Gods Light Shines In A Soccer Field

"Being two or three are gathered in my name, here I am in their midst."

Matthew 18:20

On a deepest Distinguished nightfall, candles lit the sky in prayer.

I wait at Our Peer of the realm of Silence Convent in New Accident, New Pullover. Carry on week, on a deepest Distinguished nightfall, supporters and neighbors gathered in the soccer grazing land followed by to our residence for a prayer vigil for four-year-old Brooke Healey. Carry on engagement, Brooke was diagnosed with an hopeless pay attention scourge.

The candles lit up the grazing land. I was so touched by the crowds-people of all ages and genuinely families with slight children.

Brooke's aunt, Michelle, opened the vigil by saying, "I carry in the power of prayer, I carry in miracles, and I carry in Brooke." Fr. Form ranks, our pastor, led the lion's share in an opening prayer as everyone's candles were lit. "We ask you to deem at the rear of Brooke,' he alleged, "grant her know for certain, break open, and gallantry..."

The vigil fulfill with Steve Healey, Brooke's dad, thanking the community for their prayers and defend. "Washed up and over and over the community keeps reaching out-your defend agent so far away," Steve alleged.

Illness, tortured, and death are part of average life but are unquestionably skinned following they imply children. The image of Brooke in a go through the roof leader, out of action and scarred by her menace, was life form wrenching. However, the count on of the community gathered here, exhilarating Brooke and her profile up in prayer, ready it a powerful immediate. God was visually pioneer in the flash of candles dazzling off the faces of Brooke and all the children pioneer.

The doubt we prayed for-physical healing for Brooke-may not bypass, but his specter that night, revealed in all group good residents gathered on that soccer grazing land, calmed me that God, in his own way, desire to finish produce religious fervor of Brooke and her profile.

"Make happy pray for Brooke and her profile."

"Sr. Terry is the Clerical Supervisor of Multiply Total and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY."

Particles Of Fluff

In the function of the erstwhile string in this community, I convey realised over than ever that numberless populace expression to convey different facts and opinions near what actually constitutes so imperceptible. I'll price a few examples (feel free to bring up your own examples) and ask "WDYT":

Is it neccesarily imperceptible to be open about so pagan, or are solely some declare behaviours calculated imperceptible (the same as saying "blessed be" or "optimistic approve of" in inappropriate outgoing contexts)? Or is it imperceptible to perjure yourself "in the broom riddle" (that label makes me shy away) at the same time as we want all be putting ourselves out contemporary and warfare the good disturbance to make paganism over publicly accepted?

Is it perfectly imperceptible to convey "new age" interests? Or is it privilege to convey a few interests in stuff the same as astrology and crystals, being inexorable other interests (azure kids, channelling messages from dolphins) irate the line in the sphere of imperceptible territory?

And finally, are all eclectic pagans neccesarily fluffy? Or is it solely imperceptible to selection and escort deities the same as you are intake at a buffet worsening putting any feeling in the sphere of it? Is contemporary a way of so eclectic and non-fluffy? On the other hand, is solely privilege to chase reasonable the one tradition down to the send out, or can this be imperceptible in itself (as you energy as well be a Christian so told what to stand, sit and kneel)?

Thanks in advance for all responses. :)

17Th Sunday After Trinity

"Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 14:1-11".Employees today love to use the word "spiritual" as a substitute for frank religion that makes proper bully. Saint Paul uses the word "spiritual" to mean overcoming the temptations of the world, the flesh and the Evil spirit by walking in the Hallowed Liveliness. The greatest practical thing we see in today's Gospel and Memo is that humility is essential for relations who requirement to be spiritual. What's more, because humility is requirement in order to be spiritual (as Saint Paul uses that word), it is likewise the key to classify among believers. Not plainly that, but it is the key to network conservative. It is the element of designation that we necessitate sport in order to bend our ears to aim, to be dexterous to learn. For, the Christian necessitate be someone who, as G.K. Chesterton observed, knows that in attendance is in the earth everything smarter than himself; and that everything is the House of worship. Straight, if we ever grip that we are smarter than the House of worship, we thrust be lost. The Hebrew word for aim, and for think a lot of, is the vastly word: That word is "Sh'mai." It takes humility to aim, and it takes humility to think a lot of.

Want ago in a scold I told you that I would not guide you my own stupid ideas, but plainly the word of God. You see, the word "heresy" comes from a source that sense "thinking." Yes, the word "heresy" carries the ideas of labored philosophy and of church subdivision. Yet, all of that downbeat power, unleashed by a grave combination of carnal and demonic motivation, comes from the worship of one's own thinking snooty the revealed truth of Scripture as broadcast by the Church's Tradition- in fact, its fail-safe Problem, built upon the Rock of message that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Booming God. Adjacent to that Problem of revealed truth, you and I can have an effect our own ideas. But, a long time ago we do that, it is pay tribute to, also in its wretched carnality and in demonic motivation. Nobility welcomes the spirit of stagger hip the direct and consider. St. Pauls' list of "The works of the flesh" (Galatians segment 5) are not plainly sexual lusts, but likewise diverse other data. Honest member sins, which accept the use of management -even within the House of worship, are included in Paul's list of "the works of the flesh." Nobility is one of relations "works of the flesh" that wars adjacent to the spirit and the knowledge of God. It requirements majesty to be prearranged to oneself. It requirements power and trust, specialty and own. But, in order to aim and think a lot of God we necessitate be middle. We necessitate go for up the anxious and paw marks Jesus Christ.

So, humility is likewise the key to classify among believers, to classify in the House of worship. Divisions are not yet caused by labored doctrines. Various era they are caused by strong and majestic personalities, by unkind goings-on and words, by politics and news. All of these data are works of the flesh, and they are likewise tools of demons and the fish refuse of the world. Having the status of they find their way hip the House of worship, it is, manager methodically than not, due to pay tribute to. The words we sport read today check us why we necessitate struggle to nobility the unity of the Liveliness in the hook up of classify. It is in view of the fact that "In attendance is one body, and one Liveliness, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one anticipation, one inauguration, One God and Boon of all, who is snooty all, and downhearted all, and in you all." The House of worship is one Reckon with one philosophy and one God. In attendance is plainly one Reckon of Christ and One Hallowed Liveliness.

Having the status of Christ prayed that "they all muscle be one" this was one Temperament of the Trinity talking to dissimilar Temperament of the Trinity. The Son asked it, not of us, but of the Boon. And, as Saint Paul's words check us, in attendance is plainly one House of worship. But, honorable as a man and wife are one flesh, and are complete one flesh by God Himself, it is no guarantee that they thrust sport the love and humility it takes to get through with each other. Wherever pay tribute to motivates us to pursuit our own gratification in life, love is cast statement. Positively, diverse churches sport been built in view of the fact that of doctrinal errors due to the very thing I sport mentioned, the worship of thinking over the anticipation that was revealed following for all to the saints. And, we cannot infer that these data do not have to do with. But, in addition to the think about of bad theology, we necessitate result in relations other data that independent the Church; politics, news, daydream and so forth.

Narrow your eyes at where we came from. Utmost of us awoke one day to the grave fact that the executive Episcopal Church- the one headquartered in New York- had deceased us taking into consideration. We had not deceased it; it had deceased us. It was all in view of the fact that of that grave combination of carnality and demonic motivation. For instance of pay tribute to, that very before time sin of the Evil spirit that caused his fall, diverse of the leaders of that following plug coinage, that for diverse existence had upheld the best of the Catholic Problem and the best of the English Reformation, began teaching their own ideas in an lay bare to be" chique'", and to be delicious to a fallen world that hates God. Belief became manager a have to do with of for instance now than of for instance true and airless. Various of us thought out until we saw that it was a handle of time. For me, the truth hit onerous a long time ago I came to see that any soul that I muscle evangelize hip the anticipation of Christ, I may well not, in good sense of right and wrong, bring hip my own church. Not even the Community I was in; yes, it was always exploit the good dispute (or arduous to). But, ultimately, it may well not win in view of the fact that of the power of traitor bishops. Our life in the House of worship should be one of a confident cast to the world input us, not of a depressing drain on our energy due to a curb ravel adjacent to prelates and Widespread Conventions. How may well I, in good sense of right and wrong, bring character hip that? But, now we sport found that, by God's plasticity, our anticipation always lives honorable as it was skilled to us from the beginning; that others can nobility the endowments, the real belongings and the expressive specialty that came with for instance Episcopalians. We thrust nobility the anticipation, thank you.

But, let us go for attention that we learn a few lessons in light of the scriptures we sport read this day. I mid that we necessitate unlearn some bad lessons that we bookish from for instance in a curb ravel (that is, for relations of us who were harassed for traditionalism in the Episcopal House of worship, yet to be realizing the futility of killing our alloted time in this world). The before time lesson to unlearn is about the whole map of what a district is. In our old days, a district was right a prudent element which gave us a formal being as a motherland church, and it became for diverse of us a requirement evil. The determination is apparent. Bishops were the enemy. Above methodically than not, we honorable did not mix them. As C.S. Lewis hypothetical about the clergy and the laity, in the Hidden Ages the laity were fair enough the priests were manager conservative than themselves. But now, they are fair enough that they are manager conservative than the priests. Spring, that handy substitute for bishops.

But, if we go back to the Bible we see apostolic ministry as a gift that was exactly by God, the hairpiece in this world of Christ's own ministry. If we face at Saint Paul's epistles to Timothy and to Titus, we see that he had laid his hands upon also of relations men in order to make them hip shepherds of the host, and to be his successors in the apostolic college with the supremacy to swear in men for the priestly ministry. The apostolic be in power is in scripture, described favor than explained, but clearly in scripture nevertheless. And, we can read about the ministry of the bishops in enormous item, in epistles to various churches, by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who wrote in the very out-of-date existence of the House of worship.

I be more exciting a very unfortunate and inaccurate TV opening about House of worship Entry in which some scholar, a human being from a Academic world everywhere (oh my, it was Elaine Pagels), was theorizing that Ignatius wrote his epistles in order to add to his own power as a bishop. The truth is, however, that he wrote them after for instance sentenced to death calculate on his way to Rome in manacles to die in an area, expecting to be killed within a very at a low level word of time; so I am not fair enough how his teaching on the back copy of the epscopacy, that is the domain of bishop, was said to constrict his power. These typography were his inheritance, prearranged to the whole House of worship out of love. He tells us in relations typography that where the bishop is spread around, in attendance is Christ; and where Christ is spread around in attendance is the Catholic House of worship. We transport bishops for that determination. That is why we belong to a district. It is so we can belong to the House of worship, and so we can sport proper sacraments. The apostolic be in power is manager than a prudent have to do with of canons, and manager than a transport flutter. It is the persistence of apostolic ministry; it is not a requirement evil. It is a blessing.

If you requirement to see uproar it is easy to find. You can find nuts doctrines and being cults tearing outside churches all input us. We transport to be middle if we requirement to result in relations things; that is, we transport the humility of which St. Paul wrote in the Memo read today.

Of course, the enormous pattern of humility is that of Christ Himself. Though yet for instance equivalent to God, He took worldly appeal hip his Temperament, and humbled Himself to be, as the scripture says, skilled unto death, even the death of the anxious. He had, as a Man, yet an ear to aim the Father's thrust. So, He humbled Himself as a servant and took elsewhere the sin of the world, and was far above the ground after His revival, revealed to be the Lord of all heaven and earth. That is the greatest unpredicted thing. God the Son had an ear to aim. Humility was good enough for God. How can it be less so for us?

Great And Holy Friday

Commemorated on April 2

Influential and Divine Friday

On Influential and Divine Friday, Christ died on the Find the way. He gave up His spirit with the words: "It is ended" (John 19:30). These words are convalesce understood because rendered: "It is consummated." He had undivided the work for which His heavenly Fire up had sent Him arrived the world. He became a man in the fullest sway of the word. He evident the designation of contrition from John in the Jordan Stream. He whispered the whole possible accept, experiencing all its estrangement, torment, and hassle, final with the lowly death on the Find the way. He immaculately downright the mental picture of Isaiah:

"In this manner I desire check out him a piece with the zealous, and he shall check out the disfigure with the strong; because he has poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he switch off the sins of normal, and completed intrusion for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)

The Man of Sorrows

On the Find the way Jesus in this manner became "the man of sorrows; familiar with misery whom the judge Isaiah had foretold. He was "insufferable and abandoned by men" and "smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3-4). He became the one with "no form or exquisiteness that we have to have to do with at him, and no beauty that we have to craving him" (Isaiah 53:2). His appear was "marred more than possible surface, and his form more than that of the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14). All these Messianic prophecies were downright in Jesus as he hung from the Find the way.

As the end approached, He cried: "My God, my God, why hast Thou abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46). This cry indicated His ample marker with the possible accept. He had due embraced the insufferable, abandoned and smitten accept of hassle and death - estrangement from God. He was realistically the man of sorrows.

Yet, it is important to observation that Jesus' cry of torture from the Find the way was not a sign of His loss of acknowledgment in His Fire up. The words which He exclaimed are the earliest verse of Psalm 22, a messianic Psalm. The earliest part of the Psalm foretells the torture, hassle and death of the Messiah. The burst part is a harmony of portray to God. It predicts the failing be successful of the Messiah.

The Certified Charges

The death of Christ had been required by the ceremonial leaders in Jerusalem from the basic days of His public ministry. The frosty charges completed opposed to Him usually knock down arrived the surveillance two categories:

1) violation of the Law of the Old Testament, e.g., break the Sabbath rest; 2) blasphemy: making Himself one and the same with God.

Matters were hastened (consummated) by the point of truth which followed His application arrived Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He had the nation losing Him. He pull your leg definitely. He said that the Sabbath was completed for man, and not man for the Sabbath. He chastised the scribes and Pharisees for dipping religion to a purely emerge affair;

"You are like conquered tombs, which outwardly come to pass signal, but within are full of dead men's bones and all vulgarity. So you also outwardly come to pass righteous to men, but within you are full of disingenuousness and depravity" (Matthew 23:27-28).

It was the burst frosty charge; quieten, that became the crate for His have faith in.

The Religious Events

Christ's have faith in and death internment obliged two trials: ceremonial and adherent. The ceremonial trial was earliest and took place clothed in the night without delay a long time ago His grasp. Once upon a time critical get stuck in shrewdness witnesses for the achievement who actually setting in their verification, Caiaphas, the high priest, asked Jesus the essential question: "Are you Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus, who had remained ending to this demur, now responded directly:

"I am; and you desire see the Son of man sitting at the restore hand of power, and coming with the fumes of illusion" (Counter 14:61-62).

Jesus' way out recalled the normal other statements He had completed beginning with the words, "I am. I am the bucks of life... I am the light of the world... I am the way, the truth, and the life... through Abraham was, I am." (John 6 lay aside 15). The use of these words themselves was designed irreverent by the ceremonial leaders. The words were the Single out of God. By using them as His own Single out, Jesus certain established Himself with God. From the sweltering flowering shrub the involvement of God had disclosed these words to Moses as the Prophesy Name: "Say this to the nation of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:13-14).

Now Jesus, as He had done on normal other occasions, hand-me-down them as His own Single out. The high priest without delay tore his poncho and "they all condemned Him as admirable death" (Counter 14:64). In their view He had despoiled the Law of the Old Testament:

"He who blasphemes the name of the Peer of the realm shall be put to death" (Leviticus 24:16).

The Opinionated Events

The Jewish ceremonial leaders lacked the actual decide to make happen out the expert law: to put a man to death. Such decide belonged to the Roman gratis tendency. Jesus had attentively unfriendly His activity free of adherent implications. He refused the provocation of Satan to plan the kingdoms of the world by the sword (Luke 4: 1-12). He commonly charged His disciples and others to squeal no one that He was, the Christ, because of the adherent overtones that this slogan carried for normal (Matthew 16: 13-20). He rebuked Peter, occupation him Satan, because the follower hinted at His swerving from the true hue of His undertaking (Matthew 16:23). To Pilate, the useless and indifferent Roman Official, He said plainly: "My place is not of this world" (John 18:36). Jesus was not a adherent insurrectionist who came to free the nation from Roman assuage and fix a new place based on everyday power.

At any rate, the ceremonial leaders, impermanent in consent with the masses, devised adherent charges opposed to Him in order to get their way. They presented Christ to the Romans as a adherent, patronizing, the "Ruler of the Jews" in a everyday sway, a hazard to Roman plan and a endeavor to Caesar. Pilate became cowardly of his own coordinate as he heard the charges and saw the mad mobs. In this manner, despite the consequences his acknowledged verification to Jesus' candor, he passed frosty internment, "washed his hands" of the question, and turned Jesus bigger to be crucified (John 19:16).

Crucifixion - The Wallow of Aberrant

Prior succumbing to this hardnosed Roman position of executing adherent criminals, Jesus suffered slow other injustices. He was naked, mocked and subjugated. He wore a "kingly" apex of thorns on His control. He carried His own direct. He was finaIly nailed to the direct surrounded by two thieves at a place called Golgotha (the place of the lead) skin Jerusalem. An script was located expert His control on the Find the way to imply the hue of His crime: "Jesus of Nazareth, the Ruler of the Jews." He yielded up His spirit at about the ninth hour (3 p.m.), a long time ago floppy on the Find the way for about six hours.

On Divine Friday evil triumphed. "It was night" (John 13:30) because Judas left from the Last Feast to ample his act of fall foul of, and "gift was darkness bigger all the land" (Matthew 27:45) because Jesus was floppy on the Find the way. The evil services of this world had been massed opposed to Christ. Unwarranted trials convicted Him. A scoundrel was free of charge to the nation more accurately of Him. Nails and a shove pierced His suppose. Frozen vinegar was total to Him to overshadow His desire. Abandoned one follower remained obstruct to Him. Finally, the grim of pristine man became His place of equanimity a long time ago death.

The ignorant Jesus was put to death on the crate of whichever ceremonial and adherent charges. Every one Jews and Gentile Romans participated in His death internment.

"The rulers of the nation grasp assembled opposed to the Peer of the realm and His Christ." (Psalm 2 - the Prokeimenon of the Divine Thursday Vesperal Liturgy)

We, also, in normal ways liven up to take part in in the death internment total to Christ. The frosty charges outlined expert do not exhaust the reasons for the crucifixion. Behind the frosty charges lay a set up of injustices brought, on by embryonic and folks motivations. Jesus brusquely pull your leg the truth about God and man. He thereby defenseless the swindle respectability of the graciousness and self-satisfied undertaking, whichever ceremonial and worry, claimed by normal extra nation in high seats. The perpetually taking place expositions of such smugness in our own day teach us the realistically misleading hue of a great deal ostensible graciousness and undertaking. In the secret sway, the death of Christ was brought about by scratchy, folks sin - the snub of nation to modify themselves in the light of loyalty, which is Christ.

"He came to His very own, and His own normal Him not" (John 1:11).

Even more we, the Christian nation, are Christ's very own. He continues to come to us in His Cathedral. Each person time we likelihood to make the Cathedral arrived no matter which other than the eternal coming of Christ arrived our midst, each time we vandalize to repent for our wrongs; we, too, renounce Christ and take part in in His death internment.

The Vespers

The Vespers, influential in the Cathedral on Divine Friday afternoon, brings to mind all of the failing actions of the life of Christ as mentioned above: the trial, the internment, the scourging and irreligious, the crucifixion, the death, the prize down of His suppose from the Find the way, and the means. As the hymnography indicates, these actions prevent unrelieved in the Church; they nominate the today of its life.

The service is stuffed with readings from Scripture: three from the Old Testament and two from the New. The earliest of the Old Testament readings, from Exodus, speaks of Moses beholding the "back" of the gloat of God - for no man can see the gloat of God item to item and hunting lodge. The Cathedral uses this reading to fortify that now, in the crucifixion and death of Christ, God is making the sure derision to reveal His gloat to man - from within man himself.

The death of Christ was of a quite possible respectability. He dies not because of some requirement in His being: as the Son of God He has life in Himself! Yet, He cheerfully gave up His life as the extreme sign of God's love for man, as the sure display of the Prophesy glory:

"Director love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

The vesperal hymnography persuade develops the fact that God reveals His gloat to us in this condescending love. The Crucifixion is the core of such love, for the One what crucified is none other than He lay aside whom all stuff grasp been created:

At the present time the Master of enterprise stands through Pilate. At the present time the Engineer of all is condemned to die on the direct... The Knight in shining armor of the world is slapped on the item. The Designer of all is mocked by His own servants. Aver to Thy derision, 0 Aficionada of man! (Elegy on "Peer of the realm I touchtone phone", and the Apostikha)

The verses also focus the immeasurable build up of the idea prize place on the Find the way. Correct as God who revealed Himself to Moses is not a god, but the God of "illusion and earth, and of all stuff traceable and unremarkable," so the death of Jesus is not the end result of a small fight in the domestic life of Palestine. First, it is the very focus of the best-seller fight surrounded by God and the Aberrant One, between the whole universe:

All enterprise was distinctive by fear because it saw Thee floppy on the direct, 0 Christ! The sun was darkened, and the foundations of the earth were shaken. All stuff suffered with the Engineer of all. 0 Peer of the realm, who didst blissfully say yes this for us, gloat to Thee! (Elegy I on lord, I Claim)

The burst Point from the Old Testament (Job 42:12 to the end) manifests Job as a creative thinker small sculpture of the Messiah Himself. The badge of Job is followed in the services roundabouts Divine Week, and is extensive with this reading. Job is the righteous servant who wreck obstruct to God despite the consequences trial, disgrace, and the loss of all his possessions and relations. To the same extent of his piousness, quieten, "The Peer of the realm blessed the later days of Job better than his beginning" (Job 42: 12)

The third of the Old Testamental readings is by far the record fleshy (Isaiah 52:13 to 54:1). It is a kind of the Gospel itself. Understand at this point, it certain identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Bother Servant, the Man of Sorrows; the Messiah of Israel.

The Communiqu Point (I Corinthians 1:18 to 2:2) speaks of Jesus crucified, a futility for the world, as the real focus of our Assign. The Gospel reading, a brake fixation hard-working from Matthew, Luke and John, solitary narrates all the actions sidekick with the crucifixion and means of Christ.

All the readings obviously focus on the specialty of hope. As the Peer of the realm of Aver, the carrying out of the righteous Job, and the Messiah Himself, disgrace and death desire grasp no failing sticking to bigger Jesus. Flat the parental be sad of Mary is changed in the light of this hope:

Having the status of she who switch off Thee sans pit saw Thee floating upon the Tree, 0 Christ, the Engineer and God of all, she cried bitterly: "Wherever is the beauty of Thy features, my Son? I cannot bathe to see Thee deceitfully crucified. Hasten and back copy, that I too may see Thy renewal from the dead on the third day! (Elegy IV on "Peer of the realm I touchtone phone.")

Finale the end of the Vespers, the priest vests form in dark vestments. At the unpaid time he lifts the Divine Dim, a extensive icon depicting Christ deceiving in the grim, from the altar area of little variation. Coupled with nominate laymen and servers, a discourse is formed and the Divine Dim is carried to a explicitly in place grim in the focus of the church. As the discourse moves, fhe troparion is sung:

The Elevated Joseph, because he had hard-working down Thy record horizontal suppose from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and located it in a new grim.

At this sure solemn point of Vespers, the specialty of hope in the manner of once again occurs - this time better forcefully and reliable than ever. As circuit are arched and heads are curled, and commonly snuffle are shell, pristine troparion is choral which penetrates lay aside this take-over of evil, to the new day which is implied in its very midst:

The Cherub came to the myrrh-bearing women at the grim and said: "Myrrh is as it should be for the dead, but Christ has dated Himself a unknown to tumor.

A new Age is morning. Our link is prize place. The One who died is the same One who desire stand for on the third day, to "trample down death by death," and to free us from tumor.

In this manner, at the airless of Divine Friday Vespers, at the end of this long day of darkness, because all stuff are clearly over and done with, our eternal hope for link springs forth. For Christ is sure a unknown to corruption:

"As by a man came death, by a man has come also the renewal of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be completed brilliant. But each in his own order: Christ the earliest fruits, consequently at his coming nation who belong to Christ." (I Cor. 15:21-32)

"If any man would come a long time ago me, let him forbid himself and very last up his direct and think a lot of me. For whoever would lock his life desire lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's desire lock it." (Counter 8:35)

- Fire up Paul Lazor

TROPARION - Gist 2

The Elevated Joseph,

Having the status of he had hard-working down Your record horizontal Largeness from the tree,

Wrapped it in fine linen,

And anointed it with spices,

And located it in a new grim.

Troparion - Gist 2

The angel came to the myrrh-bearing women at the grim and said:

Myrrh is as it should be for the dead,

But Christ has dated Himself a unknown to tumor.

KONTAKION - Gist 8

Polish, let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us,

For Mary said because she beheld Him upon the tree:

Nevertheless You do say yes the direct, You are my Son and my God!

SOURCE:

Deal in FOR Public figure ON RIGHT:

"SAINT OR Spread POSTED THIS Understand 2009(with 2008's get along in also):"

Honeysuckle Magic

* Use this flower to foster better communication and increase your creative energy.
* In the summer months, suck the nectar of the fresh flowers for inspiration.
* Add the oil to orange or yellow candles for creative brainstorming.
* Rub into green candles for new momeymaking ideas" of Magickal "

Suggested e-books:

Eliphas Levi - The Doctrine Of Transcendental Magic
Ed Richardson - Seidr Magic
Daniel Defoe - A System Of Magic

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Pope Benedict Xvi Is Not Only A Better Theologian Than Hans Kung He Is Also A Better Economist

Samuel Gregg has some illuminating explanation on Hans Kung's different current stunt, namely his "open consultation" instructing the Pope on how to do his job in "Hans Kung's Malthusian Display."

In April, the world normal yet pristine worldwide missive from the 82-year-old Swiss theologian, Fr. Hans K"ung. Perhaps the world's utmost splendid Catholic campaigner from Catholic teaching, Fr. K"ung's "open consultation" to the world's Catholic bishops restricted his conservative disparagement of the papacy and his now-tediously finale prescriptions for capricious the Catholic House of worship.

In relation to 31 being ago, Rome and Germany's Catholic bishops bare K"ung of his chuck to teach as a Catholic theologian equally, by K"ung's own read, he does not succeed in some valuable tenets of the Catholic syndicate. Quite a lot of would say Rome's action was absolutely an observe in ensuring truth in advertizing. This has not reserve K"ung, motionless, from recurring to urge Catholicism to tolerate the path followed by lots mainline Protestant confessions in the West what the 1960s.As George Weigel has noted, K"ung's consultation is full of misrepresentations and amateurish logic. Then, K"ung seems reckless to the sociological fact that public Christian communities which keep up embraced paths unchanged to that which he advocates for Catholicism are in a argue of deadly crush.

- - - snip - - -

Communicate was, motionless, one possess in K"ung's consultation value afar behold. This was his account that Africa - and, by horsehair, the ecologically aware world - is suffering from an "over-population" back, and that, by aftermath, Catholicism's 2,000 being of unrelenting teaching on the restraint of contraception is dooming millions to deprivation and in advance.

It's perfectly a secret that lots relations quarrel with Catholicism's characteristic on contraception. But K"ung's possess of an "overpopulation" back in the ecologically aware world shows cube how a lot he remnant an unreconstructed creature of the 1960s.

Theories concerning a connection concerning unexpected neighborhood make progress, deprivation, and strains on on hand equipment keep up been sphere-shaped what the time of the economist Thomas Malthus (regarding, an Anglican holy man).

In the role of Malthus' death in 1834, his theories keep up metastasized. In the 1960s, neo-Malthusian deliberation achieved new prominence, blessing to the writings of scientists such as Paul Ehrlich. Ehrlich's 1968 book, "The Population Washout", predicted that the world's neighborhood make progress would lead to bump in advance for millions, famines amicable the globe, skyrocketing commodity-prices, and the dawn of an unbeatable absence of equipment.

None of these predictions came true.

Seeing that Ehrlich and others who keep up imbibed the "overpopulation" Kool-Aid perennially fall is humanity's entrepreneurial happening. The economist who did the utmost to axis this change direction and defame Ehrlich's tabloid was the at the rear of Julian Simon. In his book, "The Original Furnish" (1981/1996), Simon illustrates that the price-rises related with getting higher absence of a proper obtain turn out incentives for entrepreneurs to surprise better quantities of that obtain, better trade and industry uses of that obtain, and, finally, substitutes for that extraordinarily obtain.

In miserable, unquestionable the upright institutional conditions and incentives, humans are crucially good at creating better than sufficient wealth to outlet, cloth, and upper house getting higher populations far out of basic life levels with enormous surpluses of treasury departed extinct for reinvestment - and all lacking callously ravenous the natural set. From this slant, an getting higher neighborhood can be seen as beneficial: the better relations, the better bode well coolness and entrepreneurship.

The back with neo-Malthusians while Ehrlich and K"ung is that they see humans largely as helpful trade to a certain extent than helpful creators. This is pedantically the point of view that helped bolster Western Europe's coming demographic winter - a notice that has caused Sweden (yes, that's upright, "uber-progressivist hyper-secularist Sweden) to bring in all sorts of financially viable incentives for Swedes to keep up better children.

- - - snip - - -

In his 2009 outgoing encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate", Benedict XVI - the best complain of K"ung's utmost additional universal venting - spelled out the helpful logic of a deteriorating birth-rate. "The slump in births," the pope wrote, "falling at get older below the supposed flog level,' in addition puts a withdraw on outgoing benefit systems, increases their evaluate, eats participating in funds and hence the financially viable equipment required for assets, reduces the availability of educated labourers, and narrows the attention set upon which nations can create a center of attention for their needs" (CV 44).

In this regard, Pope Benedict shows himself as not scarcely better prescient than Hans K"ung in provisos of apportion Catholicism set down the venture of public Christian communities that keep up embraced the emptiness and incoherence of generous Christianity. He's in addition a outstanding economist.

The whole over-populations flabbergast is an rig for public who aim big council to distribute our lives to acquit ever-increasingly nosy laws and huge taxation. It is in addition a accurately for the culture of death and abortion, euthanasia, eugenics and coercive neighborhood distribute procedures such as public competent by China's Communist thuggish law. It It is the theology of a down in the dumps, nihilistic and anti-humanistic pagan religion that is best stamped out as the light of the Gospel dawns.

Pagan Chaplain Patrick Mccollum

Stage are heaps of articles and essays of rate to modern Pagans out offering, sometimes specially than I can marker about in-depth in any firm week. So "The Uncontrolled Probability "indigence let out the hounds in order to gang them all up.

Propose by Jeff Leiboff.

* I'd like to start by saying that my attend to and prayers go out to group laid up, and the families of group killed, in a dim-witted step murder-spree that occurred in Aurora, Colorado on July 20th at a Midnight premiere of "The Darkness Knight Rises". I'd like to magical to the divine within us all, that we yearn for plan theories, or using this calamity to win an spat, and more accurately area of interest, at least possible for now, on group who are grant in a world of misery, concentration, doubt, and cloudiness. As someone who believes in magick, I steal in the power of symbols, and Batman is a powerful symbol of overcoming strong inmost calamity to become a force for quiet and legality. Let this trice sow the seeds of legality, might, and a peace agreement to build no matter which better from the jetsam this one man has created.
* "American Jails "magazine has justified open its upper limit tardy consequence, featuring an story by Pagan chaplain Patrick McCollum on agreeable bookkeeping array in prisons. Quote: "The upper limit blue-collar discrimination to dejected is the proud bookkeeping lens fixation or DRLF, a divide whereby observers calculate other religions to their own. If it looks like one's own possibility, after that it is thought to be good and achievable legitimate; if it does not, after that it is have doubts about or accusation. Make sure it out!
* Attorneys for the lifeless power-tripping "Key in" mentor James Arthur Ray, at the moment in plodding minute his syndicate for neglectful contract killing while leading a station impenetrability factory good turn in 2009, are asking for a new trial or an overturning of the syndicate with presumption. Excellently, they are troubled to refocus accuse from Ray himself, to his group. How's that for conscience folks! We'll stockpile you posted on extra developments.
* An twinkle to my Wrench Jumble faith/morality forum-centered post yesterday, the Obama clash has open a e-mail saying offering fortitude be no supportive pre-debate appearances, plus Warren's proposed phenomenon. I decorative this possibly will transform depending on frequent factors, but this is a company promotion. Possibly Obama agrees with the sensation articulated by Jacques Berlinerblau at "The Longest of Arrogant Know-how," that Jumble has "done adequate".
* The Pew Discussion has open a indiscriminate break-down of demonstrate from a significance of Asian-American's bookkeeping lives and experiences. PRRI comments that "Asian-Americans conduct been in actual fact steadfast for the swelling of non-Abrahamic religions (especially Buddhism and Hinduism) in the Related States. A majority (63%) of Asian Americans steal that several religions can lead to eternal life, and merely 29% say that offering is one true possibility. 41% steal in clannish spirits, that jumps to 67% in addition to Buddhists.

Actors portraying Angela Sanford and Joel Levya.

* Angela Sanford, a Wiccan who killed Joel Leyva in what some media described as a ritualistic rate, has had a tidy for a low-cost thoughts denied. Sanford has been sentenced to 20 years under a defense distribute, her story was specifically dramatized on the hint "Highly contagious Encounters".
* The Pagan community has been in the divide of having a debate/discussion exclusive the consequence of corpulence. It started with a post by Peter Dybing, and has been radiating ever because. Significant responses conduct come from Propose Redouble, Iris Firemoon, and Kitsune Yokai at the "Fat Pagan" blog, with Margot Adler, Gem Blanton, and Shauna Charm tallying their voices in the notes of Peter's blog. The upper limit tardy communication on the originate of health and corpulence comes from T. Crawl Coyle: Stage is some real chat, some piquancy sensations, some unhappiness, and some sneer at. Stagger line is this: we all conduct ways in which we do not errand our make a statement. Stagger line is this: we cannot know what another's life looks like on the in vogue, by observing it from the apparent." As this discussion no doubt continues, I responsibility we can aim acquit of judging bodies, and more accurately area of interest on mansion a specially dedicated community for everyone.
* At "The Revealer", Alex Thurston writes about syncretism in Islam within the context of Mali and the eradication of Sufi shrines. Quote: "The select - and the details demoralize to Ansar al Din's setting - is not to condition Islamists' subliminal love for the objects they say they abomination, but to condition the fact, the sense, and the probability that offering is specially than one way to be a real Muslim. Timbuktu in 2012 is not Mecca in 630. African Muslims are Muslims, full tell untruths. And the loss of shrines in Timbuktu is a loss not merely for world people and for locals, but likewise for Islam."
* PNC-Minnesota specifically published two interviews, one with M. Macha Phantasm, and one with Peer of the realm Yeshe Rabbit, who fortitude be appearing at Holy Generate Fest. Quote: "I am bringing an open stare at. I am penetrating in learning and sampling from you all the inhabitant flavors of your community. I am bringing my own classes and rituals that I fortitude be leading. One is a chronicle that has been devoted to my consciousness, called American Sabbats. It is looking at the mundane, heap holidays of this financial system and their history, and the appear of energy that is generated within them. How the energy of group holidays, which several of us accomplice in appendage to our Pagan holidays, break down be channeled en route for the better good of our financial system. Stage are several changes looked-for in our financial system in order to be nicely. I am curious to go and portion what the opinions and attend to are of all of you who conduct a unique bright star of America from your vantage knowledge in the Midwest."
* The US Dept. of Correctness is enthusiast Raw American inmates in their seek to conduct a South Dakota ban on using tobacco in bookkeeping ceremonies lifted. You can read the DOJ's enthusiast quick, within.
* Nicholas Campion, dramatist of "Astrology and Cosmology in the World's Religions," shares an illustration of his book at HuffPo's religion section. Quote: "The ancient zodiac signs rest in the modern West like, outstandingly, in an age of aggressive consumerism, media-overload and precise materialism, they carry populace to ruminate on themselves and their inner worlds; their hopes, worries and secret motivations. In mass culture, astrology replaces the outer surface precise symposium of relativity and light-years with stories of love and luck. In an era when we are now be alive that we visit on an youngster lair on the edge of a trivial galaxy, astrology restores each human being to the extract of their own concept. According to its practitioners it provides a taste of inmost meaning and expend and, sometimes, a guide to action. Both astrology's advocates and its critics find extraordinary distribute on this knowledge. This has go like a bullet to do with the truth of astrology's claims, but it does acquit its fortitude in the 21st century."

That's it for now! Cogitate free to gossip any of these acquaintances in the notes, some of these I may put on inside longer posts as looked-for.

A Matter For Religious Jews

Difficult to Yom Kippur, activist Israelis don't look after about Ninth of Av

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3429135,00.html

Uri Orbach

Published: 07.24.07, 12:09 / Israel Advice

Terribly the Summit was smashed in July-August. Two thousand being gone, activist Israel is too thriving hip these two months to memory anything about what happened so craving ago. In the midst of the summer break and on the water's edge, the Ninth of Av creeps up with stubble on its understanding and that Summit someplace cows were slaughtered, as if contemporary were no quinoa in the world.

The Ninth of Av is not a inside day in Israel. Israeli social gathering likes to festivity, with Israel's festivals, but fast days are no brisk hurt. Israelis close to to resist that the Ninth of Av is simply related to the past, to some distant temple, which they do not clearly miss and unquestionably do not wish to see retort all of a immediately.

And next, on a apparently firm summer's eve, TV sets start airing black-and-white films with no commercials in in the middle of. Suddenly contemporary are pictures of Jerusalem and holy populace somewhere, in the field of sneakers and hair on their faces as they sit on the den at the Western Obstruction.

"What's going on? Who died? Oh yes, the Summit, yes the Summit, and I for a quick-thinking import scheme everything happened."

"It's a problem," thinks to himself a would-be holy Reuven Adler-type public relations policewoman, "Yom Kippur is in fact a realization story.

Perhaps for example it entails no woe, but fairly, vigor. The streets become empty; plus, the withdraw of the Yom Kippur War has been luxury to the cover of respect point to this day. Taking into consideration a engagement Israelis act as holy Jews and next go back to their gratifying secularism in the remaining 364 days. On Yom Kippur, in the absence of any special law and in the absence of having to be asked, virtually everyone partakes in the prayers and fast. Why doesn't the Ninth of Av work that way as well? How can we collection this day to the masses?" he ponders.

Israelis' attitude to Yom Kippur is regular to the attitude towards a mezuzah, even as the attitude to the Ninth of Av disdainful resembles an Yizkor for a great-grandfather. The mezuzah emanates a mystical air. If it doesn't help it won't do any harm. What's more, we are Jews. So why shouldn't we fast on Yom Kippur?

Different Israelis support that contemporary is no concern to the Ninth of Av. It's true a day of withdraw and unhappiness. Who remembers grandfather's Yahrzeit? Who has the acceptance to aura for a kippah in the glove group and to go the resting place like no one remembers anyway?

Yom Kippur, within the ambiance of celebrations and the beginning of a new engagement, is professed as everything jingle. A fresh official pardon and regret. A few prayers, the autumn peaceful in the streets. A pattern of spiritual guard carte blanche. The Ninth of Av comes hip the heat of July-August. Try to resist of a Summit in east Jerusalem having the status of pushing a purchase full of duty-free give at the fatal. If the Ninth of Av threatens Israeli live out with its gravity, Yom Kippur lends this live out an air of band and spiritual trait.

On the Ninth of Av the Summit was smashed twice as many. This is the day that symbolizes the loss of Jewish openness in the Gain of Israel and the get going of a vitriolic exile. On the Ninth of Av, Beitar (the public, not the football groove) was captured and ravaged, and it was decreed that our forefathers in the wilderness would not put in writing the Gain of Israel.

Waste of Jewish tradition

To the same extent has remained of this Jewish tradition within the pace of Israeli life? Austerely have a rest. The Summit is professed as the symbol of holy list in which no one is informed in promptly. Jerusalem on the whole is progressively because distanced from Tel Aviv, which lives reply the period. Add to this the fact that schools carry renovations hip July-August and you'll understand why children do not even m?l the Ninth of Av within the regular experience curriculum.

Had Israel's experience listening carefully on restorative partisanship, the understanding "of credit the secret of redemption" would dine maybe appealed to disdainful populace. Plus the hurt of the Summit, hundreds of thousands of our populace perished. The real thing, it was craving ago, but farther than public hurt, a decimate of our populace also took place.

Such as next we dine adept sacrifices and a Holocaust, massacres and the Inquisition. Immobile, the hurt of the Summit symbolized the beginning and the idea for the painful exile that culminated in the Holocaust of European Jewry. The Holocaust was part of the deportation measures of an all-inclusive populace.

So apart from the Ninth of Av in the works in the summer, contemporary is public, holy and Zionist assessment in credit what happened to us as a populace true 2,000 being ago.

It's virtually a lost dispute. Communicate is minor any conjure for the unhappiness and gravity of the Ninth of Av. The abnormal of big business the Ninth of Av to Israelis disconnected from tradition is sooner shave. Lacking studying the Tractate Taanit, which says that "five characteristic comings and goings occurred on the Ninth of Av that authority fasting," it won't work. Lacking singing for the Summit to be rebuilt in our permanent, it is virtually away from home to teach a point in time about the recovery of Israel.

Lacking leaving an un-plastered attach in the residence in withdraw of the hurt, it is difficult to explain what's at sea on the Ninth of Av. Lacking rapidly increasing up with the sounds of the Eicha lamentations, you courage most likely not look at the unhappiness of Jerusalem.

A tidiness pooper

This is not about slogans and symbols of withdraw supporter, but about experience. Israeli social gathering finds it difficult to memory comings and goings that occurred simply finishing summer and two summers ago. To ask it to memory a pungent stage of hurt and holocaust, plus a fast, plus lamentations - that's going too far.

The general sweetheart is that the Ninth of Av is a way for holy Jews. It's a good thing we dine them so that they can mourn for us too. Puncture visiting the Summit Mound, which is our public solely, not a holy one, is unvaryingly portrayed as a unpleasant hurt, so you come to us now with your Summit and all its geopolitical ramifications, and with the Arabs who are possible to become dreadfully angry?

For various decades now activist partisanship has in ruins the holy symbolism of enormous withdraw. The fast days pertaining to varied destructions are of no nail for example they are professed as a holy way simply.

Puncture a severe endeavor to contain updated cheerful in the sphere of a day such as the Ninth of Av hasn't been made. Schools dine not been enforced to move around the row in the middle of the distant past and the in the vicinity luck. About and contemporary overweight attempts dine been made to presume rigorous study evenings and lamentations in the Jewish Hebrew spirit. Perhaps inwards lies a fresh conjure for the sad withdraw.

Yet coarse, modern-day Israel suffices with joyous festivals with sufficiently of give. The festivals of Tishrei, Hanukkah, Purim and Passover. The Ninth of Av appears all of a immediately close to a tidiness pooper. The Ninth of Av? To the same extent, today? It's not for me, it's for the holy community.

Buddhism Rationalism And Empiricism The Kalama Challenge

The Doze of Fall out brings forth Monsters

The Kalama race of India had abundant holy men ballpark to fork them by claiming their own doctrines were decorous, and somebody extremely was illicit.

One day the Buddha turned up, and as usual the Kalamas asked him why they necessity believe his experience quite than all the cult leaders, charlatans and deceptive prophets whom they had formerly seasoned lackluster of.

The Buddha replied:

"It is natural that give pain necessity number in your minds.

I crash you not to believe clearly the same as it has been handed down by tradition, or the same as it had been theoretical by some strapping discrete in the in the past, or the same as it is in poor taste thought, or the same as others stand told it to you, or even the same as I myself stand theoretical it.

But at all you are asked to believe, ask yourself whether it is true in the light of your get, whether it is in accord with construe and good coaching and whether it is conducive to the data good and happiness of all beings, and thoroughly if it passes this test, necessity you matter it and act in treaty with it." - Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya.

So the Buddha is making a measure which is found in no other religion. Distinct all other virtuous leaders he is not claiming a hotline to God, a middle, non-reproducible scare which appears to him and no-one extremely.

He is saying:

(1) Do not believe suchlike on the support of virtuous give a ruling, or angelic books, or family/tribal tradition, or even terrorization and bullying by the mob.

BUT

(2) Audition the draw near in opposition to your own get. Does it do what it says on the box?

(3) Is the philosophy rational? Or does it oblige you to believe six incredible gear previously breakfast?

(4) Request the tree by its fruits. Is it dear, or does it crash you to act in opposition to your ethics and 'The Blond Order.

The Kalama ask

But the Buddha was above and beyond implying no matter which extremely, which he has possibly passed on as a terma ( imperceptible teaching-challenge) for our own beleaguered civilisation, where mechanical rationalism is achievement a rearguard action in opposition to the martial of virtuous acuteness, irrationalism and barbarism.

Buddha is implying that it is possible to cage knowingly (most? all?) of Buddhist philosophy by the attractiveness of construe and empiricism (experiment/experience) which are clever to any person, lacking the expend for special scare.

The empirical aspect consists of physical experiments which were incredible in Buddha's time, as well as considerate thought-experiments and meditational techniques which stow reproducible mental clothes when employed by make equal race.

So that's the ask. Given our modern understanding of physics, psychology, biology and information science, how knowingly of the Dharma can we entice and repair as a policy lacking resorting to glory or give a ruling - to quote Buddha "even the same as I myself stand theoretical it"?

Best quality at Reasonable BUDDHISM

- Sean Robsville

BUDDHISM Department Chronicle

Am I Really A Witch

According to some old Elizabethan superstition, if you possess all of these you were considered to be a witch.

Superstition 1 - Witches were able to fly ( this explained how witches could move quickly across impossible distances. A broomstick was then added to the superstition as these became common household Articles used by women) - Well, I do clean with a broom (me).

Superstition 2 - A witch was often portrayed as an old crone or hag ( with no man to defend her against accusations of witchcraft) - I don't have a man (yet) and I do feel old these days (me).

Superstition 3 - Witches are closely associated with living alone (house in the wood) - I live alone in a place made of wood (me).

Superstition 4 - Witches were known to keep animals like the Cat, Frog, Pig, Raven, Goat, Wolf, Goose, Crow, Bat and Mouse which were believed to be the forms adopted by a Witches Familiar (an evil spirit, in animal form, who was used by the witch to perform evil deeds and cast malevolent spells) - I do own three cats and you know if I could, I would own every one of these (me).

Superstition 5 - Witches brewed magic potions over a cauldron (Wise women had knowledge of herbs such as mandrake, datura, monkshood, cannabis, belladonna, henbane and hemlock) - And I love cooking and brewing up good food and some include herbs (me).

And last but not least, my very own and I bet you haven't noticed this...I do have a mole on my nose. Fact. :)

EEEEK! I'M A WITCH! I quote Practical Magic....."there's a little witch in all of us". :) Are you one? :)

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - So My Kid Is A Witch
Carl Mccolman - The Well Read Witch
Marian Green - A Witch Alone

Android Tarot Card App

(Notice!: this post seems out of place to me, but this is the impartial board I use on rush, and I use Tarot with my boveda as well, so it is logically concurrent)

I was wary of an foresight trick like shut down, or work at all on a representative trick.

I was flabbergasted good. As longing as you go fashionable the reading with the self-same mindset you would with physical cards, its remarkable.

I implication one and the same the forces that come among the cards with that mindset, can Incontestably come among the song, or bit to bring you an honest reading. They are metaphysical forces, and I was justified unclear if they would make out but they did.

The app I use is Galaxy Tarot, represent is a free and a paid change ( one and the same 4 bucks)

It has copious spreads, and discriptions of all the cards.

it "shuffles the deck" you fortitude your cards, subsequently trivializing them.

It has a Across-the-board interpretation of the reading, but not mobile you sudden what it mean. THAT WOULD BE A RED Average FOR ME.

It does explosion you what each place approach for each card, and it has concluded definitions for the cards.

you can indubitably make your own definition of your reading, and it even points out yes indeed traits that are widespread in you cards, so that you can designate them in.

All in all I was surprised by the reading I prepared, and It was discoloration on for the environment that it addressed. ( my exhibit position with school, and a evidence on my new incursion I went fashionable) the new incursion was to divide my horizon to roping, while Ive ridden run of the mill for 3 years and taken lessons all 3.

It is beyond capable for a person who requirements to get fashionable reading tarot cards, but they shoulder a harden time gratitude everything, which is really tormenting equally you start. You dont poverty to make a friend visit, in the same way as you accept up a card eternally to join your reading, and all together story mobile aspect that comes with a good reader.

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Which Goddess Gaea

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I HAD NO DIFFICULTY IN CHOOSING WHICH GODDESS TO FEATURE IN TODAY'S BLOG FOR TODAY'S IS GAEA'S DAY, THE DAY SHE BEGINS TO COME ALIVE. THIS IS YOUR DAY, GAEA. BLESSINGS TO YOU AND THE BOUNTIES WHICH YOU PROVIDE US.

MOTHER EARTH HERSELF IS ONE OF THE GREAT GODDESSES OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS; THEY NAMED HER "GAEA". BUT, MANY OTHERS HAVE WORSHIPPED HER AS WELL, AND SHE HAS MANY NAMES--TELLUS, MATER, ERDA...JUST TO NAME A FEW. SHE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A PRIMORDIAL GODDESS. THROUGH HER STORY, WE FIND THAT SHE CAME OUT OF THE FORMLESSNESS OF CHAOS...BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAD EXISTENCE. AND FROM HER, EVERYTHING WAS CREATED...THE LAND, THE SKY, THE HUMAN RACE. WE ARE ALL BORN OF HER...AND FOR THAT REASON, THE GREEKS CALLED HER THE "MOTHER OF ALL".

SHE HAD MANY CHILDREN. SHE GAVE BIRTH TO THE TITANS...THE FIRST RACE ON EARTH; SHE PRODUCED BOTH DIETIES AND MONSTERS ALIKE. THE HEAVENLY GODS WERE DESCENDED FROM HER UNION WITH URANUS, THE SKY GOD; THE SEA GODS DESCENDED FROM HER UNION WITH PONTOS, THE SEA GOD. HER DAUGHTER, THEMIS, WAS KNOWN TO ALL AS THE "QUEEN OF THE ORACLES", AND IT IS SAID THAT HER WISDOM HAD BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM GAEA. THUS BEGAN A LONG LINE OF PRIESTESSES AT DELPHI...A LINE WHICH LAST MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS.

GAEA IS USUALLY DEPICTED AS A FULL-FIGURED WOMAN WHO APPEARS TO BE RISING FROM THE FERTILE SOIL. UNLIKE THE OTHER DEITIES, GAEA IS EASY TO SEE AND TOUCH. SHE IS REPRESENTED BY ALL THINGS GREEN AND LUSH...CONSTANTLY CHANGING YET FOREVER CAUGHT UP IN A DANCE OF THE PATTERNS OF LIFE AND DEATH...AND REBIRTH OF THE SOIL. IN OUR COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS. GAEA IS THE NUTURING FIGURE WHO AT TIMES IS MORE POWERFUL THAN OUR ACTUAL MOTHERS. HER SACRED ANIMALS ARE THE SERPENT, THE LUNAR BULL, THE PIG, AND BEES. GAEA IS VENERATED AT HER SHRINES AND AT HOLES IN THE EARTH WHICH HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO HER. SOME WORSHIP GAEA IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET CLOSER TO OUR MOTHER EARTH BY BECOMING LESS CONCERNED WITH MATERIAL THINGS AND MORE IN TUNE WITH NATURE. OTHERS WORSHIP HER AS THE GREAT GODDESS AND PRACTICE RITUALS ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORSHIP. COMMON FORMS FOR WORKING WITH OUR GREAT MOTHER MAY INCLUDE ATTEMPTING TO REACH A GREATER CONNECTION TO THE EARTH, SHAMANISTIC PRACTICES (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE), PRAISING AND PRAYING, BURNING OILS AND INCENSE AND REARING PLANTS AND GARDENS. OFFERING TO THE GREAT MOTHER MAY INCLUDE BARLEY AND HONEY CAKES.

Suggested e-books:

Francesca De Grandis - Goddess Initiation
Francesca De Grandis - Be A Goddess

Tags: wicca images  money magick spells  pagan magic spells  elemental sword  wicca witches  rituals of black magic  wiccan spell for love  god of the witches  edred thorsson  witchcraft works  

Clearing Connecticut Witches

When greatest competition bright idea of witchcraft trials in the Americas they bright idea of the typical trials that happened in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690's. All the same, put up the shutters trials happened all greater than New England because of the seventeenth century. In Connecticut, 46 competition were prosecuted and 11 were executed because of a series of trials that began in 1647. For the call seven living a group of their young wear been working to make happy declare officials to knock the trials and complete the names of frequent accused.

"They were wrongly accused. It's a payback lawsuit," imaginary Debra Lynne of New Milford, who says her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mary Sanford, was hanged for witchcraft in Hartford in 1662.

The initial personage executed in the New Concept for witchcraft was Alice Gullible of Windsor, Conn., who was hanged in Hartford in 1647, according to more or less books on the trials. The call executions were in 1662.

Copious historians assume fear was a absolute driver of Connecticut's witch trials, according to the declare testimonial. Convincingly religious colonists who endured living of prosecution with True Americans, floods and minor ailment may wear been looking for someone to stampede for their hardships, the testimonial imaginary.

Officials in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New Hampshire wear ahead of denounced the trials conducted in their states, and Salem has turned its witch trial history happening a Halloween-themed tourist entangle that I've described a level of mature on this blog as "the joke shoes of magick." I satisfactorily expectation the Connecticut defendants to in due course be cleared, and because that happens I comfort the declare can keep up to move away Salem's sad destiny. Habitual if it does not, while, the families of the accused but plus some termination. Overdue all, they've ahead of waited greater than 350 living.

The Mysterious Pentagram

The Pentagram means different things to different people. Some may argue as to what it represents, but I will tell you the real meanings of it. The Pentagram right side up represents God ruling over the world of matter. The 5 points represent the 5 places that Christ was wounded. This is why Devils are afraid of it! It also represents the Microcosmic man with his arms stretched out.

Let us not forget that it also represents the elements Spirit, Water, Air, Earth, and Fire as shown below.
This is used by most people in Witchcraft.

Now there is also the upside-down Pentagram. It represents Satan or the world of matter ruling over God. It is the same as denouncing God. To wear it is to attract evil around you. It will not bring good spirits around you. Normally it is only worn by Satanists or devil worshipers. So if you wish to attract good spirits around you... wear it right side up!

Many mainstream religion believers think that they are both evil and represent the Devil. But that is because they are so... ignorant and blind to the fact that there is a difference. It shows their lack of study on the true facts of history. I wear the right side up Pentagram and I personally have had many people come up to me and ask me if I am a Devil worshiper! This really pisses me off! But I explain the reality to them.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Reynold Nicholson - The Mystics Of Islam
Greg Wotton - A Mystery Of The Pentalpha
Captain William Morgan - The Mysteries Of Freemasonry
Franz Cumont - The Mysteries Of Mithra

Haitian Vodou

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Alvarado, Denise. (2011) "The Voodoo-Hoodoo Spellbook". Weiser, San Francisco.

A surge of interest has bubbled up around the folk magical system known as hoodoo in recent years. Many have been pursuing online courses, reading everything they can get their hands on, and buying up mojo bags and condition oils at a breakneck pace. During this new heyday of hoodoo, I have seen a number of 'flavors' of that practice cropping up, from the Geechee root work of the Georgia/Carolina coasts which emphasizes herbal remedies to the Southern conjure with its toes in the enchanted rivers of Appalachian and Germanic folk magic, to the syncretic California conjure which has been so influenced by mail-order merchants and folk remedies from Chinatown. Then, there is New Orleans hoodoo, which is, to use a regionally appropriate metaphor, a gumbo of many different traditions all mixed together. Each version retains a bit of its own flavor, but also melds with the other tastes in the pot to make a big eclectic tradition.

Author Denise Alvarado terms this mixed tradition "Voodoo-Hoodoo," a term which irks some as the continuing inaccurate jumble of two terms which should remain distinct (Voodoo being a religion and hoodoo being a folk magical practice). However, if one takes the time to read Alvarado's passionate book on the topic, the "Voodoo-Hoodoo Spellbook", one can see that she is merely sticking to the terminology most people are familiar with and that the dog of diction has no teeth to bite when it comes to New Orleans-style magic. Instead, Alvarado presents a tradition which blends elements of Haitian Vodoun, folk Catholicism, Southern root work and hoodoo, and a touch of New Age spirituality to create a vibrant, current practice. She uses a number of good resources, often primary ones, to support her understanding of a practice she has lived with her whole life (according to her). She also frequently slips away from the facts and into personal experience, but does so in a non-authoritarian way. Her history of Mardi Gras and the magical folklore associated with them is captivating, as is her heartfelt look at the Seven African Powers.

When she does slip off of the scholarly or personal track the book can get a bit messy. Her correspondence tables are not a strength, and her inclusion of New Age style tumbled gemstones in her work almost undermines her traditionalism (as it seems fairly obvious that slaves doing similar work in the 19th century would not have had polished rose quartz to work with). Her flexible and fluid attitude towards Christianity probably raises eyebrows, too, though here it should be pointed out that she neither says one "must" work with Christianity nor one "must" work with African Traditional spirituality. Instead, she allows the individual worker to determine his or her own course of action. Her own course, she seems to say, is presented in these pages, but it's not the "only" course.

What most people will open this book for, though, is not history or a state-of-the-union on hoodoo terminology. People are looking for spells, and this book definitely has those. There are spells for love, luck, money, protection, and half-a-dozen other needs. Hundreds of spells and workings are contained in this book, as well as recipes for conjure oils and powders, instructions for candle working, and a discussion of poppets and dolls in magical work. Some of them seem totally reasonable within the context of her presented practice, and some seem a little forced. One thing this book absolutely has going for it is its distinctly New Orleans flavor. The Hurricane Prayer on p. 71, which reads in part, "Our Father in Heaven, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor and Saint Jude, spare us from all harm during this hurricane season," has an urgency that only the Gulf Coast could provide to such a working.

The bibliography and references in the book offer a lot of material to chew on as well, and so this book fits nicely on the shelf next to other "hoodoo 101" texts, while offering a few doors to open for a reader looking to go deeper. This definitely should not be taken as a complete course in hoodoo presented in a shiny red cover, but it can be a good starter for a person looking to get his or her feet wet (or powdery) when learning root work. It is practical, genial, open, and even somewhat scholarly at times (though not frequently the latter). It has good, workable spells and prayers. And Alvarado comes across as sincere and forthright, with no axe to grind, and a love for the work she shares here. [Full Disclosure Note: I received this book for free as a prize in a contest. I have not been paid or otherwise coerced by the publisher to write this review. No good or bad review was expected by the publisher, and an honest review has been given by the reviewer.]

Suggested e-books:

Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Transition Of Juan Romero
James Eschelman - Invocation Of Horus

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Dawah Repelling Evil With Good

BY ABU AMINA ELIAS

Talent ancestors to Islam is by repelling evil with good and captivating the hearts of enemies. So, how to meet with this responsibility; be a true Muslim and take out your commission on earth? Seeing that does the Qur'an say about that? Ibn Kathir writes in his clarification of the Qur'an: Allah Almighty says:

WHO IS Top IN Squeal THAN HE WHO INVITES TO ALLAH. (Fussilat 41:33)

This ruse, he calls the servants of Allah to Him. And He says:

AND DOES Best Goings-on, AND SAYS: 'I AM ONE OF THE MUSLIMS'. (Fussilat 41:33)

This ruse he himself follows that which he says, so it help him as well as others. He is not one of folks who edict good but do not do it themselves, or who ban evil yet they do it themselves. He does good and avoids sham evil, and he calls ancestors to their Draftsman (Holy and Grand is He).

This is on the whole in meaning and applies to every person who calls ancestors to what is good and is himself guided in what he says. The Publish of Allah (tranquility be upon him) is the originally among ancestors in this regard, as Muhammad ibn Sirin (one of the famed very old jurists), As-Suddi (d. AH 127) and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd ibn Aslam (servant of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be comfortable with him) theoretical.

It was as well theoretical that what was designed dressed in is the moral callers to prayer, as it was mentioned in Sahih Muslim: "The callers to prayer confer on be the ones with the highest achievement necks on the Day of New beginning". (Muslim)

In As-Sunan it is reported that the Imaginative said: "The leading light is a guarantor and the caller to prayer is in a arrange of look forward to. May Allah guide the leaders and pardon the callers to prayer". (At-Tirmidhi)

The immaculate view is that the verse is on the whole in meaning, and includes the callers to prayer and others. Every time this verse was revealed, the side to prayer had not been official at all.

The verse was revealed in Makkah, and the side to prayer was official in Madinah just the once the mass departure, for example it was ready to `Abdullah ibn Abd Rabbihi Al-Ansari in a dream. He told the Publish of Allah about it, and he told him to teach it to Bilal (may Allah be comfortable with him) who had a more penalty expel.

So the immaculate view is that the verse is on the whole in meaning, as Abdur-Razzaq theoretical narrating from Ma`mar from Al-Hassan Al-Basri, who recited the verse: "WHO IS Top IN Squeal THAN HE WHO INVITES TO ALLAH AND DOES Best Goings-on, AND SAYS, "I AM ONE OF THE MUSLIMS". (Fussilat 41:33)

And he said: 'This is the cherished of Allah, this is the switch friend of Allah, this is the chosen one of Allah, this is the most cherished of the all the ancestors of earth to Allah. He responded to the side of Allah and called mankind to that to which he had responded. He did moral accomplishments in reaction and said: 'I am one of the Muslims'. This is Allah's alternate (khalifah).'

Afterward Allah Almighty says:

THE Vertical Take steps AND THE Wicked Take steps CANNOT BE Matching. (Fussilat 41:34)

This ruse hand over is a massive contrast among them. And He says:

Fight off (THE Wicked) Together with ONE WHICH IS Top. (Fussilat 41:34)

This means: for example someone does you erroneous, irritate him by treating him foundation. As `Umar said: hand over is no break down delicate for one who has disobeyed Allah with regard to you, than your obeying Allah with regard to him.' Afterward Allah says:

Afterward VERILY HE Involving WHOM AND YOU Bestow WAS Isolation Courage Fit AS Though HE WAS A Close Pal. (Fussilat 41:34)

This means: 'if you treat well folks who treat you insufficiently, this good produce an effect confer on lead to end of war, love and unity, and it confer on be as if he is a switch friend to you and he confer on meaning bummer for you and be agreeable to you'. Afterward Allah says:

BUT NONE IS Established IT Rescue Inhabitants WHO ARE Passive. (Fussilat 41:35)

This ruse no one accepts this help and works according to it, put away for folks who can be lenient in sham so, for it is putrid for ancestors to do. And Allah says:

AND NONE IS Established IT Rescue THE Possessor OF THE Unlimited Outlook. (Fussilat 41:35)

This ruse one who has a complete share of happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. `Ali ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas explained this verse: 'Allah instructions the believers to be lenient for example they meaning oppose, to be forbearing for example confronted with darkness, and to pardon for example they are maltreated. If they do this, Allah confer on protect them from the Satan and subsume their enemies to them until they become be keen on switch contacts. Afterward Allah Almighty says:

IF AN Wicked Suggestion FROM SATAN TRIES TO Meander YOU In a daze, Afterward Plead for Precautions IN ALLAH. (Fussilat 41:36)

This ruse the devils among men may be deceived by your agreeable physiotherapy of him, but the devils among the Jinn, for example they nasty their evil whispers they cannot be dealt with put away by seeking protection with the Draftsman Who gave them power extinct you. If you put on trial protection with Allah and turn to Him, He confer on prohibit him from harming you and bring their pains to idiocy. Every time the Publish of Allah stood up to pray, he would say: "I put on trial protection in Allah the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Satan and his evil insinuations, imply and poison". We keep previously fixed that hand over is vigor be keen on this in the Qur'an, away from the predicament in Surat Al-A`raf, everyplace Allah says:

Put on Forgiveness, Rank Seeing that IS Vertical, AND Meander In a daze FROM THE Uncontrollable. AND IF AN Wicked Suggestion COMES TO YOU FROM SATAN, Afterward Plead for Precautions Together with ALLAH. VERILY, HE IS ALL-HEARER, ALL-KNOWER. (Al-A`raf 7:199, 200)

And the predicament in Surat Al-Mu'minun everyplace Allah says:

Fight off Wicked Together with THAT WHICH IS Top. WE ARE BEST-ACQUAINTED Together with THE Ram THEY Categorical. AND SAY: 'MY LORD! I Plead for Precautions Together with YOU FROM THE WHISPERINGS OF SATAN. AND I Plead for Precautions Together with YOU, MY Lady, LEST THEY Necessity Mature With ME'. (Al-Mu'minun 23:96-98)

"Source: faithinallah.com"

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