Tears of Gold ( "Jesus Wept" )

 “Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” 

Gandalf to the Remnant of the Fellowship

There are several different kinds of tears; tears of sadness, tears of anger & tears of Joy. The first two tend to go together, because most often, anger is a symptom of sadness, which is itself a symptom of a more deep-seated issue. Then again, Joy is often mixed with sadness, as witnessed at many tearful partings, such as the final breaking of the Fellowship in the final & monumental Lord of the Rings movie. The Joy of heading for what might be called 'a better place' is most often intermingled with the sadness of those left behind. 

When Jesus wept, as recorded in John 11:35; He did so for several reasons, most obviously for the unbelief of His fellow Jews, who had become so blind as to ignorantly disbelieve that Lazarus could rise from the dead. They, of course, thought that He wept for His dead friend, which was not totally beyond the pale, but it should be noted that Jesus, knowing that Lazarus would indeed soon embrace his loved ones again, wept also for the Joy that was before Him! As a human being, yes, He pleaded for that cup to be taken away, but as More than Human, He knew that, in order for His Joy to reach its Height, He must drink that cup to its dregs!

Tears of Sadness, like all tears, are temporary. In this Life, things just seem to happen, sometimes, for no good reason. These things are most often outside of the realm of our control, like the death ( I won't say 'loss' for they are ALWAYS with us ) of a loved one. I have, in the course of over half a century, this go 'round , experienced this a number of times, though, I dare say, not as much as many, or most! For some, those in particular who believe in some kind of afterlife, whether it's '72 Virgins', or strumming harps in some otherworldly 'Paradise, this Sadness comes because of attachment issues, but at the same time, this Sadness is often tempered, to varying degrees, with Joy; Joy, not only because the one who has passed is in 'a better place',  but also because they believe they will see their loved one ( s ) again. This is not to say that they won't, but maybe not in the way they think!

I'll be honest; as I was going through my Facebook this morning ( pretty much my morning routine; that & COFFEE! ), I read a post from a friend of mine with the picture above, which inspired me to write the one you're currently reading. Her post was along the same lines, but I wanted to elaborate & throw in a few of my own thoughts to boot! The loss, as the overwhelming majority of people sadly term it, of a loved one is truly a sorrowful affair, if for no other reason than this; we will most sorely miss their bodily presence, along with all the comforting constituent elements. However, it is also a joyful affair for, not only are THEY in a better place, so to speak; such a time also gives us a chance to grow, to determine within ourselves, for one thing, whether we will allow our grief to define us & also, to discover for ourselves what we truly believe, or know. 

As Human Beings, it is only natural that such an event would cause us emotional pain, for as such, we are emotional creatures. No matter how evolved we become, no matter the higher frequencies in which we begin to vibrate, we always, as long as we inhabit this 'meat vehicle', will have to deal with this issue!  Neither is this a bad thing, for tears, as many have learned, are cleansing. I always say; "they're in there; they gotta come out!" Most often, I'm speaking of the emotions themselves, though these usually involve tears, but as the case may be, there is a healing effect when we release our emotions. Without this emotional release, in fact, they usually act in a cancerous way. They even have the power, one might say, to rewrite DNA!  I'm no scientist, of course, so that may not be factual, but I would propose that the rewiring of our brain would not be out of the question when it comes to the power of our emotions!

Sadness happens to the best of us! Okay, so maybe that sounds a little cocky, but hey.............'if the shoe fits', right?! But seriously, the point is that EVERYONE has their moments: "As above, so below"; no matter how far you are along the 'Ascension Path', no matter how well you've learned to practice 'mind over matter' ( MOM ), when Life 'happens', it WILL, to whatever extent, knock you on your ass ( either that, or you're not as far along as you thought, i.e., you're not being honest with yourself )!

I wish to recount for my readers my own first 'real' experience with death. At the time, 'as luck would have it', I happened to be attending an Independent Fundamental Baptist church & the 16 year old daughter of the deacon of the church had experienced immediate 'cessation of life' in an unfortunate four-wheeler accident. I'm not proud to say, nor am I embarrassed, that I actually broke down & sobbed at least once at the funeral! 'Why did I cry?" Well, yes, even though I was not close with this young girl, I was a good friend of her father & mother, so much of my sadness was for their 'loss'. They, however, were more stalwart than I, or so it seemed, maybe because they had more experience in that area. Though they, of course, were saddened by the early departure of their youngest child from this life, they held dearly to the 'fact', as they saw it, that their daughter was now 'in the Arms of their Lord', or 'Heaven'. This was yet another reason for my sadness; their misplaced faith that they would see their daughter again when they themselves died & went to 'Heaven'. As I write these words, it occurs to me that their faith, misplaced as it was, was not far wrong! As the case may be, however, the emotions that were at the root of my own sadness had their own healing effect, though they were only the beginning, you might say, of the troubles I have experienced in my own Journey!

My own sadness was, in essence, misplaced, for though I had barely begun my own Journey, I was a preterist, believing that Jesus had returned in the first century, as I, along with many others, perceived the Bible taught He would. As such, I believed their faith, their Hope was misplaced. Even though I now know that my own hope, such as it was, was misplaced, I believed at the time that they were wrong while I was right! Though I like to believe that I'm past such pettiness at this stage in my own Journey; this is in itself a cause for some sadness. No regrets though; I'm thankful for where I came from, humanly speaking!

If I had kept this sadness inside, I shudder to think of the emotional wreck I might be right now! One thing I can say about my personal Journey is that I HAVE progressed this far at least; that I'm not as afraid as I was to let my emotions show, to let my tears flow! Although I know I still have a long way to go, I have learned the healing power of tears! I realize too, that much of my current existence is dependent on a 'trauma response'. I say this, not to justify my actions, but to acknowledge that I still have a lot of healing to do. I foresee many, many tears in my future!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

Embracing the Metaphor ( The Great Divorce )

"What's it matter, really?" Joe & Charlene had just been discussing the age of rocks & when Charlene found herself in between.................... a rock & a hard place; as she usually did, she capitulated without, you know..........'capitulating'! Of course, it DOES matter, though to your average Joe, it might seem to make little to no difference. Charlene had been brought up to believe that the Earth, our Mother, was only 6,000 years old, that all the geologic wonders around the world were evidence of Noah's Flood & that humanity itself found its genesis in a Middle Eastern man & his mate that, interestingly enough, DID have belly buttons ( BTW, they were created to look approximately 30 years old too ). Then, of course, there WAS that episode with the talking snake; crazy, right?!

Joe had heard the Story before, from many different perspectives. Being a world traveler, he knew that, though the versions were all different, to a lesser or greater degree, the Story was the same from culture to culture. He also knew that, in order to understand this startling truth, one had to open their mind to the notion that no one religion, much less person, had 'the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth'. Charlene knew all this, but still had a hard time acknowledging his findings, for even though they DID make all the sense in the world, the facts, as she had learned them, did not jive with what Joe was reporting. 

Charlene was more or less familiar with the term, but when it came to understanding metaphor, she'd always thought of it as referring only to those parts of the Story that the Bible didn't necessarily elucidate, as such. For instance, in her understanding, even a historical occurrence, such as the Great Flood of Noah's day spoke to a greater spiritual truth, where the Ark, through which Noah was saved along with his family, pointed forward to the salvation that came through the Christ, or the Messiah of the Hebrews. Not that she'd learned incorrectly, there was more to the Story, metaphorically speaking. 

The Story of the Bible IS the Story of Humanity, as Charlene & so many others like her had been taught, but not quite in the way she or her teachers thought! According to the biblical Story, Adam & Eve were the representative scions of Israel, the chosen people of a certain Canaanite/Hebrew god named 'El' ( Elohim ). Of course, Charlene had been taught the version that we outlined earlier, wherein Adam & Eve were the first human beings on planet Earth, being representative, not of the genesis of the Hebrew people, but of Humanity itself. Though she had never really thought about the implications of such beliefs, hanging around with Joe had begun to remove the scales from her eyes. In essence, Charlene was beginning to see, grudgingly though, that what she'd known so dogmatically all her life was not the whole Story!

The Story of Israel, as elucidated in the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures, beginning with the metaphorical choosing of Adam & Eve, though from a different & much older culture than ours, still represents the struggles of humanity, sadly enough, even to this day. Much like Israel was finally divorced by this 'El' after many instances of unfaithfulness, subsequent trial, hardship & repentance, so Humanity has been divorced from the Knowledge of Divinity, for much the same reason, in fact of the matter! This is not to say, of course, that Humanity is therefore fucked & that the Divinity is well represented by this 'El', be he Hebrew or Canaanite! Humanity is itself endowed with what is often called the Spark of Divinity! 

The Divinity, though known by many names around the world & taking many different forms, is really One Being ( if one can even correctly call It THAT! ). Humanity is a denser form of this Divinity, yet part & parcel with It! Arguably the smartest man who ever lived, someone once said "Everything is Energy" ( or something to that effect ); In this case then, this Divine Being is pure Energy. As previously discussed in this blog, our Essence, our 'Spirit' if you will, embodies this same Energy, though for biological purposes, this Energy vibrates or operates at a lower frequency. Though humanity, or so it would seem for the greater part, has been divorced from their own Divinity, it is not as though we cannot be reunited. Unlike Israel of old, it is not some petty god with which we need reunion, rather it is within ourselves that we suffer this division, or separation. Fortunately, Humanity seems to be awakening, in the past decade or so, to the Glorious fact that the Salvation we have been taught to seek without is in fact Within!

Charlene, though grudgingly, had begun to accept the Truth as reported by Joe. Her Great Awakening began long before she even had an inkling of her own innate Power, her own Divinity! Under Joe's patient & gentle tutelage, the eye of Charlene's understanding was gradually opened to the fact that the geology of our Mother Earth was far more ancient that she had been taught. Even the absurdly simple story that Adam & Eve were the first human beings on Planet Earth became more & more ridiculous to her, to say nothing of the talking snake!

Joe had a similar Story; that's why he empathized with Charlene. He'd been brought up to believe much the same way she had, but with the important difference that he had been allowed, or enabled, one might say, to open his mind up to different possibilities, different Stories, so to speak. Even now, Charlene's progress mirrored his own Journey, for Joe began to note & then explore the glaring consistencies of the Story as he had learned it. 'As above, so below; as without, so within'. Joe had learned, as Charlene was beginning to see, that just as the Story they were both taught about the materiel world & the Universe itself was lacking in many areas, so the Truth about our own Divinity had been stifled to the point that it was all but lost on the overwhelming majority of Humanity. Again though; all is not lost: the Story here represented is true of Humanity in general! Though fairly quietly, gently, one might note, the Great Awakening is occurring as we speak & it's only going to get louder!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

Doorway to the Divine; the Moon as Mediator

February's Full Moon, the Snow ( 'Candles' in Europe ) Moon has just passed Her peak as I begin to write on this beautiful Day on which we pay our due worship to the Sun, or in some cases, 'the Son'! The Moon, as we have learned, from Day One, you might say, has no light of her own, but merely reflects the light from our solar system's greatest star, the Sun. As the saying goes, "As Above, So Below"; so one might see this as metaphorical of our own situation. In this sense, particularly as Christians, we are taught that we are mere reflectors of the glory of 'God', but, as we have come to know; this Glory is not something that shines upon us, like the relationship of the Moon to the Sun, but rather; a Light that shines from Within, as We will It, consciously or unconsciously ( some haven't learned yet, what a Light they ARE )!

In the West, even in the Near East, religiously speaking, the Moon is perceived as Female while the Sun is perceived as Male. Perhaps this is one reason for the ascendancy of the patriarchy, since the female is viewed as receptive, while the male is viewed as proceptive. In matter of fact, the male & female sexual organs seem to bear this out. As such then, the female has been supposed to be the submissive one, 'the weaker vessel', as She has often been called. This, as any man who has ever had the good fortune to come face to face with a woman should know, could not be further from the Truth!

The Divine is Within every living Creature, both Male & Female! Some have even proposed that It exists within ALL Creation, even what we often refer to as 'inanimate'! As such, we may know that upon whomever we happen to rest out gaze, we are looking into a Mirror; Divinity stares back at us, even into our very soul, as some have said. In this sense, we may be seen as reflectors, though certainly not 'merely'. I must give this caveat, however; the Divinity is easier to detect in some than in others, in fact, It might seem nearly impossible to perceive in certain people!

No matter how deeply buried under the human psyche It might be, however, this Spark of Divinity, as it is often termed, DOES exist in ALL of humanity! Again, It is buried deeper, under more layers, in a manner of speaking, in some more than others, One may be assured though; It IS there! All that we must do is patiently coax it out of hiding. Whether we're speaking professionally, as is growing ever more popular, of therapy, or simply of meditational practices, which is therapy in itself, there's nothing better than self-therapy, much like self-medication. Along those lines, professional therapy could be likened to institutional religion, in that it seeks for healing from an outside source, rather than, as with meditation, searching Within for the Answer. This is not to say that either of these, institutional religion or professional therapy, are without worth, just that both of these tend to detract, or distract from our own Worth. This, of course, depends largely on the practitioner!

One of my favorite lines from the move 'The Matrix', is "I can only show you the door; you must walk through it". Note how similar this is to the old adage, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". Come to think of it, along with the ascendancy of the patriarchy, maybe trying to force the horse, so to speak, has been one of the major societal issues we have to recover from! However one chooses to perceive it, much less act on it, Divinity, like righteousness, cannot be forced, or legislated. We must go within ourselves first, to find our own Divinity, before we can ever hope to see it within the other, much less reveal it to them as the Reflector we are. To some of us, these words might sound almost familiar, as "first remove the beam from your own eye, then you may see clearly to remove the speck from the other's". ( yes, I purposely removed the patriarchal reference ) 

As Reflectors then, We function both as Receptive & Proceptive, Male & Female. First, We act out both the Male & Female aspect, proceptively searching out our own Divinity, then birthing, or revealings ( receptively ) within ourselves said Divinity, after which we may be receptive to the Divinity of the other ( for until we recognize It within ourselves, how will we recognize It in the other? ). If I may borrow from something I just read, we are, in this sense if no other, both 'the Alpha & Omega, the Beginning & the End ( Goal )'!

To unbury the Divinity within ourselves is both as easy ( 'simple' might be a better way of putting it ) & more difficult than it might seem at first glance! Depending, of course, on the level of instruction that one has received over the course of their lifetime, or even lifetimes, with the layers that any one of us has to dig through, carefully sifting out what is useful from what no longer serves us can be a very painful process. For those of who feel the pain of others as well as our own, this process can feel almost unbearable at times!

"As Above, So Below", the Spark of Divinity resides within All Creation! We may not force this Divinity to reveal Itself ( though we may gently coax It ); no, the best we can do is just BE. In our role as Reflector ( Moon ), we may be able to alert them to their own Divinity. As a warning, our Reflection can be a double-edged sword, so we must take great care how we exercise It, for, "Let's face it; everyone has their moments!"

In our Roles as Reflectors, We must remember that as Receptors of the Light, We are no less than the Light ourselves. The old saying, "this town isn't big enough for the both of us" surely doesn't fit here! The Light, like the Energy from which It emanates, indeed, which It IS, is Infinite. In order for the Other to perceive the Light within themselves, it must have a Reflection, so that they can see this Light & recognize it as coming from themselves. On the other hand, if we do not reflect It back to them, or reflect it wrongly, with the Ego, they may never perceive their Light for what It is. 

As such then, it might be truthfully said that we signify both the Sun & the Moon, being the embodiment of both the Female & Male Principle! "As Above, So Below"; we have been given to understand that the Moon simply reflects the light from the Sun when She shines, however brightly ( or not ) at night, but are we to understand this to be Her ONLY Power, that of a Receptor? The Answer should be more than obvious, just as any man who has had the good fortune to meet a woman face to face knows that they are most definitely NOT the weaker vessel!

Namaste' & Blessed Be, 

Sage Charles

The Complete Human; the Sum of the Gods ( the importance of being human )

 Ask the question, "What does it mean to be human?" of any number of people & you'll likely get as many different answers! For the most part, the answers may be similar, depending on who you ask: anything from "a sentient being" to Richard Rohr's "earth that has come to consciousness" Interestingly enough, researching the word online, one might find that some break the cardinal rule most of us old codgers were brought up with, "you can't define a word with the same word"! One definition I thought interesting was Merriam-Webster's; "a bipedal primate mammal". Most popularly though, in various ways, a human being is distinguishable from a mere animal.

"Welcome aboard the Starseed Enterprise!" In a previous post, I discussed how even our physical body is made up of energy, as well as the 'real' Us, the spiritual being that we are, being part & parcel with the Source ( call it 'God', 'the Universe', or Divine Energy; "It is what It is" ) of all Life. To reiterate, "we are NOT our physical bodies", though maybe more correctly, "we are not JUST our physical bodies"! 

We are the Gods of this world! A controversial statement, one might well note, but even Jesus called the Jewish leaders Gods. According to the Hebrew, a 'god' ( lowercase OR uppercase 'G' ) is simply 'a mighty one'; the problem is, most of us haven't figured out yet just HOW mighty we ARE!

By saying that we are the Gods of this world, I simply mean that we control the Narrative! No, not individually speaking but collectively speaking, humanity controls the greater Narrative! Therein lies the problem, if indeed one perceives it as such; the overwhelming majority of people, not realizing the Power they wield, have either yielded this Power to others, willingly or ignorantly, or else selfishly used this Power to their own ends, seemingly without a thought for the 'other'! This Narrative has been called 'The Dream of the Planet' by some. In one sense, I say, with Jesus: "We are Gods!", because of our Power of Choice. As I intimated, We, individually speaking, control our own Narrative. No, we cannot always control what happens TO us, but we CAN control HOW we respond, ALWAYS!

In another sense too, I say "We are Gods!" because We, in Essence, are One with the Source of All Life! Speaking, of course, of the Spark of Divinity that lies within ALL of humanity, I realize that it is evident in some more than others; in fact, in many, it's almost, if not impossible to glimpse. One might note here though, that yet another aspect of our Godhood is our ability, our Power to bring to light the Divinity within the other. I do not mean to say that we ourselves bring forth this Spark, but more to the effect that we Awaken the other to this Glorious Reality! "How do we do this?" one might ask. Simply by the words of Jesus ( for example ); by treating others how we ourselves would like to be treated. Of course, this example only really stands if we ourselves have accepted this Glorious Reality.   

Our acceptance/realization of this Glorious Reality, of course, is not what makes Us Gods, or mighty ones. As we have been seeing, it is not our awareness, as such, that gives us the Power of Choice: we ALL make choices, based, usually, on our individual perception. Depending on our individual perception then, unless one has awakened to the other's perception, we make & have to live with, those choices, whatever form they might manifest. However, once we have been awakened to this 'universal' perception ( 'the Dream of the Planet'/'the Matrix' ), our choices will begin to reflect this effect; rather than being based solely upon our own individual perception, they will be for the good of ALL, for we realize more & more that we ARE the other; we are all connected & what affects one affects the other, to whatever extent!

Being One with the Source of All Life does not either, for those who might have had this disturbing thought, mean that we bear the weight of the world on our often seemingly feeble shoulders! Because of the innate Godhood of ALL; everyone bears the weight of THEIR own individual choices. We, again, make our OWN choice as to how we respond to their choices, but we cannot choose for them: as a wise man once said, "I can only show you the door; YOU must walk through it!"

Everyone has their own Story, their own dream, their own perception! Most often, for whatever reason, this dream more closely jives with the dream of the planet as it is in this false reality, rather than the dream of the planet as it should be, or IS in True Reality ( whether we acknowledge It or not ), the Dream of Heaven. This Dream of Heaven, as opposed to the dream of hell that many or most are currently experiencing, is a Current Reality for those who have awakened to the aforementioned Glorious Reality that we are, not just the Sons & Daughters of God, but Goddesses & Gods in our own right! 

In this sense then, it is NOT, as I have postulated previously, ONLY our spiritual nature that gives our Godhood! It is our WHOLE being, including our Ego ( "gasp!" ), through which we make our choices & live our lives. Again, though they operate at a different frequency & vibrate at a much lower ( ? ) rate of speed, our physical bodies are "formed of the same Energy as our Spiritual Being". They are then, no less Constituent Elements of our Godhood than is our spiritual, or True Nature!

To be Truly Human is to be a God! ( "Yes, I said it!" ) As Gods, then, We cannot afford to ignore this Glorious Reality! The Dream of the Planet that we are currently living is not just any dream; it's a fucking nightmare! The only Way that we will awaken from this nightmare is first, to awaken ourselves, to realize & accept Who We are & where We came from. Second, by BEing Ourselves, to influence others by startling them with the Truth of who THEY are. In this Way, the Dream of the Planet, the Collective Consciousness will return us to the Garden, where We may freely eat of the Tree of Life & live forever!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

How To Love Yourself

 "Do you love yourself?"

If we are honest, the overwhelming majority of us would probably have to answer negatively. Whether we have been brought up to believe that we are marred by something called 'original sin', or we have been so conditioned by our culture that we feel we just don't measure up, most people really have no idea what it means to love oneself, much less how to do it.

"So tell us, oh Wise One; how DO we love ourselves?!"

Well, first of all; when it comes to loving oneself, I make no claims about being a Wise One or a guru: quite the opposite, in fact! I kinda suck at it, especially lately. Taking at face value the accepted notion of loving yourself, as in, "if you don't love yourself; how can you ( really ) love anybody else?"; what does it actually mean to love yourself? So, working our way in reverse, let's consider; if loving another means to care for them, whether that involves romantic ( ? ) feelings or not, respecting them & their needs, in essence, treating them as you yourself would like to be treated, then would that not suffice as an acceptable meaning? Actually, to those who have dared to ask this most important of questions, that probably would serve as a very acceptable, though maybe not the most concise answer. May we take this question at face value though? THAT is the question!

From a purely human standpoint; yes, one might well note that loving oneself involves respecting yourself to the point that, as don Miguel Ruiz suggests in the first of his Four Agreements, "Be impeccable with your word". Primarily of course, that would mean especially your word to yourself; IE, stop putting yourself down as you've been taught to do. Rather, remind yourself that you are worthy, you are perfect just the way you are, you ARE where you're supposed to be, blah, blah, blah..... Also, in that scenario, loving yourself might mean distancing yourself from certain people that you had previously, for whatever reason, counted as friends. "We just don't vibe anymore", "we're on different frequencies", "they're too negative for me", etc, etc, etc........... On the basis of being human, yes, all these suggestions have value, but are we not more than human?

We've discussed in this blog before how We ARE Love Itself, but what DOES that mean?! "The Bible says that God is Love, right?!" Again, "What does THAT mean?!" Does that even come close to the short list we read earlier in this post? "Do you mean to say that God is capable of human emotions?" No, Love, as we've discussed previously, is NOT an emotion! Sure, it is often, if not usually expressed, or manifested THROUGH the emotions, but It is not Itself an emotion. Humanly speaking, in the verbal sense, Love is an action. It is a choice we make, for instance, to treat others as we would ourselves like to be treated. 'Is THAT what Love is?" When we try to describe it from a merely human standpoint, It honestly seems to fall rather flat, like, "If there were no humans to manifest It, would Love even exist?" Stupid question, right? Sounds kinda like, "If a tree falls in the forest & there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

It has been suggested that Love, like Light, is simply Energy. So, if Love is Energy & Everything is Energy, wouldn't that mean that Everything is........................ "Wait, even Rocks?!" Actually, that's not what I'm saying.............but, interesting thought! It's really not quite THAT simple, is it? Love is Energy, yes, but does that necessarily mean that Energy is Love?! Hmmmmm! "It's getting deep in here!" So maybe here is where we get into Frequencies. If Love is just a higher frequency of Energy.......... Maybe then, animals ARE capable of Love! Or are we so vain as to think human beings are the only species that have evolved that far? For that matter, how ABOUT Rocks?! Does not the Bible itself say "even the rocks will cry out" ( Luke 19:40b )? 

But, I digress.............. "Is Love simply Energy?" As above, so below; no, it's not that simple! Love is Energy, yes, but it is not just mindless protons & neutrons doing the dance of Life; or ARE they?! Hmmmmmmmmmm! I'm going to suggest that Love is an Intelligent Energy! Now, is It intelligent because of its higher frequency? "This just keeps getting deeper & deeper!" So, before we completely fall down the rabbit-hole...

It must be understood that We ARE More than human. As someone once said, "we are spiritual beings having a human experience".  "We just can't seem to stay away from that rabbit-hole, now can we?!" What IS a 'spiritual being? Why, a Being of pure Spirit, of course, right? What is 'Spirit'? "Might as well ask what Love is!' Oh, wait................. Okay, so Everything is Energy, right?! That would include Spirit, yes!? So, lets say that Spirit is Energy that resonates at that higher frequency, like Love! That would make sense then, when the Bible says "God is Love". In that case then, a 'Spiritual Being' would simply be a Being that vibrates at a higher frequency, the Frequency of Love!

Speaking of protons & neutrons ( ? ); I'm obviously not a scientist, but I've heard something to the effect that atoms, which are apparently made up of the protons & neutrons, vibrate at such intensity that they become more or less dense, as a 'matter' of fact! Whatever the case may be then, these vehicles, which we call the human body, are not just 'a prison for the soul', as we ( Gnostics ) have been accused of teaching, but are actually part & parcel with our very Being. So, technically, the phrase ( which I have often myself used ), 'we are not our bodies' would be better phrased, 'we are not JUST our bodies'. "These physical husks will perish", I have taught, "but the Spirit remains". This, however, is not quite the Truth! As a wise man once said, in other words, "Energy never dies; it is simply transformed". In fact, then, these physical husks do NOT perish, though they may be unrecognizable as such; they are simply transformed, alchemized if you will. "Are we our physical bodies?" Yes & No. "We are More than these bodies, these vehicles, yes, but our True Identities are not bound up in them. Our True Identities are Spiritual, which means they vibrate at such a high frequency that they are rather insubstantial. "Another rabbit-hole?!" No, not really: read on for the startling conclusion!

Though we have come dangerously close to following the White Rabbit & falling down the rabbit-hole, we're still on track, trying to remember how to love ourselves. One doesn't need to have come from a Christian background to be familiar with the concept of treating these vessels as a temple; however, coming from the Christian background I do, it is very familiar to me that "we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit" ( I Corinthians 6:19 ). Though I know that we are the Spirit that is housed by this Body, or Temple, I hold this, as much of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures, to be Truth, though often esoterically so. As such then, we owe it to these Vehicles, 'husks' though they may be, to venerate & respect them as the Temples they are! At the same time, though, we must be careful not to make the same mistake the original audience of those Greek & Hebrew Scriptures made! This Temple is, in this sense, merely transient; it is the Spirit Within that is Eternal!

In conclusion, then & to answer our original query; "How DO we love ourselves?" One might note the Answer to be two-fold, though closely related: as far as this Temple goes; "treat it with the respect it deserves, being formed of the same Energy as our Spiritual Being, our True Nature, one might say". Be impeccable with your Word, first, to yourself, then to others. Respect for your Temple means not letting others disrespect your Temple either. There is something to distancing oneself from those who vibe differently, bring in an aura of negativity, etc, etc.  I say this, not that we are better than them, but sometimes it is necessary to heal ourselves first in order to teach them how to heal themselves. ( I'm tearing up as I pen these Words ). 

Finally & most importantly ( Supremely so ); "We ARE Love"! This is our True Nature. Yes, primarily our Spirit, our Higher Self, which vibrates at such frequency that It is not visible to the physical senses, is that which is in the spotlight here, but, "as Above, so Below", the physical manifestation of our Spirit, marred though it may have been by eons of fear & ignorance, is no less worthy of our love & respect. 

In Essence, then, to Love Oneself means, first of all, to realize Who & What We are, that We ARE Love! For that matter, our Vehicles, these physical 'husks' are 'made' out of Love! Knowing these two startling truths, it is only natural that, when we begin to offer ourselves the worship WE deserve, the world that John Lennon 'Imagined' will begin to unfold before us ( I'm crying again )! In the immortal words of another famous Artist; "May it Be!"

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The Purpose-Driven Life

For the overwhelming majority of my adult life, particularly early on, I wandered more or less aimlessly, it would seem, with almost no discernible purpose. This, of course, is not to say that I indeed had no purpose: I just, at that point anyway, did not perceive it as such. Even after more than 50 trips around the sun, on this go-round anyway, I'm still not able to give much elucidation on the subject! Which brings up the question at hand: "Is it necessary to have a purpose in Life?" Another question that might well be asked is, "is 'purpose' simply a man-made construct, like Time?" 

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, a purpose is 'something set up as an object or end to be attained'. Now, not to be overly sarcastic, but if that doesn't say 'man-made': I don't know what does. Just because it IS man-made, however, does NOT mean that it's wrong, or even a bad idea; having purpose, or an end-goal is normally thought of as a good thing, right?! It IS a good thing to have purpose, or intentions for any good one does, or wishes to do, in this Life. On the other hand, though; it is NOT a good idea if one intends, selfishly, to do whatever she or he wishes, no matter the consequences to others. This is most often referred to as 'evil'. In other words, then, 'man-made' doesn't mean that we should disregard or flout something; 'Time' for instance. Time, yes, is merely a conception of humanity, but, as we live in a world full of humanity; "when in Rome.........", or something like that........... Purpose, on the other hand, being a simple conception as well, is a bit easier to dismiss, although maybe more as a noun than a verb. To not have a ( stated ) purpose in life is not the end of the world, although in the hustling, bustling busyness of today's world, some sort of purpose is a necessity if one wants to get anywhere in what some have called The Dream of the Planet. 

When a person is consumed by their Purpose, they are often referred to as being 'driven'. Now, again, in the Day & Age in which we live, it has become pretty much a necessity, not only to be able to state, or elucidate ones purpose, but to be able to focus on that end-goal until it is achieved; after that, of course, it is usually obligatory to move on to the next one. Again, too, this is not necessarily either good or bad, depending on the intentions of the person. 

Being 'driven' brings up questions as well: 'What are you driven by?" "Why are you 'driven' by it?" This is not to say either, that being 'driven' itself is necessarily a bad thing. One may feel 'driven' in order to take care of their wife, kids, etc., although, even there, we may come face to face with some sort of attachment issues. If one is 'driven', however, just to get ahead ( at ALL costs ), to 'keep up with the Joneses' or some other purely selfish reason, then this person may need to take a look at their life & realize that their issues are more than skin-deep. 

On the other hand, we must consider what it really means to be 'driven'! To be driven is to be controlled by, either the desire or perceived need to do whatever one can to achieve their end-goal. Humanly speaking, this isn't necessarily a bad thing; in fact, in this day & age, it is normally thought of as a good thing. However, as More than human, we cannot allow ourselves to be controlled by our lower emotions, such as need or desire, both of which can be defined, more or less, as 'lust'!

The issue at hand then, it would seem, is 'Control'! On the surface, control is a good thing, right?! "Control yourself!' is a big one. Being in control of your emotions ( holding it in? ) is normally thought of to be a good thing. "Get ahold of yourself, man" comes to mind. This is not to say that control is necessarily a bad thing either. Again, in this day & age especially, being in control of your lower emotions is a good idea. For instance, if one of these lower emotions prompts you to do something that is inadvisable, for whatever reason, it is probably best to rein in that lower emotion, whatever it is. On the other hand, though: "Religion," they say, "was invented to control the masses." Sometimes, it would seem, the masses MUST be controlled. The problem, though, is that the masses were never MEANT to be controlled; the masses, individually speaking, are meant to control themselves. Saying that "religion was invented to control the masses" usually means, not simply trying to keep the masses under control, or acting correctly, but propagating a particular way of acting, namely their own. This again, is not necessarily a bad thing, if it is a good religion, but too often, those in power use their power selfishly, to their own selfish ends, rather than for the good of all concerned. Unfortunately, in such cases, these abuses of power usually give the religion itself a bad name ( if it doesn't already have one ). On the other hand, if ones religion helps him or her to control their own urges, this is a good religion, though it be wrongly applied sometimes. In Essence, Self Control, not Organized Religion, is the Answer we seek!

To get back to our Purpose here, being Driven is not in itself a bad thing. The issue is what one is driven to do & why one is driven to do it. If, as in many cases, one is driven by the norms of society, then that one must examine their own heart, as to whether they're following their heart or simply obeying the dictates of Society. 

Again & finally, it is good to have purpose in your life. Is it necessary to have a definable purpose, a stated purpose? My readers must answer this question for themselves, but in my opinion, being able to 'state your purpose' is overrated. This may be semantics, but 'intention' is better than 'purpose'! My intention, for all of this thing we call Life, is to simply BE. "Is that the same as 'Purpose'?" Again; "You be the judge!" In my opinion though, 'intention' speaks more to our Will, our Power, whereas 'purpose' has more a connotation, at least in popular ( religious ) use of something coming from outside ourselves, as in 'God', 'Allah', etc. So, in conclusion; does it really matter if one cannot state what his or her purpose in life is? No, not really, though there is nothing wrong, either, with being able to state ones purpose. In my opinion, it is better to state ones intentions, but hey, maybe that's just me: I AM rather semantical after all!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

21 Grams; the Aura of Divinity

 When Caycee woke up that morning so long ago, she intuitively knew that something had changed!

'No; that wasn't quite right"............... Nothing had changed, for she felt like it had been there all along, but overnight, a long night it seemed, her perception had been altered. Almost imperceptibly at first,  Caycee was beginning to see colors! "No, it wasn't like she had previously been like a deer in the headlights, seeing only the base lights, or even just the most basic spectrum"........... Caycee was starting to see a faint glow of colorful rays of light emanating, first, from those she was more or less familiar & even intimate with, then, as she became more accustomed to this strange new phenomenon, even from total strangers. "These 'total strangers', of course, were not strangers at all, at least not totally, as they were acquaintances from previous lives that she simply had not yet met in this life!"

The year was 2032; Caycee, along with her 'invisible friend', Ed, who had been a constant since as long as she could remember, was really only one among many who were beginning to notice these 'colors'. The Day had finally come, as had long been prophesied, that we would, not only see each other through the 5 senses, but would 'know' the other by the aura that emanated from them! Many of those who first began to witness this 'strange' phenomenon blindly took their physicians word for it, that they were simply "seeing things", that what they thought they were seeing was merely an optical illusion. "Some foreign object must have gotten in your eye & is obstructing your view", they were told. Some of these even took these doctor's recommendations & had lengthy, extensive & expensive surgery to 'correct' this issue. For these & others, it was as if they had returned to the Matrix; life became 'normal' again: no longer were they seeing their neighbor's moods, they just made the mistakes they had always made, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, looking for love in all the wrong places & just generally making a mess of life!

The 'Change', for Caycee at least, had been a more or less gradual one. It wasn't quite as if she had simply woken up one day with a different perspective. Looking back on her 'normal' life, previous to The Big Change, Caycee had pretty much followed the crowd in the The Big Dream, the illusion of society. A nice big house with a white picket fence, two ( or more ) cars in the garage, 1.5 kids, a 9-5 that paid just enough to keep food on the table & the lights burning, a spouse that stoked the home fires & credit card debt up the wazoo ( whatever that is ). She had been there, done that & she was tired; tired of the rat-race, tired of 'normal' ( 'normal' was EXHAUSTING! )! So, when Don came along & showed her that there was a different, a better way of knowing, Caycee began to see things, well................differently!

Though the Change was itself gradual, Caycee immediately began to notice that things were not quite as they seemed! For instance, she had always accepted without question that 'normal' was the way things had always been, that it was normal to be selfish, that it was normal to own things. Our property consisted, not only of the land on which we lived, the house that we lived in, the vehicles we drove, but the animals we kept, as well: in some extreme cases, even our spouses were said to belong to us, if you can imagine! Thanks to the ministrations of this new friend, as well as myriad others, Caycee gained a whole new perspective on life: "we cannot & do not 'own' other individuals, including animals"; at most, we simply serve as stewards. When it comes to real estate, or land, we actually belong to It, rather than It to us. Our physical shells, anyway, consist of the Four Elements of our Mother Earth & upon expiration, will return to the Elements from which they came. Initially, of course, they will simply take the next turn in the Wheel of Life, providing food for the myriad of life-forms upon this Earth.

Caycee had been brought up, like so many others, in a religious setting, particularly in the Institution known as 'Church'. She knew then, about the spiritual aspect of life, of 'her', but she realized, thanks to Don & Others like him, that she didn't have to wait for the 'Afterlife' to enjoy Heaven on Earth. She could BE there Now! "It was her choice; always was, in fact!" She had always been taught that our choices determined whether we ended up in 'Heaven' or 'Hell' ( actually, the Church she was raised in taught that her fate had already been determined ), but now her eyes were open to the fact that in the dream of the planet, it was the normality of life itself that creates the 'hell' that so many spend an eternity in. On the other hand, strangely enough, even though they still, to some extent, blindly follow this broken dream, some manage to live in a 'heaven' of sorts, though they don't realize or acknowledge it.

So, to get to the point; Caycee KNEW that We were More than simple human beings: even the Institutional Church had taught Her that She had a soul. What it had failed to teach Her was that She WAS a Soul, that it was the Spirit within Her that defined Her, that made Her Who She was. The Husk that She wore, glorious as it was & integrally woven through with Her very Being, was simply a Vehicle for Her Spirit, her True Self. 

Knowing, as She did now, that Life would never be the same, Her Ego began to put in some major overtime: "How can I get the word out before this person or that passes away?" "How can I make them understand before it's too late?" "What can I DO?!" The Answer, with a little help from Her Friends, came just as quickly: "Let it be"! "We can only take care of what is our responsibility, the rest is up to them". They must make the choice.  This being the case, Caycee realized finally that there was really nothing she COULD do! She could only BE Herself & 'let the chips fall where they may', so to speak.

Much time had passed since that fateful Day. Caycee, once used to knowing others through her five senses, now knew Them more intimately through Their Aura & by the Energy They radiated. She knew without a word passing between Them how the Other was feeling & thus could more easily share in Their joys, or commiserate with Them in Their sorrows. As the phenomenon spread throughout the world, Those in the medical field were much quicker to appoint a more accurate diagnosis of Their patient's ailments. "Unfortunately yes, at this stage of evolution, there were still many who had not discovered Their Gift & so succumbed to the Dis-ease that plagues us all, in one way or another. For some too, it just came too late, sadly.

To say that Caycee saw things clearly now is a bit of an understatement. Not only did She see through the Eye of Her understanding; everywhere She looked, She saw all the colors of the rainbow, which, incidentally corresponded almost exactly with the seven chakras. Though at first this could be a bit uncomfortable, Caycee quickly became accustomed to the freedom brought about through this strange phenomena. With this new-found freedom, of course, came more responsibility. Because She knew immediately when the Other was being dishonest with Her ( "thanks, Ed!" ), that responsibility involved tactfully uncovering their dishonesty & facing Them with Her Truth. "As you can imagine, especially at first, things didn't always turn out well for Her!

More & more people were waking up to the glorious fact that We are More than just a bag of bones!  The Colors that Caycee had begun to see on that Day not so long ago, though it seemed like forever, were now open to the Eyes of so many Others! The Revolution had begun that day, the 21st of December, 2032. That Winter Solstice surely DID signal the coming of the Light!

As we approach the Winter Solstice of the year 2022, let us purpose in our hearts to open our Eye, as did Caycee, that we may become more in tune, not only with the Other, Who is actually Us in a different suit, but with our Mother Earth.

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles

Joseph & the Tree of Life

Since Joseph had no attachments, his mother having passed away several years ago, he decided to do a bit of travel. Living on the Mountain-top near the northernmost peak of the Cradle of Civilization, it was only natural ( some might say 'coincidental' ) that Joseph decided to follow  'The Fertile Crescent' south, into what is now referred to as 'the Dark Continent'. The deeper into this strange new land he went, however, the more Joseph wanted to explore the wonders he bore witness to. Though this new land was similar in some aspects to the land of his nativity, it was also very different! As he traveled further south in this amazing landmass, Joseph encountered many wondrous sites, from the lush, verdant Valley of the Nile to the mountainous heights of what are now known as the Eastern Rift mountains, where he bore witness to a mountain much higher than any he had ever seen in his own country, as well as a body of water many times larger than the one his Grandfather had fished. 

Following the River, as his Mother had taught him, our intrepid Traveler began his descent from these withering heights & came into regions more like he was accustomed to, from lush fertile valleys to almost barren, but still beautiful, deserts. Joseph, as he traveled though jungle regions & open plains alike, began to appreciate the stories that had been passed down to him of his exalted Grandfather's own period of wilderness wanderings. Though his own country was not home to any jungle regions such as the ones he encountered here, Joseph was witness to many wonderful things in these densely wooded areas which were similar to the forests which he had explored in his youth, except that these areas were even more closely populated by trees & of course, being now well south of the equator, these regions were much warmer, with a much more diverse range of both flora & fauna. It was in these Jungles that Joseph experienced much the same as his Grandfather had in the wilderness of what is now known as Palestine!

The Trees, in their looming silence, spoke to Joseph in ways that no other Form of Life ever had. They taught him that, no matter what life throws at you, when you stand firm, even if it means bending & bowing with life's breezes, however great or small, you will end up the stronger for it. The Trees also taught Joseph that by simply growing where you're planted, through the Elements of Earth, Air, Water & Fire, One can become a mighty Forest, or Jungle, a veritable Tree of Life for the healing of the nations. With these & many other lessons, Joseph continued his Journey South, until at last he came to the End of his Journey, a small but significant baobab tree in a deserted region that would become known as the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

One might say that our intrepid Traveler was a long way from home, but as his exalted Grandfather had found, He WAS Home. No matter where he traveled, as long as he understood the Message of the Trees, He, like the mighty Tortoise, or Turtle, carried His Home with Him wherever He might go, or be. However, as the case may be, Joseph, like most human beings, longed for the land of His Nativity, the land with which He had, in His short life thus far, become most familiar & which He had great love for! Most of all, Joseph longed for the little cabin that His Grandfather had built for Him & His Mother, those many years ago!

Having come to the End of His Journey & knowing even then that His Journey had just begun, Joseph laid a peculiar blessing on this particular Tree, out of all others around, knowing that it would weather the storms of life for millenia to come! This particular Tree stands firm, even today, in the desert region that Joseph visited almost 2,000 years ago! It is a Testimony, as others like it around the Globe ( some have stood for even longer ), of the valuable lessons that Joseph garnered from the Trees all along His Journey.

After many Seasons, through highs & lows, snows & rains; Joseph returned at last to the Land of His Nativity! He had learned many things in His travels, not only about the diversity of Life Without, but of the Life Within. Many times we are, as Joseph was, faced with seemingly impassible mountains & deserts, by the wildness of Life, whether it be flora or fauna, but when we realize, as Joseph did, our awesome Oneness, even Wildness with ALL of It, then we will stand like those Trees. Joseph took many lessons to heart along His Journey South, but the greatest He learned from the Trees!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The Boundaries of Love

"Wait, Wait, Wait a minute.......................'Love & Boundaries'? Do these terms really go together?!"

For readers of this blog, this may seem like territory we've explored previously; I may even be accused of sounding like a broken record, but, 'Unconditional Love': "Doesn't that sound kinda like 'Love Without Bounds'?" Well, Yes & No ( Yin & Yang? )! As in all of Life, Balance is of utmost importance! In order to be truly a manifestation of the Love We ARE, "Yes", the Love we show others must be without condition, but, in the sense ( humanly speaking ) that we must first love ourselves before we can love our neighbor, we have to set boundaries. If Life has taught us anything, it's that most ( not all ) people will walk all over us if we let them!

"Love", as I've written previously, "is a many splintered thing" ( my sarcastic take on the popular phrase, "Love is a many splendored thing!" ) This 'love' of which I speak is more closely related to 'lust', which is not necessarily a bad thing ( more on this later ) By "a many splintered thing": I'm referring to the fact that, if we're not careful, 'love' can bite us in the ass! Kinda like straddling the banister: it can be a fun ride, but if we're not careful, we might end up with a splinter in our butt, or worse! This is not to say that we should shy away from physical shows of affection, whether it be sexual in nature, or simply just that most important 'human contact', that which helps us to thrive. We were 'made' for this ( human contact ) & just like a plant, for instance, when we don't receive the necessary nutrients, we tend to fade away. Going for too long without the necessary nutrients, this physical body will go the way of the world, as it simply part of the great Circle of Life, like the plants & all the other animals! In words more plain, "this physical body will pass away, returning to the elements of which it is made!"

"As Above, so Below," in all of Life, "Balance is Key!" We must maintain a Strict Balance between loving others & caring for ourselves! In this sense then, if ONLY this sense, Love MEANS Boundaries! Setting Boundaries on our 'love' does not necessarily mean that we love some less than others ( though this is inevitable, humanly speaking ), it simply means that we have come to realize that "we can't pour water from an empty vessel", IE, if we don't ensure that we are gleaning the necessary nutrients for ourselves, we will be useless to anyone else. Getting to the Center of this post, however; when we realize our OWN Worth, that WE are the Fountain of Love & that any Love we give flows from Within, We realize that, in Reality, We do not need all the physical trappings in order to thrive: the Love Within us is More than enough & We are More than Worthy!

I've said it before & I'll say it again; "If we have the physical, but don't have the spiritual, the physical is worthless & if we have the spiritual, the physical is not necessary!" I realize that this may sound contrary to what I stated earlier, that "when we don't receive the necessary nutrients, we tend to fade away", but this is, in Essence, where we get into the nitty gritty, or the Heart of the Matter! "As Above, so below"; once We realize & accept that We are ( primarily ) spiritual beings having a human ( physical ) experience, once we transcend, or move beyond the attachments that naturally come with this human experience, even with the understanding mentioned previously, that "if we don't ensure that we are gleaning the necessary nutrients for ourselves, we will be useless to anyone else", it becomes clear that, not only can we glean these necessary nutrients from others; most importantly, we glean them from our OWN store, from our Divine Selves!

As Part & Parcel with the Source of All Life, call It 'God", 'the Universe", or just simply "Energy", We, even humanly speaking, have all we really need! Acknowledging that we are 'spiritual beings having a human experience' means accepting that experience for what it is ( call it 'Life' ). In this Flesh, this physical body, we experience things like loneliness, the longing to feel that human touch, etc., etc. I cannot deny the reality of feelings such as these, for in this human existence, they ARE a VERY real concern! However, relying on these feelings for the basis of our existence, In Essence, identifying with these feelings to the point that they become the Meaning of Life for us leads us to believe that without all these physical trappings, or attachments, we are nothing. In this human experience, we cannot escape these feelings. It is not even that we must endeavor to escape, or squelch them either, for there is nothing actually wrong with feelings; they are a necessary part of this human experience we call Life, but we must learn not to rely on our feelings ( I realize this goes against sayings like "go with your gut", etc. )! Feelings most often seem to flow as if with the wind, so anything based on feelings is likely to do the same!

Again though, Feelings are not necessarily a bad thing! If, for example, we get the feeling that the love ( energy ) we are sharing isn't being reciprocated ( returned in kind ), then we might make the choice to move on, to find somewhere ( someone? ) that we feel that love returned in kind, We may feel that our efforts aren't really appreciated, so we may choose to close that book & start a whole new chapter in our lives. Such feelings, even the choices we might make based on those feelings are not necessarily wrong, they just are ( "It is what it is" ). We must exercise extreme caution though, in basing our choices on our feelings, for more often than not, this leads to necessary heartache. Sometimes we must needs go through this experience, though it hurts like hell. Experience is usually the best teacher!

Our Feelings are an integral part of Us! Even as Divine Beings, our Feelings, that necessary aspect of our Humanity, ARE a manifestation of Who we are, not only as Human Beings, but as Divine Beings! One might say that we can't have one without the other ( let THAT sink in! ). Neither are Feelings 'a necessary evil'; again, for example, our 'gut feeling' may tell us to leave a toxic situation, but in the same vein, we might feel that, by staying, we can change, or heal the other person. In such a case, we must determine in ourselves whether these ( feelings ) are generated in our Higher ( spiritual ) or lower ( physical ) nature. By Higher, I refer to the Divine, The lower nature is that which is controlled by Lust, or the illusion of Want/Need! ( Remember, We HAVE everything we need, We ARE everything we really need! )

Being Human myself; I'll be the first to acknowledge that, "It ain't easy ( "bein' cheesy"; sorry, just HAD to throw that in there )". Having these Feelings really sucks sometimes! By denying those Feelings, for whatever reason, we may end up biting our own ass though, because, again, humanly speaking, when we disavow those feelings, thus allowing ourselves to 'bottle them up', sweeping them under the rug, so to speak, those Feelings WILL come back to haunt us, sooner or later & usually at the most inopportune moment! We ARE Mr. Murphy in that case, ie., our own worst enemy!

If, however, we can transmute/transform those Feelings/Energies through our Higher ( Divine ) Nature, we may begin to notice that it's not always about us! For instance, the love we give others not being reciprocated is not necessarily a reflection on us, ie., that they don't love us, but simply that they don't love themselves & thus don't really know HOW to love us. The other side of the coin is that we may feel unworthy because they & others have told us this all our lives: it doesn't mean that we ARE, just that we feel that way. ( This is why I don't rely on my feelings, humanly speaking ) On the other hand, again, we may come to trust our Feelings as they are transformed into what is often called that 'gut feeling', which is better known as 'Intuition'!

'Sure", you might be thinking, "Balance is a good thing, but It's also easier said than done!" Yes. Yes, It is! The Rewards however are worth it. Peace of Mind ( less Stress ), off the top of my head, is the foremost reason! Imagine living without the stress of "Why doesn't he/she love me?" "What can I do/not do to make him/her reciprocate my love?' ( nothing ) "What am I doing WRONG?" ( again, 'nothing', at least if you are acting from your Higher Nature ) Even, "What can I do ( to better myself, be a better lover, better wife/girlfriend, husband/boyfriend, etc. )?" Once we realize that we can only BE ourselves, we can only change our OWN actions, that WE are indeed responsible for OUR lives alone, than we WILL change our Course; our Lives will take on a more brilliant hue. We will be truly FREE!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The 'Dark Knight' of the Soul & the Sounds of Creation

I've often said, concerning other matters maybe, though integrally related, "It's taken this long to get to where we are: it's going to take at least that long to get back to where we should be!" While on a nationalistic ( political ) level, there may seem to be some truth there, even some wisdom; this statement really doesn't ring all that true, especially on a personal level. Of course, for many, or most, it may actually take longer to sort through all the muck to figure out where we went wrong, or even if we DID go wrong! So many have been taught that living for ourselves is simply selfish, manipulating us to the point that we feel guilty for feeling good while others suffer. This is not to say that being empathetic is a bad thing ( it's not: it's actually very natural & laudable ), but being empathetic doesn't mean that we should take care of others to our own detriment!

I'm not much for New Year's resolutions ( I know, I know, it's coming up soon...............AGAIN ), but at the beginning of this year I decided that I would endeavor to remove the word 'should' from my vocabulary, or at least not to use it nearly as often. "I SHOULD do this, I SHOULDN'T do that, etc, etc"! I can't blame others, either, for making me feel guilty; it's my own choice, though that is the way I was taught. Still, for the most part ( here's where 'empathy' comes into play ), they were only teaching me what they knew, having been taught much the same. As Sean Connery said when the book fell on his head, "I can only blame my shelf!"

'The Dark Night of the Soul" is a phrase referring to a period that everyone, at some point in their lives & to whatever extent, goes through. Whether it's brought on by the death of a loved one, a divorce ( of whatever sort ), or the realization that things just aren't working out & that we need to make some major changes; it is a period, of varying length ( some might argue that it's lifelong ) where one is pretty much forced to do some major soul-searching! "Why do I feel this way?" "Is this REALLY how I feel, or is it a societal/cultural projection?" "What can I do/what do I NEED to do to get back to where I want to be?" These are questions, among others, that we might ask ourselves during these 'dark' times.

"As Above, so Below', it is during these times that we are led by the Spirit, whether we acknowledge It or not, to embark on our own individual journey of self-examination & introspection. The Universe DOES work in mysterious way, so inspiration could come from anywhere. We might find these bits & pieces helpful to our own situation, we might even find ourselves garnering Strength from un-looked-for places, people or things, but ultimately, the Strength we're looking for, the Strength we NEED must come, indeed can ONLY come from Within! 

Of needs it must be that this 'dark night' looks different for different people: for some, it may involve physical trauma, trauma which they themselves have either experienced or engendered ( sometimes both ) & because misery most often ( not always ) loves company, unfortunately, sometimes those who have been abused themselves become abusers, since that is what they know. With the correct reaction to feelings of empathy & often outside help or inspiration, those abused are able to turn their situation into a learning experience where they can thus help or inspire others.

Yet another type of trauma is that alluded to earlier, trauma to the fragile psyche, brought on by religious training! This type of trauma can actually be more deadly & longer lasting, with even more far-reaching implications. Of course, this sort of trauma is often directly & inextricably linked with the more physical side, as well! This sort of trauma is really of a more insidious nature, for, while they may be purporting to be all about love & good will, the doctrine & dogma they're spreading are actually full of hate & ill will, teaching separation, rather than inclusion. It is only through the relaxation of the Mind that we can find our way out of the darkness, for it is only through openness that we become aware that those parts even exist!

Once we become aware of our darkness ( not necessarily a bad thing ), we must not only accept that darkness for what it is, an integral part of our humanity; we must learn to use that darkness to fight our way back into the light! In the yin & yang of things, we, as human beings anyway, are comprised of both Light & Dark, what is often called Good & Evil. This is not to say that Good can only be Light or that Dark must needs be Evil, for it is always our free will choice as to whether we will be controlled ( by either side ) or whether we will control our emotions to do what we KNOW to be right & just & good, whether Dark or Light.

The battle between Good & Evil is thus one that begins & ends Within! We must decide, not so much whether we will allow our Dark or Light side to win, but whether we will allow ourselves to be controlled by that former trauma, of whatever shape, or whether we will control our own narrative! This may sound a little petty, but "YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!" Ultimately, we must live our OWN lives, make our OWN choices, etc, etc. WE & ONLY WE are in control of our Story. Sure, we can be influenced, we may even be inspired by outside influences, for good or ill, but again, ultimately we must make that choice, the same choice that the biblical figure Cain was faced with, to control our emotions or be controlled by them: we all know how that ended!

"As Above, so Below", then; when we learn to use our trauma, in essence taking it as a lesson ( a hard one, for sure), our former trauma, though it will inevitably leave its scars, to whatever extent, can not only be healed; it can be used to help others heal their own trauma, or perhaps even to avoid trauma altogether! The Universe DOES work in mysterious ways & we may end up being one of those 'mysterious ways'!

But first, we must heal ourselves; as the old adage goes, "you can't pour water from a broken vessel!" Actually, that's not quite true, for though it is broken, it may be pieced back together, so technically, it's still broken, though it has been healed, or made whole: 'Broken' or 'Whole'; if we choose to use our trauma, to accept our Darkness, the Light in us may help others to recognize their own Darkness & so doing, to learn to accept & heal their own personal trauma!

Again, being an Empath needn't mean that we help others heal to our own detriment. Being an Empath simply means that while we may feel the emotions of others, even experiencing their trauma to some extent, maybe; it is our personal choice that decides how their personal trauma affects us. Just like our own personal trauma, as only we can determine whether to view it as a lesson or to flounder in it; by showing them how we took control of that trauma, maybe. just maybe, we can inspire them to take the reins of their trauma & to heal themselves!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The Etymology of Witchcraft

'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.' 

 Exodus 22:18 ( Authorized King James Version )

 

Witch trials were most frequent in England in the first half of the 17th-century. They reached their most intense phase during the English civil war of the 1640s and the Puritan era of the 1650s. This was a period of intense witch hunts, known for witch hunters such as Matthew Hopkins. - Wikipedia

 

Having fully now entered this Fall season, with its most popularly celebrated holiday, Halloween, looming on the horizon, what better time to rediscover what witches are & why they are not to be feared so much as they are worthy of a healthy respect, even [ 'gasp' ] our 'worship'! Now, before my readers remove my head from my shoulders, or burn me at the stake, I would remind you that, as I've noted previously, 'to worship' means 'to ascribe worth to'. ( In that sense, if that sense alone, it could be well said that we worship ourselves. ) You may ask why we should ascribe worth to 'witches'. Simply put, they are Guardians of the Earth & Her Creatures ( Mother Nature ). 'Hollywood Witches', as they're portrayed in movies & TV shows, on the other hand, are NOT so, but are simply the product of the imaginations of fearful & superstitious people. Fear, as is often the case, is a great motivator!

'Imagine, if you will, the world of 1611 Europe ( King James )'. The political fervor of the time, among other concerns, was a Europe embroiled in the infamous witch trials, AKA 'The Burning Times'. although, as this article maintains, witches may not have been the primary targets of these 'Dark' times. In today's understanding, witches & witchcraft bear the marks most notably. The purpose of this writing is to show how the modern ( religious? ) understanding, or 'misunderstanding', rather, of these two terms is based largely in the context of the times in which they were introduced in a negative light to society as a whole. 'Are witches necessarily wicked?' 'Is witchcraft necessarily evil?' The answer must be a resounding 'NO', although, admittedly, 'witches' CAN be what is often termed 'evil' & 'witchcraft' itself CAN be directed to selfish, or 'wicked' purposes!

What constitutes a 'witch' & what IS 'witchcraft'? Wiccans, though not every Wiccan is a witch & not every witch is a Wiccan, refer to witchcraft as 'The Craft of the Wise'. In this sense, then, Wiccans, in particular, those who actively practice witchcraft, could almost be described as Gnostics, as their 'Craft' is based in a sort of secret knowledge, or 'gnosis'. Interestingly, Strong's definition of a 'witch' is 'to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic:—sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft).' However, Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon, about the same word, says it means 'to pray, to offer prayers or worship'. For this reason, if this reason alone, it should be duly noted that it depends on the individual practitioner, the one casting spells/praying, as to whether the resulting deeds should be classified as 'good' or 'evil'!

'Witchcraft', then, can be most simply described as what a 'witch' practices. Simple as it might sound; it's really not a simple proposition! Like any religious study, the study of witchcraft, in particular, Wicca, involves much study. This is where the word 'gnosis' comes in. One must know ( understand/retain ) much of what has been forgotten, in order to truly practice the Craft. 'Forgotten' is a convenient way of putting it, really; this knowledge, as well as the Ancient Religion from which it came, was forbidden, as Christianity made its inroads into Pagan Europe in the mid- & late years of the 1st & 2nd centuries, through the latter part of the 1st millennium. 

For far too long, the words 'witch' & 'witchcraft' have unwillingly borne ( suffered ) the stigma of 'evil'.  'As Above, so below', of course, it depends upon the individual practitioner, as to whether she or he can rightly be said to be 'evil' or 'wicked'. Witches, contrary to popular opinion, are not inherently either 'wicked' or 'evil'. Witchcraft, though not so much a religion, as a way of life, is simply a way to live in conjunction with Nature, employing the aid of our Mother Earth & Her creatures in doing so. Although it has been & still is misused by some for their own gain, not for the betterment of humanity & the preservation of our Mother Earth, witchcraft is an ancient practice, one that has stood the test of Time.

A Witch, again, contrary to popular opinion,  should not be epitomized by the Hollywood version that most of us are familiar with ( although the T.V. series, 'The Good Witch' comes closer than most ). Being One that has learned to work with the Forces of Nature, rather than against them, there are actually many more Witches out there than one realizes, most of whom would not acknowledge this fact & would likely vehemently deny it! 

Part of the stigma afforded Witches & Witchcraft is the notion that because they are Pagan, i.e, do not worship ( again, 'ascribe worth to' ) the Christian God, they somehow are in league with & in fact, worship the Devil, or 'Satan'. This could not be further from the truth, as, to my knowledge, no Pagan believes in 'Satan'! I acknowledge that there are 'Satanist' churches out there, but for the most part, that is neither here nor there, because, while they might practice rituals which would scare the hell out of most people, just like anyone else in this wide world, it is their actions which prove them either 'good', or 'evil'!

Much of our 'problem' here in the West, in particular the Christian West, is our misinterpretation, our misunderstanding of the Ancient Near Eastern text on which the Bible, in its many & varied versions, is based! Not to completely rehash what I have previously written, but when the text of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures was written, the intended audience, the original audience would have been more familiar with the use of, among other things, the hyperbole & metaphor which is prevalent throughout. This is not to say, of course, that it is NOT true, just that our Western understanding is slightly different, in this respect at least, than what they would have understood in the Time & Culture to which it was originally delivered.

Witches should not be feared, though they should be respected! There are those who may call themselves witches, but practice their craft for merely selfish ends; even these command respect, for whether we agree or not, like it or not, there IS a kind of power in them, just as there is in all creatures. Knowledge is a funny thing; it can be used for 'good' or 'evil': again, it depends upon the practitioner. Again too, knowledge may be acquired for selfish reasons, merely for one's own benefit, or the scholar might intend for the whole of humanity to benefit from his or her knowledge. Knowledge is Power, if in that sense alone & therefore is inextricably linked to the Power which is inherent in us all. Knowing ourselves is simply the first step in the Craft of learning to work with the Forces of Nature rather than against them!

Most infamous, probably, in the American mindset, are the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. While there might have been some witches who received the punishment they were due, others were guilty of nothing more than using what Mother Nature provides for our several ailments; that & maybe spurning a certain brand of 'Christianity' that was being foisted upon them.  Some poor women might have even made the mistake of taking upon themselves what had been accepted as a man's role, 'God forbid'!

In benediction, as I close this short, but hopefully enlightening & thought-provoking post; I do not intend to sway my readers towards or away from any certain religion ( or lack thereof ); I simply intend to apprise you of the fact that Witches are not all that they have been made out to be. Just because one practices a different religion than you does not mean they are wrong; they are just different. Just because one knows how to work with the Forces of Nature does not mean they or 'evil' or wicked'; they are simply doing what should come naturally to all of us! They should not be feared as if they were doing something 'unnatural' or even 'supernatural!

Unfortunately, in this day & age, we have been taught to fear what we do not understand: I & others like me write that people may learn, through understanding, to respect those things we were taught to fear. May we learn this lesson well, not only for our own sakes, but for the good health of our long-suffering Mother Earth, who has been languishing at our hand for far too long!

Namaste' & Blessed Be

Sage Charles

Dark Energy; the Shadow Side of Life

In this day & age, you might have noticed that certain words have evolved, with the times, so to speak. Take the word 'gay' for instance; back in the day, a 'gay' person was happy & carefree: nowadays, it can mean anything from 'stupid' to being a homosexual reference. Somewhat on the other end of the spectrum is the word 'judgement'. Mention being judged to most Christians, even many 'non-religious' people & almost immediately you'll send visions of 'hell-fire & brimstone' dancing through their heads. The word itself, of course, does not necessarily imply anything bad, or wrong; it simply means that a decision, or choice, has been made, for good or ill. 'Judgement', or 'judgment' has come to have a negative connotation! So we come to the word 'dark': thanks in large part to Christianity ( an umbrella term ), most people tend to think of 'evil' or 'nefarious' when this word is used. As the case may be though, the truth is that darkness is simply an area where the light is absent. As when one side of the Earth is in darkness while the other side enjoys the light, it is completely natural; 'cyclical'. Speaking of 'natural'; here is another word that has received 'bad press'! Thanks to the large-scale departure from so-called 'Christian ( puritanistic ) Values', this word is enjoying the positive vibes it has always generated! Anyway; returning to the Dark Side............

Most famously perhaps, quotes from the late-seventies movie 'Star Wars; A New Hope', like "Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you." have only served, to the religious mind anyway, the notion that dark=bad, or evil. This is not to say that those who open up to their dark side never do what others might call 'evil'; just that the dark, like the light, is part & parcel with our humanity. As the Ego, which is neither good nor bad, Light & Dark, Yin & Yang just ARE & based on our circumstantial choices, prove a necessary constituent to our survival. Our 'Dark Side' is that part of us that might go against what the religious establishment has taught us to stifle. It is often necessary, for our own good, or that of the Collective, to revert to the darker part of our humanity, to do something which institutional religion condemns, which might even go against the grain, personally speaking.

When, therefore, it comes to concepts such as 'Dark Energy'; we should note that this notion is based on, among others, the negative connotations outlined earlier. Energy is simply 'the ability to do'. It is also the building block of the Universe, both micro- & macro-cosmically; if the stars, moons & planets did not have their own energy; Life, especially as we know it, would not exist! If they did not revolve on their axis, if indeed they did not pursue a set course through the heavens, nothing would be as it is, if at all! Along the same lines, 'Dark Matter' is 'a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe.' In other words, it is dark simply because the light has not reached it. This could open a can of worms, but the dark side of the moon is dark only because it is in the shadows, much like the Earth in its rotation & orbit is dark on one side, while the other side is flooded with light. Balance of the two, Light & Dark, is necessary to our survival as a race.

The term 'Dark Energy' does indeed imply an imbalance, not only in the observed, but in the observer! In that sense, It is like a mirror. One of my favorite sayings of late is, "We see best in others what we despise in ourselves"! Not only is this true on the other end of the spectrum, it is something I continually remind myself of! 'Dark Energy', then, is not necessarily bad or evil; indeed, we needn't even perceive it as positive or negative, except maybe as a balancing agent. 

According to Google's Oxford Languages dictionary, Dark Energy is 'a theoretical repulsive force that counteracts gravity and causes the universe to expand at an accelerating rate.' In this sense ( macro-cosmic ), that would mean that it is a force that pushes, in human terms, against what constrains or confines us, helping us to reach our full potential. I personally do not believe the Universe is expanding, just that our understanding of It is. So, back to the microcosm ( Us ), our potential to BE is neither greater nor lesser than it ever has been; it's simply our understanding, or realization of it that is/has!

"Balance is Key!" This almost goes without saying ( my 'Dark Side' said I should say it anyway ), but balance is necessary to the survival of Life, not just on Earth, but in the Universe! Without the proper Balance, Life would cease to exist. From a previous post, "Too hot, we burn up; too cold, we freeze to death", etc. ( in other words) This could well open another proverbial 'can', but no Darkness, no Light: though it must be noted that Light can exist without Dark, it also must be noted that without the Dark, we would not recognize the Light! 

Not to get too scientific about it; Light, put very simply, is Energy that is traveling at such a speed ( vibration? ) that it becomes visible to the senses. On the other side of the coin, when Energy vibrates at a lesser frequency, It becomes Dark. When it is blocked by a certain object, such as the Earth or the Moon, it also becomes Dark, being stopped in Its tracks, so to speak; this is also called 'Shadow'.  Perception, in this sense, is Key as well, for a person in Asia is in the dark at the same time that a person in America is blinded by the light. In fact, two people in the same geographical area could be in either Dark or Light, depending on their situation. 

"Does Light exist without Dark?" Surely! "Does Dark exist without Light?" Just as surely. Speaking of a 'can of worms'; this kind of reasoning could lead to questions like, "Why are we ( humans ) here?" "If Light equals Divinity & Dark equals Humanity; why even evolve into ( create? ) Humanity?" Why indeed bring Humanity into the picture if all it does is block the Divine & create Shadows ( Dark )? 'As above, so below'; Balance is Key & the Key to Balance is Realization!

To reiterate; Realization that Imbalance is simply a Perception, strange as it may sound, is the Key to understanding Life! This is not to say, however, that Balance or Imbalance is simply a Perception; like many things, "It is what It is!" We ARE balanced; we are both Dark & Light, though, depending on our choices ( which is what it all comes down to ) we shine like the Sun, or we may end up hiding in the Shadows, like the Dark Side of the Moon. Either way, we should realize that we are Perfect! We might work on our Shadows & endeavor to shine brighter, but even in that, we are only moving in our personal orbit. We are not actually shining brighter; it is only that the other's perception of us has altered so that they receive the Light we've been shining all along!

The Conclusion of the Matter, then, is that we are here to Live! Yes, just as Light & Dark are two sides of the same coin, so Death is a part of Life. In the Great Circle of Life, we are born, we live for a time, then we die. Depending on the circumstances; we may be reborn, but then, after we live for a time, we die again. "Why?", you may ask; That, in a sense, may be called The Great Mystery! Are we here to glorify God, as the Christian would say, or are we here to embody the Love that we are? Whether one believes that we need to bring glory to some Creator or that we are the Masters of our own Destinies, the very Best we can do is to let our let Shine in the Dark!

Namaste' & Blessed Be

Sage Charles

The Stars In Their Courses

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