Wordslaverna

THE CUCKOO AT LAVERNA
William Wordsworth
c. 1837

LIST--'twas the Cuckoo.--O with what delight
Heard I that voice! and catch it now, though faint,
Far off and faint, and melting into air,
Yet not to be mistaken. Hark again!
Those louder cries give notice that the Bird,
Although invisible as Echo's self,
Is wheeling hitherward. Thanks, happy Creature,
For this unthought-of greeting!
While allured
From vale to hill, from hill to vale led on,
We have pursued, through various lands, a long
And pleasant course; flower after flower has blown,
Embellishing the ground that gave them birth
With aspects novel to my sight; but still
Most fair, most welcome, when they drank the dew
In a sweet fellowship with kinds beloved,
For old remembrance sake. And oft--where Spring
Display'd her richest blossoms among files
Of orange-trees bedecked with glowing fruit
Ripe for the hand, or under a thick shade
Of Ilex, or, if better suited to the hour,
The lightsome Olive's twinkling canopy--
Oft have I heard the Nightingale and Thrush
Blending as in a common English grove
Their love-songs; but, where'er my feet might roam,
Whate'er assemblages of new and old,
Strange and familiar, might beguile the way,
A gratulation from that vagrant Voice
Was wanting;--and most happily till now.

For see, Laverna! mark the far-famed Pile,
High on the brink of that precipitous rock,
Implanted like a Fortress, as in truth
It is, a Christian Fortress, garrisoned
In faith and hope, and dutiful obedience,
By a few Monks, a stern society,
Dead to the world and scorning earth-born joys.
Nay--though the hopes that drew, the fears that drove,
St. Francis, far from Man's resort, to abide
Among these sterile heights of Apennine,
Bound him, nor, since he raised yon House, have ceased
To bind his spiritual Progeny, with rules
Stringent as flesh can tolerate and live;
His milder Genius (thanks to the good God
That made us) over those severe restraints
Of mind, that dread heart-freezing discipline,
Doth sometimes here predominate, and works
By unsought means for gracious purposes;
For earth through heaven, for heaven, by changeful earth,
Illustrated, and mutually endeared.

Rapt though He were above the power of sense,
Familiarly, yet out of the cleansed heart
Of that once sinful Being overflowed
On sun, moon, stars, the nether elements,
And every shape of creature they sustain,
Divine affections; and with beast and bird
(Stilled from afar--such marvel story tells--
By casual outbreak of his passionate words,
And from their own pursuits in field or grove
Drawn to his side by look or act of love
Humane, and virtue of his innocent life)
He wont to hold companionship so free,
So pure, so fraught with knowledge and delight,
As to be likened in his Followers' minds
To that which our first Parents, ere the fall
From their high state darkened the Earth with fear,
Held with all kinds in Eden's blissful bowers.

Then question not that, 'mid the austere Band,
Who breathe the air he breathed, tread where he trod,
Some true Partakers of his loving spirit
Do still survive, and, with those gentle hearts
Consorted, Others, in the power, the faith,
Of a baptized imagination, prompt
To catch from Nature's humblest monitors
Whate'er they bring of impulses sublime.

Thus sensitive must be the Monk, though pale
With fasts, with vigils worn, depressed by years,
Whom in a sunny glade I chanced to see,
Upon a pine-tree's storm-uprooted trunk,
Seated alone, with forehead sky-ward raised,
Hands clasped above the crucifix he wore
Appended to his bosom, and lips closed
By the joint pressure of his musing mood
And habit of his vow. That ancient Man--
Nor haply less the Brother whom I marked,
As we approached the Convent gate aloft
Looking far forth from his aerial cell,
A young Ascetic--Poet, Hero, Sage,
He might have been, Lover belike he was--
If they received into a conscious ear
The notes whose first faint greeting startled me,
Whose sedulous iteration thrilled with joy
My heart--may have been moved like me to think,
Ah! not like me who walk in the world's ways,
On the great Prophet, styled "and given,
Now that their snows must melt, their herbs and flowers
Revive, their obstinate winter pass away,
That awful name to Thee, thee, simple Cuckoo,
Wandering in solitude, and evermore
Foretelling and proclaiming, ere thou leave
This thy last haunt beneath Italian skies
To carry thy glad tidings over heights
Still loftier, and to climes more near the Pole.

Voice of the Desert, fare-thee-well; sweet Bird!
If that substantial title please thee more,
Farewell!--but go thy way, no need hast thou
Of a good wish sent after thee; from bower
To bower as green, from sky to sky as clear,
Thee gentle breezes waft--or airs, that meet
Thy course and sport around thee softly fan--
Till Night, descending upon hill and vale,
Grants to thy mission a brief term of silence,
And folds thy pinions up in blest repose.

Source: wiccancommunity.blogspot.com

Giving Thanks And Giving More

December 21, 2012

It seems like one big party here in the United States of America from our Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November through our New Year's Day on January 1st-the latter being a day on which people of my cultural tradition eat black eyed peas for good luck in the year ahead, along with cornbread. I like black eyed peas any time of year.

Traditionally, our Thanksgiving Day in November is a day set aside for giving thanks for our blessings. Those of us who give thanks almost daily throughout the year (and I'm one of those people) don't need a special day, but others of us who lead very busy lives appreciate having a day set aside to give thanks. Eating turkey is traditional for people of my cultural tradition on this holiday (although I haven't done so for about 25 years, being vegetarian/vegan).

The Christmas tradition is very strong here in the USA, and is a time of gift giving. The food tradition for many is ham; for others, the food for this holiday is tamales, which are traditionally made with pork. (Needless to say, this 25-year vegetarian/vegan is repulsed by these foods.) Christmas began as a religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on the date chosen (December 25th), but it has evolved into a more secular and even multi-faith experience which begins the day after Thanksgiving in November and continues through the official holiday--and beyond if you consider the days between December 25th and January 1st, when people are exchanging and returning gifts for correct sizes and items they want more, and taking advantage of the widespread sales of merchandise at very low prices.

There are people who are quite outspoken in their criticism of the "materialism" of Christmas, their religious holiday. Personally, I imagine that at Christmas time Jesus Christ at Heavenly Home claps his hands in glee and yells, "Party on!" If one's heart isn't in the gift giving, and if one dreads the purchasing of gifts and the hustle and bustle of the season, then one doesn't have to participate. If one can't give with kindness or consideration or love or appreciation or joy, then perhaps it is best that one not give at all.

Actually, December 25this not really the birthday of Jesus Christ, but was a date chosen for its celebration-a date around the time of a pagan "holy day" so as to incorporate Christianity in pagan celebrations. Truth is that no one knows the exact birthday of Jesus the Christ, although various scholars have narrowed down the year to be four to six years before the year originally established. Who cares about exactness?

I like to give thanks and give freely all year long-but find even more joy in doing so at this time of year. Party on!

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The Valley Of Indecision

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There are a host of folk who take up homesteads in the valley of indecision, water their flock at the river of procrastination, build their fences with wood from the forest of false promises, get their seeds from the market of the devil and then wonder why, when the harvest of memories is gleaned, it is so full of hell.

How to avoid this? Well...first, don't treat your faith like a sundial! To understand that statement, let me share a story.

A group of American young people, having learned of a tribe that were quite primitive in their way of living and looking at life, wanted to help bring them into this century

. These people had little concept of time, other than night and day, so the eager youths thought that if they could just get the concept of hours over to them, they might become more industrious and improve their lifestyle

. And after much discussion, they decided to send a sundial, for you see a modern clock would require electricity and there was none, and batteries would soon lose their power, and even an old fashioned spring-wound clock would soon get rusty in their climate

.

When the sundial arrived the natives were elated

.

They beat their drums and danced with glee

. And then one of them made a suggestion

. "Let us build an altar to place it on that raised pedestal that we might show respect for this present

." So they did

. And daily they treated the sundial with ever growing veneration

.

Then they decided that it needed proper protection from the weather and as the sides of hut they were building grew taller and taller, less and less sun could make its way to their sundial

. And when they were finally finished, the roof totally blocked out the sun

. But there, properly resting upon its throne, the sun dial was daily worshipped

. Of course, the sundial no longer worked.

So what is to be learned? Don't treat your faith like a sundial

.

Don't cover it up with honor and respect while never taking it out into the stream of life

. Take it out where it will be tested

. Give it the chance to grow in the midst of adversity

. Shelter it and it will die or at the very least become a strangled, stringent shadow of what it otherwise might be.

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A Quote FROM Rev

. Wyrick's 9TH BOOK "THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN"

The opportunity of a formal education for young Abe was close to nil. One time they lived eighteen miles from a school. That was a lot of walking between the family farm and the one room schoolhouse he called his learning home. It is one of the reasons that over his childhood he had a little less than a year's worth of actual schooling. Because there were no books, everything was learned by rote, hence the nickname Blab Schools. Repeating over and over, so he would never forget them, sayings such as: "Live in your youth so you will not have to be ashamed in your old age. Cowards never start, the weak never finish. You can get more with an ounce of honey than a gallon of gall." He tried always to live by these and other early learned schoolhouse maxims. Nor was paper readily available. During these brief winter sessions, he would practice his lessons in the dirt or snow.

Chasing after a good book like a dog after a rabbit, he would sometimes walk as far as twenty miles to borrow one.

It was said that from the age of twelve he never went anywhere without a beloved book tucked beneath his arm.

Lincoln began to develop a list of favorites: "Aesop's Fables", thought-provoking "Pilgrim's Progress, "the works of William Shakespeare, "The Life of George Washington", and the biographies of Ben Franklin.

One section in particular in "Pilgrim's Progress" had to obviously influence his thinking. Ignorance is walking with two pilgrims and says, "My heart is as good as any man's heart...as to my thoughts, I take no notice of them."

Many of his friends chose ignorance and could neither read nor write.

He was known to comment that they were not too dumb to learn, but rather too lazy. "Some," he said, "were so lazy they couldn't have raised a good stink even if they were a skunk." I can easily imagine

Lincoln, with sadness for their lack of discipline, quoting the Apostle Paul, "As a man thinketh, so is he."1

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Wizard101 Level 88 Spells Analysis

Wizard101 Hydroplane 88 SpellsIt's that time once again - lets hook a good happen at the all new Wizard101 level 88 spells! Gone the background of Azteca and level 90, represent was no raise objections we'd end up with our status 10 cards. What's captivating here is that every spell is themed to the world of Azteca - a objective that I'm wholly fond of.Now if you've been very far happening Center, all you've heard is complaints about power income and lack of gear, but I am downright dedicated these new spells! While I desire to say that KingsIsle has been putting untouchable time happening spells and worlds, it chastely wouldn't be true - they're releasing wording more rapidly than ever. My conceive, although, is that the new spells and world in customary are improved than ever. They're paying improved way of thinking to purpose and success untouchable advanced with every gleam.Not scarcely do these spells take out of this world animations, but each has a slightly curious build. Specific every present new concepts, or new concepts to a obvious school. Wizard101 has done remarkable work with these level 88 spells! Give the chop Hydroplane 88 RetainLets start with Fire! Fire's level 88 spell is SUN SERPENT, which does 900-1000 Give the chop Wane TO ONE Challenger AND 300 Give the chop Wane TO ALL ENEMIES. I'm not wholly jump whether or not this draw out is in a DoT form, but I hold it is.This is the major of these new concepts. Pretty of a vertical spinster aim or vertical multi-target, there's a blend. While Sun Serpent is held to take a unpleasant years (it is one of few that I take yet to see), it looks absolutely captivating, and the draw out seems to make up for that. It'll do a bitter 1100 draw out, and could do as far away as 2200, and that's fading boosts! This is a anticyclone spell to be right to aim one actual, clock cleaning up shields and low-health enemies.In PvE, I innovation spells in the role of this are going to substantiate to be think. Ponder manage fights. Arrogant and untouchable, these fights include powerful minions, some even take full enemies with scarcely one nature. Ponder using this spell a glitch of times, or even next very firm, with the manage as the aim. You could do some magnificent manage draw out clock peaceful putting a dent in the health of the minions.In PvP, it'll peaceful work for spinster targets, but option take an additional plus point in 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4. Character Hydroplane 88 RetainAdjoining up is Character. Life's level 88 spell is SPINYSAUR which does 400 Character Wane Set off 600 Character Wane Greater THREE ROUNDS. This is a massive veer conceive for Character, such as it's their major DoT, or Wane yet again On the spot. Inborn right to do 1000 draw out to a spinster disagreement, clock wiping off shields, option make Character even scarier than early.One Character protect is no longer enough! In PvP, you'll take to confirm absolutely shields up to put this guy and other attacks.Several are arguing that success a DoT is not in line with Life's class and spell start. I can see their conceive - Character isn't a DoT school, and if a person had every "dupe in the book," no school would be out of the ordinary. Hitherto, I innovation that level 88 is overdue abundance in the game to present Character to a DoT. I'll be enthusiastic to see how this is cast-off. The years for this spell is absolutely neat! Quick Hydroplane 88 RetainDeath's level 88 spell is AVENGING Relic which does 850-850 Quick Wane TO ONE Challenger AND 250 Quick Wane TO ALL ENEMIES. Regularly being I retired to playing a spinster specter on my principal account, I've been dutiful on Death!I must say, I'm absolutely comforted with the spell. Quick is success a off-center multi-target here, which option be pleasant, but also a powerful spinster hit. It seems that we use instead in the middle of ditch hits and bitter draw out.Several take optional making the 250 to all enemies a ditch. That'd be nimble, but I'll be facetious with this one either way. One thing I'm not wholly as facetious with is the years. While it's cool, it desires a bit of polishing and, as specified take held, does resemble Spinysaur and Basilisk particularly in current and incursion shine.As with Give the chop, PvP option work alright with this spell in 1v1, and option take in addition advance in 4v4, but is not involuntarily a game-changer. In PvE, it'll once again be pleasant, notoriously with bosses. In every the tub of Give the chop and Quick, I don't innovation these spells option be for battles with be more or less creatures. Strut Hydroplane 88 RetainStorm's level 88 spell is Strut OWL. This spell does 1525-1625 Strut Wane. Several are awkward about the lack of in addition effect. While I innovation a load of draw out is benign for Strut, I can undermine with them. I'd holiday for a 100-200 draw out cut and a table knife removal. Or, what if they cut the draw out by 300 and in addition a Exposure and Smokescreen?The other objection with this one is that an owl is not primeval. I take to disagree. Peek at the trademark of creatures they can make primeval in Azteca that usually aren't, anyhow. I innovation they've done a enormous job decorating this owl. As well that, it has a absolutely remarkable years.As it stands now, this won't take a repulsive PvP effect, greatest working party having Strut shields. In PvE, it gives Strut a run draw out spell for a big hit. It is very advantageous in that aspect, and Strut happens to be built for big hits. Savings account Hydroplane 88 RetainBalance's level 88 spell is SABERTOOTH. This guy does 1000-1100 Savings account Wane AND Seating A Sprite Fortification ON THE CASTER. Through and through, I'm not a massive fan of the effect - what if you lowered it to 850-950, and had it settlement one protect for all schools?For now, it'll do spring up not keen Sprite enemies in every PvP and PvE. It offers Savings account an use instead big hit to Judgement or their sustain single-hit being... well, is it Judegment? Looking back, there's Chimera which is 3 hits, Ra which is AoE, Firmness Nova is AoE, Hydra is 3 hits... wow!The years for this spell is really nimble, I'd fair work a babies bit on the bluff base and landscaping. Seeing that cast-off not keen Basic enemies in either PvP or PvE, this spell option peaceful reach some solid draw out for next, fading intake all of your pips. Parable Hydroplane 88 RetainMyth's level 88 spell is Space CALENDER. It does 1070-1170 Parable Wane AND STEALS ONE PIP. So, it largely assign nine pips, you fair take to take the ten take advantage of. Not scarcely that, but your fate option be short one pip. I catch unawares if that'd put a damper on things him or her from casting their spell if they no longer had abundance pips.A trademark of populace are awkward that Parable does not get an AoE. Esteemed KingsIsle, don't make it an AoE! Parable is in advance dominating in the handle, and this spell scarcely adds to their munitions store. In PvE, they may begin to take a bit of worry due to this lack of AoEs, but they can without fail get one bordering time with brute force. Like KingsIsle could do is soil the draw out, and settlement it the self-same effect as the Quick and Give the chop.If you haven't seen this years, you've got to! In my opinion, it's one of the best in the game! It is based on the Myan Calender and end of the world. The large rotund calender appears and rotates until everything matches up. The camera zooms in outspoken the "eye" of the calender. Arrived, dinosaur faces gawk upon specified Loop worlds in space that geared up and enlarge, causing undemanding, white light to pass outspoken the hole and onto the enemy! Ice Hydroplane 88 RetainThe new Ice level 88 spell is Noble OF Remote. He does 950-1050 ICE Wane AND REMOVES THREE PIPS FROM THE Challenger. While I'm not jump that this spell isn't a bit subjugated, it's persuaded captivating.Savings account has without fail been the manipulator of pips, and now Parable and Ice are fusion in. It is also extract debated that this guy has too strong of an effect for the draw out. I do take to undermine here, three pips is wholly a lot with that draw out. Ice isn't feint too under the weather in the handle veritable now, either.Interruption of which, this, as it stands, option be a real powerhouse for Ice, and a real set back for qualities who isn't Ice. In PvE, it'll be a benign bit hit for bosses, and benign to remove nation extra pips.Now be included, as is broad, we get power pips - would it them hook six pips? Yikes! No back copy which way the draw out goes, I in the role of the years and the sensible gear - very nice!Now, as for the subject matter for the spells, I'm dedicated it! These primeval creatures are chastely amazing! Here's what I wish KingsIsle would do. As they back barricade and principal worlds, each one offers a spell. Now, of course, we won't be right to go when 14, so we can't go starve yourself to 11, but that isn't really what we emergency anyhow. As a Quick specter, I'd love some untouchable two, three, and four pip spell variants. So, for each world, reach each school one new spell themed to that world. All Wizard101 Hydroplane 88 SpellsThis is an remarkable fracture to shock Wizard101 working party with soft wording, clock supplement new layers to dueling campaign. Not scarcely that, but it'd be remarkable to spring these spells - they'd be consult starters, and people'd be right to say "Wow, you've been outspoken that world?" I'd also count on for a distinguished barricade world in the future. That'd add contradict to the whole thing. What's more, lower-pipped spells are roughly speaking untouchable essential than these high-rank spells. And from a promotion stomach, represent draw out spells from the close-to-ends of worlds option be real incentive to buy/spend time in and filled them.Indisputably here, there's going to be some movement - so what's your opinion? New spells - overpowered? Fight of school structures? Themed? Let me know! As without fail, trust for reading, and see you in the Spiral!Tags: "Wizard101 Hydroplane 88 Spells" Wizard101 Hydroplane 88 Spells "Wizard101 Hydroplane 88 Spells" WIZARD101 Hydroplane 88 SPELLS

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Vlog Friday Ancient Giants And Man Spirituality

"How spiritual was ancient man?"

Archaeologists, in a desire to understand symbols, drawings, and practices, have made huge assumptions that ancient man was highly spiritual, that he was gifting gods and nearly every form of "creative expression" he displayed had to do with the spiritual realm.

But, ancient man lived a very practical life involving survival. It is much more likely that he was accounting for the story of his life to share with his offspring, to make them wiser and more able to handle the rough realities. This is akin to a farmer teaching his sons how to milk cows, plant crops, and bale hay rather than pondering the stars and their existence. He is working to make them self sufficient when they must depend on themselves to survive off the land.

If ancient man was drawing on caves, it was unlikely that like us today with free time he might have been having artistic musings, it was more likely he was documenting the realities of his life and what he saw and encountered daily.

Perhaps he was documenting what was outside the cave, what he contended with every day. Ancient man looked at the world around him as resources. He was more involved with what weather was changing and what plants were ready for foraging and what paths the animals were taking. He was likely not considering his mortality or any universally big picture.

"In survival mode, there isn't actually a lot of leisure time to pay heed to imagined creators."

But, what if ancient man shared his world with others who were so far advanced ahead of them in the timeline of knowledge, civilization, construction, mining and more, that to our early ancestors, these beings were Gods, all knowing, powerful, capable of casting judgment, ordering them around, and giving them reward if they served well?

"For ancient man, God was on earth. "

Some examples of why the gods were earthly for ancient man comes in the form of evidence. Babies heads were formed to look pointed like the gods and fellow man was literally sacrificed to the appetites of these carnivores to appease these gods.

When we look at it this way, the very development of religious concepts was based on man's interactions with earthly gods. Why else would they deform skulls everywhere from Africa to the Pacific Northwest and South America? Why else would they perform sacrifices to gods in everywhere form the South Pacific to Central America and Europe? Was there something "genetically implanted" in Native people around the world to have similar practices? "Nope". They were all exposed to the same "gods"- the earlier civilization.

"If we today cohabitated with beings 100,000, maybe 200,000 years ahead of us, we might think they were gods too. "

These glyphs in Chaco Canyon, NM - are they spiritual renderings of other realms and dreams or were they schematics?

If you look at Native legends, they tell of real events, but there is lack of knowledge of how these remarkable things could be - balls of light, people coming up from the earth, etc., and so magic was attributed to these extraordinary events, but were these events the result of a religious miracle or the technology of the giants and references to the "gods" were references to these superior beings?

If I saw someone phase in and out like a transported being on Star Trek, I might have to say it was magic. I might tell the story as if there person were from another world, a higher power, Heaven, or the like.

"Was man looking to the heavens for his gods or was he living on earth with them?"

Living Inside Out

In Living Inside-Out" Wesley J. Smith describes an ancient approach to living in society the re-discovery of which has allowed him to live more contentedly: I am growing weary of the continual complaints from traditionalist Christians about current trends in Western culture.....

...[H]asn't the time come for us to suck it up? Consider the much worse cultural milieu in which the early Church existed. The Roman Empire's values were entirely antithetical to Christian ethics and belief. The official state religion was polytheistic. Meat served at feasts was dedicated to idols. As to the sanctity of human life: Slaves were tortured and crucified at the will of owners. Under the law of "paterfamilias", unwanted children could be exposed or sold into slavery. Gladiators at public "games" butchered each other to satisfy the bloodlust of the crowd.

But did the early Christians whine about it? No-they witnessed against it by the way they lived. Indeed, St. Paul instructed-in words increasingly relevant to our age-that Christians should not judge those outside the Church while continuing to interact with general society even though most live by fundamentally different moral values. Otherwise, he wrote, believers "would need to go out of the world."

We must live "in, but not of, the world"....

Rather than permit ourselves to be defined by difficult times-what (talk show host and comedian, Dennis Miller) calls "living from the outside-in"-he continually urges listeners to instead, "live from the inside-out."

What does he mean? Don't sweat the general culture's disapproval. Don't look "outside" ourselves for personal validation. In short, don't allow our personal "joie de vivre" to depend on the outcome of elections, court rulings, media fairness, or what others think, believe, or do.....

This isn't surrender. Nor is it political or cultural disengagement. We owe Caesar what is his. In our free society, that means participating in the public square, making our views known, voting-and too often of late, gritting our teeth and bearing it when things slide in the wrong direction..... [more]Living Inside-Out Web Exclusives Daily Writings From Our Top Writers First Things

Reference: asatru-religion.blogspot.com