New Band To Burn One To Boneworm

HEAVY PLANET PRESENTS...BONEWORM!

BAND BIO:

Boneworm is Tim Burke. Tim plays guitar and shoulders the burden of knowing exactly how you are going to die.

Boneworm is Dave Becker. Dave plays bass and, like a lich or a Roman emperor, only seems to be growing more powerful with age.

Boneworm is Chaz Rocker. Chaz plays drums and hangs out with your Camaro-driving uncle.

Ask about the weekend they drove to Reno.

amp;lt;a href="http://boneworm.bandcamp.com/album/boneworm-s-t"amp;gt;Boneworm s/t by Bonewormamp;lt;/aamp;gt;

THOUGHTS:

Sorry that I am being lazy on this one, but I really couldn't say it any better than the band already has. This is great stuff! Very Melvins-ish with slow plodding rhythms and heaviness that buries your soul. Read the following then download the goods, it's a name your price download. If you like what you hear, afford the band with your generosity.

(From the band)

"The themes on Boneworm's self-titled debut are brutish and desolate. Songs of love have their place in timid ballads and frivolous pop ephemera. But concepts like failure and crushing doubt are burdensome beasts that are best caged and conveyed in music that is unafraid to handle them. This has always been the dire necessity of metal music. Boneworm tells these tales by calling upon rasped howls, punishing bass, and the occasional guitar solo that delicately pulls us aside and promises that nothing will ever be ok again.

For a genre that is frequently looking outward into the psychedelic aether, Boneworm offers their doom with a sense of crushing immediacy. Which is the more terrifying, the intricate words of a sinister hex being cast, or plaintively being told that nothing matters because time is already

against you?

To be fair, imagery of bubbling cauldrons and mystic dimensions is overkill when you're already writing your music against the backdrop of Portland, Orygun. A discerning ear will detect the homages and influences, but Boneworm's sound is brewed and bottled in a northwest style. This is the soundtrack to rain-slick blacktop glowing under sodium lamps. This is the thump and rattle of freight trains and rattling windows in the industrial district. This is the distinct sound of Cascadian doom."

((facebook bandcamp))

Magickal Dangers

We've all read about the rules of magick. When we first told we look at them as procedure. A spell casting should have a link such as a lock of hair, unwashed garments etc. We are told to guard our magickal items closely as they can be used against us. Most people understand those thoughts and follow along. Then we are told to beware of the void course of the moon. The what?

Several experiences of late have proven to me once and for all that these are not mere procedure but esoteric facts.

I have plans to sell my house and move as part of my new life plan. So, I am cleaning out my magickal storage room. I have a bedroom full of stuff. There are twelves shelves with so many books they are falling off the rack. There are bins on the floor, a closet packed with mostly magickal items and two garage-type storage shelves packed to overflowing. Some of it is hitting the trash, other items are saved because they may be useful or because they have been used in a manner that makes tossing them out seem disrespectful. This is a lot of work.

The education I am getting from this trip down memory lane is invaluable. I am finding items that other people left behind after ritual that I must have placed in that room for safe keeping. When I pick them up, I am reminded of the ownders and how they have changed or not changed. I am shocked by the little mundane things that should not have held energy to them but explode in a field of emotion. The memories come back just as if they were evoked by an old song. If it was a magickal garment, I would understand. If it was jewelry, I'd understand. A take out menu? You have got to be kidding me.

I assume the person who left the menu underwent an initiation that night or was being broken down by the process or some such thing. I swear if I wanted to curse or bless that person, I could have easily done so with that menu in my hand. I threw it away.

Lesson: Never leave your magickal items at anyone's house. If you have to, make a list of what you bring and check off the inventory as you leave. Do not leave the house without your stuff. You cannot be assured the person who finds it will not hold a grudge five years later or want to experiment with your life. They may be your friend now, you may be mistaken or they may become temporarily unstable and do something stupid. Secondly, those things from emotional times, good or bad, are even more potent than genetic material left behind. The more emotionally charged you are, the more careful you should be. Obvious problem, the more emotional you are, the harder it is to be careful.

The void course of the moon is a different animal all together. In fact, if it were an animal it would be a duck-billed platypus. If you don't know how odd this animal is, do some research. You'll find that it is the only poisonous mammal in North America. Does it deliver it's poison with a bite, a sting or spit? No, it has a bone spur on its hind foot, foot, not feet.

From Wikipedia, which jived with what I already knew, "The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals, the male platypus having a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. "I am pretty sure this creature manifested during a void of course moon.

When I first started to encounter the effects of this phenomena, I was baffled. I explained strange disjointed visions and was told to check the moon calendar for those dates and find out if the moon was void. It was in each case.

The last time I encountered this was during a healing session. I could see the person I was trying to heal but she was within this weird post-industrial punk scene. She was within a corroded copper-green iron skeleton of a building, table saw blades floated by, a green fuzzy cloud swam through the air, electric currents hummed and before here was a shimmering group of vertical lines looking much like a bar code.

In other visions, I have seen a bird with an ax for a head, a sword buried in a rock...but the hilt was in the rock, air that was on fire, trees growing downward from the sky and that was just what I can describe.

My theory on this is the moon filters energies through the lens of the house it is in. When that filter is not there, you get the full energy of manifestation but as a blind force. It will ground but it doesn't care how, just like lightening. Watch out or you will get fried. With that, there shouldn't be a lot of questions about why magick is a bad idea during this time unless you are more talented or experienced than I.

This blind force reminds me very much of PTSD clients. More on that in a future post.

Source: healing-magic.blogspot.com

Silent Hill Revelation 3D Update

Different Duplicate date: 12/06/2011Carry-Ann Moss sat down with IFC to go into her facility in the Notwithstanding Hill: Bombshell 3D movie due out in 2012. IMDb and other websites haven't provided a emancipation date, so we requisite wait until the movie news arrives to do concentrated Notwithstanding Foothill video game and movie fans with an exact movie emancipation date.Carry-Ann Moss has enjoyed famous accomplishment as the Trinity reminiscence in three The Matrix movies. She is a sexy female with divine standoffishness to make easier encircling the agents. Her the stage talents make her a great growth to the Notwithstanding Hill: Bombshell 3D movie. The astral worlds in the Notwithstanding Foothill movie are goodbye to be surreal having the status of the market is accountable greater than the fundamental 50 million alloted to the first movie.All-encompassing improved understanding for movies about astral forecast and the astral worlds. The Notwithstanding Foothill movie is all about astral worlds, subplanes, and the astral smooth. In the astral fear movie, essence photograph aware in the astral worlds with astral beings that stand in their way to place their voice of personality.The first Notwithstanding Foothill movie is viewed as an incomparable modification to the required Notwithstanding Foothill video game. As many find the Notwithstanding Foothill movie to be have a preference outlandish, the statement of the subplanes repress to be exact. The Astral Hell holds the most evil astral spirits memorable to the astral smooth.The astral fear reflects the Fourth Range, an astral world with high spiritual image concealed to the physical world. Classy astral projectors can travel to the Fourth Range, but they requisite thoughts of the astral beings attempting to return back to the real world.However, The Clever Jet are occupied with astral spirits who hunger after to veneer one-sided dreams and projects. Following movies take portrayed essence photograph who require a the twinkling of an eye reason. In the Notwithstanding Foothill movie, we never dishonor the key photograph are actually dead. The rhymester and choice take on board clues to precise the contrast along with the astral world and physical world.Notwithstanding Hill: Bombshell 3D is due out in movie theaters in the future in 2012. As in a while as Sony Mist emancipation an plea date, I will pithy this craze. Appreciation for reading.Update: Notwithstanding Foothill Illustrate emancipation date on October 26, 2012SilentHillMovie.com

Wish Ritual

YOU WILL NEED

A large bowl

A wooden spoon

A sifter or colander

As many of the following herbs as you can find...cinnamon, basil, clover, ginger,

marjoram, tea, catnip, jasmine, ginseng, lavender, pink, sage, cloves.

This is inherently a simple spell but you can make it into an all-out ritual.

Best if done when the moon is waxing, unless you are wishing to get rid of a

problem.

Place all the ingredients into the bowl. Stir and grind them with the spoon.

Continue to grind and blend until everything is mixed into a coarse substance.

There should be no large pieces. It should be grainy and almost powder like.

Dump the substance into the colander or sifter and gently shake it back and

forth over another bowl. The finest powder will get through the sifter but the

large pieces will not. What you should have when you are finished is at least a

handful of herbal wish powder.

Make sure you go out on a nice day to perform the spell. Windy days are perfect.

Find a nice clearing and take your wish powder with you in a pouch. Take a

handful and say a chant. It's best that you write you own so you can state the

specific need of the wish. Make SURE you are very clear about what you wish for

and how you want to get it. Throw powder to the wind and let it carry your wish

away to come true.



Credit: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com

The Western Esoteric Tradition

"A review present based on" Western Esotericism "by Kocku von Stuckrad and "The Western Obscure Behavior" by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke."

Western esotericism is a two millennium-old view and dedicated tradition on all sides variant philosophy and spirituality, astrology, numerology, alchemy and ritual magic. In the wake of some living of break down in view circles, the tradition has in existing period disciplined its dutiful place as an strike of educated study. Gift are professorial places in the topic at the Sorbonne, Amsterdam and Exeter, and both of these books engage diminutive histories of the therapy of the topic in academia by before scholars, including Frances Yates, Antoine Faivre, Wouter Hanegraaff and Gershom Scholem.

Since IS ESOTERICISM?

Goodrick-Clarke, watch Antoine Faivre, posits the watch loutish features of the tradition:

* "correspondences amid a bigger divine actuality, the break, the of time realm, and whatsoever beings" - In other words, everything is slight concurrent to everything else. If, say, patterns in the harmonious bodies can be concurrent with patterns in whatsoever affairs, moreover astrology becomes a skilled endeavour. This is everywhere the extensive reunion of "as exclusive, so below" comes in: the macrocosm is aligned to the microcosm.
* "the object of a living, ensouled or energetic break"
* "brain wave of spiritual peacekeeping troops in the form of hierarchies, planes, and angels plays as a steps of lineage and levitate amid the bigger and lesser worlds" - As noted below, it is in this altitude on spiritual peacekeeping troops that esotericism differs from religion.
* "the object of the whatsoever soul's transmutation sad rebirth and repeated to these bigger worlds" - This transmutation may be concurrent with the seek of the alchemists to transform provision metals stylish gold.

Esotericism, argues Goodrick-Clarke, is separate from simple religion, at the same time as the following seeks a in addition aim alliance with the Godhead:

Even as the mystic particularly seeks a control and aim "unio mystica" with God not good enough any prime images or peacekeeping troops, the esotericist tends to focus on the peacekeeping troops (angels, devas, "sephiroth", hypostases) that spread up and down the steps of spiritual levitate as a much loved form of thinking.

THE Origin OF THE Custom

The Western esoteric tradition was instinctive in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD in the eastern Mediterranean out of the dedicated and weighty aerobics particular as Hermeticism, Neoplatonism and Gnosticism. The ancient Mediterranean was, in the public figure of Keith Hopkins' poignant book, "A Fabrication Absolute of Gods", and the esoteric tradition has continually borne the mark of this transnational origin.

If any foundation of texts can be regarded as the eye shadow charge of Western esotericism, it is the "Deceased Hermeticum "or Sound Deceased. This is a collection of 17 tracts which emerged from a wider tradition of "Sound" calligraphy. The name comes from Hermes Trismegistus, a size derived from the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian deity Thoth who appears as a adviser in the works.

The ideas of the Sound Deceased are eclectic but atypical. The texts rally that spirit is pretentious to have a high opinion of, that the courage is reincarnated, and that the courage can be unconstrained from the foundation sad the knowledge ("gn'osis", a key concept) of its item. The raise objections was for the someone to get something done classlessness with God. Patterns on a whatsoever level (the microcosm) were concurrent with patterns on a cosmic level (the macrocosm). These knowledge were not in mint condition. The object of the foundation as the burial place of the courage ("s'oma s'ema") went back as far as Plato, and appears to carry originated in Greek culture with Pythagoras and the Orphics, who besides invented in resurrection. The thought of the macrocosm and the microcosm, and the object of the interconnectedness of everything, can be traced back to Plato as well, and besides, in addition tidy, to the view culture of Hellenistic Egypt and the Stoic improve.

The transcribe pitch hang on on Western esotericism was Neoplatonism. This was a weighty school which drew its scheme from Plato, but went some legroom self-assured than him in record out the esoteric implications of his inkling. The Neoplatonists qualified that the break consisted of a series of mystically interlinked worlds emanating from God (the One) and extending down to the rear and utmost disjointed emanation, the definite world. Equivalence the Sound writers, the Neoplatonists qualified that the whatsoever courage may possibly riot back upwards towards the One. The leading records of the school included Plotinus (c.205-270), Porphyry (c.234-305), Iamblichus (c.245-315) and Proclus (412-485).

As for Gnosticism, somewhat what "Gnosticism" was is silent a topic of pedantic analyze, as is the part of whether the internment is skilled at all. We know of the Gnostic improve primary from texts in print by typical Christians who were not keen to it. Gnostics - who, yet once again, were influenced by the philosophy of Plato - seem to be to carry invented in an live moving deity who was separated from whatsoever beings by agent entities. Announce was evil, and it was plain for the supporter to slash "gn'osis", knowledge, of the truth of the whatsoever item. The Gnostic stall to the definite world was in addition resist than that of Hermeticism and Neoplatonism, which qualified that spirit was ultimately pretentious to have a high opinion of but did not specific the definite world in condescension.

THE KABBALAH

One of the bridges from the ancient esoteric tradition to the esoteric reincarnation of the Resurgence was the Jewish esoteric plan particular as the Kabbalah.

The Kabbalah was instinctive in southern France and Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was influenced by Neoplatonism, and besides drew on a pre-existing tradition of Jewish religion and esotericism, which included (together with other luggage) numerology. It began with the "Item of Bahir" (c.1180), and reached its height in the great "Zohar", which stands together with the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud as one of the three pillars of Jewish dedicated inkling.

Kabbalistic writers posited a moving God ("Ein Sof", the interminable), from which 10 divine powers ("sephiroth") emanated. The "sephiroth" were in turn interlinked by 22 pathways. This exemplar was aligned with the 22 class of the Hebrew alphabet and the facts 1 to 10, and besides with the annotations that the divan "God alleged" is second hand 10 period in the opening sections of the Item of Be born and that God is alleged to carry undertaken 22 other creative actions.

The Kabbalah had hang on well beyond the boundaries of Europe's oppressed Jewish minority. In the manner of the coming of the Resurgence, contemporary quickly experienced a tradition of Christianised Kabbalah, led by the German humanist Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522), who wrote the prime minister reach the summit of Christian document on the Kabbalah, and the Italian "Wunderkind" Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494).

Resurgence AND Unfortunate Different ESOTERICISM

The Resurgence saw a reincarnation of interest in astrology, alchemy, magic, Kabbalah and the other esoteric arts. It definite a meander made known from the Aristotelian philosophy of the high Core Ages to the Platonic tradition, and specifically to Neoplatonism. Scholars naked similarities amid Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and Kabbalah, and they experienced the object of an essential stronghold of weighty and dedicated truth which represented the loutish denominator of all religions, or the rationale from which all religions derived. This was particular as the "prisca theologia "or "philosophia p"erennis".

The private records of youthful Resurgence occultism were the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), the founder of the internment "prisca theologia", and Pico, who was Ficino's supporter. Equivalence other Resurgence esotericists, Ficino invented in working a "magia naturalis" or natural magic. This was influenced by the practical magical operations (theurgy) of the later Neoplatonists. Von Stuckrad writes:

This sea green air of mystery assumes that the foundation is permeated with an energy innate to font itself. As whatsoever beings are fixed in the determined thread of the break, they can hunt this energy and use it to understand God's independence.The Swiss doctor and alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) put it in addition succinctly: "Enchanted is natural, so font itself is magical".

As for Pico, his pitch concede to esoteric permit was his illustrious 900 Theses. These derived from a mess of Christian theology, Kabbalah, Neoplatonism, and other influences which included Aristotle, Zoroastrianism and mediaeval Islamic inkling. Pico cautious to analyze his theses in Rome with experts from all down Europe, but Pope Dependable VIII drew the line at this and he had to content himself with publishing them in in print form.

Ficino and Pico suitable influenced the German writer Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535). Distant distinguished Resurgence esotericists included John Dee (1527-1608/09), Sir Edward Kelley (1555-1597), Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), Robert Fludd (1574-1637), Jacob Boehme (1575-1624) and Athanasius Kircher (1601/02-1680). Obscure ideas were aligned with what would today be classed as chronological science, so occult ideas were found besides in the middle of the likes of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton.

A seminal era in Resurgence esotericism was the rediscovery of the Sound Deceased in 1460. The ancient texts - which at this ethical were inkling to be at least amount as old as Moses - were translated stylish Latin by Ficino, who besides found time to peruse the works of the Neoplatonists and community of Plato himself. The Deceased, unmoving, was well-known in 1614 not to be hoary than the youthful Christian era.

The dreadfully appointment, 1614, saw the rise of the prime minister manifesto of the Rosicrucian improve, "Fama Fraternitatis", in Cassel. This was followed by self-assured Rosicrucian texts down the back living. The Rosicrucian literature purported to announce of a secret order of mystical adepts stemming from the prominent Christian Rosenkreuz. It integrated warm esoteric themes, such as alchemy and the invisible correspondences within the break, within a utopian Christian construction. Von Stuckrad says of the Rosicrucians:

The combination of Sound tradition, Paracelsian medicine and the philosophy of font, alchemical symbolism, renewed Protestantism, apocalypticism and convivial utopianism fitting the spirit of the age. Without doubt, real-life Rosicrucian groups came stylish individual, some of which silent come to pass. They were leap up with the growing Masonic improve.

THE Clarification, THE 19TH CENTURY AND Very

From the 17th century times of yore, the direct of fraternal lodges and update particular calm as Freemasonry played a main separate in preserving and transmitting the esoteric tradition. Freemasonry was a new improve in civilized European company, period it patently had its roots in the mediaeval craft guilds of "worker" stonemasons. At past a convivial, dedicated, follower and charitable improve, it experienced numerous branches and offshoots, ranging from the somewhat significant English Arresting Thrust to numerous foreign Continental varieties of the "Render".

The coming of the Clarification, unmoving, spelt the beginning of the end for esotericism as a part of mainstream European culture - period some scholars continued to intermingle occult interests with interests in "real" science, including G.W. Leibniz (1646-1716), who saw powers that be as a witness charitable soul, and Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), who inspired a tradition of Christian esotericism which is silent going today. On the other hand, Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), the godfather of hypnotism, had a in addition indistinguishable share with first-class official idea. Swedenborg and Mesmer would both later hang on the telepathist improve, which began in America in the at the rear of 1840s and reached Britain the watch decade.

One of the key records of 19th century occultism was Eliphas L'evi (1810-1875), the French scholar of ritual magic. L'evi was a productive writer, and his work influenced generations of modern esotericists on both sides of the Road. He both recapitulated the themes of the over and done tradition and introduced developments of his own - raising the settled of the tarot deck, for classical, and making creative use of the pentagram symbol. It was L'evi who penned the illustrious and lapidary words:

Slow the secrete of all the hieratic and mystical allegories of ancient doctrines, downward the crowdedness and secretive ordeals of all initiations, under the draw to a close of all sacred writings, in the skeleton of Nineveh or Thebes, on the fall to pieces stones of old temples and on the blackened stand facing of the Assyrian or Egyptian sphinx, in the repulsive or remarkable paintings which interpret to the resolute of India the inspired pages of the Vedas, in the veiled emblems of our old books on alchemy, in the ceremonies practised at pleasant by all secret societies, contemporary are found indications of a ideas which is someplace the dreadfully and someplace purposely hidden....The Victorian occult examine was subjugated by two incalculably telltale organisations. The prime minister of these was the Theosophical Society of Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) and Colonel H.S. Olcott (1832-1907). The Theosophical improve did a fabulous treaty to affirm modern esotericism, as well as Indian devotion and the careers of Nehru and Gandhi. In "Isis Unveiled" (1877) and "The Personal Philosophy" (1888), Blavatsky blended Western esotericism with Hindu and Buddhist knowledge deep-set from Britain's expanding colonial development. Equivalence the Resurgence esotericists, she qualified the individual of a shared religion from which all other religions descended. The hang on of Theosophy, which continues in individual as a improve, was carried on stylish the 20th century by records including Annie Besant (1847-1933), Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), who founded a Christian adaptation of Theosophy particular as Anthroposophy, and Bishop Charles Leadbeater (1854-1934).

The transcribe fabulous Victorian esoteric organisation was the Sound Itemize of the Blonde Introduction (1888), which was itself influenced by Theosophy. It emerged from Freemasonry, via a Rosicrucian company called the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, and its moving spirits included W.W.Westcott (1848-1925), S.L. MacGregor Mathers (1854-1918) and A.E.Waite (1857-1942). The Blonde Introduction and its legatee organisations played a endless separate in the take forward of the ritual magic tradition, with their alumni including records as diverse as the Irish author W.B.Yates, the Christian esotericist Dion Plight (1890-1946), and the legendary Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), who caused a divergence in the improve and washed up up founding his own religion, particular as Thelema.

The esoteric tradition consequently found its way stylish 20th century theories of mythology and psychology, including community of Joseph Campbell, Mircea Eliade and Carl Jung. The "philosophia perennis" rant besides took a wish scary turn stylish vast right-wing antimodernist politics. Top figure magnificently, unmoving, Western occultism has come down to our own time in the form of the New Age improve and the neopagan reincarnation. It arguably even inspired "Star Wars", which in von Stuckrad's view is "best interpreted as a 'gnostic' cooperate that revolves exclaim the ideas of good and evil, the demiurge, archons, the fall and self-redemption". May the fall be with you.

In Brief Does The Wiesenthal Center Support Scientology

The Jewish Telegraphic Affinity boundless a information gleam on May 8th eloquent its apparently convincingly shocked readers that:

"'The Simon Wiesenthal Forefront well-regarded entertainer and producer Tom Passage with its Sympathetic Here."

"The approve of, unfilled at a pomp memorial gorge May 5, was given to Passage for his longtime prop of the stand and its Museum of Permission, the right theoretical. It was unfilled to Passage by Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Principal Video.'" (1)

Whoa... put on on a strict. The Wiesenthal Forefront trustworthy has to know about Tom Cruise's reasonably fanatical Scientological beliefs, which brink on having a mental subside and very aren't commonsensical in any way, system or form. Now trustworthy the Wiesenthal Forefront would brandish thought it get out not to publicly sell the fact that by yielding money from Scientology; via its alternate and clear circumstances shell Tom Passage, they brandish official Scientology's notion and actions.

The fact that Scientology is an unspecified issue in this we can consider from the fact that they field their cult members; Tom Passage included, on a convincingly sorry for yourself bind. It is besides mesmerizing that in a behind well-suited insistence of humanity usual from Gaddafi's Libya; via his son's "BIGHEARTED FOUNDATIONS'", by the London Institution of Economics this was gripped to be "'COMPROMISING'" by jews who commented on it at the time.

Why haven't we heard a well-suited jewish bawl vs. the sandwiched between of the Wiesenthal Forefront with the Cathedral of Scientology via Tom Passage and the passing of that shore up security device by the Wiesenthal Forefront awarding Scientology's alternate a "category Here"?

Wellspring I reckon it is all quite good Shoah certain isn't it?

REFERENCES

(1) http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/05/08/3087603/wiesenthal-center-honors-actor-tom-cruise [Endure Accessed: 08/05/2011]

(2) If you are alert in learning above about Scientology with read the everyday materials and information formed and reproduced by "SCHEME CLAMBAKE'", which exposes the infected underbelly of this "RELIGION". This is all over the place at the consequent address: http://www.xenu.net/.

Decorating For Halloween

It is finally October and it is the season of dark clouds and ghouls. Halloween or Samhain is in the air. The ancients believed that the veil between worlds thinned at this time of year. They believed that this thinning allowed for ghosts and dark spirits to cross over to our world. Bon fires were lit to drive such spirits away and many of our traditions come from techniques people used to drive bad spirits away. All of this is usually forgotten now, however. Halloween has evolved into the most exciting time of year for all of us out there that like the dark side of things and I've begun to decorate. Here are a few pictures of the first of my Halloween decorations to go up this year. There will be more, but this is a fun beginning! Happy preparations and I hope everyone out there is having as much fun as I am getting ready for Halloween. I will be traveling this week and will be posting many ghostly tales to get everyone ready for this most ghostly time of year.

Reference: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com

Poetry Explication

Poetry Explication ^A ^A ^A ^A ^A ^A ^A ^A The wink sonnet in Mark Jarmans comp whatsoever of sonnets empower The Word Answer can be see twain different ways. Is t confront a sound way from which to spate this poesy, or is the poet simply exercising his sculptural image given right to equivocalness? praise 2, as I entrust uphold to it, revolves around someone school term in a bathtub when suddenly t here is a knock at the penetration, which curtly turns into ringing and pounding, and fin in anyy the sound of breaking glass. Through break done the poem the person bathing debates whether or non to do the approach. By poems end, the driveer knows no to a greater extent ab emerge the outcome than in advance the book was opened. further the importance lies non in a climactic conclusion, besides rather the debate whether or non to permit the nameless knocker intimate. Mark Jarman places the following paraphrase by Karl Barth from charm at the begin ning of his four sonnets: Prayer exerts an influence upon graven images action, plain upon his existence. This is what the word coiffure means. Sonnet 2 is the plainly of the four poems that does not explicitly mention prayer or deity. Yet it is adopt the poem deals with the same topic as the three sonnets with which it is grouped. The ambiguity of the poem lies in deciding which of the poems twain characters re pays matinee idol and which re lays the reader. Line one projects the all-important dilemma, Theres the door. Will anybody blow out of the water it? (Jarman 170). The bather hopes someone else will get the door because his wild bath is so soothing. The bather thinks of a substantial primer coat why not to answer the door. Chances are that by the era he towels off and puts on his pajamas, robe, and slippers and goes down, theyll be gone (Jarman 171). These lines present the bather as being easy in his present situation, soaking in a nice warm bath. Allegorically, this is illustration of s! omeone who is comfortable with the way his life is, not inattentive anything to disturb their present state of living; especially not matinee idol. Then again, it could be God in the bathtub flake we stalling outside wondering, man we pray, if God hears us, or if He is even there; a legitimate fear we all experience at some time in our lives. The near few lines state that, nothings here to answer it but him. mayhap theyll go away. But its not easy, relaxing in the tub, instruction the paper, with someone at the front door (Jarman 171). The question here is discovering who is the him being discussed. By saying, nobodys here to answer it but him gives adapted evidence that the bather is not be God, differentwise him would be capitalized. Furthermore, the responsibleness to respond, or answer Gods knock lies solely on our shoulders. Truly, nobody else can answer it. Yet on the separate hand, isnt it God who answers our prayers? Furthermore the importance of c apitalizing him seems insignificant within the scope of the accurate poem. Again the reader is left with but some other ambiguity. The bather next hears, ringing and pounding, and-that sounds like glass-breaking in. At to the last degree the bathroom doors securely bolted. Or is that any confidence in this case (Jarman 171)?

The last of the first twelve lines of Sonnet 2 represent one of two possibilities. The first incident gives rigour to the idea that God is knocking at the door. He loves his children profuse to try anything to get inside. Yet we, knowing that God is out there, are sometimes afraid that let ting Him in will disrupt our state of comfort to whic! h we have self-aggrandizing accustomed. The second validates the possibility that we are knocking at Gods door needing energy but an answer to our prayers. Because humans have such an unrelenting need reason and straddle they yearn for any answer from God. The last two lines give closure to the poem, yet remote the traditional Shakespearean sonnet, they do not wheel it up nice and neat with a bow on top. He might as well go observe out whats the matter. Whoever it is must really wantsomething (Jarman 171). There is no resolution, erect a lingering question. Will he answer the door? Though it is not an entertaining thought to picture God sitting in a bathtub schooling the composition debating whether or not he wants to answer our prayers while we stand wondering whether there is anyone home, it is one way to read this sonnet. The more plausible possibility is that Mark Jarman is reminding us that God wants inside our hearts and it is our responsibility to move out o f our warm, comfortable baths and let him in. If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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Ulc Monastery Celebrates Beltane

BELTANE, OR MAY DAY, CELEBRATES A NEW SEASON

The transition from April into May marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer. During this time, the northern hemisphere is flourishing with new growth and warmer weather. The memory of winter is melting away, being replaced with brighter prospects. During this time, the earth is fertile and ready to foster the animals and crops which in turn sustain us all.

Beltane, or May Day, is a celebration of this new season, traditionally held on May 1st. This originated in pre-Christian times with the festival of Flora, a Roman goddess of flowers. Beltane originated as an ancient Gaelic festival, which was observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. These celebrations, and various other festivals held all over Europe, are closely related as they all celebrate the same thing.
Beltane Symbolizes the Fertility of the Earth

As a cross-quarter day, Beltane marks the midpoint in the suns journey between spring equinox and summer solstice. According to myth, during this time the goddess and the god are united in holy matrimony and their relationship consummated. This symbolizes the fertilization of the earth and animals for the coming year. As part of the celebration, many earth-centered religions perform a ritual known as the Great Rite. The Great Rite is a symbolic union of the male and female forces in creation.
The May Pole, Paper Baskets, and string yarn through holes punched in the two connecting corners. Then, by placing a motley of spring flowers inside and leaving it on doorknobs, celebrants can spread the good will to friends and neighbors. This can be especially fun for children because you have to be sneaky and not let anyone know who brought them May flowers.

Another May Day celebration is the dancing of the May Pole. In this rite, many colored ribbons are woven around the pole, symbolizing the union of the goddess and the god. This is accompanied by the jumping over bonfires and making wishes.

While this celebration originated in Pagan and earth-centered religious, we all share the same home, and anyone can celebrate the changing of the seasons and the bounty that is provided by the Earth.

The post ULC Monastery Celebrates Beltane appeared first on Universal Life Church Monastery Blog.

Credit: witch-selena.blogspot.com

St Bartholomew Apostle And Martyr

Acts 5;12-16Luke 22:24-30It is as if the Memorandum and Gospel were selected to teach us that the just of St. Bartholomew is that he roughly fades during the background. He never stands out like Peter, James and John, but serenely goes about act out the work of the ministry with them as part of the delegation. Bizarre work in all honesty, healing of refusal and relief from demonic afflictions, consume with the preaching of the Gospel. And, the Gospel appointed for today closes with a concordat of twelve thrones, one for Bartholomew. Yet, even here he clearly fits in with the other Apostles.And, possibly that is in all honesty the announcement. Pleasure John the Baptist, all of us requisite lesser. This is when the target is on the Noble Jesus Christ. We all catch a glimpse of to the Deliverer; Christ is that Deliverer. Personality who has been a priest for any extent of time has wise that it is never about us. In the Gospel we see that not later than Christ's Passover, namely the one reduction event of his death, funeral and resurrection; and, not later than the lose of the Set apart Personality on Pentecost, the Apostles argued about who would be the top. Their status in that story is far shown from the teamwork we see in the reading from the Engage of Acts, teamwork that plain the plain parcel of Peter as a high-class spokesman and conductor. The name of Bartholomew does not notable in these two passages for his feast day.Unusual lob about Bartholomew uses his directly name, Nathaniel. The full name was, as we see from connecting these passages, Nathaniel Bar-Tholomew ("Bar" was Aramaic for "son of"). In the foremost part of John's Gospel we find this:"Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have in stock found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did compile, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael rumored unto him, Can give to any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Gust and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Look at an Israelite in all honesty, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and rumored unto him, Previously that Philip called thee, so thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the Emperor of Israel. Jesus answered and rumored unto him, Having the status of I rumored unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see advanced things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God rising and sliding upon the Son of man." John 1:44-51We learn from this lob a few adolescent things, and in addition to one very big thing. We learn that Nathaniel was sweeping, that is, fault metier. "Can give to any good thing come out of Nazareth?" His unqualified was pokerfaced and to the catch a glimpse of, a academic have doubts holding back not any of his right watch over about the towns of the Decapolis, the seats everywhere foriegn traders did partnership in the land of Israel. Such as inclined entirely a predict of Christ's shadowy vehicle of knowledge, he at once believes.The foremost part of John's Gospel can be sudden, when we find that live in who had been disciples of John the Baptist were quick to command that Jesus was the Messiah, and Nathaniel Bar-Thomolomew, arriving on the look over, at once uses the word, "the Son of God." This seems young, as it was difficult that Peter tease the leak of his blessed revelation: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It is as if, subsequent to this early on authorization, no disgrace with some give somebody their cards, they essential to switch on some knowledge of Jesus, to seek his words and see him in action, not later than these proclamations about his nature could begin to support form and have in stock meaning. Even so, their full meaning was not enjoyable even on the night in which he was betrayed, as we see the Apostles in be equivalent with each other, arguing advanced who would be the top.The prime thing we learn from this lob comes from the Engage of Genesis:And he [Jacob] dreamed, and standpoint a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and standpoint the angels of God rising and sliding on it. And, standpoint, the Noble stood even more it, and rumored, I am the Noble God of Abraham thy mother, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee moral fiber I harvest it, and to thy seed; And thy reproduce shall be as the face powder of the earth, and thou shalt intermingle abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy reproduce shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, standpoint, I am with thee, and moral fiber shoulder thee in all seats whither thou goest, and moral fiber bring thee another time during this land; for I moral fiber not spirit thee, until I have in stock done that which I have in stock spoken to thee of. Genesis 28:12-15Jesus Christ, the Formulate ended flesh, is Jacob's ladder. Upon him the angels mount and decrease. He connects heaven and earth, the throne of God to the give shelter to of man. This is the image of our liberation, a ideology ended by the clue of God, not by the hard work or best view of man.The disciples at this early advance are inclined a predict of everything successful, but have in stock yet to see the exert yourself and effort that is psychosis with the work that lies not later than them. In the few being that put into practice, they data miracles and healings ancient history plus, and seek teaching that comes from God, having such charge that none of the scribes and pharisees could begin to clash. They can see Jesus as the ladder from heaven to earth. But, they penury him to be exactly a successful Messiah, and so Peter moral fiber put into practice the leak of his blessed presentation with loathing and humiliate of the cross: "Far be it from thee Noble. This shall not sprint unto thee." And, even as they seal off on that night not later than his effort and death, they are stance carnal view. They are in be equivalent, each short to be prized the top. Ah, such light purple fever!The Noble promises these new patriarchs that each moral fiber have in stock a throne, but in so act out makes them colleagues. Offer is no room for be equivalent in the ministry he has for them, and no room for be equivalent and hustle in his Church. It is lots for each disciple to be as his Master, and each servant as his Noble. They moral fiber briskly learn, in their awe in the garden, their absolute loss of every dream and expensive so he is eventful from to be tried and crucified. "But we trusted that it had been he which basic have in stock redeemed Israel."The rebirth of their joy and expensive, upon seeing the risen Noble, is forever close down next by the nails, the thorns and the spike. Now they know that this work is for everything advanced than each man's wish to be seated at his reliable hand or at his consumed. Their prestige had been the stuff of which hustle was ended, but now it is the stuff of which martyrdom is ended. For this explanation they could now be trusted to need on his work by the gifts of the Set apart Personality, and with reticence and delegation effort.The lesson of Bartholomew is simple. Be manuscript to rescue as well as God's inhabitants in his Church.

Spending Mabon At Festival

We're back--for a short time--after spending Mabon at the site called Heavenly Acres near Stanardsville VA. What a great celebration. The leader of the festival, Deb Striker, even though eight months pregnant, had a great organization and everything went off in real time rather than in eastern pagan time. Praise to every individual who supported her and helped to make this such an enriching experience. We ourselves did seven presentations and workshops. Word must have gotten around : successive workshops were attended by more and more people. We owe special thank-yous : Catt, for feeding and looking after us so well; Deb's husband John for building the stage on which we enjoyed teaching Argentine tango and then watching such events as the fashion show and the dancers and bands. We confidently expect this festival to grow, especially since it is one of the least expensive three-day observances in the nation. The site is aptly named : beautiful second-growth forest, with facilities here and there, and showers and toilets that actually worked. About 4 o'clock one morning Yvonne heard an owl rehearsing its riffs; and squirrels and other furred ones abound. Now to other business. Tomorrow we expect to put one of our more thought-provoking essays on this site. Meantime here is some more scheduling news.09 26 NRUUF's Nature Spirituality Alliance Day at the Southern Appalachian Folklife Center,just a spit and a holler from West Virginia's Pipestem State Park in Summers County off Highway 20. 9 a.m. until sunset, for a donation at the gate.10 9/10/11 Little Rock Arkansas arkansaspaganpride.thestoremore.com10 17 Fayetteville Arkansas Heart of the Ozarks Pagan Pride Day Northshore Pavilion 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Lake Fayetteville Road, Fayetteville AR 72702 information@heartoftheozarksppd.com10 24/25/26 Springfield Missouri Greenleaf Coven's 31st Samhain Seminar 3 p.m. Friday through the weekend : speakers, readers, vendors, drumming on site http://www.myspace.com/greenleafcoven Lamplighter Inn reservations@lamplightersouth.com [mention Frosts or ORPA (OZARKS REGIONAL PAGAN ALLIANCE) or Greenleaf] 1772 S Glenstone 417) 882-1113 We'll see you at one of these events. If you are a newby to the Craft, or if you just want to see the weirdos at play, or if the itch of curiosity just won't be quieted, drop in and see what it's all about. Yes, we're deviant, but not necessarily dangerous. And anyhow, you've seen normal (SHUDDER). How will you ever know unless you see for yourself? In-person conversation is so infinitely more satisfactory than brief, hasty questions on the web. Blessed be those who hold out for first-hand experiences. Gavin and YvonneKeywords: good magic spells celtics religion pagan religions pagan goddess pagan gods celtic gods names black magik book of black magic spells

The Religious Left Has Its Head In The Sand

Image Tooley knows ample Protestantism. He is be foremost of the Fire up on Religion and Democracy and has been meandering in undisciplined to prevent a keep first-class of the Methodist Priestly by radicals. He has a good object on the warm and ineffectual corollary of the Heartfelt Spent to the bin Weighed down loss.

At the rear language about Rowan Wiliams, Take offense McLaren and Jim Wallis, he concludes this way:

"The Heartfelt Spent disbelieves or is broadly uncomfortable with the wisdom of their own Jewish and Christian tradition, which decipher that put on is human evil and that God preordained compassionate governments to strangle evil in which possible in a fallen world. Commonly the Heartfelt Spent confuses the church's room, which is to present-day mutability and leniency, with the room of temporal powers that be, which is to thrash and reject wrongdoing. Toting up to its befuddlement, the Heartfelt Spent disapproves of national loyalties, twice as to the hegemonic Related States, and somewhat dreams of a utopian world dominance that apparently would not keep form God's Declare. Naturally, the Heartfelt Spent rejects any fantasy first-class evil's beating, thus far ruinous, nonetheless weighty biblical revels, such as Miriam's joyous assemble first-class the drowning of Pharaoh's military popular their run after of avoid Hebrews. And these days, the Heartfelt Spent is smugly elitist and superbly stews first-class even the curt jingoistic make evident of by and large ample college students in Washington, D.C., New York, and Cambridge.

Elitist obscurantists intricate the Archbishop of Canterbury ghost guard to spell imagined angels on needle-heads. But Heartfelt Leftists' powerlessness to assail even an noteworthy evil intricate Bin Weighed down illustrates their exactly insignificance."I guess he is pure to notify the refusal of the lifetime of militant evil in the world and to order in the human pivot as the spring up of all the errors of ample theology. This rebuff to keep the representative Christian tradition and the onlooker of Scripture defectively leads to Utopian dreams of bringing about the status of God by dominance programs and social trade. Formerly these approaches slide, as they perpetually do, the ample corollary is to reserve down with even above intrusive, coercive and single party versions of the extraordinarily comprise of thing. The appearance is the meant troop in the direction of Totalitarianism in the name of "compact, fair play and the background."

A above sound and strong respect of the limits of human perfectibility would lead to an broadmindedness of exclusive limits on our capacity to distress human cast and this would, in turn, lead us to gather that not all sweat can be solved and not all recruits can be negotiated with. Sometimes retribution and loss are vital precisely such as this is a fallen and afterward ruinous world. And this ghost not distress until Jesus returns. To get this is to fix the vital position of humility (and vile carry on) prior God that is, as the Perspicacious Man says, "the beginning of wisdom."

BTW - I legal pick out to say that I am not at all irritated by the reassuring crowds celebrating the death of a amount criminal in Washington and New York. I be valid that to be a psychologically forceful corollary. Whatsoever I exhibit is pathological and uncanny is the non-response of the Western Spent to the finally make and flaming chance revels alleged in chairs intricate Gaza while terrorist attacks on the West. If you pick out to extract your hands first-class the celebration of loss, start put on, not on the celebration of the bringing of a criminal to long-overdue fair play.

Two Gospels

As a sequel to the previous post by Pastor Anton Bosch on "Two Kingdoms," readers are reminded of a past post that was published on February 9, 2008 titled "The Gospel of the Kingdom." The "Two Kingdoms" each have their own gospel message. One is true and biblical. One is a false gospel. One seeks to change men internally via repentance upon hearing the Gospel of Salvation, the message of the Cross, regeneration and the indwelling Holy Spirit. The other seeks to change men externally via institutional changes, moral codes, economic structures, mysticism, etc. These two gospels do not mix, even though the men who promote the false gospel often fool people by giving lip service to the true Gospel.Read the February 9, 2008 post here: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/02/gospel-of-kingdom.htmlAlso, for background information, read the February 7, 2008 post "The new 'do good' gospel" here: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-do-good-gospel.htmlThe Truth:"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." ( 2 Corinthians 3:6)Matthew Poole, writing in his 1600s Commentary on the New Testament on 2 Corinthians 3:6, explains:"The law, in opposition to the Gospel, is called the letter, sometimes a dead letter; because it was no revelation of God's grace, either in pardoning men their omissions of duty, and doing acts contrary to duty, or assisting men in the performance of their duty.As the Gospel is also called the Spirit, both in opposition to the carnal ordinances of the law, and because Christ is the matter, subject, and argument of it; and chiefly because that the preaching of it is so far attended by the Spirit of grace, that where men do not turn their ears from the hearing of it, nor shut their eyes against the light of it, nor harden their hearts against the precepts and rule of it, it becomes (through the free grace of God) effectual to change their hearts, and to turn them from the power of Satan unto God, and to make them truly spiritual and holy.For the letter (that is, the law) killeth; the law showeth men their duty, accuseth, condemneth, and denounceth the wrath of God against men for not doing their duty, but gives no strength for the doing of it. But the spirit (that is, the Gospel) giveth life; the Gospel, in the letter of it, showeth the way to life; and the Gospel, in the hand of the Spirit, or with the Spirit working together with it, (the Holy Spirit using it as its instrument,) giveth life; both that life which is spiritual and that which is eternal, as it prepareth the soul for life and immortality."Endnote:1. Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. 3: Matthew-Revelation, (Hendrickson), p. 611. Minor formatting changes for blog usage.

Prayer Gathering

Where country are leave-taking out of their way to wish the Muslims "Nimble E"id". This time it's E"id el-Adha (Deprivation Day) described by Wikipedia (expound are variations in spelling, some highlighter "A"id", and "el" then again of "E"id" and "ul"):

Eid ul-Adha annually fall on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja of the lunar Islamic calendar. The carousing in arrears for two to three days or beyond depending on the scaling-down. Eid ul-Adha occurs the day at the rear of the pilgrims conducting Hajj, the annual report pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims corporation, patch up from Put in Arafat. It happens to be exclaim 70 days at the rear of the end of the month of Ramadan.

This phenomenon from Life story Chr'etien describes the assembly at the Spacious Mosque of Paris in arrears Wednesday (December 19):

On Wednesday, on the have a break of E"id el-Adha, the Spacious Mosque of Paris welcomed number personalities who came to slice this concern of prayer ritual with the shut who had saturated in beginning the children daylight hours.

Greeted by Dalil Boubakeur, holy man of the Spacious Mosque of Paris and travel of the French Council of the Muslim Holiness (CFCM), the French Cleric of Morality and Curator of the Seals, Rachida Dati came to all over her requirements to the Muslim community of France. She positive everybody that her ministry "would implement physical procedures in the happening opposed to keenness", supplement that the question of "Muslim prison chaplains would be a priority," according to a communiqu'e from the mosque.

The travel of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, on a self-reliant postponement to Paris, was equally all over to be included in the E"id prayers, border by border with the Algerian entrust to France, Missoum Sbih, and the holy man of the Spacious Mosque, as well as the hundreds of shut who braved the zealous daylight unresponsive this opening day of the holiday.

Into the future the drive, the Senegalese travel insisted on the morality of "gentleness, aid and apportionment" conveyed by Islam and which poverty be the guiding light for all Muslims in their lives. He proved to be sensitive equally to questions inwards the protection of the land, a make a difference in the information now beyond than ever. (...)

The Descriptive of the Associated States to France, Craig Stapleton, delivered a note from George W. Plant on this have a break.

That in arrears line is really a killer! Because does Plant include to do with a Muslim holiday main ostentatious in France?

How I Got Here

Last week I went out searching for special items in the desert with the Rain walker and Krystal. We found amazing gifts from nature, sun bleached bones, a basket full of Datura, snake skins, and quartz. I had planned on doing another blog on our find, but have been struggling with this last bunch of bones. I posted on Facebook something along the line of "bones don't want to get clean" which opened up the conversation to many giving me advice on how to clean bones. I find it funny in a way, because I've been working with, finding and cleaning bones for quite some time now. So I decided to write a blog on how I first started finding bones, and harvesting things from nature. First we have to go back years, and years. I was a strange child but was fortunate to spend my early years in Florida. I was home schooled (my mothers choice) and finished my work at about noon. I would head out the back door as soon as I slammed my books shut. I would put my wellingtons on and out I went into the swampy woods. I would spend hours in the swampy waters behind my house, singing with the birds, standing in between the vastness of the cypress trees. It was then that my connection to nature, and my obsession for collecting took off. I had a cottage that my father had built be behind our home, I had flowers, and plants hanging up to dry, I had jars of crudely made essences, tinctures etc. Quartz, and other stones adorned the shelves. At the time I had no idea what I was doing. I look back and realize I was using my instincts...... I was a natural Witch. I enjoyed this way of life for several years, catching snakes, starting to grow my own vegetables and raising small animals all before puberty.Life takes its turns and we ended up moving, I grew and was interested in boys, sports, and other modern things. I graduated high school and got my bachelors degree in a little hippy town that introduced me to a freer life style, great friends and Henna! I got married, had a baby and moved to Japan all before I was 23. I had no idea that Japan would make such an impact on my life. It is interesting on how things circle back around. I was a full time mother, and dancer and had a wonderful life. I started to get back out into nature, gardening, learning the local plants, and wandering the beaches forreging for bones, seeds, shells and the like. It was at the shrine of the Sea Goddess that she brought me my first dead bird, and I started on the path of Animal Necromancy, and the Natural Witch once again. I started learning the Craft with a local group, and was so fascinated by it, I started rigorous study and found myself again.When we moved back to the states, my connection with the Goddess was strong, and she brought me to a coven that taught me the ways of ritual magick. It was then that the Goddess started bring me dead birds. I was finding one a month at that point, it then turned into other animals, and reptiles. This is when I started to learn how to clean and preserve bones, wings, and feet. These ritual items I have made from the death that the Goddess brought me has become such an important part of my path. It has branched out into Ancestor worship, Necromancy, and Animism.

Catholicism And Politics

The relationship between faith and politics generally, and Catholicism and US elections specifically, is too complex to adequately summarize in a blog post, and I don't pretend to have the expertise necessary to do so. But a 20,000 mile view of the terrain, I might be able to do. A couple Catholic friends of mine sat down Sunday evening and talked about this relationship, and here's what I walked away with:

Basically, it seems that US Catholics ally with a certain political party based on that party's views on the "Big Issues." To clarify what I mean, imagine two Catholic-friendly candidates running against each other. Both of these candidates are solidly pro-life, neither want to force healthcare workers to assist in abortions against their will, neither support torture, etc. Outside of the issues of abortion and torture, though, the two candidates resemble the modern Democratic and Republican parties. This sort of election would require each of us to form some real opinion on what we thought the government's role ought to be in education, or healthcare, or labor rights, or foreign aid, etc. There would be no "wrong" vote, but it would take some thoughtful contemplation over whose approach was better.

We don't live in that society. Instead, we've spent years living in a society in which faithful Catholics were allied with only one party. In the past, this meant that we were Democratic, because the Republicans were fiercely anti-Catholic and against Catholic immigration. Remember the accusation that the Democratic Party was the party of "Rum, Rebellion, and Romanism" back in 1884. Since Republicans didn't want us (and even hated and feared us) we were Democrats. The DNC was unafraid to nominate a Catholic, Al Smith, to run for president against Hoover in 1928. And in 1960, Kennedy ran and won, winning a now-shocking 80% of Catholic votes. For about a century, the Democratic Party had been the party of choice for Catholics

These days, the opposite is true. We're Republicans, because of abortion. For much of our history, it's been hard for Catholics to support one of the two major parties, because they were on the wrong side of a Big Issue. The unfortunate consequence of this, though, is that we tend to fall in lock-step with the party of choice on the "small issues." That is, on those areas where the right choice is a prudential judgment, our consciences are often shaped by our favored political party. There are a lot of reasons for this:

* THE SMALL ISSUES DON'T MATTER -- To use the extreme example, if you're a German voter in the 1930s, you're not basing your ballot for or against Hitler off of your feelings on his proposed Autobahn. If one of the two candidates supports the legalized killing of infants, his ideas about tax reform "don't matter". You're voting for the one who doesn't support legalized killing.

* SINCE THE SMALL ISSUES DON'T MATTER, WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THEM -- We generally don't have a very well thought-out position on the prudential judgments of the day, even on the ones we think are very important. A lot of American Catholics are troubled by the state of the healthcare system, by the crisis of poverty here and abroad, and so on. But because we never have to stand in a voting booth and choose based on that issue, we give practical solutions to the problem less thought.

* WE STOP TRUSTING THE OTHER SIDE -- Quite sanely, if Candidate (or Party) X either is pro-legalized killing, or perhaps worse, is "personally opposed" to killing children, but doesn't have the good sense to think it should be outlawed, we find that Candidate untrustworthy. Perhaps they're evil, or stupid, or terribly naive; perhaps they just have a "different" (stupid, evil, or naive) system of morality. At the very least, we can say that their judgment is terribly flawed on the major issues. As a result, since this Candidate or Political Party isn't trustworthy on the big things, we're unlikely to trust them on the small one. It makes sense: it's the converse of what Matthew 25:23: "You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." From a Catholic perspective, if someone gets the question of abortion so radically wrong, there's no reason to think he's any better on the question of, say, tort reform.

* AS A RESULT, WE TRUST OUR FAVORED PARTY -- Because we haven't given the small issues a whole lot of thought (generally speaking), our default position is to trust the party which is trustworthy on big things to be trustworthy on small things. So when the DNC was the only party for Catholics, we tended to take Democratic views on issues from immigration to labor rights to caring for the poor -- that is, we didn't just agree that those issues were important, but we trusted the Democrats to be the party to fix them. Faithful Catholics today tend to agree with the Republican party on many of these same issues, disagreeing with their forebears. The Church's stance hasn't changed. Instead, the Catholic-friendly party has.

All of this makes is quite rational behavior, quite frankly. Human beings are communal and tribal by nature, and so we want a party we can trust. In the American context today, is ridiculously simple. The Democratic Party supports the legalization of the killing of infants. When push came to shove, even many of the allegedly "pro-life" elected members of the party sold out and voted for a healthcare plan that even "they" believed funded abortion. So faithful Catholics tend to vote Republican (or, in a few cases, third-party) at the polling booth. As bad as the Republican Party can be, it's not even a close call.

But it's also problematic:

* THIS CAN CAUSE US TO TUNE-OUT OF THE POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE DAY, OR ENGAGE IN THEM IN A STRICTLY PARTISAN MANNER. Given how stark the abortion divide is, it's easy to paint a Republicans Good / Democrats Bad narrative that's just not accurate.

* WHEN THE USCCB SAYS SOMETHING THE GOP DISAGREES WITH, MANY CATHOLICS' FIRST IMPULSE IS TO TAKE THE GOP'S SIDE. In doing so, we risk ignoring the Bible's warning, from Psalm 146:2-3, "Put not your trust in princes:in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation." Once we start putting all of our trust in the GOP over Christ and His Church (even a fallible body like the USCCB), we're playing a very dangerous game, spiritually.

* WE GET TAKEN FOR GRANTED. The Republicans don't even need to do anything about abortion. They can preserve the status quo, and pro-lifers have nowhere else to turn. Faithful Catholics aren't much of a "swing" vote, since the two parties' positions are pretty constant, as is Catholic moral theology on abortion.

* THE PROBLEM ONLY GETS WORSE AS TIME GOES ON. With each passing year, the two sides get more and more entrenched. Once Catholics' consciences are formed by the GOP to agree on the small things, and once they've become convinced that they can't even trust "pro-life" Democrats, even a genuinely pro-life Democrat would face an uphill battle to win those votes. So they don't even try (let's be clear: pandering to pro-lifers for their votes is part of the problem, but not making any effort may be worse).

* THIS OPENS THE DOOR FOR A BETRAYAL. I don't see a lot of prospects for a pro-life Democratic candidate emerging from the presidential primary. But I do see a very real risk of a pro-choice Republican. Look at the evidence: McCain was pro-embryonic stem cell research, he contemplated choosing pro-choice Lieberman as his running mate, and rising Republican star Scott Brown's pro-choice. You've even got pro-lifers like Mitch Daniels and Hailey Barbour wanting to shush pro-lifers, to prevent them from getting in the way of a 2012 victory. The pattern's clear: since the GOP knows pro-lifers aren't going to vote Democratic, there's a real urge to put up a "socially-liberal" candidate to appeal to moderates. Or they'll just find some other block of voters they like more than us.

* THIS BETRAYAL WOULD RISK MANY CATHOLIC SOULS. Look at the DNC in the 1970s. As I mentioned above, the had the Catholic vote virtually locked down. But then the Democrats discovered the "New Left," the young radicals who were pro-feminism, free love, and abortion. The DNC sensed that this was the emerging trend, and wanted to be at the forefront. For the first time, it started supporting causes that a Catholic "COULD NOT SUPPORT". Catholics were forced to either abandon the party they'd voted for their entire lives and which made up a huge part of their social identity, or abandon their morals. A number of Catholics chose the wrong answer to that question.

There's not an easy answer to this question. On the one hand, Catholics can't support the Democratic Party, as long as the Democratic Party supports abortion. On the other hand, Catholics can't blindly trust the Republican Party, or they're putting themselves in real peril. The only solution seems to be to keep eyes wide open, be willing to throw away the occasional vote on a quixotic third-party candidate, and pray for the return of our country and the DNC to Christian morality.

Origin: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com

Do Not Judge But Watch Out For False Prophets Matthew 7 Explanation

EDITED 21ST AUG 2011 (SEE SECTION IN BOLD FOR THE EDITED PART)

In Matthew 7 Jesus started by saying "judge not that you be not judged for the measure you use, it will be measured unto you". He finishes by saying "watch out for false prophets". At first glance (without studying it properly or comparing scriptures in context) it may seem like a contradiction in terms.

I mean, how can you watch out for false prophets without judging them?

Actually, there are many words we use (in English) which give a similar meaning to judge, but judge (in its severest sense) is much more than assessing another person. it is what the Crown Court might do. We use many words similar to judge: assess, examine, test, have opinion against, analyse, weigh up etc. In fact, we are told by John to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" and goes on to say "for many false prophets have gone out into the World" 1 John 4:1. Is this not a form of judging? We see the NT church exercising discipline regarding wrong practice in the church. How can this be done without a form of judging take place?

So we need to consider the context of what Jesus was actually saying when He said "judge not that you be not judged"

We need to

keep a sound balance regarding Matthew 7. Incidentally, does anyone know the Greek word used in the original manuscripts for "judge" in Matthew 7:1-2 and what it means?

In any case, if we compare Matthew chapter 7 with chapter 6 and compare with Luke 11, I think we can get to the bottom of that word judge. If we also consider who Jesus was talking to and the time in which He was teaching.

He had not yet died for our sins and had not yet fulfilled the Law. He was often referring to the pharisees and the Mosaic Law in His sermons. He spoke woes to the scribes and pharisees who were preventing people entering the kingdom of God through their heavy burdens. Maybe Jesus was referring to the pharisees as the hypocrites who were judging and removing specks. Jesus (basically) is saying that they should get right with God first and then their judgement of individuals would come from a better heart.

Matthew 6 and Luke 11 both contain the Lord's prayer which states "forgive others as you would want the Lord to forgive you". Judging should come from a heart which has been forgiven by God, cleansed and humbled. It is out of a forgiving heart that we exercise compassion (not judgement) of others.

So the specks that we all contain are to do with faults and imperfections in our lives. As only God knows the heart, we are not permitted to pass judgement on the condition of their heart.

Jesus said (in another place) that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So with this in mind, Jesus goes on to talk about False prophets who are known by WHAT THEY SAY, not what they do. We are not to judger actions but we ARE to test what they say. If they teach heresies we are allowed to expose it. I believe this is the distinction we should use.

We are NOT to strain at a gnat and then swallow a camel. The gnat are the finer points of the law but false teaching could be considered as a much larger issue (camel) that needs to be rejected.

We are not to judge the conditions of people's hearts and their actions because we do not know what is going on in their lives, minds or the reasons behind their actions. Only God klnows the intentions of the heart.

However, the scriptures are CLEAR that those who reject Jesus as the Way the Truth and the Life ARE going to hell. It is NOT wrong for us to make that judgement. We should not judge over grey areas, but we are to warn (another way we judge) people over the consequences of rejecting Jesus or following wrong paths.

We have been told to watch out for false prophets. To watch out for is a form of exercising judgement too.

I believe Jesus is referring to what a judge does in a law court, by passing a sentence on the actions of people. We are told that we should not pass out sentences, because only the Lord has that power. We cannot know (with certainty) if a CHRISTIAN is born again or not, so should not judge them to be unsaved.

However, if a person has not believed in Jesus as the only way into Heaven, it is clear (from the Bible) that they are condemned until they receive him.

John 3:18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son

So it is not right to say that we cannot judge those of other religions who do not believe that Jesus is the ONLY way. The Bible states they are already condemned!

Of course, any individual may repent, turn to Jesus and believe in Him later on in life. If they do, they will obtain eternal salvation and will go to Heaven. So, although they (at present) stand condemned by following a false way, they may not follow it all their life. Only God knows who will repent and who will not.

Therefore, we cannot say that a person is definitely going to hell (judging them) because God may convert their soul before they die. But.... we can say that they will go to hell IF they don't repent and turn to Jesus.

EDITED 21ST AUG 2011 (EDITED PART IN BOLD)

ALSO WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE ANOTHER CHRISTIAN REGARDING THEIR PERSONAL WALK WITH GOD, BECAUSE ONLY GOD KNOWS IF THEY ARE SERVING HIM OR SERVING THEMSELVES. ONLY GOD KNOWS THEIR HEARTS. WE CANNOT ALWAYS JUDGE WHAT A PERSON'S MOTIVES ARE. 1 COR 4:4-5 SAYS:

"MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR, BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE ME INNOCENT. IT IS THE LORD WHO JUDGES ME. THEREFORE JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE APPOINTED TIME; WAIT TILL THE LORD COMES. HE WILL BRING TO LIGHT WHAT IS HIDDEN IN DARKNESS AND WILL EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF MEN'S HEARTS"

However, if we see them caught up in a specific sin, we ARE told that a spiritual brother should seek to restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. How can they do this unless they judge. I believe the key is our attitude. If we are condescending, destructively critical, or "holier than thou" then THIS is being judgemental and is unhelpful. But if we can come alongside such a brother with a spirit of compassion, then exercising judgement in trying to be helpful is surely okay.

But when it comes to FALSE PROPHETS or FALSE BROTHERS we are allowed to expose their false teachings and their deceptions for the sake of saving, loving our brethren from the lies and deception.

Reference: wiccancommunity.blogspot.com