In Loving Memory PHILIP EMMONS ISAAC BONEWITSOctober 1, 1949 - August 12, 2010It was with a heavy heart I learned only today of the passing of celebrated Pagan Elder and Author, Isaac Bonewits. Though I never met Isaac in-person, I did chat with him numerous times over the Internet and was a great admirer of his work and scholarship. In no small way, it is fair to say that he brought to the exploration of Druidry/Druidism what Gerald Gardner brought to the exploration of
This summer, I'm indulging in what I like to call "the hot yoga experiment." I've never taken hot yoga on a regular basis before, but after I examined the schedules from a half dozen or so local yoga studios and triangulated it with the hours my kids are i... (source: About) - Share on Twitter - Share on Facebook - RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com
Plank Pose Is the Yoga Pose of the Week (source: About)
Plank pose is often seen as a quick stopping off point between downward facing dog and chaturanga. It's just a transition, right? Wrong! If you've ever tried to hold plank for more than a few breaths, you've surely discovered that it's a great arm strength... (source: About) - Share on Twitter - Share on Facebook - RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com
Re:Intense Spiritual Learning: Basic Series 7 Months ago
Karma: 1
"Men have become the tools of their tools."
- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
SEVEN MAGIC KEYS From The Kybalion - the magic keys to understanding the laws governing the inner and outer world. The Kybalion was written around 1908 and contains the teachings passed down from master to initiate based on the Emerald Tablet teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. The word Hermetic has come to mean sealed as these teachings were once hidden from view; prevented from being spread about. Now these teachings are widely available.
where's the beef?
What are the tools of Spiritual Path? They are the same tools as for life. And why do you care? Yes I realize that your not reading these pages to have someone impose their half ass spiritual agenda on you. But have you ever seen someone about to fall and because you've fallen you feel this overwhelming desire to offer your assistance and spare them from it? Well that's the purpose of this section. In truth I don't think you will take this section very seriously, not at first. I actually think you might skim through it looking for the meat then go to the next section. But this section will be here for when you fall down and that little light goes off in your mind .... you'll remember this section is here and come back to read it.
laws of the universe and universal lessons
There are certain lessons that people learn from the universe when dealing with the universe. The lessons tend to be personal to those that learn them, but amazingly many people have experienced the same lesson in different ways. The universe has a habit of teaching a person in the best way for that person. The sub sections to the tools section are really there to guide you through your experiences without having to learn the tough lessons. It is in a way taking another person's or people's word for it.
why discipline?
If magick or consistency is your goal then discipline is the best way to it. Whether its disciplining yourself to meditate every night or to make those changes in your life that you feel looming over you like a cloud the fact that you can discipline yourself will only strengthen your ability to interact with the universe.
There are many roads to self discipline. One of the best I've read was written by Stuart Wilde. He suggests that you have a set time every morning (must be same time each day) and go out into your yard... Take a stone from one side of your yard (walking slowly) to the other. Set it down. Walk to the other side of the yard and repeat. I believe he suggests 7 stones in all. Once you have moved each stone to the other side of the yard, move them back. Do this every morning at exactly the same start time for 2 weeks. His belief is this is a way for you to use discipline to overcome the ego.
intent
perspective
protocol / ettiquitte
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
- Sun Tzu
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
- Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
"To sit alone with my conscience will be judgment enough for me."
- Charles William Stubbs
"A pint of sweat, saves a gallon of blood."
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
- Mark Twain (1835-1910)
"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
* * * * * * * Notes from conversation with Kellog on discipline! * * * * * * * * * * * *
From an old fart's perspective - the single most important aspect of spiritual study, for a beginner, is to learn the advantage of self-discipline as applied to personal protection. If you ain't got that - you ain't got shit and you will surely - eventually - be fodder for someone's Intent. It's as sure as the head on my Johnson.
Self discipline as applied to personal protection? Can you clarify that?
In matters of spiritualism - there are levels (phases of clarity - that apply to aspects/techniques of protection. Whether the technique is self-applied - or directed - is secondary, and a professional choice. People with no or little self-discipline cannot sustain the focus or Intent required to "push" or 'direct" thought/energy in an applied way for an applied purpose. The example lesson is there in nature - and in martial arts.
How would / could I teach self discipline in an understandable manner to beginners? If they are not in marital arts
Thru exercises of focus or meditation - on simple events/people/objects. Everyone is in martial arts whether they understand it or not. Whether they care to be , or not. It isn't "up to " them. It's like breathing. You don't get a choice in the matter. Unless you decide not to live.
Re:Intense Spiritual Learning: Basic Series 6 Months, 4 Weeks ago
Karma: 1
Where your attention goes, you go. -Gary Zukav
What is an intent? | Heatherash Amara
what is intent?
Intention is the driving force behind everything that we do or strive to do. Everything begins with an idea and is then set into motion with intent.
why is it important?
So why is focusing on intent important? Because your experiences follow your intentions. If your intentions are unfocused, your experiences will be unfocused. But if your intentions are clear, concise and determined, your experience will follow suit. A goal will never be reached without the intention to reach it first being firmly set. The first idea is like a seed being planted in the ground, but without watering it with your intention, it will never grow into the tree that you hoped for.
So what are specific ways that your intention can be applied? That depends on what it is that you have in mind. Intention can be very broad and general, or it can be very specific. But do not make the mistake of thinking "broad and general" means "unclear". It does not. For example, let’s say you decide you want to be more compassionate. Compassion can be very broad. First, you must decide what compassion means to you. This is more than the dictionary definition, it is very personal. Sometimes, for some people, being compassionate means saying nothing. Sometimes it means telling the truth to someone even though you know it will hurt them. So decide what compassion means to you. And decide what that means for your interaction with others. It might be something as simple as wanting to "listen more". It doesn’t have to be any more specific than your agreement with yourself says it needs to be. But be clear about it. Write it down. Maybe even try free-writing a few pages on your thoughts to clarify it for yourself. Once you have it clear in your head, then firmly resolve to do it. This is your intent. Set it in your mind and hold it there. The stronger and clearer your intent is, the stronger the effects are going to be.
Now, for a more specific example, let’s say you want to learn to astral travel. Wanting to learn it is the first step. And the next step is setting your intent. You might have a method for astral travel that you’ve read about and would like to try. Whatever method you use, it needs to be rooted in a firm intention. Decide that you are going to do it. Not that you want to, but that you are going to. Decide why. The reason doesn’t matter - except to you. Know your reasons for wanting to do it. This will help you focus your intent clearly. Once you have firmly resolved that you are going to astral travel, and you have clearly defined your reasons, then you have set a firm base to go utilize whatever methods appeal to you.
A last note on intentions is that they do change, and that is okay. We all grow and learn, and changing is a part of that. As your protocol and etiquette (for definitions, see terms) evolve, so will your intentions. Pay attention to yourself, pay attention to your thoughts, so that when change occurs, you can adjust your intentions accordingly.
"When a man does not know what harbor he is heading for, no wind is the right wind." -Seneca
Re:Intense Spiritual Learning: Basic Series 6 Months, 3 Weeks ago
Karma: 1
Every thought has a frequency !!!
Perspective
1. The appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer
2. A way of regarding situations or topics etc.
What is energy?
EVERYTHING and NOTHING.
everything on earth is made up of energy in some form or another, vibrating at different frequencies taking different forms. Many folks believe that only living things are made up of energy but in fact, everything EVERYTHING is made up of energy. what we would consider to be 'nothing' is also made up of energy....this is where ALL the rest of the energy comes from.
When we talk about an ability to sense energy we really mean an ability to sense energy vibration. If everything is energy then that also includes every state of matter; solid, liquid, gas etc etc. So some might say…but but but…how is a chair made of energy, a chair is made of wood or plastic or metal…but not energy. Well, plastic, metal and wood are all composed of energy. Ok so I’ve repeated myself way too many times…sorry��?but I want you to get the idea. The level of vibration that a “solid��?object vibrates at is undetectable…so undetectable as to make it appear solid. Our physical bodies also appear to be solid and liquid (eeewww) but are truly composed of atoms vibrating at a level to appear solid/liquid.
Ok, so now I’m getting to the good stuff. Our light body, our essence, or whatever you refer to as your spirit, is vibrating at a level that does not, in most cases, match our physical (solid) body. We have the ability to change the vibration of the light body. When our vibration is low it is closer to matching our physical body but as we raise our vibration, we raise our spiritual essence (light body) to new levels. There can be physical changes as well, but not usually very visible/noticeable. (One change that I have personally noticed is the change in colour and tone of my eyes.) Now what we are doing is changing our vibration to be closer to the levels of the astral planes. This is where our ability to communicate with other worldly beings, our increased consciousness and our psychic abilities come from…from raising our vibrations to become more spiritual beings.
As we reach new levels of awareness with universal energy…as we raise our internal spiritual vibrations, we begin to see changes in our lives…we begin to effect changes in our lives. We become more aware of ourselves as humans and the roles we need to play during our time on earth…things like kindness to others, reaching out to help a fellow man, things like teaching and helping others to grow spiritually. It’s possible that you’ve already begun to notice these types of changes in your life.
Discussions on energy and energy work focus on tapping into the Source to channel energy back for purposes of using psychic/spiritual gifts. The Source can be Universal energy, God, or many other terms, depending on your beliefs.
Everything Is Energy With his famous equation E= mc2, Albert Einstein proved that when you come right down to it everything in the universe is energy. Both in the physical plane of our reality of matter and the abstract reality of our mind are made up of energy patterns.
The concept of a universal energy flow is not a new one. The ancient Chinese called this flow chi; the ancient Hindus called it prana. The disciplines that developed in those two cultures - t'ai chi and yoga, respectively- are based on the art of tuning in to the flow of energy and using it to centre the self.
Particle physicists try to understand the nature of nature at the smallest scales possible. Today, we know that atoms do not represent the smallest unit of matter. Particles called quarks and leptons seem to be the fundamental building blocks - but perhaps there is something even smaller.
Empty space, we have discovered, is actually not empty at all.
Astrophysicists have found that less than 10 percent of the mass of the entire universe consists of the kind of "luminous" matter that we can see. What is the dark matter that makes up the rest of the universe? How can we find out? Though we understand many important properties of the fundamental building blocks of our universe, there are untold mysteries still to solve.
Advances in technology allow physicists to build more powerful and sophisticated instruments to look deeper and deeper inside matter. Like adventurers entering unknown territory, physicists forge ahead into ever smaller dimensions.
Re:Intense Spiritual Learning: Basic Series 6 Months, 2 Weeks ago
Karma: 1
SECTION 3 - TAPPING
Chi. How to feel your CHI | QI
the preface
"There are three methods for accessing energy. The first is to regularly tap into the main line of energy in the universe. The second way is the ancient Greek advice "Know Thyself", which is a good suggestion for developing psychic ability. To know thyself exacts a price; yet it also offers a reward. The price is that we must bear the burden of responsibility for who we are. We can't blame others. Thew reward is found in self-acceptance and the freedom to be who we are. The third method is meditation / prayer and dreams."
understanding the preface
"This question was asked of me a while back at a seminar; the three methods - and the folks had a hard time using analogy to understand why there would be three - and which one is best. So I gave them this analogy:
You are walking in a huge room, that you know really isn't a room, but you don't know why - and it's not important that yu don't know. You realize the third method is for those folks who need additional Jolts of energy - like finding a wall socket for current no matter where you go, in life - so you use it when you need it.
You realize the second method is for those folks who already know they carry around with them - everywhere - all the energy they need to do the tasks they came here to accomplish - so they don't require the wall sockets except when bored or otherwise occupied with big tasks.
You finally realize the first method reflects the fact that the whole wurld is energy - you - the wall socket - the thoughts you are having - the actions you will be taking --- and it is only your perceptual limitations that detain you from Tapping the universal energy - be it via your wall socket, or your internal force - - or the simple application of Intent.Then you realize - that it did matter after all." - Kellog bluff
Person Using Chi Energy
I use a wheel to practice using and seeing energy at work.
Re:Intense Spiritual Learning: Basic Series 6 Months, 1 Week ago
Karma: 1
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
-- John Heider
Healing Quest: Deepak Chopra on Our Shadow Side
Know Thyself
Around Spiritual Learning Center (SLC) you will hear the term "shadow" or "shadow side". The term refers to getting in touch with that part of ourselves that we view as dark. It does not mean that you are 1/2 evil. But just like the balance between light and darkness there is a balance with in each of us. The shadow is that part us all that we prefer not to look at, the part we hold our shame and guilt in. It is as important to balance as light is.
Learning to identify and accept your shadow self is vital to tapping. The more a person can see the truth of themselves the better they can see the truth of everything else.
This is a tall order I know. But once you begin to understand yourself you begin to heal. You become more whole and more at peace. When we hide our shadow side we use energy to push it down into us, to keep it quiet and secret. We are in fact at war with ourselves. People love to run around and tell you that love heals all. If you ask those people about their shadow side you'll find that they have it stuffed down very deep. They fear it. The question is can you love all if you can not love all of who you are? Good or Bad?
"When we come face to face with our dark side our first instinct is to turn away, and our second is to bargain with it to leave us alone. Ironically, it's these hidden aspects we've rejected that need the most attention. When we locked away those parts of ourselves we didn't like, unknowingly, we sealed away our most valuable treasures. These valuables are therefore hidden where we would least expect to find them. They are hidden in the dark"
Do you ever react to a certain something in a way that you regret?
Do you ever look in the mirror and catch yourself saying negative things to yourself?
Are there certain qualities you see in some people that make you absolutely nuts? You just cant stand it?
Those are places to begin. I cant tell you all of the ways to do it. I can give you some clues. I can give you some that helped me, but that's about all I can give you.
This is not an excuse to further abuse yourself.
How do you begin to know yourself?
Mirror
Inventory
Keep a diary
Masturbate
Listen to what you tell yourself and argue with yourself if you disagree
Ask yourself the questions that hurt- "If I verbally abuse myself I must enjoy it.... why do I enjoy it?"
Look to other people to find out about yourself
Mediate
Form a Crede
Take responsibility for yourself and your actions
Face failure and turn failure into a learning experience
Being familiar with a person and truly knowing them are two very different things.
Just as everything inside of you is reflected back to you all of your judgments about self are reflected back into the world
tapping - source energy
This page will address the means and ability to tap directly into "source" energy. That energy for you may have many names; God, Allah, the Universe, the Void, God Source, Chi/Qi. Whatever name you want to call it is just fine. We all relate to this energy differently. To some Source energy will be loving, nurturing, kind. It may feel female or male. It may be vengeful to some and to others its pure love.
what is tapping?
Tapping is being fully open to and interacting with or channeling source energy for no purpose or for a variety of purposes. It can be done on many levels by anyone. You are already tapping the energy. We'll address tapping here as well as difficulties and what can be done to increase your ability to tap at deeper levels.
methods and means
For me tapping has always been accomplished with setting my intention to tap and using a feeling to open myself up. My intention when I began tapping deeper was to simply feel and be in that source energy. A sort of submergence. Source energy as I grew more accustomed to the feeling of it began to feel as though it was a liquid energy surrounding me and penetrating through my skin into every part of me. This is not the only feeling that tapping brings. If you study martial arts particularly internal arts (like chi gung (or qi gung), tai chi (tai qi)) or yoga you might have an entirely different energy experience when you tap. Those forms also include a physical element rather that just spiritual/mental. In stories I've read about shamans (heavy duty medicine men, astral travelers, 'da man) is they would physically exert themselves to the point of collapse to enable themselves the ability to tap even further (deeper). Certainly the idea of fasting is more common and widespread, which can also be done for the purpose of tapping deeper. These methods also strengthen the mind's ability to overcome pain and center on purpose - mind over matter which will carry through to many many other areas of life. I believe they not only function as a distraction to overcome but also because the distraction has purpose it may also serve as a deeper focus on your intent.
These days some will use hallucinogenic
substances to give them sort of an artificial ability to tap deeper. In my opinion the use of fasting, or internal arts is a way to push ourselves to find a deeper method of tapping that when the experience is over we are able still to tap to near those depths. With artificial spirituality the hallucinogen becomes a crutch. The person is not able to duplicate their experience without using it and therefore their spirituality becomes dependent upon their drug use. It is a cheap shortcut that leaves you as hollow as you were when you found it if not more hopeless.
Alex Grey
Alex Grey, artist, frankly speaks about LSD and visions that result. From all appearances, he is one of the few people that have used a drug like this successfully. Some shaman would call the drug a ally. Some allies are less dangerous (easier to control) than others, but they all exact a price.
In researching tapping I have come across many different theories. One states that compassion is how we tap. Another says its love. I disagree with both of these theories. Compassion comes out of pity and we do not tap into source energy with compassion for it. Perhaps some relate best to source energy believing that it shows us compassion, in that case I can see how that would work. The reason I disagree that love is the method used for tapping is because I believe our ability to tap is reflected by our perspective. We are limited in our ideas about love and in our ability to give it. We also have preconceived ideas about what God is to us and what God wants/expects from us not to mention guilt that is associated with those beliefs that block off the love. If you are tapping into a fire hydrant would a hose work? Its the same idea. You can tap using love but what will flow through is as limited by your ability to love as all the water in a fire hydrant would be limited by the size of a garden hose. So now that I've pissed you off why don't we dive right into righteousness.
right·eous Pronunciation Key (rchs)
adj.
Morally upright; without guilt or sin: a righteous parishioner.
In accordance with virtue or morality: a righteous judgment.
Morally justifiable: righteous anger. See Synonyms at moral.
Note: Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it chiefly occurs, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law.
Righteousness is one very effective way of tapping. The strength of your convictions (definition of convictions: a fixed or strong belief). You believe you are godly and that gives you the ability to communicate with God. And it does. It works. But righteousness is hardly the avenue of love. In its very definition it conflicts with other religious beliefs such as "judge not less ye be judged". (excuse the use of Christianity as a basis but its more familiar to me than other belief systems and more widely quoted). Aside from the conflicts righteousness is an elitist attitude. It serves to separate and judge. Here is where and when righteousness fails us.
As we walk on path our belief system is evaluated, and re-evaluated and either it is strengthened or it begins to crumble (allowing us to rebuild on a more solid foundation). As long as your belief is solid and does not falter this method of tapping will not fail you.
When I reevaluated my belief system feeling as though I was getting even closer to God. I hit a very hard spot in my path. My belief system began to fail me as I my experiences began to conflict with my understanding of God. I also began to see myself in a much more honest light. When those things happened I suddenly felt alone and abandoned by God. The only method of tapping I had ever known no longer worked. I went through a very depressing dark period and even began to feel suicidal. It wasn't until I was able to work through my beliefs and rebuild them that I suceeeded in tapping.
Tara says:
When it comes to tapping once you find the "way out" the way to tap you are able to do it much much more easily the second, third, fourth times... but as a side effect to tapping that kind of energy it helps us to evolve as people and as spiritual beings as we evolve our energy, and our perspectives shift making us in effect a different person. With those shifts we can sometimes loose the gate we got so used to coming and going through and it becomes an ultimate frustration to walk down to your gate and find it missing So I personally wonder if the real growth comes prior to that gate shifting causing the shift or if it really comes when we must challenge ourselves to find what we felt we always would have, over and over again.
zen.
Good vs Evil
Attack
warfare
Karma
There are many well known shadow side stories in literature that sound like fairy tails, but are teaching stories. Myth is presented as fiction in order to present a truth that is just not possible to present in any other way.
psychology and fairy tales In contrast to ethnopsychology, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory attempted to discern the more universal psychology of human behaviour and culture. Freud found fairy tales especially useful for illustrating his theories of the mind because they seemed so much like dreams. According to Freud, both fairy tales and dreams used symbols to express the conflicts, anxieties, and forbidden desires that had been repressed into the unconscious
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
---T. S. Eliot, "Four Quartets"
Preface
This journey is written within the framework of Alchemy and has been written in many ways by so many people before. It could have been written by someone who had a great religious journey, or a person who lived life very simply without religion and made a wonderful difference for many people. Perhaps someone writing something like this was a spiritual person and then one day experienced a miracle and it moved them. It could be something entirely different than all three. When I think of the mental journey I immediately think of the Alchemy students pouring over their information and working at the metal forges in the great adventure. At the very beginning, they hope this scientific and yet spiritual task will bring them gold... and it does too1
Everyone has a very individual journey that leads them to their very special gift which is the purpose for this life. The Alchemist may find themselves experiencing a different pattern or order than what is given here, but chances are most of these things may be experienced at some time in the learning path. This writing is based on my experiences and what I have observed with helping others. The emphasis of your journey, of course, is you. That is what makes it personal. What is experienced as an individual is the special key and there lies the treasure, hidden in that very special place where one would least expect to find it.
What is the secret to life? Everyone is an Alchemist, whether they know it or not. There comes a time for many, when they realize that they must know more about why they are here. The student of life finds that they must know... something. A feeling is lurking around that there is so much more than "this." This is the beginning of a certain awareness. What this "something" could be is a mystery in the beginning, because it must be experienced to be known. The student often is led to believe that the truth is somewhere other than where they are. At least that is the reason I give for all the East Coast people around here trying to find themselves in California all the time. (A fortunate few of us suspect we are somewhere in Europe.)
If someone just gave the real answer to the world, life and everything, in any other form but experience, it would not be accepted in the beginning. Since "42" may not be a satisfying response, the answer must be experienced to be truly understood. It must be lived to be known. The Alchemist, has a wonderful opportunity to learn this lesson in the form of many small lessons leading to the bigger lessons which lead simply to the truth. That is why we are here. Of course, no one has to take this from me, and chances are they won't. Everyone must find out for themselves.
"Chére amie, there is only one thing I can teach you", he said. "It is the hard lesson that there are no more teachers for you. Only seek the master who dwells within."
---From Call No Man Master by Joyce Collin-Smith.
0. Introduction: Where you can find the truth!
Question: Who am I?
Essence: Questing.
The Alchemist has this strong drive to know... something... and this starts sparks journey of sorts. The quest is on, often spurred (as in ouch!) by a very powerful life event that brings this need to know to the surface. Loss of love, illness, depression, or devastation may be experienced. A deep sense of unhappiness may set in. There probably is, at least, a very profound dissatisfaction. The student goes forth looking for life's secret, perhaps fueled even more for a need for riches (like being poor as heck all of a sudden), or even greed (such as wanting to live in a castle and run through the gold coins for a little change of pace), and often with a wish to avoid further pain (a deep desire to call the shots somehow). A quest can sometimes have a carrot at the end of the stick that may seem unworthy for a spiritual student. The student may not even realize on some level that they are spiritual or that they might even be on a sacred journey. Whatever the goal and what it appears, the Quest begins. Somehow, inside the self, the searcher already knows there is more to life or what ever this is called than what it appears to be.
1. Calcification
Question: How could such darkness have even come to this life?
Essence: Discontent.
A deep discontent can slowly creep into the Alchemists life or it can come in as quickly as a flash of lightening. All those times of sending little Smithy Jones on wild goose chases has finally caught up with the conscience. (Although Smithy is now 42, 6'8" tall and the CEO of a multinational corporation who will still do anything for you.)
Sometimes, the truth is hidden from ourselves because we can be capable of doing such awful things whether by ignorance or childishness and greed or just for fun like with Smithy. Some things can seem small and yet profoundly saddening. Others appeared to be much larger than the Alchemist at the time and now look so much smaller. There were things we could have done, should have done, and would have done had we known better. Perhaps we have misused the power we had access to and manipulated others. Often we were doing our part as instructed for someone else or even a duty to a country such as at war. Between a rock and a hard place the survival mechanisms click into place and later these actions can be mourned.
The layers start to fall away and what has been done is really understood, perhaps for the first time. These things are hidden from conscious thought, because they are too painful to deal with truthfully until the student is ready. The soul has called because it is time. In looking truthfully at our own actions, the understanding, strength, and capacity to perform is gained. Calcification is the first step in looking at these hidden truths. This time, you are going through with it.
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