Another Inspiring Rssb Why I Left Story

I love religious "deconversion" stories. Theyre more inspiring to me than conversion stories, because Ive come to realize that a meaningful life is far distant from religiosity.

So someone is making progress when he or she is able to get further away from rigid dogmas. Below is a story from one such "someone."

After sending me an email, I encouraged this person to write a blog-sharable version of why a decision was made to leave the formalities of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, an India-based spiritual group organized around the teachings of a line of gurus who are considered to be God in Human Form.

This morning I read a passage in one of my favorite books, Raymond Smullyans "The Tao is Silent," which is a good introduction to the following deconversion story.

I would make the statement "everyone has the right to do what he wants" only to people who I feel are overly moralistic.

...All I am "really" trying to say to them is, "I wish you would let yourself alone and stop beating yourself on the head; I believe you would be better off." Thats all I really mean by "Everybody has the right to do whatever he wants."

Perhaps a still better way of conveying my real message is to say that if one believes he has the right to do what he wants, then he is more likely to want to do what is right.

Heres the story:

Brian,

Thanks for offering to let me have an opportunity to share my experience with your readers. I have always enjoyed reading your blog; you are quite prolific and thought provoking.

Since I was a very young child I have felt deeply that someone or something was always with me. Perhaps it's just my own ego or personality, but I have never felt as if I were entirely alone. When I first started thinking about having a guru, I imagined "this must be who has been with me all this time!" This sense of companionship has always felt like a living presence. This is in contrast to my feelings about Jesus who in my childhood I tended to only see in black velvet paintings or nailed to a cross.

I was raised a southern Baptist and briefly attended Catholic Mass along with a boyfriend during the late 1970's. [I didn't know until later that because I wasn't an official Catholic I am likely doomed to hell for drinking the wine and chewing the wafer following transubstantiation. I was never confirmed.]

A few years later I was initiated into RSSB. And somewhat like you, I quit after nearly 30 years.

During the intervening years I had officially converted from Christianity to Judaism, as my husband was Jewish, and we had a huge "religiously recognized" wedding. It was the first gay wedding at our reform synagogue--one of the oldest in the United States.

During my active involvement, I was pretty much a closeted Satsangi. As you know, the RSSB books contain much of the typical fundamentalist preaching on the subject that I had heard from the Baptist church (which I abandoned) and a sort of "gay-hate lite" that I heard from the Catholic Church. Frankly, I had been so numbed to what religion had to say on the subject that I pretty much ignored it. I never in my life felt that God didn't love me because I was gay. I knew that I loved our creator, whatever entity that may be, and that was enough for me.

As far as I know I was the only openly gay Satsang speaker. There may have been others but having lived in the Baptist closet my entire childhood I just avoided discussing it.

Our local center has always been really great. People were nice and we didn't have any weird group dynamics that we always heard rumblings of happening across the country. Over the years I was even nominated for secretary.

This last time I was nominated, the local secretary was apparently asked to pry into my personal life with weird questions that I am sure they would never ask a straight person. Anyway, I was fine with it all but relieved that I didn't get the "honor" of all the extra work.

This spring I finally accepted the fact that the RSSB rose had started dying on the vine for me some time ago. It started several years earlier on a trip I took to Petaluma. It was during a Q and I thought shit, WHAT IF THE JOKE'S ON US?

I liked the fact that in RSSB we weren't pushed to give money. This was a huge change from all the years I spent among the evangelicals, although it felt much more up front in India during my visits there.

One day recently I was just sitting in the car when a feeling flooded over me like a giant wave. "This is making you unhappy. Why don't you stop it?"

And so I did, I tuned in to my inner self and dropped out. I decided to stop beating myself up for being gay. I decided that God probably doesn't care if there is a particle of an egg in a muffin or gelatin in a marshmallow. I decided that it doesn't make any sense to raise a ruckus with insurance companies over whether a prescription pill is available in a form other than a gel tab, and I don't give a flying flea whether there is rennet in my cheese. "If this is what is required of perfection, we simply cannot attain it and we will always be unworthy."

It's sad to think of the number of times I refused or threw away food, sending it back to the kitchen and somehow feeling I was the victim in the situation.

Because it was also frowned upon to feed carnivorous pets meat products, I also had tried to feed my cats vegetarian kibble and related products over the years. One of my cats, with the personality of an angel from heaven, has all kinds of allergies. One of the things she is allergic to is yeast, which it turns out is in everything vegetarian. The poor dear ended up licking herself bare in numerous quarter-sized spots of her fur while I was trying to force her to eat vegetarian cat food. I wondered: "did God really want me to have a hairless kitty?"

Sant Mat also somehow makes you feel superior every time you eat with someone and they apologize for eating meat in front of you. We might say, "No, go ahead and eat meat I dont care-really!" but in the back of your mind you think "God, youre just poisoning yourself with that stuff!" Sant Mat makes you feel special, more valued. And then you feel guilty for feeling chosen, and then you feel sorry for the people who are less special because "they will just have to live another lifetime to be as special as you."

I had even less to fear however, since in my case, having converted to Judaism in 2000, I am in fact, covered by a perfect soul-saving trifecta!

* Although I had forsaken Jesus when I became Jewish, it seems safe to say that if I turn out to be wrong, he'll be there to greet and forgive me
* If my Guru is there to greet me when I die, no doubt he will forgive me for leaving RSSB as well. And then I'll probably come back for another life.
* If neither Jesus nor the Guru is there, at least I will still be a part of the original chosen people.

Brian, while I may not be an official member of RSSB any longer [although you can never actually leave since the guru never leaves you -- just like with Jesus!], the benefits of meditation are clear according to various scientific studies.

Now however, instead of beating myself up for not meditating two and a half hours every day, I want to be able to feel great about myself if I meditate for even an hour! Hooray! Ten minutes? Hooray! Hooray!

What a different world I will be living in now... one where I can talk positively to myself instead of thinking that people who don't follow the path "like me" are missing the boat, and where I can be grateful for whatever moments of the day I am able to focus on living in the moment instead of worrying about the past, the future, or whether my guru approves of what I'm feeding my cats.

The bottom line is this:" Sant Mat has requirements of people that are virtually impossible to attain, and because you can never attain them, you are never perfect enough for god-realization. So you have only yourself to blame for not going within. "

After 30 years I am going to believe the opposite: "each of us is already perfect because we were created in God's image. "To me that means that together with God we are evolving. And just by being who we are, we are always automatically becoming our future higher selves. Read More @ Source

Morning Roundup St Teresa Of Avila Virgin S Teresiae Virginis Missa Dilexisti October 15Th 2012

* "A PRIEST LIFE (FR. KEVIN CUSICK)" >> CARDINAL WUERL: YEAR OF FAITH TO "REFLECT ON THE CHURCH AS THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE WORLD"
* "ACCEPTING ABUNDANCE (STACY TRASANCOS)" >> WHY ARE CATHOLICS PRAISING THE NOBEL PRIZE STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY?
* "AD ALTARE DEI (FR. LARRY)" >> NEW MASS SCHEDULE
* "ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON (MSGR. CHARLES POPE)" >> WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE LITURGY
* "BY LOVE ALONE (CHARITY MARTIN) ">> ON THE CALENDAR: ST. TERESA OF 'AVILA
* "COURAGEOUS PRIEST" >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REAL WAR ON WOMEN
* "CRISIS MAGAZINE" >> SUBMERGED IN THE OCEAN: CHALLENGES OFTEN ARISE AFTER CATHOLIC CONVERSION (DAVID PAUL DEAVEL)
* "CRISIS MAGAZINE" >> THE DILEMMA OF PRO-LIFE DEMOCRATS (HOWARD KAINZ)
* "DEVOCI'oN CAT'oLICA" >> SANTORAL CAT'oLICO 15 DE OCTUBRE
* "DOMINE, DA MIHI HANC AQUAM! (FR. PHILIP NERI POWELL, OP) ">> UNNECESSARY SIGNS
* "EDWARD FESER" >> SEPARATED AT BIRTH?
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> 50MM RIFLE ON HOLY SOULS MOUNTAIN
* "INSIGHT SCOOP THE IGNATIUS PRESS BLOG ">> NO NEW OR DIFFERENT CHURCH
* "JIMMY AKIN.ORG ">> WAS ST. PETER THE GREATEST DISCIPLE?
* "NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE (MARK STEYN) ">> TEN THOUSAND THUMBS DOWN
* "SHIRT OF FLAME (HEATHER KING)" >> THE NEW EVANGELIZATION
* "STREETS OF GOLD (OLIVIA)" >> DO NOT SUBMIT AGAIN TO THE YOKE OF SLAVERY (GALATIANS 5:1)
* "THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE" >> HOLLYWOOD BLASTED ON L.A. RADIO
* "THE CATHOLIC THING" >> VATICAN II: THE YES AND THE NO (ROBERT ROYAL)
* "THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY (FR. TIM FINIGAN)" >> NEW EDITION OF RONALD KNOX BIBLE FROM BARONIUS PRESS
* "THE LITURGICAL DAY (JIMMY AKIN) ">> OCT. 15, 2012
* "THE NEW THEOLOGICAL MOVEMENT (FATHER RYAN ERLENBUSH)" >> ST. TERESA OF AVILA: WHY YOU CAN'T SEEM TO PROGRESS IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
* "THE TOF SPOT (MICHAEL FLYNN)" >> A BLOGGER YCLEPT
* "TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS PROPERS IN ENGLISH (DEACON JOHN GIGLIO JR.) ">> SAINT TERESA OF AVILA
* "V FOR VICTORY! (ANITA MOORE, O.P., ESQ.) ">> I AM IN THE WRONG LINE OF WORK
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> BP. SAMPLE'S (D. MARQUETTE) SERMON FOR THE PONTIFICAL MASS OF THE CALL TO HOLINESS CONFERENCE
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF)" >> VIDEO INTERVIEW OF A BISHOP WHO ATTENDED ALL THE SESSIONS OF VATICAN II
* "WORD ON FIRE BLOG" >> SPIRITUALITY: HEATHER KING ON "TRUE NORTH"

Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

When is a "natural talent" a spiritual gift? That isn't an easy question to answer. If you limit yourself to the Pauline lists, you quickly realize that you can't offer an either/or answer to the question. Could they be natural talents with a supernatural add? Could they be transformed natural talents, where once they were natural but if they are used for sacred purposes we should consider them to be spiritual gifts? It is probably best not to make a sharp distinction between gifts and talents and recognize the mystery of the Spirit's engagement with our lives. In the mystery of creation, we can recognize that what we call talents are in reality divine gifts of grace. We can use them for our own purposes, or in gratitude to the creator use them in the work of God's kingdom. A gift's usefulness to the community faith is rooted in our appreciation of the one who is the true source of all talents and abilities, the Creator.

The biblical discussions of creation witness to the mystery of human life. There is a strong sense that humanity is created for a relationship with God and gifted with abilities that relate to that calling. Hear the implications of the Psalmist's affirmation of God's attention to the details of our formation as individuals.

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14).We do not have to take this passage in a deterministic or literalist manner to appreciate our calling by God to stand before God as people who are "fearfully and wonderfully made." This passage helps us affirm that each of us, no matter our backgrounds, skills, intelligence, social class, have something to offer to the world. Who we are and what we do does make a difference. No one else can do what I do like I do it and no one can do what you do quite like you do it. It's not just a matter of talent; it's also a matter of personality and temperament. Who we are is somewhat of a mystery, but the call to use our talents and abilities to create a community of faith that will witness to the love of our God, that is not a mystery.

Excerpted from "Gifts of Love" (unpublished mss.)

A Lutheran Pastor Shows The Need For The Catholic Church

Steve Martin (the Lutheran blogger known as "Old Adam," not the actor/comedian) has been talking with a motley crew of us Catholics in the comments here about how Lutherans can know which Books are in Scripture. Steve directed me to a talk his pastor, Mark Anderson, gave on the subject.

I listened to it last night, and was pleased to say that I agree with probably 80-90% of what Anderson had to say. First off, he recognized that the importance of understanding the question of authority:

THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY, WHICH IS REALLY "THE" QUESTION, THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTS. And that's where it has been percolating since the Reformation. The question of authority has not been resolved in the Christian church. That's the question that's wide open, and that accounts for a lot of the diversity and the multiplicity of churches, and denominations, and so forth. This is the problem that has not been solved. It continues to fester, and be chronically part of our life as Christians.The question of authority isn't important so we can know who has "power" or who gets to be "boss." Instead, Pastor Anderson defines the question of authority like this: "WHERE DO WE GO FINALLY FOR RESOLUTION OF DOCTRINAL PROBLEMS? WHERE DO WE GO FINALLY FOR RESOLUTION OF THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS? WHO DETERMINES WHAT THE MEANING OF JESUS CHRIST IS?" As Anderson noted, we see this appeal to ecclesiastical authority in the New Testament, whenever Paul opens his letters by declaring himself an Apostle (which was constantly: Romans 1:1, 1 Cor. 1:1, 2 Cor 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, 1 Timothy 1:1, 2 Timothy 1:1, and Titus 1:1). Paul begins by reminding everyone he's an Apostle, because it means that they have to listen to his message. They can't just say, "I don't interpret the Old Testament that way," or "when I heard Jesus say that, that's not the interpretation "I" took." Personal interpretation of Scripture and of the words of Jesus must submit to Paul's Apostolic authority.

So the question of who has valid authority today is "the" question. Before you can know whether you're living in accordance with "the Gospel," you need to know what the Gospel "is." And Christians will gives you probably thousands of different contradictory answers, from "just be a good person," to "believe in Jesus, and how you live doesn't matter" to everything in between. We're told that we need to be a part of the visible Church to be saved, or (as Harold Camping has been teaching) that membership in the visible Church is a mark of your damnation.. So those wanting to live out the Gospel need to know, "Who can I trust?" And as Pastor Anderson notes, Protestantism still can't answer that simple question, five hundred years on. We'll get to why that is in a bit.

I. HOW THE EARLY CHURCH HANDLED THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY

Anderson noted that the early Church faced this problem as well. Here's how he described the fourth-century Church, and its similarity to Protestantism today:

The Church Fathers sat down and said: 'We've got to do something about this. We've got "orthodoxies" which are heretics all over the map. Nobody knows how to talk about Jesus. Nobody knows exactly what the Gospel is.' And it's hard for us maybe to appreciate that completely, but all we have to do is look to the current state of affairs in the Christian Church, the multiplicity of congregations and denominations, points of view, to realize it is up for grab. And it doesn't help to just stand up and assert more loudly what you believe to be the Truth. I mean, hollering - the proclamation of the Gospel is not a shouting match. The loudest voice isn't necessary the one that's gonna win - or should.And Pastor Anderson even conceded that this problem was solved by the very episcopacy which he rejects, saying:

I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANYONE WHO'S BEEN MORE CRITICAL OF THE MOVE TOWARDS EPISCOPACY THAN I HAVE. BUT ANYONE WOULD BE A FOOL TO LOOK OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY, AND NOT RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF THE BISHOPS OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SEEING TO IT THAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE WORD OF GOD WAS ADEQUATELY PROTECTED, AND FAITHFULLY PROCLAIMED. IN FACT, IT WAS LARGELY DUE TO MANY OF THEIR MINISTRIES THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN TERMS OF CHRISTIAN ORTHODOXY AND SCRIPTURE.SO THE EARLY CHURCH WAS FACED WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT HAD A SOLUTION. THE CHURCH AUTHORITIES (THE EPISCOPACY) SETTLED THE DISPUTE. ANDERSON EVEN GOES FURTHER, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT "THE PAPAL SEE BECOMES A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY TAKEN ABOUT AS GRAND OF HEIGHTS AS YOU CAN GET." NOW, I'D DISPUTE THIS CHARACTERIZATION SOMEWHAT (THE POPE'S AUTHORITY IS ACTUALLY FAR" LESS" THAN THAT OF THE APOSTLES, AND LESS THAN WHAT MORMONISM'S LEADERSHIP CLAIMS FOR ITSELF), BUT HIS CORE POINT, THAT APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION WAS VIEWED IN THE EARLY CHURCH AS CONTINUING THROUGH ALL THE BISHOPS, BUT PARTICULARLY THE POPE, IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. AND THIS SOLVED THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY, AND THIS PRESERVED THE GOSPEL INTACT. AND YET PROTESTANTS TODAY, INCLUDING ANDERSON HIMSELF, REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS SOLUTION. SO INSTEAD, THEY'RE LEFT WITH NO ANSWER, AND NO AGREEMENT ON WHAT THE GOSPEL EVEN "IS".

This becomes remarkably clear with the canon of Scripture. Pastor Anderson praises the early bishops for settling the canon: BUT HE REJECTS THEIR CANON. You wouldn't know this from his talk -- he talks about them settling "the New Testament canon" -- but the Church didn't settle "the New Testament canon," it settled the ENTIRE canon of Scripture, period. Old "and "New. In fact, the early Church was quite adamantly opposed to the heretics who dreamed that there was one God of the Old Testament and one of the New, and were fervently insistent that there was one God, and one Deposit of Faith.

So with the New Testament, as Pastor Anderson notes, we have the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but there were other contenders as well: Anderson lists: the "'Gospel' of Peter, we have the 'Gospel' of Thomas, what's called the Protoevangelium (the 'first Gospel') there are other 'Gospels': the 'Gospel' of Barnabas, the 'Gospel' of James, that were not included in the New Testament." It's upon the authority of these Catholic bishops, at the Council of Carthage, that we trust that which Books are Biblical, and which are not.

Yet look at what the Council actually decided. You can find Canon 24 of the Council of Carthage RIGHT HERE (that's Calvin College's version). In the same breath, it establishes the Old and New Testament. They're not even separate canons. You can't say, "I think the Book of Hebrews is Scripture because Canon 24 of the Council of Carthage says so," but then say, "I don't care what Canon 24 of the Council of Carthage says, I don't think 1 Maccabees is Scripture." (Luther was at least consistent, and felt comfortable rejecting both 1 Maccabees "and" Hebrews, James, Revelation, etc.). So if you care about believing what the early Church believes, then start using a Catholic Bible. Start giving the episcopacy and particularly the papacy which the early Church gave. Conversely, if you "don't" care about believing what the early Church believes, or think you know more about the Gospel then they do, then don't pretend otherwise.

So what Pastor Anderson is "saying" is mostly all true: we "should" look to the early Church, we should let the Church authorities settle theological disputes, etc. But where he goes wrong is that he doesn't practice what he preaches, or he'd be Catholic. To understand how he goes wrong, look to Luther.

II. THE ROLE OF LUTHER

Pastor Anderson's description of Martin Luther is remarkably revealing. There were three comments he made which are worth drawing out. First:

[Luther] never assumed that the Roman Catholic Church wasn't Christian. That's what you hear today. That's what you get from radical Protestants, the non-denominational sectarians who just wipe everybody out with one swoop. Luther was part of the tradition: it's the tradition that nurtured him, he was baptized as a Roman Catholic, he was brought up in the traditions of the church, it was in that Church that he heard the Gospel, that he wanted to be a follower of Christ, that he wanted to give his life in service, in the monastic life.So Luther doesn't begin by saying that the Church is the "Whore of Babylon" or "Synagogue of Satan." That craziness all comes later. At the start, the Reformation was genuinely intended to be a Reform, not a Revolt. Luther started out trying to help the Church as best he knew, out of a genuine love for the Catholic Church. On this point, we agree 100%. But then what happens? Pastor Anderson says:

AS THE GAP WIDENS [BETWEEN LUTHER AND THE CHURCH], AS LUTHER FINDS THAT THE PAPAL SEE IS NOT VERY RESPONSIVE, DOES NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO HIM, THEY'RE MORE INTERESTED IN, AS HE SAID, "FLEECING THE HIDE OF THE GERMAN SHEEP" THAN THEY ARE IN DEALING WITH THESE IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL MATTERS, LUTHER MOVES AWAY, MORE AND MORE, FROM TRADITION, HE MOVES TOWARDS SCRIPTURE. HE FINDS HIMSELF HAVING TO DEFEND HIMSELF, MORE AND MORE, NOT SO MUCH BASED UPON CHURCH FATHERS, BUT UPON SCRIPTURE ALONE, AND HE DISCOVERS THAT - THAT WORKS. THERE'S PLENTY OF AMMUNITION WITHOUT HAVING TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE. AND THIS IS WHERE THE VARIOUS PROTESTANT GROUPS WITHIN THE REFORMATION BEGIN TO CATCH FIRE.SO DESPITE A WELL-MEANING START, LUTHER'S HIT TWO BUMPS IN THE ROAD. FIRST, THE REFORMS HE SUGGESTS AREN'T IMMEDIATELY ACCEPTED, AND HIS OWN IDEAS DON'T SEEM AS BRILLIANT TO THE POPE AS THEY DO TO HIM, AND LUTHER GETS IMPATIENT, AND THEN EMBITTERED (HENCE THE HURLING OF INSULTS ABOUT FLEECING THE GERMAN SHEEP, AND MANY MORE FAR WORSE). EVENTUALLY, OF COURSE, THE CHURCH MULLS OVER MANY OF LUTHER'S PROPOSED REFORMS, AND ACCEPTS A NUMBER OF THEM. BUT SOME OF THEM "WERE" LEGITIMATELY BAD IDEAS, AND SOME WERE UNFAITHFUL TO THE GOSPEL THAT THIS VERY CATHOLIC CHURCH was pledged to protect. This second point is a bigger bump: Catholics begin telling him that many of his ideas are contrary to clear Church teachings, commemorated in specific Councils.

So what's Luther's response? Besides hurling insults, it's too look for what Anderson calls "ammunition." When he finds that while he can't defend some of his ideas from Christian Tradition, he can use certain verses of the Bible to make it sound like he's right. And "ammunition" is the perfect word here, because Luther used Bible verses "as weapons", as do the various other Reformers and Radical Reformers championing a thousand contradictory views (until they eventually picked up actual weapons). So Luther turned to "sola Scriptura" not because Scripture says so (It doesn't), but because it means he doesn't have to concede he's wrong, when he doesn't "feel" like he's wrong.

But despite his growing animosity towards Catholicism, Pastor Anderson reminds us that Luther still wanted to come to peace, but on his own terms. He describes Luther's position as this:

"The authority of the papal see is not sufficient because popes have erred, Councils have erred in the past. Let's all agree, we can have a pope, we can have bishops, but let's all sit under the authority of Scripture, so that we're not taking the opinions of men, and making them binding on the consciences of people."That seems pretty accurate to me. But here's the problem: the pope didn't (and doesn't) view himself as "above "Scripture. He simply understood the Gospel to mean something different than Luther did. And if Luther disagrees with the bishops, and with the pope, on the meaning of Scripture, you "have" to side with the episcopacy/papacy if Church authority means anything. If the Church is only in charge if you happen to agree, She's completely powerless. If a shepherd only gets to decide where the sheep go if the sheep happen to agree, the shepherd is worthless.

So if Church authority means "anything", faithful Christians have to side with the Church's view of the Bible over Luther's. If they don't, then they can't complain when Rob Bell comes along as the newest Luther, proposing a view of the Gospel rejected by the Church.

But subjecting the Church to the Bible is even more troubling from a Lutheran perspective. Anderson said of the Lutheran view of Scripture:

LUTHERANS, AS I SAY, HAVE ELEVATED SCRIPTURE, AND WE SAY IT IS TO THE POINT OF SAYING, "IT IS THE FINAL WORD IN ALL MATTERS OF FAITH AND LIFE. IT IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY IN ALL MATTERS OF FAITH AND LIFE."BUT IT'S PRECISELY "BECAUSE "LUTHER REJECTS THE AUTHORITY OF THE POPES AND COUNCILS THAT THERE'S NO BASIS ON WHICH TO SAY WHAT THE PROPER CANON OF SCRIPTURE IS. If you can't agree on which Books are in the Bible, how can the Bible be your rule of faith? So instead of solidifying the basis of Scripture, Luther ironically undermines Scripture completely.

III. THE SITUATION TODAY

Pastor Anderson notes that the result of the Reformation and the advent of sola Scriptura is perpetual schism, with each person becoming their own pope, saying that the Bible means x, and being accountable to no one:

BUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS RADICAL PROTESTANTISM OF THE REFORMATION? THE FLESHLY POPE WAS REPLACED WITH A PAPER POPE. WHY? BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT "IF WE'RE GONNA DUMP THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURE, THEN WHAT DO WE USE TO ORDER OUR LIFE? WE USE THE BIBLE." OKAY, THAT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF LUTHER. HAS IT BEEN TRIED? OH YEAH, LOOK AROUND. WE ARE AT THE POINT IN THE SPLINTERING OF PROTESTANTISM, PARTICULARLY RADICAL PROTESTANTISM, WHERE VIRTUALLY EVERY CONGREGATION, AND EVERY PREACHER up front with his Bible, or her Bible, BECOMES AN AUTHORITY ON THE WORD OF GOD UNTO ITSELF. It is radical congregationalism, splintered congregationalism. There is no helpful witness there, in terms of the great scope of the Church's life and thought across the generations.I agree, except that rather than a misunderstanding of Luther, it's the unavoidable result of his thought. We see this in every Protestant denomination that's taken "sola Scriptura "as its mantra: "every single one". At some point, it's like those defenders of Communism who kept just imagining that it was being implemented wrong: the problem isn't the implementation, the problem is the idea itself. Even Pastor Anderson's own local church is evidence of this, as Steve informs me that they're thinking about splitting away from the ELCA. Constant schism and a drive towards congregationalism is the end result of Protestantism wherever it's tried.

Now, Pastor Anderson is rightly disgusted with those preachers who take a posture of:

"Don't you dare question what's being taught today, because it's coming right out of the Bible. You might have a question, but don't bring it up, because after all, I'm teaching the Bible, this is no theology, there's no doctrine being taught here, I'm just teaching straight out of the Bible. You've got a problem, you've got a problem of God."He actually goes much, "much" further than I would, and declares this "Christofascism," and compares these Christians to bin Laden and the Taliban. But again, while I agree with him, I don't see how he can pretend that Lutherans are immune from this. The comment that began the dialogue with Steve Martin was his claim in the comments here that Lutheranism "proclaims the [G]ospel in its purity," and that now "that I am free from all the spiritual navel gazing and Christian progressivism, I don't think I could ever return to Rome or go to an Evangelical church where there theology is basically the same as Rome's (a lot of God and a little of me)." And so it's gone: he's resisted any distinction between "the Gospel" and "Lutheran theology." In this way, Luther himself "becomes an authority on the word of God unto" himself.

So while I think Anderson correctly diagnosed the problem, he doesn't see the depth of it. He still imagines this can be cured if only people became Lutheran, or understood Luther's message better. There were two heartening things which Anderson said towards the end of his talk, in talking about his encounter going to a the Catholic Cathedral in Milan:

* He went in dripping with anti-Catholic prejudice.
* He was surprised to discover that the beautiful artwork was Biblical scenes, and that it was possible that these peasants were actually expressing a faith in Jesus Christ. He concluded, "I could see how this arena of worship could be a powerful statement of Biblical faith."

One of the major things that we have to get over in this debate is the unseen anti-Catholicism. The particular form it generally takes is an assumption by non-Catholics (and ex-Catholics) that they knew what the Catholic Church "really" teaches, either based upon a parish they used to attend, or some books they've read "about" (not "by") Catholics. Acknowledging this bias, and then allowing one's self to be open to having it corrected is beautiful, and should inspire us with hope.

CONCLUSION

Let me leave you with what I think are two of Pastor Anderson's stronger points. First, that Scripture should never "be read apart from the common life of the Church." That's a simple argument for Tradition. Second, he said, "How dare we write off 1500 years of Christian witness, because it does not suit our narrow interpretation of the word of God? And that is what is dividing the Christian Church as we speak."

Of course, as I've said before, anyone taking seriously what Pastor Anderson (or, for that matter, Luther) says about the dependence of Scriptural interpretation upon the Church will find that they'll have a very hard time defending such common Protestant doctrines as:

* BAPTISM IS JUST SYMBOLIC (that is, it's not regenerative, and the Holy Spirit doesn't actually cleanse us through it);
* THE EUCHARIST IS JUST SYMBOLIC (it's not actually the Body and Blood of Christ);
* JUSTIFICATION IS JUST FORENSIC (we're "declared "righteous by God, but we're not actually made righteous through the Holy Spirit); and
* THE BIBLE IS COMPOSED OF THE 66-BOOK PROTESTANT CANON.

So the hurdle isn't that Anderson doesn't understand the problem, or even that he can't speak to what Christianity ought to be doing. The problem is simply that he's just "NOT DOING IT".

Pastor Indicted For Tax Evasion

How much do pastors make? Bishop Anthony L. Jinwright apparently rolls around in the greenbacks just to take a bath.

" The 16-page indictment says Jinwright failed to report 875,000 in taxable income for him and his wife, Harriet Porter-Jinwright. She is listed on the church Web site as a co-pastor, but is not charged. "

"The indictment alleges Jinwright owes from 200,000 to 400,000 in unpaid federal and state income taxes. "

"The indictment also details salary and reimbursements of 3.1 million for Jinwright from the church from 2001-2006. It also lists more than 400,000 in income from speaking engagements and book sales."

SOURCE: News 14 Charlotte Local pastor indicted for tax evasion

The "Bishop" likes his cars. He drives a Bentley, a BMW 530i, a Mercedes-Benz S550V, five Lexus vehicles and a Maybach 57. I'm willing to bet Jinwright preaches Prosperity theology.

You can watch Bishop Jinwright give his trademark performance here. Get that man a Bentley. Technorati tags: Prosperity Theology, Religion, Taxes

How Often Should I Pray

What to pray for? How to pray? Have you ever heard the phrase, "when all else fails, pray"? Is that good advice or bad?

How often do you pray? What circumstances in life cause you to start praying?

Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 1:3)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8)

We should be abiding in the Lord at all times. We should pray to Jesus like he's our best friend, and we should be seeking his advice about everything we do. Now, before you email me, am I suggesting that we need to pray to God about whether to order the hamburger or the chicken sandwich at the fast food restaurant? No, because God already said, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

But we should turn to God every time we have an opportunity to rely upon him and to let him guide our path through life.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:1-2)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (John 15:4-9)

Today, what can I pray for you about?

Reference: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

Morning Roundup St Nicholas Bishop And Confessor Missa Statuit Or Jesus Christ The High Priest Missa Juravit Dminus December 6Th 2012

* "ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON (MSGR. CHARLES POPE) ">> THE REAL ST. NICHOLAS - NOT FAT AND NOT VERY JOLLY EITHER.
* "CATHOLICSEEKING (HELEN GONSALVES)" >> SAINT NICHOLAS
* "CHANTBLOG ">> "THE SARUM COMPLINE FOR THE ADVENT SEASON"
* "CHRONICLES: A MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN CULTURE" >> RICE: THE EVIL OF TWO LESSERS (THOMAS FLEMING)
* "CREATIVE MINORITY REPORT ">> DUDE. RODENT ON MARS! I KNEW IT!
* "CRISIS MAGAZINE" >> A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY CHARLES DICKENS (SEAN FITZPATRICK)
* "CRISIS MAGAZINE" >> THE AWKWARDNESS OF ADVENT (REV. GEORGE W. RUTLER)
* "DOMINE, DA MIHI HANC AQUAM! (FR. PHILIP NERI POWELL, OP) ">> CONSECRATION OF THE U.S. TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
* "FIRST THINGS: ON THE SQUARE ">> POWER GAINED, ARGUMENT WEAKENED FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE (MATTHEW J. FRANCK )
* "FIRST THOUGHTS" >> DISABILITIES TREATY COMING BACK? (AUSTIN RUSE)
* "GRACE BEFORE MEALS (FR. LEO)" >> DINNER DISCUSSION: SANTA IS REAL!
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> SEEING THE CROSS IN ALL THINGS. HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE AND THE POOR CLARES OF PERPETUAL ADORATION
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE - FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS" >> FISKING CARDINAL GEORGE PELL'S EFFECTIVELY EXCOMMUNICATING MERELY ACCUSED PRIESTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR GUILT OR INNOCENCE. SAINT FRANCIS TO THE RESCUE.
* "JIMMY AKIN.ORG ">> 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
* "LES FEMMES - THE TRUTH (MARY ANN KREITZER)" >> LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
* "NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE (MARK STEYN)" >> DRACULA STIRS...
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> SINTERKLAAS: THE FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS
* "PUNDIT ">"ROMA LOCUTA EST ">> THE JARRING SECULAR SANTA
* "RORATE CAELI ">> MODERNISM IS IDEOLOGICAL - TRADITION IS REALISTIC, BUT MUST BE LIVED IN SIMPLICITY
* "STREETS OF GOLD (OLIVIA)" >> ONLY THE ONE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN (MATTHEW 7:21)
* "THE CATHOLIC THING" >> THE STRANGE CLERICALISM OF WOMEN'S ORDINATION
* "THE CHANT CAF'e ">> FIRST RECORDING OF THE REQUIEM OF OCKEGHEM
* "THE CHANT CAF'e" >> TWO RECORDINGS OF ST. GALL NOTATION
* "THE LITURGICAL DAY (JIMMY AKIN)" >> DEC. 6, 2012
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> ADVENTCAZT 05: THURSDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF ADVENT
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> QUAERITUR: WINTER SOLSTICE MASS?
* "WORD ON FIRE BLOG ">> SPIRITUALITY: ST. NICHOLAS, SANTA AND THE ELF ON THE SHELF

Jn 1316 20 Imagine

Jn 13:16-20 IMAGINE

"(Click here for readings)"

"Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me...No slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."

There it is! You read it yourself. We are called to be "authentic" ambassadors of the Lord. We are called - actually sent - to represent the Lord wherever he wants, whenever he wants, throughout the world and throughout our life. Imagine for just a moment what that would mean. Imagine for a moment if I never said "No" to the Lord or if my life was a constant "Yes" to Christ. What would that mean? A new world! A new world order where loves reins supreme, forgiveness is ordinary and mercy is expected.

Instead of imaging "no religion", let us imagine the religion of Jesus Christ, the religion of love. It's easy if you try, and it's perfectly fine because it is the perfect religion! Who said God is Love? Answer: St. John the Apostle. And it is striking that only Christians refer to God as being Love. Muslims have ninety-nine names for God, but not one of them is "God is Love "or even" God is Father. "I'm not here to bash anyone. I am here to bathe in God's Almighty revelation, a revelation that is far superior to all other revelations. Regardless of my upbringing or background or faults and failures, I can believe "God is Love" and I can believe that "God is Father." Who couldn't believe that? Who wouldn't believe that? Who shouldn't believe that?

God is love and his love is best expressed by His Word: Jesus Christ! God's tolerance towards man is best described by one act: His crucifixion. Instead of condemning the world, he died for it! Instead of blasting and cursing to smithereens sinners the Lord embraced them, welcomed them and healed them. He taught us to never ever give up on anyone and to never ever spread hatred and revenge upon our enemies. It's okay to pray for the soul of Usama Bin Laden and the safety of our soldiers. It's okay to pray for the soul of Margaret Sanger, abortion providers and the children who have been aborted. It's perfectly fine to pray for those who have been abused and those who abused. It's even okay to pray for Professor Peter Singer and those who advocate infanticide! But what is not okay is to cheer the death of the sinner. Rather, it is to cheer for their conversion! This is the scandal of the Christian faith. It is no longer an eye for an eye; a face for a face, or a tooth for a tooth. This is the greatest scandal of our faith. It is how we love.

Just recently the Iranian government, under pressure from human rights organizations, postponed the retribution punishment of a criminal with drops of acid. I was appalled by the reaction of so many Americans to the postponement. It would appear as though the war on terror has hardened many American hearts. We cannot let that happen. The World loves Americans because of our generous hearts and because of our love for others. We need to fight the war on terror with tenacity, but we cannot be a part of it.

The Lord picked Twelve Apostles, not because they were perfect and not because they were gods. He picked them because he could work with them, through them and in them.

If we claim to be Catholic, then we must live like Catholics. The Lord has given us a beautiful faith and calling. He has given us everything - all the means - to become holy. This means, we must live to the fullest extent the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Otherwise people may not believe in Christ because of us, and that is a cause of great concern.

"Imagine being Catholic! Try loving rather than insulting; forgiving rather than judging, and giving rather than resenting. It's easy if you try."

Reference: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com

Magick Thelemic Ritual For The Deceased

Recent events prompted me to put together this ritual designed to impart the soul of an individual with the power and impetus to accomplish their will following the death of their physical body. Thelema has a very open attitude toward death that is expressed in the Gnostic Mass, that the experience of the world beyond death corresponds to the individual will rather than any universal process or experience. Some souls may choose to reincarnate, others may choose to be reabsorbed into the infinite, while others may choose to remain at peace, in contemplation, or with their chosen and preferred. About the only dogmatic concept of the afterlife in Thelema is "The Book of the Law"'s complete rejection of a "hell realm" or any sort of "dread hereafter."

Nonetheless, when an individual dies their will may not be purified or developed sufficiently for them to sort out how to proceed once their body no longer functions. This is especially true of someone who is not a spiritual practitioner. The process of death is confusing enough that without some significant practice it may seem less like an opportunity for the expression of will and more like a fearful ordeal. This ritual is designed to strengthen the will of the deceased so that they can not only pass through the confusion of death but traverse the spiritual realms in accordance with their True Will.

This ritual is a work in progress. It could probably be improved by adding in some sort of part for an audience to play so that it could serve a social as well as a magical function. So far, it is designed as a ritual for a single magician casting on behalf of the deceased. I'm also still thinking over the closing - I don't think that the banishing should be repeated so it currently ends with the dedication. I might want to add one more step in there to "seal off" the rite without banishing the energy. Credit is due to Aleister Crowley for the Star Ruby, Star Sapphire, and the selections from the Gnostic Mass, and to Sam Webster, who wrote the Dedication and whose work inspired the Refuge and Awakening sections.

The temple setup is very simple. An altar should be placed in front of the magician, upon which is placed a photograph of the deceased. Other implements and tools may be present as the magician deems appropriate. The ritual should be performed on the first Saturday following the death of the individual for whom the ritual is being performed. The plural forms (we, us, etc.) used in the ritual refer to the magician and the deceased.

* The magician begins by joining hands at heart level and stating the Death collect from the Gnostic Mass.

Term of all that liveth, whose name is inscrutable, be favorable unto us in thine hour. So mote it be.

* The magician performs the banishing Star Ruby.

* Refuge is taken in Nuit, Hadit, and Heru-Ra-Ha.

We take refuge in Nuit, the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky, as we issue the call to the awakened nature of all beings, for every man and every woman is a star - AUMGN.

We take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as we issue the call to our own awakened natures, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring - AUMGN.

We take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha, who wields the wand of double power, the wand of the force of Coph Nia, but whose left hand is empty for he has crushed an universe and naught remains, as we unite our own awakened natures with those of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering - AUMGN.

* Will is then awakened.

For pure will, unassuaged of purpose and delivered from the lust of result, is in every way perfect. All is pure and present and has always been so, for existence is pure joy, all the sorrows are but as shadows, they pass and are done, but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves - pure and total presence. So mote it be.

* The magician performs the invoking Star Sapphire.
* The Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn is performed. The godname used should correspond to the spiritual tradition followed by the deceased - Babalon for a Thelemite, YHVH Elohim for a Judeo-Christian, and so forth. Corresponding names from many traditions can be found in "Liber 777" and it is not usually difficult to determine the proper godform governing death and the afterlife in most religious traditions.

* The magician then performs this slightly modified form of the End collect from the Gnostic Mass upon the photograph.

Unto (the deceased's name) from whose eyes the veil of life hath fallen, may (he/she) be granted the accomplishment of (his/her) will, whether (he/she) wills absorption in the infinite, or to be with (his/her) chosen and preferred, or to be in contemplation, or to be at peace, or to attempt the labor and heroism of incarnation on this planet or another, or in any star, or aught else, may (he/she) be granted the accomplishment of (his/her) will, yea, the accomplishment of (his/her) will - AUMGN AUMGN AUGMN. So mote it be.

The magician then touches the photograph and visualizes energy flowing to the soul of the deceased, strengthening the will and providing a vector of motion in harmony with its individual nature.
* The ritual is closed with the Dedication of Merit.

May the benefit of this act and all acts be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere pervading space and time - so mote it be. May the benefits of practice, ours and others, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence - AH.

So far, the ritual has been performed once and felt quite effective, keeping in mind that any sort of empirical validation is rather difficult to obtain when casting spells for those who have passed on.

Having A Spell With Witchcraft Proves Popular For Women

Witches and charismatic Christians are leading religious growth in Australia with many women turning to witchcraft or paganism as a reaction against the patriarchal nature of traditional Christianity.

Dr Philip Hughes of the Christian Research Association said the numbers of people participating in nature religions - mostly witchcraft and paganism - rose by 140 per cent between 1996 and 2001. Agnostics were on the rise too, he said.

For many, nature religions were seen as environmentally friendly.

But Dr Hughes said their numbers remained small, with fewer than 25,000 adherents in Australia.

"They are never going to be really numerous as it is largely a protest movement."

Leading witch Caroline Tully says witchcraft is a religion for the weak and oppressed, especially women.

"Actually, I'm surprised the guys haven't taken advantage because there are so many single women," she said.

"There aren't many men, and a lot of them aren't particularly appealing."

Dr Hughes said growth among Pentecostals (such as Sydney's Hillsong Church) had been remarkable, along with ethnically based religions. For example, the Coptic Orthodox Church grew by 83 per cent between 1991 and 2001.

"Immigrants head to the churches in large numbers, even if they did not attend in their homelands," Dr Hughes said. However, he said he discounted fears in some church circles of mass conversions to Islam.

"The number of converts is very small, probably in the realm of less than a thousand or two. Only 2.5 per cent of all Muslims in Australia were born of Australian-born parents and some of these would be grandchildren of immigrants."

About 25,000 Australians identified themselves as Buddhist at the last census. Dr Hughes said young people liked its simplicity and ethics.

He said changes in immigration meant religion was now more diverse. Between 1996 and 2001, Buddhist numbers grew by 79 per cent, Hindus by 42 per cent and Muslims 40 per cent.

But all these groups together were still less than 5 per cent of the population.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Eliphas Levi - The Conjuration Of The Four Elements

John Ankerberg - Satanism And Witchcraft The Occult And The West Part Ii

Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men

Origin: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com

Interview With Hilmar Rn Hilmarsson Of The Satrarflagi Part Two

H"OH at site of future 'Asatr'u temple in Reykjav'ik - June 26, 2010

KS - Your role as allsherjargodi seems quite different from that of other religious leaders in the western world. You do not set or enforce doctrine, and you do not define a specific theology. How would you describe your role?

H"OH - This is a good thing about polytheism versus monotheism. Monotheism is one truth for the masses, but polytheism is many truths for the individual. In a way, it's just turning the tables. Basically, you can believe in whatever god or goddess you would like at any given time. You may have a need for Freya on Monday morning, and Thor may be absolutely essential for you on Tuesday afternoon. Nobody can teach you. You have to find it yourself.

I think my role is to teach people respect for this wonderful heritage that we have, [which is] hauntingly simple but still a really workable way of behaving and ethics. I think the "H'avam'al" has a "lot" of teachings that are as essential now as they were a thousand years ago. It's analogous to the "Analects" of Confucius in China, which are still the best precepts you can use to live by.

We don't have a revealed truth. It's not a revealed religion. We don't have the final truth hewn in stone like in Judaism and Christianity and, later, Islam. It's more up to "us", really.

KS - I recently read a description of the four men who founded the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid as a poet, a hippie, a theosophist and a N'yallist. Do you think that these elements are reflected in the organization today?

H"OH - I think it's evolved. Things even evolved a lot with Sveinbj"orn [Beinteinsson, allsherjargodi 1972-1993]. Of course, J"ormundur Ingi [Hansen, allsherjargodi 1994-2002] was a very important person, as well. J"ormundur was very good with the press. Press interest was far out of proportion with our membership in the earlier days. I joined eleven months after they got legally recognized. I was member number thirty-six. I was just waiting two years for my first bl'ot - we weren't really doing it. Me and Halld'or Bragason - who's now part of the board of directors - we were the "youth movement" of the society for many years. Ha!

Sveinbj"orn actually said that his idea of founding [the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid] - he'd been thinking about it since the early 1960s. He thought to himself, "This is my path. This is what I believe in." Then, around 1970, we had these so-called Children of God that came to Iceland. This was a Christian sect founded by a man who called himself Moses David, who was a very strange character - a very sick character, it came out later. He sent out young people to hand out leaflets and say, "Come back to Jesus" and stuff like that. Sveinbj"orn was looking at this and saying, "Why do we have these young foreigners coming to tell us to go to Jesus? Why can't we just say to them, 'Go back to Thor and Odin'?" That was, in a way, an inspiration for him.

N'yall was a theory from a strange series of books by this Icelandic geologist called Helgi Pjeturss, who was also mad. Ha! Totally mad, actually. When you come to my place, I'll have to show you his copy of the Eddic poems, because he's done some really strange things in his marginalia. Helgi was an extremely brilliant person who wrote probably the best Icelandic prose of everybody. Halld'or Kiljan Laxness - our Nobel Prize winner - says his writing is absolutely "fantastic". He actually uses him as a character in one of his books.

Helgi had this idea that, while we're asleep, we're actually living somebody else's life on another planet, so what we dream is our life on another planet. There's been this whole society of people who have been meeting for decades now. A lot of them come from the Borgarfj"ordur area where Sveinbj"orn was brought up. Now it's a dwindling society - which is a shame, because it's wonderfully eccentric. They used to have these s'eances every Thursday where they would contact the Crab Nebula and speak to Dr. Helgi, who was there teaching Icelandic. One of the teachings is that Icelandic is the most perfect language in the world, so they're teaching it all through the Milky Way galaxy.

It was really nice. I went there once and a medium was saying, "Thor here and Helgi here and Egill Skallagr'imsson here." It's fantastic. What I always found amazing was that this woman who was the medium would be with them on Thursdays, and on Saturdays she'd be at the National Spiritualist Society, and she would be contacting the other shore, in spiritualistic parlance.

Detail of Beinteinsson memorial in Reykjav'ik - June 26, 2010

KS - Sveinbj"orn Beinteinsson said that one of the impulses to start the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid came from "the desire that Icelanders could have their own faith - and nourish it no less than imported religions."

H"OH - Yes.

KS - This must have to do with the time of the Children of God.

H"OH - Yes.

KS - Do you feel that 'Asatr'u - as practiced in Iceland - is a specifically Icelandic national movement based on the "Eddas" and sagas, or do you think that it is fundamentally connected to the German worship of Wodan and Donar, the English worship of Woden and Thunor, and the other forms of paganism that existed in northern Europe as a pre-Christian, pan-Germanic religion?

H"OH - This is how it ended up in Iceland. We know that a lot of the heroic poems were recited all over northern Europe, and we have runestones showing Sigurd and the dragon. A lot of these stories were universal. The Wessobrunn Prayer - an old German prayer that we know - uses lines from "V"olusp'a": "ero ni uuas no ufhimil" ["earth was nowhere nor the sky above"]. There are variants found in Heliand, rune stones in Sweden and the runestaff in Ribe in Denmark - which shows that this phraseology and these ideas [were widely dispersed].

We know that lots of these ideas - and maybe some of the poems - were known in northern Europe. We have a lot of place names in Sweden which show us the god Ullr. We know really nothing about him except that there's a kenning for a shield called "Ullar skip" ["Ullr's ship"] in Icelandic - also "Ullar askur" and "Ullar sundvigg". He seems to have been worshiped in certain areas in Sweden. We know that there were a lot of deities written down here with little or no stories attached to them, but there are some place names in Norway and Sweden and even Denmark which show that their worship was probably bigger there than here.

In that sense, it "is" a religion that was practiced all over northern Europe. Sadly enough, there's so "little" to go on, most of the sources having disappeared. We have a small section of the Merseburg prayer in German which is referring to Odin, and we have a runic inscription talking about Logathore and stuff like that. There are little references, but it's more productive if we look at some of our sister religions like the old Persian religions, which have a similar creation myth with Ymir being Yima - and Yama/Yami in Hinduism.

Also, in Hinduism, we have Indra - who is a cognate with Thor in Indo-European - who was a dragon-slayer. It's also good to look at some of these connections. Hinduism moves into Buddhism, which is sort of a protestant movement within Hinduism, at one stage. Of course, it turns into something else. It's a nice way of looking at some of the sayings and some of the thought that we have.

Tibetan Buddhism is a fusion between the native B"onpo religion - which is a native shamanistic tradition - and the incoming Buddhism. There, we have a lot of nature deities which are quite similar to the vaettir that we have. We have dakinis riding on horses and picking up the dead people in Tibetan Buddhism, so it's very close to our valkyries and stuff like that. There are a lot of connections you can explore to deepen your understanding of what we have here.

KS - Do you think the development of what is now called 'Asatr'u was influenced by Norse contact with Lapp shamanism?

H"OH - I think there is a big connection with the Saami traditions. Lapp is a derogatory term; they would like to call themselves Saami. Lapp is someone who is wearing really patchy clothes. It's a Swedish term. "Leppur" in Icelandic has a similar meaning - terrible clothes.

There's a wonderful book written by Hermann P'alsson taking up a lot of these stories about our connection with Finland and Finnmark, which is in northern Norway. He's showing that there was some intermarrying with people from there. A lot of the older stories about magic and the practice of magic seem to be connected with the Finns.

One of our oldest and most beautiful odes - and ode that we still use in the 'Asatr'u society - is an ode called "Tryggdam'al". You find it in "Grettis Saga" (in a corrupt form) and you find it in "Stadarh'olsb'ok" and you find it in "J'onsb'ok". It's an ode talking about [how] you will keep your word as long as the earth revolves, snow falls, a ship sails, and a Finn skis.

First comes the Oath ("I will be steadfast..."), then a rough translation would be:

While fire burns,

Hilmarsson in Reykjav'ik - June 26, 2010

Earth is fertile,

A child (which can speak) calls upon its mother

And mother gives birth to her offspring,

Men light fires,

A ship glides,

Shields flash,

Sun shines,

Snow falls,

The Finn skis,

Fir grows,

The falcon flies

On a spring day,

The breeze carries him

Under both wings,

The heavens revolve,

The world is settled,

Wind blows,

Waters fall into the ocean,

Men sow their seeds (of corn).

So when you're talking about the eternal things - things that will go on eternally - it shows you that people have actually thought highly of [the Finns].

KS - Dagur Thorleifsson described 'Asatr'u as a movement back to nature and away from the negative aspects of industrial civilization. This reminded me of the Nature Boys, the German and German-American proto-hippies that inspired Hermann Hesse. Do you know if there was any exchange of these sorts of ideas between Iceland and Germany in the early twentieth century?

H"OH - That's a funny thing, because you had the hippie movement in Germany around the turn of the century and even earlier. You had the artist colony in Monte Verit`a ["mountain of truth"], as they called it, where you had all the nudists and the freethinkers and the homeopaths and all the people who were into eastern religions and stuff like that.

I've been trying to trace "some" connection. There may be a slight connection, because Helgi Pjeturss' sister was married to a German nobleman who was intimately connected with the Nietzsche family and a lot of radicals. Helgi corresponded a lot with some strange people - both in Germany and England at the time. When he couldn't find a publisher for some of his stuff, it was being published by "The Occult Review" in the 1920s and '30s in England. I think it's safe to assume that Helgi, in his time, was in touch with some of these strange people, but I don't think there was a direct influence on anything with the 'Asatr'u society early on.

KS - The Icelandic Lutheran Bishop Sigurbj"orn Einarsson was a N'yallist and a pagan in his youth, but he became an adamant public opponent of the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid being granted government recognition as a religious organization in the early 1970s. How is the relationship today between the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid and other religious groups in Iceland?

H"OH - It's pretty good, actually. We had some strange years around the year 2000 when there was the millennium celebration of Christianity in Iceland and our poor bishop - who is a son of Sigurbj"orn, Karl Sigurbj"ornsson - he made an ass of himself, to speak bluntly, in the way he tried to treat us. It came out really badly, and public sympathy shifted. This is when the first flux of people started to join the 'Asatr'u society.

KS - That's when the membership went up?

H"OH - Yes. So we are really grateful for that. Ha! He was a bit paranoid about us for some time, but now everything is very cordial between us. We are in good contact.

Also, we are part of an inter-religious group that meets up and talks about ethics and how we can prevent hatred between different religious groups. I've done co-religious ceremonies with many priests from the state Lutheran church, and also I've done some ceremonies together with the Free Lutheran Church, which split from the state Lutheran church. That took place in 1899, if I remember right. They are the largest denomination outside of the state Lutheran church - about 8,000 people, I think. We've been basically trying to build bridges, rather than to build walls.

KS - American 'Asatr'u groups seem determined to create their own version of the Catholic Church.

H"OH - Yes.

KS - They have the Nine Noble Virtues instead of the Ten Commandments, and they have standardized beliefs and ritual practices. You can order their instruction manuals in paperback on Amazon and learn how exactly how to be a pagan in ten easy steps.

H"OH - Yes.

KS - When I visited with the members of the 'Asatr'uarf'elagid here in Reykjav'ik, there was a great diversity of beliefs and difference of interpretation among the members. Do you think that this diversity of beliefs and lack of standard dogma is an inheritance from Iceland's independently-minded settlers of the saga period, or is it a reflection of the difference in spiritual attitudes between the post-religious European mindset and the evangelical American idea of true belief?

H"OH - If you look at the way that people looked at the gods - they could mock their gods, like in "Lokasenna", where they are making "huge" fun of the gods and Loki's talking about Odin being a cross-dresser banging a drum and probably f**king some males, as some say. It's total irreverence. At the same time, people felt "good" about their gods. They were their friends. They're not the Other - they're not different from us.

This is the religion and the type of faith we've had in Iceland. We've never been good Christians. All our bishops married and all our priests were married in the so-called Catholic times. Rome was sending out angry letters and saying, "Why don't you just shape up and do things like you're told to do?" They would say, "If you sent this letter fifty years ago, the ship must surely have been lost at sea. We never received it, so..." Ha! This is the way we've been practicing religion ever since the settlement.

What A Man Of Courage

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"IN YOUR FAVORITES"

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"THEY ARE CHANGED DAILY."

The following is the note of a dying man, "Mr. Dumbleigh presents his compliments, and praises God that he is sick, so that he can be cared for by two tender, loving angels.

No man was ever so blessed as I."

HE THEN SIGNED IT "MR. DUBLEIGH."

THE MAN'S REAL NAME WAS ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

He never lost his sense of humor or his sense of God even up until and through the day of death.

Early in life he mastered self-pity. Early in life he decided that while there was not much he could do about his body, there was a great deal he could do about his soul.

HE USED TO WRITE SOME OF HIS STORIES A FEW LINES AT A TIME.

SOMETIMES HE WOULD HAVE TO STOP AND PUT HIS PEN DOWN AND REST, SOMETIMES 60 TIMES AN HOUR.AND DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS AS I HAVE READ SOME OF HIS BOOKS AND SEARCHED OUT MORE AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAN I AM HUMBLED BY HIS COURAGE AND THE STRENGTH OF SPIRIT.

I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE LOOKED INTO HIS EYES.

I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE KNOWN ROBERT LOUISS STEVENSON. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRIVILEGE.

LUKE 21:19 "BY YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YOUR SOULS."

QUOTE FROM TOMORROW'S BLOG entitled TOO BUSY FOR GOD?

"NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I BEEN TOO BUSY FOR GOD. AND NEVER IN MY LIFE HAS GOD BEEN TOO BUSY FOR ME."

A new series on PRAYER has begun

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Sayings And Mottos That Sound Pious But Arent 5 Youre So Heavenly Minded That Youre No Earthly Good

Yesterday I wrote about ADOPTING A Adorable Environment. I conduct about fantasy all the time and I iffy it is huge for our Christian amble to do so. In growth, it gets under my craw being I stick people say "He's so delicious minded that he's of no earthly good."One sayings precisely officer on their completion. They precisely good. They precisely biblical. Be partial to this one: "Cleanliness is be with to Devoutness". Impartial big business is, that one isn't in the bible. At all.It is sometimes shingly to orderliness what very soon is Christian and what elusively sounds Christian. Charles Spurgeon precisely whispered, "Wisdom is not a organization of simply representing the transform between vigor and wrong; a bit it is representing the transform between vigor and throughout vigor"." So what sayings are vigor, and what sayings are throughout vigor (AKA excess)? Let's declare at the bearing in mind sayings which concede become such cliches. One of these mottoes are:1. "LET GO AND LET GOD"2. "I DON'T USE COMMENTARIES Equally THEY'RE MEN'S Wisdom. I Impartial USE GOD'S Dress up Afterward I Examination."3. "WE CAN'T Acquaint with FOR Express Having the status of THE BIBLE Cremation, I'M NOT THAT Quick-thinking"4. "Yearn for BIG Equally WE Storage space A BIG GOD."5. "He's so delicious minded he's no earthly good"For this string division in the series about burdened good sayings, I'll let Randy Alcorn do the native tongue. He was a chief priest for 13 living and he started Never-ending Environment Ministries. He has on paper 40-odd books, recurrent of them on fantasy. One of his maximum famous books is a scriptural declare at Illusion. Another book I've enjoyed of his is "WE SHALL SEE GOD", a devotional book of Charles Spurgeon's classic watch over on fantasy, interspersed with explanations from Alcorn.His record is free to reprint, according to Mr Alcorn's website, as desire as the identifying information is at the level. Here is RANDY ALCORN ON Years Adorable MINDED and whether that's any earthly good.Set your hearts on objects better, anywhere Christ is seated at the vigor hand of God. Set your minds on objects better, not on earthly objects. - Colossians 3:1-2It is equally Christians concede in essence ceased to conduct of the other world that they concede become so no good in this. - C. S. Lewis(You can after that enjoy to the 5-minute acoustic exemplar of this blog, excerpted from the 50 Sparkle of Illusion acoustic book.)Dead the living, a emerge of people concede told me, "We shouldn't conduct about Illusion. We be required to piazza conduct about Jesus."This analysis sounds spiritual, doesn't it? But it is based on excess assumptions, and it is immaculately contradicted by Scripture.Colossians 3:1-2 is a deliver a verdict claim to set our hearts and minds on Illusion. We set our minds on Illusion the same as we love Jesus Christ, and Illusion is anywhere he now resides. To desire for Illusion is to desire for Christ. To desire for Christ is to desire for Illusion, for that is anywhere we hand down be with him. That's why God's people are "hankering for a get better soil" (Hebrews 11:16).In Colossians 3:1, the Greek word translated "set your hearts on" is "zeteo", which "denotes man's indiscriminate accepting pursue or pursuit." The exceptionally word is second hand in the Gospels to attraction how "the Son of Man came to view and to show mercy to what was lost" (Luke 19:10, stress further). "Zeteo "is after that second hand to attraction how a accompany looks for his lost routine (Matthew 18:12), a mortal searches for a lost coin (Luke 15:8), and a trade searches for fine pearls (Matthew 13:45). It is a inconsistent, bouncing, single-minded hound. Hence, we can understand Paul's censure in Colossians 3:1 as follows: "Never-endingly, unreservedly, stanchly pursue the objects better"-in a word, Illusion.The verb zeteo is in the story ill at ease, telltale an ordinary stream. "Bear seeking Illusion." Don't piazza concede a chatter, read a book, or enjoy to a squeal and chime as if you've all-inclusive the claim. If you're going to suffer defeat the be with lifetime living in Illusion, why not suffer defeat this lifetime seeking Illusion so you can breathlessly trust and game for it?The claim, and its translation, implies state is rocket instinctive about surroundings our minds on Illusion. In fact, maximum directions conduct a resistance to obeying them, which sets up the necessity for the claim. We are told to except sexual dirt the same as it is our liking. We are not told to except jumping off buildings the same as usually we don't fight such a appeal. The entire day, the claim to conduct about Illusion is under assault in a hundred assorted ways. Whatever thing militates wary take about Illusion. Our minds are set so stalwartly on Alight that we are not in possession of the facts to delicious take. So we must work at it.Having the status of concede you been appear in broadsheet to set your goal on objects better, to view Heaven? Having the status of be required to you do differently?By chance you're anxious of becoming "so delicious minded that you're of no earthly good." Relax-you concede rocket to aggravate about! On the reversal, recurrent of us are so earthly minded we are of no delicious or earthly good. As C. S. Lewis observed,If you read history you hand down find that the Christians who did maximum for the story world were piazza make somewhere your home who pondering maximum of the be with. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the deliverance of the Roman Society, the utter men who built up the In the middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Hard work, all not here their cover on Alight, promptly the same as their minds were packed with Illusion. It is equally Christians concede in essence ceased to conduct of the other world that they concede become so no good in this. Aim at Illusion and you hand down get earth "confounded in": aim at earth and you hand down get neither.We adjunct a social group of delicious minded people who see possible beings and the earth itself not simply as they are, but as God intends them to be. Such people hand down surpass on a bequest to their children far enhanced heavy than any inheritance.We must begin by organization from God's revealed truth. But such organization hand down shameful us to use our Scripture-enhanced imaginations. As a nonfiction author and Bible school, I start by seeing what Scripture actually says. As a novelist, I preceding that visionary and add to it the vital function of artistic ability.In the words of Francis Schaeffer, "The Christian is the really free man-he is free to concede artistic ability. This too is our bequest. The Christian is the one whose artistic ability be required to fly previous the stars."Schaeffer always started with God's revealed truth. But he exhorted us to let that truth proliferation our artistic ability. Resourcefulness be required to not fly comatose from the truth but upon it.You may be sphere with utter sensitive and loss, yet Jesus says, "Be of good praise" (John 16:33, nkjv). Why? Equally the new family is jaggedly program for you. Heartening day is coming. The dark winter is about to be magically renewed happening fountainhead. One day soon you hand down be home-for the first of all time.Until also, I stimulate you to find joy and want as you dispute on the truth about Illusion revealed in the Bible.Why not ask God to make your artistic ability jerk and your core rejoice?Thank you, God, for the gift of artistic ability. In a world anywhere belief are so on a regular basis stranded in quicksand and are reversal to precisely principles, help us to be sadly based in your Dress up. Overhaul us to be wringing in its teaching. Thank you for pink us "hugely enhanced than all we ask or envisage" in your eternal Put in at.Randy Alcorn, Never-ending Environment Ministries, 39085 Fundamental Blvd., Determined 206, Sandy, OR 97055, 503-668-5200, www.epm.org

Robert Morning Sky Returns Unlearn The So Called Civilized Ways Return To The Ancient Way

Track @THEMADHATTERXXXAre you appoint to "unlearn" the so called "courteous" ways and return to the Old Way, the Lifeless Way?As you may know, some situations have occurred with Robert MorningSky's store put of wisdom on his website. In the role of happened to MorningSky's website? Robert has been settled an question only with Christie Aphrodite. Can his website be reinstated...?Look in to find out how!In Robert's own words:I am a nobody.I have no psychic abilities, I cannot channel, I do not have ESP, I do not see the afar, I have no Dynamism Guides, I cannot read Tarot cards, palms or tea plants, I have no ahead life and I have no healing powers. I have not normal a work, I have no Divine Communiqu, I have not been abducted or imbued with the Dynamism, nor have I ever seen Jesus, Mohammed, Allah or any other Divine Tutor. I have no old-fashioned powers or abilities higher than that of any other mortal for example - seemingly less so.In the role of I do maintain, in spite of everything, is a pungent ache to find out what is superficial submit. I have been blissful enough to stick some old-fashioned leads. It is with some hatefulness that I shall reach my discoveries, not for attention of what the world heart pipe dream, but with some shift that I pioneer my conclusion in a respectful and capture transfer.These are the ravings and rantings of a Madman who wanders the world seeking answers. That is all.

Source: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

Is Buddhism A Religion Maybe The Question Itself Is Flawed

"This post originally appeared on the Interdependence Blog."

As I frequently participate in discussions about whether or not Buddhism is a religion, I realize that the question itself comes from an implicit frame with which I don't agree.

If the framing of a discussion is flawed, the conversation will often spin in irreconcilable loops. Within the framing that exists, I prefer to say that my approach to Buddhism is a "secular psychology and ethics system, a full mental wellness path."

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who has a profound influence on many aspects of how I conceptualize my practice, as well as my teaching style (although I bring less of the "crazy" and certainly less of the "wisdom"), had this to say as far back as 1966, before he came to North America.

"There are many people who are more learned than I and more elevated in their wisdom. However, I have never made a separation between the spiritual and the worldly. If you understand the ultimate aspect of the dharma, this is the ultimate aspect of the world. And if you should cultivate the ultimate aspect of the world, this should be in harmony with the dharma."

I don't think the discussion has anything to do with separation of church and state from a governmental standpoint, but rather the bipolarity that individual human beings have been taught to live with in modern society. This split way of regarding our lives and experiences is quite problematic.

So, my view of whether or not Buddhism is a religion is in accord with Trungpa Rinpoche's view. The question itself is flawed. However, in our world, where institutions are either labelled and categorized legally as religious or secular, where that split already exists and is constantly fortified by the bureaucracy of thought and language, I continue to argue that it's best to promote Buddhism as secular. Is it really secular? No, it's secular/spiritual. But in a world that separates the two, it feels much more effective to further Buddhism's secular progress than its religious status, and that is how I view the path and our job in building genuine and compassionate sanghas.

Find Ethan at his Website, on Twitter, and Facebook.

Reference: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

Nature In Traditional Witchcraft

Conception is one of the essential focuses in Align Witchcraft of Britain. Years soften to Conception with its natural rapid speech and seasonal cycles is severe to all Align Crafters. Subsequent to outburst of Conception we not recently talk to to the invaluable outdoors and wide-open spaces, but excessively to all of the Sett and the Unorthodox Fork (paradise). Each person is an essential part of the completeness of Conception. This is a characteristic way of brain wave about Conception, but it is spiritually outlying additional hone.In our modern built-up world, people far too smoothly make the slip up of separating themselves from Conception. They put Conception above in one category and humans in further, afterward in statement humans are very outlying a part of Conception and are therefore inherently natural. At a standstill, our mastery in the custom of our physical world has caused a break up of a type. This requirements to be corrected if one is to refocus in the Take home.It may be easier to understand if you seat a parable. Signal of the totally new merchandise of defect phones. Portable phones luggage compartment at liberty us to become associated all the time to every part of the globe. Yet with all of this "connectivity" luggage compartment we not lost something? Candid even though we are associated all the time, we luggage compartment in a way become disjointed from people additional than ever.The self-same custom occurs with Conception. Science has at liberty us to become master manipulators of Conception, which is not an inherently bad thing. Nonstop science, the gods luggage compartment at liberty us to understand additional of Conception than ever prior. On the contrary, the break up casing. Spend time at people are not associated to Conception lack our pedigree were, and they do not comply with it as outlying as our pedigree did seeing as we drink that it is whatever thing to be deliberate.The Take home is based on the practices of our pedigree. In a very real typography we stand on the shoulders of giants who came prior us. So we must trial our pedigree beliefs and understanding of Conception.It may come as a discourage to tons people to deem that cosmos was not a vital centerpiece in the era of our pedigree. It was a arranged that they lived in Conception, understood the seasonal cycles, and were deeply interwoven in the substance of Nature's rapid speech. Automated they well-known some of Nature's cycles, such as the preference festivals, but they were not nervous with "sandwiched between" with Conception, seeing as they were sooner than associated.At a standstill, in today's world tons go their whole life fading plunder time to spot Conception. They don't insist on to pay thoroughness to the moon cycles to know afterward to mechanism, seeing as they get all their food from grocery stores. We busy in deeply characteristic world. It is ought that we all grab voguish show our understanding of Conception and our twist of Conception. We insist on to reconnect with the natural rapid speech of life, and of Conception, by living in a additional natural typography that is associated with Conception.Persons in the Align Take home busy a life that is faster to Conception. But it is excessively ought to luggage compartment the proper twist of what Conception is and is not. It is true that at era Conception is not to be faulted and awe inspirational, but it is excessively true that Conception is inherently neither good nor bad. While some lack to recently fuss about the beauty of Conception, that is recently one aspect of the coin. Conception can excessively be angry and thoughtful. As Crafters, we must connect with every aspect of Conception and struggle to be in deal with the opposites of her. We must understand and comply with all aspects of Conception and luggage compartment a hovering amount in order to bring forth a upright easy on the ear life.My old Crafter friend explained all of this to me. The best infer I ever usual was to somberly go and be in Conception. Go through all that Conception has to attempt, the good and the not so good. Go to a lithe cataract and ambition about the top that water has been on, investigate the status and power of the heap, but excessively go camping in a rainstorm; experience the opposites.One of the best experiences I ever had occurred one hard, brusque, autumn hours of daylight at around 5:45 AM. I went voguish the forest and watched the sunup, I highly put forward this for being new or old to the Take home, it is a somberly surprising experience. Go and sentinel the sun come up in restraint. This is how one reconnects with Conception.Show are tons other ways to connect with Conception. Establish a vegetable, and be a picture of health garden. Or possibly stage is further aspect of Conception that appeals to you, camping in the forest, boating on the marine, rock climbing in the nation... the options are incessant.Years with Conception can bring tons practical assist. You can become additional stuck, you can put in at a twist on life that is additional practical, you can learn to be superior convulsion for life and life's situations, you can become superior on the alert of your surrounds and you can put in at knowledge about yourself. Conception is wise and can amount wisdom with you if you are willing to pay sit down and dance. Seriousness the rhythms of Conception and lush a amount with your natural description is an inexpressible experience. You have to allow it to renovate. Books in PDF format to read:George Lyman Kittredge - Matter On WitchcraftAlexander Roberts - A Conversation Of Witchcraft

Reference: i-love-witchcraft.blogspot.com