Love Unbound

 Love never fails. - Paul ( I Corinthians 8a )

'Unconditional Love." I'll say it again; "Unconditional Love!" Does such a thing even exist? Without immediately referring to the dictionary, the notion of loving without any conditions is suspect, especially in this day & age. Another question comes to mind; "Is it even POSSIBLE for one to love without condition?!" To answer this question, much less the first, might prove easier said than done, however. One possible clue. we might note though, is that the former use of the word is a noun, while the latter is a verb. 'What difference does that make?' you might be asking yourself: "cannot love be both objective & subjective ( active )?" Well, yes, it could be well said that Love is both, for as has been written before in the pages of this blog, "love is an action ( a choice )!" 

The 5 Ws ( Who, What, When, Where and Why ) might prove a useful tool in determining whether we as human beings are capable of "unconditional love"! After that, maybe we'll have somewhat of a clearer picture of what exactly it is. Answering these questions will help us to decipher the answer to both of the questions we have been presented.

"Who? To answer this question, we need to ask ourselves. "To whom is this referring?" Are we the "who" in question, or does it refer to "the other"? Jesus said, quoting Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." This is what I like to call one of the many "Universal Truths" of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures. One: loving ones neighbor as one loves him or herself requires that one first love themselves. This though, itself might render us a clue as to why society in general is in the state of confusion it is; people ARE loving their neighbor as they love themselves: the problem IS, at least 9 out of 10 people don't love themselves! 

"What?" Moving on, one might well note, without having answered the question of "Who?", maybe "What?" will help to answer THAT question. "What IS love?" Is it a noun, something that defines what is otherwise indefinable, or is it a verb, something which can be directed, at will, at any given object? As a verb, it could well be said, love is always conditional. We may love a thing with all our heart, mind, soul & strength, but "God forbid", that 'thing', the object of our love, should turn its back on us, forsaking us: what person, in all honesty, is going to continue to actively love that thing?! One may continue to hold a love, of sorts, in their heart of hearts for that thing, be it a person or what, but if that person or thing continually repulses, or just plain ignores their pleas, their love will only fall on deaf ears for so long before it moves on.

However, if love is a noun describing a person, place, or thing, then maybe, just maybe, we're getting closer to figuring out what love really is! As a noun, Love being unconditional begins to make sense. A Tree is not a tree because it is healthy. If it is unhealthy, it is a sick tree, but it is still a tree. An animal, be it a bird or a cow, it what it is. Even if it is dead or dying; we do not see it and observe, "there lies something that used to be a bird or a cow". No, it is STILL a bird or a cow; it is simply a dead one ( or dying )! Speaking of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures, one may read in them that "God is love" ( I John 4:8 ). As this is one of those "Universal Truths", we begin to see how Love could be considered unconditional. Furthering that Truth, however, we can gather from this that we ourselves are Love, for we radiate from that same Source, indeed, we are One with that Source!

"When?" This question, as "Who?", really relies on "What?" If love is simply a feeling, an active, emotional response to certain conditions, then it relies on the fulfillment of those conditions in order to be activated. When those conditions are not met; "as above, so below", that 'love', or the Holder thereof, is most likely going to move on to the next object of their affection. However, "When?" could also be posited thusly; 'When should we love?" Or, "When do we allow our love to rest on someone, be it an object, place or thing?" Obviously, if our love is emotionally based, our feelings, which change like the weather in Montana, are going to dictate when our love comes to rest.

The startling notion, however, that We are Love changes everything! "We, like God, do not change!" Aghast though you may be right now, this statement is true; just as my argument above about the sickly tree or the dead animal, even if we begin to act differently than we ever had previously, for good or ill, we are STILL human beings. Furthermore & more importantly, the statement above does not refer, at least not primarily, to our humanity! The statement in question refers to our inmost Being, our heart of hearts, so to speak, our Divinity, our Oneness with the Source!

"Where?' The possibilities are endless! This question might refer, in the verbal sense, to spreading that shit everywhere, so to speak. Of course, in the objective sense, it could be answered in the same exact way as we have answered the other questions; that Love resides within us, in our humanity, being an integral part of it, yet on a different level, you might say, our Higher or Highest Self, that part of us that is God. In this case then, our answer is much the same; "spread that shit everywhere!" However, the objective answer requires nothing of us, or of anyone else for that matter. In order to objectively "spread that shit everywhere", We must simply BE!

As a verb, love requires us to make a choice; "Where should we spread this shit?" Where the obvious answer is, "Everywhere!", it really isn't that simple, or easy! If this person or that triggers certain feelings, certain emotions, within us, we may well decide that they aren't really worth our time & energy, even that they are detrimental to us. Even when we can look objectively at the situation, we need to consider these feelings & emotions!

"Why?" Now we come to the Ultimate Question, "The Meaning of Life", you might say! Since we are here, both to love & AS Love, we might well ask "Why?"! Why ARE we here? We are here to love, it's been said. Damn right; "we are here to love", but what does that really mean? Does that really mean that we should spread that shit everywhere, indiscriminately pouring our love on good & evil alike, even if it means letting them walk all over us? This goes right back to what Jesus said earlier; "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"; if we don't love ourselves, respect ourselves enough NOT to allow people to walk all over us, then "Yes", that include us playing the part of a veritable doormat. If, however, we have the respect for ourselves that says, "I don't need this kind of negativity in my life", that is not refusing to love them: that is loving yourself. No, that is not being selfish, either; that is being kind to & loving yourself! It is necessary!

While these lines ( the 5 Ws ) may or may not satisfactorily answer the question ( s ) at hand, they may at least provide a base to begin your own search on. "IS it possible to love without condition?" For the overwhelming majority of human beings, the answer to this question is most likely a resounding "NO!" For those, however, who have realized & accepted that We are MORE than this humanity, that We ARE the Unconditional Love we've been looking for, the answer could be called "a moot point"!

While we ARE, as human beings anyway, "here to love": even more importantly, We are here to BE Love! Being More than Human, We ARE Love Itself, but too often, we allow our humanity to 'outshine' the Love that We are! With our Ego, an integral part of our humanity & so, not a necessarily bad thing, along with eons of conditioning, we have 'learned' that not everyone is worthy of our love, even of the Love We are. We have even been conditioned to believe, most of us in fact, that we ourselves are not worthy of our love!

The second part of our answer to the question, "To whom is this referring?' that was posed near the beginning of this post has been answered. As the saying goes, in other words maybe, "If you can't love yourself, you'll never be able to love anybody else". More importantly, when we don't realize the Love We ARE, we tend to get stuck in the endless cycle ( call it "Vicious Circle" ) of feelings. It could also be likened to a roller coaster. Loving ourselves is easy, though it's harder than it sounds, especially when it comes to loving ourselves without condition. Loving others without condition?! Well, that's damn near impossible, no matter how you spin it!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

The Essence of Life: the Etymology of Spirit

 "Who are you?"

The answer to this question is simple, yet complex! The answer, relatively speaking, could be as simple as, "Well, I'm Charles Haddon Shank ( AKA, Sage Charles ), but then again, "I AM what I AM"! Individualistically ( personally ) speaking, "Charles Haddon Shank" is the name I was given at birth, or at least, the avatar I currently inhabit was named thusly when I burst forth from the womb of my earth-mother. But, is that really Who I am? Am I REALLY Charles Haddon Shank, or is that simply the name of my persona? Am I, on the other hand, an individual Spirit/Soul, or is that just another means of separating myself from everybody else? Is that necessarily a "bad" thing? Since I am of the same Essence of the Source of Life, essentially speaking, does that remove my individuality, my Identity? Being One in Essence with what most call "God", would it be acceptable to say, "I AM God"? "Well, now you're just being ridiculous; of course it's not acceptable!" At least, not to most, especially those that call the Source "God".      

Although it has been popular in the past & is gaining in popularity once again, trying to catch a glimpse of the wizard behind the curtain has been one of humanity's continuing curiosities. The surety that we are More than mere human beings has excited philosophers for eons. Much of this study has either led to or come from the dualistic notion that we are separated from the Source ( Creator ). The majority of world religions, the three major ones in particular, Judaism, Christianity & Islam,  all posit that this Source is a male deity with more or less human emotions, a persona of his own, if you will! What may be called the greatest, or largest of these, ( also, the most splintered ) Christianity, teaches that since the Fall of Adam & Eve in the Garden, the sin nature that we are born with separates us from our Creator. Despite these irresponsible religious notions however, the Truth has always shone through, usually in the most unlikely places & often in the Darkest Times!

At the Very Heart of the Matter, some have noted, We are, both physically & spiritually speaking, made up of pure Energy. For hundreds of years, not only philosophers, but even scientists have been saying this, though in other words maybe. From a purely scientific viewpoint, it is well-accepted that this is so; that the human body is constructed of billions of atoms & that the human brain itself, that which, physically speaking anyway, gives us the ability to think, move & breath, is simply a complex mass of neural activity ( neurons ). 

Coming from a Christian background, of course, we were taught that "In the beginning.........", that it was only after "God" breathed into the first man "the breath of life", that he became "a living being".  Here then, is where Science & Religion tend to run into problems. If indeed the human body is not wholly animated, just by the vibrations of atoms & neurons, then there must necessarily be something More to the Story. Since, according to the Christian Scriptures, the Creator, after "He" had "formed" Adam, had to give him "the breath of life" before he could be self-sufficient, so to speak; that "More" then, must needs involve something greater!

Christianity is not the only culprit, though maybe the main one, of course, for the use of the word "Spirit" to explain this "More", this "breath of life". The popular phrase, "we are spiritual beings having a human experience", coined by French Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, is a good example. Fairly obviously based on Christianity, the word "spirit", according to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, means "an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms". Only secondarily, according to this dictionary, does it refer to "a supernatural being or essence". In Essence, one might note, the first implies the second. While the term "spiritual being" is fairly utilitarian, maybe "energetic being" is a bit closer to the truth!

In Essence, what it comes down to is; "Who or What is "God"?" While conversing with a friend on the subject the other day, I remember stating something to the effect of, "there's obviously an Intelligence involved, for all this ( Universe ) could not exist without it!" Now, whether you're a follower of Darwin or not, the planetary movements themselves scream "Intelligence!". Back down to Earth ( "As above, so below" ), the glories of the human body too, require a preciseness that could not have just happened. So, how do we explain all this? Is there an Intelligent Being out there somewhere that controls, not only the movements of the cosmos, but the inner workings of the human body? That might explain the cosmos, but then we're back to the age-old problem of free-will. Maybe the problem IS a matter of self-control! But, I digress................

So again, "Who or What is "God"?" If "God" is simply the Energy that keeps the planets on their prescribed courses, then that would leave us our free-will! If these "avatars" are simply Energy ( as the atomic/neuronic structure would imply ), then that would explain why we are so "fearfully and wonderfully made", yet find ourselves in such misery sometimes. We can blame no one but ourselves for this failing, much less the Christian "Devil", or "Satan"! This makes us the "God" of our own existence! With that said; there is no denying the Intelligence that lies behind the Universe. Some even go so far, in fact, as to use the term "Universe", where most would say "God"!

The Universe itself being the physical manifestation of the Source of All Life alleviates the "problem" of free-will! "Outer Space", which includes what we know, or have explored, mostly only with probes or telescopes, of the Universe is Infinite, just like the Christian view of "God". Going back to the Hebrew Scriptures, for they are most familiar to me; to use an example I have used previously, "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. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb [ that ] yields seed according to its kind, and the tree  [ that ] yields fruit, whose seed [ is ] in itself according to its kind." ( Genesis 1:11-12 ). I may be grasping at straws here, but if the Earth herself gave birth to plants of all sorts, then maybe, just maybe, this Intelligence designed the rest of Life in a like manner.

The Impetus behind the Universe, then, Being Pure Energy, We can look to the heavens & think, not of how small & insignificant we are, as some philosophers & theologians are wont to do, but rather how the same Energy that powers the very Stars is Within us, that we are not merely finite creatures, but infinite as Creators, as the Universe itself! Talk about humbling & empowering at the same time! The same Intelligence that designed the Cosmos to move like clockwork moves within US, empowering us to live, move & have our being. Is this to say that we could sprout wings & fly, if we so willed? Well, "yes". in a manner of speaking; look at the Wright Brothers, for a famous example!

The purpose of this post is not to pick on Christianity, per se, though more could definitely be said on the subject & not all "bad" either! With that being said, it should be clear that "separation" is all in our Minds. Just as in the biblical Story of the Fall, Adam & Eve, though "cut off" from the blessings of the Garden, were obviously not separated from "God", for they were still able to live move & have their being. For that matter, in the Christian doctrine ( dogma ) of "Hell", "sinners", or "lost souls", are cast into "The Lake of Fire", where they suffer an Eternity of conscious torment. Question; 'How the "hell" are they conscious if they're separated from God"?! But, Again, "I digress........"   Enough picking on Christianity!

So, back to our original question, then; "Who are you?" One may identify & many do, with the name given them by their earth-parents, with their chosen persona. Along with their chosen persona is the way they manifest that persona & what they do, how they act in that persona.  My readers must judge for themselves as to whether or not this is so, but, as I've endeavored to show in this post, one's persona, or even how they manifest in that persona does not define them, no more than a bird is a cat, just because it can mimic its mewing!

"As above, so below"; No matter how one looks at it; We are clearly More than this physicality, this humanity! Whether one follows the basic tenets of Christianity or not, even if one is a Darwinian evolutionist who believes that humanity emerged from the primordial ooze, millions or billions of years ago, as a one-celled organism, it can hardly be denied that some Intelligence exists, for Intelligence didn't just happen; "it can't!" This is not to say, necessarily, that evolution, even on the grandest of scales, by the greatest stretch of the imagination, couldn't explain the glories & complexities of Mother Nature, including the human animal, but one would be hard-pressed to do so, if indeed it IS possible!

So,  "Who ARE We?!" Is it enough to say who we are NOT? "I think not!" The words of this post have shown clearly Who We ARE. We are "Spirit Beings", yes, but more to the point; we are Energy. We are Divine, yes, but does that really define us any more than the Persona? The word 'Divine", itself can be defined as "relating to or coming from God or a god". "Circular reasoning", anybody? ( that's a joke, by the way ) Clearly, these "avatars" are "energetic bodies", not unlike the planets themselves. The Energy that compels them is no more or less powerful than the Energy that moves us in our familiar & relative orbits! 

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles

The Divine Boogaloo ( "All In Our Heads" )

Jim had a Song to sing, a Story to tell & dontcha know? He told it very well!

Jim Stanford was not a musician: he wasn't even a song-writer. Jim was a Magician. No; he didn't do parlor-tricks, nor did he stand up in front of live audiences & perform card-tricks. He didn't disappear out of locked crates or saw people in half. Jim simply WAS! He WAS creative. He WAS very focused, on his intentions, that is. Jim knew that to see what most others could not, One must BE what most others WOULD not! It was not easy ( nothing worth doing EVER is! ), but Jim had realized that, if ANYTHING was going to change for the better in his little world, HE must BE that change! As a wise Bear ( not Yogi ) once said; "Only YOU can prevent forest fires"!

"Heaven" is not Beyond our reach! It IS up Above us, but it is also all around us. It is WITHIN us! Jim knew, as many of us are realizing, that "Heaven", as "Hell". is a conscious choice. "Where do YOU want to live?" Do you want to feel the Joys of 'Heaven", or would you rather suffer the terrors ( Fear ) of "Hell"?! Hard as it may be to believe, we DO have a choice! It has not been fatalistically decided for us; it was not predetermined, we were not chosen to live, or suffer, as the case may be, for an Eternity in either "Heaven" or "Hell". Jim knew better; he knew, from experience, that BOTH of these concepts are Realities here & NOW!

All his life, as with the overwhelming majority of us, Jim had been taught that both "Heaven"
 & "Hell" were something to either hope for or dread. As Jim grew up under this "Iron Hand", this "Sword of Damocles", so to speak; he learned to live his life in Fear; fear that he wasn't worthy, fear that the moment he made a mistake, it might be his last, fear that if he didn't persevere ( as he was told he must ), he might lose his status as one of "God's" Chosen. Living with all that Fear, He came to see that he was simply existing. Being so afraid of screwing up any chance he might have of salvation, Jim came to realize that he was not really Living; he was simply waiting for "the next shoe to drop"!

Jim had lived a relatively long life. Although He had only really "come to His senses" recently, Jim knew that it was never too late, for though he, as we, might wish that we had known all these things when we were young, He realized, in a non-fatalistic way, that there was a Purpose behind EVERYTHING, that everything happened for a Reason. There was no "Man Upstairs" driving this Chariot according to His Divine Will ( or was there? Jim had a working theory that the theological language he had suffered under for the first part of his life could somehow be applicable to His Inner Life, with all its intricacies )! Whether we have a "good" or "bad" experience ( it's all relative ) is ENTIRELY up to US; our choices, even the decisions we make in response to the events beyond our control, are what determine whether we enjoy our life, or simply "suffer" through it!

It has been seared into our minds, especially as Christians, that "We are not our own......" & though, in some sense, that is true enough; Jim had come to the startling realization that, for all intents & purposes, We ARE our own! These bodies belong to the Earth, He knew ( "dust to dust", ya know? ) & even our Soul ( Spirit ) doesn't technically "belong" to Us, being simply a member, or part of what Is, the Divinity. Humanly speaking, though, WE do not "belong" to ANYONE ( THAT sounds like slavery ); our Life is just that, OURS! It is totally OUR responsibility. If we end up with a 'hellish" existence; it is because of our own choices. Some may say, "well, look at everything that happened to me; look what he or she did to me!" Call it "Tough Love" or what you will, but "Hell, yes; YOU made the choice as to how you reacted to their actions: YOU put YOURSELF in "Hell!! If you continue simply reacting in the same manner, you will be putting yourself through "Hell"! Same goes for "Heaven"; when you decide how you're going to act ( with intention ), rather than simply reacting to what Life 'throws" at you, you will find yourself living with the "Peace that passes all understanding", in "Heaven"!

Jim KNEW that "Peace"! One might say that He had reached that level of "perfection" that only exists in "Heaven"! No matter what things Life "threw" at Him, Jim always met them with a smiling face ( He NEVER frowned, or cussed when he stubbed his toe ). He NEVER simply reacted to the actions of other people, but was entirely impervious to them, always "turning the other cheek", in a manner of speaking, simply walking away when faced with ANY sort of Negativity.  Though surrounded by those who ignorantly, though consciously, chose to spend their meager existence in "Hell"; Jim had chosen instead, to live his Life to the fullest, in "Heaven". 'Sound to good to be true? Does "Jim" just sound almost TOO perfect? "That's impossible in this world we live in, right?!" Hmmmmm...............

Our Hero had made the conscious, One might even say, "God-like" choice to have a Positive experience. He did not blindly place his faith in a Being that was outside of Time & Space; rather, He took responsibility for his own Life, knowing that he could rise or fall, dependent on his own choices. Even though "Hell" swirled all around him, Jim realized that it was his choice to suffer through that "Hell" or not. Choosing not to suffer was for Jim, as for all of us, seemingly impossible. "When cancer is in the equation; how does one NOT suffer?" one might ask. "God" forbid, you are the drunk driver of a car & are the cause of death for an entirely innocent family, while you walk away, almost unscathed?" How does one NOT suffer in that circumstance?! Well, in both cases, choices were made, whether consciously or unconsciously: the foods we eat, the way we live, whether to drink till we're drunk, the choice to get behind the wheel when we're drunk, etc, etc................... The point is; it's ALL about Choice!

Too many of us spend our meager existence waiting for someone to almost magically "reach down" & save us, but Jim knew better! If He was going to spend his life in the Joys of "Heaven", Jim knew that He would have to make the conscious choice to intentionally Live in such a way as to avoid the suffering of those around Him; those who simply existed in "Hell". Without Faith in "God", Jim had been told, this was impossible & in some sense, He agreed! Unless we have Faith in our OWN ability to make Positive Choices, we will never be able to make the choice, being dependent on the will & whim of others to either make our choices for us, or somehow lend us the Strength we need to make the "right" choices. 

"As above, so below"; Jim, as so many of us, had come to realize His own Divinity later in Life! Though He had come to realize this Truth only of late, He now understood that He WAS worthy, He WAS powerful; He COULD make the "right" choice, on His own, though with help from Above! By "Above". I simply mean to say His Higher, or Highest Self, not any part of His humanity ( that would involve the Ego ). Jim, as ALL of us can, had become More than Human! Realizing that He had the Strength WITHIN all along, Jim began to live His Life in a way that honored His Humanity! Those who merely exist in this world, trudging their way through the drudgery of this life, building up Karma on top of Karma, have not yet come to the realization that we DO have the Power to save ourselves: these think that because they "belong" to someone else, only this "someone else" truly has this Power, that somehow, "they" must make their decisions for them, "As above, so below", though; "Only YOU have the Power to decide for yourself"!

"Music is the Spice of Life!" Jim had felt this all Life, but it was not till he had spent almost a half century in this existence, again, that He realized the Magic of these words. He had never learned to play an instrument, never really penned a verse & didn't have the greatest singing voice, but He had a Song in His Heart & as we can ALL attest to, what's in one's Heart WILL be revealed!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

 

Fear Vs. Free-Will; Love not Fear

 Now faith is the ^[a]substance of things hoped for, the ^[b]evidence of things not seen.  ( Hebrews 11:1 ) 

'Have a little Faith!'

No matter how much substance one gives to this popular statement; there is some truth to it. There is nothing wrong with placing Faith in something outside yourself, though there is always the chance you'll be disappointed! Therefore, the Crux comes in how & where you place that Faith! Do we place our Faith in what some Book says about a Person/Being we have no Proof of except for that Book, or do we trust in our own ability ( capability ) & that of those around us? The Book in question, of course, as we have explored previously, is simply one of many translations ( versions ) of an Ancient Near Eastern narrative into a modern Western piece of literature. In that vein; the words "substance" & "evidence" might better be translated 'foundation' & 'conviction'. So, the question here might be; "What is YOUR Foundation; what is YOUR Conviction?" 

Fear is a great motivator! As Christians. we are taught to 'fear God': whether this 'fear' is simply a healthy respect or what, it is still Fear. "Why should we 'fear' God?" Well, of course, we don't want to go to 'Hell'. so there IS that, right? Okay, so 'healthy respect'; we're right back to, 'God' has the Power to destroy 'both soul and body in Hell'. Nice Guy, right?! However. this is somewhat beside the point. If your Faith is in some Being out there, Who may or may not exist, then your Faith is founded on mere Hope! However, if your Faith is in your own ability to choose, based not on what you read in some Book, but what you feel within Yourself, then your Faith is indeed grounded in something substantive.  Here again, many or most Christians will tell you, to whatever degree, that because of 'the Fall', we CANNOT, free-will or not, make good choices, so according to their reasoning, we MUST place our Faith in that same Person/Being who may or may not cast us into 'Hell'! Since we know "there is no Fear in Love", however, doesn't it make more sense in your own ability to save yourself, to choose the Right, especially given the fact that this Book also tells us that "we have the Mind of ( the ) Christ"?!

Yes; Fear IS a great motivator, but Love is the Greatest Motivator! For instance, Love for ourselves enables us to have Love for others! You might have heard the saying, 'if you can't love yourself, you can't truly love anybody else'? This is a true saying & worthy of all acceptation. When we love ourselves, we begin to see that we DO have the Power to make Right Choices, for Love IS Right! We ARE Love, for We are of the same Essence as 'God', Who "is Love". This is not to say that 'God is one of us' ( a human being ), as some have postulated, just that WITHIN our humanity, in fact, that which truly motivates our humanity, is the Essence of Who we are, what makes us 'us'. Now, playing the 'devil's advocate' here, it might be said that if this 'Essence' is truly what motivates our humanity, then humanity must have been, as a whole, affected by 'the Fall', because, "look at all the evil that humanity has perpetrated"! A good point, maybe, or so it might seem, except that those who perpetrate & perpetuate evil are acting out of Fear, NOT Love. Fear comes from without; Love comes from within; Fear is learned, Love just IS. One doesn't LEARN to Love another: for lack of a better term, It just 'happens': a child, on the other hand, must LEARN to Fear, otherwise, he or she will never understand the concept!

As human beings, we should understand that there is ALWAYS a choice! We may not like either choice & therefore we might say, based on Fear, that we had no choice. As the saying goes, however, 'if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice'. Even if you felt like you had to choose 'the lesser of two evils'; you still chose 'evil'! Fear tells us that if we don't choose one or the other, then the one that we fear most will be chosen for us. Love, on the other hand, tells us to trust our own intuition, or whatever Higher Power we choose to place our Faith in, to make the Right choice, even if it seems there is no chance in 'Hell'. Love tells us as well, that as long as we 'harm none', to do what we will! Fear teaches us to walk on eggshells lest someone perceives what we do as 'harm'. In other words, Fear makes us worry about what others might think & therefore we usually act accordingly. Love, on the other hand, is based on intuition & intention. When guided by Love, In Essence, by our Higher Self, we act with intention, intuitively ( one might even say, 'instinctively' ).

Love IS the Greatest Choice, though some might say, as far as our True Nature, our Higher, or Highest Self goes, there IS no choice involved; It just IS! One might think that it should be easy, even humanly speaking; the obvious choice is Love, not Fear, but unfortunately, in the day & age in which we live, it often seems to be the most difficult choice in the world. Humans have been so conditioned for so long, by whatever means, to live in Fear. This Fear has many different facets, but what it really comes down to is a Fear of the Unknown, Fear of the Future, Fear of what others might think, Fear of what others might DO, Fear of the IFs of Life; 'What will happen IF?', 'IF I do this, what will happen?' If I do that, what will happen?' 'What IF I don't.............?' So many IFs with Fear, but with Love, there are no IFs! Because We ARE Love, there is no 'IF he or she is worthy', no 'IF I feel like it' ( honestly, we ALL have those days, some more than others ). Love just IS! When we allow our Highest Self to influence our actions, the choice will always be Love from a Pure Heart!

I'm definitely no expert on children & even though I have 11 siblings ( 4 sisters, 7 brothers ), cannot say on my own authority, tell you that children have to learn Fear, learn Hate, but studies have been made to show this disturbing fact! There is no certain age when children begin to learn Hate & Fear, for so much depends on the environment in which they are raised, or better yet, allowed to grow. as the Great Wheel turns. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that children ( again, depending on their environment ) are learning earlier and earlier to allow their emotions to rule them! On the other side of the proverbial coin, Love is NOT an emotion, but an almost passable substitute, that is also called 'love', is another of these ruling emotions; this 'love', which is more akin to 'lust', though not necessarily BASED in Fear, is too often dependent on, or even ruled by Fear. 'What if he or she doesn't return my 'love'?' 'What if I lose her or him?' So many IFs!

As we have explored many times previously, We are More than Human! Yes, we are, as far as our individual Journey on this Sacred Earth, Human Beings, Human beings with Free-Will, the capability to make Choices & not only that, the capability to make Right Choices! We have this ability, because whatever Higher Power we give worth to, whether It be the 'God' of our own choosing or our own Inner Being, our Highest Self enables us to just simply BE, not to Fear what may come from ours or other's actions. When we live from our Highest Self, for instance, someone might do us harm, whether real or perceived, but we understand that their action was not necessarily against us ( personally ), but was a product of their own Fear, their own Pain. This does not necessarily mean that we should just let it pass ( 'turn the other cheek' ), but Love gives us Empathy for our fellow humans, who have been conditioned as much or more than we have. Again, 'we ARE Human Beings', but as More than Human, our Intention is Love, not Fear!

As children must be taught, throughout their lives, to Fear, so we, as adults, must unlearn the Fear that we were taught. It is only through realization of Who & What we truly are, by embracing our true nature, that being Love, that we will ever truly conquer Fear! Fear is insidious! The reason for this is an overactive Ego. When presented with any given situation, no matter how much you place your faith in someone outside yourself, there is always that seed, however small, of doubt that filters through & says, 'What if?' From 'What will happen to my toy if that other child plays with it?' to 'If I don't do what I'm told, will I burn in 'Hell' forever?', we are faced with so much Fear throughout our lives that to unlearn all that we have been taught, we will have to go through a usually painful unlearning process. This Process, painful as it is, must happen in order for the Healing to begin. 

Fear. though a great motivator, will not motivate you to heal! Oh, sure; Fear might make you wanna start taking care of your biological body, but to truly Heal, one needs to work from the inside out, in a manner of speaking. Only Love can do that! 'As above, so below'; when we begin with our 'heart'. our Soul, one might say, this Healing will manifest in our physical body. Now, this is not to say necessarily, that we, humanly speaking, will experience a complete '180', but the health we feel in the Spirit cannot help but manifest in our physical body. Our very Essence IS Health & when we live from & in that Essence, we will present, to whatever extent, the very picture of Health! ( On a more personal note: this may be my own Fear speaking, but I wonder if, speaking of our biological bodies, there isn't a 'point of no return', where the damage is all but irreversible )

So; 'Fear or Faith'? With the Faith that Love will guide us through all of Life's obstacles, we need not Fear! 'As above. so below'; if we place our Faith in something, or someone outside ourselves, there's always the chance we will be disappointed. If we place that Faith in ourselves, however; though we may fail untold times, because we are operating out of Love, not Fear, we will get up, dust ourselves off & 'try, try again'. The answer to the question; 'Fear or Faith?' is 'Love'! More precisely. it is our Faith in the Power of Love that will carry us through. 

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

Sacred Balance: A Contemplation

 'It's all about intention'!

We are powerful Beings of Light, but too often, in the crazy-busyness of this strange world in which we live, we tend to forget that. It seems that, to really get anywhere, we are almost forced to lead separate lives. On the one hand, we have the sacredness of life, which is usually relegated to a certain day or days, even a certain time of day, while on the other, there are the issues of everyday life that scream for our attention. The issue at hand, though, is to figure out how, or even "if" we can bring balance to these two aspects. Moreso, how do we keep from making the mistake of over-secularizing what is sacred, or vice-versa? Should we maintain that difference, as we were taught?

One of the "backbones" of this nation, you might say, is "the separation of church & state". It IS a good business model! History, in particular, "Calvin's Geneva", has shown us that the opposite model doesn't work, that in fact, it has a detrimental effect on society as a whole, even if you belong to the Church. The main reason, as I understand it, for separating the Church from the State, was to ensure that the Church would not be enforcing their own brand of justice, based on their interpretation of their sacred text ( the Bible - in its manifold versions ). Look at the mess we have from Calvin's precursor, for instance; back in the 4th century, with the beginning of the institutional Church, it should be noted, when the Emperor of the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its official religion. Of course, this was a political move, as was later, it could be argued, Calvin's own.

However, the question at hand is whether we should keep these two issues of life separate, or whether we should try to find some kind of balance. The Quakers, for instance, seem to have built their "religion" on the idea, more or less, that all aspects of life are sacred. I couldn't agree more; Life IS Sacred! The whole notion of keeping separate those things which are sacred & those which are secular is dualism at its worst!  As noted earlier, however, "it IS a good business model"! I say that very lightly, for in separating the two, we are only further acquiescing to the notion that there ARE Sacred & Secular aspects of Life! In some sense, one might note, this is true enough, but then again, a whole "can of worms", a veritable "Pandora's Box" could be opened here! Basically, what it comes down to is that, if there are those different aspects to life, one side of the equation might decide that, since the other is opposed, the "other" doesn't deserve to live. "Sound familiar?'

Finding a balance between the two is not as easy as it sounds, but then again, it is! You may have heard the saying, "change your thinking & you'll change your life": yeah, definitely NOT as easy as it sounds! How do we, in the crazy, busyness of this world in which we live, change our thinking?! I mean, with all the stimuli we have these days, especially from the world around us; how are we supposed to get ahead without joining in with the craziness, the busyness ( business )?! History has shown us, as well, that those who go against the flow have often not fared too well. More often than not, they have ended up "on the cross", whether figuratively or literally! So, how then, do we "bring balance to the Force" without being "crucified"? Well, my friend, the proverbial answer is "blowin' in the Wind"!

"Crucify yourself!" In a manner of speaking, we MUST die to Self in order to gain the World! I know, we've been taught, 'to be friends with the World is to be enemies with God"! Without going into a rant against Christianity; "It IS, in true Christian terms, God's World"! It is OUR World; We are the "Gods" of this World & the sooner we realize it, the better! Now, I'm by no means saying that we should just let our World "go to hell in a handbasket"; for one thing, that's the main reason this world is in the shape it's in. As the "Gods" of this World, we have forgotten Who WE are & allowed ourselves to become duallistically separated. By this, I mean that we have become unbalanced within ourselves. On one hand, we might make the claim that Life is Sacred, but then we go out after we have paid homage to what we view as "Sacred" & commit sacrilege, by acting as if "this is Sacred, but that is not'.. Remember, "An ye harm none, do what ye will"; if it's not Sacred, why should we care, right?!

To "crucify" oneself does not mean to literally end one's life, whether literally or figuratively; it simply means to realize, through introspection/meditation, Who we are! Are we primarily human beings, animals in a "dog eat dog" world, or are we literally the Gods of this World with the Power to make It a better place, a place where we don't have to devour our neighbor, just to get ahead?! Some might call me sacrilegious, saying this, but SINCE we are the Gods of this World, not so much as human beings, though there IS that, but as More than human beings. Divinity in our own right, it is through the choices we make that we manifest the greatest good. That said, there IS much "evil' in this World: I say "evil". though that is very often a relative term, but the point is that, though not all make choices we would popularly define as "good", those that choose evilly or wrongly have not come to the realization of Who they really are; they are simply manifesting their animal nature. 

"Balance" IS definitely key! Without Balance. as we have previously explored. Life would not exist. Many elements have to come together, in strict synchronicity, in fact, for Life to persist. When we balance our inner life with our outer life, realizing that our outer life is simply the manifestation of our inner life, then we are indeed that much closer to Balance. But, there is still work to be done. What if our outer life, the manifestation of our inner life, is still filled with "evil". This simply shows the Work yet to be done. If our works are still "evil", that means that we are not working from our Higher Self, our Divine Nature, but are instead, still manifesting from what a friend of mine calls "the monkey mind": I call It "the Ego". The Ego, as we've previously noted, however, is not something to be destroyed, as it is an integral part of our humanity; rather, it is something to be overcome, usually on a daily basis, at the very least! 

The Balance between our Higher Self & Lower Self is what is needed here, in this Life! With this Balance in hand, we will find that it IS possible to live in both 'Worlds" at the same time. Yes, all aspects of Life are Sacred, even in some sense, Divine, but, just as importantly, there are those aspects which are very Mundane, even relatively droll. In some sense, this is somewhat due to the fact that not all are in the same stage of Evolution ( some may not have seemed to be evolving at all, in fact ), but we must focus on our own Evolution & let them worry about theirs. This is not to say, of course, that in our Evolution, we may not influence theirs, for we doubtless will, sooner or later. With our Evolution, the Light will begin to emanate from Within & will, without fail, positively affect the World around us, even though it may mean our actual "crucifixion"!

As Beings of Light & Love, We, at the same time, live in a Mundane World; a world where, without the necessary balance, things tend to fall apart. By overcoming the Ego, by living instead from our Higher Nature, we bring Balance to the Force, so to speak, by bringing the Unconditional Love that We are to bear on a mundane, dying world that so desperately needs Us. Calvin's Geneva, as well as Constantine's Holy Roman empire, were products of their respective Egos: History has shown us the results of those experiments. They ended in failure, though it could be argued that the Holy Roman Empire is alive, though not well, on planet Earth! 

Though this World, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, We will not Fear, for We ARE One with the Source, the Energy that created this World! As Beings of Light & Love, may our Light so shine before this World, that all may truly SEE & harboring their own Light, become Light-workers, as well!

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles

Where I Am Now; 'Why I have & Haven't left Christianity

 

 'I like your Christ, but not your Christianity' - Mahatma Gandhi

 So, you might wanna be sitting down for this............................I no longer call myself a Christian!

From the things I've been blogging about recently, some of my readers probably aren't too surprised by my intentionally blatant statement. Don't worry; I have not left the Path I embarked on, those many years ago. It's been roughly 30 years since I was introduced to the principles of Preterism. Well, let me tell you, my friends; that was the beginning of the end!As I advanced in these Principles, I began to see that much of what we held as dogma was based squarely in Scriptures that not only were primarily applicable to the original audience, but had been fulfilled to that original audience ( the Hebrews/Jews ), IN the first century, soon after the final words that we read in what we know as the Holy Bible had been written.

Some 15 or so years ago, I read a book, co-authored by George Barna & Frank Viola, called 'Pagan Christianity'. While I could not agree, especially at the time, with everything written therein, it was enough to awaken me even further, showing me that, not only did Christianity NOT hold anything for me, the Old Religion ( really, more a way of life, like Christianity should be ) upon which modern Christianity is largely based ( except for the dogma ) held much more appeal for me. I am not Wiccan, or really any other such label, but, if anything, I AM Pagan, which means that I worship the Creator through the Creation. Notice, I did not say, 'through His Creation': I do not believe that the Creator, be IT 'Energy', 'the Universe', or whatever you want to name the Divinity that IS, can be rightly personified as male or female, although I DO recognize all the different aspects ( perspectives ) as noted by the different world religions. Even 'Allah' is an aspect, though a faulty perspective, of the One.

 My new mantra concerning belief is, 'I know what I know & I don't know what I don't know'! It's not that I no longer believe ( for instance, 'I believe I'll have another!' ); I just don't believe something, just because the moral majority or some book says so. If it resonates with my own Spirit ( read 'Divinity' ), I don't simply believe it ( 'blind faith' ), I KNOW it! I DO believe, as I have written about previously, in the Universal Truths of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures: the Wisdom of Solomon can truly apply across the board, while the Words of Jesus the Christ are full of the same Wisdom, that from Above.

By 'Above', I am not referring to 'Heaven', at least, not the 'Heaven' that Christianity teaches/preaches! 'Heaven' is the dwelling place of 'God', yes, but just as 'Heaven' is not what we have been taught, neither is 'God'! 'Heaven' truly is all in our heads! By that, I simply mean that ''Heaven' like 'Hell', is what we make it. Through our choices, we decide & manifest whether we're going to spend our days ( Eternity? ) in 'Heaven' or 'Hell'. Some might be thinking right now, 'I'll bet he's gonna say next that we're our own 'God' too, as if THAT'S all in our heads'. Well, you got me; I AM! We ARE part of that Divinity, the same Divinity that has a corner on Universal Truth, the Energy that is back of the Universe & everything that IS!

By 'Above', I'm referring to our Higher Self, which is our link with that Divinity. By living from, becoming acquainted with that Higher Self, we become aware of our own Divinity & thus realize that we are Creators in our own right. With the understanding, of course, that by saying, 'I AM', I'm not saying that I'm the end-all, although I AM in control of my own destiny; I'm simply saying that we, as the Divine Collective, make up what is most often called 'God'. There, I said it! Enough preaching; back to MY ( individual ) Story.................................

Coming from the background I did & not really having studied the other world religions to any great extent, the Principles that Jesus taught flavor much of my life, but I no longer label myself thusly, or believe that He was anything other than what He claimed to be. He truly WAS the Son of God, as we all are, in Essence! As is often said, though, He did not come to start a new religion, at least, not an institutionalized one, anyway ( that's all on humanity ). He came to show the Hebrew people how they should live, thereby proving to be the 'Son of God' He was/is. There I go, preaching again............

I have found that Paganism in general holds more for me. As 'worship' simply means 'to ascribe worth to'; I DO worship Nature, in ALL Her manifold aspects. Yes, I said 'Her'! One thing that attracts me to the Old Religion is that, rather than focusing on only the Male aspect of Divinity, Paganism focuses on the Female Divinity, not forgetting, or hiding the Male, as Christianity, along with other patriarchal world religions have done with the Female. One might say that I have accepted my 'witchy' nature, for though I do not follow any certain religion, I HAVE embraced Paganism, which is not based on dogma, but rather on a profound respect for Mother Nature, which most call 'Creation'. 

Again; 'I AM on the same Path I have always been on'! It just looks a bit different than even I would have surmised, back those many years ago. So, one might well say that I have left 'the Faith'. If I still have any faith ( "Blind'? ) anymore, it is either in those closest to me. or in my Higher Self. I have no faith in the Christian 'God', One that says, 'love Me or else'. 'He' cannot save me, either from myself, or from an eternity in 'Hell'; that is MY choice & mine alone! No one, however powerful, can make that choice for me! That IS a lot of weight to put on such feeble shoulders, but remember, I AM More than these feeble shoulders...................

I AM, Sage Charles

The Bridge; Revisited

Most anybody can tell you, though the overwhelming majority are silent witnesses, that balance is key. If one has too much of one thing, but not enough of another necessary ingredient, the finished product doesn't come out quite right. It could be argued that one CAN have too much of a good thing! Of course, as both good & bad are more or less relative, one might note that what is good for one, could be quite bad for the other & vice versa. As they say, 'one woman's trash is another woman's treasure'!

ALL the problems in the world today have one thing in common; 'balance', or rather, the lack thereof! We fight & quarrel among ourselves because we've forgotten who we are. Society is based on the notions that we are primarily a bunch of people trying to coexist. It has been ingrained in us that we are simply human beings with choices to make & things to do, rather than spiritual beings who simply ARE, Who have taken on biological bodies, with all that entails. Don't get me wrong; as human beings with individual souls, we DO have choices to make & things to do, for that is why we have incarnated in this existence, on this earthly plain, but this is not Who or What we ARE! We must remember Who & What we are, if we are to have ANY hope of making the right choices & doing the right things!

If you, dear reader, are aware, there are what are known as chakras ( from the Sanskrit for 'wheel' ), placed at certain important intervals at the center of our bodies, from the base of our spine to the top of our head. These are spiritual energy centers, responsible for the operation of said body. In order, they are, from bottom to top, the Root Chakra, which controls our foundation, or groundedness, the Sacral Chakra, which controls our sexual energy, the Solar Plexus Chakra, which is, in some sense, where your energy, or personal power comes from, the Heart Chakra, which we'll come back to later, the Throat Chakra, which enables our communicative ability, with all that entails, our Third Eye Chakra, which enables us to see what can only be observed by the Spirit & finally, the Crown Chakra, which is our link with the Divine. If any single one of these energy centers is blocked, for whatever reason, it affects the whole System, in effect creating an imbalance which then manifests itself in the physical realm, namely, in our bodies!

Now, in order to fully accept that we have these 'energy centers', much less to understand them, one must first understand & accept that we ARE Energy, not just physically, but spiritually speaking. It is almost common knowledge, that, biologically speaking, our make-up is simply a host of atoms moving at various vibrations. This is a very simplistic way of stating it, but that's what it comes down to. If our spiritual energy centers are out of alignment ( much like the spine ), this dis-ease manifests in our biological form. When they are in alignment, the energy flows freely, bringing health & well-being to our host, as the atoms then, are vibrating as they're supposed to. 

The Key, as we've noted, is Balance & thus we return to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra, it should be noted, functions as a bridge of sorts, between the lower, or animal centers & the upper, or higher centers of that which manifests, if we so choose, our Divinity. Too often we use these instruments, in particular, our communicative abilities, improperly & thus fail to show our Divinity. This failing then most often comes from the failure to employ our Third Eye, which then means that we fail to recognize our own Divinity. 'Why', some might ask, 'besides the obvious, would you say that the Heart Chakra is the Bridge?' ( This might be called, 'The Bridge Between Heaven & Earth' ) I'm glad you asked; 'the Heart ( not the physical organ that pumps blood ) is significant of our Inmost Being, the 'Heart of the Matter', you might say. Just as the physical organ pumps blood to all parts of the body, so the Heart Chakra regulates the energies that flow through our chakras, thus enabling them to manifest in the physical realm.

The Heart Chakra, as 'The Bridge Between Heaven & Earth', enables us, in the way of remembrance, to realize Who & What we are. We are Love, Joy & Peace! When our Heart Chakra is out of alignment, not only do we forget Who & What we are, even the lower chakras, as well as their respective manifestations, are adversely affected. These adverse manifestations tend to lead to further ignorance of our Divine status. The importance of the Heart Chakra, in the Grand Scheme of things cannot be ignored; as the saying goes, 'if your heart ain't in it...........................'!

Just as when the heart ( the blood-pumping organ ) is working correctly, health & vitality flow freely to all parts of the body, so when the Heart Chakra is aligned, as it should be, with the rest, then the Energy not only flows freely throughout; it also works to bring Balance to the Universe of our ( individual ) Soul. What & Who we truly are manifests as our Divine Self, enabling us to transmute even our biological form into something that is More, More than simply a human being acting instinctively & animalistically; rather, we will show that we are truly a Divine Being in human form. The Key here, is that we are a Divine Being, IN human form; when we let our Ego take control, we tend to focus overmuch on our Divinity, while our humanity suffers. When this happens, of course, we might be tempted to question our own Divinity! What is needed is Balance.

One simply has to look at biology itself, also known as Nature, to understand that when one part of the equation is vibrating out of sync with the rest, the whole thing tends to crumble, or come crashing down. To one with Freidrich's Ataxia, really with any kind of similar dis-ease, this really hits home! For an example from the biological world, there are reports of realignments that have miraculously enabled people to stand on their own two feet again, even to walk! It takes a lot of Energy to believe stories like this & one can easily imagine, even moreso to actually go through such a Process of Healing. It's also easy to say, 'sure, it's possible', though not so easy to believe, much less, put into practice. Healing, however, is a necessary part of growing, of evolution, so with all the Energy we can muster, let the Healing commence! 'Which brings us back to 'chakras'................

I was brought up Christian, as most of my readers know, so it was probably not till my early twenties ( at the earliest ) that I even heard the term, much less, what it meant. I'm by no means saying that I was ignorant of their existence, just because I was brought up Christian; I'm sure there are many Christians out there that know about 'chakras'. Without further digression, though, the importance of aligning these spiritual energy centers, in whatever terminology one prefers it, cannot be denied! In all actuality, it is of utmost necessity to keep the correct balance in these matters, for the biological body is a manifestation of the spiritual. Again, this is easy to say, for it would seem the physical body CAN reach the point of no return, meaning that we often learn such lessons too late in this life: I guess it's a good thing we have more than one life to live!

Humanly speaking, it IS all about choice, the choices we make & the things we do based on those choices. If we are in alignment with our true Self, we will undoubtedly make good choices, choices which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they will be good for us. If they are good for us, they will work through us for the good of others, though they may not always appreciate them. When we are in a higher vibration, we will manifest this Energy to others & while not all will follow this higher vibration, some will latch onto it & begin to vibrate themselves, at this higher frequency. Again, though, there MUST be Balance, for if one part vibrates at a higher frequency than the rest, there WILL be discord & dis-ease!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

The Source of Magick; A Contemplation

First of all, 'What IS magick?' The Urban Dictionary contains this definition, which seems to say it best; 'Not to be confused with stage "magic." Magick is the art of utilizing natural forces around us to bring about change. Magick is neutral, neither good, nor evil. The practitioner decides how they would like to focus this natural energy.' Dictionary.com defines it simplistically ( ignorantly ) as 'archaic. magic' & 'a power or effort associated with Wicca.' Wordnik comes closer to the former, more accurate definition, with, ' In Wicca and certain other belief systems, action or effort undertaken to effect personal transformation or external change.' When we look into the more popular 'magic', we begin to see where Hollywood gets their false notion of what magick really is. Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines it as 'the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces'. It goes even further, saying things like, 'an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source'. The list goes on, with Dictionary.com ( again ) defining 'magic' as 'the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature.' This source also lumps it in with stage-magic, which likely has Aleister Crowley 'rolling over in his grave'!

Gandalf may have said it best ( in the movie, NOT the book ) when he admonished a cowering Bilbo, 'Do not take me for some conjuror of cheap tricks.' Magick, 'as above, so below', is not so much about bending things ( even Nature ) to your Will, in some Egoic show of strength, or power. It most definitely is NOT to be defined, as in much of today's parlance, as mere illusory, parlor, or 'cheap tricks'. It IS a simple, beautiful Truth! Magick is about intention! It is about learning to commune with Nature, to the extent that She aids us in accomplishing our intent. Now, before we get ridiculous; one might intend to sprout wings & fly, but unless he or she builds some contraption, they'll most likely fall on their face ( or worse ). No human being I have ever seen has wings: birds fly, humans do not. With that behind us, we DO have an innate Strength, or Power, that the majority of human beings have not explored. It is this Power that, with the help of Mother Nature, can be stirred in us. This Power can be used for 'evil', though definitely not to the extent that Hollywood would have us believe. This, however, is the case with anything that human beings do, some 'good', some 'bad'. Is this to say that anyone can do magick? Yes, indeed; though many are not aware of what they're really doing, magick happens every day!

Getting to the 'heart' of the matter, so to speak, the reason that anyone can do magick is because it comes from the 'heart' ( not the physical organ, but our Inmost Being )! Sadly, not all realize, or even acknowledge this glorious fact, but despite this fact, magick happens every day. For the most part, people do not term it 'magick', although, interestingly enough, the lesser term 'magic' is often employed, as in the name 'Magic Johnson', speaking of a certain dancer ( skater ) or some other sports figure as 'pure magic'. It also comes up in a negative context, as, 'their marriage has lost its magic'.

As stated earlier, 'Magick is about intention!' When we focus our attention ( with intention ) on the job at hand, magick happens. This is not to downplay the Power of Magick, or the act itself - maybe that's much of the problem with the 'world'; people are simply existing, going about their day, not realizing that magick is swirling all around them! In fact, magick surges through their veins, keeping them alive, making sure that Life continues. Again, not to downplay the Power or Act of Magick - it IS quite amazing when you experience it - the birth of a child, for instance - although it usually DOES take some blood, sweat & tears, it IS an everyday occurrence! Good thing too, because, if it were not for Magick, the world would not be far advanced beyond what we call 'The Stone Age'!

'So, what is the Power of Magick?' Egoically then, 'if everybody has this Power, then why make such a big deal of it?' 'If we can't move objects with a command, or make someone drop dead with a motion of our hand, or Wand; why call it 'Magick'?'  Well, for one thing, that's not what Magick is all about. For another, there IS some pretty crazy shit that 'happens' out there, that's seemingly inexplicable by Nature! But anyway, that's not what Magick is about; It's about tapping into the Power & Strength that lies dormant in all of us!

'It is what it is!' This magickal phrase might seem to be a bit overused, especially in this day & age, but in context, it simply says that, though Magick is not recognized as such, for the most part & in fact, is seen in an 'evil' light by most religious types, 'Magick is as Magick does'! The majority of practitioners of this innate Power have been wrongly persecuted for ages & it continues to this day, unfortunately! 'As above, so below'; 'Magick is as Magick does'. Unfortunately as well, there are & have been, those who use this Power for their own selfish purposes, not for the betterment of humanity. When I say 'selfish purposes', I simply mean, of course that, while the practitioner may not perceive their deeds as 'evil', others likely would. Sometimes, to be quite honest, the practitioner is simply intent on being an asshole...........

Again & finally, 'Magick is neutral, neither good, nor evil'. 'As above, so below'; it depends on the practitioner! Are their intentions 'good'? Are they 'evil'? Like the Ego, like so many other aspects of what makes us human beings, what we practice is simply a manifestation of our Will, of our Power, our Magick. What we do with that Will, that Power, that Magick determines whether It is 'good' or 'evil'. In the opinion of this blogger, the manifestation of 'evil' cannot rightly be called 'magick'; It might rather be called 'sorcery''. We live by this rule; 'An ye harm none, do what ye will'! 

Namaste; & Blessed Be, 

Sage Charles

As the Wheel Turns ( 'On Reincarnation' )

 'I'll see her/him again......................'

Growing up Christian, as this blogger did, these were always supposed to be words of comfort & while, to those who had experienced  Death, I.E., had a loved one pass from this life, these words embodied the hope of the Resurrection, to me, they never really brought much hope or comfort! As it is now, however, these words bear new meaning. In a sense, of course, it's all relative, depending on where one is in their personal Journey. Some may still cling to this hope, while others have no hope at all, believing that this life is all there is & that when we pass from this life, we cease to exist. Still others, with no religious affectation at all ( ? ), however, have latched on to the notion of some sort of 'life after death', albeit, not necessarily in the traditional  'Heaven' or 'Hell'. Yet others accept 'Reincarnation' as a fact, thus professing belief in 'life after death' of another sort. It is this 'belief' we will examine in this post.

'Reincarnation', or the notion that the soul does not perish with the body, but returns in an entirely different one, is not a new one. Though it may be primarily attached to Eastern religions, it is not strange to Western tradition, though maybe not by that name. 'The Hope of the Resurrection' is really not too dissimilar & for the serious (open-minded ) Bible student, there are quite a few passages that seem to at least leave the window open to this possibility.

The Fact, accepted by some & discarded by others, that we are 'spirits having a bodily experience' has been debated for centuries, even millenia. Western religion, for the most part & to whatever extent, teaches the existence of the individual soul (spirit ), but that we are, first & foremost, human beings, more or less, animals with an eternal soul. In actuality, there is really only one major Western religion, that being Christianity, though it bears more facets than a diamond! The Eastern religions, though they are many & varied, seem to have one thing in common; 'Reincarnation'! A popularly accepted definition of 'reincarnation' reads something like this; 'a person or animal in whom a particular soul is believed to have been reborn', or, 'the rebirth of a soul in a new body.' The Christian 'Resurrection' doesn't sound much different, except that it is explained as 'the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave', yet without the so-called 'effects of sin'. 

However any certain religion defines its teaching on 'Reincarnation', it might, in the words of this blogger, be defined as a sort of 'second chance' ( or a third, fourth, etc.........................to infinity ), a chance to do better, even to rectify the mistakes of the past, to learn a certain lesson................. This might seem to imply the existence of a Higher Power, Who continually sends you back, in order that you learn these lessons, but it could also mean that your own Higher Self continually chooses to be reincarnated, either for your own good, or for the good of others!

The belief that it is our Higher Self choosing to come back ( reincarnation ), rather than some Higher Power ( outside ourselves ) sending us back, makes more sense to this blogger, as it puts the responsibility squarely where it belongs, on our own shoulders! As Christians, we were taught, to whatever degree, that 'the devil made me do it'. Therefore, it is only through the intervention of yet another outside source that we can be saved from the effects of this 'sin'. That this other 'outside source' created 'the devil' ( 'Satan' ) only serves to 'muddy the waters'!

Doctrine & Dogma aside, The Great Wheel of Life teaches us that there is More to it then simply living & dying. Christians also like to tout that we only live once, then we go to 'Heaven' or 'Hell'. Rather than this linear view, history itself shows us a cyclical ( circular? ) pattern. Biology is one example of this pattern: beginning with the mineral form, the plant form is nourished & grows, becoming food for the animal form, which, when it perishes, breaks down into the minerals from which it was formed, beginning the cycle all over again. Human beings, who are basically animals with a soul, lend to this cycle by repeating the same mistakes over & over again throughout history. Wars are a good ( or is that 'bad' ) example of this!

'As above, so below', though; being More than human, through reincarnation, we can rectify this situation, not only in this lifetime, but in the next! For whatever reason, War being one of the primary ones, the lessons that Life teaches us may not quite 'get through', but as the Great Wheel turns, we can only hope that future generations will see the error of their ways & that eventually, these life lessons will find their mark. Though in a slightly different sense, Reincarnation brings much the same Hope as Resurrection, just that it is more of an inner working, whereas Resurrection points to an outer one.

The Greek Scriptures, in I Corinthians 15:19, tell us that, 'If in this life only we have hope in [ the ] Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.' It would be wrenching this passage from its original context, probably, to say that this lends credence to Reincarnation, but there it is! Those who have read some of the posts on this blog are probably aware by now ( even though they may disagree ) that it is my belief that the Christ ( Potential ) lies within us all. It is that Higher Self to which I referred earlier, that same Higher Self that chooses to be reincarnated, either for our own good, or for that of others. Therefore, in the manner of 'Universal Truth', which I've spoken of previously, the passage which I quoted above might be revealing this message; 'it is not only in this life, but in the next as well, that we can hope to better our situation'!

Though, unlike 'The Hope of the Resurrection', we ( specifically ) may not see our loved one again, even in a different form, the world undoubtedly will! On the other hand, even if we do not recognize their new form, if we really knew them at all, we will also doubtless recognize them in whatever form they reincarnate, even if we do not personally see it. ( 'The Shadow knows!' ) 

The Christian ( Hebrew & Greek ) Scriptures, do, according to traditional ( Orthodox ) doctrine, teach a life after death, but they don't really give much hint as to what this life will be like, except that it will be in 'Heaven' or 'Hell'. Later creedal statements tell us that, in the latter, we will suffer for eternity & that, in the former, we will 'worship Him forever'. Reincarnation says much the same, in reality, as, in our next life, we have a more informed choice on how to live in 'Heaven', instead of suffering in 'Hell'. Therefore choose wisely; become familiar with your Higher Self: don't wait for your next life to make your world a 'Heaven on Earth'!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

The Reality of Marriage; the Coupling of Soul

According to the simple definition offered by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, 'marriage' is 'the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law'. Somewhat vague in its simplicity, maybe, but in other words, marriage might be more popularly described as a 'lifetime' commitment of two people, whether of opposite or same-sex, in which they live together, with all that entails, for a multitude of purposes, not least of which is pro-creation ( at least, for opposite sex couples ). But is it really that simple?! Can marriage be defined simply? It has been said that 'marriage is a purely human institution' & so, in that sense, if that sense alone, it is, but does it not go deeper than that? Should it not go deeper than simply fulfilling the human being's innate animal lust? 

'Animal lust', in & of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing ( 'it is what it is' comes to mind here ); like the Ego, like so many other aspects of the human animal, the 'lust of the flesh' is a very natural part of our make-up. When we allow our lust, though, like the Ego ( et al ) to rule us, then we run into issues! Whether one deems this part of our human nature to be 'a necessary evil' or not, it is an unavoidable attachment that helps us to cope with our perception of Life. Is it possible to go through Life without 'falling prey' to its temptations? Sure, for some, the answer can be as simple as withdrawing from society, while others go to extremes, even going so far as mutilation, in pursuit of a more chaste life. Yet others have found the Strength Within themselves to persevere in such a course, even in the midst of the temptations of 'civilized' society!

A 'civilized society' seems to be based upon the notion of the progress of evolution; in essence, that this society has advanced beyond that one. In many ways, this evolutionary progress can be tracked ( as far as history books go, anyway ), but have we really made much, if any progress, where it really matters, in the past several hundred years? The last couple thousand? In many ways, we have, as a society ( worldwide ), made many technological & political advancements ( astronomically, even ), but have we really progressed in our humanity? We're still the same old human beings, with the same self-centered nature that we see in movies about 'the good old days', or read about in ancient history. The only difference is that we've learned how to do it ( ? ) more efficiently!

Getting back to the subject at hand, but coming full circle, one might well note, marriage has suffered in this evolutionary progression as well! 'How has marriage suffered?', you might ask. Before there was a license, before there was even an official clergy to orchestrate the ceremony, marriage was a fairly simple proposition. A man & a woman came together as One. The marriage continued till it ended, usually with the death of one or both parties. Divorce is a relatively new concept & is one of those 'civilized' advancements we're talking about. Even up till the last century or so, most couples found a way around their difficulties, whether it meant living in separate houses ( or states ), or with the help of a 'little yellow pill'.

'Marriage is NOT piece of paper!' Again, with the advancement of 'civilization' came the whole notion that, not only must a marriage be presided over by an ordained ( male ) member of the clergy, within the last hundred years, give or take, it MUST be licensed by the State in order to be legal & valid! Although there are some states that still honor the so-called 'Common Law' marriage, it often makes better political & economic sense to simply invite the State into the marriage bed, in essence, apply for a license. With that in mind, many marriages have deteriorated into a mere contract that can be undone as easily & quickly as it was done. That said, the original concept, from as far back as the Middle Ages, is alive & well. In fact, a growing number are joining a rather quiet rebellion & saying 'NO' to Government involvement in their marriages, if not their lives!

Is marriage truly as simple as a man & a woman living together, basically becoming One in purpose, if not in deed? As defined by the overwhelming majority, both officially & unofficially; yes, that's what marriage looks like, at least, upon a surface examination. But as any married couple can tell you, it's really NOT that simple! The reason for this, though most seem to be painfully ignorant of it, is that there is more to the human being than meets the eye! Every human being on this planet is possessed by an individual Soul. This is the Heart of Marriage. Without it, marriage is merely mundane, but with IT, Marriage is Magick!

'Marriage IS Magick!' By 'Magick' is meant that It is the product of Intention & Intention means Soul! The problem with marriage today is that it has lost its soul. Many failed or failing marriages will often produce statements like, 'we've lost our spark', or 'there just isn't any magick left in our marriage'. Most, I would imagine, will readily admit that marriage is at least as complex a proposition as human beings are complex individuals, but most, I would imagine as well, rarely explore how very deep this well goes! Admittedly, it can be a very painful process, but, once the Soul has been bared, the Journey can begin in earnest. This is when the Marriage will begin to grow by leaps & bounds!

Now, don't get me wrong, when I say 'leaps & bounds', by no means am I saying that once the Soul is bared, everything will be 'hunky-dory', a bed of roses, so to speak. No, quite the contrary, once the Soul is bared, the pain ( and healing ) really begins. In fact, one might note that, UNTIL the Soul is laid bare, the healing will NOT begin. This is what most couples who go for professional therapy find out. The Ego, which is attached to the Individual Soul, but really has more to do with the mundane side of our nature, has much, if not the most, to do with the problems that human beings suffer in their marriage.

The Ego, as we've noted before, in previous posts, is neither good nor bad; it just is: however, when we allow our Ego to 'get the better of us', in other words, control our thoughts & actions, then's when things get ugly! If, however, we can learn to control our Ego ( even use it to our advantage ), rather than letting it control us, then our Individual Soul will shine through. Who we really are, not just as a Person, not just as an Individual, but More than Human, will make Itself known. Once this happens, once we know ourselves for who we truly are, then we may begin to learn More about our spouse/partner. This encapsulates a much deeper knowledge than just knowing their quirks, being aware of their 'triggers', their idiosyncrasies, etc., etc. It involves what Marriage is all about, the Blessed Union of Souls!

Marriage is not all it's cracked up to be! This is why the overwhelming majority of what passes nowadays ( in fact, for much of history ) for marriage have failed. Rather than being based in Soul, they are rooted in the basest animal desires ( which, again, are not necessarily a 'bad' thing ) & because our feelings/desires tend to change like the weather in Montana, when the desires exit stage left, the 'marriage' often flies out the window, as well. Having been in one of these 'quasi-marriages', this blogger can personally attest to this disturbing fact.

However, when Marriage is based in Soul, as it should be, it can be very blissful! Again, it's not always a cake-walk, a walk in the clouds, so to speak; there will be times when you'll want to claw each others eyes out, but then again, times when you'll want to tear each others clothes off! Both of these actions are natural, human reactions, controlled by the Ego, so neither necessarily 'good' or bad', but 'as above, so below'; when the Marriage is based in Soul, WE will control our actions, not allowing our Ego to gain the ascendancy. But even then, because we are Individuals, there will be times when issues present themselves: then is when we will need to remember that we are More, even, than Individual Souls; we are part of One Whole!

Magick is Intention! As Human Beings, intentions change, not unlike our feelings, but when we learn to be Soulful in our Intentions, Magick occurs! Not just in our marriages/relationships with others, but in our relationships with ourselves. This is where Soulfulness begins, for if we cannot be Soulful with ourselves, we will never be Soulful with anyone else. Bringing the Magick back to Marriage, even if we have ignorantly ( or regrettably ) contracted with the State, or some other such entity, will ensure the stability of that relationship, as long as both parties are consciously Aware, that is. In order for any type of relationship to work, all parties involved must be on more or less the same level.

'Marriage is NOT a piece of paper!' Let that sink in................................for until it does, we ( human beings ) will continue to view marriage in a contractual sense! Marriage, by its very nature, like US, is so much More than meets the eye. It is, 'as above, so below', a Union of Souls. More than that, though & more importantly, It is a Union of Soul! It helps us to realize that, although we comprise Individual Souls, we are, in Essence, One. As a Christian, I learned that Marriage is a picture of the Christ & His Church; as one who has moved ( evolved? ) Beyond Christianity, I now better understand the Truth of this statement. Marriage, True Marriage, not the human institution known as 'marriage', brings together, not just two Individuals, but reunites two pieces of the Whole, the Collective. In that sense then, Marriage can almost be said to be open, not just to two Individuals, but can include a Multitude, a Community of Souls!

'Full circle', then, we must dispense with the notion that 'she/he belongs to me'. Marriage, True Marriage, knows no ownership! No human being can really claim ownership over another. If one does claim to own, or have power over another, you can be sure that the Ego is strong with this one. Whether 'right' or 'wrong', this one has allowed their Ego to control their thinking, if not their actions. Marriage gives us no 'rights', especially the right to control another!  ( To be perfectly honest; as human beings, we have enough difficulty controlling ourselves; why would we even think we can control another? ) If we think, then, that marriage includes ownership/property, we have another think coming!

As More than Human, indeed, More even than Individual Souls, having dispensed ( thoroughly ) with the antiquated notion of marriage as ownership/property/rights; let us begin to see Marriage for what It is, a Restoration of the Divine to the mundane! Marriage presents a Vision of Life as It truly is; not just Individuals going about the day-to-day, but truly 'Heaven on Earth', with Humans living together in Sacred Geometry & Symmetry!

Namaste' & Blessed Be!

Sage Charles

................A Place that Is Higher Than 'I'

When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:2 b & c

'I do not like him/her/it!' Whatever our complaint may be & against whomever, it always seems to begin with 'I'. Why do we not like him/her/it? What is it about them that we don't like? Is it not ultimately, in most cases ( I must give the 'caveat' ), because they don't want the same things, or do what we want/think they should? Where does this feeling come from? Does it not come from the same place? It is the Person/Ego that feels likes or dislikes, loves or hates, that fears or is fearless. Our Spirit, our Essence does not know Fear, It does not know Love or Hate ( We ARE Love ); It knows nothing of Likes or Dislikes, for, in our Spirit, we are of the same Essence, the same Essence, or Energy that hung the Stars so many eons ago!

Before we go much farther, we should note the difference between the Person that is known as 'I', the Individual & the real 'We', the Collective, the real 'Us'. 'As above, so below', 'We' do not have likes & dislikes, 'We' do not fear or love ( for we ARE Love ). The Individual, however, the Person, the 'I', feels all these things, being separate ( by definition ) from 'others'. Now, this is not necessarily to say there is anything wrong with Individuality, with being your own Person; in some sense, that's what makes the world go round! The problem presents itself when 'We' allow the Person to control us. When we as Individuals cling to our separateness to the point where we forget that 'We' are not simply our 'Self'. 'We' are More than the Person, 'We' are More than the 'I', the Individual; 'We' ARE, in the Greatest sense, in this together. Even as Individuals, what affects one affects all, however minutely. When we allow ourselves to focus on our individuality ( again; nothing necessarily wrong with Individuality - 'it is what it is' ), 'We' tend to forget that it's not just about us, even humanly speaking, the 'I' is NOT all-important, the Individual ( Person ) is NOT what its all about! 'We', in Essence, forget Who & What we really ARE!

'Who ARE 'We', then, REALLY?!' Yes, Yes, if you're a follower of my 'wanderings', this is probably all-too-familiar territory, but here goes. Yes, in this iteration, in this Life, 'We' rely on the Person, the Individual, in order to manifest ourselves in this realm, this dimension. 'We', however, must realize ( not to sound like a broken record ) that we are More than either of these. 'We' are part of the Collective, One with ALL, including the Source of All! As such, then, when we focus on our separateness, our Individuality, it is only natural to let our differences divide us, as in 'us & them'. In this realm, there is a very real truth to this distinction, but too often, 'us & them' becomes 'us versus them'! In the Greater Reality, however, 'We' know that this only hurts us ALL, for, 'as above, so below', what affects one affects ALL!

The passage above, though admittedly only part of a verse from the Hebrew Bible ( verses are a relatively new construct & NOT original ), however portrays what is known as a 'Universal Truth'. This 'Universal Truth' is self-evident; whether, as a Christian ( of whatever denomination ), one believes that 'God' is an omnipotent Being, separated from us by our 'sin' ( ? ) who must save us from ourselves, or whether one accepts the fact our salvation is up to us, that simply by connecting to & becoming familiar with our Higher Nature, we may Journey to that 'Place that is Higher than 'I'.

'Heaven' is not a 'Place'; It is a state of Mind. In this Realm, this earthly manifestation, our choices determine whether we abide in 'Heaven' or 'Hell' ( to use the biblical imagery ). When we, as human beings, as Individuals, focus on our differences to the point of division, our existence tends to become rather 'hellish', even though our Mind usually tries to convince us that we're better off in our duality, or separateness. This brings to mind the old adage, 'no man is an island'. We're not alone in this existence;: in fact, we cannot, as human beings, exist on our own. Just as the lowest part of this Biology, plants, cannot exist without the necessary constituent elements, so we too, are Elemental Beings. We will not simply fail to thrive on our own: without the necessary nutrients, we will die!

Through Meditation, or Intentional Living, we may abide in 'Heaven', though we are surrounded by 'hellish' beings, or conditions. By quieting the Mind, we realize that there is More to Life than this drudgery to which we have become so accustomed. When we look Beyond the Mind's Eye, we will begin to see that we are indeed in 'Heaven', that, in Reality, 'We' ARE that 'Place that is Higher than I'! We need not 'assume the position', so to speak, in order to acquire this peace of mind, for, even in the midst of the business of the day-to-day, if we keep our inner focus on the glorious fact of Who & What we are, in Reality, we will experience that Inner Peace & radiate it outwardly to the world around us.

Manifesting this True Nature, the Love that We ARE, often proves to be easier said than done, especially due to the fact that so many have forgotten Who & What THEY really are. Though we must be careful to take this saddening fact into account, we must also realize the startling, but glorious reason we are here. We are here, not just to rectify the mistakes of our own past, but to be a Light, shining in the Darkness! Speaking of the mistakes of the past, while we only bear the responsibility for our own mistakes, we must also acknowledge that those mistakes, even the ones we currently make, or have made in this lifetime, cannot fail but have contributed to the current situation, to a greater or lesser extent.

This, of course, is by no means to instill guilt in my readers; this is simply a timely reminder of the responsibility we all bear. Admittedly, it IS rather a fine line, for the responsibility can bear so greatly upon us that we begin to lose sight of that Inner Peace. On the other hand though, it can drive us to seek 'The Rock That is Higher Than I', which Rock is our True Nature, our Higher Nature, which is part of the Collective. With the Collective, of course, comes the Wisdom of the Ages! With this Wisdom comes, not feelings of guilt, but the Peace that passes understanding. Acknowledging that, though we bear a part, again, however great or small, we are not responsible for the choices of others.

'It is what it is', yes, but our responsibility lies in how we choose to respond to 'what is'. When we respond in a positive way, the results cannot help but be positive, no matter how negative the situation may look, or feel. However, if we respond negatively to a situation that is already negative, THAT, on the other hand, cannot but escalate the problem! That then, is where OUR responsibility lies. As the saying goes, 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink'. We can only do our best to make positive decisions ourselves & thus influence others to join us, but it is not OUR responsibility to pay for their mistakes, nor is it our responsibility to force them to make better, more positive decisions!

Even as Individuals, the choices we all make WILL have a lesser or greater effect on our world! What that Effect is rests solely upon OUR shoulders; we cannot blame it on our environment, the choices of others, or any other outside factor. Even though it often seems we have no choice but to do one thing or the other, we ALWAYS have a choice, even if it IS 'one thing or the other'! If we choose to do nothing ( sometimes the best option ), we still have made a choice & thus bear the responsibility!\

Getting back to the subject at hand; 'as above, so below': realizing that We are More than simply human beings, that the way we manifest this is in our ability to choose ( else we'd be no 'higher' than the animals ) & thus to influence others, while placing a greater weight of respons'a'bility on our own shoulders, also brings Freedom ( for with Freedom MUST come responsibility )! This Freedom, then, in the Great Circle of Life, leads right back to Choice, which again, is how we manifest our own Divinity, or Godhood.

As Spirits living in a material world, we are blessed with the ability to live Beyond the confines of this limited Space in Time! We do not have to rely on our humanity in order to survive this experience ( if that was the case, we would most likely not be long for this world ). Some rely on religion & look for their salvation outside themselves, in Essence, 'God', or some other form of Divinity. Such bear no condemnation from this blogger, though they will be encouraged ( vociferously ) to look Wthin, to the choices ONLY they can make & which will be either their downfall or salvation!

So, 'As above, so below'; 'why do we like or dislike this or that Person?' IS it as simple as that? Is it because we rely on the Person/Ego, or our humanity, to make our decisions for us? Can we not simply choose to change our feelings about any given individual? Well, yes & no; personally speaking, some people just give off good vibes while others don't. Can't we just choose to accept the Person, though maybe not liking, or agreeing with their actions? ( sounds a bit like 'love the sinner, not the sin' ). Accepting the fact that we're not required to 'like' everybody brings its own Freedom. We can be ourselves, make the choices we want to make ( as long as we don't harm anyone in the process ), vibe with the people we vibe with & trust that others will be so attracted to our Vibe that they will want to join us in that same ( positive ) Vibe; or not, it's YOUR choice!

Namaste' & Blessed Be

Sage Charles