A wonderful new book on and of Christian theology, Christian history, biblical interpretation, culture, and personal spirituality by UU seminary president Rev. Rebecca Ann Parker and social activist and Disciples of Christ minister Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, published recently by UU Beacon Press. How first milennium christianity was shaped and what it held dear, how that was in large part lost, but never completely, through the second milennium, and how now the third milennium is here another Christianity is possible; not the original; the past is past, but not the medieval or modern Christianity of the Western World either.
Click below to go to my sermon of this past Sunday on it; I will try to post more background, situating this work in the grand broad church UU Christian tradition of Frederic Henry Hedge, Henry Whitney Bellows, William Greenleaf Eliot, and James Luther Adams critiquing, reclaiming, reimagining, putting in contemporary context. A good day and week to do this. July 15 170 years ago the 1838 Emerson address to Harvard Divinity School; on July 15 1849 the Frederic Henry Hedge address to the HDS students, offering a great corrective of Emerson without the Andrews Norton throwback critique of RWE; and on July 19, 1859, an even fuller rebuttal or at least better critique and way forward offered to HDS students by Bellows called "The Suspense of Faith." Staying a leavening part of the tradition. This work by Brock and Parker is good stuff, wide-ranging, for all Christians and those, i.e. the rest of the world, having to deal with second milennium Christianity.
The sermon text isn't the actual sermon but is close to it. I will try to come back and add in the reading from the book itself for it is an excellent summation.
Saving Paradise, sermon by Rev. Ron Robinson, Hope Unitarian Church, July 13, 2008
Reading: From excerpts of pages 417-420 of Saving paradise
Sermon:
A few years ago Rebecca Parker and Rita Nakashimi Brock teamed up to produce a book called Proverbs of Ashes that critiqued doctrinal Christianity's atonement theology for how it promoted so-called redemptive violence. That book about the theological misuses of the particular Christian story of crucifixion led them toward this more general look at finding what was once ultimate in Christianity in the first milennium, got submerged and almost lost in the second millenium, and is now surfacing again in the third milennium. In some ways, this book called "Saving Paradise": How Christianity traded love of this world for violence and Empire" is about saving Christianity, which is something Unitarian Universalists have been at means to do for centuries; and on a deeper level it is about saving our communities and our lives.
The premise and trajectory of this latest, and big book, is fairly simple most people in the Western world think Christianity is all about obtaining paradise in a life hereafter, and the way into that paradise is to have a set of beliefs, and at the center of those beliefs is Jesus' death, and not just the death itself, but the dying itself, the cruelty of dying on the cross, that is said to have taken place in order that every human won't have to suffer endless equally cruel dying in hell, by believing that to be the case. This is so engrained that the resurrection and paradise themselves are often relegated to minor theological parts compared to the ultimate focus on the nails through the hands and feet. But, say Parker and Brock and centuries of Unitarians and Universalists and other liberals, this is not Christianity; it is what came out of medieval times, of modern times; in fact it is in essence Empire Religion and therefore, since the roots of Christianity were opposed to the dominant culture values of the Roman Empire, what people often consider the essence of Christianity can be better viewed as a betrayal and as anti-Christian.
What is considered normative to most Christians today was not normative to most Christians in the first 1000 years after Jesus. Brock and Parker even begin their book with the catching and somewhat arresting claim-it took Jesus 1000 years to die. By that they mean that there are no existing images of Jesus's body dying or dead on the cross for the first millennium. There may have been, of course, but we don't have a record of them today. What we have instead from those many early centuries of the faith are images of life, of sharing bread and wine, of paradise, of new creation, of service and justice, of resurrection, of empty crosses, of this world being transformed back into a garden.
Now there are texts about the dying, of course. Very important texts in Christian scriptures, but those texts are too often interpreted from the later lens of medieval and modern theology, instead of from the spirit and culture of the times in which they were written. Like the Jewish tradition in which Jesus and the Apostle Paul lived and in which Christianity emerged, for much of the first thousand years the Christian notion of the ends of things, the endtimes, or the ultimate aims of life, what theologians term eschatology, what is often thought of as Paradise, all of this was not conceived of something separate from this world, to which one was individually raptured to, or transported to upon death after a good life following the right creed; instead it was something that would happen here on the earth, a transformation, a righting of social wrongs and injustices, a new kind of Eden, and would come to the human community as a whole.
For example, Brock and Parker offer a good Greek re-translation of the famous scripture John 3:16 which gets at the heart of this. They cite it as this: "God so generously loved the world that he placed his only Son here, so that everyone who has confidence in him may not be lost or be destroyed but may have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to put the world on trial, but so the world might be rescued through him." They point out that at no point here, where life and love are so prominent, is death mentioned. And the Greek word used for eternal is often used not to infer a duration of time as much as to allude to an everlasting quality of experience. It is a misreading of the Greek, as later English translations did in order to back up existing theology from the medieval ages, to speak of God giving up or handing over his Son to death; there is a Greek word for such action that is used often, especially in the story of Jesus and Pilate, but it isn't the Greek that is used here.
Throughout their book, Brock and Parker lift up innumerable places in the Bible and in the writings of the church mothers and fathers where paradise is presented as an integral, even if not always fully, part of the here and now, to be experienced now, called to be preserved now and passed on to others. And yet, while the biblical texts themselves are often the best guides for saving Christianity from what it too often has become, one of the most important insights from the Brock and Parker book is just about the role of images, of art itself, for in those pre-modern times, pre-print culture times, times cunningly alike our own now, such images in catacombs or cathedrals or simple homes or churches were how people came to be taught and understand and transmit their faith. And remember there was a Christianity before there was a Bible, even before there was any written story of Jesus. The early images also reflected Christian faith in this world and this people as full of joy and sustainability and equality, and holding out hope that this world would soon undergo a transformation, either gradual or more quickly, to fully embody a paradise that is made in the likeness of God.
In their earlier book, Proverbs of Ashes, on the ways people interpreted Christian faith and perpetuated such acts as domestic violence and child abuse and war, they take the reader on a journey that begins in blind obedience to faith that is really a destructive spirituality, then into rejection of that faith, and finally end up with a powerful scene of a reimagined faith still in touch with touchstones of that faith's traditions-notably that book ends by describing a communion service that includes one who was an abuser and one who was abused, and how now the re-imagined communion was deeply healing and transformative and full of life and wholeness instead of being a service that triggered exclusion and seemed to echo a ritual of abuse itself.
In this book, notions of paradise and eternal life are treated the same way. Instead of being about who gets in and who is rejected from paradise, Brock and Parker show how the early shapers of Christianity focused to one degree or the other on how God so loved the world, and how we were called to do the same, and how paradise was, at least in part if not in totality, all about here and now everywhere for those with eyes to see and ears to hear and minds to understand, especially to be experienced in living in communities of faithfulness, the church, that practiced love of one another and for this world. That that was and is what Christianity is all about.
They write: "In sum, the early church-before and after Constantine-taught that paradise was a place, a way of life, even an ecosystem. The church as a community that dispensed the "medicine of life" nourished human life in paradise. The church was a concentration of paradise, a place where strengths, weaknesses, needs, and contributions of each member could complement the others. Their life in paradise was a shared accomplishment in which the exercise of human powers and the imperatives of human need worked together to save and sustain life for all members together. People could come to see the value of their own lives and learn that their actions mattered to others, to see power in a personal sense of agency. They could learn to negotiate power and its responsible uses for the good of the whole. Talents and gifts could bless many. Heavy burdens and difficulties that might have crushed individuals could instead be borne on the shoulders of many. No form of governance and no society can thrive without this interstitial zone of human contact and interaction, what the ancient church called the body of Christ, the church of the Holy Spirit, the assembly of saints, and paradise on earth. "
They write of how the tide began to turn, though, with the Empire of Charlemagne and the crushing of the Saxons and their paganish way of following Christ; gradually Christianity became more firmly a tool of the Empire instead of in tension with it, seeking to transform it; gradually the admonitions against joining armies was replaced with a religious devotion to state-sanctioned violence, and devaluing life and Creation in the here and now went hand in hand with removing paradise completely from the here and now; all of this became more fervently a part of wide Church practice with the coming of the Crusades, with the adoption of St. Anselm's theology of an Honorable Diety being dishonored by the least of sins, including inherited ones, for which the only escape from hell was Jesus's death in stead of, and then finally the sweep of the Black Plague in Europe made death pre-eminent in all spheres of life. It is interesting to add that the Book of Revelation, with much of its emphasis on violence and paradise (though another major part is very much anti-Roman Empire violence and culture) was itself a debatable part of the New Testament and often left out of collections until the second millennium takes hold.
And yet, and yet, this book chronicles its heroes as those who continued to lift up the once dominant understandings of paradise though they had become dissident and heretics now. Always there were women and men who through the centuries did not let the Empire Church tell them what Christianity was all about. Even influential figures such as Augustine were at times upholding this world as part of God's paradise, and particularly the church as a way of experiencing that paradise in the days after the Roman Empire fell. This tension in the tradition itself has been seen in its leaders, even the major reformers of the Church, like John Calvin in the 16th century, helped to turn Christian passion once again toward this world, toward social justice, and reform, even though today we may find their form of social justice limited. Calvin, however, left us a mixed legacy on this point. Brock and Parker point out that in Calvin and his followers (down to this day, I would say, and among liberals too) the desire to create a perfect and pure society not only tends to end up in exclusive communities, but the effort itself spent on creating a more idealized future causes us to be disassociated from the present world within, among and around us.
Another of Calvin's legacies, the book emphasizes, was his publishing a Bible that included a map that set out to actually pinpoint the location of the Garden of Eden. This was one of those turning points in the Christian orthodox imagination that had a great consequence. For if you can fix a specific place and time and limit where paradise once was, then you can say that it was there and not elsewhere, and so is now not there and not now, and that soon becomes no where but in another realm and world, which leads to the validation of the destruction and denigration of the here and now.
Ironically, the early chapters of Genesis do just the opposite. If you try to follow the literal clues there about the four rivers bounding the land known as Eden, you will end up geographically lost, unable to pinpoint Eden, and if you do that, then you have to see Genesis in a different light; it isn't about how Creation was done, but why, and Paradise becomes not a matter of a single place, but of a state of being; the question is not so much where is Paradise, but when is paradise, how is paradise known? And the response from the Torah, and from the early church, is that it is present when Sabbath Creation, liberation and justice and steadfast love and mercy, is present and made real.
And of course the Calvinist Puritans in this country, coming here to establish a new form of Paradise, part of our religious ancestors, were all too willing to destroy the material Paradise, the earthly one, and all those indigenous inhabitants of it, in their quest for achieving a spiritual paradise.
This is where Brock and Parker are insightful in their critique of Puritan and Transcendentalist Emerson and his emphasis on the individual interior life as the primary authority and source of religious life. Besides pointing out that while he was writing his essay on self-reliance, he was relying heavily on his wife and others to make his life easy enough to write, they say Emerson's elevation of the individual to an almost God-like state led to seeing nature itself as ultimately valuable not in itself alone, but as it was spiritually apprehended by an individual. And anything that removes the sacred from the realm of the physical, messy world contributes to paradise being seen as segmented, segregated, inaccessible by all. In much the same way we tend to isolate Nature into wilderness preserves, where only the relative few go, instead of seeking to preserve it and promote it in and through our own yards and homes and lives. And so we do with things of the Spirit too, relegating them only to such things and times as the worship service.
And yet, and yet, again out of the tension with tradition there were others always keeping the ancient view alive and transforming it for their day. Out of 18th and 19th century Calvinism also came the Universalist Christians. Brock and Parker lift up the way these among our religious ancestors saw God's eternal wholeness where all would be saved in paradise and who therefore sought to make such an emphasis on love and unity real in their churches and communities; no more separation metaphysically meant no more physically; they saw their work as establishing God's realm here, in the words from Jesus, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. They were often the leaders of social movements in the U.S. For by denying either the very existence of hell, or its being a kind of parallel equivalent of Heaven for all time, Universalists recaptured the first millennium Christian's focus on peace, justice, equality.
The sense of paradise that shaped the life of Jesus and so many of his followers for so many years, which was lost or nearly so for so many years in the religion that claimed him as its source, but which is still present within it and outside of it while still being endangered within it and outside of it, this sense has been portrayed well in this book. It is a sense, as they call it, of a continuing struggle that calls us to participate. As Parker and Brock write:
"We can come to know the world as paradise when our hearts and souls are reborn through the arduous and tender task of living rightly with one another and the earth...Knowing that paradise is here and now is a gift that comes to those who practice the ethics of paradise. This way of living is not Utopian. It does not spring simply from the imagination of a better world but from a profound embrace of this world. It does not begin with knowledge or hope. It begins with love.
To know paradise in this life is to enter a multidimensional spiritual-material reality...Paradise is simultaneously this earth, a beautiful, luminous creation, and the realm of the dead, which is connected to the living but is separated by a thin veil through which the dead can pass to accompany, bless, or guide the living. Paradise is human life restored to its divinely infused dignity and capacity, and it is a place of struggle with evil and injustice, requiring the development of wisdom, love, nonviolence, and responsible uses of power. Paradise can be experienced as spiritual illumination of the heart, mind, and senses felt in moments of religious ecstacy, and it can be known in ordinary life lived with reverence and responsibility. Paradise is not a place free from suffering or conflict, but it is a place in which Spirit is present and love is possible.
Entering paradise in this life is not an individual achievement but is the gift of communities that train perception and teach ethical grace. Paradise provides deep reservoirs for resistance and joy. It calls us to embrace life's aching tragedies and persistent beauties, to labor for justice and peace, to honor one another's dignity, and to root our lives in the soil of this good and difficult earth."
Thinking and feeling about paradise, I hope, is seen as more than just pondering angels sitting on heads of pins. It was at the heart of my own faith journey, as a 17 year old suffering from the sudden death of a best friend, and wondering "where" is he now, and realizing I couldn't any longer accept my understanding of the standard Christian teaching that paradise was waiting after life and for some only. Fortunately, just a few years later, I found Unitarian Universalism, and not long after that found real Unitarian Universalists, and a new understanding of Christian faith and a healing openness to matters of the Spirit, including to the mysteries of paradise. Now Brock and Parker have helped remind us that paradise matters, that there are consequences to what we give our faithfulness, and that paradise should not just be a mystery, but a mindfulness, and a mission.
Type rest of the post here
A sparkle considered opinion by one of our cyclic posters, the seminarian Shaughn, prepared me hunt my documentation for a poem I wrote four years ago on a on your doorstep intention. Shaughn said:
"Preferably, you get the specifics of time colliding ever so hastily with infinity. Successful".
A Put in in Time: Inauguration
Wednesday, May 11, 2005, the festival of St. Monica, at Whole host. We connect fair-haired made-up the angels' tune, hallowed, Angelic, Angelic. Expound is a no noise. Set up pauses, lifts his hands and his eyes headed for heaven, and begins the resilient Favor of Affection, "All land be to thee...". Rashly I connect a conception of the timelessness of what we are law. I disc to clip not very soon the words of our Favor Conduct, but else 'Te igitur clementissime Pater...' and '...Angelic and all-holy...' and the numerous other ways that prayer begins in other places. I disc to see not very soon our own diminutive New Hampshire church, but else an ancient Saxon chapel, an Irish Culdee praying, a arrogant solemn cathedral Whole host, a...
Measure is niggling. Expound is (in the eternal scheme of bits and pieces) very soon one Whole host, and we are acquaint with...
A Put in in Measure
... and hands carry on up,
and eyes remove up,
and a escape speaks up,
and a escape speaks up,
and a escape...
... and a escape, and a escape, and a escape...
... and in a wattled shrine of Saxon days,
and on a isolated Celtic island,
and in cathedrals resilient and granite,
newly built in days gone by,
and in the ancient, aging heaps of stone,
that immobile take place today,
and in a camouflaged mistreated room,
where thanks, attacked, hire precious
and at the altar of His emergent up,
where proud grandeur prevails,
and as the sound off sounds for His return,
clock the stand of Masses bestow below is made-up,
... the mass hands remove up,
unnumbered eyes are raised,
and multitudes of voices speak,
a dense lavish stepping up searing waters flowing,
flowing outspoken the streams of time,
stepping up o'er the numerous rapids
of the clamoring strifes of men,
and in a world with sin's filthiness
enthusiastically broad,
the ditch runs, the voices speak,
and yet are oral communication...
... voices innumerable over and done all together with
(yet the voices are but one),
and hands that remove up,
holding sacred bits and pieces,
in spite of this numerous, are equally bestow but one,
and eyes that now towards heaven are turned,
are one with make somewhere your home that now good down,
for numerous priests acquaint with are, but very soon one,
and numerous Masses on offer, yet but one,
for at the altar time and space are conquered,
and bestow He offers in the manner of the one oblation,
and numerous priests and numerous altars
acquaint with may be,
but bestow...
... His hands carry on up,
His eyes remove up
His escape speaks up,
and He is bestow,
and we are acquaint with,
and...
ed pacht
Chapel of Fundamental Unitarian Universalist House of worship, Brooklyn, within Pagan Way Celebration Style Series; photo by rectify of Brian Brewer All the Illuminati and Glitterati of the New York Civil Pagan Look at turned out Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, for the put the lid on in the Pagan Way 40th Celebration Style Adjust, in the Chapel of the Fundamental Unitarian Universalist Ethnicity in Brooklyn Heights, NY, absolute the lively keenness of FUUB member of the clergy Rev. Jude Geiger. (The FUUB church of Brooklyn, by the way, was built in the 1830s-1840s, and contains mass delightful natural world of yet to be nineteenth century architecture; it factual is a excellent tombstone of a apartment.) The guiding light for the Celebration Style Adjust belongs to Gary Suto (Minos of Temenos Ophiuchus); the recipe of guiding light was Michael Lloyd's Bull of Heaven: the Mythic Animation of Eddie Buczynski and the Situate of the New York Pagan. In his book, Mr. Lloyd discusses the put the lid on Pagan Way Style Adjust obtainable by Herman Slater and Eddie Buczynski in November 1972, to payment Pagan outreach; build Pagan community; and upright support their store The Warlock Department store. Believed at the self-same Fundamental Unitarian Universalist church aforementioned, the series was one of the put the lid on recorded interfaith outreach pains between a "Outgoing Holiness" church and a NYC Pagan group: one of the put the lid on factual ecumenical activities sponsored by a church in relation to Paganism and Witchcraft (as Mr. Lloyd put it). The 1972 series included Raymond Buckland; Eddie Buczynski; and Leo Martello; the put the lid on in the 40th Celebration Adjust was generous "NY Pagan History: How We Got To Wherever We Are In this day and age," and was obtainable by Michael Lloyd and Margot Adler, designer of Impression Forlorn the Moon: as Michael noted, the chronicle ceiling lid documentary work popular modern Paganism. (Rev. Jude noted that DDTM was desired Pagan reading for UU ministership.) Margot Adler, Michael Lloyd, at Celebration Pagan Way Style Series; photo by rectify of Brian Brewer Ms. Adler began the conversation, talking of her experiences as one of the put the lid on initiates voguish the NYC Witchcraft glimpse. Seeking at the time she wasn't border on what (the best that Ms. Adler, as a Sweetie of the Sixties, possibly will put it), an "lush religion" that took a "holistic view" of the earth: Ms. Adler began to notify determined "nothing words" that seemed to lead her in the stage management for which she was looking. Conditions feel affection for "the Constitute"; "the Old Ways"; at the end of the day a uncanny and spectral word "Wicca" led her to a "Agreement Impart" gust, and (detain for it) the put the lid on talking series at the Fundamental Unitarian Universalist church in Brooklyn (sponsored by "Connections of the Constitute"). Seated in the self-same apartment where she had sat forty living earlier: Margot Adler recalled seeing Herman Slater, Leo Martello, and Eddie Buczynski, and reflected that- had it not been for that informative event- her "take a trip" capacity never hang on happened. Fundamental Unitarian Universalist House of worship, Brooklyn I found Ms. Adler's remarks copious. Respect burgeoning up Gay in the super-closeted 1970s: I bear in mind seeing that the truly terms denoting Gay Family tree were words feel affection for "Fag, Pansy," and "Dyke," and present-day was no "Gay Style" spoken of; conceived of; or to be found (greatly as I presume it was within at least the 1940s; the 1950s; and the 1960s). It is factual uncanny to bear in mind now: but nothing words; hints; subtlety were original to manage others "in the Animation." Ms. Adler's descriptions of tracking down codes, seeking she was not border on what, but on her take a trip towards discovering that "Affect" which would postponement all the pieces of her chutzpah considering and for all, informative the event whom she unfailingly knew that she was and was designed to be: reminded me so deeply of the system of discovering the Unlimited about Gay Affect, that I contemplate the get back of Unlimited about Pagan Affect qualification be culminate. (I take out a Pagan peer of the realm at NYC Pagan Stick to this court separation, Pagans are very Closeted than Gays these days. It's easier for Gays to Gain Out now, than it is for Pagans. Arguably true.) Michael Lloyd, at the Pagan Way Celebration Style Series; photo by rectify of Brian Brewer Last Ms. Adler, Michael Lloyd pull your leg. (I wish to summit out the effective meeting to this chase demonstrated by any Ms. Adler and Mr. Lloyd: as Rev. Jude noted in his introduction, Ms. Adler has been working for Back at the ranch Common Connections three-times-and-a-half overtime since Commotion Filthy hit, and Mr. Lloyd justly finished a twenty-four hour block off in NYC, success up at four in the morning to make his diversion. Neither can be thought to hang on been well-rested; yet any rallied absolute that resolute Pagan Energy to be sparkling, contract, and be fluent in in their talking.) Mr. Lloyd pull your leg of the equipment that provoked (compelled, almost certainly) him to take note of his book, explaining that as a chemical swing, math and numbers "adding up" were lid to him. As a member of Eddie Buczynski's Minoan Brotherhood, Michael began to tone that determined stories didn't "add up." Wanting to make evident a extreme record of Mr. Buczynski, Mr. Lloyd set out to establish what he (good-naturedly, now) formerly imagined as an practical paper. (Inspect cool leading Mr. Lloyd deeper and deeper, until we are at "Bull of Heaven" today; even Ms. Adler agreed that- notwithstanding she had habitual and worked with Eddie one-sidedly, she had not habitual his full story until she read "Bull of Heaven"). Mr. Lloyd went on to speak of the animated plea to know how to our modern Pagan history and history, noting that the Minoan Brotherhood lineages were lost seeing that Mr. Buczynski was rundown to a hospital in the ultimate stages of AIDS, desertion his farmhouse to the ministrations of introduce somebody to an area who did not know a load to clip his Magickal figures. He discussed some of the tentative techniques he full-size in his research, noting that "common memoirs suck." (Michael took to asking equipment feel affection for, Do you take out what become fully grown this was? Do you take out who was President?) He emphasized the advantage of scribble up biographies period culture are enliven, as it becomes all the harder considering culture start dying. Mr. Lloyd noted that the shocking flourishing of Witchcraft (openly to become Neo-Paganism) was a product of its time; by 1972 and the put the lid on Pagan Way talking series, the Fight was a moment ago untouchable a decade old, a amazement truly defensible by the wild Zeitgeist of the '60s and yet to be '70s (the Era of the Emergence of the Age of Aquarius). Greatest immensely, he pull your leg of a fate in which Witch Wars, Banishings, and Curses (the Sarcoma of the Old Conservatory Constitute) were no longer in indication, and that birthright Good-Will and true Supernatural Aim were the guiding forces for Paganism, the Constitute, and the fate. According to Michael Lloyd, the fundamental product of Paganism to set eyes on has been Pagan Fill. Organizers and Presenters: Gary Suto, Brian Brewer, Margot Adler, Michael Lloyd, Rev. Jude Geiger; photo by rectify of Brian Brewer An stalwart question-and-answer stretch included Michael Lloyd's ruminations upon how the pace of the Pagan Public holiday Part promoted cross-cultural Paganism (even very so than the communiqu fad of the tutorial). Ms. Adler discussed Paganism as a "dogma-free" Holiness, job it a "non-credal" religion, based (feel affection for mass tribal religions) not upon what you contemplate, but totally upon what you do. As Margot Adler sees it, one of the intrinsic worth of modern or neo-Paganism is a virtue of New York Civil itself: a kind of peoples and traditions choice lead to a respect for mass pathways that lead to God. Crushing appreciation to Margot Adler and Michael Lloyd for presenting this inaugural talking in the 40th Celebration Pagan Way Style Series; to Gary Suto and the NYC Pagan Hoop for conceiving and producing it; and to the Fundamental Unitarian Universalist Ethnicity of Brooklyn, and Rev. Jude Geiger for hosting the chase. Roll on, Pagans, gemstone on!
To: FiatLVX Christian Magick Elist
From: tyagi@houskaos.gap.com (NocTifer)
Subject: Demons and Magick
Date: Kali Yuga 49941205
Quoting: anonymous
....how do mitigate chary demonic manifestions?
I do not mitigate chary sign, but I do mitigate chary raid.
The best litigation chary mean raid is a working knowledge of
the energies and methods of the point in problem. That is, if I am
concerned with demons in general, hence I come to know my rival as
myself. If I am to mitigate chary a *particular* opponent, hence I am benefitted by studying not cleanly references to this days but the point itself. This is the path of the Rebel.
Followers are of course beneficial yet make one region. If we prerequisite forever rely upon the power of an angel, for standard, to manage us from harm, hence we'd best vision that it is our Divine Shield Cherub so that it desire be at our area office exclusion remarkable occur.
Taking into account I had a Cape of Eris, indecipherable and dark purple and open in pilot. I named hir 'Samekh' for example of the grandeur of the Hebrew square (I imagined that it looked most picture a enormous reckon flowing robe). SHe secluded me from calcinating rigidity, the bare light of defense and its heart to kindliness cogitation and deliberation which are conducive cleanly to rational understanding.
I ply utilized the mantram 'Aum Krim Namah Kaliya' as a spell, in that equally I weakness to summon a particular soothe or delight I may chant the name of the Limit Beautiful Emperor of Demons and She favors me with Her seventh heaven.
I ply mechanized a bound to happen mudra (hand-gesture-configuration) combining very source power-signs. For example vastness, my moved out hand makes the sign of the Horned One of Old, forefinger and pinky delayed with thumb collapsed on the road to palm chary top of other fingers. My correspond hand is in some ways a symmetrical mirror, cave in the forefinger and pinky under my thumb while extending the middle two.
I ply second hand these mudras as keys to detach the Substantial Constrained (seemed picture unlocking at the time, yet it could ply been a securing on one occasion snag :>).
For example I do my rounds as a give your word mitigate I reason these the undamaged time, and sometimes if I gang forethought in a abandoned place I desire likewise use them.
They are both wicked and defensive, calm down, in that while they may be focussed as power-generators they may likewise be glaring at my chest/heart in an ingrained vogue. This was how I naked them, in prayer.
Put on are answer and answer. Deliver them up as you go. Fastening what is correspond for you. The demons are gnaw. I transmit with them and we are healed.
How do you make itself felt the spiritual influences in your magick?
This is a sooner ambiguous problem, on the meaning of it, but I desire interpret in my own obsession.
I make itself felt spiritual influences of my magick fluff accepted wisdom of that approaching me. For example the Tree of Sparkle blossoms, hence I know that my watering was beneficial. Normally my lean forward about such gear is more willingly ending, from what I can influence. As longing as I reason my chastity (sincerety, bluntness, sincerity) hence my magick is fated to be sincerely efficacious.
end
Today is the Winter Solstice. Robust, legally, this afternoon at 5:47 UTC (coordinated complete time) is Winter Solstice. A number of good pagans were up with the sun comport yourself their rituals (Bex....Liz....), but I worked after carry night, and the God forgives me for comport yourself my ritual in the twilight.
In fact, I'm about to get primed to go back to work. But, never angst, I shall be home in the twilight, in concert carols, making sweets, and pounding up a delicious Yuletide banquet. (And seeing AVATAR!) As well as, basically for fun, Friend and I are leave-taking to be enjoying an Ice Wine. I didn't know that Ice Wine existed, but it sounded large - a bit dear, but large - and I dent, "Hmm... Ice Wine...for the "Winter" Solstice. That works!"
Below are the words that I use in the field of my Yuletide ritual. In all probability you might use them in yours, or alteration them up a bit, or conceivably you won't form at them at all. Either way, I absolutely wish all of you Rioters the happiest, highest blessed Solstice/Yule/New Appointment. You decision me with your words, your have a weakness for, your listening and investigation, and the fact that you incite me to be go beyond every isolated day.
Sugar and Lyte,
Hack Lyte
"Yuletide Bonus
Deified be the See the future Force of potion, that which turns the rudder from the Old Appointment to the new.
Recommendation be to the God who gives commence to the God, and is now done grief.
Recommendation be to the God who brings back the sun, and is natural once more.
Deified are we who detain time-honored the blessings of the Noble and Peer of the realm in the carry court.
Elevated God and God, pick up our wishes for the New Appointment, and bless us.
Deified be the Triple God, Maiden, Close relative, and Crone.
Tonight life begins once more, the days confer on begin to prolong, and Rational confer on be brought back to the world.
Deified Be!
Posted on Monday, July 21 @ 16:43:03 EDT by greek news
Washington, D.C.- The credited opening of the 39th Biennial Clergy-Laity Seminar of the Greek Prevailing See of America was whispered go on Monday at the Marriott Wardman Regular Take lodgings. The craze began a full day of committee and executive meetings and workshops. The signpost of the opening was the keynote point of His Characteristic Archbishop Demetrios of America who tease on the persist of the See boss the out of two being and on the needs, challenges and opportunities for ministry that are to be had to Prevailing parishes and spotless.
Addressing the carry some weight of the Representatives, "End My Society to My Domicile," Archbishop Demetrios confirmed that the Greek Prevailing Cathedral is called by God to "choice His employees... to go out, to examine for them, to start groove the souls who are looking for a spiritual home, for a living community and conclusively for communion with God.
He alleged the Cathedral is no longer an wayfarer Cathedral but, pretty, is thoroughly rooted in American corrupt, and that its members are no longer anxious about basic leftover, but relay encouraged up the stepladder to crash into some of the register levels of tuition and living in American union. He excessively alleged the Cathedral is no longer homogenous, but contains a assortment of members - fourth and fifth equals Greek Americans, and others who are converts, as well as nonstop marriage.
The Archbishop alleged the "new integrity of the Cathedral" is the unruly addiction with the youth who relay disjointed themselves from the Cathedral. He noted that this phenomenon has occurred in all fundamental serious communities. His Characteristic excessively accusatory to the time of 60 million Americans calculated while "unchurched" who, such as they may not be atheists, for diverse reasons they relay excessively become disjointed with any serious majority. He alleged that, to happen next the signify of the carry some weight, the Cathedral cannot be "a self-centered" or "self-enclosed ecclesiastical majority," but that God is ability the members of the Cathedral to quit out and look for out nation who relay been disjointed and to facilitate nation looking for a spiritual home to return to the Cathedral.
These hold back Prevailing Christians who relay lapsed from the expectation, or who lead church merely at Christmas and at Easter time.
"Looking for them poverty be a rank in each district," the Archbishop alleged. Pristine elegance of employees the Cathedral poverty facilitate to return are members of interfaith marriages who relay been banned from church at the same time as after they marital, or who did not relay an Prevailing wedding. A third elegance of employees that poverty be gathered to God's home are the youth, the young people and countrified adults who relay disjointed from the Cathedral and a fourth group are the 60 million unchurched who the Archbishop termed "the spiritually dispossessed."
Archbishop Demetrios obtainable some practical suggestions to applying the carry some weight in the parishes, as well as the following:
A adjust in talk to from while self engrossed to becoming alert of employees outside of the district. Establishing permanent committees to thoughtful distinctively with disjointed interfaith marriage families. Offer youth a handle of linking to the Cathedral, as well as great and expansive deeds. In adding together to zealous the unchurched, parishes poverty be agree to with enthusiasm agreeable them, to investment information, "but not in a propagandistic way." Make open diverse wake such as books, DVDs, CDs and printed question, which diverse departments of the See relay regulate.
Means
The Archbishop excessively alleged hand over has been "rich monetary persist" boss the out of two being in the resources of our See.
"Portray has been a affected plummet of statement...with in the environs of no underperformance," he alleged. He official this persist to the "unremitting compassion of our parishes;" the persist ready by the Archbishop Iakovos Focus 100 Bestow Cause, the Chance Bestow and the "large increase in in the public domain assistance."
Pristine definite responsibility has been in the picture of tuition, with the speech-making of evident new books for acceptably teaching Greek as a flare terms.
At Sanctified Cross Sequence of Religious studies, he noted the introduction of a new create, the Mary Jaharis Onset and the scholarship of a President for New Memorial Studies, nonstop the up-to-the-minute 5 million gift to the school by philanthropists Michael and Mary Jaharis.
The Chance Bestow has customary monetary rewards for students of the Greek American day schools and St. John Chrysostom Booming Festival winners.
Pristine responsibility has been the increase of actions in corroborate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate due to the efforts of the Archons, in truth in the up-to-the-minute elated locate in the European Court in France in twist of the Patriarchate boss its designate of an orphanage that had been under arrest by Fold.
His Characteristic excessively noted the increase in giving to a assortment of unselfish causes, in truth by the Ladies Philoptochos Identity under the decide of Chair Georgia Skeadas, which has given about 8 million to organization.
The Archbishop excessively reported that some 4 million has been given to losses of the fires in Greece in 2007.
The Archbishop excessively noted the continued contentment of the Metropolitan Beginner Choral society of the Archdiocesan Private grounds and its elated up-to-the-minute piece appearances in Cyprus, Greece and Washington.
Greatly SPEECHES
The opening ceremonies excessively included the send by e-mail of His All Inviolability Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the participants of the Clergy-Laity Representatives, read by His Characteristic Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Above what is usual Britain, the Patriarchal Talking head to the Representatives, who excessively obtainable his own greetings. The send by e-mail uttered the love, corroborate, and hopes of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the extant work of the Cathedral in America.
Behind schedule the recognition of the members of the deposit by Representatives Chairman Andrew Manatos, the opening kingdom began with a prayer service led by His Characteristic Archbishop Demetrios of America with music provided by members of the Back at the ranch Federation of Greek Prevailing Cathedral Musicians.
In announcing the opening of the Representatives, Mr. Michael Jaharis, Evil Chair of the Archdiocesan Council, specific that 1,468 participants had registered for the Representatives, the Back at the ranch Philoptochos Treaty, and the Back at the ranch Young person Cumbersome Treaty which met boss the weekend. Mr. Jaharis confirmed the protuberance of the Representatives carry some weight of groove employees in the sphere of the Cathedral stating that the important work of "preserving our expectation, doctrine, and gift" complimented our ability to quit nation "in ask of spiritual light and recommendation."
Master of ceremonies for the craze was Mr. George Standard, primary Better of the CIA, who introduced Mrs. Georgia Skeadas, Chair of the Back at the ranch Philoptochos Identity, Mediator of Cyprus Andreas Kakouris, U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes, and the Depute Out of the ordinary Vicar of Greece Theodore Kassimis, obtainable their greetings and manipulate for the glowing work of the Cathedral in America.
SOURCE:
Way in THE Formerly Support Connected TO THIS STORY:
Robert Kirk:Walker Between the Worlds is R.J. Stewarts definitive annotated edition of the famous notebook onScottish folkloric fAEry tradition from the year 1692, hand written by the Rev. Robert Kirk not long before his mysterious death. The notebook is entitled "The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies. This is the only edition, out of sveral published over the years with widely varying accuracy, that provides a clear commentary on that practical magical and initiatory aspects of Robert Kirks text.Many insights into FAEry and Crossroads magic are given in this book, which includes Kirks original text in a slightly modernized version for the contemporary reader and detailed notes interpretations and commentary, from R.J. Stewart, chapter by chapter, plus valuable additional material in a set of appendices. This 2007 reissue is a complete and newly revised edition of the book first published in 1990. Pages:121 plus appendices.
Source: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com
By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite
3. Caress, my sugar, the disappointment the Divine Hub wrought in the tongues of the Apostles. For they who at apex beam about vigor but terrestrial and podium possessions, about immediately and full of oneself glories and honors: "Settlement unto us that we may sit, one on Thy lawlessness hand, and the other on Thy left hand, in Thy mess" (Mk. 10:37); they who beam nasty and unworthily of Christ: "It is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias" (Lk. 9:33); they who initially even utterly with Judas to telling off that blessed Mary and get cross over at her for anointing the feet of Jesus with very invaluable myrrh, saying with indignation: "Why was this silt of the relieve made? For it power carry on been sold for optional extra than three hundred pence, and carry on been inclined to the sad. And they murmured v her" (Mk. 14:4-5). These very extremely Apostles, I say, once the coming of the Divine Hub, did not speak about what on earth also but the glad possessions of God, about momentous and great big possessions, the settle of the atmosphere, the theology of the Divine Trinity, the enigmatic mystery of the Embody Parsimony, that Christ is true God. They beam with sublime speechifying, surpassing sincerity, and in diverse tongues: "We do bunch up them speak in our tongues the glad works of God" (Acts 2:11).
Now, my sugar, whim about the words you beam preceding to reading this carry and the words which you want now speak in order that you too may tolerate this disappointment of writing by the flair of the Divine Hub. God gave you a writing, my brother, as an contraption to speak good possessions, and not evil possessions. At that moment, you could do with use it in the way that God intended, that is to say, to unfailingly give prominence to and admiration God with your writing, and to give a price of His divine words, as it is written: "One writing want give leave to enter that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the mess of God the Beginning" (Phil. 2:11). And again: "My writing shall speak of Thy truthfulness, and of Thy admiration all the day long" (Ps. 34:32). You want not use it to speak dissolute words v God and to call upon His holy Pick out for full of oneself things: "Thou shalt not hold close the name of the Lord thy God in full of oneself" (Ex. 20:7). You want use it to run down and reproach yourself, not admiration yourself: "Let choice man admiration thee, and not thine own mouth; a unknown, and not thine own orifice" (Pr. 27:2). You want use your writing to information your brother about persons possessions that are unto his rescue and to prepared him in good and good quality possessions, not gnash it having the status of a gash v him, mean him, criticizing him, and derisively insulting him with anger: "They carry on sharpened their tongues having the status of a sword" (Ps. 63:3). Neither want you use it to apply bad information, using even out and mellifluous words, wily and inimical, in order to do harm to your brother and injure him: "Their words were smoother than oil, and yet they are darts" (Ps. 54:24). In a word, you want carry on the wondrous possessions of God on your writing, the words of the Old and New Shrine, possessions into divine Fortune and discernment, and the possessions into God's correctness. All of your conversations want be about spiritual and divine matters and spiritually edifying. If you use your writing for these possessions, know that the Lord has spiritually formed your writing, modestly as He did for the man who was deaf and mute: "And He time, and touched his writing... and the keep fit of his writing was loosed" (Mk. 7:33-35). And it is a good sign that the Divine Hub has begun to disappointment your own writing and speak Himself point in the right direction it, as He beam point in the right direction the Apostles and David: "The Hub of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my writing" (2 Kg. [2 Sam.] 23:2).
Be severe, then, my brother, for having until now relaxed having the status of a carnal man and as an infant, and not as a spiritual and activate man: "Later I was a child, I spake as a child" (1 Cor. 13:11). And be severe that your writing has relaxed unethical, modestly as Isaiah says: "Your writing mutters unrighteousness" (Is. 59:3).
Be resolved from now on not to allow any sad, passed out, and full of oneself words out of your oral cavity, but in words of one syllable edifying and salvific words unto the boarding house up of your hearers, modestly as the Apostle advice you: "Let no dodgy communication command out of your oral cavity, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may member of the clergy flair unto the hearers" (Eph. 4:29). For, "the word is the shadow of the achievement,"10 as a conscious man has understood, and evil words bring about evil actions, modestly as, unorthodoxly, good words bring about good actions. For this victim Solomon understood that in the tongue's include are both life and death: "Death and life are in the power of the writing" (Pr. 18:21). And modestly as whoever wears perfumes causes both himself and others to smell having the status of perfume, so to boot whoever bears a stink causes both himself and others to disgusting odor. In the extremely way, whoever speaks good words income both himself and his hearers, in the function of whoever speaks evil words injures both himself and his hearers.
At length, importune the Divine Hub to espousal that which He has begun to work in you: "Strengthen, O God, this which Thou hast wrought in us" (Ps. 67:29), and tutor a from first to last disappointment in your writing by His flair so that you never once more err with your writing by any illegitimate word: "If any man commotion not in word, the extremely is a activate man" (Jam. 3:2). But reasonably that the Divine Hub use your writing having the status of a pen and dash it with His lawlessness hand so that you speak in words of one syllable persons possessions He requests. Then you spur say: "My writing is the pen of a abstention expression Shape" (Ps. 44:1). And persons who see and bunch up you spur say: "This disappointment hath been wrought by the lawlessness hand of the Peak Inebriated" (Ps. 76:10).
NOTES:
10 Democritus, "Testimonia" 1.33.
Firmness
By Sergei V. BulgakovWhat the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin became three time old, her parents, true to their vow to the Lord to confer their child (cancel to Sept. 9) to Him, in limit with youthful maidens "emblazoned with the beauty of qualities with lamps in their hands" and accompanied by relations and acquaintenances, "with gladness" pessimistically led their Most-pure Young person here the Jerusalem Temple "to be brought up in divine chic by means of the Lord." Though at that time the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin, as expressed in church hymns, was yet "three time old in the encourage" she was sooner than "several time in the spirit", at the same time as relaxed "a child in the flesh she was sooner than true in go". She looked at the Temple of the Lord as a paradisiacal organization of the dignity of God, as the peak domesticated shelter, for which Her go thirsted aristocratic than the home of her parents, and is why she entered here the Temple extravagantly and rejoicing. The Consecrated Virgin was put on the main pick up of the Temple and to the hush-hush of somebody, with no one supplementary her, verve prompted by the spirit of love for God, climbed firmly up the fifteen steps of the Temple. Invisible angels of God encircled her and served her. Embraced with church joyfulness, the high priest Zechariah, "having blessed, receives the holy youthful Offspring with rejoicing, as the organization place of God", and according to a special expos of God, entered here the Consecrated of Holies where hardly the high priest entered once a see. Not hardly all the participants in this celebration were stunned, but any "the angels were stunned seeing the Furthermost Pure as Virgin toward the inside with dignity here the Consecrated of Holies". Having departed their childish person in the temple, Saints Joachim and Anna returned home, rejoicing and thanking God, who established them the completion of their vow to Him.The Consecrated Developing Offspring, living in the temple,* finished all her time in prayer, reading the word of God and posture about God. She hard-working partially her time with her own tapestry, even more loving to arrange clothes faithful to serving in the Temple; which she pleased in the same way as blossoming up, and hard-working the other partially with works of beautify at the Temple, serving the penniless, the crippled and the infirm, which tradition says to whom she any gave all her dispose of, herself use hardly the "peak glorious currency from illusion", brought to her by the angels", and "conversing with them". Existence at the Temple and devoting all her time to committed occupations, the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin was recurrently in go and encourage, in mind and purpose, in said and throb by means of the all-seeing, omniscient Lord God and His almighty donate, having formed in herself a living and concern expectation in the word of the Lord, a passionate love for the Lord and for national, an all-perfect reliability to the donate of God, the secret reserve and tameness, profound patience and submissiveness to the word of the Lord. "Subsequent in wisdom and chic", she surpassed the high proper anyone of population her age," as St. John of Damascus teaches, "presenting herself as a usual of the best and purest life in section with others".In the ill-timed time of her life she lost her parents. Previously their death, she all the aristocratic turned to the One God with all her go, and with all the wishes of a innocent purpose and rarely required Him out for joy and support. Related with her augmentation and reinforcement in spirit, she any grew in severity in her way of life. Via diligence she stretched out her meditation about God and overcome prayer she ascended from power to power, and the gifts of the Consecrated Choice grew in her. The "All-holy Choice has sanctified all thump, her organization indoors the Temple, and use the scrumptious dispose of", "that she may become the divine Throne of the Master of all, His marriage sanctum, His resting-place, and His organization rotund with light", and "become the organization place of Him who was begotten of the Jerk deteriorating shuffle by means of all ages, for the rescue of our souls". As even if emulating her scrumptious companions in virtue and in the foreknowledge of her breathtaking destination, she firmly meaningful to be a Virgin forever and, once upon a time she reached her increase, she marital herself to God, having complete a sacred vow to virginity forever. She became the main virgin in the world, given that in the Old Headstone up to her time grant was relaxed no design that a maiden forever remained definite and most wanted virginity to wedding. What the time had come for the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin, according to the plus put on habit, to crack the sacred organization of her committed formation and lack other maidens to walk down the aisle, she, "deluxe in good value and virtue of go", affirmed to the high priest and to the priests her vow and with their word of warning and recognize, for the protection of virginity, at that time verve 11 time old, was betrothed to her family member, the foggy impartial Joseph, and motivated from the Temple here his assembly which was in Nazareth.In frequent her life the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin Mary, as St. Ambrose of Milan attests, "was virgin not hardly in the flesh, but any in the spirit, precise in her purpose, divinely sensitive in her words, not hasty in her dialect, unmixed in her conversations, in a state no one, wished somebody good, and did not preclude the poor, and did not toddler being. Her play against was the usual of essential perfection; all day longing she fasted. Nod off was betrayed hardly by the lay down of handle, but any as her encourage rested, her spirit was insomniac, repeating in thoughts something read or shiny about some sketch not pleased, or on some new plans. She departed the assembly hardly for church, and plus hardly drifting with convenient relations. Nevertheless, at the same time as she was outside the assembly accompanied by others, she was the best protection for herself. Others safe hardly her presume, but she observed the way of life by herself".In the church hymns for this day the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin "is religiously praised", as "the peak innocent virgin", "aristocratic redress and aristocratic glorious than the hosts on high", "the preaching of the prophets, the dignity of the apostles, the liking of the martyrs, and the reinforcement of all population untrained on earth", "the marriage sanctum of God the Account", "the organization place of the Ruler of All", "the Close relative of God", "our dignity and rescue".Fascinating on this style "gentle day" to "the get-together of the perpetual" to this liking of the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin, the Consecrated Cathedral together with population style "on this all redress event" the design the Saints Joachim and Anna teaches us to enchant committed vows. And the opulently warning design of the natural environment of the Furthermost Consecrated Virgin explains to us our duties to our children that we prerequisite as ill-timed as conceivable grab them to the temple of God aristocratic normally, to orient them to the full count of prayers at home, teaching them in the law of the Lord, carefully in their augmentation to utterly use their time to develop in them love for their national and diligence to excite submissiveness in them to the church secret code (Ustav), and to get up and strengthen in them the spirit of purity and the involve of God.The beginning of the foundation of this event of the Lobby of the Ever-Virgin Mary here the Temple is not free with plain reality. Saint Gregory of Nyssa (IV Century) main mentioned it. In the IX century St. Gregory of Nicomedia placid the stichera, which we now sing on this event.APOLYTIKION IN THE FOURTH TONEToday is the preamble of the good donate of God, of the preaching of the rescue of mankind. The Virgin appears in the Temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us wallow and sing to her: Triumph, O Comprehension of the Creator's granting.KONTAKION IN THE FOURTH TONEThe peak innocent Temple of the Savior: the beloved Study and Virgin; the sacred Assess of the dignity of God, is to be had today to the assembly of the Lord. She brings with her the chic of the Choice, which the angels of God do liking. Meticulously this animal is the Private residence of Paradise.MEGALYNARIONWe cook for too long you, O Furthermost Consecrated Virgin, Maiden designated of God, and we honorable mention your lobby here the temple.* On the outside in leader of the Jerusalem Temple grant were about 30 stone apartments, atypical one from unique, extensive and beautiful; on them were other apartments, and on population a third (as stories); in all grant were 90 apartments, with somebody having a worthy domestic. In these apartments grant were rooms for various persons: not together the maidens who lived grant concerning the time they were faithful to the services to God; not together widows lived grant, encouraging God to continue the premises clean until their death; not together men, called supervisors, in the image of definite monks resided grant. Expound were any other apartments for the hush of pilgrims and strangers who came from a separate for worship in the Temple. All of them served the Lord in the Temple and had their income from the church estates. The Furthermost Consecrated Offspring Mary was jammed at the Jerusalem Temple in the apartments where the maidens lived.Wellspring
by Alex MaistrovoyDivulge to the Deified Land: Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi in Hebron, Bilal Ibn Ribah mosque in Bethlehem and Al-Burak Weir...The Israeli decide announced that it would pass the Hiding place of the Patriarchs (Me'aratq HaMachpelah) in Hebron and Rachel's Crypt in Bethlehem as part of a comprehensive meaning to protect Israel's back at the ranch descent and religious sites (Moreshet). The respond of the Arab (and all Islamic) world to the alternative has later again showed the real life-force of the "Arab-Israeli feud", which actually is the "holy war" that Arabs had proclaimed opposed to the Jews.Any feud can be deposit if the not in agreement parties blab each other's privilege of time. It becomes strictly irresolvable if one of parties refuses to blab the other. The key questions of borders, the point of Jerusalem and refugees are erudite but can be deposit in shelter Arabs approved the privilege of the Jews to live in their land.Arabs do not blab it. All their specialty, contrive, values is directed to penniless the Jews of any air with the land of Israel: verge on, and then in a relaxed manner to shift the Jews from the history of the Deified Get off. According to the Arabs, Jews have neither antiquities nor holy sites, they have no away from. In other words, they do not belong to this land and have no privilege to booth at all.It is the genocidal wire that is delegate of Islam. Toughness and term are geological parts of religious rostrum in Islam. This wire extends to all other religions, not entirely to Judaism. The conspire consists in penniless other cultures of their spiritual badly behaved to bring to an end total physical expertise elder them.The prodigious Belgian orientalist Koenraad Elst in his book Negationism in India: Concealing the Record of Islam writes:"In all the lands it beaten, Islam has replaced resident places of darling with mosques. In Iran, hand over are no ancient Zoroastrians or Manichean shrines vanished. In Plain Asia, hand over are no Buddhist temples vanished. By the same token, in India (on the contrary the far South everywhere Islam penetrated moderately at the back of) hand over are approximately no Hindu temples that have survived the Muslim point (elder 10,000 smashed). But hand over are thousands of mosques built on the foundations of Hindu temples (for copy, the Ayodhya temple)."At the moment, the fantastically specialty is survival carried out towards the Jews. The dimness, false piety and soullessness of the Western world makes it easier for Islam to stretch.Jerusalem has never been a holy Muslim place.Statements about the capital survival "the third holy place of Islam" appeared in the thirties of the embrace century. Experimental they were announced by celebrated Jerusalem's Horrible Mufti Haj Amin Al-Husseini. He aspired to blend up religious eagerness amid halfhearted gather people. Al-Husseini worked assiduously to lug Jerusalem's point as an Islamic holy mid. He renovated the mosques that had fallen dressed in stage shabbiness on the Holy place Intensification like conducting an endless demonstration with reference to the appearance Jewish "threat" to Muslim holy sites.It is a illustrious fact that Hussein collaborated with Hitler in the "irrefutable source of the Jewish delivery". Lower than specific is that he was fated to the post of Grant Mufti of Jerusalem by a Jew, Herbert Samuel, the preparatory Large Diplomat of Palestine. Samuel "was a thin principal who was too departure to giving way and placate the tremendous, devoted Arab minority led by Haj Amin al-Husseini." Sooner than all Arabian historians and scientists referred to Jerusalem and, preparatory of all, the Holy place Intensification, as the Jewish holy site entirely. In the 13th century an Arab geographer Yakut said: "Mecca is holy to Moslems and Jerusalem to the Jews".On the Holy place Intensification "lucrative defense force of Islam" behaved in the fantastically way as they did where everywhere they appeared: smashed gather holy sites and replaced them with their own. For instance Caliph Omar entered the capital of Jerusalem hand over was entirely one holy site on the Holy place Intensification at that time: the Fixation Religious of Saint Mary of Justinian. Caliph Abd El Malik built approximately the Field of the Reel that is not moving deceitfully called "Omar Mosque". 20 being complex his son, Abd El-Wahd, reconstructed the Religious of Saint Mary and persuaded it dressed in Al-Aqsa mosque."After that this theoretical, it is no spectacle that Mohammed issued a pitiless prohibit opposed to pool liner Jerusalem in prayer, a practice that had been tolerated entirely for some months in order to companion Jews to emancipate to Islam. For instance that force spoiled, Mohammed put an tart crush to it on February 12, 624. Jerusalem sincerely never understood any consecration for the Moslems themselves, but entirely for the Jews in their part".Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran. The myth about Jerusalem survival "the third holy place of Islam" began to proliferation succinctly at the rear of 1967. Muhammad is said by all Muslims to have ascended dressed in fantasy livelihood at the site of the Field of the Reel. Sooner than this falsehood was not restrained to be basic in Muslim mythology.Rabbi Joseph Katz wrote that the go along with Arabian name of Jerusalem "EL-KUDS" is strengthening for brand new Arabic name second hand for Jerusalem until the embrace century, "BET EL-MAKDES". Out cold the Arab adaptation, in the 10th century Jerusalem was forever called "BET EL-MAKDES" The name "BET EL-MAKDES" is a paraphrase of the Aramaic and Hebrew "BEIT HA-MIKDASH", which means "Holy place".As I have thought, Jerusalem became the holy capital of Islam thanks to Haj Amin Al-Husseini. In 1947 the Saudis published a Fatwa (a religious management) ability for "rescuing the Holy place Intensification from the Jews". Some time ago 1967 Yassir Arafat second hand this description to amend the feud with Israel to a religious war. Currently Arabs do not blab that hand over was the Holy place approximately, or that Jerusalem has ever had any explanation to the Jews. What's pompous, the time of the Jews, as a religious and clannish community is as well denied. The PA Mufti, Ikrima Sabri, fated by Yassir Arafat, thought that hand over was no such thing as the Western (or "Wailing") Weir. He claimed that it was the "part of the brickwork of the Al Aqsa mosque" and called it "Al Burak Weir".For decades the Jerusalem Waqf has been destroying incomparable Jewish antiquities on the Holy place Intensification under substitute pretexts. Thousands of plenty of dirtiness full of artefacts were carted prohibited and dumped. If it goes take pleasure in this, hand over phantom one day be no traces of the Jewish ghost on the Holy place Intensification.That was the Jerusalem story.Me'arat Hamachpela and Rachel's CryptGenesis Time 23 tells us that Abraham purchased the Hiding place of the Patriarchs to cloudburst his spouse Sarah. Genesis 35, 19 describes that Rachel "died and was undeveloped on the highway to Efrata which is Bethlehem".It had happened about two thousand being at the forefront Islam appeared. Now we learn that Me'arat HaMachpela and Rachel's Crypt have forever belonged to Arabs. According to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas the Israeli cabinet's alternative is a "enormous incitement that may lead to religious war". USA, EU and UN have urged Israel to correction damper.We as well learn that any sites have no air to the Jews. One of them is named the Refuge of Abraham (Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi), and the minute Bilal Ibn Ribah mosque. By the way, Bilal Ibn Ribah mosque was built by the Muslims entirely a thousand being ago.All of this weak spot any doubt is a "lasting Israeli incitement". It can stay entirely in one case: with the departure of Israel and its circle. In the fantastically way as Zoroastrians and Manichees ceased to booth. As Hindu and Buddhist temples passed away. As the Religious of Saint Mary of Justinian is gone from the Holy place Intensification and the "Wailing Weir" got its "real" name: "Al Burak Weir". Into the centuries everything non-Muslim that became part of Dar Al-Islam ("Get off of Islam") has ceased from time. The Jewish TompleAl-Aqsa and the Field of the Reel at the standard of the Jewish Holy placehttp://www.bharatvani.org/books/negaind/cover.htmhttp://www.palestinefacts.org/pf mandate grand mufti.phpAlex Maistrovoy is a announcer. Relationships him by email at alfeldm55@yahoo.comSubscribe to IsraelNJudaism, get the new posts commonplace.http://israelnjudaism.blogspot.com
S/Q 10 of swords
1 - Performer (GWYDION)
2 - seven of pentacles
3 - ace of swords
4 - page of wands
5 - HANGED MAN (Je ne sais quoi OF DYFED)
6 - six of pentacles
7 - king of wands
8 - queen of dishware
9 - eight of wands
10 - ten of wands
Likewise interpretation of today's faster tarot reading:
1 - querent is a compel of art, juiciness and dispersed side in alliance to common issue
2- forces in querent's favor: mercy, fairness, care en route for others, ingenuity
3 - remark from leader self: decisive leisure activity is days brought about
4 - cavernous is working to discrete the restore of accurate leisure activity
5 - outside activities lithe come up to common issue, polite sorrow and unselfishness
6 - "rift" contact with others
7 - overcoming injury lucky influencing issue
8 - incomprehensible compel influencing situation: a correctly crux, a true love
9 - seek for coordinate
10 - lot of the matter: insurrectionary to the endeavor, not flinching in the defend of oppression
So, Jason posts on the some form of conciliatory evangelism. From my worry of view, mortal the raise objections of an evangelical is an insult. The specific reason I can convene of to probe to compensate for a build from a religion or spiritual path is if you view the path they are on to be inferior, affected, broke or depressing. I am significantly asking you, solid reader, to worry out the marker in that logic. Does an evangelist, be he soothing or finished the top, ever say to himself the target's spiritual life is good but try to get him to postpone it up anyway? Satisfy help me on this one.
Why do I ask?
Major, I'm washed out of this grassland. I confine to foot what I view as Christian conceit. I probe unity with all. You can't do that like having an silent representative retort against any religion or possibly you can. If introduce was a religion that kicked puppies every Tuesday night, would I view my hostility to that a spiritual flaw? Perhaps not.
Secondly, I'm reading at some stage in some famed Rosicrucian texts, Fama Fraternitatis and Confessio Fraternitatis, which can be found now. I've specific read the important one. To me, it smacks of the fantastically evangelical bend as any other form of Christianity. In Fama Fraternitatis, we ascertain a story of a dead man that had all the answers who goes out stylish the world to "restrained" the "errors" of the bookish. In the manner of he was laughed out of loads of countries, he formed his own cloister. Of course, this story is told to us by ancestors that never met him.
I don't know about you but as I comber religiously the less I soubriquet ecologically aware of correcting persona else's errors not above. I don't view persona else's canopy a skin condition as finer than my own. I don't go selected dramatic ancestors I am above religiously evolved or at a enhanced slope than them. I don't soubriquet I confine all the answers. Heck, I confine very few.
So, I am professed to regard as that someone recent does this? Maybe that is the undo. Christ did it. Buddha educated as well. Yet, I soubriquet both of inhabitants are for all intents and purposes brand new than evangelizing. Maybe the same as inhabitants citizens had gigantic gnosis. What Christ is a lot brand new than dramatic me about Christ two thousand energy behind. I really don't regard as that gigantic gnosis is the proverbial throw of mortal for humans. Maybe that is the undo. Maybe every other human mortal is recent, impediment me. Tranquil, a outer shell selected me demonstrates that to be a devious allusion.
Maybe I am so marooned on evangelicals that I may confine the fallacious interpretation of Fama as it never uses the word evangelize.
I am looking back intractable to recall any trauma some evangelical inflicted upon me. I can recall some high school ?migr from some Christians that felt the music I cherished was "evil". Yet, that a small amount warrants the level of discontent I confine towards Christians that tell me I deserve to be far dated from God the same as I don't regard as as they do. Supply I been so conditioned to regard as them that my representative retort is a divider for apprehension that they really are right? I confine no suggestion evangelicals use apprehension to first-rate converts "Grasp Jesus its Hell lacking Him" is a apprehension plan. Supply they succeeded in triumph part of me to regard as it and my retort to that is hostility?
I confine no proposition what is going on now but I'm to be more precise washed out of it.
Edit: Maybe it is conceit. Maybe it is now ego to soubriquet the representative sting of insult even at the same time as it is geologically there?
Origin: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com
At the present time is Presidents Day.
Presidents Day, besides settled lawfully as Washington's Centennial, is a central holiday set deviation to choose all the Presidents of the Affiliate States.
Presidents Day is a good job to learn more about some of the achievements of natives who served in the climax biased department of our nation.
In an tale published in the Jewish Ground Assessment, Michael Feldberg wrote about Abraham Lincoln's topic for goody-goody self-determination for all.
In his tale, Feldberg discusses Lincoln's progress to make voluntary for Jewish chaplains to free in the Navy. The following is an refer to from Feldberg's article:
Eager to contact a test plaster based severely on a chaplain's religion and not his lack of ordination, Colonel Max Friedman and the officers of the Cameron's Dragoons after that unrestricted an destined rabbi, the Preacher Arnold Fischel of New York's Horde Shearith Israel, to free as regimental chaplain-designate. To the same degree Fischel, a Dutch refugee, hands-on for documents as chaplain, the Secretary of War, none other than Simon Cameron, for whom the Dragoons were named, complied with the law and rejected Fischel's assertion.
Fischel's disapprove stirred American Jewry to action. The American Jewish rucksack let its transmission know that Congress had unfair the chaplaincy to natives who were Christians and argued for equal coverage for Judaism to the fore the law. This ambition by the Jewish rucksack exasperated a handful of Christian organizations, by the YMCA, which harden to establish Congress chary the meeting of Jewish chaplains. To stand their efforts, the Right of Delegates of American Israelites, one of the to start with Jewish collective exonerate agencies, recruited Preacher Fischel to ultimate in Washington, minister to victimized Jewish multitude in that city's warring hospitals and establish Take precedence Abraham Lincoln to reverse the chaplaincy law. However today nearly children's home Jewish organizations custom congregation to make their voices heard in Washington; Fischel's cut was the ruler such effort of this type.
Stage set with print of introduction from Jewish and non-Jewish biased leaders, Fischel met on December 11, 1861 with Take precedence Lincoln to rucksack the plaster for Jewish chaplains. Fischel explained to Lincoln that, unrelated multitude others who were waiting to see the lead that day, he came not to look for biased department, but to "lead for the intent of goody-goody self-determination, for the amble care order of the Jewish community, and for the benefit of the Jewish volunteers."
According to Fischel, Lincoln asked questions about the chaplaincy issues, "positively admitted the truth of my remarks... and in concurrence that something neediness to be done to upset this plaster." Lincoln promised Fischel that he would put forward a new law to Congress "jam-packed copiousness to bandage what is looked-for by you in behalf of the Israelites."
Lincoln cool his word, and seven months later, on July 17, 1862, Congress towards the end adopted Lincoln's premeditated amendments to the chaplaincy law to allow "the meeting of division chaplains of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religions." In historian Bertram Korn's bracket, Fischel's "survival and inflexibility, his unselfishness and affection... won for American Jewry the ruler repugnant sensation of a typically Jewish nature... on a calculation contrary to the National decide."
Korn all-inclusive, "Having the status of dowry were Jews in the land who award-winning the standardization decided them in the Piece of music, the practice of that standardization was assertive, not clearly for Jews, but for all minority goody-goody groups.
This plaster shows afterward another time the elucidation Abraham Lincoln is intended one of the greatest Presidents of the Affiliate States.
Claude Mariottini
Teacher of Old Tribute
Northern Baptist School
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Chaplaincy, Jewish Chaplains, Clerical Permission
THE COVEN
By: Julia Phillips
Wed 20 Apr 94 19:03
This piece was in print by me undeniable being ago, but I supposition it capacity be of commerce arrived, as it discusses undeniable issues connected to modern Witches. Any supposition or outcome furthermost welcome! Please remember, that other than the long-ago stuff is old-world widespread, the other parts of the piece are my own substance, and not consequentially bona fide top of my own tradition :)
Covens and Witches
In 1662, Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne through four distribute confessions of existence a Witch, and in the trickle, gave the word "Coven" to the world. Even with give to is no other long-ago data for this word, it has common to be one of the furthermost unrelieved facets of Witchcraft - ask individual today what Witches do, and the act in response chi about indisputably enhance the fact that they finish in groups, called "Covens".
So resolved that a appear of modern Witches do, in fact, either run, or belong to, a Coven - clear what is its set sights on in 20th (and 21st) century Western Civilization?
Why has this word of such dubious long-ago veracity survived quiet three hundred years? Is give to a place in our modern world for a convivial group which, as far as we know, occurred wholly in 17th century Scotland?
The very fact of its continuation for quiet three hundred being argues that give to is a place for such a group. In my own prosecution, I control been a member of, and run, Covens of Witches for a appear of being, and it is a convivial representative which fits very well within modern festivity.
The usage of a coven varies, but commonly has one or two leaders, and a appear of members of shifting levels of comprise. In a prudence, the modern Coven has replaced the tribal back home, and its members on a regular basis all-embracing familial roles, which are no longer sound to them in the back home in which they were untutored.
Whichever researchers control commented that assorted modern Witches come from a backgrou-nd which was disrupted; i.e., did not relinquish a unscratched back home habitation taking part in their seminal being. As I know a elder assorted Witches for whom this was not the prosecution, I cling to this is wholly a slanted aspect, and wholly for some people.
Compassion itself seems to be inoperably tribal; any bad marry among people chi commonly childish person in the production cults or sub-cultures, anywhere individuals of a like- consciousness chi marry together. They chi grow their own convivial order (commonly hierarchical), control their own bad dialect, and on a regular basis are special by their behavior and take shape.
Witches be informed together in Covens for very extensively the fantastically sorts of reasons; we are to one side from widespread festivity by honesty of our beliefs and practices. Building with others who cling to and signification evenly to ourselves gives us the rationale to share substance and skills, as well as existence help to practice our Appoint.
A modern Coven provides a family-style habitation, anywhere the "Elders" can, by honesty of their comprise, undergo sustain, support, and dash to individuals petition for to learn about Witchcraft. As with all families, Covens control very diverse and atmosphere ways of nearing this. Correctly as no two families are the fantastically, neither are any two Covens.
Whichever Covens are run by people with an academic collapsed, and as would be the prosecution in any back home, this characterizes the way in which their "children" are brought up. Far afield groups are of a mind towards a further simple manner, and the accepted traditions skip an important layer in the way in which the Coven is methodical.
Whichever entire sum the these two approaches, and the variations upon the basic themes are ceaseless.
For any "back home" to position musically, someone within the group requirement signification a part of the group, and wish to learn and wave within that group habitation. Plus a path such as Witchcraft, with its beat upon entity increase and
take forward, it is expected that intimates who may at one time control been funny within their back home group, chi advance, and wish to move on view. This is a acceptably natural trickle, and the prudent coven leaders chi send individuals people off with their love and blessing. Coarse to store them would be like aggravating to store your sons and daughters together to your apron strings forever!
In time, and in any case the fame of the word "coven", I do confide in that furthermost Witches are solitary in figure, and chi commonly waste at least amount part of their lives without existence a member of, or operational, a coven. I cling to the new adventure taking part in these periods is vital to self-development, clear as we confide in it is important to help social-awareness in children. Even now, I in addition confide in that at some fervor it is important to learn the practices of Witchcraft from out of the ordinary person; to be an beginner, if you will; because the act of departure knowledge from one presume to out of the ordinary cannot be replicated by books, communication courses, or be self-taught. This may signal an about incredible development to some people, but as all the magical traditions teach: while the pupil is athletic, the guide chi appear!
What's further, it's true!
B*B Julia
