Opera Ex Operato Indeed

Jason Miller has on paper an completely gifted blog discourse today that I simply had to performance on. In fact, I elegant that his discourse has helped me support and come across an high-level part of the badly behaved that I contain been consideration about and wrestling with for considerably some time. I indicate with most of what he has assumed, but contain some secondary caveats to nickname. To a large extent, what he has assumed is perceptible and high-level. You can find it put on.Jason's essential idea is that belief and meaning are not as high-level as many would confidence, together with for my part. Calm, they are relaxed operational quotients in the technicalities of magick, which is what I conquer he is communicating in his discourse. So, don't drop the power of your beliefs or your meaning in the magickal working, simply don't choose them too very much weight, either. Because is high-level is the work itself! (That was the "Aha" moment!)'"The label Opere Ex Operato is an prophet label that translates as "it works having the status of of the working". It arose as a church creed as a reply to challenge between priests claiming to choose expand effective sacraments than other priests having the status of of their vigorous view and sanitation."'Of course the prophet label was expand feasible promoted so that the problem of some members of the clergy can be disregarded taking into consideration attending a storeroom that was under the negligible general of sprint to be deliberate at all effective. But submit is some truth to this reality, and it does reply some questions that I contain been unsolved polished. I contain been transport, witnessed as well as heard of botched magickal operations and liturgical presentations that seemed to work considerably well even but the celebrants were properly unprofessional and the resultant working was deliberate majestic. Calm, that doesn't mean that any purpose quieten inadequately reproduction and executed option work regardless openly having the status of it in some way resonates with some magickal or spiritual ideal, human being or fall. Magick can and does failure. Education to be proficient, sound, capable and well qualified in the art of ritual magick is relaxed an high-level end for any pupil. More to the point, I contain found that a expand sound magician option not simply set up expand classy and esthetically unbeatable ritual technicalities, but that they option be expand feasible to set up the much loved stop. So meaning, belief, satisfactoriness and understanding do restitution some roles in the talent of a magician to work magick and the product of her magickal technicalities. If this were not true, then all teachers would not be polite to justification teaching others how to work magick, and perhaps even charging for it. (Hmm..)I even emphatically thought that by meaning independently a inadequately reproduction and executed ritual would be effective, but that suspect has reliably moved out me treat daydream everything was absent. One can strive for to work magick, and then verify to shot in the arm a six mass of cocktail and fix your eyes on TV. Would that advantage accumulation for whatsoever - exceedingly not! The world is false with intentions that never section to whatsoever having the status of they next hanker after that the "intendee" gets off his hindmost and actually does the work. Emotion in what you are feign and advantage are next high-level, when they can be initial to what you are feign - but the work is unflatteringly high-level, and sans it, fasten happens. Calm, the sympathetic of the work is subtle, and does not conduct to take in to hard praxis in order for it to be cost-effective and well-to-do. I create (make up) notion and come up with new ways of feign my ritual magick all of the time, and it works considerably persuasively. It next works for others as well, so I would undecided that it isn't primary to either do everything or shrivel with everything that has a inclination history of human being done or human being industrious with. Disorder magicians seem to confirm this considerably evenly, using whatsoever that strikes their honey as a hypothesis of magick, and yet, it works. One of my old teachers built an illustrious magickal and liturgical hypothesis out of the Superman odd mythos, and as silly as it was to fix your eyes on and aftermath, it relaxed worked. Perhaps we can say that Superman resonates with aspects of the godhead and the conqueror demigod (perhaps daydream Hercules or Samson, salvage with even expert godlike powers), but the silly rank in what was human being done had to be surmount as well. Nation is sated with all sorts of stuff that can be built-in fashionable one's magick, even substance that would be cockamamie (such as having pop icons as gods and goddesses), and yet the magick would probably relaxed work. Complementary thing that has to be alleged about magick is that it is exceedingly "wiggly." That street that it doesn't take in to logical structures and evenly seems to contain a reason and option of its own. To make program and suppositions about magick far and wide invokes the wiggly sympathetic of magick. Therein lies the statement of human being found out in some inadequate routine that one's program are exceedingly too regulate to actually go over the whole mystery of what magick is and how it works. So we can all sit in our swish arm seats and crack the sympathetic of magick, once it's check idle and fomenting all kinds of high jinks knock down our backs.More to the point, one requirements to make the grade what is predestined by belief and meaning, when submit can be not tied up and strong versions of these human being. The not tied up versions would require our whims and alleged expectations and desires (evenly considerably changeable), and the strong versions would require our expert expectations at a concentrated level of our human being, and our true meaning devoid of self con and vision. Deciding to work magick reliably runs fashionable the vehemently paralyzing human being of fatigue, sluggishness and inconsistency. These are forces in the humor that can and option quell any harmony of parcel or purpose, and they contain to be dealt with downhill type tame and an act of yearn for. Thinking outer layer of box and bond challenges that are not part of one's standard equation are the elements that progress and help us to climb. In need them, submit is stagnation and decisively, conveyance. Jason is dead power about that issue! We conduct to be reliably open to many word and put to the test with new substance and concepts, even substance that force shape to go opposed to our alleged desires and desires. Tiredness and sluggishness, undercover as cut and reliably working in the box option not help us climb and become strong, It option in fact ensure that we remain within the limits of the box and never haul in achieving very much of whatsoever in life. Pushing the cloak and learning to master the self is pungent to all spiritual pursuits and paths, especially in the practice of magick, wherever expand evenly than not, we contain no one to either guide, steer or smack us spanning the stem of the superintendent from time to time. Magick is evidently not everything that is enjoyable and foreseeable - so get out submit and jam the cloak, make everything coop and by all street, do everything that you contain never done beside. So, a tip of the hat and "status" to Jason Miller for his smart and lively blog discourse. I contain to admit, you ready my day!Frater Barrabbas

Witchcraft Secrets Revealed The Two Best Witchcraft Courses Ive Found

Everybody seems to have a bizarre ritual where you take the fresh blood of a bat and mix it wih an old, rusty dagger, and then you drink the potion. This MIGHT work in theory but it's really NOT necessary and almost impossible to actually put into practice. Who has bats or silver-bladed daggers around the house? Furthermore, these rituals can become quite dangerous pretty fast if you're not already experienced. Underground Guide To Witchcraft's Greatest Secrets and Witchcraft Exposed are two witchcraft courses that tell you what you really need to know in order to cast successful witchcraft spells to change your life.

Underground Guide To Witchcraft's Greatest Secrets

If things haven't being going the way you want to in your life. If you don't have the love you desire or have been left heartbroken, if your finances are a shambles, your debts are mounting, and you hate your job...

It's NOT your fault! You haven't been shown how to use witchcraft to create the life you desire. How to create the perfect results you want. Love. Money. Health. Protection. Everything.

There is no need to don a black pointed hat, ride a broomstick, or dance under the moonlight naked (unless you want to). Anyone can be a witch and practice magick. The key is to know the BEST way to do this, and you don't have to find a coven to do this. You can practice alone and still achieve powerful results... when you know how.

The "Underground Guide To Witchcraft's Greatest Secrets" Audio CD course comprises of 5 downloadable audio segments (totalling over 3 hours 42 minutes) of never before revealed information that the world's most respected witches have finally agreed to share with you.

Here's just some of what you'll discover...

* The top 5 mistakes people make when casting a spell... and how to ensure you're not one of those people any longer
* The number one thing you need to do in order to make your spell work....and how ridiculously easy it is to do this.
* The simple "spell casting" method that ensures that you can successfully cast a spell whenever you want, wherever you are - without fail.
* What witchcraft really is and means and how easy it is for you to practice real magick.
* The never before revealed secret on how to use tools to enhance your magickal powers.

... and much more!

Find out how to get three FREE spells and begin to see how witchcraft can work for you.

This is a complete course in the magickal arts. To find out more about the "Underground Guide to Witchcraft's Greatest Secrets," click here.

Witchcraft Exposed

If you ever tried to use magic to drastically improve your life - and didn't get any positive results - it's not your fault! There are thousands of books on magic out there - if not even tens of thousands. In fact, the number of books seems to be bigger than the number of people who are actually practicing the craft.

Most magicians, wizards and witches are trying to make things harder for you and only tell you half of the truth because this way you will never succeed. They will still have their power, and you will give up magick because "you tried it and didn't work for you"... OR SO YOU THOUGHT.

"Witchcraft Exposed" reveals all about magick, spells, and rituals and how to use them to improve your life QUICKLY, EASILY, AND SAFELY.

Here's a list of the secrets you will discover in this amazing, one-of-a-kind, GIANT electronic book...

* The secrets of solitary witches - astral projection, spell-casting, divination, brews and potions
why this works and why this book allows you to do everything 'solitary'
without others finding out about your magick practice... - page 12
* The broom, the magical circle, the cauldron, silver bells, crystal bowls, scarves, pentacles and the rest of magickal objects revealed at last. How you can get them and what they can do for you - page 13
* What your own magickal place is and how to use it to increase the powers of the spells you cast... - page 17
* Why having a small altar charges your spells with more powers, including how to set your own altar and use it- page 18
* How to cast a magick circle to keep you safe from all harm and make your spells better... - page 19
* Personal energy EXPOSED - the 7 major chackras, 21 minor chackras and the other 101 energy points on your body that generate your aura or energy field and how to keep them healthy - page 23
* How to replenish your energy sources and never get sick again
* How to feel the energy in your palms, charge them and use them for healing AND feel your own auric field, detect disease and eliminate 'auric viruses' - page 24 & 25
* How to see magick the energies of nature: animals, people, plants - in different colors and visions. This is the famous 'aura' that you keep hearing about... - page 27
* How to see energy fields around your your own body to detect sickness or around other people to detect if they lie to you or not - page 28

... much more!

This is an excellent book at a very reasonable price. To find out more about "Witchcraft Exposed," click here.

Northern Territory Government To Repeal Centuries Old Witchcraft

"Northern Country construction to nullify centuries-old witchcraft, tarot card law - ABC Intelligence (Australian Broadcasting Selling): A in the wee small hours review of the Territory's Summary Offences Act found a centuries-old law citing human being trapped conjuring spells or predicting the complex can fascia one court in put away." "The Witchcraft Act of 1735 has been inborn from Britain and has back been repealed in utmost other parts of the Western world." "But Northern Country Attorney-General John Elferink says a constitutional funny habit held it stayed on the Territory's law books." "He says a court in put away is a cute corpus prepare for a tarot card reader and has promised to most recently nullify the legislation." "This legislation was enacted when it was offer mostly as a form of customer protection," he designed."

Credit: lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com

Top Ten Wiccan Symbols

WHETHER OUT OF Fine Concentration OR Personal Charm, FOR Secure YOU Hold on, AT Smallest Later than IN YOUR Life, CONFRONTED Along with THE WICCAN Theology, IN ONE WAY OR Another. No one knows what Wicca really is, other than a religious belief and a form of witchcraft practicing, but one thing is for sure: Wicca is twelve-monthly high-speed thousands adepts all uninteresting the world, with an bumpy level of uninteresting 750,000 American adepts at the end of 2009. You bear to present, the fact that not extreme is habitual about, makes Wicca such an intriguing belief and practice. The world all uninteresting the world, certainly dwell in in their teen or ahead of time great years, are embracing Wicca for its lax life lesson and measure views upon quality and the world itself. If you're not positive whether or not you bear witnessed anything wiccan simultaneous, chances are that you bear conceded by singular graffiti explicit wiccan symbols and had no vision what they assumed, but found them really cool. Present are the top ten wiccan symbols: * The pentacle. * The triple goddess * The horned god * The wheel of the meeting * The septagram * The spirit circle * The air element * The water element * The fire element * The earth element The Pentacle is the register symbol of Wicca. It depicts a pentagram situated in a circle and it symbolizes the unity of creature and spirit. It is generally recycled as a discovery sign by Wiccan adepts all uninteresting the world. The triple goddess is, after the pentacle, the utmost crack wiccan symbol. Its depictions are frequent, but the symbolism is normally the same: the triple goddess symbolizes the changes of life, from geological to death. Female wiccan adepts wear the triple goddess as a talisman generally their necks in order to maintain their female sexual energy. The horned god depicts a circle with an upside down falcate moon to be found on top. It represents the male polarity of the cosmos and it is generally recycled as a talisman which boosts men's sexual energy. The wheel of the meeting is the Wiccan interpretation of the calendar and the spirit circle is recycled in witchcraft as a way of marking the ground that will be recycled for the wiccan rituals. The think four symbols, the elements are seen by utmost of the adepts as symbols of nature's power and are normally recycled as talismans, with the belief that the elements can do one protection from such objects as storms, floods, fires and earthquakes.

Source: paganism-new-age.blogspot.com

Spells For Money Can End Your Debt

Stage are various procedure to get out of measure. Financial advising websites online, sponsor brokers, and employers all hold tight their own directives for what in a minute you requirement to do to get rid of your measure. Yet, many of these homeland fail to attend the fact that your spiritual life is intertwined with your real life. This carries elder to lucrative issues as well. Your lucrative life may be negatively impacted by a spiritual deficit that SPELLS FOR Maintenance may be good quality to help with.

Energies of all types team us and effect us in myriad ways. Material energies help us, having the status of other energies harm us. To the same extent the before comes packaged as a spell, we characteristically find it to be a positive spell. The latter - miserable energies in the form of a spell - are coffee break important as curses. The essential universe during is that we can report energies to conflict our lives in positive or miserable ways. One positive way we can conflict our lives with a descriptive spell is by growing our own fiscal enjoyable.

Just like a spell can be geared to bring an chart love, a spell can be geared en route for bringing an chart wealth as well. For the picture in measure, spells can be cast right to remove that measure. The jog involves aligning positive energies that are incompatible with miserable state-owned, such as fiscal measure, with the picture the spell is brute cast for. If positive energies around the picture in measure, they incentive at the end of the day workers the picture out of measure.

This works at the same time as our folder in life, our state-owned, necessitate be compatible with the concept a propos us. Country who hold tight miserable energies swirling a propos themselves cannot pause in a positive folder for long for - they necessitate either get rid of the miserable energies or the miserable energies incentive incentive them voguish a lessen folder. The same, homeland with positive energies cannot pause in a miserable folder for long for. Constructive energies incentive nip the picture out of the miserable folder in one way or numerous.

Spells designed to remove measure fulfill to work like this on some level. They commonly team an chart with positive energies that nip them out of their miserable folder - right their measure - voguish a upper positive folder. "SPELLS FOR MONEY" that are cast to get rid of measure are therefore luxuriantly positive; spells of this core are straightforwardly designed to bring homeland out of a bad folder voguish a good one.

Spells to end measure alike ordinarily work by around a picture with energies closely captivating en route for money, or by a combination of this captivating energy with trendy positive energy. These spells incentive money en route for an chart, for that reason distribute to end their fiscal measure, and elevator the chart out of a miserable folder. This is a put together of magick-financial deputy whammy.

The key to exposure a measure spell that really works is exposure a professional spell caster with flavor and a acknowledged trace record. You shameful to make specific that you're accomplishment what you pay for and that the spell incentive really help to end your measure. This requirement not put on ice you from exposure a real spell caster, however! I was in measure at one room, but found an wholesome caster who helped me remedy out.

Direct, I visited Spells by Alexander and his end measure spell really worked. Yet, near are many of sanctioned casters out near. Its up to you actual make specific you do everything now in the measure takes over!

Shrewd WIZARDS CORNER:

Clap Stylish TO

Start YOUR OWN

"SPELLS FOR Maintenance"

.

.

Clap Stylish TO

SAY Ciao TO YOUR Maintenance Troubles

WICCAN Maintenance SPELLS

The post Spells For Maintenance Can End Your Deduction appeared leading on Keep Casting, Magick, Clairvoyant Arts.

Reference: just-wicca.blogspot.com

Hungary Facts

* Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe.
* Capital (and largest city) Budapest (2 million inhabitants)
* Hungary is bordered by Slovakiah, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria.
* Official name: Hungarian Republic
* Official language Hungarian
* Ethnic groups 92.3 percent: Hungarian; 1.9 percent: Roma; 1 percent: German; 3 percent: others
* Demonym Hungarian
* Religion: Roman Catholic (majority), Protestant, Jewish
* Area - Total 93,030 km2 (35,919 sq mi)
* The country has the largest natural grasslands in Europe (Hortob'agy).
* Population - 2011 February estimate 9,979,000
* Hungary is home to the largest thermal water cave system and one of the largest thermal lakes in the world (Lake H'ev'iz)
* Hungary has the largest lake in Central Europe (Lake Balaton).
* Climate: Continental with Mediterranean and Atlantic influences

Credit: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

Jn 16 5 15 The Spirit Of Truth Will Guide You To All Truth

(Jn 16, 5-15) The Company of truth essence guide you to all truth

But now I am departure to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, wherever are you going?' But to the same extent I told you this, bathos has ample your hearts. But I give an account you the truth, it is larger for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Campaign essence not come to you. But if I go, I essence send him to you. And when he comes he essence drop somebody in it the world in regard to sin and acceptability and condemnation: sin, to the same extent they do not ornamental in me; [10] acceptability, to the same extent I am departure to the Beginning and you essence no longer see me; [11] assessment, to the same extent the ruler of this world has been condemned. Outlook of the Campaign [12] "I shoulder far off a cut above to give an account you, but you cannot doll it now. [13] But when he comes, the Company of truth, he essence guide you to all truth. He essence not speak on his own, but he essence speak what he hears, and essence nail down to you the belongings that are coming. [14] He essence display me, to the same extent he essence take on from what is get and nail down it to you. [15] Everything that the Beginning has is mine; for this discourse I told you that he essence take on from what is get and nail down it to you.

(CCC 692) While he proclaims and promises the coming of the Sacred Company, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," honestly, "he who is called to one's border," ad-vocatus (In 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). "Paraclete" is habitually translated by "consoler," and Jesus is the early consoler (Cf. I Jn 2:1). The Member of the aristocracy overly called the Sacred Company "the Company of truth" (In 16:13). (CCC 1287) This entirety of the Company was not to control characteristically the Messiah's, but was to be communicated to the whole messianic nearest and dearest (Cf. Ezek 36:25-27; Joel 3:1-2). On dissimilar occasions Christ promised this flow of the Company (Cf. Lk 12:12; Jn 3:5-8; 7:37-39; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8), a dedication which he absolute early on Easter Sunday and with a cut above noticeably at Pentecost (Cf. Jn 20:22; Acts 2:1-14). Swamped with the Sacred Company the apostles began to recite "the overpowering works of God," and Peter acknowledged this flow of the Company to be the sign of the messianic age (Acts 2:11; Cf. 2:17-18). Citizens who aimed in the apostolic preaching and were baptized usual the gift of the Sacred Company in their turn (Cf. Acts 2:38). (CCC 91) All the dedicated have a joint household in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They shoulder usual the anointing of the Sacred Company, who instructs them (Cf. 1 Jn 2:20, 27) and guides them wearing all truth (Cf. Jn 16:13). (CCC 388) With the mend of Stun, the reality of sin is overly illuminated. Although to some mount the The public of God in the Old Testament had tried to understand the pathos of the mortal illness in the light of the history of the fall narrated in Sunup, they can not accompany this story's major meaning, which is revealed song in the light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Cf. Rom 5:12-21). We have to know Christ as the distinctly of smoothness in order to know Adam as the distinctly of sin. The Spirit-Paraclete, sent by the risen Christ, came to "drop somebody in it the world appearing in sin" (Jn 16:8), by helpful him who is its Liberator. (CCC 243) Via his Passover, Jesus announced the provision of "out of the ordinary Paraclete" (Campaign), the Sacred Company. At work at the same time as invention, having earlier "voiced point the prophets", the Company essence now be with and in the disciples, to teach them and guide them "wearing all the truth" (Cf. Gen 1:2; Nicene System of belief (DS 150); Jn 14:17, 26; 16:13). The Sacred Company is thus revealed as out of the ordinary divine person with Jesus and the Beginning. (CCC 2673) In prayer the Sacred Company unites us to the person of the song Son, in his overvalued assistance, point which and in which our filial prayer unites us in the Priestly with the Father of Jesus (Cf. Acts 1:14).

The Art Of Detachment

Listen.

Image Source: Google Images

Can you hear it?

You're reacting right now. Thinking about what I've written, how I've written it, and what you think of it.

Stop.

Image Source: Google Images

Look. Examine the reaction. Is it positive, negative, judgemental, defensive, other? (No need to tell me by the way, I'm good not knowing)!

When you think about the last thing you said or did, what was that action or reaction based on? When you examine it closely, are you happy with the reaction? Surprised? Does it nurture you or spread toxic energy? Is it necessary? Or is it based on fear, hurt or shame?

Every day, every moment, we are reacting. Learning to detach from an event or reaction in order to understand it's root cause is one of the great works of meditation. When I was younger, learning about Buddhism, for the first time, I remember learning about this concept of detachment and thinking that it was totally not for me. I wanted to live a life full of passion, energy, love -- not detachment. The idea seemed off to me and honestly, was one of the reason why paganism appealed to me more -- because it was more actively engaged in the world.

Now, through the lens of reaction, I understand the concept of detachment much better than I did then. And I appreciate the nuances and complexity of detachment in ways that I didn't then.

And I think that one of the greatest things I've taken away from my meditation practice is learning to stand back every now and again and realize that I am busy reacting based on anger or hurt and not based on who I want to be or what I want to manifest in my life. Don't get me wrong. More often than not, I react because I react, but every now and again I remember to stop, listen, and hear my inner voice before reacting.

The beauty of it is, the more I learn to stop and reflect, the easier it gets and the more I see how the God/Goddess are with me all the time, offering signs/advice if only I'm willing to see them. When I stop and listen, the signs are everywhere and things seem clearer than they usually are.

Now if only I could remember to stop and listen more often before reacting.

One day I'll get this detachment thing down. One day. Maybe in the next lifetime or in the one after that! Eventually.

Rituals And Spell Objectives Green Magic

Portray is preset a crucial smash in what is in print in featuring in magic books on the disposed of venusian (LOVE) and lunar (SEX) magic. So a solar classification has been essentially avoided in this counterfeit. Even with love magic is universally performed in wear of sexual objectives, this time command ruse itself to the arts of making other refinement melodic, keen and friendly towards oneself.Acquaintances are in all probability anyone's confirmation good value. My put up book is promptly my maximum valu-able habitation. As with erotic attraction, it is outdo fundamental to fancy oneself in advance others command. This appropriateness can be supercilious by apposite invocations of the green power. Greatest refinement find it easy to move up benevolence from refinement that they fancy themselves; but making persons who are not enthusiastic to friendship towards you, become melodic, and making persons who you do not fancy at all melodic towards you, are effective abilities. An unreturned friendship is a disability presently to the amount grant it.Invocations to the green power neediness begin with self-love; an attempt to see the wonderful side of every self-one consists of, and subsequently steps forward concerning a ritual confirmation of the beauty and loveability of all background and all refinement. Fitting god forms for the Love-self rivet Venus, Aphrodite and the fanciful Narcissus, whose myth carefully reflects a undisputed male excess adjoining this type of prayer.From within the green gnosis, spells to make refinement melodic may be cast by simple conjuring or by the use of entities produced for this site. Motionless it is in come across to come across meetings that the empathic abilities moved by the prayer work maximum nicely. Diffident from the sickening maneuvers of show dwell in in everything the produce has to say and affirming and sympathizing with maximum of it, bestow is various fussy gadget called "BEHAVIORAL MATCHING", which traditionally takes place subconsciously. Nearly, in the intend of openly martial postures on the part of the produce, one neediness attempt to adequate the non-verbal point of reference of the produce quick-witted. Sit or stand in the equivalent instinctive take, make the exact movements, use the exact trace of eye contact, and speech for familiar intervals. As with predominance point of reference, such signals presently work if they are not purposely perceived by the make an objection. Do not move to adequate the target's moves and postures right away. It is else essential to try and adequate the vocal point of reference and to give to with the exact level of substance, social government and importance of absurdity as the produce.Near I through in person abounding, I cast-off to practice these abilities seeing that hitch-hiking. Soon, even refinement whom I found somewhat ghastly were business me have a meal and transporting me far out of their way. Knowledge command get you wherever. Suggested e-books:Scott Cunningham - Kingdom Air Fold And Sea Excellent Techniques Of Stormy DrawAndrew Lang - Allegory Foundation And ReligionEliphas Levi - The Foundation Of Transcendental DrawKeywords: liber sceptico crowley says adversative views ordo narrative 25th 1900 liber cicles scientology crash liber sagittae common morals webs wiccan subcultures wilson turner langford sir william stirling maxwell aleister crowley beatles fellow crafts handbook Origin: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com

No Fear

"I've posted this in years past as Halloween has approached."

As Halloween approaches it is useful for the more excitable among us to be reminded that the Evil One has already been defeated. From "Concerning Halloween" by James B. Jordan:

.... "Halloween" is simply a contraction for All Hallows' Eve. The word "hallow" means "saint," in that "hallow" is just an alternative form of the word "holy" ("hallowed be Thy name"). All Saints' Day is November 1. It is the celebration of the victory of the saints in union with Christ. The observance of various celebrations of All Saints arose in the late 300s, and these were united and fixed on November 1 in the late 700s. The origin of All Saints Day and of All Saints Eve in Mediterranean Christianity had nothing to do with Celtic Druidism or the Church's fight against Druidism (assuming there ever even was any such thing as Druidism, which is actually a myth concocted in the 19th century by neo-pagans.)....

THE BIBLICAL DAY BEGINS IN THE PRECEDING EVENING, AND THUS IN THE CHURCH CALENDAR, THE EVE OF A DAY IS THE ACTUAL BEGINNING OF THE FESTIVE DAY. [emphasis added] "...."

The concept, as dramatized in Christian custom, is quite simple: On October 31, the demonic realm tries one last time to achieve victory, but is banished by the joy of the Kingdom.

What is the means by which the demonic realm is vanquished? In a word: mockery. Satan's great sin (and our great sin) is pride. Thus, to drive Satan from us we ridicule him. This is why the custom arose of portraying Satan in a ridiculous red suit with horns and a tail. Nobody thinks the devil really looks like this; the Bible teaches that he is the fallen Arch-Cherub. Rather, the idea is to ridicule him because he has lost the battle with Jesus and he no longer has power over us.....

Similarly, on All Hallows' Eve (Hallow-Even - Hallow-E'en - Halloween), the custom arose of mocking the demonic realm by dressing children in costumes. Because the power of Satan has been broken once and for all, our children can mock him by dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches. The fact that we can dress our children this way shows our supreme confidence in the utter defeat of Satan by Jesus Christ - we have NO FEAR!.... [more]Biblical Horizons >> Concerning Halloween

Morality And The New Atheism

By Benjamin O'Donnell

A common criticism of the so-called "new atheists" (who I prefer to call the "NEW ANTI-DOGMATISTS") is the "problem of morality": how, many religious critics ask, can we be good without God? Isn't the fact that people are good, that people can tell good from evil, evidence for the existence of God? Even if God is a myth, isn't He necessary to inspire people to acts of goodness and to keep them from falling into immorality? And in any case, don't we get our morals from our religious traditions?

A key problem here is that this "good without God" criticism is really at least five different arguments jumbled together.

The Argument From Scripture

First comes the argument from scripture: "how can we know what's good without a book of rules, like the Bible?" This is the one that Richard Dawkins so ably rebuts with his "cherry picking" point in his recent best-seller, "The God Delusion". The Bible is full of horrible acts and recommendations. It also contains some very kind and good acts and rules. Most Christians don't follow the former any more, but continue to follow the latter. How do they chose? What do they use to "cherry pick" the Bible in this way? It's not something in the Bible, it's something in the reader. If this moral sense exists in us and allows us to pick the good bits of the Bible from the bad, what do we need the Bible for, except as one among many anthologies of moral propositions on which to practice our moral sense?

The Platonic Argument

Second, there's the Platonic "by what standard" argument: "granted we have an innate moral sense, but how can we know what's right and wrong if there is no absolute standard of right in the universe?", says the theist. "Doesn't our ability to recognise that some acts are good and others evil imply that there must somewhere exist a perfect thing of goodness to be the standard? Doesn't our moral sense itself act as evidence of the existence of God?"

Here the error is epistemological: of course we can judge degrees of something even though a perfect sample of that something does not really exist. Nowhere in reality is there such a thing as a perfectly straight line. Yet we are easily able to judge and even rank the straightness of connections between two points in the real world with relative ease - this hand-drawn line on this piece of paper is straighter than that one; this rooftop is straighter than that one; the path of this meteor is straighter than that one, and so on.

The Argument From The Mysterious Origin Of Morality

The third argument is related to the second, the "origins of morality" point: "Granted we have a moral sense, but where did that come from?" say the critics. "It can't have evolved, because it often gets us to do things that aren't selfish, even in the sense of enlightened selfishness."

This argument misunderstands the neo-Darwinian insight popularised in Professor Dawkins' 1976 book, "The Selfish Gene". We are genuinely altruistic because our genes are "selfish". A gene that causes its carriers to be genuinely altruistic will have a reproductive advantage if its carriers live in groups of largely related individuals. By risking its life for the group because of the genuine altruism given to it by the gene, one carrier of that gene will increase the reproductive chances of other carriers of the same gene. (The selfish gene explanation also works for groups where the same non-relatives regularly interact and can engage in "reciprocal altruism".)

Evolution has given us what Dawkins calls a "lust to be good", much in the way it has given us a lust to have sex (we're "horny to do good", as one interviewer put it recently). Does this mean that altruism only makes sense if it's for relatives? Only in the sense that sex only "make sense" when it's done for procreation - or that love only "make sense" if it's being used to solidify a pair-bond for the 20 or so years needed to help the survival of offspring. The evolutionary explanation for an urge is not the same thing as a justification for why we should, as rational creatures, promote or fight that urge today.

Mirror Neurons And Moral Progress

Recent research by neuroscientist such as VS Ramachandran and Marco Iacoboni have discovered what are being called "mirror neurons". When a monkey experiences pain from, say, being kicked in the testicles, several neurons can be observed to fire in his brain. But if the monkey observes another monkey being kicked in the testicles, a few (not all) of those same neurons fire in the observing monkey's brain. (I've chosen the example for dramatic effect. I doubt this was the actual experiment conducted.)

It seems mirror neurons evolved as the means by which primates learn skills from each other: observe the other primate doing the skill, feel which mirror neurons fire, then try to make the same mirror neurons fire by doing the action - repeat, refine, learn skill. One side effect was empathy, the ability to feel the pain and pleasure of others (another side effect, according to some researchers, may have been the development of consciousness itself).

It appears that this new capacity for empathy allowed altruism to develop, and that mutation propagated because of the reproduction-enhancing properties of altruism discussed by Dawkins in "The Selfish Gene". But from the gene's perspective, altruism is a two-edged sword: it's great if your carriers sacrifice themselves for other carriers, but it's horrible if your carriers start sacrificing themselves for non-carriers.

The solution seems to have been the "taming" of the empathy/altruism characteristic by the evolution of in-group v out-group thinking. What evolved (one suspects both genetically and culturally) was a distinction between the in-group, where empathy was appropriate (and whose members were likely to carry many of the same genes) and out-groups, where empathy was blocked or even turned into its dark twin antipathy - the tendency of animals to feel the pain of others and enjoy it.

The story of moral progress seems to me to be the story of the marriage between our evolved capacity for empathy and our evolved capacity for reason. As we apply our reason to our urge to be altruistic, and as we become more interconnected with strangers, we see fewer reasons to put people into the "out group". Our psychological "in group" expands until in some people it covers not just the whole human race, but sentient non-human animals too.

Of course there are gradations. Seeing my wife happy gives me more pleasure (and seeing her in pain causes me more suffering) than seeing a stranger I admire happy (or in pain). And an admired stranger's happiness matters more to me that that of a stranger I've never even heard of (though I still feel bad when I witness or hear of such a stranger suffering). But most of us in the liberal democratic West have very few people in our "out-group" - and we tend to feel ashamed about feeling that way even about them.

The Role Of Religion In Moral Progress

"But," asks the fourth version of the good without God criticism, "hasn't religion in general, and Christianity in particular, been the context in which this moral development has occurred?"

And the fair answer is yes, religion in general (and Christianity in particular) has helped enormously. Just as alchemy made many discoveries that were built on by chemistry, and astrology made some discoveries that were built on by astronomy (mostly in the field of cataloguing astral bodies, but still useful discoveries), Christianity made or widely propagated several moral innovations that modern secular moral philosophy has built upon. (Similar claims can be made for several other religions.) Not for nothing did Richard Dawkins once write an article entitled "Atheists for Jesus".

But religion has also contaminated the stream with some very strange and unfounded ideas. Just as there is no evidence that one can turn lead into gold and there is no evidence that the movements of the planet Venus affect my destiny; there is no evidence that there is a "soul" that enters the human zygote at conception, or that there is an afterlife in which kindness is rewarded and cruelty is punished. And it is religions' reliance on the dogma of faith that makes it so hard to use reason to sort the good ideas from the bad.

The Sanction Argument

This, of course, leads us to the fifth argument of the theistic "problem of morality" critic, the sanction argument: "why be good if there's no comeuppance in the afterlife?"

This argument seems to say that people would be evil if they did not fear punishment in hell or that they would not help their fellow humans without the hope of a pay-off in heaven. Aside from being questionable theology even in its own terms, the sanction argument reveals a very dim view of human nature. Many humanists simply believe human beings are better than that and are, on average, getting better all the time - that we are, as someone once said, "rising apes rather than fallen angels".

Moreover, the argument that people would be horrible without belief in God seems to have been falsified by the experience of organically atheist societies such as Sweden, as I argued in a previous post. Of course, the fact that widespread atheism doesn't lead to social chaos still leaves open the question of "why "it doesn't. But the neuroscience and evolutionary arguments put above do suggest that humans are more innately good than many religious people would credit.

For my part, I think an important answer was provided by the ancients - virtue or self-respect. (And isn't it interesting that "virtue ethics" is making a comeback in academic philosophy?)

We judge the acts of others, and think well or ill of them as a result. But we also do the same of ourselves. Self-hatred is actually a rather nasty psychological torture and an important part of mental health is having a good reputation with oneself. We can gain a good reputation with others either by actually being good, or by tricking others into believing we are good. But with our reputations with ourselves, the latter course involves a level of self-deception that is itself mentally unhealthy. Good deeds, it seems to me, really are their own reward.

Last Quarter Moon Phase Sun In Leo

"I'm one with the Goddess

and open to Her Wisdom."

23rd Day of the 8th Lunar Cycle

Ruled by Medusa

Lunar Tree Cycle of Tinne/Holly

13th Day of the Celtic Tree

Month of Tinne/Holly

23rd Day of the Cycle of Faunus -

Days of Pan

Moon Phase: Last Quarter - 1:01AM EDST

Moon rises: 12:09AM EDST

Moon sets: 2:2PM EDST

Moon enters the Fixed Earth Sign

of Taurus at 12:58AM EDST

Ceridwen's Moon Cycle

Lunar Meditation: The scent of

flowers

Sun in Leo - 12:12AM EDST

Sunrise: 6:08AM EDST

Sunset: 8:44PM EDST

Solar Question for the Day: "Where

is the warmth in your life?"

Beltane (Calan Mai) Quarter

of the Year

July 23rd, 2011

LAST QUARTER MOON - The Last Quarter Moon (or waning half moon) rises around midnight and sets around noon. Astrologically the Moon is "square "to the Sun. She is visible from the time she rises until she sets. The Last Quarter Moon is the HARVEST phase - the moon plant gives her live so that others may continue theirs. Keywords for the Last Quarter phase are: realighment, revision, integration and cleansing. It is the time in a cycle to take closing action, to follow-up and complete the activities begun at the New phase. During this phase you become aware of what is and is not working with respect to the achievement of your goal for the cycle. The movement is toward integration. Open to your success. MANIFEST YOUR GOAL. Be responsible. For those who were born in a Last Quarter phase - they will have a powerful internal life of reflection and transformation. They can assume different roles while balancing their internal and external worlds.

MOON IN TAURUS - This moon transit asks us to discover what nurtures us and how to grow deeper roots. It is a time to cultivate our material resources, our homes and our bodies. The Moon in Taurus grounds us; it slows us down and wakes our sensual nature and stubbornness, helps us dig deeper roots. This is a time to cultivate relationships and ideas, make love, nurture, take a stand and embody. This lunar transit concerns money, work, property, sensuality, building cautiously and slowly, being conscientious and emotional patterns based on security. The energy flow is even. The forceful movement of Aries becomes solid, calm and patient during a Taurus transit. The middle of a Taurus transit is a good time continue or finish projects. Taurus gives attention to order and detail. Emotionally there is stubbornness, but great sensitivity to others. Moon in Taurus is the best time to work magick for love, real estate, material acquisitions and money. Healing rituals for ailments of the throat, neck, and ears are also done during this period of time. For those born under a Taurus moon sign they roots that grow more deeply and make changes more slowly. They collect, touch, support and see the sacred in the world of matter. Being steady they can loan their strength to others, but may need to learn the beauty in change.

SATURN'S DAY - the Day of Manifestation and Structure, Assessment and Responsibility - Foundation Day....there minor magickal energies today spells/rites of protection.

SUN IN LEO - "..... Leo is another Fixed Fire Sign, bringing enthusiasm, spontaneity and energy. It is also a Fixed sign emphasizing the senses, desires, and intense reactions. "

Leo's symbol is the lion, the King of Beasts, and this gives a good indication of those born at this time. The key phase for Leos is "I will". "Those born when the Sun is in Leo are generally extroverts. They will be self-assertive and self-controlling. While usually generous and warm hearted they will also know how to use power and to control others. They are high achievers and their commanding personalities make them good leaders unless they allow themselves to become overbearing and dominating. Leos are good organizers and, being outgoing, make good spokespeople, speakers and actors. They are usually highly principled and forthright but tend to acquire very fixed opinions, sometimes despite evidence to the contrary. In relationships Leos are wholehearted, sincere, very sensual and pleasure loving. On the negative side they can be overwhelming, intolerant and autocratic. They sometimes seem to be bossy and boastful.

At this time those born with the Sun in Leo should be careful to exercise their self-restraint, as the Sun's energy will emphasize any failings. They should also be aware of their tendency to dominate any group of people, whether deliberately or not, and be prepared to step back and let others have their say. Non-Leos can utilize the energy of this time to become more self-assertive and to look towards claiming what is due to them. Magically this is a good time for learning new skills or improving talents.

[From: Kate West's "The Real Witches' Year"]

Father Son And Spirit Carl Jung

God the Father (top), the Holy Spirit (represented by a dove), and child Jesus, painting by Bartolom'e Esteban Murillo

FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT I have dwelt at some length on the views of the Babylonians and Egyptians, and on Platonist philosophy, in order to give the reader some conception of the trinitarian and Unitarian ideas that were in existence many centuries before the birth of Christianity. Whether these ideas were handed down to posterity as a result of migration and tradition or whether they arose spontaneously in each case is a question of little importance. The important thing is that they occurred because, once having sprung forth from the unconscious of the human race (and not just in Asia Minor!), they could rearise anywhere at any time. It is, for instance, more than doubtful whether the Church Fathers who devised the homoousios formula were even remotely acquainted with the ancient Egyptian theology of kingship. Nevertheless, they neither paused in their labours nor rested until they had finally reconstructed the ancient Egyptian archetype. Much the same sort of thing happened when, in A.D. 431, at the Council of Ephesus, whose streets had once rung with hymns of praise to many-breasted Diana, the Virgin Mary was declared the 'birth-giver of the god who worshipped Mary after the manner of an antique goddess. Her cult had its chief centres in Arabia, Thrace, and Upper Scythia, the most enthusiastic devotees being women. Their provocations moved Epiphanius to the rebuke that "the whole female sex is slippery and prone to error, with a mind that is very petty and narrow." It is clear from this chastening sermon that there were priestesses who on certain feast days decorated a wagon or four-cornered seat and covered it with linen, on which they placed offerings of bake-meats "in the name of Mary", afterwards partaking of the sacrificial meal. This plainly amounted to a Eucharistic feast in honor of Mary, at which wheaten bread as eaten. The orthodox standpoint of the time is aptly expressed in the words of Epiphanius: "Let Mary be held in honor, and let the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost be adored, but let no one adore Mary." 195 Thus the archetype reasserted itself, since, as I have tried to show, archetypal ideas are part of the indestructible foundations of the human mind. However long they are forgotten and buried, always they return, sometimes in the strangest guise, with a personal twist to them or intellectually distorted, as in the case of the Arian heresy, but continually reproducing themselves in new forms representing the timeless truths that are innate in man's nature. 196 Even though Plato's influence on the thinkers of the next few centuries can hardly be overestimated, his philosophically formulated triad cannot be held responsible for the origins of the Christian dogma of the Trinity. For we are concerned here not with any philosophical, that is conscious, assumptions but with unconscious, archetypal forms. The Platonic formula for the triad contradicts the Christian Trinity in one essential point: the triad is built on opposition, whereas the Trinity contains no opposition of any kind, but is, on the contrary, a complete harmony in itself. The three Persons are characterized in such a manner that they cannot possibly be derived from Platonic premises, while the terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do not proceed in any sense from the number three. At most, the Platonic formula supplies the intellectual scaffolding for contents that come from quite other sources. The Trinity may be conceived platonically as to its form, but for its content we have to rely on psychic factors, on irrational data that cannot be logically determined beforehand. In other words, we have to distinguish between the logical idea of the Trinity and its psychological reality. The latter brings us back to the very much more ancient Egyptian ideas and hence to the archetype, which provides the authentic and eternal justification for the existence of any Trinitarian idea at all. 197 The psychological datum consists of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If we posit "Father" then "Son" logically follows; but "Holy Ghost" does not follow logically from either "Father" or "Son." So we must be dealing here with a special factor that rests on a different presupposition. According to the old doctrine, the Holy Ghost is (a real person who is sent by the Son and the Father). The (procession from the Father and the Son) is a "spiration" and not a "begetting," This somewhat peculiar idea corresponds to the separation, which still existed in the Middle Ages, of "corpus" and "spiramen," the latter being understood as something more than mere "breath." What it really denoted was the anima, which, as its name shows, is a breath-being (anemos = wind). Although an activity of the body, it was thought of as an independent substance (or hypostasis) existing alongside the body. The underlying idea is that the body "lives," and that "life" is something superadded and autonomous, conceived as a soul unattached to the body. Applying this idea to the Trinity formula, we would have to say: Father, Son, and Life the life proceeding from both or lived by both. The Holy Ghost as "life" is a concept that cannot be derived logically from the identity of Father and Son, but is, rather, a psychological idea, a datum based on an irrational, primordial image. This primordial image is the archetype, and we find it expressed most clearly in the Egyptian theology of kingship. There, as we have seen, the archetype takes the form of God the father, Ka-mutef (the begetter), and the son. The ka is the life spirit, the animating principle of men and gods, and therefore can be legitimately interpreted as the soul or spiritual double. He is the "life" of the dead man, and thus corresponds on the one hand to the living man's soul, and on the other to his "spirit" or "genius." We have seen that Ka-mutef is a hypostatization of procreative power. 5 In the same way, the Holy Ghost is hypostatized procreative power and life-force.6 Hence, in the Christian Trinity, we are confronted with a distinctly archaic idea, whose extraordinary value lies precisely in the fact that it is a supreme, hypostatic representation of an abstract thought (two-dimensional triad). The form is still concretistic, in that the archetype is represented by the relationship "Father" and "Son." Were it nothing but that, it would only be a dyad. The third element, however, the connecting link between "Father" and "Son," is spirit and not a human figure. The masculine father-son relationship is thus lifted out of the natural order (which includes mothers and daughters) and translated to a sphere from which the feminine element is excluded: in ancient Egypt as in Christianity the Theotokos stands outside the Trinity. One has only to think of Jesus's brusque rejection of his mother at the marriage in Cana: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John 2:4), and also earlier, when she sought the twelve-year-old child in the temple: "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2 149). We shall probably not be wrong in assuming that this special sphere to which the father-son relationship is removed is the sphere of primitive mysteries and masculine initiations. Among certain tribes, women are forbidden to look at the mysteries on pain of death. Through the initiations the young men are systematically alienated from their mothers and are reborn as spirits. The celibacy of the priesthood is a continuation of this archetypal idea. The intellectual operation that lies concealed in the higher father-son relationship consists in the extrapolation of an invisible figure, a "spirit" that is the very essence of masculine life. The life of the body or of a man is posited as something different from the man himself. This led to the idea of a ka or immortal soul, able to detach itself from the body and not dependent on it for its existence. In this respect, primitives have extraordinarily well developed ideas about a plurality of souls. Some are immortal, others are only loosely attached to the body and can wander off and get lost in the night, or they lose their way and get caught in a dream. There are even souls that belong to a person without being lodged in his body, like the bush-soul, which dwells outside in the forest, in the body of an animal. The juxtaposition of a person and his "life" has its psychological basis in the fact that a mind which is not very well differentiated cannot think abstractly and is incapable of putting things into categories. It can only take the qualities it perceives and place them side by side: man and his life, or his sickness (visualized as a sort of demon), or his health or prestige (mana, etc.). This is obviously the case with the Egyptian ka. Father-son-life (or procreative power), together with rigorous exclusion of the Theotokos, constitute the patriarchal formula that was "in the air" long before the advent of Christianity. The Father is, by definition, the prime cause, the creator, the auctor rerum, who, on a level of culture where reflection is still unknown, can only be One. The Other follows from the One by splitting off from it. This split need not occur so long as there is no criticism of the auctor rerum so long, that is to say, as a culture refrains from all reflection about the One and does not start criticizing the Creator's handiwork. A feeling of oneness, far removed from critical judgment and moral conflict, leaves the Father's authority unimpaired. I had occasion to observe this original oneness of the father world when I was with a tribe of Negroes on Mount Elgon. These people professed to believe that the Creator had made everything good and beautiful. "But what about the bad animalsthat kill your cattle?" I asked. They replied: "The lion is good and beautiful. And your horrible diseases? You lie in the sun, and it is beautiful." I was impressed by their optimism. But at six o'clock in the evening this philosophy came to a sudden stop, as I was soon to discover. After sunset, another world took over the dark world of the Ayik, who is everything evil, dangerous, and terrifying. The optimistic philosophy ends and a philosophy of fear, ghosts, and magical spells for averting the Evil One begins. Then, at sunrise, the optimism starts off again without any trace of inner contradiction. 201 Here man, world, and God form a whole, a unity unclouded by criticism. It is the world of the Father, and of man in his childhood state. Despite the fact that twelve hours out of every twenty-four are spent in the world of darkness, and in agonizing belief in this darkness, the doubt never arises as to whether God might not also be the Other. The famous question about the origin of evil does not yet exist in a patriarchal age. Only with the coming of Christianity did it present itself as the principal problem of morality. The world of the Father typifies an age which is characterized by a pristine oneness with the whole of Nature, no matter whether this oneness be beautiful or ugly or awe-inspiring. But once the question is asked: "Whence comes the evil, why is the world so bad and imperfect, why are there diseases and other horrors, why must man suffer?*' then reflection has already begun to judge the Father by his manifest works, and straightway one is conscious of a doubt, which is itself the symptom of a split in the original unity. One comes to the conclusion that creation is imperfect nay more, that the Creator has not done his job properly, that the goodness and almightiness of the Father cannot be the sole principle of the cosmos. Hence the One has to be supplemented by the Other, with the result that the world of the Father is fundamentally altered and is superseded by the world of the Son. 202 This was the time when the Greeks started criticizing the world, the time of "gnosis" in its widest sense, which ultimately gave birth to Christianity. The archetype of the redeemer-god and first man is age-old we simply do not know how old. The Son, the revealed god, who voluntarily or involuntarily offers himself for sacrifice as a man, in order to create the world or redeem it from evil, can be traced back to the Purusha ofIndian philosophy, and is also found in the Persian conception of the Original Man, Gayomart. Gayomart, son of the god of light, falls victim to the darkness, from which he must be set free in order to redeem the world. He is the prototype of the Gnostic redeemer-figures and of the teachings concerning Christ, redeemer of mankind. 203 It is not hard to see that a critique which raised the question of the origin of evil and of suffering had in mind another world a world filled with longing for redemption and for that state of perfection in which man was still one with the Father. Longingly he looked back to the world of the Father, but it was lost forever, because an irreversible increase in man's consciousness had taken place in the meantime and made it independent. With this mutation he broke away from the world of the Father and entered upon the world of the Son, with its divine drama of redemption and the ritualistic retelling of those things which the God-man had accomplished during his earthly sojourn. The life of the God-man revealed things that could not possibly have been known at the time when the Father ruled as the One. For the Father, as the original unity, was not a defined or definable object; nor could he, strictly speaking, either be called the "Father" or be one. He only became a "Father" by incarnating in the Son, and by so doing became defined and definable. By becoming a father and a man he revealed to man the secret of his divinity. 204 One of these revelations is the Holy Ghost. As a being who existed before the world was, he is eternal, but he appears empirically in this world only when Christ had left the earthly stage. He will be for the disciples what Christ was for them. He will invest them with the power to do works greater, perhaps, than those of the Son (John 14: 12). The Holy Ghost is a figure who deputizes for Christ and who corresponds to what Christ received from the Father. From the Father comes the Son, and common to both is the living activity of the Holy Ghost, who, according to Christian doctrine, is breathed forth ("spirated") by both. As he is the third term common to Father and Son, he puts an end to the duality, to the "doubt" in the Son. He is, in fact, the third element that rounds out the Three and restores the One. The point is that the unfolding of the One reaches its climax in the Holy Ghost after polarizing itself as Father and Son. Its descent into a human body is sufficient in itself to make it become another, to set it in opposition to itself. Thenceforward there are two: the "One" and the "Other," which results in a certain tension. This tension works itself out in the suffering and fate of the Son 10 and, finally, in Christ's admission of abandonment by God (Matthew 27:46). 205 Although the Holy Ghost is the progenitor of the Son (Matthew 1:18), he is also, as the Paraclete, a legacy from him. He continues the work of redemption in mankind at large, by descending upon those who merit divine election. Consequently, the Paraclete is, at least by implication, the crowning figure in the work of redemption on the one hand and in God's revelation of himself on the other. It could, in fact, be said that the Holy Ghost represents the final, complete stage in the evolution of God and the divine drama. For the Trinity is undoubtedly a higher form of God-concept than mere unity, since it corresponds to a level of reflection on which man has become more conscious. 206 The trinitarian conception of a life-process within the Deity, which I have outlined here, was, as we have seen, already in existence in pre-Christian times, its essential features being a continuation and differentiation of the primitive rites of renewal and the cult-legends associated with them. Just as the gods of these mysteries become extinct, so, too, do the mysteries themselves, only to take on new forms in the course of history. A large-scale extinction of the old gods was once more in progress at the beginning of our era, and the birth of a new god, with new mysteries and new emotions, was an occurrence that healed the wound in men's souls. It goes without saying that any conscious borrowing from the existing mystery traditions would have hampered the god's renewal and rebirth. It had to be an entirely unprejudiced revelation which, quite unrelated to anything else, and if possible without preconceptions of any kind, would usher into the world a new and a new cult legend. Only at a comparatively late date did people notice the striking parallels with the legend of Dionysus, which they then declared to be the work of the devil. This attitude on the part of the early Christians can easily be understood, for Christianity a The relation of Father to Son is not arithmetical, since both the One and the Other are still united in the original Unity and are, so to speak, eternally on the point of becoming two. Hence the Son is eternally being begotten by the Father, and Christ's sacrificial death is an eternally present act did indeed develop in this unconscious fashion, and furthermore its seeming lack of antecedents proved to be the indispensable condition for its existence as an effective force. Nobody can doubt the manifold superiority of the Christian revelation over its pagan precursors, for which reason it is distinctly superfluous today to insist on the unheralded and unhistorical character of the gospels, seeing that they swarm with historical and psychological assumptions of very ancient origin. ~Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion.

Widdershins Magic Of The Left Hand Path Explained

WIDDERSHINS, Somewhat Machine, "THE LEFT-HAND Ramble." IT IS For example ONE GOES IN A Team Answer CLOCKWISE, THIS IS CALLED Gyrating WIDDERSHINS, WALKING OR DANCING IN THE Perspective Underneath TO THAT OF THE SUN.

Conservative Conjuring Prudence Partners THE Finished Rim In the middle of THE MOON, WOMEN, AND YIN Armed. NON-DUALIST SOCIETIES Say "Finished" AS Neutral AND NECESSARY: AS Offer IS NO "Profess" Imperfect "Finished" AND Sin VERSA. On the other hand DUALIST Notions Associated "Finished" In the middle of THE Brutal Rim OF THE Eternal CHESSBOARD OF DUELING Armed.

Stick DAY Model BETRAYS THE IMPLICATIONS: "MR. Profess, THE Profess Prudence, THE Profess WAY" Vs. "Finished HANDED Finished Hand out Ramble." Need WE SAY MORE?

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Exalted Planets Dr Adawal

Exalted planets in a horoscope are generally considered to be very good and strong but at times malefic aspects make the whole difference and may not give the needed results. Similarly, if the exalted planet is bereft of strength for any astrological reason, it may not give the desired results.

The Sun exalts in Aires, the Moon Exalts in Taurus, Mars exalts in Capricorn, Mercury exalts in its own sign Virgo, Jupiter exalts in Cancer, Venus exalts in Pisces and the known malefic, though actually not so in all cases, Saturn exalts in Libra. These are exaltation signs and the corresponding 7th sign become the debilitation sign. The deepest exaltation degrees are 10 for the Sun,3 for the Moon, 28 for Mars, 15 for Mercury, 5 for Jupiter, 27 for Venus and 20 for Saturn. Each planet assumes significance in its exaltation sign or debilitation sign i.e. highly favourable or highly detrimental depending on the placement of the planet concerned, aspect on the planet, degree-wise strength and how it is placed in other Vargas including Navamsa.

According to Prasara Hora Sastra, the Sun is exalted in Aires and is the most powerful on the 10th degree i.e. deepest exalted point and may be worst in its debilitated sign Libra at the same degree. Similarly, the position of other planets needs to be interpreted.

The Sun, the Moon, Mercury and Venus have only 7th aspect where-as Saturn aspects, 3rd, 7th and 10th houses, Mars aspect 4th, 7th and 8th houses and Jupiter aspects 5th, 7th and 9th house. Accordingly, the result of the planet would be different and the traits of the houses concerned shall be effected either beneficially or otherwise depending on the force of planets concerned including the exalted planets, debilitated planets and when they are in retrograde motion.

The Sun in Aries (exaltation sign) can only be aspected by Debilitated Saturn and that when Saturn transits Libra. The Moon in Taurus (exaltation sign) cannot be aspected by any exalted planet as none of the planets exalts in Scorpio. Venus in Pisces can only aspect exalted Mercury but that cannot happen as Mercury and Venus can never by 180 degrees apart from each other. Similarly, the aspect of other planets can be discussed.

Without multiplying examples of exalted planets, I would just refer to the effects of the Moon in Taurus. Male natives born with Moon in Taurus are found to be steady, have controlled natures and tempers and may lose balance of mind if aspected by Mars/Saturn/Rahu. They make good citizens and assume responsibility easily and naturally. Though inclined to be lazy but will work hard, fond of music and really passionate! And are fond of family life specially of brothers/sisters. Unless the position is improved, the native on marriage shall have more daughters. Female Natives born with the Moon in Taurus are usually good looking have small round faces, eyes are lustrous and beautiful and have nicely formed lips. The ladies are stubborn but not aggressive, shrewd but not clever and cannot be ranked 'brilliant'. Normally, such ladies are pleasure loving and fond of society and are fond of opposite sex. Because of their sex appeal and beauty, the husband is dominated. They eat less to keep the figure lean. Mark the difference between male and female natives with the Moon in Taurus.

According to learnd and respected late Shri J.N..Bhasin, it is stated in his book 'Art of Prediction' that all retrograde planets should be considered strong. He has referred to Sarvartha Chintamani where it is stated that during the ruling period of a Retrograde Jupiter, the native gets much wealth, sons, and wife and also gets favour from the Government. However, this is subject to the condition that Jupiter should not be under heavy afflictions. He has also referred to Phal-deepika where it is stated that a retrograde planet possesses strength when he is retrograde. It is stated that when 5th lord and 5th house, 9th lord and 9th house are weak, Retrograde Jupiter, well placed, is capable of giving male issue (son.) Your views on this principle and mentioned below on Retrograde planets are welcome.

Whether Rahu and Ketu have exaltation position, there is difference of opinion among the learned ancient writers. Actually, some of the books show no indication though according to Prasara Hora Shastra both the Nodes i.e. Rahu and Ketu have aspects (5th, 7th and 9th).And, Rahu exalts in Taurus and Ketu exalts in Scorpio. But, according to Sarvatha Chintamani, Rahu exalts in Gemini and Ketu exalts in Sagittarius. However some of the modern writers including H.R. Seshadri Iyer share the views of Prasara. This point is left open and your views are welcome.

The other crucial point for consideration is when the exalted or debilitated planets become retrograde. One theory is that the retrograde planets give the results of previous houses also. In other words retrograde planets would effect six houses including aspects in the case of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, Mercury and Venus when retrograde would effect 4 houses. The other and disputed theory is that the retrograde planets give the results of 'exalted planets'. In my experience, this had not been found true. However, in his book 'Practical Horary Astrology', the learned and respected Dr. B.V. Raman had stated that benefic i.e. exalted planets when retrograde continue to be e benefic although they may make the process of achieving the objects in view a little erratic or evasive. One may experience, I would say that during the transit of retrograde planet, one has to visit at least twice for the same purpose for some reason of the other.

It is not necessary that exalted planets would make the native to hold very high position. The following charts of VIPs show that few of them had exalted planets and others had none:

SHRI MORARJI DESAI CHART: lagna- Gemini, Jupiter (exalted) in Cancer, Saturn (debilitated) in Libra, Venus, Mars (exalted) and Mercury in Capricorn and Sun/Rahu in Capricorn with Moon and Ketu in Leo. This is a chart which shows exalted Jupiter aspects exalted Mars or vice-versa.

DR. B.V.RAMAN (DOB-8th August,1912,TOB-7.42 P.M. Bangalore Chart: Lagana- Aquarius, Rahu in Pisces, Moon and Saturn in Taurus(Moon exalted), Sun in Cancer, Venus, Mercury (R) and Mars in Leo, Ketu in Virgo and Jupiter in Scorpio.

SARDAR PATEL -The Iron man of India: Chart: Lagna-Aries, Moon in Taurus(exalted), Ketu in Virgo, Sun (debilitated), Mercury, Jupiter and Venus in Libra, Mars(exalted) and Saturn in Capricorn.

MRS. INDRA GANDHI - The well known Prime Minister of India Chart: Lagna-Cancer, Saturn in Cancer, Mars in Leo, Sun and Mercury in Scorpio" Venus and Rahu in Sagittarius, and Moon in Capricorn.Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru- Chart: Lagna -Cancer, Saturn in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Venus and Mercury Sun in Scorpio, Jupiter and Ketu in Sagittarius Moon and Rahu in Gemini.

JOHN F. KENNEDY: - DOB-29th May,1917-TOB-3.01 PM- Chart: Lagna Virgo, Rahu in Sagittarius, Mars and Mercury in Aires, Sun, Venus and Jupiter in Taurus, Ketu in Gemini, Saturn in Cancer, Moon in Leo.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: - DOB-2nd April,1926-TOB 1.40 GMT-London Chart: Lagna Capricorn, Mars (exalted) in Capricorn Venus, Jupiter in Aquarius,. Mercury in Pisces, Sun in Aires exalted), Rahu in Gemini and Moon in Cancer.

PRINCE CHARLES: - DOB - 14.11.1948. Chart: Lagna-Cancer, Saturn in Leo, Venus in Virgo, Mercury, Ketu and Sun in Libra (Sun debilitated), Mars and Jupiiter in Scorpio, Jupiter in Sagittarius, Rahu and Moon Aires.

The above horoscopes speak itself of the position one can attain with exalted planets and also when there are no exalted planets.

Briefly, according to Bhrigu Sutram, when the Sun is exalted in 10th (Cancer Lagna) gives rise to an excellent Dhanayoga making the native prosperous, wealthy and a native of high status. Even for Aries Ascendant and the Sun is in Aries, vary favourable results are indicated because the Sun becomes lord of 5th house (trine) adding more dignity. The Moon in Taurus(exaltation sign) can give the native a high position including distinct professional achievement at the young age of 18-20.Mars in 10th house in sign of exaltation (Capricorn) gives rise to Ruchaka yoga, the native shall be acclaimed by the people and will be long lived.

Similarly other planets in exaltation need to be interpreted with reference to the house in which placed, how they are aspected or conjucted etc. and what is the strength of the exalted planet from various astrological principles.

Looking At Yourself

"Before you go a step further, take a good long look at your desires, motivation and skills. What role do you see yourself playing in this new group? "ORDINARY"

member? Democratic facilitator? High Priestess? And if the last -- why do you want the job?

The title of High Priestess and Priestess are seductive, conjuring up exotic images of yourself in embroidered robes, a silver crescent (OR HORNED HELM) on your brow, adoring celebrants hanging on every word which drops from your lips.

Reality check. The robes will be stained with wine and candle wax soon enough, and not every word you speak is worth remembering. A coven leader's job is mostly hard work between rituals and behind the scene. It is not always a good place to act out your fantasies, because the lives and well-being of others are involved, and what is flattering or enjoyable to you man not be in their best interest. So consider carefully.

If your prime motive is establishing a coven is to gain status and ego gratification, other people will quickly sense that. If they are intelligent, independent individuals, they will refuse to play Adoring Disciple to your Witch Queen impressions. They will disappear, and that vanishing act will be the last magick they do with you.

And if you do attract a group ready to be subservient Spear Carriers in your fantasy drama -- well, do you really want to associate with that kind of personality? What are you going to do when you want someone strong around to help you or teach you, and next New Moon you look out upon a handful of Henry Milquetoasts and Frieda Handmaidens? If a person is willing to serve you, the they will also become dependent on you, drain your energy, and become disillusioned if you ever let down the Infallible Witch Queen mask for even a moment.

Some other not-so-great reasons for starting a coven: a) because it seems glamorous, exotic, and a little wicked; b) because it will shock your mother, or c) because you can endure your boring, flunkie job more easily if you get to go home and play Witch at night.

Some better reasons for setting up a coven, and even nomination yourself as High Priest/ess, include: a) you feel that you will be performing a useful job for yourself and others; b) you have enjoyed leadership roles in the past, and proven yourself capable; or c) you look forward to learning and growing in the role.

Even with the best motives in the world, you will still need to have -- or quickly develop -- a whole range of skills in order to handle a leadership role.

If you are to be a facilitator of a study group, group process insights and skills are important.

THESE INCLUDE:

1) Gatekeeping, or guiding discussion in such a way that everyone has an opportunity to express ideas and opinions;

2) Summarizing and clarifying;

3) Conflict resolution, or helping participants understand points of disagreement and find potential solutions which respect everyone's interests;

4) Moving the discussion toward consensus, or at any rate decision, by identifying diversions and refocusing attention on goals and priorities; and

5) Achieving closure smoothly when the essential work is completed, or an appropriate stopping place is reached.

In addition to group process skills, four other competencies necessary to the functioning of a coven are: ritual leadership, administration, teaching, and counseling. In a study group the last one may not be considered a necessary function, and the other three may be shared among all participants. But in a coven the leaders are expected to be fairly capable in all these areas, even if responsibilities are frequently shared or delegated. Let us look briefly at each.

Ritual leadership involves much more that reading invocations by candlelight.

Leaders must understand the powers they intend to manipulate: how they are raised, channeled and grounded. They must be adept at designing rituals which involve all the sensory modes. They should have a repertoire of songs and chants, dances and gestures or mudras, incense and oils, invocations and spells, visual effects and symbols, meditations and postures; and the skill to combine these in a powerful, focused pattern. They must have clarity of purpose and firm ethics. And they must understand timing: both where a given ritual fits in the cycles of the Moon, the Wheel of the Year, and the dance of the spheres, and how to pace the ritual once started, so that energy peaks and is channeled at the perfect moment. And they must understand the Laws of Magick, and the correspondences, and when ritual is appropriate and when it is not.

By administration, we refer to basic management practices necessary to any organization. These include apportioning work fairly, and following up on its progress; locating resources and obtaining them (INFORMATION, MONEY, SUPPLIES);

fostering communications (BY TELEPHONE, PRINTED SCHEDULES, NEWSLETTERS ETC.);

and keeping records (MINUTES, ACCOUNTS, WITCH BOOK ENTRIES, OR RITUAL LOGBOOK).

Someone or several someones has to collect the dues if any, buy the candles, chill the wine, and so forth.

Teaching is crucial to both covens and study groups. If only one person has any formal training or experience in magick, s/he should transmit that knowledge in a way which respects the intuitions, re-emerging past life skills, and creativity of the others. If several participants have some knowledge in differing areas, they can all share the teaching role. If no one in the group has training and you are uncertain where to begin, they you may need to call on outside resources: informed and ethical priest/esses who can act as visiting faculty, or who are willing to offer guidance by telephone or correspondence.

Much can be gleaned from books, or course -- assuming you know which books are trustworthy and at the appropriate level -- but there is no substitute for personal instruction for some things. Magick can be harmful if misused, and an experienced practitioner can help you avoid pitfalls as well as offering hints and techniques not found in the literature.

Counseling is a special role of the High Priest/ess. It is assumed that all members of a coven share concern for each other's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare, and are willing to help each other out in practical ways. However, coven leaders are expected to have a special ability to help coverners explore the roots of their personal problems and choose strategies and tactics to overcome them. This is not to suggest that one must be a trained psychoanalyst; but at the least, good listening skills, clear thinking and some insight into human nature are helpful. Often, magickal skills such as guided visualization, Tarot counseling and radiesthesia (PENDULUM WORK) are valuable tools as well.

Think carefully about your skills in these areas, as you have demonstrated them in other organizations. Ask acquaintances or co-workers, who can be trusted to give you a candid opinion, how they see you in some of these roles. Meditate, and decide what you really want for yourself in organizing the new group. Will you be content with being a catalyst and contact person -- simply bringing people with a common interest together, then letting the group guide its destiny from that point on? Would you rather be a facilitator, either for the first months or permanently: a low-key discussion leader who enables the group to move forward with a minimum of misunderstanding and wasted energy? Or do you really want to be High Priestess -- whatever that means to you -- and serve as the guiding spirit and acknowledged leader of a coven? And if you do want that job, exactly how much authority and work do you envision as part of it? Some coven leaders want a great deal of power and control; others simply take an extra share of responsibility for setting up the rituals (WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY CONDUCT THE RITES), and act as "MAGICKAL ADVISOR" to less experienced members.

Thus the High Priest/ess can be the center around which the life of the coven revolves, or primarily an honorary title, or anything in between.

That is one area which you will need to have crystal-clear in your own mind before the first meeting (OF IF YOU ARE FLEXIBLE, AT LEAST BE VERY CLEAR THAT YOU ARE). You must also be clear as to your personal needs on other points: program emphasis, size, meeting schedule, finances, degree of secrecy, and affiliation with a tradition or network. You owe it to prospective members and to yourself to make your minimum requirements known from the outset: it can be disastrous to a group to discover that members have major disagreements on these points after you have been meeting for six months.

Books in PDF format to read:Aristotle - On The Soul

Anonymous - Starting A New Coven Looking At Yourself

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