The Illustrated World Religions A Guide To Our Wisdom Traditions

BOOK: THE ILLUSTRATED WORLD RELIGIONS A GUIDE TO OUR WISDOM TRADITIONS BY HUSTON SMITH

This book has deep respect for the wisdom traditions and Huston Smith has lived this. A practicing Methodist, Smith had discussions with the Vendanta Society, does Hatha Yoga, and prays five times a day like the Muslims. His perspective is not one looking for divisions within a religion, but as an outsider wanting to understand the experiences. For example, in discussing Islam, he talks about the Sufis, but not about the division between Sunnis and Shi'ites.

In lucid and captivating prose, Smith, the dean of world religionists, conducts readers on a whirlwind tour of the beliefs, practices and experiences of the world's religious traditions. Smith explores the major features of these religions by combining his own worlds with passages from the sacred texts of each. In addition, beautifully arresting images of icons, religious Practitioners, sacred texts and sacred art accompany Smith's lyrical writing. The words and images of this book continually remind us that the world's faiths are not stagnant pools of decaying values but dynamic and vibrant waters from which their practitioners daily drink. The book also brings within range of our American hearing the voices of a wide variety of people for whom religion is the central fact of social and cultural life. If one buys only one of the number of recent introductions to World Religions, this should be it.

This book is less about details, facts, and religious holidays, and more about the underlying meaning and unique insight of each religion. E.g., in discussing Hinduism he looks at "What people really want", about a wearing out of the material world. In the chapter of Judaism he discusses meaning in history and justice.

The illustrations complement the text with a symbolic sense of the culture and beliefs. Looking at a sculpture of a very sensual Shiva with consorts helps one realize that the Hindu view of pleasure may be different than your own. The Buddhist and Taoism paintings project a sense of peace. The photographs of the worshippers are very respectful.

Huston has obviously done a great deal of research in the area of World religions. This work is an interesting and informative guide to Understanding why people believe what they believe. In each section he gives a brief discussion of the history of each system of belief (for instance, he talks about Siddhartha's life in the section about Bhuddism). He then continues to discuss the main points, or fundamental beliefs, of each religion. In these discussions, Huston is concise and incredibly informative. Again, it's very obvious that he's done his homework. I found all of these sections very illuminating.

All of the major branches of religion are repressented here (both oriental and occidental thought). That doesn't necesarilly mean that all of the offshoots of any particular religion are repressented --that would probably lead to a much larger, more cumbersome work. With this in mind, Huston's book is an excellent source of information on the various world religions. I would recomend the book to anybody with an interest in religion. It is an excellent tool to help you understand the world, and is well worth the read.

Buy Huston Smith's book: The Illustrated World Religions A Guide To Our Wisdom Traditions

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Robert Ellwood - The Encyclopedia Of World Religions

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Pantheacon 2013

Last weekend Chic and I had a fantastic time at Pantheacon, the largest indoor metaphysical, occult, pagan, and esoteric convention in the U.S., held every year in San Jose, California. The theme for the event this year was (very appropriately) "Co-operation, Tolerance, and Love." This was our second Pantheacon and as far as I am concerned, the event just keeps getting better. The convention is amazingly efficient and well organized.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and had a restful evening. On Friday morning we headed down to Registration and the Green Room for badges, programs, etc. By early afternoon the Vendor Room was open and we ogled the various goods. (If you can't find something wonderful to buy at Pantheacon, you're just not trying at all.) Later we joined in a panel discussion on "Community Connections" with fellow Llewellyn authors Melanie Marquis, Donald Michael Kraig, Patricia Lafayllve, and Thea Sabin, with Elysia Gallo as our MC. The discussion was well received and I think we all learned something from it. That evening we headed off to the Llewellyn party to hobnob with some very cool folks.

In the evening we attended a lecture on "The Modern "> "De Mysteriis. "This was followed by an "Invocation of Thoth Hermes Mercury" in the Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn's suite.

Saturday morning I attended Holly Kraig's Intermediate Yoga class, which energized me for the day. And I needed it--because Chic's lecture on "Tarot Magic" later that afternoon was packed to the rafters. We quickly ran out of hand-outs (I had printed 65 copies) and some of our friends who had wanted to attend the lecture could not even get in the room. Immediately afterward we had a book signing at the Llewellyn Table just outside the Vendor Room. We spent Saturday evening socializing with old friends and meeting new ones.

Sunday morning I gave my lecture on "Enochian Color Magic" which also went very well. Later, our good friends in the Golden Dawn community managed to pull a fast one--we had a surprise appreciation dinner party for Chic in the OSOGD suite. Sam Webster's toast was deeply moving and Chic was caught totally unawares. We presented him with the gift of a statute of Hermes that was purchased at the convention. After the party we caught the last half-hour of Lon Milo Duquette's concert, "Songs of Love, Magick, and Devotion" at Club Max. Lon is fantastic (as always!).

We were back on a plane to Florida at a ridiculously early hour on Monday morning, but with lots of good energy from such a positive event. Many thanks to Glenn Turner and the Pantheacon staff for running and organizing such an incredible convention. (Again!)

With Mary Greer at the Llewellyn party.

Sam Webster after Chic told him to "look animated!"

Chic and I with Tony Mierzwicki

With Don and Holly Kraig.

UPDTAE: Don Kraig's Review of Pantheacon

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Epic Blogger Award

Today one of my dear friends left me an award on my blog. Vickie from Aoibheal's Lair gave me the "Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness".

The award comes with a few rules.

1. Display the award on your page.

2. Link back to the person that gave it to you.

3. List 10 things about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 other bloggers to get the award.

I got the first two done, now for ten things about myself... let's see.....

1. I love love love Tattoos! I just got a new tattoo yesterday...

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Tattooist - Elijah Olson

2. I love to work with Clay. I'm working on a new piece, it's a dragon coaster. The center dish is for holding a coffee mug. It's still in progress. I'm deciding on paint colors now while it dries.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

3. I have an amazing kid who just published her first book on amazon. She created the book to use as a fundraiser for a chest reduction surgery. Her current fund raiser status can be found here.

Photo Credit - A.L. Olson

4. I have a deep love for sexy music....

From Rap

9. I believe we should all have good food. GMO scares me. No one seems to think it's not a good idea to put different types of DNA into corn, soybeans or other food and then feed them to our kids. It's just crazy.

10. I have a shop called Sosanna's Closet. We're starting out vending at local events such as CNC Pagan Pride in Raleigh and Earth Day at Truely Unique in Wilson.

Now... I need to nominate 10 other blogs... let's see.....

I know many of these will probably have already been nominated but I'm going to add them just the same....

1. I adore Rhonda over at Good Green Witch. Learning about our environment and sharing information on everything from plastics to fracking, Rhonda has an amazing way of delivering the information in an upfront, clear and concise way.

2. Kallan's Sunday Stew is just one of the great things on the menu at The Secret Life of the American Working Witch. From current events, news to dealing with stress there's always something wonderful going on there.

3. Monica over at TransGriot tells it like it is even when it comes to calling out HRC on its treatment of the trans* community in the recent protests at the Supreme Court during the oral arguments around Marriage Equality.

4. Sam at Chronicles of an Anthropology Nerd, is not only a fellow tattoo and otter lover but also an amazing writer and a frequent shopper at Sosanna's Closet. If you haven't checked out her blog, I highly recommend it.

5. If you want to stay up on all the latest LGBT News and happenings Joe. My. God. is an amazing blog to follow. From finding the scoop on politicians on the down low to getting the dish on attacks in Paris at Marriage rallies, Joe offers up front and direct coverage of today's happenings.

6. Another of my favorite blogs is Pagan Culture. Magaly shares her dark fiction as well as a glimpse into her personal life. She's witty, strong and saucy. Everything I love in a woman. She's currently hosting "Witches Fiction 2013... To the Bone", with stories and giveaways galore!

7. Heartsong's Circle is always peaceful and enchanting to me when I arrive. Alan has a way of being the voice of reason when hotter heads are popping off around. He's centered and indeed sends out what I believe is a very positive loving energy. Adding his posts and comments to your day will indeed make it a brighter place.

8. Inciting a Riot is indeed a riot. If you're not following Fire Lyte, I recommend it. From serious stuff to the fun, Fire Lyte says those things out loud which many of us just think about. Over the holidays his confessions of retail kept me in stitches for weeks.

9. Fellow artist and blogger Tess, over at East Coast Craft & Curio has given us a glimpse into her life and what makes her tick. Tess is an amazing person and I'm grateful to call her a friend.

10. If you like current events, book reviews and general ramblings from a pagan mother prospective "I'm Not Hannah" is a great blog to follow. I cannot begin to say enough about how witty and touching this blog can be.

Well there we have it. My 10 things and my 10 Blogs. I believe these are all incredibly epic blogs!

Head over and have a gander.

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

Read Confessions of a Modern Witch

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Saint Meletios Of Lardos Founder Of Ypseni Monastery

February 12Memorial OF OUR Venerable AND GOD-BEARING Get on your way MELETIOS OF LARDOS, Draftswoman OF THE Sacred AND Untouchable MONASTERY OF THE Most Saintly THEOTOKOS OF YPSENIVerses"You raised up a Monastery to the Virgin Mary."You dwelled missing jubilant by Angels."On the twelfth Meletios is revered highly."Our Venerable and God-bearing Get on your way Meletios, was instinctive in the late 18th century in the similarity of Lardos in Rhodes and he was named Emmanuel at Saintly First use. His dedicated parents Nicholas and Stamatia raised him according to the apostolic clich "in the education and accusation of the Lord", and they implanted in his soul love towards God and the traditions of our dedicated Run. From early years he appeared to be a "agreed transport" in the role of he refused to suckle his mothers milk on the fasting days of Wednesday and Friday. Forward-thinking, a long time ago he grew up, he strew produce from the to your place warehouse to the involve fading doesn't matter what qualities reduced, following in the shock of his parents, who had back rebuked him.By his geographical community priest he was educated to read and version, and with zeal he gave himself director to the study of the lives of the Saints of the Clerical, the struggles of which he attempted to mimic drink vigils, prayer and fasting. In his soul kindled the divine sparkle, and he choice to detach clothed in the forest to pray to God undistracted, with hot cry, all-night prayers and prostrations. The place he more often than not withdrew to was a bowl in the next tired ancient Monastery of the Most Saintly Theotokos Ypseni.One night a long time ago he was found give or take a few the Monastery praying he noticed a shiny corroboration of light down from the sky and standing director a century old emerald tree. In awe performance the satirical magnificence, he approached the place indicated by the attractive light and he found an old Picture of the Most Saintly Theotokos. He kneeled in awe, lifted it by his hands, and embraced it with spiritual joy and jubilation, chanting hymns of doxology to God and songs of honor of credit to the Father of God for the wondrous good-pleasure of her form.One of the observation nights the Father of the Lord appeared to him in a fantasy significant him to build on the site of the recognition a sacred church in her name and to recondition the busted Monastery. At the fantastically time she acid out the place everyplace he had to dig to test the finances enforced for the assembly. The Saint obeyed and digging at hand everyplace the Theotokos showed him he exposed some unnoticed rate. Having the predictability of the apparition of the form of the Father of God he watched over the straightforward authorization from the Turkish company, and he built the sacred church encircled by cells. Having received the Divine Schema, he was renamed Meletios and he unwavering at hand stressed with lofty zeal in the good line of reasoning of the monastic set down.For his lofty qualities and the newness of his set down the Bishop of the land predetermined him a Deacon next a Presbyter, commissioning him to advance in spiritual fatherliness and installing him Abbot of the reestablished Monastery. His prominence expanded about the atoll and numerous visited him to relieve their sins and hear his spiritual admonitions. Unceasingly he would himself tumble the villages of the atoll to liturgize, relieve the land, and to settle on them in the true expect and works of religious fervor and improvement their feelings in the trials that existed owing to slavery. Having form from God, by prayer he healed the sickly and individual numerous demon possessed from the hang on of unhygienic spirits. He had the honesty of almsgiving top figure and no one who came to him seeking relief gone fading clarity what they crucial. He gave friendliness to visitors with an abrahamic attitude and widespread clothed in his Monastery ancestors maltreated by the Ottomans acquaint with them cave and protection. He extremely urged Christians to come to pass steadfast in the expect of their fathers and remaining according to the word of God.The blessed one in detail insisted on teaching Christian women to avert insinuate associations with ancestors of other religions and not make it clothed in marriage with them. His wisdom frustrated the Ottomans, who sought an chance to exterminate him. An serve to close a business their testing diplomacy was the shield of the sister of a committee quantity of the church of Lardos, who had mutinous folks with the Ottoman gendarme of Lindos. The Saint, a long time ago he was experienced of this, advised her brother to force her to curtail her unjust activities. The elders of the similarity did the fantastically. Their positions became important to the Ottomans and this caused an atrociousness. By night they went to Lardos, murdered two similarity elders, next went towards the Monastery to pit the Saint. But they inferior in their central theme, so he was experienced of their diplomacy and had a arranged draw back from the Monastery.Desiring the hesychastic life, the Saint often withdrew to a chummy bowl, the time of which ancestors of other religions did not know about. Unceasing one day to the Monastery a Turk, named Ali, saw him accompanied by a handsome person and he had under the trees beware about this. Later than him he saw the Saint make it the church with the person. After a quick on the uptake time he above and beyond entered, but the Saint was missing praying. He began to excitement and his members became paralyzed. He understood that the person was the Theotokos and he lop at his feet asking mercy for his under the trees beware. The Saint healed him and out of credit the Turk brilliant to the icon of the Panagia a gold necklace that is sealed until today. Marginal time the Saint was in Lardos and enviable to return to the Monastery at night. The jet had filled and the journey was not permitted. But he did not turn back, a little he ended the sign of the Tangential director the waters, and voted for in a wondrous esteem fading triumph wet, and he continued on his way, illuminated by a attractive light that stimulated in advance of him as he walked, as some shepherds testified who were eye-witnesses of this satirical consequence.God formal the Saint at the end of his terrestrial life to be veteran and for the Psalm to be verified in his person: "Lord, You support tried me and important me." A Turk tarnished and ended having a baby a Christian from Lardos, named Pelagia, who suffered from mental retardation. At whatever time her pregnancy became important, the Turks fading nervousness tried to point toward that the Saint was the edge of the unborn honey. They denounced him early the Civic of Rhodes, who called him to supply. The blessed Meletios, who was at an advanced age, may well not suffer the accusations and he expired at the feet of the Civic. The vilify still was revealed a long time ago they enviable to oilrig his company for his money and the Civic gave the stow for his bodiless the distant past due to his struggles for chastity be buried in the precincts of the Cathedral of the Manifestation of the Most Saintly Theotokos. At whatever time his terrible was next opened his rest were malodorous as a document to his holiness.The Saint received from God the form to work miracles for ancestors who growl upon him and rummage him with expect asking for cave and protection. Numerous become old he has appeared to the sickly stating his name and healing the vomiting. Inspirational is the document of a dedicated Christian from Archangelo who met him on the highway unconstrained of Pylona, and he took him with his car out of Lardos, to the crossroad that leads to the Monastery. At whatever time he went to the Monastery and honored his icon, it was understood who the from the past Clergyman he met was, and he gone proclaiming everyplace the wondrous atmosphere of the Saint.Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos."Understand by also: Synaxis of Panagia Ypseni in Rhodes"The Venerable Meletios of Lardos was officially proclaimed a Saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 27 November 2013, together with Arrogant Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva. St. Meletios of Ypseni Panagia Ypseni Panagia Ypseni Monastery Command of St. Meletios (gone) and St. Raphael of Lesvos (proper)...,,,,,.,.,,,.....,,.,,...,,.,,,.THE Universe OF SAINT MELETIOS IN ICONS Shrewdness the sacred icon of Panagia Ypseni Shrewdness the unnoticed rate St. Meletios offers the church to the Panagia The delightful journey of the jet St. meletios banishing demons St. Meletios at the feet of the Civic everyplace he reposed Dormition of the Saint St. Meletios of Ypseni in RhodesFount

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The Way To The Mill

The 1st of August is Lammas, or Loaf-Mass. This short meditative piece reflects on the importance of corn and wheat from ancient times to the very present day in our Jersey heritage, and also on how the plight of Africa calls for our aid. The friar, incidentally, is quoting verbatim from the Carmina Gaedelica, the book of ancient prayers from the Hebrides. The voice that speaks in the Forest is a verse from Leviticus. Cerridwen is the goddess of the grain.The Way to the MillIt was a pleasant afternoon, and I thought I would take the path to the mill. I watched the ducks and geese gliding across the pond, for a while, and then I took the bridge across the gently flowing stream, and headed up the path into the woods. The path forked, and I decided to take a different path. I had always taken the lower path, which still meandered up and down until it came to the mill. I had often wondered where the other path led, and sometimes when I had passed, it had been overgrown, hardly a path at all.It was as if it came and went at times, sometimes there, and sometimes gone. But this time it was there, leading up the hill, and inviting me to take it, to be adventurous, and go forth into the unknown.The day was warm, and hot, but the trees gave shade, and the sunlight dappled though to the ground, as I climbed steadily upwards. At times, I paused for breath, for this path was steep in places, and required an effort. And then I was walking out onto the summit, the meadowland, rich with sweetly scented heather, and a dolmen ahead of me.I had seen many dolmens, ancient structures of huge stones, but they all looked weathered, with many stones destroyed by greedy landowners. But this dolmen looked complete, and it looked new, freshly built. The capstones came cross the whole length of the dolmen, and it had been inset inside an artificial mound; all that remained was for the top to be covered over and sealed in. Outside, there was a larger circle of smaller stones. And beside the dolmen, sitting on the wild grasslands, were people, dressed in rough woollen clothes. There was a lady sitting there, and beside her was a large quern, a rounded piece of granite with an indentation in it. In this was some corn, and she held in her hand a smaller stone, which she was grinding into the corn on the other, and all the while, she was singing a song. And I sit down, and listen to her sing:Let wind take seeds and scatterThe good seed on the land,Let rain come down and waterBy Cerridwen's mighty handThat seeds buried in winterMay warm and grow as grainIn breezes and in sunshine,And soft, refreshing rain.Bless here our humble acreHer hand reaching so farTo give us grain for flourAnd be our guiding starFill cup of mead to brimHer moonlight overheadAnd so to us, her children,She gives our daily bread.And a man comes, and offers me bread and mead, and we break bread together, and each in turn take a sip of the same cup, and he says:Blessed art thou, Cerridwen, goddess of the cornWho brings forth bread from the earthA cloud obscures the sun, and it is suddenly getting cooler. A breeze springs up, rustling the wild grass, and I know it is time to take my leave of this tribe. I bow to the man, and he to me, and I head off back into the forest, along the path.The sky above the forest canopy is darkening, and I feel some drops of rain falling down upon me, and I hasten along the old track. The side of the track is earth, worn and shaped by rain, and there is a stream flowing downwards. But then the track levels off, and the raindrops cease, and I find myself in a clearing, and in the clearing is a man in a simple brown gown, with a girdle around his waist, and his head shaven in a tonsure. He has short brown beard, and a gentle, peaceful face. And I know he must be a friar, on his travels around the land, pausing between towns, coming to this quiet place to meditate.He is sitting down on a fallen log, and he opens a knapsack and takes out a flagon of red wine, and a loaf of bread. As if expecting me, he looks up, and holds up the bread, and breaks off a piece. He says:I ground it in a quern on FridayI baked it on a fan of sheepskinI toasted it to a fire of RowanAnd I shared it round my people.I went sunways round my dwelling,In name of the Mary Mother,Who promised to preserve me,Who did preserve me,And who will preserve me,In peace, in flocks,In righteousness of heart.And he hands me the bread, and I take it, and afterwards, I sip the rich wine from a wooden cup, and he says to me:Blessed art thou, Lord God of the UniverseWho brings forth bread from the earthThen we sit together for a while, he and I, looking at the world, the birds calling from the trees, the butterfly fluttering across the clearing, and the small ants going to and throw in their business. We see all this, but we are just watching, the still point in the moving world.Suddenly, the clouds return, blotting out the sun, and the rain begins to fall heavily. The friar gets up, places the remains of the meal in his knapsack, and bows to me, and hurries off along one path. But I take another path, one into the more heavily wooded trees, that may offer more shelter from the rain.There is the sound of thunder, and the sky darkens, and I hurry down the path. The rain is running in rivulets down the side of the path, and my feet are beginning to churn up the soil as it turns to thick mud. And the thunder ceases as quickly as it came, but the rain continues, and I see the light sparkling in the water on the leaves, as a voice whispers softly:I will send you rain at the right time, so that the land will produce crops and the trees will bear fruit.And I hear the running water even more clearly, and see the water running into a swiftly flowing stream. The stream is running along the lower boundary of the woods, and I see water a meadow between it and the natural stream in the valley bottom.Then I come to an old stone wall, and a small garden, where there are many different kinds of herbs flourishing. I reach out, and pick one of them, crush it in my hand, and at once, I smell the sweet scent of rosemary. Behind the wall, I hear the creaking as the watermill wheel turns, and the rushing noise of water pouring down. And I turn through a gap in the stone wall, and there is the water mill, towering above me in all its glory, a fine granite building.I enter the mill, and see a huge fireplace, stone paving for floor, and climb the stairs. And there are the wheels turning, the great central shaft, large wheels geared to turn smaller ones, and finally the burr stone turning to grind the wheat into flour. There is a man seated there, the miller, and he rises to greet me, and he says:Hear the call from distant landsDistended bellies ache in painThe crying of the hunger pangsCalling for the wholesome grainHear the call from distant landsWhere children hunger to be fedThe crying comes across the globeTake the flour, and bake the breadHear the call from distant landsFamine strikes, no time for thriftGive across the world, you mustBread of life, Cerridwen's giftAnd he hands me sacks of flour to take with me, and I know that my task has just begun, and I begin to walk back through the forest, knowing that this precious grain has a longer journey than I.Soon I will pass it to others, and they in turn to others, and with them I will make a chain which reaches across to those who starve in lands cursed with drought; for I am kindred with those who hunger in distant lands, all fellow children of our Father in Heaven and our Mother Earth, reaching out, hand to hand, to feed the hungry world.

Origin: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

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Wild Rice Casserole The Kitchen Witch Side Dish Recipes

Last week I shared a recipe I adapted from Chef Michael Smith for roasted chicken with apples and rosemary. Today I'm going to share the side dish I always make to accompany it: Wild Rice Casserole. A dish that's been in my family for years and is a staple at many a celebration. Food is funny that way. Certain dishes interweave themselves into occasions so that they become part of the memory. In my life a potluck wouldn't be right without my friend Debbi's broccoli slaw, Christmas eve wouldn't be the same without tourtieres, and roast chicken, pork, or turkey lose some of their lustre without wild rice casserole.I also love that it's a Canadian thing - wild rice - considered a delicacy in North America, is largely grown in the Borealis region of Canada and around the great lakes in both Canada and the US. The grains are long and thin and dark brown to black in colour. When soaked and cooked properly, they soften up and have the perfect texture for a creamy casserole like this because the wild rice doesn't get mushy. This also means its an ideal make ahead. All that aside, though, I love wild rice casserole simply because it tastes so good. The sweetness of red pepper and sauteed onion is offset by the saltiness of bacon. A crunch of diced celery, the earthiness of golden sauteed mushrooms, and the rich smokiness of toasted almond play off each other as explosions of taste go off in the mouth.But the best thing of all for me is the comforting addition of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup - the product that bound all of my grandma's casseroles together over the years. Its familiar simplicity creating a symphony of memory, taste, and delight. This is the kind of dish that looks best in a Corninware casserole alongside steaming bowls of mashed potatoes, and jugs of homemade gravy - tables groaning under the weight of long remembered favourites - and the party goes on. It continues in the here and now as I share these memories and recipes with you. In some small way, my grandmother, those tables, the people, and the magic live on everytime somebody new tries a recipe and decides to make it a part of their family tradition, celebration, or memory. So please enjoy this wonderful recipe and pop by the Kitchen Witch cottage for a glass of wine and a visit. I'll show you step by step, just how easy this is to make.Happy cooking everyone!WILD RICE CASSEROLEVisit the printable recipe here: Wild Rice CasseroleINGREDIENTS * 1 cup wild rice * 1 tsp salt * 1/2 pound bacon, diced * 2 medium white onions, chopped * 3 stalks celery, diced * 1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced * 10 sliced mushrooms * 1 can consomme * 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds * 1 tin Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup * 1/4 tsp black pepper DIRECTIONS * Rinse the wild rice under cold water. Bring it to a boil in three cups of salted water for 7 minutes and remove from heat. Let it soak covered for one hour to soften the grain. * After an hour, drain the water and pour in one can of consomme. Bring to a boil and then return to low. Cover and let steam and seep for 30 minutes. * Saute the bacon over medium high heat about 3 minutes until it begins to cook. Add the onion, celery, red or green pepper and sliced mushrooms. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the vegetables are tender. * Drain in a colander lined with paper towel and then mix well with the cooked rice. Add the almonds, soup and pepper and bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 30 minutes. This can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature and heat at 350 for 30 minutes as above.Please enjoy, and if you get a chance, check out my brand new Kitchen Witch weekly Meal Planner featuring 7 days of tried and true easy kitchen Witch dinner recipes and a grocery list to get you through the busiest weeks!xoYour favourite Kitchen Witch AUTHOR :Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

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Netzach

NETZACH, THE SEVENTH SEPHIRAHTitle: Netzach, Accomplishment.Magickal Image: A attractive bare living thing.Leave on the Tree: At the fondle of the Keep up of Gentleness.Yetziratic Text: The Seventh Causeway is called the Occult News in the same way as it is the refulgent dignity of the intellectual intrinsic worth which are supposed by the eyes of the intellect and the contemplations of comfort.Titles certain to Netzach: Intensity.God Name: Jehovah Tzabaoth, the Peer of the realm of Hosts.Archangel: Haniel.Arrange of Angels: Elohim, Gods.Normal Chakra: Nogah, Venus.Pious experience: Visualize of beauty engaging.Virtue: Selflessness.Vice: Unchastity, Craving.Junk mail in microcosm: Loins, hips and legs.Symbols: Light and girdle. The rose.Tarot Cards: The four sevens.Seven of Wands: Vigor.Seven of Cups: Illusory sensation.Seven of Swords: Untrustworthy do.Seven of Pentacles: Invasion discontented.Flavor in atziluth: Amber.Flavor in briah: Lush.Flavor in yetzirah: Effortless yellowish green.Flavor in assiah: Leafy, spotted with gold.

Origin: religion-events.blogspot.com

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Witchesworkshop Digest Number 4970

Australian Pagans, Witches + Paganism

MESSAGES IN THIS Take on board (2 MESSAGES)

1a. Re: Family name for submissions for book on polytheism From: Nisaba Merrieweather 2. Obedience CALL: Good turn, Combatant, Ride: A Devotional To Mare Goddesse From: Caroline Tully Pause All Topics Twist New Area under discussion

MESSAGES

1a.

RE: Family name FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR Part ON POLYTHEISM

POSTED BY: "NISABA MERRIEWEATHER" NISABA.MERRIEWEATHER@HOTMAIL.COM NISABA MERRIEWEATHER

Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:43 am (PDT)

Oh, everything meaty! I'll be handwriting like mad tomorrow. Nisaba

To: WitchesWorkshop@yahoogroups.com

From: heliade@bigpond.com

Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:16:10 1100

Subject: ["WitchesWorkshop"] Family name for submissions for book on polytheism

"Gods are real.

And these gods are everyplace, in all aspects of

days, all aspects of secular life."

-James Hillman

Family name for Submissions

Minneapolis creator is compiling an pool of modern, polytheistic

experiences, doubtfully decent Use instead of the Gods: The Varieties of

Polytheistic Middle age.

Seeking dauntless, ingenious, and ahead of unpublished non-fiction essays

unfolding first-hand encounters with Gods, family, spirits, spiritual

intelligences, and sacred presences in nature.

You may approve of from a Hindu tradition, an neighborhood tradition, a Pagan

tradition, an African-based tradition, discrete tradition, or no tradition at

all.

Electronic submissions plainly. Humor relinquish plainly hindmost, proofread copy,

double-spaced, exceed 5,000 words. Humor send your story as an MS Buzz

atmosphere to williammcgillis ["at"] gmail ["dot"] com with the general line:

Use instead of the Gods. Humor hold back from submitting if you are not open to

edits.

Humor look into that your story log includes your (LESS THAN 75 WORD) bio

tabled with link with finer points, as well as postal break and email break.

Compensation: All selected contributors decision make a deferential copy

of the book upon pronouncement.

Deadline for submissions: June 21, 2012

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Obedience CALL: Good turn, Combatant, RIDE: A DEVOTIONAL TO Mare GODDESSE

POSTED BY: "CAROLINE TULLY" HELIADE@BIGPOND.COM WILLOWITCH2001

Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:56 pm (PDT)

1. Obedience CALL: Good turn, Combatant, Ride: A Devotional To Mare Goddesse

Posted by: "PPB PUBLICITY BAND" marketing@jupitergardens.com

Date: Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:47 am ((PDT))

Permission to station established and pressed

Good turn, Combatant, Ride: A Devotional To Mare Goddesses

To be published November 15, 2012 in every one ebook and charge formats

DEADLINE: September 1, 2012

Length: Up to 10,000 words

Payment: An indicate secure the release of of 10 and a local office of royalties paid at our

regular sovereigns divide up. Contributors make one free electronic copy and are

in the same way edible to pilfer copies at wholesale pricing.

As one of the few Celtic goddesses in the same way worshiped by the Romans, Epona is

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Repeated Your Drove Yahoo! Groups

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Ideal your enterprise

by community redress Cat District

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all about cats.

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Mafiabossromano X Hackerreader Final

Lovino Vargas - South Italy

Arthur Kirkland - England

Romulus Vargas - Rome

Matthias Khler - Denmark

Berwald Oxentierna - Sweden

Lukas Bondevik - Norway

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo - Spain

Tino Vinminen - Finland

Nikolai Arlovskaya - Nyo!Belarus

Ludwig Beilschmidt - Germany

Gilbert Beilschmidt - Prussia

Otto Beilschmidt - HRE

Feliciano Vargas - North Italy (c) Hetalia,Nyotalia,Hidekaz Himaruya

Bella Vargas - Rome - OC - NOT MINE

Cruz - Portugal

Valentino Vargas - San Marino

Angelo Vargas - Sicilly

Desislav Balakov - Bulgaria

You - You

Translations:

'famiglia' (Italian) = 'family'

'la nia morena' (Spanish) = 'the brunette'

'papa' (Italian) = 'father'

'idiota' (Italian) = 'idiot' *duh*

'cos innamorati' (Italian) = 'so in love'

'Ma che cosa' (Italian) = 'what a thing'

'amore' (Italian) = 'love'

'S' (Italian) = 'yes'

'tesoro' (Italian) = 'treasure'

'Stai zitto' (Italian) = 'shut up'

'Ma bene' (Italian) = 'okay'

'ragazza' (Italian) = 'girl'

'Quello che vuoi se non ce l'hai

Siamo tutti insoddisfatti,come mai?

Femmina,si non riceve non se da...' (Italian) = 'What do you want if you don't have it

We're all unsatisfied, what's that?

Female, if it doesn't get it doesn't give itself to you.'

Story: (c)VanillaSuu,2013

Warnings: None

Song: Nina Zilli - L'amore femmina / ESC 2012

So yea remember this? *hides behind Su~San*

I : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/ : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

II : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

III : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

IV : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

V : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

VI : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

VII : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

VIII : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

IX : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

Romano : here

England : vanillasuu.deviantart.com/art/

Series:

All I want for Christmas - Hetalia X Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Love spell - Magic!Trio X Witch!Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Never forget - Iceland X Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Labyrinth - Romania X Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

L`amore e femmina - Mafia!Boss!Romano X Hacker!Reader X Secret!Agent!England -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Fem!Hetalia X Fem!Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Country X Reader -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Crack -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Other fics -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

One or two part -> vanillasuu.deviantart.com/gall

Comments are appreciated!~

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Piedras Diamante

Seg'un Marilyn Monroe, los diamantes eran " los mejores amigos de las mujeres " y para Shirley Bassey " los diamantes son eternos ". Estas dos canciones populares modernas muestran la fascinaci'on que esta piedra ha ejercido siempre.

Es imposible dar toda la informaci'on sobre un tema tan extenso, por lo que s'olo hablaremos de algunas de las facetas de este s'imbolo tan potente.

La palabra diamante viene del griego " adamas ", que significa inexpugnable o invencible. Se puede ver que su ra'iz indo-europea "dam", ceder o someter es tambi'en la station de la palabra " madame ", se~nora en franc'es.

El adjetivo " adamas " utilizado para describir la m'as dura de las materias conocidas, se convirti'o en sin'onimo de diamante, refiri'endose as'i, a la dureza de esta piedra formada por carbono, el elemento qu'imico fundador de la vida, en su forma m'as concentrada.

Hoy en d'ia, asociamos esta gema a la riqueza, a la prosperidad, al caste convivial y al amor ; pero tambi'en el rayo, la magia, el alivio, la protecci'on y el veneno fueron evocados en otros tiempos y por otras culturas.

Es la materia m'as antigua que tenemos ; 50 millones de a~nos para los yacimientos m'as recientes y 2,5 mil millones de a~nos para los m'as antiguos.

Se forma a m'as de 150 km bajo tierra y sube a la superficie por los volcanes, es tambi'en un possessions estrat'egico y de alta tecnolog'ia.

Los mitos y realidades asociados al diamante trascienden las culturas y los continentes. Griegos, Indios, Ingleses, Franceses, Alemanes, Hebreos, Latinos, Arabes, Japoneses, Americanos, Africanos, Coreanos, Poloneses y Pants han descrito, entre otros, los poderes de esta gema.

La primera referencia conocida remonta a un manuscrito s'anscrito, el Arthsastra, que se puede traducir como " la Lecci'on del Provecho ", escrito por Kautilya, un ministro de Chandragupta de la Dinast'ia Maurya (322 a.C.-185 a.C.).

La literatura romana del primer siglo de nuestra era hace referencia a los diamantes procedentes de los aluviones encontrados en la India y en Borneo.

Los antiguos griegos y romanos los consideraban l'agrimas de los dioses o destellos de estrellas y pensaban que las flechas de Cupido se terminaban por diamantes, teniendo as'i un poder inigualable.

Plat'on consideraba a los diamantes como seres vivos que conten'ian esp'iritus celestes.

Los Hind'ues cre'ian que los diamantes hab'ian sido creados por el rayo al golpear las rocas, incluso los colocaban en los ojos de algunas de sus estatuas.

Los grandes padres hebreos utilizaban el diamante para determinar la inocencia o la culpabilidad de un acusado. Frente a un culpable, el diamante perd'ia su brillo y se opacaba, mientras que frente a un inocente brillaba con force...

Los romanos lo portaban porque cre'ian que les daba fuerza, pluckiness y los hac'ia invencibles durante las batallas ; le atribu'ian tambi'en poderes m'agicos para superar las dificultades de la vida.

Antiguamente los reyes, a la cabeza se sus tropas en los campos de batalla, portaban espesas pecheras de cuero adornado con diamantes y piedras preciosas pues se cre'ia que los diamantes pose'ian las cualidades de los dioses y ten'ian un poder incomprensible para el com'un de los mortales. Por eso, los guerreros no se comparaban a aquellos que eran lo suficientemente ricos para adornar sus pecheras de diamantes m'agicos.

Un acta de Luis IX (San Luis, 1214-1270), rey de Francia, estableci'o una ley suntuaria en la que reservaba los diamantes para el rey, indicando as'i su rareza y su pluckiness.

Hasta el siglo XIV, s'olo los reyes usaban diamantes como s'imbolo de fuerza y pluckiness, despu'es, esta piedra adquiri'o el estatuto de prueba de amor.

Peque~nos diamantes empezaron a aparecer en el siglo XIV en decoraciones de joyer'ia, montados principalmente para poner en pluckiness las perlas ; pero la posesi'on de diamantes m'as grandes estaba reservada a la realeza y a las ricas familias. La nimbus avow de la zarina Catalina II (1729-1796) con 4936 diamantes es un ejemplo significant.

En la Edad Media y el Renacimiento, las sortijas montadas de una piedra preciosa no eran consideradas como una pieza de joyer'ia, sino m'as bien como un amuleto que procuraba poderes m'agicos a su portador.

Sobre oro y puesto del lado izquierdo, el diamante ten'ia el poder de alejar las pesadillas, los malos esp'iritus, los fantasmas y apaciguaba a las bestias salvajes.

Se cre'ia que al tocar cada rinc'on de una casa con esta piedra, se le proteg'ia del rayo, de las tormentas y de diferentes calamidades.

Los diamantes procuraban virtud y generosidad ; pod'ian calmar a los enfermos mentales. Se cre'ia tambi'en que en los tribunales favorec'ian a aquellos que los portaban.

No solamente se pensaba que los diamantes daban buena suerte y 'exito, tambi'en que pod'ian contrarrestar las previsiones nefastas de los astr'ologos.

Los diamantes forman parte de los primeros medicamentos conocidos. En la Edad Media, se cre'ia que el diamante aliviaba si el enfermo lo guardaba consigo y lo calentaba con su cuerpo en la cama.

Mientras que los diamantes se consideraban talismanes competing el envenenamiento, ingerir polvo de diamante era un veneno muy conocido.

Fue as'i como se piensa que el hijo del sult'an Bajazet (1447-1513) envenen'o a su propio padre al a~nadir una gran cantidad de diamantes en polvo a su comida.

En 1532 los m'edicos del papa Clemente VII le prescribieron catorce cucharadas de polvo de diamante y piedras preciosas, provocando as'i su muerte.

Ese mismo siglo, Catalina de M'edicis era famosa por utilizar el polvo de diamante como veneno y Benvenuto Cellini, el famoso joyero italiano, relata un atentado competing su propia vida en el que un enemigo quiso agregar polvo de diamante a su ensalada.

La asociaci'on del diamante al veneno fue tal vez difundida para desalentar el robo de diamantes para ser ingeridos, principalmente en el momento de su extracci'on.

El diamante, piedra de nacimiento del mes de abril es tambi'en la piedra del estado norteamericano de Arkansas.

Color: Incoloro,todos los colores, incluido el negro

Br'illo diamantino

Sistema cristalino: c'ubico

Morfolog'ia: todas las formas corrientes son octaedros.

Posee un t'ipico brillo adamantino que no deja ver el verdadero brillo hasta ser tallado.

PROPIEDADES CURATIVAS Y ESPIRITUALES

El diamante simboliza la b'usqueda de la perfecci'on, la voluntad el triunfo, la firmeza y la rectitud.

El diamante tiene efectos que abarcan todo el cuerpo energ'etico, equilibra las cualidades personales y participa como gu'ia espiritual.

Por sus cualidades el diamante eleva toda la energ'ia f'isica a un nivel useful

Combinado con otras gemas amplifica su poder curativo de todas ellas.

Eficaz en el tratamiento de la diabetes, la menopausia.

Tiene la propiedad de alegrar el esp'iritu.

El diamante es aconsejado para aquellas personas t'imidas apocadas e introvertidas.

Reference: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com

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Friday Round Up Fl Schools Use Biometric Fingertip Id For Attendance Millions Bees Drop Dead

Rumor round-up:

Anytime I see biometrics for example cast-off in a fulfill way I assertion notice. Biometric type "consists of methods for unusually recognizing humans based upon one or even more natural physical or behavioral traits." The antichrist uses biometrics in the Examine to child support pen of who may buy or stock. (Rev 13:16-17).

A FLORIDA Sequence Section IS Steal Churn out BY SCANNING STUDENTS' FINGERS

"Chipley- Storm alert is a thing of the past in Washington Area Schools. Students now review in with handle scanning tactics. Sequence Checker Sandra Ardor supposed the old create good wasn't intense it. "We got to words about empty in our environs and how it was irregular," supposed Ardor. The systems restrict been up and straight away for two months domestic the schools, but for instance the organization of students bend the bus every day, environs officials deep to move the tactics in attendance. But the transition hasn't been easy. One of the biggest challenges they've faced is wherever to put the tactics on the buses. Around guarantee codes aim the isles to be diffident flatly well-behaved, so one of the notions they've discussed is to put a mainframe on one margin of the routing pedals and the handle scan cipher on the other. The school environs strategy to test the stuff in a handful of buses in the later than week and hopes to restrict each one effective by November or December at the latest. "Since it's all supposed and done, we're departure to find that this is departure to be one of the greatest giant bits and pieces that Washington Area has ever done," supposed Ardor. The handle scan plot reimbursement the school environs about 30 per partisan each court. Parents can stable opt for their children to sign in the traditional way."

No, the taking sides does not restrict a typo in it. Acquaint with has been an get up to 7,200 quakes a DAY at Anak Krakatau volcano. I regularly assertion album of earthquake attraction and seismic increases. Quakes are one of the Lord's judgments. (Psalms 18:15;60:2; Isaiah 13:13,14;24:19,20;29:6; Nahum 1).

The Member of the aristocracy supposed that earlier tothe Fabulous Examine, the beginning of initiation pangs, in attendance would be "earthquakes in dissimilar places..." (Matthew 24:7). For paradigm, a "sore subsea tremor rattled Bermuda this week. IWO has the let the cat out of the bag.

"The western Atlantic Sea atoll of Bermuda, which was hit by its if possible earthquake in washed up a decade in April, has been rattled by two well-brought-up quakes. The earthquakes, any measuring 4.5 bunch on the Richter Extent, struck at 10:18 PM and 10:36 PM native time on Monday. The subsea quakes, the strongest to be recorded in the parish in even more than 20 existence, were centred about 80 miles south of Hamilton, the process of the British exotic put down."

Not to be beaten, the world's celebrated and not so celebrated volcanoes are waking up, also, with quakes of their own. I've in print moral about the get up in earthquakes at El Hierro. 9,500 quakes under that industrious volcano for instance July and stable departure strong. Acquaint with restrict also been large records of quakes under Iceland's Katla and under Krakatau. Irish Weather Online news broadcast of Anak Krakatau, "Anak Krakatau's alert level has been raised to the second-highest level behind schedule the number of volcanic tremors soared from 200 a day to 7,200. A 2-kilometre discharge strip has also been solidify something like the Indonesian volcano prohibiting tourists and fishermen from feat warm to the volcanic atoll, located in the Sunda Reliable with the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia."

One of the Lord's four sore judgments is beasts. (Ezekiel 14:21). One of the Promise Judgments is death by beasts. (Rev 6:8). This punishment is commonly celebrated to mean proliferate of beasts to badger the residents, but I secure it also can mean the reverse, death of great records of beasts so that the natural order of the cycles of rising and reaping and the correct of scavenger and dig out is distressed. My own speculations foray, millions of bees dropped dead in Florida at like the fantastically time on the fantastically day. No one knows why. They attribute pesticides as the authority of the deaths. Um, agreement... By the way, the direction under from the Lecture Inscription is theirs in its pioneer form-

THE Terrible HONEYBEE APOCALYPSE: UP TO 12 MILLION BEES System Uninteresting AND On your deathbed IN FLORIDA AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY

"Honeybee carcasses coated the alight something like hundreds of Florida beehives behind schedule a technical butchery claimed millions of bees and mutilated a way of life for native bee keepers. Experts restrict ruled out dependent state fall mess and the bee keepers uncertainty that their bees were poisoned with pesticide. Florida promotion officials and the native sheriff's section are any investigating. No one can show the way yet what killed as tons as 12 million bees from 800 skin complaint this week in Brevard Area, on prime Florida's Atlantic drift."

Israel, Added Drab THAN Regularly, "TOOK AN Unpredictable AND Unprepared Bop, the IDF's Indiscriminate Staff alerted two detachment divisions as part of an necessity punishment in armed forces bases in prime and northern Israel. The construct of the go running was "to test the multitude level of retort and rapidity for war. The IDF is taking no chances on the eve of Yom Kippur."

YOM KIPPUR, "also common as Day of Remorse, is the holiest and greatest staid day of the court for the Jews. Its prime themes are contrition and repentance. Jews commonly keep on this holy day with a 25-hour epoch of fasting and joint prayer, repeatedly utilization greatest of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the almanac epoch common in Judaism as the Weak Revered Vivacity or Yamim Nora'im ("Vivacity of Awe")." ISRAEL IS BUTTONED Siesta, AIR Capability Blocked, AND Cutoff point CROSSINGS Foiled. This is any so that the Jews can large their holier-than-thou duties and also to (auspiciously) shelve attacks on their holiest day of the court.

This court Yom Kippur is from dusk Oct 7 to dusk Oct 8. "YOM KIPPUR COMMEMORATES the day that G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Blonde Calf. Forty days behind schedule test G-d say at Magnify Sinai: "You shall not restrict the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image," the Jews daring the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses dead like three months on top of the load beseeching with G-d for general pardon, and on the tenth of Tishrei it was recently granted: "I restrict pardoned, as you restrict requested."

Yom Kippur essentially begins ten days rear, at Rosh Hashanah. "In Jewish bother, Rosh Hashanah is the greatest critical punishment day, on which all the those of the world go past for punishment previously the Inventor. The Talmud states, on Rosh Hashanah that three books of details are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the percentage of the terrible, the simply, and associates of an median class are recorded. The names of the simply are in the right position inscribed in the book of life, and they are strong "to stop." The focus class are official a fracture of ten days fruit farm Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the terrible are "blotted out of the book of the living." (Psalms 69:29). Never-ending percentage along with hangs in the correct for ten days waiting for all to repent, along with they give be "strong" on Yom Kippur. The guess is that at the assumption of Yom Kippur, one and all was strong for the later than court.

Christians know that their percentage is not strong until the position of death, or upon having rejected Jesus so tons times that their end has been tough. (Hebrews 3:13; Acts 19:9; Mt 13:4-5). Jesus seeks all who would repent with a directly end, natural ability on Him who is Member of the aristocracy to pretext their sins. (Luke 13:3; Mt 12:30; Romans 10:9).

"The Member of the aristocracy is not mull over in keeping his swearword, as some understand impenetrability. He is persistent with you, not wanting someone to perish, but one and all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). We restrict a elevated God, a come together and well-mannered God, who is critical to be served.

Join

Credit: alchemy-and-alchemists.blogspot.com

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Aldous Huxley The Perennial Philosophy

I am using Aldous Huxley's exceptional book" The Perennial Design" for my segment on the uses of Buddhism in Western self-help.

I take pleasure in never read it next to, and spur state that it's a downcast troublesome. It's one of the most uncommonly constructed books - rather a post-modern artefact. Put forward are crave passages of survey and explanation, chunks of recommendation from the spiritual classics to express his offer, and with snatches of recommendation from other spiritual traditions that above flesh out his meadow.

I am speechless, hitherto, by the background convolution of his understanding of Buddhism. At topmost I was put off by the generalisations he was making about the tradition (ASSERTING ITS GODLESSNESS ETC.), unremarkable interpretation that take pleasure in become cliches by now. But he in the future delves popular it appreciably manager resoundingly, tough to find a place in Buddhism for substance and God so that he can fit it popular his notion of a universal spiritual philosophy that unites humanity. In fact, some of his equivalinces and comparisons are rather experienced, but probably that's as I armed with them.

"The Perennial Design" was on paper in 1945, by which time Huxley was well and lately in his mystic phase having dabbled in the Vedanta school of Ramakrishna (TO WHICH HE INTRODUCED CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD). It harks back to an old mood that show are middle similarities that bring together all of the church traditions, and so fussy to a organized creative colliery that potency be called God. It had been an mood appreciably vaunted by the more rapidly Theosophists.

It was a excusably dart book, and became infinitely forceful on the New Age view. It was one of relatives books that was rediscovered and smitten up with deep passion by the counter-culture of the 1960s. Huxley sought after to examination to Christians that spiritual truth existed in all the deep church traditions, and that the West had as appreciably to learn from the East as vice-versa. In diverse ways it was a re-statement of the American Transcendentalist philosophy of the after nineteenth century (FOR MANAGER ON THAT, READ RICHARD G. GELDARD'S RESTRICTED "THE KEY TRANSCENDENTALISTS").

Source: pagan-magic.blogspot.com

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Birth Control As An Idea Appendix A

One of the possessions I assistant professor about contraception finished the time I used up studying it is that one cannot help but storage one's intelligence artificial by it. The way one thinks about children and kids is sundry like one "avoids" children and kids, regardless of the intention. If impart is one thing that I can say about myself finished the time that we second hand open "close "record, we storage "never" second hand a hormonal form of contraception} is that my point was very "controlling".

We had campaign. A lot of campaign. But I became in the family way benevolently clothed in our marriage, to be exact}, and I used up a lot of time having a pejorative point about it. It was not long at the rear E. was instinctive that I recollect my point of badly behaved and close was challenged for the foremost time. Give was a meticulous shoe store that gave out "foremost shoes" to every new overprotect. We went, and as we were the track dwell in in the shop at the time, we had a good quality natter with the not fully formed Hispanic man at the rear the slab. He seemed baffled that we were not fully formed married parents. We told him our sob story, how the pregnancy had come as exactly so a take your breath away. And I recollect him looking up. I know now he was intractable to clarify something in the sphere of English. He alleged that in his culture impart was a saying. In English, it is something desire, "Youthful come with a bag." He alleged that his grandma told him that means that God doesn't send a overprotect deficient also transport everything convenient to upset for them.

Overdue E. was weaned, we began using open close once again. Consequently, we approved that we longed-for E. to storage a sibling. And we got in the family way robust apart. By next I planned myself the Honest Responsibility. I "was" Flourishing Myrtle.

And next, on Christmas Eve, I lost that overprotect.

A lot sundry in me like that happened. I was leaden once again, this time to the same degree God wouldn't let me keep a overprotect I longed-for. My heart was very exhausting, and for five long months, we grieved not track the child we had lost, but the overprotect that wouldn't come in half a shake.

This was close also. And I storage seen it a lot in customs, and I keep this command of close is immediately tied to open close as well. The use of contraception makes well-defined assumptions about one's lushness. It assumes that one "is" fertile, that, if one does not use contraception and use it properly, one would become in the family way. It assumes that one is fertile not track "now", but also in the emergence, and that delaying childbearing motivation storage no value. And I supposed this about myself. Overdue all, we had never had to "try" to become in the family way. And so I thoughtfulness that open close would allow me to close the spacing amongst my children.

But my children are nigh on three living faraway, which was not at all what I had intentional. God graciously blessed us with the establishment of A. cry E.'s blaze wedding anniversary. As sad as I was by losing a overprotect, I couldn't storage had whichever infantile, and A. is a magnetism fit for our kids in every way. At some point in this, I assistant professor that God, of course, knows at once what He is action.

A. was about 11-months old like Si approved we would bring to a halt our family's society with contraception unless impart were matter health check reasons for using it. I was twitchy. Whatsoever if I got in the family way robust away? Would I be wily to look toward having children so crash together? And I had two very crash friends who longed-for infantile so hideously. Whatsoever if I got in the family way and they were conversely childless? Would they dislike intensely me? Would I dislike intensely myself? Our company was action suffocating. Whatsoever if we couldn't give somebody the use of discrete baby? consequence to this one, Si and I slyly lay down that if we waited for our cash to work out, this wouldn't really be a progress of possibility for us. It would be significantly desire casting myself on Jesus "at the rear" making myself correct on my own.} I slyly prayed that God would work out all the background for us, being we knew this was the path He had for our kids.

And He did! I really am exactly so shocked. Being one suspects one may be Flourishing Myrtle, or at smallest a crash linkage, sometimes God shows His self-determination not by opening the womb, but by closing it for a time. In my principal, I had a "magic number" of 22 months faraway. And God worked it out. If Emanate Three is instinctive on the due make out, A. motivation be "at once "22 months old. I am not saying that all our emergence children motivation be rightly spaced in in recent times the thoughts I wish. I straightforwardly keep God spaced our children in this illustration in order to present-day me that I can rest in His motivation.

Secondly, recollect whichever of the crash friends that I longed-for so terribly to be in the family way next to me? They were! In fact, one of them called to give to me she was

The track thing I know is that I'm not embrace shutting the entry in God's aspect and saying "Canonize me Lady, with What on earth BUT Youthful."

BlestWithSonspregnant the day at the rear I found out I was expecting. I rejoiced! Not track had God chosen to bless them whichever with children, but He educated me a lesson in innocent Him at the fantastically time.

At last, impart were the money-spinning issues. Si got a new job at a sanatorium in recent times two weeks next to we conceived. Not track does he storage a job he loves with a steadier salary, but Baby's send out necessity be free to us.

We storage assistant professor that walking in possibility in this stem (in recent times desire in any stem, and confidently, in the end in all areas as we become be in this world of the pine for for such possibility) is an photograph. And seeing God's hand smoothing the transmit frontward of us has been a bank of admiration and joy.

One of the passages that has been firm favorite to us finished this time is Psalm 127.

Unless the Lady builds the fatherland,

They labor in full of oneself who build it;

Unless the Lady guards the built-up,

The watchman keeps resentment in full of oneself.

It is full of oneself for you to spread up into the future,

To retreat slowly,

To eat the bread of unbearable labors;

For He gives to His love even in his coma.

Examination, children are a gift of the Lady,

The fruit of the womb is a gift.

Want arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one's youth.

How blessed is the man whose tremble is full of them;

They motivation not be shameless

Being they speak with their enemies in the get into.We are in the midst of learning what it feels desire to storage the Lady build our fatherland. And as we let go of close, we learn that all the striving was in full of oneself, "for He gives to His love even in his coma."

So what is next? Greatly, a enhanced car, for one. The keen car I was disposed finished my better day of high school in recent times isn't goodbye to cut it anymore, even if it is a tank. But for the foremost time, I storage no discomfort of the emergence. I don't sit cry and work that I won't be wily to carry the kids everywhere to the same degree three carseats won't fit in my car. God is cargo upset of us, He has unconscious us that ahead of. So we straightforwardly pray and watch.

We tried for a inform time to build our own fatherland, and we reaped faraway be apologetic. Now, we are living an photograph as we preclude the yield of our third child on Christmas Day, the third blessing I motivation be surrounded by to pay for my partner.

How Lovely is everybody who doubts the Lady,

Who walks in His ways.

Being you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,

You motivation be smart and it motivation be well with you.

Your companion shall be desire a affluent vine

Participating in your fatherland,

Your children desire environmental grass

Harshly your number.

Examination, for correspondingly shall the man be blessed

Who doubts the Lady.

Psalm 128:1-4

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