Monday 28 January 2013

Post No. 428 - MZB's Heartlight, and BP(S)F vs NUI

I've been reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's [1] "Heartlight", and it's exactly the right thing for me just now. It's the story of an "Adept", Colin MacLaren (there were apparently three preceding books), and part of his life's work, which is largely the stereotypical struggle between "Light" and "Dark".

I'll discuss these terms shortly, but part of the backstory includes the struggle against the evil of Hitler's Nazi's in the Second World War (no debate about my use of the word evil there, as far as I am concerned), and is along the lines of the work outlined in Dion Fortune's book "The Magical Battle of Britain" (my copy pub. Skylight Press, 2012, ISBN 978-1-908011-45-9), which I reviewed here.

There are some interesting descriptions (so far) about responding to calls of spirit, Adepts or Initiates (whichever term you prefer) finding someone to pass their teachings on to (obviously this is, to some extent, pre-Internet and maybe even re-printing Press, but there is a lot which cannot be revealed irresponsibly, and thus cannot be published; in wiser pathways, such teachings are passed on to more than one, in case something happens to one and the teachings then have to be rediscovered directly from Spirit; I've yet to find an apprentice ... ), working alone and answering directions and calls from spirit, etc. The book has just started to add in physical action, so I'll see how it survives this change.

Now, going back to the terms "Light" and "Dark". "Light" is often used in the context of "more spiritual", as such involves higher energy states and brighter colours; "dark", on the other hand, is used to denote, for instance, the murkier auric colours of less evolved people. The terms can be problematic, as I've written elsewhere, and thus, rather than "Light", I try to use the term BPF, which I've written about here (generically) and here (more specifically).

It's an acronym which no-one else uses (as far as I'm aware), so it's an uphill battle using it, and sometimes it gets to be just easier to say "Light". Still, I'll persevere ...

Now, one thing about this that I haven't considered yet is, what is the acronym for the "opposite"? What is my equivalent of "KAOS", opposed to the forces of CONTROL (from the 1960s US TV show "Get Smart")?

Gotta love the humour of the 60s ... which is when MZB"s "Heartlight" commences, actually.

So, the opposite of BPF? Well, I could try:
  • opposite of "Balanced" is "Unbalanced"; 
  • opposite of "Positive" is "Negative"; 
  • the opposite of "spiritual" (it's there, but in brackets!) would logically be "materialistic", but that actually can be interpreted in a wide range of ways, so I'll use what I've found to be one of the major issues of this time: the struggle against Immature expressions/manifestation of concepts.
Put that together, and the acronym is ... UNI.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .......

Uni's can be less than ideal, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they're "evil" - well, no more than anywhere else, anyway :)

OK, so let's rearrange that, and try ... NUI.

That's a bit clumsy grammatically, but it does have the advantage of seeming to be a shorthand for "ennui", and the inability of people to manage boredom is another great shortcoming of this Age.

Alright, I'll try that: BPF vs. NUI.



 ... don't be surprise if I change my mind on this :)

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings


Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: Adept, evolution, Initiate, Mage, personal characteristics, personal responsibility, purpose, Sage, spirituality, terminology,

First published: Manadagr, 28th January, 2013

Last edited: Monday, 28th January, 2013

Saturday 26 January 2013

Post No. 427 - Invasion Day

Today I mourn Invasion Day, and the cretins who take it as a chance to push white, English-speaking, yobbo culture as "the norm", or somehow more desirable than multiculturalism, in Australia - which has been the reality since us whites (my ethnicity includes English and Irish) forcibly invaded and occupied this land.

I like the car sticker I saw once, obviously in the USA, which said "Welcome to America. Now speak Cherokee." Maybe we need "Welcome to Australia. Now speak Kulin (or whatever language was spoken in your area)." 

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Post No. 426 - Busybodies, overparenting, the self limitation of self congratulation and guns & violence

When I was a teenager, our family used to go to a regatta every August, taking advantage if the cooler weather and lack of stingers (a local type of jellyfish, potentially fatal). It was located at a place in northern Queensland called Kurrimine Beach, a place that has been largely wiped out by Cyclone Larry, as I understand it. I have quite a few stories from there, some good, some like the one I want to talk about now which is when a woman, a complete stranger, tried to stop me going sailing one day. She knew nothing of sailing, nor of me, but out of her own fear of water and boats, decided she "should" step in and do something  thereby implying my parents were incompetent.

Something like this happened recently to a friend of mine who was teaching his son to ride a bicycle, and to build his confidence. The son had a minor tumble which my friend dealt with (resilience comes from overcoming problems, and that is the truest of confidences), only to have a woman come up and try to impose her parenting style on the situation, and by repeatedly ask if my friend's son was "really" OK, almost made a non-event into a problem. This sort of interfering moron, and the assumptions behind it, are why the attitude "it takes a village to raise a child" is inanity in extremis.

Going back to the interfering bitc-er, busybody at Kurrimine, I actually had to threaten the woman with the police before she would back off.

This sort of busybody shoving their beak into other people's affairs is a far too common problem in life. (Ironically, there are times when it is necessary - for instance, in the case of children who are genuinely being abused - which does include a simple difference of parenting style.) It happens, for instance, with wills, which is where I started working on this brief post, when talking about this with a niece. Legally, wills must comply with laws (so no, say, funding of illegal groups) and make proper plans for support of dependents, which EXCLUDES most adult children (some may require care), but otherwise it is up to you. People who challenge wills when they aren't dependent (e.g. people who are adults, or are offended because the money went to the person's cats) have, as far as I am concerned, no leg to stand on. Be adults - real adults! PLAN to stand on your own two feet instead of seeking to win or inherit money! It is sad if lots of money goes to cats instead of to those who have a need for it (which may well be charities rather than adult children), but families - particularly children - do NOT have rights beyond being raised. If you are surprised when someone you know does something like this, then maybe you didn't know them as much as you thought - and if you are fighting their clearly expressed wishes, you certainly give up ALL rights to ever claim that you loved the person.

That's a good lead into the next topic I wish to touch on: overparenting. My thoughts on this were stimulated by the following articles:
"Time to cut the cord", 20th January, 2013: http://www.theage.com.au/national/time-to-cut-the-cord-20130119-2d00u.html;
and, on a good note:
"Raising kids for free: why I won't be spending money on my son in 2013", 16th January, 2013: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/raising-kids-for-free-why-i-wont-be-spending-money-on-my-son-in-2013-20130116-2cs9a.html;

Overparenting is a problem - not only when raising your own kids, but even more so if you start interfering unreasonably in other kids' raising, as happened to my friend, and doubly so if you fail to let go when they move out. This was one of the few things I liked about Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" that I (partially) reviewed recently (see http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/carren-smith-eckhardt-tolle-and-other.html), the description of parenting as a function, rather than an identity, for the purpose of being able to move on from that, just as we ultimately move on from ALL roes or functions that we take on. If you fail to do so, you are FAILING at being a parent, and are contravening the principle that Kahlil Gibran expressed so beautifully in

"Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow".

There are other problems in the world of course, and another one I wish to touch upon is the self limitation of self congratulation. There is a stereotype (these days, as limited as any other stereotype - outside of the US military, at any rate) of the drill instructor browbeating recruits to the army. There is a point to learning about drill in the army, and it is actually about saving lives, but I wouldn't expect anyone without some contact with the military to understand that, and it is of little relevance to this point. The relevant point is, people are pushed, and as a result, they may well find themselves able to do more than they dreamed of (provided the style of pushing matches their personality - in some cases it is counterproductive, and that includes situations OUTSIDE of the military). More generally, if you stop to celebrate or acknowledge every little thing, you risk failing to achieve all that you can, and that being all you can be is a vital, often unacknowledged part of spirituality and growth. As an analogy, if you're moving house, and stop to admire how every box has been packed, maybe gathering friends to celebrate each box, you may find yourself thrown out onto the street because the notice you gave has expired and you didn't finish packing. We can limit our achievement by being too kind on ourselves, by not pushing ourselves enough, or by not being objective.

Finally, my last "other" problem I wish to touch upon is that of guns and violence. I recently heard of moronic claims that hammers kill more than guns. This is complete and utter RUBBISH!. See Snopes at http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/baseballbats.asp.

While you're at it, have a read of this article, from someone I knew of and respected before he was elected to Parliament:
On violence generally, this article posits that rates of violence could be due to lead poisoning. I need to think about this and see more evidence before I am convinced this is as influential as the article suggests  and, even if it is the case, there are lots of other issues to consider (such as overcrowding in cities, personal behaviour, attitudes, ways of dealing with conflict, etc, etc, etc):

As always, keep your thinkng caps on, and make up your own minds. 

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings


Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: attitudes, children, family, interference, parenting, personal responsibility, perspective, society, violence,

First published: Wodansdagr, 23rd January, 2013

Last edited: Wednesday, 23rd January, 2013

Monday 21 January 2013

Post No. 425 - The inanities of children

Goddess save me from the inanities of children who say "if you're not drunk it wasn't fun" ...

Sunday 13 January 2013

Post No. 424 - A Set of "Coming of Age" Ceremonies

One of the topics on this blog that is important to me is that of real, genuine maturity; another is ritual; I've combined them together for this post, and come up with a suggested SET of rituals for marking coming of age in modern society.

When we were gatherer-hunters, life really was simpler, to the extent that teenagers could provide a real, useful contribution to survival of the tribe: that does not happen now - "teenagers" are often protected by laws against child slavery (which is GOOD), but cannot bring in a useful amount of money to contribute to family survival, although they can do household chores to help. Effectively, they are, as my partner says, apprentice adults - and hence the former, fairly quick and simple one-off ritual has become a process spread over several years, and the conflict of this with our "stone age" (i.e. gatherer-hunter) biology has contributed to increased teenage angst (compared to gatherer-hunter lifestyles). This set of rituals is based on the child entering a somewhat formalised apprenticeship as "apprentice adult", rather than teenager, with as specific goals as possible (moving out and living successfully on your own is, as I've posted about elsewhere, the ONLY sensible "ultimate" test of your maturity :) - but parents need to think about the life skills they will need to develop, which include emotional and relationship skills, the ability for their child to THINK for themself, and so on). This also moves the parents into the head space of preparing themselves for letting go of the child - after all, as Kahlil Gibran wrote "Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow" ...

The draft outline is after my signature block.

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings


Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: attitudes, children, family, maturity, personal characteristics, rituals, society,

First published: Sunnudagr, 13th January, 2013

Last edited: Sunday, 13th January, 2013

DRAFT "COMING OF AGE" RITUAL


This ritual has two parts:
-          commencement of apprenticeship, when hit puberty or start giving serious lip
-          after complete test of life skills (living successfully on one's own for a year – i.e., being a real adult)
The parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party  may need guidance on selection of skills to aim to develop, communication strategies, management of discipline, etc.I also strongly recommend that the parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s) plan for their life after being a parent, in order to successfully let go of the former child, and also to move in to the next, non-parent phase of their life. If they make statements to the effect of "one is always a parent", they may not be ready for this ritual, as they may have subconscious traits resisting a suitable state of mind to be objective, nurturing without over-parenting or being excessively protective ("helicopter parenting") and, ultimately, able to let the former child stand on their own two feet as an independent adult. This is an issue that counselling may be needed for, and one should consider checking this set of attributes in the parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s) before agreeing to run the ritual.

COMMENCEMENT OF APPRENTICESHIP
(assumes no more than normal problems - needs to be modified if have been serious issues to acknowledge and resolve those; may need to appoint - by agreement - a third party; parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third part  may need support to work out details of expected behaviours, communication strategies, etc.; witnesses to be satisfied on all this before the ritual commences)

< if wish ritual circle and invocation of entities/Higher Selves/energies, do so here; could be a-religious, or possibly incorporated into other religious ceremonies >

Leader:
We are here to celebrate and mark the passage of _ < name of would-be apprentice > from childhood to apprentice adult, and all that that entails.
(to the parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party ): _ < name(s) of parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party >, the future has entrusted into your care a soul, that of _ < name of would-be apprentice >. You have succeeded thus far in raising _ < name of would-be apprentice > through childhood, and we now mark a change of your duties, a change of focus towards more active preparation of _ < name of would-be apprentice > for independent adult life, without reliance upon you.

Do you solemnly accept this vow to foster and develop the capacity of _ < name of would-be apprentice > to be a fully functioning adult, capable of
- self-reliance, self-sustenance and self-care,
- respectful, honourable and effective interaction with all communities _ < name of would-be apprentice > is part of,
- respectful, honourable and effective interaction with partners,
- on the basis of the adage "know thyself", capable of developing and taking fully informed decisions, even if they be at odds with your values, and
- able to meet all duties and obligations imposed by life, including those which may come with having dependents and those validly imposed by society,
all done out of love with no expectation of reward, mindful of the obligations and duties that society imposes upon you in this, and that _ < name of would-be apprentice > has rights, and to be ready to let go when _ < name of would-be apprentice > is ready to step out?

(parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party reply - if declines, stop the ceremony immediately)

(to the would-be apprentice)
_ < name of would-be apprentice >, at present you _ < insert comments about any household skills > , but you are dependent on others instead of supporting yourself, you have not completed a tax return, and your body and especially your brain has not yet fully matured. As an adult, you will be expected
- to stand on your own two feet, independent of your parents but able to support yourself,
- to be able to decide and then direct your life where you wish it throughout all your days to come,
- to be able to be a constructive member of whatever communities you find yourself in, including your current family while you are part of it,
- to be able to meet all duties and obligations imposed by life, including those which may come with having dependents and those validly imposed by society, and
- to balance rights with commensurate responsibilities.
Do you accept these goals as being yours, to be progressively attained until you graduate from this apprenticeship by living successfully on your own for a year?

(would-be apprentice replies - if declines, stop the ceremony immediately)

(to the would-be apprentice)
_ < name of would-be apprentice >, _ < name(s) of parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party >, out of their love for you, which has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of those present with adult perspectives, have agreed to take on the role of guiding you through this apprenticeship, sharing the benefit of their life experience and skills, until you can stand on your own two feet as an adult, independent and capable in ALL that that role entails. Do you accept them in this guiding role, and agree to work with them in your development, acknowledging that they may have flaws, they DO have other responsibilities, aspirations and rights as adults themselves, and that their love is genuine?

(would-be apprentice replies - if declines/disagrees, stop the ceremony immediately)

(to all)
Then I call upon all here present, including _ < name entities/Higher Selves/energies invoked (if any) > , to witness and celebrate the commencement of this path. Welcome _ < name of would-be apprentice > to a new role as apprentice adult, and _ < name(s) of parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party > to _ < insert appropriate pronoun > role as guides, teachers and inspirations to this journey. Long may both sides to this solemn agreement be blessed.

(cakes & ale / celebration; devoke entities/Higher Selves/energies before party)

GRADUATION FROM APPRENTICESHIP
(witnesses need to be satisfied that apprentice has indeed lived on their own for a year successfully, and is now capable of behaving as an adult)

Acknowledge accomplishment of goals of former apprentice, now adult, and mark passage of parent(s)/carer(s)/guardian(s)/agreed third party  to commencement of healing, and that may (if is last child in their care) move to preparing for crone/sage.

Saturday 12 January 2013

Post No. 423 - Carren Smith, Eckhardt Tolle and other reading

I've been doing some reading over my extended break, and think I have come across a book as good as Ingrid Poulson's book "Rise" (pub. Pan Macmillan Australia, Sydney, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4050-3863-8), about her experiences after her ex-husband killed her children and her father while she was reporting his rape of her the previous night to the police, and how she came to live a life of resilience after these terrible events. That book is "Soul Survivor", by Carren Smith (pub. Bermingham Books, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9873156-0-1). This is the story of a woman who lost her partner to suicide, wound up suicidal herself, and then went to Bali as part of her recovery - only to find herself in the 2002 Bali bombings, where she lost her best friend. As an example of what this book is like, consider the following:

Forgiveness, for me, has been ... a process of me accepting that if I had known better, I would have done better, and at the time of all experiences, I did the best I could, with what I had. Would I change any of it? Absolutely everything, yes! Can I change any of it? Absolutely not! All I can do now, is accept the past for what it has been and use it as a rocket to propel me into a future where I can re-create a new me out of the perspective forgiveness has given me!

This is an elegant resolution of one of the problems I have with forgiveness as it is preached in the New Age movement. There is more in the book that is worth reading, and I recommend purchase of it be considered, Dear Reader :) I may post a more comprehensive review when I finish this book, but, realistically, my time and energy is likely to be too limited for that. Better you just get it and read it :)

For more on this, see here, and Carren Smith's website is here.

On the other hand, I wouldn't bother with Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth". I'm not likely to finish it, but the dot points I've made so far are:
  • the use of the development of flowers as an analogy for the flowering of spirituality does nothing for me: flowers are a device to achieve a particular means of propagation, and their beauty - compared to, say, the beauty of a soul - is transitory. I have always considered trees to be far more appealing - trees are light pumps that work far more time (all year round, in the case of the evergreen eucalypts I grew up with here in Australia), and far more effectively at lifting the energy and physical quality of the world than flowers do. On the other hand, my partner liked the analogy and thought it was useful. You, Dear Reader, could always make up your own mind :) 
  • this world exists for a purpose. I am very wary of paths to spirituality that deny the inherent value and beauty of this world - particularly given that we are currently existing through the Kali  Yuga. If we were on this planet during the Age of Gold, being here would actually be a pleasure and a joy for all on the world, and the concept of seeking spirituality elsewhere would probably seem alien. I feel that Mr Tolle still has a little too much of the "good things are elsewhere" attitude for my comfort. (I also have to point out that, even during the Golden Age, the higher astral worlds are more enjoyable, and we are ultimately intended to evolve through those planes of existence - but that is no reason to waste time and energy putting this world down.) The fundamental definition of ego as some sort of confusion between essence and form tends to fit into the "God as Potter" view of reality, which implies that form (reality) is somehow intrinsically lesser than the world of spirit - which most pagans would dispute, taking the view that Deity is the garden, not the gardener - or a better way of putting it, the world is the cloak that the Divine puts on in order to be seen;
  • I did like the description of parenting as a function, rather than an identity, for the purpose of being able to move on from that;
  • the book comes across as very arrogant with its claims that everyone will get something of value from it - not a good look for a book aiming to be about spirituality; 
  • the description around becoming aware of the voice in the head is excellent, particularly if you have never come across that before; 
  • the book generally takes the "warm and fuzzy" view of spirituality that galls me - spirituality is also about hard work, being uncomfortable and becoming all that you can be, not just about being comfortable or what you currently consider "happy" in your limited state of awareness! 
  • I generally liked what I've read so far about not being too attached to "things" - i.e., not being materialistic;
  • the dissection of elements of consciousness came across as being a little too much "hiding behind labels" for my tastes, but maybe I was just getting too tired and cranky by then :)

If I finish the book and change my views, I'll do an update here.

One of the things I have often thought about is: should I do things that I happen to like?

Now, I currently have a family to support, so there are things I cannot do because I choose to support my family and met my obligations there. However, if I did not have that constraint, would I say ... build a yacht and cruise round the world?

When I was younger, I probably would have. Now, I actually would prefer to keep going with my psychic and spiritual work. I am heading, though, towards a "compromise" where I do some sailing for pleasure, to help keep me going.

More broadly, this is a situation of ethics. This sort of consideration is well summed in an early scene from the film "Flash of Genius" where the lead character, an engineering lecturer, talks about an example of biomedical engineering (I think the "bionic ear", from memory), and points out that engineers were necessary to realise that concept, and then points out that engineers were necessary to realise the concept of the gas chambers in concentration camps.

Just because something can be done, does NOT mean it should be ...

I've written more on this here, here, here, here, and a poem here.

The first link I gave includes the following quote:

"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change." Senator Robert F. Kennedy, US Attorney General, 1966 Speech.


Now, some more reading links I have come across.

This first one is one that I wish I had found before I did the Global Healing Day ... I might use it next year :)
http://www.druidry.co.uk/2012/09/09/bdo-ritual-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony/

Under the Ancient Oaks
- Sovereignty Before the Gods http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/sovereignty-before-gods.html
- A Call to Action http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/a-call-to-action.html
- The Price of Magic http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-price-of-magic.html

Blue Star Owl (I intend to keep a track of this blog - looks very good ... and written by a librarian!)
- Pagans and the Modesty Issue http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/pagans-and-the-modesty-issue/
- Gender Respect in the Pagan Community http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/gender-respect-in-the-pagan-community/
- the Mabinogian explained .. very well done, very amusing http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/category/the-mabinogion/

A reminder of another good source of pagan news, events and perspectives: The Wild Hunt, now at http://wildhunt.org/.

"The Elements" (http://www.freewebs.com/lostdemise/elementals.htm) provides a sub-division of the elements: I'm naturally sceptical of such things, but will spend some time meditating on it. I might publish a critique (for instance, darkness is not just "sadness", it can be healing/introspection; I don't respond to the inclusion of faith, but that may be a reflection of where I'm at just now; nothingness can actually also be a connection to what the Qabbalaists refer to as the Aum Soth Aur, and the Rune student as Ginnungagap; storms are about the magnificence and dynamism of Nature - still, it is worth referring to as a starting point, as it gives you a basis for analysing and thinking, which is as you should take this blog).

I first came across this at http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-elements 

A few others from Spirit Rescue:
- http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/is-it-sleep-paralysis-or-a-night-terror;
- http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-castes-of-the-children-of-light;
- and this one, http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/journey-of-the-soul-2, which is a load of complete twaddle based on trhe moronic idea that we are not complete until we find our other half (remember, I don't necessarily agree with what is in the links I post, and some at least are chosen to get you, Dear Readr, to think).

Some posts on guns, gun control and violence that I like:
- from the "Works of Literata" website: "NRA advocates PTSD as the American way of life" http://worksofliterata.org/2012/12/28/ptsd-as-way-of-life/;
- http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/on-living-armed/266658/ which includes a point about having a gun in itself being of little use if you wish to use it for defence, which is a point I actually emailed President Obama about (as a further example of this point, it can be as few as 2% of combat soldiers who actually kill people - which is a stat from the British military experience in the Falklands war: to expect a school Principal, a person dedicated to caring, to be able to kill, as the NRA appear to have suggested, is absurd - even security guards would, I suspect, have trouble with this);
- http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/banning_assault_weapons_works/;
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Australia#Measuring_the_effects_of_firearms_laws_in_Australia.

"Why Being on Oprah was the Worst Day of my Life", which came from a post on The Wild Hunt on readings links, which also included an update on a topic I have posted about previously: Forest Bathing.

And on a particularly noxious piece of effrontery from a politician:
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/acoss-calls-on-macklin-to-please-do-your-job-20130102-2c5mt.html;
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/a-fine-line-living-on-the-dole-is-no-easy-ride-20130102-2c5n8.html;
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/macklin-make-the-most-of-your-moolah-with-some-hints-from-the-margins-20130102-2c58y.html.


[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings


Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: attitudes, elements, forest, forgiveness, New Age, paganism, personal responsibility, society, spirituality, violence,

First published: Laugardagr, 12th January, 2013

Last edited: Saturday, 12th January, 2013