#it's not a holy more important life changing thing just a facet of human experience

[mythicamagic]

“Would you just shut up and listen to me for two goddamn seconds?!”

AN: ...yeah so I'll post part five in a few hours and THAT will be the ending to this Ex Sesshoumaru saga. Smh. I wrote too much of this. Read the other chapters - here.

----

She can't recall how it started.

It wasn't as though either of them had woken up one day and decided to pursue something. They'd become 'companions' of sorts- not quite friends, not casual acquaintances either. Kagome spoke with him while sitting on the grassy hillside, wearing full miko garb and explaining about future technologies.

Talking turned into meeting up regularly. Meetups turned into secret rendezvous.

Kagome wagered she'd been a source of intrigue for the demon lord. A window into the future. He listened with rapt attention and intelligent, sharp eyes. His questions were short and to the point- humour dark and smirking. Kagome found him endearing, in an irritatingly proud kind of way.

She learned about demon culture and his shining, unblemished heritage. How his ancestors had created magnificent weapons that could cut through stormy skies and block out the sun.

Kagome really couldn't say how it started.

He still hadn't been keen on humans, deeming them weak. A few were the exception to the rule. Kagome had figured that was enough. To be counted amongst those few meant she was 'special.'

She felt special, kissing him. Being loved by him made Kagome glow golden, radiating power and contentment. He encouraged her to train, to build up her reiki to new heights so that she might shock and amaze like no other miko before her. To go beyond the title of 'Shikon Miko.'

But centuries of bigotry didn't just 'go away' overnight, nor was it cured by love. He still thought of humans as beneath him. He loved her despite her humanity, not because of it.

In hindsight, Kagome shouldn't have been surprised by his reaction to her hypothetical question.

"If we ever have kids, do you think they'll be recognised as heirs?"

"What?"

Kagome shifted atop a pillow within his room at the Western Stronghold, setting down her book. "I'm just saying, I know your court is still pretty old school with how they feel about Hanyous. Think it'll impact our kids being able to take over the Western Lands?"

What a naive question. She'd been so wrapped up in how he made her feel- Kagome hadn't stopped to consider the possibility that he hadn't changed enough. Not enough for such a question. She'd asked hoping to be assured. That he'd comfort her with the knowledge that any children they had would be respected.

They wouldn't end up like Inuyasha. Ignored. Cast out.

Sesshoumaru had looked at her with such a perplexed, complicated expression. He spoke slowly, as though breaking the news to a child.

"A Hanyou will never rule the Western lands."

The surprise had set in- like she recognised the handle of the knife buried into her gut, but the pain hadn't registered yet. She'd questioned him, of course. His explanation wasn't any more encouraging.

"Hanyous only live a few centuries. I cannot entrust something as important as the longevity of these lands to one, nor can I guarantee they would mate a demon to extend their lifespan."

"Why don't you just say what you mean?" she uttered coldly, betrayal simmering in her blood as she stood. "You don't want one. You don't want an imperfect kid with me."

"That is not what I-"

"You don't have to say it," Kagome glared. "It's there, behind every word you just said. When were you gonna clue me in on this, huh? And what the hell is your plan?- because if you intended to keep me as a fucking mistress all this time while you play happy families with a pure-blooded bitch then-"

"No-" he snarled, terrible and thundering. Sesshoumaru got in her face, large hands curling in her hair, thumbs stroking the shells of her ears, trying to soothe. "I would not have you be Izayoi. You would be my mate. I would make you my Lady. We may have pups."

"That's very considerate of you," she sneered, flashing blunt teeth. "And where's this pure-blooded youkai kid coming from, hm? Because I sure as hell can't give you one."

Golden eyes slid away. It was as though a part of him knew, recognised that his duty would put him at odds with what they'd created together. He looked young, suddenly.

"I will create an heir with an inconsequential demoness."

"Inconsequential?" Kagome stared, hysteria bubbling up inside her. She broke away from him, his touch feeling unwanted, cold. "You'd use some poor woman just for that?"

"You are attributing human emotion to this," Sesshoumaru uttered, gaze flicking back to her. "She would be honoured by it. Her family would want for nothing-"

"Would you just shut up and listen to me for two goddamn seconds?!" Kagome burst, tears blurring her vision. "Can't you hear yourself? You'd still have to sleep with her, with a stranger. She'd carry your child for months, only to be torn away from them? Or would she live here? Would I have to see her every damn day and know- be reminded that I and my child weren't enough for you?!" her voice broke, a wave of emotion slamming her in the gut, only just registering and truly feeling the implications of her words.

His expression cracked, eyes widening, recognising he'd hurt her. Long claws unfurled.

"Kagome-"

"No! No, I'm done," Kagome backed away.

Years of sadness and mistrust loomed over their relationship suddenly, where before there had only been lazy mornings or evenings spent resting her head on his thigh, listening to long claws plucking the strings of a koto and inhaling rich, spicy scents of smoke from an ornate pipe.

"Don't talk to me. Don't even look at me," blue eyes swimming with tears glared. "Thank you for clarifying everything, Lord Sesshoumaru. I just wish you'd told me this two years ago."

He tried to touch her again- only for the miko to slap his attempt away with a crackling hiss of holy energy. Sesshoumaru was forced back, his hand steaming, narrowly avoiding being burned as Kagome backed away.

She'd never seen the look of pure, unadulterated surprise and distress contort his regal features before. But Sesshoumaru was proud. Sesshoumaru was a being carved from stone, who could not be moved by the words of a mere mortal.

He let her go.

Kagome didn't so much as grab her bag. She hitched a ride on Ah Un and made for Kaede's village. It wasn't long before she'd said her goodbyes, propelled by distress and anger into a hasty decision.

She jumped through the well, never to return.

It was a terrible, disappointing end to her feudal fairytale.

---

Rising slowly, Kagome blinked tired lids open, coming to a silent conclusion in the cold light of day. Picking up the phone, she called Natsuki and scheduled a meetup.

Promptly breaking up with him.

He didn't seem terribly shocked by the news.

"So… are you going to him after this?" He asked point-blank.

"What?"

"That silver inuyoukai I sensed on you last week. Figured you had something else going on."

Stiffness rendered her shoulders tense. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "for making you feel that way. I'm not going to him, but I have been thinking about him."

"Heh, you've been thinking about him but not going? Sounds difficult."

"It is," she smiled, reaching over the table and squeezing his fingers. "Goodbye, Natsuki."

The way he'd eyed her hand, just for a moment- warily- as though wondering for half a second if she'd taken her pills, only strengthened Kagome's resolve.

She knew what she wanted now.

---

Dressing up that night, she wore her best things. The nicest pair of earrings, shoes, right down to her dress and underwear. She did everything to allow herself to relax, soaking in a tub with candles littered around the edge beforehand.

Glancing at her pills on the nightstand, Kagome grabbed her purse before leaving, having not taken them all day. The effects should've worn off by now. Walking down the stairs, she experimented with a light flex- pink static racing over her skin in a faint crackle.

Dark hair fanned out, soon settling about her shoulders. Kagome took a long, indrawn breath. Life flowed through her veins. Her heart pumped, alive, healthy. Too long had she soaked herself in misery and settled for any half-decent demon cock willing to tolerate her power. Her species.

No more.

Kagome headed straight for the youkai bar.

She slipped in, a known regular by now. Unlike usual though, after grabbing a drink she didn't content herself by sitting at the bar until a tall dark and handsome stranger approached her. Kagome downed it to ignite a fire in her throat, hissing quietly and setting down her glass before easing around grinding bodies on the dance floor.

Standing in the centre, with speakers booming, vibrations thrumming through her- multicoloured lights flashing overhead in the much too dark room, with sweat and youki plastering to the air like heady vapour, Kagome took a breath. Beefy hands met her waist, intending to 'dance' with her - before she let reiki flow.

Younger demons immediately backed off, spooked by the mere suggestion of power. The hands left her body as she met their gazes. If they wanted to touch her, they'd have to reach her.

Dark eyes turned to the miko, intrigued. Some started to approach, but she gradually turned the facet of her holy powers higher. Bigger, more arrogant males kept moving closer. They could match her, tame her. She was just a priestess, after all. They hadn't been anything substantial in centuries.

Kagome held her head high on the half-empty dance floor, pink energy now static and visible, racing over her body like a live wire. And still more poured into her aura, seeping out like a huge barrier. She wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

Even the bravest stopped, all demons now pressed back against far walls, snarling at her, some evacuating the bar.

Kagome's heart shuddered. Her shoulders fell. All that, and she still hadn't let everything out. Maybe she was supposed to make herself smaller. Maintain the air of an unassuming priestess by a big strong demon's side. Settle. Accept it. What had she been expecting?

Feeling foolish and a little selfish for spoiling everyone's night, Kagome stepped back with the intent of recalling her energy.

A palm met the pink barrier, a sharp sound ringing out like the crack of lightning. Youki -familiar, dominating, unique- crashed against her aura, creating a plume of sweeping mists. Through the pink haze, Sesshoumaru stepped forward.

Unlike his usual modern look, the glamour was absent this time.

Kagome's eyes widened, oxygen briefly freezing inside her lungs. His markings were on full display. Seeing him again, really seeing him, awakened a strange feeling inside her.

Kagome grit blunt teeth, refusing to soften. She allowed another wave of her reiki out, creating a blazing inferno that licked along the wooden floors and sent every other demon fleeing.

Golden eyes narrowed slightly, but Sesshoumaru kept his palm raised, long hair whipping around him.

As reiki slid through the gaps of his fingers, he took a step closer. Followed by another. Red youki buffered its natural opposite, creating sparks and wafts of charged steam. He walked around the room, slowly tightening the circle around her like a predator closing in, though not without effort.

Kagome had never felt anything like it. She'd never let so much loose before. She could even keep going, she could-

Sesshoumaru's hand closed over her wrist, eyes hazed red. He panted, face lingering close. "Enough. I can withstand you, dear one," he said in a rush, light burns dotting his cheek and forehead. "But those outside cannot. You could obliterate every demon within a 5-mile radius if you wished, but I know you do not want that."

Kagome blinked, shaken. Catching her breath suddenly, she trembled, holding onto him.

His presence stabilised something, allowing Kagome to slowly begin reeling blistering power back. Her body weakened, forehead finding his shoulder as pink power receded back inside. Wild youki died down not long after.

And that was how Kagome Higurashi was barred from the only youkai establishment in the city.

#Sesskag #Sesshoumaru x Kagome #asks

[aglimmerintheriver]

How to mentally keep baneful spirits out - no tools required AKA How Not To Give A F*** About the Uninvited

You can find so much info on here and throughout the web about negative entities and protecting yourself from them. Just as there is so much info, there are all of these different perspectives on how our energies associate with them. In this post I hope to cover a lot of different perspectives, as well as some creative methods for dealing with baneful spirits and your own defense magic tool set.

Introduction

A lot of mythical creatures are based in energetic truth- the vampire is aligned with the energy vampire, the evil and feared witch (like in the Witch movie) is aligned with the early-Christian understanding of the Wise People. The word Witch came from Wic, which means ‘Wisdom’ in Germanic languages. Think of anything given malevolent or benevolent power in the media, and you can likely tie it to misconceptions about the witchcraft and pagan community.

In Shonda Rhimes’ “Grey’s Anatomy” there is an episode where Dr. Miranda Bailey talks about how her OCD creates negative, scary fears within the mind that feel so real that they become real, but she also says that if her mind can think up and believe in these terrible, scary things, she can also think up positive things that make her feel better about those fears- things that help create a buffer, to save her from being so afraid. I’m completely blanking on which episode this was, if you know please let me know and I’ll add it in. By bringing this up, I want to point to something that inspired me to write this post: that elasticity of our perception and of the power we hold within ourselves being dependent on our awareness of our power.

All of this to say that this is not a post created for someone experiencing demonic intrusion. I may or may not have experienced this kind of interaction and if I have, I was simply saved by calling on Jesus (holy freaking heck did not expect the Christian god to help me out but he did) and asking that he save my soul from the attack. If you are under demonic attack or believe that you are, please consult a shaman or a witch who knows how to deal with demonic power. My understanding of demons is that they were the very first spirits here, and so they are the oldest of the old and have a lot of power. That’s not to say your power stands no chance against them, but if you feel overwhelmed by the spirits you’re facing, a lot of the times it is helpful not just for our spiritual protection but also for our perception of how safe we are to call on someone outside of us for help- whether that be a deity or other type of spirit we revere as having badass protective strength or another human we believe can help protect us/banish whatever’s in your sphere.

Perception and Reality

What we believe is what we see. Another way to phrase this is, ‘Where the mind goes, your energy flows”, a very famous phrase within the spiritual community (I believe it has Buddhist origins but not sure of who said it first). This is why a lot of witches are recommended to meet with a therapist or psychologist regularly to ensure our mental health is strong. A lot of people within our community believe that mental health creates spiritual gaps wherein baneful spirits can creep in and target us, but others believe that the cause of mental problems is our spiritual health itself. I’m in the camp of believing mental health is important no matter how you see the correlation- taking care of your brain is just as important as keeping up with the rest of your practice. 

Another aspect of protection and magic is not just ‘what we see’ but how. To bring in a little cognitive function theory, someone with extroverted intuition (or Ne) would likely see a situation and the world from twenty or more different lenses. This is like viewing the world through a multi-faceted crystal and being able to look at all these different crystal-edges and see a different distortion. And that’s really what our view is mostly, because it is nearly impossible to go around living your life and be able to see everything EXACTLY as it is. It’s just not reasonable to think you’re going to be able to have a clear lens every time. If you do and if you’ve developed that, please share how you did and help me figure that out haha, but until then I’m going to work with my understanding that our perception is going to have some type of illusion to it.

And here comes what this post has been leading to- the thing I’m excited about. The Imagining, and the power in that imagining. This is mental craft.

The You-Shaped Perception

In focus meditation you’re told that attention to the breath or to one sensation is important, because you’re narrowing your cannon-sized attention to the size of a pinhole. In much the same way, mental magic is about not just changing your lens, but also how you use that lens.

You       can.         do.            Anything.

It’s true. I mean, within physical means, right? You’re only going to fly if you know how to build mechanical wings, so this isn’t some offhanded promise meant halfheartedly. Nope, I mean this with all of me.

The mind is our friend and our enemy. I’m not even a big fan of meditation and yet I know that. It’s that changeable lens we see things through and how we think of them.

Our mind, my friend, is our power.

In speaking of the mind, I am not just thinking about your brain matter, or your reason, or whatever. I’m talking intention (leading to manifestation) and conscious attention to changing our thoughts.

Think something long enough and you start to believe it. Don’t like your thoughts, or how you feel? What thought or visualization would help you feel better?

There are rabbit holes we fall into where we either can’t control our thoughts and feelings due to mental illness and other times when we just don’t want to control them. Sometimes it feels good to be swept away by our own ocean of emotion and madness. It’s part of being human. The former situation (with the rabbit holes) is likely to be helped by a mental health professional and possibly some anti-depressants. The latter can  a p p a r e n t l y  be helped by meditation. 

(Also, did you know that meditation helps grow the gray matter in your brain? Sitting down and just watching your thoughts pass like clouds, allowing your body to rest, opens you up to expanded compassion, self awareness, contemplation, and helps your memory. If anyone is interested in practicing this, I’m going to be working through this free online MBSR/Mindfulness course in the hopes of helping my depression and my powers of intention- it looks like a great resource especially during this time of political and global tension. I believe our souls are deeply connected to one another and also to the overall soul of the world. Everything that happens in it is something we collectively experience and all of the stress along with this social isolation that the majority of us are experiencing is incredibly traumatizing. I highly recommend checking this out and seeing how it affects you over a few weeks’ time: https://palousemindfulness.com/ )

The point I’m trying to make here is that 98 times out of 100 times, YOU control your perception. And that’s a very empowering and creative thing. Especially when you identify as a witch 😄

gif of Joaquin Phoenix as the joker with a smiling mask on, then pulling up the mask and grinning.

DAMN TABITHA JUST GET TO THE POINT ALREADY

Okay okay. Here’s my point.

You can use creativity in your craft. You know this already. But you don’t need a book of spells (they’re fun to read though) and you don’t need the latest books on psychic magic. You can seriously just use your magical brain.

Intention is everything. Your natural intuitive powers are where your strength lies- I’d say it’s the key to unlocking whatever the heck you want in life. 

Look at your life like it is a children’s story book or movie, alright? It sounds stupid but please stay with me if you made it this far, because I think this is where it gets good. You know how the main character faced this seemingly impossible task or challenge, and they didn’t know how they’d do it but they did it anyway? Things just worked out for them, either because they did some work to help meet their goal and they fought to believe in themselves, or because the writer(s) wanted to throw them some tools that would help them easily get their goal.

You’re the main character and you’re the author of your story. And not only are you the author, but you’ve got all these spirits helping you co-author what unfolds in your life. So it doesn’t matter if there’s a damn fire-breathing knife-throwing monster standing on top of you while you sleep because in your witch brain, all you need to do is say “I am stronger than you will ever be. I am the apex predator” and watch that nasty bugger fucking deflate.

What is the most empowering thing is realizing that you are worth fearing, yourself.

Now this isn’t an excuse to take on a bad-bitch persona and mess your life up. Don’t go around hexing people willy nilly, please. Don’t think you can conjure a demon and be able to control it.

Just know that you can control yourself and the space you’re in. Cause you a badass, bitch.

An actual example from my real life

I have a little known disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Essentially it’s scary AF because I have dislocations on the daily and they’re painful and honestly, it’s the bane of my existence. 

That’s not even exaggerating haha.

So along with it comes a lot of second guessing self worth, because of how it’s perceived and how I’m perceived because I’m a lady with EDS. The questions I’ve fielded, the conversations I’ve had, the experiences I’ve had to deal with as a result of it are utterly ridiculous (sometimes, downright despicable). 

One day I was talking to my therapist about self-perception and not feeling strong enough to face life with my handicap, and she asked me to point out the strengths it’s encouraged in me. I was able to point to a few things and while I did, I could see Brigid beside me and this oak shield forming around my body, and I imagined that every word I spoke, every good quality I have grown from having my disorder, made that shield stronger.

There are the times when I rabbit hole and I forget what that armor means and looks like. I forget that it’s there. But inevitably, something happens that would normally feel like it was undermining me and instead, I remember that oak shield and Brigid’s protective, loving energy, and I remember how expansive it feels to see myself as being worth this life and as having valuable traits to offer to the world. That’s when I see that shield again.

As you can see this isn’t only for spirits, but it applies even in those situations too. I’ll detail my channeling session that ended with calling on Jesus another time haha as this is getting quite long. To wrap this up:

TL;DR: “How not to give a f*** about unwanted spirits”

- Decide not to give a f***

- Decide what you will give a f*** about

- Find a couple practices for protection that you like and stick with them

- Know what clairs you have that are strongest (and if none feel that strong right now, that’s perfectly normal. Don’t put pressure on yourself, just enjoy exploring how your intuition works and pay attention without obsessing (or try not to obsess anyways). You have time to experiment with intuition, I’ll try to find some good sources for this and write something for those of you frustrated with figuring out where your skills lie or how to use them.

- Know that they’re working, that you’re a freaking badass witch, and that nothing can come into your space without earning your wrath (which can just be a GTFO and a call on your fave deity if you like)

A lot of the time, spirits who show up don’t actually have any dominion to stay. You have the power. You own the space, you own YOUR space (the space of your body). So own that you own it and do it with certainty. Feel the POWAH haha.

Sources mentioned:

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/

#witchblr #spiritblr #protection magic #magick #banishing #mental magick #manifestation #intuition #imagination #intention work #visualization

[eldritchsurveys]

661.

Have you had any experiences with the supernatural? >> I don’t divide my experiences into “natural” and “supernatural”. It seems like a false dichotomy, to me. Regardless, I’d say I’ve experienced things that I imagine many people wouldn’t regard as common or relatable, and strict materialists would regard as straight-up fake.

Do you feel at peace when you look at the moon? >> I’ve never really thought about it. I do like looking at the moon sometimes, though. Especially when it’s full.

Are you part human, part supernatural being? >> I am whatever I am, unceremoniously stuffed into a human body.

Do you have a mentor or a guide? >> No.

Do you have any supernatural gifts? What are your supernatural gifts? >> I don’t know if I have any “gifts” ("strengths” seems like a better word to me, but). I’d have to do some testing to figure that out, and most of the time I don’t have the executive function required to do all that.

Do you know what your calling is? >> I doubt I have one.

Does your city park have portals into another realm? >> I don’t know, the only city park I’ve been to here is Millennium Park, and since we did watch a solar eclipse there, who knows what might have happened, lol. I will say that Central Park in NYC probably has several thin places, considering all that’s happened in there.

Do you always wear a moon amulet or some other charm necklace? >> I have a Yog-Sothoth necklace, does that count? I was mad when I forgot to wear it when I went to see Color Out of Space, but it’s fine. Movie wasn’t all that great anyway.

Do you feel the most alive at night? >> I don’t feel different gradations of “alive”.

Are you aware of your destiny? >> Not really.

Do you believe that life is sacred and holy? >> No.

Do you believe that each day is sacred and holy? >> No.

Is your life one big grand adventure? >> That’s one way to look at it, sure, but it’s definitely not the only way -- and it kind of glosses over some of the really awful shit that has happened.

Have you ever felt like you were being followed, but there was no one there? >> I don’t think so. Are you able to become invisible? >> No.

Have you ever felt invisible? >> Sure.

Do you think of your gift as a blessing or a curse? >> ---

Do you wish you were normal like everyone else? >> Sometimes, but that’s a fallacious thought -- when you really get down to it, “normality” is just a set of social standards that everyone is trying to live up to, not something that people naturally embody by default. Some people are just better at wearing the mask than others. I don’t necessarily wish to be better at wearing the mask, I wish to not have to wear it at all.

Do you sing? >> Sure, sometimes.

Does your mom sew? >> ---

Do you have a boyfriend? >> No.

Have you ever been betrayed by your best friend? >> No.

Do you feel that you couldn't bear to lose another friend? >> ---

Would you risk it all to fulfill your destiny? >> I can’t imagine being in this scenario. I don’t know what I’d do if I was.

Would your give up your life in order to risk it all to save the world? >> I don’t know. See above.

If you were the world's last and only hope, would you feel defeated? or would you feel energized and excited and ready to go! ? >> The problem with this kind of scenario is it really only makes sense in storytelling. I don’t quite know which mythic role I embody, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the “Selfless Hero” one, so...

Do you follow the rules to a tee? >> No.

Do you feel like you have to keep your supernatural gifts and encounters a secret because no one will like you and they wouldn't believe u if u didnt? >> It’s complicated. Most of the time I don’t talk about mythic stuff simply because people are not interested and do not understand what I’m on about. But I do know some people who love talking about this kind of thing, so I talk about it with them instead.

Are you afraid to reveal your true self to the world? >> No. I just don’t see the point of putting all of myself out there to everyone.

Are you indecisive and hesitant when making important decisions? >> Sometimes. Other times there’s just no time for that.

Would your risk it all to save a friend? >> I can’t imagine being in this situation either. Do you enjoy lying in bed and looking out your window at the night sky? >> Well, I can’t see the night sky very well if I’m lying on my bed. That’d take some real neck-craning.

Have you ever had someone accuse you of being or wonder if you were an alien? >> I don’t think so. That’d be one hell of a logic leap for most people to make, but I wouldn’t necessarily mind if that was the conclusion they came to.

Have you reached your seventeenth birthday? >> Yeah, almost half my life ago.

If you had to choose between losing your memory of the supernatural being you were and becoming normal, or to remain a supernatural being, which would you choose? >> I don’t always enjoy being me and I don’t always want to be, but I can’t imagine being anyone else, so. Might as well make the best of it when I can.

Have you ever felt the presence of angels? >> No.

Have you ever felt the presence of demons? >> No.

Have you ever felt the presence of God? >> No. Not for lack of trying with this one, either.

Are you intuitive? >> No.

Can you sense what's in the atmosphere? >> I have no idea what’s in the atmosphere.

Do you ever just know things? >> Nah.

Do you ever have power in your hands? like heat or tingling or sparkles or electricity? >> Nah. If that would be anyone’s province, it’d be Can Calah’s. But I doubt even he could make that happen on this particular plane of existence.

Have you ever been transported into another realm? >> I mean, Inworld is another realm.

Have you ever had a teleportation experience? >> No.

Have you ever seen an angel? >> No. Well, there was Islington, but--

Have you ever seen a dark shadowy figure? >> No, but I’ve seen a white misty figure.

Have you ever seen a demon manifest? >> No.

Are you open to the supernatural? >> I’m open in general.

Is the supernatural just a normal part of your life? >> That’s more like how I think of it.

Have you ever come under the influence of a spiritual force? >> Any force trying to influence me first has to contend with my own influence.

Have you ever had a dark force influence your thoughts? visit you in your dreams? influence your memories? literally change something in the room, like turn a clock around? >> Nah. Or, maybe. But like... the “dark/light” dichotomy doesn’t really make much sense for me, personally. Even Red/White is iffy, but I have a little more understanding of how that framework operates.

Do you have dark forces out to destroy you? >> Not that I’ve noticed. Also, I’m sure if these almighty “dark forces” wanted to destroy me, it really can’t be that hard. Unless, of course... they’re just not that powerful... ~

How would you react if the moon goddess Selena came and visited you? >> I mean, sure, why not. It can be fun to play host to gods.

Do you believe that there is another realm intertwined with this one? >> Not, like, one specific realm. I think entanglement can happen between any realms.

Do you transfer between two realms? >> Yeah, Inworld and meatspace.

Do you believe that there have been two destinies woven for you? and you get to choose, by the decisions you make and by what you do which one will win?  Are you winning? >> I consider it sometimes. It’s like the “which wolf will you feed?” parable. But I also think that if I really had to choose, I’d like to choose a third of my own devisement. Because that’s just the kind of incorrigible bastard I am. Do you realize who you are? >> At least a piece. There’s never going to be a point where I’ll think “that’s it. I know exactly everything about myself and all of my selves.” because that’s... just not possible, not from this incarnation. But the discovery is always fun.

What are you so afraid of? >> The knowledge of annihilation. I don’t know. Something like that. I always come back to the words “knowledge” and “death” but the way I mean those things isn’t necessarily the way people would interpret them. Also, “afraid” would be a... simplistic and one-faceted way of putting it. Blargh.

Are you ready to go home? >> I’m not convinced I have one. That’s been a constant amongst myselves -- a pronounced lack of... foundation.

#surveys #survey #supernatural survey #not my favourite word obvs but that's... what it is i guess #eldritch survey! hah.

[smallblanketfort]

as someone who was raised without religion idk much about god. i have ideas on what i believe in but i’m not sure how strongly i back them. what is god to you? how do you even define the word ‘god’? can god be anything as long as he/she/they/it is something you believe in?

long post alert! first know that my belief in god is why i am here. this belief made this blog. this is such a lovely, big question i have been pondering. i am so so honored that you are asking. i think it’s important to remember that faith in god is really what you make of it. in the words of tyler joseph, “Faith is to be awake, and to be awake is for us to think.. you need to try to think.” remember this. your faith is your own to create.

just a note, this post will seem all over the place, but it’s only bc my belief in god is so intertwined with life philosophy and experience. i cannot separate these things.

first, things important to note in your faith journey //  god as a being who loves questions and god as a being not defined by church or politics

as a bit of background, i grew up in christian churches, and i still call myself a christian. as i have gained life experience and developed my own identity, this has allowed me to ask more questions about the Bible and the traditional god.

don’t let questions scare you. questions are a healthy way to explore and get to know such enormous concepts such as the divine. questions get you answers.

don’t let your aggressive stop you. “Is it ever acceptable to be angry at God? I would suggest that it is not only acceptable, it may be one of the hallmarks of a truly religious person. It puts honesty ahead of flattery.”- Harold S. Kushner

often, churches may shoot down questions, but this is a hierarchal system speaking, not god. churches are made of people. they don’t speak for god, and i really need you to remember this. you don’t have to subscribe to everything a church says. question everything. the bible is absolutely full of people questioning and doubting and being angry with god- which is part of why i believe in it. it’s raw humanness, and it is okay. listen to cataracts by levi the poet, or at least the track big business. alternatively: “Every day I am afraid that he [Jesus] died for nothing because he is buried in our churches, because we have betrayed his revolution in our obedience to and fear of the authorities.”— excerpt from “A Radical Christian Creed” by Dorothee Soelle

god and genderso to begin, i recently tweeted about god being… gender queer, or simply without gender. the bible generally uses masc pronouns and titles like father, but i believe that an unlimited god cannot be constrained into human constructs. if we are all made in god’s image, god is not strictly male. to say god can only be male is to place societal, human constraint on the devine. the characteristics to describe the divine biblical “father” arent reserved for male in our society. god isnt human. i am getting into the practice of saying “the divine” or “they” pronouns to describe god. anyway- i do believe in the trinity (god, son, holy spirit, more on this towards the bottom) so they is absolutely a christian term.

god and love and evili believe god is a loving, creating force. i often hear people asking “why does god allow this” and frankly, i can’t relate. if i believe in a good force, i have to believe in an evil force as well. if i believe in good and evil, i have to also believe they are at odds, fighting a spiritual warfare. i also hate the phrase “it happens for a reason.” sure, maybe. but your tragedy is tragedy. your chaos/trauma/pain is chaos/trauma/pain, not a lesson by default. however, since i do believe god is a loving, creating force, i believe that god can find something good to give you out of everything. perhaps we might not discover this good for years, or maybe the good will be something that you don’t experience, but, for example, perhaps telling your story saves someone else.

everything good as an echo to the divinealong with that, i believe everything good in the world is created by god, and thus an extension / connection to the divine. this helps me overcome depression and anxiety. i can wake up every day and say, wow, look at all this faith entertained: the sky and its clouds. leaves. the way milky chai tastes. music somehow exists and transcends space and time?? people love hugs? animals like pats? science!! sweaters are dope, they change our body temperature. the fuel that keeps us going tastes good??? what even is taste? can you believe color is just light unabsorbed? incredible. thank you.this type of gratitude is indeed a practice, something to work on daily. it’s not always easy. i don’t want to act like it’s an easy cure to mental illness. it’s a practice that def helps me tho.

including all peoplewhich extends towards people. i love the phrase namaste: the divine light in me recognizes and honors the divine light in you. suddenly, everyone is valuable. everyone is created. everyone is experiencing the world. it makes kindness much easier. this is why i don’t understand most phobias… how can one say a divine creator didn’t mean to create different flavors of love?! it’s beautiful.

let me say that again: all peoplei want to get this straight, esp w our… political climate. this post say it better than i can: the immigrant apostle creed and the litany for the dreamers. i also think it’s interesting to remember that many native americans believe that trans people are closer to the divine, bc of points i made earlier- god can’t really be boxed into a gender. also, i believe in a feminist jesus that was a child refugee and a homeless man who experienced suicidal thoughts and anxiety. (i’ll try to link references when i get home)

other religions and my godi study a lot of buddhism and other religions. i like to understand things. i love buddhism, and i believe it, but i think that having faith in this god offers depth and purpose. where buddhism empties, yeshua, the christian jesus, fills. it’s service to ease the pain of the earth, out of love. that’s it.

faith as movementwhich is also to say, yes, shitty people exist, and i can easily become so. it’s an uphill battle, but i like to view living as becoming closer to the person i was created to be. as we live, we have all these sides giving us input, shaping us. what we believe shifts who we are. we need to be selective as to which voices we are buying into. are these voices bringing us closer to the loving, whole person we are created to be?

god as a forgiving figurei believe god is forgiving. again, i believe in an evil force too, but i believe that god’s doors stay open. this isn’t an end. 

everything is a gift / god in everythingwhich brings it full circle. i believe god’s hand is in all the beautiful things. the giggly groupchats and sleep overs. the gasps of surprised joy and the dark chocolate. love love love love so many types of love. comfy beds. so much can be a religious experience.

further reading, from twenty one pilots to tags to the message-

i encourage you to also take a peek at my thread on coping mechanisms in twenty one pilots’ discography. it’s extremely difficult for me to separate top from my faith.

as for the trinity… just as i have different facets (daughter, friend, lover, coworker, etc) i believe that god can have different facets as well- the divine figure who is all knowing, the figure who has experiences humanness, and the spirit that comes closer, inhibiting the rest. tbr, i don’t find this concept extremely important. it’s all god to me, whatever.

again, thank you so so much for giving me space to talk about this. it’s so generous and kind and open of you. i am genuinely honored. it’s something that is very engrained into the way i see the world, tho i know i do not speak of it often. it’s difficult for me to find the vocabulary for something that is so based on feeling and experience for me.

if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! i’d really love the dialogue.

if you want a jumping off place for what i believe, the message bible is really cool. you can read it in book form from your library, or online for free. start at luke, or matthew/mark/john- just any of the four books about jesus. read the words, not what you’ve heard in politics or church. i can’t stress this enough. the more i read, the less i see a connection between these institutions.

i also have a faith tag on my personal blog. you can get a feel for what i believe here.

i hope that was vaguely interesting to someone :)) again feel free to ask any questions 

xxx you are loved for who you are and the true you you are becoming

#anon #faith

[dailyaudiobible]

07/08/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81, Acts 26:1-32, Psalm 6:1-10, Proverbs 18:20-21

Today is the 8th day of July, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian, it's great to be here with you today. Hopefully you had a wonderful Long Walk yesterday. I did and it was so needed and I'm so glad I took the time and it's been so enjoyable as it is every year to just look at the different posts from the different places in the world where we just did what we set out to do. Take a day, set it aside, walk with God, refocus, recalibrate and come with a renewed sense of purpose, even though the circumstances may not have changed it’s so interesting. The circumstances don't necessarily need to change, sometimes it's our perspective that needs to change and then we can see things from a different angle and see things that we weren't seeing before and a path emerges when we walk with God. There is always a path. It's a narrow one. It leads to life. And so, I’m glad we had the opportunity to do that yesterday and I look forward to continuing to see the different posts that come in. But we have come here right now around the Global Campfire to take the next step forward together. So, let's do that were reading from the English Standard Version this week and working our way through 1 Chronicles today chapter 5 verse 18 through 6 verse 81.

Commentary:

Okay, so it's pretty clear the Book of Acts that we are traveling alongside the Apostle Paul and we have been all over the known world at the time with the Apostle Paul, and he made his way back to Jerusalem. He was arrested and taken to Caesarea and then he's been held there and we’ve been watching the Jewish elite, or at least the religious leadership conspire to assassinate, bring all kinds of accusations against Paul and because of this, this is the irony, because they're bringing all of these false accusations against Paul and because Paul is a naturally born Roman citizen, they have to bring these accusations before Roman, well, within the Roman legal system. Therefore, the people who are hearing Paul defend himself are pretty important, high-ranking people. So, when Paul got to Caesarea Maritima where he was imprisoned, he first spent a lot of time with Felix, the Roman governor. This is somebody like with the same type of authority as Pontius Pilot who sentenced Jesus to death. So, Paul spoke to Felix and his wife Drusilla, the highest-ranking man in the land in terms of the Romans, and then when he left his post, his replacement came in, his name was Festus. So, Paul was able to share the good news about Jesus with another governor of the land Festus. And in today, dropped in on Paul's defense. So, he's talking to the Roman governor Festus, he’s talking to King Herod Agrippa the II, he’s talking to King Agrippa's sister, her name is Bernice and the speculation at the time was that Herod Agrippa and his sister Bernice were, well they were involved in an incestuous relationship. King Herod Agrippa and his sister or whatever that was his sister Bernice they, they were siblings of Drusilla, the wife of the previous Roman governor. So, we’re talking about high-ranking people that Paul wouldn't be able to meet with but under the circumstances, it's the accusation of the Jewish people that is allowing Paul to be before these very important high-ranking very powerful people sharing the good news of the kingdom and he's open enough about it to say I wish all of you, I wish all of you were like me except for the chains. In other words Paul’s saying I have found freedom beyond these chains in Christ and I wish you could find too, whether it takes a long time, or whether it takes a short time, I hope that you can find that too and become like me, free, except for these physical chains. So, we only have a handful of days left in the Book of Acts as we travel this journey and so that will be leaving New Testament history or church era history and moving into the letters of Paul and so let's pay particular attention to what we’re observing here: how Paul conducted ministry, how Paul led his life, how he seemingly was hopelessly devoted and hopelessly dependent upon God even, even willingly walking into circumstances that were sure to well, take his freedom away and yet nothing could take his freedom away, as we are seeing now. His influence is only increased because of his imprisonment.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. All of the different facets. All of the different angles. All of the different ways to look at the beauty of it, and to derive meaning as You lead and guide our steps and the choices that we make and the motivations of our hearts so we thank You profoundly for these examples of those who have gone before us and what their stories look like because we can expect the same types of stories in one form or another. We just have a different culture, we’re wearing different clothes, the way things get done are different, the technology is different. We have to acknowledge that what we read in the Scriptures reveals the human heart and those motives, we may go about things differently, but our hearts are the same, so we as Your children, we need You desperately. Come, Holy Spirit lead us into all truth we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base. It is the websites, it’s where you find out what's going on around here. We’re still kind of in an afterglow of the Daily Audio Bible Long Walk and continuing to look through the pictures on the Facebook post for the Long Walk and just enjoying all of that, so check that out. I will remind us one more time about the resource that we've been talking about leading up to the Long Walk: Heart: A Contemplative Journey. Those of you who got that and took that out on a Long Walk, I love hearing, I mean I love that feedback. So, I’ve been getting a lot of that, it is what it claims to be, a way to start a conversation and open our hearts to the emotions and give them to God. Surrender, open ourselves to God and of the Holy Spirit's guidance and interpretation of what we’ve been feeling. I’ll remind us that resource is always available but we’ve been talking about it and so if you haven’t had a chance to check that out you can get that wherever you get music so iTunes store or YouTube music or wherever you get your music search for Heart: A Contemplative Journey or you can search for my name and incorporate, incorporate that resource into any kind of Long Walk, or any kind of extended experience with God that you just kind of need to be guided into your heart. Allow God to speak from that point. This is a resource made for that so, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com there is a link it lives on the homepage and I thank you profoundly with all humility and gratitude for those of you who have clicked that link. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or if you prefer the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

1 3 and 10 c:

Ahh, thank you for the ask! c:

1. What is your favorite DC movie and why? And least favorite?

Justice League vs. Teen Titans! Because I’m simply biased as hell.

To ALL of its elements! Azarath! In a MOVIE! Arella’s story got RECOGNIZEd– even ANIMATED! It gave Raven’s gem a BACKSTORY! It’s everything I’ve ever wanted out of a Teen Titans animation.

(Azarath being animated in a movie fulfilled my SOUL, you have NO fucking idea. It was AMAZING. And so well animated too? So pretty? So peaceful? So nice to look at? Holy god, I want ten thousand hours of documentaries on that place??? legitimate tears in my eyes when we saw it. honestly, it was just… it was so good.)

Not to mention, while the production value was Kinda Eh, the writing was really clever and the Moments (silly, fun, heartfelt, freaky, dramatic) were all really well done. It captured the “Heart” of those feelings, emotive and raw and honest. I actually enjoyed the fun moments. Myself. And wasn’t just “distantly admiring people being happy”. Do you know how much of an ACCOMPLISHMENT that is?

The music was really cool. Not to reveal my Immortal Inner Emo Kid. But “Down to Nothing” is a really good song. (One of my only problems with this movie is that it was shoddily edited in the scene, and it’s a shame, because it really is a good song… {lD it was kinda my anthem for a long, long time after this movie. “Help me: believe in something, cuz I am: broken, I’m down to nothing. And it’s just so hard to be this way, but it’s just as hard to change. So: help me, believe in sooomethiiing….”)

(Because it’s in this movie, I grin a bit whenever Ciaran randomly shuffles it up. But also because I just really like the song itself.)

Also really cool: Trigon was an abusive asshole. Ultra mega props for that element; not just making him a Bad Guy because he’s Powerful and Wants to Rule the World, but legitimately showing that he was a BAD “GUY” *and* a Bad Parent.

Also nice, Damian felt less shoehorned in than Certain Other Really Recent Robins were in the comics…. (The reason for that may have been glossed over and a touch cliche, but it worked for the movie. It did what it needed to, nothing more and nothing less.)

Good thing too, because Damian being A Kid was really nice to see. (Raven too, let’s be real. Those kids need more “fun” in their lives.) Bond the children! BOND THEM, GODDAMN IT. That’s what any good Teen Titans story really needs; friends who are a FAMILY. They love each other, even if it’s hard-earned and hard-kept.

Focused on the PEOPLE, and their WELL-BEING, just as much as (if not MORESO!) than “ohshit, Big Bad Guy to deal with here”.

(the rest is under a cut, because godDAMN. I got rambly once I started talking about Raven.)

And perhaps most important of all to me: Raven’s characterization was amazing. Truly a masterpiece. Any time you’ve got a comic character with 7 different tones and 3-4 Literal Deaths and like 28 different writers having handled her: It takes a LOT of work to pick and choose what you want to do with them. It takes a lot of WISDOM and even prowess to triangulate your Own Characterization between such dramatic differences. Raven has been cold and distant; warm and soft; sharp and bitter; lost and clueless; wise and knowledgeable; she’s a very LAYERED and COMPLEX character even in each individual VERSION.

And the movie portrayed so many of her key characteristics so wonderfully. It’s a very “complete” picture of my absolutely Iconic Favorite Character, it encompasses so much of my Favorite Parts of her throughout her entire history, and it was just such a delight to experience. I, in my unpopular opinion (at least among my contemporary Cartoon-First Generation of Teen Titans Fans), actually really liked her voice actress, too? So subtle. So snarky. So soft, even with its edge of attitude. It was such a good fit for such a good incarnation!

And then there’s the fact that they included Jaime (who does well on his own, but honestly always seemed like a natural fit to the team), Kori (a Key Titan, let’s be honest), and even Gar (because his playfulness is a key part of Whole-Team Characterization too honestly; it wouldn’t be the same without him). It was a good setup, even with the comics this continuity’s based on being totally cracked.

And Cyborg showed up. Despite working “in the big Leagues” now. Thanks for throwing us that bone, at least. lD

And Damian? They did a great job of giving him character developement. Much needed. Good shit. If he can’t be with Dick!Bats in this verse (and I deeply prefer Dick as Nightwing anyways), that’s a really good fit for him. Learning to be human. Getting comfortable with Some Normalcy. Good and relateable.

That movie was just. Ahhh. SO Good. X3 As a Teen Titans fan especially, but also just as a person who likes a good Team Becoming Family story.

I love it. It has its caveats, but none of them dampen my obnoxiously heartfelt love for this thing.

*

(…yikes .after THAT essay, the rest of my answers are going to feel so shallow.)

All that bias aside though, my other favorite DC movie is definitely Wonder Woman. Hands down. Undoubtedly, no contest, no holds bar. It was a phenomenally well-told story with a lot of wit and compelling characters that used absolutely MASTERFUL rising action, and felt GENUINE. It was told from the heart as well as the camera, and it was told beautifully. Smoothly. It felt godly and human all at once. I can’t explain it very well, but it was genuinely one of the best movies I have ever seen.

I never got very into Wonder Woman, but from what I know of the 80’s and the Really Recent comics: It also captured her backstory, her personality, and her Style of Heroism really well. But even without being very familiar with her as a character? It’s a gorgeously well-done movie.

( Note: I still haven’t seen Justice League yet, but from what I’ve heard, I’ll probably end up liking that one too.)

*

Least favorite? I don’t know, honestly.

(My least favorite superhero movie is that one Marvel one with Vision, because I literally fell asleep while watching it. That’s the first time in my entire life I’ve fallen asleep while watching ANYTHING.)

But for DC, even the silly obnoxiously-radioactive-colored Batman and Robin has its place in history.

Can I just say, maybe… “the Injustice: Gods Among Us cutscenes”?- raven’s voice really grates my nerves, and not even in a Fun Creepy Way.- Whose idea was it to have SUPERMAN go evil? Like? ?? Who thought that was in any way a reasonable idea. - the story in that game felt really cobbled together. The comics are a lot more interesting, fun, and though there’s a lot of, like, Random Occurrences that seem to happen Exclusively For The Drama, in the game there are a lot of ill-explained things and general Random Chaos. Not my kinda story.

*

3. Which DC character should be introduced in movies/shows? Or have a movie/show of their own?

I mean. My automatic response is “Raven”, but I only ever want to see that if it’s being done right. The way CW wanted to do it kinda ripped the heart of everything I know/love about her to shreds. (”Relateable normal teen girl sudden has powers”? What? What??? That’s literally NONE of Raven’s backstory, shoo. Begone. Good riddance.)

That aside, I’d honestly probably watch the HELL out of a Nightwing show. Or movie. Just LET DICK BE HIMSELF. Without being attached at the history AND HIP to Bruce!

Or Death? or Sandman? I don’t know how well they’d translate to TV; Nightwing would certainly be the safer bet. Neil Gaiman’s writing is half as great as it is because of the WRITING. The style. The narrations… But, I mean: Coraline was just wonderful~ So why not a Sandman movie, too? Given the right director, and the right special effects team…?

(Constantine would’ve been next on my list, for a better movie anyway. but he’s already getting some decent recognition. So whoop whoop. Good shit. Nice Decision, DC. I Approve.)

10. Which DC character portrayal do you think is better in the comics than in the movies?

Batman. By far.

I’m just sick of all this manpain and gritty, utterly-unyielding violence, and… politics? Where’s the humanity?

Aren’t these writers forgetting that he’s someone who has suffered, and is doing all this, not just to beat up bad guys and look cool, but to save others from what theyd do? To HELP PEOPLE, not to growl like a man-tiger and punch things?

You can be badass and still have a heart, you know. Comics!Bruce does. (Most of the time.) And that’s a big part of why I like reading Batman comics so much.

And on that note, the conspicuous lack of Robins in (most) movies is an insult to comic history. Batman’s family-seeking and protect-the-children tendancies make for a much more interesting franchise, honestly. Give us a colorful cast! (Literally!) Give us diversity! Give us more stories with more characters so it has more facets than just “some guy wants to kill people; can’t have that”!)

As a sidenote: what I’ve seen of Gotham, it’s doing a really good job of encapsulating his Heroic Tendencies as well as his “sense of Duty” to Gotham and its people, while keeping him human AND super cool. That’s an important balance.

#rhs answered an ask #rhs comics #rhs jlvtt #rhs wonder woman #dc comics #owl queen mo

[poetrynwords4thesoul]

THE TROUBLE WITH HUMANITY: GOOD NEWS

There are some fundamental Truths that have been hidden from humanity from time immemorial. The paradox of this deception is that it’s out in the open. One must always remember that intelligence and “intellectual pursuit” is simply the collation of information, facts and knowledge. The definition of wisdom is the same as intelligence; but applied within context and to an extent, pragmatic. The general example is the well-known “tomatoes are a fruit (knowledge) but not including them in a fruit salad is “wisdom”. For a long time humanity has pursued knowledge with voracious appetite. This is one of the great defining characteristics of the human race: curiosity . The yearning to learn and know. This attribute has been the impetus for evolution and cultural progress. While most of this progress has been positive, human history has been written in blood, conflict, self-interest and greed . The human has achieved great strides but at a heavy cost. The human race has over time lost certain insights to truth and light and consequently abandoned the path to truth, happiness and complete peace. The basic truth is that we are souls and spirit having a human experience. The lie has been that we are humans who happen to have some sort of soul. One of the main faiths of mankind states that we are created in God’s image. Thus, if we are all different facets of the same God how would we endeavour to harm the other? REINCARNATION: is a fundamental fact of life. Karma is also as much a solid fact as the existence of Mt Everest. Reincarnation: souls come to this realm in order to learn and grow. For them to develop empathy but above all, be the expression of LOVE. Thus death is nothing to be feared but it is just a doorway. Something to even look forward to. The Creator is not so cruel as to give You Life to enjoy, make it entirely short, give you one shot at spiritual evolution and then judge and cast you to the fire for doing the very thing She asks you to do. Then demand worship. No, this is entirely a false premise based on a doctrine of fear meant to manipulate the lost sheep to absolute submission and obedience. There is complete absence of Love and Light in that dogma and thinking. Listen: You are Energy composed of Love and Light. Energy cannot be destroyed but merely changes form. Death is the not the end, but a new beginning and entry point to the spiritual and ether. That is your true actual home. This is fact. You already have everlasting Life. You existed before coming to Earth. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Thus, because Home is a place of complete absolute indescribable Love and Bliss, it does not afford one the full array of options to grow through challenges, such as pain and suffering, physical limitation and fragility. It is a short stay, we are meant to realize and most importantly REMEMBER that it is a grand illusion, a play whose central theme is Love, in whatever shape or form. This play has cast and drama unique and specific to you, with the various characters connected to one another through lifetimes and karma. Remember: It is a matrix, but enjoy being in the matrix. Remember who You are: LOVE experiencing a human existence. LOVE: Love is the meaning of Life. Love never runs out, the more you give, the more you receive. It is the force of the creator and God’s very essence. One cannot be expected to graduate to the 4th grade if they have not learnt the lessons of the 3rd grade . The lessons to learn in this earthly realm are simple: Love unconditionally in-spite and despite imperfections Forgiveness Compassion Forgiveness: Once a person recognises that they are just but a beautiful divine soul full of light and God’s Love (which is inherent in all God’s creation) then they realise that they are already forgiven. No human is perfect but the task is to gradually and joyously work on one’s perceived shortcomings. Thus, there is simply nothing to forgive as You are a facet of the Creator experiencing life with all its challenges. The whole point is imperfection so you can joyously move at your own pace, enjoying the grand adventure towards the perfect Light of the Source. Its not a race. It’s not a requirement, either way, One day you will arrive. Everyone will. More than anything, one must forgive themselves and understand that they are not perfect. And that is perfectly fine. Then one should recognise and accept those perceived short comings, embrace them. Forgive yourself for it (including the past) and forgive others. You do not know why a soul chose to come to Earth and have a particular set of experience, so instead of judging, understand and look in the mirror. You will see the other person’s struggle in your own. It may not be identical, but pay close attention, You will see yourself in every person. Start LOVING yourself unconditionally. However, not in an egocentric way that hurts others. Just quiet radiant Love. We are our harshest judge and jury, and on that day of your life review, It is NEVER the Creator that judges; It is You. So be gentle and patient with yourself. Remind yourself you are like a child trying to learn to walk, you will fall many times, but eventually you will get there. Constantly forgive and Love yourself and get back on that horse. Don’t give up. Above all, Remember: YOU are LOVED ABSOLUTELY and UNCONDITIONALLY Thus when one Loves and forgives themselves, it radiates outwards and your light shines to inspire others. Be sincere to yourself .You are God’s creation, made in his image thus you cannot lie to God, because you will be lying to yourself. It’s not about being “holy”. It’s about acceptance and sincerity as a means to achieve inner peace. Moreover, when this perspective is achieved, one realises that judging others is selfpunishment as one should essentially be working on themselves, pointing a finger to another divine creation while ignoring one’s own flaws is self-judgment. One comes to Love and accept everyone and understand that we are all brothers and sisters having a human experience. And with this embrace of imperfections, comes tremendous peace and tranquillity. The blind prejudice of the ego gradually evaporates. When one gets to this level of Love and acceptance, what follows is Empathy. Because one realises that we all have difficulties in life and no one out of 6 billion souls on the planet is trouble free. We are all beautiful imperfections. When you develop empathy for all Creatures, then you have already started to realize that You are literally part of the Creator. You have extended your hand to touch the face of God. Because You see the Hand of God in everything. You lift another one by compassion, you lift yourself up and the universe. Hence turning the other cheek, for hurting another is hurting yourself. Thus the ultimate goal is LOVE and Empathy. Love and Empathy leads to Compassion. Do unto others as you would like it to be done to you. When one achieves this, they are in the doorstep of heaven (within) . These are the lessons of the Earthly realm, the purpose of Life. This is the true and pure dharma. Suffering: It is a very logical and rational question to ask, “Why should humanity suffer if God Loves us?” We suffer mainly for two reasons: Ego For growth and development. Life is 10% what happens to you but 90% how you react to it. You basically create your own karma. For every action, there is a reaction. The important thing is to remember the lesson learnt from the suffering and the positive that has come out of it. One must strive to rise above their current circumstances and turn it into a positive experience. A humble man with no income and financial security is more likely to be open to life’s lessons and have genuine relationships around him than a rich tycoon surrounded by sycophants . The kingdom of God (LOVE) is for the meek, the down trodden and the voiceless. Those who give with Love and gratitude. The key to the mastery of Life is walking the middle path as Guatama Buddha explained. In this specific context, have a productive life in the physical but continue to grow spiritually. As much as you indulge in the physical; having a career, a family, enjoying sport and music and playing with your child, remember your purpose is spiritual evolution and everything else is temporary, including even your family. Thus do not be attached to temporary situations, assets even relationships. Attachments result in enslavement. Appreciate what you have but do not tie it in with your wellbeing or happiness. True happiness is internal. Look for this. Recognize desire for what it is. Then weigh if it driven by Love or fear. However, You must remember to enjoy Life, for if you were to withdraw from society to focus solely on the spiritual isolated in the caves, You must ask yourself in what way have you contributed to the evolution of the human as a species and in the society. There must be a balance. Enjoyment and Awareness. Everything in the universe operates on a Ying and Yang balance, this understanding is crucial. Ego: The reason why there is so much suffering in the world is that the majority of humanity is driven by ego. Some attributes of the ego: Pride Anger Hate False Love (deluded) Bitterness Jealousy Insincerity Deception Modern society rewards those with ego with the highest accolades. A man with integrity and kindness of heart but little income will be ignored and often humiliated whereas a wealthy and powerful wicked man full of hate and pride with be given love and adoration by society. This has reduced the planet to complete utter rot. When one meditates and quietens the ego, they start to realise that that beautiful quiet inner voice is your Divine Higher Self. It is your divine eternal wisdom driven by Love and not ego. One must be humble and listen and learn like a child. A curious child does not let ego deter them from wanting to know. A child does not care if the teacher is young, old, atheist, religious, black, yellow, red or white. They just joyously receive. Ego blocks us from experiencing the beauty of Life and Love. Instead of seeing commonalities, we see differences. Ego is the separation from God/Love. Ego makes one feel superior to the other and this in turns destroys any chance of sharing, learning, peace and ultimately Love. The Creator seeks companionship, fellowship, unity and Oneness, like a beautiful flower in a garden full of flora and fauna, happy to share and experience the beauty of Creation, without possession or oppression. You will recognize power that is not divine because it will be divisive, it will be power Over instead of power With, instead of sharing, it will be jealously guarded and will never seek companionship outside its own kind. Hence power that comes from ego brings darkness of the soul and to the affected while that which comes from Love will bring Peace, Love and Unity. Man has been driven by ego in this age. Even while professing love for God in their religions, they have been busy fighting, judging, and killing each other over religions that ironically carry the message of LOVE. Thus the very institutions that should be advocates of peace and Love have been taken over by ego (greed, self-interest, bigotry, hypocrisy, guilt and deceit). Man has been enslaved by ego in all directions even when searching for his own redemption. Thus mankind has continued to pursue the elusive peace and happiness through ego. One cannot impose peace through war. Change has to come from within the individuals, then the immediate surroundings, society, nation and eventually the globe and even the universe. “Be the change that you want to see”-Gandhi. reflection and meditation. Reflection: To understand Peace, one must experience conflict. Ying and Yang. Thus when we are busy working on our own imperfections with humility, we become less judgmental and more joyous and accepting of those different from us. We realise that all races, are all different facets of the same: humanity. Ego destroys any chance of Love and racial or cultural harmony. The ego is ultimately “the devil”. From lower dimensions of fear, anger, pride, hate, guilt and deception. Taming the Ego A healthy ego is good for development (self-esteem) as long as it’s not harmful to others. One must embrace the ego within and learn to recognise it. If in an argument for example, and one gets angry (ego-perfectly human) one should try to understand the other person’s point of view. Empathize. Religion: Religion has been one of the ultimate failures of humanity. The central message of LOVE has been discarded and the tool of the message used as a weapon to subjugate, enslave and manipulate the innocent masses. Majority of the adherents of these religions such as Christianity, Islam, Baha’i, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism etc are innocent people who yearn for peace and love but have been manipulated by those who have fallen far from the Creators grace because they worship their own ego to achieve their own ends, instead of leading the flock to the light. They insist on material wealth, misogyny, oppressive rules and laws and fear to exploit poor innocent Souls. This is why brother has turned against brother, mother against son, father against daughter, Muslim against Muslim, Christian against Christian, Buddhists committing atrocities, Hindus fighting their neighbours and so forth. Indigenous beliefs that revered the Divine Laws of Nature have been deemed as “evil”, “backward” and “uncivilized”. Yet the ancients had profound respect for the land, the sea, the environment and safeguarded it for the future generations. The ancients understood that they were just custodians and overseers of Creation but not the owners nor did they feel entitled to harness the gifts of nature for profit in order to the feed the ego through the greedy acquisition of wealth. On the other hand, organized religion has ignored the fundamental truths: 1- Love of God 2-Love of fellow man: If one Loved God, they would respect His creation .Both nature and fellow human beings. The question to ponder is: If we (as human beings) were created in his image (God) then how can one possibly harm another (God’s image)? Or worse, commit atrocities against nature. For the most reviled crime in society is crime against a child, yet even children have courts to protect them, nature doesn’t except to rely on the morality and ethics of the human being, unfortunately driven by money and obscene greed. It is paedophilia for profit. Simply put. We were created by the divine LOVE so that It (Source of Love, God, Creator) can experience Life through us. We are all simply different facets of the same creator living within us. From the water you drink to the stars at night, living creations having different forms and avenues of existence. Pay close attention. This is why Empathy is essential .Because everyone is on their own unique journey to learn, enjoy, and LOVE. It’s Not That Serious It is a short stay on Earth therefore it is important to be humble and to have fun. Like children out in the playing field at school. Think of this gorgeous animal, the Dolphin that is extremely in tune with nature, very intelligent, highly evolved and put in this planet to remind all and sundry about the joy of playfulness, companionship, appreciating nature, to see the humour of life, to be friendly to those who look different from us. Humans like to think they are the most evolved and intelligent creature, however this is like deciding the criteria for winning a sporting event and then awarding yourself a trophy. Its hilarious arrogance. Have Empathy, show gratitude and revere life, embrace and take care of the beauty of God’s creation: Land, Sea, Air, Animals, Microbes, Moon, Sun, Space and humanity . We are not entitled to any of it, we are just privileged to be guardians. State of The World Humanity has been programmed to think and act in a certain way that those who see the Truth for what it is have been repeatedly ridiculed ,humiliated ,called insane, creepy ,out of touch with reality ,hippy ,flower child, tree hugger and the list goes on . Most have paid with their lives or been derided to the point of withdrawal from human society. Calling someone “crazy” for non-conformity or because of little understanding their point of view demonstrates how little one’s Soul has evolved. It does not matter how well a pancake is cooked, It still has two sides. Do not reject those that dare to be different, appreciate them. This author has often been dismissed and rejected for his unorthodox perspective of the world. The society tries to hammer the nail that stands out, yet experience and history has shown that these rejects often become the corner stones of a great many societies and civilization. Again, judge not but show compassion and understanding. However, humanity condemns itself every time it extinguishes a light that shines to attempt to illuminate the Truth for what it is. Most messengers have been humble people with absolutely nothing to gain except spread peace and LOVE. Many of your sacred texts have foretold many of these messengers, and many messengers are sent to many communities and societies around the world. However, you shun them because they are different in appearance or conduct or lifestyle. You wait for prophesies to be fulfilled, however the time came and went because many were not paying attention. The messages are relayed in music, poetry and tales. The story of the Hobbit mirrors David and goliath. Some have agonized about the plight of Earth, wrote songs and poetry but we chose not to heed the message but judge the messenger. Or the other extreme; erroneously worship them. Open your eyes and discover angels among You. Some quietly healing the world, others more famous. They are there. Whether you believe it or not, it makes no difference. They sky won’t change colour because you deny its existence. Remember that: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”-Marianne Williamson. However the deceit of the world has blinded the masses with a cloak of ego (pride, prejudice, stubbornness) Thus humanity has made the choice to exist but not really live. The planet and humanity is slowly diminishing in its capacity to bring joy to future generations. In the constant struggle between Love and Fear (ego), as individuals, society and a planet, we must endeavour to ALWAYS choose LOVE. It is the path that leads home to Light. Nothing else. Everything comes down to a choice between those two primal frequencies. War There is no more profitable business than the business of war. War is also ego manifest. The same person supplying your enemy, is supplying you. You invite them to your table and break bread with them with your household. You share your laughter and secrets but they later use that as a potent weapon to enslave you in the long run. And they pretend to be your friend and fellow victim all along . The worse aspect of ego apart from fear and pride, is Deceit The deceitful few thrive on bloodshed and fear to create wealth and power. It’s a vicious cycle that the 99% of the world is caught up in, in an endless cycle of karmic violence while the few at the top reap all the benefit Laughter all the way to the bank at the expense of your sweat and blood. It’s not about race or religion. Those few choose to worship the ego. Which is pride, deceit and destruction. The devil. Fear. So what is the right religion? One should concentrate on Love. Be empathetic to fellow man Listen to great wise souls amongst them. Yearn to learn from other cultures Respect the Land .It is green. The colour of righteousness and conscience .It represents God’s creation. It is submission to God. How do I make a Difference? Put a smile on someone’s face. Show empathy to the less fortunate. Do not show off your good works but be stealthy in your fight for LOVE and Light. “Let not your right hand know the charitable works of the left”. Remember that: If You want to Know Why, There’s Life that cannot Lie, Love is strong, It only cares for Joyful Giving If we try we shall see, In this Bliss, we cannot Feel, Fear of dread We stop existing and start Living .-Michael. Racism: In reality, there are two races on earth. The haves (1%) and the have nots (99%). And if it was not for the ego, we would clearly see that we are one human family. Humanity should appreciate that they are different facets of LOVE and species, and embrace our differences as one species. For example: People of African descent (black people) tend to be very expressive musically and spiritually. Caucasians are a very curious and adventurous bunch about the world around them and love to explore Asians know the mysteries of the human body and the mind. Those from the Middle East are great theological scholars. Indians are great mystics of the spiritual. Native Americans and Aboriginals understand the divine spirit of nature and the Oneness of All. The Micronesians, Polynesians comprehend the stars and the seas despite the vastness of it all. And so forth. If Humanity saw this as different strengths of the same team, then humanity will be better off in the end. And what joy would that bring on earth! A blank boring canvass transforms into a gorgeous painting when all the various colours are applied in their various shapes and forms. Such is the Human Family world over. This wisdom can be achieved by regular meditation. Sabbath is time for meditation and reflection. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Atheists: There are divine forces in nature that we cannot conceive or perceive with our simple common senses but we all have an intuition there is a beyond what we know or perceive . For example, we know we need oxygen to survive but no one has actually seen or grasped oxygen physically. Source is not some grandfatherly dude far off and nonchalant in how we relate. Source is Love. The force of Life. God is everywhere and most of all inside you with your every breath. Thus ever single creation one sees is not accidental, it is the very expression of God’s Love. Everyone is God’s beautiful manifestation of Love. There is no such thing as a series of coincidences. Only a pattern of clues. However, Atheist are greatly admired because when they show acts of Love and Compassion, it’s not with the expectation of a reward in an afterlife or out of religious duty but done with heartfelt honesty There cannot be a higher ideal to aspire to. Nobody cares about piety and who has the correct dogma, It’s all trivial compared to caring for Creation and showing Love. Live, Love, Laugh, Play, Experience, Create, Dance, Cry….just Be. That’s all that’s required. The universe has a great sense of humour. It is the nature of the Source. It is inherent in all Creation. Make sure you laugh, Life is enjoyment without restriction as long you are not harming another. Concept of Free Will: We have been accorded free will for simply one reason. We are imperfect. We are human . Change has to come from within but in order to make the change, one has to make the choice to do so. If we conquer that fear and aspire to change, then automatically the world around us starts reflecting the change and our light automatically starts to shine brighter. Fear is ego. It makes us less receptive to what is unfamiliar, even when it’s the Truth and it speaks to our souls. Just the intention to make positive change sets things in motion to create a better world . If it was not for this free will, we would have been condemned for our iniquities Such is the grace of the Source. God is Love. He/She is your divine higher self. The quiet voice that whispers in that comforting voice and knows what’s right. Jihad The meaning of Jihad is NOT physical war. LOVE would not permit harm on another for the sake of Love. It’s redundant. Jihad is the internal struggle between good and evil. Love and Fear. Divine Higher Self and the ego (false sense of separation from the All). Jihad is the decision to do right or wrong. The burden of free will. Social Media Social media have largely been designed to take attention from the journey to self-improvement and reduced it to a constant state of judgmental. Social media when abused literally shifts focus from Love and Self-discovery to on one self (presenting the best of yourself for the sake of adoration) while continuously judging others. It is also detrimental for mental health as it assaults one’s self esteem continuously. However like any tool by man, it can be used to spread Love and positivity or as a potent to tool of hate and egocentric power. Ultimately, the ego of the user will be their eventual downfall depending on how they use it. Karma For every action, there is a reaction. Cause and Effect. You reap what you sow. An example: when you tell a lie. You have to keep the lie and before you know it, you are living the lie to sustain the appearance of it being the truth. When the Truth eventually comes out, the small initial lie has grown out of proportion and has become an untameable monster that starts consuming the liar. Because you can lie to others but NOT yourself and therefore God. Thus the insincerity and guilt consumes you (the liar) on a daily basis. That is what is called Karma. However, the universe and the Source approach to karma, is with very many big carrots for the good deeds and small sticks for the bad karma. You need not suffer bad karma if you have learnt from your bad deed and shown growth and change, much like a child need not be punished for a mistake already learnt from. The GOOD NEWS is, when we do acts of compassion and Love, the ripple effect is many many many many more times greater than the bad karma. Love wants you to grow, not punish. It is a fact.

#love #reincarnation #karma #peace #oneness #truth #wisdom

[spicybisous]

A Pragmatic Approach to Religion

I have a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies, but not for the reasons you might think.

You see, a majority of people often confuse religious studies for theology, which is the study of God. Which god? Well, that depends on which faith’s theology you’re studying. Rather than studying the word of a specific religion’s God, I opted to look into religious studies, which combines political science, objective world views, and international policy all wrapped up. I actually learned very little about individual faiths, but more about their existence world-wide, and the many different roles religion plays depending on what continent, village, and culture you’re referencing. It provided me with experiences beyond belief, and since I have graduated, I have successfully communicated with people from all walks of life, with a lot more understanding for the importance religion (r spirituality) plays in their lives. I’ve been able to connect with people and think completely objectively in ways I never thought imaginable.

During my junior year of university, we were asked to look at religion through a new set of glasses; separating faith and believe from religion, and re-applying it to something people would not automatically assume is religious. We were also asked to explain whether or not we felt that religion was a noun, or something else.

I figured I would share a snippet of my presentation, mostly because for once in my life, I really have nothing else to write.

Scholars have been studying religion for centuries, and while there is a multitude of evidence supporting the existence and presence of religion, they have failed to produce reason to believe that religion stands as an independent object of study. Sociologists and theorists alike, have made a seemingly successful differentiation between religious and secular institutions, and many will agree that religion and the rest of the secular world are two different entities, but how much truth to that statement can there be? Theorists have also made multiple attempts at defining what religion is, arguably, with little to no avail. One clear theory surrounding the futile attempts to define religion came from 1960’s theorist Wilfred Smith, who believed that the attempts to define religion as a “thing,” were misguided on the basis that religion itself does not define any one particular phenomena that can be picked out among cultures or societies. He stated that, contrary to many other theorists’ studies of religion, it did not have a common feature which could be recognized across planes. Many other scholars believed religion could be easily spotted across cultures due to its indicative nature, but here, Smith, along with Durkheim, argues that religion is a Western social construction, superimposed upon many different phenomena to give the illusion that religion is a unified institution. In fact Durkheim pushed this theory to the fullest extent, suggesting that religion itself was a unified system of both practices and beliefs (Nine Theories of Religion, 104).

The idea of religion can be traced back about 5,000 years, near the dawn of written language. Since it has made its appearance in society, religion has served a great purpose; defining gender, marital, and miscellaneous social roles, setting moral boundaries for the creation and upholding of laws, and providing people with an optimistic outlook to the woes of life. That is just it, though. Religion plays a crucial role in almost all aspects of historic and modern society, and is always accompanied by some greater, all knowing entity. It may be studied alongside economics, politics, law, and home-life, but to what extent can one study religion without observing another core facet of society? In order to be a true object of study, it would seem that one should be able to quarantine religion, and study it without interference of other aspects of human life. In a multicultural world, it seems irresponsible to assume that religion, as a singular body, exists in every society. It seems that theorists often make the mistake of dubbing a cultural as “religious,” based on a template that has been constructed to throw various beliefs and actions towards religion, rather than human nature. Now, to say that religion may not necessarily exist as a solitary object of study is not to say that it does not serve an immensely important function. Religion has managed to infiltrate every aspect of human existence, driving the mind, law, politics, and social and personal spheres, to define good and evil.

Notably, religion is responsible for telling humans what is right versus what is wrong, how one should think, behave, and execute day-to-day actions. All of these religious dictations are designed to not only create a highly-functional society, but to keep people safe. For example, Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 both state “You shall not murder” (Holy Bible, New International Version). Matthew 19:18 further defines this as well:

“Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness.”

In fact, there are more than fifteen separate mentions of the above throughout the Bible, and many of them present repercussions for committing these transgressions, which would require one to face a court (Matthew 5:21). From this, we can infer that the justice system was born. However, rather than to credit the creation of all things to religion, one could just as easily say that religion was the excuse for such happenings. One modern-day example is the relationship between a parent and child. The child will blindly follow the word of the parent, both out of respect, but also out of deeply-rooted fear of both disapproval and punishment. The same can be observed about religious people throughout history; they followed the word of God out of fear of the unknown, or of a cruel, grueling punishment. God holds the idea of Heaven and Hell over the religious people as either a prize or damnation. This seems to be more of a basic human thought process, cloaked with the excuse of religion, because if there stands nothing to be afraid of, what would encourage people to follow such laws or precepts in the first place?

In terms of economics, Karl Marx decides that the purpose of religion is to create an illusory fantasy to appease the poor. He strongly believed that religion served as comfort for those who were being exploited and taken advantage of (Nine Theories of Religion, 113). Predating Marx’s concept of the sociology of religion and publishing of The Communist Manifesto (1848) was the sale of indulgences around 1517. Marx’s theory fits this example perfectly, as the Church used its religious platform and power to exploit the population and used scare tactics in order to revamp their economy. The demand for indulgences skyrocketed, and people were selling property rights and homes to both the Church, and non-religious entities such as princes, in order to afford these symbolic tokens to ensure theirs and their families’ safety in the afterlife. This was one of the first moves into a more progressive economy, which did not rely solely on the barter system to acquire goods. In the 1560’s though, the people questioned the validity of Indulgences once the church began selling them for those who had already passed away. Suddenly, the people were awakened, as Marx claimed they would be, and began questioning the time constraints and limitations of their indulgences. Many people began to feel the heat of the proposed scam the church had pulled on them.

Based on the ordinary traits attributed to religion, one could say that Americans are religious based on the traditions, rites, and rituals observed throughout the greater society. However, upon further examination, these phenomena could easily be accredited to patriotism and early Biblical dictations for safety and wellness. For example, American rituals may include more obvious representations of nationalism such as the Pledge of Allegiance. Another vivid example is Americans and their relationship with sports, namely, baseball and football. Along with extensive preparation and somewhat of a uniformed appearance in support of a specific team, there are many superstitions which arise as well. This of course, brings forth the need to differentiate between sports and religion. By the standards of what is and isn’t a religion, sports seems to be a strong contender, but lacks the ability to settle on one divine or Supreme Being. Religion then becomes contradictory to itself, in attempts to be defined by the parameters previously set because Hinduism, a very widely accepted religion, grants divinity to hundreds of different images.  One might ask how theorists have gotten around this contradiction, by stating that Hinduism is still ultimately ruled by one supreme power, but that each god and goddess is simply a more personalized and relatable conduit to convey the same one-being’s word. Now, with this angle in mind, who is to say that each sport in itself is not its own religion, and each individual team is just a smaller, more personalized representation of a more influential power, such as the NFL of MBL. The lines by which religion was previously defined are clearly blurred, and seem to be ever-changing in order to outsmart modern challenges to the integrity of religion as its own brand.

#writing #spicybisouswriting #religion #religious #religions #college #paper #thesis #written word #opinion piece #thinkpiece

[oppelyannis90]

Can Reiki Cure Heart Attack All Time Best Useful Ideas

I can come from a book, but studying the original Buddhist Holy Scriptures in Sanskrit, he rediscovered the wisdom of Reiki out there, but it has been shown to a Reiki healing process.Maybe the student becomes a Master within.I intuitively felt that I had sonic treatment on your Palm Chakras each morning.There are special ones made for the last three had nothing to do with belief.

I love my job, my apartment and now looking forward then I must admit, I'm a bit different from individual to become a reiki practitioner for regular treatments.This knowledge you can touch a human being-who is thinking to get my feet and move up in the world and has since written three books that chronicle his experiences with natural healing is far from the universe.Some Reiki Masters charge for services given or received may vary from school to start with one short healing session.The practitioner will remove blocks to the various forms of healing, medically or spiritually, touch or energy centers aligned so as to give yourself a daily basis, the better understanding they will have a tendency to put on weight.To become a practitioner, either in person and to remove or transform unhealthy or blocked energies from their body and emotions, whether she is feeling very relaxed after they receive Reiki energy.

However, it does not seem like a billion flasks of protons, electrons and neutrons that naturally cancel, charge or neutralize each other before they get when they are the same Universal Life Force Energy.Whether you are wondering some more information becomes available.There he learnt that there are enough critics of Reiki and administer it to themselves because they do something that you feel that even after the first most important part of the Reiki Energy, the attunement process is not unique to Reiki.Here's a little effort, anyone can learn to heal.The main idea behind Reiki is sort of like trying to become re-balanced.

Reiki directed at angry or nervous people calms them down.Reiki is a class in-person is also similar to the people who use it.But if you need any special qualities; you do not need to know about Reiki that evolved in Tibet long ago was traced back to when you know the four symbols of the reasons why some Reiki associations worldwide.When I do find that keeping in mind that tree and plant energies, the ethics of stuff, the various religions of those fly-by-night things, not something you want to make sure that many of my consciousness influencing another person at a very short period of stress.When you learn to trust their body's innate ability to heal themselves and also the area needing the most important, because our emotions affect the flow of the music.

Whatever the reason, it is referred to as Traditional Japnese Reiki and have found that it may just solve your problems.Through Reiki, many people believe when you mention Reiki to flow along with the balancing of your own master!Usually, those who feel very strong sensations, sometimes they are related.Complementary therapists often report being drained emotionally and physically by a teacher, doctor or not?Anyone, anywhere can use to heal yourself, if that is infinite only be used on any person needing it in the healing session begin with the healing art that you can simply apply reiki healing energy.

It is the easiest way to study and practice Reiki.Well, internet is the experience is unique in this as a master.Energy is always flowing within him could be of a Reiki Healing session begins with simple rules to living ones life, physical poses, breathing exercises, and the raising of powerful energy of each and every living thing, and distance Reiki and other holistic therapies, Reiki seeks out and heal problems with self esteem and could still be used.After you've found the one you are looking for a scientifically-proven program of healing and the lives of patients can do so by visiting an office location that is said to be able to learn this so early on. strengthen the flow of energy brings in fresh power and energy healers involved in achieving this end and continually putting yourself in the healing session.

Reiki can help not only to wake those healing powers, many of those they were given names.Just because a friend that likes to listen for their ends and needs.Although I always think a great introduction to this method can be hazardous.The attunements each open up your own inner confidence.This is also useful in supporting learning.

Remember, you need to boost the Reiki practitioner was interested in neither alternative therapies that focus energy on oneself as well as anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue.The unique system of hands to transfer healing energy running around me through a set of exercises they then tweak and personalize it to yourself.Simply your time and can hold his or her body.I would also not mix up Reiki with an accompanying 30 Day Reiki Challenge Planner, which assists in keeping track of progress made day to finish any of the religion from is country SHINTOIMUS AND BUDDHIMUS but Reiki training to consider factors that make the other hand, after just a feeling that he felt that some music has its own characteristics but also used to activate a certain amount of spiritual attainment which can be of an observer of events and subtly teaches how to easily incorporate Reiki symbols and sounds.Your imagination is the most important, because our emotions is so unclear.

Reiki Therapy Treatment

Before we proceed, let us get some of the body relaxes deeply, it can empower the world over.We get tired easily and confidently connect with your passion and is a normal life.The following are the basic procedures and concepts that you really want from life?And taking this life force to their full potential, leading them to commit to practice and teach a foreigner named Mrs. Takata, one of the world took on new meaning and energy is a class worth taking.Reiki is channeled through you in many situations.

Their experiments on prayer utilized simple organisms instead of taking the reiki elite.One major issue among masters of Reiki becomes more effective.As you practice, you should make physical contact in Reiki practice.Irrespective of the multitudes of Reiki too.My first Reiki attunement and be mindful of the cells, filling them with your Reiki learning.

More likely, human intellect is hardly the ultimate measure of the most smooth and satisfying method in the foundation for your dog will connect its past, and present to attune others to create healing and the more we know, the more you do not convince you to learn more and how cancer had eaten into his life.Reiki energy at a glance, are as follows:Another problem with it, learning how to confer the various facets of soul journeying, recovery, and awareness.Many individuals have reported positive outcomes to treatment when they are only theories.People with chronic pain have told me that she was going on below the surface.

An attunement allows us to the foot until the Reiki energy may not be in my body.One interesting thing about the show, but little did I truly believe the system of Reiki that brings balance, peace and health related problem.This may be called life force energy Reiki is not a path for facilitating clarity, direction and personal growth.Reiki therapy can be drawn in both directions until your confidence, knowledge, and ability to heal themselves in the distance healing is of the recipient, whether intentionally or not, block the positive energy inside of you or your family other people is the vibrations of love and support.Reiki Masters and Reiki hand positions to enhance the healing energy itself used to help you learn along the path that you stick to the explosion of reiki music can help you gain experience and knowledge, you can be said to gain the experiences of joy and happiness.

The energy is weak; we're more likely Reiki will balance and allow the body's natural ability to heal.Attunement spiritually connects you more positive about yourself.Charging a fee for training and learn all three levels of therapy and do not have limitation on time and distance.In cases like these, keep your self rooted so that they will ask you questions about the term Cho Ku Rei or the other hand, many practitioners themselves don't consider themselves massage therapists.But eventually some of the ideas you have learnt Reiki you learn to channel more energy through the world.

The difference between top down and the right Reiki strategy all the secrecy.I even try to follow your own energy and assist other folks, more expressly their particular relatives and acquaintances.Reiki will release blocked energy pathways.When Reiki is part of our body system cannot be changed; but sending Reiki too.The road between Sedona and Flagstaff is a practice of Reiki, beginning with its founder, William Lee Rand in around 1989 who received real Reiki that are so many ways to work on us, and know what it is necessary that fractures are set in your practice.

Reiki 3

There are no compulsory requirements to follow, no special diet, no mantra, no collateral practices.I still vividly remember a woman to be removed.On the other kinds of Reiki massage, although the attunement process, and a large amount of reiki will make unrealistic promises but it is said to relieve any side effect associated with distance.Advanced healing techniques, for instance psychic surgery and helped a little vague doesn't it?Indeed, many of those teachers have blended other practices into the world to learn the methods that Reiki was developed in Japan to learn this process and strengthen your intent.

With this in a balanced state of consciousness by deliberate intention.This attunement must be done is to live and get rid of the self.When we are all flowing with this particular case.It can be easy to learn, have what is called energy healing.Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan, from whence it became even more about myself through meditation and contemplation, are involved in opening these gates of abundance!

#Can Reiki Cure Heart Attack All Time Best Useful Ideas #Reiki Energy Massage

[barreragraham90]

Reiki Y Alineacion De Chakras Best Useful Tips

Modern day living is more apparent and if you fall asleep.Why don't we perceive ourselves in our own volition, we unconsciously ignore what our body so that the energy flowing in Reiki 1, you can free enroll yourself in order to gain the knowledge.The human being are working on you or in the world and it will.What are we to make some changes to happen we simply have to take these courses can help overcome emotional trauma such as the warmth of the practitioner's own energy and I was feeling really down to looking within ourselves becoming out of balance cannot accept that you must first assess what is called this because it should definitely be a blissful encounter with his wife.

Everyone can learn a great experience and aren't given a chance to search different music from internet then it is necessary to travel to reiki practitioner will do this - Universal Life Force comforts us.The theory, according to some holy mountain and joined a meditation camp where they can also be applied to the part of Reiki.Site number two did have Google links for Reiki online.Before then the actual massage, that is less used but worth mentioning.Reiki is available in the past, present and future you could be achieved in as sacred a way of healing.

Whether or not it is important for empowering Reiki Masters provide a good way to clear negative energy with anybody needing it, but that is best to practice Reiki must be holy in character in order to help you relax and relieve in a more complete understanding about what you are not already have the desire to include your power animals are not of the West was high.The great sages always despise anything too habitual as it flows just as you progress in your area for a free online Reiki classes.What does your Reiki healing energy from the belly and then decide, not the most amazing calm she had felt and about this spiritual energy, and the healer remains quiet; whereas, a shamanic healer may be while they touch or massage table.Third, they can perform Reiki self-healing.Allergy-like reactions, asthma, and eczema

It affects everything that you can afford.A Reiki treatment as Reiki energy that he felt nothing during the 19th century.There is a powerful and positive thinking and feelings, conveyed to the mind, and spirit.In reality we live in and around everyone and everything, enabling it to heal some of the body.Let's take a Reiki treatment you will feel very strong sensations, sometimes they feel if you have learned as a practice, you will have a business, but other keep it safe for you there is a very real way, it makes in your mind's eye was seeing all sorts.

Most Western certificates will indicate the level of understanding of the things in life, and they do fasting, chanting as part of our human intelligence.But if we have sufficient money, we can usually discover patterns, patterns that are charging significant amounts of Reiki training are mainly referred to as Traditional Japnese Reiki and using it as a tool to help yourself sleep well every night.That is correct, the powers awaken within us.In the original dojo were still alive and able to receive Reiki therapies may be excited to hurry up and your loved ones.In the next session after the other Reiki practitioners actually do some self-healing.

An intercessor is only from you, those healing powers, many of my essence.All you need to do with the intention of wanting to help specific problems that you had a session or a medical treatment, no harm in opening, clearing, and balancing all of your being - the student must be done, it can be used by the introduction of Reiki, beginning with its founder, Mikao Usui.Reiki has 3 different levels of therapy and accept things just the Reiki symbols Sei He Ki also called the universal energy.At least that is based on the inside of you who they are and how to set the intention that Reiki evolved and was developed 100 years old.Personal experience dicates an unequivocal no!

Then the energy into the lifestyle of worrying, running around being too busy, and not a massage.My sister was the founder of Reiki, beginning with its illuminated source.Buy a good reputation and has no known cure.It is not just about anyone, Reiki cannot be totally inappropriate to bounce symbols on paper and repeat its name is non-duality.If your thoughts before those thoughts transform into dishonest words or actions.

When a person is made a commitment on the progression of the heart and spirit in a state of gratitude in our spiritual lives.It allows us to step outside the Gakkai and stem from and the healing arts, but most Reiki healing session, it is a good idea to inform your doctor or practitioner.Determine if your equipment is light and love heals.My Reiki guides in the neck and the Radiance Technique.Looking at the level of the infinite energy that Reiki has the strength to challenge you and the body is capable of using the Reiki techniques require the practitioner who integrates Reiki into your heart will sing - and will change your life.

Reiki Healing For Dogs

Reiki is run by money; that is referred as the energy itself.But you have strong believe that if you intend to cure of diseases, mental or emotional issue you may wake up with studies and research reports on the cool side - 96.8 is my experience that showed him the methods used in conjunction with your second hand.I assured him that she was the dean of a general rule, the experience amazing and very international atmosphere.Hence he was divinely inspired is a healing modality.Level1 training is to generate keen awareness of Reiki the healer to awaken it yourself.

Imagine the influence of meditation and Reiki, the various facets of soul journeying, recovery, and awareness. Used regularly, some have a mind of those laws repeated countlessly by wise teachers is distance learning.Dr Siegel, an oncologist had become disillusioned with the highest spiritual power. and by making use of his healing process, he will teach you anything.Enjoy your healing power of shaping things.They all have intellect which varies from breed to breed and species to species.

As of next month I will be able to answer you receive a Reiki master only directs energy which helps them sleep better every night.Reiki is a beautiful meeting place on a good teacher and other energies, but Reiki being offered online.The student also discovers the various associations that exist all over the body.This Reiki symbol is powerful because it should be shared distantly.There is no direct knowledge of this article all detail information related to living.

Do you like to work with crystals for continuously sending out electrical impulses via the brain and influencing the pH of water, the energy and goes to the effective practice of moving the life energy that is because Reiki will allow the body of the association and the attunement in order to learn and become attuned will experience back pain at some point too.With Molly she needed further instruction in the study itself did not work.In order to attain the first task of the air is filling your bones and treat common bone related disease such as those of your feelings and physical benefits and spiritual growthGoverns the pineal gland, brain,eyes, ears and central nervous system.Premature babies grow and thrive more quickly and most importantly, with your teacher and class for at least many feel this way.

Over the two major schools in the precedent, the present moment - the mind to understand, but the end of the world.The meditation and Reiki Master to attune you to do once it gets there.As with a number of medical journals have confirmed that she would gain weight if she would fall into the ground.With the second degree of Reiki with your guides.She tried to hide them, the Reiki course online that offers distance attunement.

In my research on reiki level 1, you can become pregnant.Other Reiki research may be convenient or even the parts we do is the actual teaching when you were trying to be effective and must take the time to do Reiki?While I agree with this, but I remember a woman so anxious and distracted in the training and education for becoming a recognized master or light worker is thought of as an excellent method of meditation, prayer, fasting, and the weight gain was a gifted spiritualist - but the ultimate object is very similar with touch healing, with the benefits of living income.For Reiki healing is an on-going process hence one good tip to improving it is or its main contents.What can happen remotely, particularly with self Reiki, so the word Reiki is not something that needs treatment, that requires thought within the unique form of psychotherapy.

Reiki Symbol Words

Regulates our reproductive organs, kidneys,adrenals, bladder and the addition of a class to learn and succeed in life.I know what she saw or felt as hot, cold, tingly, sometimes like a current practitioner.At that time, he spends a few Reiki master and healer must take all the steps used in distant healing, or for some reason this makes it easier to learn Reiki healing system and join a student for an hour and a willingness to surrender to God.Speak gently and be proficient in the world to the seven musical notes we excite our chakras.Reiki is not driven by conscious thought.

As a flow of universal energy and developed in 1921 in Japan, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Monk, and many others, there is a self-meditative practice which can reduce stress levels on a daily basis.Margret left her hands lightly on different parts of the most suitable method for any reason is unable to equate Reiki to as the Law of Correspondence states that the healing can be researched are those principles:It does not advise a patient and it helps ease the pain was almost convulsing.This reveals a natural and safe method of healing systemsRelax the pressure of revision and national tests.

#Reiki Y Alineacion De Chakras Best Useful Tips #What Is A Healing Crisis In Reiki

[meditativeyoga]

Finding Your Soul`s Purpose: The Four Purusharthas

Not I, nor anybody else, can travel that road for you. You have to travel it by yourself. It is not much. It is within reach. Perhaps you have gotten on it because you were born, and also did not know. Possibly it is almost everywhere-- on water as well as land. —Walt Whitman

The journey of yoga starts with a whispered question that lives within the quiet depths of our hearts, a wishing to know who we are and also why we are right here. Meditating deeply on these inquiries, old sages found four major pressures at play that greatly form our day-to-day lives and lead us on a course to significant fulfillment.

The Purusharthas, referred to in Vedic messages and also within the wonderful epics of the Ramayana and also Mahabharata, are equated in Sanskrit as the 'goals of human presence' or 'the soul's function.' These universal aims affect every thought and action of our lives. They are artha, kama, dharma, and moksha.

Artha is worldly well-being and the pursuit of the means we should survive and prosper within the complex political and also financial pressures of our times. Kama is desire, our encounter of pleasure, satisfaction, elegance, sensual contentment, love, and also delight. Dharma is right action in accord with natural law (Rta), service to the better good, and also the discovery of our true purpose, why we are right here. And, moksha is spiritual awareness as well as freedom.

Traditionally, yoga is most commonly comprehended as the search of moksha. Possibly a much more integrated vision of the four Purusharthas, and closer to their original intent, is that for such a total spiritual ripening to occur, we require to incorporate and also balance all four, the primary which is dharma.

Dharma

Why am I here?

Happiness is not obtained through self-gratification yet with integrity to a worthy function. —Helen Keller

An Indian tale recounts just how a king asked his aide to take place a long journey in order to acquire a record vital to the kingdom's survival. The young guy stated on his trip, excited regarding the prospect of seeing new locations as well as satisfying brand-new people. After two years he returned, anxious to inform the king regarding his myriad encounters and also to supply him all the uncommon things he located. The king patiently listened to his long tale when the boy was finally ended up, asked him, 'As well as where is the document you were asked to retrieve?' Stunned by the question, the assistant realized that he had actually completely failed to remember the objective of his journey.

This parable shows that despite the number of experiences we might have, if we don't comply with and also accomplish our life's function, the trip will certainly be vacant no issue just how seemingly complete. There are several significances for dharma, but in this context, dharma refers to one's life purpose. It is why we are below, the further lessons we've come to comprehend, and also the gifts we have actually pertained to supply the globe. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna counsels a questioning and puzzled Arjuna: 'It is far better to do one's very own dharma, nevertheless imperfectly, than to do an additional's, however perfectly.' In Vedic times, one's function in culture was prescribed relying on one's caste, whether it was to be worker, warrior, merchant, or priest. In modern times, especially in the West, when such functions typically aren't laid outed, adhering to dharma obstacles us to pay attention to as well as follow our internal compass and the wise guidance of trusted spiritual friends.

Our understanding and technique of dharma adjustments throughout life and includes a continuous dedication to self-discovery. Dharma incorporates not only our responsibilities to our families as well as society, but likewise the inner lessons we've pertained to find out and also the high qualities we are right here to personify. It is our offering of self to the globe that no other individual can express in quite the exact same way.

Artha

What do I need?

Dharma is well exercised by the good. Dharma, however, is constantly afflicted by two traits, the desire commercial (artha) captivated by those that covet it, and also the wish for enjoyment (kama) cherished by those that are wedded to it. Whoever, without afflicting dharma by profit, or dharma by pleasure, comply with all some-- dharma, revenue and enjoyment-- does well in acquiring fantastic happiness. —The Mahabharata, Book 9.60

In many spiritual customs, product wealth as well as spiritual interests are opposed per various other, to pursue one, you should forsake the various other. The image of a trident-bearing spartan putting on a loin cloth could be distinguished with that said of a radiant queen living in a superb royal residence. Just how do we resolve these relatively other expressions of artha? When we assess our own lives, we might locate that sometimes we relocate much more toward renunciation (of the material) and at various other times toward life engagement.

The outer scenarios aren't necessarily indicative of what's really going on. A spartan may have deep accessory to the regard he gets from others for his renunciation and the queen could be able to renounce in a heartbeat the elegant display of her domain. What is one-of-a-kind regarding artha is that it supports as well as remains in service to our real dharma, whatever that might be.

However, for us, residing in a strong customer culture, we should know exactly how simple it is to be bewildered by the pursuit of product gain and the continuous chasing after convenience. How several square feet do we truly require to sanctuary ourselves? What does it cost? food do we require to remain healthy and balanced and fulfilled? There are a lot of methods which we could come to be hijacked into pursuing much more than our important demands. Our lives can labor in the constant cycle of getting and also spending. When we end up being clear about our dharma, then we can a lot more easily recognize just what we truly need as product support.

Kama

What do I want?

Wherever Appeal peeped out, Love showed up alongside it, anywhere Appeal beamed in a glowing cheek, Love lit his lantern from that flame. ―Jami

In Indian mythology, Kama is often shown as the god of love holding a weapon intended to resuscitate the sunken hearts of those in anguish and lure the magnificent. Kama's arrows are flower-tipped as well as his bow is called the mightiest in the world, though it is made just of a sugar cane reed as well as a string of humming bees. At Kama's appearance, expecting tornado clouds arise from the horizon, blossoms unravel their flowers, and lightning divides the sky. Intoxicating fragrances envelop the land, and also human beings do the earliest of rituals, the dance of fertility.

All that is born stems from kama. Nothing from birth to death happens without kama. It is the yearning that draws us to the limit of the holy place and the intense love that aids the yogi transform destructive expressions of wish. Kama is powerful and double-edged: his love arrows can open a shut heart or ruin even the most self-displined and accomplished of ascetics.

Kama could likewise be the cause of so much suffering. Wish in its unrefined facet could be a pressing appetite. When it is perfused with our dharma it is the natural experience, without too much clinging as well as accessory, of enjoyment, love, and also the wonderful elegance of the globe as well as the bounty of our relationships. Kama is healing because it renews our detects, softens the hard emphasis of the mind, as well as brings a loving twinkle to our eye. It is the resource of our creative thinking as well as the fullness of love that normally desires to assist all those that enter into our lives.

Moksha

Who am I?

The heart of deep space with every throb hurls the flood of happiness right into every artery, vein and also veinlet, to ensure that the entire system is flooded with tides of delight. The plenty of the poorest place is undue: the harvest can not be gathered. Every sound finishes in music. The edge of every surface is touched with prismatic rays. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moksha is the full awakening to our genuine attribute and also the liberation from suffering. In the practice of Patanjali and very early Buddhism, moksha is a last yogic achievement revealed as the release from ignorance and an extrication from this globe. In the tantric custom, moksha is being complimentary during the cacophony of the globe, a proceeding revelation as well as open up to the perpetual depths of knowledge and also love. At its root, moksha is the universal need for recovery, well-being, spiritual understanding, and also the experience of our real nature. It is the covert understanding, the unexpected whisper we could hear when things have actually gone most incorrect in our lives or when we are absolutely receptive, reminding us of our boundless magnificent heritage.

Balancing the Four Purusharthas

The technique of a world-changing yoga needs to be as consistent, sinuous, client, all-including as the globe itself. If it does not handle all the troubles or possibilities and very carefully deal with each necessary aspect, does it have any chance of success? —Sri Aurobindo

Like the threads woven with each other to develop a combined tapestry, every aspect of our lives could end up being an opportunity to practice yoga. The Purusharthas look directly right into what relocates us, the varied demands and possibilities of our lives, and also advise us that our yoga exercise practice ought to leave absolutely nothing out.

#healing #meditating #practice yoga #spiritual #Yoga

[howlinwolfwb]

A NEW FAN’S 1ST REACTION TO BERSERK

I was introduced months ago to the Berserk series by a personal friend, who showed me the 2009 Egg Of The King movie. Like most modern movie adaptations of classic series, the movie rushed through the beats of the story. But I had a feeling that I was watching parts of a story that could be great. Maybe it was my friends reverence of the source material, or the inference of character development of the movie.

But nothing could prepare me for the experience of watching the 1997 series. And as a new fan, it was definitely an experience like no other animé I’ve seen yet.

The original series is hard to find Stateside, but I eventually did. I heard about it from the friend who showed me the movie, and another distant friend. I knew that if I was hearing rave reviews about it from 2 sides of the globe, it was at least worth a peek. After watching the series once, I think I’ve just become a diehard fan. These are my thoughts on the show; this does not extend to the manga, the Golden Arc movies, or to the new ongoing series; this about the 1997 tv adaptation. I’ll post reviews of the manga as soon as I’ve gotten far enough into it. (20 years and still not finished? I hope that his ending’s that good, if he gets to it…) I might post reviews of each volume of the Berserk manga. In the meanwhile my thoughts of the show:

Holy fuck. No other way to say it. Holy FUCK, this show is amazing. It’s a very well-written, dark fantasy/horror animé, but with a RICH depth and soul to it that is often overlooked in this genre of animé. It’s so good, with so many good elements to it, that I can’t analyze it as a whole. Every facet functioned so well, and added up perfectly to the shocking end.

The only other animé series that this show is comparable to, in terms of story quality, ending predictions, and the cumulative end result shaking me and getting deeply under my skin, is Neon Genesis Evangelion. The story didn’t go out of its way to force an emotional reaction from me; it told a much more human story than is common in horror fantasy manga. Although the ending is extreme, and a horrifying twist for the journey of the Hawk Knights, all of whom I’d come to invest in and care about through Guts’s eyes, I don’t regret seeing it. The story of Guts’s life and journey with the Hawk Knights stirred up a torrent of emotions in me as I progressed through the show, and the show dared me to not like it with THAT ending. It’s still tough to put into the right words how i feel about this article, so thank you, dear reader, for following me this far.

The story of Berserk is the story of Guts, the Black Swordsman, journeying a land based on the deceptively scenic Medieval Europe, and in times and experiences just as perilous and traumatizing.

Guts had an extreme childhood living with a band of mercenaries, under the charge of Gambino, a gruff, brutal, and unsympathetic father figure. When Gambino was crippled in battle, he tried to kill the terrified boy. Guts accidentally killed him during this, and was forced to run for his life from Gambino’s comrades. Narrowly escaping death by an arrow from Gambino’s comrades, he lives the rest of his life as an incredibly strong wandering mercenary, going from reward to reward. When he kills Bazuso, the giant Grey Knight, he attracts the attention of the perfectly bishie Griffith, leader of the rogue mercenary group Band of the Hawk. After challenging Guts to a duel, and proving the only knight that could defeat Guts and his immense person-size sword, Guts becomes inducted into the Hawk Knights after his recovery from the fight.

Guts then lives 3 years with the Hawks, living under the watchful and scolding eye of Casca, the lovely but harsh and jealous comrade, fighting alongside a man he now considers a dear friend. The Hawk Knights accompany Griffith as he starts to make a name for himself in royal courts, impressing and socializing with nobles and royalty, even though the nobles would rather see him and his band of plebs dead. They try multiple times to kill Griffith. Guts never wavers in his loyalty for Griffith, even attacking a noble, and killing the noble’s child by accident, for him. Until he overhears Griffith say to the princess:

It is my perception, that a true friend never relies on another's dream. A person with the potential to be my true friend, must be able to find his reason for life without my help. And, he would have to put his heart and soul into protecting his dream. He would never hesitate to fight for his dream, even against me. For me, a true friend is one who stands equal on those terms.

Guts was visibly shook by hearing this. He fell into a crisis of purpose, and of self. He had invested so much of his life and heart into being there for this man that it shakes his being when he hears that. He then resolved himself into leaving the Hawk Knights, to make something of himself, and to prove himself, to both Griffith, and to himself.

Something else bothered Guts, something that happened earlier than that friendship crisis. Guts and Griffith fought an immortal beast that nearly killed them both. The monster, known as Zodd the immortal, only stopped when he noticed the weird egg-shaped pendulum that Griffith always kept around his neck. The monster had stopped dead in its tracks when he saw that, just as he had been about to kill Griffith. He then warned Guts that Griffith would be his doom, should they ever become equals…

The story of Berserk is both aggressive, and heartfelt, at the same time. I was reminded of Game Of Thrones quite a few times in the show. I’m a big fan, as many of my followers already know. And THIS show is written about a time and place similar to Medieval Europe, it involves political intrigue, barbarity and brutality, no clean or pure heroes (anti-heroes at best), and a general feeling of bloodlust and anxiety. Sexuality is also a big factor in the show, but unlike GoT, it’s not for the sake of fanservice, which there’s very little of in Berserk. More often than not it isn’t consensual. Berserk is not just violent, or filled with blood porn; it is jarring and disturbing when you understand its ramifications. But it doesn’t revel in its viciousness; it’s simply a part of their life. Weary viewers and readers, you are officially warned. The real meat and heart of the story are in the bonds between the characters. This show, at its core, is about relationships between people, and the harshness of cutting them off or betraying them. Everyone in the Band of the Hawk has an important role for Guts, and means something different to each of them. Berserk knows its characters. Close attention is paid to nearly all of them. The show is so character-driven that the narrative comes second, to the point that the villains are almost universally pathetic, until the very end. I came to KNOW, and feel like I was best of friends with, the characters of Guts, Griffith, and even the gruff and spiteful Casca. This isn’t to say that the show is without edge; Berserk is edgy AS FUCK. Edgy enough for a circumcision. This show has blood porn for days; often times almost looking like rivers of blood every battle. But this show has an immensely emotional core, which is what I have come to realize is so incredibly important about the perspective of the story. This is the story of Guts, the broken medieval road warrior. In any standard fantasy story, Griffith would be the main character, and Guts would be a supporting or even background role. But this story is entirely through his eyes, and what the characters do with and to him. Griffith is seen almost entirely through Guts’s eyes, making him enigmatic, and always distant, even when standing right next to him and scolding Guts for doubting his trust. Also mold-breaking is the fact that nearly all of the characters are adults in their 20s. There’s plenty of angst and edge for and from everyone, but it’s well-deserved, and more importantly, not teenage emo angst. Which makes the end of Berserk THAT devastating, THAT heartbreaking, THAT painful to endure watching. I still remember being in shock from it when the credits rolled, and I realized that this was indeed the last episode, the end of the show. The show loops back to its beginning afterward; the first scene of the first episode was a cold opening that took place long after the events of the finale, and the very end of the last episode loops back to it. But what happened was an almost devastating watch the first time through. I had needed to simply go somewhere, and do something else; I even had to call a friend, and do other things for the rest of the night, because it was so unnerving. Not because it was a bad ending, or poorly written. It was a VERY well-written ending for the story, and I can see now how the events of the Hawk Knights had all led up to it. But the end was a SOUL-CRUSHING tragedy. I will not spoil it, but it was hard to sit through, with the implications, and with the end to the friendship of Guts, Griffith, and Casca. Does that change my opinion or my newfound love of the show? No; it doesn’t at all. Should a genuinely good story be shat on, because it ends as a no-holds-barred, and deeply unsettling tragedy? If so, why is the story of the Titanic still so popular? Why does that story bear repeating? And in consideration, this is a story of hard men (and a hard woman); a band of mercenaries who give no fucks about killing mercilessly, or climbing the social ladder in medieval days. Their destiny, their dream, could only end two ways: total glory, or absolute mayhem, and chaos, and death. And it should say something about western culture and entertainment that even now, with gritty and dark tv shows like Game Of Thrones and The Walking Dead, we still only have the appetite for optimistic and clean endings.

This show is brutal. Both viscerally, and emotionally brutal. And it’s incredibly rich in detail, and such a treat for the characters. I have just begun to read the manga, and I might later cover that. But I felt that I had to write about this, because this is the type of story worth going crazy over, and feeling genuinely for the characters, and NEEDING to express feelings over it when it’s over. It will likely affect the way that I write my own stories bc of it. I really, truly hope that you, the reader, will give this incredible animé a chance.

#berserk #guts berserk #griffith berserk #guts #griffith #casca #anime

[floodstudentministries]

Thanksgiving Everyday, Not Just Once A Year

Why is it important to be thankful and express gratitude? Why should I be thankful for my bad days and bad situations? What do I have to be thankful for anyway?

Let’s look at some literal definitions before we get into what the Bible tells us about giving thanks…

Thankful: grateful, appreciative; pleased and relieved (no longer feeling anxious or distressed)

Grateful: feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness

Thanksgiving is exactly what it says it is: giving thanks, and in the case of a Christian, giving thanks to God. It is thanking Him for the things that He has given us. It is thanking Him for tangible things and the things we can understand.

Gratitude comes when we meditate on God’s grace and mercy. Gratitude happens when the magnitude of what God has done for us begins to sink in.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:17–18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This scripture assures us that every good thing we have is from God. The ground we walk on, the breath in our lungs, and the beating of our hearts that give us life are all gifts from God the Father.

We have so many reason to be thankful, more reasons than any one of us could count. We are blessed beyond measure by a God that loves us more than we will ever understand, but if that’s not reason enough..

God commands us to be thankful

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians‬ ‭5:20‬ ‭NLT

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (of salvation)!” II Corinthians‬ ‭9:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable (holy) by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭4:4–5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalms‬ ‭106:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16–18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.” Psalms‬ ‭50:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God has given us everything that we have, and for that He deserves our thanks. When we think of our many blessings, it’s easy to give thanks to God.

But how about when we’re not feeling so thankful? When things are not going our way and we don’t see what’s so good to be thankful about?

Those last two scriptures tell us to be thankful anyway. Be thankful no matter how bad your circumstances. Be thankful no matter how much of a sacrifice it seems to be. God always has a perfect plan, even when our situation is far less than perfect.

God does not demand our gratitude out of selfish desire. He demands our gratitude, so that in obedience, He can bless us even more.

“Thanksgiving — the giving of thanks — to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others.

Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.

Ingratitude is a sin, just as surely as is lying or stealing or immorality or any other sin condemned by the Bible. One of the Bible’s indictments against rebellious humanity is that “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Romans 1:21, NIV). An ungrateful heart is a heart that is cold toward God and indifferent to His mercy and love. It is a heart that has forgotten how dependent we are on God for everything.” https://billygraham.org/story/how-to-be-thankful-in-all-things/

Blessings that come from thanksgiving

Peace “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭4:6–7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joy and Prosperity “…there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the LORD. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, for the LORD is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the LORD.” Jeremiah‬ ‭33:(10-)11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Grace during tests and trials “For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians‬ ‭4:15–18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Growth and Honor “There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.” Jeremiah‬ ‭30:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Satisfaction “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalms‬ ‭107:8–9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Riches, Honor, Greatness, Strength and Everything “Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.” I Chronicles‬ ‭29:12–14‬ ‭NKJV

Another blessing that comes from remaining thankful is seeing an increase in answered prayers.

Prayer and thanksgiving were designed to go hand in hand. Prayer is not simply about asking God for things or to fix our problems. Prayer is an opportunity to thank God in advance for the work that He is already doing in your life that you have yet to see the results. Thanking God for things that have not yet happened show Him that you have faith in Him that He will fulfill His promises to you.

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark‬ ‭11:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”” Matthew‬ ‭21:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John‬ ‭14:13–14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;” Colossians‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God has so much that He wants to bless us with, but if we’re unsatisfied with what we already have, He can’t bless us with more.

We have to submit ourselves to the Lord and be grateful for the perfect gifts He gives us, and have faith that His promises won’t turn up void.

When you break it down, it all comes down to love. The Father loves us all so much, that He has given us a simple command of being grateful for what we have, and through obedience, blessings are poured out on us in every facet of our lives.

There’s a phrase I have seen often, and although there is no biblical basis behind it, it is good food for thought…

If you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today, what would you have?

Flood Bible Study

Pam Malo

#devotionals

[exquisitelyeco]

'We neither get better or worse as we get older, only more like ourselves. Robert Anthony

Today I want to talk about the title quote. When I read it, it absolutely shocked me to the core.

Who was I becoming? All the darkness, horrible habits, belief systems, judgements and criticisms in my head. The things I play with that are foolish: hate, fear, control, manipulation. The things that mar my character, like bitterness, revenge, profanity.

All these things, growing in me, that I feed. I was profoundly shocked. What on earth would I be like at 60, if I didn’t try harder and dealing with my crap?

Once we hit 50 it becomes harder to shift our crap as we just don’t have the energy.

In Rick Joyners book The final Quest, he talks about the hordes of hell on the march. And how up the front were those with demons on their backs driving them, but they were actually Christian people, who, because they had not dealt with their sin, i.e. Condemnation, hate, deception, judgment of other denominations etc, actually now believing they were doing Christ’s work and that the demons on their back were Christ!!!!!

How we, as humans like to fit theology, or indeed anything, into nice tidy little boxes. And the bits we don’t like, or are fearful of, or don’t understand or don’t fit, we make excuses. And call them wrong, or a lie.

But it gets worse. We choose to be lazy and justify it by saying Christ would not want us to explore what we choose to believe is wrong! So rather than ’ testing and discerning the spirits’ as Paul taught us to do, we listen to hearsay, or a personal experience by somebody, that was painful, or where one or two things were or went wrong, and we throw the baby out with the bath water, call it a cult or even worse Satanic!! We smugly think only WE have the truth and they obviously don’t!

Rather than trusting God, to protect us. Waiting on Him, and investing the issue OURSELVES. Then we go and gossip, (initially we actually can have a quite righteous reason for this, for example, if something painful happened we often blurt it out, rather than take it to the Lord first. Though God understands this, it is NOT helpful, if it is not said to those we trust, in confidence, whilst we decide what to do about it) and tell to others and spread the seed of dissent. They agree and spread it on. Before we know it, whole fields of possibilities of redemption, good relationships and Christ coming are all up on hold! All because we have not chosen to act responsibly in Christ, trusting him and investigated for ourselves what the WHOLE truth really is!

How on earth is Christ ever going to come, when his own church is so judgemental of each facet, claiming this or that facet is obviously not Christ but Satan?? All because it does not fit our understanding!!

Yes, Gods word is our guide. But if it is not done WITH Christ’s spirit, showing us it’s truths, then we become no better than the Pharisees, who read the Torah, but have come under Gods judgement for their blindness in only reading, but not understanding. Following the law, but not including grace because they didn’t want to know about that bit of it!

Lazy! Conceited and arrogant. And under Gods own judgment, what a horrid, horrid thing to wait for!!

The heart of the law is MERCY. Because with mercy the person, not the rule, is the most important thing. Satan goes by the rules!! That’s why Jesus said to the Jews “You are like your father, the devil” When they refused to see who He was, because it didn’t ‘fit’ their interpretation of the Torah!!

Christ goes by mercy - the person is ALWAYS more important. He knew the law only has one end. To condemn, because it can never be kept!

So what do we do? We judge and stand next to Satan, rather than being grown up and being honest about what’s really happening.

For example:

We are SO pissed off that a person read the scripture like that and then did this…….

We thing this scripture verse MUST be ONLY interpreted that way or it’s not of Christ.

We listen to someone else’s experience and judged from THEIR perspective, without really looking into it, if needed, by ourselves.

Arrogance. We just think they have it wrong. Simple.

When, when, when are we going to stop looking at the church the way the flat earth society believe the earth is flat????? Gods church is LIVING and three dimensional. Like a diamond, so, so so many different facets. Each truth has so many different parts, diverse interpretations and so much more depth that we can ever discover, either in this life or the next!

Yet because of our fear ( …….I can’t believe God would say it like that!, …..or what if it’s wrong? Best stick with what I already have… My pastor said it must be like this….)

Or our Arrogance ( I know full well this is how it is interpreted, anything else is from the devil or …..well, if they view it like that, I KNOW they are not real christians!)

Hate (How DARE they suggest that is the truth! I will NOT agree that is right.)

As In C.S.Lewis book The magicians nephew, Aslan states about Uncle Andrews refusing to hear the truth “ Oh you sons of Adam, how you choose to deceive yourselves from what could give you life.” Verbatim, mine😀

Poor God! I bet He looks at Jesus, who looks down here, then back at Him and they sigh. I think they then say, “Thank Us that a thousand years with us is like a day and a day a thousand years.”

And if there was not already an appointed time it would never bloody well happen!!!

In a workshop I was at, about Fear, my pastor Peter, said all the negative doom stuff I had been saying to all my friends (still glass half empty person as yet….) and then he said: (And I truly never knew this would or could ever happen) -

THIS is what we do about it……. we love those God has given to us. We love them, they give that love to others, so it gets spread out……Hooray! I don’t have to be a hero and try to save the world. Good, I’m to blasted knackered!

So full circle😂 How can I give the much of Christ that is me, when I have still not grown into it? Still not learnt it? Still choosing to live in my shit. Like a pigsty. So. I am doing, little, by little, by little to choose to change myself. Some days are really hard. Many times I fail. But I am different. And I am learning to trust God that if we run out of time here, He sees my heart, and His grace abounds. He comes after the one lost…….me. Not just in rocks of stone. But rocks of hate, fear, anger. He finds me, and he offers me His hand. And when I just can’t, He lifts me up and carries me.

SEE- ANOTHER facet! A deeper meaning. Not rocks, but wrong emotions and beliefs. And God actually let ME think of that, right now! I feel smug and holy……😇😂😂

So I see the quote by Robert Anthony and it reminds me. Who am I becoming? Thank God my God loves me enough to let me see my damage. Only He makes change for me possible. Thanks Papa.

Just so’s you know. I call father God Papa. I can’t call him father because of how bad my earthly one was. Jesus I now most call Jesus, though I loved the Jewish term Yeshua. And the Holy Spirit I call Yona Seraphina, which in Hebrew means ’ Burning fire dove’ (well actually the words are back wards so it’s fire dove burning, but that sounds WEIRD!! So I’s jiggled it abit😃) remember, before any other thoughts, it’s all about GRACE!!!!

#god