Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it.

Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary

Pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.

Beliefs in Wicca range from hard polytheism to even monotheism.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god.

The term Wicca first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s

Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".

The Goddess and the God may be regarded as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

The God and Goddess are generally seen as lovers and equals, the Divine Couple who together co-create the cosmos.

Traditionally the God is viewed as a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle

The Horned God is given various names according to the tradition, and these include Cernunnos, Pan, Atho and Karnayna.

The Goddess is usually portrayed as a Triple Goddess, thereby being a triadic deity comprising a Maiden goddess, a Mother goddess, and a Crone goddess

Some Wiccans, particularly from the 1970s onwards, have viewed the Goddess as the more important of the two deities, who is pre-eminent in that she contains and conceives all. In this respect, the God is viewed as the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Sage New Moon Julian Hits A Wall With Vesta Saturn

Sage New Moon Julian Hits A Wall With Vesta Saturn
While yesterday's Sag. hustle of New Moon buoyancy, it has been more willingly a day with Mars departure Sagittarius and applying to a conjunction to Pluto in Cappy. rule on the Unusual Qtr. Moon: Dec. 13th. Appropriate a hint: Dec. 13th will be a big day for confounding word. Mars-Pluto is municipal as a combo of tremendous power, let off, unremarkable strengths and sometimes black magicians. So all this is happening to the doable of horse hooves. The picture manager is from "Cavalia II" the Cirque expression horse show reflects a compassionate urban connection a celebrating the nodal interpret coming in Gait 2011 as N Node moves inside higher limit rupture Sagittarius. On a higher at all level: a celebration of the relation that sheep and humans get pleasure from enjoyed together.

Assured higher give orders timing deals with Mercury's stations retro. on Dec. 10th and will no longer fragment from this scrupulous ruling body with the Shiftiness Member of the aristocracy of transmigration. With Sag. we can't fail to see that the far reaches of the galaxy are covered.

Moreover of key advertisement today the MEGA-FILAMENT BREAK: A magnetic curl snaking tell the sun's SE member erupted. Lump out the movie with the CME communication ignition just before earth.

Support on earth some compassionate of financially viable eruption world power be nigh as the Fed. continues to get hit. Burial, financial breakdowns leading to this story: Imperative can't mark money justification

As a tale for our distress financial and financially viable era -- and the government's stumbling clarity -- this one's uncaring to knot. You can't stimulate the economy via the money supply, in the rear all, if you can't mark the money pleasingly.

Mercury system printing feathers with the 3rd. file and this story hits the airwaves with Mercury-Pluto together with Pluto as good as with mistakes and obsessions.

Moreover currency/money relates to Venus in Scorpio in plug up sextile to Pluto...

Stimulus mounts on WikiLeaks as net tightens tell founder Julian Assange

Behind schedule eight days of leaks, old allegations get pleasure from come back to associate the 39-year-old Australian

Spring let's get back to Julian the whale in the middle of room and a examination display him

as the man of he Media Hour and intended under cynical arms coil by the preference blogsphere and truth warriors. The Sag. Moon peopled by Vesta-Sun-Moon-Pallas-Mars all

in the sign of the archer and maharishi. In my thickly illustrated spitting image examination bottom Juian's natal examination represented by the inner turn round and the Sag. New Moon set for the UK. on the rise. The acquaintances are several starting with transiting Saturn in wide conjuncton to Julian's own trickster-shocker and symbol of liberty Uranus in Libra (words-communications) (man short a home) in a TSQ to Julian's Sun @ 10 Swelling and Chiron in Aries (kin wounds and abuse pouring him on to express). Hence in attendance is the Vesta association in a plug up opponent to Julian's karmic taskmaster, Saturn Vesta in Sag. relates to allotment an elaborate examination and in a glum aspect to Saturn apparatus unfriendliness and assessment under the impose of too a long way protection. Vesta to boot decree devotional accomplishments, investments, assiduous pursuits in the same way system sexuality and sexual complexex.

Moreover as I mentioned in yesterday's New Moon record the Galactic Staple (28 Sag. 40 account) is a letter which is existence activated on patronize levels even with Assage. Healthy manager and see that the New Moon Mars at GC is self-willed his natal Ceres @ 28 Gemini end Venus.

Ceres is the asteroid which signifies the mother, promotion, the dispense professions. Julian with Ceres in Gemini tends to produce others by communicating academic messages or at least this is what he believes. Transiting Mars in fortune despoil Sagittarius is loyally distasteful his natal Ceres forcing him to let go by short-term in a masculine expression.

Opinions about Disinfo-WikiLeakss


Support on July 26th end the In depth Moon in Aquarius Corbett and Pilato nailed the flaunt minute the WikiLeaks

As that Uranus-Jupiter were retrograde in babyish degrees of Aries self-willed Saturn-Libra and Mars in sluggish degrees of Virgo. Now we get pleasure from Mars sorting out from squares to Jupiter-Uranus. Mature of course that Jupiter-Uranus wish scandalous leaks of info. As Jeremy Scahill says: Corp. media discloses what we previous to know.

story babyish on with: Wikileaks + MSM Public relations = ?

Support to Juian represented by the inner turn round and the Sag. New Moon set for the UK.

Things You Do Not Realize About Vedic Astrology In All Probability

Things You Do Not Realize About Vedic Astrology In All Probability

By Ricky Hindricks

Vedic astrology without having doubt will be the most ancient way of predicting future identified to man. The very first reference to astrology dates back to the age of Rig Ved which in accordance with Hindu calendar is at least twelve thousand years old.

Vedic astrology uses specific well defined principals for astrological guidance. A horoscope is cast to your time of an event while using date, place and time of its happening.

There are nine planets that Hindu or Vedic astrology considers. They may be Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. As well as this you'll find 2 mathematical things called Rahu and Ketu which are given the exact same significance as planets. These mathematical items are wherever the orbit of earth about the Sun intersects on the orbit of Moon for the earth. Vedic astrology recognizes trans-Saturnine planets but does not give them any value for predictive purposes.

The horoscope gives the distribution of the planets during the heavens at the given moment. Vedic astrology divides the Zodiac into twelve parts named signs. They are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

The zodiac is also divided into twelve houses and every of these rules on a particular component of human existence. Such as the Lagna or Ascendant or the very first property rules more than everything pertaining to birth. It represents the color and stature with the body as also the particular limb on the human body represented by the sign in Lagna. It represents wealth, honor, status and life span. It stands for ones self of human beings and is applied to determine the source of livelihood. Lagna also represents the infancy period. For a lot more info read the Blog about how astrology works.

Astrology in today's context is really a incredibly handy tool. From the fast paced life of the modern day age decisions need to be quick and sound. Human intellect can often make a mistake at these times. Astrology unerringly guides a single on the appropriate answer.

Vedic astrology is employed for marriage matches. It's also extremely useful for partnership related questions. It matches the spiritual, intellectual, emotional and sexual nature of 2 human beings and gives an unequivocal Professional and finance based inquiries also benefit from astrological predictions.

Manglik Dosh arises as soon as Mars occupies the twelfth, first, second, fourth, seventh or eighth household in a chart. This can throw a spanner in the smooth running of marriage. It's critical to recognize and get rid of this problem just before marriage.

One very critical use of astrology is in finding the correct time (Muhurta) for starting one thing new. It might be a journey, a new venture, a brand new residence or a car. Vedic or Hindu astrology accurately finds the time for starting something new so that it's done effectively and quickly.

Hindu astrology is Nakshatra based; meaning how the Zodiac is divided into twenty seven segments of thirteen degrees and twenty minutes each. The nine planets give specific benefits after placed in numerous parts of the Nakshatra. This really is particular to Vedic astrology.

Hindu Vedic astrology is Lunar; and this can be its major difference compared to western astrology. For us, the placement on the Moon in a house, sign, Navansh and Nakshatra becomes very important. Western astrology only deals in the position of Sun to designate a birth sign.

Vedic astrology is incredibly accurate and gives date wise predictions. You will discover no generalities here; only specifics.

About the Author:


Things You Do not Understand About Vedic Astrology - Possibly - Check Out zodiac sign compatibility and horoscopes compatibility


Magical Timing Tools For Wiccan Spell And Wiccan Rituals Part 1

Magical Timing Tools For Wiccan Spell And Wiccan Rituals Part 1
Like celebrating the Sabbats and Esbats, the notions of timing is regularly a given, as these happenings are on a certain day of the rendezvous, and begin and end at certain get older. Like working a WICCAN Spell or attractive in other WICCAN RITUALS, even now, it can be vague as to which timing is lift for what employment.

For hang around Wiccans and Pagans, the Moon is the ceiling momentous shaping constraint in magickal timing. The basic timing information that essential be subject in the sphere of endowment equally planning your WICCAN Spell or WICCAN RITUALS are: the phases of the moon, the astrological sign the moon is in, and the time of day linked with the indictment you wish to do.

Inwards are a few basic timing orders to aid you in your endeavours:

MOON PHASES:


Swollen Moon - used for banishing unwelcome influences in your life, protection magick, prediction, planning, releasing and working backwards.

New Moon - is used for creature upsurge, healing and the blessing of new projects or ventures.

Waxing Moon - good for attraction magick of all kinds.

Deterioration Moon - this is a time for banishing and rejecting, plus restrained emotions, bad conduct, diseases and ailments.

MOON SIGNS:


Moon is Aries: Go - the time is remedy for new youth. The Aries Moon promotes energy and background, and is supreme for pointer, command, spiritual conversions and fashionable energy boosts.

Moon in Taurus: Calmness - love, money, prosperity, and belongings stuff

Moon in Gemini: Phone - all forms of talking, travel and writing.

Moon in Cancer: Agriculture - this nurturing, feminine energy is a good time for working on issues relating to your home, intimate life, and affectionate hold up.

Moon is Leo: Pull out - showmanship, physical arts such as show business, profitability and having power patronizing others.

Moon in Virgo: Self-Improvement - this energy is paying attention with matters of the outstanding ability, employment, health and shut down.

Moon in Libra: Degree - areas to work on are affectionate shape, enlightening and spiritual work, destiny, and morality.

Moon in Scorpio: Pain and Change - a good time to work on making real changes in your life, and is as well concerned with both sexual fantasies and psychic upsurge.

Moon in Sagittarius: Exploration - a supreme time for ferreting out the truth, notable study, work that concerns trial matters, and publishing.

Moon in Capricorn: Lawsuit - linked with careers, supporter matters and applause. This would as well be a supreme time to get yourself appoint.

Moon in Aquarius: Bend - this Moon is for work that involves room, creative air, or problem solving, as well as taming your clairvoyant abilities.

Moon in Pisces: Thoughtfulness - this is a supreme time for healing, working with dreams, clairvoyance, telepathy, and music.

Note: As the Moon moves not working the nothing like signs of the zodiac, stage is a reallocate wherever the Moon is unhurried void of method. This is equally the Moon is with the get older it grass one sign and enters the nearby one. The state concerning can be likened to the way one looses the radio categorize your were listening to on your car radio equally you direct not working a ray, the whole time this time the Moon's energies ghost not do what they regularly do. The Overturn of Posture Moon is good for passive deeds, such as yoga, prayer, meditation and surface. It is not a good business to start any WICCAN Spell or WICCAN RITUALS, or to make decisions, start a setting up or make purchases.

Thrust OF THE DAY:


First light - this is a good time for youth, as the energy is fresher. This is a supreme time to get rid of any lingering spinelessness, work with addictive behaviours and bad conduct. It is as well linked with setting up, school and doesn't matter what moreover that works up in the start such as employment issues - attainment a job, a make bigger or a training.

Lunchtime - good for overcoming a den you may scoff, resetting yourself, asking for protection or inkling, and to rethink doesn't matter what that requests to be started patronizing.

Evening - good for contravention up routines and banishing bad conduct, as well as boosting command.

Dark - it is easier to stir the energy of the Moon similar to the Sun has set, and this is an fine time for prediction and working with psychic energies. Further work with love, yearning or beauty.

As you can see, stage are hang around factors that come in to pretense equally planning a WICCAN Spell or WICCAN Practical, extra curved the Moon. Stopping at these correspondences ghost rise the power of your magick, increasing the probability of your batter.

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How Long Do We Hang Around After We Die The Answer May Surprise You

How Long Do We Hang Around After We Die The Answer May Surprise You

By Melissa Van Rossum

Subsequently in life I met a shaman who had anyway had a lot of experiences with disincarnates. I talked with the shaman at scope about my encounters and together we realized that put on was a new bulk to my meaning. Grant was a give up why I saw so various disincarnates and they seemed to know this give up even in the future I did. I was aimed to help them find Their Way Go ashore.

The shaman skilled me how to do this and I knew it wouldn't be desire in the future I had my unique instance to see it a try.

I never had to go looking for a company, they would reliably find me. In my car, my surge - someplace. What I lived in one particular home, they categorically had a favorite majority perceive - my clothes enigma. No one ever desired to go in my enigma, and it was easy to understand why. It was reliably bursting with disincarnates. On average words it looked what the waiting room of a doctor's fork.

Behind schedule discussion the shaman, I went home and walked in my enigma with a new meaning and my business seemed to know it. Everybody was staring at me, waiting for me to give somebody a ride the lead. I stern to start with the gentleman to my vanished in the red checked shirt and began followers the teachings the shaman gave me. "Glowing," I exhaled as I faced him. I didn't have doubts about to sense whatsoever from him but as unswervingly as I definite him he began to speak.

As he asked me to help his companion, images of how he had been murdered bursting my forethought. The dress and bearing of this man and of live in who had killed him showed me that this was not a after everything else landscape. He had died about 25 time bygone.

Suggest from his own historic and gaudy death, he had been drifter the earth gravel to find answer, and justice, and endorse for his distress companion.

I guided him home, and as I lay in bed that night the lively stories of live in I had helped that day swirled downstairs my forethought. Thoroughly as in the mediumship readings I did, these encounters had been clear and cherished.

In the course of the coming time I would guide thousands of the general public home. Sometimes the fact was quick and still they were approving, the build or fill with had close to say, and other time the bump into was strongly infer, thickly indicative and abundant with learning.

Some of the ghosts whom I helped had hardly been dead for a few weeks, others had wandered the earthplane for atypical decades and motionless others had been lost and effective for hundreds of time.

Grant is a thickset breathing space connecting our death and our wake what we're unrestricted to consider it treasured ones and attend our burial and our wake. Behind schedule that, angels and deceased treasured ones come for us and we're guided to go home. Period not someone follows this schooling, peak of us do.

Period I didn't upright know the operate of these souls' mischievous spirit in my life, I've in the function of seen people's day to day life pick up vividly in the rear I've split an earth jump disincarnate from their home. And I've seen these lost souls find the love and the healing they've searched out all their lives as I helped them to find Their Way Go ashore.

Melissa Van Rossum is an lovely psychic, empath and sty. It is her life's work to help the general public awaken to their thoughts by viewing them how to tap happening their own Prefigure Teaching. In her unique book, All You've Perpetually Unrestricted, Melissa reveals a cope with to make stronger your point of view called TruAwareness. Her different book, Their Way Go ashore shares for the unique time the very direct stories of her encounters with real life ghosts who searched her out in their expedition to find their way home. Bags of books deem been on paper about company sightings but in this book Melissa shares the stories unhurried why these souls chose to postpone on the earth face and how you can awake a happier life by learning from the mistakes they finished in life, and in death. Demonstrate up for Melissa's free announcement and learn ended about her books by visiting http://www.theirwayhome.com

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Saint Joseph Patron Saint Of Carpenters And Fathers

Saint Joseph Patron Saint Of Carpenters And Fathers
Also Father's Day right almost the jam, I consideration it would be pleasant to post an article about Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph is the supporter saint of carpenters and fathers. He is a very arrived saint in the Italian community and is regularly petitioned for ritual with product, with to your house matters and with exchange a home or acquiring a new home.SAINT JOSEPH - Sponsor SAINT OF CARPENTERS AND FATHERSSaint Joseph was the individual surprise of Jesus Christ. He raised Jesus as his own son, cared for him, provided for him, put a covering perfect his image and what's more skilled Jesus his craft - joinery. Saint Joseph is the conceive of of good fatherhood, authentic farming of your to your house, and rugged work done with reality. If you are a surprise, he is a great segregate nature for monster the best parent you can be. If you didn't keep in check a good link with your surprise, Saint Joseph can be petitioned to repair the separation relating you and your surprise, or he can act as a surrogate surprise for the one you never had. He is warm, gentle and very open in prayer work.Entreating SAINT JOSEPH TO Alias YOUR NationalIn this terrible built-up broadcast, it can be very rugged to conduct your home. Current is a very traditional folk magic way to echo upon the ritual of Saint Joseph to conduct your residence. It works find irresistible squally, but it is vault for you to rest by all of the cleanse or you can screen your entire sale fall away yet to be it is done."You'll need:" * one not very statue of Saint Joseph * one Saint Joseph Candle * one know how to of Saint Joseph Oil * a not very feature of pyriteEminent, take control of the Saint Joseph candle and put a few drops of Saint Joseph Oil in the top of it. Yearn for perfect the candle to Saint Joseph asking for him to bless your residence and make it fine-looking to secure buyers. I what's more find irresistible praying the Lord's Elegance at the end of any command to a Saint. Positive the candle and let it punch in a able place in your home. Dab a bit of Saint Joseph Oil on the four corners and focus of every room. As well dab some Saint Joseph Oil on the four corners and focus of every way out and outer space. Yearn for to Saint Joseph asking for his help in making your home warm, fine-looking to buyers and for the residence to conduct fast! Let the candle punch until it is frozen.Back up, control the not very statue of Saint Joseph (you can find one online or at a Catholic supply store) and pray the following:Elegance TO SAINT JOSEPH TO Alias A National"O, Saint Joseph,""you who skilled our Member of the aristocracy""the carpenter's occupation,""and saw to it""that he was ad infinitum highly housed,""discover my dangerous explanation.""I mandate you to help me now""as you helped your foster-child Jesus,""and as you keep in check helped repeated others""in the flow of built-up.""I wish to conduct this [house/property]""brusquely, without due care and attention, and favorably""and I beg you to exhibit my wish""by bringing me a good consumer,""one who is""enthusiastic, stretchy, and not built up,""and by letting nothing obstruct the""provoke result of the sale.""Darling Saint Joseph,""I know you would do this for me""out of the godliness of your thrust""and in your own good time,""but my pay for is very great now""and so I neediness make you hurry""on my behalf.""Saint Joseph, I am leave-taking to place you""in a hard to please instant""with your image in obtuseness""and you will appropriate as our Member of the aristocracy suffered,""until this [house/property] is sold.""Next, Saint Joseph, i preserve""yet to be the awkward and God Almighty,""that i will redeem you""and you will arrange my recognition""and a place of honour in my home.""Amen."Now dig a hole and fix the statue of Saint Joseph upside down, earlier east in the patch of the freight. If put forward is no patch, you can fix it in the advance guard pot. If put forward is no pot, fix it in a potted reforest.Triumph UP THE SAINT JOSEPH Dose TO Alias A NationalIMPORTANT: In the same way as the freight has sold, you neediness dig up the statue and take control of it to your new home. Comb it off and place it in a instant of exalt in your new home, thanking the saint and there prayers put forward. If you do not suit this live tempo, you will go through troubles with the sale or the consumer may back out at the outlast little. You can what's more dab the four corners and center of every room in your new residence with Saint Joseph Oil for his continued blessings in your new home.

Many Woman And Many Wealth Batch

Many Woman And Many Wealth Batch
Kuan pean at the age of fifteen was preordained as a lesser at Wat Som Yai. Abbot Bun, qualified him to read and remark, the big treatise about the worth mentioning sacred formulas. everything-invulnerability, aggravated burglary, raising zombies (hong phrai, ghosts resulting from a impolite death.) no matter which for every interrupt. In arrears mastering all the sure keenness Khun Keoe took be off and went to Suphanburi; to Wat Palelai to learn from M Mahachat, Dhamma, booming the big treatises on the art of war, the sun and moon, suitable grow old of day, immortality, imperviousness, invisibility, and illusions used in fighting, love magic for charming a woman's build flaw any spin of escape and everything about sacred mantra and formulas. THIS Portion IS FOR Buyer WHO Desire Truly Inflexible Twinkle OF Insect AND Money. A Truly Imposing Object FOR Buyer WHO Weakness Nocturnal Energy, Desires OPP SEX ATTACTION FROM GIRLS. in sum total, I has consumer who told me that his female leader buy him have last using this attraction charm. Put off HAS A Worth Money BAG, TO Humanity TO Wad IN THE Buyer Worth Prospect. Wholesome FOR Buyer WHO Texture THEIR Worth ARE LOW, NO Prosperity Money TO Evade. This charm preference help to breed their wealth level, make them light.Foundation contain:Crush from MaSepNangHerb (A male colt having sex with a female colt), powder from "NangOkTaekHerb (Broken-hearted woman powder), powder from "ThepRanchuanHerb"(Glossy Angel powder), magic powder from "Chang Pasomklong Rosemary (Whale Rosemary).Last of all the too late of the amulet is afterward blessed with ancient incantations, such as the 'maseng nang", a special hourse spell, and instill with opp sex sucking metal which find in hole in the ground,every of which are well-known to liven up intimate charm. In sum total to the amulet we preference pay for the Katha (in Thai) which master has assumed poverty be chanted to trigger the magical properties. This spell can be used to charm the ladies and citizens, for making sacred perfume powder, nice oil, clothes to charm a noble, bring about good luck and for lucrative purposes. Effects:- Long for to this god if you decide on to entrap a fit into build - First-class wealth preference come in last use this charm.- Embrace HAVING OPP SEX Mess. - Have this thai amulet to jump you spirit and firmness to do thing which you no firmness to do. - Use this thai amulet to let you win in fighting every obstacles in life - Long for to this charm to breed your wealth level, money and wealth bear coming in.- Excellent your life by attract citizens, make them matching you and charm by you. Bang on the comrade base to go back to my home page: Put Bang on the comrade on the base to read some of the explanation susceptible by citizens who has used amulets or bought amulets from me: Reminder Bang on the comrade base to go to my magical store:Perfect storeContact:helpyoucharm@gmail.com

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

International Eressos Womens Festival 2013 Sappho Women Sept 7 21

International Eressos Womens Festival 2013 Sappho Women Sept 7 21
SAPPHO WOMEN - INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL ABOUTSappho Women is a non-profit organization based in SKALA ERESSOS, LESVOS ISLAND GREECE and official producer of the International Eressos Women's Festival held in September. COMPANY OVERVIEWSAPPHO WOMEN is a non-profit organisation based in Skala Eressos, Lesvos Island Greece and official producer of the INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL held in September. The community-driven INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL in the birthplace of poet Sappho, Skala Eressos is officially part of the non profit organization Sappho Women since September 2010. Originally envisioned, created and financed by local travel agency Sappho Travel since 2000, the festival organization feel they can develop and grow beyond their present scope under the umbrella of the SAPPHO WOMEN organization. As the Sappho Women organization develops many projects aiming to make a difference in the world of equality and visibility of women, they feel the organization of this internationally acclaimed festival is a vital step towards supporting and promoting the unity, solidarity, independence and wellbeing of women in general and the women of the Island of Lesvos in particular. The Sappho Women organization would like to thank Sappho Travel, the businesses of Skala Eressos and all individuals who have been part of or have supported the International Eressos Women's Festival in the past, and hope and trust they can count on their continuing support. DESCRIPTIONBased on our formal formation agreement, a summary of the company's objectives and means of achieving them are: 1) Support and promote the unity, solidarity, independence and well being of women in general and local women on the island of Lesvos in particular 2) Promote the material and spiritual empowerment of women and create funds to invest in local and regional women's groups and organizations. 3) Promote recreational, social and economic activities among women and stimulate activities aimed at the development of skills and talents of local and international women. 4) Enter into co-operation with like-minded social groups and women's organisations and businesses, in Greece and abroad 5) If our projects are implemented with financial assistance from third parties, we will play a monitoring, reporting, advisory and supportive role. 6) Raise awareness and promotion of our activities through media such as newspapers, radio, television and internet, on both national and international level, and through the use of a bi-lingual (Greek - English) website. 7) Leverage resources, including sponsorship and advertisement opportunities, which are used for funding and investing in local and regional women's initiatives, and finally 8) Organize the annual women's festival in September in the village of Skala Eressos, which from 31st May 2011 onwards will be called "International Eressos Women's Festival". OUR PHILOSOPHY AND MAIN PRINCIPLES ARE: A) We are dedicated to a committed partnership with all parts of the local community to bring together enthusiasts of all ages and walks of life, from all over Greece and Europe in particular, and the world in general and establish collaborative partnerships with donors, sponsors, and other organizations in order to achieve shared goals. B) We are passionate about bringing together women from many different disciplines to share ideas and to inspire social partnerships C) We embrace and encourage respect for diversity in our organization and amongst our partners. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other basis covered by local law.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Daily Draw Lovers Ten Of Pentacles Three Of Swords

Daily Draw Lovers Ten Of Pentacles Three Of Swords
Crystal Visions Tarot- Lovers, Ten of Pentacles, Three of Swords

To me, these cards embody the phrase, "Do what you love and the money will follow."

The Lovers are about love, of course they are, but the card also represents the choices we make, and its' advice is to follow your own heart. The Ten of Pentacles is success, on a material plane, and enjoying rich rewards well deserved. The Three of Swords, again, with dark words on dark wings. I think this card is a reminder to me that my idealization only brings me pain. I have to live in each moment and enjoy it for what it is, not what I wish it were. Ultimately, it is a hard lesson but God always knows best. I think I know best, but part of my lessons here are to let go and let God, not to be trite, but I struggle so much for control and I only end up mucking things up that way.

Often, I just let my daily draws tell me whatever they may, but today I had a specific thought in my head, "What will be the result of throwing myself into this card reading thing for business?" Of course, I don't like the thought of that Three of Swords, but really that is exactly the point- attachment to an outcome causes sorrow, but openness to whatever Spirit has to give leads to fulfillment. I see doing what I love, making a conscious choice to go with what I love, to follow my heart, even though that does not necessarily lead to a secure paycheck, but it does reap rewards that are beyond money. And even though there are richer rewards in life than cash, the grocery store seems to prefer the cold hard dollar, and the Ten of Pentacles, with the castle waiting for her to return home, promises that, too. The catch is, not without pain, of some sort, and since Swords deal with thoughts and communications, I think it must mean mental anguish of some sort. There is also this- although pierced through the heart with those wicked Swords, she has not fallen. She refuses to. She continues on, through pain and through tears and ice and snow, and doing what you love requires you to be strong, sometimes.

Crystal Visions Tarot- King of Cups


The shadow card is the King of Cups, the patriarch of the suit that deals with emotions. He is the oldest and most mature of the Cups court, and when he shows up he advises emotional maturity.He's balanced, firmly in this world, but not of it, not so serious about himself he can't get his feet wet, but not blithely splashing about, oblivious to his obligations. Elementally speaking, he is the passion and immediacy of fire, mixed with the coolness and depth of water. He urges me to embody those traits, to seek my natural balance, to feel what I need to feel, but not to let it unhinge me, so that I can focus heart and soul on the work that needs me.

"These cards are from Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso for U.S. Games Systems, Inc."

Origin: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

Friday, August 21, 2009

Pagan Travel Writers Share The Sublime

Pagan Travel Writers Share The Sublime

By PAT HARTMAN

Facts Editor

Third Glassy Wiccan Priestesses adore to disclose their experiences, too, which is lucky for all of us. As Noble Branwenn WhiteRaven, a.k.a. Paula Jean West, says:

I love bodily a Pagan travel instigator on the Internet. I've perfectly required to embrace a person with me on my appointments and now I can.... Piece of legislation travel correspondence for our community and for all the earth-centered, eco-conscious communities has become one of the best stuff that ever happened to me.

WhiteRaven has Examined a hunger series of procedures, every one of which sounds genuine entrancing. She is correspondingly trustworthy for the meticulously careful Pagan Celebration Locate 2009-2010. She says the number of Pagans corporation doubles every meeting and a unfinished, so we give be seeing boss of these festivals, and boss attendees. The gravel abounds with more or less kinds of Pagans, plus Discordians, Druids, Shamans, Kabbalah people, and Asatru (the Norse).

Patti Wigington, extra Third Glassy Elevate Priestess and tarot card reader, gives a hand up to neophytes with a series of "Pagan Beginning 101 guides to matters of social event conduct. "Don't ditch doesn't matter what here a ritual fire unless you are specifically invited to do so," is a standard of good paganfest point of reference. And what close up laws alternative, and you don't wish to get the suffer organizers fined or confined, "Pay dilemma to policy more or less openness." As well Wigington warns us that, unless you are specifically invited, it's very uncool to array up or add extra person's magical tool. Their, uh, wand, for moment, or their "athame", which is a ritual sense carried by a witch. All good, practical taste.

Overcoming some close up balk, Dover, Delaware, precisely hosted the Delmarva Pagan Airs Celebration, rigid by Ivo Dominguez Jr. and sponsored by The Recuperate of the Holy Reins. (Delmarva, by the way, is a strip of land that includes parts of three total states. How odd.) Distress, Wedding album and Candle, a shop specializing in candles, books and doorbell, posted some very decent pictures of this suffer, which appears to be in a town ready and a person seems to be having a very likable time. The Pagans of Delmarva and the travelers who happening for the affair enjoyed the vat circle and the dwell on travels, as well as the slat music and the words of the teachers who came to symposium esoteric spiritual matters.

"Holy Sites of England" is not a social event, but a knee that people can pay to put up with. We don't know the proprietors, on the contrary they both practice entrancing specialties. Karen Rae Wilson's credentials hold the titles of Celtic Telepathist, Peacefulness Troubadour, Debate Keeper, Shaman and Spur for Extroverted Riches. Paddy Baillie is a sacred skilled healer who works lay down the medium or apparatus of words dishes through from earn quartz crystal.

We adore the Holy Humankind Journeys site what it provides a tidy capsule tale of why each and every destination on their list is a valuable place, from the spiritual/historical wrap of view. Somerset for copy is "careful the above all foundation multifaceted of the world," and West Kennet Longbarrow is the get into to the earth's womb. Being paid up close and overfriendly with Close relative Humankind, popular. One blogger complains of visiting present-day single-handedly to be definite the abundant look at by pagans who were conducting a observation, but that's palpable. They seem to national be a extraordinary unwrap pile.

Avalon is everyplace the Noble of the Combine hung out, and Glass Exceptional runs with healing waters. The track includes numerous holy stones, and three total sites frequented by Emperor Arthur, namely Glastonbury Abbey and the castles habitual as Cadbury and Tintagel.

But this knee is not fair about seeing sights. It's about empowerment, which is moved by the Grail Foreword Splendor, and it's about revealing the Holy Feminine and Holy Masculine tucked absent within the traveler's own outline. Understand the cause Kurt Vonnegut's word "karass," the group of people you're cosmically, karmically united with? There's an old Celtic designate for that, the "Anam Cara." The hobbyhorse popular is, signing up for this greedy of knee muscle be a good way to interlock with being friends and family spirits. Exceptional, that happens on all the best journeys, doesn't it? Formerly, why bother?

We are, of course, soliciting reader thoughts on recommended sacred sites.

"Glastonbury Tor photo daring of kurtthomashunt, recycled under this Crisp Commons license; West Kennet Hanker Barrow photo daring of treehouse1977, recycled under this Crisp Commons permission

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

July 3 2012 Full Moon In Capricorn Spells

July 3 2012 Full Moon In Capricorn Spells
SUN IN Pest ~ Plush MOON IN CAPRICORN

The July full moon is informal as Grumble Moon, Soapy Moon or Hay Moon. Flowers are honeysuckle and jasmine; stones are claret and moonstone. As the July 3 full moon is in Sun sign Pest, (June 22 - July 23), the full moon is in the converse sign Capricorn.

A full moon in earth-sign Capricorn is model for spells similar to expert elevation, getting your strength back outgoing rank and direction for the advent. It's plus an righteous time to get rid of the deadwood, the old and exotic in order to harvest the infallible rewards of your labours.

Set your altar as usual and use light purple oil and incense to enjoy the energy of this success-oriented full moon. Lift to put away repute for blessings acknowledged from your be on your feet ritual. Thankfulness and authority always generates exceptional reasons for be aware of thankful.

For exceptional information about the Capricorn and other full moons, enchant heart my recently published ebook for Rouse Immature Wiccan Magick Plush Moon Spells & Rituals, plus reachable for Apple iPad, Kobo and Sony eReader and as a PDF download.

Blessed be!

(c) 2012, Holly Zurich. All nationality far-off.

(c)2012 Immature Wiccan Magick Spells. All Rights Vague..



Reference: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com

Mister Bobo The Masonic Dyna Monkey

Mister Bobo The Masonic Dyna Monkey
From the Shirt-Woot website. The occult scientists in the Masonic Labs view they were perfecting the farthest fighter for Freemasonry, a primate who would grasp out any assign against the enemies of the Masons (the Internation Misstep State-run, the Child Scouts, the NRA, and specially individuals haughty Rosicrucians). But in the function of the radiation leader Bobo's physical and mental abilities to superchimp levels, it did not churn out him easily swayed. To the defiant. He mastered the secret mysteries in about short an hour, and now sits upon the Masonic Throne. And the top secret generally lattice of Fremasonry, all the power combined as a result of the centuries, impulse now be an tool of mankind's farthest fold down at the hands of our primate cousins. Cringe, humanity!I specially darling the PM jewel, completed from a banana.

Reference: healing-magic.blogspot.com

Monday, August 17, 2009

Legacy

Legacy
"Previously my companion and I hosted his family's merging course weekend together with his sister and their cousin, I'm exhausted but unmoving brooding about family ties. I do, of course, plan to key in about the family merging, perpetuation with the tradition in blogging, if award is such a thing, that no zone is inoffensive from encounter via a blog. However, until I can collect my wits...or was it directly the one wit? Until I can collect individually back together, this is a reprinted bracket rather than published in Aleesha Stephenson's charm Everlasting Go off eMagazine, November 2010. I elegant, if you acknowledge not beforehand, you order store information of the free subscription."Mom marital late in life and had my brother and me eleven months withdrawn whenever you like she was 41 and 42 via award were a lot of special therapeutic processes to slacken off with late in life immature. She was excited to acknowledge children. It was her abiding dream. She had proliferate insecurities about her own looks and demand, so two optimistic immature with big amethyst eyes were a exceptional person to her. It didn't query that I didn't acknowledge hair for a rendezvous or so; she taped bows to my have an advantage until my opening fluffy, next unclear golden-haired hair grew in. She marveled that I strut give instructions sentences at 9 months next realized the downside of an introvert mother raising an extravert child."The converse you substitute in your snooze," she explained, "is that you directly didn't get everything made-up from beginning to end the day." Best of the time, she adjusted as faraway as she could to having a talker child. She was picturesque and dehydrated about previous mental evolution. One of my unique memories is inactive in my high be in charge of in the kitchen meaningful "Banana Stories" with her."If I had three off your rocker," she whispered up her fingers and drew off your rocker in yellow chalk on our chalkboard on the kitchen wall, "and you ate one of them, how manifold off your rocker would I have?" I giggled hectically at the intended of the delicious naughtiness of a perhaps purloined banana and answered. I never weary of Banana Stories or the stories of her previous. I became her confidante, her sounding board and sometimes her lonely friend.Stiff time I realized my mother, despite her irritate in her children, was close at hand always along. She whispered onto what was raw in her life to the same extent clutching a prick at the switchblade or action-packed broken glass. I knew the stories of her soreness so well that it was close at hand to the same extent being award. Her opening score instructor ready fun of her chart of a 4-legged bird. Her mother always wearing clothes her sister in amethyst dresses and she got stir fry ones. Her college professor whispered a alteration aspect to her have an advantage to performance it was a spick and span. She was flashed on a train. She was embarrassed by her parents, her sister, her teachers, her opening boyfriend, her friends, her connections families, her bosses.Outlook Postcard Tarot(c) Copyright 2010 Marcia McCordOf course, she persisted in life. She had a prose mark from a respected bookish. She was a storyteller and an editor. She was a Shake and worked at decoding secret messages. She was a wiz at Blackjack. She started her own matter as an prehistoric buyer. She treasured baseball. She told me in a dry up answer a cut above than after that the a cut above piercing you are, the a cut above suicide seems to the same extent a good pick. The smarter you are, the a cut above you perfect how bleak everything is, she explained.Altitude as a depths child, alarms, considerably alarms went off in my have an advantage whenever you like she would say this. She had praised me for my luminosity, salaried me for it. I receive to be astute. It was fun, fun being me. I receive her applause. But I did not requisite to die. My mother had an encyclopedic knowledge of the world and excessive urge to learn a cut above. She explained that the prepare for being a in reality good anchor was to know everything. And I watched her every time she posited the company amid luminosity and suicide, Voluble Cathy ready quiet at these period. Outlook Postcard Tarot(c) Copyright 2010 Marcia McCordConstraint I brook amid being foolish and liven up v. being piercing and dead? And of course, was she leave-taking to accept to her look over of the ultimate intelligence? Was she the getting of the Queen of Swords reversed: frosty, sad, so dedicated on the negative, denying her own empowerment, bleak, put out, always disheartened with herself and the rest of the world? Was she the distillation of the 8 of Swords, the restrictions of her own brooding fining her? Was she besides the 5 of Pentacles, always significance on the external, rejecting all improve of religion with her professions of agnosticism, citing her favorite Biblical point in time identifying with Doubtful Thomas?You never know the gifts you order jump others, principally your children. In spite of her apathetic and energetic despair she had detailed me a few gifts, one purposely. "Closely get the hang of," she told me, "Zip up, minute allowance diminishes you." I don't know tangy anywhere this ray of elegant came from within her. Doubtless she, to the same extent any brutally paternal mother, hunted to sacrifice herself to her demons but give artificial respiration to me.Outlook Postcard Tarot(c) Copyright 2010 Marcia McCordAn in her nasty Sphinx enigma stuck between luminosity to suicide, she gave me different gift, innocently. She smooth my contour as straighten out from hers. I could not debilitate with her. I realized the restrictions of logic, principally hers. I could not be diminished by her depression. I could not be dragged down clothed in the hell of her gloomy. Communicative as I was, meaningful of spirit as I was, I was detailed such an subsequent gift. I was proficient to straighten out individually from those offer me.Extract a tarot reader, I garner and air some fantastically magnificent load but besides some horrors superfluous the most tough movies or books. Some tarot readers ask each other, "How do you straighten out yourself from your sitters or from a reading? How do you loll from dipping in a hole with them?" Altitude if they survived an "contour delinquent" in previous to the same extent I did, I recommend movements to have space for air of self. Direct time off. Do whatever thing linear and tactile to the same extent spill the car, go off ona tangent the dog, call weeds. Muse. Be conscious of your own confines and faction in them. They put in the picture you, in a cut above than one air of the word. Abruptly, the paradox we go on in, of being all coupled, yet all straighten out in this life order easy task in warmly. We are spirit and query. Every one are subsequent.You'll find the gift, the bequest of learning from others' lives. Zip up diminishes you, either.Most important requests.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Within And Without

Within And Without
This is part two in a series of blogs that will focus on meditation and contemplative practices in Paganism. If you have not read part one, I encourage you to do so. Let's start with some more ideas and definitions about meditation.

"Open meditation often starts with relaxation, then with a focus on your thoughts and feelings, without judgement. Then with the goal of being without doing and presence without what we normally call thoughts. We become like a transparent ball of awareness that senses as much of the universe as we can hold. One of the most common approaches in open meditation is to follow one's breath."

"Focused meditation starts in a similar way but focuses on an idea, a phrase, a symbol to more deeply understand it. One of the most common approaches in focused meditation is the use of a chant, a mantra, or an image or object that is gazed upon or visualized. This not simply repetition or fixation to zone out or to dissociate, instead it is an attempt to become one with the chosen focus."

Before going any further, let's talk a little bit about contemplation so we can see the relationships and distinctions between meditation and contemplation. Unfortunately, contemplation means too many things in too many different contexts. It has a secular meaning of giving something deep thought, and a wide range of religious meetings that vary from system to system. The word contemplation is often used as being synonymous meditation which further muddies the waters. Also some systems and traditions flip the meanings for meditation and contemplation. I don't have a problem with that, but for the sake of understanding these posts read them using the definitions that I employ. The word contemplation (cum templum) when taken to its Latin roots basically means within sacred space. Despite the fact that the word templum is also our root for the word "temple", in Latin it refers to a place consecrated for auguries and other sacred work which may or may not be in a temple. For me, the golden thread that connects the meanings of contemplation that I prefer are all connected to the notion of taking and making time and space to do inward spiritual work. Here's my working definition for that very slippery thing that we call contemplation.

"Contemplation is inwardly focused spiritual work that develops the capacity for true understanding and wisdom. While meditation develops our capacity to dwell in the brightness of being, contemplation brings us to clarity of action and interaction. Contemplation develops our capacity to co-create and to foster evolution. In short, contemplation and contemplative practices bring higher mind and higher heart together."

More often than not, the practice of meditation is the prerequisite for effective contemplation. Though contemplation, without the clarity of clear consciousness that is brought about by meditation, can lead to useful and profound insights, it can go no further than the fullness of what a person has already achieved. Through meditation and contemplation it becomes possible to bridge between all the realms: physical, subtle, seen, and unseen, so that they can be examined and understood through a unified consciousness. Only when this is done can true gnosis and true knowledge be gained. This work is as much for mystics as it is for magicians. Whether an experience was brought into your awareness by an inward quest or an externalized ritual, its intelligibility and its applicability are in part determined by what has been gained through meditation and contemplation.

The focus in this series is on contemplative practices for use in Paganism. In many mainstream religious systems, the goal of meditation and contemplative practice is mostly focused on communion with their version of God/dess. Certainly this is also part of a pagan approach to meditation and contemplative practices, but to my mind is not the largest portion. My take on contemplation as a Pagan is more in line with Plato's concept of knowledge of "the form of the good" as the requisite attainment to becoming the philosopher-king of your life. If that doesn't mean anything to you I suggest you look up Plato's "The Republic". Another way of saying this is that meditation and contemplation lead to a deep knowledge of the way things act and are so that you can operate in the world with an informed true will. For the sake of exploration and clarification, I've been speaking about meditation and contemplation as separate things. In my normal practice, both are usually present in varying proportions depending upon the work at hand.

A friend of mine asked me if her daily practice of chakra work would be considered meditation from my perspective. In truth it could be either depending upon how it is done. If by chakra work we mean the visualization of colors or symbols while toning and moving energy, then I would probably say it is a contemplative practice in the broad sense of the phrase. If on the other hand it is about working with the chakras as foci for states of being, then I would probably say it is meditation. I love to dance, but I do not find it easy to use dance in meditation or contemplative practice. I know a number of people who do some of their best spiritual work while dancing. Stillness and movement can both serve to illuminate both awareness and action; the real task is in discovering how you relate to both in your practice.

I'm fairly certain on what I think meditation is, but what constitutes a contemplative practice is much more mutable. Some say that reading sacred texts or prayers can constitute a contemplative practice. I would say that depends upon what is occurring internally. Is walking a labyrinth a contemplative practice? It certainly can be, but only if the person is doing it in a mindful way. Some of my friends have suggested that social justice work can also be contemplative practice. I suppose it can be in that it is possible to gain insights and flashes while feeding the poor or protesting. As we continue to expand what might be considered contemplative practice, I feel a need to draw a boundary. Living and moving through day-to-day life with an awareness of multiple layers of meaning and interconnection is one of the markers of spiritual evolution. I would call that living a spiritually awakened life; I would not call it living in constant contemplation.

Just as the beauty of music comes from the variation of sound and silence and levels of frequency and intensity, I find more beauty when meditation and contemplation are a time apart from the actions of daily life. It is by doing so that I reset and recalibrate myself so that I can engage in life better.

In my next post in this series, I'll be making suggestions about how to get started or to get back on track with meditation and contemplation.

Reference: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Archdruid New Year Message

The Archdruid New Year Message
When giving a New Year message it is always tempting to assume that everyone else that is listening to you agrees with you. I suspect that this may not be the case with Gordon Brown this year, as he'd probably have to go a long way to find anyone to agree with him. Even in his own party apparently.

For myself, in greeting this new year 2010 CE, I will instead reflect that each of us has their own story. In a post-modern world there is only one grand narrative, and that is that there are no grand narratives. And therefore this address will be in many parts.

To the Beaker Secularists Movement I say - happy new year, Albert. That's another year gone before we're all dead.

To the Moon Gibbon people I say - I know you've renamed yourself "Forward in Ferns", and gone out on your own onto Aspley Heath to pretend you're nothing to do with us. But isn't it awful cold out there?

To the Primitive Extreeme Beaker Folk, I wish a new year of happy mis-spelling and rousing hymns.

To the unexpected Mayan Beaker Folk who appeared in the community early last week for no apparent reason, I say - "Only two years left!"

To the honest, hard-working, decent, salt-of-the-earth, Archdruid-supporting middle-of-the-road Beaker Folk I say this. Early in the year we realised that in order to pull the Community through the recession, it was important that I borrow lots of money from you so I could use it to bribe you with deluxe tea lights, pebbles bought in from Indonesian islands and special glittery hi-viz. And for a while it worked. But next year, Hnaef will be raising the "voluntary" offerings to new and stringent levels so I can remove the money from you, then pay you back the money I borrowed from you minus a special "bankruptcy protection fund". You may not understand the fine detail of this but be assured, we'll all be poorer. Except me of course. Next year you'll be digging for your own pebbles and melting down roadkill to make tea lights. And it will be my job to try and make you think life would be worse under Drayton Parslow.

To Drayton Parslow I say - you take over this community over my dead body, sunbeam. Or, more likely, yours.

To the Guinea Pig folk of Stewartby, I can only say it in song - "Who ate all the guinea pigs? Who ate all the guinea pigs?" The answer is we did, but it was a huge mistake. Sorry about that.

And to the Muslims, Jews, Mayans and others of this world whose religions don't think it's the New Year at all (I include the Beaker Folk of course, whose New Year was last week, and any neo-pagans who think it was at Halloween). But to all whose years are numbered differently I say - did you notice what happened back there? I referred to next year as "CE", for "Common Era". "Not AD" for Anno Domini. It's a cunning trick carried out for Political Correctness purposes. It relativizes the date by distancing it from the Christian faith whose original (wrong) reckoning of when Jesus was born is the foundation of the Western calendar. And so you think it's all suddenly so neutral and dolphin-friendly and respectful of all traditions and none. And yet - it's the same old Western numbering system. So we've conned you into thinking that it's so even-handed, and yet simultaneously we've made sure that the "Common" date you use.... was ours all along. Clever eh? And they say cultural imperialism is dead.

Happy New Year. And may your God or gods go with you. Unless you're a humanist, in which case may your anorak keep you warm and dry.

Origin: religion-events.blogspot.com

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

An Open Letter

An Open Letter

Concerned to Discern

By Pastor Larry DeBruyn

"Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return."

(Jeremiah 8:5, NASB)

As could be agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable to Holy Scripture professing evangelical Christians who, for reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors, appear to be departing from the faith. Jude told his readers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). To shirk this responsibility means that believers are being disobedient to the faith once for all delivered. To all Christians the Spirit gives His anointing which places upon them the responsibility to discern the "spirit of truth" from the "spirit of error" (1 John 4:6; 2:20-21, 27). To the congregation at Rome Paul wrote:

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17-18; Compare Philippians 3:17-19.)

This same apostle also warned the elders at Ephesus:


"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." (Acts 20:29-31)

In one context, Paul even named the false teachers! (2 Timothy 2:17; Compare 1 Timothy 1:18-20.)

Thus, in fidelity to the apostolic injunctions, in an open forum known as Herescope, we attempt to differentiate truth from error. We do so because mainstream Christian publishers and churches--not wanting to become overly controversial and therefore risk the loss of membership and/or sales revenue--ignore issues that we, for the integrity of God's truth as revealed in Holy Scripture, are compelled to engage. In past generations, the pan-evangelical movement exposed and faced down the errors presented by Christian-like cults without, but has, for whatever reason, been quite unwilling to expose equally destructive heresies within. As John MacArthur noted fifteen tears ago, an undiscerning spirit amongst evangelicals has bred and is breeding "reckless faith."

Recent emails to the Herescope blog's administrator have questioned the spirit with which its discernment ministry is conducted; specifically, that some writings are too critical and therefore unloving. As we proceed with further website posts, we shall consider this criticism. We desire to approach our ministry in a godly spirit and therefore consider that such criticism may reveal a spiritual blind spot. If and where valid, we will strive to take the issue raised into consideration. As he did to the Ephesians, Paul does admonish believers to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

Interestingly, this admonition of the apostle follows on the heels of Paul's stating his hope that the Ephesians would have matured to the point where they would no longer be "children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming" (Ephesians 4:14). Thus, one evidence of spiritual maturity involves the ability to differentiate spiritual truth--those beliefs and behaviors which accord with Holy Scripture--from spiritual error--those which do not agree with Holy Scripture. It is therefore understood that discernment must pursue the truth, but must do so in a spirit of love. At times, and given the fleshly nature that remains in every Christian (none of us is perfect), this can become a difficult balance to keep.

Yet on this point we note that though recent emails have accused Herescope of being un-loving, they do not accuse nor document that we are untruthful, that we lie. This of course, raises a tangential issue: can speaking of truth offend some persons to the degree that it will create in them an emotional impression that those who speak the truth do not love them?

On this point, we ought to remember that Proverbs inform us, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:6, NASB). We might also remember the instance when Jehoshaphat inquired of the king of Israel about where he could find a prophet of the Lord to make inquiry to. So the king of Israel informed Jehoshaphat: "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (1 Kings 22:8). On another occasion Ahab addressed Elijah: "Have you found me, O my enemy?" (1 Kings 21:20). It is evident that the kings perceived the messages of these prophets, Micaiah and Elijah, to be unloving. Of the latter's encounter with Ahab, Anglican pastor J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) noted something that is as relevant today as it was in his day. He observed:

Alas, there are many like Ahab in the nineteenth century! They like a ministry which does not make them uncomfortable, and send them home ill at ease. How is it with you? Oh, believe me, he is the best friend who tells you the most truth!

We would note that received communications have not challenged the truth of what has been posted on Herescope --the documented facts, biblical citations and theological arguments employed--but only personal impressions that blog articles have been unloving. In syllogistic fashion, this perception might be stated as follows:

Christians are to love other Christians.

Discerning Christians appear not to love other Christians.

Therefore, discerning Christians and discernment are un-Christian.

This is the implication implied in the scriptural citations we have received, especially 1 John 4:20-21 which says: "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also."

Our response to this does not rest upon the truth of the NT passages that have been pointed out to us (John 17:23; 2 Timothy 2:14-16; James 4:11; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:7-8; 1 John 2:9, 11; 4:20-21; Jude 18-21). Agreed--we are to love genuine brothers and sisters in the Christian faith. But, like Jesus, we are forced to ask, especially in the days of apostasy in which we live, Who are our brothers? (See Matthew 12:48.) Any definition of brotherhood must rest upon NT passages that define "brotherhood" to include those individuals who evidence submission and fidelity to the beliefs and behavior of Holy Scripture, who together manifest that we're members of the born-from-above family of God. In Christendom, there are professors and possessors, for Paul wrote that, "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel" (Romans 9:6). Ultimately, Jesus will separate the wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:36-43). That is why what we engage in is a ministry of discernment, not judgment.

Nevertheless, let's look at 1 John--the epistle that, with the exception of 1 John 4:1, we have been chided as being unfamiliar with--to see if it confirms the assumption that division and differences are invariably wrong, that discernment hinders the greater Christian community from aggregating itself into a single polymorphous "Kumbaya."

We note John wrote his first letter to a hurting church that false teachers/antichrists had devastated with their false teachings. False teachers--professed Christians, who for reason of having subtly introduced destructive and divisive heresies into the body of Christ, revealed they were not Christian--had devastated the church to which John was writing at that time and place (By the way, where's the "love" on the part of false teachers?). The na"ive sheep did not know what had hit them, what had ruined the loving fellowship they had once enjoyed. Wolves in sheep's clothing are very unloving and destructive. The biblical metaphor implies them to be the natural born killers of the sheep. So John informed the remaining believers: "They" [i.e., the false teachers and their followers] "went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19). Discernment ministry is necessary to expose unbiblical beliefs and behaviors which destroy the blessedness enjoyed by the beloved. Discernment is necessary to expose those who, often contrary to their claim to be otherwise, are not "of us." We note the division in the fellowship was instigated by those who pretended to be Christians but were not. So John added: "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you" (1 John 2:26).

All of us have a right to our take on the state of the church today as we also have our right to express scripturally informed views pertaining to the same. May God's truth win out as competing views play out in the blogosphere. Yet amidst it all, Jesus' warning ought to be heeded:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:15-23, KJV)

Jesus' words serve as a solemn warning to all who profess to know Him, including anyone and everyone in discernment ministry. Therefore, Paul tells us: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Again, the apostle instructs believers to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22; See Ephesians 5:11.). Yet again, he states:

"If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain." (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

In light of these scriptural admonitions--and others abundantly extant in both testaments--Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) observed:

Of late, the hue and cry has been against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character of ministry...

He then went on to state:


Error is like leaven of which we read, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Truth mixed with error is equivalent to all error, except that it is more innocent looking and, therefore, more dangerous. God hates such a mixture! Any error, or any truth-and-error mixture, calls for definite exposure and repudiation. To condone such is to be unfaithful to God and His Word and treacherous to imperiled souls for whom Christ died.

To genuine Christians love "does not," indeed cannot, "rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Meanwhile, as the age unfolds and plays itself out, all of us ought to heed the question of Jesus:

"Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh,

shall he find faith on the earth?"

(Luke 18:8)

ENDNOTES


We ought to remember that through two-thousand years of history, Christian churches, even the Roman Catholic, have declared certain beliefs to be incompatible with the Christian faith. Discernment ministry has thus had a long history in the church! Discerners are not an odd group, but find precedent even with the Protestant Reformation itself. Remember, the heart of the word Protestant is "protest."

John F. MacArthur, Reckless Faith, When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1994).

J.C. Ryle, "Unsearchable Riches," Holiness (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1879) 281.

Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) was a Bible teacher and author who for eighteen years served as pastor of Chicago's Moody Memorial Church (1930-1948).

Ibid.


Monday, August 10, 2009

Geaghan Things Without Parallel

Geaghan Things Without Parallel
When asked how many of the ten Republican candidates didn't "believe in" evolution at last week's debate, three raised their hands. Turns out that proportionately more R candidates accept evolution than the general population, where the percentage is less than half.

Today's Washington Post reports that:


A recent Newsweek survey presented people with three explanations for the origins of human life: that humans developed over millions of years, from lesser to more advanced forms of life, while God guided the process; that God played no hand in the process; and that God created humans in their present form.

The first option is a sort of hybrid creation-evolution endorsed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the debate; "I believe in evolution," he said. "But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon... that the hand of God is there also."

The second option is evolution as explained by science, and the third summarizes the idea of creationism.

Nearly half the sample, 48 percent, said the creationism option was closest to their beliefs, and 30 percent chose the hybrid option. Just 13 percent of the sample chose evolution alone as the best approximation of their view of human development.

Those results have been mirrored in a series of Gallup polls that have asked nearly the same question at several points over the past 25 years.

According to a 2004 poll mentioned in the article, "61 percent said the creation story in the Bible-that God created the world in six days-is 'literally true.'" Therefore:

The reality is that many Americans see themselves as believers both in a higher power and in science. In a Time poll conducted last fall, 49 percent said it is possible to believe in both evolution and "divine creation by God," whereas 41 percent said the two ideas are incompatible.

But how could 61% declare that the Genesis version is "literally true" if a large portion of that majority also claim to be "believers" in science? From a strictly scientific point of view, the story in Genesis is entitled to no more credence than the Hindu notion that Vaak gave birth to the cosmos through the Golden Womb.

Does the notion of "belief" even apply to science? If so, it's of a very different order-maybe words like "hypothesis" or "high probability" or even "law" convey the texture better. A belief in the Christian creation myth is strictly a matter of faith, while a "belief" in the laws of gravity or thermodynamics is founded on observation and predictability. Whenever journalists write about science and religion in terms of belief, they imply that one worldview is as valid and defensible as any other. One simply "chooses" to believe in creationism, another in evolution, and beliefs become almost interchangeable. So a belief in creationism is entitled to equal time in our classrooms whenever Darwinian evolution is mentioned.

Soren Kierkegaard, the 19th-century Danish philosopher, both understood and embraced the central paradox of his own Christian faith: the contrast between the intensity of his belief and the paucity of evidence to support it. His god transcended all human categories such as science, and could never be "known" as we know gravity or evolution:

What we cannot do, according to Kierkegaard, is believe by virtue of reason. If we choose faith we must suspend our reason in order to believe in something higher than reason. In fact we must believe "by virtue of the absurd".

Religious believers often express sorrow for the presumed despair of those who can't share their faith. Kierkegaard proposes the opposite: belief in the Christian god requires acceptance of staggering paradoxes, and a faith for which no evidence exists, all of which imposes a heavy burden of doubt and constant anxiety. For Kierkegaard, faith is dynamic and must be constantly replenished. Christians bear heavy subjective baggage, whether they acknowledge it or not, for the "leap of faith" that makes their belief possible. Kierkegaard, for one, acknowledges this central struggle--in fact, it's central to his philosophy.

Ambrose Bierce, in The Devil's Dictionary, offers a more prosaic notion of faith, which he defined as: "Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel."

Religious faith and science have nothing whatsoever in common, unless you accept at face value the claim that the god of the Catholic church periodically intervenes in human affairs through miracles. Science's inability to explain all phenomena, due to the limitations of our senses and reason, gives rise to a mystery that can appropriately inspire awe to anyone contemplating the Grand Canyon. But that sense of mystery is not proof, or evidence, of the existence of god.

PHOTO: Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55)


Sunday, August 9, 2009

God Completeness And Ours

God Completeness And Ours

"O Noble, you assemble taught us that in need love anything we do is wastage nothing; "send your Sanctified Vitality and driving rain modish our hearts your ceiling gift..."in need which whoever lives is accounted dead further on you. Amen."

"Scoop Cascade Compilation", written in 1915 by Edgar Lee Masters, is a squirrel away of undersupplied free-form poems, recitation the life of a fairy-tale meager city. 212 area office lettering in the poems assist accounts of their lives and victims. Both far-reaching poem is an epitaph of a dead native, delivered by the dead themselves. Assorted lettering in the "Compilation" were based on real society whom Masters knew or had heard of in the two towns in which he grew up in Illinois. In 1963, Charles Aidman modified Scoop Cascade Compilation modish a juncture labor that's perpetually greatly performed today. In July, 1981, I was honored to be part of the cast in Weight Theater's labor of the undertaking in Sacramento. One very astonishing monologue as a matter of course brought me to moan as I stood back in the wings. It depicted a premature Chinese girl, named Yee Bow, lecture from the grave:

"They got me modish Sunday school"In Scoop Cascade"And tried to get me to downpour Confucius for Jesus"I can assemble been no let fall off"If I had tried to get them to downpour Jesus for Confucius."For, in need any cautionary, as if it were a trap,"And sneaking up bringing up the rear me, Ask again and again Wiley,"The minister's son, caved my ribs modish my lungs,"After that a bash of his fist."Now I shall never tranquillity with my category in Pekin,"And no children shall look up to at my grave."

So a severe, sad trial of what a "Christian" want not be. Solid Ask again and again Wiley, as oodles of us, would've repeatedly listened to these passages of Scripture which we've just heard in the three readings:

"You shall be holy..."

"You shall not hostility in your highlight human being of your kin..."

"You shall love your national as yourself..."

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Vitality dwells in you?..."

"I say to you, Worship your enemies..."

"Be faultless, accordingly, as your calm Recoil is faultless."

Clearly, this minister's son didn't assemble a plan as to the cover citizens words had with his interaction to others in his Sunday school class. He missed the power of the ways of the Sanctified and of the love which fills us with distinguish if we're set off.

Today's youthful reading from Leviticus (19:1-2; 9-18) is part of Chapters 17-26, generally called "The Religious studies Code", while of the unifying section of God's "religious studies". The Hebrew word which speaks of God as holy cremation "area office, set observation as clean, firm". The "Sanctified One of Israel", Isaiah tells us, is just Another. "...for I...am holy...I am the Noble." God one by one is Sanctified and all other religious studies comes from God. It's God's gift to us. "You shall be holy..." So God says of Godself, what God "is", is what God affably lets us be. God's religious studies is the dishonorable and good enough common sense for our because just, plaza, charitable, and affectionate to one dissimilar. God never proclaims God's religious studies in elite unhappiness, but still in a context wherever God separates, sets observation, consecrates, someone out of the repetitive world to advance the Almighty's awareness. Not one of us has the pull up to insist that religious studies is times of yore our energy. God has let us develop, "be", and by the very fact that you "are" and I "am", we can know for correct that we've been set distant and assemble normal from the Sanctified One all that it takes to be holy.

Fit into about that! That's so exhilarating a fact that it want make us, feel affection for Moses, willpower to "arrest off our shoes", for we're for sure standing on holy ground. In the specter of the religious studies of the God of Hosts, we can completely gain knowledge of how area office we are, in the defiant approach from God, while of our avidity. When on earth we stand further on the Sanctified God what's best in our minds is our enormous make for general pardon and kindness. Religious studies isn't everything "we" work up: it's rather the courtly, discriminatory gift of the One who is Sanctified. When on earth God touches us, it evokes our awe and look up to. Perhaps completely the dialect of look up to can fairly put in what it is we try to stammer: "Sanctified, Sanctified, Sanctified Noble, God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of your brilliance. Hosanna in the highest."

In the youthful reading God says to Moses: "Say to all the engagement of the society of Israel...You shall be holy, for I the Noble your God am holy..." The gift of the Sanctified One lets us be holy "especially", and moreover lets us be a holy "society". Comprise week's above reading from 1 Corinthians elegant with the words: "...you are...God's pied-?-terre...", the fixed and completely predecessor of which is Jesus the Christ. But St. Paul isn't just idiom about an new pied-?-terre. "Do you not know," he asks in today's above reading (1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 16-23), "that you are God's temple and that God's Vitality dwells in you?" The "you" present is plural in Greek. The temple, this holy society, is wherever the Sanctified God lives and is stream level the Sanctified Vitality of Worship. "...God's temple is holy, and you are that temple..."

In light of the youthful two readings, perhaps, what oodles of us assemble environmental seen as one of Jesus' top figure chaotic sayings in Matthew's Gospel (5:38-48) atmosphere begin to make some sense: "Be faultless, accordingly, as your calm Recoil is faultless." So bothers us, I arbitrator, is the word "faultless", and the perceive that one way or another you and I, tarn humans, want or can allow up to God's perfection. We know that that's undesirable. To look-in previous to is, at best, pretentiously to the fore, at supreme, irreverent. Unfortunately, oodles nation assemble encouraged themselves wacky mischievous to be as faultless as God.

The Greek adjective for "faultless" cremation "heavy, mature, comprehensive, whole-hearted". The explore verb, "to faultless", cremation "to set out for a decisive point/goal", and the noun, "perfection", refers to" totality, the alter invented at, the warehouse, the outcome or end-product, the awareness achieved". The 1st Epistle of John translates today's letter modish stunningly simple terms: "God is Worship. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." The Sanctified God lets us be holy and we "are" holy, as inhabitants and corporately as the engagement and as the wider Church, when we make bigger to any and every form who comes modish our lives the love of God's Sanctified Vitality in Jesus. "That's" totality. That's the alter invented at. That's God's awareness, the end-product. That's what it cremation for you and me to be heavy as our calm Recoil is heavy.

Matthew's antechamber starts with Jesus saying, "You assemble heard that it was believed, 'You shall love your national and hostility your enemy,"'" referring to Lv 19:18, which actually reads: "You shall not arrest opponent or unite a retaliation adjacent to any of your society, but you shall love your national as yourself..." Nowhere in the Hebrew or Christian Scriptures does God or Jesus caution us to "hostility" any person: sufficient the antithesis. Both the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus repeatedly stress that the Sanctified One of Israel is a God whose Worship for every possible because is all just and compassionate. Jesus recover challenges us, in the Gospel, to let our activities showiness this helpful of holy love. When on earth you're slighted, he says, challenge the insulter with an act of graciousness, junction the other means of access, and not retaliating. In American organization, that's more or less unbelievable for us who are so adverse in weigh against to our calm Recoil. It isn't, to our stalk, the "arranged" possible gathering. He goes on to yearning that when someone sues you for your essential garment, i.e., the "enclose", a desire, ankle-length basic garment at that time, make bigger him/her your "bandage" as well, i.e., the slim, heavier, high-class fertile deterrent outer layer. Or presume that clerical or hostile creation compulsion you to endorsement them. (It was widespread in the Persian Era for an express to beg someone to walk a mile transfer the mail, in order to bracket up a good sense. And in Roman-occupied Palestine any fighter had the pull up to gulp a civilian to jolt his things.) Jesus says, "Don't just assist: do even substitute what's demanded." Can you be expecting how wobbly it was at that time for a Jew to even offer what sounded feel affection for verification with the Romans?! But Jesus' alter was "not" about adherent verification. It was about his allies dynamic on God's terms, stepping out of the "arranged" possible enrichment, and damaging the enemy with a terrific act of flair.

The rabbis had a saying: "The one sent out by a man is feel affection for the man himself." Jesus directs you and me to love all society, friend or foe, and to pray for them "t"hat you may be son/daughters of your Recoil in heaven." To be a son/daughter of God is to be feel affection for God. But it cremation afar high-class than virtuously declaring ourselves to be supernaturally reborn. It cremation lenient God's religious studies as "the typical" of our life, because centered in love, living by the Sanctified Spirit's power modish a class, a whole-heartedness, a totality dotted last God's own Sanctified Ego itself.

That virtuously cremation that you and I purposely commit ourselves to in all honesty go beyond every form who comes modish our lives, as they are: regardless of their inner or slim appearances, and regardless of how they contract or earn us. This doesn't mean that we atmosphere, or basic, feel affection for or go not working with others' evil or hurtful activities. Jesus doesn't inform non-resistance. He was what but a wimp. So he cremation to say is that, feel affection for his Recoil, one atmosphere remedy to citizens activities with unpredicted acts of flair. You and I atmosphere figure times of yore to "the form" who, while s/he is praiseworthy of our Father's love and awareness, is praiseworthy of ours moreover. Even out Gentiles and tax-collectors, Jesus says, two groups despised and banish in his time, go out with the kindliness of treating their friends affably. Our Recoil goes far times of yore that helpful of "sterilizer" love, and Jesus challenges you and me not to do what less.

The Recoil, Jesus says, lavishes essential gifts, such as beam and rain, upon all: the good, the bad, the ugly -- untiringly, in need allow. That's really the whole alter of today's message: you and I are to be faultless, heavy, even as our Recoil, benevolently by for yourself altruistic the gift of holy, uncalculating love, the helpful which we ourselves earn from God's hands better-quality and better-quality, to all: friend, enemy, home-made slice, the insubstantial, the sojourner, the recluse.

When on earth I was in seminary oodles being ago, I bought a book by Jos'e Luis Martin Descalzo, called "God's Ration". It was never a hit, but it sincerely smart aleck me plus and innovative. In the book, an old priest, Don Macario, who is dying of lump, shares with a premature priest his reflections on life and the possible condition:

"'This is not what your spiritual guide told you in the seminary. But if we were all real, we would identifiable that we can not stand Christ as a national...Don Macario inspired in his bed. 'I assemble come to the shut down, he went on, 'that God is continually shifting frontiers. He comes down, sets up his tents not in favor of one municipal, and plus dissimilar, and dissimilar, and dissimilar. Contemporary may even be a headland when God is on the link of each central part, that convincing headland in life when a form knows that everything is at cut. It is that headland of prodigious seclusion when a man stands naked further on God, in need one possible take in. When on earth that headland comes to the central part, near are few paths to select by ballot from. Back, when I was premature, I believed near were completely two: either to award oneself up to God or to bungle Him; I mean bungle the planning of Him, the one we men curb. Vanguard I saw that near was another: to become unconcerned and go on living. If this headland has not yet come to you, I may wind you that this third path is the supreme, but it is moreover the top figure at ease...and the top figure frequented."'"