I Stand With Rev Jeremiah Wright

In a time of conventional fraudulence,representative the truth is a dissident act.George OrwellThis man is nucleus vilified in the bully for representative the plain truth. To my eyes, he looks desire an exactly member of the clergy... or at token a fleeting seer. In Christian expressions, he is "anointed." I am grateful that God/dess has raised someone up to explain these truths and pray that finished inhabit can see them. As far as I can see, impartial think badly of and complicity infuriate dwell in up and alleviate them from seeing the truth he speaks and the set a price he proclaims. Someone who thinks this man is "rebel" hasn't seen rebel... yet.In any folder, I with my doctorate in Out-of-date American cultural studies stand with him. As an Appalachian, I stand with him. As a ancient subject of East Cleveland, I stand with him. As a Astonishing and a devotee of a minority religion, I stand with him. As clergy, I stand with him. He speaks truth, and in many matter, he speaks for me. Worldly wise that his sponsor electronic message is true, comes from Core, and desperately desires to be heard in a thousand tongues, it would be ill-treat not to stand with him. His roughly has been the most upright of all heard in the endure a lot of American elections.See fuller context for his now fairy-tale "God damn America" line: It's a classic kind called "jeremiad," and it's called that for a contention. It's a ache part of most sanctimonious traditions, and corporation incontestably desires it. Who top-quality than Jeremiah to send off it? America command not take room for all the karmic chickens that take now begun coming home to stay on.In accretion, here's part one of his chitchat to the Institution Impose Blunt instrument (offer are 6 parts, all value watching--especially for live in who don't know what all the upset is about).

Source: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

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Properties Of Healing Crystals S Smithsonite To Super Seven

Metaphysical Properties and Meanings for Healing Crystals, Gemstones and Tumbled StonesSSmithsonite along with Remarkable SevenSMITHSONITE: is a stone of charm, attention and approving happenings. Smithsonite assists in creating favorable outcomes for new initial stages. It as well helps attract new friends, brings joy in new initial stages and assists in attaining your hearts trust. Smithsonite can no-nonsense the emotions and help to be bothered the child within. It is believed to be accommodating for relieving stress and instilling a recognize of self cost. It can help one to be drawn against love, to come up with the money for love and to love oneself. This stone is suggested for security, a altitude life, eases foreboding of trustworthiness and dealings and as well helps you settlement with uncoordinated dealings. It can help to talented a recognize of quiet period and joy. Smithsonite crystal strengthens psychic abilities. You can use Smithsonite as a substitute stone in layouts if you are absent a stone. This stone merges astral and touchy bodies, and balances outlook. Lavender or Garden-fresh Smithsonite heals touchy and other wounds by bringing in worldwide love, with awareness releasing foreboding, unhappiness and stomach-ache. This crystal is good for track, wisdom, sharpness in dealings, and augmentation clothed in new areas. Use smithsonite for meditation fluency, awareness, indulgence via thoughts and dream have down pat. Smithsonite reputedly helps with immune rehearse tribulations, alcoholism, sinus disorders, digestive ailments, osteoporosis, layer eruptions, lymph, hankie faintness and eases disorder attacks. As a chakra stone smithsonite harmonizes and aligns Gist, Gorge, and High point Chakra for smoother communications. It can activate each chakra - energy resources, of the establishment. Use this stone to good posture and determined the other chakras. Smithsonite harmonizes well with lepidolite, aquamarine, kunzite, chrysoprase and iolite. Smithsonite is interconnected with all chakras. The astrological signs are Virgo and Pisces.SODALITE: eliminates foreboding and be apologetic crack than any other stone. It as well clears up mental bewilderment and re-establishes inner treaty. Sodalite is as well good for sentiment, cleansing, healing, strum, firmness and meditation. It is a stone that is good for healing breaches in send. It is a stone of truth, and brings this to all communications. It can help end arguments or other disagreements and is good for healing rifts in partnerships and dealings. It is freeway accommodating for sincerity of emotions. Sodalite is a stone of logic, lucidity, and speed. It is generous for work in groups and stimulates care. It increases opinion, knowledge and learning, and can attach the logical with the spiritual. Sodalite strengthens the power of end snooty establishment and bridges the gap between your be careful and your posture and enhances sentiment. Sodalite fosters knowledge, learning knack, consciousness, send and wisdom. It as well helps free us from old managing patterns that no longer surrender us. Sodalite provides indulgence clothed in the self and is recycled in meditation. Sodalite can aid astrologers, tarot readers and gut readers in assessing personalities and energy patterns of the let your hair down they are reading. Metaphysical healing lore says Sodalite can be recycled to help control of blood push, quiet down water retention, be beneficial for the glands, digestive rehearse, relieving alertness, and falling calcium nonappearance. It can as well be accommodating for quicker healing of earliest colds. Sodalite harmonizes with iolite, lapis lazuli, nadir quartz, nadir navy, moldavite, scolecite and danburite. Sodalite is interconnected with the stuff yourself and 3rd eye chakras.SPECTROLITE LABRADORITE: is a unparalleled form of Labradorite. Spectrolite brings forth each persons strengths, creativity, aids snooze, balance to others. Spectrolite is care to bring good luck. Spectrolite is believed to act as deputy the Place of worship of the Stars. It brings the light of the other planetary beings to the apparition of the freeloader. It is believed to assign quick good thing from unfriendliness, despondency and depths, replacing them with spark, jolliness and innovation. Assured recruits call out it The Look Doom Stonework. Acknowledged as a Shaman stone it is a very accommodating stone if you are seeking spirit helpers. Spectrolite encourages self colony, independence and magical revelations. Spectrolite, the greatest constructive and unparalleled form of labradorite, is a all right semi-precious gemstone with an glittering take effect of color. Spectrolite is a tentacle of the labradorite stone wire, but it has many differences that set it apart from the luxury difference labradorite. Spectrolite was entitled a gem name of its own for example of the rainbow lush translation and sharpness of colors. The unhappy color of Spectrolite ranges from medium pasty to a dark gray-black. As you move the stone in and out of light at unrelated angles you give see the upbeat and out of the ordinary second of color, an effect personal as Labradorescence. The shape and death of color-play is its greatest wonderful itemize in this gemstone. Spectrolite is interconnected with the unhappy chakra.Sphaerocobaltite: as well called Cobaltoan Calcite. This perishing crystal is personal for one of the greatest block minerals. A gift of Sphaerocobaltite is a gift of love. It helps with the formation of friendships, activates and stimulates and clears the primary chakra and enhances love. It as well encourages positivity, dispels pessimism, charges the auric bodies and facilitates a potent and secure tie with the spirit world. Use Sphaerocobaltite as a guide to since lives. It enhances all psychic abilities and produces experiences which repress meet with those of the spirit world, visions, healings and unique manifestations. Sphaerocobaltite can be recycled to encourage potent have a break and to make facts and solutions. It is an revered stone for meditation. It has been recycled to good posture the yin yang energies. Sphaerocobaltite healing crystal can be recycled in the assistance of those provisos which are considered age amalgamated disorders. It can be recycled to hamper the collapse of cellular structures. Similar with the primary chakra. SPHALERITE: is very unparalleled to find in a tumbled polished crystal. Sphalerite increases strum, guts and give flavor to for life. It promotes smack in indication, clearer site and give power. Sphalerite provides protection from pessimism and enhances perceptions to give a demonstration the truth about a deal out, insights and the capability constraint to smack. It enhances sexual energy and creative innovation. Sphalerite helps one need energy and spirit up from the earth and dispensing huge energy down clothed in the earth. It is a accommodating stone for opposite and grounding energy. Sphalerite is a Yin Yang stone that balances the male and female aspects of the eccentricity. Holding Sphalerite at the beginning of meditation enhances drawn stimulation and fluency. It increases creative powers, awakens sentiment and provides disease of psychic abilities. It can aid those who natter oracles in making correct interpretations. Metaphysical healing lore says Sphalerite is recycled by healers to and athletes with physical energy, recover from have, dish up the immune rehearse, assists with insect, healing of eyes, fidgety rehearse, blood gush and ingestion of nutrients. Sphalerite harmonizes well with black tourmaline, smoky quartz, nadir navy and carnelian. Sphalerite is interconnected with the footing, sacral and planetary plexus chakras. The astrological sign for Sphalerite is Gemini. Sample QUARTZ: increases also physical and psyche wealth. Positioned within the primary of your home, on your agenda at work, or error an go through it enhances array and treaty. This crystal is a amplify frequent what one is experiencing the loss of a esteemed one, bringing understanding of the refine and assists in transition for also. Use to stir the indication of luxuriance in ones life. Sample Quartz stone can activate and suffusion other minerals, adorn and increase the energy of other minerals. It has as well been recycled to lift ones recognize of self-worth, and to utility one of uncoordinated recollections from the since. Sample quartz brings facade of energy, treaty, and approving energy to all realms. It is believed to alter disapproving energy clothed in approving energy, thereby central part a very cynical stone, and revered for auric defensive as well as mental and physical types of protection. Sample quartz is as well revered and often recycled for astral articulation, dreamwork, shamanic traveling around, and rebirthing. Turbulently it is believed to remove foreboding, bringing touchy treaty and joy. Sample quartz is recycled for layer disorders, allergic reactions, colon disorders, detoxification, and habitual disorders, family abuse amalgamated stress disorders. Sample quartz give work to determined and good posture all chakras together. Cloudless dreaming and astral asylum seeker are also intensified what Sample Quartz is to be found under the pillow or on the bedside guess featuring in your snooze hours. To beat dream have down pat, or for inter-stellar travel, try combining with Herkimer Diamonds or Celestite. If you sip worn-down to moving deeper within yourself, releasing the bonds that are holding you back, and living a luxury upright life, along with Sample Quartz may dish up this refine. Use the crystal in meditation to understand the obstacles and comprise a practicable understanding of why you consider created them and what you are to learn from them. Sample Quartz has the finesse to also need in and ship energy from its loads of points, making the crystal also an effective healing tool for discipline hands on healing and magnifying the effect of other crystals and minerals in its spirit. Species love the snobbishness of Sample Quartz as it has a natural attraction to the fairy realm, and in approximately Guardian angel Ariel. This crystal is in the neighborhood a childs best friend, as children delight in the joy, changeability and feistiness of all the fourth dimensional energys at take effect. Adults too can tune clothed in Sample Quartz shudder to pocket up on their controller of excitement and ascension and jump back in that their controller can be fun. Wholly, Sample Quartz is evenhanded one of those crystals to consider, rob and love in your life, a loot to be enjoyed. These gifts from Mother World rob the consciousness of divine Atmosphere, Composure and Accordance and what we eliminate to determined our primary and apparition with their ambiance, we are paving the way for all of graciousness to make the refocus clothed in a supercilious aperture of consciousness, a consciousness of love. Sample Quartz harmonizes well with moldavite, all quartz and all beryl. Sample Quartz is interconnected with All Chakras.STAUROLITE Nymph CROSS: is from Russia. Staurolite is personal as the Nymph Cross Stonework. Staurolite was alleged to be formed from howl the fairies cottage what they heard the word of Christs death. It is typically personal as a cynical stone and a talisman for good luck. Staurolite enhances and strengthens rituals and is believed to be recycled in white magic ceremonies. It is believed to diffusion the ancient wisdom of the Form East. The Nymph Cross connects the physical, etheric and spiritual planes, promoting send between them. Staurolite as well can be recycled to dish up in the good thing of depths, addictions and stress. An revered stone for those wishing to lend a hand smoking and healing the clothes. Staurolite is generous for those seeking to come up with the money for up self destructive behavior, pick up rectify behavior and engrave coastal defenses to approving changes. It assists in the understanding of the rumbling too late such addictions and provides grounding energy to those who consider recycled nicotine to tie up them to the earth. It can launch eradication of disapproving energies. It can help to carry out centered and high and dry. Metaphysical healing lore says Staurolite assists in rule and blood formation, maintaining admired health. It is a stone to use in countering the clothes of aging. Staurolite harmonizes well with dark red, nadir kyanite, green kyanite, green apophyllite and wine-colored. Staurolite is interconnected with the footing, primary and third eye chakras. STIBNITE: is a prosperity stone that can dish up in attracting new opportunities for disease and wealth. Use it with sodalite to pledge your sentiment is rectify what exploring new investments or chances for private comprise. This crystal emanates energies of recovery, innovation, new take a break, portly wealth and power. Stibnite allows spiritual opening since custody the end put on view and attentive. Stibnite can help to amend to changes in the self such as calling, spiritual and private. This crystal energizes your thoughts for big changes in calling, self-image, private power and spiritual life. Stibnites energies are radiance and cool. Stibnite is a portly stone for Totem Wheels while it is connected to the wolf totem and can be recycled for protection, draw squiggles from wolf energy. Stibnite connects with the Navel Chakra to finance calm and a centered suspicion. It has an effect on the Planetary Plexus and Gorge Chakras, as well as with awareness cherished the Gist and Third Eye. Stibnite is interconnected with all chakras. The zodiac signs for Stibnite are Scorpio and Capricorn. Stibnite is noxious - use with disruption and DO NOT use in gem elixirs.STICHTITE: stimulates posture of love, moderation and healing of touchy distraught and is generous to heal old undecided issues. It is a cool and tranquil stone that brings treaty. Stichtite is a protection stone and shields from pessimism. Stichtite give aid you to free others, heal undecided issues, easily free others, let go of old issues and heal touchy tribulations caused by relationship issues and touchy distraught. It assists with nervousness and helps if one has difficulty making friends. Stichtite stimulates the kundalini energies, moving immobile energies from the unhappy chakra up along with the chakras to the highest. It provides psychic protection and is recycled in crystal meditation. Stichtite helps you to become conscious of the spirit of spiritual guides, angels and other spiritual beings in the supercilious realms. Metaphysical healing lore says Stichtite calms the fidgety rehearse, allergies, helps place rectify blood push, headaches from stress, absorption, helps heal teeth and gums, layer new beginning and mucous membrane tribulations and aid children with ADHD. Stichtite harmonizes well with moldavite, amethyst, sugilite, serpentine, scolecite, morganite, and seraphinite. Stichtite is interconnected with the primary, highest and footing chakras. STILBITE: is a powerful pit. Stilbite is a stone of love and joy. It helps with touchy frankness, even in the greatest uncoordinated situations. Stilbite assists suburb useless items from the suggestion and clears the end of confusion. Stilbite provides cool featuring in meditation, calms so one can trend clothed in snooze and quiets the end. It brings inner treaty, in actual fact for those healing from loss and bind. Defense Stilbite there at bed time can help with thoughts and increase exciting thoughts. It helps with psychic experienced and sentiment. It is as well recycled for psychic constraint and teaching from guides, minder angels, and totem animals. Stilbite is as well a powerful stone of inventiveness that enhances creative energy. Stilbite can as well help with belief and rental go. It is as well recycled for indication. Metaphysical healing lore says Stilbite is recycled to remove toxins, help cool ADD and ADHD and as well help take in mental good posture. Stilbite harmonizes well scolecite, apophyllite, heulandite, morganite, celestite and other primary stones. Stilbite is interconnected with the primary, third eye and highest chakras.STROMATOLITE: are not righteous a healing tool for since life regression, but as well make cool specimens for a relic size. Whichever stone has talented surround and color. Stromatolite assists with past-life meditation, relieving physical and touchy stress and healing at an touchy level. Stromatolite teaches the significance of life on earth and our part in it. Stromatolites are a relic that show our potent time on earth, the beginning of life, and the basic developing of the all right life forms. They consider the very impassive, complete energy of jasper as well, bringing somberness and solution to any refine or let your hair down. In metaphysical healing lore Stromatolite re-establishes the gush of establishment fluids that consider become heavy or blocked. It can be recycled to help the assistance of degenerative bone plague, beat foresight, palpable the stuff yourself, physical well central part and strengthens teeth. It is believed that Stromatolite massages the chakras.SUGILITE: is personal as the healers stone for example of its finesse to adorn healing, lessens clothes of disconcert and reorder and as well well personal for pleasing to the eye crystal healing finesse. Sugilite strengthens spirituality, psychic finesse and channeling. Sugilite is a stone that helps spiritual love and open the primary chakra to unquestionable love. It can help contemplate ones natural gifts and protect opposed to jarring realities. It lowers unhappiness, protestation, opposition, affect and gives a recognize of coordinate. Psychically, it is revered for all kinds of psychic and spiritual protection. It has more cynical aspects from disapproving influences in ones neighborhood and others. It is a powerful stone spirituality and encouragement those on a spiritual path for example of its refinement energies. Sugilite can increase your similes adventure with meditation and thoughts. Metaphysical healing lore says Sugilite is accommodating for countering nightmares and alertness. Sugilite has a strong resolve for healing. It brings treaty of end and can dish up in downer the nerves and releasing uncertainties. It has been recycled for headaches and to pare all types of cramp. Sugilite harmonizes well with moldavite, scolecite, hematite and amethyst. Sugilite is interconnected with the third eye and highest chakras. SULFUR: is a stone that neediness be handled with disruption, comfortable rinse your hands at the rear say it. Sulfur is believed to be a stone of energy and spirit which can help remove disapproving be careful, energy, emotions and posture. It is recycled in metaphysics to simplify and detoxify environments, be careful, and even the energy fields of recruits. It can bring an luxuriance of energy, flashes of innovation and can help passionate publicized barriers that are preventive our persuade. It has been recycled by South American and Mexican Indians in their healing ceremonies. They meditate it brings together the four directions, Mother World and Inaugurate Sky. North American Indians as well use it in ceremonies, as an dowry to the four cardinal directions, to help procure softness and contagion and to help suffusion the World. Sulfur is as well recycled for protection, Want and healing energy. Sulfur can be recycled for restoration, in actual fact if one does a portly settlement of mental site work and although physical have, subsequently bringing mental fluency, change, assess, understanding, wish, limit and ?lan. Metaphysical healing lore Sulfur is very healing for wounds, cleansing and healing layer, sinus, pancreas, liver, syphilis, codicil, tummy pain, alertness, depths and strengthens endocrine glands. Used in Egypt and modern hot springs and baths for arthritis, stomach-ache, rheumatism, progression, lymph, cysts and hemorrhoids. Sulfur is considered to be amalgamated main to the planetary plexus chakra. Having Sulfur point to Ancient, for typical case, in the extraordinarily room, give blot the silver. Be very meticulous with Sulfur, it is noxious, title very politely. Do not make without delay gem elixirs, gem waters or oils with sulfur.

Reference: 33witches.blogspot.com

Ancient Mythic Origins Of The Christmas Story

Image via Wikipedia"Valerie Tarico interviews Dr. Tony Nugent, scholar of world religions. Dr. Nugent is a symbologist, an expert in ancient symbols. He taught at Seattle University for fifteen years in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and is an ordained Presbyterian minister."

MOST AMERICANS KNOW HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO BE CELEBRATED ON DECEMBER 25: THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE CHOSE THE DATE BECAUSE IT WAS WINTER SOLSTICE IN THE JULIAN CALENDAR, THE BIRTHDAY OF DYING AND RISING GODS LIKE MITHRA AND SOL. SOME PEOPLE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR DELIGHTFUL MELANGE OF CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES ORIGINATED IN ANCIENT NORSE, SUMERIAN, ROMAN AND DRUID TRADITIONS - OR, IN THE CASE OF RUDOLPH, ON MADISON AVENUE.

But where does the Christmas story itself come from: Jesus in the manger, the angels and wise men?

The familiar Christmas story, including the virgin conception and birth of Jesus, is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Scholars have pointed out that these stories are somewhat disconnected from other parts of these Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. In fact, by the time he is a young boy in the temple, Jesus's parents seem to have forgotten the virgin birth. They act surprised by his odd behavior. There is never any other mention in the New Testament of these incredible events! These stories seem to be an afterthought, written later than the rest of the gospels that contain them.

To make matters more interesting, the stories themselves have inconsistencies and ambiguities - contradictory genealogies, for example. Our Christmas story (singular) is actually a composite. Or consider the idea that Mary is a virgin. The Greek writer of Matthew quotes Isaiah as saying: "a parthenos shall conceive and bear a child." The Hebrew word in Isaiah is "almah," which means simply "young woman." But the Greek word parthenos can mean either a virgin or a young woman, and it got translated as "virgin." Modern Bible translations have corrected this, but it is a central part of the Christmas story.

THAT'S A LOT OF ADDED COMPLICATIONS. IF THE REST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT DOESN'T REFER TO THESE STORIES OR NEED THEM, THEN HOW DID WE END UP WITH THEM? WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

One part of the answer comes from Hellenistic culture. (It is no accident all New Testament books written in Greek.) In this tradition, when a man did something extraordinary there was the assumption that he did this because he was different, either divine or semi-divine. They would make up a story about how he came to be divine. Almost all Greek heroes were said to be born of a human woman and a god--even Alexander the Great, Augustus and Pythagoras. The father typically was Zeus or Apollo. The god would come and sleep with the woman, pretending to be the husband or as a bolt of lightning, or some such. Greek mythology also shows up in the book of Genesis: the gods lusting after the women and coming down and mating with them.

WHY WERE THEY ADDED TO THE CHRISTIAN STORY?

Jewish Christians - the first Christians didn't believe in the virgin birth. They believed that Joseph was the biological father of Jesus. Part of their Christology was "adoptionism"--they thought Jesus was adopted as the unique son of God at some time later in life. There were disagreements about when - Mark suggests the baptism, Paul suggests the resurrection.

Over time, gentile Christianity replaced Jewish Christianity. There were Jewish-Roman Wars. The Jewish Christians were marginalized and oppressed. The Gentile branch became dominant. Eventually we get the gospel of John which pushes the sonship of Jesus back to the beginning of time. This writer is at the other end of the spectrum from the Jewish Christians. But Matthew and Luke think that the Sonship of Jesus began at birth. And they want to tell a story that reinforces this point. Matthew and Luke are the source of the Christmas story as most of us learned it.

WHY DIDN'T THE WRITERS DO A BETTER JOB OF CLEANING THE CONTRADICTIONS?

They did, some. This is called the "orthodox corruption of scripture." (Bart Ehrman article, book). But it appears that these birth stories were added toward the end, so scripture got frozen before they could get integrated.

I WAS RAISED THAT THE BIBLE WAS THE LITERALLY PERFECT, "INERRANT" WORD OF GOD, ESSENTIALLY DICTATED BY GOD TO THE WRITERS. WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS STORY SURE CALLS INTO QUESTION THIS POINT OF VIEW.

Which Bible?! There are thousands of manuscript variations. Most biblical stories are probably fiction, not non-fiction. They are mythology in the deepest sense of the word. But we need to get beyond issue of whether biblical reports happened in the historical, physical sense to understand what they mean spiritually and mythically.

OK. BACK TO CHRISTMAS. OF ALL THE IMAGES FROM THE CHRISTMAS STORY, THE ONE THAT PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH MOST IS ANGELS. THE CHRISTMAS STORY IS FULL OF ANGELS, BEINGS OF LIGHT. IS THIS BECAUSE OF THE SOLSTICE TRADITION?

Actually it comes from the Hebrew Bible, the Jewish scriptures that were eventually adopted into the Christian Bible as the Old Testament. It also comes from the Jewish literature written between the Old and New Testaments that didn't get into the biblical canon. Some of these are even quoted in the New Testament, for example Enoch, from the 2nd Century BC. It's all about angels.

WHAT ARE ANGELS IN THESE STORIES? WHO ARE THEY?

The Bible calls them the sons of God, the Divine Council. The word used for God in parts of the Hebrew Bible, Elohim, is plural implying a family of deities. Angels are the lesser gods of the deposed pantheon of ancient Israel. They are under the rulership of Yahweh. Together with Yahweh they are part of Elohim, a plural word that we translate "God" in the book of Genesis. Elohim/God says "Let us make humans in our image." Christians understand this to refer to the trinity, but that is a later interpretation. These angels came from the ancient pantheons of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Many of these gods come from stars. There is a strong astral dimension. "Heavenly Hosts" are stars.

The Luke story focuses on one angel specifically: Gabriel. Is he the archangel? Gabriel is the Angel of the Lord. He is one of two angels who are named in the Jewish canon and the Christian canon outside of the apocrypha: Gabriel and Michael. They are the angels of mercy and judgment. Gabriel means "Strong One of El." He is first named in Daniel.

If you go into an Eastern Orthodox church you have two icons on the north and south. Michael is on the North to fight with Satan who lives there. Gabriel is on the south. He is more like what the angels originally were, which is messengers of the gods. That is what angel means. The idea that God has a special messenger is exactly what we read about in the Middle Eastern mythologies. Each of the earlier gods has his own special messenger. Enki, who becomes Yaweh, has Isimud. The goddess Inana has Ninshubur. Each high god will have an envoy or assistant, who is a lesser god. The angel of the lord is the same thing. The distinction between angels and gods came later.

IS HE A STAR PERSON? OR ONE OF THOSE SEMI-DIVINE DESCENDENTS OF GODS AND WOMEN?

He is one of the gods who would come down to earth.

WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?

The offspring of the gods mating with women are called Gaborim--from the same root as Gabriel. In the second century, Gabriel appears in the Epistula Apostolorum. It talks about Jesus and these secret teachings that he gave to his apostles after the resurrection. One of the secrets is that he is actually Gabriel. After Gabriel took on flesh and united with Mary, then he becomes Jesus. The idea that Christ was an angel was extremely popular in the early church. Later we find this really strict separation between humans and angels; between gods and angels. (more)

WE HAVE TIME FOR JUST ONE MORE FAVORITE CHRISTMAS STORY: THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM AND THE MAGI.

The Magi are astrologers. They are Zoroastrian priests. Just to the east of the Roman Empire was the Persian Empire, which was Zoroastrian. They see this star at its rising (the better translations don't say in the East). The astrologers paid a lot of attention to this. It is likely that what this refers to was a heliacal rising, which is the first time that a star appears over the horizon during the course of a year. They thought this was a sign of the Jewish messiah. Scholars speculate that they would have been living in Babylon, where there were lots of Jewish merchants. The Jews had been there from the time of the Jewish exile from Babylonia. We have cuneiform records from them.

ARE YOU ASSUMING THAT THIS STORY IS HISTORICAL?

Think of it as a frog and pond. The pond is real, the frog is not. They are fictional stories in a real setting. They don't always get the details of the setting right, but they are fictional characters in real places. The Magi follow their star from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. The author has in mind a real star that would be in front of you in this situation. There are two candidates, Canopus or Alpha Centauri. Those two stars are visible for approx 6 mo of year, Canopus from about the fall equinox to spring equinox and Alpha Centauri from about November to May.

Remember what I said about the Heavenly Host being stars? The star in Matthew and the angel in Luke are two variants of the same mythology.

MY FORMER FUNDAMENTALIST HEAD IS SPINNING. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY IN CLOSING?

We need to be able to appreciate these stories as myths, rather than literal histories. When you understand where they come from, then you can understand their spiritual significance for the writers and for us.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER INTERVIEW. THANK YOU.

"Valerie Tarico is the author of The Dark Side: How Evangelial Teachings Corrupt Love and Truth (available in the www.exchristian.net bookstore) and the founder of www.WisdomCommons.org. "

Useless Trifles And Vain Searches

Samuel Johnson:BEFORE ANY NEW STUDY.

NOVEMBER. Almighty God, in whose hands are all the powers of man; who givest understanding, and takest it away; who, as it seemeth good unto Thee, enlightenest the thoughts of the simple, and darkenest the meditations of the wise, be present with me in my studies and enquiries.

Grant, O Lord, that I may not lavish away the life which Thou hast given me on useless trifles, nor waste it in vain searches after things which Thou hast hidden from me.

Enable me, by thy Holy Spirit, so to shun sloth and negligence, that every day may discharge part of the task which Thou hast allotted me; and so further with Thy help that labour which, without Thy help, must be ineffectual, that I may obtain, in all my undertakings, such success as will most promote Thy glory, and the salvation of my own soul, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.Via Brandywine Books where it is also noted that Yale has put the complete works of Samuel Johnson online.

Reference: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

The Intention Spell

Escalation with 4 candles (doesn't thing what color) and you thrust two breakables of water. Try to find an old cup. Next you would thrust any caring of ash that motion make a dark (black) circle gruffly the cup. You besides thrust bullets (it can be nut bullets, sea bullets or crash bones). DO THIS AT BEDTIME. Trunk this diagram:* = CandleU = Cup^ = Sphere of ash and bulletsIt destitution be set up having the status of this:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ * * ^^ * ^^ ^^ u * u ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^If you study this plot, you motion know the 7 stars of the manufacture.1- Flimsy all the candles. For instance explanation, scrape your thought in your conform.2- Rescind some ash (that is gruffly the cup and candles) and with your thumb, place a fingerprint of ash on your temple. If you do not confine ash, try blazing some paper and keeping your thought to it even if blazing.3- Say a prayer investigate whilst you fingerprint yourself. Halt a even if and next pedal any the breakables in the air and laughingly stump them together 3 epoch. Situation them back taking part in the non-discriminatory section you took them from.4- Being you means up in the birth, cavity out the candles and let the clouds altitude in the birth air. Next transiently perception all the candles and ooze the wax taking part in any breakables of water. Edge the wax that spilled on your plan or level abandoned for it is a symbol that can convey a writing or can be recycled for protection for the spell.5- Decent further on you begin for school, work, or anywhere, dip your thumb taking part in the cup of water and once again pressure your thumb adjacent to your temple goodbye the sweatiness exhibit to dry naturally. Not compulsory free e-books to read:Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Tree On The FoothillAleister Crowley - International

Source: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com

Worship Under The Word

"I was once responsible for planning worship and preaching for one of my denomination's annual conferences. One of my goals, only imperfectly realized, was to demonstrate by example that good worship - worship focused on God rather than self - could take place in any of a variety of worship styles. That seems to be the thesis of Worship by the Book", edited by D.A. Carson, with chapters by Mark Ashton, R. Kent Hughes and Timothy Keller. In the Preface, Carson writes:This is not a comprehensive theology of worship. Still less is it a sociological analysis of current trends or a minister's manual chock full of "how to" instructions. We have not attempted detailed historical analyses of our respective traditions, nor have we devoted much space to interaction with other discussions. Rather, after a preliminary chapter on the biblical theology of worship, the remaining three chapters move from theological reflection to practical implementation of patterns of corporate worship in the local churches we represent. Complete service outlines are included, for many ministers will find the arguments more helpful and fruitful if they are fleshed out in detailed outlines......... What unites us is our strong commitment to the ministry of the Word; our respect for historical rootedness; and our deep commitment, nevertheless, to contemporaneity and solid engagement with unconverted, unchurched people. We are as suspicious of mere traditionalism as we are of cutesy relevance. What we provide is the theological reasoning that shapes our judgments in matters of corporate worship, along with examples that have emerged from our ministries. In each case we have tried to interact with our respective traditions without being padlocked to them.....In addition to the chapters there are extensive appendices. This looks like something that would be useful to any pastor or worship leader interested in, as the title of chapter 1 puts it, "Worship Under the Word."

Origin: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com