From the moment, these many years ago, that I emerged from the Womb of my Thrice-Blessed Mother, I KNEW that I was Special, that I was meant for something More! Now, when I say, 'meant', I'm not being deterministic or fatalistic: I just knew that I wasn't your normal, average, everyday 'Joe'. At the time I was born, of course, the Roman Horde still occupied the land of my Nativity, although maybe not to the extent they did in my Grandfather's time & of course, 20-odd years before my own parousia. As the case may be, My exalted Mother, who was not actually native to these shores, though she WAS Hebrew through & through, had herself returned to Israel about 8 years after the sack of Jerusalem. After her return from across the Sea, My Mother, Sarah, had tried to settle into life in little Nazareth & had succeeded for quite a few years. However, being who she was & bearing, to some extent, the continuing stigma that brought, She never quite made it past the fringes of Society. ( which was actually quite fine with her; she was never one for 'fitting in' anyway ) However, as tends to happen; when Sarah, much like Her Great-grandmother before Her, turned up with child, with no father in sight ( not even a suitor ), She was forced to flee to the mountains, living in caves for the first year or so, even after I was born. After several laborious & meagre years of living in caves, My Mother & I finally came upon a lonely house in need of occupation. It was little more than a hut really, but a it was a veritable palace for us, after living in caves for all those years. So now you know a little of My Genesis; when My exalted Mother passed from this Life, I had just reached my seventeenth year & so began My Story in earnest!
My name is Joseph. My Father, though He is not known as such, has been Present with Me all along! My Mother's Father, however, was Jesus of Nazareth, the same who was the Christ to the Jews, or more correctly, to the Hebrew people. Apparently, there is some discord pertaining to the fact that Jesus, in all His 33 or so years, had ever married, but I KNOW the Truth: I AM Living Proof!
When I embarked upon My Ministry in the hill country surrounding Nazareth, I was barely half past the accepted age for the priesthood ( not that I cared, or even WANTED to be a priest, anyway ), but even so, the overwhelming majority of those to whom I ministered accepted Me as that & More! As I traveled the vast desert regions, bringing the healing Message of Love to those who desperately needed it, I would retreat, every so often to my little hut that Grandfather built to rest My weary bones & renew My Spirit. As My humble abode was perched high in the mountains, in the clouds, so to speak; I would, before I retired to my bed, spend countless hours studying the Heavens. During the day, of course, I had My little garden to attend, which did very well, thanks to My Grandfather, Who in His Wisdom had built Our Hut very near a natural spring of water. At night though, the Mysteries of the Heavens opened their Pages to me & showed Me that, 'As Above, so Below'. I felt the Power of the Moon & Stars as I basked in their countless light! The Water, even, had a most profound effect on Me, for though My Ministry down Below taxed my Energies, almost it seemed to the breaking point sometimes, when I came to my My Mountain retreat, Above it All, so to speak, I found My Energies renewed & ready to burst forth again!
I had heard, countless times, from My Mother, the Story of My Grandfather's Nativity. In modern times, the Story has been recorded as three wise men, or Magi from the East ( although, as I heard it, there were MORE ) who followed a certain Star to the place where He lived. I learned, from My own time in study on the Mountain, that stars do indeed orbit the heavens. The Story that I had heard now came to Life for me, as I learned the Truth of the matter from the Heavens themselves!
After I had renewed Myself, Body & Soul, tended to My little Garden & set My House in order, I would return with My acquired knowledge & Rejuvenated Spirit to the wondering souls below, sharing My Knowledge & spreading Healing everywhere I went. A typical day for me involved much walking, for no donkey would bear me, as of yet; I would eat such food as came to My Hand, whether I was able to purchase it from the meagre offerings I received or from the kindness & generosity of those who benefited from My Ministry. For the length of time between My Retreats. I slept or rested wherever I could find a place to lay My Head. Most nights this was under the Moon & Stars, but when the weather was not conducive, I was forced, sometimes, to find shelter with the animals, although I usually had the choice presented to me of a bed, of straw, at least. Depending on the season, of course, I would sometimes take advantage of these generous offers. Always, though, I would work to repay such kindness, rising with the break of day & helping with whatever chores needed done. Such was the Life I had chosen to honor My Mother & Grandfather!
In all My Wandering & Star-gazing; I had learned One important Truth: all are connected to, even dependent on the Other! 'As Above, so Below'; while each Star has its own course, its own Energy, It relies upon the Gravity engendered by the surrounding Stars, though they be light-years away, to stay in their courses. The Moon thusly affects the Earth & humanity itself, for while each of us has our own Energy, our own Orbit, so to speak, we are all affected, to whatever extent, by the Orbits, the Energies of those who surround us!
I had also learned that, to whatever extent, the Moon & Stars, although they do have have an effect on our lives here on Earth, do not determine our Destiny; WE do! By the choices we make, I preached, we determine the course our lives will take. Just as the Stars above & the Planets have their courses, they, through the influence of other heavenly bodies, may change their course, however slightly, so we too, even moreso in fact, have the Power to change our own courses!
Formerly,
Sage Charles
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