Thursday 26 January 2012

Post No. 367 - Yet more reading, speculations and other stuff

I'll begin this some more reading links.
  • I never thought I'd refer people to a Christian site, but the following articles on the etymology of the word "God" are interesting: http://www.bibleanswerstand.org/God.htm and http://bibleanswerstand.org/God_2.htm
Now, some more speculations.

Being at peace does not come from enforced physical relaxation. It comes from the inner peace of knowing you are growing, dealing with your proper responsibilities and working spiritually as you intended.

You can never escape anyone - even they or you move or die, your souls still exist, bound together by ties of like or dislike, so you may as well start resolving matters now. Of course, one or, more likely, both of you may have to change to more evolved beings to do that, but that's not so impossible.

There are circumstances when forgiveness is irresponsible: it teaches the person forgiven that their behaviour doesn't really matter, as they won't be held to account.

I have occasionally been asked what is the harm in focusing on loving those near to you - family and friends. The problem is the insularity, which is a form of conditionality upon the love you manifest. If you cannot help a stranger within reach with greater need ahead of your friend or family member, then you are not loving unconditionally, and thus are missing the greatest lesson of the Universe. Who is most harmed by this? Neither your friend nor the stranger in greater need ... it is you.

If you attempt to teach someone who is immature to negotiate, you wind up with a manipulator. If you attempt to teach someone who is unready about spirituality, you wind up with someone religious.

I have a fairly reasonable karmic status at the moment, going by the relatively quick (week or so) turnaround for test incidents that I use. With that, and my practical skills and experience, it still takes me around 18 months to 2 years to change key aspects of my life. That's based on a few things, mostly the time it took me to get back on the water, sailing, after I made a commitment to do so. (Actually, just last night, as I write this, I let someone go ahead of me in the supermarket checkout queue because he had only one item, and he gave me $2 of his change: maybe my karma is doing better than I think -well, the good karma, at any rate :) )

On the sailing, the skipper of the boat I was on made some incredibly arrogant comments, such as other boats should not be on a race course: well, that would be nice, but the waters are governed by authorities beyond the sailing club, and unless they have granted you sole access, you share, sport, you share!!!

Other stuff

I was recently asked by work to consider going to Kenya to work on design of water an wastewater facilities. I chose not to, because of their appalling record when it comes to LGBTIQ people - I don't really fancy going to a place where there is a significant risk of me being basked in the streets for simply being who I am. That's the problem with bigots: they never realise (or think) that they could lose out, and yet they do - in this case, they miss out of having the services of an experienced, capable engineer for much needed community services.

I was recently looking through a publication covering the Six Yogas of Naropa ("Esoteric Teachings of the Tibetan Tantra", from the Sacred Texts website), and it struck me that some of the initial work is very similar to the chakra work I learned under the Correllian system. I might have to explore that connection further - some of it very clearly is not, and some of it ties in with my ideas of the levels connected to each chakra, but such lateral cross-connections are something I find fascinating, and often beneficial.

I have, for many, many years, been scrupulous about closing down my psychic sensing when I am out and about - at work, for instance. I found just a few days ago that, if I leave my chakras a bit activated and myself a bit open, I can actually USE my skills - hence, for instance, I found that I was able to use what most people describe as the second chakra to set up an effective shield against some backstabbing. Hmmm. I clearly must reconsider the balance between closing down and actually using what I know ...

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

Tags: addictions, chakras, closing down, discrimination, drugs, environment, karma, protection, society

First published: Thorsdagr, 26th January, 2012 - Invasion Day

Last edited: Thursday, 26th January, 2012

Sunday 22 January 2012

Post No. 366 - More reading and speculations

I'll begin this with a few reading links:

And now from my local paper, beginning with one about the source of some of John F Kennedy's inspirational words:
I post usually at the time of the end of the Western year about some of the social problems associated with that time of the year, including kamikaze pedestrians. Seems from the following that I was, sadly, right:

And now some articles about the problems of fireworks. When I was a kid, someone at the school I went to, who I met after this happened and he confirmed the story to me, was injured when a (by the time I met him, former) friend of his, as a "joke", put a firecracker into a pocket of his - which already had firecrackers. On the recently past New Year, we have one person killed and at least two seriously injured, and I spent a good part of the night comforting our seriously upset dog. The ban on fireworks here is more than justified, and I hope they can be enforced somehow.
Another link about those problems:
Now, a few more quick speculations ... quicker for me than writing a formal post, but without the links and wordsmithing.

There are people who object to those who do service for others for the motivation of feeling better about themselves. Whilst there may be an element of hypocrisy in SOME of those people, the more one learns and evolves, the more one inevitably KNOWS that what one does to others is being done inextricably to oneself, and hence the impossibility of doing something truly selflessly. The objectors need to look at their bitterness more importantly than the hypocritical offerers of service need to look at themselves - at least the latter are attempting to DO something of value.

In general, if you can't pay for your lifestyle, you need to cut back your lifestyle - live within your means. So, if you can't do the mount of housework that is required without exceeding your available energy - an you don't have either health problems or small children, maybe you need to simplify your living arrangements.

I've started my Asuri studies, and some of what I argue for under the word "maturity" could also be covered by that tradition's use of the word "balance" - watch for a coming post on the topic of Positive Balanced Force!

I recently read an article about how to create a "karmic shield". How selfish and uncaring! Do these people not want to help the people they have harmed in the past, and learn what it is they themselves have done wrong and how not to repeat that error? And it is also stupid, as - if it works as inferred - it would also stop the return of good.

I have come across quite a bit of discussion about topics like non-duality, and how we are really all part of formless energy, etc. Yes, that's all true, but I am here for a purpose: to learn, and if I get that awareness too early, or focus on it at the expense of learning my lessons here (which means I must accept the "rules" of the "play (act)" that we call physical reality), then I have wasted coming here.

I read an article in an old National Geographic suggesting that the immaturity of the teenage forebrain is and evolutionary matter to enable more optimal learning. Crap - the stereotypical teenage attitudes ranking immediate reward above consideration of risk means they are less likely to survive, which can hardly be considered an evolutionary advantage (unless you are trying to weed out idiots?), and their attitude means they miss out on learning from others. Also, it is important that not all teenagers are like the stereotype! Some actually seek to learn from their betters - I used to pester the more experienced sailors when I was learning to sail (which is a bit like life generally, in that you never stop learning ... ) to see what I could learn from them. There is also the point that those around teenagers have rights as well ...

And finally, from http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/fuelling-rational-debate-20120118-1q6gz.html#ixzz1jrYvA7X4
"Former US senator Daniel Moynihan once said: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts." " Hmmm ... still thinking about that ... could be something in it, but ...

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

Tags: environment, irresponsibility, John F Kennedy, myths, privacy, responsibility, shamanism, society,

First published: Sunnudagr, 22nd January, 2012

Last edited: Sunday, 22nd January, 2012

Sunday 15 January 2012

Post No. 365 - New Moon and other Rituals, and More Reading and Speculations

I know I've missed a few rituals: I'll try to catch up in due course, but I found a few links which may be of interest to others:
Some links for reading:

And finally, I thought I'd start putting up a few small speculations and thoughts that I can't put into posts for reasons such as lack of time:
  • Peer pressure - When one comes under peer pressure, it can often be easy to succumb to that, and that is often viewed in terms of wanting to "belong". The thing is, however, that if one resists that peer pressure, what one does is clarify that one "belongs" to one's own Higher Self - one is one's own person. Worth thinking about when coming under pressure to cave into some group think (which is endemic, in my experience, in many commercial/business situations).
  • Honour - what are you prepared to lose to maintain your honour? Personal convenience? Money? Your lifestyle, family or life? That - which must be countered by your responsibilities - gives an indication of how much honour you have or don't have. I have come across many people (particularly immature people) who justify being dishonourable as a matter of convenience (e.g., park in a disabled space "well I'm not going to walk further when there's a vacant space!).
  • I have been reading (I have eclectic tastes!) of the lives of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke who lived in the 1100s and early 1200s, and Helmut Lent, a German night fighter pilot from the Second World War: two lives several centuries apart, and yet both still had to be exceedingly careful of how they spoke and behaved. In Marshal's case, to manage the intrigues of the court, where a wrong tone of voice to a sentence could be dangerous, Lent to manage the risks of an evil regime with a vicious and effective secret police - particularly as he became increasingly despairing of the war (which I think explains his surprising fatal crash), as he tried to have his brother released from the Gestapo, and when he married a Russian. I can relate to that, as writing letters for lobbying purposes is, if one wishes to be effective, a matter that requires extreme diplomacy, and managing the politics of an office can be trying - although not so demanding and dangerous as either a royal court or an evil regime such as Germany in the 30s and 40s (and there are still evil regimes in this world). Still, it shows the lack of progress of the world on some issues, which is sad.
  • Animal rights are universal rights, just as human rights are.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

Tags: rituals, Esbats, full moon, new moon, peer pressure, honour, gossip, discrimination,

First published: Sumnudagr, 15th January, 2012

Last edited: Sunday, 15th January, 2012

Thursday 12 January 2012

Post No. 364 - [Content Warning] The Origin of Evil

To consider the origin of evil, it is, in my opinion, first necessary to review the nature of reality, and I am going to do so from a pagan point of view.

To begin with, the Goddess created the God, and then pursued the God to be re-joined as one - which is a metaphor (or allegory, if your school preferred :) ) to Deity creating the Universe, including the physical existence we live in. Now, most pagans I've come across leave it at (1) physical, and (2) non-physical including the Goddess [Note 1], and consider the purpose of existence to be to evolve until they re-join the Goddess (as so aptly expressed in the chant "We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return, like a drop of rain, flowing to the Ocean").

That's true enough, but I consider there is merit in looking at this in a little more. Assuming that Creation manifested downwards from the Goddess (i.e., devolution), why did the Lady get to the level of the astral world, and decide there was a need for another level of existence - the physical?

I'll pause while your heads spin round the notion that there is a purpose to each level of existence ... Settled? No? Tough :)

In my view (which, since I am currently incarnate is, by definition as it were, limited), a key aspect of the astral levels (yes, there are more than one) is that there is nothing that equates to the sense of physical distance or closeness that we have here in the physical. In the astrals, what is the equivalent of distance or closeness is harmony or disharmony: one naturally finds oneself existing only with people one is fundamentally compatible with - hence (in part) the wonderful feelings of acceptance, love and togetherness. It is possible to force oneself to change vibration and thus mingle to some extent with people who are not as compatible, but that takes effort (the more so as people become less compatible). I am of the view that the physical world was taken so we could meet and mingle and coexist with those who we are not naturally in harmony with - so we could come into the proximity of those other parts of the Universe that we may not have realised existed, or had not met, since it is - arguably, perhaps! - hard to unconditionally love that which you do not know exists, let alone know or understand ... (Incidentally, I am aware of things such as, in dreams or what is considered to be "astral" travel people can experience unpleasant things and people: in actual fact, that is actually more ETHERIC travel than astral travel - yes, there is a difference :) )

Why would the Goddess want this? Is it a case of "the magic of conflict", as one book was titled?

No, I do not consider it is. What I think this is more about is partly akin to having at least two sexes involved in reproduction, which gives a chance to mix DNA and come up with a more robust, adaptable species. By having people mingle and mix, it enables exchanges of ideas and energy and thus creation of a more robust and adaptable essence of life - which strengthens the Goddess inherently as it strengthens all of us, human and non-human, incarnate and discarnate, associated with this physical level of existence.

What this could also be about is learning to synthesise. As we evolve back towards the Goddess, eventually multiple streams of consciousness (i.e. souls) have to join together to become One with the Goddess. Initially, this is fairly easy as we merge with our parallel souls and re-join our Higher Self, but there will come a time when we have to merge with others who are not so compatible - albeit at a level of reality where they and we are both FAR more evolved than we could possible achieve on this physical level of existence. Being able to synthesise, which comes partly from things like being able to integrate our Shadow Self into our whole being and being able to exist and work harmoniously with those who are disharmonious to us, will be of key importance.

So how does this relate to the origin of "evil" (which, for my personal convenience, I'm not going to try and define in this post :) )?

Well, I consider that, when souls first came into this physical world, they came across other souls that were not in harmony with them - a bit like discovering two colours that can never be in harmony because they clash. There is NOTHING fundamentally wrong with either, it is simply that they are not in perfect harmony. Now, from the point of view of someone with some experience at living on this level of physical reality, I can say that there are lots of tools which have been developed to help people get along, tools such as communication, analysis, etc, but ultimately, it all boils down to being prepared to agree to disagree.

In those first few moments of disharmony, I think someone was unable to cope with the idea of agreeing to disagree, or to develop tools to work through difference, and thus reacted by trying to impose their ideas upon the other - i.e., "I am right, you are wrong".

That, not stuff like coming down from heaven and forgetting that one is a divine being, or the actions of some entity or other, or women, is what I consider led to what we see as "evil". Wars, violence, gossip, discrimination - they all can, in my view, be ultimately traced back to that initial inability to accept disharmony in constructive manner.

If you cannot "agree to disagree", or are not prepared to do so, then I consider YOU are continuing that fundamental flaw which led to what we consider evil. Ever give someone a hard time over which way they hang the toilet paper roll? Whether to fold, scrunch or do both? Use allegory or metaphor? You evil person you! :)

More seriously, I can also express this fundamental evil as "minding other people's business", and that is what gossip, discrimination, hate and all other forms of control are ultimately, in my view, based on.

There are a lot of other implications from this to consider - for instance, whether one should help or not in some situations (which is where karma, particularly the negative karma of inaction or failing to help, comes into consideration). There is also the fundamental purposes of learning to love unconditionally and to be all that one can be, but those purposes also apply on other levels (even more so, in some cases, than on this level), whereas the lesson of learning to cope with disharmony with grace (whilst not allowing harm to others to be propagated) is specific to this physical reality.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

Notes:


  1. I feel a little like some pagans think it is a case of ... alive ... then *pop* one with the Goddess and all of Creation - no intermediate steps ... mmmm, I don't think so


Tags: evil, planes of existence, nature of reality, harmony, disharmony,

First published: Thorsdagr, 12th January, 2102

Last edited: Friday, 13th January, 2012 



 


 

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Post No. 363 - Southern Litha / Northern Yule




INTRODUCTION
In the Southern Hemisphere, this is Litha, in the Northern Hemisphere, this is Yule.
In the tropics - well, the tropics are an interesting situation, one that I have personal experience of. You see, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle, and between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, the sun comes closer, then further away, once each year, with two days when night and day are of equal length (i.e., the aforementioned equinoxes). But in the tropics, the sun is overhead TWICE in each year, so it gets closer, is overhead, goes further away, then comes back, is overhead, then goes further away - all in the space of one year! ... Maybe the solution is to find what seasons the indigenous people in that zone divided the year up into, and work rituals to suit that - as I am trying to do for Melbourne (see here and here).
Typically, each hemisphere does its own thing, which has a certain amount of sense to it, given that will be celebrating a different season. However, when I was helping to run a global on-line Wiccan group, we tried to come up with rituals that could be used by everyone. I've decided to start having a go at those again, and here is one for the June Sabbats.
ESSENCE
Chant:
Southern Hemisphere:
Peak of light and life,
may joy and life,
peace and prosperity,
be through all our life,
as our Northern kin,
rest and heal.
Northern Hemisphere:


Rest and heal,
content that
the Unconquered Son
is coming back
for when we will be
renewed and ready
as our Southern kin,
celebrate the heights
of life.

The ritual in full follows:
THE RITUAL
All rituals consists of 5 major parts, which you will notice below are segmented into the five elements.  Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit, but not in that order.  Each Elemental correspondence has its own unique role within the ritual.
In most cases they are broken down as follows:
·         East – Air – Athame – Opening – This is the basis of preparation, introduction of the ceremony.
·         North – Fire – Wand -  Invocations – This is the basis of invocations, prayers of the ceremony.
·         Spirit – Centre – the ritual itself.
·         West – Water – Chalice -  Offerings – This is the time of offerings, libations, and honour
·         South – Earth – Pentacle – Closing – This is the time of devocation and opening of the circle.

Phase
Actions
Words (if wish to provide guide or use particular words)

Overall direction of ritual:


Collate items required:
·         Cauldron and match
·         salt, water
·         athame
·         copy of order of ritual / running sheet / speaking notes


Ask for and brief volunteers

Air – East - Athame OPENING
Cleanse salt, water, incense and fire.
Charge salt, water, incense and fire.























Cleanse and charge area. Participants waiting outside to Ground and Release, and make sure watches are removed and mobile phones are turned off.
- hand over water, visualise yellow-white light from hand into water, 3 Clockwise, to the south, circles while say
“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Water, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within!”
- hand over water, visualise blue-white light filling water, 3 Sunwise (to the north, anticlockwise) circles while say
“And I do bless and consecrate you to this work!”
- hand over salt, visualise yellow-white light from hand into water to force out negativity, 3 Clockwise, to the south, circles while say
“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Earth, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within!”
- hand over salt, visualise blue-white light filling water, 3 Sunwise (to the north, anticlockwise) circles while say
“And I do bless and consecrate you to this work!”
- add three pinches salt to water (to make Holy Water) and say
“Behold, the salt is pure! Behold, the water is pure! Purity into purity then, and purity be blessed!”
Walk Sunwise (to the north, anticlockwise, in the Southern Hemisphere) and asperge (sprinkle with Holy Water) while visualise filled with yellow-white light.
“Behold I cleanse and purify this space.”
Turn to face inside of circle, visualise blue-white light and say.
“I bless and consecrate this space.”
Cast circle
“Behold I do cut apart a space between the realms of humankind and of the Might Ones – a Circle of Art, to focus and contain the power raised herein!”
Invite participants into circle and smudge

Fire – North – Wand
INVOCATIONS
Invoke the Four Quarters 

East (air)
Example only: “Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, power of Air and intellect. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid you hail, and welcome!”
North (fire)
Example only: “Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, power of Fire and manifestation. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid you hail, and welcome!”
West (water)
Example only: “Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, power of Water and emotion. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid you hail, and welcome!”
South (earth)
Example only: “Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, power of Earth and integration. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid you hail, and welcome!”
Invoke the Goddess
Example only: "Divine Mother Goddess, All-Bountiful, All-Beautiful, Source and Sustenance of Existence: we do invoke You, asking now for your aid and guidance in this our undertaking.– May Your Divine Love be as a light within our hearts, now and always! Light our path, guide and strengthen us, enfold us in Your love, Divine Mother – we thus pray! Holy One, we bid You Hail and Welcome!"
Invoke the God (optional / depending on type of ritual)
Example only: "Holy Father God –Son, Brother, and Consort of Our Lady- we do invoke You asking now for your aid and guidance in this our undertaking.–. May Your Divine Love be as a light within our hearts, now and always! Light our path, guide and strengthen us, enfold us in Your love, Divine Father – we thus pray! Holy One, we bid You Hail and Welcome!"
Invoke your Patron Deity (optional / depending on type of ritual)

Invoke the Ancestors  (optional / depending on type of ritual)
Example only: “O Mighty Ancestors, Beloved Ones Who have gone before, We invoke You and ask You to join us and to Bless us! Ancestors of the Correllian Tradition, Priestesses and Priests, Mothers and Uncles of the lineage, Spiritual family which aids and supports us –lend us Your inspiration and Your love, Your guidance and Your aid this night, we pray. Beloved Ones, we bid You Hail and Welcome!”
Spirit – Centre
RITUAL
Libra is a cardinal, yang, air sign. Its strengths are their quest for fairness, peace and harmony, and Libra is known for balance.
Southern Hemisphere:
Peak of light and life,
may joy and life,
peace and prosperity,
be through all our life,
as our Northern kin,
rest and heal.
Northern Hemisphere:

Rest and heal,
content that
the Unconquered Son
is coming back
for when we will be
renewed and ready
as our Southern kin,
celebrate the heights
of life. 
 
Water – West - Chalice
OFFERING
This is traditionally done with a chalice of juice, wine or water passed around the company within the circle AFTER the dedicationary offering has been completed.
Then it is common practice to pour out a small libation, and dedicate that to your Ancestors, physical and spiritual, and to all your friends in Nature, seen and unseen.
Dedicate what remains in the Chalice to the Goddess and the God.
(After the ritual, the libations may be emptied outside, or otherwise respectfully disposed of.)

Earth - South - Pentacle
CLOSING
It is now time to give thanks, and close the ritual

Devoke the Four Quarters 

North (fire)
Example only: “Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, power of Fire and manifestation. We thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
West (water)
Example only: “Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, power of Water and emotion. We thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
South (earth)
Example only: “Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, power of Earth and integration. We thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
East (air)
Example only: “Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, power of Air and intellect. We thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
Devoke the Goddess (optional / depending on type of ritual)
Example only: "Divine Mother Goddess, All-Bountiful, All-Beautiful, Source and Sustenance of Existence: we thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!
Devoke the God (optional / depending on type of ritual)
Example only: "Holy Father God –Son, Brother, and Consort of Our Lady, we thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
Devoke your Patron Deity (optional / depending on type of ritual)

Devoke the Ancestors  (optional / depending on type of ritual)
Example only: “O Mighty Ancestors, Beloved Ones Who have gone before, we thank You for Your presence here tonight – we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. May there be peace between us now and always. Go if You must, stay if You will, we bid You hail, and farewell!”
Take down the Circle itself.
Example only: “As Above, So Below. As the Universe, so the Soul. As within, so without. Merry meet. Merry part. And merry meet again.”
Ground and release all excess energy.