am a Black Guard.
on the Border of the Realm of Light I sit, watching for
denizens of the vast Wasteland who may wander to my border.
here I sit, watching for kin who come to plunder and destroy;
dreaming of bells and flowers, kisses and tears; wondering when
My Love will call Me from this Desert into Her Temple of Delight.
that Love a hazy memory of shade and disillusion,
a Promise never fulfilled, a Hint always withdrawn,
a Secret forever banished to the Outer Reaches,
where I used to dwell.
when from behind, of a sudden, and without warning,
come the sound of footprints, the rustling of magical bags,
and the soft purr of a whispery feline.
an invitation, says the Messenger Kitten, from the wilds
of Interior Luminaria, a noblewoman blinded from birth,
requesting visitation from the Black Guard.
thrice-thwarted was My response, though expert I was
in navigating the Highway Photonos, its shuttles and carriage
eventually giving way with an application of Will.
into a cavern of rustic decor, replete in cordials and roses
atop its mighty expanse, magical and healing wells of power
spot the gloomy castle ruling a luxious domain.
and there on a stonework, bedecked in gossamer and lace,
sat the most beautiful of fae, knee-up in a bookread,
and beckoning Me to half-light, agape in knowing her presence.
'I have called you', She said, setting aside Her Savory tome,
'for a Wedding, a Marriage of Souls.' She spoke then of a
character of glory whom I was certain was to be Her husband;
one who would no doubt need a Guard such as I
to engage the Darkness that the Good Folk, in their wisdom,
are always bringing to their wood (the Blessed Shade).
She toured me through the cavern and its garden,
the pavillion and its magical wells,
calling it Her Temple of Delight;
a respite from the world, the bounty of Her effulgence,
and imbued with the work of the Sun.
in the cool morning we lounged beneath an olive tree,
and I asked what I could do for Her.
She replied that She was Queen of the Fae, a small region of Light, and thanked Me for holding My post that She could see Me
and come to know My heart.
She said that I had served faithfully, and with diligence,
and that the worthy called Her Hikaru, Goddess of the Sun.
such grace and beauty, so bedevilling Her ensconcement,
that I forgot all but a whisp of My past, my Post and my Love.
'How perfect you have called Me, for I am a Black Guard,
and I can serve the lucky lord who is to be Your Consort.'
She laughed then, and took my hands.
'silly old demon', smiled. 'there is none but You in my desire,
no longer a need for You to maintain your Post.'
dreadfully confused, after parting from Her Delightful Temple
I hardly believed My eyes, ears, My mind. blood racing,
heart pounding, I said goodbye to My Desert Outpost,
half-convinced I was mad and that this was all some sorcery.
setting the machines to operate alone with routine inspection,
I set off once more to dwell in the Temple of Delight,
and bask in the unendingly beautiful presence
of Hikaru, My Goddess of the Sun.
Take Your Fill of Love as You Will! Free Love right now!
Nigris333, Tyagi Nagasiva
dedicated to my
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"AM BEANNACHADH BEALLTAIN (THE BELTAINE BLESSING)"
"Bless, O threefold true and bountiful,
Myself, my spouse, my children.
Bless everything within my dwelling and in my possession,
Bless the kine and crops, the flocks and corn,
From Samhain Eve to Beltane Eve,
With goodly progress and gentle blessing,
From sea to sea, and every river mouth,
From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.
Be the Maiden, Mother, and Crone,
Taking possession of all to me belonging.
Be the Horned God, the Wild Spirit of the Forest,
Protecting me in truth and honor.
Satisfy my soul and shield my loved ones,
Blessing every thing and every one,
All my land and my surroundings.
Great gods who create and bring life to all, I ask for your blessings on this day of fire."
(
Beltane is one of the oldest known holidays, mostly associated with maypole dancing and love magick. It's also known as May Day, Bealteinne, Beltaine, Calin Mai, Roodmas, Valpurga, Mean Earraigh. The word itself means "bright fire" or "lucky fire" which makes it one of the two great fire festivals (another is Samhain). It is believed that on these two days the veil between the worlds is thin.
Beltane's planetary ruler is Venus and it is celebrated on May the 1st or when the sun is at the 15 degrees Taurus. The date marks the midpoint between spring equinox and summer solstice.
It is the time of great fertility for all - earth, animals and people. Through time it was celebrated in a variety of ways but almost all are connected to the principle of fertility and celebration of gods of forest, goddesses of passion and motherhood and agricultural deities. Great Mother is about to reunite with her young Horned God. This Great Rite symbolizes their sexual union and sacred marriage. In old times, villagers would go into the woods and engage in sexual magick between themsleves believing that would have a positive effect on land (for crop-fertility), animals and themselves.
(source
When they hear Beltane many people think love making. And that's completely true, but Beltane is not just about love magicks. It represents the appearance of the matured Horned God Who is connected to fertility, fire and protection of animals and gardens.
Here are some of the things you can do (most quoted from "Solitary witch: the ultimate book of shadows for the new generation" by Silver Raven Wolf)
* erect your own maypole using a Christmas tree stand and a large pole; decorate with ribbons
* hang prayer ribbons on the trees and bushes on your property
* jump the balefire
* sew ribbons onto a white handkerchief, then empower each ribbon for a different goal or wish; keep the handkerchief safe until all the wishes are granted
* collect the morning dew for magickal use (May morning is a magickal time for wild water, like dew, springs or flowing streams which can be collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or drink for good health)
* gather the first wild herbs of the season, plants and flowers and use them to decorate your home
* make garland of wild spring flowers and cast it into lake, river or stream to bless the water spirits
* hang a branch of rowan tied with red thread above your bedroom door for protection
* add spells for self-esteem and self-love to your Beltane ritual
* bless your garden or the nearest field
* make love in the woods
* walk the woods and hug trees giving them your blessings (some trees are associated with Beltane, like Ash, Oak and Hawthorn)
* commune with the faeries (if you believe in faeries you can leave them food and other treats in your garden or yard)
* Beltane occurs when the sun is in the earthy, fixed sign of Taurus; any magick done now will last (and work hard) for a long time; this is an excellent time of the year for prosperity work, for adding to the stability of your lifestyle, and making those needed repairs around at home.
To find out some more you can read Beltane - Holiday detalis and history at Witchvox.com.
Enjoy the spirit of Beltane and blessed be!
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When Patti T.'s beloved Pembroke Roxie went to the bridge last year, this rambunctious charmer brought life back to an empty household, light back to a deeply saddened heart.
"Everything in my house was a memory of Roxie" writes Patti. "Knowing I was financially unable to do it myself, my brother and his wife offered to get me an early Christmas present and asked me to find a new puppy. There wasn't the slightest doubt about what kind of puppy I would be bringing home - nothing but a Corgi would ever do. When I saw Sherlock's photo it was love at first sight!"
"Sherlock keeps me focused on him and his need to be taken care of. In the process, he makes me laugh every single day. He has an abundance of charming personality and loves everyone and everything."
"My Dad lives in an assisted living facility and Sherlock loves going there to see all his elderly friends who love him as much as he loves them. He's a little roughhouser but seems to know he has to tone it down for them. His tender side is very apparent when he is with them. I am so proud!"
"Howdy do, pleasure to meet you!"
Greeting the vet. Butt wiggling!
Sherlock is a big fan of peanut butter, bully sticks, food in general, gator wrastlin', removing the guts from stuffed toys and shredding magazines.
Making mischief is tiring.
The gator has been wrassled into submission.
All ears.
An energetic pup can be helpful around the house. Assisting with the dishes...
... and the laundry too. Those clothes won't spin themselves without supervision.
"He is the gift that just keeps on giving and exactly what I needed. Watching Sherlock grow and learn has been a blessing and a joy. He's five months now and I couldn't love him any more than I do. I still miss my girl Roxie every single day and always will. Though Sherlock did not take her place by any stretch, he has found his way deep into my heart too. These magical little fairy dogs are so special."
Come follow Sherlock's adventures at "CORGI TALES"!
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