The Cycle of Life & Love

Coming up on 7 years ago, I 'penned' an article titled 'Februation': re-reading this article recently, I was able to see, once again, how far I have come on my Journey, though I'm obviously on the same Path; It just looks different! I say ' it just looks different' because I can read what I wrote way back then & note that I have not 'strayed' at all; I just use different wording. Not to 'stray' too far from my intended Purpose here, but 'God' takes many shapes & forms - in fact, some have said that 'God' is 'above all, and through all, and in ^[c]you all' - so while there are those who refer to 'God' as 'Him', following/worshiping Yahweh of the Hebrews, others have noted, whether correctly or incorrectly ( you be the judge ) that 'God' is simply our Highest Self, our 'Divinity', you might say. Back to our subject now, that of 'februation'.....................

In this day & age, selfishness seems to abound! In the traditional, or even non-traditional relationship, this might be a simple as doing what you want, even though you know your significant other would much rather be doing something else. It can also be complicated by that 'significant other' sacrificing his/her wants/needs in order to keep the peace/placate their chosen partner. Speaking of 'Sacrifice', which is what that previous post centered on & what this post will touch on somewhat, the act, in itself is not wrong, in fact, it is often vaunted as one of the most noble Paths one can take, but it can be detrimental. Again, in this day & age ( of selfishness ), the tendency for the one being sacrificed for is to want more, to begin to expect it. On the other hand, if one sacrifices their wants/needs for the other's wishes, resentment tends to step in & like a double-edged blade, this 'sacrifice' also leaves one feeling drained & unfulfilled. So we come to 'Self-love': this term has been getting a lot of attention lately, mostly because of the 'selfishness' related above. Please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that those practicing 'self-love' are being selfish, though there IS a bit of a fine line here & we must practice with care: no, to love others, we must first love ourselves, whatever 'love' means to you individually. To some, 'love' is based on feelings, so if you feel like, 'I'm not getting enough out of this relationship', you may want to re-examine your own reasoning for being in that relationship in the first fucking place! To others, 'love', at least on this earthly plane, looks more like 'care'. On this earthly plane, at least, the latter definition is definitely the closest to defining True Love. Humanly speaking, we should note well, caring for others is the greatest, if not the only manifestation of True Love. What is known as 'Romantic Love' & which is celebrated around the middle of the month upcoming is really nothing more than lust, passionate & even sacrificial though it be!

'Love' looks different to different people: 'As above. so below'; to love someone is to care for & about them. As some have said, 'I don't much like you right now, but I still love you!' Statements like this should sound strangely familiar, for they are inextricably linked to what is often called 'the human condition', or, our feelings, which are not a 'bad' thing. Sometimes, however, one can care about another, but if this other does not return that feeling, that care soon goes away. This is because that 'love' was based on feelings/emotions, which, as we've discovered previously, can be fleeting. There is a Love that lasts the test of Time & we'll get to that, but first, a little more about this so-called 'Romantic Love'. 'Romantic Love', just plain 'Love', as it's known in most circles, can be a fickle mistress & is really more akin to 'Lust'. The holiday most associated with this feeling is coming up soon. During this holiday, if only on this holiday, those with a 'significant other' will traditionally ( ? ) purchase, for that 'other', anything from chocolate & roses, to sexy underwear ( lingerie ), usually in the hopes of getting something in return ( most guys ( this applies to some girls/women, too ) would say 'gettin' some' ). Most often, you might say, the feeling is mutual ( else they wouldn't be 'together' ), but sadly, this is not always the case..................

On Facebook, you may have noticed the cute little reactive emojis under a person's post that allow you to like what they have posted, love it, be angry, be sad, etc., etc., not necessarily in that order. You may also have noticed, as at least one other has, that these emojis follow, almost perfectly, the 'normal' modern human relationship. Sadly, this is often the case, for our feelings often change like the weather ( 'like the Seasons' would be another way to put it ). Speaking of 'the Seasons of Life'; as we mature, humanly speaking, our perceptions change. This usually includes our perception of what 'love' is. When, at a relatively young age, we 'fall in love' with 'the girl next door' ( so to speak ), this is often called 'puppy love', especially when the two involved ( sometimes, it's one-sided ) are in their early teenage years, or younger. 'Infatuation' is another word for it, though this word can be employed throughout the 'Seasons'. All of the above, of course, is based on feelings & when the feelings change, well...................

The 'Seasons' of Life are not necessarily set in stone. We can normally ( ? ), more or less, count on the weather, for instance, changing with the Seasons. At or around the Spring & Fall Equinoxes, as well as at the Summer & Winter Solstices, like 'clock-work', the Seasons are ushered in. As with the Seasons of Life though, the Wheel of the Year is not so precise. For example, we may see Fall-like weather in the middle of January, or freezing, Winter-like weather at the beginning of Fall ( like we did this year, here in Montana ). Though during the Summer, we can pretty much count on the weather being fairly warm to very hot, Spring is much like the Fall, ranging from Winter-like weather to almost Summer climes. In the same vein, the Seasons of our Life can change on a whim it seems, because, once we reach a certain age, our likes & dislikes can change, almost like the weather. Much like the Zodiac, which we covered in a previous post, these Seasons can affect our lives & explain why we, as human beings, are the way we are, but ultimately, the choice is up to us, as to how we will either act or react in any given situation.

Reincarnation may seem like a strange subject to bring up in the middle of a discussion on love, yet here we are! To many, the notion that we have more than one life to live is ridiculous, tantamount to blasphemy, even. However, to this blogger, as well as to a growing number of people, it makes all the sense in the world. Deja vu, as well as other 'feelings' ( 'stirrings'? ), are explained by what many now understand to be 'a fact of life'. 'Soulmates' are one such notion that has enjoyed increasing airtime of late, maybe especially around this time of year. Although soulmates are often lovers from past lives, this is not necessarily so. A 'soulmate' is simply one individual soul that, for whatever reason, is inextricably, even inexplicably connected to another.  Just because two individuals are soulmates, does not mean that in every lifetime they will end up together, either; circumstances or other environmental factors are usually involved here, humanly speaking. Getting to the point, though, 'how do these souls know to find each other in all these different & various lifetimes?' That may be a question for another day, but for now, suffice it to say that Love does have something to do with it!

The modern definition of 'Love' may vary from individual to individual or group to group, but in reality, there can be only One! Okay, a little movie humor there, but seriously, True Love has but One definition. Although, humanly speaking, Love may look/sound/feel differently to different people, at the Heart of It, Love is Who we are ( much like Energy )! This may seem to be a strange, enigmatic statement (' what does he mean, 'We are Love?' ), but I urge you to ask yourself, 'What IS Love?' 'What does It mean to me?' 'As above, so below'; Love means different things to different people; to some, 'love' might be simply a feeling they get around certain people or a certain person. In many cases, this feeling is more akin to 'lust'. To others, however, their definition of Love adheres about as closely to the true definition, humanly speaking, as One can get in this earthly experience; 'care', even sacrificial care. No, I'm not saying we should sacrifice self-love, or self-care, but seriously, what real harm does it do us to give up our wants/'needs', in deference to another?! With the realization that we must love ourselves, again, humanly speaking, before we can love another, in essence, 'if we don't care for ourselves, how can we truly care for others?''; we can give of ourselves ( sacrifice ) to the other ( ? ), knowing that by doing so, we are manifesting the Love that we are.

'Okay', you may be saying, 'so We ARE Love; how does that translate to the REAL world?!' Well, first of all, 'what IS 'real' to you?' Secondly, SINCE We ARE Love ( NOT humanly speaking ), We must simply BE! In order to manifest What & Who we truly are, we must simply live sacrificially, proving to ourselves, as well as to others that We ARE Who We say WE are. With the realization that this is easier said than done, especially in this day & age, we tend to strive for 'perfection' & this, humanly speaking, is the majority of the problem! No, I'm not saying that, as human beings, we should simply stop caring, or loving, just that we don't have to TRY to love, it comes naturally.  ( 'Love' does not equate with 'like' ) If we could simply ( ? ) bypass our Ego & manifest from our True, or Higher Nature, we might find that Love DOES come naturally to us ( as opposed to manifesting from our lower, or animal nature, which equates to 'lust' )!

Whether we manifest from our Higher or lower nature, then, depends largely on whether we have learned from our past lives. One may or may not believe ( ? ) in reincarnation, but again, it only makes sense to this blogger ( much more than the Christian notion of the whole 'fallen nature' thing ). Since Life is all about choices, so why should it be so hard to believe ( ? ) that It's all about learning our lessons & bettering our choices? The choices we make, as individual human beings, prove whether we are acting according to our Higher or lower nature; if our definition of 'love' is more akin to 'lust', in essence, caring/loving others only as long as WE are being sated, that is a good sign that we are acting/reacting from our lower, or animal nature. However, if sacrificially care for others, while remaining true to ourselves, this is a good indication that We, in our Higher Nature, have learned in the process that it is better to give than receive!

The Seasons, or Cycles of Love may also be explained thusly; when we act/react differently at different times in this present life, it indicates the level of maturity that we have attained. Another way of putting this is to say that we have learned & are learning the lessons that our past ( life? ) experiences have taught us.  In some sense, this is only humanly speaking, for this is how We manifest on this earthly plane. On the spiritual plane, however, since Time is an illusion, there ARE no Seasons or Cycles: in the Realm of Spirit, We simply ARE, no changing, no choosing; no liking or loving, no feeling. It is in this Life alone that such things exist & they exist for the Sole Purpose of manifesting the Love that We are!

The Love that We are, then, is not affected by any of the above ( 'below' might be a better way of saying it )! We do not 'love' another, simply because of how they make us feel ( although many try & fail miserably ), We do not 'love' another for what we can 'get' from that person ( that too, will always fail ); We manifest True Love when we realize that We are the definition of True Love; it is only when we manifest from our Higher Nature that we truly know/prove what Love really, actually IS! Again, this is MUCH easier said than done, but once we accomplish it, EVERYTHING on this earthly plane will change, however imperceptibly, first, for us, then for our 'world'!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

 

 

 

May The Circle Unbroken Be

As we meet this sacred night, may all worries take their flight.

Heavy heart & tired hand, Lady, lift on high both heart & hand.

We meet this night with our Mother Earth, lending aid to lift this dearth.

To meet the darkness with our light, to make Her dwellings O, so bright.

May the Goddess & the God now with us meet, elemental powers to defeat.

In our hearts we long to fight, with our hands to bring the light.

Now we draw the Circle Three, now all troubles quickly flee.

Maiden, Mother, Aged Crone, join us here, evermore dispel the Fear .

Perfect Love & Perfect Trust, in this Unbroken Circle, we ever must.

O Great Goddess of the Gnome, let us know we're not alone.

Powers of the Earth be at our feet, ever ready to be fleet.

On this long & wintry night, let us vow to be Her Light, let us burn e'er so bright.

O Mother, may we see, 'tis only Light that shines in Thee.

Sacred Mother, praise to Thee, forevermore, So Mote It Be.

Misty Mountain Morning, RV

Morning has broken, and I wonder as I wander,
How blessed I am to live among such beauty!

The mountains high, the valleys deep,
The rivers that are so cold and clear!

The fawns that graze, majestic elk,
The great old bear that wrestles with her cubs!

On this beautiful & wintry day, I watch the veil of steam,
As it rises from the vales, on this Misty Mountain Morning!

We praise our Mother Earth, with Whom we dwell,
Her Glory is seen in the beauty all around!

The Love of the Goddess is greater far, than all the Beauty found on earth,
The Creation shines forth Her praise, and sparkles in the Sun-lit haze!

The Beauty of the Earth does not surpass Her Grace,
Nor the Ones who shout Her praise!

We worship Her with all our deeds, in all we do and say,
For in Her strength we live & love, on this Misty Mountain Morning!

Sage Charles

Procreation; What It Is, What It Isn't

 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [ that ] yields seed, [ and ] the fruit tree [ that ] yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed [ is ] in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.  

Genesis 1:11

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, [ each ] according to its kind”; and it was so.

Genesis 1:24

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over ^[g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His [ own ] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that ^[h]moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26-28

Let me first make this disclaimer; I no longer call myself a Christian! Though I no longer accept the moniker, I tend to borrow from the Christian Scriptures because they are those with which I am most familiar, being the ones I was raised with. I believe, as I did even when I claimed to be a Christian, that the passages above do not necessarily refer to anything but the 'everlasting covenant' ( Genesis 9:16, 17:7 ) that the Hebrew God made with Israel. Even so, the words, however 'lost in the translation' they may be, still convey a certain Universal Truth which stands today. This Truth is that, even according to these Scriptures, all Biology ultimately springs from the Womb of our Mother Earth. Humankind, on the other hand, being the Image of God ( unlike mere animals ( ? ), were not instructed to 'bring forth', only to 'Be fruitful and multiply'. To 'Be fruitful and multiply' carries with it less physicality then the command to 'bring forth'; the point being that Humankind need not 'bring forth' more Humans in order to 'procreate', but must simply 'Be fruitful and multiply', whether it be through art or some other form of magick ( creativity ).

In the passages above, one might note that the Hebrew perception of the Source of All has been given a male Persona; while the Source of All is neither male nor female, the Deities that most cultures worship as apart from themselves have been assigned either one gender or the other. One might well note here that, in doing so, Humanity has neatly made 'God' in their own image! As the case may be, however, the Source of All, be It simply Energy or the Master of the Universe, rather than being male or female, like Humanity, indeed everything in this Biology, is not divided into male & female, but is, as the Christian Scriptures also say, 'above all, and through all, and in ^[c]you all'.

Clearly though, biologically speaking, human beings are made for physical procreation. Without going into too much information, or detail, suffice it to say that the male & female sexual organs fit together like hand in glove, normally speaking, anyway; obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. As the case may be, though the act of sexual intercourse, when done correctly & at the right time, will most often result in a pregnancy, or physical procreation, this is not necessarily always the case. If no pregnancy is desired, but the act itself ( which I hear can be VERY pleasurable ) is, then either the pair must engage in sexual intercourse at ONLY certain times, or the male may encase his sexual organ in a special covering & the female can also do certain things to allay this concern.

When done correctly, again, the physical act of sexual intercourse may bear much fruit, not least of which is strengthening the bond, both spiritually & physically, between the two participating in the act. I cannot speak from experience, never having 'sired' a Child, but from all ( or most ) accounts, the Joy that springs from giving rise to a new Human Being is like nothing else on this physical plane! Though this act, or the resulting 'consequence', is termed 'procreation', one might well wonder why it's not just called 'creation', for in Essence, that's what it is.

The Essence of What we are, as spirit-beings having a physical experience, is More than Human. Being thus, as normally understood, the act of procreation IS merely physical. Considering the above Truth though, the question should be presented; 'since we are More than Human, not merely physical beings, MUST procreation be simply a physical act?'  'Is there such a thing a spiritual procreation?' I would venture to say, 'as above, so below', that 'yes', there most definitely is & it is far more important to the survival of the human race than the physical act! 'How does one spiritually procreate?', you may ask. Well, we've already covered this to some extent, but to put it plainly, spiritual procreation is as simple as the magickal act of letting your creativity flow. 

The word 'procreate' or 'procreation' first appeared in the late 14th century, according to this article & means anything from 'the process of begetting offspring, generation and production of young' to 'bring forth'. 'As above, so below'; although, according to this fairly obvious definition, procreation is primarily a physical act, both the word & its definition seemed to be based largely upon the religious notion of a 'Creator'. Now, before someone blows a gasket; I'm by no means saying that there is NOT a Creator, or a Divine Intelligence Who put everything in motion! There very likely IS ( some would say, 'HAS to be!' ) a Master of the Universe, but on the other hand, there are those who say that it is the Universe itself that is Eternal. Again, still others would say that All is Energy ( which is true ) & that 'Intelligent' or not, Energy is Its own Generator!

Speaking of 'Energy'; anyone who has ever participated in the act of sexual intercourse knows how much Energy it takes. Not to get too graphic, but it takes a lot out of a person to employ his or her sexual organ. It IS ( or can be ) VERY pleasurable & although it is often over too quickly, there are ways which can be employed in order to prolong the gratification. Not having done much study myself in this area, I cannot say this with authority, but probably one of the best ways to reach this heightened 'gratification' ( 'ecstasy'? ) is of Eastern origins & has more to do with self-awareness than physicality, though physicality might seem to be, in modern times anyway, the predominant factor. The point is, the physical act itself, whether willfully or ignorantly, is overshadowed by the Higher Self. Although sexual intercourse is most often viewed as a predominately physical act & can indeed become very animalistic, it is, first & foremost, a spiritual exercise, one which is meant to bring balance to the Universe Itself.

It has been said that human beings are a microcosm of a much vaster macrocosm above. How true this statement is is not merely  matter of conjecture or theory, it is a proven fact! The infinite wanders of the human body are, in some areas still, beyond comprehension, Yes, Science. with the help of Technology, has made great leaps in its study of the human anatomy, but it has yet to explain how the egg & sperm come together to 'create' a uniquely individual human being. It obviously does not just 'happen'; certain factors must occur ( not unlike the operation of the Universe ) in order for the new avatar to form correctly. That said, these factors, while obviously physical in manifestation, have their genesis in the spiritual realm.

In conclusion, then, while the generally accepted definition of the term 'procreation' refers to the physical act of producing offspring, it should be clear, if for no other reason than that the physical is simply a manifestation of the spiritual, that our Higher Self, again, whether consciously or not, guides our actions in the physical realm. In case any objection might present itself ( which I'd imagine it will ) obviously some people are unconscious of their Higher Self, which explains their animalistic behavior. In order to 'procreate' ( biologically speaking ), two people, one male & one female must magickally employ their collective Wills. Again, procreation may, by definition, be a primarily physical act, but in reality It all begins in the Spirit & in the Spirit It must remain, or it loses all meaning!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

The Mansions of the Moon

 In My Father's house are many ^[a]mansions; if [ it were ] not [ so ], ^[b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2 

In the majority of English versions of the Hebrew/Greek Scriptures, the Greek transliteration monē is, literally translated, 'dwellings'. Interesting enough is the fact that the translators chose to use the term 'mansions' instead, but, even more intriguing is the fact that this transliteration, monē, is a feminine noun! In Vedic, or ancient Indian/Hindu astrology, as well as Chinese, Arabic & Greek, according to this Wikipedia article, the position of the moon on any given day was called a 'lunar station'. These stations, or positions, were also called 'houses' or 'mansions'. Here, one might recall the very first line of 'The Age of Aquarius' by 'The Fifth Dimension'; 'When the moon is in the Seventh House.............................'. It should be fairly clear fro the article above that the use of the word 'mansion' predates ( by far ) its appearance in most English versions of the Greek New Testament, though there are many ( Christians ) that would very likely argue that the opposite, that the ancient astrological term is based on the biblical usage. 'As above, so below', though, the question here is, 'Why did the original translators of the English Bible choose to use the term 'mansions', when it is such a clearly esoteric reference to ancient astrology?'

Though it is almost taboo to most fundamental Christians & defamed by many others, Astrology has proven its worth, if by nothing other than the fact that it is an ancient art. Modern Astrology, to whatever extent, has contributed to this defamation, as it, like so many other art forms, has become almost merely, in some cases, a business, for monetary gain. On the other hand, there are some who truly possess this skill & are able to divine some scarily accurate astrological portraits for their clients. One must judge carefully between the two!

One thing that we must consider, when confronted by those nay-sayers ( of Astrology ) is the well-accepted fact that the movements of the Moon in the heavens affects the tides of the oceans, here on Earth. How or why the Moon so affects the waters of the Earth is not in question here, so much as, 'if the Moon affects the tides in such a drastic way, how can it not also affect our physical bodies, which, by most accounts, are made largely of water?' In the same vein, 'if the Moon affects these biological marvels, why should we find it ridiculous that the other planets, even the stars, do as well?'

As we have noted previously, however; we are More than this biological construct! As such, as spirits having a physical experience, what is 'written in the stars' need not necessarily determine our destiny, though it does help us to understand why we, as human beings, act the way we act, like or dislike the things we do, etc., etc. Just to be clear, the movements of the Moon & Stars only affects this Biology; they have no effect whatsoever on Who we really are, the Essence of Us!

The causa principalis for the above, of course, is that we are of the same Essence as the One who hung the stars! It might be said ( correctly ) here that my Christian roots are showing, but be that as it may........................ Whether one posits that there is an Almighty Being ensconced in some mythical ( mystical? ) Heaven above or simply that All is Energy, the fact is that all creation ( ? ) is connected, to whatever extent. What affects one has an effect on the other, though they be 'worlds apart'!

Being of the same Essence, it is only natural then, that, biologically speaking, we would feel a 'pull' from these heavenly bodies, an attraction of some sort. 'As above, so below', though; it is still our choice as to how that effect manifests.We may choose to submit to what some prognosticator foretells about our supposed 'destiny' & very likely, our future will be chosen for us. Or, we may choose to understand that these effectors, though they have an influence on our physicality, have no power whatsoever over us, unless, again, we allow them that power. As we have also previously noted, though there are things outside of our control, it is our future, our choice!

How the Moon ( Planets, Stars ) affects us is ultimately up to us! Yes, 'as above , so below', they help us to understand why we feel things at certain times, but they cannot determine how we will either act or react to those things. Some might chalk our negative reactions up to our supposed 'fallen nature' or whatever ( not that reactions are necessarily negative ), but again, that is their choice. One may quite sensibly take the responsibility for their own actions, even with the understanding that this or that is 'written in the stars', or they may choose to believe that a particular ( all-powerful? ) Being has made them thus & thus, so there is really nothing they can do about it except hope against hope ( have faith? ) that someday that all-powerful Being ( or one like It ) will come & save them from their 'fallen nature'!

Hoping to end this post on a more positive note, let us strive to answer the questioned posed in the first paragraph; 'Why did the original translators of the English Bible choose to use the term 'mansions', when it is such a clearly esoteric reference to ancient astrology?' Well; it may be as simple as these 'wise men' understanding that, while this passage was a fairly obvious, though esoteric, reference to the Zodiac, as are numerous references throughout both the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures, they might easily make that point refer to a more intangible, even mythical 'Heaven', where the above-mentioned 'all-powerful Being' makes 'His' lodgings. It could also be that, 'wise men' that they were, they purposely ( esoterically ) 'hid' ( in plain sight? ) a very plain reference to the Zodiac that their ancestors had found to be proven & true. Whatever the case may be, we may take this as yet another sign that, though there may not be some pie-in-the-sky reserved for our 'Afterlife', as we were taught to believe ( as I was ), the Truth is in there, if only we would choose to accept It!

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles

The Masks We Wear & the Personas We Create: Shadows of the Self

We all have a part of the marvelous humanity we wear on a daily basis that we don't want others to perceive, integral parts of us that even WE fear to look into! If they found out what we're really into, we fear, they would 'drop us like a hot potato'. Speaking in a relative sense, though, we must understand that these 'parts' of our persona we hide from the general population are not necessarily 'bad', simply unacceptable to certain groups of people or individuals. On the other hand, these 'parts' of who we are may be perfectly presentable to 'others', who are thus not 'others' at all, but our 'Tribe'.

These 'Masks' we wear are mostly metaphorical for the way we present ourselves to a watching world & depending on who is watching, that 'Mask' may look entirely different! However, even though It is mostly metaphorical, It manifests in a very physical way. The way we purport ourselves, the clothes we wear, even the way we beautify ourselves. This, of course, is not to say that just because we wear certain clothes in certain situations, or make ourselves up for certain people ( even if it's just US ), we're being fake, just that, even though we wear these 'Masks', they're more or less true to who we really are, personally speaking. On the other hand, of course, it is important to remember that these 'Masks', though they are a necessary & integral part of our Persona, they do not define us; WE are not our Persona!

Speaking of our Persona, much as with our Mask, we allow others to see only that part of ourselves we wish them to see. Of course, there are times when we slip up & give them a glimpse, or a taste of the 'real' us! When this happens, our Persona remains ( untouched ), but their perception of us has changed, sometimes drastically. So, in a manner of speaking, one might note, the main difference between the Persona & the Mask is that the latter is an illusion ( metaphor? ) we have created to disguise our true feelings, our emotions, if you will, while the former, though our creation as well, has more of a physical manifestation ( if THAT makes any sense ) in that the Persona ( Person ) is that which wears the metaphorical 'Mask'.

Our Persona, or Person, is quite a bit more substantial than our Mask; it is, in fact, very real! Although our Personality, much like our Mask, is largely formed by our personal choices, our Persona is simply a part of who we are as human beings. Thus, It is much more concrete than our Mask, which is simply an Illusion we create, again, by choice. For instance, 'as above, so below', referring to the latter condition, we often choose to allow only certain people to see certain parts of our Personality; to all the 'others', we strive to keep them hidden. This comprises our Mask; the Persona is what remains, even if we are unMasked!

This all has to do with the Ego! It is through the Ego that we choose, for whatever reason, to reveal our true Self to certain people & to hide It from 'others'. As we have noted previously, the Ego is neither good nor bad; it just IS. Being an essential part of our humanity, it allows us to operate in the Mundane; in fact, one could almost say it's the link between our Divinity & our Humanity!

Through our choices, our actions or reactions, we either operate on this earthly plane by putting our Ego to good use, or we allow our Ego to define who we are as a Person. For example, one might accuse another of being a 'narcissist' because that 'other' has allowed their Ego to define them, thus acting as if it's all about them. On the other hand, though, we can put our Ego to good use, by employing good business sense, even though it might go against our 'druthers'.

On a happy note; our Egos, along with the accompanying Masks & Personas, do not define Us, nor need they! We, even personally speaking, are not our Ego. In fact, we are not even really the Person ( persona ) that most people see. either the ones that we allow to see our true Self or the ones who glimpse our true human nature by accident, so to speak, through the inevitability of Time. As More than Human; we have an Ego, but we are not that Ego!

Our true Self is, in Essence, More than Human! You may have heard the term 'astral body' & such; such terms refer to the onion-like layers that make up our unique Self. Underneath it all, at the very Core of our Being, one might say, is the Individual Soul, our True Nature. It is this Individual Soul, together with countless other Individual Souls, that make up the Collective, which could be called Divine Energy. Religion has called this Divine Energy 'God', 'Yahweh', 'Allah', 'Rah', 'Shiva', Krishna' & the list goes on.................... All this is to say that humanity, just as it has created the Persona for its own individual Self, has created, largely based on its environment ( culture, etc. ) a Persona for their Perception of this Divine Energy. While some religions realize we are One in Essence with this Divine Energy, 'others' perceive It as a Power outside of & thus apart from themselves. But this is changing......................

Previously, in the annals of this blog; I have entertained the proposition that we, in Essence, are Gods, or Goddesses, as the case may be. Even in our Humanity this might be said, because of our ability to choose, to shape, or form our own Destiny. Rather than sitting on our 'blessed conceptions', waiting for the 'God' or 'Goddess' of our own choosing to change our Season, we have the ability to make our own changes. Now, saying all this is not to say that we control the Universe around us. We cannot decide to sprout wings & fly, though the Wright brothers sure gave it 'the old college try' & look where we are today, vaulting through the 'heavens' like great silvery birds. It is not within our Power, though many men & women have tried, to control the actions of other people.It should be noted that this sort of 'enterprise' has seen some success & so continues to this day, but people are unpredictable.............

The unpredictability of people, speaking of the Individual Ego, is what makes the World go round! If everyone was the same & could be counted upon to always make the same choices, acting or reacting in the same way to any given situation, our World would be a very dull place indeed. If the Individual could indeed be controlled by an outside force ( ? ), all Hope for this World would be lost! But thanks be to all the Gods & Goddesses, this is not the case. Things may be looking pretty grim for our World, but as 'they' say,'it's always darkest before the dawn'. So it is dawning on an ever-widening array of people that it is within Us, within our Power to change the shape, not only of our World, but of the World to come. Now again, 'as above, so below', we cannot control the actions of those around us, but through the exercise of our Divinity, through our choices, how we act or else react, we can influence them & thus hopefully plant the Seeds of Life that will lead us to a better Future!

Dropping our Masks, showing 'others' who we really are will go a long way toward reaching this goal! If we would only be Who We are, not allowing their perception of us to influence our actions in this World, we might begin to see, not only great ( albeit, 'painful' ) change in our World, but in the World at large. As Individuals, Divine in our own right, we are the Spice of Life; in fact, we are Life itself. Realizing Who we truly are helps us to understand ( perceive ) that we are the Power that shapes our Future. Must we fear the choices that 'others' around us might make, to either purposely or accidentally upset our plans? That, of course, is your choice. So make the wise choice; BE Who you are, not just as an Individual Soul, but as the Goddess or God you REALLY are & sooner or later, everything will fall into place!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The Other Child

Josaphyna was different, there's no question! From the moment of her latest incarnation, when her avatar began to take form in her Mother's Womb, though she was barely aware, even her Mother knew that this One was unique. When she began to realize & recognize her surroundings, Jo, as she would later be addressed, knew that this was not her first time around. Her brothers & sisters ( for she was not the first to exit her Mother's Womb ), although they accepted her as part of the family, never treated her like their other siblings. She never quite fit into their plans, except as it was convenient to them! Jo never really blamed them, though if she thought about it too much, it wounded her Ego. Being more aware of her surroundings, more aware of everything, Josaphyna had to admit that she was a bit much for the uninitiated. Knowing what she knew at such an early age was pretty unusual, even weird, or scary. Not only did she begin to show signs of awareness as soon as she struggled free of her warm Cocoon, she was making sounds & even putting words together into sentences by the time she had been in the Open for 6 months!

Jo's parents knew they had a child prodigy on their hands! Although there were no musicians in their family, they soon found themselves making room for, first, a guitar, then a banjo, then a piano, a flute, a saxophone. Music began to absolutely flow from a house where there had never been any before! Oh, sure, her siblings had their own likes & dislikes, as far as music went, with their radios, records, tapes & later CD players, but Josaphyna felt the need to vibe to her own unique orchestration. For the most part, her family tolerated & even to some extent, enjoyed her talent, but they never quite understood it. 'Why did she have so much 'God-given' ( as they put it ) talent, whereas we ( her parents & siblings, even aunts, uncles & grandparents ) never experienced such a Gift?!' Then, there was the music she played, even began to create. Not only did she play the old favorites, including everything from the Classical Masters to Classic Rock, she even started, at the almost frightening age of 5, to compose her very own music, which, she claimed, was not her own; it was 'The Music of the Spheres'. This, of course, only served to further confuse, then frustrate them. 'What is she talking about, this 'Music of the Spheres'?! Jo soon found that she could try to explain it to them till she was 'blue in the face', but they would never 'get' her vibe; that is, until they made the conscious, or unconscious, choice to do so!

Josaphyna knew that this was not likely to occur in her lifetime, personally speaking, but she could plant the seeds that would bear fruit when her avatar no longer tread upon this earth. It was at the beginning of her 7th trip around the sun that Jo unconsciously made the decision that she, personally speaking anyway, was not going to bless this world with her physical presence much longer. She had always taken to heart the subtle feelings of rejection she felt from her siblings & even to some extent, her parents. Being so aware at such an early age, little Jo 's physical body began to show signs of dis-ease.

It wasn't that she was being attacked by outside forces, although sometimes it sure felt that way; no, Josaphyna, being empathetic as she was, simply stopped responding to her physical needs & so her organs slowly began to weaken, then deteriorate, then shut down! Although her parents did their best to try to make sure she ate & drank regularly, even with her diminutive size & relatively young age, they found it increasingly hard to control her, much less keep up with her.

A 'normal' day for Jo looked something like this; up with the Sun ( if she slept at all ), Josaphyna hit the ground running! If it wasn't for someone else ( which it usually was ), Jo, having her own Agenda, her own Life, never got bored; she was always doing something! Her parents, though they gave her some lee-way, actually began to show some concern for this young wisp of a girl, who was ( they thought ) WAY too mature for her age. First then, Jo would make sure that everyone in their moderate household was prepared for their day ( including breakfast, sack lunch, etc. ), all the while cradling her phone between her bony shoulder & her head, either 'talking a friend down' ( whether metaphorically or really ) or making sure everyone in her little 'world' was well. When everyone else was more or less taken care of, maybe then Jo could be bothered to take in a bit of nourishment, whether it be 'bread' or 'water'. As young as her avatar was, she knew the importance of attending to her own 'needs' before others, but she refused, 'right' or 'wrong', to look at it that way!

 

By her own choice then, our little heroine's health was steadily declining. While she still kept up a fairly steady pace & a brave face, Josaphyna's delicate little flower was showing definite signs of wilting. Holding unsteadily at the bare minimum functionality, Josaphyna, placing others before herself, was slowly approaching the end of her short but weary sojourn! In her relatively short lifetime ( at least, in this iteration ) Jo had accomplished much in the way of spreading Awareness, not that everyone with whom she came in contact immediately 'woke up'' ( by NO means ), but, 'as above, so below', our little flower had spread plenty of seeds in her short, but purposeful lifetime!

Just as her life in this iteration had begun, so long ago, so now her human experience was growing to an End! Josaphuna had fulfilled her Purpose in this thing we call Life & now was ready to be truly Free to continue her Purpose in the Realm of Pure Spirit. As Jo's Spirit poised to take flight, those who had been blessed by her physical presence gathered around her depleted avatar. While most mourned her 'passing', having loved her in their own way, the last words she breathed through her failing & feeble lips will forever be etched into the memory of those who truly knew & loved her; 'Be as I AM'!

Namaste' & Blessed Be

Sage Charles

The Goddess Within, the God Without

Have you ever wondered why some fetuses turn out to be male while others are female? You may be aware of the scientific fact ( ? ) that all fetuses are formed as females. It's only when & if that extra male 'Y' chromosome enters the picture that it's determined whether the fetus/baby is a boy or a girl. Although there are theories abounding, I'm sure that it's still somewhat of a mystery how that happens. Here's a theory, though; what if it can't be explained by Science? What if it has more to do with what is known as 'metaphysical'? If the individual soul that inhabits that fetus/baby, no matter how one believes it got there, is what ultimately determines the sex of the baby, how can we say for certain that genitalia determines sex, or maybe more politically correctly, 'gender'? The ultimate question, in this regard then, is 'who are we'? Do we have genitalia? Or is it the bodies we inhabit that sport genitalia? Personally speaking, then. yes; our sex is usually determined by or genitalia, but is it really? What about hermaphrodites ( also called 'morphodites' )? Maybe homosexuals, male or female, ARE 'born that way' ( or at least, with a predilection for it )!

'You are what you eat'; humanly speaking, this is true enough, our bodies are affected largely by what we ingest. However, this is not all that determines the overall health of these biological machines we call 'home'.  'Stress', though it DOES come in many different shapes & forms ( including tangible ones ), can have an even greater ( adverse ) effect on our physical bodies. Many of these stressors, including the foods we eat, are linked inextricably to this biology, but, equally important, it should be noted. are those which emanate from the metaphysical, in particular, the Mind. Although the Mind may be inextricably (?) linked with the brain, which is tangible, it should be noted here that studies have found that the Mind has been discovered to still be aware, maybe even moreso, in fact, when the brain is functioning at a very minimal level, or else not at all. 

Within the confines of modern Science, there is & probably ever will be, two main camps; one that believes there is no consciousness apart from brain activity & one that sees that the Mind is still aware despite the lack of any noticeable activity in the brain. Not being a student of modern science myself, I hesitate to venture into all the intricacies of the human anatomy, especially the brain, but from what I understand, the scientific community is slowly but surely becoming more aware that not everything can be explained scientifically. For instance, new research has shown that it is not the X/Y chromosomes alone that determine the sex of a baby. According to this article, there is something in the human DNA strand they call 'regulators' that help strengthen a specific gene & voila, the child is either male or female. So far has Science come, but like the Darwinian evolutionists, they still cannot satisfactorily explain the 'where' & the 'why'!

The Christian story of Creation ( every religion & culture has one ) says that 'in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth' ( Genesis 1:1 ). As a covenantal preteristic Christian, I came to the understanding that this phrase refers, not to the actual formation of the material universe, but to the creation of a covenant with the Hebrew people. This is not to say that there is NOT a Divine Source that put everything in motion, just that the Bible is the Story of a specific people, from a specific time & place. I personally believe there IS a Divine Source, 'behind the curtain', so to speak, though this 'Divine Source' is not the personal 'God' they all revere! Some call 'Him' 'Allah' or 'Yahweh', while others revere the Divine Feminine ( as they should ), honoring Her role in the Creation of the material universe.

The Universe itself ( multi-verse? ) has often been ascribed the Creator & Sustainer of everything! In a blogpost a few years ago, I discussed how many view the universe as expanding. Rather than the Universe itself expanding, I raised the argument that it is our perception, or understanding of it that is expanding. The Universe, according to this statement, should thus be seen as Eternal, to use biblical jargon. It is neither expanding nor contracting, though the same may not be said of the objects in said universe. Not unlike our physical bodies, these heavenly bodies are in constant motion until they eventually burn out. Even then, though, they do not die but simply take on a new form.

'As above, so below'; modern science has not been able to satisfactorily explain how certain things occur. For instance, the Big Bang had to start SOMEWHERE, with SOMETHING! Call It 'God', cal It 'Energy', call It 'the Universe', that original bit of matter ( anti-matter? ) had its beginning. Unless, of course, the Universe IS ageless! Personally speaking. as my readers have no doubt gathered by now, I'm of the opinion that the 'God' Christians worship is NOT the Creator of the material 'heavens and earth', though 'He' IS an aspect of, or the Hebrew perception of the Divine Source. 

'As above, so below', getting back to our original subject matter, the Mind, though it is made manifest ( under 'normal' circumstances, anyway ), through the machinations of the brain, it is not subservient to that wondrous organ. Rather, the brain, like the rest of this biological machine, is put in motion by our true Self, which, like the Divine Source, is pure Energy. 

That fabulous instrument we call 'the Mind', though it IS an intangible & thus not really an instrument in the normal sense of the word, is responsible for so much More than the brain. While it does manifest through the activities of the brain, the Mind, which is, humanly speaking, our link to Divinity, is also where everything begins. Routed through the machinations of the brain, all of our thoughts & actions have their genesis in the Mind. Our Reality, for that matter. is all in our mind, in our perception. 

Humanly speaking, then, we may change our Reality by changing what we eat. Part of that Reality, for instance, might be that we are overly obese, looking at the possibly deadly disease of diabetes ( not to mention the aches & pains that stem from being overly obese ). Simply by changing our lifestyle ( diet, exercise ), we will lose the extra weight & even beat the diabetes. By simply not responding in a negative way ( worry, fear, etc. ) to the stressors that are presented to us every day in this grand adventure we call 'Life', we can beat the notion that 'stress is a killer'!

So, if in the beginning, again, humanly speaking, we are conceived female, who are we, as a society, to say that one must assume a certain role, simply because they were born with certain genitalia? What if their individual spirit ( do spirits have sex, or gender? ) does not wish to conform to the status quo, just because their biological bodies were formed in a certain fashion? As 'spirits having a physical experience', we are More than this Biology! We are Eternal ( for lack of a better word ) Beings that inhabit these biological bodies, but we are not defined by these marvelous machines; we DRIVE these marvelously fantastic machines! We are the Goddesses & Gods of our Universe ( or multi-verse )!

Namaste & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

Overcoming Fear; Knowing Yourself

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”

  Socrates'

'The fear of the Lord [ is ] the beginning of wisdom........................'

Psalm 111:10a 

Being brought up Christian as I was, I was taught to 'fear the Lord' from early on. To be honest, it was often, in my limited understanding, 'softened' ( for lack of a better word? ) to 'a healthy respect' or 'reverence', but for most of my Christian life, I experienced this 'healthy respect' as an almost deafening, blinding fear; fear that, at any second, the bottom could drop out & the hammer ( or 'lightning bolts' ) could come crashing down. Such was the Fear I was forced to confront when I began to 'see' myself for Who I really was, not what I was taught I was! Though Fear continues to rear its ugly head, it no longer rules me!

'Know thyself', as the phrase usually attributed to Socrates is often shortened to, has been the subject of philosophical arguments from ancient times, even, some say, as far back as Ancient Egypt. Some, in this article, for instance, seem to take it to mean that striving to know yourself could & most likely would lead to 'cognitive dissonance' & even confusion. This argument, however, should be dismissed outright, if only because who we are is not necessarily who we've been led to believe we are! As we have discussed for some length of time in this blog, we, as human beings, are More than our humanity. We are, in reality, 'spirit beings having a physical experience'. If we allow this physical experience to define us, then, as the article above suggests, it might be silly & yes, even dangerous to 'know thyself'. But if, in fact, our quest for self-knowledge reveals our True Nature, then it is truly a noble, even Divine venture.

Fear, in this human experience, is our greatest detractor! It could also be seen as one of our greatest protectors. By that, I simply mean if we have a healthy respect for what will most likely result from certain actions, we, humanly speaking, are preserved from bodily harm. On the other hand, though, an unhealthy fear will lead to stagnation, to rotting in our own shell, being afraid to venture Beyond our humanity & what Truths lie Within. In many ways, not just because we have been programmed for it, we fear this Truth, this Wisdom, because with Knowledge comes Freedom & with Freedom comes Responsibility. Responsibility scares the 'hell' out of most human beings. When we do the things we know we shouldn't or fail to do the things we should ( my training is showing here ), who are we to blame if we can't blame someone ( or Something ) else? For instance, 'the Devil made me do it', 'he/she finally pushed me too far & I just snapped', etc., etc., etc. 

When we, as human beings, begin to take responsibility for our own actions, though it hurts like hell, this in turn, leads to experiencing true freedom, which can, admittedly have the startling effect of learning to know yourself. 'Knowing yourself', of course, is not so simple or frivolous as truly understanding beyond a shadow of a doubt what kind of person you are ( in essence, what kind of coffee you like; 'am I coffee or tea-drinker?' ) To truly know oneself, one must discover their True Nature by peeling back, like an onion, the various layers of their humanity. This is by no means to say that our humanity is necessarily a bad thing, just that it does not define us! 

As responsible human beings, we do have an almost frightening tendency to blame anyone but ourselves for our problems! Part of 'knowing yourself' is acknowledging that we ARE responsible for our own actions ( or inactions ). 'As above, so below'; this can lead us dangerously close to the 'abyss' of Freedom, which, again, usually involves learning much of our True Nature. Being Who & What we are, we need not live in Fear of 'what may come', for whatever may come can only harm to our humanity, though this is itself somewhat relative, for 'harm' is just a perception. Only if we perceive our humanity as defining us can someone ( or something ) harm us. On the other hand, what one person perceives as 'harm' may indeed be perceived as a 'boon' by another. 

'As above, so below'; to truly know Oneself , One must simply acknowledge that One is More than Human, More than this Biology. Sounds simple, right? Well, yes; it IS that simple, but its also easier said than done! Yes, we're More than this Biology, but we're also IN this Biology. So, in Essence, we must reconcile these two glaring & glorious facts. In order to function in this mundane world in which we live, we must accept the fact, like it or not, that we have chosen to manifest in this Biology, in whatever form. However, if would truly be Free ( as we are ), we must live with the understanding that, though we are human beings, existing within the Circle of Life, we are also Spirit Beings, Eternal in the Heavens, without Beginning or End, outside that Circle! 

'Yes', as you may have guessed ( neither should it come as a surprise to some of my readers ), 'I AM equating Myself ( indeed, all my readers, too ) with the One that Christians call 'God'. 'No, I'm NOT saying that we, in our humanity, are equal to ( not even a blip on the radar ) the Source of all Life, though this Biology too, derives from this same Source & is inextricably & unexplainably linked to It'. Maybe it would be more correct to say that we are One with the Spirit of Life, call It 'Divine Energy' or what you will. Our Higher Self, then, is simply an extension, if you will, just one facet of an infinitely multi-faceted Gem!

Namaste' & Blessed Be, 

Sage Charles

The Seasons of Life; 'An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will'

A good friend of mine, who has passed from this biological experience we call 'Life', used to say crazy things like, 'Love God and do what you want'! Now, coming from that same Christian ( more or less ) worldview, I understand that he was referring to the God of the Bible, or 'Yahweh' of the Hebrews. All religious differences aside, one should note the striking similarities ( differences as well ) between these statements; 'Love God and do what you want' & 'An ye harm none, do what ye will'. The latter focuses on how we should treat 'others' in this biological experience ( experiment? ), while the other seems pretty ambiguous. 'What does it mean to 'love God'?' 'Who, for that matter, IS God?' We may say, 'Love God' & then 'do what you want', but that seems to grant quite a bit of lee-way'; if their 'God' is a bit more 'liberal' than yours, maybe He/She/It would allow them to harm anyone who got in the way of them doing what they wanted! Then again, 'what is 'harm'? 

The accepted dictionary definition of harm is 'physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted.' In this scenario, it should be fairly simple, right? If you don't cause physical injury to anyone, especially deliberately, by doing what you want. then, 'no harm, no foul'; 'just do it'! So, by this strict dictionary definition, if no one is harmed in the process, then it's all good, right? Well, for instance, what about hunting? How can we take our rifle into the woods with the deliberate intention, not just of causing physical harm to, but of killing an animal? 'But, that's different', one might object, 'it's just a dumb animal; plus, it's only so we can eat'. Well. 'dumb animal' arguments aside, it's still a Life, it's still physical injury ( not only that, it's deliberate ), so how do we justify deliberately causing harm in this instance? How about 'self-defense'? If we cause physical injury or death to someone who is trying to harm us or a loved one, even though it may be termed 'justifiable', we're still causing harm to someone!

How then, do we justify killing someone or something, so that no harm will come to another? The Circle of Life entails the Law of Sacrifice. One thing must die, or offer it's life so that another might live. To use a simple biological example, plants, for instance, need the water from the clouds, the nutrients from the ground ( ? ) & for the seed itself, in essence, to die. in order to be ( trans ) formed. Human life, on the other hand, speaking gestationally, feeds off of human life. Though the mother doesn't usually give her own life that her child might live ( though this does happen, however infrequently ) in a sense, she does give of herself so that her child will prosper. ( Without going into all the biological intricacies of the human anatomy ( I am ill-equipped for that ); throughout the gestational period, the fetus feeds off the available nutrients that the mother's body holds, most of which are necessary to her own life. ) 

How can we, then, justify this 'Circle of Life' while holding to 'An ye harm none............'? This dilemma may be solved by looking at 'harm' in somewhat the same way as we do 'murder', Then again, if we go hunting, for instance, with the intention of killing an animal ( whether it be to eat or not ).................... On the other hand, though, we're back to 'The Circle of Life' & 'The Law of Sacrifice'. Something must die, biologically speaking, in order for something else to live. From the minerals that make up Mother Earth, to the plants which are consumed by animals and human alike, to what most call 'dumb animals', which often serve as 'food' for the human animal; call it 'transformation' or 'death', 'as above, so below'; in order for something to live, something else must die.

'What if the term 'harm' has become 'lost in the translation', so to speak?' As we are 'spiritual beings having a human experience', are we really harming another by causing physical injury to their biological machine, whether it's intentional or not? Without flirting with the nuances of things like war & abortion, let's take a short look at the concept of self-defense. In this scenario. which may be variously 'colored'; harming another may be justified, whether in defense of oneself or their loved ones, even a complete stranger. In such a scenario, though, especially that of the 'complete stronger', one must beware lest they themselves partake in another's karma! 

It should be understood, then, that harming another entails 'intention'. If we go into the woods with the intention of harming ( killing ) a 'dumb animal' for the sake of causing physical injury ( or death ), this might rightly be connoted 'harm'. However, if we were to take the same action with the intention of feeding our family in the great 'Circle of Life', it should be noted that this would be 'transformational', rather than 'harmful'. In the case of 'self-defense', where the intention would be more along the lines of preventing physical harm to oneself or a loved one than in causing harm to another, this too, could be termed 'justifiable', though, in this case, you must judge for yourself, The same would apply in the 'theatre' of war & abortion.

'As above, so below'; 'are we really harming another by causing physical injury to their biological machine?' Humanly speaking, it would be extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible, to debate this question. In fact, it seems somewhat ridiculous to even countenance such a query! With the understanding that we are primarily spiritual ( spirit ) beings, not physical ( human ) beings, we should note that the intention to cause physical harm to another comes, not from our spiritual ( divine ) nature, but from our Ego, which entails our human nature. In the same vein, 'harm' is relative; what, in one's perception would be denoted 'harm', may in another''s perception, simply be 'self-preservation', a necessary part of the 'Circle of Life'. Either way, 'as above. so below', it is in the the intention that the harm lies ( or not ).

'Death is an illusion'! Biologically speaking, one might note, like Energy Itself, everything. from the lowly mineral to the human being ( the highest form of Life? ) is simply transformed into what seems to be something else entirely. Some might ask, at this juncture, 'What then is 'death'?' That might require another story for another day. Suffice it to say for now though, 'death is not the end of anything; it is simply a transition from one form to another, a transformation, like a caterpillar to a butterfly. To quote from a recent movie, with obvious Christian under-tones, 'End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it. White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.' Metaphorically speaking, one should note that this could be, in fact should be understood to describe our own inner transformation or 'awakening'; in biblical terms, 'dying to oneself'.

So, not to justify the taking of a human life, or any biological entity, for that matter, when we view 'harm' from the perspective of 'The Circle of Life' & 'The Law of Sacrifice', we may see that 'death' is not the end of Life, it is simply the beginning of a new one, a transformation. From a spiritual standpoint, however, 'death' should be seen in a whole new Light: since 'death', as we know it, is encompassed by this physical experience alone, may not the same be said of 'harm'? This may seem an exercise in futility, but can we really harm anyone without them perceiving it as such? With trepidation, concepts like 'mercy killings' come to mind!

In conclusion, whatever one's perspective of Who ( or What ) 'God' is, whether it be a Higher Power out there somewhere, or their own Higher ( Divine ) Self, it should be clear that if we live by the Law of Love, we are free to live in this human experience as we will, yet harming none. 

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles

Beyond the Mind's Eye

 

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is ^[g]good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is ^[h]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great [ is ] that darkness!

Matthew 6:22  & 23 - The Bible ( Hebrew/Greek Scriptures ) - New King James Version

At the Core of this post is the 6th chakra, that which is known in certain circles as 'The Third Eye Chakra'. Although some versions of the passage above transliterate the Greek ὀφθαλμός as 'eyes' ( plural ), it is more correctly 'eye' ( singular ). This 'eye' is metaphorical for the faculty of knowing, or what is sometimes called 'The Mind's Eye'. As we will see, though, the Mind is often part of the problem! It is with the Mind that we employ our sense ( if any ) of logic. With the Mind we think, solving the world's problems. We tend also to identify with the Mind, as well as identifying others by their mental capacity. The Mind is most definitely the most powerful tool in our biological arsenal, but when we posit ours or another's value by the strength of that person's Mind, we tend to undervalue that person, be it ourselves or the other. Again, if a Person has a strong Mind, we often place that Person on a pedestal, to whatever degree, thus identifying them with their Mind. Those with a weak Mind are often identified scurrilously as 'retarded'!

The Third Eye Chakra, as some understand it, is a spiritual center, located behind the physical eyes, between the brows, in the center of the forehead. As such, not unlike the Christian 'soul', it is not visible or substantial, though like the 'soul', it is evidentiary. It also requires a certain faith to believe in its existence, though for some, rather than having faith ( believing ), they have a Knowledge of spiritual things, such as 'chakras'. This may come off as sounding a bit uppity, but to be quite honest, anyone can 'garner' this Knowledge, which, in all Reality, isn't to be 'garnered'; this Knowledge exists within each & every human being! Most of us, unfortunately, are so preoccupied with the strength ( or weakness ) of the Mind, whether through social conditioning or what, that the overwhelming majority of us have forgotten, not only what We Know, but Who We are! Not to sound like a broken record, but as I've said in many of my recent posts, We are More than our humanity, More than this Biology ( wondrous as it is )!

The fact that We are More, although in a sense as 'unprovable' as the existence of 'chakras' or even the 'soul', is, in all actuality, fairly well-accepted, though maybe not in those terms. Being brought up Christian as I was, I 'learned' pretty quickly that, as human beings, we were part of the natural creation, though unlike the rest of creation, we were then imbued with a 'soul'. Without going into too much of a diatribe here; speaking of 'uppity', how much more uppity can we get, thinking that we ( human beings ) are the only ones with a 'soul'!? Reading the creation accounts in our English Bibles, even in a very literally wooden sense, it should be clear as day that it was the 'breath of life' that 'God' breathed into Adam which gave him life; without it, he was simply a lump of clay. Here's the question of the day; 'if the Hebrew Scriptures did not record 'God' breathing into the other animals ( created beings ) this 'breath of life', then how were they alive?' WERE they alive?! Or was the Text referring to something altogether different?

Getting back on track now, to the 'Heart' of the matter, or the 'Core' of the issue, so to speak, the Mind, with its logical capacity, should infer from the above musings that the creation accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures are indeed referring to something More than what most people have accepted for centuries. Admittedly, I used this same logic to arrive at this very conclusion! However, that was not the End of my studies: continuing to study, I soon came to realize that there was even More to it than that! The fact that the Text was, one, written to & for an Ancient Near Eastern people, maybe even more importantly, two, it was transliterated ( ordered ) by those with a western mindset, has been largely glossed over by its modern readers!

In all this, I employed my Mind & although I identified, for a time, with this garnered knowledge & with my Mind, I understand now that though, in a purely human sense, I did use my logical mind to reach this 'conclusion', I simply realized ( remembered? ) what I had always known; that I was More than my knowledge, More than my logical Mind; I AM a Spirit having a physical experience!

As Spirits having a physical ( human ) experience, we ALL thus share this Knowledge! 'As above, so below', though, the overwhelming majority of persons have forgotten this illuminating fact. Overrun by the trials & tribulations of this fleeting human experience, most are convinced that there is nothing More to Life than this human existence, that all we are is 'just another brick in the wall, to quote a famous music group. No wonder some people have no hope! Okay, so there are many that have a discombobulated hope, but is it really of any use in this Life?! 

So now, as we reach the conclusion ( of this post ), the question on our minds might be, 'How then, do we go 'Beyond the Mind's Eye'?' How would you suggest we move past the trials & tribulations of this earthly existence?' I'm glad you asked! Some people's go-to is religion. The belief in a Higher Power no doubt gives them some comfort; i.e., that Someone ( else ) is in control of things. ( I'm not saying there isn't a Higher Power ) The problem with this belief, though & with religion in general, is that it tends to take away our responsibility. We are responsible for our own actions, but far too often, we like to blame our problems ( which we create in our own mind ) on some evil entity called 'the Devil' or 'Satan'; some even blame 'God' for their problems!

Our 'problems' are all in our Mind ( at least, that's where they begin )! 'But', some might protest, 'what about when somebody else does something to us or our loved ones? Surely THAT'S not our problem!' Well, actually, it kinda is! When somebody does something to us that's beyond our control, it's still our choice as to how we respond to any given situation. What other people do is not our problem unless we make it our problem. Of course, where does the 'problem' begin, but in our Mind? We think, 'that person did this or that to me or my loved ones' & there is where Choice enters the arena. 

So religion is NOT the problem! It is what we DO with our religion! If our religion, for instance, tells us to love our neighbor & we DO, then it's all good. However if it tells us that & we do not ( love our neighbor ), it's anything but good. The religion is not at fault; WE made the choice to love or not. As I've noted previously as well, neither is belief, even faith, a bad thing. There's also nothing wrong with believing in a Higher Power. In believing though, believe in yourself as well. YOU have the power to control YOUR own life. What Christians call 'free-will', or 'Choice' is what gives us that Power.

Back to the question though & finally, 'how can we go beyond the mind's eye?' The first step is a fairly simple one; 'Remember'! Remember Who you are! 'How do we go about doing that?' Quiet your Mind. ( Now, that IS easier said than done! ) Stop dwelling on & identifying with your thoughts. Realize that you have them ( everybody does ) & there is nothing wrong with that. It is when we begin to identify with & act on those thoughts that we run into trouble. We have them; we are not them! We have a body; we are not that body!

The next step? Well, that's up to you, my friend...........

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Charles Haddon Shank

'I'm In Love; I'm All Shook Up'

This question has been proffered many times before, in several iterations, but, 'what IS love?!' We've covered the fact that, humanly speaking, it most certainly involves feelings, but surely, that's not all there is to it! 'Love is an action', so we've heard, but that doesn't seem to cover it, either................ It IS an active proposition, for if it's merely spoken words, where's the proof? 'Actions speak louder than words', they say. So again, humanly speaking,' love is an action', or maybe better said, 'Love is active'! In essence, one can say, 'I love you' every day, but if that 'love' doesn't manifest in their actions, can you trust that one truly loves you? If that one says they love you, but then abuses you in any way, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually, you can be sure they don't really love you, they just 'love' to use you. Once you are of no more use to them, they will slowly but surely fall 'out of love' with you & sooner or later, discard you out of mind!

Maybe our problem is that we've forgotten who we are! We are not bodies ( persons ) that have a Spirit/Soul; we are Spirits that have a ( biological ) body. That Spirit, just like It's Progenitor, IS Love. As Spirits that manifest in this biological construct called 'Life', we merely show that Love, share that Love, in a sensual way, to those around us. 'How do we show Love?', you may ask. Well, 'as above, so below'; Love does not abuse! Love, for that matter, does not even use! Those who use people, in whatever way, though they may truly 'have feelings' for that Person, are not actually manifesting True Love, but are proving their 'lust for the flesh'; they have forgotten Who they are, having swallowed 'hook, line & sinker' the proposition that We are simply People that happen to have a spirit. But, we must begin somewhere......

'Where to begin?' Well, in Reality, it starts with the Spirit! It is the Spirit that first must Will in order to do with the Body. The failure to first Will ( in the Spirit ) to do something ( in the Body ) is where most people get into trouble, for, thinking they are simply a body with a spirit/soul, they tend to act instinctually, like the animals they think they are, with their animalistic lusts ruling their action. Thus, even though they may feel they are showing you 'Love', they're only manifesting their animal nature. 'Love is not a victory march', says a popular song from our contemporary archives: in one way or the other, most people seem to think that it is ( most likely, even the author who coined this phrase ). The majority of people seem to think that one must win, through conquest, the 'love' of another. Once 'won', then, we must actively keep his or her love, for fear that we may lose it & them. In this way, we, generally speaking, are fighting a losing battle, for in that sense, 'the conquest never ends'!

So why, generally speaking, do we think we must fight to 'win' the love of a fair maiden ( or master )? On a funny note, isn't it interesting that we, as a society, seem to be stuck on the notion that the male of the species is the conquistador, not the female? Back to our question; is our culture to blame? A large part of the blame, we must acknowledge, rests squarely on the shoulders of Organized Religion in general & Christianity in particular! Interesting as well, is the fact that Judaism & Islam, from which Christianity unfortunately stems, seem to have this notion in their head as well, that men are somehow superior, in whatever way, to women & therefore bear the greater burden ( responsibility? ). When it comes down to it, it might be noted that this is a large part of the problem in our contemporary culture, with it's father-less children, 'dead-beat dads' & 'sperm-donors'. ( 'baby-daddies' is another such ). However, this is on the way out, slowly but surely, with a growing number of women realizing that they don't 'need' the male of the species to do anything but 'procreate'. But that's another subject for another day, perhaps..............

'Why do you say that 'we are fighting a losing battle?, you ask; 'as above, so below': 'the conquest never ends'! In general, day-to-day ( or yearly, as the case may may be ) terms, think of it like taxes: one might outright 'own' a piece of property, real estate or whatever, but if you miss one payment on your taxes due, you find out pretty damn quickly that, in actuality, it's really not your property, after all.  So in the case of say, the 'conquest' of marriage, whether it's primarily the male or female ( even if it's both ) doing the fighting; once one or both lose the impetus to keep the marriage going, it usually doesn't last very long.  This, again, leads us back to the fact that 'Love is not a victory march' ( whatever the author meant by these words ), so, since 'Love' is not a conquest, something to strive for, 'what IS it?! 

Love is Who we are! We do not need to tell someone that we love them, though it's nice to hear the words, to show someone that we love them, or rather, have feelings for them: all we have to do is 'let it be'. We only have to Be, not who we, as human beings, THINK we are, but Who we, as Spirit-beings, KNOW we are! Realizing this is easier said than done, I most readily acknowledge, what with cultural indoctrination & all; in order for our True Nature to shine through, we must drop the masks society has told us we MUST wear ( in order to be acceptable ). We must acknowledge, first & foremost to ourselves, for this is where True Love begins, that We are NOT what Cultured Society says We are! We are Who we Are, not because we feel like it, not because we've become that, or attained it, but because that is our very nature!

As human beings, to be perfectly honest, we DO feel the impetus to both love & be loved in return, but this is where get into 'Vibrations' & 'Frequencies': again, perhaps another subject for another day! For today, though, though we may hear both our biological clock ticking & feel the 'need' for that human touch, these sensations are felt simply by this biological machine ( wondrous as it is ); our True Selves want for ( need ) nothing: We are complete!

'What is Love? WE are Love! Not in our humanity, though we most certainly make it manifest through our  sensual bodies, but in our Heart of Hearts, Our True Nature, we are the Love that we so desperately seek, as human beings! Do we need to manifest this Love in our humanity, in order to BE Love? No, we must DO nothing in order to BE Who we are; unfortunately, not knowing who they really are, many have chosen to manifest Fear & Hatred. Realizing though, Who we really & just BEing, instead of feeling driven to DO, that we must be conquistadors, We cannot help but manifest our True Selves. This is Love, not that we have emotional feelings for others, but that we accept ourselves for Who we really are, that we first love ourselves!

Namaste & Blessed Be!

Charles Haddon Shank

Intentional Magick

'Abracadabra'

'Bippity, boppity, boo'

'Double bubble, toil & trouble'

There can be no doubt that words have power, but do words like those listed above actually have the power to change reality? 'First off', one might well ask, 'what IS Reality?' What determines if something is real or just a figment of our imagination? Do WE determine what is 'real', or is there an Absolute?! Can we alter Reality ( not just ours ) by uttering Words of Power like those above? These questions, as well as others like them, may seem frivolous, inconsequential, or even silly & stupid to some, but to others, they give pause to consider, at the very least. Reality, to most, IS Absolute! 'It is what it is' comes to mind. In this application, though, it should be understood to refer more to the choices of those around us, than to a deterministic, fatalistic type of view. It is true that, as far as our senses are concerned, inanimate objects, such as a block of wood or a stone ( boulder? ), are part of that Reality. It should be noted too, that, again, physically ( biologically ) speaking, we are a part of that Reality, as well. However, the Reality to which I'm referring here is an ever-changing one. While everyone may seem to be subject to the same Reality, in truth, everyone has their own Reality. determined by the choices we make as individuals. IE, because of personal choices, to whatever extent, one person's Reality may seem more hellish, while on the other hand, another feels they're walking on 'Cloud Nine'. Both Realities are very real, or at least, so it seems, but the perception is different!

Magick, as opposed to Magic, is Reality itself! The latter is an Illusion, mere ( however convincing ) parlor tricks, sleight-of-hand, while the other happens on a daily basis. Magick has been given a bad name over the years, with its practitioners operating under a cloud of stigma. Television, for the most part, hasn't helped in this arena, often portraying witches as evil & while that stigma may have lessened somewhat in general over the years, the magick practiced by witches is portrayed as almost supernatural ability. In fact, for the most part, these portrayals are noticeably ignorant of truth, being presented simply as 'magic'. Magick can be likened, perhaps, to what most call 'miracles'. This might warrant a post of its own ( maybe even a blog ), but Miracles, while they often seem supernatural, not unlike Magick, are an everyday occurrence as well. The birth of a child, for instance. From conception to its emergence into this cold, cruel world, the growth of the child, not to mention its very existence, is nothing short of miraculous. Planting a seed in the ground & watching it grow to fruition is a very similar process & hardly any less of a Miracle. Both of these, while many attribute the Miracle to 'God' ( or Whoever ), the Truth is that they are simply everyday occurrences & completely natural, biologically speaking.

Intention, unconscious or not, is what motivates us, humanly speaking. One example from my own experience is that when someone did us a perceived wrong & ended up hurting us either physically or emotionally, after being made aware of what they did, their response would be something along the lines of, 'I never meant to hurt you'. "Well, you didn't mean not to, did you?', was usually my sharp ( hurt ) retort! The point is, our intentions are manifested in our actions. When it comes to emotional harm, of course, it becomes difficult to discern between harm which we actually cause & that which is simply that person's perception. When we intentionally ( consciously ) practice doing what we know is good, just & true, we are, in essence, doing Magick!

Doing Magick can include ( depending on your chosen religion, or way of life ) the use of certain words, such as those above, or phrases, even chants or prayers. However, to practice Magick, one doesn't need to cast spells, perform certain rites, or utter incantations. One needs only to have the intention to do a certain thing & it will be done, if one's intentions are true. In the same vein, one's intentions may be true, but if what they intend is NOT good, just & true, that one may be perceived as practicing 'Black Magick'! 'Black Magick' is usually attributed to Satanic activity or devil-worship, involving dark incantations, or even the summoning of evil spirits & calling on the 'Dark Lord' himself!

While intentions are not always good ( ? ), our intentions lead us. Speaking of Magick, contrary to popular opinion, simply by intending to sprout literal wings & fly, one cannot thusly defy the laws of gravity ( ? ). It could be rightly said, however, that Orville & Wilbur Wright did just that, metaphorically speaking! Following their intentions to the end, the brothers figured out how to sustain flight & now, thanks to the same technology, even space travel has become almost matter-of-fact. Intentions help us to accomplish what might seem impossible to the casual observer. Call them Miracles, call it Magick, everything begins with our Intentions, whether it's a new life ( human ), or the Miracle of Flight!

There is a common thread, so to speak, running through both Magick & its illusory pretender; both are possible through Intentions. a mere magician ( parlor tricks, etc ) intends to fool his audience into thinking he ( or she ) has sawn a person in half, while still preserving their life, or just simply guessing ( correctly ) the card they chose. Magick, on the other hand, is a bit more mundane ( ? ), simply being the result of one's intentions for good. As we saw, simply by intending to 'sprout wings & fly', one cannot defy the Laws of Nature ( ? ), for example, but with the right intentions, plus plenty of blood, sweat & tears, one can indeed take flight into worlds unknown!

Reality, in the Greatest Sense, IS what you make it!

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Charles Haddon Shank