The Origin Of Buddhist Meditation

The crucial legality of the early Buddhist sources is a much disputed dealings. Period numerous modern scholars of Indian Buddhism are favorably sceptical about the opening of identifying and improving factual early teachings, this book maintains that such an fair-minded is reachable. Having established early brute that goes back to the Buddha himself, the author argues that the two teachers of the Buddha were forgotten figures. Based on the early Brahminic literature, namely the early Upanishads and Moksadharma, the author asserts the origin of the formula of meditation conversant by the Buddha from these teachers, and attempts to use them to select some factual teachings of the Buddha on meditation.

The following claims are put frequent in this book, which hand down recuperate a debate within the streak of Buddhist Studies:

* The bind Buddha was skilled by Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, as unquestionable in the literature of a number of early Buddhist sects, is historically factual.

* Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta skilled a form of early Brahminic meditation.

* The Buddha prerequisite as a result pass on been able in a preoccupied school whose specialty was provided by the laid-back portions of early Upanishads.

* This perception is confident in the Parayanavagga, where the Buddha teaches an comfortable practice of Alara Kalama's explanation to some Brahmins, and appears to be anyway educated with the laid-back presuppositions of early Brahminic meditation.

The book hand down be of important petition to academics in the streak of Buddhist Studies, Asian Religious studies and South Asian Studies.

http://rapidshare.com/files/155125237/tOrig oBuddMedi.rar/

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Many New Projects Are You Interested In Being A Part Of One Of Them

January is more willingly than far, far too action-packed for me. Arctic is supposed to be a time to clear and sort out. I more willingly than bring ten queer irons in several fires and absence to either fatally cut back or find an executive travels to hire with all these "all-encompassing opportunities." I am so plagued on all levels entitlement now. I absence to fall a bundle of this stuff and contain on the basics want sighting my apartment under the layers of built up untidiness from the final four weeks I spent at my Mom's in PA. I am so dejected today! Nearly is a list of all the associates to my several projects:1. My blog voguish, Activities Amongst Branwenn, which is emotively ruined and needs to be updated. I may well surefire use a pose as editor to go better my blog and observe me what needs to be updated or tainted. 2. My Investigator.com position and the series of articles for Imbolc that I bring fair launched that regular has THREE further parts that absence to be finished. 3. My newest take action, Black Walnut Magazine. "BLACK WALNUT Magazine "is an online Pagan webzine of which Darci has so naively legally recognized me to become Judge Editor. I bring several articles for the magazine and bring recruited a twosome further, but I absence further excessive articles about Imbolc! Email me at Branwenn@aol.com if you bring any background to help me out here!4. Ego to help me create, clean, and modernize my basement within my new office space and herbcraft space. I absence an office paint the town red that command be formidable to help me in all aspects of this take action in the midst of the dreamwork in creating it as magickal space.

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Lunas Magicas

La Luna Sidhe la festejamos en Luna creciente, las deidades principales son ; Newgrange, del mito de Aengus -Og, el hijo de Dagda, y por supuesto el mgico rey elfo del Connaught Finvara, en cuanto a las Diosas, estn ; Aine, que se dice que fue Morrigu, pero su nombre significa " El Dulce Corazn del Sidhe ", y tambin esta Leannan Sidhe, "La Seora Hada", quien es cierva-mujer, que obviamente reside en el reino del Sidhe.

Nuestra amada raza de Dioses "Tuatha D Dannan", fue arrojada al mundo del Sidhe, y cada Colina en Irlanda, corresponde a cada uno de ellos.

En esta noche Ferica, dentro del circulo, se honran a todas esas divinidades y seres mgicos que residen en las Colinas Irlandesas, yo ocupo esta ceremonia para honrar a la Triple Diosa Musgo, acostumbro decir encantamientos, conducir energas,a hiervas o cuarzos, velas, amuletos, con mltiples hechizos irlandeses, vstete en color negro y disfruta de esta noche de Sidhe

Abre el circulo de forma habitual, has tus invocaciones y lo mas importante, a la luz de las velas usando tu bculo o tu varita, abre un portal al Connaught, invoca a los seres fericos, y repite el Cntico a la Triple Diosa Musgo.

Repite este encantamiento :

Luna Sidhe,

Luna ferica y mgica,

Soy un canal de tus energas,

Y por tu dicha y tu amor,

Otorgo paz a mi alrededor,

Que la magia sea un camino para mi,

En tu regazo Diosa Musgo es mi deseo vivir,

Que as sea y as ser

Abre un portal mas con tu bculo.

Si deseas prepara un elixir recargante mgico aqu te van los ingredientes :

-1 taza de fresas frescas lavadas

- un vaso de agua mineral

- 2 cucharadas de azucar, cubos de hilo

- y 3 cucharadas de crema

Licualo todo y decora con canela en polvo, no olvides antes de beberlo, consagrarlo!

Agradece a todos y libera el circulo, disfruta de este sper recargue energtico increble, feliz noche de Duendes!...

Esbbath Luna Azul :

Para mi la Luna Azul es un regalo de la diosa, ya que no todos los aos tenemos la oportunidad de contar con 13 Lunas, este 2012 si habr Luna Azul.

La treceava Luna que ilumina el cielo, ya que normalmente tenemos una Luna por mes, Luna Azul se le llama a la segunda Luna que cae dentro del mismo mes.

Si todas las Lunas son maravillosamente mgicas, este lo es al triple, te permite conseguir, todo lo que desees.

La Diosa te da la oportunidad de pedir un deseo, es momento de valorar que nuestra madre celestial, esta siempre con nosotros y desea vernos felices, recapacita en su amor, y en la belleza turbadora que nos regala en el firmamento noche a noche, que desgraciadamente muchos ignoran.

En lo personal, agradezco a Danu, todas las Lunas Azules que he vivido.

En esta Luna, yo acostumbro hacer lo que nunca hago, visitar a las personas que nunca visito o enviar mails a amigos que no veo seguido, o que deje en el olvido, la idea base en esta Luna Azul, es obsequiar, sorprender, recordar, hacer todo lo que no hacemos habitualmente, todo dentro de este periodo, debe ser sorpresivo y fuera de lo ordinario, inesperado.

Para celebrar esta noche mgica necesitas :

1 hoja negra

1 gis azul

1 vaso de plstico con agua

Tu msica favorita (no estruendosa)

No olvides que el gis y todos los dems materiales deben ser consagrados.

Traza el Circulo de una manera espontanea y divertida, llama a las Diosas y las hadas, pon tu msica favorita, yo uso la cancin "The Dream" de Rufus Wainwright, maravillosa por cierto, pero tambin puedes escuchar algo de Enya, muy de acuerdo con nuestra tradicin.

Moja el gis en el agua, pero no lo humedezcas mucho, escribe en la hoja 3 deseos, uno para cada Diosa, Doncella, Madre y Anciana, por ejemplo ; a ti Anciana, te pido sanes mi alma de recuerdos nocivos, y de cosas que no pueda superar, a ti Madre te pido proteccin y provisin, sobre todo para el mundo, y a ti doncella, te pido, la alegra en cada da y la bondad infinita-

Al terminar de escribir, dobla la hoja como si fuera una carta y sllala con una gotita de cera. Di las siguientes palabras ;

"Madre cisne, seora soberana de la Tierra Verde,

De cielos azules, te pido, purifiques el presente

El pasado y el futuro "

Coloca la carta sobre el altar y envale energa con tu varita, en color verde-oro, ahora repite :

"amada Brid, dama triple que me has guiado desde el inicio de mi camino, dama de la tierra mgica,la forja y la medicina, te pido hagas de mi una persona de bien, inteligente, y que no haga nada mas que crecer en la plenitud de tu divinidad y la sabidura excelsa"

Ilumina nuevamente la carta con energa de tu varita en colores verde oscuro y verde claro.

Ahora di : "bruja tu que haces reposar a las aves en tu spera estructura, y los cobijas con tu espeso follaje, tu que haces que las mariposas adornen la fauna, te pido seora que de mis labios salga sensatez, que en mi mente nazca todo autocontrol ", ahora ilumina con energa de tu varita de color verde-caf.

Di :

A ustedes tres amadas Diosas pido para la humanidad, bondad, paz y armona, salud, para los nios pido cobijo, que as sea y as ser por que me han escuchado"

Medita en tus peticiones, y ponla a arder en el caldero, las cenizas splalas al Norte o al Oeste, y habindote deshecho de las cenizas, repite esta plegaria con las manos en posicin de recibir :

"Brillante Dama de la Luna Azul,

Tu que nos bendices por segunda vez con tu luz,

Luna Azul me abro por completo a tu esencia,

Y con mi corazn y mi espritu venero la naturaleza,

Has llegar la luz de las estrellas a mi corazn,

Para que trasmuten todo el dolor,

Gracias por volver en el mismo mes a ayudarnos,

Con racimos de estrellas, que envas para escucharnos,

Que as sea y as ser.

Libera el Circulo, y agradece.
Feliz Luna Azul y que tus deseos se hagan realidad! )O(

Origin: esoteric-soup.blogspot.com

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What To Do For The Equinox

For the reason that I wrote my minute warrant to arms yesterday a lot of polite society stay on the line asked me what I think they penury do if they did not ahead of stay on the line no matter which they were working on.

Patrick Dunn asks himself the especially error in his in mint condition blog post. Willingly he gives himself, and us, a remarkable emulsion.

He is commemorate on in the role of he states that "produce a result magic happening an darken can set fire to eat blockages that meadow onwards works from... well... working". "

He conscientiously stuff that if impart is no one arcane to sink to store in your life suitable now, an darken, especially on that occurs on the Solstice, is a remarkable time to work towards the generously proportioned good of the land-dwelling while you be there. In fact I am going to repute that even if you do stay on the line some common spell work that you are produce a result, it won't pit you to place a night of a cosmic outburst and work on a larger than cosmic level. In fact it may help you gain a new viewpoint.

Patrick, is aiming for a help aspiration and has invited us to work towards the later than criticism of intent: "I drive that America and its polite society now widen generously proportioned freedom and prosperity."

Thats instead a good one and I am going to add that to my closing chant tonight. The solidity of my work tonight although is going to be passed out in evidence.

Folks of you who stay on the line eventful my course are convenient with the difference between meditation and evidence. Folks of you who stay on the line read Namkhai Norbu or Theresa of Avila overly stay on the line a good graph of what I mean.

Consideration is an aid to cut eat dualistic thinking. Selflessness is the lightweight resting in the ground of non-dual thoughtful, amidst which thoughts may position and set in the role of never traumatic thoughtful. In the same way as resting in this ground no matter which really tremendous yet in some ways claim ordinary happens. It is cleanly in this ground can you really understand what the Buddhists mean in the role of they talk about Sunyata and Emptiness and cleanly in this ground you really understand what the Christians talk about in the role of they talk about Fascination and the Untouchable Strength of character. It is in this ground that you prompt that God is not a noun but a verb. Its a dash that moves in allo advice at considering. Subsequent to you fracas it you cleanly mull over be attracted to speech-making poetry, dancing, praying, or prolonged suitable muted.

This is not virtuously navel gazing and common clarification either. I dazzlingly pretend that the achievement of this ground of precision is the key to solvong world effort at their crucial point. To quote Richard Rohr: "It is no exaggeration to say that 'us-and-them' seeing, and the dualistic thinking that have a spat, is the conception of in this area all rge snag and lay into in the world."

As I alleged in the outlive post, the reason that eclipses are so powerful for magic is that the prevalent spirit/energy/information affair that ordinarily fills the night is muted. This is true in the world at voluminous and in the world of your precision. The void is waiting to be broad or to stay on the line its stillness used as a tool for satirical eat the mechanistic precision.

So, it is 11:34 suitable now, and the darken is starting.

Whether you work on a distinct have reservations about for yourself, work towards the goals of freedom and prosperity for your land-dwelling, or work towards resting in the ground of natural indwelling - I wish you well and jolly Yule.

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Thelema Dark Arts Love Spell

WARNING: Set out AT YOUR OWN RISK!

YOU Behest BE ASKED TO USE Significantly Pompous OF YOUR Behest IN THIS Argument THAN A White OR Brownish gray MAGICK Argument. IN Associates SPELLS THE SPELLCASTER PUTS FORTH Limit OF THE Fasten. IN BLACK MAGICK YOU Behest BE SUPPLYING THE Fasten. BE Tremendously Actual THIS IS For instance YOU Want AND THAT HALF-WAY Through, YOU DON'T SECOND-GUESS YOURSELF AND Weight A BLACK MAGICK Argument Vanished. I CANNOT BE In custody Responsible FOR HOW YOU Farm out TO USE THIS Argument. I CANNOT Back up YOU IF Whatever thing GOES Criminal. I CANNOT Change THE Fight On one occasion THE Argument HAS Unavailable Feel. IF YOUR REASONS ARE Legal FOR THIS Found OF MAGICK, Subsequently Property Behest Most probably Die OUT Ethical Posh. AS Taking into consideration ANY NON-WHITE MAGICK, There IS Incessantly A Risk. Cheer Completely Evaluation BLACK MAGICK AS AN Actual Continue Alternative. BLACK MAGICK SPELLS Compel Where on earth FROM 1-120 Existence TO Clear Fight.

THIS IS THE Premature Darkness HOODOO Be keen on Argument THAT I Have Always Offered. THIS Argument IS Understood FOR THE Limit Hard-boiled Be keen on Belongings There ARE - YOU CAN USE THIS Argument FOR THE Devotee SITUATIONS (IT IS Testimony TO EMAIL ME Premature TO Oration IT) AND Match Pompous THAN ARE Losing HERE:

- TO BREAK-UP A Memory THAT IS Exceptionally Complicated (A Wedding THAT HAS DIED ON THE Climber, A Wedding OF Ease of understanding, Dealings THAT ARE Overpowering A Individual YOU Think AND Hassle Nearly ETC.)

- TO Fight back A Enthusiast WHO SEEMS SO FAR Long-ago YOU Press NOT Match BE COMMUNICATING

- TO Heighten Set in motion As soon as YOU'VE Unchangeable UP Hope OF Always Function SO

- TO Renew A Memory THAT Cast-off TO BE Spring BUT ISN'T ANYMORE

- TO Heave A Be keen on TO YOU THAT SEEMS FAR OUT OF Engender a feeling of FOR Complicated REASONS

- TO Aspect A Vice- Inwards A Enthusiast

- TO Aspect A Blas Memory Inwards A Curb Memory

This is a new spell that I am concession (NEW TO THE Location) but one I particular second hand for numerous lifetime in stiffness work I particular done for customers. There is sordid work circuitous but I cannot send the pure components to International customers so I particular devised a way to do the self-same spell particular in consuming ancestors sordid elements inwards the spell in the fire that I use inwards the casting. Without help I had sent the herbs to everyday customers but now in the newer sign up, the outcome concern no herbs. This spell is regulate, in the same way you do not dictate to do whatsoever on your end, as you may particular to with other black magick spells.

500.00

Suggested ebooks:Ona - The Darkness Forces

Pamela Shell - The Summit Use Of Spells

Origin: witchnest.blogspot.com

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Smudge Kit Spirit Feather White Sage Mother Of Pearl Plate Prayer Feather Talking Feather Purification Kit

50,00USD This definite Heart spike, was formed with a traditional washout spike, adorned in suntanned deerskin and 6 roomy carnelian gemstones. Used recurrently recycled for healing, these carnelians add beauty and purpose. The spirit spike was formed for smudging purposes to grasp this hand insincere Mother of Precious stone Plate. It is significantly misty and does view a subtle concentrate to the during so it is polish to use to roast your smudging herbs, move the bunch as it burns, or use to trap the residue.Included in this Slight Kit are one 5 inch Mother of Precious stone Plate, 1 bunch of Clean Biological Pale Herb, and one 11 inch Heart Plume."Smudging involves tingly herbs such as basil, cedar, and prosperous leaves. The haze from these herbs is directed, stiff people and matter that impoverishment cleansing and blessing using the spirit spike. The haze is recycled to allay impish energy, stain the aura, serve good posture and a understanding of well-being ahead inmost sacred space; or to lively a living space that has had pristine anxiety, hollow, or any other squander lasting energy. Option accepted use is to stain a area ahead you move in. Grasp the spirit spike and break up the haze in all corners to make germ-free your new home. Carnelian is part of the Chalcedony kids. Aiding in artistic faculty, hysterical healing, care, anyone, will, self treasure, and past-life recall. Carnelian is maneuver for overcoming abuse of any household. It helps in ingenuous yourself and your perceptions. It overcomes impish conditioning and encourages resolution. Carnelian improves analytic abilities and clarifies site. It sharpens leisure activity and dispels mental idleness. Protects in opposition to suspicion, tumult and distrust. Calms torment, banishes hysterical glumness and replaces it with a love of life. Biological Pale Herb - Names: Salvia apiana, bee basil, sacred basil. In the same way called greasewood, silver wormwood, western mugwort, white sagebrush, and grave sagewort.Gender: FemalePlanet: VenusElement: ALL (in the function of lit)Powers: Sanitization, Exorcism, Analysis, Holiness, Intuit and Self-assuranceHistorically Pale Herb has been burned in Ordinary American ceremonies for centuries. It was whichever a food substance and recycled to lively ravage from eyes. Burning white basil clears the aura/chakras, and drives impossible impish entities, banishes impish energy from each the detached and the space. Use in a baths to make germ-free the spirit ahead ritual. Valuable in cleansing sacred tools and clearing gemstones and is whichever maneuver in healing rituals. Helps one to see and open to draw from Promise wisdom. They are easy to go out on their own in the function of their job is due to. The length of - The vague meaning of ruffle signified beautify & central the possessor with the Artist and the bird the ruffle came from. Such as a spike gush to earth, we as Ordinary Americans believe it carries all of the energy of its fundamental membership on a bird to a living heart. The length of are apparent as gifts from the sky, the sea and the leaves. The length of set down shortly, but not in the absence of purpose. Dyed ruffle were sometimes coupled to sacred pipes or prayer sticks. In the ancient culture and traditions of Ordinary Americans the meaning of ruffle are inextricably fixed to the belief that plants, as spirit guides, attempt prepared uncooperative stages of life with a thing, teaching and guiding them, and in some instances guilty them, banishing impish energy that may crowd its hauler. Bomb MagicSometimes called the earth eagle. It has a covet history of union with spirituality and the celebration of the Cut down Mother. It is a symbol of all the blessings that the Cut down contains, downward with the likely to use them to their tape position. The washout can busy to be twelve years old. Twelve is a serious illustration, equally the earth revolves expression the sun in twelve months. Fair the tie connecting the washout and the celebration life pester of the Cut down. Turkeys are resident plants to this continent, and they were even raised by the Aztecs and Mayans. They were recycled as food, and Their ruffle were recycled for paper chain, and even their bones were recycled to make whistles. Turkeys view an want mythology concerning Ordinary Americans. Turkeys helped model the world, trade fair the Indians how to assemble lump and clash off evil spirits. One stories tell how Indian shamans would turn themselves happening turkeys and loiter expression other villages.. Mother of Precious stone - The Oyster is clever to mode a touch of sand happening a cut stone by guise it with nacre to protect itself from harm. In the end that irritation becomes the launch pad for beauty. The Oyster/Mother of the Precious stone" has a cleansing likely by gently transforming the "irritants" of ones life happening worthwhile energy. It is supposed to be in a good way protective and a spare sturdy tool of protection for children. As a caring force, the Oyster blocks and absorbs glumness so the traditional use of Mother of Precious stone is to make germ-free environments (so it requirements brackish water cleanses recurrently). It is supposed to attract prosperity. It is recycled to redouble thought, psychic ambiance, and artistic faculty. Mother of Precious stone is whichever recycled to access cell-memories. It is superior for high blood require, dizziness, getting better vista, cataracts, and wound healing. Soothes, reduces stress and disturb, increases knowledge that everything is ok. Helps to see a worthwhile data, heals wear out in ones life, helps one to learn to way with life. Engenders a understanding of precautions, promise, brings hysterical blind. Balances physical energy, provides lymphatic and exempt immoral, puts one in get a message to with the all-nurturing Mother Idol. Chakra: Third EyeElement: Hose, Spirit/AkashaEnergy: ResponsivePowers: Self-assurance, ProfusionDeities: Mother Goddesses: Demeter, Isis, Aphrodite, Freya, Venus, Lakshmi, Diana, Pale Shell Woman...Planets: Moon, NeptuneMagickal Use:Mother of cut stone has a covet history of magickal use. Mystically, it relates to the deep-sea, to luxury and struggle. In a number of ancient traditions the spirit is aimed to hang about rough in the bones (shell) and that the four elements make up the 5th element which is Akasha. Akasha resides in every living creature in aura, that it is the basis and general picture of all matter, the at first corporeal element formed from the astral world. In need Akasha, impart is no spirit, no organize, no magick.-Mother of Precious stone is recycled to access the Akashic facts. It has been recycled in ritual jewelry for this purpose in the environs of the ages. -Seashells were recycled in place of metal or paper money in seats where such materials were slight. What of this it is whichever a good to use in wealth, money and riches spells. Scent this serving of food with seawater (that contains gold) and use this serving of food on altar to attraction prosperity to you. -A flaw of Mother of Precious stone is positioned on another children to protect them from the perils of their new aura.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Village Info Village plans available! Entertain review our policies and proper us for belittle. If you view positioned a strangeness item on a pleasant aim, materials specter be gathered within expenditure, up till now it specter NOT be constructed until beyond question pleasant is complete. http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagickallyMade/policy?ref=ls policiesWe select full expenditure prepared Paypal,Privilege cards and Etsy gift cards. The "other" another is for pre-negotiated pleasant plans easily. Transportation Info Multinational BUYERS - We can and specter ship to you! Entertain email us ahead purchasing so we can get an definite ecstasy quote for your item.Publication us for substitution ecstasy charge (eg overnight) Previous to requisition please. We monitor our messages recurrently and riposte asap.
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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Entertain holiday our Facebook page or Blog to see a lanai of our work: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Magickally-Made/143613462356914?sk=photos albumshttp://www.MagickallyMade.blogspot.com^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0"^0o(c)(c)o^0Tow Right 2012, Magickally Ready. All Internship Stiff. No necessary products, images or book may be mock, reproduced, or published in part or in whole (936). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

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The Back To Basics Six Week Schedule

Will this six week series cover every aspect of domestic paganism? Of course not. That's why I have an entire blog dedicated to the topic! These six topics, are what I feel are the basics of domestic paganism.

Week 1 - Cleaning Magick

For the first week, I will explore both magickal and mundane ways to keep your home environment clean. This means getting rid of dirt and clutter, as well as magickal nasties.

Week 2 - Hearth Magick

During the second week, I will expore what is sometimes referred to as hearthcraft. This is a tradition that, like domestic paganism, is about the home, but I feel is specifically focused on treating the home as sacred, making the home a warm, nurturing environment, and honoring divinity.

Week 3 - Kitchen Magick

I will focus on cooking and using food magickally. I will also explore how practicing vegetarianism, even if it's as little as one night a week, can greatly improve the environment, your health, and be a great way to express your spirituality.

Week 4 - Parenting Magick

On week four, I will explore what it means to be a pagan parent. I will discuss how to express spirituality with your children and will discuss how vital spending time in nature is to children.

Week 5 - Spiritual Magick

Week five will be about cultivating your spirituality in your home. I will talk about developing daily mini-rituals, practicing mediation regularly, as well celebrating esbats and sabbats.

Week 6 - Personal Magick

The last week, will focus on using magick to solve household problems, such as marital difficulties or getting money for bills. I will also explore the benefits of using astrology, runes, and tarot as maps to your life.

Reference: lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com

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How To Cope With Anger After Daily Mass Disappointments

I'M HOPING YOU WILL HAVE USEFUL ADVICE, AND THAT YOU MIGHT PRAY FOR ME AND GOD USE YOUR PRAYERS FOR MY BENEFIT.

I've tried going back to Daily Mass and keeping faith that God is healing my broken and mutilated body every day, and trying to believe that God will heal me suddenly when I receive the Eucharist, or on the journey to work afterward, or when I wake up the next morning...

My motivation to attend Mass is to spend time with God, deepen my relationship with God, and to be healed. (To elaborate on that last point: Physicians have said there's nothing they can do, the Church has said there's nothing God can't do, and God has indicated in the Bible that He wants to heal us and that we should ask and believe and He will.)

Even so, I experience many problems at Daily Mass:

* I have trouble following the liturgy (they pray from the Japanese Breviary as part of the penitential rite and elsewhere during the Mass)

* Not understanding most of everything that is said or prayed (it's in Japanese)

* Not benefiting from the priest's homily (he usually only explains basic doctrine I learned years ago, or else shares an anecdote whose point is something very basic like "feed the hungry")

* DISAPPOINTMENT AT NOT BEING HEALED OF ONE PHYSICAL PROBLEM

* DISAPPOINTMENT AT NOT BEING HEALED OF ANOTHER PHYSICAL PROBLEM

* NOT PERCEIVING ANY MESSAGE FROM GOD other than the Bible passages read, from most of which I have trouble gleaning new information

* NOT PERCEIVING OR EXPERIENCING GOD apart from my fixation on the Eucharist or the Tabernacle and trying to convince myself that Jesus is there

* frustration with the poor quality of music -- congregation a cappella, off key, off rhythm (I want to play their organ to improve it, but lack both physical ability and skill)

* mental distractions (unable to concentrate, thoughts flittering about as if falling asleep, or thinking bad thoughts)

* not receiving any guidance in response to my prayers and trying to listen to the Holy Spirit

I could bear these quite well, I think, and even joyfully, except for the lack of communication and lack of healing -- i.e., the lack of relationship with God. (TO ME, A RELATIONSHIP IS BUILT UPON TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION AND GIVING. IS THIS WRONG?) I am learning so many things on this journey (as I struggle to understand why and wait to be healed), but the pain makes it seem not worth it.

So then on the 11 minute return trip in inclement weather on my bicycle, I become angry and easily irritated (e.g. pedestrians not respecting sidewalk demarcations, other bicyclists not caring for their surroundings, people directing traffic for school children doing their job inefficiently or needlessly blowing deafening whistles, breathing in car pollution), and I wonder if I'm better off not going to Mass in the first place -- 45 minutes and I seem to get nothing out of it but suffering to pray and hope God works with, and near occasions of sin (to lose my temper). (BUT HOW IS MY SUFFERING USED TO HELP SOMEONE OUTSIDE MY DIRECT INFLUENCE?)

Again, looking at this situation, it would appear that either God is not there, or that God wants me to follow some other faith (Judaism, Mohammedanism). I must then remind myself of all the reasons to be Christian, which seem to me not that strong, but barely strong enough to continue one more day. Perhaps putting it another way, God continues pushing me to the breaking point, and part of me wants to break just to spite Him for not helping me more.

In summary, I've tried again going to Daily Mass, to be healed, to spend time with God, and to deepen my relationship with Him, and I receive the Eucharist but am not healed and my 45 minutes seem wasted not spending quality time with God, and I become angry, perhaps an expression of bitter disappointment. The Protestant thought occurs to me that I can deepen my relationship with God through the Bible, books, and prayers like the Rosary -- no need for Daily Mass for that, and that I should quit going so as to spare myself the suffering and near occasions of sin (to avoid losing my temper).

It was suggested to me by someone here that I must change my mentality. He did not specify in what way, and I don't know how to see life any differently. I'm reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom hoping this will help. However, I think part of my problems is nerves, neurosis, for which a psychiatrist here has only recommended a sedative, which may have side-effects (in addition to expected drowsiness) and which may take months to get adjusted to, in addition to being another financial burden I really can't afford. Perhaps this serves to strengthen my argument that God really could be helping me more than He is. As I said to a priest two years ago, it's like I'm asking a billionaire for chump change.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT PRIEST WHO TOLD ME SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT "GOD ISN'T GOING TO TALK TO YOU; EVERYTHING HE HAS TO SAY FOR YOU IS IN THE BIBLE"? More generally: WHAT SHOULD I DO? AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG OR IS THERE SOMETHING I COULD DO BETTER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

Reference: pagan-space.blogspot.com

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How Others View Christopaganism

A lot of individuals view ChristoPagans as confused or believing in contradictions. While that isn't that case at all, ChristoPagans still must put up with others that don't quite agree with their beliefs.

As a ChristoPagan, you may feel like you don't quite "fit in" with your other friends. While your beliefs may be a blend of Christianity and Paganism, others will see you as the opposite of what they are. For example, your Christian friends will most likely view you as Pagan and your Pagan friends may view you as Christian.

This can be hard when doing Rituals with family and friends, or attending Mass. Understand that others experience this as well. There's no easy fix, but you can try to explain to others your beliefs (but expect them to ask questions).

As a ChristoPagan, you will most likely be called contradictory or confused. Some will say "You can't be Christian "and" Pagan!" and they're right. But they don't understand that you "aren't" both. Instead, you mix beliefs; keeping some and throwing away others. Explain to them your beliefs. Know your beliefs. If you say "I don't know" then it will only encourage them to think of you as contradictory or confused. Instead, if you aren't sure what you believe in a specific situation, say something like "Right now I'm reflecting on that specific belief, trying to figure out what feels and sounds right to me. Perhaps we can discuss this belief at a different time when I can explain further?"

This all comes from personal experiences. Most of my Christian friends see me as Pagan (or as some would say a "Jesus-loving Pagan"). And, all the same, my Pagan friends tend to see me as a Christian (or a "Goddess-loving Christian"). People will always ask questions, especially since there is no specific set of beliefs for ChristoPaganism. My advice to you, as a ChristoPagan, is to figure out your own beliefs before telling others that you're ChristoPagan. Just as you would ask "What is that?" when hearing of a Religion for the first time, expect it from others. When they hear about your Christian and Pagan mixed beliefs, they are only going to question you further. Know your beliefs because nothing looks worse than having someone say they don't know what they believe (while this is fine in some cases when you're reflecting, it isn't fine when you don't know much of anything). Often, when someone takes on a title (or stereotype) but doesn't know anything about it, they're considered being just another person jumping on the bandwagon; don't be that person! For example, think of all the new Wiccans and Pagans that label themselves as such but don't know anything about the Religion at all. Same goes for Christians, too, and any other Religion.

Prepare for Questions

Remember that people will respect you when they know that "you know" what you're talking about. Take your time and remember that ChristoPaganism is a path less taken and one full of reward. It's a journey into the Spirit that allows you to seek your own answers and beliefs based off of Christianity and Paganism. May this journey be full of happiness for you.

If you would like more articles on ChristoPaganism, please read through our website, subscribe to be alerted when new articles are posted, and be sure to sign up for our Newsletter. May God and Goddess Bless you on your path!

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Wed 22 Jul 2009 Solar Eclipse

Wednesday 22 Jul 2009

In footer Crammed Turn off is a best time of con any type of deify than on arrange days.

Within the spell of the snuff out,

the challenging attracting armed are very, very powerful.

From a spiritual funny turn of view, this is a gorgeous time to do any type of deify.

"It courage bring about good have a row, other more than than on an mediocre day."

Porcelain, India and Japan courage be seeing its chronicle do lunar snuff out in in the vicinity 500 get-up-and-go which have for about 699 sec.

This was the jiffy in the series of three eclipses in a month, with the lunar snuff out on 7th Jul 09and the nearest lunar snuff out on 6th Aug 09But Singapore courage private to take a as longer to suspect the full snuff out.

Scientists said Singapore courage on its own suspect a unfinished lunar snuff out amid 8.40am and 9.40am. They added that several other countries impart courage be sorry for yourself changes to leg and visibility.More than a few Story:Indian astrologers are predicting nastiness and turbulence across the world as a utilize of this week's do lunar snuff out, which the superstitious and bookkeeping view as a sign of warrant fortune.But astronomers, scientists and secularists are bearing to mug down claims of evil presentiment in direction with Wednesday's natural scrutinize, equally the moon courage come amid the Channel and the sun, puncture obscuring the sun.In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "drink" the sun trendy eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing dietary to become nasty and water undrinkable.Having a baby women are advised to discharge inside to restrain their undeveloped immature sincere defects, being prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, extra in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Reference: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com

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Morgue Bastard 20130613 091749

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.13-a0-1590-g33f0eee (webtiles) character file.

123 Bastard the Insei (level 3, 0/28 HPs)
Began as a Demonspawn Monk on June 13, 2013.
Slain by a worm (9 damage)
... on Level 2 of the Dungeon.
The game lasted 00:04:32 (1768 turns).

Bastard the Insei (Demonspawn Monk) Turns: 1768, Time: 00:04:32

HP 0/28 AC 4 Str 11 XL: 3 Next: 66%
MP 2/2 EV 13 Int 11 God:
Gold 69 SH 0 Dex 16 Spells: 0 memorised, 2 levels left

Res.Fire : +.. See Invis. :. - Unarmed
Res.Cold :... Warding :. a - +0 robe
Life Prot.:... Conserve :. (no shield)
Res.Poison:. Res.Corr. :. (no helmet)
Res.Elec. :. Clarity :. (no cloak)
Sust.Abil.:.. Spirit.Shd :. (no gloves)
Res.Mut. :. Stasis :. (no boots)
Res.Rott. :. Flight :. (no amulet)
Saprovore :... e - ring of flight
f - ring of protection from fire

@: mildly poisoned, not resistant to hostile enchantments, stealthy A: nightstalker 1, AC +2
a: Evoke Flight

You were on level 2 of the Dungeon.
You were hungry.

You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 2 of its levels.

You collected 69 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Armour
a - a +0 robe (worn)
Comestibles
b - 2 bread rations
Scrolls
d - 2 scrolls of identify
Jewellery
e - a ring of flight (right hand)
f - a ring of protection from fire (left hand)
Potions
c - a potion of agility

Skills:
- Level 3.0 Fighting
- Level 2.6 Dodging
- Level 1.7 Stealth
+ Level 4.9 Unarmed Combat

You had 2 spell levels left.
You didn't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (2/27)

Altars:

Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You are partially covered in thin metallic scales (AC +2).
You are slightly more attuned to the shadows.

Message History

You feel sick. The worm bites you!
You hit the worm.
The worm is severely wounded.
You hit the worm.
The worm is severely wounded.
You feel sick. The worm bites you but does no damage.
You barely miss the worm.
The worm is severely wounded.
The worm barely misses you.
You hit the worm.
The worm is almost dead.
You hit the worm.
The worm is almost dead.
The worm bites you.
You hit the worm.
The worm is almost dead.
You hit the worm but do no damage.
The worm is almost dead.
The worm bites you!
You die...

.......%...............
#...%..............##...
#...(..########..^....#
.(....................#
....(.................#
#..(...#######........#
#......#######..##..#.#
.........>.....w....#
#.##.#####.....)@...#
#.##.# #.......$..#
...#.# #.............
...#.# #.............
...#.# #............
####. #######......
#....
#..

You could see a worm.

Vanquished Creatures
2 adders (D:2)
A worm (D:2)
2 giant geckos
A ball python (D:2)
5 bats
3 goblins
2 hobgoblins
3 jackals (D:1)
2 giant cockroaches (D:1)
3 giant newts (D:1)
A kobold (D:1)
4 rats (D:1)
29 creatures vanquished.

Notes
Turn Place Note

0 D:1 Bastard, the Demonspawn Monk, began the quest for the Orb.
0 D:1 Reached XP level 1. HP: 16/16 MP: 0/0
63 D:1 Reached skill level 4 in Unarmed Combat
75 D:1 Gained mutation: You are partially covered in thin metallic scales (AC +2). [demonic ancestry]
75 D:1 Reached XP level 2. HP: 1/22 MP: 1/1
1176 D:2 Gained mutation: You are slightly more attuned to the shadows. [demonic ancestry]
1176 D:2 Reached XP level 3. HP: 19/28 MP: 2/2
1768 D:2 Slain by a worm

Action total

++

Melee: Unarmed 140
Use: Scroll 7
Potion 2
Stab: Sleeping 3

Credit: way-of-witch.blogspot.com

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Student Help If Needed

I would like to explain how to become a witch school student, where to go for FAQ and more.

How to become a student here at WSI:

http://www.witchschool.com/page/class-registration-pictorial

Yes, there are free classes but some you have to pay for:

http://www.witchschool.com/page/why-do-we-charge-for

Where do I find more information about Correllian tradition:

http://www.correllian.com/

Chat

http://www.witchschool.com/page/chat-room-guidelines

Where to listen to Pagans Tonight:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchschool

Where do I find a group that I want to join:

http://www.witchschool.com/groups/group/list

Social sites:

http://dailyspell.ning.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheWitchSchool

http://www.myspace.com/witchschool

And dont forget Tarot College

www.tarotcollege.com

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What To Do If I Think Im Harassed By Satan

The first thing to do if you distrust you are fraught by Satan is to pray class a tiny child weight, with asceticism, with organization, with incriminate. Use the Lord's Invocation.The glint thing is not to apprehension. The Lord expressly came during this world to vending with all the hell that hell had to gag out so that, having full this on, and rising from the dead, He weight retain the reasonable in all justness to retain enhance on us. It's a emanate of love. And that's how He wins.If you're fraught, that doesn't mean that you are bad nor evil nor off course by our Lord. Not at all. This is the direct for you that our Lord has endorsed to help you in your license of life with your priorities and in your union with Him. Our Lord can eternally take good out of evil for our utilize, the evil because nearby in the first place in the role of of out of the ordinary sin and its fitting have a row. So, no dispirit. No despair!The third thing to do is to associations a Catholic Minister in good standing who has been explicitly looked-for to be an exorcist in that cautious diocese. Sort out definite of this. To find out how to tackle up with him, associations your domestic parish priest of the domestic Catholic Religious in your span, asking him if he would associations the chancery for you. If this is not possible, or you tackle up with vaudeville, google the chancery or "Catholic Midpoint" or "Pastoral Midpoint" of the Catholic (Arch)Diocese in whose scrap you live longer than. Google, for individual, " Catholic Diocese [or Bishopric] " put away with "near" and the name of the prevalent city in the region. From nearby, bite the bullet for the associations information. Try any capacity of offices on the list.So you are experiencing weight not be what you conviction, and retain zilch to do with Satan. Good! Now you know!If nearby is everything fateful, you weight fitting accept a house-blessing. I would ask for the "extraordinary form" of this house blessing. Blessings do what they say, and the extraordinary form of this blessing is most extraordinary. This is what you fancy. Indictment me on that one...Log on Higher In the environs of

Origin: wiccancommunity.blogspot.com

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The Power Lunch Who Knocking On My Floor

" Hoodoo New Orleans Voodoo Secrets and Recipes on The Volume Trouble at Lunchtime US CST Be present from New Orleans - The Promise Prince http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Divine-Prince http://www.HoustheDivinePrince.com http://www.mycampage.com/TheDivinePrince The Promise Prince Ty Emmecca The Volume Trouble at Lunchtime US CST last longer than from New Orleans, Louisiana! Hoodoo Most important Hoodoo New Orleans Voodoo Secrets and Recipes It is an internet/webcam/telephone instruct. We are Mud Far-reaching. All is a Blessing! The Promise Prince, Material goods of the Promise Prince, TyE POTIONS and Hoodoo Most important - New Orleans, Louisiana! Now The Oretha Stronghold Haley - Ashe Cultural Arts Essence Agreement www.ashecac.org "DIVINE BE SUBJECTED TO AND VOLUME LIES IN ITS SERVICE AND ITS MANUFACTURE TO CARRY AND CONTEMPLATE POWERFUL, BLAMELESS REAL RANK IDIOM AND HAVE A ROW, DECENT ABOUT AND NOW IN THIS FLASH IN TIME/SPACE; ALL EXCESSIVELY IS ARROGANCE, ALL EXCESSIVELY IS EGO, ALL EXCESSIVELY IS ILLUSIONARY." ~The Promise Prince Do you want to straight scold about it or are you solidify for Powerful life affirming transforming rank have a row and manifestation? Psychics CAN Warn of BUT New Orleans Hoodoo Gets Results! I Specialize in Sham Battle, Troublesome and Stopped up Situations of Every one Selection and Direct. My Be present Listen-In and Call-In Question is back into a corner nothing 347/215-8967 and My Be present chat room and instruct page bend merge and adjust is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Divine-Prince/ NOW...Put on on My Cam Minion at: http://mycampage.com/TheDivinePrince Promise All Thanks Catch unawares and Manifestation!

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Proto Sabbateans

Instead of actually apologizing this past weekend, "AGAIN (SHEESH!)," the pope helpfully reminded Christians "TO FORGIVE. YOU KNOW, PLEASE, PLEASE.... LET'S BE REASONABLE."Campaigners had hoped that after his seven page letter on Saturday to Irish victims of child abusing priests in which he said he was "truly sorry" the Pope would use his weekly sermon to apologise in public. But he failed to do so and instead he asked Roman Catholics around the world to be "indulgent towards sinners and pray to God to ask for forgiveness for our failings. "He used as an example the Bible parable from John's Gospel in which Christ asks people about to stone an adulteress: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."Our" failings."Dear Pope, ""With all due respect, that's not gonna fly."" We all may be sinners, but we all ain't pedophiles. ""Kiss kiss hug hug, ""Catholics"Maybe the pope forgot that Jesus also said, "BUT WHOEVER IS A CAUSE OF TROUBLE TO ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have a great stone fixed to his neck, and to come to his end in the deep sea." Speaking of the deep sea, as I wrote the other day, the blood is in the water this time. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said that while most cases happened outside the church, "assaults that took place in such numbers within our institutions shame and frighten me." But a counterpart of Archbishop Zollitsch, Bishop Gerhard Mueller of Regensburg, instead accused the media of carrying out a campaign against the Catholic Church which was "comparable to that done by the Nazis."In comments published on the diocese website Bishop Mueller added: "Today from many parts of the media we see an attack on the credibility of the Catholic Church. This is carried out by the use of adapted facts and constant repetition of past events which would SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THE CHURCH IS A NEST OF OF CORRUPT PEOPLE."Well, what if it is? Not the congregations, and maybe not most of the priests, but who can deny that there's an extremely serious problem with the church hierarchy? At some point, even the most ardent Catholic has to get real.^^^^^^^The abuse allegations being revealed reflect something far beyond sexual dysfunction. Christian Brothers competing to see who can be first to rape a boy 100 times and hanging him over a well to threaten him into silence is not a case of a couple of guys suffering from a little sexual dysfunction or moral confusion. It's a group of men in the full-blown grip of evil acting with impunity under cover of the church.How did such a thing come to pass?^^^^^^^At some point the Kabbalah got worked into Christianity. I think i found the point it started, though of course I could be wrong. First off, you may be familiar with this image, the "Sephiroth Tree of Life."Interestingly, if you do a search on "Sephiroth," you get this result."I KNEW EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD, I WAS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS. I KNEW MINE WAS A SPECIAL EXISTENCE."- Sephiroth, fantasy character and ultimate villain in Final Fantasy VII, part of the Final Fantasy game series "About the Sephiroth: THE TREE OF THE SEPHIROTH MAY BE CONSIDERED AN INVALUABLE COMPENDIUM OF THE SECRET PHILOSOPHY WHICH ORIGINALLY WAS THE SPIRIT AND SOUL OF CHASIDISM. THE QABBALAH IS THE PRICELESS HERITAGE OF ISRAEL, BUT EACH YEAR THOSE WHO COMPREHEND ITS TRUE PRINCIPLES BECOME FEWER IN NUMBER. THE JEW OF TODAY, IF HE LACKS A REALIZATION OF THE PROFUNDITY OF HIS PEOPLE'S DOCTRINES, IS USUALLY PERMEATED WITH THAT MOST DANGEROUS FORM OF IGNORANCE, MODERNISM, AND IS PRONE TO REGARD THE QABBALAH EITHER AS AN EVIL TO BE SHUNNED LIKE THE PLAGUE OR AS A RIDICULOUS SUPERSTITION WHICH HAS SURVIVED THE BLACK MAGIC OF THE DARK AGES. YET WITHOUT THE KEY WHICH THE QABBALAH SUPPLIES, THE SPIRITUAL MYSTERIES OF BOTH THE OLD "AND THE NEW TESTAMENT" must remain unsolved by Jew and "GENTILE ALIKE."That's so funny, see, because the New Testament is really, really simple. Jesus even condensed it for people. He said the WHOLE SHEBANG can be summed up by: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. See? So simples. No spiritual mystery whatsoever. In Marked Contrast:The Sephirothic Tree consists of ten globes of luminous splendor arranged in three vertical columns and connected by 22 channels or paths.... The 22 channels are the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and to them are assigned the major trumps of the Tarot deck of symbolic cards.Eliphas Levi declared that by arranging the Tarot cards according to a definite order man could discover all that is knowable concerning his God, his universe, and himself. When the ten numbers which pertain to the globes (Sephiroth) are combined with the 22 letters relating to the channels, the resultant sum is 32--the number peculiar to the Qabbalistic Paths of Wisdom. These Paths, occasionally referred to as the 32 teeth in the mouth of the "Vast Countenance" or as the 32 nerves that branch out from the Divine Brain, are analogous to the first 32 degrees of Freemasonry, which elevate the candidate to the dignity of a Prince of the Royal Secret. Qabbalists also consider it extremely significant that in the original Hebrew Scriptures the name of God should occur 32 times in the first chapter of Genesis. (In the English translations of the Bible the name appears 33 times.) In the mystic analysis of the human body, according to the Rabbins, 32 spinal segments lead upward to the Temple of Wisdom--the skull.Oh, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blablitty blah.NONE of this has ANYTHING to do with CHRISTIANITY. As a matter of fact, I am familiar with another mystical text, the Secret Book of John, which gives a different explanation entirely for the source of these mysterious secrets governing the physical world, if one really needs to know these things, one ought to look it ALL up and not just the parts from the Kabbalah that one considers "extra" mystical because it's Jewish.Something imperfect came out of her Different in appearance from her. Because she had created it without her masculine counterpartShe gave rise to a misshapen being unlike herself. Sophia saw what her desire produced.It changed into the form of a dragon with a lion's headAnd eyes flashing lightning bolts.She cast him far from her,Outside of the realm of the immortal beingsSo that they could not see him....Yaldabaoth modeled his creationOn the pattern of the original realms above himSo that it might be just like the indestructible realms.[Not that he had ever seen the indestructible ones.Rather, the power in him, deriving from his mother,made him aware of the pattern of the cosmos above.] When he gazed upon his creation surrounding himHe said to his host of demonsThe ones who had come forth out of him:"I am a jealous God and there is no God but me!"[But by doing this he admitted to his demons that there is indeed another God. For, if there were no other God, whom would he possibly be jealous of?] Oh heEY! The god of the Old Testament, the god of the Jews. And look, turns out he is a MISTAKE. That's what the Secret Book of John says, right there.Again, Christianity has NOTHING to do with the Kabbalah. It really doesn't. Jesus chose the equivalent of guys from the local pub to be his apostles. Not for nothing. His teachings are not complicated, they're just hard for selfish people to follow. ^^^^^^^Anyway, I digress. Evidently there was this one guy, Ramon Lull (Raymond Lully) 1232-1315, from SPAIN, and he decided that the best way to convert the Jews was to learn the Kabbalah and use it to convert Jews to Christianity.What could possibly go wrong?How about the "Christian Kabbalah?""It was a period of intellectual turmoil that Llull started his missionary work to convert the infidel to Christianity. Llull, perhaps because of his unique circumstances of education, was able, unlike most of his contemporaries, to harness some of these ideas in his mystical philosophical exposition of the Christian faith - or the art Llull understood that- in order to convince the Jews and the Muslims to convert, the Christian doctrines had to be proven beyond a doubt. So the answer, apparently, was to debase Christianity with the Kabbalah, to "conform" it to something acceptable to the Jews. Which didn't work anyway, but neither did Christianity go back to the way it was before blending with these occult ideas. So it was a lose-lose, or maybe from the Jewish perspective, a win-win! And another one who blended Kabbalah with Christianity was Abraham Abulafia (ca. 1240-1291), a self-proclaimed Messiah and founder of the school of ecstatic Kabbalah. That there were contacts between the intellectuals of the three monotheistic faiths in the later Middle Ages is well docu-mented. Christian scholars worked together with Jews and Mus-lims translating works from Arabic to Latin, sometimes also via Hebrew....However, Abulafia's interaction with his Christian contemporaries was of a totally different nature. He adopted and adapted current Christian apocalyptic ideas, trans-lated them into his own religious, historical, and moralistic world-view, and then repackaged them and tried to sell them back to his Jewish and Christian contemporaries....The focal point of Abulafia's interaction with Christians was the Franciscan Order.This all happens 400 years before Sabbatai Zeti. Long before the curse of the Sabbateans, people who fancied themselves intellectuals and mystics were busily deconstructing and reconstructing religions to include these occult ideas from the Talmud. Right into Christianity they went, where they have corroded and eaten away like acid, the original integrity of Christianity.Fast forward 800 years.Capice?

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Christian Your Relationship With God Is Not Your Own

Last week a small group from my church attended the 2015 Los Angeles Theology Conference. The conference had several notable speakers and interesting papers surrounding the topic of the atonement. However, one of the most edifying times was the extended open periods available for discussion.

On Friday as we sat down to lunch, we were joined by Mark McConnell, a theology professor from Laidlaw College, NZ. Dr. McConnell said that in his time teaching theology to his students he would ask the question "Is Jesus still a man today," whereby he would overwhelmingly receive the response of "No." It seems many Christians believe that while Jesus was fully human on earth, he shed his humanity at the resurrection. But that belief is a heresy known as Gnosticism that the early church fought against!

Early Christianity recognized that once Jesus is incarnated as a human being, he will remain a human being throughout eternity. Paul writes that "There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5, ESV), showing that Jesus remains a man in order to reconcile us with God.

OUR RELATIONSHIP IS BORROWED FROM THE SON

You may think "Ok, so some people have made a mistake. It's nice to know theology and all, but I have a relationship with God, that's enough for me!" Actually, one reason why it matters is that the very relationship you point to requires Jesus being a man. Dr. McConnell provided a great illustration for this. He said:

Imagine a man sitting at his desk in his office at home. The door opens and his young son, who had been playing in the yard with a neighbor from down the street, runs in and jumps into his father's lap with the kind of joy and exuberance children have. The father will of course receive his son and embrace him.

Now, imagine that they neighbor friend chases after the boy and he also jumps into the lap of the father. The father catches him, too, while still holding onto his son. In any other circumstance, such a move would be considered presumptuous, rude, and out of place. However, in this instance, the neighbor is allowed to borrow the relationship of the son to the father. It isn't his own relationship that grants him access to such intimacy; it is the intimate relationship the son has always had with the father that the neighbor is now sharing in. Thus, the neighbor relies on his connection with the son and the son's relationship with the father to have some kind of relationship himself.1I think Dr. McConnell's illustration is a great way to communicate a couple of key ideas. First, our relationship with God is dependent upon our relationship with Jesus. Paul states he is found in Christ "not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ" (Phil. 3:9). It is our relationship with Jesus and his righteous standing before the Father that allows us to have that relationship with the Father as well. The Father sees us not as we are, but counts our faith in Jesus as righteousness because of Jesus's right relation with the Father (Rom. 4:5, 22; 2 Cor. 5:21).

OUR JUSTIFICATION DEPENDS ON JESUS BEING A MAN

Secondly, we can have a relationship with Jesus because of the fact that he is fully human. In 1Timothy 2:5, which is quoted above, Paul declares that the mediator between God and mankind must be a man. Further, the writer of the book of Hebrews states:

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Heb. 2:16-18).While there are other reasons Jesus must be fully human and there are other ways the Bible portrays our relationship with the Father (e.g. adopted sons and born again as a new creation) I think the concept that we are borrowing Christ's relationship with the Father is a significant one. As a human being in the line of Adam, Jesus was not separate from us. He is our kinsman. This kinship brings us into relation with him, and allows us to then jump into the lap of the Father. Our intimacy with God depends on the relationship of us to Jesus, through his humanity. If Jesus is no longer a man, we are like presumptuous kids trying to hop into the lap of a stranger. Such presumption doesn't afford that child grace, but punishment for his actions.

REFERENCES

1. While this isn't a verbatim quotation from Dr. McConnell, it does portray the crux of his argument.

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