Wednesday In The Word The Honor Of Homemaking

I apologize for this being so late today! I knew I had one more writing assignment toward the "end" of September, but I didn't note the exact date. Today I have two medical appointments in addition to getting the house ready for Bible study tonight, which is held in our home each week. Then there was this pesky little thought in my head that maybe it was the 22nd that I was supposed to post? So after I finished some had-to-be-done things, I checked, and sure enough, it was my day. So I apologize for not planning ahead and checking on that sooner!

As a result of not planning ahead, I had to look through some things I've written in the past for publishing today. What I found was actually a devotional written by a friend of mine who manages an online forum for fundamental Baptist ladies, Women at the Well. I asked her permission to publish this several years ago on another blog I had at the time. I hope you'll be blessed by it as I was when she first wrote it!

Quote:

Jos 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

Anyone else notice that "LAID IN ORDER" there? Had she not been PREPARED she would have missed the BLESSING of being used by God in this situation most likely. (not limiting God here... I'm just saying He would have looked for someone ELSE that was prepared amen?) Just how many blessings do we MISS out on because we are not prepared, have not done our housekeeping?

LADIES THIS IS AN AREA WE HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER! Being the keeper of the home is not a sentence of servitude, but a time-honored opportunity for service and ministry to God and our family. You can rule your home with the mindset that this is an HONOR, or with a mindset of RESENTMENT. Either way you can get the 'job' done but oh how much better it is when you look at that washing, cleaning, preparing, etc as unto the Lord, unto your family.

The orderliness of Rahab's housekeeping in Joshua 2:6 is a testimony of a virtuous woman working willingly with her hands (Prov. 31:13). Whatever our hands find to do, we must do it with all our might (Eccl. 9:10). This is our reasonable service.

Years ago a woman was disgraced if her home was constantly messy! I remember that with my own mom don't you? She knew it was a reflection upon her character and she took PRIDE in her home. Now we find in Christian circles that women use the excuse of ministering, be it to the world, the church, etc... We all look at what the Prov. 31 woman IS TO DO but let's consider for a moment here what it does not list as things she does NOT do... She does not teach or host Bible studies, or have a ladies prayer meeting. She is not constantly door knocking, etc. I'm not saying any of this is against what God means for us in our Christian walk; HOWEVER, what God says should take precedence. Is what we DO found in Prov. 31?

Do you see yourself in any of this? Ladies, don't spend more time making excuses or justifying or making apologies than getting this thing right with GOD.

Pr 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

There is a growing need for strong churches, but it is not possible to have strong churches without strong homes. It is not possible to have strong homes without homemakers.Chris spared no words there, did she? Please understand that she is not discounting ministry-related work such as Bible studies and prayer meetings; she is simply stating that our first priority is our personal walk with God, our families, and our homes - then can come the opportunities for ministry.

Have a blessed church service tonight and a wonderful first weekend of autumn!

Susan Hutchens

ByGrace

Missionary Wife, North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com

Atoms Explained In Vedas

It has become a tradition to believe that science originated in the Greek con-federation. Not only this, they take Dalton as the pioneer. The great Indian sages working scientifically and logically awakened their rtambhara prajHd (purest intellect) not only to propound the philosophy about the self, but also to prescribe the proper technology to achieve the desired aim. In this pursuit, they did not ignore the study of the world of outside, but their enquiries were confined to the fields which helped them to understand self.

KANADA is associated with the atomic theory. The smallest state of matter is PARAMANU (atom) and the largest state is called 'MAHAT' (self sense). So he considered atom to be indivisible, a point source, without magnitude, a concept nearer the Boyles' concept. It has potentialities which come into play when it is combined with others. Before becoming manifest in the form of matter, atoms make primary combinations to make diads and triads.

CHARAKA postulated that "atom is the smallest particle of matter and air and action (energy) are responsible for the combination and separation of atoms". ASTANGA SARIA believes that "active air is responsible for the combination and separation of atoms". On breaking the matter it goes on breaking into smaller particles until we reach a point where further sub-division is not possible. Such state is known as the atomic state. NYAYAS believes that the atoms of earth, water, fire and air are different from one another. They are spherical in natures. Since they have a shape, they can combine with other atoms around' them.

Now,

[ Dalton's atomic theory states that matter consists ultimately of indivisible, discrete particles (atoms), and the atoms of the same element are identical. Chemical action takes place as a result of attractions between these atoms, which combine in simple proportions ]

VAISESIKA takes atom as the cause, but VYASA considers atoms to be action and as such believes that they can be further sub-divided, a concept which is much nearer the modern concept of atom.

Some Buddhist thinkers conceive of atom as the minutest particle capable of occupying space (Van der Waal's concept). According to them it also remains for the minutest duration of time, coming into being and vanishing almost in an instant only to be succeeded by another atom caused by the first. This concept resembles Planck's quantum theory.

"BUDDHISTS AND AJIVIKAS" believe that in normal condition, no atom exists by itself; rather they exist in a variety of combinations that includes "SAMGHATA OR KALAPA";

Every unit of combination contains one atom of all the four types of elements (they do not take akasa as an element) and obtains its character from the predominance of an elemental character. This accounts for the fact that matter shows characteristics of more than one element. Thus, wax may melt and also burn, because it is a samghata of elements of water and fire. The elements cohere in a samghata by virtue of the atoms of water acting as an adhesive.

According to Jain concept of PUDGAL (MATTER) many atoms combine together to make a SKANDA (COMPOUND) which is matter joined together. The attributes of each atom when combined together go to make the attributes of the compound. These pudgal (atoms) are called skanda (compound) as long as they are held together by their binding power. The composition and the distribution of these skandas depend on their binding power and power of differentiation (BHEDA SAKTI) which are of six types, viz, "GROSS, GROSSER, VERY GROSS, SUBTLE, SUBTLER AND VERY SUBTLE". These atoms are perennial, but still they can be created and consumed.

VERY GROSS : ATI STHULA - Those substances that do not recombine by themselves after separation, e.g. wood, stone.

GROSS : sthula - Those substances that recombine after separation, e.g. water, milk, oil, etc.

GROSS-SUBTLE : sthula - sukshma - Those that appear to be gross but cannot be held, e.g. shadow, darkness.

SUBTLE-SUBTLE - Those which are subtle but appear to be gross, e.g. taste, smell, touch, etc.

SUBTLE - sukshma - Lose that cannot be felt by the body, e.g. karma.

VERY SUBTLE - ati sukshma - Those that are smaller than karma vary minute aggregate (DUSNUK SKANDHA).

ATOM FROM VEDA TO DATE:

The Greek philosopher DEMOCRITUS developed a concept of atom which was later revised by Dalton in 1803 to account for the observation that elements combine in certain definite proportions by weight. The Daltonian atom was very much different from the version of Democritus, but essentially the same as that developed by KANADA in India in 600 B.C. From the writings of the first European Greek Hesiod about the evolution of earth, it appears that even in the ninth century B.c. Greek thoughts were very much in line with those in India.

Wicken writes that "The science never got any final answer for what matter is" but proceeds through a tension of empirical facts and theoretical concept to progressively more powerful and general ways of explaining its behavior." An answer to all these questions was given by the Vedas long back.

Life, Matter and Universe

In recent years scientists of many disciplines have devoted considerable attention to the study of the relation of life with matter Virtually all these studies are based on the assumption that life is a manifestation of matter. These scientists postulated a primordial chemical soup of small and simple molecules and they imagined that in the course of time under the influence of chance and mechanical laws, life generated itself from the atoms and molecules.

Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton were pioneers in the study of gross material phenomena, such as planetary motions. Among the more enthusiastic ones, the French scientist Pierre de Laplace believed that the universe was made of atomic particles.

He claimed that for a given position and velocity of these particles, he could at least in principle calculate the entire past and future of the universe. To under-stand all the natural phenomena and the relationships existing between life, matter and universe a scientist should involve himself in nothing but a study of the simple pushes and pulls between particles. One might well wonder whether mere pushes and pulls can be solely responsible for all the diverse aspects of the world and ourselves that we experience in Iife.

ATOMIC STRUCTURE:

The Vedic seers tried to symbolize the various attributes of matter in terms of individuals, e.g. heat, energy and radiations represented by Agni, light by Surya, lightning by Apsara, electricity by Indra, etc. Satapatha, Susruta, Taittiriya and other treatise, visualized the whole world as composed of two basic elements, viz. Agni and Some. These were represented by different names as the two Asvins: Mitta and Varuna, Ravi and Prana, Brahma and Ksatra, the horses of Indra and Aditi. This thought became so much prevalent in ancient India that it was mentioned in later Sanskrit books of sectarian type.

The attributes of Asvins which pervade everything are given as rasa and jyoti which are again identical with Agni and Soma. They are described as carry (possessing different and opposite characters), sakhya (friends of having attraction for each other) and ultimate elements of the world.

Similarly, MITRA AND VARUNA - BRAHMA AND KSATRA, RAYI AND PRANA are identical with Soma and Agni. Aditi is identical with matter and its two-fold character suggests that it is composed of only two basic elements. Soma has come out of Aditi(matter).

The dual character of matter in later times assumed the character of good or evil. Day and night and was symbolized by sun and moon which in their turn are again Agni and Soma. Agni and Soma are related to the two horses of Indra and their power.

Electricity is identified with Indra. Nighunta has given vidyut (electricity), thunderbolt, PANI AND KULISA as the names of indra's weapons which are all identical with electricity.

It is apparent from the above that the two basic elements of matter are the two types of electrical charges-ls which are opposite in character, but attract each other.

RIG VEDA uses PARIYAMAN (going round according to sayana) for Indra, which means that the charge in moving around in space like planets and sun.

Words like SAMYUJA AND SANKYUJA (well joined and joined together) indicate that it refers to modern proton cemented to the nucleus. Mitra and Varuna and As'vins are related to north and south,

ATHARVA VEDA states that Agni is related to north (positive) and Soma to south (negative), North is magnetic, warm, positive and masculine. It attracts electricity from south. South is electrical, cold, negative and feminine. External is negative and internal is positive. South is most negative, but north is most positive. The unit of positive electricity is more massive than the unit of negative electricity.

Rudra is the god of electricity. It is known as the father of maricis, which are also known as marutas. They are known to be electrical in nature and produce magnetic field in the north-east direction.

All that has been said can be summarized as follows:

1. The ultimate particle of matter is composed of two basic elements.

2. Each of these elements is electrical in nature.

3. The two types of electricity have opposite character, but they attract each other.

4. Electricity is positive and negative.

5. The unit of negative electricity is much lighter than the unit of positive electricity.

6. The lighter negative charge goes around the positive charge like planets or the solar system.

7. The negative charge produces magnetism when going around the positive charge.ERQ3FCHKA2WB

Witnessing

Tom Krattenmaker in "USA TODAY" writes about "How to sell Christianity? Ask an atheist." No one likes to feel manipulated or subjected to emotional blackmail, and yet atheists report that much of the "evangelism" they experience does feel like that.

Jim Henderson is a recovering evangelist. Back in his soul-chasing, church-starting days, he began hearing a grating dissonance between his faith in Jesus and the way he went about winning new converts. Henderson realized he was doing unto others what he would never want done unto him. He was manipulating conversations to set up a pitch. Viewing people as potential notches on his evangelism belt rather than fellow sojourners and prospective friends. Listening only to the extent it could reveal an argumentative opening. He realized he hated the whole enterprise.....

Conventional evangelism is often accused, and rightly so, of "bait and switch" tactics; think attractive social gathering or sports outing that, unbeknownst to invitees, is really designed to segue into a Gospel pitch. Henderson has a fascinating alternative to propose: all bait, no switch.

Call it promotion by non-promotion, evangelism by attraction, goodwill mongering, or letting one's life speak for itself, but this is what will best represent the faith among the many Americans who do not share the evangelical faith. Henderson and his fellow travelers are right in urging would-be evangelists simply to get to know people, become their friends and let the spiritual chips fall where they may.

This re-imagined form of witness trumpets good news all around - for Christians who, as Henderson puts it, want to be "normal," for the public credibility of Christianity, and for all of the not-yet and never-will-be converts who don't want to be pitied or demonized for (supposedly) living in the dark..... [more]Thanks to Mike Pohlman for leading me to the column, which he summarizes: "So, how does one sell Christianity? You don't."

The occasions when I know that anything I did was used by God I was unconscious of any effort to evangelize.

How to sell Christianity? Ask an atheist. - USATODAY.com

Rebirth Rejuvenation And Ressurection Vernal Equinox

Easterthe word conjures up images of brashly coloured generate, a comparative rainbow nestled in plastic plants, captured in a basket.

As a child, this was one of my favourite holidays. I was raised a Catholic and in wistful, went to Catholic school. Of course, we had our real thing day of leap break as Dutiful Thursday. My sisters and I would go to my grandmothers' houses and help fill in the the food for the close few days. Dutiful Thursday was the clasp day you were permitted to do any straightforward work, as you were to be in a heartfelt assert of care for the close few days. We would help make a ham at my father's mother's inland, dejected with borscht, sausage (CONTEMPORARY AND SMOKED) and of course the horseradish pulp. Surveillance my aunt nettle the make happen was an tough setting. We would replacement share my mother's mother across the boulevard, burning a leg of chicken among other background. The best part of all of this was colouring the generate. I still do this today.

So everyplace did this practice start? Catholics are told that it started with Mary Magdalene. One story is that upon proclaiming to the Sovereign that Christ had risen, he scoffed and thought that it was as physical as an egg bear red. Unusual is that she went to the Sovereign of Rome, gave him a red coloured egg, evocative of Jesus' blood and the life improved.

In front of heaps other christian civilization, Easter whichever has pagan ancestry. The holiday gets it's name from from the Teutonic goddess of leap and dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre. Objector day pagans allow the spelling Ostara as our word for the Vernal (LEAP) Equinox. The Vernal Equinox overall chute together with Rally 19 and Rally 22, nevertheless the calendar song mentions Rally 21. Easter chute in the future together with late Rally and mid April, depending upon at the same time as the real thing full moon on or at the back of the Equinox occurs.

Produce are impeccably one of the peak durable abundance symbols and leap is the interest at the same time as peak natural world begin to friend. Trees and vegetation begin to pollinate and echo. Our pagan dwell in coloured generate in honour of the goddess, the dyes mimicking the mixture of the newly energetic vegetation.

The Easter egg haunt, as joyful and fun thorough as it is today, has a very dark like. As Christianity became ultra and ultra fundamental, the ways of the old Religious studies were viewed as evil. The followers of the goddess took to setback their generate. View them was a litigation put forward to children in the form of a game. It was not original for the youths to be bribed with coins or sweets in order for them to comedy. One may possibly surmise that about was the beginning of our modern day hunts, everyplace overall plastic generate with money or chocolate are nameless to be found, or setback the basket for that subject.

Chocolate bunnies are geared up in today's Easter basket. The Easter bunny has it's origin in honouring rabbits, an animal very sacred to to the goddess Eastre. Power abounds with these creatures. I cannot guesswork personality who has not heard the chesterfield "F

have the benefit of a bunny".

The tradition of new clothes for the holiday has very much to do with the coming loose of the winter stripe peak natural world spread out. Wearing the pastels of leap suggestion the grass that stomach come to life at the back of the want dreary. It is a time for lilacs, crocus and and violets, to name a few.

My sisters and I possess the tradition of colouring generate in our own ways. One character tarp the numeral in lecture, put towels on her children and let them get as violent as they requirement. The other is very much ultra instance. She spends days, even months decorating pysanky, the cute eastern European generate that are blown out, to be a sweetheart token. I particular the ultra baggy stroke. I character break out that box of Paas and dip them in plastic dishware. Perhaps I character make up someone special's name with a effective wax restrained on one or ultra.

All I know for mechanical is that at the same time as I eat them, they character stomach homemade horseradish pulp on them.

Origin: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com

Review Dark Kiss By Michelle Rowen

DARK KISS

by Michelle Rowen

PAPERBACK: 348 pagesPUBLISHED: May 29th 2012 by Harlequin Teen (first published May 22nd 2012) ISBN: 0373210477 (ISBN13: 9780373210473)

SERIES: Nightwatchers #1

SOURCE: AUDIBLE

RATING:

"I DON'T DO DANGEROUS."

SMART, "uBER-CAREFUL, ORDINARY SAMANTHA-THAT'S ME. BUT I JUST COULDN'T PASS UP A SURPRISE KISS FROM MY NUMBER ONE UNATTAINABLE CRUSH. A KISS THAT DID SOMETHING TO ME...SOMETHING STRANGE. NOW I FEEL HUNGRY ALL THE TIME, BUT NOT FOR FOOD. IT'S LIKE PART OF ME IS MISSING-AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET IT BACK.

THEN THERE'S BISHOP. AT FIRST I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST A STREET KID, BUT THE SECRETS HE'S KEEPING ARE AS INTENSE AS HIS UNEARTHLY BLUE EYES. IF HE'S WHAT I THINK HE IS, HE MAY BE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP ME. BUT SOMETHING TERRIFYING IS CLOSING IN, AND THE ONE CHANCE BISHOP AND I HAVE TO STOP IT MEANS LOSING EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND EMBRACING THE DARKNESS INSIDE ME....

MY THOUGHTS

I AM A BIG FAN OF MICHELLE ROWEN AND HAVE ADORED HER NOVELS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I ADMIRE HER UNIQUE ABILITY TO CREATE STORIES FILLED WITH FUN, ROMANCE AND HOT BOYS AND HER NEWEST NOVEL DARK KISS IS NO EXCEPTION. IT IS A WELL PACED READ WITH A UNIQUE STORYLINE THAT YOU WILL GREEDILY DEVOUR.

DARK KISS SHOWCASES SAMANTHA, A GOOD GIRL THAT TAKES A CHANCE ON ROMANCE AND ENDS UP SOULLESS AND BLESSED WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES AT THE SAME TIME. YES, IT IS AN ODD COMBINATION BUT MICHELLE ROWEN MAKES IT WORK ENTERTAININGLY WELL. NOW, NOT ONLY DOES SAMANTHA HAVE TO CONTROL HER UNDENIABLE HUNGER AND FIND OUT HOW TO REVERSE THINGS BUT SHE HAS TO DEAL WITH SOME COMPLEX OTHER WORLDLY GORGEOUS BOYS THAT WANT TO EQUALLY HELP AND HUNT HER DOWN, AS IF HIGH SCHOOL WASN'T ENOUGH.

I TRULY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND WHAT MAKES DARK KISS MOST MEMORABLE IS IT'S RICH AND COLORFUL CAST OF CHARACTERS. SAMANTHA IS FUN HEROINE TO READ BECAUSE SHE HAS THE BEST INNER MONOLOGUES AROUND WHILE BEING STRAIGHT UP FEARLESS. I ADORED WITNESSING HER STRUGGLE WITH HER INNER DEMONS AND TRY TO CONTROL HERSELF AROUND BISHOP. OH MY! BISHOP, TALK ABOUT ONE DREAMY COMPLEX BOY THAT MADE ME GO WEEK IN THE KNEES AND AS I GOT TO KNOW HIS CHARACTER BETTER I ONLY WANTED MORE. YET, HE ISN'T THE ONLY BOY IN TOWN OHHH NO! THERE ARE MORE AND KRAVEN TOPS MY LIST AS THE MOST INFURIATING YET UNFORGETTABLE SEXY BOY I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO READ ABOUT AND EVERY TIME HE MADE AN APPEARANCE I WAS MESMERIZED.

NO ONE WRITES A FUN AND ROMANTIC ADVENTURE STORY QUITE LIKE MICHELLE AND IT TAKE SOMEONE WITH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND A LOVE OF ALL THINGS ROMANTIC TO INCORPORATE THESE QUALITIES AND MAKE THEM WORK BEAUTIFULLY TOGETHER. DARK KISS IS JUST THAT PERFECT READ TO TAKE ALONG FOR SUMMER FUN AND ADVENTURE WITH A GOOD DOSE OF WICKED.

Review Of Dallal Islam Science And The Challenge Of History

This is a weekly post by Nidhal Guessoum (see his earlier posts here). Nidhal is an astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at American University of Sharjah and is the author of "Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science".

"This past month, the Journal of Islamic Studies (JIS, Oxford) published the rather long review it had asked me to write about Ahmad Dallal's book "Islam, Science, and the Challenge of History", which was published last year by Yale University Press.Dallal is a historian of science who has specialized in Arab-Islamic heritage. He is currently provost of the American University of Beirut (AUB), having gone there in 2009 from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he served as the chair of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. He had previously held academic appointments at Stanford University (2000-03), Yale University (1994-2000), and Smith College (1990-94).The AUB short biographical sketch of Dallal describes this new important book, which is based on the Dwight H. Terry lectures that he delivered at Yale University in February 2008, as "trac[ing] the historical delineations between scientific knowledge and religious authority in Muslim societies."I cannot reproduce here my long review of the book, for copyright reasons, and the full text is only available for subscribers on the JIS website; the journal makes an "extract" available here, but it is only two paragraphs long.The first paragraph is the opening of my review: I often describe the field of 'Islam and Science' as a cultural and intellectual space in three dimensions: a) the historical developments of science during the Islamic civilization; b) the conceptual discussions of conflict, harmony, or separation between Islam and modern science; c) the issues of practical application of science in Islamic life (ranging from the calculation of prayer times to in vitro fertilization and euthanasia). Ahmad Dallal's book, though rather concise, manages to encompass all three dimensions in a grand narrative and with a bold thesis. Indeed, while surveying the major trends of scientific activity from its emergence in the early Islamic civilization to the present time, he takes special interest in at least one specific case of application of science and intersection with religious rules (the direction of the qibla), and by the last chapter he dabbles in the conceptual issues raised by Darwinism and 'the new astronomy' (i.e. the heliocentric revolution). But for the benefit of the readers of Irtiqa", let me add a couple of paragraphs (as a bonus) to help give an idea of the book's thesis and the extent to which Professor Dallal has been successful in convincing his readers about it.The thesis he is attempting to prove, however, is never stated clearly, but any careful reader will figure it out, especially since Dallal attempts to draw conclusions toward it at the end of each chapter. What he tries to show is that science in the Islamic civilization slowly but successfully was extricating itself from the double embrace of (Aristotelian) philosophy and religion. Dallal clearly believes that any link, whether strong or weak, made between science and religion or philosophy is counterproductive and regressive. He writes: "Yet while religion dominated the moral sphere and claimed a higher rank there [...], it did not exercise an epistemological hegemony over science" (p. 147); "[w]hen Muslims were the main producers of science in the world, they did not advocate wedding science and religion" (p. 170)....In summary, this is an important book, with a grand narrative and a bold thesis. It is very well written, though one can find weaknesses, biases, or short-cuts here and there. It is an important book precisely because it proposes a viewpoint: separation between science and religion, and even philosophy, is not only the correct course to follow but also the historical path that Muslim thinkers took over the global Islamic history. This thesis needs to be discussed and examined in light of the historical record, a fuller treatment which looks at many more viewpoints and avoids any swift generalizations. Dallal is still to be applauded for having produced an essay which forces us to think and argue the merits of his views.

The Houdini Tramp Chairs

In the photo above, is an unusual item from the Salon De Magie, the collection of Ken Klosterman. I'm not sure of the origins, as far as where Ken got this, but he is very thorough in his documenting items that he puts in his collection, so I have no doubt it's authentic. My guess is that it's a challenge that Houdini received. I do know it's featured in his book Salon De Magie, unfortunately, it's one of the few books I do not have. In the photo above, you'll need to excuse the leather device underneath the chair and the orange/red box sitting on the chair, as they are not part of the Tramp Chair.I did some general research on this type of chair and they were basically made in small jails when there was no space for extra prisoners. These could sit in a hallway or outside the cells and still contain a prisoner because they would be handcuffed to the chair. I have a feeling the neck collar was added just for Houdini, and for all I know, it may have been added BY Houdini.The was this would look in performance or in challenge performance is Houdini would have both wrists handcuffed to the chair section and his neck would be put in the neck collar and locked up. This would prevent Houdini from bending down, so he couldn't use a key in his teeth. He also would be unable to lift a hand to help undo either the neck collar or the other hand. At least this is how it would appear by the audience. Whether he did this in full view or behind a cabinet I do not know, though my guess is with this particular device he probably presented it behind some sort of curtain.His brother Hardeen also encountered a Tramp Chair which was dubbed the Maine Tramp Chair. This is a very different device. The Maine Tramp Chair is like a portable jail cell, or a chair on wheels surrounded by a jail cell. It's a very strange relic from the 19th Century. Hardeen successfully escaped from one of these at the Bijou Theatre in Bangor Maine, in 11 minutes 54 seconds.Houdini also claimed to have escaped from a Maine Tramp Chair in Boston, but he called his a 'Witches Chair'. For historical purposes, there was something called a 'witches chair' but it was not the same as the Maine Tramp Chair, it was a wooden chair with spikes embedded in the seat and back cushion so as to cause the sitter extreme pain. I think that Houdini's Witches Chair however, was not this, but in fact was another Maine Tramp Chair or one similar. The description of the Maine Tramp Chair can be found in HOUDINI'S MAGIC & ESCAPES by Walter Gibson. Maine Tramp ChairYou can check out ALL the various articles from 30 Days of Houdini HERE!

Guest Post Victoria Schwab Gives Us The Low Down On Witches

"Victoria Schwab is the debut author of The Near Witch and I am so pleased she could join us on the blog today. Victoria has written an excellent post explaining all the different types of witches you can find. "

"THE POWER SPECTRUM"

One of the reasons I love writing witches is because of all the supernatural forms, -witches are one of the most flexible. Where vampires and werewolves and angels never stray too far from a set of rules (rarely do vampires love sun, or werewolves balk at the moon, or angels act like non-angsty normal people), witches can take ANY shape. Their versatility, paired with their timeless appeal, makes witches an ever-popular and ever-awesome supernatural group.

But they do have some recognized forms.

For instance, there are, in my opinion, two primary distinctions to be made when identifying witches:

1. Coven-based vs. Solo

2. Rule-bound vs. free-form

From Hocus Pocus to the Craft to Charmed, we see coven-based witches joining hands around herbs, a spell book, a cauldron. Their power comes from their numbers and they tend to be bound by rules/spells/guides/structure. Solo witches on the other hand, while they can derive power from their proximity to others (hey, hey Willow) they don't require a group, and are generally more powerful for their lack of dependency on aid.

As far as power, a witch's magic can be tied to others, or to a conduit such as a wand. It can stem from spell books and incantations, or from will alone. The witches in Near are elemental, and they require little more than desire and focus to summon their magic, whereas witches in other books must recite specific words, or use blood or another form of sacrifice to access power.

Some Witch Types:

On the spectrum of power, Natural Witches, those who operate on will, even without training, who seem to be tapped into the vein of magic in the world, are the freest, and often the strongest.

Elemental witches are nearly as free, but they're bound to the natural world, and often are limited to a single element.

Blood witches exist on the line between rule-bound and free-form, since they have a ritualistic component.

Wand-and-Spell Witches are even more tied to ritual, but their potential is often limitless because their power can grow through practice, discipline, and refinement.

Potion-and-Cauldron Witches are the most structured, because they are both bound by rule (the potion) and form (the cauldron). They tend to be limited/weaker in terms of power.

Other:

Mark Shea Appreciation Month

How many of you read Mark Shea's blog daily, or near daily? I do. It's a tremendous resource for news and information of pertinence to the Catholic reader, in addition to containing many of Mark's own writings on subjects that range from the moral questions of the day to "sneak previews" of his soon-to-be published work on Mary, which promises to be quite beautiful and insightful. All in all, I find it to be one of my daily must-reads, and so, I suspect, do many other Catholic bloggers and readers.

It would be a shame and a pity if Mark had to stop blogging, wouldn't it? But it's a possibility.

You see, being an apologist/writer/speaker is hardly the lucrative and glamorous career some might think. Far from jetting off to the Catholic version of red-carpet affairs, Mark is dealing with this sort of thing. Many of the rest of us also deal from time to time with the same sort of thing, but few of us are trying to support our families on a regular income of about 500/month, plus whatever additional sum can be earned through writing or speaking, as Mark reported during the last CAEI fundraising drive he held on his blog a few months ago. And as Mark also mentioned then, his family has grown accustomed to such wild luxuries as eating and getting necessary dental care, so if he ever reaches the point where he has to supplement his earnings in some way, the blog will be the first thing to go--it takes a lot of time to maintain considering the few dollars it ever generates as income.

Now, most of us tiny insignificant Catholic bloggers blog for fun. A few people may earn money directly or indirectly through blogging, but for the most part we're just using blogs as a way of communication and interaction, a place to record our thoughts or our kids' cute pictures and cuter sayings, a sort of live interactive online diary that may or may not be of interest to anyone else. And that's all good, of course.

Mark's blog, and his writings elsewhere, have led people to the Catholic Church. He has participated in God's work of bringing new converts into the fold, and also of strengthening those of us already there. Cradle "reverts" have written to thank him for his influence in their lives; Protestant readers have seen their own doubts and fears addressed in Mark's conversion story, and some of them have had their feet set upon the same journey by something Mark has written or talked about, by his witness to the truths of the Catholic faith. It would be a shame if the most public, most easily accessible presence Mark has on the Internet had to go away so that he could spend more time on the sort of writing that will generate immediate income, wouldn't it?

In a few days Mark will begin the June "Quarterly CAEI Tin Cup Rattle," one of only a few times a year when he points to the PayPal donation button in the upper left hand corner of the blog and asks whether we, his regular readers, can see fit to help out a little with those family dental bills or the car repairs. He also points to this page, where we can purchase his books or audio tapes, as another way that we can help. Each day for one week he puts up one post mentioning these things, and then goes quietly back to the work of keen, insightful, Chestertonian writing he's famous for.

But last time he had to mention that a tiny fraction of his weekly readers had actually participated in the Tin Cup Rattle; and he had to mention it only because of the possibility that the blog would have to be abandoned in favor of work that actually earned money should this trend continue. I'm sure he hated to do that. Who wouldn't?

Here's the thing: times are tough all over. People have lost jobs, or had to take lesser employment following downsizing. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and some families are finding that the commute to work is swallowing up more and more of the family budget. The rise in gas prices is affecting all the other things we buy, too; food prices in particular have seen a jump much greater than anything we've seen in the recent past. It gets harder and harder to open up our wallets to help someone else, when we feel as though we're all in the same leaky boat, struggling to stay afloat.

But in my section of the boat, the leaks are still manageable. Sure, the Cardigan family is far from wealthy, but we can cut out some unnecessary spending, pay for the home repairs necessitated by the hailstorm a while back, and work a little harder on living within our means--because our "means" aren't 500/month for a whole homeschooling family. So I was able to join in the "early" CAEI Tin Cup Rattle, even if the amount was about a tenth of what I wish I could send.

How about you? If you're one of Mark's daily readers, is there any way you could hit the PayPal donation button, even for 5 or 10? Could you buy one of his books or tape sets? Would your dad (or your father-in-law, or grandfather etc.) like a terrific book about a former Evangelical's journey to Catholicism for Father's Day? Are there any graduates on your June shopping list who might benefit from one of Mark's books or talks about Holy Scripture or the Blessed Mother?

I may be a tiny insignificant Catholic blogger, but I'd like to invite all the Catholic bloggers (tiny or not) who may read this blog to join me in declaring June, 2008 to be "Mark Shea Appreciation Month," and to encourage our readers (as I just have) to consider making some small token donation to show how much we appreciate the gifts and writings of this wonderful Catholic thinker. Let's take this opportunity, if it is financially possible for us, to exemplify the sort of Catholic solidarity that the early Christians were able to show to the world, as they shared what they had and took care of the needs of the whole community. The value of the sort of work Mark does isn't measured in dollars, but in souls--surely those of us whose work is of a different sort can appreciate the worth of this, and do what we can to support it.

Rahu Remedies

RAHU Problems
http://www.astrologyguild.com/remidial.htm

Many individuals are quire unaware about how damaging Rahu periods or transits have the potential to be. Rahu can cause intense dissatisfaction with life, and in its transit over any angle, can cause intense dissatisfaction or unhappiness. Rahu or Ketu can cause susceptibility to gossip, black magic, sudden bursts of anger, jealousy, poisons and disease. It can also generate affliction from psychic forces and ghosts. Happily, although Rahu can cause intense problems, it is also quite amenable to relatively simple solutions.

Any kind of protective items, such as Feng Shui mirrors, witches balls (these are blown glass spheres which are supposed to capture negative energy in them); Drishti yantras and other "protective items" are extremely effective against the afflictions caused by the nodes.

I will share one extremely effective technique which I was taught by a South Indian Priest (Sathashivam Sivacharya) for dealing with back luck, which is usually the domain of Rahu:

Take some brandy (no particular quality is recommended. Place it in a glass bottle with uncooked rice (something like a relish jar is appropriate.). Bring the jar to a four corners at mid night on a new moon evening. Smash the jar and turn around and walk away. DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU WHEN YOU WALK AWAY. This dissipates bad luck and keeps malicious gossip away. The brandy will and rice being broken attracts demonic energies when they are most powerful, but the broken glass damages them for a full month. Keep in mind that when the Moon is at its darkest is the time when these energies are most present. Smashing the bottle leaves the bad patterns behind and damaged. Looking back just encourages them to return to your life. This technique works very well.

Here is a special mantra for Rahu from Shiv Raja Sharma's text, The Mystery of Rahu in a Horoscope (p. 3, 1995, Sagar Publications), which I have found very powerful in encouraging Rahu's more positive qualities:

Rahurdnava Mantri Cha Simhikachittananda

Ardhakaya Sada Krodhi Chandradity Vimardana

Giver of happiness to Simika (his mother), minister of demons,

half-bodied, Rahu is the tormenter of the Sun and the Moon

Roudro Rudrapriyo Daitya Swarbhanurbhanur Bheetidah

Graharajah Sudhapayi Rakatishyabhilashuka

Terrible looking, devotee of Lord Shiva, king among planets, immortal because he has drunk nectar, Rahu who frightens the Sun feels happy when he is worshipped at night.

Kaaldrishti Kaalroopa Shri Kantha Hriyadasraayah

Vidhuntudah Saimhikayo Ghorarupo Mahabalah

His sight is death inflicting; his looks are Death-like; he resides in the heart of Lord Neelakantha: has made the Moon lusterless. The son of Simhika is powerful.

Grahapeedikaro Dranshtri Rakta netro madodarah

Panchavimsati Namaani Smritava Rahum Sadanarah

He who torments planets has blood red eyes, big bellied (hard to satisfy): these are the twenty five names of Rahu.

Yah Pathet Mahati Peeda Tasya Nashyati Kevalam

Arogyam Putramtulam Shriyam Dhanyam Pashumtata

He who recites these names overcomes his troubles by a mere recitation of these names, gets sons, good health, prosperity, agriculture and cattle wealth.

Dadati Rahustasmai Yah Pathet Stotram Utttamam

Satatam Pathet Yastu Jeevat Varsham Shatam Narah

He who recites this stotra constantly gets his wishes fulfilled and lives up to the age of one hundred years. That is the fruit of reciting this hymn.

Parenting Beyond Belief

Image via WikipediaI have not read the actual book (Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion), but I thought it was an apt title for my own story as a parent, because in the end, even with everything I dealt with as a child myself, I somehow managed to parent beyond belief, at least beyond belief in Evangelical Fundamentalist teachings. This also included beyond the trappings I still had to pull my own self out of as an adult too. I do not know how I did it, but I seemed to have done it.

When I was little, I made a vow to myself not to do to my children what my parents, grandparents, and other relatives did to me. This also included on the religious front too. Now of course I did not have children yet, but like every little girl I had dreams about adulthood and family. To this day, I believe I kept that promise to myself and the other day, a conversation with my older son, seemed to confirm that I did in at least one area.

When my sons were little, I did not allow anyone to take them to an Evangelical Fundamentalist church, not even their own grandmother, to her dismay. That was part of my vow and I did pretty well with that because neither knew what it was like to attend one until they were teens. They only knew from my rantings that I did not agree with the beliefs of their grandmother or any of my other relatives.

I would "censor" everything my mother gave them that was religious, making sure it did not talk about "hellfire and damnation", before I allowed my sons free access to them. One Christmas she gave them several Children's Bible story books and saw me inspecting them. She asked, "Is what I gave them OK?" I sort of gave her a white lie and said, "No, they are fine." They were only fine in the respect that they did not preach any particular Christian doctrine, but told the stories in a manner more appealing to children. For all I knew, some Episcopalian wrote the stories to suit children, because it did not appear to be by any Evangelical author.

While I took my sons to an Episcopal Church until they had no interest in attending anymore and only to appease my mother, they had no actual interest in the stories, except for two- one a piece. My older son recently told me that he liked Samson and Delilah, only because Samson had long hair and "kicked ass" when someone cut it. I reminded him, that that did not happen until his hair grew back. My older son said, "Yeah, but he still kicked ass!" My younger son liked the story about "Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours", although I am uncertain as to why.

Regardless, my older son had no clue what it was like for me until he attended my grandmother's funeral. Up until that time, he only heard my rants on various things concerning Christianity, including in a priest's office. The funny thing was, just like myself as a young person, he wanted out of that church as fast as reasonably possible. I thought it was rather ironic, but when we got home, he said, "Mom, I am beginning to understand you."

The sermon was on "The Path of Salvation" and even my mother and aunt, who requested their minister preach on the topic, thought she was going to have an altar call during the funeral. She did not, thank goodness, because I did not want my son exposed to that, even if he was eighteen at that time. However, he felt ripped off, not because the sermon made no sense, but because he wanted to learn something about his great grandmother, who he hardly knew thanks to a few family disputes over religious stupidity. He did not learn a thing about her. Instead, what he got was some bizarre religious concept, which neither one of us can actually explain, because neither one of us understand what the hell they are talking about. We only know such a concept exists and it has to do with how one gets to heaven by following Jesus, Wesleyan style. This means being a "Perfect Christian", whatever that is.

Then the other day, we were once again talking about my mother and my teenage years, when my mother dragged me to church regularly, whether I wanted to go or not. This was after her last "born again" experience. Before that, it was very sporadic that we went to church. Even so, when we did go, I always found it a frightening experience, especially her behaviour after the first two times she was "born again". She only got worse as I got older and my teen years were not much fun at all. Up until recent years, thanks to her forcing me to go as a teen and calling people heathens if they did not go, I worried about what other people would say about me not being there if I missed church for any reason, even as an adult. I did not want to deal with people telling me this or that all because I did not attend every time the church doors were open.

I also told my son that belief was not a choice, which it was not, and it took years for me to realize I did have a "choice". He had no clue what I meant by that, so I explained that it was a case of "believing" whether you did or not and IF you said you did not, you caught the wrath of the adults, which I did not want to deal with. So, I said I did when I did not, just to keep them from getting angry with me. As long as you said you did, regardless if you did not, everything was fine and you did not catch hell from the adults.

This is not to say I did not believe some things about it. I did, but it was not what they believed nor did I believe it as strongly as any of them did and do. If any of us kids (my step-cousins and I) said anything that did not stick to what the adults wanted us to believe, we got the Inquisition and my mother still tries to give me the Inquisition to this day, if I say something she deems not to be Christian. Which is becoming more and more frequent and quite a challenge to deal with. There will come a day, probably soon, in which I will confirm to her, I am not a Christian, but rather a humanist and "the Inquisition" will be worse than ever, I am sure of that.

He still did not quite understand, except he remembers the anger my mother spews when we say something contradictory to her beliefs, so he too tries to avoid it. I further explained to him that every piece of information that came my way was censored, adding that we did not have the internet back then, so it was very easy to censor things. I did not get to read anything unless it met the adults' approval. My son jokingly said, "Thank God for the internet." He knew I knew he was joking, because he knows I usually go on rants that humans actually did it, but I did not that time. Instead, I proceeded to tell him about the time when I was fourteen or fifteen years old, in my room, and minding my own business as I read with great interest some information about humanism. I forgot exactly what was now, but I remember it was on humanism and when I stumbled onto humanism as an adult, it all seemed very familiar to me.

I was so intrigued by what I was reading that I did not notice my mother had walked in unannounced, until the humanist reading was suddenly snatched out of my hands. Her face was so red with anger as she shouted, "THAT'S NOT CHRISTIAN!", which she still screams to this day, if something contradicts her beliefs.

I had no idea what I had done wrong, but she walked out with MY reading material without any explanation. I never saw that particular reading material again. To this day, I have no clue what she did with it, except maybe threw it away, like she did so many other things that did not fit her dogma, including Jehovah Witness material.

When I was finished telling him about the censorship and invasion of privacy, he said, "I am so glad you did not do that to us." I agreed with him, adding that is the worst thing you can do a teenager. As a teen, I knew there was a bigger world out there than just my relatives' religious world, because I spent most of my childhood in it, but I was not allowed to learn anything about more about it. The door was slammed shut on the real world and the only thing I was to learn was their religious beliefs, the Bible, Billy Graham, and other like approved reading.

Instead of an occasional foot into the religious world, it was now a 24/7 ordeal, which made life even more miserable than just living with it only when we visited her relatives. I went from a miserably abusive world, in which we had to stay in, due to her relatives religious beliefs, to a miserable religious one after she finally left my father. While I was glad to be free of him, I was not so glad that my reading activities had suddenly become limited and I was forced to believe what they taught, rather I wanted to or not. It was not a choice, unless I wanted to face their primitive anger over it.

Music was a different story, even if they preferred I listened to Christian music. However, it was not censored as much as the reading material was. What I read was more important than the music I listened to as a teenager. I do not know why reading was more important than music, but to my relatives it was. Regardless, I still had to parrot them, if I wanted to get along with them, no matter what I thought. As long as I kept my thoughts to myself, I was fine.

However, my language was censored too. I could not say any bad words or say "God" unless I was talking about Him and in a respectful manner. I had to respect my elders, regardless of what they did to me. This included my bio-father too, for they were/are certain that God will deal with him appropriately and I should not be angry with the man, because anger is a sin.

Thus even my emotions were censored, but even my sons know that is not what the Bible says about anger. Still, any display of emotion beyond happiness or joyfulness, was a sin. I am sure if I had always grown up in that religious environment on a constant basis, my life would have been even more miserable than it was. Even worse if she had not left my abusive father and constantly enforced religion on me at the same time. However, that does not mean some of these beliefs were not imposed on me before she left him. They just were not a constant, except for the one where we were forced to stay with my abusive father due to their religious beliefs. Again, none of it was a choice. It was do or else.

Obviously, I did not take any of this crap to heart, for if I did, I would have raised my sons in a similar manner. Instead, I taught them the Bible was filled with stories and were not meant to be taken literally, there was no talk of Satan, hell, or alike in our home, and above all, I taught my sons to think for themselves, instead of blindly following others. They know the Bible is very errant and that it is filled with myths, but they are not afraid to read any of it. My sons have also been free to read anything else they want to read. If they had questions I could not answer, I would get them the appropriate reading material. Sometimes I would even take them to the appropriate person, like a doctor when they hit puberty, to answer their questions. All of this has made for some very lively discussions between my sons and me because almost no topic has ever been off limits in my home. They expressed their thoughts, even if we did not agree and sometimes I would express mine, if I felt like it.

The moment my older son said, "I am glad you did not do that to us," I felt as though I had done something right as a parent and knew that in at least one area, I managed to keep the vow I had made to myself as a child. I know I was not a perfect parent. What parent is? However, when your adult child says to you such things as, "I am starting to understand you" and "I am glad you did not do that to us", it gives you a good feeling and an acknowledgment that whatever parent you had set out to be at the start, you succeeded, at least in the one area they are referring to at the time.

In this case, with one son who claims to be "Tao Buddhist" and another who states he makes his own rules with no religious affiliation, I would say that, without any help from other non-theists, I managed to parent "Beyond Belief". I do not know how I did it, except to do the exact opposite of what my relatives did to me. My sons are now eighteen and twenty and to this day, no one has indoctrinated them into Evangelical Fundamentalism and I hope no one ever does. They are not even Christian for that matter. So, I must have done something right as a parent.

Will I What Then

Anna K Tarot, 1st hand outI'm apt embarking on a new opening, which would be of 6 month sliver. I perturb I'd ask the tarot about it. 1. Because ARE THE Outlook OF MY Human characteristic Strong IN SECURING THIS OPPORTUNITY? - CHARIOTAs the Chariot is about plot, I lay the blame on this card to mean that unintended are very good that I plot be active in securing this opening. The ploy plot imply new inactive room, new scenes, and masses of commuting, all of which I can see reflected in this card. 2. Because Courage BE MY Be acquainted with In vogue THE OPPORTUNITY? - 6 OF WANDSEccentric strong-minded card, the 6 of Wands depicts a supporter main part cheered by an sympathetic hall. I think this opening plot allocate me a bough to bell active and awareness the growth of inhabit domination me. The realm domination me plot work out I am good at what I do. And I plot bell active, in my opinion. 3. Where Courage I BE HEADED As THE OPPORTUNITY? - THE Scamp (CLARIFIED BY 5 OF Fine china)The Scamp on a regular basis represents surroundings fascinated in a bad station. It is a bad station that I locate on to escape from tendency this opening. Prepare this card suggests I plot go back to the dreadfully periphery I came from. This is not furtive, as the opening is throw out. For observations, I drew 5 of Fine china, which is a card that always reminds us that even if gear bash overall, all is not lost. So even but I would be unrelenting to a indestructible station, keen plot be strong-minded aspects to revive in my opinion of. The imperceptible submission and three serious serving dishes put down the picture in the card next help to me that new opportunities weight await, but I won't company them if I don't bash domination for them. This seems repellent very strong-minded. I'm hello to go weak spot preserve with putting my found vulgar for this opening and we'll see how it pans out.Source: modern-wiccan.blogspot.com

Wicca 102 Second Degree Initiation

by...Gary Dumbauld

This is a ceremony we admit used a hindrance of times (with variations to

reassure the candidate) for the bonus gain initiation. You specter warning

that it borrows from diverse sources: Masonic, Gardnerian, Celtic, and

Dodge of Tact. Weve done it robed, sky clad, and some vibrant

combinations. Seems to work ok either way. If the candidate has done

the work, the initiation ceremony is luxury of a communal "rite of

repeat" or applause of that fact... the real "INITIATION" is

amongst the Gods and the candidate, and as a consequence cannot really be

"conferred".

A Ceremony To Recognise Completion

of the 2nd gain

course of study

The Tinkle is cast as customary. All are justified timely and purified.

Rocky Priestess and Rocky Holy man perform the Show off in concert. The

candidate is brought in vogue the circle by a friend and circled 3 times

deosil, closing stages north of the altar, beforehand the Holy man, who is standing

south of the altar (WHERE ELSE?).

PRIEST:

"This is the time of Absolute Moon, a time for rekindling of light. The

have a go for excellent light is: That we may see it, and seeing it, work

and rouse by it. We are about to go aboard upon a crypt ceremony to

restart the light of Suggestion, the light of Fortitude, the light of

Sympathy, the light of Steadfastness; we specter bracket together these lights,

and restart the light of Promise in our Sister appearing in previous us.

"appearing in admit you been qualified the ways of the Levelheaded, that

you might toting up yourself among relations who relinquish the Gods, among the

brothers and sisters of the Wicca, relations who are called the shapers of

the formation."

PRIEST:

"I now path your problem to the two lights upon our altar, the one

in place of the Sun, the God, and the Rocky Priest; the other

in place of the Moon, the Divinity, and the Rocky Priestess. The Rocky

Holy man and Priestess, presiding aloof the coven, may be sense of as

`One light to manipulate the day, one light to manipulate the night. To the same degree these

lights are what's more beneficent, each having worship in its place, the Manufacture

of the Levelheaded does not set day versus night, God versus Divinity,

Holy man versus Priestess. In the Manufacture, we do not define evil as a

derogatory power, quite as the lack of light; where put forward is the light

of Sun or Moon, God or Divinity, put forward can be no lack of light. Choose

one, or both; place light within yourself, and upgrade it."

"In times in the same way as, the Tinkle of Foundation was called a `Hermetic

Tinkle, one time Hermes, the ancient name for the planet Mercury."

In astrology, the legislature of the Sun is in the zodiacal sign of the

lion, which is the fifth house; the legislature of the Moon is in Bane,

the crab, and is in the fourth house; and the day legislature of the planet

Mercury is in the Gemini, the Twins, and is the third legislature. These

statistics, three, four and five, were sacred to diverse ancient peoples, as

the dimensions of the Pythagorean Triangle, in which the consecutive of

five, twenty five, is steamroll to the sum of the squares of four and

three, or sixteen and nine. Suggestion of this triangle was essential

to builders; you are likewise a builder-you are detached house your yarn."

PRIESTESS:

"I now path your problem to the a range of lights around us, in

the East, South, West, and North. Let us now slice up these lights,

and see what we can judge within them of possible yarn."

"In the detached house of yarn, the Eastern light is denoted the Storm lantern

of Ornamental, and stands for accomplishments; for learning, proficiency in art,

vernacular, in declare and instrumental music, in fine art and statuette. It

exemplifies the art of making ones self appropriate to relations about

one. It is an old saying that `Beauty is as Ornamental does. It causes

fathomless care to see these member of the aristocracy graces of yarn prostituted to

discreditable ends. Honor well the lesson of the Storm lantern of Ornamental, and

hand out the blessing of the East."

Instigate is censed with incense from the censer which has been

formerly to be found in the East.

PRIEST:

"The light in the South is denoted the Storm lantern of Spirit, and stands for

idiosyncrasy, and for energy; for fervency, for zeal and dash.

It exemplifies passions, requests and appetites. It piece of equipment loves and

hates, sympathies and abhorrences, and what is luxury than all the rest

of these, it piece of equipment substratum and joy in the work of life. Honor well

the lesson of the Storm lantern of Spirit, and hand out the blessing of the South."

Instigate is circled three times with the brazier, formerly to be found in

the South.

PRIESTESS:

"Look now to the West, and write down the Storm lantern of Sympathy, which

stands for `fellow-feeling. Each and every one work in life force a price.

Tough grind, snuffle, moderation, self-recrimination, the very blood of life

is sometimes the price of a really fathomless work. Look to your guy

travellers on the road; warning with hope what loss they admit through

in their get to headed for the truth; allow them their faults,

express sympathy with them in their failures, and wallow with them taking into account

they happen. Honor well the lesson of the Storm lantern of Sympathy, and

hand out the blessing of the West."

Instigate is circled three times with water, and his/her hands washed

in a laving toss, formerly to be found in the West.

PRIEST:

"Look now to the North, and write down the kerosene lamp of submissiveness. The laws

of the Gods are inexorable, and the luxury we, as children of the Gods,

understand and work in agreement with them, the self-important is the sum of

our ecstasy. Restraint in yarn piece of equipment order, the incapacity to

ones ideas, the attention to do wrong, and the motivation to learn and do

truly. Assorted would quite commit charity than do decency. They swell

with ambiance, howl with point of view, moan with the mob, so hunger as their

own finicky diminutive tyranny or favoritism is not touched. The Storm lantern

of Restraint exemplifies building specter and dependability of yarn, in

unpleasantness of difficulties, dangers and dead. So likewise the Storm lantern of

Restraint stands for restrict, for fortitude, and for prudence.

In time of no noise, create for war; taking into account shines the sun, expect the

cloud; and in shiftiness storage patiently for the coming light. `When all

the sky is draped in black and beaten by outrageous gales, and the

trembling ship seems all awreck, calmly downscale in imitation of luxury the stale

sail, connect the exploited wheel, and set again for the old unbending

course. Honor well the lesson of the Storm lantern of Restraint, and

hand out now the blessing of the North."

Initiates hands are visible with clammy earth from a toss in the North.

Instigate is in addition to led back south of the altar.

PRIESTESS:

"Of the yarn in this manner illuminated and in this manner guided by the lights appearing in

on the altar, and by the Lamps of Ornamental, Spirit, Sympathy and

Restraint, it may be assumed, `Though the world dissolve and fall to a different place,

he/she end.

Instigate in addition to takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling.

`In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and

Cernunnos; and by the powers of Earth, Air, Cleave and Hosepipe, I,

"doll to love, adore and worship the Divinity in

her diverse aspects; and her Hang out, the Horned One, Peer of the realm of Slapdash and

Ruler of Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never

abuse the Art or my own powers; and to look after this doll always in my

substratum, in my object, in my personnel and in my spirit. This I doll, by the

Tinkle of Spirit, by Cerridwens Holy Cauldron, and by my own hopes of

a destiny life.

Instigate stands. Rocky Priestess seats a necklace aloof Initiates

chief.

PRIESTESS:

"The Tinkle is a place amongst the worlds and go up time. The

Tinkle is likewise the Score of Spirit, Slapdash, and Restitution. We wear the

necklace as a taste of the Holy Tinkle and as a sign that we are

part of all it symbolizes." Rocky Holy man strikes the sound three

times.

PRIEST:

"Struggle ye, Lady of Spirit and Peer of the realm of Death! Struggle ye, Uninspiring Guardians

of the Powers of Air, Cleave, Hosepipe and Earth! In this place, by our

hands and specter, "usual to us as "has been technically pledged and anointed a Priest/ess of the Sparkle Degree!"

CAKES AND WINE TO Copy

St Maximus The Confessor

COMMEMORATED ON JANUARY 21Saint Maximus the Confessor was instinctive in Constantinople on all sides 580 and raised in a dutiful Christian people. He expected an advanced coaching, studying philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric. He was cultured in the authors of antiquity and he too mastered philosophy and theology. Having the status of St Maximus entered all the rage ruling service, he became opening secretary (asekretis) and fundamental fall to the queen Heraclius (611-641), who was stamped by his knowledge and expert life. St Maximus candidly realized that the queen and many others had been corrupted by the Monothelite heresy, which was circulation firmly among the East. He prepared to accept from his duties at law court, and went to the Chrysopolis monastery (at Skutari on the stubborn water's edge of the Bosphorus), anywhere he expected monastic tonsure. The same as of his diffidence and wisdom, he candidly won the love of the brethren and was special igumen of the monastery in the past a few soul. Incessant in this locate, he remained a simple holy woman. In 638, the queen Heraclius and Patriarch Sergius tried to illness the hint of differences in belief, and they issued an instruction, the "Ekthesis" ("Ekthesis tes pisteos" or "Bright of Conviction), which decreed that a person destitution swallow the teaching of one character in the two natures of the Champion. In defensive Conventionality versus the "Ekthesis," St Maximus spoke to tribe in varied occupations and positions, and these conversations were dominant. Not decently the clergy and the bishops, but too the tribe and the whatsoever officials felt some description of unnoticeable attraction to him, as we read in his Essence. Having the status of St Maximus saw what utter this heresy caused in Constantinople and in the East, he contracted to proceed his monstery and seek burrow in the West, anywhere Monothelitism had been only rejected. On the way, he visited the bishops of Africa, intensification them in Conventionality, and conclusive them not to be deceived by the cunning arguments of the heretics. The Fourth Ecumenical Ruling body had condemned the Monophysite heresy, which by corrupt means qualified that in the Lady Jesus Christ display was decently one disposition (the divine). Persuaded by this wound position, the Monothelite heretics designed that in Christ display was decently one divine character ("thelema") and decently one divine energy ("energia"). Adherents of Monothelitism sought to return by out of the ordinary path to the repudiated Monophysite heresy. Monothelitism found hang around adherents in Armenia, Syria, Egypt. The heresy, fanned too by nationalistic animosities, became a harsh warning to Cathedral unity in the East. The twist of Conventionality with heresy was superfluous unmanageable while in the day 630, three of the patriarchal thrones in the Consecutive East were extensive by Monothelites: Constantinople by Sergius, Antioch by Athanasius, and Alexandria by Cyrus. St Maximus traveled from Alexandria to Crete, anywhere he began his preaching gain. He clashed display with a bishop, who adhered to the dissenting opinions of Severus and Nestorius. The saint passed away six soul in Alexandria and the present zone. Patriarch Sergius died at the end of 638, and the queen Heraclius too died in 641. The government throne was in due course extensive by his grandson Constans II (642-668), an open scholar of the Monothelite heresy. The assaults of the heretics versus Conventionality intensified. St Maximus went to Carthage and he preached display for about five soul. Having the status of the Monothelite Pyrrhus, the child of Patriarch Sergius, dressed in display in the past fleeing from Constantinople while of law court maneuverings, he and St Maximus passed away many hours in disagreement. As a outcome, Pyrrhus publicly conventional his misapprehend, and was legalized to grip the title of "Patriarch." He even wrote a book confessing the Consecutive Conviction. St Maximus and Pyrrhus traveled to Rome to make out Pope Theodore, who expected Pyrrhus as the Patriarch of Constantinople. In the day 647 St Maximus returned to Africa. Communicate, at a senate of bishops Monotheletism was condemned as a heresy. In 648, a new instruction was issued, commissioned by Constans and compiled by Patriarch Paul of Constantinople: the "Typos" ("Typos tes pisteos" or "Prototype of the Conviction"), which forbade any get well disputes about one character or two wills in the Lady Jesus Christ. St Maximus hence asked St Martin the Confessor (April 14), the child of Pope Theodore, to put to the test the slipup of Monothelitism at a Cathedral Ruling body. The Lateran Ruling body was convened in October of 649. One hundred and fifty Western bishops and thirty-seven get-together from the Consecutive East were elect, along with them St Maximus the Confessor. The Ruling body condemned Monothelitism and the Typos. The ruse teachings of Patriarchs Sergius, Paul and Pyrrhus of Constantinople were too anathematized. Having the status of Constans II expected the decisions of the Ruling body, he gave tips to convulsion what's more Pope Martin and St Maximus. The emperor's order was whole decently in the day 654. St Maximus was accused of troublemaking and sheltered up in send down. In 656 he was sent to Thrace, and was later brought back to a Constantinople send down. The saint and two of his disciples were subjected to the cruelest torments. Each one one's communication was cut out, and his factual hand was cut off. Subsequently they were exiled to Skemarum in Scythia, secure many sufferings and difficulties on the chief. Whilst three soul, the Lady revaled to St Maximus the time of his death (Majestic 13, 662). Three candles appeared senior the sad of St Maximus and burned remarkably. This was a sign that St Maximus was a beacon of Conventionality participating in his lifetime, and continues to intensity forth as an member of holiness for all. Spend time at healings occurred at his weighty. In the Greek Presentation, Majestic 13 commemorates the Understand of the Residue of St Maximus to Constantinople, but it could too be the appointment of the saint's death. It may be that his cushion is prominent on January 21 while Majestic 13 is the Leavetaking of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lady. St Maximus has consumed to the Cathedral a entrenched theological bequest. His exegetical works clinch explanations of unmanageable passages of Holy Scripture, and jacket a Footnote on the Lord's Favor and on Psalm 59, varied "scholia" or "marginalia" (commentaries in print in the side of manuscripts), on treatises of the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3) and St Gregory the Theologian (January 25). Sandwiched between the exegetical works of St Maximus are his marking out of divine services, entitled "Mystagogia" ("Opening About the Powerful"). The fixed works of St Maximus jacket the Bright of his contest with Pyrrhus, and several tracts and inscription to varied tribe. In them are buried explanations of the Consecutive teaching on the Spiritual Spirit and the Live in of the Holy Trinity, on the Quintessence of the Guarantee of God, and on "theosis" ("exaltation") of worldly disposition. "Nil in theosis is the product of worldly disposition," St Maximus writes in a murder to his friend Thalassius, "for disposition cannot grasp God. It is decently the compassion of God that has the quantity to supply theosis unto the grant... In theosis man (the image of God) becomes likened to God, he rejoices in all the plenitude that does not belong to him by disposition, while the care of the Underlying triumphs within him, and while God acts in him" (Notice 22). St Maximus too wrote anthropological works (i.e. involving man). He deliberates on the disposition of the individual and its conscious being in the past death. Sandwiched between his moral compositions, if truth be told highly praised is his "Chapters on Soft spot." St Maximus the Confessor too wrote three hymns in the preeminent traditions of church hymnography, following the member of St Gregory the Theologian. The theology of St Maximus the Confessor, based on the spiritual identify of the knowledge of the entrenched Wilderness Fathers, and utilizing the useful art of dialectics worked out by pre-Christian philosophy, was continued and full-size in the works of St Simeon the New Theologian (Demonstration 12), and St Gregory Palamas (November 14).TROPARION-TONE 8Defender of Conventionality, instructor of purity and of true honor,enlightener of the manufacture and cut of hierarchs:all-wise launch Maximus, your teachings carry gleamed with light upon all bits and pieces.Referee in Christ God to cut down our souls.TROPARION-TONE 8Let us the culminate precisely cloud the fan of the Trinity,the entrenched Maximus who qualified the God-inspired look-in,that Christ is to be overvalued in His two natures, wills, and energies;and let us cry to him: "Wallow, mean of the look-in."SOURCE:"SAINT OR Feast POSTED THIS Guarantee 2012(with 2011's unite concerning too and get well, 2010, 2009 and even 2008!):"

Recent Articles And Books Of Interest

From SSRN:

* Ratna Kapur, "A Leap of Faith: The Construction of Hindu Majoritarianism in Secular Law", (113 (1) South Atlantic Quarterly 109-128 (2014)).
* Pamela Foohey, "Perspectives on Religious Organizations' Reorganizations", (87 American Bankruptcy Law Journal (2014 Forthcoming)).
* Mary E. McMahon, "May I Be Excused? Smith's Individualized Governmental Assessment Exception and the HHS Mandate", (Journal of Catholic Legal Studies, 2014).
* Eric Segall, "Silence is Golden: Moments of Silence, Legislative Prayers, and the Establishment Clause", (Northwestern University Law Review Online, Vol. 108, 2014).
* Tyler Antone Le Fevre, "Gender and the Institutional Nature of Marriage", (March 11, 2014).

From SmartCILP and elsewhere:

* Evelyn Lincoln & Pascale Rihouet, "Brands of Piety", 47 University of California Davis Law Review 679-703 (2013).
* USCIRF Policy Brief, "Prisoners of Belief: Individuals Jailed under Blasphemy Laws", (March 2014).

Recent Books:

* J. Brent Walker, "What a Touchy Subject!: Religious Liberty and Church-State Separation", (Nurturing Faith Inc., February 2014).
* John W. Compton, "The Evangelical Origins of the Living Constitution", (Harvard University Press, March 2014).
* Barry Rubin and Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, "Nazis, Islamists, and the Making of the Modern Middle East", (Yale University Press, Feb. 2014).

Origin: esoteric-soup.blogspot.com