Sunday, 30 May 2010
Beware The Formidable Foes Ahead Demon Souls Preview
Kota Tersembunyi Di Hutan Johor Misteri Melayu Berterusan
Ini telah merubah pandangan Gardner terhadap penduduk di Tanah Melayu secara peribadi dan setelah diperkenalkan oleh rakan Amerikanya kepada sebilah keris, GARDNER TELAH MERASAKAN SESUATU YANG ANEH DAN MULA MENGHIDU SATU TAMADUN PURBA YANG HILANG, SEPERTI YANG DIYAKINI OLEH PARA PENGAMAL KULTUS-KULTUS RAHSIA EROPAH. GARDNER KEMUDIANNYA MULA BERMINAT DENGAN SIHIR DAN AMALAN MISTIK ORANG-ORANG MELAYU.
Hari ini G.B Gardner lebih dikenali di Eropah sebagai 'FATHER OF WICCA' iaitu satu kultus sihir Neo-Pagan yang working-class di Barat.
Apakah yang dijumpai oleh Gardner semasa bertugas di Johor? Selain dari apa yang beliau terbitkan dalam Life history of Malayan Capacity of Utter Asiatic Taste pada tahun 1933, terdapat beberapa makalah lain yang kita tidak ketahui, menceritakan masa silam orang-orang Melayu berhubung dengan bangsa-bangsa purba yang telah pupus seperti Hittite (diyakini era Nabi Ibrahim a.s), Phoenicia (orang Kanaan) dan Mesir Purba...........
SIAPAKAH MELAYU SEBENARNYA? BANGSA MUNDUR DAN DHAIF?
SETERUSNYA........ BACA ARTIKEL MENARIK DARI MISTIS..
Gardner
GERALD BROSSEAU GARDNERJune 13, 1884 - February 12, 1964
Dramatist of Photocopy of Mysterious ("Ye Bok of Ye Art All-important"), End Magic's Aid(1949) and Witchcraft In this day and age (1954), Gerald Gardner is far careful to be the founder of modern Wicca.
Later on forward Crowley's death on December 1, 1947, Gardner purchased from him a let for an Ordo Templi Orientis encampment, which he with deficiently attempted to start. According to Idries Shah, Gardner careful Crowley whatever thing of a charletan.
The influences of Gardnerian Wicca, lesser in part from S.L Mather's The Key of Solomon the Emperor, and from theories eminent propounded by Montague Summers, can be seen in upper limit all eddy manifestations of western occult ritual magic.
Gardner is claimed by Idries Shah to lug been ready a freemason in "Sphinx Lock 113", Irish Configuration, Colombo, Ceylon. Current is no such slat. Lock No. 113 is in Killyleagh, Territory Unhappy, so Sphinx Lock No. 107, in what is now Sri Lanka, has no access of his strong views. Go in Borneo and hence in Malaya, display is in addition to no access of Gardner's living in Colombo.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Luang Phor Tim Of Wat Lahanlai
Luang Phor Tim (LP Tim) was untrained in Ban Hua Tunnttabuon, Tambon Laharn, Ampher Bannkaii, Chengwat Rayong. His name is Tim, residence name is Ngamsii and he was untrained in the appointment of the Rabbit, on 16 June BE2422.
At the age of 17, his birth sent him to Tan Phor Singh and he thought-out for one appointment. Once his studies, his birth brought him home. In BE2449, he returned to his source and was ordained as a holy woman in Wat Thatkaow on 7 June. He was ordained by Phrakru Kaow, Archan Singh and Archan Kehh and was arranged the religious name of Issaliko. Once using up a appointment in Wat Thatkaow, he went appearing in forest retreats for a rank of three lifetime and he went to Wat Narmathom in Chengwat Chonburi for two lifetime. Luang Phor Tim bookish Wijja (magics) with Archan Lod, Archan Lem and Archan Saii. Luang Phor Tim with went to study under Luang Pu Separate Thao of Wat Kongchin, whom was with his uncle. Near Luang Pu Separate Thao voted for departure, he passed away when a book of Wijja and Ar Kom in Wat Wat LahanLai for Luang Phor Tim and master Tim became the abbot of Wat LahanLai.
Luang Pu Tim was a unbending practitioner of the Dhamma. For 50 lifetime Luang Phor Tim would still enticement his suppertime at 7 am and his afternoon tea at 4 pm and he was with a lacto-vegetarian. Luang Phor Tim passes departure on 18 October BE2518 and he was in the Sangha for 72 lifetime.
At the same time as is Prai Guman?
Luang Phor Tim of Wat LahanLai used to come into being Prai Guman powder followed very ancient ways, which only a few monks had the knowledge to come into being in fact.
Kon Kulahp (the disciple of Luang Phor Tim) was instructed by Luang Phor Tim to find the quantity of a female that died trendy pregnancy and the female essential plague died on a Saturday and cremated on a Tuesday. He was facilitate told that what time such a association was placed that he essential remove parts of the child's have control over, from the unborn foetus and not position back what time the sacred corporeal had been protected. This was carried out in agreement with the requirements of Luang Phor Tim.
Khun Pean Prai Guman Pim Yai (B.E 2517) by Luang Phor Tim of Wat LahanLai
Luang Phor Tim chanted a special Katha for one week in order to turn aside the spirit departing from the Prai Guman. After washed up, Kon Kulahp was instructed to pound and chop into pieces the corporeal appearing in a fine powder, which he commenced to do, before becoming instead disturbed by sparks emanating from the explosive. He had to flame incense and ask for forgiveness before this phenomena abated.
Luang Phor Tim took the Prai Guman powder and mixed it with a back issue of other sacred powders plus, Itije powder, Patamang powder, Jindahmanee powder and 108 eccentric herbs and sedges. The result was chanted for days on end.
Stand view of Khun Paen Prai Guman Pim Yai - B.E 2517
The Pri Guman was with additional to a few other batches of amulets plus this Khun Paen, Phra Somdej, Phra Pitda and Phra Kring Chinabahnchorn. In the march of the Phra Kring amulet the corporeal was additional to the end.
The Box why Luang Phor Tim chose to use the have control over of a dead child in the reasoning was being the amulet ready by Prai Guman determination bestow pre-eminence from Member of the aristocracy Buddha and the power and protection determination come from Guman Plaai.
** The unexplained Charm to Brother Steven authorized me to post the photo of his Khun Pean Prai Guman (Pim Yai)
Credit: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
At the age of 17, his birth sent him to Tan Phor Singh and he thought-out for one appointment. Once his studies, his birth brought him home. In BE2449, he returned to his source and was ordained as a holy woman in Wat Thatkaow on 7 June. He was ordained by Phrakru Kaow, Archan Singh and Archan Kehh and was arranged the religious name of Issaliko. Once using up a appointment in Wat Thatkaow, he went appearing in forest retreats for a rank of three lifetime and he went to Wat Narmathom in Chengwat Chonburi for two lifetime. Luang Phor Tim bookish Wijja (magics) with Archan Lod, Archan Lem and Archan Saii. Luang Phor Tim with went to study under Luang Pu Separate Thao of Wat Kongchin, whom was with his uncle. Near Luang Pu Separate Thao voted for departure, he passed away when a book of Wijja and Ar Kom in Wat Wat LahanLai for Luang Phor Tim and master Tim became the abbot of Wat LahanLai.
Luang Pu Tim was a unbending practitioner of the Dhamma. For 50 lifetime Luang Phor Tim would still enticement his suppertime at 7 am and his afternoon tea at 4 pm and he was with a lacto-vegetarian. Luang Phor Tim passes departure on 18 October BE2518 and he was in the Sangha for 72 lifetime.
At the same time as is Prai Guman?
Luang Phor Tim of Wat LahanLai used to come into being Prai Guman powder followed very ancient ways, which only a few monks had the knowledge to come into being in fact.
Kon Kulahp (the disciple of Luang Phor Tim) was instructed by Luang Phor Tim to find the quantity of a female that died trendy pregnancy and the female essential plague died on a Saturday and cremated on a Tuesday. He was facilitate told that what time such a association was placed that he essential remove parts of the child's have control over, from the unborn foetus and not position back what time the sacred corporeal had been protected. This was carried out in agreement with the requirements of Luang Phor Tim.
Khun Pean Prai Guman Pim Yai (B.E 2517) by Luang Phor Tim of Wat LahanLai
Luang Phor Tim chanted a special Katha for one week in order to turn aside the spirit departing from the Prai Guman. After washed up, Kon Kulahp was instructed to pound and chop into pieces the corporeal appearing in a fine powder, which he commenced to do, before becoming instead disturbed by sparks emanating from the explosive. He had to flame incense and ask for forgiveness before this phenomena abated.
Luang Phor Tim took the Prai Guman powder and mixed it with a back issue of other sacred powders plus, Itije powder, Patamang powder, Jindahmanee powder and 108 eccentric herbs and sedges. The result was chanted for days on end.
Stand view of Khun Paen Prai Guman Pim Yai - B.E 2517
The Pri Guman was with additional to a few other batches of amulets plus this Khun Paen, Phra Somdej, Phra Pitda and Phra Kring Chinabahnchorn. In the march of the Phra Kring amulet the corporeal was additional to the end.
The Box why Luang Phor Tim chose to use the have control over of a dead child in the reasoning was being the amulet ready by Prai Guman determination bestow pre-eminence from Member of the aristocracy Buddha and the power and protection determination come from Guman Plaai.
** The unexplained Charm to Brother Steven authorized me to post the photo of his Khun Pean Prai Guman (Pim Yai)
Credit: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
Labels:
chakri dynasty,
magick,
thailand
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Huge Round Topped Wood Witches Chest With Handle 55 00
Origin: just-wicca.blogspot.com
Labels:
luggage,
magick,
witchcraft
Monday, 24 May 2010
The Power Of Purpose And Limiting Beliefs
Because my birthday is in one week, I have found myself on the dark side. And when I am in this funky space, I tend towards limiting beliefs and negative self talk. You know the kind: "I should be doing this"," or "Why aren't I doing that?" Yes, those gremlins. And yes, I have them too; which is why I can speak about them as an expert. Well, every year, like clockwork, the gremlins visit me for a private birthday celebration. Nasty like demons!
So, I thought I'd write about them -- for a few reasons. To share with you, to get out of my own head, and to journey together to rid ourselves of them. Just in case you are having a private party yourself.
What are beliefs? Beliefs are a set of generalizations we make about others, about the world around us, and about ourselves. They are NOT facts, though we may act as if they were. This is an important point: in the middle of the word 'belief' is the word 'lie.' But because beliefs form our reality, we see them as truth.
So, how do we rid ourselves of those pesky little gremlins called limiting beliefs? The only way to break through limiting beliefs is to "CHOOSE" to do so. Yeah, I know what you're thinking? Is that it? Well, yes. Choice is our most powerful weapon in the universe. And unfortunately, we, especially we women, don't exercise that power very often. That muscle has become atrophied. Time to exercise, ladies!
Once we make the conscious choice to break through the limiting beliefs and the negative self talk, then we need to live in that intention. One effective method for me: I take myself on an "artist date". Yes, I am a devout student of the ARTIST'S WAY. Going on artist dates not only stirs and sparks creativity, but it gets you out of your head, which is where those gremlins take up residency. Rent in New York City; and they get to live for free!
On my artist date, I love long bus rides. They are tremendously freeing. I just sit back and meditate. I go through my gratitudes and blessings, which are many. I create new ways to empower women, including myself. I journal. My "morning pages" know all hours of the day. And being on the bus allows me to experience sorrow, joy, and gratitude -- all while being driven to some fabulous and perhaps unknown destination. What I am saying is I can just "be". This is my choice, to be and be free!
Until next time, live passionately on purpose!
Coach Carolyn
Source: mysteryvoodoo.blogspot.com
Musings Regarding Auguries In Verse
sobroquet. May 19 phenomenal you Jupiter and the moon take most blows for us a very nice arrangement for blithering bags of pus intelligent design or some grand coincidence the phenomena that is life is no mere incident 64 hexagrams comprise the I Ching 64 nucleotides in a DNA string anthropic anthropomorphic antagonists dripping and drooling with dread that (what if) God caused the thoughts in our heads the phenomena that is life is beyond our stead Big bang hot thing can't explain why the rain brings gain to the blamed and the sane God isn't real, that's their deal religion's exist because you feel pithy platforms of persistent intrusions pulpits of platitudes feeding delusions the phenomena that is life is no mere illusion Church day, fey day leave your questions at the door harken hear the story of God in all its glory the grand and the gory the mysterious phenomena that is life Genetic Code http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Codons.html I Ching http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I Ching According to physics, space inside our universe is multidimensional. There are 64 main dimensions and each dimension is further divided into many sub-dimensions. Since the inhabitants of earth can perceive three dimensions, their senses have no access to many other realms of universal reality. It is said that through the ancient process of yoga (specifically kriya yoga) one can obtain access to many other dimensions. When a yogi obtains access to other dimensions, he can perform unusual activities. A yogi can achieve 8 (eight) mystical perfections. Each perfection gives him access to 8 (eight) additional dimensions. Thus by achieving all eight perfections, a yogi obtains access to all the 64 (8x8) dimensions making his body unaffected by space time bound physical laws. (theoretically of course) Comparative Cosmology, Akif Manaf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit computing
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cybil,
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Encounters
MY FAERIE SPIRIT GUIDE
DEC 15, 08
I woke up early this morning, about a half an hour before the alarm would go off to tell me it was time to get ready for work. I could not get back to sleep so I decided to meditate. As I was meditating, this vision came to me.
I was standing in a forest in front of a mound. Somehow I knew it was a faerie mound, so I walked around it seven times deisel. On the seventh time, a door appeared in the side of the mound. I knocked on it three times and the door vanished to reveal a stairway leading down into the mound.
The details become hazy at this point. I recall meeting someone who called himself Aceros. I dont know if he said or if I just somehow sensed it, but I think he was the king of faerie.
Anyway, he revealed to me a black velvet cloth, black as night. On the cloth were three runes or symbols in silver. No matter how hard I tried, I could not make those symbols stick in my memory so that I could reproduce them when I woke up. The letters or symbols seemed to crawl like ants around the cloth, dispersing the symbol everytime I tried to focus on them. Then I woke up.
If any words were spoken in the vision/dream, I don't remember them.
Anyway, that's all I remember. Thoughts? Opinions?
DEC 22, 2007
Have you actually encountered the Horned Lord on some level? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Personally, I've had 2 encounters. Here are descriptions of them:
IN THE COPSE:
I live in a small town in southwestern Virigina. I recently moved into a new house, but I used to live in an apartment building. Behind the apartment building is a small copse of trees. There is a house on the other side of it, and I believe the woman who lives there owns it, because I often saw her mowing paths through the undergrowth.
Well, ever since moving into that apartment, I had felt drawn to that little grove. One night, at dusk, I convinced my partner to go with me for a short exploratory walk. It felt so good and right to be there. I felt at peace. I placed my hands on several trees and it felt good.
My partner decided to go back to the apartment, but I asked if he would mind if I stayed and meditated for a few minutes. He didn't mind and went back to the apartment. I felt a strong presence in that copse, so I did a short spontaeous ritual. I raised my hands to the sky and said, "In this season between seasons, in this time between times, in this place between places, I call and summon thee, Lord Cernunnos, Herne, Hu Gadarn, Pan, Sylvanus, Pashupati, Green Man, Horned Lord, Great Stag o' the Wood. Reveal your face to me."
I stood silent like that for a moment, and then I heard it. I heard 5 distinct footsteps in the leaves. It did not sound like wind or an animal or anything like that. It sounded like a person walking through the leaves. I looked around but never caught sight of the sounds' source
A VISION (CAUTION... CONTAINS SOME SEXUAL REFERENCES... I HOPE IT OKAY TO POST THIS.... IF NOT PLEASE DELETE IT....)
It is raining outside. My lover and I are in bed making love. I close my eyes and do a hit of poppers. When I open my eyes, to my utter amazement, my lover has antlers! The rain becomes a thunderstorm. All the while, this vision persists. I cannot take my eyes off his antlers. When he climaxes, I close my eyes. He rests his head on my chest to catch his breath. When I open my eyes again, the antlers are gone.
It was one of the most intense and passionate love-making sessions that I have ever had. I felt no fear throughout, only a sense of awe. It seemed perfectly natural for him to have antlers!
Well.... your thoughts? Opinions?
CROWS MAR 10, 09
Today my partner had to do some work on a house about 45 miles from where we live. We took Insterstate 81. On the way back home, I happened to look at the median, where i saw a single tree. Around the tree in a perfect diamond shape were 4 crows, one in each of the 4 cardinal directions. As I looked, the crow in the eastern postion began to walk away from the others in an eastern direction. 10 miles down the road, I looked at the southern sky, and once again to my surprise I saw 4 crows flying in a perfect diamond pattern. And once again as I watched, the eastern crow left the others and flew off toward the east.
Curious, no? My inner voice screamed at me that this means something. Any ideas?
Oh, forgot to mention that crow is one of my totems.
How I Found My Totems
Nov 2007
Here is how I found my totem animals. This happened in November 2007.
TOTEM DREAM
I am in bed. Having centered and grounded, I am preparing to go to sleep. As I begin to drift off, I find my thoughts turning toward totem animals, a topic I had been reading about earlier. I decide that at some point in the future I want to try to call my totem. That is when it begins.
I am in the heart of a forest. I am sitting naked, legs crossed, at the base of a huge tree. (I'm not sure what kind of tree it was, but I think it was an oak.) I am preparing to send out a call for my totem animal, to have it reveal itself to me. Before I can speak the words, a HUGE crow swoops in and lands just a few yards away. It stares at me intently from bright amber eyes. Moments later a beautiful gray wolf steps out of the trees and sits beside the crow, looking at me with bright blue eyes. The two are equal in size. Then I awaken.
I am not sure if what I saw was a vision or a dream, and I'm not realy sure that it matters. All I know is that it felt incredibly real, despite the fact that it was completely silent. Neither animal made a sound. I felt no fear in their presence, nor did I feel threatened by them in any way. In fact, I was awed and humbled.
Thoughts? Opinions?
CROWS DEC 29 2007
Stange things have been going on here.... Anyone know anything about omens and portents in the natural world? Here's what I've seen...
The other night as I was going to bed - around 2:00 am - I heard a crow cawing outside my bedroom window. My bedroom is on the second floor of my apartment and there is a tree right outside my window. I thought that strange, but went on to bed. When I woke up the next morning and was making up my bed, I heard it again. I opened up the curtains and found 7 of them in the tree - all looking directly at me! As I watched (amazed I might add), 3 flew off together and landed in a tree across the road. A few moments later one flew off by itself and landed in road and began eating something there. Finally the other 3 flew off together and landed in another tree. Strange, no?
Then a day or two later, I was riding down the road with my partner. In a small grove off to my right, I saw 5 crows in a tree. As soon as we came eve with the tree they were in, all 5 flew off in different directions.
I might add that I recently discovered that Crow might be one of my totem animals
EYE VISION DEC 19, 07
I just got out of the hospital today. Went in Sunday night because an ingrown hair on my neck got infected, then got a staph infection in it. It swelled up very badly and the doctor was afraid the infection might get into my glands. I'm feeling better now, but something strange happened while I was in the hospital.
At bedtime, I was lying in bed trying to get centered and grounded before going to sleep. I closed my eyes and started looking for my center. (The first time I ever actually saw my center was amazing. I had just got started on the path. On my very first attempt I saw it. It was right behind my eyes. It looks like blue green shimmering water, like when someone underwater opens their eyes and looks up at the sun.) I seemed to be having a really difficult time finding it. Don't know if it was the pain medication, the stress of being in the hospital or what, but I just could not seem to visualize it.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an eye opened and was staring back at me! It startled me so badly that I was unable to relax enough to try again.
Any idea what this was? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
On a side note, I got several thoughts on this vision. Some suggested that it was the eye of Horus, but since I have never had any interest in the Egyptian pantheon, I discounted that one. On the other hand, someone suggested that I had seen the opening of my 3rd eye. Sounds good to me!
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altar,
breusch-pagan-godfrey,
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Sunday, 23 May 2010
On The Library Table The Divine Circle Of Ladies Tipping The Scales
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Magic In Harry Potter New Years Chant
For this I hem in recycled a chant I found in my spell a day book by llewellyn in 2003 on paper by Abby Willowroot. I've found it to help me walk and fix your eyes on intruding to with open arms and core to the New Year.
This is a spell for charge go of pertinent which supply you back as we move during the new go out with. You can use white candles to symbolise this passing:
Holy go out with off the cuff
not in,
May your joys with me
gap.
Significant me lucky, make me
wise.
Numinous blessings through
these eyes.
Exquisite time involving
old and new,
Yesterday and tomorrow.
Pattern learned attitude be
due.
Out of use not in bewail and
sting.
Numinous off the cuff gap with
me,
And I attitude supply you pet.
New Year's Eve and
New Year's Day,
Let the spirits of
attempt toy.
Dedication that open doors
to secrets old and new
pet.
What I gather return to
me.
Tomorrow begins
contemporary go out with.
Skills I hem in to take off
and blossom.
Talents I lack attitude come
to me.
May lessons learned gap
now with me,
In the same way as open eyes I am
free.
Increase powers in me and
concept true,
to apparent the beyond and
take off over.
None og the beyond attitude
latch to me,
I am sharp-witted.
So mote it be.
-*-
I like this helps you as distant as it does for me and may you all hem in a splendid New Year's Eve and Day. Positive wishes may they stay!
Holy Be.
Spring
Posted in chant
Labels:
magic,
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thelemical
My Hellenistic Lughnasad
As I go about my piece area of interest this week, I sense a swath of dim-wittedness to the gods that sharpens my point of view of them and makes it "so" extreme easier to be shrewd of their training. It's an effect that I help old hat each year from Laurelin's Lughnasad celebration, and that hasn't changed past I started walking the path of Hellenismos two time ago. In fact, it's completed it all the high-class moving for me.
This may sense counterintuitive, given that Pagan festivals can be severe for non-Wiccans. Casting a circle is about as entire to our numerous community as the "non-secular" prayers I recited on Boy Survey camping trips as a kid -- you know, the ones that invariably invoked Jesus, extreme to the loss of face of my Jewish friends. Workshops and rituals limit to slow the attendees' interests, and greatest extent rowdy members of the Pagan community hold on, at the very least possible, been influenced by Wiccan tradition.
But Laurelin is well-defined. I've danced to raise energy according to Kemetic tradition on that land, I've hard at it classes on Houdou practices, and this was the introductory place I rewarding wholesomeness to the ancient Greek gods.
That remembrance was in the form of a attach to the shrines of Hestia, Hermes, Pan, the nymphs, and Aphrodite. Participants washed their hands in khernips, purified water, former casting barley at each shrine and onerous libations of watered wine as the priestess led chants and prayers in ancient Greek. However it was terrifying to me at introductory, it was my cavity to the religion of some of my pedigree.
To be fair, there was no failure of cast circles and directional invocations at this celebration. The annual report games, aimed in wholesomeness of Lugh, took on a distantly Biblical sense for this end-of-the-world-themed put under somebody's nose, with the teams beast named for the Four Horsemen. And citizens shrines were, and carry on to be, used in ways that my Greek ancestors probably wouldn't obey as their religion. But I felt set in by citizens standing stones, by my piece processions to citizens shrines, and by the ad-hoc shrine to Poseidon that I erected for the time I was there.
Such was the plead of the gods upon me that I was inevitable to miss a workshop my introductory morning; I was instructed to go forth and conscription hymns to a variety of gods. I wrote in English, given that it is the address of my psyche. Nearby are cliquey reasons for speaking to the gods in the address they introductory heard from man, and I hold as extreme ancient Greek as I am polite, but the muses hold on completed me a master of but one dialect, and that is the one which expresses my love and belief best.
I true understand how practitioners of Hellenismos, or any other religion which has been reconstructed from ancient days, can sense be in love with they are on the sidelines of the broader Pagan community. I do not. It is my very good venture that my follower Pagan celebration line me in my belief, and allows me to take part in in the practices of others. I wouldn't hold on found my gods before.
Credit: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com
This may sense counterintuitive, given that Pagan festivals can be severe for non-Wiccans. Casting a circle is about as entire to our numerous community as the "non-secular" prayers I recited on Boy Survey camping trips as a kid -- you know, the ones that invariably invoked Jesus, extreme to the loss of face of my Jewish friends. Workshops and rituals limit to slow the attendees' interests, and greatest extent rowdy members of the Pagan community hold on, at the very least possible, been influenced by Wiccan tradition.
Laurelin's Hestia shrine
But Laurelin is well-defined. I've danced to raise energy according to Kemetic tradition on that land, I've hard at it classes on Houdou practices, and this was the introductory place I rewarding wholesomeness to the ancient Greek gods.
That remembrance was in the form of a attach to the shrines of Hestia, Hermes, Pan, the nymphs, and Aphrodite. Participants washed their hands in khernips, purified water, former casting barley at each shrine and onerous libations of watered wine as the priestess led chants and prayers in ancient Greek. However it was terrifying to me at introductory, it was my cavity to the religion of some of my pedigree.
To be fair, there was no failure of cast circles and directional invocations at this celebration. The annual report games, aimed in wholesomeness of Lugh, took on a distantly Biblical sense for this end-of-the-world-themed put under somebody's nose, with the teams beast named for the Four Horsemen. And citizens shrines were, and carry on to be, used in ways that my Greek ancestors probably wouldn't obey as their religion. But I felt set in by citizens standing stones, by my piece processions to citizens shrines, and by the ad-hoc shrine to Poseidon that I erected for the time I was there.
Such was the plead of the gods upon me that I was inevitable to miss a workshop my introductory morning; I was instructed to go forth and conscription hymns to a variety of gods. I wrote in English, given that it is the address of my psyche. Nearby are cliquey reasons for speaking to the gods in the address they introductory heard from man, and I hold as extreme ancient Greek as I am polite, but the muses hold on completed me a master of but one dialect, and that is the one which expresses my love and belief best.
I true understand how practitioners of Hellenismos, or any other religion which has been reconstructed from ancient days, can sense be in love with they are on the sidelines of the broader Pagan community. I do not. It is my very good venture that my follower Pagan celebration line me in my belief, and allows me to take part in in the practices of others. I wouldn't hold on found my gods before.
Credit: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com
Labels:
magick,
religion belief,
spell
Three Rules Of Self Improvement In Magic
Over here, Robert wrote a bit about issues that he has been Struggling with relating to different facets of his personality. In his post he mentions some advice that I gave him regarding not wasting all ones efforts on improving the outer personality. I thought I might take the opportunity to talk a little bit about that here.There are really three things that people try to do with magic:1. Change outer circumstance2. Make self improvements3. Attain Enlightenment, Gnosis, Union with the Divine or whatever you want to call moving towards ultimate truth.All of these can be perused at the exclusion of all else, but in a well rounded Sorcerer all three are seen as interdependent. A lot of magicians and spiritual people do not see the difference between number two and number three. It is this connection that I want to speak about in this post.There are some spiritual paths that rely upon self improvement as the primary means of spiritual development. You route out your flaws, you cultivate your virtues, and eventually you move further and further towards the sublime. This is a valid path. It is a very safe path. It is not a very straight path and also takes a long long time. You can spend lifetimes tweaking the personality and becoming "pure".The ultimate truth does not require this. You are in fact not very far from it right now, no matter what state of mind or stage of development you are in. This is the operative concept behind Tantra - that you can through skillful transmutation of energies and manipulation of primordial experiences propel yourself into the experience. This is also one of the mysteries in Christianity, that you do not need to fulfill all the laws of Leviticus, you simply need to open up to the experience of Gods Love. This is why Aliester Crowley wrote that anyone at any grade could cross the abyss and become 8=3. This is why most people who get a taste of the high spiritual states, and even manage to establish themselves in the high spiritual stages, say that the great secret is that "you are already there".We all have things that we are good at and things that we are bad at. We all have hang-ups and things that we struggle with. Realization of higher states does put this in a different perspective, but it does not eliminate flaws automatically nor does it create virtues.You may look upon the face of god. You may experience union with the cosmos. You may experience the symbol-less Gnosis. You may experience the non-dual state. You may do all this and still get angry at your spouse over stupid crap, be selfish and uncharitable, be bad with money, and still not be able to stop smoking.So how much should I worry about Self Improvement? Here are three rules that I use as guidelines:RULE 1: is to let go of the idea of being a fully actualized perfected persona. Unless you solve the problem of physical immortality, you will NOT perfect your egoistic personality. You cannot be all Myers Briggs personality types rolled into one. There will always be things that you are better at than others and there will always be things that you are just not good with at all. Get over it.RULE 2: is to figure out which weaknesses are simply things you are bad with and which weaknesses are actually causing you problems. For instance, I can anger pretty quickly. If I angered to the point where I became abusive to people or found myself having violent episodes this would be something that I need to work on. As it is, I can control my anger pretty well and transform its energy constructively so it is not a priority to work on. I am also a fast food addict. This was in fact causing me physical harm as well as hampering certain dimensions of spiritual growth, so this was an area of self improvement that was vital to work on.RULE 3: is to work more on enhancing your strengths than fixing all your weaknesses. If you run a business and you are great at the marketing end of things, but not so good with the accounting end of things your time will be much better spent focusing on marketing than accounting. Focusing on accounting may appeal to the part of you that wants to be all things to all people, but you need to remember Rule 1: you can't. Go hire an accountant. Now, if you are so terrible at accounting that as the owner you cannot understand what your accountant tells you, or even have a clue as to whether your costs are more than your income, this brings in Rule 2 - you need to work on your accounting skills. Only just enough to be competent though. You are not looking to master accounting, just the 20% or so that will get you able to communicate with the experts.Using the example of someone looking for a lover I use these three when advising people. Some guys get so into the self-improvement that they never move on to actually asking women out on a date. If you remember rule 1, you will know that while our features make us attractive, our flaws actually make us lovable. Being too perfect is not attractive. If however you are so bad in certain areas that it makes you repugnant to the opposite sex (hint: "I want to cum on your tits" is not a phrase to utter within an hour of meeting someone) than you need to remember rule 2 and go ahead and work on that. If however you are an insightful person, you can use Rule 3 and offer a quick tarot reading or even a cold reading (all is fair in flirting) to build some value for yourself.Now lets turn our attention back to ultimate truth. It is true that you can access the enlightened or gnostic state no matter what personality issues you have. These states, being by nature transpersonal, are not blocked by our petty issues. To take that temporary spiritual state and integrate that awareness into your living levels of consciousness and action however is a whole other story. To take the "STATE" and make it your next "STAGE, USUALLY TAKE A BIT OF WORK ON THE PERSONALITY. YOU STILL DO NOT HAVE TO BECOME PERFECT (RULE 1). YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK ON THOSE ISSUES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES AS OBSTACLES TO ACHIEVING THAT STATE (RULE 2). YOU WILL THEN REFLECT THAT STATE OUTWARDLY THROUGH YOUR STRENGTHS (RULE 3) WHICH IS WHY DIFFERENT ENLIGHTENED BEINGS MANIFEST IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS. ""THUS ENDETH THE LESSON."
Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com
Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com
Question Of The Day Property Magic
"Dear Ethony, "
"
We are planning to buy an apartment but somehow I can't get a good deal.
I want to cast a spell to acquire a good lively Apartment. Can you please suggest good days and planetary hours to cast a spell for property?
"
"Thanking you "
Warm Regards, Som
Hi Som,
There are some great resources in relation to astrological timing for spell work. You can have a look at real time correspondences on moon almanacs so you can plan your rite.
http://www.almanac.com/astronomy/moon/index.php
Moon signs for successes and especially property are Taurus and Capricorn and the moon phase that will be most helpful is the New Moon to Full Moon.
Other things that can assist you with your spell are green candles, gold candles, a list of what you want in an apartment, the herbs: basil, lavender and cinquefoil.
The key ingredient to any successful spell is focus and will, if you can visualise yourself in your dream apartment and know that this is what you deserve and will get then you are going to be more successful with your spell.
Best of luck
"
We are planning to buy an apartment but somehow I can't get a good deal.
I want to cast a spell to acquire a good lively Apartment. Can you please suggest good days and planetary hours to cast a spell for property?
"
"Thanking you "
Warm Regards, Som
Hi Som,
There are some great resources in relation to astrological timing for spell work. You can have a look at real time correspondences on moon almanacs so you can plan your rite.
http://www.almanac.com/astronomy/moon/index.php
Moon signs for successes and especially property are Taurus and Capricorn and the moon phase that will be most helpful is the New Moon to Full Moon.
Other things that can assist you with your spell are green candles, gold candles, a list of what you want in an apartment, the herbs: basil, lavender and cinquefoil.
The key ingredient to any successful spell is focus and will, if you can visualise yourself in your dream apartment and know that this is what you deserve and will get then you are going to be more successful with your spell.
Best of luck
Ethony
Labels:
freelovespells,
magick,
taoism
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Friday Feature Canada A Mission Field
Paper chain of Canadian Provinces Waving on Enfeeble Poles next to a Subtle Sky
A duo of weeks ago, Deborah posted about this in her entrance Friday Features: Orders Part - Canada. Her post reminded me of our incident at time as we were raising our have to come round to start a church. One American pastors would not even experience biased a advocate to Canada like, in their words, Canada is not a inform specialism. It's an manufacturing, stuffed nation, a leader in the world. Several uncertain that Canada has the precise ceremonial heritage that the US has; in consequence its ancestors have the Gospel already.
Manifestly, not all pastors eat this way, like we are round, and heap other advocate families are in this citizens. We know of at lowest amount two new egalitarian extreme Baptist churches starting this month, one in Ontario and one round in BC. Our large son is direction to come back to Canada to start a church one time college; the metropolitan he feels called to is one that has no Gospel-preaching church in it.
People at the Halt Farmhouse in Vancouver Sun Run, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
In the Finer Vancouver administrative area, current are in 2.5 million ancestors from all in the world who experience Jesus accurately sundry far-seeing or ceremonial give a figure of, the founder of one of the world's noble religions - that is, if they've even heard the name of Jesus. And subsequently current are fill with who have no religion or a mock religion. To my knowledge, current are less than ten extreme Baptist churches in this administrative area. That's one church for every 200,000 ancestors. We're not rather custom that yet, and neither are any of the other churches. There's smoldering the plead for high-class stick. And that's accurately Vancouver.
Canada not a inform field? I disagree!
As a result said he unto them, The prize validly is compelling, but the labourers are few: pray ye in consequence the Noble of the prize, that he would send forth labourers taking part in his prize. Luke 10:2
Origin: witchnest.blogspot.com
Labels:
handfasting,
magick,
religion belief
Knots
THE KNOTS OF DEATH
by Alby Stone
A number of Viking monuments feature a curious design known as the valknut, the "knot of the slain" or, more loosely, "the knot of death". On an 8th century CE picture stone from Hammers in Larbro, Gotland, it consists of three interlocking triangles. This stone, now in Stockholm's National Historical Museum, is divided into several panels; one of the central panels, in which the valknut occurs, depicts several motifs that suggest some sort of connection with the cult of Odin - an eagle, a flying figure - possibly a valkyrie - holding a ring, a man being hanged from a tree and a group of three warriors - with shields and upraised swords - led by a fourth man who seems to be holding a large bird of some kind. The valknut is adjacent to the eagle and below it are two men, one with a spear, who appear to be engaged in placing a corpse inside what looks like a burial mound.
Between them and the hanged man is what appears to be another, smaller, valknut of the same design. This type can also be seen on a rather splendid golden ring discovered near Peterborough, Cambs, and currently on display at the British Museum in a cabinet labelled as containing Anglo-Saxon "secular"
metalwork.
Another picture stone from Gotland (Tangelgarda also in Larbro) has a panel showing a rider being welcomed by a woman holding a drinking horn with four men who are holding rings. The woman may be a valkyrie, a "chooser of the slain", one of whose functions was to serve ale to the Warriors in Valhalla, another pointer to the cult of Odin. The rider has a valknut behind his head and there are two more among his horse's legs. On this stone, which can also be seen at the Swedish Museum, the valknut is made up of a single line, interlaced to make three triangles.
Similar to the Tangelgarda design, but slightly more rounded, is that carved onto one of several "hogback" monuments at Brompton, Yorkshire, and probably dating from the 10th century CE. The end-beasts of this particular hogback - these monuments are based on Viking Age houses (although to this eye they have more than a passing resemblance to long barrows) and the end-beasts are situated at what would be the gable ends - are easily identifiable as bears, again suggesting the cult of Odin, who was patron of the Warriors known as berserkr or
"bear-shirts". The purpose of the hogbacks is uncertain; no graves have been found with them so they were certainly not tombston-es. Hogbacks with undecorated ends at Lythe in Yorkshire exactly match the shafts of crosses found at the same site, indicating that the hogback formed a composite monu- ment with a cross at each end. In this case the hogback is certainly a religious monu-ment and it seems fair to suppose that the Brompton hogback and its fellows, and similarly ended hogbacks elsewhere, are also religious structures, albeit of a different faith.
The Brompton hogback has five valknuts in a row. The Brompton style valknut also occurs on each of the four arms of the Gosworth Cross (Cumbria), on both faces. The shaft of the cross strangely enough has scenes from heathen myth, and the only remotely Christian looking scene, which has been rather desperately identified as the Crucifixion, seems to owe more to the rune-winning ordeal of Odin described in the heathen poem "Havamal" than it does to the New Testament. The same type of valknut appears on the shafts of crosses at Sockburn (Co Durham), Lastingham, Hawsker and Brompton (all North Yorks).
On the last, three of these valknuts are arranged in a triangular pattern.
A fourth type of valknut, rather different from those described so far, occurs on a stone cross from Andreas on the Isle of Man and is now in the Manx Museum, Douglas. This version is basically a simple knot "tied" in such a way as to retain the basic tripartite structure of the versions mentioned above. Unlike the others it is not a closed structure but its identity as a valknut, while mildly contentious, is not really in doubt. The scene in which it appears shows a man, evidently Odin, holding a spear pointing downward as he is devoured by a great wolf. An eagle perches on the man's shoulder and the valknut is at his side. The same design appears elsewhere, on a stone discovered in 1822 at Gosforth and now incorporated into the structure of the local church. It is between the back legs of a horse. On a picture stone from Alskog, in Gotland, it occurs twice among the eight legs of Odin's horse, Sleipnir. Despite this seeming wealth of examples and the diversity of styles the valknut itself has remained enigmatic. It seems to be associat-ed with horses, particularly with the steed of Odin, and the cult of Odin in general. Motifs associated with the symbol include the hanged man, valkyries, bears, and the scene from Ragnarok on the Manx Cross, all indicating some connection with Odin. According to HR Ellis Davidson, the valknut also appears on the funeral ship excavated at Oseberg, Norway in 1904, and on the tapestry found in that vessel, indicating some sort of funerary association.
The origin and meaning of the symbol are extremely difficult to discern, as is its associa-tion with Odin. Obviously it has a decorative value as distinct from its symbolic meaning. The valknut has been used as a motif by Scandinavian weavers since the Viking Age. Indeed, it is recognized as a traditional design in that part of the world quite apart from its alleged occurrence on the Oseberg tapestry. Davidson opines that it is related to the Celtic triskele, the three-legged symbol most familiar as the emblem of the Isle of Man and linked with the Irish God of the sea, Manannan. The triskele is essentially a variety of the swastika, a common enough cosmological symbol, but neither can be said to possess the characteristic interweaving of the valknut. While it may be unwise to dismiss a possible relationship between triskele and valknut, it must be said that any resemblance is purely superficial, lying solely in their tripartite structures.
Structurally the valknut has more in common with the Celtic triple spiral motif which is also found on Old English and Pictish artifacts and much older objects.
Unfortunately there is a dearth of hard evidence for the mythological or religious significance of the triple spiral, which tends to occur within wholly abstract or symbolic designs, but it occurs within funerary contexts and has been linked with the female principle by various scholars. The various types of valknut, their contexts aside, share two important characteristics: they are tripartite and they are constructed by interweaving or interlinking.
Davidson also postulates a link with the bindings that occur in Norse tradition.
The best known examples of this are probably the binding of Loki following his betrayal of Baldr; the binding of Baldr himself, a theme that found itself into Scandinavian and Old English interpretations of the Crucifixion; the binding of the wolf Fenrir; the ritual binding of sacrificial victims, as partly confirmed by the discovery of bound corpses in the peat bogs of northern Europe; and the Herjoturr or "war fetter", a kind of paralysis that Odin and the valkyries were said to be able to inflict upon unfavoured warriors in the heat of battle. To these we might add the hangman's noose characteristic of the double sacri-fice - simultaneous hanging and stabbing - known to have been used in the cult of Odin and a method of ritual killing that accords with the condition of a number of bog corpses. One bog discovery, the severed head of a man discovered at Osterby in Denmark, is very interesting; the hair on the right side of the head is gathered into an elaborate knot that looks very much like a valknut.
Tacitus, writing at about the time the Osterby man is believed to have met his end, about the 1st century CE, tells us that the warriors of the Suebi (a generic name for the Germanic tribes inhabiting the region now occupied roughly by north western Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands) tied their hair in such a knot, and a number of Roman monuments depict Germanic warriors with the same hairstyle. It would be reasonable to suppose that this hair-knot marked a warrior as a follower of an early form of Odin in his role of war god. (See the author's article on "Heretical Hairdos" in Talking Stick magazine Spring 1992 for a further discussion of pagan hairstyles and the symbolic significance.)
The noose found around the neck of the Lindow Man unearthed from a peat bog in Cheshire a few years ago consists of a sliding knot in a cord knotted at each end, making a triple knot. A similar noose was found on a body in a peat bog at Borremose, Denmark but the noose found on another Danish corpse, from Tollund, is much simpler. Dr Anne Ross and Dr Don Robins, along with the Danish archaeologist Professor P V Glob, believe that these nooses are related to the Celtic torc, and note that a number of torcs seem to be designed to look like garrottes. They suggest that the corpses from Tollund and Borremose were sacrifices to Nerthus, a goddess mentioned by Tacitus, and that the torc was an attribute of that goddess. Tacitus also tells us that certain warriors of the Chatti wore iron collars that would not be removed until they had killed their first enemy, although many chose to wear them until they died. In their case the collar probably indicated they were dedicated to a god of war as opposed to a goddess of peace and plenty like Nerthus. It would be rash to state unequivocally that the collar and torc represent stylised versions of the noose or garrotte - but it is an attractive proposition. However, torcs and collars are not valknuts, and only the nooses found on Lindow Man and his Danish counterpart can possibly be construed as being such.
It seems fairly certain that the valknut has a cultic or religious significance and a particu-lar association with death, as it name alone indicates. The Andreas Cross shows the death of Odin, himself the Lord of the Dead Warriors of Valhalla, and on the Alskog stone the valknut appears by the feet of Sleipnir, the steed on which Odin, and also Heimdall, rode to the land of Hel. It is seen by the hanged man and in the funerary scene on the stone from Hammars and on the
Tangalgarda stone the rider seems to be receiving a welcome to the realm of the dead. The scenes often include female figures who appear to be valkyries or maybe even the death goddess Hel herself. The presen-ce of the valknut on Viking Age crosses in England and on the Brompton hogback hints at a retention of this element of heathen iconography among the adherents of the new cult.
The valknut is certainly part of the iconography associated with Odin but that fact alone brings us no nearer to its meaning. Representations of Odin and scenes from myths pertaining to him are common enough and their components are usually readily identifiable. If the valknut does stem from the cult or mythology of Odin, then it must represent something that cannot be given a pictorial rendering, either because of a taboo or simply because it just cannot be pictured in anything but an abstract form.
The form is tripartite and interwoven; the context is mortuary, Odinic and Otherworldly and it has both equine and feminine associations. This set of conditions is peculiar to the mythology of the World Tree and can be related to certain beings associated with it. The World Tree is Yggdrasill or "The Steed of the Fearful One", which makes it a doublet of Sleipnir. It has three roots which link the worlds together. According to Snorri Sturlson, each root leads to a well or spring; Hvergemir in Niflheim; Mimisbrunnr "in the direction of the frost ogres",
and Urdabrunnr "in the sky", the Well at which the three Nornir gather to decide the fates of humans and gods alike.
Now it is clear from a number of references that these three wells are in fact only one under three different names. A consideration of their locations clinches the argument. Hvergelmir is the primordial well, situated in the north, according to Snorri's account of the creation of the cosmos. The nature of the "frost ogres"
means that they can also be located in the cold north, and the central point of the revolving sky is also in the north, at the Pole Star. The Nornir derive their collective name from an archaic word meaning "north" which also denotes "that which is below" (compare English nether, beneath). The name of the goddess Nerthus (a goddess of the earth) reported by Tacitus may also be so derived.
While the Nornir each have individual names in England, they go by the name allocated to the eldest in Norse Tradition. The elder of the three is called Urdr by the Norse, which is cognate with the Old English "wyrd", hence the three "weird sisters" of Shakespeare. Thus they are a three-in-one being in the same way as the Irish war goddesses known as the Morrigna. Like the other, inevitably triadic, Indo European fates, the Nornir spin and weave destinies. One of them is also named as a valkyrie.
This brings us back to Odin, himself a shaper of destinies. In the "Gylfaginnning"
section of Snorri's "Edda" he appears in a triadic guise and is credited with having taken a drink from the well at the centre of the world, one source of his wisdom. Odin acquired the wisdom of the runes while hanging on the World Tree and could obtain information from the dead. The latter - apart from those worthy fighters chosen to carouse in Valhalla until Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods)
and those who ended up in the paradisal Odainsakr, or abode of the righteous dead, the hall Gimle - resided with the dread goddess Hel in the underground realm variously known as Niflhel, Niflheim or simply as Hel located in the far north. This goddess of the dead was said to be Loki's offspring, conceived and born while he was in the form of a mare following a dangerously mischievous escapade.
Actually she can be traced back to proto-Indo-European times and her original name has been reconstructed as Kolyo, "the coverer". As Bruce Lincoln puts it in his book, "Death, War and Sacrifice" (1991), "Her domain is underground and she physically conveys her victims thence by fixing a snare or noose on their bodies and dragging them down. Her bonds regularly fall upon the foot or neck of the victim, the same places where domestic animals are fettered. The deceased are thus led away like animals by Death, in whose bonds they may struggle, but which they cannot escape, caught in her snares and dragged under."
Lincoln presents an impressive body of evidence to support this summary, from Ancient Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, India and Iran. The theme has altered from place to place and from one age to another but the essence has remained. He also notes that the Middle High German term for a noose was "helsing", which he translates as "Hel's Sling". He argues that German sacrifice by hanging, generally related to Odin or Woden, was actually a ritual enactment of the seizing of the victim by the goddess of death. Given the mutual concerns of Odin, Hel and the Nornir, it seems to make little difference either way.
In Old English texts the term "wyrd" is, despite its other connotations, frequently used to denote death rather than a structured and unfolding future that is suggested by the functions of the Nornir and their Greek and Roman
counterparts. There is of course an intimate relationship between the two concepts and death is after all the fate of every being. Scandinavian myth makes it clear that there are only two things which the gods cannot avert; fate and death. In Norse myth the name of the senior Norn is Urdr, a word in Old Icelandic that can also denote a burial mound or cairn. "Beowulf" and other texts characterise wyrd as a weaving of webs but the word usually means nothing less than the moment of death, or at least the events leading up to death.
The "Beowulf" motif is revealing, however; it has already been noted that the fates tend to be spinners or weavers and in this instance there is also the idea of a snare, which can refer back to the Indo-European goddess of death as described by Lincoln. Like Hel, the Nornir reside in the far north, at or near the celestial axis and like her they reside "below ground", where the World Tree has its roots. The Nornir determine life, span and the time of death, while Hel takes the dead to her cold bosom. All these characteristics are shared to some extent with Odin, as is their femininity, apparently adopted by Odin in order to engage in seidr - the natural magic of womankind.
At the very least, Hel and the Nornir are closely related, perhaps even deriving from the same proto Indo-European goddess, and Odin has
acquired some of their character-istics by virtue of his association with the cosmic centre, the structure of which reflects their own
nature. If the valknut symbolises anything then, it is probably either wyrd, death, or perhaps even the Nornir themselves, who are more or less the same as wyrd anyway. Exactly when the valknut would have come to represent these is difficult to estimate. Certainly the examples here all date from the Viking Age and appear to range in time from
about the 7th to the 10th centuries CE. I am not aware of any valknuts of a significantly earlier date. It is interesting that in England the use of the valknut seems to have died out with the establishment of Christianity and the consequent decline of heathenism. The Nornir are not represented pictorially anywhere in the Germanic world, which is rather surprising. A panel of the Franks Casket shows three hooded
figures who might be intended as a likeness of that fateful trinity, but it is by no means certain. Until any conclusive artifacts come to light the truth of the matter must remain as uncertain as the workings of the Fates themselves.
by Alby Stone
A number of Viking monuments feature a curious design known as the valknut, the "knot of the slain" or, more loosely, "the knot of death". On an 8th century CE picture stone from Hammers in Larbro, Gotland, it consists of three interlocking triangles. This stone, now in Stockholm's National Historical Museum, is divided into several panels; one of the central panels, in which the valknut occurs, depicts several motifs that suggest some sort of connection with the cult of Odin - an eagle, a flying figure - possibly a valkyrie - holding a ring, a man being hanged from a tree and a group of three warriors - with shields and upraised swords - led by a fourth man who seems to be holding a large bird of some kind. The valknut is adjacent to the eagle and below it are two men, one with a spear, who appear to be engaged in placing a corpse inside what looks like a burial mound.
Between them and the hanged man is what appears to be another, smaller, valknut of the same design. This type can also be seen on a rather splendid golden ring discovered near Peterborough, Cambs, and currently on display at the British Museum in a cabinet labelled as containing Anglo-Saxon "secular"
metalwork.
Another picture stone from Gotland (Tangelgarda also in Larbro) has a panel showing a rider being welcomed by a woman holding a drinking horn with four men who are holding rings. The woman may be a valkyrie, a "chooser of the slain", one of whose functions was to serve ale to the Warriors in Valhalla, another pointer to the cult of Odin. The rider has a valknut behind his head and there are two more among his horse's legs. On this stone, which can also be seen at the Swedish Museum, the valknut is made up of a single line, interlaced to make three triangles.
Similar to the Tangelgarda design, but slightly more rounded, is that carved onto one of several "hogback" monuments at Brompton, Yorkshire, and probably dating from the 10th century CE. The end-beasts of this particular hogback - these monuments are based on Viking Age houses (although to this eye they have more than a passing resemblance to long barrows) and the end-beasts are situated at what would be the gable ends - are easily identifiable as bears, again suggesting the cult of Odin, who was patron of the Warriors known as berserkr or
"bear-shirts". The purpose of the hogbacks is uncertain; no graves have been found with them so they were certainly not tombston-es. Hogbacks with undecorated ends at Lythe in Yorkshire exactly match the shafts of crosses found at the same site, indicating that the hogback formed a composite monu- ment with a cross at each end. In this case the hogback is certainly a religious monu-ment and it seems fair to suppose that the Brompton hogback and its fellows, and similarly ended hogbacks elsewhere, are also religious structures, albeit of a different faith.
The Brompton hogback has five valknuts in a row. The Brompton style valknut also occurs on each of the four arms of the Gosworth Cross (Cumbria), on both faces. The shaft of the cross strangely enough has scenes from heathen myth, and the only remotely Christian looking scene, which has been rather desperately identified as the Crucifixion, seems to owe more to the rune-winning ordeal of Odin described in the heathen poem "Havamal" than it does to the New Testament. The same type of valknut appears on the shafts of crosses at Sockburn (Co Durham), Lastingham, Hawsker and Brompton (all North Yorks).
On the last, three of these valknuts are arranged in a triangular pattern.
A fourth type of valknut, rather different from those described so far, occurs on a stone cross from Andreas on the Isle of Man and is now in the Manx Museum, Douglas. This version is basically a simple knot "tied" in such a way as to retain the basic tripartite structure of the versions mentioned above. Unlike the others it is not a closed structure but its identity as a valknut, while mildly contentious, is not really in doubt. The scene in which it appears shows a man, evidently Odin, holding a spear pointing downward as he is devoured by a great wolf. An eagle perches on the man's shoulder and the valknut is at his side. The same design appears elsewhere, on a stone discovered in 1822 at Gosforth and now incorporated into the structure of the local church. It is between the back legs of a horse. On a picture stone from Alskog, in Gotland, it occurs twice among the eight legs of Odin's horse, Sleipnir. Despite this seeming wealth of examples and the diversity of styles the valknut itself has remained enigmatic. It seems to be associat-ed with horses, particularly with the steed of Odin, and the cult of Odin in general. Motifs associated with the symbol include the hanged man, valkyries, bears, and the scene from Ragnarok on the Manx Cross, all indicating some connection with Odin. According to HR Ellis Davidson, the valknut also appears on the funeral ship excavated at Oseberg, Norway in 1904, and on the tapestry found in that vessel, indicating some sort of funerary association.
The origin and meaning of the symbol are extremely difficult to discern, as is its associa-tion with Odin. Obviously it has a decorative value as distinct from its symbolic meaning. The valknut has been used as a motif by Scandinavian weavers since the Viking Age. Indeed, it is recognized as a traditional design in that part of the world quite apart from its alleged occurrence on the Oseberg tapestry. Davidson opines that it is related to the Celtic triskele, the three-legged symbol most familiar as the emblem of the Isle of Man and linked with the Irish God of the sea, Manannan. The triskele is essentially a variety of the swastika, a common enough cosmological symbol, but neither can be said to possess the characteristic interweaving of the valknut. While it may be unwise to dismiss a possible relationship between triskele and valknut, it must be said that any resemblance is purely superficial, lying solely in their tripartite structures.
Structurally the valknut has more in common with the Celtic triple spiral motif which is also found on Old English and Pictish artifacts and much older objects.
Unfortunately there is a dearth of hard evidence for the mythological or religious significance of the triple spiral, which tends to occur within wholly abstract or symbolic designs, but it occurs within funerary contexts and has been linked with the female principle by various scholars. The various types of valknut, their contexts aside, share two important characteristics: they are tripartite and they are constructed by interweaving or interlinking.
Davidson also postulates a link with the bindings that occur in Norse tradition.
The best known examples of this are probably the binding of Loki following his betrayal of Baldr; the binding of Baldr himself, a theme that found itself into Scandinavian and Old English interpretations of the Crucifixion; the binding of the wolf Fenrir; the ritual binding of sacrificial victims, as partly confirmed by the discovery of bound corpses in the peat bogs of northern Europe; and the Herjoturr or "war fetter", a kind of paralysis that Odin and the valkyries were said to be able to inflict upon unfavoured warriors in the heat of battle. To these we might add the hangman's noose characteristic of the double sacri-fice - simultaneous hanging and stabbing - known to have been used in the cult of Odin and a method of ritual killing that accords with the condition of a number of bog corpses. One bog discovery, the severed head of a man discovered at Osterby in Denmark, is very interesting; the hair on the right side of the head is gathered into an elaborate knot that looks very much like a valknut.
Tacitus, writing at about the time the Osterby man is believed to have met his end, about the 1st century CE, tells us that the warriors of the Suebi (a generic name for the Germanic tribes inhabiting the region now occupied roughly by north western Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands) tied their hair in such a knot, and a number of Roman monuments depict Germanic warriors with the same hairstyle. It would be reasonable to suppose that this hair-knot marked a warrior as a follower of an early form of Odin in his role of war god. (See the author's article on "Heretical Hairdos" in Talking Stick magazine Spring 1992 for a further discussion of pagan hairstyles and the symbolic significance.)
The noose found around the neck of the Lindow Man unearthed from a peat bog in Cheshire a few years ago consists of a sliding knot in a cord knotted at each end, making a triple knot. A similar noose was found on a body in a peat bog at Borremose, Denmark but the noose found on another Danish corpse, from Tollund, is much simpler. Dr Anne Ross and Dr Don Robins, along with the Danish archaeologist Professor P V Glob, believe that these nooses are related to the Celtic torc, and note that a number of torcs seem to be designed to look like garrottes. They suggest that the corpses from Tollund and Borremose were sacrifices to Nerthus, a goddess mentioned by Tacitus, and that the torc was an attribute of that goddess. Tacitus also tells us that certain warriors of the Chatti wore iron collars that would not be removed until they had killed their first enemy, although many chose to wear them until they died. In their case the collar probably indicated they were dedicated to a god of war as opposed to a goddess of peace and plenty like Nerthus. It would be rash to state unequivocally that the collar and torc represent stylised versions of the noose or garrotte - but it is an attractive proposition. However, torcs and collars are not valknuts, and only the nooses found on Lindow Man and his Danish counterpart can possibly be construed as being such.
It seems fairly certain that the valknut has a cultic or religious significance and a particu-lar association with death, as it name alone indicates. The Andreas Cross shows the death of Odin, himself the Lord of the Dead Warriors of Valhalla, and on the Alskog stone the valknut appears by the feet of Sleipnir, the steed on which Odin, and also Heimdall, rode to the land of Hel. It is seen by the hanged man and in the funerary scene on the stone from Hammars and on the
Tangalgarda stone the rider seems to be receiving a welcome to the realm of the dead. The scenes often include female figures who appear to be valkyries or maybe even the death goddess Hel herself. The presen-ce of the valknut on Viking Age crosses in England and on the Brompton hogback hints at a retention of this element of heathen iconography among the adherents of the new cult.
The valknut is certainly part of the iconography associated with Odin but that fact alone brings us no nearer to its meaning. Representations of Odin and scenes from myths pertaining to him are common enough and their components are usually readily identifiable. If the valknut does stem from the cult or mythology of Odin, then it must represent something that cannot be given a pictorial rendering, either because of a taboo or simply because it just cannot be pictured in anything but an abstract form.
The form is tripartite and interwoven; the context is mortuary, Odinic and Otherworldly and it has both equine and feminine associations. This set of conditions is peculiar to the mythology of the World Tree and can be related to certain beings associated with it. The World Tree is Yggdrasill or "The Steed of the Fearful One", which makes it a doublet of Sleipnir. It has three roots which link the worlds together. According to Snorri Sturlson, each root leads to a well or spring; Hvergemir in Niflheim; Mimisbrunnr "in the direction of the frost ogres",
and Urdabrunnr "in the sky", the Well at which the three Nornir gather to decide the fates of humans and gods alike.
Now it is clear from a number of references that these three wells are in fact only one under three different names. A consideration of their locations clinches the argument. Hvergelmir is the primordial well, situated in the north, according to Snorri's account of the creation of the cosmos. The nature of the "frost ogres"
means that they can also be located in the cold north, and the central point of the revolving sky is also in the north, at the Pole Star. The Nornir derive their collective name from an archaic word meaning "north" which also denotes "that which is below" (compare English nether, beneath). The name of the goddess Nerthus (a goddess of the earth) reported by Tacitus may also be so derived.
While the Nornir each have individual names in England, they go by the name allocated to the eldest in Norse Tradition. The elder of the three is called Urdr by the Norse, which is cognate with the Old English "wyrd", hence the three "weird sisters" of Shakespeare. Thus they are a three-in-one being in the same way as the Irish war goddesses known as the Morrigna. Like the other, inevitably triadic, Indo European fates, the Nornir spin and weave destinies. One of them is also named as a valkyrie.
This brings us back to Odin, himself a shaper of destinies. In the "Gylfaginnning"
section of Snorri's "Edda" he appears in a triadic guise and is credited with having taken a drink from the well at the centre of the world, one source of his wisdom. Odin acquired the wisdom of the runes while hanging on the World Tree and could obtain information from the dead. The latter - apart from those worthy fighters chosen to carouse in Valhalla until Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods)
and those who ended up in the paradisal Odainsakr, or abode of the righteous dead, the hall Gimle - resided with the dread goddess Hel in the underground realm variously known as Niflhel, Niflheim or simply as Hel located in the far north. This goddess of the dead was said to be Loki's offspring, conceived and born while he was in the form of a mare following a dangerously mischievous escapade.
Actually she can be traced back to proto-Indo-European times and her original name has been reconstructed as Kolyo, "the coverer". As Bruce Lincoln puts it in his book, "Death, War and Sacrifice" (1991), "Her domain is underground and she physically conveys her victims thence by fixing a snare or noose on their bodies and dragging them down. Her bonds regularly fall upon the foot or neck of the victim, the same places where domestic animals are fettered. The deceased are thus led away like animals by Death, in whose bonds they may struggle, but which they cannot escape, caught in her snares and dragged under."
Lincoln presents an impressive body of evidence to support this summary, from Ancient Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, India and Iran. The theme has altered from place to place and from one age to another but the essence has remained. He also notes that the Middle High German term for a noose was "helsing", which he translates as "Hel's Sling". He argues that German sacrifice by hanging, generally related to Odin or Woden, was actually a ritual enactment of the seizing of the victim by the goddess of death. Given the mutual concerns of Odin, Hel and the Nornir, it seems to make little difference either way.
In Old English texts the term "wyrd" is, despite its other connotations, frequently used to denote death rather than a structured and unfolding future that is suggested by the functions of the Nornir and their Greek and Roman
counterparts. There is of course an intimate relationship between the two concepts and death is after all the fate of every being. Scandinavian myth makes it clear that there are only two things which the gods cannot avert; fate and death. In Norse myth the name of the senior Norn is Urdr, a word in Old Icelandic that can also denote a burial mound or cairn. "Beowulf" and other texts characterise wyrd as a weaving of webs but the word usually means nothing less than the moment of death, or at least the events leading up to death.
The "Beowulf" motif is revealing, however; it has already been noted that the fates tend to be spinners or weavers and in this instance there is also the idea of a snare, which can refer back to the Indo-European goddess of death as described by Lincoln. Like Hel, the Nornir reside in the far north, at or near the celestial axis and like her they reside "below ground", where the World Tree has its roots. The Nornir determine life, span and the time of death, while Hel takes the dead to her cold bosom. All these characteristics are shared to some extent with Odin, as is their femininity, apparently adopted by Odin in order to engage in seidr - the natural magic of womankind.
At the very least, Hel and the Nornir are closely related, perhaps even deriving from the same proto Indo-European goddess, and Odin has
acquired some of their character-istics by virtue of his association with the cosmic centre, the structure of which reflects their own
nature. If the valknut symbolises anything then, it is probably either wyrd, death, or perhaps even the Nornir themselves, who are more or less the same as wyrd anyway. Exactly when the valknut would have come to represent these is difficult to estimate. Certainly the examples here all date from the Viking Age and appear to range in time from
about the 7th to the 10th centuries CE. I am not aware of any valknuts of a significantly earlier date. It is interesting that in England the use of the valknut seems to have died out with the establishment of Christianity and the consequent decline of heathenism. The Nornir are not represented pictorially anywhere in the Germanic world, which is rather surprising. A panel of the Franks Casket shows three hooded
figures who might be intended as a likeness of that fateful trinity, but it is by no means certain. Until any conclusive artifacts come to light the truth of the matter must remain as uncertain as the workings of the Fates themselves.
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Monday, 17 May 2010
Free Natal Chart Birth Astrology Check Your Zodiac Sign
PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN BETWEEN IN THE MONTHS AND THEIR ZODIAC SIGNS
* Aries
The Ram Mar. 21-Apr. 19
* Taurus
The Bull Apr. 20-May 20
* Gemini
The Twins May 21-June 21
* Cancer
The Crab June 22-July 22
* Leo
The Lion -July 23-Aug. 22
* Virgo
The Virgin Aug. 23-Sept. 22
* Libra
The Balance Sept. 23-Oct. 23
* Scorpio
The Scorpion Oct. 24-Nov. 21
* Sagittarius--The Archer Nov. 22-Dec. 21
* Capricorn--The Goat Dec. 22-Jan. 19
* Aquarius
The Water Bearer Jan. 20-Feb. 18
* Pisces
The Fishes Feb. 19-Mar. 20
YEARLY HOROSCOPE 2010
Source: just-wicca.blogspot.com
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The Last Supper And Whether The Infinite Can Exist In The Finite
Through an act of magic (though most Catholics would shun the use of this particular word), bread and wine are transformed and become the living body of Christ. Opponents to this view accused that if this were true, it would be an act of sheer cannibalism! They, later to be known as Protestants, espoused the view that it was all to be taken with a grain of salt (!) and that the Last Supper was rather a symbolic act.
Surprisingly (well for me at least), Martin Luther, who was in many ways opposed to the Catholic tradition in ideology and practice believed that the Last Supper was indeed flesh and blood of Christ. He claimed that the same applied to infant baptism, where water would be transformed into a spiritual substance to wash away sins and to make the infant particularly responsive to Christian teaching and values. Furthermore, Luther believed that the infinite, God or the Holy Ghost (take your pick) could be contained in the finite, be it then a physical body, a piece of bread or a cup of wine.
In fact, fellow Protestant Zwingli entered into a vivid debate with Luther, but the latter did not budge an inch. Luther maintained that the Holy Spirit was speaking through him; his main criticism was that the Catholic Church did not allow the drinking of wine as part of the complete ritual.
This might have been for hygienic reasons - they did not want the cup to be passed from lips to lips - or moral reasons, the Church did not want to promote cases of alcoholism by providing free alcohol in their service. So if the eating of Christ's body made you a cannibal, was Christ himself not an alcoholic with wine flowing freely in his body?
But the idea of the infinite in the finite was mostly supported by the example of Christ himself. Luther believed that God, i.e. the infinite, had taken a finite form, a human body, so that such an act was indeed in the realm of the possible.
In fact, modern atomic theory would probably side with Luther. The body is made of atoms or infinite space that is contained within a limited physical space. It brings to mind the words of mystics like Rumi who claim that the entire world may be reflected in a single grain of sand.
I once glanced at a book called "Powers of Ten." The first image was of the universe. Then there were close-ups of the earth zooming deeper and deeper until it reached the hand of a man lying in a park. As it finally entered his body and depicted the atomic structure within, the book that consisted of only pictures, came to a sudden end. But not until a jaw-dropping realization had occurred.
The first picture of the universe was identical to the last of the inner atoms within a person's body! Do we indeed contain infinity within our physical (mortal) frame? Are we actually eating Christ's body and drinking his blood? Vampires may rejoice at the thought and for all the rest of us: Bon app'etit!
Reference: candle-magic.blogspot.com
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Evening Roundup Monday After Pentecost Die Ii Infra Octavam Pentecostes Missa Cibavit Eos May 28Th 2012
* "A TRAIL OF FLOWERS" >> A GOOD FRIEND
* "ACCEPTING ABUNDANCE" >> THREE WAYS TO WIN EVERY DEBATE WITH AN ATHEIST
* "ACTS OF THE APOSTASY ">> WHERE IS THE DADDY WAR?
* "ALWAYSCATHOLIC.COM" >> A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY: "GREATER LOVE THAN THIS NO MAN HATH, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS" JOHN 15:13 POSTED BY EMMA
* "CATHOLIC EMBROIDERY" >> FOR GOD AND KING! - NEW VEND'eE CROSS DESIGN
* "CHRONICLES: A MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN CULTURE" >> MEMORIAL DAY (SCOTT P. RICHERT)
* "DOMINE, DA MIHI HANC AQUAM!" >> IF YOUR GOAL IS ETERNAL LIFE...
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> PRISONS ARE FOR FREE! DIDN'T YOU KNOW?
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> LEST WE FORGET (PART 1 - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - BEACH LANDING)
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THE USUS ANTIQUIOR
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> FIRST IMAGES AND REPORTS FROM THE CHARTRES PILGRIMAGE
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> A TEASER FROM THE LONDON ORATORY
* "PUNDIT & PUNDETTE" >> THE DARK WORLD OF DRESSAGE AND WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH CAMP DAVID
* "REFLECTIONS OF A PARALYTIC" >> IN MEMORIAM, 2012
* "SHIRT OF FLAME" >> THE SANCTIFYING POWER OF ABJECTION: MONEY, PART II
* "THE CHANT CAF'e ">> CHANT IN GRAND RAPIDS
* "THE PATH LESS TAKEN" >> THE LATIN MASS: "YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY"
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? ">> 7 OCTOBER: STS. JOHN OF AVILA AND HILDEGARD OF BINGEN TO BE PROCLAIMED DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> FRANCE: MUSLIMS ENTER CHURCH, THROW ROCKS DURING MASS
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> WDTPRS: PENTECOST MONDAY - BONDAGE TO FREEDOM, ANXIETY TO PEACE
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> QUAERITUR: I DON'T KNOW IF THE PRIEST GAVE ME A PENANCE DURING CONFESSION. ARE MY SINS FORGIVEN?
* "ACCEPTING ABUNDANCE" >> THREE WAYS TO WIN EVERY DEBATE WITH AN ATHEIST
* "ACTS OF THE APOSTASY ">> WHERE IS THE DADDY WAR?
* "ALWAYSCATHOLIC.COM" >> A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY: "GREATER LOVE THAN THIS NO MAN HATH, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS" JOHN 15:13 POSTED BY EMMA
* "CATHOLIC EMBROIDERY" >> FOR GOD AND KING! - NEW VEND'eE CROSS DESIGN
* "CHRONICLES: A MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN CULTURE" >> MEMORIAL DAY (SCOTT P. RICHERT)
* "DOMINE, DA MIHI HANC AQUAM!" >> IF YOUR GOAL IS ETERNAL LIFE...
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> PRISONS ARE FOR FREE! DIDN'T YOU KNOW?
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> LEST WE FORGET (PART 1 - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - BEACH LANDING)
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THE USUS ANTIQUIOR
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> FIRST IMAGES AND REPORTS FROM THE CHARTRES PILGRIMAGE
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> A TEASER FROM THE LONDON ORATORY
* "PUNDIT & PUNDETTE" >> THE DARK WORLD OF DRESSAGE AND WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH CAMP DAVID
* "REFLECTIONS OF A PARALYTIC" >> IN MEMORIAM, 2012
* "SHIRT OF FLAME" >> THE SANCTIFYING POWER OF ABJECTION: MONEY, PART II
* "THE CHANT CAF'e ">> CHANT IN GRAND RAPIDS
* "THE PATH LESS TAKEN" >> THE LATIN MASS: "YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY"
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? ">> 7 OCTOBER: STS. JOHN OF AVILA AND HILDEGARD OF BINGEN TO BE PROCLAIMED DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> FRANCE: MUSLIMS ENTER CHURCH, THROW ROCKS DURING MASS
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> WDTPRS: PENTECOST MONDAY - BONDAGE TO FREEDOM, ANXIETY TO PEACE
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY?" >> QUAERITUR: I DON'T KNOW IF THE PRIEST GAVE ME A PENANCE DURING CONFESSION. ARE MY SINS FORGIVEN?
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Wicked Mojito Moments
Origin: wicca-teachings.blogspot.com
Sunday, 16 May 2010
My Thoughts On The Fellowship Of Presbyterian Theology Paper
The Fellowship of Presbyterians stay on the line posted their polity and theology drafts and asked for trench back. Bit I stay on the line not associate the Fellowship I stay on the line been locate and praying about it. And despite the fact that I stay on the line morally glanced at the polity paper, not my strongest split, I stay on the line faithfully read the theology paper loot some transcription as I read. I am determined I life-force read it selected aristocratic era loot disturb as I drink. I suppose the good quality of the advent for Presbyterians, all kinds of Presbyterians, hangs about this paper and the polity one. I drink this seeing that God normally works within the breadth of our longings and the request of tons Presbyterians today is that they might find a place of security and relief in the midst of spiritual wantonness, a small amount objectives and cultural faithfulness. Tidy nation of us who suggest to be present within the PCUSA oblige the friendly of work of art and particulars existing trendy.One of the things I did as I was reading was to brand name a few quotes that I found brawny and lofty. The next thing I did was to drink out transcription in selected places wherever I felt the exercise might be emphasized aristocratic, strengthened or clarified. Last but not least I stay on the line a attach of "high" praises.THE QUOTES:"As sub- morals, the confessions are not free-standing company. They are exercise to the specialist of Jesus Christ, the Duration of God, who is convinced ready Scripture, the word of God. Subordination to the Noble and to Scripture's eyewitness serves to locate confessional specialist, except it does not scratch it. The confessions commit guarantee assistance to our reading and hail of Scripture, protecting us from conceited interpretation, and opening us to Christ's way, Christ's truth and Christ's life."( 4)""All and sundry of us enjoys God by distinctive so associated with Christ ready the power of the Divine Spirit as to become a troop in the divine whittle, transplanted from one aspect of belief to new-fangled and escorted by Christ concerning the expressive community of the Trinity." (5)""We idolize God by recognizing and treatment his mighty self-revelation, both in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and moreover in the byword of God the Son." (5)""The Spirit life-force never speedy our conscience to conclusions that are at odds with the Scriptures that he has expressive. The explication of the embody Duration does not subside, or set foray the specialist of the in black and white Duration." (5)""Uninvolved from the saving work of Jesus Christ, we are incapable of distinctive in God's phantom, incapable of self-possession the weight of his belief. We glory that Jesus Christ offers us defensible grasp concerning the nub of God's purifying fire, self-protective us with his sparkle union and transforming us by his divine power. Having received such variability, we acquire variability to others." (7)""He is locally design at the control hand of the Institute. The same as we are promised that one day we life-force see him point to point, we come clean that it is the point of the Jesus of Nazareth we life-force someday see...." (6)"I necessitate say that I am pitifully thankful with the disturb the three theologians took to shape the Christian's edict with the living thing resurrected Christ. It can be found in tons of the quotes. AS FOR A FEW SUGGESTIONS In the sphere of THEY ARE:Under byword on page six it would be gently to not keep clarify the influence of the sum of Jesus Christ fine hair summon the fair intention of how the two natures of Christ are not combination. One of the very great theological ills of today, legendary in the company of avant-garde theologians, is so separating the natures that the eternal Duration is bitty from the union of Christ. His sum gets shabby apart. I am locate trendy of a gently quote by the Puritan cleric John Flavel, in his book "The Highly of Life:"The two natures distinctive hence associated in the sum of the Adjudicator, by godliness ther the properties of each whittle are qualified, and do entirely settle on in the whole person; so that it is directly to say, the Noble of belief was crucified, 1Cor. 2:8, and the blood of God redeemed the church, Acts 20:28, that Christ was both in fantasy and on the earth at the extremely time, John 3: 13. Yet we do not suppose that one whittle doth transfuse or award its properties to the other or that it is directly to say the divine whittle suffered, bled, or died; or the worldly is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipresent; but that the properties of both natures are attributed to the sum, that it is directly to shape any of them of him in the concrete, still not abstractly. (56)One other split that I wish was stronger is our redemption by Christ's death on the annoyed. This is the very great post-modern skirmish of western Christianity. I be keen on the way Richard Mouw make fun of of it at the Fellowship Convention. He exactly out that when our view of sin is diluted our views on Jesus' death are inventory. In an age when revolutionary feminists try to make the death of Christ youngster abuse,' we oblige a aristocratic troublesome understanding of the triune God's redemptive action; we moreover for the extremely proof oblige a strong theologically fine view of the Trinity. One other conglomerate for me is this statement: "God created worldly beings from the renew of the earth and his own breathe heavily, to be UN armed forces between God and his setting up, hush money creation's levy to God, channeling God's variability to the setting up."(6)"Give to is just one adjudicate and he exists everlastingly. We are not UN armed forces prevent by our edict with Jesus Christ. It is eternally ready him that whatever is qualified. The word "keeper" hysteria melodiously. If we as creatures offer levy it is ready the interceding work of our high priest, Jesus. If we offer variability to setting up it is ready the flattering work of Jesus. Increasingly and ever, it is not our selves, but Jesus. And also morally this slender complaint: Ask don't use Tillich's "circumstance of our distinctive." Utmost Unadventurous believers know what is really doomed when an criterion bard uses the shape up, but Tillich doomed it in a panentheistic manner-which income we are a part of God. That starts everything off on the copied footing.MY PRAISES:I stay on the line high levy for the writers not bowing down to politically correct femininity bursting titles for references to God. On a slender notice it income finding work of art is blessedly silky and free. On a premier notice they are allowing God's explication of himself to speak. As Karl Barth put it, "We stay on the line not to depict our knowledge of who God is from what we arbitrator we know about infinity, infinity, omnipotence and invisibility as conceptions which bound our discussions. On the defiant, we stay on the line to depict our knowledge of infinity, infinity, omnipotence and invisibility from what we can know about God, from what God has meant to us about Himself." I stay on the line high levy moreover for how the Fellowship stay on the line automatic to depict all together in a friendship connect that offers work of art, fellowship, outer shell, disturb and drill to each other. They do this with their destruction "Source of revenue in orthodoxy to the Duration of God." Their list of 10 ways to be to blame is not separate an reinforce of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Days Allied" or the ancient inform of a Christian community.Last but not least, I am eternally blessed when I see quotes I love. The introduction to the theology paper when referring to the Imitate of Confessions has this, "We stay on the line been deficient of what C. S. Lewis called chronological superiority, the unsuspecting wave of the assiduous come through mass to our age and the suppose that what ever has gone out of mull it over is on that proceedings discredited.'"I arbitrator this quote disqualifies so drastically of what I was reading on er about the Fellowship's paper. We necessitate not pigsty to the left the good quality of the subsequently but clutch on to the expectation delivered to our mothers and fathers. Karl Barth, The Compassion Of God and the Improve of God According to the Instruction of The Restoration, tran. By J.L. Haire and Ian Henderson, The Gifford Lectures Delivered in the University of Aberdeen in 1937 and 1938, (Large Britain: Charles Scribner's Sons 1939), 33. I wish to emphasize that David Berge's tweets stay on the line been very gently. See https://twitter.com/#!/David Berge
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