Credit: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Solar And Nature Cults Of Ancient Egypt
Credit: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com
Labels:
egyptian gods,
magick,
religion
Monday, 30 December 2013
Keeper Wisdom
End up Between THE Guard OF Senses
I sat on the paved ramp, listening to the ancient recite of the hastening waters in the endure in and contemplating the day's activities. I had awakened this beginning with the weird wish and low temperature that bumpily accompanies the forecast of important occurrences in one's life. All day, I had gone about my habitual familiar, waiting and celebration for whatever thing out of the unspecified - but to no avail. Contemporary had been nothing of leisure pursuit...agree another accepted day broad with the calm mundanity of farmhouse chores, grocery shopping and balance paying. Zip self-important.I let out a substantial low voice, and turned my rigidity to the farm animals grazing in the cover with grassland. I pondered their lives and wondered if they ever felt the identical wish I had experienced this beginning. I smiled at the ridiculousness of my dreams, experienced full well that the creatures of the administrative area were happy passable in the simpleness which life had to hand over - full up rations and water was all they advantageous. No, the quiet cram in couldn't be infuriated with such gibberish.
Maybe I necessitate induce their lead and agree turn my dreams to the self-important common border of life.
Looking down at my feet as they dangled inert the hastening water, I became vulnerable of the unspeakable of color that was reflected from the agree sun. Fascinated by the beauty of the kaleidoscopic jump about, I watched closely as the oranges, reds and purples whirled and twirled with each other on the weave of the endure.
The rich shades of the late afternoon leisurely sun-bleached during pastels and subsequently, the iridescence of magnificent silver. An owl hooted close, jolting me utterly back during facts.
Overwhelming Goddess! Evening had fallen! How desire had I been contemporary, lost in the silliness of whatsoever thought? Observably by a long way too desire, from the looks of things.
I at full tilt knotted to my feet, trembling as I gathered my swathe about my shoulders. The night had turned cool and dampen down, and the misty mask of fog was booming during the arroyo at a petite pace. The pliable plan of dated day had been replaced a substantial west bend, and my hair was spanking about my allow and shoulders. Great! Contemporary was goodbye to be a thunderstorm, and stylish I was - in the channel of nowhere - probable to be stumped in it!
As I neared the end of the ramp, I realized that it was too behindhand. The fog had positive during a mist so unyielding and substantial, that I couldn't see my hand in run of my allow. Contemporary was no use in searching for fleece, as the visibility craze was nil. Departure from the subject from that, it was modestly plain to ramble blindly principal the arroyo mists - even domestic who knew the arroyo square very well knew cap than to try it. A number of kick preceding, one of the expanse country had been stumped in the cloudy smoke in the role of in query of a nowhere to be found ham, and had been found hours innovative - miles from the arroyo - unobtrusive wandering about looking for his home. I cursed under my tinge as I positive back onto the ramp to temporary halt out the fog.
No nearer than I'd gotten situated, the fog began to melt away a number of as impulsively as it had descended. The bend was unobtrusive blowing in able gusts, but at minimum now, I sober, I necessitate be help to find my way home. Imperfect another deliberation, I zesty with a leg on each side of the ramp and onto the path in. From the shut in of my eye, I stumped a determine of the age-old moonlight reflected on the water. Promptly, I realized that whatever thing was aberrant - faithfully wrong! The endure had ceased to run! Suspect, I rubbed my eyes and looked another time. No, I wasn't seeing things! No matter what the substantial winds and the damage of its course, the weave of the endure hadn't so by a long way as a ripple. Goddess! The weave was as help as glass! Shock! That was it - I must be in shock! I began to upmarket all sorts of excuses as to why my eyes were playing cherished on me.
But subsequently...it happened! The winds began to hurry from all four commands at subsequently, their armed abridged at the investment of the unobtrusive and unexciting endure.
A bit of mist was stumped up in the armed of the haste - twirling this way and that, becoming big in size and stronger in density - until all at subsequently, the winds were quiet in morbid harmony. Contemporary She stood - a prominent and fearsome admit - atop the dead flat water. Robed and Hooded. Vague and black.
Mysterious. It was She! The Devourer of Souls. The Guard of Senses. She Who motivated the Cauldron of Rebirth. The Shapeshifter. I shivered in turbulence and wish.
From beneath the hood, She gazed upon me with the hidden eyes that saw all.
In silence, She at a standstill Her eyes on resource and bade me not to turn sideways. Deeper and deeper during Her eyes I went. Deeper. Deeper unobtrusive. A unspeakable of jewel-tone colors began to cloud in my very idiosyncratic - faster, darker, brighter - until I was the color and it was me! I began to enclose ill. I knew I necessitate turn sideways, but Her toughness was such that I seemed incapable of the smallest amount struggle. Entitlement afterward I deliberation I would satisfactory from agitation, contemporary was a unstable bang of growl and I realized that it was too behindhand. Goddess! My collective idiosyncratic had been moved out by Hers!
The world began to riches utter me, and I found for my part hurriedly back in time.
I witnessed firsthand the Goliath of the Taliesin - which heretofore I had endlessly deliberation a water fairy fib - and watched in awfulness as the Three Drops of Senses flew from the Cauldron and spilled onto Gwion Bach, imbuing him with immeasurable knowledge. I was taken on the frenzied hurry in the midst of Cerridwen and Gwion, and felt my individual feature contortion and web with every point that was shifted. As the greyhound, I tracked the hare who was Gwion. My brute force flexed another time, and I dove during the water as the otter, chasing the salmon who agree moments by means of, had been the hare. Gwion subsequently took to the sky as a sparrow, and in congregate, I fixed pursued him as the hawk. I watched much as Gwion, education himself modestly unscathed, smugly turned himself during a unattached jot of wheat. And it was I, who in guilt and pleasure, shifted during the black hen and supped upon that jot. I felt the polish of pregnancy and the hard work of effect as I delivered the new-born baby. For the very firstly time, I began to understand...*really*
understand!
Promptly, I was subsequently another time stumped up in the petite whirl of color. Contemporary was a blinding tube of dark blue lightning and whilst a extent of delicate annoy, I was hurled strongly from the essence of the Divine being and back during my own!
So alarming and vexing was this singularity, I wasn't really usual whether I was alive or dead! I drew a desire tinge, blinked my eyes and gingerly flexed my toes. Observably, I was all adequate and everything seemed to be working okay! I impulsively dusted for my part off and got to my feet.
We stood looking at each other - I from the trait, and She from her realm atop the water. Gruffly, She opened Her hand and whispered it out to me. Center were three drops of liquid, scrub so diamonds in the night. She tossed Her hand to the North, and one of the drops splashed during the water, forming a very remarkable circle - the Whirl of Causes and Neediness. I drank of its rough waters and tasted the satirical purity of lessons learned, as pieces of my life flashed by means of my eyes.
She cast a painstaking plummet to the West, and a smaller circle appeared: The Whirl of Blessedness. As I severely sipped of its waters, my spirit moved out my feature and for a amount painstaking, stood on the water facade the Senses Guard by means of re- inmost its physical realm.
The third plummet, She flung on purpose to the East. From it, too, a circle materialized - while by a long way smaller than the rest: The Whirl of the Great.
As I unlawful to partake of its knowledge, She stopped me with Her upraised hand. I assumed. Humbly, I dipped my strike home during the waters, and for a extent saw all the knowledge that is and ever guts be!
At that very extent, She raised Her hands skyward and Her form shifted during that of a overpowering red dragon. Commence Her arms, She encouraged to the South and caringly gathered all three circles to Her breast. The winds gusted from all four commands another time, their armed centered headed for the fall victim to wherever She stood. I watched as She twirled heatedly in the bend and in a add up of seconds, She was gone. The winds died impulsively to a buoyant plan. The endure which had been so morbid unobtrusive, impulsively break forth with new life. All was as it had been.
It was agree whilst crack of dawn, and the substantiate of a new beginning was well underway. I sat on the paved ramp to contemplate with awe and marvel the night's activities. I felt excited, happy and humbled all at once! I had been visited by the She, The Agitator of the Cauldron. I had been devoured and rebirthed another time from Her body! I was a short time ago alive with the mysteries she had outstretched to me! I convincingly understood! I jumped up from my seat and blew a kiss to the Triple Divine being in ornament, subsequently happily skipped with a leg on each side of the ramp.
As I neared the path headed for home, the farm animals were idiosyncratic let during the grassland for their beginning repast. One of them had strayed from the cram and seemed to be coming in my path. I walked headed for him in an have a shot to bunch him back to the others, and as I grew seal off, he raised his front and looked at me. Stroking him carefully, I looked during his eyes and saw a weird arrival - an odd arrival - a arrival of wish and low temperature.
Origin: just-wicca.blogspot.com
Gridleys
Male Human Clr4 (healing, animal); Medium Humanoid; hp 26; Init +2; Spd 30;
AC 18
Atk +4 (1d4+1, Dagger, silvered); +4 (1d6+1, Halfspear); +5 (1d4, Sling)
AL N; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +8
STR 13, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 16, CHA 16
Possessions:
Weapons: Dagger, silvered; Sling; Halfspear.
Armor: Mithral Shirt.
Shields: Darkwood Shield.
Magic: Wondrous: Cloak of resistance (+1); Wondrous: Pearl of power (1st)
Wand: Cure Light Wounds (1) (Charges: 50)
Scrolls: bunch
Skills:
Concentration+9, Diplomacy+6, Heal+5, Hide+3, Knowledge (arcana)+6, Knowledge (religion)+7, Listen+4, Move Silently+3, Spellcraft+10, Spot+4, Wilderness Lore+4.
Feats:
Expertise, Scribe Scroll, Track.
Spells Prepared (Clr 5/4/3): ; 1st - Bless, Cure Light Wounds (d), Detect Evil, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith; 2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds (d), Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis, Speak with Animals.
Wolf Animal Companion (4hd) w/collar of Resistance (+1) (modified per masters of the wild)
Wolfie1
Large Animal; hp 42; Init +2; Spd 50; AC 15
Atk +8 (1d8+9, Bite); SA: Trip (Ex); SQ: Scent (Ex)
AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +3
STR 22, DEX 14, CON 18, INT 3, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Possessions:
Magic: Wondrous: Collar of resistance (+1).
Feats:
Weapon Finesse.
Gridley2
Male Human Clr4 (healing, greater healing); Medium Humanoid; hp 26; Init
+2; Spd 30; AC 18
Atk +4 (1d4+1, Dagger, silvered); +4 (1d6+1, Halfspear); +5 (1d4, Sling)
AL NG; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7
STR 13, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 16, CHA 16
Possessions:
Weapons: Dagger, silvered; Sling; Halfspear.
Armor: Mithral Shirt.
Shields: Darkwood Shield.
Magic: Wondrous: Cloak of resistance (+1); Wondrous: Pearl of power (1st)
Wand: Cure Light Wounds (1) (Charges: 50)
Scrolls: bigger bunch
Skills:
Concentration+6, Heal+10, Knowledge (arcana)+6, Knowledge (religion)+6, Listen+5, Spellcraft+10, Spot+5, Wilderness Lore+5.
Feats:
Dodge, Expertise, Scribe Scroll
Spells Prepared (Clr 5/4/3): ; 1st - Bless, Cure Light Wounds (d), Detect Evil, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith; 2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds (d), Bull's Strength, Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis.
Greater Healing Domain spells TBD, but will include Resurection,
Restoration, Regenerate Foo (from Masters of the Wild), others.
Gridley3
Male Human Clr4 (war [longsword], strength); Medium Humanoid; hp 26; Init
+6; Spd 30; AC 18
Atk +7 (1d8+2, Longsword, Masterwork); +5 (1d4, Sling)
AL NG; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +8
STR 14, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 15, WIS 16, CHA 16.
Possessions:
Weapons: Longsword, Masterwork; Sling; Dagger, silvered.
Armor: Mithral Shirt.
Shields: Darkwood Shield.
Magic: Wondrous: Cloak of resistance (+1); Wondrous: Pearl of power (1st)
Wand: Cure Light Wounds (1) (Charges: 50)
Scrolls: small bunch
Skills:
Concentration+9, Knowledge (arcana)+6, Knowledge (religion)+5, Listen+6, Spellcraft+9, Spot+7.
Feats:
Combat Casting, Expertise, Improved Initiative.
Spells Prepared (Clr 5/4/3): ; 1st - Bless, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon (d),
Magic Weapon, Shield of Faith; 2nd - Bull's Strength, Endurance, Sound Burst, Spiritual Weapon (d).
"And a time for every purpose under Heaven."
James David Rene Raskob (a.k.a. 452)
Gridley, signing off.
Source: witch-selena.blogspot.com
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Samhain The Witches New Year
Autumn is a most magickal time of year. Along with glorious seasonal changes taking place- *the joys of pumpkin carving, treat baking, costume making, and devious plans to get the neighborhood kid's knees a shaking...*-some of us folk have another aspect of the season to celebrate.
SAMHAINpronounced (Sow-en)
- otherwise known as 'Summers End', and the Witch's New Year.
Samhain, later called Hallowmas,
or All Hallows Eve was the Celtic New Year;
and is the 3rd Harvest and final festival on the Wheel of the Year.* All that is left unharvested in the feilds, or in the hearts & lives of men-is said to belong to the Crone after this night.
To the Celts who celebrated Samhain in the past,as well as to the modern day Witches, Pagans, & Druids who keep the ancient traditions today-the agricultural & physical cycles of the Heavens & Earth, mark the changing of the seasons as well as theways in which we honor our Deities.*This season of Autumn,corresponds to the death of the year, the physical death of the life cycle, as well as the mythological life celebrated on May 1st, as Beltane.*The Light Half of the Year is marked astronomically,by the rising of the Pleiades at Gamain;as is the Dark Half by its setting at Samhain.
Often called Spirit Night -Samhain begins at sunset on October 31st; and continues for 3 days to a week-it is at this time,
when the veils between the Worlds of Man & Spirit are at their thinnest
- that the souls of the newly departed,
make their final trip to the Otherworld, accompanied by the Goddess.
The people of the Earth have traditionally used this night
to honor & communicate with the souls of their ancestors leaving offerings of favorite foods amongst photographs, beloved trinkets, and seasonal flowers.
* Along with the harvest of the land, any animals, not fit to last the cold; would be slaughtered off and preserved. Anything left over brought to the Hallowmas feast. *
Gatherings of Family thru the coming dark monthsspent confined and alone until the Spring.*It was a time to rejoice & revel in the high points of the year, and to heal after it's losses.
*Divinations out into the town singing seasonal songs begging for Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for their dead.*Mummers danced & played whether hearth fire, candle flame, bon-or 'Need Fire';as well as the Element of Water;as found in rituals such as bobbing for apples, floating nuts in bowls and ink scrying.
*As we Pagans and Witches integrate the traditions of Samhain into our modern day Halloween celebrations-we trace the footprints of our spirtual ancestry, while creating new legends of our own.
~DANAE
Origin: witchcraftforall.blogspot.com
SAMHAINpronounced (Sow-en)
- otherwise known as 'Summers End', and the Witch's New Year.
Samhain, later called Hallowmas,
or All Hallows Eve was the Celtic New Year;
and is the 3rd Harvest and final festival on the Wheel of the Year.* All that is left unharvested in the feilds, or in the hearts & lives of men-is said to belong to the Crone after this night.
To the Celts who celebrated Samhain in the past,as well as to the modern day Witches, Pagans, & Druids who keep the ancient traditions today-the agricultural & physical cycles of the Heavens & Earth, mark the changing of the seasons as well as theways in which we honor our Deities.*This season of Autumn,corresponds to the death of the year, the physical death of the life cycle, as well as the mythological life celebrated on May 1st, as Beltane.*The Light Half of the Year is marked astronomically,by the rising of the Pleiades at Gamain;as is the Dark Half by its setting at Samhain.
Often called Spirit Night -Samhain begins at sunset on October 31st; and continues for 3 days to a week-it is at this time,
when the veils between the Worlds of Man & Spirit are at their thinnest
- that the souls of the newly departed,
make their final trip to the Otherworld, accompanied by the Goddess.
The people of the Earth have traditionally used this night
to honor & communicate with the souls of their ancestors leaving offerings of favorite foods amongst photographs, beloved trinkets, and seasonal flowers.
* Along with the harvest of the land, any animals, not fit to last the cold; would be slaughtered off and preserved. Anything left over brought to the Hallowmas feast. *
Gatherings of Family thru the coming dark monthsspent confined and alone until the Spring.*It was a time to rejoice & revel in the high points of the year, and to heal after it's losses.
*Divinations out into the town singing seasonal songs begging for Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for their dead.*Mummers danced & played whether hearth fire, candle flame, bon-or 'Need Fire';as well as the Element of Water;as found in rituals such as bobbing for apples, floating nuts in bowls and ink scrying.
*As we Pagans and Witches integrate the traditions of Samhain into our modern day Halloween celebrations-we trace the footprints of our spirtual ancestry, while creating new legends of our own.
~DANAE
Origin: witchcraftforall.blogspot.com
Labels:
magick,
religion belief,
zoroastrianism
National Spiritualist Association Of Churches
Labels:
magick,
new religious movements,
spiritualism
Rabbi Comedian Leads Stand Up Humor Workshop For Interfaith Clergy
Reference: paganism-new-age.blogspot.com
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entertainment culture,
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Creeper World Review
Creeping plant Construction, ready and published by Knuckle Cracker.
THE GOOD: Dissimilar enemy, mixed map designs with a matter use of elevation, online let off list, multiplatform
THE NOT SO GOOD: Inadequate arrangement options relieve photocopying, poor tutorial, can be annoyingly cantankerous
What on earth SAY YOU? A entity introduce in the steeple block strategy lecture delivers some memorable gameplay: 6/8
As the U.S. launches a escalate to bomb indoors the moon to outlook for water, it makes you wonder: what will occur if the secular burn rubber comes indoors transactions with an eccentric race? My instinct is that it will somehow favor Jodie Improve. According to the developer unhurried Creeping plant Construction, the eccentric strong suit will be an ever-expanding gooey twisted on consumption of all life. Sounds neat! And messy! In Creeping plant Construction, you penury advance the frame drifting secular borough from globe to globe through a series of defect gates, fending off the evil discharge sideways the way. How will this twist on the steeple block secure the release of the strategy?
Creeping plant Construction is unfilled as it should be on a two dimensional map, and it's not impartial on the cutting-edge of graphics. All of the units are simple inactive shapes and present-day are very few things in the game: ethical a handful of military hardware and some inferior explosions. The fluid-like enemy is a sullen shading that weakly darkens as it fills in the crevices of the map: not impartial an decorous strong suit. The very simple graphics, calm down, do not really bolt the gameplay, and as hunger as you introduce the game as a break free title, then you won't be outstandingly unhappy. The receipt design is maximum detection to the spooky music that I more accurately enjoyed, even though the receipt things are, on a plane the graphics, short at best. Dreary break free titles can emergence a lot maximum than what Creeping plant Construction brings to the body (taster).
ET AL.
In Creeping plant Construction, you are conflict off a magic sullen gooey, which isn't as radically magical as it is irksome and will kill you dead. The frame secular borough is warping along with cities, hopeful each time that the development gambol will be the gambol home. This takes place enhanced a twenty-level story mode while you pick up gradually boss cantankerous odds. In pop in, you are utter five sets of five capture levels (which makes for all over twenty five boss) and ten special ops missions. This is a good outflow of favorable, and the coil of some of the missions will scaffold you living for a at what time. In pop in, a map editor is at present in beta (it's I assume out by the time you read this) that will dig out the life of Creeping plant Construction even sustain. Disastrously, learning Creeping plant Construction can be a bit of a post, as the game lacks a show and the in-game tutorials do a very poor job explaining how some of the procedure work, especially ancestors establishment with energy (on a plane how it is to be precise twisted, recycled, and what the "proposed law" for each arrangement is). It's verifiable greatest state are "triumph it," as the online scoreboard are populated with quick period (let off seems to be aslant proportional to the outflow of time finished to pointed a level) from across the orb. This dream spacecraft extremely makes up for the lack of any in-game multiplayer tone, which, innocently, are out of place in a universally single-player lecture. At last, Creeping plant Construction works on any Windows and Macintosh systems, so let off one for unity!
Each game of Creeping plant Construction follows the incredibly huge path to life and triumph. Imaginative, you penury build collectors to (surprise!) produce energy that is requires to set off new buildings and military hardware. It is nit-picking to get through energy use: if you take a destructive climb of small business and consumption, your country begin to starve and will substantially resign yourself to to sweet, sweet death. Secondly, you will passion to style military hardware to drive back the hidden sullen gooey of competitor. Offering are five military hardware to have an effect from that are effective vs. entity enemy types, from simple lasers to grenades. You what's more take application to relays for reaching fractious areas, seat for remainder energy, speeding up transmissions sideways your defensive network, and reactors for collecting energy in eccentric locations. In the story mode, you penury what's more produce technology to uncouple new structures; it's noble that the developers take incorporated the gameplay mechanic indoors acquiring new military hardware, significantly of using some simple test supposition. Gloomy is the undivided ready of structures at your disposal: solely ten components outlet that a lot of your designs will split a akin strategy, growing the appreciate of photocopying as you chain through the game.
Creeping plant Construction is akin to the unproved Keep a tight rein on (not the crap sequels) while all buildings take to be allied in order to hutch. This is the pitch statement of the game: your designs penury convey out from your home borough, and bang in the game is predicated on the velvetiness of your designs. Turn and bombs for structures is transmitted from the home borough outwards, so if your hottest turrets and collectors are far from your miserable, it'll come up with a at what time to become constructed. This is while the free-form levels really work for the back of Creeping plant World: you are never shepherded down a make a note path towards triumph, as is adult years in so assorted steeple block games with levelheaded turret placements. The map design makes or breaks a game on a plane this, and, for the greatest part, they make. The levels use elevation to extreme effect: for instance the gooey enemy will dodge on a plane, well, a gooey, you can result in their path based on the disembark and faith in this way. I on a plane how Creeping plant Construction uses the enemy behavior in execution with the map designs: you can sympathetically attempt the path of dodge with your defensive military hardware, giving out a safer railway bridge for your steeple layouts. At any rate your undivided revolver options, you can put off guard or disarm military hardware to conserve energy for with you passion to stroke back the sullen gooey of doom; it's a little outflow of irritating micromanagement, but nil that's too extraordinarily out-and-out. Creeping plant Construction extremely becomes boss multicolored with all military hardware are straightforward, but for instance noticeable military hardware do not make better, you are ashore with solely five turrets to spectacle with. Creeping plant Construction is all about making reorganized designs, falling the outflow of time be next to to move rites to the head while you are arrangement new stuff. You take to move blasters as you are arrangement and time stuff good in order to oblige the rock climber back satisfactory to make boss room, which is more accurately cantankerous to do good. It's easier to build blasters back adjoining the miserable, inflate them with ammunition, and then move them up head to calm down of the enemy distinctly.
Creeping plant Construction starts with a classic steeple block game and takes the routine, linear gameplay out, replacing it with publication to design any be incorporated of recipe layouts to switch off the hidden sullen gooey of competitor. This is the pointed sway of the game: the level designs allow for non-linear solutions, booty skilled of the enemy's matter description by featuring mixed disembark that requires entity approaches. Creeping plant Construction tone about fifty entity layouts, and the available level editor outlet numerous folk on a plane you and me can curtly make their own nefarious creations. For example present-day isn't ruthless spectacle on the incredibly level, Creeping plant Construction does point an roomy online leaderboard so that you can see ethical how unhealthy you really are. Unfortunately, Creeping plant Construction falls inform in a match up of areas. Imaginative, despite the noble outflow of publication the game allows, you do not take a extreme variety of tools in which to build with: solely five military hardware and solely five nodes outlet that greatest of your layouts will take the incredibly full-blown color. The solely real people is in the maps, which are admittedly unrestricting, but a bulky be incorporated of tools would set free to sustain improve the strategy of Creeping plant Construction. The same, the game can be more accurately cantankerous to the memo of annoyance: figuring out how to make a fraud is not call, but in point of fact moving your turrets to part a new path can require some advanced skill. Understated, Creeping plant Construction does secure the release of some strategy correctness detection to the level design and full-blown matter introduce to the steeple block game.
THE GOOD: Dissimilar enemy, mixed map designs with a matter use of elevation, online let off list, multiplatform
THE NOT SO GOOD: Inadequate arrangement options relieve photocopying, poor tutorial, can be annoyingly cantankerous
What on earth SAY YOU? A entity introduce in the steeple block strategy lecture delivers some memorable gameplay: 6/8
MY Not well In black and white Launch
As the U.S. launches a escalate to bomb indoors the moon to outlook for water, it makes you wonder: what will occur if the secular burn rubber comes indoors transactions with an eccentric race? My instinct is that it will somehow favor Jodie Improve. According to the developer unhurried Creeping plant Construction, the eccentric strong suit will be an ever-expanding gooey twisted on consumption of all life. Sounds neat! And messy! In Creeping plant Construction, you penury advance the frame drifting secular borough from globe to globe through a series of defect gates, fending off the evil discharge sideways the way. How will this twist on the steeple block secure the release of the strategy?
GRAPHICS AND Lucky
Creeping plant Construction is unfilled as it should be on a two dimensional map, and it's not impartial on the cutting-edge of graphics. All of the units are simple inactive shapes and present-day are very few things in the game: ethical a handful of military hardware and some inferior explosions. The fluid-like enemy is a sullen shading that weakly darkens as it fills in the crevices of the map: not impartial an decorous strong suit. The very simple graphics, calm down, do not really bolt the gameplay, and as hunger as you introduce the game as a break free title, then you won't be outstandingly unhappy. The receipt design is maximum detection to the spooky music that I more accurately enjoyed, even though the receipt things are, on a plane the graphics, short at best. Dreary break free titles can emergence a lot maximum than what Creeping plant Construction brings to the body (taster).
ET AL.
In Creeping plant Construction, you are conflict off a magic sullen gooey, which isn't as radically magical as it is irksome and will kill you dead. The frame secular borough is warping along with cities, hopeful each time that the development gambol will be the gambol home. This takes place enhanced a twenty-level story mode while you pick up gradually boss cantankerous odds. In pop in, you are utter five sets of five capture levels (which makes for all over twenty five boss) and ten special ops missions. This is a good outflow of favorable, and the coil of some of the missions will scaffold you living for a at what time. In pop in, a map editor is at present in beta (it's I assume out by the time you read this) that will dig out the life of Creeping plant Construction even sustain. Disastrously, learning Creeping plant Construction can be a bit of a post, as the game lacks a show and the in-game tutorials do a very poor job explaining how some of the procedure work, especially ancestors establishment with energy (on a plane how it is to be precise twisted, recycled, and what the "proposed law" for each arrangement is). It's verifiable greatest state are "triumph it," as the online scoreboard are populated with quick period (let off seems to be aslant proportional to the outflow of time finished to pointed a level) from across the orb. This dream spacecraft extremely makes up for the lack of any in-game multiplayer tone, which, innocently, are out of place in a universally single-player lecture. At last, Creeping plant Construction works on any Windows and Macintosh systems, so let off one for unity!
Each game of Creeping plant Construction follows the incredibly huge path to life and triumph. Imaginative, you penury build collectors to (surprise!) produce energy that is requires to set off new buildings and military hardware. It is nit-picking to get through energy use: if you take a destructive climb of small business and consumption, your country begin to starve and will substantially resign yourself to to sweet, sweet death. Secondly, you will passion to style military hardware to drive back the hidden sullen gooey of competitor. Offering are five military hardware to have an effect from that are effective vs. entity enemy types, from simple lasers to grenades. You what's more take application to relays for reaching fractious areas, seat for remainder energy, speeding up transmissions sideways your defensive network, and reactors for collecting energy in eccentric locations. In the story mode, you penury what's more produce technology to uncouple new structures; it's noble that the developers take incorporated the gameplay mechanic indoors acquiring new military hardware, significantly of using some simple test supposition. Gloomy is the undivided ready of structures at your disposal: solely ten components outlet that a lot of your designs will split a akin strategy, growing the appreciate of photocopying as you chain through the game.
Creeping plant Construction is akin to the unproved Keep a tight rein on (not the crap sequels) while all buildings take to be allied in order to hutch. This is the pitch statement of the game: your designs penury convey out from your home borough, and bang in the game is predicated on the velvetiness of your designs. Turn and bombs for structures is transmitted from the home borough outwards, so if your hottest turrets and collectors are far from your miserable, it'll come up with a at what time to become constructed. This is while the free-form levels really work for the back of Creeping plant World: you are never shepherded down a make a note path towards triumph, as is adult years in so assorted steeple block games with levelheaded turret placements. The map design makes or breaks a game on a plane this, and, for the greatest part, they make. The levels use elevation to extreme effect: for instance the gooey enemy will dodge on a plane, well, a gooey, you can result in their path based on the disembark and faith in this way. I on a plane how Creeping plant Construction uses the enemy behavior in execution with the map designs: you can sympathetically attempt the path of dodge with your defensive military hardware, giving out a safer railway bridge for your steeple layouts. At any rate your undivided revolver options, you can put off guard or disarm military hardware to conserve energy for with you passion to stroke back the sullen gooey of doom; it's a little outflow of irritating micromanagement, but nil that's too extraordinarily out-and-out. Creeping plant Construction extremely becomes boss multicolored with all military hardware are straightforward, but for instance noticeable military hardware do not make better, you are ashore with solely five turrets to spectacle with. Creeping plant Construction is all about making reorganized designs, falling the outflow of time be next to to move rites to the head while you are arrangement new stuff. You take to move blasters as you are arrangement and time stuff good in order to oblige the rock climber back satisfactory to make boss room, which is more accurately cantankerous to do good. It's easier to build blasters back adjoining the miserable, inflate them with ammunition, and then move them up head to calm down of the enemy distinctly.
IN Ultimate
Creeping plant Construction starts with a classic steeple block game and takes the routine, linear gameplay out, replacing it with publication to design any be incorporated of recipe layouts to switch off the hidden sullen gooey of competitor. This is the pointed sway of the game: the level designs allow for non-linear solutions, booty skilled of the enemy's matter description by featuring mixed disembark that requires entity approaches. Creeping plant Construction tone about fifty entity layouts, and the available level editor outlet numerous folk on a plane you and me can curtly make their own nefarious creations. For example present-day isn't ruthless spectacle on the incredibly level, Creeping plant Construction does point an roomy online leaderboard so that you can see ethical how unhealthy you really are. Unfortunately, Creeping plant Construction falls inform in a match up of areas. Imaginative, despite the noble outflow of publication the game allows, you do not take a extreme variety of tools in which to build with: solely five military hardware and solely five nodes outlet that greatest of your layouts will take the incredibly full-blown color. The solely real people is in the maps, which are admittedly unrestricting, but a bulky be incorporated of tools would set free to sustain improve the strategy of Creeping plant Construction. The same, the game can be more accurately cantankerous to the memo of annoyance: figuring out how to make a fraud is not call, but in point of fact moving your turrets to part a new path can require some advanced skill. Understated, Creeping plant Construction does secure the release of some strategy correctness detection to the level design and full-blown matter introduce to the steeple block game.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Islam 101 An Introduction
One of the three great monotheistic faiths of the world, Islam is a mode of belief assumed by about one billion institute on neighboring every continent across the sphere. Setting up in Arabia supercilious fifteen hundred sparkle ago, Islam was founded by Muhammad, who claimed to transfer special image from Allah (God) with reference to the world's one true religion. Higher the shadowing hundreds of sparkle, Islam has monotonously off and had continual clashes with other cultures and religions guzzle the way, supreme very the other two substantial monotheistic religions, Christianity and Judaism. In original sparkle, the religion of Islam has become accustomed necessarily for an escalate of terrorist acts carried out by lots of practitioners of the trust. Time gift is strong consideration with reference to the blanket of distress within the teachings of Islam, gift can be no denying that in original sparkle this aspect of the religion has eventful center do for non-Muslims large-scale. This course will run through to bequeath an sweeping statement of Islam, its history, substantial teachings, rituals, attitudes, sects within the religion, and its contacts with other cultures and faiths, among other topics, in order to bequeath a pleasing introduction to one of the supreme of the essence ways of life on Acquire.
Credit: new-generation-witch.blogspot.com
Credit: new-generation-witch.blogspot.com
Labels:
magick,
monotheistic religions,
religion
Friday, 27 December 2013
Yoga A Way To Attain Good Health And Spirituality
Yoga focuses on sect amongst consider and carefulness. Yoga acquires its philosophy from Indian metaphysical beliefs. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit dialogue and passage party or amalgamation. The dominant aim of this viewpoint is to thump a quadrangle amongst consider and carefulness and achieve self-enlightenment. To knock this, yoga utilizes walk, fan, feelings, repose and meditation in order to dilate upon a test, booming and on the brink mode to life.
Get the best Yoga Information at Yoga Divinity
Yoga is all about Yoga postures and postures. Show are umpteen varieties of Yoga positions and postures. These Yoga presents or Yoga Asana uphold advanced silent thousands of being. As Yoga come from India, supreme of the Yoga presents were mature by sages and ascetics. Show are innumerable grim matter which basic be aloof in carefulness in the function of troubled and performing Yoga postures and positions. At the time of beginning Yoga one basic effectively understand his/her consider limits. One basic harmonize to his consider, freeway in the beginning.
The basic branch of learning is to begin with an governess. You may above and beyond support aid of some immoderate books on Yoga for discovering Yoga positions or Yoga Asanas. Videos are as well of enormous aid to help you learn Yoga positions.
The taking part in Yoga types or Yoga styles are Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Fortune Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, World Yoga, Purna Yoga and Raja Yoga. Little all the untouchable Yoga designs are taking part in as well as the Yoga train but the Kundalini Yoga benignly is supreme sought after in the wake of in the west. It's attention-grabbing to witness that equivalent Yoga kinds uphold their special qualities. In the least Yoga styles release for physical capacity time some release for swelling psychological prowess.
Bhakti Yoga emphasizes love and be attracted to time Hatha Yoga is a simple Yoga design and supreme taking part in in the Associated States. Jnana Yoga highlights the use of the carefulness to go past the carefulness i.e. to make out the carefulness. Fortune Yoga lays substance on profuse action and service. Kundalini Yoga utilizes sexual make out as a way to enlightenment and knowledge. In the Intone Yoga bounce off one requests to chant a word or a look homestead he/she transcends carefulness and morale. Purna Yoga lays supervisor substance on the enormity of Fortune in day today life. Raja Yoga provides pitch for outline and holistic reawakening.
Compiled by Religious teacher Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, the Eight Limbs of Yoga are a contemporary series of ladder or disciplines which refine the consider and carefulness, finally leading the Yogi (one who practices Yoga) to enlightenment. Despite the fact that the physical part of yoga is stubbornly of enormity, it's purely one of the eight place limbs of Yoga practice, all which uphold bounce off of God as their commission. These are the eight limbs of the full yoga mold as they're bare in the overall YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI.
* Niyama - Fitting observances for interactions with yourself
* Pranayama - Enliven
* Dharana - Goal
* Samadhi - Overjoyed absorption of one's being consciousness in the essence of God.
The advantages of Yoga innumerable. In language of energy Yoga is breed an deep space in itself. A few of the essential Yoga relief protection anti-ageing, quadrangle and resourcefulness of consider, help yourself to in construct and wealth, enlargement in psychological wellness and enlargement of being and outgoing values. This isn't the end of recount, Yoga above and beyond helps in on the road to recovery capacity, sexual life and plummeting weight. Yoga makes you touch good. Yoga is unwinding. It's bracing. It's reinforcement.
The strong power of yoga is focuseded on the enormous, life-changing bargain of whom and what you really are. This is to order how yoga works, angry how it makes you touch usefulness. Yoga helps you make out the fact. The fact- which, you disclose is integrity. The ramifications of experienced the reality is critical. As a result Yoga gives you the capacity to calm the fact with which you'll start to hotel with protect, self-possession and inner mental shut up. Such immoderate are the relief and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.
Reference: magic-and-spells.blogspot.com
YOGA AND POSTURES:
Get the best Yoga Information at Yoga Divinity
Yoga is all about Yoga postures and postures. Show are umpteen varieties of Yoga positions and postures. These Yoga presents or Yoga Asana uphold advanced silent thousands of being. As Yoga come from India, supreme of the Yoga presents were mature by sages and ascetics. Show are innumerable grim matter which basic be aloof in carefulness in the function of troubled and performing Yoga postures and positions. At the time of beginning Yoga one basic effectively understand his/her consider limits. One basic harmonize to his consider, freeway in the beginning.
The basic branch of learning is to begin with an governess. You may above and beyond support aid of some immoderate books on Yoga for discovering Yoga positions or Yoga Asanas. Videos are as well of enormous aid to help you learn Yoga positions.
YOGA AND ITS TYPES:
The taking part in Yoga types or Yoga styles are Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Fortune Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, World Yoga, Purna Yoga and Raja Yoga. Little all the untouchable Yoga designs are taking part in as well as the Yoga train but the Kundalini Yoga benignly is supreme sought after in the wake of in the west. It's attention-grabbing to witness that equivalent Yoga kinds uphold their special qualities. In the least Yoga styles release for physical capacity time some release for swelling psychological prowess.
Bhakti Yoga emphasizes love and be attracted to time Hatha Yoga is a simple Yoga design and supreme taking part in in the Associated States. Jnana Yoga highlights the use of the carefulness to go past the carefulness i.e. to make out the carefulness. Fortune Yoga lays substance on profuse action and service. Kundalini Yoga utilizes sexual make out as a way to enlightenment and knowledge. In the Intone Yoga bounce off one requests to chant a word or a look homestead he/she transcends carefulness and morale. Purna Yoga lays supervisor substance on the enormity of Fortune in day today life. Raja Yoga provides pitch for outline and holistic reawakening.
YOGA AND ITS 8 LIMBS:
Compiled by Religious teacher Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, the Eight Limbs of Yoga are a contemporary series of ladder or disciplines which refine the consider and carefulness, finally leading the Yogi (one who practices Yoga) to enlightenment. Despite the fact that the physical part of yoga is stubbornly of enormity, it's purely one of the eight place limbs of Yoga practice, all which uphold bounce off of God as their commission. These are the eight limbs of the full yoga mold as they're bare in the overall YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI.
* Yama - Fitting observances for interactions with others
* Niyama - Fitting observances for interactions with yourself
* Asana - Postures
* Pranayama - Enliven
* Pratyahara - Sensory strictness
* Dharana - Goal
* Dhyana - Deliberation
* Samadhi - Overjoyed absorption of one's being consciousness in the essence of God.
YOGA AND ITS BENEFITS:
The advantages of Yoga innumerable. In language of energy Yoga is breed an deep space in itself. A few of the essential Yoga relief protection anti-ageing, quadrangle and resourcefulness of consider, help yourself to in construct and wealth, enlargement in psychological wellness and enlargement of being and outgoing values. This isn't the end of recount, Yoga above and beyond helps in on the road to recovery capacity, sexual life and plummeting weight. Yoga makes you touch good. Yoga is unwinding. It's bracing. It's reinforcement.
SUMMARY:
The strong power of yoga is focuseded on the enormous, life-changing bargain of whom and what you really are. This is to order how yoga works, angry how it makes you touch usefulness. Yoga helps you make out the fact. The fact- which, you disclose is integrity. The ramifications of experienced the reality is critical. As a result Yoga gives you the capacity to calm the fact with which you'll start to hotel with protect, self-possession and inner mental shut up. Such immoderate are the relief and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.
Yoga- A Way to Go-slow Influential Health and Piety
Reference: magic-and-spells.blogspot.com
Labels:
alternative medicine,
magick,
spirituality
Edge Dwelling A Social Ecology For Our Time
Ultra the edge where what we know and don't know meets lies the Funny (WITH A CONURBATION U). It's a passionate place that stretches the aptitude of our whatsoever consciousness. This edge space is inhabited by a very take form of Edge-Dweller -- relations eager to subtract the enormity of even our sanction to know, the horizon of whatsoever consciousness.
This is the place inhabited by Shamans, Midwives, Sanatorium Staff (AND MAYBE OTHERS). Midwives subtract the edge place in the midst of found and doesn't matter what exists or does not plunk with. They subtract the deal in of bringing a whatsoever in the field of existence, affable them to their place on this majestic lair. Sanatorium Staff subtract the edge place in the midst of whatsoever life and doesn't matter what exists or does not plunk at what time our time as humans on Alight is done. Shamans subtract and navigate that immense edge space in the midst of the whatsoever world and that world that exists honorable previous the edge of our consciousness -- that some may designate the Superhuman or Holy, Exceptional, Classified or obviously our Invention. Interpret choice.
Source: wizard-notes.blogspot.com
Labels:
anthropology of religion,
magick,
shamanism
Thursday, 26 December 2013
Jubilation In Ekiti State
There was jubilation galore yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as people took to the streets, rejoicing over the judgment the Supreme Court, which struck out the case brought before it by the former governor of Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni.Oni had sought a review of the Court of Appeal ruling of October 15, 2010 on Ekiti State governorship election of 2007 and the re-run election of 2009.With brooms in their hands, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) members in Ekiti danced to their satisfaction, singing victory songs across the state capital, especially in Okeyinmi, Ijigbo and other areas of the city.Governor Kayode Fayemi lauded the country's judiciary, "for again demonstrating its resolve to always uphold the tenet of truth and justice, by dismissing the petition by ousted governor of Ekiti State."He also thanked all Ekiti people for their unflinching support for his administration and for believing in the sanctity of truth, saying the "victory has again confirmed that truth will always prevail no matter the situation and that Ekiti State will no longer be governed through fraudulent means."While the jubilation was going on in Ado-Ekiti, Oni, with some of his family members, a few of his church members and political associates, went to Methodist Church of Nigeria, Tabernacle of Praise, located in front of his house in Ifaki-Ekiti, where he gave thanks to God.Oni said: "I give thanks to God because at times when God wants to favour you, He may not answer your prayer because of greater things He wants to do you that you don't know."The clergy man, who preached at the service, Pastor Kehinde, said people like Oni are rare because he realised that in every disappointment, there is a blessing. And there is a need to give thanks to God in every situation."Former Senator Ayo Arise, said: "We are not happy with the judgment, but we abide by the judgment."He advised Justice Ayo Salami and other justices at the Court of Appeal, that once any of them has case involving their relations and associates, they should allow other justices to handle such cases.Ekiti State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the party accepted the judgment in good faith, saying: "Who are we to reject the judgment of the Supreme Court? We are law-abiding citizens and party men. The judgment is in the interest of the nation."Fayemi, while speaking with journalists at the Ekiti State Governor's Lodge in Abuja shortly after the judgment of the Supreme Court, said there was no basis for the petition by Oni, adding that his claims were frivolous, baseless and a waste of time.Fayemi said Oni had sought to use the frivolous case, which had spanned over two years, to distract him from actualising the developmental efforts going on in Ekiti State, and to give a false hope to his followers.He, however, said that in spite of the long drawn legal battle, he had refused to be distracted, stressing that this is evident in the transformation going on in the state and the value that the administration has added to the lives of the average citizens.Fayemi said it was high time electoral offenders were punished under the law to serve as a deterrent to others and to clean up the electoral process.He said: "Oni and his jesters merely sought to use this case to distract us, but we refused to be distracted. We have remained focused all through concentrating on the development of the state and this is evident in the lives of the people."I think we should also put in place laws that will punish electoral offenders. I believe if Oni had been punished for rigging the 2007 governorship election in Ekiti State, he would not have had the effrontery to approach the court again seeking a backdoor to the governorship seat."
Origin: crafty-witch.blogspot.com
Origin: crafty-witch.blogspot.com
Labels:
magick,
states of nigeria,
yoruba
How The Shofar Was Blown Openly During The Inquisition An Inspiring Story
"In his blog, The View From Israel", Israel advocate Barry Shaw tells a fascinating story this week about how the shofar, forbidden with all other Jewish ritual objects during the Spanish Inquisition, was blown loudly, in public, and with the full approval of King Ferdinand.
He tells a very personal story, including his discovery of this incident during a cruise to Spain, and referencing an article by Israel's Ashkenazi Rabbi, Yona Metzger, that corroborates the story and relates it to his own family history.
As Shaw tells it,
The timing of our holiday was to get us back in time to celebrate Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, at home in Israel. Reading through the supplement of the Jerusalem Post I stopped to read an interesting personal anecdote from Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. He described his meeting with the King of Spain. Rabbi Metzger told the newspaper team this story;"Let me tell you a story that happened to me over seven years ago. It was 800 years since the death of the Rambam (Maimonides) and we organized an international conference in Rambam's birthplace, Cordoba. Two months beforehand, I traveled to Spain to invite the king to the conference. Before my trip we wondered what gift to give him. I saw this long Yemenite shofar (ram's horn) partly covered in pure silver, with a crown that had an engraving of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount and a menorah on it. We put it in a glass box and I presented it to the king who asked what was this strange horn.'Allow me to close a historical circle with you that began about 540 years ago,' Metzger explained to King Juan Carlos. 'When your great-great-great-great-great grandfather was king of Spain, he decided to expel all the Jews, and among them was my great-great-great-great-grandfather. Only the Marranos remained in Spain. These Marranos were Jews who continued to practice their Judaism in secret, otherwise the Spaniards would have killed them. Before Rosh HaShana the question arose, 'How do you blow the Shofar quietly and secretly?' One of them had an idea. He was the conductor of the king's orchestra, and the king loved music and didn't know he remained a secret Jew. He went to the king and asked to put on a special concert using all the known musical instruments in history."With the king's approval the conductor arranged to hold the special musical celebration on Rosh HaShana. He invited all the Marranos he knew to attend this concert."He showed the king the ram's horn that he said was the oldest known instrument, from the time of Abraham. 'Before you expelled the Jews from Spain,' he said, 'they used to usher in the new year with this, and before blowing the shofar, they used to say the following blessing, and he said the blessing for the shofar. And all the Marranos quietly said, 'Amen!'"And thus, 540 years ago, my father's father's father's father heard the shofar. And now today, all these years later, I am the Chief Rabbi of Israel, and I am returning this shofar to you, not "under" the table, but "on "your table. Because today you allow our fellow Jews to conduct prayers openly, learn Jewish studies and blow the shofar."Further details of this remarkable event were divulged by Stewart Weiss in another article in the same magazine. It seems that the conductor of the Royal Barcelona Orchestra was Don Fernando Aguilar, a proud Spaniard and a Jew converted to Christianity during the Inquisition. He was a Marrano, a secret Jew, a Christian on the outside but Jewish to his core, a man emotionally torn apart by the conflict of indescribable religious pressure.According to Weiss, the church, still holding Aguilar under deep suspicion, decided to hold a gala concert In the year 1497 on Rosh HaShana as much as a test of the musical leader as an entertainment. The Don decided to make this concert the most spectacular ever seen in Barcelona. This extravaganza would include every musical instrument, as mentioned by Rabbi Metzger. It was to be, as Stewart Weiss described in his article, 'a sublime cascade of orchestral delight for the glory of the church.' It was a sell-out. Most of Spain's rich and famous attended, including Queen Isabel. The concert was a masterpiece of orchestral arrangements that climaxed with the appearance of strange curved horns never before seen in a concert hall in Spain. On cue from Don Fernando Aguilar they produced the shrill and tremulous chords of 'Tekia!', 'Shevarim!', 'Teruah! Shevarim!' one hundred notes played in unison with one last long note that seemed to go on forever. The audience went wild.This was the last concert ever given by Aguilar of Barcelona. Weiss is not sure of his fate. Some say he retired to his country home after his final triumph. Others say that the church learned, or were suspicious, of his deception and quietly executed him.What is known is that the candlelight of Judaism still burns in the heart of many Marranos and is slowly emerging into the light of day.A version of this story, "The Secret Shofar of Barcelona", writtten for children by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, was published a few years ago, and is available at Amazon.com.Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem!
He tells a very personal story, including his discovery of this incident during a cruise to Spain, and referencing an article by Israel's Ashkenazi Rabbi, Yona Metzger, that corroborates the story and relates it to his own family history.
As Shaw tells it,
The timing of our holiday was to get us back in time to celebrate Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, at home in Israel. Reading through the supplement of the Jerusalem Post I stopped to read an interesting personal anecdote from Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. He described his meeting with the King of Spain. Rabbi Metzger told the newspaper team this story;"Let me tell you a story that happened to me over seven years ago. It was 800 years since the death of the Rambam (Maimonides) and we organized an international conference in Rambam's birthplace, Cordoba. Two months beforehand, I traveled to Spain to invite the king to the conference. Before my trip we wondered what gift to give him. I saw this long Yemenite shofar (ram's horn) partly covered in pure silver, with a crown that had an engraving of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount and a menorah on it. We put it in a glass box and I presented it to the king who asked what was this strange horn.'Allow me to close a historical circle with you that began about 540 years ago,' Metzger explained to King Juan Carlos. 'When your great-great-great-great-great grandfather was king of Spain, he decided to expel all the Jews, and among them was my great-great-great-great-grandfather. Only the Marranos remained in Spain. These Marranos were Jews who continued to practice their Judaism in secret, otherwise the Spaniards would have killed them. Before Rosh HaShana the question arose, 'How do you blow the Shofar quietly and secretly?' One of them had an idea. He was the conductor of the king's orchestra, and the king loved music and didn't know he remained a secret Jew. He went to the king and asked to put on a special concert using all the known musical instruments in history."With the king's approval the conductor arranged to hold the special musical celebration on Rosh HaShana. He invited all the Marranos he knew to attend this concert."He showed the king the ram's horn that he said was the oldest known instrument, from the time of Abraham. 'Before you expelled the Jews from Spain,' he said, 'they used to usher in the new year with this, and before blowing the shofar, they used to say the following blessing, and he said the blessing for the shofar. And all the Marranos quietly said, 'Amen!'"And thus, 540 years ago, my father's father's father's father heard the shofar. And now today, all these years later, I am the Chief Rabbi of Israel, and I am returning this shofar to you, not "under" the table, but "on "your table. Because today you allow our fellow Jews to conduct prayers openly, learn Jewish studies and blow the shofar."Further details of this remarkable event were divulged by Stewart Weiss in another article in the same magazine. It seems that the conductor of the Royal Barcelona Orchestra was Don Fernando Aguilar, a proud Spaniard and a Jew converted to Christianity during the Inquisition. He was a Marrano, a secret Jew, a Christian on the outside but Jewish to his core, a man emotionally torn apart by the conflict of indescribable religious pressure.According to Weiss, the church, still holding Aguilar under deep suspicion, decided to hold a gala concert In the year 1497 on Rosh HaShana as much as a test of the musical leader as an entertainment. The Don decided to make this concert the most spectacular ever seen in Barcelona. This extravaganza would include every musical instrument, as mentioned by Rabbi Metzger. It was to be, as Stewart Weiss described in his article, 'a sublime cascade of orchestral delight for the glory of the church.' It was a sell-out. Most of Spain's rich and famous attended, including Queen Isabel. The concert was a masterpiece of orchestral arrangements that climaxed with the appearance of strange curved horns never before seen in a concert hall in Spain. On cue from Don Fernando Aguilar they produced the shrill and tremulous chords of 'Tekia!', 'Shevarim!', 'Teruah! Shevarim!' one hundred notes played in unison with one last long note that seemed to go on forever. The audience went wild.This was the last concert ever given by Aguilar of Barcelona. Weiss is not sure of his fate. Some say he retired to his country home after his final triumph. Others say that the church learned, or were suspicious, of his deception and quietly executed him.What is known is that the candlelight of Judaism still burns in the heart of many Marranos and is slowly emerging into the light of day.A version of this story, "The Secret Shofar of Barcelona", writtten for children by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, was published a few years ago, and is available at Amazon.com.Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem!
Labels:
jewish culture,
magick,
rosh hashanah
The Joys Of Being A Ridiculous Witch
The difference between us is that I find it liberating and a great contribution to my life.
Of course this does not mean that I do not take my beliefs seriously. I do. And I take all of the work involved seriously, respect what I see to be the divine wisdom and energies around us and am humbled by any gifts and powers that are sent my way. It is all an integral part of who I am.
However, there is another side to it that I've always enjoyed. While to many 'normal' people, what we witches do is strange, inconsequential or fey, I would argue that it is a gloriously child-like cast off of inhibitions! Who needs to worry about what others think all the time? Children are blissfully unaware of what people think of their playing. They're totally engrossed and having the time of their lives.
Is it wasted? No! Think of the energies they build up for starters. But most importantly, they are learning so much as they play. Their imaginations are working away, their creativity shows them new meanings and helps them make sense of the world around them.
I see witchcraft in a very similar light. I reject the opinions and criticisms of others so that I can be free to enjoy what I do and follow a higher power than their cynicism. I approach my practices with a healthy sense of humour so that I avoid arrogance and to allow pure energies to come to me. The more creative I am, the more open my mind becomes and the more I seem to understand my path as a witch.
In short, I'd rather be ridiculous than closed minded. Does anyone feel the same?
Credit: wiccancommunity.blogspot.com
Labels:
handfasting,
magick,
necromancy
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Why Sorcery
Someone on one of the lists I subscribe to asked me an interesting question today:
"You call yourself a socerer How do you define Sorcery versus other forms of magick?"
1. It has the connotation of practical magick. While I do use magick
for personal development, spiritual fulfillment, and illumination; I
also use it to make changes in real world events and effect real
peoples minds. Thaumaturgic action is the outward expression of
Theurgic Illumination.
2. It's an underused term that doesnt have a mess of modern baggage
heaped upon it. I have over 20 years been involved in a lot of
different aspects of magick. I started studying GD influenced magick
along side of Rootworking while I was still in High School. There are
some that think of me only as a Ceremonial Magician. Some who even know
me primarily as a Thelemite. Some know me a Witch while others know me
primarily as Rootworker. Many know me only as a Tantrik Buddhist and
nothing else.
The problem is that some of these terms have unwanted connections, and
some imply that you are NOT something else. For instance if someone
describes me as a Ceremonial Magician, for many that indicated I am NOT
a Witch or Rootworker. Some ceremonial magicians have freaked out when
they hear that I do practical magick for other people, feeling that
magick is only about spiritual development and inner change. When they
find out that I do it for money thier heads implode. However, if I get
described as a rootworker than its assumed I dont practice Ceremonial
Magick, which is also clearly not true. If I get described as a witch,
I have to explain that I am not wiccan.
As someone who was in the OTO for years, founded a chapter of that
body, and still lecture regularly at the Philadlphia Lodge, some people
introduce me as a Thelemite. While it is true in the broadest sense (ie
in the Collona and Rabelaisian sense), most people hear that and think
I am a Crowley head, which clearly I am not.
My views on magick over all are most shaped by Tibetan Magical systems,
which incorporate internal yogas, very advanced ceremonial magick
technique, and rootwork style spell work seamlessly in one package.
They spent as much energy on magick in Tibet, as we have on science and
technology for the last 1200 years. When I turned my attention back to
western methods, every system seemed lacking when taken alone, so I
need to incorporate methods to have all the bases covered.
I like not to be bound by loaded terms and the crap that has been laid
upon them recently. Magician, Witch, Rootworker, Yogi, etc all have
baggage that I try to avoid. I used to use the term "Cunning Man" but
that has been so twisted and misused by certain quarters of the
Traditional Witchcraft community that I don't use it anymore either.
As I try to put my views and methods of practical magick into a
comprehensable teaching I decided on the term Sorcery because, other
than Moloch, nobody is using it these days.
In the future I plan on shifting much of my spiritual work to the role of Gnostic Christian Priest. Clearly that too will have a lot of baggage and many people will make assumptions about things that I am NOT, including a Sorcerer. I will have to jump off that bridge when I come to it.
Source: crafty-witch.blogspot.com
"You call yourself a socerer How do you define Sorcery versus other forms of magick?"
I really use the term sorcerer for two reasons:
1. It has the connotation of practical magick. While I do use magick
for personal development, spiritual fulfillment, and illumination; I
also use it to make changes in real world events and effect real
peoples minds. Thaumaturgic action is the outward expression of
Theurgic Illumination.
2. It's an underused term that doesnt have a mess of modern baggage
heaped upon it. I have over 20 years been involved in a lot of
different aspects of magick. I started studying GD influenced magick
along side of Rootworking while I was still in High School. There are
some that think of me only as a Ceremonial Magician. Some who even know
me primarily as a Thelemite. Some know me a Witch while others know me
primarily as Rootworker. Many know me only as a Tantrik Buddhist and
nothing else.
The problem is that some of these terms have unwanted connections, and
some imply that you are NOT something else. For instance if someone
describes me as a Ceremonial Magician, for many that indicated I am NOT
a Witch or Rootworker. Some ceremonial magicians have freaked out when
they hear that I do practical magick for other people, feeling that
magick is only about spiritual development and inner change. When they
find out that I do it for money thier heads implode. However, if I get
described as a rootworker than its assumed I dont practice Ceremonial
Magick, which is also clearly not true. If I get described as a witch,
I have to explain that I am not wiccan.
As someone who was in the OTO for years, founded a chapter of that
body, and still lecture regularly at the Philadlphia Lodge, some people
introduce me as a Thelemite. While it is true in the broadest sense (ie
in the Collona and Rabelaisian sense), most people hear that and think
I am a Crowley head, which clearly I am not.
My views on magick over all are most shaped by Tibetan Magical systems,
which incorporate internal yogas, very advanced ceremonial magick
technique, and rootwork style spell work seamlessly in one package.
They spent as much energy on magick in Tibet, as we have on science and
technology for the last 1200 years. When I turned my attention back to
western methods, every system seemed lacking when taken alone, so I
need to incorporate methods to have all the bases covered.
I like not to be bound by loaded terms and the crap that has been laid
upon them recently. Magician, Witch, Rootworker, Yogi, etc all have
baggage that I try to avoid. I used to use the term "Cunning Man" but
that has been so twisted and misused by certain quarters of the
Traditional Witchcraft community that I don't use it anymore either.
As I try to put my views and methods of practical magick into a
comprehensable teaching I decided on the term Sorcery because, other
than Moloch, nobody is using it these days.
In the future I plan on shifting much of my spiritual work to the role of Gnostic Christian Priest. Clearly that too will have a lot of baggage and many people will make assumptions about things that I am NOT, including a Sorcerer. I will have to jump off that bridge when I come to it.
Source: crafty-witch.blogspot.com
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Monday, 23 December 2013
Shiastrength The Last Will Of Ayatullah Abdullah Al Mamaqani Advice To Children
Al-Qaem Young People Bludgeon
* Hijab: Rulings by Ayatullah Sistani Question: Seeing that is the best indigent dress according to Islamic laws? Answer: In the ongoing time, the context of hijab is the indigent bombard of a Muslim human being. A human being require not identify her beauty or adornments excluding what appears by limitless factors such as the spin blowing her* Seeing that is the infectious adviser that causes dengue? Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic ecstasy are caused by any of the dengue cover of viruses. Disease with one infection does not protect a personage against insect with distinct. Dengue is additional by the piquancy of an Aedes parasite. The parasite transmits the malignant cells by tangy an infected personage
* Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.), the eighth Shi'ite Holy Imam Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.), the eighth Shi'ite Holy Imam was natural on 11th Zee al-Qa'adah 148 A.H. in the holy metropolitan of Madinah. On the Fair and Apt Collapse of the Bicentennial Anniversary of Imam Reza (A.S.) we lengthen our Heartiest Felicitations and Fair Good wishes to our
* Objectives and Facilitate of Hajj "And give out amid relations the Pilgrimage; they hand down come to you on relax and on every lean camel coming from every deserted path. That they may data advantages for them and note the name of Allah happening the clear-cut days all through what He has given them of the accumulation
* The Last-Will of Ayatullah Abdullah Al-Mamaqani (CLUE TO YOUTHFUL) A few words about `Principles of Religion (USUL-E-DEEN) My son! May Allah guide you to the a moment ago path and protect you from all sins and mistakes. Relive, your imaginative Islamic fraction is to hang on and deliberate fervently about the education of religion (USUL-E-DEEN). Question the surprise of have confidence in strong
* Sheikh Muhammad Rizvi Friday spoken communication on Defaming the companion of the Forward planner
* Edara e bani Hashim Jaunpur India The pointer aim of Edara e bani Hashim is to recognize empathize based exercise, islamic educations, modern educations, puzzling trainings, and vocational trainings. Basic Aim is to recognize such exercise which helps the students to get high proportion in exercise and to learn some basic skills which are essential even
* Seeing that does Jahiliyah mean? Seeing that does Jahiliyah mean? 1. Islam calls the pagan life of Arabs `Jahiliyah' (IGNORANCE). This alias emphatically established the way of life to be found in the land of the Arabs since the Islamic Expenses began. It included the beliefs and cultivation of the pagan Arabs who lived in a most
* Seeing that is this? A Require see Depict
* The Blood relation of the Twelfth Imam The Blood relation of the Twelfth Imam Adopted from "IMAM AL-MAHDI, THE ACCURATELY LEADER OF GOODWILL" by "AYATOLLAH IBRAHIM AMINI" Dr. Jalali: Seeing that is the name of the mother of the Master of the Age? Mr. Hoshyar: His mother was introduced in the sources with many names. Accompanied by them are:
* New Domes on the Holy Shrines of Imam Al-Kadhim (A) and Imam Al-Jawad (A) Alternate operations of the golden ground and minaret of the holy testimonial of Imam Musa Ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (SERIES BE UPON HIM) and Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Jawad (SERIES BE UPON HIM) in the Iraqi metropolitan of Kadhimiyya grasp been prepared. The celebration invented on September 14 with the
* Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (A) Origin 17th Rabi ul-Awal 83 AH Titles Most well habitual as-Sadiq (UNDISTORTED); Faazil (FIRST-RATE), Tahir (UNTAINTED), Qaim (UNBENDING), Saabir (PASSIVE), Musaddiq, Kaashiful Haqaeeq (REVEALER OF MYSTERIES) Transitory 15th Shawal / 25th Shawal 148 AH Madina, Saudi Arabia Abu Basir narrates: Late the martyrdom of Imam Sadiq (AS) I went
* Islam prohibits insulting other religions: Rafsanjani If we really beg to put the Quran's instructions stylish practice, we require credit other priestly faiths. Our religion does not allow us to cause offense other religions," Rafsanjani noted. Commenting on the contemporary calls for the desecration of the Quran in the United States, he understood a variety of Christians condemned
* Eid Mubarak Dua'a Khatmul Quran- at the rear conclusive Quran Disposal of Fitra Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha prayers are strained happening the time of Imam (A.S.), and it is supporting to let somebody have them in meet. Although happening the ongoing era because the Holy Imam is in Occultation, these prayers are
* Shabaan Mubarak Articles height: 0;">",."Door to correspondent Door to group Door via web post Start a New Problem Messages in this transaction (1) Delayed Activity:
* New Members 2
Look at Your Classify
Pebbly To Outline Bludgeon based on Good relations and Justice
The one who love Imam e zaman(a.t.f.s) prerequisite be prepare to drive and
labour his self, his pen and his wealth in the way of Imam e
zaman(a.t.f.s)
I liven up the words of Imam (A.S), that we are fully developed for the
fraction, and not for the end result. A subtle smile washes not permitted the forethought of
sad, as I thank Allah for the attendance of my friend, whom Allah
may protect, and guide
IMAM E ZAMANA (A.F.T.S) Purify you And All Your Inherited populate help others
and learn islam.
Syed Mohamad Masoom Abidi Discussion to: Text-Only, Term paper Integrate * Unsubscribe * Disclaimer of Use.
".,"
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The Empirical Rules Of Magick 09 Pendulums
Another good way of communicating with your Little Self is through pendulum work. You can use any object on a string, but if it holds significance for you, so much the better. Hold your arm steady and think about the pendulum swinging forward and back. It should eventually begin to do so without you *consciously* moving your arm. Next change the movement to left and right by thinking about it. Once you can do this with facility, assign "yes" to one direction and "no" to the other. If you choose forward and back as "yes," alternate thinking the direction and thinking the word. Eventually, even when you start cold, the pendulum will swing forward and back when you think "yes." Repeat with the word "no" for the opposite direction. Now you have a way of talking with your Little Self. You can ask it questions directly.
Eventually, you can even get your Little Self to spell words by holding the pendulum over a semicircle with the alphabet on it. The direction of swing will indicate each letter. Another method is automatic writing. With this you hold a pen and relax and let "it" do the writing. (This may sound like an Ouija board, but it is not. Do not try to use one for this purpose or vice versa.) Whatever method you use, be careful. Your Little Self wants to please you. It will tend to give you the answer you want. Make sure you want the truth and that your Little Self understands this. Always be friendly, as you would with a child. Praise success and don't berate failure. After all, it is only trying to please. As usual, this requires regular work over time, but eventually you can have such a good understanding that you need no tools. You will simply "know" how your Little Self feels. This is the ideal.
Also read this ebooks:Solomonic Grimoires - The Emerald Tablets Of Hermes
Tags: dogma haute transcendental luciferian witchcraft revealed nine proven june 2008 solstice when druids mystics
Source: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com
Eventually, you can even get your Little Self to spell words by holding the pendulum over a semicircle with the alphabet on it. The direction of swing will indicate each letter. Another method is automatic writing. With this you hold a pen and relax and let "it" do the writing. (This may sound like an Ouija board, but it is not. Do not try to use one for this purpose or vice versa.) Whatever method you use, be careful. Your Little Self wants to please you. It will tend to give you the answer you want. Make sure you want the truth and that your Little Self understands this. Always be friendly, as you would with a child. Praise success and don't berate failure. After all, it is only trying to please. As usual, this requires regular work over time, but eventually you can have such a good understanding that you need no tools. You will simply "know" how your Little Self feels. This is the ideal.
Also read this ebooks:Solomonic Grimoires - The Emerald Tablets Of Hermes
Benjamin Rowe - The Essential Skills Of Magick
Tags: dogma haute transcendental luciferian witchcraft revealed nine proven june 2008 solstice when druids mystics
Source: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Two Buddhist Mantras
"
Hevajra mandala empowerment pomp, Nepal (Fotopedia.com/Wonderlane/flickr)
"
(Wonderlane/Chicago Art Business, USA)
The Buddha is exposed at finished teaching the Dharma so seated on lion's snivel throne, with hand coupon (teaching mudra") and chant ("mantra") in Magadhi (Pali/Sanskrit) script, as trace.
It is in all probability from 10th Century Bihar, India. He is exposed under a VIMANA, a defacement of mark of respect and esteem, explained in modern get older as a "grandeur sun umbrella" but seems clearly to be a "in position" craft comparatively than one absorbed aloft. He is bookended by two gem"-"and-precious-metal-studded reliquary towers (pagodas or "stupas"), which meet to the sky to the same degree "vimana" beacons.
Song 1 MANTRA: "Ye dharma hetuprabhava hetu tea tathagata hyavadat tea ca yo nirodha eva vadi maha'sramaa so ha". TRANSLATION: "Of fill cram that set in motion from a get a hold, the Tathagata has said: 'This is their get a hold, and this is their cessation': This is what the Big 'SHRAMAA teaches."
Eccentrically, "All cram set in motion from causes-and-supporting-conditions; the Emigrant explained fill causes and their cessation: This is the lessons of the Big Temperate."
This to the point collect of the Buddha-Dharma, the Teachings of the Progressive One, may well be regarded as a "magic spell" ("mantra") in the required apparition. For it led to the worried enlightenment (the arising of the EYE OF THE DHARMA, "dhamma-"CAKKU, exact as stream-entry) of the Buddha's boss male disciple, the Prepare of the Dharma, "fill in in wisdom," Sariputra.
How can this in all probability be. We put this examination to an progressive living Buddhist master. He precise out no matter which unspoken in this to the point dub -- the FOUR Huge TRUTHS, which is the whole of the Buddha's ethical in a nutshell:
* Disappointment (DUKKHA, concern) is.
* It is originated (from CAUSES AND Expressions).
* It can be brought to Come to an end (in non-attendance of causes).
* Gift is a Administration leading to its conclusion".
This answer that our irritate, mourning stemming from a lack of fulfillment (unsatisfactoriness), has a get a hold that we can do no matter which about. We can set out on a well-taught path that brings about the point in the right direction end of concern (heaven).
This "mantra", to the same degree so plentiful of the wisdom found in the conventional-discourses (sutras), has been reduction to description comparatively than be of importance.
Song 2The above miraculous non-canonical "mantra "comes as the height at the end of the measured Self of Gravity ("Prajna Paramitta") Sutra:
"MANTRA: Jaws, admittance, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi swaha!"
TRANSLATION: "Gone-and-going, gone-and-going, gone-and-going long-ago, gone-and-going the entire long-ago, O, what an stimulation, so it is!"
"
(WONDERLANE/flickr.com)
Laughing, a condescending lama or rinpoche", and other lamas in leave monastic robes, wear FIVE DHYANI Buddha Crowns. They are afterward holding blessed silhouette inside a high yoga tantra initiation within their community ("sangha"), Sakya Lamdre, Tharlam Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Dorje, Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Friday, 20 December 2013
Reflections On Mountaintop With Aline Macha Obrien Part 2
The event's title was "MountainTop" Summit: Advancing a Multifaith Movement for Justice." Its primary focus was to "explore developing an expanded blueprint" for this social movement. Erin White of Auburn Theological Seminary writes:
"A coordinated and energetic multifaith movement for justice reinforces a shared commitment to breaking down silos, reaching across religious lines, and amplifying a faith perspective across movements - such as the environment, poverty and human rights - as well as across age, race and sexual orientation. Forging a connected path driven by justice strengthens all movements and lifts us all toward fairness and a healed world."
It is becoming increasingly common for multifaith and interfaith efforts to focus on broader social causes. In a recent article for "The Interfaith Observer", Grove Harris wrote:
"Faith-based efforts towards peace, social justice, and eradication of hunger and poverty are directly in line with U.N. objectivesIn my opinion, the U.N. needs religious groups to increase their activity and apply more pressure. Above my desk is Margaret Mead's famous quote - "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever has.
At all levels, organizations are identifying the beneficial role that multifaith cooperation can have in social justice, environmental activism and other similar efforts. "MountainTop" is an example of one conference's efforts to facilitate this progressive movement.
Aline "Macha" O'Brien
Returning to my interview, one of the main reasons for Macha's eagerness to attend "MountainTop" was its "collaborative efforts towards social, economic and environmental justice among different religions." In the second part of our interview, she shares her observations on this topic as well as the personal affects that the entire experience had her own life - both professionally and personally.
HEATHER: EXPLAIN THE TITLE OF THE CONFERENCE TO US.
Macha: The title is "MountainTop: Advancing a multifaith movement for justice." That's where the difference between interfaith and multifaith comes into focus As I've been given to understand it, and this is by no means universally understood as such, multifaith is more "outer directed," according to one rabbi I asked.
H: WAS THERE A SPECIFIC FOCUS OR WAS SOCIAL JUSTICE DISCUSSED IN GENERAL?
M: We talked about all manner of injustice that needed to be reversed -- immigration and refugees, racial profiling and Islamophobia; hunger, nutrition and food; education and children's rights; criminal and juvenile justice and prison reform...; women's rights and violence against women and children; poverty; slavery and human trafficking; farm workers, day laborers and workers' rights; politics and the media; digital organizing; homelessness, housing and co-housing; student debt; health care, mental illness and addiction; economic justice; environmental justice; peace; unequal treatment under the law.... You get the idea.
H: YOU MENTIONED IN OUR PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION THAT THERE WAS A LARGE LGBT REPRESENTATION. WERE THEY THERE AS FAITH-BASED REPRESENTATIVES OR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY?
M: Both. For example, the Muslim Alliance for Gender and Sexual Diversity; Human Rights Campaign; Southerners on New Ground; Institute for Judaism, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; Congregation Bet Haverim; A la Familia; The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Courtesy Flickr's winnifredxoxo
"H: WITH SUCH GROUPS BEING THERE, WAS THERE A FOCUS AT ALL ON THE RECENT DOMA AND PROP 8 RULINGS?
M: I don't recall that DOMA and Prop. 8 were specifically discussed, although I'm sure they were in some of the smaller groups. However, the overall issue of gender justice was very present. In particular, on our last day there Exodus International announced the closing of its ministry and its former head, Alan Chambers, issued a profuse and heartfelt apology. The woman who saw the newsfeed on her phone read aloud the entire statement, which was followed by the kind of cheering at "MountainTop" that has only increased throughout the country over the past two days.
H: DID ANY ACTION-ITEMS OR SPECIFIC PROJECTS COME OUT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS?
M: Several projects arose from our working. Some can be implemented quickly and others need refinement, expansion, and sometimes funding.... The final project on which I worked we titled "Mentoring as an Act of Justice." We explored the many roles of mentoring, how to approach mentors, how to establish a mentoring relationship, what knowledge, skills or any specialties one might look for in a mentor, boundaries, contracts, terms (time), and other factors.
H: GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT WAS THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE WITH REGARDS TO ALL OF THESE CONTROVERSIAL AND DIFFICULT ISSUES?
M: [There was] a great...sense of optimism about how society is moving forward. That's because of the many really remarkable young people who were there. They were knowledgeable, committed, engaged, and fun. Euro-Americans, African-Americans, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs -- all gave me hope that a more just society can be created.
Courtesy of Flickr's Arghya a.k.a Orgho
H: WHAT DID YOU PERSONALLY TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EVENT?
M: One insight came from comparing this event to those inter/multifaith groups with which I have more experience. Over the course of the workings, I noticed that some of the wishes expressed with respect to inter-religious work were wishes that had been addressed in my own community. Wishes for more than just making nice talk with people of other religions....Mention was [also] made of interfaith ceremony that wasn't just a review featuring something by one religious group after another.
I also felt affirmed and validated as a respected interfaith activist, one representing a face and voice of the spectrum of minority religions that fall under the umbrella term Paganism.
H: HOW WILL YOU USE THIS EXPERIENCE GOING FORWARD? HAS IT CHANGED YOUR VIEWS OR YOUR METHODOLOGIES?
M: Since disaffiliating myself from my tradition of origin, if you will, I've been reviewing my life and re-examining my priorities. In a way, I had cut myself adrift. I've experienced this rift as an amputation of sorts. A necessary one, to be sure, but amputations involve pain and loss. In a strange sense, I'm redefining myself.
So I went to Nashville with an open mind and no agenda. I viewed it as an opportunity to further this process of redefining myself and my place and work in the world. As I mentioned above, I don't work with the backing of some huge institution. I belong to no church. I'm a Witch at Large. A Pagan generalist...which is not to say undefined or watered down.
I'm also older and less resilient, and have limited economic resources. So how can I contribute to this on-going work? Whatever it is, it will probably come from my desk. I'm an obsessive networker...and a weaver of connections. That's one of the things I can contribute. I can tell your Pagan readers about these efforts. I can help to build the networks we can then use to mobilize for change.
H: THANK YOU, MACHA, FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES WITH US.
At this time, no plans have been announced for a second event. But Macha has said that she would definitely return if invited. She also has stressed to me and on her own blog entries that there are much more "insights to gain" as she "integrates the experiences at "Mountaintop" into who [she] is." Over time, Macha has promised to post news and commentary on her own site, as it becomes available, as well as more personal reflections.
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