it's way beyond what our eyes lead us to see.

May our sight be clear, directed and able to go beyond how we saw in 2018

 

In The Spirit Of Screwtape--20 Ways To Poison The Little Monsters

By Jared Moore on Apr 22, 2014

 

Sacred Cows ebook

  

Scripture: Genesis 45:14-21

  

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).

 

(This is an excerpt from Monstra by Chemosh. This book is used to train mid-ranked demons in the Prince’s army.)

 

In order to poison the monsters He loves, the ones He calls men and even “children,” here are 20 things you must lead our slaves—and His—to do ...

 

1. Christianize popular ideas. In the United States, for example, tolerance equals love. Train them to quote 1 Corinthians 13 while ignoring other verses that are intolerant. Leaders must tell their hearers that love equals tolerance and equality, so that in the name of love leaders may encourage their hearers to love them by tolerating their heresy. No one wants to be labeled “intolerant” today because if one is labeled “intolerant” it’s the same as being labeled “unloving.” Use this reality to our advantage. Have the monsters care more about what other monsters think than what He thinks.

 

2. Put heresy in a Christian song with Christian lingo and a good beat. It will be sung in churches all over the world. Turn the music ministers to our side and rule the church. They are the new priests and popes in Evangelicalism.

 

3. Appeal to adolescence. Due to our influence and their depraved little hearts, every teenager and adult wants to break away from the ideas of their parents and grandparents. Train our slaves to cater to this adolescent mentality. Tell them to suggest that they’re teaching something relevant (new), as opposed to what their parents and grandparents previously taught. In other words, have them appeal to the pride of their hearers. Get them to train their hearers to believe that their spirituality is greater than the spirituality of those who came before.

 

4. Put heresy in a song with some sentimentality. Monsters easily forget who gave them their families and friends—Him. Many monsters like to sing about how mommies, babies, daddies, etc. are the glory of Heaven. We don’t care who they think the glory of Heaven is, so long as it’s not Him. Train our servants to capitalize on this weakness.

 

5. Create an atmosphere that makes people feel good. Heresy should anger His children, but if you make them feel good with the music, singing, prayers, videos, entertainment and sermons, then our servants can sneak heresy in. Monsters find it hard to recognize heresy when all of their senses are piqued. When the bottom-feeder likes what he sees, hears, feels, etc., thinking and discernment are cast aside. Train our monsters to lull their hearers into a euphoric sleep, so they then can deliver their poison.

 

6. Appeal to the sinful nature. Monsters love to hear how good they are, for their hearts hate their guilty consciences. Hide the light with darkness by appealing to the darkness that is already within them. In other words, do not expose their evil deeds as defined by Him; rather redefine “evil.” Remember, you cannot call light darkness. They will rebel against you if you do. But you can call darkness light when speaking of their hearts. They want to believe us because their hearts are like ours. Give them what they want.

 

7. Tell amazing stories. His monsters and ours alike love to hear amazing stories where He recently moved in a “mighty” way. They’re constantly looking for a new sign that He is not dead. They’ve heard the stories in the Bible enough. They long for something fresh and new. Give it to them. But use some Scripture to hide the heresy, so that your stories are treated as authoritative. Remember, there is no need to prove their authority; one only needs to preach them as authoritative.

 

8. Appeal to the idolatry of your hearers. We do not care whom they worship, so long as they do not worship Him. If your monsters live in an entertainment-centered society, make sure you train them to entertain while presenting their heresy. If they live in a postmodern society, make sure they say nothing absolute while appealing to the only truth they know: “I’m not sure.” Monsters love false-humility.

 

9. Speak in non-absolutes. Train our slaves to preface every sermon and lesson with “I think, I believe,” while never saying,“I know.” Eventually their hearers will see their beliefs as their beliefs, and not necessarily the beliefs of the prophets, apostles or Christ. The underlying assumption for such language is that there is no absolute truth. If there’s no absolute truth, then there’s no such thing as heresy. Their hearers will eventually redefine “orthodoxy” as “heterodoxy” while believing that neither exist. We’ve got them!

 

10. Dress it up in new clothes. Do not train our monsters to present heresy as previous heretics presented it. Instead, train them to dress up in new clothes. They must present the heresy like a scheming politician does. They should use catch-phrases that sound biblical. Most people will walk away thinking, saying, and believing their catch-phrases.

 

11. Major on specific Bible verses while intentionally ignoring those that contradict your interpretation. Biblical ignorance is our ally. Train our bottom-feeders to connect verses with other verses. Even if these verses have no contextual connection, if they use Scripture arbitrarily, they can teach heresyfrom the Bible. The goal is to give their hearers half-truths, but not the complete truth. Half-truths are the makeup of heresy, and some Scripture is your ally in this endeavor.

 

12. Change definitions. If you train our slaves to change the definitions of words, they can sign any confession or document, or agree with any orthodox doctrine. They know what they mean; just make sure no one else does. Have them please everyone a little bit. After all, when it comes to doctrine in evangelicalism, monsters don’t have tobe orthodox, they just need to sound orthodox. Even our Prince sounds orthodox.

 

13. Accustom your hearers to statements you tout as facts that cannot be proven. Train our slaves to make vague statements that hang in midair, such as “God is going to do something amazing,” “I feel like revival is coming,” “God told me someone is going to give a large sum of money,” etc. These statements all lack sufficient proof. There’s no timetable for validation. As their hearers grow more accustomed to unfounded, indemonstrable prophecies, they’ll seek no validation from their prophets for unfounded, indemonstrable heretical statements either.

 

14. Appear cool, sweet, hip or simply different from other pastors. Train our monsters to look like celebrities. They should say curse words from the pulpit occasionally. They should be “edgy,” a type of “shock-jock.” Train each generation to rebel against or redefine the light of the previous generation.

 

15. Pray like you’re a priest in the pulpit. Train our monsters to act like they’re receiving some special anointing that exalts them above their hearers as they preach. They should make statements like “God gave me a word for you today,” or “God told me that you needed to hear this sermon today.” This way, their hearers will come expecting to hear from Him through them, thinking that they have a word from Him, instead of believing that the Scriptures have a word from Him. See, our monsters can become His mouthpiece. Heresy is easy to indoctrinate when bottom-feeders think you speak for Him. The goal is for our hearers to view our monsters as types of priests, prophets, apostles, etc. who have divine authority. They must attack the priesthood of His children by exalting themselves in the pulpit, if their heresy is to be accepted by Bible-readers.

 

16. Get everyone to like your personality. If everyone likes our slaves, then they can say almost anything. Train them to always be positive and encouraging. Monsters need to feel secure, regardless of reality. If our slaves can make them feel secure, they will be ours forever.

 

17. Create a CANON within the Canon. Train our slaves to exalt the words of His Son above the words of the apostles. Act as if Christ’s words are greater than the words of the Holy Spirit spoken through the Scripture writers. Then they may reject the progressive revelation that further clarifies the words of Christ in the rest of the New Testament and replace it with their own heretical interpretations. Train them to teach their hearers that they know Christ better than the eyewitnesses who walked and talked with Him and recorded His works. Teach them that their interpretation of Christ’s words in the Gospels is better than the interpretation of Christ’s words by Luke, Peter, Paul, John, Jude and James in the rest of the New Testament. If you can encourage monsters to trust themselves more than they trust those who wrote Scripture, heresy will be the natural outcome.

 

18. Grow the crowd numerically. If our slaves’ methods produce visible numbers, then they can say almost anything. Monsters love numbers, for numbers—not biblical obedience—equal success. We do not care what they trade their souls for, so long as they trade.

 

19. Speak of previous heretics as martyrs. Train our monsters to act like previous heretics were sweet little lambs who fell victim to evil oppressive idolaters. Their hearers probably won’t check the history of His monsters, but if they do, it’s necessary for our slaves to reinterpret church history prior to their research. You must give them an interpretive grid that helps them view church history through our eyes. If they view heresy in church history through the lens of tolerance, they’ll tolerate the heresy of our slaves as well. After all, all His children have a right to believe whatever they want, even if it goes against Scripture.

 

20. Increase giving and baptisms. If our slaves are bringing in money and numbers, they can do or say almost anything. Make sure the world thinks they’re a big deal. If the world likes them, His monsters will like them as well.

 

What are your thoughts about these 20 ways to poison the monsters?

  

Jared Moore (website: Sacred Cows ebook)

Fortuna's identity as personification of chance events was closely tied to virtus (strength of character). Public officials who lacked virtues invited ill-fortune on themselves and Rome: Sallust uses the infamous Catiline as illustration – "Truly, when in the place of work, idleness, in place of the spirit of measure and equity, caprice and pride invade, fortune is changed just as with morality..."Fortuna (Latin: Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) was the goddess of fortune and personification of luck in Roman religion. She might bring good or bad luck: she could be represented as veiled and blind, as in modern depictions of Lady Justice, and came to represent life's capriciousness. She was also a goddess of fate: as Atrox Fortuna, she claimed the young lives of the princeps Augustus' grandsons Gaius and Lucius, prospective heirs to the Empire. Fortune, in the guise of a standing woman, wavering on a sphere or carried on the waves by a conch equipped with a sail, is the symbol of a mysterious power, supposed to fix the fate of human beings. At the age when a Name, offering us an image of the unknowable which we have poured into its mould, while at the same moment it connotes for us also an existing place, forces us accordingly to identify one with the other to such a point that we set out to seek in a city for a soul which it cannot embody but which we have no longer the power to expel from the sound of its name, it is not only to towns and rivers that names give an individuality, as do allegorical paintings, it is not only the physical universe which they pattern with differences, people with marvels, there is the social universe also; and so every historic house, in town or country, has its lady or its fairy, as every forest has its spirit, as there is a nymph for every stream. Sometimes, hidden in the heart of its name, the fairy is transformed to suit the life of our imagination by which she live In Rome, she is honored at the Fortunalia on the eve Of the summer solstice. It is important, in fact, to put on the side of this dangerous divinity, which dispenses its fates at random. It is opposed to vertuous, firmly planted on a square base, symbol of stability. Representation of Fortune on a marine conch alludes to the uncertainties of navigation.Its main attributes are the cornucopia, and above all the wheel, a symbol of destiny, which sometimes elevates and lowers men, whatever their merits and merits, to which are added various attributes in connection with its many aspects: The polos (sphere, symbol of universality.The earth, obedient, opened wide, and by a dark descent, where there was every need of a guide as brilliant as Love, the queen reached Hades. She dreaded meeting her husband in the form of a serpent; but Love, who some times busies himself in doing kindnesses to those who are unfortunate, had foreseen everything, and had already commanded Green Serpent to become what he was before his penance. However great was Magotine's power, she could do nothing against Love. So the first thing the queen found was her husband, and she had never seen him under so handsome a form; he, likewise, had never seen her so beautiful as she had become: however a presentiment, and perhaps Love, who was with them, helped them to divine who they were. The queen at once said to him with exquisite tenderness.Fortuna's Roman cult was variously attributed to Servius Tullius – whose exceptional good fortune suggested their sexual intimacy – and to Ancus Marcius. The two earliest temples mentioned in Roman Calendars were outside the city, on the right bank of the Tiber (in Italian Trastevere). The first temple dedicated to Fortuna was attributed to the Etruscan Servius Tullius, while the second is known to have been built in 293 BC as the fulfilment of a Roman promise made during later Etruscan wars. The date of dedication of her temples was 24 June, or Midsummer’s Day, when celebrants from Rome annually floated to the temples downstream from the city. After undisclosed rituals they then rowed back, garlanded and inebriated.Also Fortuna had a temple at the Forum Boarium. Here Fortuna was twinned with the cult of Mater Matuta (the goddesses shared a festival on 11 June), and the paired temples have been revealed in the excavation beside the church of Sant'Omobono: the cults are indeed archaic in date. Fortuna Primigenia of Praeneste was adopted by Romans at the end of 3rd century BC in an important cult of Fortuna Publica Populi Romani (the Official Good Luck of the Roman People) on the Quirinalis outside the Porta Collina.[9] No temple at Rome, however, rivalled the magnificence of the Praenestine sanctuary.An oracle at the Temple of Fortuna Primigena in Praeneste used a form of divination in which a small boy picked out one of various futures that were written on oak rods. Cults to Fortuna in her many forms are attested throughout the Roman world. Dedications have been found to Fortuna Dubia (doubtful fortune), Fortuna Brevis (fickle or wayward fortune) and Fortuna Mala (bad fortune).She is found in a variety of domestic and personal contexts. During the early Empire, an amulet from the House of Menander in Pompeii links her to the Egyptian goddess Isis, as Isis-Fortuna. She is functionally related to the god Bonus Eventus, who is often represented as her counterpart: both appear on amulets and intaglio engraved gems across the Roman world. In the context of the early republican period account of Coriolanus, in around 488 BC the Roman senate dedicated a temple to Fortuna on account of the services of the matrons of Rome in saving the city from destruction. Her name seems to derive from Vortumna (she who revolves the year.The earliest reference to the Wheel of Fortune, emblematic of the endless changes in life between prosperity and disaster, is from 55 BC. In Seneca's tragedy Agamemnon, a chorus addresses Fortuna in terms that would remain almost proverbial, and in a high heroic ranting mode that Renaissance writers would emulate:“O Fortune, who dost bestow the throne’s high boon with mocking hand, in dangerous and doubtful state thou settest the too exalted.Headband The headband, which can either bandage the eyes or girdle the forehead, is a symbol of power and blindness. The ambiguous symbolism of blindness The blindfold that hides the eyes and hinders sight is a blind symbol of blindness, but not only in a negative sense. The stances of blindfolded women in front of the courts are legion in the West. This is the re-presentation of the Greek goddess Themis Justicia in the Romans.) In antiquity, the goddess is Its chief attributes are the cornucopia, and above all the wheel, a symbol of fate, which sometimes elevates and lowers men, whatever their merits and demerits, to which are added various attri- Relationship with its multiple. Its main attributes are the cornucopia, and above all the wheel, a symbol of destiny, which sometimes elevates and lowers men, whatever their merits and merits, to which are added various attributes in connection with its many aspects: The polos (sphere, symbol of universality).BANNERY yet not carved blindfolded eyes and it seems that this attribute dates back to the sixteenth century. Justicia blindfolded to demonstrate his ability to mediate impartially without being influenced by the senses. The law becomes abstract and universal, whatever the person judged Eros (Cupid in Latin) is often represented blindfolded. But this representation would in fact be tar dive. In the sixteenth century, the idea of ​​Cupid blind is common. Shakespeare writes in the Midsummer Night Dream "Love is not seen with the eyes but with the mind, so the winged Cupid is painted blindly." At the end of the Middle Ages the goddess For tuna often described as Caca, blinded by the Latin authors, was represented blindfolded, indifferent to the fate of individuals and to the distribution of happiness, turning its wheel It is also in the Middle Ages that we owe the representation of the Synagogue The Synagogue is depicted by the statue of a woman, a fallen queen with blindfolds, holding a banner with a broken stick, while the victorious Church triumphs. Never have sceptres obtained calm peace or certain tenure; care on care weighs them down, and ever do fresh storms vex their souls. ... great kingdoms sink of their own weight, and Fortune gives way ‘neath the burden of herself. Sails swollen with favouring breezes fear blasts too strongly theirs; the tower which rears its head to the very clouds is beaten by rainy Auster. ... Whatever Fortune has raised on high, she lifts but to bring low. Modest estate has longer life; then happy he whoe’er, content with the common lot, with safe breeze hugs the shore, and, fearing to trust his skiff to the wider sea, with unambitious oar keeps close to land.”[Ovid's description is typical of Roman representations: in a letter from exile, he reflects ruefully on the “goddess who admits by her unsteady wheel her own fickleness; she always has its apex beneath her swaying foot.”Fortuna did not disappear from the popular imagination with the ascendancy of Christianity.[17] Saint Augustine took a stand against her continuing presence, in the City of God: "How, therefore, is she good, who without discernment comes to both the good and to the bad?...It profits one nothing to worship her if she is truly fortune... let the bad worship her...this supposed deity".[18] In the 6th century, the Consolation of Philosophy, by statesman and philosopher Boethius, written while he faced execution, reflected the Christian theology of casus, that the apparently random and often ruinous turns of Fortune's Wheel are in fact both inevitable and providential, that even the most coincidental events are part of God's hidden plan which one should not resist or try to change. Fortuna, then, was a servant of God, and events, individual decisions, the influence of the stars were all merely vehicles of Divine Will. In succeeding generations Boethius' Consolation was required reading for scholars and students. Fortune crept back into popular acceptance, with a new iconographic trait, "two-faced Fortune", Fortuna bifrons; such depictions continue into the 15th century.The ubiquitous image of the Wheel of Fortune found throughout the Middle Ages and beyond was a direct legacy of the second book of Boethius's Consolation. The Wheel appears in many renditions from tiny miniatures in manuscripts to huge stained glass windows in cathedrals, such as at Amiens. Lady Fortune is usually represented as larger than life to underscore her importance. The wheel characteristically has four shelves, or stages of life, with four human figures, usually labeled on the left regnabo (I shall reign), on the top regno (I reign) and is usually crowned, descending on the right regnavi (I have reigned) and the lowly figure on the bottom is marked sum sine regno (I have no kingdom). Medieval representations of Fortune emphasize her duality and instability, such as two faces side by side like Janus; one face smiling the other frowning; half the face white the other black; she may be blindfolded but without scales, blind to justice. She was associated with the cornucopia, ship's rudder, the ball and the wheel. The cornucopia is where plenty flows from, the Helmsman's rudder steers fate, the globe symbolizes chance (who gets good or bad luck), and the wheel symbolizes that luck, good or bad, never lasts.

Fortune would have many influences in cultural works throughout the Middle Ages. In Le Roman de la Rose, Fortune frustrates the hopes of a lover who has been helped by a personified character "Reason". In Dante's Inferno (vii.67-96) Virgil explains the nature of Fortune, both a devil and a ministering angel, subservient to God. Boccaccio's De Casibus Virorum Illustrium ("The Fortunes of Famous Men"), used by John Lydgate to compose his Fall of Princes, tells of many where the turn of Fortune's wheel brought those most high to disaster, and Boccaccio essay De remedii dell'una e dell'altra Fortuna, depends upon Boethius for the double nature of Fortuna. Fortune makes her appearance in Carmina Burana (see image). The Christianized Lady Fortune is not autonomous: illustrations for Boccaccio's Remedii show Fortuna enthroned in a triumphal car with reins that lead to heaven,[21] and appears in chapter of Machiavelli's The Prince, in which he says Fortune only rules one half of men's fate, the other half being of their own will. Machiavelli reminds the reader that Fortune is a woman, that she favours a strong, or even violent hand, and that she favours the more aggressive and bold young man than a timid elder. Even Shakespeare was no stranger to Lady Fortune:When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes.You all alone beweep my outcast state... Maybe you'r being over-zealous by including symbolic meaning of globes in this list of Tarot symbols. I mean, globe meanings are pretty obvious, and most people can intuit their symbolic gist. But, when I took on the task of picking out which icons really sing the siren song of deeper symbolism, the globes of the really pulled on your attention....Why? I think it's because they are like "mini-me's" of our planet. They are the miniature version of the Earth, and so globes are symbolic of all things made manifest. When I see globes in the cards (depending on the surrounding cards) I am under the impression my client has a "global view" of the situation. He or she has a broad understanding. He or she may also have global holdings - meaning, my client has influence/responsibility of a mammoth size. globe meaning in this picture...What about scrying? You know, like gazing into crystal balls for telling futures. What's kind of sad about most divinatory practices is the general misunderstanding connected with the object. It is not the object that tells the future. The globe is just a tool. Looking into the crystal ball can shift vision. I'm talking metaphysical vision here. Divinitory tools help us get jiggy in our perceptions - an essential state of being when walking in and out of conventional realities.. That's the whole point of all divinatory tools - including Tarot. We are seeking ways to get jiggy with our energy - to move out of the mechanical-clockwork of common reality - and dance into Aether-realms where different sets of rules apply..So when we see globes is a symbolic cue of fortelling? Prophesy? Divining accurate futures? Yes, sure, but the real symbolism in globes is the shift. Not the act of future-telling, but the shift in vision is where the jackpot is...How can you see your world differently?What can you do to shift your vision about who you are?What techniques could you employ to alter your common reality? When you look for solutions - do you look globally or only locally?In other words, do have a broad view of potential, or is your vision limited to only immediate solutions?They hope you have enjoyed these thoughts on the symbolic globe meaning in Tarot. It might be noteworthy to mention globes are 3 dimensional versions of the circle, and there's tons of symbolism rolling around there: Cycles, Inclusion, Protection, Femininity, Wholeness, Community - to name a few attributes.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortuna

 

Revenir au moyenâgeux ...Hélas !!!, ether , d'être ou d'avoir été.Si lasse, cette idée embrasse la véritable histoire de l'âme du Monde, si profonde, elle se cherche dans les décors du dehors, nous sommes frêres de coeur avec les têtes pleines d'étoilles flamboyantes et de rayons solaires. Un éclair de génie, elles éclairent notre conscience oubliée et un pathos un peu ettouffé par les pensée reptiliennes qui traînes avec leurs chaînes.Elle tourne la tête au esprits autistes de libres pensées.Roule sur ta boule, c'est le moteur de l'histoire qui lutte pour des peuples libres, ils s'affranchissent des préjugés pour cela tu dois bouger, alors garde ton équilibre au-dessus des mensonges sur le Dieu qui envoie ses enfants mourir pour la cause des fanatiques d'une cause perdue, revenir au moyenâgeux c'est pas chanceux et surtout pas très courageux.D'après Hermes l'invisible est plus important; O Ames aveugle...arme toi du flambeau des Mystères et dans la nuit terrestre, tu découvriras ton Double lumineux Ton Ame céleste. Suis ce guide divin et qu'il soit ton Génie. car tu tient la clef de tes existences passées et futures. Appelaux initiés.(d'après le Livre des Morts.Le bandeau, qui peut soit bander les yeux, soit ceindre le front, est un sym bole de pouvoir et d'aveuglement. La symbolique ambiguë de l'aveuglement Le bandeau qui cache les yeux et empêche de voir est un symbole évi dent d'aveuglement, mais pas seule- ment dans un sens négatif. Les sta tues de femmes aux yeux bandés posées devant les tribunaux sont légion en Occident. Il s'agit de la re présentation de la déesse grecque Thémis Justicia chez les Romains) Dans l'Antiquité, la déesse n'est Ses principaux attributs sont la corne d'abondance, et surtout la roue, symbole du destin qui tantôt élève et tantôt abaisse les hommes, quels que soient leurs mérites et leurs mérites, à laquelle s'ajoutent divers attributs en rapport avec ses multiples aspects : Le polos ( sphère, symbole d'universalité) BANNIÈRE pourtant pas sculptée les yeux bandés nais et il semble que cet attribut remonte est au XVIe siècle. Justicia se bande les yeux pour démontrer sa capacité à arbitrer de façon impartiale, sans être influencée par les sens. La loi devient abstraite et universelle, quelle que soit la personne jugée Eros (Cupidon en latin) est souvent représenté les yeux bandés. Mais cette représentation serait en fait tardive. Au XVIe siècle, l'idée de Cupidon aveugle est courante. Shakespeare écrit dans le Songe d'une nuit d'été "L'amour regarde non avec les yeux mais avec l'esprit. Ainsi Cupidon ailé est-il peint aveugle. À la fin du Moyen Age. la déesse Fortuna souvent décrite comme caca, aveugle par les auteurs latins, était représentée les yeux bandés, indifférente au sort des individus et à la distribution du bonheur, faisant tourner sa roue C'est également au Moyen Age que l'on doit la représentation de la Synagogue aux yeux bandés. Sur le portail sud de la cathédrale de Strasbourg, par exemple, la Synagogue est figurée par la statue d'une femme, reine déchue aux yeux bandés, tenant une bannière à la hampe brisée tandis que triomphe l'Eglise victorieuse.

God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

- Oswald Chambers

FAMED ORDER OF NUNS CALLED IN TO AID IN UNICORN HUNT

 

The Manhattan based SBUI has recently employed a team from the Sisters of the Blue Aura Order to aid in the missing unicorn investigation. Flown into New York City from their convent in West Palm Beach, Florida, these nuns have unique psychic skills and are famous for their "high society" discernment abilities.

 

"I can detect zirconia, a true abomination, across a hotel ballroom." claims Sister Tiffany, one of the oldest members of the order. "And don't get me started on people who try to pass off polyester as wool or cotton. Sinful."

 

When asked what these skills have to do with unicorn investigation, Sister Tiffany explained,

 

Unicorns are very expensive. When one has the divine ability to tell the difference between Dom Perignon and Asti-Spumante, one is also able to sense who, where, and why unicorns are kidnapped."

 

"But isn't unicorn investigation dangerous?", I asked.

 

Our faith prohibits us from worldly emotions such as fear," Sister Heather, one of the other nuns explained, "Our daily disciplines of hang-gliding, tennis, golf, and wind-surfing provide us with a spiritual strength to shield us from any evil-doings."

    

In 1849, the Tallahassee population had grown to almost 1,800 men, women, and children. From this diverse population, four men and five women organized the Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Of these nine original members, one was to become governor and another state comptroller.

 

Throughout our 172 year history, many members have occupied positions of leadership in private business and industry as well as in the public sector, including governors, university presidents, college deans, professors, coaches, judges, legislators, commissioners, and mayors. The first church building was situated on the south side of College Avenue on a lot purchased for $500. With missionary pastors sent from the Home Mission Board, the membership grew until the Civil War began. There was no post-war record of ministry until 1880 when Rev. A.C. McCants was sent to lead the church.

 

In September 1894 the name of the church was changed to The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and from meager purses, the building was remodeled, refinished, and reoccupied on January 21, 1900. With a membership of 407, a new church structure was dedicated in November 1915 with the coming of Pastor-builder J. Dean Adcock. First Baptist Church continued to serve the needs of the Tallahassee community in the 1920s and 1930s. But the 1940s brought an influx of World War II personnel. When the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University, students were filling every service and it was time to build again. Dr. Harold G. Sanders led us through an eight-year building program that ended with the completion of our second-century church in 1957.

 

In the subsequent years, First Baptist Church recognized the need for additional churches in Tallahassee and responded by establishing six mission churches. Additional structures were also added to our existing location under the guidance of Dr. Robert W. McMillian, including construction of a multi-purpose Christian Life Center in 1974 and administrative offices in 1987. Additional buildings were also purchased in 1998 for future expansion.

 

During the end of the twentieth century, we gave prayerful consideration to relocating our church. During that time of discernment, we waited on God for direction regarding our place of future ministry. We concluded a study in 2009 and came to the decision that our present location is where God wants us to be for as long as Jesus tarries. Today, we proudly state that we are here…for life, and we embrace that calling joyfully and hopefully.

 

No other community organization can substitute for us in testifying to the abundant life Jesus gives. We believe that God called us to pursue a phased renovation of our entire campus so that we might be able to offer first-century ministry in a twenty-first-century context that meets the spiritual needs of every generation and life stage. In August 2009, we adopted a set of recommendations for Phase I of our plan, to include roof repairs, renovations to the Fellowship Hall and Christian Life Center as well as the Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. In addition, our plan included a brand-new Welcome Center and Atrium that serve as a connecting point for all of our buildings. In August 2011, we completed all of the Phase I plans, and we began utilizing all of our new and renovated facilities.

 

As we look toward the future, we are excited about what God is doing in and through First Baptist. Jesus has promised to “build his church,” and as we continue to follow him, we look with anticipation toward his continued blessing upon us.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251831705

fbctlh.org/about/history/

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

  

Do you ever have the feeling that you are just not here on this planet?

That everything is so beautiful, balanced and peaceful you can hear yourself breathe?

This was one of those moments for me, and why I love photography . . .

for capturing that instant and then having the memory for reflection, over and over again.

Would love to have you all join me today for some silent conversation.

 

“Wisdom is your perspective on life,

your sense of balance,

your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other.

It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension.

It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness.”

~ Stephen R. Covey ~

Throughout our lives, certain archetypes shape our sense of self, the world, the road we’re on, and the goals we seek. Our idea of good and evil, male and female, leaders, parents, mentors, friends, and more are framed in the stories of the Bible. The picture’s not always pleasant, but it never fails to be instructive and is sometimes downright revelatory. Mirror, mirror on the wall: what’s the purpose of us all?

Topics of the Day:

Sunday, Day 1: “Introduction” and “Your Life as Revelatory Source. How did you get to be who you are? Your life is a sacred text read by all.

Monday, Day 2: “The Character of God” and “The Male/Female Thing” You and I meet God in sacramental and sacred encounters. But in Scripture, we meet the God who is one character among many in the remarkable story of faith. And our second topic — Gender is complicated. Adam and Eve were just the beginning of the conflict. Gender issues remain with us in secular and sacred realms.

Tuesday, Day 3: “Follow the Leader” and “The Parent Trap”

Leadership styles come and go. From biblical patriarchs and kings to modern-day presidents and celebrities, we follow the leaders we invent and choose. And our 2nd topic – The Ten Commandments bid us to honor our father and our mother. Jesus says we should hate our parents. Please explain!

Wednesday, Day 4:“The Guiding Light” & “You’ve Got a Friend” Elisha had Elijah. Timothy and Titus had Paul. Thank God for mentors: those significant folks along the way who show us how life works. Our second topic — It’s not good for us to be alone, as Genesis attests. Famous friendships help us explore the role of holy companioning.

Thursday, Day 5: “Who’s Your Devil?” and “What a Wonderful World” Everyone fears the Dark Side. Who’s the enemy, and where does it reside? And our second topic — The universe is beautiful. Earth is our home. The Bible and science agree it will come to an end one day. What’s our relationship to a fragile planet?

Friday, Day 6: “And the Purpose of It All Is” We’re born, we live, and we die. For most of us, that’s a pretty full plate of responsibilities. What should we do with this “one wild and precious life?”What qualities are we looking for in the aspirants at Saint-Sulpice? Parish Experience - Before an aspirant joins the Society, Sulpicians want to ensure that an aspirant has completed at least two years of parish work, which will have allowed him/her to develop a strong sense of belonging to the diocese and an attachment to the parish ministry. Indeed, they need priests who live and love their priesthood and who wish to assist the bishops in the service of seminarians and diocesan priests. Ability to work in a team - Sulpicians are looking for candidates who are able to work in a community environment and are able to work collegially on a mission in consultation with fellow priests as well as with lay people or religious. To know how to share one's faith through a life of prayer that nourishes a true enthusiasm for Christ and his Gospel, for the Church and the priesthood. The Apostolic Spirit who animated their founder, Jean-Jacques Olier, is the source of this sharing. Special gifts that open the way to a quality intellectual and professional preparation in several fields: spiritual accompaniment, teaching of philosophy or theology, pastoral animation. This presupposes the openness to learning of a constantly renewed Sulpician pedagogy. How can a priest become a Sulpician? Prerequisites - To be a diocesan priest incardinated in a diocese, to have completed at least two years of parish ministry in the diocese of origin and to be available for service in the Canadian Priests of St. Sulpice Province. Initial recognition - If a priest meets these prerequisites, he or she can contact the Sulpician Vocations Officer for his or her region (see list below). He will inform him about the regular meetings organized for the aspirants to the Society and he will be in charge of this first experience with Saint-Sulpice until the Provincial Council accepts him as a candidate. His participation in these meetings will give him sufficient information about the Company and the demands of Sulpician life. This priest will also be accompanied spiritually in discerning his possible Sulpician vocation. Candidature - After this time of discernment, with the support of the Sulpician Vocations Officer in his region, he asked his bishop for written authorization to make an experience in Saint-Sulpice. The aspirant then applies by contacting the provincial superior or the provincial delegate in writing. First experience in Saint-Sulpice - If formally accepted and admitted as a candidate, the Provincial Council becomes directly responsible for his experience with the Priests of Saint-Sulpice. He then took over his duties and gave him a first appointment to a team in the Canadian Province from the moment his bishop relieved him of his duties. Usually, this first experience in the Company lasts at least two years.The expression "art Saint-Sulpice" is misleading, because it encompasses very different periods and artists in the same name and in the same discredit, because it confuses art of reproduction and wide circulation with the search for an authentic sacred art which has been continuous for nearly two centuries.

 

In the proper sense, Sulpician art refers to the objects that are sold in the specialized shops that surround the church of the same name in Paris: industrial and economic art, of poor quality, where the mimicry and the fading of style reassure and somehow carry the seal of an official art, orthodox and without excess. Thus understood, Sulpician art is of all times and every effort to renew religious art naturally secretes its counterfeiting. The virgins and saints, with their white eyes and pale air, coming from Ary Scheffer and his raphaelism, the statues of the Virgin of Lourdes, poor translation of the mediocre model of the pious sculptor Cabuchet, the overly sensitive effigies of Thérèse de Lisieux or Saint Anthony of Padua, even the neo-byzantine works, pale reflection. In fact, the interest of Sulpician art is not only sociological; it is also, as in countertype, the revealing of the interest that religious art has never ceased to arouse, against all appearances. Holy Mirror! The creatures on the reverse will be merged in the reflected image but probably not in a laplacian way - just as concentric circles. If anyone has a magic mirrorWe first address the problem of simultaneous image segmentation and smoothing by approaching the paradigm from a curve evolution perspective. In particular, we let a set of deformable contours define the boundaries between regions in an image where we model the data via piecewise smooth functions

 

www.vallombrosa.org/the-holy-mirror-discovering-ourselves...

 

Origin of the Holy Mirrors!

Mirrors have been regarded as sacred at least since the Han Dynasty in China. Many of these mirrors and from the subsequent Wei dynasty have been found in Japan. They bore images of gods and sacred animals particularly the Chinese dragon (1,2) . They were very popular, and possibly later manufactured, in Japan. The bronze mirrors are found in great number in ancient (kofun period) burial mounds in Japan. In the biggest archeological find of 33 mirrors, the mirrors were placed surrounding the coffin such that their reflective surface faced the deceased. The Han mirrors were "magic" in that while they reflected they were also able to project an image usually of the deities and animals on the back and refered to as "light passing mirrors" (透明鑑） (Needham, 1965, p.xlic; Needham & Wang, 1977, pp. 96-97).This magic property is due to the their method of construction. When polishing the reflective face of the mirror, the patter on the back influences the pressure brought to bear on the reflective surface and change the extent to which it is concave. Muraoka also claims that Differences in the (slight) "inequality of curvature" (Ayrton & Perry, 1878, p 139; see also Thompson, 1897, and Needham & Wang, 1977, p96 for a diagram) of the mirror result in the mirror reflecting light bearing the pattern shown on the reverse. More recent research has elucidated the precise mathematical model describing the optics of these mirrors as a laplacian image (Berry, 2006), a type of spatial filter today used for edge detection and to blend two images together. It is not known whether the mirrors popular in ancient Japan were also able to project, but later during the Nara period mirrors were found to concel magic Buddhist images, and during the Edo period, concealed Christians (Kurishitan) concealed images of the cross or of the Holy Mary within their bronze "magic" mirrors. Mirrors in Japan contined to be made of brass, until the arrival of Western glass mirrors, and were "magic" in that they displayed the patter on their reverse when reflecting sunlight or other powerful light source (Thompson, 1897). Ayrton (Ayrton & Perry, 1878; Ayrton & Pollock, 1879) claims that in Japan mirror vendors were unaware of the "light passing" quality, and that there is no mention of this 'magical' quality known to Han Chinese in Japanese texts. Even a Japanese mirror maker was unaware of how to make magic mirrors though had inadvertently made one himself by extensive polishing a mirror with a design on its back (Ayrton & Perry, 1878, p135). Unlike the ancient Korean mirror top right (3), the ancient Han and Japanese mirrors were made to be rotated, displaying images in the four directions of the compas. The reason for the holes in the central "breast" (or nipple) is unclear but it is found to be pierced with a hole (of varying shape depending upon the manufacturer) from which the mirror was suspended by a rope. Bearing in mind that the images on the mirrors required that the mirrors be rotated, the central nodule might also have enabled the mirrors to be spun like a top. I am not sure why someone would want to spin a mirror but my son does (see the toy explained later). I would very much like to see what the reflected "magic" image becomes when spun. The creatures on the reverse will be merged in the reflected image but probably not in a laplacian way - just as concentric circles. If anyone has a magic mirror I would like them to try spinning it to see. Skipping the holy mirrors in shrines, mirror rice cakes, and the mirror held by the Japanese version of Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates, King Enma, which holds a record of ones life, and, jumping to the present day... Mirrors are popular in the transformational items used by Japanese superheros. The early 1970's Mirror Man transformed using a Shinto amulet infront of any mirror or reflecting surface. Shinkenja, a group of Super Sentai or Power Rangers, that transforms thanks to their ability to write and then spin Chinese characters in the air, also transforms with the aid of an Inro Maru (4) upon which is affixed a inscribed disk. When the disk is attactched to the mirror the super hero inside the mirror is displayed. Transformation (henshin) by means of a mirror is popular too among Japanese femail super heros notably Himitsu no Akko Chan (Secret Akko), who could change into many things that were displayed in her mirror, sailor moon, and OshareMajo (6). The female super heroes mirrors usually make noises rather than contain inscriptions. The latest greatest Kamen Rider OOO sometimes transforms by means of his Taja-Spina which spins three of his totem-badge "coins" inside a mirror (video). In this ancient tradition we see recurrence of the following themes 1) Mirrors being of great benefit to the bearer enabling him to transform. 2) Mirrors containing hidden deities 3) Mirrors being associated with symbols: iconic marks, and incantations. 4) Mirrors being made to be rotated or spun. Thanks to James Ewing for the Mirror Man (Mira-man) reference and to Tomomi Noguchi for the Ojamajo Doremi reference, and to Taku Shimonuri and my son Ray for getting me interested in Japanese superheros. Addendum One of My students (A Ms. Tanaka, and a book about the cute in Japan) pointed out that the Japanese are into round things, and it seems to me that this Japanese preference for the round may originate in the mirror. Anpanman and Doraemon and many "characters" have round faces The Japanese Flag features a circle representing the sun and the mirror Japanese coats of arms (kamon) Japanese holy mirrors are round "Mirror rice cakes", and many other kinds of rice cake, are round The Sumo ring is round Pictures of the floating world (Ukiyoe) often portray the sitter in a round background Japanese groups always have to end up by standing in a round The Japanese are fond of domes and have many of the biggest The Japanese are fond of seals (inkan), which are round Japanese groups just can't help standing in a round The taiko drum is round The mitsudomoe is round Mount Fuji is round But then there are probably round things in every culture?

Cast and polished bronze mirrors, made in China and Japan for several thousand years, exhibit a curious property [1–4], long regarded as magical. A pattern embossed on the back

is visible in the patch of light projected onto a screen from the reflecting face when this is illuminated by a small source, even though no trace of the pattern can be discerned

by direct visual inspection of the reflecting face. The pattern on the screen is not the result of the focusing responsible for conventional image formation, because its sharpness is independent of distance, and also because the magic mirrors are slightly convex. It was established long ago that the effect results from the deviation of rays by weak undulations on the reflecting surface, introduced during the manufacturing process and too weak to see directly, that reproduce the much stronger relief embossed on the back. Such ‘Makyoh imaging’ (from the Japanese for ‘wonder mirror’) has been applied to detect small asperities on nominally flat semiconductor surfaces [5–8]. My aim here is to draw attention (section 2) to a simple and beautiful fact, central to

the optics of magic mirrors, that has not been emphasized—either in the qualitative accounts or in an extensive geometrical-optics analysis : in the optical regime relevant to

magic mirrors, the image intensity is given, in terms of the height function h(r) of the relief.on the reflecting surface, by the Laplacian ∇2 h(r) (here r denotes position in the mirror plane: r = {x, y}). The Laplacian image predicts striking effects for patterns, such as those on magic mirrors, that consist of steps ; these predictions are supported by experiment

The detailed study of reflection from steps throws up an unresolved problem concerning the relation between the pattern embossed on the back and the relief on the reflecting surface. The Laplacian image is an approximation to geometrical optics, which is itself an approximation to physical optics. The appendix contains a discussion of the Laplacian image starting from the wave integral representing Fresnel diffraction from the mirror surface. Geometrical optics and the Laplacian image If we measure the height h(r) from the convex surface of the mirror (figure 3), assumed to

have radius of curvature R0, then the deviation of the surface undulations from a reference plane (figure 3) is η(r) = − r22R0+ h(r. The specularly reflected rays of geometrical optics are determined by the stationary value(s) of

the optical path length L from the source (distance H from the reference plane) to the position

R on the screen (distance D from the reference plane) via the point r on the mirror. This is L = (H − η(r))2 + r2 +(D − η(r

))2 + (R − r)2≈ H + D + (r, R), (2)where in the second line we have employed the paraxial approximation (all ray angles small), with (r, R) = r2 2H+(R − r)2 2D+ r2 R0− 2h(r). In applying the stationarity condition ∇r(r, R) = 0, it is convenient to define the magnification M, the reduced distance Z, and the ;demagnified observation position r referred to the mirror surface: M ≡ 1 +D H+2D R0, Z ≡ 2D M , r ≡ R M . We note an effect of the convexity that will be important later: as the source and screen distance increase, Z approaches the finite asymptotic value R0. With these variables, the position r

(r,Z), on the mirror, of rays reaching the screen position r, is the solution of r = r − Z∇h(r). The focusing and defocusing responsible for the varying light intensity at r involves the

Jacobian determinant of the transformation from r to r, giving,after a short calculation,Igeom(r,Z) = constant × ∂x ∂x

∂y ∂y − ∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x−1 r→r (r,Z)= 1 − Z∇2 h(r) + Z2

∂h(r) ∂x2 ∂h(r) ∂y2 − ∂h(r) ∂x ∂y2−1r→r(r,Z), ().where the result has been normalized to Igeom = 1 for the convex mirror without surface relief (i.e. h(r) = 0). So far, this is standard geometrical optics. In general, more than one ray can reach r—that is, can have several solutions r—and the boundaries of regions reached by different numbers of rays are caustics. In magic mirrors, however, we are concerned with a

limiting regime satisfying Z Rmin 1, where Rmin is the smallest radius of curvature of the surface irregularities. Then there is only one ray, simplifies to r ≈ r, (9) and the intensity simplifies to ILaplacian(r,Z) = 1 + Z∇2 h(r). This is the Laplacian image. Changing Z affects only the contrast of the image and not its form, so explains why the sharpness of the image is independent of screen position, provided holds. The intensity is a linear function of the surface irregularities h, which

is not the case in general geometrical optics (i.e. when is violated), where, as has been emphasized the relation is nonlinear. And, as already noted, for a distant source and

screen Z approaches the value R0, implying that (8) holds for any distance of the screen if R0 Rmin, that is, provided the irregularities are sufficiently gentle or the mirror is sufficiently

convex. Alternatively stated, the convexity of the mirror can compensate any concavity of the irregularity h, in which case there are no caustics for any screen position.The theory based on the Laplacian image accords well with observation, at least for the mirror studied here. The key insight is that the image of a step is neither a dark line nor a bright line,

as sometimes reported , but is bright on one side and dark on the other. It is possible that there are different types of magic mirror, where for example the relief is etched directly onto

the reflecting surface and protected by a transparent film , but these do not seem to be common. Sometimes, the pattern reflected onto a screen is different from that on the back, but

this is probably a trick, achieved by attaching a second layer of bronze, differently embossed, to the back of the mirror.

Pre-focal ray concentrations leading to Laplacian images are familiar in other contexts, though they are not always recognized as such. An example based on refraction occurs in old windows, where a combination of age and poor manufacture has distorted the glass. The distortion is not evident in views seen through the window when standing close to it. However,when woken by the low morning sun shining through a gap in the curtains onto an opposite

wall, one often sees the distortions magnified as a pattern of irregular bright and dark lines. If the equivalent of is satisfied, that is if the distortions and propagation distance are not too

large, the intensity is the Laplacian image of the window surface. (When the condition is not satisfied, the distortions can generate caustics.) Only the optics of the mirror has been studied here. The manner in which the pattern embossed on the back gets reproduced on the front has not been considered. Referring to ,this involves the sign of the coefficient a in the relation between hback and h. There have been several speculations about the formation of the relief. One is that the relief is generated while the mirror is cooling, by unequal contraction of the thick and thin parts of the pattern ; it is not clear what sign of a this leads to. Another is that cooling generates stresses, and that during vigorous grinding and polishing the thin parts yield more than the thick parts, leading to the thick parts being worn down more; this leads to a 0: bright (dark) lines on the image, indicating low (high) sides of the steps on the reflecting face, are associated with the low (high) sides of the

steps on the back , not the reverse (figure 7(b)). This suggests two avenues for further research. First, the sign of a should be determined by direct measurement of the profile of the reflecting surface; I predict a > 0. Second, whatever the result, the mechanism should be investigated by which the process of manufacture reproduces onto the reflecting surface the

pattern on the back. The fact that h0 = 378 nm is smaller than the wavelengths in visible light does not imply that the Laplacian image is the small-κ limit of (A.3), namely the perturbation limit corresponding to infinitely weak relief. Indeed it is not: the perturbation limit, obtained by

expanding the exponential in (A.3) and evaluating the integral over τ , with a renormalized denominator to incorporate the known limit I = 1 for ξ = ±∞, isψpert(ξ , ζ, κ) = 1 − iκ erf(ξ/√1+iζ /κ)

√ 1 + κ2 . For the gentlest steps, this predicts low-contrast oscillatory images, very different from the Laplacian images of geometrical optics; this is illustrated in figure 8(b), calculated for k =0.05, corresponding to h0 = 5.2 nm.

  

European journal of physics, 27, 109. Retrieved from www.phy.bris.ac.uk/people/Berry_mv/the_papers/berry383.pdf Spatial Filters - Laplacian/Laplacian of Gaussian. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2012, from homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/rbf/HIPR2/log.htm Thompson, S. P. (1897). Light Visible and Invisible: A Series of Lectures at Royal Institution of Great Britain. Macmillan. Retrieved from www.archive.org/stream/lightvisibleinvi00thomuoft#page/50...

 

In the industrial and materialist period that began in the 19th century, Catholicism, even though it had to give in to its official positions, underwent glorious revival. In the years 1830-1880, an attempt was made to revive an authentic religious art, in the image of restored faith, through examples of medieval art. The Gothic cathedral, in its 13th century purity, Fra Angelico, the painter who paints on his knees, will be the models unceasingly questioned and translated through the teaching of Ingres.

 

Om Malik carries with him the quiet gravity of someone who has seen the world change and helped shape its direction. He is one of my oldest friends, someone I’ve known for more than twenty years. We have stood together on icy runways in Svalbard and watched the blue light stretch endlessly across Greenland. In those places, conversation slows and the essential rises to the surface. With Om, the essential is never far away.

He grew up in India, in a world rich with contrast and complexity. The streets were full of movement, full of the textures and sounds that would later find their way into his voice as a writer. He arrived in the United States with curiosity and drive, and he never stopped paying attention. That gift for attention became his craft.

Om became one of the most influential technology journalists of our time. He worked with major publications, wrote with clarity and insight, and often knew where the story was going before it arrived. He did not chase trends. He understood patterns. When he founded GigaOm, he built a platform that reflected his belief in deep, thoughtful reporting. It was never about clicks. It was about signal over noise.

Later, as a partner at True Ventures, he turned that same discernment toward people. Founders sought him out not only for his experience but for his honesty. He listened more than he spoke. When he gave advice, it came from a place of hard-won wisdom.

There is a softness in Om’s eyes, and also something unyielding. He is kind, but not naïve. He dresses like he writes…elegantly, precisely, with deep attention to detail. His handmade shoes, the rich navy tones of his jackets and shirts, the sharp frames of his glasses. None of it is loud, but all of it speaks. There is joy in his choices. He understands that what we surround ourselves with can be an extension of how we move through the world.

He is also a photographer of rare subtlety. His images often feature landscapes pared down to their bones. A single horizon. A lone figure. A curve of light across snow. You feel the stillness in them, the invitation to breathe. His work reflects his own sensibility - quiet, thoughtful, poetic. There is always more going on than you first see.

In person, Om brings that same energy. He is deeply present. You feel seen when you are with him. You feel the care in his questions. And you notice his half-smile, that look of amused recognition, as though he is reading both the moment and the unwritten caption beneath it.

What makes Om remarkable is not just his resume, though that alone would be enough. It is the way he has chosen to be in the world. He holds space for others. He mentors, advises, encourages. He is still shaping the future, not from the front page, but from the quieter rooms where real conversations happen.

This portrait of Om was taken in a moment of stillness. He stood in soft light, one hand raised to his face, the other crossed over his chest. The frame is black and white, but his presence comes through in full color. Thoughtful, grounded, unmistakably himself.

To me, he is more than a friend. He is a guide. A mirror. A constant. One of the rare people whose way of being makes everyone around him want to be better.

 

The Major Stars and Constellations - Animistic Symbolism by Daniel Arrhakis (2026)

 

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The Major Stars and Constellations: Animistic Symbolism

 

For animistic cultures—such as the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Australian Aborigines, and African tribes—the sky functions as a mirror of the Earth, where animals and nature spirits continue their existence.

 

The Eyes of the Ancestors: Many indigenous tribes believe that the stars are the hearths or eyes of deceased relatives watching over the living.

 

Guides to Spiritual Navigation: Fixed stars (like the North Star) are seen as the "axis of the world" or the throne of the Creator, maintaining the cosmos in balance.

 

Living Constellations: Groups of stars (like the Pleiades or Orion) are often interpreted as sacred animals or mythical heroes whose stories teach moral rules to the tribe.

 

Main Constellations and Their Symbolism

 

1. Orion (The Hunter / The Old Man)

 

Brazilian Indigenous Perspective (Tupi-Guarani): Known as the constellation of the Old Man (Tuíra). The Three Marys form its belt. It represents an elderly ancestor whose appearance in the sky in December announces the arrival of summer in the southern hemisphere and the beginning of the rainy season, regulating the cycle of agriculture and fishing.

 

Aboriginal Perspective: For some tribes in Australia, the stars of Orion represent three hunters who were banished to the sky by the Sun for breaking sacred laws.

 

2. The Pleiades (The Star Cluster)

 

General Symbolism: It is the most important star group for global animism.

 

Guarani Perspective: Known as Eichu (the swarm of bees) or Seixu. They are seen as a group of female spirits or celestial children. Its appearance in spring marks the beginning of the organic new year, bringing fertility to the land.

 

Inca and Mayan Perspective: Considered the Mothers of the Stars or guardians of the seeds, closely monitored to predict the success of corn harvests.

 

3. The Southern Cross (The Footprint of the Rhea)

 

Tupi-Guarani Perspective: It is part of the great animistic constellation of the Rhea (Guyraju). The Southern Cross represents the head of the celestial bird, which tries to swallow two bright stars (alpha and beta Centauri). If the Rhea manages to break free from the sky and descend to Earth, ancient peoples believed that it would drink all the water in the world, causing the end of times.

 

4. Ursa Major (The Great Bear) and the Big Dipper

 

Perspective of Native American Peoples (Iroquois/Micmac): The square of the constellation is seen as a living Bear (a protective animal spirit), and the three stars of the tail are three hunters who continually pursue it across the sky. In autumn, when the constellation is low on the horizon, the blood of the wounded bear drips onto the Earth, coloring the leaves of the trees red and yellow.

 

In animistic symbolism, the constellation of the Big Dipper (the seven brightest stars of Ursa Major) represents the cosmic center of the universe, the immortality of the spirit, and the eternal cycle of life, acting as a living bridge between the earthly world and the spiritual plane.

 

Main Stars and their Animistic Significance

 

1. Sirius (The Dog Star)

 

Perspective of the Dogon People (West Africa): Sirius is the center of their animistic cosmology. They believe the star harbors the Nommo, the ancestral spirits of water and creators of humanity. It is the representation of the umbilical cord that unites the spiritual world to the physical.

 

Ancient Egyptian Perspective: Although a complex civilization, its mysticism maintained animistic roots: Sirius was the personification of the goddess Sopdet (or Sotes). Its rising heralded the flooding of the Nile River, bringing life and fertility.

 

2. Antares (The Heart of the Scorpion)

 

Global Animistic Perspective: Due to its strong reddish glow, it is almost universally associated with fire and vital blood. For the peoples of the rainforest, it represents the burning eye of a predatory spirit (like the great serpent or the celestial jaguar) that observes the actions of humans at night.

 

3. North Star (Polaris)

 

Perspective of Circumpolar Peoples (Inuit and Peoples of Siberia): Seen as the Nail of Heaven or the Pillar of the World. It is the sacred, immobile axis around which all other celestial spirits revolve. It functions as the main portal through which shamans travel in trance to access the world of the gods and the dead.

 

4. Arcturus

 

The Vigilant Guardian: Because it belongs to the constellation of Boötes (the shepherd) and closely follows Ursa Major, it is seen as a protective spirit that watches over the flocks and the community.

 

Announcer of Life: Being a very bright orange giant in spring, its brilliance is interpreted as the rekindling of the Earth's vital fire after winter.

 

Guide of the Winds: In various indigenous and maritime traditions, its position indicates the changing of the seasons and the mood of the weather spirits.

 

5. Vega

 

The Celestial Weaver: In Asian animism (as in the Tanabata festival) (*) , Vega is the spirit of the Weaver, representing creativity, woven destiny, and spiritual fidelity. Purity and

 

Clairvoyance: Its intense blue-white light is linked to a spirit of crystalline purity, capable of dispelling stagnant energies and bringing mental clarity to shamans.

 

The Firebird: For some ancient tribes, its position in the constellation Lyra (once seen as a bird) represented the spirit of an eagle or vulture that carried human prayers to the upper world.

 

6. Rigel and Betelgeuse (Orion)

 

The Cosmic Duality: With Rigel being blue-white (young/cold) and Betelgeuse a red supergiant (old/hot), animism sees this pair as the personification of the balance of opposites: ice and fire, youth and old age, birth and death.

 

The Hunter / Giant Ancestor: Orion is often personified as a great warrior, cultural hero, or the first ancestor of humanity. Rigel (the foot) represents its foundation and journey on Earth, while Betelgeuse (the shoulder) represents the strength of action and the warrior's beating heart.

 

Guiding Beacons: Because they are visible globally, they are considered the "eyes" of the great spirits that observe and guide human and animal migrations during the winter.

  

7. Altair

 

The animistic symbolism of the star Altair is based on attributing a soul, agency, and spiritual life force to this celestial body, traditionally personified as the "Spirit of the Eagle" or the "Winged Messenger" due to its central position in the constellation Aquila.

 

The Flying Celestial Spirit

 

Living Etymology: The name Altair derives from the Arabic al-ṭā'ir, which translates directly as "the one who flies" or "the bird".

 

Spiritual Agency: From an animistic perspective, this name is not merely a descriptive label, but the expression of the very essence and behavior of the star's soul. It is seen as a dynamic spirit in constant cosmic motion.

 

The Heart of the Eagle and the Life Force

 

The Core of the Bird: Because it is located in the center of the constellation, Altair is frequently treated in ancient mythologies as the "Heart of the Eagle".

 

Attributes of Power: In animistic tradition and ancient magical astrology (such as talismanic fixed star magic), connecting with the spirit of Altair means evoking the virtues of the eagle itself: long-range vision, indomitable courage, determination, and spiritual freedom.

 

The Cosmic Guardian and the Shamanic Bridge

 

The Summer Triangle: Altair forms the famous Summer Triangle along with Vega and Deneb.

 

The Fabric of Heaven: In many tribal cosmologies and Asian folklore (such as the Tanabata festival), Altair (the shepherd) and Vega (the weaver) are divine beings separated by the Celestial River, the Milky Way.

 

Bridge Between Worlds: The group of stars surrounding Altair resembles a bird with open wings, serving in animism as a psychopomp—a spiritual guide or power animal that carries human prayers to the higher world and brings discernment or divine messages to Earth.

  

(*) The Tanabata Festival (七夕), also known as the Star Festival, is one of Japan's most poetic and colorful traditional celebrations. The event celebrates the legend of the annual meeting between two enamored deities separated by the Milky Way: Orihime (the star Vega) and Hikoboshi (the star Altair). The celebration traditionally takes place on July 7th (or in August, depending on the region). It is celebrated with colorful decorations and wishes made on bamboo poles.

 

The Festival Trinity: The Legend

 

The legend tells that the weaver princess Orihime and the ox herder Hikoboshi fell so deeply in love that they neglected their duties, which angered the Celestial Emperor. As punishment, they were separated and banished to opposite sides of the celestial river (the Milky Way), but due to their subsequent hard work, the emperor then allowed them to meet only once a year: on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year.

  

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  

As Principais Estrelas e Constelações Simbolismo animista

 

Para as culturas animistas — como os povos indígenas das Américas, aborígenes australianos e tribos africanas —, o céu funciona como um espelho da Terra, onde os animais e os espíritos da natureza continuam a sua existência.

 

Os Olhos dos Antepassados: Muitas tribos indígenas acreditam que as estrelas são as fogueiras ou os olhos dos parentes mortos que vigiam os vivos.

 

Guias de Navegação Espiritual: Estrelas fixas (como a Estrela Polar) são vistas como o "eixo do mundo" ou o trono do Criador, mantendo o cosmos equilibrado.

 

Constelações Vivas: Grupos de estrelas (como as Plêiades ou a Oríon) são frequentemente interpretados como animais sagrados ou heróis míticos cujas histórias ensinam regras morais à tribo.

 

Principais Constelações e o seu Simbolismo

 

1. Órion (O Caçador / O Homem Velho)

 

Perspetiva Indígena Brasileira (Tupi-Guarani): Conhecida como a constelação do Homem Velho (Tuíra). As Três Marias formam o seu cinturão. Representa um ancestral idoso cujo surgimento no céu, no mês de dezembro, anuncia a chegada do verão no hemisfério sul e o início da época das chuvas, regulando o ciclo da agricultura e da pesca.

 

Perspetiva Aborígene: Para algumas tribos da Austrália, as estrelas de Órion representam três caçadores que foram banidos para o céu pelo Sol por quebrarem leis sagradas.

  

2. As Plêiades (O Aglomerado Estelar)

 

Simbolismo Geral: É o grupo estelar mais importante para o animismo global.

 

Perspetiva Guarani: Conhecida como Eichu (o enxame de abelhas) ou Seixu. São vistas como um grupo de espíritos femininos ou crianças celestes. O seu aparecimento na primavera marca o início do ano novo biológico, trazendo fertilidade à terra.

 

Perspetiva Inca e Maia: Consideradas as Mães das Estrelas ou guardiãs das sementes, monitorizadas de perto para prever o sucesso das colheitas de milho.

  

3. O Cruzeiro do Sul (A Pegada da Ema)

 

Perspetiva Tupi-Guarani: Integra a grande constelação animista da Ema (Guyraju). O Cruzeiro do Sul representa a cabeça da ave celestial, que tenta engolir duas estrelas brilhantes (alfa e beta de Centauro). Se a Ema conseguir soltar-se do céu e descer à Terra, os povos antigos acreditavam que ela beberia toda a água do mundo, causando o fim dos tempos.

  

4. Ursa Maior (O Grande Urso) e o Grande Carro

 

Perspetiva dos Povos Nativos Americanos (Iroqueses/Micmac): O quadrado da constelação é visto como um Urso vivo (um espírito animal protetor), e as três estrelas da cauda são três caçadores que o perseguem continuamente pelo céu. No outono, quando a constelação fica baixa no horizonte, o sangue do urso ferido pinga na Terra, colorindo as folhas das árvores de vermelho e amarelo.

 

No simbolismo animista, a constelação do Grande Carro (as sete estrelas mais brilhantes da Ursa Maior) representa o centro cósmico do universo, a imortalidade do espírito e o ciclo eterno da vida, agindo como uma ponte viva entre o mundo terreno e o plano espiritual.

  

Principais Estrelas e o seu Significado Animista

 

1. Sírius (A Estrela do Cão)

 

Perspetiva do Povo Dogon (África Ocidental): Sírius é o centro da sua cosmologia animista. Acreditam que a estrela abriga os Nommo, os espíritos ancestrais da água e criadores da humanidade. É a representação do cordão umbilical que une o mundo espiritual ao físico.

 

Perspetiva Egípcia Antiga: Embora uma civilização complexa, o seu misticismo mantinha raízes animistas: Sírius era a personificação da deusa Sopdet (ou Sotes). A sua ascensão anunciava a inundação do Rio Nilo, trazendo vida e fertilidade.

 

2. Antares (O Coração do Escorpião)

 

Perspetiva Animista Global: Devido ao seu forte brilho avermelhado, é quase universalmente associada ao fogo e ao sangue vital. Para os povos da floresta tropical, representa o olho aceso de um espírito predador (como a cobra grande ou o jaguar celestial) que observa as ações dos humanos durante a noite.

 

3. Estrela Polar (Polaris)

 

Perspetiva dos Povos Circumpolares (Inuítes e Povos da Sibéria): Vista como o Prego do Céu ou o Pilar do Mundo. É o eixo sagrado imóvel em torno do qual todos os outros espíritos celestes giram. Funciona como o portal principal através do qual os xamãs viajam em transe para aceder ao mundo dos deuses e dos mortos.

 

4. Arturo (Arcturus)

 

O Guardião Vigilante: Por pertencer à constelação do Boieiro (o pastor) e seguir de perto a Ursa Maior, é vista como um espírito protetor que vigia os rebanhos e a comunidade.

Anunciadora da Vida: Sendo uma gigante laranja muito brilhante na primavera, o seu fulgor é interpretado como o reacender do fogo vital da Terra após o inverno.

Guia dos Ventos: Em várias tradições indígenas e marítimas, a sua posição indica a mudança das estações e o humor dos espíritos do clima.

 

5. Vega

 

A Tecelã Celestial: No animismo asiático (como no festival do Tanabata) (*) , Vega é o espírito da Tecelã, representando a criatividade, o destino tecido e a fidelidade espiritual.

 

Pureza e Clarividência: A sua luz azul-branca intensa é associada a um espírito de pureza cristalina, capaz de afastar energias estagnadas e trazer clareza mental aos xamãs.

 

O Pássaro de Fogo: Para algumas tribos antigas, a sua posição na constelação da Lira (outrora vista como uma ave) representava o espírito de uma águia ou abutre que transportava as preces humanas ao mundo superior.

 

6. Rigel e Betelgeuse (Orion)

 

A Dualidade Cósmica: Sendo Rigel azul-branca (jovem/fria) e Betelgeuse uma supergigante vermelha (velha/quente), o animismo vê este par como a personificação do equilíbrio dos opostos: o gelo e o fogo, a juventude e a velhice, o nascimento e a morte.

 

O Caçador / Antepassado Gigante: Orion é frequentemente personificado como um grande guerreiro, herói cultural ou o primeiro antepassado da humanidade. Rigel (o pé) representa a sua fundação e a caminhada na Terra, enquanto Betelgeuse (o ombro) representa a força de ação e o coração pulsante do guerreiro.

 

Faróis de Orientação: Por serem visíveis globalmente, são consideradas os "olhos" dos grandes espíritos que observam e guiam as migrações humanas e animais durante o inverno.

  

7. Altair

 

O simbolismo animista da estrela Altair fundamenta-se na atribuição de uma alma, agência e força vital espiritual a este corpo celeste, sendo tradicionalmente personificada como o "Espírito da Águia" ou o "Mensageiro Alado" devido à sua posição central na constelação de Aquila.

 

O Espírito Celestial que Voa

 

Etimologia Viva: O nome Altair deriva do árabe al-ṭā'ir, que se traduz diretamente como "aquele que voa" ou "a ave".

 

Agência Espiritual: Sob o olhar animista, este nome não é apenas uma etiqueta descritiva, mas a expressão da própria essência e comportamento da alma da estrela. Ela é vista como um espírito dinâmico em constante movimento cósmico

 

O Coração da Águia e a Força Vital

 

O Núcleo da Ave: Por se situar no centro da constelação, Altair é frequentemente tratada em mitologias antigas como o "Coração da Águia".

 

Atributos de Poder: Na tradição animista e na astrologia mágica antiga (como na magia talismânica das estrelas fixas), conectar-se com o espírito de Altair significa evocar as virtudes da própria águia: visão de longo alcance, coragem indomável, determinação e liberdade espiritual.

 

O Guardião Cósmico e a Ponte Xamânica

 

O Triângulo de Verão: Altair forma o famoso Triângulo de Verão junto com Vega e Deneb.

 

O Tecido do Céu: Em muitas cosmologias tribais e no folclore asiático (como no festival do Tanabata), Altair (o pastor) e Vega (a tecelã) são seres divinos separados pelo Rio Celestial, a Via Láctea.

 

Ponte entre Mundos: O grupo de estrelas que rodeia Altair assemelha-se a uma ave de asas abertas, servindo no animismo como um psicopompo — um guia espiritual ou animal de poder que transporta as preces humanas ao mundo superior e traz discernimento ou mensagens divinas para a Terra.

  

(*) Festival do Tanabata (七夕), também conhecido como Festival das Estrelas, é uma das celebrações tradicionais mais poéticas e coloridas do Japão. O evento celebra a lenda do encontro anual entre duas divindades apaixonadas separadas pela Via Láctea: Orihime (a estrela Vega) e Hikoboshi (a estrela Altair). A celebração ocorre tradicionalmente no dia 7 de julho (ou em agosto, dependendo da região). É celebrado com decorações coloridas e pedidos em bambus.

 

A Trindade do Festival: A Lenda

 

A lenda conta que a princesa tecelã Orihime e o pastor de bois Hikoboshi se apaixonaram tanto que negligenciaram os seus deveres, o que enfureceu o Imperador Celestial. Como punição, foram separados e banidos para lados opostos do rio celestial (a Via Láctea), mas em virtude do seu posterior árduo trabalho, o imperador permitiu então que se encontrassem apenas uma vez por ano: no sétimo dia do sétimo mês do ano.

   

Resurrection Bay, Alaska

Nikon D90, Nikkor 300mm f/4 AF-S, Nikkor TC-14e2, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

 

"We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment." ~ Chanakya

 

www.charlesathomas.com

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

– Philippians 1:1-11, which is today's epistle for the 30th Fri in Ordinary Time.

 

Stained glass window from St Cuthbert's church in Edinburgh. St Paul was under 'house arrest' in Rome when he was writing his letter to the Philippians.

This photo was sharpened and brightened using ChatGPT.

Since the fall, not merely of the hierarchic nature of society, but of almost all traditional forms, the consciously conservative man stands as it were in a vacuum. He stands alone in a world which, in its all opaque enslavement, boasts of being free, and, in all its crushing uniformity, boasts of being rich.

 

It is screamed in his ears that humanity is continually developing upwards, that human nature, after developing for so and so many millions of years, has now undergone a decisive mutation, which will lead to its final victory over matter.

 

The consciously conservative man stands alone amongst manifest drunks, is alone awake amongst sleep-walkers

who take their dreams for reality.

 

From understanding and experience he knows that man, with all his passion for novelty, has remained fundamentally the same, for good or ill; the fundamental questions in human life have always remained the same; the answers to them have always been known, and, to the extent that they can be expressed in words, have been handed down from one generation to the next. The consciously conservative man is concerned with this inheritance.

 

Since nearly all traditional forms in life are now destroyed, it is seldom vouchsafed to him to engage in a wholly useful and meaningful activity. But every loss spells gain: the disappearance of forms calls for a trial and a discernment; and the confusion in the surrounding world is a summons to turn, by-passing all accidents, to the essential.

 

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Titus Burckhardt

 

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www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39193

 

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." ~~ Matthew 24 : 24

 

I encourage you sisters and brothers in Christ about believing NOT in every wonders and so called miracles /healings outside the word of God. I have seen many many many many performing wonders .People do believe them . You know them by their fruits .If their fruits don't reflect the word of God ,they are blatantly demonic. There's no middle way or in between.

 

I have seen one performing some form of tooth extraction without the conventional tools of a dentist .Almost impressive .He did it with his bare hands and came out clean and smooth with no blood in every extraction .It looked like magic !

There were long cue of people seeking his service . A reciptacle full of extracted teetth layed on the corner. I saw people with no blood after extraction ,how can that be .There wasn't any aneasthetic ,it was beyond reason .Not one screaming .

What looked so mingy about it ,he washed his hands so lighty ,considering hundreds of mouths his hands get into goooosh lol. Such practice wasn't by the word of God . He said about god but never of Jesus .Satan is a god of this world ,don't mistake it ,who else .

The reason why I measure up things with reference to God's manual guide book ,the Bible !

 

...even the word of Pastors and preachers ,I take them with some discernment if they teach exactly from the word of God .

  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~<<~~~~~~~@

 

Just some interesting youtube entries I have come across lately :

  

This one relates to something I heard of from Ruzz Dizdar

about Remote viewing .

Are you a remote viewer ?

    

I don't think this vid has a christian orientation ,but simply to show you even the secular realm do know about this :

Military remote viewers predictions as to Japan Earthquake ,solar storms...since I'm adhering to Biblical teachings , this will be the Great Tribulation ,the wrath of God if this all happens in our time line ! Be save ,it's coming friends )

The End - Remote Viewing Predictions

   

A short video but very interesting one ! Try to watch this vid :)

Remote Viewing Experiment

   

Religious Sect "666" Tattoo's Paul Begley Video .It's kind of funny ,but speaking the truth

        

I have to be clear here I am against interfaithtism / ecumenism .We need to be discerning of the times we are in and the apostacy happening in the church .Wolves are roaming around cloaked in sheep's wool .Don't believe everything they say , check it out if what they say abides by the word of God in Bible .If it doesn fit in then t belongs to the other side.

An example of it is this one :

Building up of the Lucifer's NWO CHURCH

   

Naar Absinthe (naarnisse.absinthe)

 

Naar is a well-established figure in the Second Life fashion world, with a professional career spanning since 2012. Trained at prestigious academies such as Miss Virtual World Modeling Academy and Elite Events Models, her career has been built on technique, aesthetic vision, and a deep understanding of the runway.

 

Over the years, Naar has been recognized on important virtual modeling stages and has made her mark both in front of and behind the camera. Her sensitivity as a stylist, her leadership as owner and teacher of In-Nova Models, and her experience as a professional model make her a solid and respected presence within the industry.

 

Elegant, precise, and confident, Naar represents the perfect balance between discipline and creativity. In The Seasonal Angels, her presence brings history, discernment, and an expert eye that elevates every detail of the project.

 

Her Facebook:

www.facebook.com/naar.rexen.5

Consider a humble artisan assuredly creating great masterpieces. Thinking them mere happenstance, when, in actuality such a supple intelligence portrays an artful sensitivity skilfully executed to spark moments of discernment.

 

Her nature, being modest, wanting nothing but to share her passion for the wondrous yet often hidden and unsung treasures. Permitting only humilities garments to frame her magnanimity, she is content with somewhat anonymity.

 

Humilities virtuosity in keeping with its innocence will never succumb the ego of this practitioner the impertinence of self praise, even the well deserved adulation from another will most often be set aside for modesty’s sake..

 

Henceforth such wonders are born to us in magnificent grandeur, thusly we are enriched by unintended circumstances. Artistic virtuosity humbly rendered to awaken us from seemingly perpetual slumber. Such depth of spirit duly submerged in the love of humanity deserves the crown of praise.

Pentax Espio 928 TriX 400 DDX 1+4 12/04/2025

Walker Percy's masterful novel Love In The Ruins: The Adventures Of A Bad Catholic At A Time Near The End Of The World was one of my rabbit holes. It also allowed me to catch some of my first glances of a perfect Church existing among and through weak vessels. It also helped form my growing understanding of grace, of actual graces and of sanctifying grace.

In 1849, the Tallahassee population had grown to almost 1,800 men, women, and children. From this diverse population, four men and five women organized the Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Of these nine original members, one was to become governor and another state comptroller.

 

Throughout our 172 year history, many members have occupied positions of leadership in private business and industry as well as in the public sector, including governors, university presidents, college deans, professors, coaches, judges, legislators, commissioners, and mayors. The first church building was situated on the south side of College Avenue on a lot purchased for $500. With missionary pastors sent from the Home Mission Board, the membership grew until the Civil War began. There was no post-war record of ministry until 1880 when Rev. A.C. McCants was sent to lead the church.

 

In September 1894 the name of the church was changed to The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and from meager purses, the building was remodeled, refinished, and reoccupied on January 21, 1900. With a membership of 407, a new church structure was dedicated in November 1915 with the coming of Pastor-builder J. Dean Adcock. First Baptist Church continued to serve the needs of the Tallahassee community in the 1920s and 1930s. But the 1940s brought an influx of World War II personnel. When the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University, students were filling every service and it was time to build again. Dr. Harold G. Sanders led us through an eight-year building program that ended with the completion of our second-century church in 1957.

 

In the subsequent years, First Baptist Church recognized the need for additional churches in Tallahassee and responded by establishing six mission churches. Additional structures were also added to our existing location under the guidance of Dr. Robert W. McMillian, including construction of a multi-purpose Christian Life Center in 1974 and administrative offices in 1987. Additional buildings were also purchased in 1998 for future expansion.

 

During the end of the twentieth century, we gave prayerful consideration to relocating our church. During that time of discernment, we waited on God for direction regarding our place of future ministry. We concluded a study in 2009 and came to the decision that our present location is where God wants us to be for as long as Jesus tarries. Today, we proudly state that we are here…for life, and we embrace that calling joyfully and hopefully.

 

No other community organization can substitute for us in testifying to the abundant life Jesus gives. We believe that God called us to pursue a phased renovation of our entire campus so that we might be able to offer first-century ministry in a twenty-first-century context that meets the spiritual needs of every generation and life stage. In August 2009, we adopted a set of recommendations for Phase I of our plan, to include roof repairs, renovations to the Fellowship Hall and Christian Life Center as well as the Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. In addition, our plan included a brand-new Welcome Center and Atrium that serve as a connecting point for all of our buildings. In August 2011, we completed all of the Phase I plans, and we began utilizing all of our new and renovated facilities.

 

As we look toward the future, we are excited about what God is doing in and through First Baptist. Jesus has promised to “build his church,” and as we continue to follow him, we look with anticipation toward his continued blessing upon us.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251831705

fbctlh.org/about/history/

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

  

Glory be. The Tree at the blue hour. Tree in context #1.

Here is Mary Oliver, from “When I am among the trees”

 

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

 

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

 

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "Stay awhile."

The light flows from their branches.

 

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,

“and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine.”

Metaphysical certainty is not God, though it contains something of Him. This is why Sufis accompany even their certainties with this formula: ''And God is more wise".

 

A cult of the intelligence and mental passion take man further from truth. Intelligence withdraws as soon as man puts his trust in it alone. Mental passion pursuing intellectual intuition is like the wind which blows out the light of a candle.

 

Monomania of the spirit, with the unconsious pretension, the prejudice, the insatiability and the haste which are its concomitants, is incompatible with sanctity.

 

Sanctity introduces in the flux of thoughts an element of humility and of charity, and so of calm and of generosity. This element, far from being hurtful to the spiritual impetus or the sometimes violent force of truth, delivers the spirit from the vexations of passions and thus guarantees both the integrity of thought and the purity of inspiration.

 

According to the Sufis mental passion must be ranked as one of the "associations" with Satan, like other forms of"idolatry" of the passions. It could not directly have God for its object, for, were God its direct object, it would lose its specifically negative characteristics.

 

Man must beware of two things: first of replacing God, in practice if not in theory, by the functions and products of the intellect, or of considering Him only in connection with this faculty; and, secondly, of putting the "mechanical" factors of spirituality in the place of the human values - the virtues - or only considering virtues in relation to their "technical" utility and not in relation to their beauty.

 

Intelligence has only one nature, that of being luminous. But it has diverse functions and different modes of working and these appear as so many particular intelligences. Intelligence with a "logical", "mathematical" or- one might say - "abstract" quality is not enough for attaining all aspects of the real.

 

It would be impossible to insist too often on the importance of the "visual" or "aesthetic" function of the intellective faculty.

 

Everything is in reality like a play of alternations between what is determined in advance - starting from principles - and what is incalculable and in some way unforeseeable, of which we have to get to know by concrete identification and not by abstract "discernment".

 

In speculations about formal elements it would be a handicap

to lack this aesthetic function of intellect. A religion is revealed, not only by its doctrine, but also by its general form, and this has its own characteristic beauty, which is reflected in its every aspect from its "mythology" to its art.

 

Sacred art expresses Reality in relation to a particular spiritual vision. And aesthetic intelligence sees the manifestations of the Spirit even as the eye sees flowers or playthings.

 

Thus, for example, in order to understand Buddhism profoundly, if one is not a Buddhist born, it is not enough to study its doctrine; it is also necessary to penetrate into the language of Buddhist beauty as it appears in the sacramental image of the Buddha or in such features as the "sermon on the flower".

 

The aesthetic function of the intelligence - if you may call it

that for lack of a better term - enters not only into the form of every spiritual manifestation but also into the process of its manifestation.

 

Truth must be enunciated, not only in conformity with certain proportions, but also according to a certain rhythm. One cannot speak of sacred things 'just anyhow", nor can one speak of them without limitations.

 

Every manifestation has laws and these intelligence must observe in manifesting itself, or otherwise truth will suffer.

Intellect is not something cerebral, nor is it specifically human

or angelic. All beings "possess" it. If gold is not lead, that is because it "knows" the Divine better. Its "knowledge" is in its very form, and this amounts to saying that it does not belong to it itself, for matter could not know. None the less one can say that the rose differs from the water-lily by its intellectual particularity, by its "way of knowing" and so by its mode of intelligence.

 

Beings possess intelligence in their form to the extent that they are "peripheric" or "passive" and in their essence to the extent that they are "central", "active" and "conscious".

 

A noble animal or a lovely flower is "intellectually" superior to a base man.

 

God reveals himself to the plant in the form of the light of the

sun. The plant irresistibly turns itself towards the light; it could not be atheistical or impious.

 

The infallible "instinct" of animals is a lesser "intellect", and man's intellect may be called a higher "instinct". Between instinct and intellect there stands in some sense the reason, which owes its troubles to the fact that it constitutes a sort of "luciferian" duplication of the Divine Intelligence - the only intelligence there is.

 

Knowledge of facts depends on contingencies which could not enter into principial knowledge. The level of facts is, in certain respects, inverse in relation to that of principles in the sense that it includes modes and imponderables that are the extreme opposite of the wholly mathematical rigour of universal laws. At least this is so in appearance, for it goes without saying that universal principles are not contradicted.

 

Even beneath the veil of the inexhaustible diversity of what is possible their immutability can always be discerned, provided that the intelligence is in the requisite condition for being able to discern it.

 

If the intellect is, so to speak, sovereign and infallible on its own ground, it cannot exercise its discernment on the level of facts otherwise than conditionally. Moreover God may intervene on the level of facts with particular things willed by Himself that are at times unpredictable, and of such things principial knowledge could only take account a posteriori.

 

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Frithjof Schuon

 

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Quoted in: The Essential Frithjof Schuon (edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)

  

The exhibition "Picasso 1932. Erotic Year" at the Musée Picasso Paris examines the link between the artist's personal life and his creation. Pablo Picasso's creative process and daily life are followed day after day through more than one hundred and ten paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures and a hundred archival documents..? The title of the exhibition, "Picasso 1932. Erotic Year" underlines the significance of sensual works in this year's production process. The exhibition "Picasso 1932. Erotic Year" at the Musée Picasso Paris focuses on a particularly dense year of the artist's creation through paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures, including some major pieces from his career, and documents that place them in their biographical context. He misses the essential in the comments on his genesis but disregards the true sources of inspiration in an interpretation very much focused on the libido and often very superficial, too bad that the analyses are so simplistic ? Her quest soon took Arieans to France, the centre of the art world at the time. Via Cocteau she automatically arrived at Picasso, a central figure in the Parisian artistic environment. In order to gain more insight into the occult movements that turned out to be literally 'in fashion' in the Parisian artistic world at the beginning of the last century, she consulted a variety of connoisseurs for advice: the French centrepiece of research into the esoteric Antoine Faivre, the religious scientist Jean Pierre Laurant, who mapped out the circles of the Eglise Gnostique, and the occultism connoisseur Robert Amadou. In The Hague she went into the Alchemist’s library and joined a research group of philosophers, philosophers and art historians at the University of Amsterdam.

A 'wildly interesting' research, as she calls it, that because of its interdisciplinary approach does not confine itself to a fragment - the interpretation of one painting - but colours an entire image of a time artistically and philosophically. Arian provides detailed information about the occult currents and orders that were active in Paris around 1900 and about the magazines, such as L'Initiation, that brought esoteric ideas to the attention of a wide audience.

Of great importance was the the philosophically inspired by Order Martinist, founded in 1884 by Gérard Encausse, nicknamed Papus, one of the most influential occultists of the fin-de siècle. Because of the "chaine de silence", the chain of silence that the members of the order never break through, it is not possible to establish with certainty, but it was probably this order that Picasso was a member of during his Cubist period.

The martinists, just like the Alchemists, knew three degrees of initiation: the 'pupil', 'companion' and 'master' of the alchemists were called 'member', 'initiated' and 'initiator' among the martinists, or Superior, Inconnu, who was abbreviated to SI. These letters can be found in some of Picasso's paintings and especially in Picasso's collages,'' Ariens discovered. And there is more: some of the canvases depict black eye masks as they are worn in the martinist lodges; here and there martinist signs roam around, on the canvas La cuisine even a whole kitchen floor full. The square, the symbol of the freemasons, is also a recurring theme. One collage even shows cow letters OR MA -OR(dre) MA(rtiniste) - which prompted one of Picasso's friends to comment that the painter 'advertised order'. In addition to the martyrs, the 'Ordre kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix', which entered into organic cooperation with the martyrdom order, and the Gnostic Church, which is related to martinism, were also influential. The later recruited many of her bishops from the Order Martinist. Inspired by the circle around Picasso, Arian's roles mention the names of famous artists over each other; one appears to be even better introduced into the secrets and symbolism of occultism than the other. According to her, Picasso's main inspirators are the writer Alfred Jarry and the painters Paul Gauguin and Paul Cézanne, and his contemporaries and friends, the writers Max Jacob, Guillaume Apollinaire and André Salmon. In more than the ones picture it’s Skull and Bones that was founded in 1832 at Yale University. The order is also known as "Bones", and members are called "Bonesmen" who are some of the world's most powerful elites.

How many bones did Picasso paint in this work? Probably Picasso could be readed with two modes, one is written in the official catalog, and one other live in gnostic, probably forgotten in the blockchain of silencing? In French the word Songe give Song in English ( Songe is like visionary's dream and Song is a note of dream) The "Songe" of Ezekiel could be the roots of this painting?

In chapter 37 of Ezekiel, we have a classic metaphysical outline upon which very exciting sermons can be built. Very much the same as the David and Goliath thing. When you read that chapter of the valley of the dry bones and you're aware of metaphysical Bible interpretation, you can almost see how the author is winding it all up for you. Here's the valley, here's the dry bones, they're all dry, very disconnected, then comes the Lord and instructions and then this Ezekiel's blewing this to obey them, he obeys them and these things begin happening to the bones. It gets so far and no farther. All the connections are made, all of the shapes and forms are made, but there's one thing lacking, there's no what? There's no life, they are there in form potential, but they haven't become living actualities yet. So Ezekiel says, now what do I do? He says, "Prophesy now, not to the bones, but prophesy now to the four winds, to the all four winds and prophesy now to the winds to tell the bones to live and the bones became a living army." The prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of vast numbers of people resurrected to live again as physical human beings. What is the meaning of this mystifying vision, and what does it teach us about God's plan? The remains of human bones in a dirt grave. 123RF

Much of God’s revelation to Ezekiel revolved around the distant decendants of Israel and crucial, end-time events centuries in the future. From early youth Ezekiel had been educated and trained to be a priest in the kingdom of Judah. But his hopes and dreams had been dashed by King Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion, taking him and other young Jews captive to Babylon. Now far separated from the temple in Jerusalem, how could his education and training be of any real value? There was no need to worry. God was looking after His own. The Creator had called Ezekiel to be a great prophet, ranked alongside Isaiah and Jeremiah. Christian writer Christopher Wright put it this way: “So while we can value all the positive contributions that Ezekiel’s education and training as a priest brought to his prophetic ministry, we must also appreciate the immense personal, professional and theological shock it must have been to him … [Yet] God would use all that He had built into Ezekiel’s life during his years of preparation” ( The Message of Ezekiel, 2001, p. 27). Most in mainstream Christendom erroneously believe that today is the only day of salvation. But this belief simply is not found in the Bible. When he was 30 years old, Ezekiel began to experience astonishing visions from Almighty God. Perhaps in a personal diary, he recorded the exact date on which the first vision occurred: “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1, emphasis added throughout). The invisible barriers between heaven and earth were supernaturally parted for Ezekiel. But what did this prophet actually see in vision? Moving beyond the introductory revelation of the awesome angelic realm, we fast-forward to verses 26 and 28. “On the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it… This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”There's a beautiful ready-made outline for a metaphysical interpretation. The valley always stands for a low point in your current pathway of life. A downsy, and everybody hits them, in his pathway of life. And when you're in a downsy, and you look around you, what do you usually see all about you? Discouraging, hopeless-looking details - dry bones. Everything is wrong down there. This is a dry bone, meaning a discouraging appearance or a hopeless looking state of affairs. That's what you see in these depressions, these valley periods of your journey of life. But then, you hear the voice of the Lord, "Prophesy unto these bones, say unto them, Oh, ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord". Now, what does Unity call the word of the Lord - affirmations of Truth, declarations of Truth right in the face of the discouraging, negative, hopeless looking conditions or situations. And, as he does this, as we affirm right into the teeth - bones, get it? - of discouraging looking appearances, things begin to happen.

It says, first the bones begin to shake, and then move, and then they began to connect bone to bone. In other words, new connections are formed right in the midst of discouraging or contradictory outer appearances. In the realm of the invisible, every affirmation of Truth results in new connections for future good. This is an occult law of metaphysics. It is absolutely true, in the invisible realm, every affirmation of truth results in new connections of factors for future good. From one point of view, these factors are dry bones, but from another point of view, these factors will become living good, a living army of good, and so, he prophesies and these bones all become connected. Then everything stops ... So then, there has to be a change of the type of prophecies or affirming ... To prophesy, to declare the Truth in every possible direction, that is, let God activity enter into this as He wills, from any direction His spirit choose. Ezekiel initially reacted just like the prophet Daniel and the apostles Paul and John did later. “So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One [God] speaking. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you’…And He said to me; ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel’ ” (Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 2:1-3). God gave Ezekiel a great mission to accomplish. He had important announcements to make. These were intended to reach people far beyond his own time to people down through the ages. And one important vision would serve to encourage all who have ever lived in facing the same remorseless enemy—the seemingly hopeless ending of life in death. The prophet did have a comparatively small personal audience in Babylon of fellow captives from Judah (Ezekiel 3:11). But the real import of his message was not primarily for these deported, displaced prisoners who could do little about their circumstance.It’s important to understand that the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had separated after King Solomon’s death and that the people of the kingdom of Israel had already gone into captivity at the hands of the Assyrians during the latter part of the eighth century B.C.—well over a century before Ezekiel prophesied. And by the time his prophecies began, some of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah were likewise already in captivity, first by the Assyrians and then the Babylonians, with most of the rest soon to follow as a result of later Babylonian invasions. Careful reading of Ezekiel’s prophetic message will reveal that it was aimed mainly at the distant future, primarily directed to the end-time descendants of Israel. Much of God’s revelation to him revolved around crucial, end-time events—both positive and negative—that would take place centuries in the future. In the prophecy Jesus Christ gave on the Mount of Olives the week He died, He plainly stated regarding the end-time, “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written [in the Old Testament prophets, including Ezekiel] may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22). But cataclysmic occurrences at the close of man’s age are just one aspect of this overall prophetic scenario. Notice the apostle Peter’s words to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost seven weeks after Jesus’ death and resurrection: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets [again including Ezekiel] since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21). This insightful passage depicts a future golden age brought to a suffering humanity by the returning Jesus Christ, lasting 1,000 years (see Revelation 20:1-6). Israel’s prophets aptly describe this long period of peace, prosperity and well-being. One of God’s annual festivals, the Feast of Tabernacles, corresponds directly to Christ’s coming millennial reign.

 

A rebellious analysts lost forever?

God continued to instruct Ezekiel: “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them’ ” (Ezekiel 3:4). Our Creator speaks to a rebellious people who have rarely been inclined to take His warning messages seriously. Their descendants down through time have most often chosen to remain in the depths of idolatry and Sabbath-breaking, two sins against God that Ezekiel emphasized (Ezekiel 14:1-6; Ezekiel 20:12-13; Ezekiel 20:16-17; Ezekiel 20:24; Ezekiel 22:3; Ezekiel 22:8). Tragically, these two trends continue unabated today. But who truly represents the “Israel” today to whom these prophecies are intended? The present tiny state of Israel consists mostly of Jews descended from those of the kingdom of Judah, so the name Israel is a misnomer. History and Bible prophecy show that the modern descendants of the other tribes of Israel stand clearly identified as the Americans, British Commonwealth and peoples of northwestern Europe. For the biblical and historical evidence, request or download our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy . You cannot truly grasp God’s prophetic message to humankind apart from the essential knowledge disclosed in this eye-opening publication. The modern descendants of Israel have been likewise rebellious against God. And all share in the same fate—national punishment and, for each individual, the ultimate penalty of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). The prophecies of future national blessings are encouraging, but what good are they to those who have died? After the Exodus from Egypt, a whole generation of disobedient Israelites perished in the wilderness. Later, many died at the hands of ruthless Assyrian invaders. Much later, about 40 years after Christ’s death and resurrection, many died tragically as a result of the Roman invasion of Judea and the capture of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Of course, the same fate is shared by those who never had the opportunity to choose a way of life to follow. Consider all those little babies Herod cruelly killed in a failed effort to murder the Christ child. Their parents were devastated with unrelieved grief. “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18). Are these children, then, now lost? Now, instead of affirming about things or prophesying to the bones, now he's told prophesy to and about what? The winds, all four winds. What is wind often a symbol for in the Bible? The Holy Spirit, the activity of God, the movement of God as the Holy Spirit. Now, why would he designate all four winds? Well, you're talking about the movement of God to bring changes and good into your life. To prophesy, to declare the Truth in every possible direction, that is, let God activity enter into this as He wills, from any direction His spirit chooses. North, east, south or west. Not from where I insist it's got to come from - south by southeast only! Don't we often do this? We don't realize it, but we say, all directions of the wind, wherever God chooses, in God's way, let this fulfillment come. So many people among the Israelites have died as victims of evil and injustice. Today we remember the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were callously murdered in Central and Eastern Europe. How should we try to understand all of these tragic occurrences? Is there no hope for even innocent children who died in infancy without ever knowing why? Of course, these questions beset people of every nation—not just Israel. But God has given a special message through Ezekiel to Israel in this regard—one that holds significance for all people. The French martyrs, Rosicrucians and Gnostics of the beginning of the last century treated alchemy, kabbalah and tarot as analogous systems, which they brought together under one heading. According to art historians, this mixture of symbolism from the Kabbalah, Tarot and Alchemy, which inspired Picasso in his cubist work, is the key to the painter's true intentions in his famous painting 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'. André Breton, pope and surrealist ideologist, persuaded art dealer Doucet to buy the canvas. He wrote, "If this canvas escapes us, most of our mysteries will go along. But the art historians left that sentence out''.

The final part of Ariean's research, a case study in which she removes the veil of mystery, differs slightly, to put it mildly, from the reception of the canvas so far. Seen through the occult spectacles which she - with an abundance of material - shows that Picasso also had them on at the time, the canvas points Aryan in a very different way from the 'philosophical brothel' for which it was long regarded. Supported by her study of the hundreds of sketches and preliminary studies, she discovers neither 'African art' nor 'syphilis sufferers' in the painting. No 'naked bodies', but 'naked facts': signs and numbers. The order was incorporated in 1856 by General William Huntington Russell, and Alphonso Taft who became Secretary of War under President Grant in 1876. The numerical value of this year is 1+8+7+6 = 22, and the numerical motto for Skull and Bones is 322, or 3 x's 22 which you will see below is not a coincidence. 22 bones are represented in Picasso’s engraving.... In numerology, the number 22 is often called the Master Builder. The Phoenician-Hebrews possess 22 books and their alphabet is made up of 22 letters, which was created to compose the Word of God. The Kabbalah teaches us that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are the building blocks of universe. The underlying occult scientific significance of the number 22 in science would represent the bones of the skull, of which there are twenty-two. 8 form the cranium, or braincase, and 14 are associated with the face.

Our brains are what we use to think, reason and come to know the divine or God. The 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet created to compose the Word of God is our 22 boned skull, and the place where we receive the light to become illuminated, or enlightened beings. Hence, to be like Saint John and have our own Revelation.

Portrait by Picasso of the great resurrection

Ezekiel continued to have visions throughout his prophetic ministry. The one in the 37th chapter speaks directly to the desperate plight of Israel down through the ages. Its intriguing description of the valley of dry bones was the subject of a popular song, “Dry Bones,” during the mid-1950s. No matter how many times one rereads it, this account remains both arresting and suspenseful to the converted mind. But even more important is the profound meaning for us—and for our departed loved ones, who may never have been called of God or spiritually converted during this age. This remarkable, comforting vision assures us that we will see them again! The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones . . . and He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ So I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know’ ” (Ezekiel 37:1-3). Then, what happens to those potential bones, those skeletons become a living army. In other words, the potential good which you have declared and affirmed come to your life from any direction God chooses. The static good becomes living good, which means a part of their life, a part of the goodness of their life. A living army, an army of blessings come into manifestation through prophesying according to the direction or the guidance of the Lord. God must not be underestimated. He asked the patriarch Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). Centuries later He posed the same question to the prophet Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). Remember that one of the meanings of prophesying simply means affirming. Affirming the Truth regardless of circumstances. Weren't the prophets constantly talking about future events? So often the prophets have been interpreted as sort of fortune-tellers, or clairvoyants in all this. Well, metaphysically, this is not so. What it really means on the metaphysical level is declaring the Truth which will insure a future good outcome. Of course, the prophets also prophesy in what other manner - negative, too. Therein lies part of the problem.

Ezekiel’s vision continues: “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: ‘Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live’ . . . Also He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live’ ”’” (Ezekiel 37:5; Ezekiel 37:9). Physical human beings cannot live without drawing breath—the essence of our fleshly life. Even excellent swimmers, experts at holding their breath, cannot survive long without breathing air. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived , and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10).. Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel’ ” (Ezekiel 37:11). God then summarizes what He had just described in detail. “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:12-13). Most pictured here never really knew God during their previous human lives. The closing verse of this vision reveals why God, who never does anything without purpose, has just resurrected all these people: “I will put My [Holy] Spirit in you, and you shall live” (Ezekiel 37:14). At that time all of these people will have an opportunity to be converted—that is, to repent of their sins, be forgiven and baptized, and receive God’s Holy Spirit by which they can truly be converted and receive God’s gift of eternal life. The indication of this preceding verse is that the majority of this great multitude of people will obtain everlasting life in God’s Kingdom.The New Testament also speaks to this incredible, miraculous phenomenon. The apostle Paul wrote: “And so all Israel will be saved , as it is written: ‘The Deliverer [Jesus Christ] will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob [whose name was changed to Israel ]; For this is My covenant with them [i.e., the New Covenant], when I take away their sins’ ” (Romans 11:26-27). By no stretch of the imagination is all of Israel being saved now during this present age of man. But God promises that the whole of Israel will have their opportunity for salvation in the future. Relatively few are being called now to join with the firstfruits of God’s salvation. These called-out ones, true Christians, will be resurrected to receive everlasting life when Christ returns (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21). Is this great resurrection exclusively for Israel? Or will other peoples and nations also be included? Remember that our loving Creator remains “the God of all flesh” (Jeremiah 32:27). Several passages in the Gospel accounts show that non-Israelite rulers and peoples are to be resurrected as well. The queen of the South (Sheba), the peoples of Tyre, Sidon and Nineveh (ancient nations and city-states that long predated Jesus’ human lifetime), and even the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah will be resurrected to physical life alongside Christ’s generation of Israelites (see Matthew 11:20-24; Matthew 12:41-42; Luke 10:12-14). Jesus plainly stated: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live . . . Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (John 5:25; John 5:28). Later Christ revealed to this same apostle John that “the rest of the dead”—referring to those not raised to life in this resurrection —”did not live again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 1:1; 20:5). This tells us that the timing of this resurrection is after the thousand-year period known as the Millennium. This verse also clearly shows that there is more than one resurrection.

 

Is today the only day of salvation for Picasso’s explanations?

Most in mainstream Christendom erroneously believe that today is the only day of salvation. But this belief simply is not found in the Bible. In fact the vast majority of mankind will receive their opportunity for salvation during the great resurrection to judgment that we have been reading about in Ezekiel 37:1-14. The apostle John also refers to this resurrection to temporary physical life in Revelation 20:11-13: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it…And I saw the dead, small and great [now resurrected], standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books [plural, the books of the Bible].” The “great white throne” judgment occurs not in an instant as people are raised from the dead, but instead over a considerable period of time. God will judge them over time, just as those called to salvation today are judged over time during this present age by this very same standard, the books of the Bible (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). Many Bible readers misunderstand the nature and meaning of judgment, nearly always associating the term with sentencing to condemnation—not realizing that God is a merciful judge who patiently evaluates human existence with righteous discernment. He earnestly desires to see the blood of His Son Jesus blot out the sins of as many as possible. Christ Himself firmly stated, “ And I, if I am lifted up from the earth [by crucifixion], will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). Paul writes of “God our Saviour, whose will it is that all should find salvation and come to know the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, Revised English Bible). And in Ezekiel 18:32 we read, “ ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God. ‘Therefore turn [to righteousness] and live!’” This coming time of judgment will give those who never really knew God during their previous lifetime a just and fair opportunity for salvation— not a second chance. The special meaning of the biblical eighth-day festival As mentioned earlier, the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Ingathering, pictures Christ’s millennial reign. But immediately following this seven-day Feast is a separate one-day celebration referred to simply as “the eighth day” (Leviticus 23:34-36; Numbers 29:35; 2 Chronicles 7:9; Nehemiah 8:18). The real meaning of this celebration is rarely understood in modern theological circles. Yet it represents an essential missing piece to the puzzle of salvation. This special Holy Day directly corresponds to the Great White Throne Judgment period, during which God will give all those who have ever lived but never really understood the truth their first real opportunity for salvation. Because few people are aware of the God-ordained festivals spelled out in the Bible, few understand God’s step-by-step plan of salvation revealed through these celebrations. The meaning of the eighth day corresponds to Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, referring to a time when lost family members will be joyously joined together again to learn God’s ways while living under utopian conditions of mutual love, peace and prosperity. This Holy Day reminds us that God’s plan promises to offer every human being the opportunity to truly repent of sin and receive a permanent place in His everlasting family, the Kingdom of God. Q. Going back to the four winds idea, if we were praying for healing, instead of concentrating on the liver, for instance, we would pray for perfect and whole health. A. Right, the healing idea, the health principle, the perfect life idea and then add the extra mile to it - and however it shall come - I am completely open and willing in all four directions of the Holy Spirit. Let it come anyway that it is proper according to God's will, in this situation. You will find that when you are faithful on the metaphysical realm of thinking and believing it will become chemicalized on the physiological level, and verifiable on that level. However, there will often be a big time lapse, nevertheless, it will occur, and science is catching up. I'm very smart on this subject, aren't I, because I have John Salunek as a progress counselee.

 

www.trouw.nl/home/picasso-putte-uit-occulte-bron~a4692077/

Since the fall, not merely of the hierarchic nature of society, but of almost all traditional forms, the consciously conservative man stands as it were in a vacuum. He stands alone in a world which, in its all opaque enslavement, boasts of being free, and, in all its crushing uniformity, boasts of being rich.

 

It is screamed in his ears that humanity is continually developing upwards, that human nature, after developing for so and so many millions of years, has now undergone a decisive mutation, which will lead to its final victory over matter.

 

The consciously conservative man stands alone amongst manifest drunks, is alone awake amongst sleep-walkers

who take their dreams for reality.

 

From understanding and experience he knows that man, with all his passion for novelty, has remained fundamentally the same, for good or ill; the fundamental questions in human life have always remained the same; the answers to them have always been known, and, to the extent that they can be expressed in words, have been handed down from one generation to the next. The consciously conservative man is concerned with this inheritance.

 

Since nearly all traditional forms in life are now destroyed, it is seldom vouchsafed to him to engage in a wholly useful and meaningful activity. But every loss spells gain: the disappearance of forms calls for a trial and a discernment; and the confusion in the surrounding world is a summons to turn, by-passing all accidents, to the essential.

 

----

 

Titus Burckhardt

In 1849, the Tallahassee population had grown to almost 1,800 men, women, and children. From this diverse population, four men and five women organized the Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Of these nine original members, one was to become governor and another state comptroller.

 

Throughout our 172 year history, many members have occupied positions of leadership in private business and industry as well as in the public sector, including governors, university presidents, college deans, professors, coaches, judges, legislators, commissioners, and mayors. The first church building was situated on the south side of College Avenue on a lot purchased for $500. With missionary pastors sent from the Home Mission Board, the membership grew until the Civil War began. There was no post-war record of ministry until 1880 when Rev. A.C. McCants was sent to lead the church.

 

In September 1894 the name of the church was changed to The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and from meager purses, the building was remodeled, refinished, and reoccupied on January 21, 1900. With a membership of 407, a new church structure was dedicated in November 1915 with the coming of Pastor-builder J. Dean Adcock. First Baptist Church continued to serve the needs of the Tallahassee community in the 1920s and 1930s. But the 1940s brought an influx of World War II personnel. When the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University, students were filling every service and it was time to build again. Dr. Harold G. Sanders led us through an eight-year building program that ended with the completion of our second-century church in 1957.

 

In the subsequent years, First Baptist Church recognized the need for additional churches in Tallahassee and responded by establishing six mission churches. Additional structures were also added to our existing location under the guidance of Dr. Robert W. McMillian, including construction of a multi-purpose Christian Life Center in 1974 and administrative offices in 1987. Additional buildings were also purchased in 1998 for future expansion.

 

During the end of the twentieth century, we gave prayerful consideration to relocating our church. During that time of discernment, we waited on God for direction regarding our place of future ministry. We concluded a study in 2009 and came to the decision that our present location is where God wants us to be for as long as Jesus tarries. Today, we proudly state that we are here…for life, and we embrace that calling joyfully and hopefully.

 

No other community organization can substitute for us in testifying to the abundant life Jesus gives. We believe that God called us to pursue a phased renovation of our entire campus so that we might be able to offer first-century ministry in a twenty-first-century context that meets the spiritual needs of every generation and life stage. In August 2009, we adopted a set of recommendations for Phase I of our plan, to include roof repairs, renovations to the Fellowship Hall and Christian Life Center as well as the Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. In addition, our plan included a brand-new Welcome Center and Atrium that serve as a connecting point for all of our buildings. In August 2011, we completed all of the Phase I plans, and we began utilizing all of our new and renovated facilities.

 

As we look toward the future, we are excited about what God is doing in and through First Baptist. Jesus has promised to “build his church,” and as we continue to follow him, we look with anticipation toward his continued blessing upon us.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251831705

fbctlh.org/about/history/

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

  

"Saint Peter Julian,

the Lord gave you,

as he once did to Jacob, his servant,

an ever-searching faith.

All your life long, you sought the way

to deepen your union with God

and to satisfy the hungers of humanity.

In the Eucharist, you discovered the answer to your searching:

God’s love was there for you and for all humanity.

 

Answering this gift of love,

you made the gift of yourself to God

and gave yourself to the service of his people.

Your life, modeled on that of the Cenacle,

where Mary and the apostles were united in prayer,

inspired your disciples to live

in an atmosphere of discernment and prayer.

Their apostolic zeal caused them to build Christian communities

where the Eucharist is the center and source of life.

 

Saint Peter Julian,

accompany us on our journey of faith.

May our ardent prayer and our generous service

help us to contribute to the building of a world

where there is justice and peace.

May our celebrations of the Eucharist

proclaim the liberating love of God

for the renewal of his Church

and the coming of his kingdom.

Amen."

 

The Shrine of the Saint, shown here, is in the Corpus Christi chapel in Paris.

 

Today (2 August) is his feast day.

  

Isaiah 11 Living Bible (TLB)

 

11 The royal line of David[a] will be cut off, chopped down like a tree; but from the stump will grow a Shoot—yes, a new Branch* from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight will be obedience to the Lord. He will not judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay, 4 but will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked who oppress them. 5 For he will be clothed with fairness and with truth.

for the philosopher artist.

 

Temporary whirlpool destined to dissipate.

Concerning Forms in Art – The Transcendent Unity of Religions

 

It may seem surprising that we should introduce a subject that not only appears to have little or no connection with anything that has gone before, but also in itself seems to be of secondary importance; in fact however, this question of forms in art is by no means a negligible one and is closely connected with the general questions dealt with in this book.

 

First of all however, there is a matter of terminology that calls for a few words of explanation: in speaking of „forms in art” and not just „forms”, our purpose is to make it clear that we are not dealing with abstract forms, but on the contrary, with things that are sensible by definition; if on the other hand, we avoid speaking of "'artistic forms," it is because the epithet „artistic” carries with it in present-day language, a notion of luxury and therefore of superfluity, and this corresponds to something diametrically opposed to what we have in mind.

 

The expression „forms in art” is really a pleonasm, inasmuch as it is not possible, traditionally speaking, to dissociate form from art the latter being simply the principle of manifestation of th former; however, we have been obliged to use this pleonasm for the reasons just given.

 

If the importance of forms is to be understood it is necessary to appreciate the fact that it is the sensible form that, symbolically, corresponds most directly to the Intellect, by reason of the inverse analogy connecting the principial and manifested orders. ["Art", said St. Thomas Aquinas, "is associated with knowledge".]

 

In consequence of this analogy the highest realities are most clearly manifested in their remotest reflections, namely, in the sensible or material order, and herein lies the deepest meaning of the proverb „Extremes meet”; to which one might add that it is for this same reason that Revelation descended not only into the souls of the Prophets, but also into their bodies, which presupposed their physical perfection.

 

Sensible forms therefore correspond with exactness to intellections, and it is for this reason that traditional art has rules that apply the cosmic laws and universal principles to the domain of forms, and that, beneath their more general outward aspect, reveal the style of the civilization under consideration, this style in its turn rendering explicit the form of intellectuality of that civilization.

 

When art ceases to be traditional and becomes human, individual, and therefore arbitrary, that is infallibly the sign - and secondarily the cause - of an intellectual decline, a weakening, which, in the sight of those who are skilled in the „discernment of spirits” and who look upon things with

an unprejudiced eye, is expressed by the more or less incoherent and spiritually insignificant, we would go even as far as to say unintelligible character of the forms.

 

[We are referring here to the decadence of certain branches of religious art during the Gothic period especially in its latter part. and to Western art as a whole from the Renaissance onward: Christian art (architecture, sculpture, painting, liturgical goldsmithery, and so on). which formerly was sacred symbolical. and spiritual. had to give way before the invasion of neoantique and naturalistic, individualistic, and sentimental art; this art, which contained absolutely nothing"miraculous" - no matter what those who believe in the „Greek miracle" may care to think - is quite unfitted for the transmission of intellectual intuitions and no longer answers to anything higher than collective psychic-aspirations: it is thus as far removed as can be from intellectual contemplation and takes into consideration sentimentality only. Moreover, sentimentality debases itself in the measure that it caters to the needs of the masses, until it ends in a saccharine and pathetic vulgarity. It is strange that no one has understood to what a degree this barbarism of forms, which reached a zenith of empty and miserable exhibitionism in the period of Louis XV, contributed - and still contributes - to driving many souls (and by no means the worst) away from the Church: they feel literally choked in surroundings that do not allow their intelligence room to breathe. Let us note in passing that the historical connection between the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - of the Renaissance period, therefore antispiritual and showy, "human" one might say - and the origin of the Reformation are unfortunately very far from fortuitous.]

 

In order to forestall any possible objection, we would stress the fact that in intellectually healthy civilizations - the Christian civilization of the Middle Ages, for instance - spirituality often affirms itself by a marked indifference to forms, and sometimes even reveals a tendency to turn away from them, as is shown by the example of St. Bernard when he condemned images in monasteries, which, it must be said in nowise signifies the acceptance of ugliness and barbarism any more than poverty implies the possession of things that are mean in themselves. But in a world where traditional art is dead where consequently form itself is invaded by everything that is contrary to spirituality and where nearly every formal expression is corrupted at its very roots, the traditional regularity of forms takes on a very special spiritual importance that it could not have possessed at the beginning, since the absence of the spirit in forms was then inconceivable.

 

What has been said concerning the intellectual quality of sensible forms must not make us overlook the fact that the further one goes back to the origins of a given religion, the less those forms appear in a state of full development. The pseudoform, that is to say, an arbitrary form, is always excluded as already stated, but form as such can also be virtually absent, at least in certain more or less peripheral domains. On the other hand the nearer one draws to the end of the religious cycle under consideration, the greater the importance attaching to formalism, even from the so-called artistic point of view, since the forms have by then become almost indispensable channels for the actualization of the spiritual deposit of the religion.

 

What should never be forgotten is the fact that the absence of the formal element is not equivalent to the presence of the amorphous, and vice versa; the amorphous and the barbarous will never attain the majestic beauty of the void whatever may be believed by those who have an interest in passing off a deficiency for a superiority.

 

[The claim has sometimes been put forward that Christianity, on the ground that it stands above forms, cannot be identified with any particular civilization; it is indeed understandable that some people would like to find consolation for the loss of Christian civilization, including its art, but the opinion we have just quoted is nonetheless inexcusable.]

 

This law of compensation, by virtue of which certain relationships of proportion undergo a more or less marked inversion during the course of a religious cycle, can be applied in all spheres: for instance, we may quote the following saying (hadith) of the Prophet Mohammed: „In the beginning of Islam, he who omits a tenth of the Law is damned; but in the latter days, he who shall accomplish a tenth thereof will be saved".

 

The analogical relationship between intellections and material forms explains how it became possible for esoterism to be grafted onto the exercise of the crafts and especially architectural art; the cathedrals that the Christian initiates left behind them offer the most explicit as well as the most dazzling proof of the spiritual exaltation of the Middle Ages.

 

[When standing before a cathedral, a person really feels he is placed at the center of the world; standing before a church of the Renaissance, Baroque, or Rococo periods, he merely feels himself to be in Europe.]

 

This brings us to a most important aspect of the question now before us, namely, the action of esoterism on exoterism through the medium of sensible forms, the production of which is precisely the prerogative of craft initiation. Through these forms, which act as vehicles of the integral religious doctrine, and which thanks to their symbolism translate this doctrine into a language that is both immediate and universal, esoterism infuses an intellectual quality into the properly devotional part of the tradition, thereby establishing a balance the absence of which would finally bring about the dissolution of the whole civilization, as has happened in the Christian world.

 

The abandoning of sacred art deprived esoterism of its most direct means of action.The outward religion insisted more and more on its own peculiarities, that is to say, its limitations, until finally, by want of that current of universality that through the language of forms, had quickened and stabilized the religious civilization, reactions in a contrary sense were brought about; that is to say, the formal limitations - instead of being compensated and thereby stabilized by means of the supraformal interferences of esoterism - gave rise (through their opacity or massiveness) to negations that might be qualified as infraformal, resulting as they did from an individual arbitrariness that, far from being a form of the truth, was merely a formless chaos of opinions and fancies.

 

----

 

Frithjof Schuon: The Transcendent Unity of Religions

 

 

Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh, India. Situated 45 km from Leh, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Hemis Monastery existed before the 11th century and was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in early June.

 

Terma and tertöns : The essence of Tebetan Buddhism.

Padmasambhava (lit. "Lotus-Born"), also known as Guru Rinpoche, is a literary character of terma (Terma or "hidden treasure"- are key Tibetan Buddhist teaching, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts, in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a tradition of continuous revelation in Tibetan Buddhism. Termas are a part of Tantric Literature. Tradition holds that terma may be a physical object such as a text or ritual implement that is buried in the ground (or earth), hidden in a rock or crystal, secreted in a herb, or a tree, hidden in a lake (or water), or hidden in the sky (space). Though a literal understanding of terma is "hidden treasure", and sometimes objects are hidden away, the teachings associated should be understood as being “concealed within the mind of the guru”, that is, the true place of concealment is in the tertön's mindstream. If the concealed or encoded teaching or object is a text, it is often written in dakini script: a non-human type of code or writing).

  

Terma is an emanation of Amitabha (Amitābha or Amideva, is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism. Amitābha is the principal buddha in the Pure Land sect, a branch of Buddhism practiced mainly in East Asia, while in Vajrayana Amitābha is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising red fire element, the aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of emptiness of phenomena. According to these scriptures, Amitābha possesses infinite merits resulting from good deeds over countless past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmakāra. "Amitābha" is translatable as "Infinite Light," hence Amitābha is also called "The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light" ).

Terma that is said to appear to tertons (A tertön is a discoverer of ancient texts or terma in Tibetan Buddhism) in visionary encounters and a focus of Tibetan Buddhist practice (Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, Mongolia, Tuva, Bhutan, Kalmykia and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, and India (particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Dharamsala, Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. It is also practiced in Northeast China. Religious texts and commentaries are contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon such that Tibetan is a spiritual language of these areas. The Tibetan diaspora has spread Tibetan Buddhism to many Western countries, where the tradition has gained popularity. Among its prominent exponents is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The number of its adherents is estimated to be between ten and twenty million).

Interested Viewers can see the following documentary on Padmasambhava:

Padmasambhava

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBbfLtxj8A&spfreload=10

 

History

Hemis Monastery existed before the 11th century. Naropa, the pupil of the yogi Tilopa, and teacher of the translator Marpa is connected with this monastery. A translation was made by A. Grünwedel (Nӑro und Tilo,: Festschrift Ernst Kuhn, München 1916) of Naropa's biography that was found in Hemis monastery.

In this manuscript Naropa (or Naro) meets the "dark blue" (Skr.: nila: dark blue or black) Tilopa (or Tillo), a tantric master, who gives Naropa 12 "great" and 12 "small" tasks to do in order to enlighten him to the inherent emptiness/illusoriness of all things. Naropa is depicted as the "abbott of Nalanda" (F. Wilhelm, Prüfung und Initiation im Buche Pausya und in der Biographie des Naropa, Wiesbaden 1965, p. 70), the university-monastery in today's Bihar, India, that flourished until the sacking by Turkish and Afghan Muslim forces. This sacking must have been the driving force behind Naropa's peregrination in the direction of Hemis. After Naropa and Tilopa met in Hemis they travelled back in the direction of a certain monastery in the now no longer existing kingdom of Maghada, called Otantra which has been identified as today's Otantapuri. Naropa is consered the founding father of the Kagyu-lineage of the Himalayan esoteric Buddhism. Hence Hemis is the main seat of the Kagyu lineage of Buddhism.

In 1894 Russian journalist Nicolas Notovitch claimed Hemis as the origin of an otherwise unknown gospel, the Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men, in which Jesus is said to have traveled to India during his "lost years." According to Notovitch, the work had been preserved in the Hemis library, and was shown to him by the monks there while he was recuperating from a broken leg. But once his story had been re-examined by historians, Notovitch confessed to having fabricated the evidence. Bart D. Ehrman states that "Today there is not a single recognized scholar on the planet who has any doubts about the matter. The entire story was invented by Notovitch, who earned a good deal of money and a substantial amount of notoriety for his hoax". However, the Indian Pandit Swami Abhedananda also claims to have read the same manuscript, and published his account of viewing it after his visit to Hemis in 1921. Abhedananda claims on the book jacket that it was translated for him with the help of a "local Lama interpreter." In the same vein, Notovich did not initially translate the manuscript, but reported his Sherpa guide did so as Notovitch could not read the original text. Notovich's version of the manuscript was translated from Tibetan to Russian to French to English. According to Swami Abhedananda's account, his Lama's translation was equivalent to the one published by Notovich. The Gutenberg Project has published the entire manuscript as a free ebook.

 

Hemis Festival

The Hemis Festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. He is believed to have been born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission was, and remains, to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. And so on this day, which comes once in a cycle of 12 years, Hemis observes a major extravaganza in his memory. The observance of these sacred rituals is believed to give spiritual strength and good health. The Hemis festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard in front of the main door of the monastery. The space is wide and open save two raised square platforms, three feet high with a sacred pole in the center. A raised dias with a richly cushioned seat with a finely painted small Tibetan table is placed with the ceremonial items - cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter and incense sticks. A number of musicians play the traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments. Next to them, a small space is assigned for the lamas to sit.

The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of "Dadmokarpo" or "Rygyalsras Rimpoche" is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship.

The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship.

Source: Wikipedia and others.

 

Some quality of discernment occurs in everything in the cosmos although we are often only aware of such qualities in humans and certain animals. These other consciousnesses or intelligences consolidate archetypes which create those “forms” which are the collective memories of genetic awareness which guide evolutionary development.

 

denniscordell.zenfolio.com

 

also:

 

www.elephantjournal.com/2020/12/some-notes-on-nature-spir...

 

__________________________________________________

Outlining a Theory of General Creativity . .

. . on a 'Pataphysical projectory

 

Entropy ≥ Memory ● Creativity ²

__________________________________________________

 

Study of the day:

 

"THE ALLEGORY OF CAMERA & OBSCURA".

(to debate with the Plato's allegory of the cavern.)

 

Once upon a time there was two small dark boxes, illuminated with certainties, two small empty heads, full of hope, and whose sensitive soul was waiting until the external light penetrates them to dazzle them with an image of the "True Reality”. At the proper time, they finally opened.

 

Camera in pursuit of the Absolute, wanted all to see without any reflection. All, absolutely All ! Then, at the proper time, it decided to be totally overcome by the "True Entropic Reality", all its sensitivity offered to intensely feel everything, without any prejudice, without thinking one second with all these words which darkens the mind more than they enlighten it. It installed a hypersensitive film which it will push in spite of its coarse grain. It tuned her diaphragm to the maximum aperture, a long time, and gave up itself to ecstatically feel the whole true light of the whole True Entropic Reality.

 

Obscura in quest of the Universal Knowledge, wanted all to know precisely, it wanted all to understand and memorize with a maximum of details and discernment. Then at the proper time, it decided to focuse a depth of field as deep as possible, to choose a pause time as short as possible, to be sure to get the highest neatness of the True Real Universal Memory. It installed a hyperfine grain film which it will develop energetically to compensate its low sensitivity. It tuned the aperture at less than anything, and adjusted the pause time at an infinitesimal fraction of nothing.

 

The moral of the story ? All the photographers will say it to you !

 

Camera obtained the most luminous image which is at ounce the fuzziest one, an immaculate uniform Absolute Entropic white 100%blank.

 

Obscura obtained the finest image which is at ounce the darkest one, an immaculate uniform Universal black 100%blank.

 

From now on, when it chooses an aperture and a time of pause suitable to create less blind images, Camera finally formed in it several suspicions of True Reality. They are images as poor of Absolute Sensitivity as weak of Universal Knowledge, but they are marvellous and magic images, illuminated by unexpected shapes and colors.

 

In the neighbourhood of the Absolute Entropy, each cell of Camera opens like a white sapphire prism dispersing and breaking up the Entropic light in colored iridescences. From her cells juxtaposition are emerging lines and shapes, metamorphosing the dazzling Entropic light in simple but unknowable .. shapes, only lacking some .. words to name them.

 

From now on, when it chooses an aperture and a time of pause suitable to create less blind images, Obscura finally formed in it several suspicions of True Reality. They are images as poor of Universal Knowledge as weak of Absolute Sensitivity, but they are marvellous and magic images, rich of ambiguous signs and senses.

 

In the neighbourhood of the Universal Memory, each cell of Obscura opens like a black sapphire crystal dispersing and breaking up the universal darkness in colored enlightening sparks. From her cells juxtapositions are emerging now vowels, consonants and other signs, metamorphosing the gloomy universal darkness in simple but unknowable .. words, only lacking some .. shapes to imagine them.

 

__________________________________________________

rectO-persO | E ≥ m.C² | co~errAnce | TiLt

Followers let others make many important decisions.

Who makes the life altering decisions in your life?

Should you have more personal control over such decisions?

How do you take back your life from THE LEADER?

Is that Leader's philosophy and theology based in

communism, racism, capitalism, emotional or emotional abuse, another problem area? Is this really a good way to lead your life following an IDIOT leader?

Hopefully none of the above apply to you.

Does any of above apply to someone in yours or a close family, friend or acquaintance?

Should you get in their face and try to fix another's life? Is it worth the trouble?

It is hard to see a splinter in another's eye's through your eye where a plank is lodged.

Relaxing over the coming Holidays and heading into a New Year, lets reassess much.

Some call that discernment. Others call it looking and praying for WISDOM.

 

EXPLORE # 136 on Saturday, December 22, 2007

Of all the chapels I've seen this must be one of my favourite. Yesterday, a Mass was celebrated in the National Shrine at the start of the Dominican Vocations Discernment Weekend. It seemed fitting as she is Mother of the Americas, and of the New Evangelization.

Philippians 1:9-10

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

 

Hosea 14:9

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.

 

Isaiah 11:3

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;

 

Hebrews 5:14

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Picture taken at the Saint Anne's Church Bukit Mertajam depicting the Holy Spirit

“In my MINDS EYE, I visualize how a particular... sight and feeling will appear on a print. If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph. It is an intuitive sense, an ability that comes from a lot of practice.”

Ansel Adams (American Photographer, 1902-1984)

~I'm practicing Ansel, I'm practicing :) ~

 

Saturday and Sunday in downtown St.Petersburg the Annual "Florida Craftsmen Galleries" Art Show had a brilliant display of over 90 vendors from all over the country. They close off all the streets that surround the gallary and there is fun to be had for all! It is an art lovers ~paradise~ and talent just oozes from each vendor. I never want to leave...but just linger, linger, linger over all the creativity and talent. The photo I have posted is no exception to that creativity and talent! With permission I photographed this marvelous leather journal by "Mind's Eye Journals"~ www.MindsEyeJournals.com by Teresa Haun & Mike Merriman out of Westcliffe, Colorado. This was only one of at least 50 extraordinary leather journals Teresa was showcasing. They all had handmade paper and each one was unique and exquisite! Awesome talent!

Thank you Teresa~Your work is outstanding!

 

And THANK YOU to all of you....YOUR work is OUTSTANDING as well! You are a breath of fresh air! Hey we have our own little "Art Show" going HERE daily! Now how fun is that!

Have a great week and better start savin' room for all that Turkey...if you are Feasting Thursday!

I’ve seen a white man with ocean blue eyes, and golden blond hair. I’ve felt caressing breeze from the blue skies, from way out there. I’ve seen the sun shine like there’d be no tomorrow. And i’ve closed my eyes, and dreamed dreams that could erase all sorrow. I’ve seen such variety of beauty, of honor, of astounding grace. I’ve experienced an all-

 

encompassing unseen embrace. And there… stood a white woman… who stared into the nights sky from afar. She appeared enamored… by all the stars. Gazing at an extraordinary sight above us… the night sky. But a glimpse of the universe. A veil to the hidden, the sacred, the unseen. A secret world of knowledge… True Riches; Pristine! And

 

beneath the skies there was a darkness hidden in the shadows, moving about discreetly, watching; as if to be seeking prey. This darkness appeared to be trying to siphon off light from the woman’s soul. And him? Well, he was almost blinded. For the darkness seeks to blacken an ocean so blue! And once the darkness takes over, the purity of truth drowns…

 

and out comes the voice of darkness, speaking from the blackest ocean to spirits who will hear. With a voice that could throw you into the deepest fear; and make you tremble… at the sound waves. After seeping inside; and distorting the subconscious, this voice speaks many lies… and seeks out any living to enslave! But the woman… she was one of True

 

Discernment. One that Feels… The Language of the Heart. She Knows of the Truths that are just Beyond the Veil. And she knows of the Lies that spew forth from the darkness. She knows that her Skin does not fully Define her Existence, or Anyone Else’s. And that the Flesh… is Just As Fleeting as the Dust in the Wind. She is Aware of Great Spirit, and of

 

her connection to All that Exists. All such spirits as hers are as Anchors, Helping to Save the Living from Drowning. For She… is Not Blinded, and will Never allow herself to be. And she could Never Be Compared to those who are blind, and Can Not See! Oh yes, she

 

Truly sees. She looks with eyes upon All the Living, and does not unfairly Judge. And All Around Her she can Feel a Presence that makes her Soul sing, because her white skin

was spun… from Angels Wings.

  

– Creative Writing By China Alicia Rivera

photoshopflair.com

  

Read More Here:

chinaaliciarivera.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/white-skin-som...

or here:

chinaaliciarivera.wordpress.com/

 

*Twitter: twitter.com/photoshopflair

*Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/photoshopflair

*Instagram: instagram.com/photoshopflair

*Website: photoshopflair.com

 

*Art Blog: photoshopflair.wordpress.com

 

Peace and Love. ❤️💕

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

 

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/knocking-at-the-door-movie/

 

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

 

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesusprophesied, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him" (Matthew 25:6). "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). For the last two thousand years, believers in the Lord have been watchful and awaiting the Lord's knock on the door, so how will He knock on mankind's door when He returns? In the last days, some people have testified that the Lord Jesus has returned—Almighty God incarnate—and that He is doing the work of judgment in the last days. This news has rocked the entire religious world.

 

Yang Aiguang, the protagonist of the film, has believed in the Lord for decades and has always been enthusiastically engaged in work and preaching, waiting to welcome the Lord's return. One day, two people come and knock on the door, tell Yang Aiguang and her husband that the Lord Jesus has returned, and share the words of Almighty God with them. They are deeply moved by Almighty God's words, but because Yang Aiguang has been subjected to the fallacies, deception, and strictures of the pastors and elders, she throws the witnesses of The Church of Almighty God out of the house. After that, the witnesses knock on their door on many occasions and read the words of Almighty God to Yang Aiguang, bearing witness to God's work in the last days. During this time, the pastor disrupts and hinders Yang Aiguang time after time, and she continues to waver. However, through hearing the words of Almighty God, Yang Aiguang comes to understand the truth and gains discernment regarding the rumors and fallacies propagated by the pastors and elders. She finally understands how the Lord knocks on people's doors during His return in the last days, and how we should welcome Him. When the fog clears, Yang Aiguang finally hears the voice of God and acknowledges that Almighty God really is the return of the Lord Jesus!

 

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

 

Terms of Use en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

  

Rovingian Council - Spiritual and Personal Independence - Metaphysical Resilience and Algorithmic Resistance by Daniel Arrhakis (2026)

 

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Rovingian Council: Spiritual and Personal Independence

 

Metaphysical Resilience and Algorithmic Resistance

 

The Rovingian Council presents a unique approach to spirituality and personal autonomy, outlined by a philosophy of life that values intellectual freedom and metaphysical resilience. Unlike conventional monastic traditions, Rovingian nomadic monks do not follow rigid rules, but rather an individual animistic spiritual quest, becoming a reference for independence and self-determination.

 

Self-Constructed Moral Edifice

 

Rovingian morality is constructed, not inherited. This process involves three fundamental pillars:

 

- Empirical Experience: Truth emerges from direct contact with reality and with the "other." The nomadic monk learns and adjusts his ethics from experience, rejecting imposed dogmas.

 

- Spiritual Diplomacy: The Rovingian moves between different cultures without losing his essence, developing a capacity for adaptation and mutual respect.

 

- Solid Humanistic and Ecological Foundation: The focus is on human value and ecological respect, considered universal laws above any clerical code.

 

Animism and Universal Ecology

 

Rovingian spirituality transcends the limits of temples, being lived in nature. The main elements are:

 

- Vital Connection: The recognition that everything possesses a "soul" or vital energy fosters an ethic of natural and spontaneous environmental care.

 

- Independence from Dogmas: By seeing the sacred in the natural world, the individual frees themselves from institutional intermediaries, becoming responsible for their own relationship with the divine.

 

Silent and Indomitable Resistance

 

In practice, Rovingian philosophy reveals itself in times of crisis through three central attitudes:

 

- Against Misinformation: The spirit trained in direct observation becomes immune to false narratives and digital bubbles, strengthening discernment.

 

- Algorithmic Sovereignty: The refusal to allow behavior to be shaped by mathematical calculations or social networks protects individual autonomy.

 

- Antifragility: While rigid systems break under pressure, the nomadic monk adapts, maintaining his inner integrity intact.

 

Application in Contemporary Daily Life

 

Spiritual independence can be cultivated along three practical axes:

 

- Curating Experiences: Prioritizing travel and real encounters instead of passively consuming information.

 

- Developing Critical Thinking: Questioning whether personal convictions are authentic or implanted through media repetition.

 

- Cognitive Hygiene: Practicing "data fasting" to recover inner hearing and observation of nature.

 

- Ideological Minimalism: Abandoning labels and temporal dogmas, seeking what is perennial and universal.

 

- Existential Minimalism: Reducing dependence on external structures to maximize freedom of movement.

 

Pillars of Metaphysical Resilience

 

The strength of the Rovingian Council lies in its ability to transform vulnerability into antifragility, highlighting three fundamental principles:

 

- Inner Compass: Ethics is a conscious response to the suffering and beauty of the world, replacing prohibitions with discernment and compassion.

 

- Diplomacy of the Self: The nomadic monk inhabits any system without being colonized, maintaining his inner law as an eternal, respectful "stranger."

 

- Sacred Ecology: Environmental care is an act of devotion, for the sacred resides in the biosphere, not in books.

 

Algorithmic Resistance

 

This is the most innovative aspect of Rovingian philosophy, manifesting in two central points:

 

- Disobedience to Data: Basing decisions on intuition and empirical experience makes the individual "incalculable" for marketing and social control systems.

 

- Real Presence: In a world of simulations, the organic, the breathing, and the finite are valued, reinforcing the authenticity of the experience.

 

In short, the Rovingian Council proposes that true freedom does not reside in the absence of rules, but in the capacity to create internal laws based on compassion, observation, and respect for nature.

 

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Conselho Rovingiano: Independência Espiritual e Pessoal

 

Resiliência Metafísica e Resistência Algorítmica

 

O Conselho Rovingiano apresenta uma abordagem única de espiritualidade e autonomia pessoal, delineada por uma filosofia de vida que valoriza a liberdade intelectual e a resiliência metafísica. Ao contrário das tradições monásticas convencionais, os monges nómadas rovingianos não seguem regras rígidas, mas sim uma busca espiritual animista individual, tornando-se referência de independência e autodeterminação.

 

Edifício Moral Autoedificado

 

A moralidade rovingiana é construída, não herdada. Este processo envolve três pilares fundamentais:

 

- Experiência Empírica: A verdade emerge do contato direto com a realidade e com o "outro". O monge nómada aprende e ajusta sua ética a partir da vivência, rejeitando dogmas impostos.

 

- Diplomacia Espiritual: O rovingiano transita entre diferentes culturas sem perder sua essência, desenvolvendo uma capacidade de adaptação e respeito mútuo.

 

- Sólida Base Humanista e Ecológica: O foco está no valor humano e no respeito ecológico, considerados leis universais acima de qualquer código clerical.

 

Animismo e Ecologia Universal

 

A espiritualidade rovingiana transcende os limites dos templos, sendo vivida na natureza. Os principais elementos são:

 

- Conexão Vital: O reconhecimento de que tudo possui uma "alma" ou energia vital fomenta uma ética de cuidado ambiental natural e espontânea.

 

- Independência de Dogmas: Ao enxergar o sagrado no mundo natural, o indivíduo liberta-se de intermediários institucionais, tornando-se responsável pela própria relação com o divino.

 

Resistência Silenciosa e Indomável

 

Na prática, a filosofia rovingiana revela-se em tempos de crise, através de três atitudes centrais:

 

- Contra a Desinformação: O espírito treinado na observação direta torna-se imune a narrativas falsas e bolhas digitais, fortalecendo o discernimento.

 

- Soberania Algorítmica: A recusa em permitir que o comportamento seja moldado por cálculos matemáticos ou redes sociais protege a autonomia individual.

 

- Antifragilidade: Enquanto sistemas rígidos quebram sob pressão, o monge nómada adapta-se, mantendo sua integridade interior intacta.

 

Aplicação no Quotidiano Contemporâneo

 

A independência espiritual pode ser cultivada em três eixos práticos:

 

- Curadoria de Experiências: Privilegiar viagens e encontros reais em vez de consumo passivo de informação.

 

- Desenvolvimento do Sentido Crítico: Questionar se as convicções pessoais são autênticas ou implantadas por repetição mediática.

 

- Higiene Cognitiva: Praticar o "jejum de dados" para recuperar a audição interior e a observação da natureza.

 

- Minimalismo Ideológico: Abandonar rótulos e dogmas temporais, buscando o que é perene e universal.

 

- Minimalismo Existencial: Reduzir a dependência de estruturas externas para maximizar a liberdade de movimento.

 

Pilares da Resiliência Metafísica

 

A força do Conselho Rovingiano está na capacidade de transformar vulnerabilidade em antifragilidade, destacando três fundamentos:

 

- Bússola Interna: A ética é uma resposta consciente ao sofrimento e à beleza do mundo, substituindo proibições por discernimento e compaixão.

 

- Diplomacia do Eu: O monge nómada habita qualquer sistema sem se deixar colonizar, mantendo sua lei interna como um eterno "estrangeiro" respeitoso.

 

- Ecologia Sacralizada: O cuidado ambiental é um ato de devoção, pois o sagrado reside na biosfera, não em livros.

 

Resistência Algorítmica

 

Este é o aspeto mais inovador da filosofia rovingiana, que se manifesta em dois pontos centrais:

 

- Desobediência aos Dados: Basear decisões na intuição e experiência empírica torna o indivíduo "incalculável" para sistemas de marketing e controle social.

 

- Presença Real: Em um mundo de simulações, valoriza-se o orgânico, o que respira e o que é finito, reforçando a autenticidade da experiência.

 

Em síntese, o Conselho Rovingiano propõe que a verdadeira liberdade não reside na ausência de regras, mas na capacidade de criar leis internas baseadas na compaixão, observação e respeito pela natureza.

  

"Courage lies in the heart, which must possess compassion and discernment, as well as strength and determination."

Gail Nyoka, Mella and the N'anga

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