Recent Entries

Meridian Tapping for Weight Loss

Okay, this wasn't actually on my schedule for the acupressure study, so this will be out of order of my other notes. Meridian Tapping webinar notes here:

Identify what's blocking you.
Set-up Phrase - make it an affirmation that you can live with. (i.e., even though I have problems saying no and people cross my boundaries all the time, I choose to deeply and completely love, honor and accept myself.)
How do you feel about the topic - 1-10.
Say affirmation 3 times while tapping at side of hand.
Next tapping in order at inside of eyebrow, outside of eye, under the eye, under the nose, collar bones, under arms, top of head.
Tap as you talk through the negatives, in the pattern, 3 taps each spot.
How do you feel about the topic? 1-10.
Slowly transition into positives, things you can learn.
Rewiring your brain
NLP - collapse anchors.
Variations - EMDR, tapping fingers. Affirmations with movement. - Breaks the pattern

Breath in and out between each round.

Generic affirmation - even though I'm completely stressed (fill in what you're stressed about), I choose to deeply and completely love, honor and accept myself./ end with "I choose to be calm and relaxed. I choose to let go. I choose to be calm and relaxed."

Okay, interesting video and technique. I think Jon Gabriel's concept that any sort of affirmation with movement is just as valid - the tapping is not really specific enough to necessarily activate meridians. Not sure.

I already know that positive affirmations work - since I grew a garden last year.

Exercises: sitting - grinder, running, L punch, uppercut. 20 seconds, each with 10 second rest - 80 seconds total. Do it twice.

Visualize - connect pleasure and movement (i.e. unzip fat coat)
4 minutes warm-up, 4 minutes upper body strength, 4 minutes walking/biking, 4 minutes cool down.

Psalm 119

Assignment from Pastor Craig Pierce at Door of Hope: Read through Psalm 119 and take notes. Okay, yeah, let's start the year off with something easy, shall we? Not!

So, first, Psalm 119 in English and Hebrew (you can even listen to the Hebrew, if you're so inclined). And of course, it's a different translation than what I have in The New Jerusalem Bible. Okay, so taking the first different major word choice of iniquity and unrighteousness - they still mean the same thing, so go with where you're comfortable.

Okay, first mechanics, 'cause those always fascinate me. This is an acrostic, whereby each set of 8 verses begins with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet - it's a mnemonic that makes complete sense with a long section, where the traditional method of teaching is the oral tradition. Interestingly, and what will never be properly translated is that each line in the 8 verses begins with the letter of the section. Now these commentaries:

Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford can give the rest of the mechanics on numbers of words and such. I actually disagree with her desire to change the word אַשְׁרֵי from "happy" or "blessed" to "content". The author does not indicate a milque-toast response to the Torah of God, but rather a passion that begins at his head or intellect (Aleph) and ends making a covenant, taking ownership of the choice (Tav). (As a complete side note, there is an interesting discussion regarding paleo Hebrew - the written language before the modern squared language of today by Natan Lawrence, and how Tav is both a sign of a covenant and is shaped like a cross.)

David Guzik has a pretty comprehensive summary and analysis that goes through each verse, picking out commonalities and differences in shades of meaning, as well as referencing many places where the Psalmist is quoted, referenced or alluded to within the New Testament.

Here would be why I was sort of laughing at the concept of having a week to analyze this Psalm. Thomas Manton wrote a set of 3 volumes (about 600 pages each) on this one Psalm, along with 158 sermons. For those interested in a much less expensive way to read his works, you can find them epublished for free here. I can be fairly certain, however, he took more than a week. :)

So, to my way of thinking, Psalm 119 is a method of meditation. Taking each section's overarching meaning from the letter (for Hebrew letters are always much more than mere alphabetic symbols), you can focus on the theme for each as you read, i.e., In the first octet, Aleph, meaning head or intellect, and in paleo-Hebrew symbolizing strong, you can see the strength of the conviction, beginning with man's ability to reason, even as it is a blessing to have God's laws, statutes and precepts set before us; in the second, Bet, meaning understanding, seeking to obtain the divine knowledge, understand it and apply it to our own lives, where in the paleo-Hebrew Bet or Binah symbolizes a house, and understanding comes from and is housed in one's heart.

I'm looking forward to seeing Pastor Craig's interpretation.

Current Mood: contemplative

Name of God

So recently, I've been reading a book by Keith Johnson called His Hallowed Name Revealed Again. Part of what started this is when attending Christian churches, they insist on attempting to pronounce the Tetragrammaton (the unpronounceable name of God) as either Yahweh or Jehovah. The first is actually a nonsense word that doesn't mean anything - the second is actually another name for God, but not with the same root letters of the Tetragrammaton. The Tetragrammaton was never supposed to be pronounced (according to the oral tradition of the Torah, or the Kaballah) because it never included vowels. That, of course, comes from the rabbinical tradition.

Keith Johnson, on the other hand, learned from a friend of his named Nehemia Gordon, who is a Karaite Jew. I'd never even heard of that before reading this book, and find their tradition to be slightly odd. They say that they only go by the written word, basically discounting the oral teachings, but they use writings from a time period when the oral tradition (which included the vowels in the Hebrew writings) was written down - so their sect is only from about 200 B.C., rather than the thousands of years more of the rabbinical sects. Still that's over 2000 years of history, so they can't be completely discounted. :)

From what I'm understanding (having only read 4 chapters of the book thus far, which is quite interesting, and I'm learning a lot, as well as practicing my Hebrew), the way the Tetragrammaton is pronounced is that they simply say the letters. O-kay.

Having learned from the rabinnical traditions (orthodox Chabad and slightly odd reform), saying the letters of the Tetragrammaton is fine, but being aware that anything you write it on becomes a piece of holy writing so that you understand just how important the Name is, is part of learning the proper respect, fear and love of the Name of God. Generally, when a Jew comes across the Tetragrammaton in the writings, they substitute one of the other names of God - most often Hashem (the Name) or Adonai (the Lord - which is how you see it translated in Christian Bibles).

Interesting, Chapter 4 got to me because of the number of times the Tetragrammaton was written. (To be fair to reading the book, I am focusing on actually saying the letters in my head when I come across them, rather than going with my normal habit of substituting.) So I'm attempting to evaluate, is this a learned response from my previous classes? Or is this a bit more of a visceral response that says, you're not to invoke that sort of power without really good reason. I guess it's kind of like calling "wolf" - if you do it often enough, people stop paying attention. I don't want God to not pay attention, but at the same time, I can understand that there are times you would want to invoke the Tetragrammaton to actually indicate importance.

Then of course, comes the question of, is it hubris to think that I have any clue whatsoever what God believes to be important? That can go one of two ways - is whatever I consider important enough to bring to God important to God? Or is anything one human needs or wants important in the grand scheme of things? Are any of us worthy of actually invoking God's name?

I wish I could post the reply that I got from one of the old Rabbis I used to learn from (Joel Bakst - City of Luz) when I wrote to him about it, but his reply was actually part of a book he's working on. It does go into rather a lot of detail on the cosmology of Kaballah, but one portion of it cause the entire thing to make sense to me. "The rearrangement of the letters Y-H-V-H as H-V-Y-H in order to pronounce it as Havayah also spells out a real word in Hebrew. The literal dictionary definition of havayah means “existence”!"

This, to me, is explained quite clearly when God told what His name was in Exodus 3:14: "I AM that I AM."

Still working on the questions. :)

Current Mood: contemplative

Entry tags:

Goals for TdB Orientation

Observation Journal - From the Mystery of Truth.

The Three Mysteries are always present in our lives. It may be argued that it is impossible to be alive without participating in them. The purpose of this task is to become aware of the Mysteries as they naturally unfold in your life.

Keep a journal for at least one month. Each week, ask yourself these questions:

What have I done this week that was creative?

What have I learned this week?

What have I done this week that affected my relationships?

Answer these questions in your journal. Each entry need not be long – a couple of sentences will suffice if need be, though you are welcome to write something longer. At the end of the month, the journal should contain about 12 short entries. This will serve as the submission report for this task.

A Gift - from the Mystery of Kinship

Make a gift to someone. The recipient may be anyone, human or otherwise. The point of this project is to be creative about what and how you give, to learn something about the recipient so that the gift is appropriate, and make the recipient feel good. Describe the process of choosing the gift – especially the aspects of creativity and learning – and how you it affected your relationship with the recipient. The report should be no shorter than 200 words.

The Mysteries: the Mystery of Art, the Mystery of Truth, and the Mystery of Kinship.

The Art is the deep order of the Mystery. It is the currents of the Ocean, the rules according to which it moves, and according to which the waves arise on it’s surface. It is also the impulse that sends the waves arising from the depths.

The Truth is what things Really are. The Truth of a wave is it’s individual shape, as well as the water of which it is made. If we assume that each wave has a purpose and a function, as some do, then the Truth also includes these things. The Truth was so important to the ancient Druids, that simply to speak it with Power meant to bring it about.

The Kinship is the fundamental relationship between individual things in this World. The waves upon the Ocean of Reality are connected by the very virtue of being upon, and of, the same Ocean. They, are, by their nature, Kin.

In the simplest terms, the Art is how things are, the Truth is what things are, and the Kinship is how things relate to each other.

TDB Mysteries are meant to be a pathway for contemplation and meditation, as well as the focus of our liturgical Sacrament.

This is how we formally describe them in our Tradition:

The Art: Since times immemorial, the Ancients believed that the Cosmos comes into being according to the inner living and growing pattern that is the inspiration of creative genius. It is this pattern, and the process that creates it, that we call the Art. From the primordial Chaos of potential, the Art brings forth the majesty of the Cosmos, growing and weaving like the living branches of the World Tree. The Art lives within each thing, as it does in the Cosmos entire. To honor the Art is to honor the Sacred beauty that is the One and the All.

The Truth: The Druids of Old had taught that it is by it’s Truth that each thing grows into fullness. It is Truth that is the seed, the root, and the flowering of virtue, and it is Truth that is the ultimate essence of the Art. It is by Truth that all good things come to be, and it is by Truth that all good things flourish. It is by Truth that honorable power is gained and used - in beauty, in healing, and in magic. To honor Truth is to honor the Sacred meaning and purpose of each life.

The Kinship: The root and the branch of the Tree - by this Truth we are Kin. Blood and bone and spirit, we spring from the same Source as the greatest of stars and smallest of atoms. Nothing exists apart from this Kinship, and the ties of Kinship, in all it's guises, are Holy. All human beings exist as part of a family, a Whole - and it is by how they treat the ties, the relationships, and the mutual obligations inherent in being a part, as well as a whole, that they fulfill their Truth and their Art. To honor Kinship is to honor the Sacred ties, and the giving, and the taking, within the living Cosmos.

Sacred Marriage

Okay, my research takes me so many different, and often weird, places. :) When my day started, I was doing some updating on Angelika's book, and thus had the four humors on the brain. Then someone posted on a FL discussion board that the country suffers from apathy - which of course connected with the humor of phlegm, and my mind's trying to figure out how one would cure such a problem among an entire nation, since normally, you would then increase the amount of yellow bile - for people in the northern parts of the world, increase the peppers, ginger, cinnamon - but then I got to thinking that people in Louisiana are equally as apathetic, and their diet has plenty of fire in it, so that wasn't it.

And at this point, you're likely going, what does that have to do with Sacred Marriage? <grin> I'm getting there... Okay, so going about it from a Chinese point of view, you still need to fight water with fire, but you can be sneaky and go about it by first adding more earth and air. From there, I ran into someone who'd written an article regarding balancing 16 bodily humors - ooh, more complex, why wouldn't I want to learn even more new stuff? </end sarcasm> - and found she has a unique way of looking at things. So let's see more of her articles - and found this one on Sacred Marriage.

Now, even taking government out of the picture with regard to marriage, it's still basic contract law to those who don't make it religious, and covenant law to those who do. This gives an entirely new way of looking at marriage, which actually goes more by how Baha'is look at things - it is an intent to walk with God, creating an Intentional Field in which the two individuals walk together to create an abundance of power and healing energies to achieve the work of God. For Baha'is, the marriage vow is, "We will all verily agree to abide by the Will of God." That's it. Said in the presence of an approved witness, that can be the totality of the wedding ceremony, because the focus is not to be on the wedding, but on the marriage.

This concept would change the foundation on which much of our societies are based - the "family unit". And while the author believes that the Sacred Marriage would rely only on the two people within the marriage to determine what might be best for the individuals involved, I'm not sure she's taken children so much into account. If you had an entire society that believed in Sacred Marriage, then everyone would be working for everyone else's "greater good" so to speak, but that would boil down to judgment - whose judgment matters most in making that determination? To my way of thinking, it would have to be God, or the higher selves of the people involved in conjunction with God. People within a society of that nature would always take care of the children involved, thereby invoking the "village raised children" concept. Some people are just naturally mothers and fathers, and compelled to guide, assist, cuddle and care for the young. The two people within a Sacred Marriage vow might not be those people, but again, I think this would involve an entire societal change.

Interesting concept. Not sure about the practicality. :) But the author herself is still searching to figure out who she is, so she'll be an interesting one to watch.

Current Mood: amused

Genesis 3:16

The Bible can just be fascinating. This past Sunday, Pastor Craig was discussing Genesis 3, and he had a different interpretation for that verse than anything I'd ever seen, so I went looking:

It's apparently from the "New Living Translation":

¹⁶ Then he said to the woman,

  “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
      and in pain you will give birth.
   And you will desire to control your husband,
      but he will rule over you.^[a]”

Now, this included the footnote below:

Genesis 3:16 Or And though you will have desire for your husband, / he will rule over you.

For whatever reason, he went with the one translation that uses that language, where most of the rest go with the footnote language. So, I went looking at the original Hebrew...

"Unto the woman He said 'I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and they desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

Now literally, that translates as: Unto the woman He said "I will increase the count of womankind's pain and thy pregnancy. In labor, thou shalt bear generations; and thy longing to thy man, and he (or possibly "that") shall rule over thee.

So, rather than a desire to dominate her husband, it turns out that womankind was cursed to be hot for her mate. Hmm, not a bad curse, I'd say. <e

Recognizing the Manifestation of God

This week's sermon at the Door of Hope focused on the Magi or Wise Men who arrived to "pay homage to" (one version) or "worship" (another version) the Christ child. I remember when I first learned that the Magi were part of the Zoroastrian elite priests from the area of Persia (obviously one theory). The recognition of that Faith that God was made manifest and the beginning of the end of their religion - as many became Christian. Of course, many did not, and the final death (for the most part - there are still a few practicing in the world) of the religion came with Islam.

One of the focii the pastor had was that Christ was not accepted by his own people, the Jews. Interestingly, when I studied with my Hebrew and Kaballah teacher, he mentioned that the Jews were actually hoping that Christ was the one - but He didn't live long enough. For some reason, they have as one of their criteria for the Messiah that He be long-lived. I suppose that could be one of the reasons many Jews became Baha'is. Baha'u'llah lived quite a long time and was also of the line of David.

My head keeps going back to the discovery that although every religion/philosophy has its form of the "golden rule", only a few state it as a positive action, rather than a "do not do". I have been pondering that significance for a while, going back to the concept of "good fruit". Still contemplating. I've put the "Golden Rules" below for anyone else's contemplation as well. :)

JESUS CHRIST:

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

"Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your mind and with all your soul… and You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:36-40)

BAHA'U'LLAH:

"O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself."
(Baha'u'llah, The third Leaf of the Most Exalted Paradise, Tablets, p. 64)

BUDDHISM:

"Hurt not others with that which pains yourself or in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. One should seek for others the happiness one desires for one's self"
(Udana-Varqa, 5:18)

HINDUISM:

"This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others that which would cause pain if done unto you."
(Mahabharata 5:1517)

"Do not to others what ye do not wish done to yourself; and wish for others too, what ye desire and long for, for yourself. This is the whole of Dharma, heed it well."
(The Celestial Song, 2:65)

ZOROASTRIANISM:

"That nature ONLY is good when it shall NOT DO unto another whatever is not good for its own self."
(Dadistan-i-Dinik, 94:5)

"Whatsoever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others."
(Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29)

That which is good for all and any one, for whomsoever - that is good for me. What I hold good for self, I should for all. Only Law Universal, is true Law."
(Zoroaster, Yasana-Gathas)

JAINIST:

"A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated."
(Sutrakritanga 1.11.33)

SIKH:

"Precious like jewels are the minds of all. To hurt them is not at all good. If thou desirest thy Beloved, then hurt thou not anyone's heart."
(Guru Aranj Devji 259, Guru Granth Sahib)

CONFUCIANISM:

"Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you."
(Analects, 15:23)

"If one strives to treat others as he would be treated by them, he will come near the perfect life."
(Book of Meng Tzu)

WESTERN SCHOOLS:

"What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them."
(Pythagorean)

"We should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us."
(Aristotle, from Plato and Socrates)

"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing."
(Thales)

"Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him."
(Pittacus)

"Cherish reciprocal benevolence, which will make you as anxious for another's welfare as your own"
(Aristippus of Cyrene).

"Act toward others as you desire them to act toward you"
(Isocrates)

TAO:

"Pity the misfortunes of others; rejoice in the well-being of others; help those who are in want; save men in danger; rejoice at the success of others; and sympathise with their reverses, even as though YOU WERE in their place."

"The sage has no interests of his own, but regards the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind, he is also kind to the unkind: for virtue is kind."
(T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien)

NATIVE AMERICAN:

"Love your friend and never desert him. If you see him surrounded by the enemy do not run away; go to him, and if you cannot save him, be killed together and let your bones lie side by side."
(Sur-AR-Ale-Shar, The Lessons of the Lone Chief)

"Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him that you injure, you injure yourself. But do good to him, therefore add to his days of happiness as you add to your own. Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not him that you wrong, you wrong yourself. But love him, for The Great Spirit (Moneto) loves him also as he loves you."
(Shawnee)

"Respect for all life is the foundation."
(The Great Law of Peace)

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION:

"A SAGE is ingenuous and leads his life after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer. THEREFORE, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do so."
(Yoruba Proverb, Nigeria)

"One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts."
(Yoruba Proverb, Nigeria)

ISLAM:

"Not one of you is a believer until he desires for another that which he desires for himself."
(Muhammad, 40 Hadith of an-Nawawi 13)

"Do unto all men as you would they should do unto you, and reject for them that which you would reject for yourself."
(Mishkat-el-Masabih)

JUDAISM:

"What is hateful to you, DO NOT to your fellow man. That is the law: all the rest is commentary."
(Talmud, Shabbat 31a)

"Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD."
(Moses, Leviticus 19:18)

CHRISTIANITY:

"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."
(Matthew 7:12)

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
(Luke 6:31)

BAHA'I WORLD FAITH:

"Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself."
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets, p. 71)

"Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid on you, and desire not for any one the things ye would not desire for yourselves."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings LXVI, p. 128)

"Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not. This is my command unto thee, do thou observe it."
(Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic # 29)

"Choose for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself."
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 30)

Energy Work

So, one of the things for this year is going to be sharing energy with those in the community who want/need it on Tuesday evenings. We altered the wording of our group, so now we simply meet in the meeting hall at Holy Trinity. In this way, no matter what gossip might be said about me, it doesn't reflect back on the Church - and I couldn't care less what ignorance leads people to say about me. I'm an herbalist. I see things a bit differently than others, and so I work with energy and freely give myself to God as an instrument to allow people to heal themselves as they choose. If someone else wishes to make that into something else, feel free. It doesn't harm me, 'cause I know what my motivations are and where my skills come from. :)

The next point to consider will be whether/where we advertise. I think putting something at the Senior Center might be of some use, for many elderly have aches and pains that are often ignored by doctors. If they know we're out here, we can help. And I'm looking forward to sharing energy with some pretty wonderful people in the meantime.

Mary

This was part of a project for my mother last year, and when our priest read the story of Mary being visited by Gabriel, I remembered it. Mom wanted first person, one point in time short stories from various women in the Bible. This particular one is from Mary's point of view, on the Naming Day of Jesus - the 8th day after his birth. Keep in mind, she's still a teenager. :)

          Was it really only a year ago that I was newly betrothed? I was so excited, working on making those things I would take with me to the marriage. I know Joseph was the same way, using his wonderful carpentry skills to make us a house we would make our home. Who knew then that the direction of our lives would change so much?

            When the Angel Gabriel came to me, I was so frightened by his words – the Holy Spirit would come upon me, making me pregnant with the Son of God, though I was a virgin! I know my duty as the Lord's servant, but how was I going to explain this to Joseph? To my parents?

            I should have trusted God more, for when I failed to make Joseph understand, God sent Joseph a dream and an angel explained that I had not betrayed his trust. The angel told Joseph what the name of the baby would be, and he kept that a secret from me until today.

            The baby's name is Jesus, and he is now counted among the Jews. I can only wonder what he will become, as the Son of God, and stepson of a carpenter. What challenges do Joseph and I face? And how will I help prepare Him for the great destiny Gabriel described to me?

            Well, I will hope that when we get back to Nazareth, we can stop traveling so much! I do so want the opportunity to make that home with Joseph.

The "Season"

I always find it interesting around this time of year as Pagans argue that Christians have taken over their holy days, and Christians argue that Christ is the "reason for the season." Both are wrong, and it's pretty easy that if each would set aside their pre-conceived notions, they both have holy days of their own, in close proximity to one another.

Pagans celebrate Yule, the acknowledgment of the changing of the seasons, the return of the light, the time to prepare for the coming planting. This is a fairly easily recognized day, governed by the moon and sun, at the winter solstice. Now while both Pagans and Christians share some of the same symbols - the meanings for the symbols are different for the two (or rather more, since Pagan is an umbrella term), and really don't have anything to do with one another.

Symbols, by their nature, mean something to the people who have assigned meaning to the symbol. Language means something because we have given a value to the letters. Numbers are the same. But let's take a fairly easily recognized symbol that is used by many cultures - the trinity knot or triskelle. Obviously, the symbol will have something to do with the number 3, as that is part of its nature. However, exactly what the symbol is to mean is assigned by the person viewing it. To many Christians, it is a symbol of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Ghost. To some, when the point is down, it is a simple drawing of an angel. To many Pagans, the symbol is for the stages of life, generally referred to in the feminine as Mother, Maiden and Crone. What's the origin of this obviously Celtic knot? It was a knot that fit easily into a corner in the Book of Kells. It wasn't originally assigned a meaning.

So, let's go to what Christmas means for Christians - it is representative of the Birth of the Christ Child, the Light of the World. Now, I don't know about everyone else, but birthdays are generally celebrated the one day they occur, not several months that our modern secular world has provided us. Whether Christ was born at Christmas time or in the summer time really doesn't matter, as the Christian Church has assigned a date to celebrate the birth of Christ, and it's commonly agreed to. Did they have an ulterior motive when they assigned the date? Do we care?

So then, we add in the traditions of St. Nicholas. Now, if you look at several European countries, St. Nicholas day is celebrated separately from Christmas, on December 5. In Austria, they have traditions which make some sense of the naughty/nice lists, the coal/fruit gifting. The night before December 5, the Krampus, a local mountain demon comes to seek out the naughty children, gift them with coal, and provide the parents a reason to remind their children "You better watch out". Santa Clause arrives the next day to gift the nice children with fruits and nuts and candy. However, in those countries, Santa Clause and Christmas are two separate things. Gifting at Christ's birthday is a recognition of the Christ spirit in each of us, and giving a gift in celebration of that birth. Having grown up in Germany, I rather enjoy this separation of holidays in this way.

I guess the other thing I have difficulty with is - Christmas is definitely a holy day, but Easter is actually the more important holy day in the Church. It is the basis on which Christians believe - because without the resurrection, the Faith has no foundation. Easter has a "season" if you will, as it is prefaced with the season of Lent. It causes all of us to think about why Christ died, and our contribution to His place on the cross.

Now lastly, this whole thing about Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Blessed Yule greetings - a friend of mine put it (well, borrowed it) best:

"I have friends from all walks of life. Christian, Pagan, Native American, Jewish, Agnostic, Atheist, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Muslim and so on and so on. I don't care what religion you are. If you wish me a Merry Christmas, I will wish you one right back, heartfelt and true. If you wish me a Blessed Yule, I will say it... right back and mean it. I refuse to get upset over HOW you wish me a happy season. The fact that you took the time to wish me joy is all that matters to me. Love and joy and laughter and companionship and friendship is what's important. (borrowed from Andrea 'Skye' Drake Stephan)"

So no matter how or what you celebrate at this time of year, or if you celebrate them all, Have a blessed time. :)

Tares - The herb Darnel Lisium

Interestingly, the other verse that caught my attention for the reason that it mentioned weeds (and as we know, herbalists can't resist weeds) was in Matthew 13, where Jesus gave the parable of the weeds or tares. Now, tares are the common name for various types of vetch - many of which are exceedingly useful (astragalus comes to mind immediately). However, Biblical scholars believe that the tare referred to here is the Darnel lisium plant, which looks remarkably like a wheat plant until it goes to seed. While the seeds themselves are relatively useful as a sedative (and can actually be used to grind into flour), unfortunately they are extremely prone to a fungus which grows on the seeds and when consumed by mammals can cause hallucinations, irrational behavior, convulsions and death, among a wide variety of other possible consequences. Given the wide availability of other sedatives, giving this one a wide berth seems justified. Goes to show the facinating advice in the Bible. :)

Current Mood: thoughtful

The Joys of Self-Reflection

Okay, so having attended now the second service at Door of Hope Church, I find myself challenged to either justify or find fault with my Baha'i leanings. We read today the verses leading up to those studied last week of Matthew 7:21-23. Interestingly, verses 15-20 were the final reason that I became a Baha'i. And now, verses 13-14 has me looking at things to determine if that decision was correct. And still, I question whether I am justifying my faith by interpreting things rather differently than Pastor Craig, or if I'm seeing things clearly. As usual, my method is to write it all out.

So, first, verses 13-14 say in the King James version of the Bible (that authorized by Baha'u'llah as being the inspired word of God and acceptable translation): "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

While the implication for a Christian is that Christianity is the only way to heaven and all other roads lead to hell, it doesn't actually say that. It does say few will find the proper way, but doesn't define who those few are, and what exactly those few must believe.

To explain a bit about Baha'is, it is believed that God has manifested His spirit at different times and in different places, to teach mankind what it needs to know for that age. The spiritual teachings are the same - only the social teachings change. Now, unique to Jesus Christ is that He was the only one born as the Son of God. He also had the unique destiny of sacrificing himself to save all of mankind. That was His gift to man. No other Manifestation of God has made those same claims, which puts Jesus the Christ in a unique position.

Baha'is also believe that the Manifestation (in this instance Jesus, the Christ - yes, I separate that for a reason) has the ability to speak with both the voice of the man (Jesus) and the voice of God (Christ). When Christ speaks, it is generally prefaced with "I Am." Whole other project that I'll get around to explaining and giving examples of. However, if you look at the seven times Christ makes those statements in the Bible, they can take on a whole different meaning if you substitute "God" for "I Am".

So, if, hypothetically, we accept that the Christ spirit is that manifested portion of God Who teaches mankind at different times and in different places, identified by both a man's name and a title (Jesus, the Christ; Mirza Husayn Ali, Baha'u'llah - meaning the Glory of God - others of course, but we're just dealing with Christianity and the Baha'i Faith at the moment), it puts a bit of a different twist on things. Spiritual teachings the same - the Baha'i Faith is equally if not occasionally more strict than various sects of Christianity. Both require a personal decision by the individual - to choose to follow the teachings. In Christianity, that is often through baptism and/or confirmation; in the Baha'i Faith, it is a decision that is not allowed to be made until a person is at least 15, and must be discussed with the Local Spiritual Assembly to determine if you understand what it means to be a Baha'i. Acceptance is not an automatic rubber stamp.

In itself, becoming a Baha'i is definitely not a wide gate, but is it the proper narrow gate? Is it possible that we follow a false prophet and therefore, as discussed by Pastor Craig regarding Matthew 7:21-23 ("Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."), God will not recognize us when the day of Judgment arrives?

At this point, I do not believe I have chosen wrongly, but I also realize that I was guided to this Church for a reason - whether it be to test my faith, to help me gain more certitude (which opens up a whole different can of worms regarding the Faith and some of my choices), or to make me think about whether the path I am on will lead to the wrong gate.

Current Mood: pensive

Genesis 1:3

Okay, so my studies are in no way, shape or form organized. I'm going to simply post as I study, but please, if you read this, don't expect that I'll stay within one area of study, one particular religion (although if you know me at all, you should be used to my comparative religious comments), science, or source.

Today's thoughts are inspired by a posting on Facebook, where someone asked, what can you tell about God in the statement, "And God said" in Genesis 1:3. My first thought jumps to the first chapter of John (mostly because I have a friend who set it to music, so I can remember it), that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." While Word is capitalized here, making it a noun, I've always thought of the Word of God as being the actions of God's thoughts - His thoughts made manifest.

So then, you look at the origin of the Hebrew (for this part of the Bible was written in Hebrew, and not Aramaic), and the word that is translated as "said" can also mean "bid." The verse could then have been translated as "And God bid ..."

One of the conversations I've had with my son, as I am a firm believer in the concept that you cannot have science without religion and religion must conform to science (although there will be times one or the other is behind in discovery), is, what would it sound like if God spoke? Sonic boom, perhaps a Big Bang?

Interestingly, in my search, I came across a question I've had for quite a long time - that in the Bible, El and Eloh are mentioned as (either) names of gods or as names of God, and elsewhere Elohim is used. The -im suffix is indicative in Hebrew of plural. However, it is suggested that El, Eloh and Elohim *all* use a singular verb form following, suggesting that the plural is a majestic plural, rather than a numerative plural. I'd almost buy that, except for the concept that the only name God ever gave Himself is "I Am." Additionally, in Matthew, when Christ is baptised, and the clouds part and people hear, "This is my beloved Son, in whom *I* am well pleased." I'm not sure if the majestic plural would be one said/declared by the God self, or if it is put upon Him by those doing the writing. Something for future contemplation, no doubt. Eventually I will get back to my "I Am" project.

Back to Genesis, the other interesting fact was that God created light before creating what many people refer to as "light sources." However, it is an accepted concept that light does not emanate from the sun, which is now found to be dark matter, but rather that light comes from the atmosphere around the sun. So here we have God, who has separated the Heavens from the Earth, and darkness is everywhere. If at that point God creates an atmosphere, 'cause I think we can all agree that if He had created beings that needed particular elements within an atmosphere to live, that might be kinda tough. An atmosphere gives a sense of light without there needing to be a light source - it makes the dark less pervasive. Anyway, found that to be an interesting concept. Have to think on it more for conclusions.

Rambled enough and work awaits. :)

Entry tags:

Writer's Block: Soul Mate

[Error: unknown template qotd]
Actually, I believe we have several "soulmates", but if we're talking in terms of how most people refer to that term, I call mine my Eternal Mate. I do believe that many we meet in life have karmic ... debts, sometimes, although perhaps connections would be a better word. We meet people all the time that we inexplicably connect to, or truly can't stand, without having any sort of valid reason for it. I believe these are the connections the soul builds over time, recognizing them, in whatever form they might take, on a subconscious level.

Toning

I finally got back to the original study that I started working on with regard to vibrational healing, and one of the videos is on Toning. From what I'm seeing, used by the practitioner, it can be both energetic and vibrational, using a great deal of intuition to determine the correct range of sounds; and used by the client, more of a psychotherapeutic approach.

There are some really cool exercises in here. One of them is actually really cool for meditation.

Current Mood: curious

ZPF and QT - More questions than answers

Okay, much better site for actual information on the zero-point field: http://twm.co.nz/zpf_haisch.htm This one's fascinating because a physicist from NASA and his mathematician friend figure out why in the Bible God created "light" before creating light sources. :)

Q&A based on the two or three papers discussed above: http://twm.co.nz/McTag_field.htm

Quantum Touch operates on the principle of entrainment, where the stronger energy field assists the weaker to entrain or match itself to the higher frequency.

If the Zero Point Field (ZPF) allows us, generally without conscious thought, to access the collective knowledge of the universe, it would explain how such things as ESP, remote viewing, or even just the feeling that so many people have that *something* is coming soon and we need to prepare, occurs.

So, given that, is QT the modality through which we can access and entrain ourselves to the frequency of the Earth as a whole, or are we entraining only to the *people* on the Earth? And what happens when the frequency of the Earth itself changes? The ZPF has been shown to be affected by universal shifts, not to mention changes in thought on a global level by the humans on the planet. Has it changed to the degree that it would explain why the honey-bees are disappearing in spots?

This could also help to explain the tonal system used in the Mayan calendar, where individuals with similar tones are able to access the consciousness of other individuals with the same tones, past, present or future.

Another good article: http://www.spiritofra.com/EC_Awakening.htm

So much to review, so little time. 11:11 right now. Is it significant? <g>

Current Mood: curious

Notes for research

Figure out how zero point energy fits in with QT, Reiki and homeopathy.
Determine methods of accessing zero point field.
Determine if stones, crystals, water or other substance can be used to quickly access field.

That should take a bit. :)

http://www.calphysics.org/zpe.html
http://www.zero-point-field.com/
http://www.tachyon-energy-products.com/tachyon-soef.htm

Current Mood: tired

QT and Attitude

As believed by the Chinese, attitude affects the body. The woman I worked on today is so much like me, it's both scary, and a good thing, since I've had the opportunity to work through a lot of things that used to affect my body. I was able to look at her electromagnetic field, and actually, I'm finding I'm using more intuition in this instance as well, which is guiding me fine. Her energy levels are really, really low. It was more impressions than sight of abnormalities in the EMF.

According to Louise Hays, rheumatoid arthritis is a judgment upon oneself that you are not acceptable. It is the immune system attacking itself and affecting the joints. I know this, as at one point, my RA was debilitating, including deformities in the hands and feet, and constant, chronic pain. And after learning Hays' opinion (which I've often found to be right on the money), I learned to make changes in my own attitude. I also finally got referred to a rheumatologist, and got treatment for a year and a half. For someone they worried would ruin her liver with anti-inflammatories, it's awesome not to have to even take pain meds any more unless I overdo. The deformities went away and I've confused the RA doc. <g> That's okay.

According to Chinese medicine, problems with the liver (an eliminative organ) will spill over to other organs, generally in this order: gallbladder, skin, joints, lungs. So, the liver's a fairly important organ to treat, even when the problem appears to be in one of those other organs. The "married" pair for Chinese medicine is actually the liver and the skin. Liver controls anger - too much or too little or that which is held inside and not expressed. <g> Lots to understand here about alcoholics as well. :)

Attitude is one of the key factors in QT working - you have to 1) believe it *can* work, and 2) allow it to work. When one doesn't believe one is worthy of taking care of oneself, one will not get better. I believe part of today's session will help to cement belief that QT *can* work, although what I was able to determine and question her about really didn't come from QT, but rather other modalities that I've learned over the years and a bit of heredity thrown in. However, as with all healing, if you believe someone can help you, they can. I don't disabuse people of the notion, and they allow me to help. :) I can tell them constantly that they are doing the healing themselves, I am merely providing the space, but people in the Western hemisphere are so indoctrinated into feeling that doctors heal, they need to believe in *someone*.

So, this will continue and be an ongoing process in pursuit of my certification. I'm hoping to make a friend in the process. :)

Current Mood: calm

Small Towns

I love small towns. :) They are truly wondrous places to live. My reason for it today is because I'm able to trade Quantum Touch sessions for Tupperware, which will, in turn, be used to store herbs, for which I currently have far too many requests (and not enough time!) at the moment for various salves, tinctures, ointments and teas. I may start actually charging money. :) Nah - that would defeat the purpose of trading for things I need. :)

So, tomorrow continues my journey toward certification in QT, as I begin to find clients in this small town that it will be useful for. As I've not gotten official permission to "look" at the woman yet, I can only go by what my brain has subconsciously recorded when I've seen her in the past. I get the impressions of low energy, potentially low level, constant pain, like what you find in someone with fibromyalgia or the start to arthritis. I've asked my partner to assist with distance QT, as he has energetic abilities like no one I've ever known. If I combine QT with Maheo'o Reiki, there shouldn't be any difficulty at all in raising her vibrational rate - the trick will be in keeping it there long enough that her body will begin to remember what health is supposed to feel like.

I'm going to try something new tomorrow. Normally, I'll play some sort of instrumental music in the background. However, I seem to have misplaced my favourite Japanese CD, so I'm going to bring some of Hildegard's chants. I wish I had the Ceile De CDs now. They would have been perfect. I figure that as long as the language isn't English, it's still the sound that'll be focused on. I just have to remember not to sing along. <g>

Perhaps once I get further along in the vibrational sound healing, I'll be able to maintain my own chant geared toward the specific body system. Wonder if the cats would hold still long enough for me to experiment on them....

Entry tags:

Writer's Block: Taxmen and Poetry

[Error: unknown template qotd]Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me.
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I set out to sea.
Tennyson