Bad Karma?

What if?

If you've ever watched a war movie or a western, to say nothing of cop shows ( I just watched 'Bad Boys For Life' ), although you gotta know much of the violence & carnage is Hollywoodized ( choreographed ) & blown out of proportion, it's not too hard to imagine that most of what you see on the silver screen is a fairly accurate portrayal of how the west was won & the sacrifices that have been made to make our fledgling nation what it is today. The point that maybe hits the hardest, though, is the amount of 'Evil' in the world & how tough it is to overcome that 'Evil' with 'Good'. It IS hard, however, to imagine a world where, in order to overcome 'Evil', we do not have to fight fire with fire; in other words, where we do not have to resort to the same tactics as the 'bad guys'. In the same vein, to further elaborate on 'What if?? 'What if', the objector might ask, 'a thief broke into your house, intent on stealing whatever valuable objects he or she could, no matter the cost, even if the occupant ( s ) of the house got in the way?' Worse yet, 'what if the same scenario happened, except it was a rapist with unthinkable intentions?' 'What if your wife or daughter was the focus of their intent?' Although these seem like pretty simple questions & most people would be quick to answer them with more violence, they are not as simple as they seem & we must ask ourselves, 'SHOULD we resort to violence to counter violence? Must we fight fire with fire?

'Karma is only a bitch if you are'! I'm pretty sure this phrase is not original to this blogger, although I believe it is fairly recent. 'Karma' is not necessarily a bad thing. Put simply 'Karma' is '( in Hinduism and Buddhism ) the sum of a persons actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.' Therefore, if ones choices are 'good', this will lead to 'good' karma & if their choices have been overwhelmingly 'bad'.....you guessed it; 'bad' karma. Another way to put it is, 'you reap what you sow'. In any one of the above scenarios, one might rightly say, 'well, if that or this person breaks into my home with evil intent, that person deserves to die' In the same vein, in a wartime scenario, with the prevalence of the notion of striking our enemies first before they can strike us ( or even simply striking back ( revenge? ), if we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this nation's or people's intent is to harm us, even kill us, are we justified in resorting to violence to make sure they don't?  Are we THAT attached to this biology that we ourselves would do what most people agree is wrong ( evil? ) in order that they may not do it to us? 'IS self-defense wrong?!

'Karma' is a two-edged sword. Sure, the thief, rapist, or terrorist may be reaping what they've sown; maybe they DO deserve to die, but if/when we pass that sentence on them, while we might be acting as the hand of karma, or 'God', as some say, don't you see that we are creating our own karma? I mean, even Jesus said something like, 'if you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword'. This is not to say that one should not defend themselves, their loved ones, or even their country, but we should know that by resorting to the same tactics ( violence ), we are only creating our own negative karma & we too, will reap what we've sown. Violence only begets violence & as long as humanity continues the cycle, we will never have true & lasting peace!

So we come to the Peace Within. Even if one does not believe in 'Karma' ( but 'Karma' believes in YOU!'), or in reincarnation for that matter, it goes without saying that in most, if not all religious purviews, one can have that Peace Within, even in the midst of any conflict. Whether this Peace comes through a child-like trust in some almighty Being up in the sky, or in their own power to choose, it can so envelop us that outside influences have no effect on us; we can choose to allow it to affect us ( emotional response ), or to simply watch it occur, knowing that it can only truly affect this biology, not our Inmost Being. Our attachments are what bring us pain & suffering. Whether we are so attached to a certain type of food that we are not willing to give it up, even though we know it's harmful to our bodies, or people that we have become so attached to that we are willing to do whatever is necessary to keep them, even if it's wrong or otherwise harmful. Don't get me wrong; we, as spiritual beings having a physical experience, ARE on this Earth, not only to share our experience, but to share our experience in Love, but there comes a point where SOMEONE must end the cycle ( of violence ) & since these are only our biological vehicles; can we truly say that it is right ( justifiable ) to do wrong so that 'right' may win?!

Just like it was wrong, to use a biblical example, for King David to have Uriah placed in the front lines of the battle ( where he was killed ), so that David could have his wife ( although he'd already 'had' her ), so it would be wrong to kill a person just because you thought he or she wanted to kill you! Really, when you think about it; it IS a bit ostentatious to decide that we have more right to live than the other person, maybe even more than a bit selfish. Again, 'is self-defense wrong?' You must be the Judge in this matter, but remember that in order for one person to live in such a scenario, the other would necessarily have to die; right?! That would mean that you would be committing the same crime against humanity that he or she had intended. Here is where philosophy comes into play; as mentioned earlier, what are we really manifesting when we decide that one deserves to live but not the other? Are we being selfish when we think our loved ones should live rather than someone else's loved ones? What ABOUT 'justifiable homicide' or 'casualties of war'?

This may open up a can of worms, but then again, some cans need to be opened! If we can choose who lives & who dies in any given situation, then maybe Jesus was right when He said 'you are gods ( Gods )! 'As above, so below'; 'is it right to do wrong so that good may come?' Again, I will let my readers judge for themselves; just KNOW that by choosing to continue the cycle of violence, you ARE creating your own negative karma!

To truly be at Peace, One must first be comfortable with who & what they are. 'As above, so below'; when one is truly at Peace, that Peace Within will surely manifest in their personal experience. Don't get me wrong; I'm by no means saying their personal experience will be 'a bed of roses', for we cannot control the actions of those around us ( that's THEIR Karma ), but we can be assured that we have done what is right.  In other words, if someone murders us or a loved one, that person will have their own negative karma to deal with, probably sooner rather than later. On the other hand, if we or a loved one seeks revenge against that person, we or they will end up, if not sharing the same fate, a similar one.

Getting back on track though; when One is at peace with who & what they are, everything flows uphill from there. 'As above, so below'; since we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, when we are not 'in touch' with our true nature, we will naturally look outside ourselves ( in our experience ) for the Peace that only exists Within. Sure, for a time, as in the case of a cease-fire or some other sort of armistice, a sort of peace may be experienced by both sides, but how long will it last? Does it necessarily signal an end to the violence? In some sense, this sort of peace may be likened to the 'morality' that some seem to think can be legislated!

Peace MUST come from Within! 'As above, so below'; if we allow the Peace Within to manifest in our physical experience, it will affect those around us, although, again, this is not to say that our Life will always be 'a bed of roses' ( 'Every rose has its thorns' ), for even those around us have their own choices to make. In other words, though we may affect their lives, even their choices, there is no guarantee that their choices will be 'right', or 'good' for us. On the other hand, whatever we choose, then, as 'good' & 'right' for us, may not always be acceptable to them & may in fact be perceived by them as 'harmful'.

'Karma', as we've seen, is therefore neither 'good' nor 'bad'. In the same vein, it is neither positive nor negative; it just is! The choices we make, as the 'God' of our own life, determine whether our Karma will be 'good' or 'bad', positive or negative. This can is already open, so here goes; some might be in opposition to this statement ( although, remember, Jesus said as much ), but our choices are our own: just as we cannot blame our 'bad' choices on some fallen spiritual being ( ? ) named 'Satan', neither must we rely on someone outside ourselves ( ? ) to choose well! We are the authors of our own destiny! ( speaking of 'a can of worms' )

It seems that, in this Life sometimes, there is no choice BUT to fight fire with fire. In fact, if memory serves me correctly; a fire may be squelched by using the fire from an explosion; apparently it temporarily removes the oxygen feeding the first fire. But even that is risky, there is no guarantee it will work at all, much less last. All in all, it is a dangerous proposition! There is ALWAYS a choice! Although our Ego, our Pride ( 'the pride of life'? ) may fight us tooth & nail, we must overcome both often, in order to do what is 'right' & 'good'. We may even find that we must forfeit our own physical existence in order to do what we know is 'right' or in order not to do what we KNOW is 'wrong'. As spiritual beings having a physical experience, though, we are More than this physical experience: WE go beyond this physical experience we 'Life'!

Sadly, because of our natural attachment issues, we, humanly speaking, tend to miss one another's physical presence once that presence departs, but spiritually speaking, WE are always present! 'As above, so below'; it is these attachment issues that necessarily bring pain & suffering. In this Life, one might note, pain & suffering are all but unavoidable, a necessary part of this human experience, some would say, for without darkness, there can be no light; without pain & suffering, no Love, but the fact of the matter is that even without darkness, the Light, like the Christian 'God', just Is, It's just easier to see in the darkness ( stars at night, for instance ). The Bible says 'God is Love', Jesus said that we, like Him, are Light. We, like the stars above, do not need the darkness to exist, but in order to be seen by the human eye, we must shine in the darkness!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

The Mask & the Sound of Silence

After having just read an article about how there are only about a dozen places in the U.S. left, where one can truly escape the unnatural noises so prevalent in our modern society, I'm somewhat saddened by the fact that people must work so hard anymore, just to hear themselves think, but then, maybe that's part of the problem; most of us 'think' too much! Many people pray for peace in their lives, not seeming to realizing that they themselves are the arbiters of the 'peace' they seek. Among the business of the 'day-to-day', with all its busyness & noise, it is our choice whether to get lost in all the 'hub-bub' of the everyday, or to retreat within ourselves to find the peace that we so desperately need. Coming from a religious background, as so many of us do ( of one sort or another ), I was taught to seek that peace outside myself. If only I had 'faith to move mountains', I would experience that Peace Within, the 'peace that passes all understanding'. This is true enough, I guess; many religious people have found such a peace in their hearts, through a child-like trust in an all-wise, all-powerful Being that controls their destiny. I can say, with Peace & Love in my heart, 'if it works for you, go for it!' As long as you harm none, you're all good!

The problem with thinking too much is that when we 'clear our minds' so we can think, we aren't really clearing our minds! We're simply exchanging one thought, or set of thoughts, for another. Thinking, in & of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing; in order to 'make it' in this rough & tumble world, one must be able to readily set aside one set of thoughts so they can focus on a different challenge. Then again, sometimes it's better to just follow your gut without the dangers of over-thinking it. Whether one believes, as most do, that we were created by an al-powerful, all-knowing Being, or that we are the product of past experiences ( AKA, 'evolution' ), personally speaking, of course, along with this biological vehicle, we are gifted with the ability ( ? ) to process thoughts. Thinking is a completely natural process: when we are faced with a choice, our brain immediately slips into gear, sending millions of electrical impulses through even more neuro-transmitters. Not being a scientist myself, I will proceed no further in that 'vein', but suffice it to say that the thought process is almost what one would call 'automatic', a 'knee-jerk' response!

We all wear a mask! The word 'persona', itself 'comes from the Greek word for the large masks that early Greek actors would use to portray their characters.'  As more & more people seem to be discovering, we are not just people, though that is usually how we present ourselves. This is somewhat of a rabbit-trail, but even while we seem to be noting, especially in the MSM ( Main Stream Media ) that so much ( more & more, actually ) in society seems to be based on the 'persona'; this is actually a good sign, as 'it's always darkest before the dawn', so to speak. Getting back on track, the persona itself is completely natural; it's part of our make-up. Like the Ego, the Persona is neither good nor bad; it's just not us! We can choose whether to manifest our Self through the Persona, or we can choose to use our Persona to try to make people ( including ourselves ) think we're something we're not. The more we use this 'mask' though, to portray ourselves, the greater the risk of fooling ourselves into thinking that we ARE the Persona, into identifying with it. In this day & age especially, with all its busyness & general ( unnatural ) clamor, it is difficult, to say the least, not to get sucked into this whirling vortex!

Life seems more & more to be a battle-ground ( to some, a losing battle )! This need not be! Speaking of the masks we wear; most often, we end up fighting ourselves because we have convinced ourselves ( ? ) that we are simply people, here for one purpose, to survive the battle. If along the way we can leave a goodly inheritance for our children & grandchildren, all the better, but when we identify with the Person, or Persona, we start thinking like Harry Houdini, escaping one trap only to be presented with another, 'out of the frying pan into the fire', in most cases. Some of us are lucky enough, for whatever reason, to escape all the perceived 'traps' that Life sets for us, but one has to wonder, 'is that not itself a trap?'!

Speaking of traps, we are often trapped by our own mind!  Back on the rabbit-trail, it is easy to get trapped IN our own mind as well, if we do not exercise great care. This, in relation to the Persona, Ego, etc. etc., is where one begins to identify themselves with their Mind. Ever hear the saying, 'my mind is like a steel trap'? Most, if not all people who say such things have begun to identify with the mind & thus are trapped by & in it! This becomes a prison from which, once ensconced, it is not easy to set yourself free. I say, 'set yourself free', because, as a wise man once said, 'I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it'!

When we react to what Life throws at us, which the best & brightest of us tend to do ( ? ), this is a good sign that we have been trapped by our own mind & indeed, have begun to identify with it! There is nothing wrong, in & of itself, with utilizing our Mind, 'our God-given talent', one might say, but there is the dangerous tendency to rely upon our Mind to save us from Life's many & diverse 'traps'. As I intimated, this itself is a trap, for when, as above, we allow ourselves to be lured into thinking (usually 'over-thinking' ) that it is our Mind, 'our smarts', so to speak, that have gotten us out of so many traps, we begin to identify with our Mind & thus, we become not only trapped BY it, but trapped IN it!

'As above; so below'; speaking of wise men, another wise man, animated by the same Spirit, or 'Energy' once said, 'If you want to be free, be free'. During the era of 'sex, drugs & rock 'n roll' which began in the late fifties & stretched into the seventies & even eighties, but especially in the sixties, 'free your mind' became a popular & well-used phrase. This phrase referred to the use of mind-altering drugs, which, when used properly DID have the property of expanding, not the Mind so much as the Consciousness. For this reason, many of the song lyrics that came from this era were very insightful & relayed much Truth, however acceptable or not!

However much music can relay the Beauty of Nature, though, much of the music of this era cannot exactly be considered 'natural sounds'. In fact, music, however peaceful, however soothing, is surely not what the author of the previously mentioned article had in mind when he talked about 'natural sounds'. The Music of Nature, similar to 'The Music of the Spheres', are the 'Sounds of Silence'; the babbling of a brook, the calls of the wild, trees rustling in the breeze, even the waves crashing on the shore. Although, by definition, these sounds are not, to our perception anyway, silent ( they can get very noisy, in fact ), they are, in their gentle state, peaceful, which is the meaning here.

The Sound of Silence can also refer to the stilling of our Mind, of our very thoughts. This can be achieved best through meditation, but with practice, even the practice of meditation becomes a thing of the past, for once we have found, or rediscovered that place of peace & harmony within ourselves, we no longer need to still our biological vehicle in order to be at peace. All we must do is remember who we really are; not this vehicle, not our situation: we ARE Peace & Harmony Itself!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

The Glorification & Personification of Divinity

'To make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration'. This is the definition supplied by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary for 'glorify'. Taking a step back, according to the same website, 'glorious' means 'possessing or deserving glory'. Here again, though, we must step back again, only to see that the word 'glory' is defined as 'praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent'. These words describe both persons or things. To be honest, they are closely related to the word 'worship'. According to the Online Etymological Dictionary, the word comes from the Old English 'worðscip', meaning 'condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown'. This again can be indicative of a person or thing, mostly a person. Anticipating the argument of those who say the Christian 'God' IS a Person, we will also offer this definition of 'person'; again, from Merriam-Webster; 'human, individual —sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes'. Reading further in the above link shows that only fourthly does it refer to the so-called '3 Persons of the Trinity'! All that to say this; 'the Christian 'God' IS, in this sense, a Person: 'He' is how a male-oriented ( dominated ) society perceived the Divine Source of Life!' Because we here in America, for the most part, are grounded in Christian ( Bible-based ) principles, most Christians perceive 'Him' in this way as well. This is not either to say that theirs is a wrong or 'bad' perception, for 'as above, so below'; It is what It is'. The Hebrews were not the first to describe the Divinity in a way they could relate to, nor are they the only ones to have their own perception & to believe that it's the only correct or true One!

The Divine Source of Life is neither male nor female! Strangely similar to our makeup, as human beings, this 'Source' is perceived in as many different ways as there are perceivers. Some perceive It as a 'Him', some as 'Her', while others perceive It as 'Energy' or 'the Universe' ( which IS arguably 'Energy' ). The three major religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism & Islam, all perceive It as 'Him'; Judaism & Islam because they're both from male-dominated societies; Christianity, because it sprang from Judaism. The Pagan roots of Christianity revered the female aspect of Divinity, which seems to have been all but lost in the shuffle, so Earth-worshipers who fall under the large umbrella known as 'Pagan' refer to the deity as 'Her'. Along those lines, one might recall that, in the Bible, 'God', or 'Elohim', commands the Earth to 'bring forth' ( Genesis 1:11 ); the only time 'He' spoke those words concerning anyone or anything beside the man & woman.

'Why do humans feel the necessity to personalize Divinity?' Furthermore, 'Why do we feel that we must glorify that Divinity; that this should be our Life's Purpose?' One doesn't necessarily lead to the other but to answer the second question first, religion bears the brunt. Religion teaches us to look outside ourselves for strength, for answers, whereas most so-called 'religious texts' teach us that we have the power to choose our own destiny. To return to an example from the Hebrew Scriptures, 'God' ( 'Elohim' again ) told Cain, 'If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.' ( Genesis 4:7 ) We have the Power, through Choice, to decide our own Destiny! There is not some Divine Being up among the stars that sets our course, although, on a bit of a side-track, it is well accepted that the Moon affects the tides, yet we humans, or at least most Christians, find it ridiculous, even blasphemous, that 'She', along with other heavenly bodies, should affect us.

To answer the first question might be a bit more of a challenge though! Why DO we humans feel the need to put a face, so to speak, on the Forces of Nature & especially the Divine Source of Life? In an attempt to answer this question, let us consider that, as human beings, we are naturally prone to relate to other human beings. For example, Christians refer to the Divinity as 'Father'. That again, is because of the male orientation of the culture from which the Hebrew Scriptures sprang. In that vein, 'Father', being more of a human, or biological concept, it is natural as well, to believe that we come from somewhere. For Christians, of course, 'God' is a spiritual 'Father', rather than a natural, or biological One. As spirit-beings, of course, it IS only natural to personalize the Source as our 'Father', in other words, to attach ourselves to this Source in a way that we, as human beings, can relate to. There is nothing wrong with this, of course ( nobody wants to feel like they're an orphan-physically or otherwise ), though looking to this 'Father' for our sustenance tends towards irresponsibility. One might actually compare this to our level of maturity as human beings: as we mature in Life, we learn to rely on ourselves, rather than, or at least more than, our father, This, though, is to say nothing of the female half of the equation, our 'Mother'.............

'Mother Earth' is a term used by 'Pagans' for the most part, although it is often employed by even those who view themselves as 'spiritual, not religious', something which is becoming more prevalent. Going back, again to our quote from Genesis 1, we see that the Earth, just like a human Mother, in fact, similar to Adam & Eve, was told to 'bring forth'. Therefore, in this sense, we could all be called 'Children of the Earth'. It should be noted here that such an argument is somewhat dependent on the notion that these first few chapters of Genesis describe nothing but the 'creation' of the material world. On the other hand, it should also be noted that this is a Universal Truth!

While the argument that 'it had to start somewhere' is rather 'up-in-the-air', so to speak, it is fairly well-accepted that there was/is a Creator, that a Divine Being is behind it all. This blogger is no exception! I can foresee & indeed, have heard no questionable evidence contrary to the fact. As I have been known to put it, 'I didn't put that mountain there; did you?' Are we to simply believe that the 'God' of the Bible placed them there? Of course not; that would be akin to averring that 'God' created Adam with the appearance of age, as well as the stars, etc., etc.! Was there a beginning? Will there be an end to the physical universe? Some say 'yes', some say 'no'. Clearly though, Someone put that mountain there! 'Was it, as the Hebrew Scriptures seem to say, the Christian 'God', the God' of the Hebrews?' Believe what you will; it must be known that, while there is/was in the ultimate sense, a Creator, a Divine Source, this Divine Source gave 'Mother Earth' the ability to 'bring forth', not on 'Her' own, but as in the case with the Virgin Mary ( Matthew 1:23 ( Isaiah 7:14 ), '[ The ] Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you' ( Luke 1:35 ).

'So, Who do you worship & 'why'?' 'How do you worship?! 'Worship', at its roots, simply means 'to ascribe worth to' ( IOW ). It is often said that we 'worship the ground she walks on'. In fact, if you'll recall from one of my recent posts, some of the original ( Christian? ) marriage vows actually contains that very concept. One could well say then, that whatever, or whoever one sees as worthy, actually receives their worship! In the same vein then & moving on; 'How does one show ( manifest ) their worship, be it of an individual or thing?' 'We will glorify....................' As described earlier, we worship by bestowing 'honor, praise, or admiration'. To worship is to glorify, to glorify is to worship! Since worship simply means 'to ascribe worth', anything we view as worthy therefore receives our worship; anything or anyone, therefore, that we honor, praise or admire thus receives glorification. Though, religiously speaking, these terms are used to refer only to a Deity outside ourselves, in terms of Spiritual Truth, they refer to what might be termed, 'The Spirit Within'. Even the Bible agrees; Jesus said, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him' ( John 14:23 ) When we give honor, glory & praise to the Spirit Within; when we ascribe worth to our Higher Self, we thus worship ourselves, not as human beings, but as as Spirit Beings, part & parcel with the Divine Source!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

Yin & Yang; My Mama Told Me....................

Life is all about balance. In so many ways, without the correct & necessary balance, things just don't go smoothly, if they go at all! This is true with spirituality as well as biology. You may have heard, like I did; ''They're so heavenly minded, they're of no earthly good!' Or something to that effect. In my own life, I can see somewhat of this, as I have always, or at least for the past twenty years or so, valued relationship over what I was taught to view as 'worldly goods'. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with earthly goods, or even with having them! It's simply that I found, as most already know, that these 'worldly goods' are of no real value, spiritually speaking. Relationships, on the other hand, I was taught & have seen for myself, are of GREAT value, both spiritually & in this biology ( ? )! ( One might well wonder if there is really much difference! ) So the Story goes........

Several years ago, I began to religiously practice yoga, or at least, a semblance thereof! Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to pat myself on the back here, although I have semi-jokingly told a number of people that 'I don't get mad anymore; I do yoga'. While it is of great, even utmost importance to 'know thyself', of no less import is why we are here & now. One cannot, however, truly have one without the other. If we don't love, or know ourselves, is it even possible to truly know, or love others? Even further; when we truly know ourselves, ARE there really any 'others'?! Many there are, no doubt, who would aver that, 'yes, if we truly know ourselves, we must view the 'world' as 'others' ( at least, until 'they' come around to our way of thinking ). Personally speaking, there are many differences that make us unique, as human beings. However, being More than human, we know that our differences need not separate us, as in 'us & them' ( even 'us VS them' ), but in fact bring us together, for each one of us, individually speaking, has a part to play in this grand production we call 'Life'!

Again, 'Life is all about Balance'! Biologically, whether we're observing plants, animals or human beings, to say nothing of the most basic ( ? ) minerals, without the correct mixture, or balance of necessary constituents such as air, water & other, more solid nutrients, Life could not exist, as we personally know it! However, as Life, like us, is More than this biology, It, as we, still exists; it is simply ( ? ) manifested through this biology. Spiritually speaking & this is where yoga & meditation come into play, truly knowing ourselves ( not simply believing what we're told ) enables us to find the necessary balance between what is 'heavenly' & what is 'earthy'. 'As above, so below'; as we are, so we manifest in this biology! If we believe we are, at heart, as the so-called 'Good Book' says, 'deceitful above all [ things ], and desperately wicked', then we will manifest those desires. If however, we are able to truly, through whatever means, know ourselves for what we truly are, rather than who we have been taught, then we cannot help but manifest the desires of our heart, our innermost Being!

Balancing who we are & who the 'world' needs us to be might seem, at first glance, one of those things that's 'easier said than done'. It's really quite simple, actually! Fortunately for us, one must not even attain this delicate balance, as so many 'self-help gurus' seem to tell us. If only we buy their book ( only $29.95, but if you act now........................ ) and/or attend their seminar, we too may learn how to do it, to master ourSelf. The thing is, rather than attaining it, rather than even 'becoming' it ( whatever 'it' is' ), we must simply be. Just as our biological bodies are made to heal themselves, so our spiritual 'bodies' will balance themselves out, if only we will let them BE!

Just 'let it be'?! Speaking of things 'easier said than done'! Because we live in such an Ego-driven society, most if not all people will find it very difficult, if not impossible to just 'let it be'! But 'let it be' we must, if we are ever to find true happiness. 'Bringing balance to the Force', so to speak, is not an easy proposition, not because it is 'un-natural' but simply because we have been so conditioned to believe, either that it is not 'natural' or that the 'natural' is itself evil!

So, how DOES one go about 'bringing balance to the Force'/ Well, first of all, don't 'force' it! 'As above, so below'; it comes naturally. In fact, if you DO 'force' it, then's when it becomes difficult, even impossible for some people. Second, when we begin at the beginning, so to speak, with the 'heart' of the issue, 'for out of it [ spring ] the issues of life' ( Proverbs 4:23b ), then what is right & good will naturally flow through our biology. This does not guarantee, unfortunately, that just because we do 'the right thing', that everyone will follow suit, but, 'hey', 'I can dream, can't I?!' But seriously, even if NO ONE else does what is right, at least we'll rest assured that WE did! On the other hand, 'what is 'right'? Who's to say that ours is 'right' & theirs is 'wrong'?? But, that's another Story.........................

 'Yoga' is Sanskrit for 'union'. Reading the Wikipedia article referenced, as well as others, will reveal a much deeper history & etymology, but put simply, the practice aids in bringing together our two natures, joining 'Heaven' & 'Earth', in a manner of speaking. One might even note, as has been noted previously by several authors, that this is really what the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures are all about! Again though, it should be noted, for clarification, that it is not actually a 'joining' or 'bringing together'; rather, it is a realization of what already is. 'It is what It is'!

Wrapping it up then, one must find that delicate balance ( for It IS there ) between realizing who we are & why we're here! As Spirit-beings living in a material world, especially among those who seem to be satisfied with just being human, it IS difficult sometimes, humanly speaking, to act as we know we are. Making the right choices, according to the Spirit Within can become more of a struggle the harder we strive to undercut our Ego. ( Strange; I thought the Ego liked being on top?! ) Seriously; I've found this to be true in my own experience. The more we try to manifest from our Inmost Being, rather than letting our Ego rule the day, the more the Ego tries to remain 'King of the Hill', at the top of the totem pole, so to speak. This is not to say the Ego is, in & of itself bad, or evil'; again, 'it is what it is', a necessary part of our humanity, though it does have a tendency to rule over ourselves or others.

Life is a balancing act, in so many ways! On the physical plane, one must juggle so many things, that we must find humor in the Mundane in order to keep our sanity. ( Either that, or enjoy the insanity ) Speaking of the Mundane, one must also maintain a balance between the Divine & the Mundane! It could truly be said, though, that, 'We do not find Balance; Balance finds us'! In this Life, especially in this Day & Age, we often find ourselves becoming so hectic, 'living in the fast lane', that it seems almost impossible that Balance could ever find us, but if we can just slow ourselves down, It will sooner or later catch up to us. The key is finding that slower pace, before Life 'catches up to us'!

Namaste'
Charles Haddon Shank

The Dark Lord

Jesus was a good man. At least, his wife & children thought so. In his own country, at least for the most part, he was revered as a humanitarian of sorts. Outside his country though, he had many detractors: we can't really call them enemies, although, like some in his own country, they probably would have like to see him removed, even erased! Jesus was well-liked by most people in his little 'world'; even those who didn't like the way he did business couldn't help but admire the man & everyone with whom he came in contact, instantly, or at least soon thereafter, gained a healthy respect, if not kinship, with this good man. In his corner of the world, life was not easy, there was much corruption in the government, but Jesus had found that if he kept his nose clean, so to speak &; stayed out of their way, he could pretty much stay off their radar. A few substantial 'gifts' now & then couldn't hurt either....................

Mario Joseph Jesus Alcazar was at the helm of a fairly minor cartel in Southern Mexico. Born into a devout Roman Catholic tradition ( hence the name ), Jesus had grown into his current position in the family business. Traditionally, although their main business was what most would deem 'drugs' & therefore illegal, the little-known Alcazar cartel had their fingers in many pies. While the 'drugs' they processed ( mainly marijuana & cocaine ) were the most lucrative, their efforts were largely humanitarian. While the big cartels further to the North would selfishly enjoy the fruits of their labors while the country collapsed into corruption & dilapidation around them, our friends, thanks to their fairly hefty profits, were able to bring much-needed relief to their neighbors. Their neighbors then, around the world even, because of this relief, helped in shielding the cartel from the preying eyes of corrupt governments.

The mountainous jungle-like region of extreme Southern Mexico, almost extending into Central America, was home to the Alcazars. For generations they had cultivated this area & thus were known & loved by all but the most recent occupants. It didn't take even these newcomers long to learn who their neighbors were & what kind of business they did. While some disagreed, especially expatriates fleeing, for whatever reason, the States far to the north, these new neighbors learned pretty quickly to either love them or leave them ( alone )! If their traffic was disagreeable to anyone, which it was to some, they soon came to enjoy the benefits of what most considered illegal.

Unlike the larger cartels to the North & West, the Alcazars believed in harming no one, no matter the perceived wrong! Treating others as they themselves would like to be treated had been their family's mantra for generations. When confronted by violence of any kind, which naturally occurred in their region of the world, especially considering the 'trade' they did, they met it, as often as they could, with peaceful resistance. As you can imagine, this form of opposition did not always have the desired effect & so the Alcazars were probably just as acquainted with pain & loss as anyone in the area. However, they also knew that what happened to the body in this life was not so important as what one did in their lifetime, so they were happy to suffer for the Cause!

This knowledge had a most remarkable effect, both on how each individual member behaved & also how they ( the cartel ) did business! One negative aspect to doing business thusly, in such a world as we live in, was that they often found themselves being taken advantage of, either by corrupt governments or by the bigger cartels. Strangely enough though, those who brought violent opposition to their door, more often than not, were almost immediately met by karmic forces which either stopped them in their tracks or otherwise removed the threat they posed. Again, this was not  always the case, so the Alcazars, like most every family in that region, was more than familiar with the suffering so prevalent in our world.

Considered an 'illicit trade'; the natural 'drugs' that our friends processed & propagated were far superior in quality to anything offered by the Northern cartels. Again, their family mantra, or motto, was 'harm no one'.  Doing business the way they did, the Alcazars enjoyed a level of security & safety unknown to others in a similar business. Because they operated so much further South than the larger cartels, they were able, to a great extent, to fly under the radar. Also, due to their relatively small operation in the jungle-like & mountainous region they called 'home', they barely, if at all, registered as more than a 'blip' on said radar. Their humanitarian efforts in their own region, as well as sending aid further North & even overseas, to some extent, provided them, to an even greater extent, with a sort of 'invisibility cloak'.

As the Leader of a so-called 'drug cartel', involved in an illegal trade, Mario Joseph Jesus ( 'Jesus' ) Alcazar slept soundly at night, knowing as he did, that the 'drugs' he traded, although considered illegal, would harm no one. Any harm that might come from the use of these 'drugs' was solely due to the user! Knowing that some of those who purchased & used his products would come to harm saddened him, of course, but he knew that simply keeping them out of the hands of certain people would elicit no change in these people, for if they did not buy his quality products, they would be buying someone else's, of much less quality & which may cause them harm! He also felt confident, knowing that because he was sowing good seed, he would reap as well, even in the corrupted & dilapidated 'world' in which he lived.

Jesus WAS a good man, but More than that, he was a good soul! Like most people in his corner of the world, Jesus had seen more than his 'fair share' of suffering. Suffering, in fact, that might have soured ( jaded ) a lesser man! 'As above, so below', however, Jesus knew that, as more than this biology, Life was of greater importance than what happened to a person; what mattered was what one did in this Life, how one reacted ( actively or passively ) to what Life, so to speak, threw at a person. This Way of Life had served the Alcazars for generations & Jesus knew, by continuing the family tradition, the world was somehow a better place!

Namaste'
Charles Haddon Shank

The God Theory, or, The Theory of God

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
 being understood by the things that are made,

Romans 1:20b

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or ^[e]principalities or ^[f]powers. 
All things were created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16 

Not having studied the Holy Books of any other culture so thoroughly as I have the Bible, being that I was brought up to be a Christian; to my limited knowledge, the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures, of all other Scriptures, may have the most to say about the Creator. Or so it would seem. Other Scriptures may introduce us to a veritable pantheon of Gods, or Creators, each of whom is responsible for breathing Life into one or several certain aspects of what we call 'the Creation'. Take J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastic world, for example. Reading the first number of pages in 'The Silmarillian', one can see where the author basically mixes his own version of Christian ( Roman Catholic ) theology with a sort of Greek/Norse mythology. We do not see such a reference, except among the 'Heathen' ( Egyptian, Canaanite, Syrian, Greek, etc. ) in either the Greek or Hebrew Scriptures, but we do find Elohim, 'God, in our English Bibles telling the Earth & Sea to 'bring forth' & 'abound with' ( Genesis 1:11 & 20 ( 24 ). In fact, one might note that this is much the same as we find later, where 'He' tells Adam & Eve to 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that ^[h]moves on the earth' ( Genesis 1:26 ) 

All that said, however, it must be noted that the context of the quotes above demands a slightly deeper, if not different meaning, more of a literary, as opposed to a literal one, to be precise. More of a covenantal meaning. The notion that Genesis 1 & 2, as we've discussed before, are not about the birth of the Universe, or even our solar System, but about the formation, by this 'Elohim', of a certain people, peculiar to 'Him' alone cannot be ignored. Although this does tend to affect a more scientific understanding of cosmology, depending on how one perceives the information, it should be clear, from the manifold evidence available, that there is a Divine Designer of the Universe & all that is. Coupled together with the fact that mere human beings ( Jesus claimed ( not in so many words to be 'God' ) were 'elohim' as well ( Psalm 82:6, John 10:34 ), it should not be too difficult to gather that, while there is One Supreme Source of All, this Source was & is not alone in the act of 'Creation'. 

'Why bring that up? you ask; 'the Bible tells us as much!' Yes, the Bible tells us so ( if one reads with a halfway open mind, anyway ). It also tells us a unique ( 'peculiar' ) Story about how this 'Elohim' not only created this special ( covenant ) bond with a specific tribal people in the Ancient Near East; It also tells how 'He', in due time, became human so that 'He' might save 'His' people from their sins, committed in direct disobedience of 'His' Law. Whether or not this is a literally historical account or not ( 'mythological' is more like it ) may be questionable, but that It describes historical events has been proven in most areas. Is this to say that 'God', as most Christians know 'Him', is simply a tribal deity?! Well, again, 'Yes' & 'No'! 'He', as 'Elohim', was the God ( or god ) of the Hebrews, according to the Bible, as corroborated by this Wikipedia article. As discussed in at least one other of my blogposts, 'Elohim', or 'YHWH', was also how the Hebrews & later, the Christians, perceived the Divine Source of All. So is 'God' SIMPLY a tribal deity?! No; simply put, It's not that simple!

'God', therefore, is not simply a theory, although there are many theories floating around out there about 'Who' this Supreme Deity is! What if we've got it all wrong, though; what if every culture, with their different mythologies & Holy Books has created 'God' in their own image?! What if the 'God' we all know & love ( some hate 'Him', to be honest ) has so many human characteristics because 'He' was created by humans?! There are certainly many Universal Truths that we can read about 'God' in the Bible, but there are certain attributes that are definitely, in context, only applicable to a tribal deity, for example, much of what we read about 'Him' in the Hebrew Scriptures, the so-called 'Old Testament'. 

The arguments for Intelligent Design have multiplied over the past several decades. Darwinian Evolution had up till then ( still is in many areas ) been the accepted explanation for the Theory of Everything. This is not the case anymore. Although they are still in the minority, many scientists have found the evidence for some sort of Intelligent Design to be both irrefutable & overwhelming. Knowing what we know then, or at least perceive about the movement & makeup of the Universe, most would have a very difficult, if not totally impossible time refuting this theory. As I've said before, concerning several things; 'It is what It is'! Just because we perceive the Universe to be expanding, doesn't mean that It is. Just because we perceive the Source of All to be the 'God' of the Hebrews, doesn't mean 'He' is. For one thing, how can we be certain that 'God' IS a 'Who', much less a 'He'? These terms imply a person; is 'God' a person?! Was Joan Osborne correct in asking 'What If God Was One of Us'? According to most theologians, 'God' IS a Person ( or three persons ); this actually makes a lot of sense, especially as we read some of the 'hairier' parts of what we call 'the Old Testament'!

As a Pagan, to whatever extent, it is understood that there is a Divine Source, a Creator, if you will. One look at the natural world around us should immediately make clear to us that there is an Intelligent Designer behind it all. A closer look will reveal to us the sanctity of all Life in its Divinity. The Pagan world, which 'spawned' much of what we know as 'Christianity, while not denying this One Divine Source, also worshiped & yet worships a veritable pantheon of 'Gods' ( or 'gods' ) who mediate for the 'natural' world ( one of these being 'Mother Nature' ). Not so different maybe, from the Biblical Story as quoted above, in the beginning paragraph!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Magick of Intentional Living

Most people seem to miss the difference between parlour tricks & everyday miracles! On the other hand, witchcraft has been given a bad name, especially in the 'Christian' community. Not that this is right, or fair, it IS understandable, given that the Sacred Book of Christianity, the Bible, tells us that it is evil, that we are not to suffer a witch to live. But what if we are misinterpreting/misunderstanding what the Hebrew Scriptures are really saying? After all, the Bible is a Western translation of an Ancient Near Eastern text. Also, there are many translations of at least several slightly different texts. Who are we to say that this one ( translation ) is more correct than another? How are we to know that this translation of that text is more accurate than that one? We can't know, for instance, that what is known as the Majority text is better than, say, the United Bible Society text, or even the Westcott & Hort. It's just more commonly accepted, or  it used to be. In a way, one might note that it's subject to the whims of the majority, which, humanly speaking, tend to change like the weather!

To live intentionally is to practice magick! One doesn't have to mutter incantations or cast spells, although many do; one simply has to purpose, in their heart of hearts, their innermost Being, that they're going to live a certain way, do certain things, no matter what & voila, they're practicing magick, whether they know it or not! Magick, like most 'things', is not in & of itself, 'evil'! Some people DO have wicked intentions, though I would dare to say there are more people with good intentions. 'It is what it is'; if one's purpose is to live well, harming no other ( ? ), then it could well be said that they're practicing what is most often called 'white magic', but one who lives carelessly, only concerned with their own profit ( ? ), no matter if others are harmed, could well be said to practice what is called 'black magic'. Aside from the fact that it is wrongly called 'magic', magick is what it is, neither good nor bad, but dependent on the spirit of the individual practitioner.

In this Life, it's sadly surprising the amount of people that simply strive to survive! From surviving the teenage years to surviving till the weekend ( 'work' is a four-letter word', etc. ), there are many who seem to have blindly accepted the notion, whether they believe in an 'after-life' or not, that no one makes it out of this life alive, that all we can do is hope to survive long enough to see our grandkids & maybe great-grandkids. If we can provide them a better life along the way, that's great too!

But what if there's More?! Maybe there's more to Life than simply surviving! If we could only change our perceptions of who we really are & what Life's really all about, maybe we would learn to aim for More than just survival: maybe we would thrive to such an extent that we & those around us never thought possible! Really, there's no doubt about it; we would thrive; we just have to take that first daring step. Knowing yourself is a dauntingly frightening proposition, but if we are to do More than survive, we must know ourselves. This may look different to different people, depending on their chosen religion, because, depending on what one believes about themselves, the aforementioned task may be more or less daunting, more or less frightening. There is a difference, however subtle it may seem, between knowledge & belief!

To truly know oneself, one must discard every notion that one has about themselves! Maybe that sounds crazy, but it's true; we have been so conditioned, as human beings, to believe that we are simply biological machines, bred for survival ( some call it 'evolution' ), that it will take a 'miracle' for us to 'get back to the Garden', so to speak. While we ARE in this biology, an integral part of it, one might note, WE are More than this biology! ( I know, this is 'old hat' for most of my readers ) Rather than human beings, bred to survive, with a spirit, WE are spirit-beings in a human body, who will thrive, if only we can see Beyond our Humanity!

How then, DOES one see Beyond their Humanity? CAN one see Beyond their Humanity; is there TRULY More?!  'As above, so below'; once we realize, through whatever means, that WE are More, once we start the ball rolling, so to speak, it's all downhill from there, though it is really an up-hill battle! Some use their chosen religion to strive for this knowledge, though that most often stagnates in belief, while others employ a more holistic way, through meditation & yoga. More than just an exercise regimen practiced for relaxation, 'Yoga' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'Union'. Called anything from 'chi' to 'orgone', it is the striving ( without striving ) to unite body & soul, to realize that it must be 'both/and' rather than 'either/or'. It is in the innermost being, our individual spirit, that the decision-making process begins. It goes without saying ( but I'll say it anyway ) that without the spirit, the body can do nothing!

Once one accepts, then, that there is More to Life than mere survival, she or he has made that first crucial step towards true knowledge! Some will take longer in this process than others, depending on their level of stagnation, while some, in their current Lifetime, will NEVER see this, but when it's all said & done ( ? ), ALL will come to this startling, but glorious realization!

Intentional Living, humanly speaking, is the first step. We must go about our lives, whether we call it 'magick' or not, purposefully taking each step, every action we imagine, beginning with the individual spirit. We must choose to harm no other rather than carelessly going about our 'day-to-day', irregardless of the harm we may be doing to others. As we've seen, this is easier said than done, but once we have made that first step, it becomes, not easier, but more 'natural', if that makes sense. The River of the Water of Life, which itself flows from the Tree of Life, will begin to run more freely through this biology, enabling us to thrive, not just survive!

The River of the Water of Life flows through this biology nonetheless, for it is Life itself, but humanly speaking, until we learn that WE are the Tree of Life & that every aspect of Life is miraculous & magickal, it will not flow as freely as it could! It's not as simple as the ( relatively ) old adage, 'if a tree falls in the forest & no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?', but our 'reality' ( again, 'humanly speaking' ) hinges on our perception. If we do not perceive the River of the Water of Life flowing through our veins, much less ourselves as the Tree of Life, we still ARE, but WE will not have the impact in this Life we otherwise would have.

Just like any religion, in reality, witchcraft is simply a way of Life, one that is intended to help us along the Way, toward becoming better versions of ourselves. There is always the tendency, it is true, to allow our Ego to get the better of us & to use our Craft in a way that is harmful to both ourselves & others, but when we purpose Within ourselves not to cause harm to others ( this includes More than one might think ), whatever religion we ascribe to ( if we ascribe to any certain religion ) will help us along the Way toward, not just becoming a better person, but realizing that we ARE More; More than just a Person; we are Life itself!

Charles Haddon Shank

New Year, New You?

This has became a bit of a handy-dandy catchphrase in the past decade or so. On the surface, it sounds pretty good, right? Most people would love to become 'a better version' of themselves. To become the best person they can be should be everybody's goal. However, although it is an honorable thing to want to be the best ( person ) we can be, it's definitely not as easy as it sounds! How do we become a better person? Well, that's easy; make better choices! Again, easier said than done, right?! Yes, we should make better choices, but really, where do those choices begin? In our 'choice generator' of course, our innermost being, our 'heart'. Here's where we come to the 'crux' of the matter, though & this is where perception plays the biggest key. Many or most of us have been taught from day one that somehow & to whatever extent, we are fallen creatures & that 'the heart [ is ] deceitful above all [ things ] and desperately wicked'. Therefore, in line with this reasoning, since our choices originate with the 'heart', we really cannot make good choices........................without help, that is!

To be honest, 2019 might be the hardest year on record for me & I know it wasn't any easier ( in some cases, harder ) for many who are reading this! The biggest issue that I've dealt with this year, as in the several years leading up to it, was more than a paradigm shift ( that happened years ago, as some of you are aware ); this was a Shift in Consciousness. This Shift has caused me, even almost forced me, to look at many things differently! Although I wouldn't necessarily say that I have lost any friends or loved ones over it, the relationship that I enjoyed with certain people has felt the strain. Although, to whatever extent, my relationship with certain others already suffered because of my prior shift. Speaking of perception, though, I sometimes wonder if it is simply my own perception that these relationships have suffered. 'The door swings both ways', right? I know that in times past, I have seeming allowed 'being right' over 'being friends' . There IS value in being right, please don't get me wrong, but another lesson I have learned over the past few years, especially this one that is rapidly drawing to a close, is to value relationship, not more than Truth, but more than the human need to be right. It's not that I don't want to be right, or that I no longer care about Truth. It's that, while I KNOW Truth, I will no longer use It as an excuse to play the victim, to separate me from those I love or care about!

I said all that to say this; maybe this is becoming somewhat passe' by now, but I AM, we ARE More than what we normally manifest in this human form, or vehicle. 'How do you know?', you might ask. I might simply respond, 'I just DO!' But this kind of answer, though true, probably won't satisfy most people. 'How DO I know?!' Well, off the top of my head ( so to speak ), I've become more aware, as I walk through this Journey we call Life, that I AM, first & foremost, a spirit-being. Humanly speaking, the words we speak & the things we do are simply the manifestations of the choices we make in our individual spirits. 'So far', you might be thinking, 'this is simply lending credence to the notion that the 'heart' is desperately wicked or incurably sick'. 'No, not really, though I can understand how you might reach that conclusion'. This, though, is where it gets a bit complicated; speaking of the individual spirit, this is where the Ego come into play. I've said it before & I'll say it again; the Ego is NOT a bad thing. It's part of what makes us human. It's when we allow our Ego ( individual spirit ) to overrule or overrun the part of us that is inextricably linked to those we often call 'others' that we run into trouble. As a Christian, maybe the best example I can give is from the Bible, in Genesis 4, where Cain killed Abel because he allowed his Ego to rule over him!

'So how', one might ask now, 'do we stop ourselves from allowing our Ego to make our choices for us?' ( In this case, you could almost call the Ego, 'the Devil' ) First & foremost is to realize that we are not the Ego, It does not define us! Much, if not all the problems in this world is that most people, not all, identify with the Ego ( ie., blame it on the Devil ). We need to remember who we are & why we are here, in this biology. We are here to love. We ARE Love! Although we manifest as individual spirits in individual human bodies, we are all One with What the American Indian calls the Great Spirit! Therefore, even though we are individually manifesting in these human vehicles, there are, in reality, no 'others'. It is not us versus them, with our empires & nationalistic fervor; It is US, sharing the Truth in Love!

Again, 'easier said than done', particularly in this Ego-driven world we live in, but, 'it is what is'! By continuing to strive for the best seat at the banquet, by continuing to view 'others' as somehow 'less-than', simply because of race, color or creed ( even sexual preference ), we will never be able to break this vicious cycle. It all starts with US. Not us individually, although that is where It manifests; we all need to realize that it is not all about 'Me' ( Ego ), though there is nothing wrong with individuality, that's what makes Life worth living: what matters most is the Collective 'US', the Divine Energy that drives us all ( Christians call this 'the Imagio Deo' ) When we remember & this is happening as we speak, that we are all, at 'heart', One, then wars will cease, countries will become borderless & Love will rule!

'As above, so below'; this past year has not been an easy one for ANYBODY! It has been fraught with pain, peril & Peace. Yes, 'Peace'! Through whatever means, whether because of or in spite of the suffering we have undergone, many have found anew, in our 'hearts', the Peace that passes all understanding.

Again, 'easier said than done'! The suffering will continue, though we may pray it eases up in the coming year, for while the world around us is in turmoil & confusion, we carry this Peace in our 'hearts'. As is the case in many a scenario, in many of the current events we witness, it's taken this long to get to the point that we find ourselves & the world in, that it's likely going to take at least that long to get back to where we should be, personally speaking. Can we make that change in the coming year, can we BE that necessary change?! It's really up to US!

Charles Haddon Shank

Awaking

'Am I really awake?'

Sometimes wonder stills me, doubts assail me.
It seems the harder I try, the more fear freezes.
Learning to let go & let be, is a tough lesson for me!

But 'let it be' must happen & yet it must not!
Confusion assails, a near cousin.
Trying ties the stomache in knots.
Letting go is easier than it sounds.
Without letting go, growth cannot change.

Must grow, must live, must die.
Brilliantly we shine for others to see.
But, we are not here for 'others'!

Choices to be made, things to do, or not.
Change will come, will we or won't we.
Time is just a concept, but it is.
Growth there is, just 'let it be'.
It occurs to us all, as we strive, or no.

Letting go ain't easy, but moving on.
There is no Fear, as days go by!
Its all in our heads, not our hearts!
Wander as we wonder, for there is More to Life than this.

'I AM!'

Charles Haddon Shank

Ascension: An Ode to Joy

Joy, beautiful spark of Gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We approach, fueled by fire,
Heavenly, your sanctuary,
Your magical powers unify
What custom harshly parts
All men are made brothers
Where your gentle wing spreads.

Friedrich Schiller

What is Life all about? Many in this day & age seem to think it's all about accruing as much ( wealth? ) as humanly possible before time expires, whether for ones own personal enjoyment, or for some sort of familial dynasty. Both scenarios have their own issues, but we should all know that Life is about More than mere accumulation: an ancient Greek Maxim, immortally inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple at Delphi, is, 'Know Thyself'. To truly know, or love others, one must first know themselves. Life, then, is not about building dynasties or even leaving a nest egg for our children, although both of these may contribute to our enjoyment of this thing we call 'Life'. It's not even about enjoyment, although one might say that if we can't enjoy the fruits of our labor, is Life really worth Living?! What then, IS Life all about?! Schiller understood that the loftiest goal in this Life is finding Joy, though he seems to point us upwards & outwards for the Source of this Joy. 'How', you might say, 'do we find this Joy?' I'm glad you asked!

First of all, what is Joy? One modern definition is that it is an emotion, a feeling based & dependent on the possession of ones deepest desires. This is not totally untrue, for humanly speaking, our emotions, our feelings are our greatest gauge. They can also prove our downfall, however, for when we base our Joy on our possessions, whether it be the love of another person, or a material object, our Joy can then be lost, for things & people tend to change. In fact, things in this thing we call 'Life' change like the weather in Montana; one minute we could be floating on 'Cloud Nine' & the next minute, we're so 'down in the dumps' that we're almost seriously contemplating suicide ( extreme case ). The point here is that if we base our Joy, much like our Happiness ( almost indistinguishable ), on anything or anyone outside ourselves, we risk disappointment, because ( you guessed it ), 'things change. Situations change, people change, but you know what NEVER changes?!

The importance of truly knowing yourself cannot be denied! Being brought up Christian as I was, the biblical injunction to 'love your neighbor as yourself' has some profound implications, yet it is so simple. The further biblical notion that you cannot truly love 'God' ( whom you CAN'T see ) if you can't love your brother ( neighbor-whom you CAN see ). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out then that one must love, or know themselves before they can truly love, or know, anyone else, much less 'God', Loving God, to most Christians, means doing what 'He' commands, or at least, what the Bible says 'He' commands. There is certainly nothing wrong, in & of itself, with following the instructions in some Holy Book, especially, 'as above, so below', when they say to 'love your neighbor as yourself'. If one is simply following the command ( 'for the Bible tells me so ) to 'love' their neighbor, we might have a problem. I say 'might', because this is not necessarily always the case, but what if we don't really love, or know ourselves? What if all we know of love, we learned from a Book?! What if we only think we know ourselves from what we read in a Book ( Jeremiah 17:9, et al )

What is Love?! We've been here before, methinks, but Love is NOT a feeling or an emotion, though both these are involved in Its outward manifestation! Love is even More than an action, though this IS its outward manifestation! Love begins with our Inmost Being: in fact, one could truly say that Love IS our Inmost Being! Doing ( action ) surely follows, as it is the outward manifestation of Love, but it all starts, as it must, with our Inmost Being. Whether we consciously, as most do, or unconsciously make the choice to express Love towards another individual, outwardly speaking, it all begins with that choice. We may decide, based on our feelings or emotions that we 'love' this or that person & this is not to say that we should not trust our feelings or emotions ( they're there for a reason ), though when we just 'let it be', allowing the Love that we are to manifest on Its own, we will find that Life comes a lot easier, with no stress!

Thus, then, the importance of knowing ones Self! 'As above, so below'; if we do not know ourselves, can we truly know 'God'?! Is 'God' simply who the Bible says 'He' is, or is 'God' something More? The Bible does say truthfully that 'God is love' ( I John 4:8 ), so therefore, we go ( transversely ) back to, 'he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, he cannot love God whom he has not seen?' The Bible itself says that no one has seen God, though the apostle Paul, in what has become known as 'the  Love Chapter'  ( I Corinthians 13 ) says, 'For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.' In context, maybe, Paul's words held more import for his original audience, but, as a Universal Truth, they stand today as a reminder, not that we must wait for the so-called 'Afterlife' to see 'God', but that when we realize the Christ Within & what Love really IS, then we will see 'God'!

So, 'What IS Love?!' Put simply; 'God is Love: transversely, Love is God! Some may say that's a bit too simple, even simplistic, but there it is. Some might reason that 'Love' has too many definitions, that the 'love' in 'I love you, man', 'love is all we need', etc., is something different than what the Bible says 'Love' really is. Like 'God' though, Is 'Love' simply what the Bible says it is ( I used to 'believe' this ), or is it something More? Do we, or even some Holy Book, define what Love is? 'It is what It is'; like 'God', neither we nor some Holy Book can offer anything but our own perception of  what 'Love' truly is! As a wise man once said, 'Love is not a victory march'! Love is not a conquest, it is not something we must do in order to be; it something we are & when we realize it, sometimes even without realizing, Love comes shining through!

It is in this life, personally speaking, that we must come to this realization if we are to have any lasting impact on the wider world! A Spirit manifests its Will through this biology; that's just the way it works. We may go around the world, spreading 'the love of God in Christ', we may even unconsciously manifest this Love without knowing that we are only manifesting our true Self, but our greatest impact will be once we realize that this is us; It is not something we are doing, or something outside of ourselves that we are manifesting.We are not 'mirrors', we are not simply reflections! Even the Bible says that It is within us ( Love/God-John 11:26 ). We are not reflecting the Love that we have been shown, for Jesus Himself said that if you love ( only ) those who love you, you're no better than a tax collector. By sharing the Love of the Christ, that is, the Christ Within, we are manifesting the Love that we ARE!

Namaste' & Blessed Be,
Charles Haddon Shank

The Word in Flesh

 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His ^[c]own, and His ^[d]own did not receive Him.

John 1:10 & 11

First of all, I want to make absolutely clear that the traditional Christmas Story, while it does have implications for all of humanity for all time ( though it's not what most people think ) & so, IS a Story for the Ages; the Christmas Story that we read in the Bible is primarily one about the salvation of the Jewish people. It's also about their condemnation, but that might be another Story for another Day. This is, however, not to say that the world of our day, or humanity in general, did not or does not benefit from what the historical figure known as Jesus of Nazareth did. According to the Bible ( Matthew 1:21 ), Jesus came to save HIS people from THEIR sins! He surely did that, at least to those who accepted Him as Messiah, but He also showed, to anyone who reads His Story ( down through the ages ) that a Man could also be God! 

The 'flesh' of which the Bible speaks can be applied to humanity in general, but primarily, as above, it refers more generally to the Jewish people, or, more correctly, to the Hebrew people. Theologically speaking, it refers in particular maybe, to the Law, or the Law/Temple System. Not to get too far into it, theologically speaking, for that is something I prefer not do anymore, but, as I've postulated before, the Hebrew Story IS the Story of Humanity. The tendency among many, unfortunately, is to allow the Hebrew part of the Story to fade into the background & apply the Story DIRECTLY to us & OUR situation, OUR day & age. There are many ageless truths to be found in the Bible, but when we bypass the Hebrew flavor, we tend to read into the Story what was never meant to be there. In the same vein, then, we also tend to overlook certain blessings that ARE there!

The 'Word' ( Logos ) that was 'in the beginning', actually means just that; 'word'. Just as Elohim breathed life into His Creation, so the 'word' that proceeded forth from His mouth did not return to Him void, but accomplished everything He sent it for ( ? ). In the Story of Israel ( what we know as 'The Bible' ),  it is often taken for granted that when 'Elohim' Spoke the Word, the Universe, with all its constituent elements, was formed, but closer, more careful study will reveal that this piece of Ancient Near Eastern literature is NOT about the formation of the material 'world' in which we live; it is about the formation of a covenant that this 'Elohim' made with His own Creation, the people who would be known as 'Israel'.

As we progress through our reading of the Bible ( I'm writing largely of my own Journey here ), it should become clear that this 'Word', according to the apostle John ( John 11:26 ), resides with ( in ) us. One might even say that It IS us, or at least a part of us. Since we are, in some sense, Creators ourselves, with the ability to create a blessing or a curse with our own words, or the thoughts we breathe, it should be fairly simple to take two & two here to make four. I'm not saying that we created the world ( Earth ), or that we can simply make things appear out of nowhere, just by saying the 'word'; no, we have to put forth some effort too, working to create, or manifest what we imagined with our thoughts & spoke with our mouth, but as they say, 'you gotta start somewhere'!

My readers are by now aware of the fact that I affirm we are Gods! I agree with Jesus when He 'echoed' ( ? ) the sentiment of David King of Israel, telling the religious leaders, 'you are gods'. It is not, however, in our human nature ( our 'humanness' ) that our God-hood rests, though it is often made manifest there ( ? ), but rather in the fact that we are spiritual in nature, of the same essence as the One that Christians call 'God'. Other religions perceive this Divine Source differently & thus call It by a different Name. That this Divine Source ( some simply call it 'Energy' ) formed the universe is abundantly clear! 'As above, so below'; it had to start somewhere! Or did it? Maybe It, like the 'God' that Christians claim, has always been; 'Eternal in the Heavens'!

The Truth is that, humanly speaking, no one KNOWS for certain that their perception of 'God' is the correct one! Human beings can only BELIEVE, unless they see it with their own eyes, that a thing is actually true. The Christian religion tells people that they must take it on faith; they must believe that the God of the Bible is the One True God; Islam doesn't totally disagree that He is the One True God, but He is only One ( Person? ) & His Name is 'Allah'. The Jews are kinda mid-way between the Christians & Muslims, while the rest of the world can go to 'Hell'! Just Kidding! The Eastern religions worship the Source by the Names of Shiva, Yamantaka & Amaterasu, along with a host of other deities, most of which are based, however loosely, on mere human beings.

Back to our Story now, many people miss the fact that we are glorious & powerful beings, even in our humanity, because the Bible tells us, for example, that we are all begotten in sin ( Psalm 51: 10 ) and that even our hearts are desperately wicked ( Jeremiah 17: 9 ). Read in the context, not just of the surrounding passages, but the Rest of the Story, it should be fairly clear that these words were meant for Israel. Can they be applied to us as well? Not really, but in reading those words, we can better understand our own human nature, with its tendency to want see for itself, not just believe everything it's told, just because 'I said so'. 

'Flesh', as defined by Merriam-Websters online dictionary, is 'the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially of a vertebrate'. We are, biologically speaking, little more than animals! We, however, as we've seen, are More than our biology; at the heart of the issue, we are of the same Creative Essence as the One Christians call 'God'! Because of this, we are able, of ourselves, to create, both ourselves & even our environment ( to whatever extent ); by our choices, we manifest that which WE will, 'good' or 'evil', kind or unkind. When Jesus told the Jews ( Pharisees? ) that they were gods, this is what He meant; they had the power, as Judges of Israel, to decide whether this or that was right, whether this or that was wrong. WE have that same Power; by our choices, we decide what kind of environment we're going to live in, spiritually speaking. Our choices determine whether we will be a rest in 'Heaven' or whether we will perpetually slave in 'Hell'!

Not much of a Christmas Story, eh? Well, we can't be jolly & cheerful ALL the time, now can we?! But we don't hafta be 'The Grinch', either! By exercising our God-hood in a creative, not a destructive way, we can ensure that, although it may not always be stars & tinsel, in our hearts, we will know the Peace that Passes all Understanding.  In that Way, if in that way only, we ourselves may celebrate the Christmas Story, knowing that we are an Essential part of it!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

Great Expectations; 'Under Pressure'

The Pressure to Perform is without doubt the hardest part of any relationship ( pun intended ). This applies to any relationship ( not only physical/sexual ). In a Work Relationship, for instance, if one cannot perform the assigned task well, in a timely manner, that one very likely won't be employed very long, if at all. In most Personal Relationships, the case is much the same; if one person cannot well-supply the 'needs' of the other, whatever sort of arrangement the relationship exists under, it probably won't last very long either. This often is related to the Work Relationship as well; if one person cannot keep their 'job', for whatever reason, this in turn will most likely affect any Personal Relationship he or she may be in.

There is nothing wrong with having expectations! If we never expected anything, mostly of ourselves, we would probably never get anything done. On the other hand, if we jumped off a cliff expecting to sprout wings before we reached the sharp rocks at the bottom, we would be very disappointed...........for about 1/100th of a second, that is! The problem there, if indeed one perceives it thusly, is that expecting a human being to suddenly exhibit behavior we normally attribute to birds is pretty unreasonable. Expecting to be able to jump far enough out over the cliff to land in the deep water is not so unreasonable, though it's pretty risky, no matter ones physical condition. The expectations we have of ourselves, however, are somewhat different than those we have of others. When we expect things of others, we must take into account, among other things, the feelings of that person. For instance, a person may, to all appearances, be as fit as a fiddle, but if they're having an 'off' day, make one tiny mistake/miscalculation, etc., it could mean the difference between life & death!

Marriage, at least as we're most familiar with the term ( pun intended ), is such a proposition. As most popularly defined, marriage is full of expectations. The husband is expected to provide for his family; in the same vein, the wife is expected to support him in his endeavor, as well as to nurture & care for any children that result. This is not to say that this is necessarily wrong, in & of itself, for to provide for the other person, especially what he or she cannot provide for themselves, is an important, if not absolutely necessary, part of any relationship. This applies as well to both husband & wife. When these expectations are not met, for whatever reason, the relationship often hits the sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff!

The problem with having expectations, even when they're 'reasonable', is that we'll almost always be disappointed! This is not, though, to say we should NOT have them ( ? ), for 'as above, so below'; if we don't expect anything, in particular, of ourselves, we'd never get anything done, personally speaking. The problem appears when we base our happiness on those expectations. When we're happy or satisfied with our partner only when he or she fulfills our expectations, our happiness won't last long, nor will it be true happiness.  For true happiness, one must simply BE!

Living without expectations, whether positive or negative, is truly the best way to BE!  When one doesn't expect anything, whether from their partner or themselves, they will never be disappointed! It is difficult, I will admit, to be in ANY kind of relationship without having expectations, but in order to remain in ANY relationship, we must learn to deal with disappointment, or else to live without expectation. Living without expectation is not easy, in fact, in this day & age, I daresay that most people perceive it to be well-nigh impossible. It is, however, NOT impossible! If we do not expect anything from anyone, much less ourselves, as above, we will never be disappointed. If we're never disappointed, we have nothing to be unhappy about. If we have no reason to be unhappy, we can only BE......you guessed it; HAPPY!

To be happy in ANY relationship, particularly marriage, we must learn to live without expectations! 'But', one might say, 'I expect my wife/husband to act according to to their marriage vows; that's what he/she signed up for!' Marriage is more than vows & though, according to the institution of marriage, a man or women has a 'right' to expect certain things of their partner, they also have the 'right' to be disappointed when all these things are not fulfilled! Marriage being more than just an agreement between two persons; when two souls are united, realizing their spiritual nature, the following relationship cannot be based upon any personal expectations. Such a relationship is eternal, not being based on expectations, but rather, being 'grounded' in the heavens!

One might well say that to have expectations is a purely human condition! It is in our human 'vehicle', this biological wonder that we are blessed ( ? ) to inhabit, that 'feelings', or more correctly 'emotions' originate. This, really, is not quite true either; our individual soul, one might note, is actually the origin of our 'feelings'. Our emotions, from which come expectations, are based in perception, which DOES originate with our human nature. Programming, or training, also has something to do with our perception. Whether religious or 'secular'' ( ?), we have all been taught, or trained to expect certain things of certain people. It is only by returning to the beginning that we can overcome this 'conditioning'!

To return to the beginning, we must first realize that we are not here simply to 'perform'! This is not to say, of course, that we must do nothing, or even that we SHOULD do nothing; there is plenty that we should & must do! For instance, we must do what we can to maintain this vehicle so that we can fulfill our purpose in this biology, in this incarnation; we should do our best to provide for those we have placed in our care ( wife, children, etc. ): all this is personally speaking. We, however, as we've explored to some length in this blog, are More than the Person; we are More than just Doing: we are BEing ( s )! Not just Human Beings either, though this cannot be denied, nor should it be overlooked ( ? ): we are, at heart, in our innermost BEing; of a Spiritual Nature, Pure Energy, some would say. In order to bypass the Pressure to Perform, this is what we must return to; the realization that, while we are in this incarnation, in this biology, for a Higher Purpose; we are here primarily to BE, not to DO, though again. there is that! May we, as Higher Beings with a Higher Purpose, help others to realize this Glorious Fact!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

A Mythology for Today

The definition of 'myth', found at Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary website, is, 'a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon'. A myth, therefore, is usually a true story, though not necessarily entirely factual, though based on actual events. Any piece of literature contains some element of mythology, be it an autobiography, biography or history book. The Scriptures of most if not all of the world's religions fall under this classification as well. The Christian Scriptures, in particular,  must be read in this way or else a deep misunderstanding of much of the text will undoubtedly follow!

With that said; 'On with the Story!'

John had quite an imagination! In his world, there was no such thing as religion, therefore nothing to fight over. There was no such thing as a 'Heaven' above ( except the sky ) & no 'Hell' below. John would likely tell you that the only 'God' there was to 'fear' was the One inside each & every human being, their Higher Nature. In John's idealistic world, there was no such thing as 'mine': it was 'ours', if it 'belonged' to anyone.To be sure, John knew that if such a world were to exist, the human beings that peopled it would have to use their imaginations as well & even though most laughed at John's dreamings, he knew he wasn't the only dreamer......................

A typical 'day' in John's dream-world involved everyone, including Nature, living together in harmony! This does NOT mean, though, that everybody liked everybody; just because they all got along in the most sincere & loving manner imaginable, there were still fields to plow, animals ( what we call in this world, 'lesser beings' )  to care for & buildings to maintain. Even for those living from the Higher Nature, there were still differences to overcome ( if that's even the right word for it ); life in this human shell, as even John realized in his world of dreams, meant dealing with humanity, though it was a Higher Humanity!

Religion, Organized Religion anyway, was a sure way to unleash a world of trouble on an undeserving world; John knew this from experience, having been raised in its unhealthy fear! With all the differences between people, as it was, there was enough to deal with, without separating into groups ( denominations? ) of those who were 'right' & those that were 'wrong', 'us versus them', so to speak. As above, so below; there were still obvious differences to get past, but once the people learned to live from their Higher, instead of Lower Nature, even though there were those that resonated better with some more than others, they were able to live together, or apart, for that matter, not just in spite of, but because of their differences!

The Higher Nature, or 'Godhood' that John knew was necessary for such a world to exist is not beyond the reach of any human being. In fact, It exists within each human being; It is in fact, a very necessary constituent, believe it or not, of our humanity. Speaking of belief, not that there is anything wrong, in itself, with belief; in John's wide experience, he knew that when beliefs are exalted above what Is, trouble is sure to follow, to whatever extent. If we did not have that Spark of Divinity within us, we would exist in no way, shape or form! Organized Religion & in particular the three major world-wide ones, Christianity, Judaism & Islam, teaches its adherents that not only is there an Angry 'God' out there somewhere, ready to drop the hammer at a moments notice ( even on a whim, so it would seem ), but 'He' has a chosen mouthpiece on this earth to spread 'His' Good News, 'His' Truth.

Organized Religion has no place in John's Imaginary World! The only religion John knew, if religion it could be called, was to live ones life in peace, to love others as you loved yourself & to treat others in the way you wished to be treated. Other than that, as long as they didn't harm anyone in the process; John really didn't care what anyone else did. In this world, he knew, one couldn't count on everyone responding in kind, but John also knew that the more people started living in harmony with the Laws of Nature, loving & being loved, the more this world would begin to look like the world he imagined. The wars that have been & are being waged in this world would no longer occur, as most if not all wars ever fought have been based in religion, or blind faith. Faith has its place, as John well knew, but blind faith was a clear & present danger, not only to those who held it, but to the world around them!

John was a Prophet of Peace; he didn't claim to be the mouthpiece of some Angry God out there somewhere who watched 'His' children with a critical, all-seeing eye, ready to hurl 'His' lightning bolts of justice at any of them who dared disobey. No, John knew that any 'God' who treated 'His' children like this was egocentric at best & psychopathic at worst! If any lightning bolts were to be hurled, it would take place within oneself, being hurled by oneself. This too, is where the whole notion of separation exists; it begins within oneself & thus that is where it must end. John knew, as we all must, that the only way the world of which he dreamed would manifest is if we, the practitioners of magick, would realize that Spark of Divinity within ourselves, then within those around us in an ever widening circle & thus manifest the Gods & Goddesses that we, by Nature, are!

As Gods & Goddesses in our own right, living as John imagined, from their Higher, rather than Lower Nature, in Harmony with all of Nature, loving without borders, we can forget such things as Pride & Nationalism! We can rule over our own Ego ( nobody else's ) by loving others as we love ourselves & treating them, not as they often treat as, but as we would like to be treated. John himself was often beleaguered by his Ego, but as we must, he had learned how to master it, much like his body, not by forcefully dominating it, but simply by using it for a Higher Purpose!

The World that John imagined DOES exist! In fact, it exists right alongside of this world that we call 'real', just on a Higher Plane. However, I can't take you there; I can show you the door, but YOU  must step through it, You must make the conscious choice to learn to know yourSelf, your Higher Nature. It's not easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but 'oh, it's worth it', as John well knew & though it's at first a lonely existence, you'll find that it's closer to 'Heaven' than you've ever imagined!

Charles Haddon Shank