The Eighth Sermon to the Dead

So, I'm suppose to write a post, as part of my Lenten obligation. But I'm tired . I didn't get enough sleep this last... week. Month, maybe. My brain is like oatmeal, and I'm using all the power I have to do my secular work. Writing a blog post is the last thing on my mind. I want to sit and listen to bad pop music and drink soda and eat Doritos and basically veg out. I actually have a playlist on youtube called "I do this to torture myself " which has the newest, worst songs I can find.  "Tik Tok" bad. It's public, so you can look at it and mock me at your leisure. I simply don't feel profound. I don't feel like writing. So why am I bothering you with this stream of consciousness glimpse into my weakness and sloth? Several reasons. First, I gave my word. There's an obligation that I must fulfill, and whether I fulfill it well or badly, I am darn well going to fulfill it. Second, discipline. I think I'm too often ruled b

The other day, I was playing on facebook, and I asked a friend of mine for her star chart information. I then proceeded to tell her about herself based on planetary placement in the chart. Some of the information was because I did know her. Some of it was because of the archetypal information contained in most astrological descriptions is vague and broad, and many of us have the qualities listed in some degree or another. I've thought about trying an experiment, about listing out my qualities in regards to various things and then trying to get 3 astrologers to get something close to my chart. Knowing my chart, and knowing my qualities, I wonder if they could get close.  It'd also be interesting to have someone else list my qualities, and then see how close my chart got. That said, recently I've been made aware on how the ideas in astrology pervade our culture. Pop songs talk about reading the stars wrong. Almost everyone knows what their astrological sign is, whether or n

So, a quick follow up on my Spirits of Place post. I said I did an invitation to the spirits of each element and I had a spirit for each introduce themselves. I want to elaborate on the Earth spirit I encountered. I'm using runes to find names, and so I draw runes, and when I get two consonants together, I try vowels until I get one. The name for the water spirit was particularly lengthy, but the Earth spirit's name was a single letter. A vowel. So, I greet the spirit, make an offering, and get a visual. The spirit is a blue feathered ox or bull, with a big smile. It's very jovial, and is glad to be talked to. It would appreciate more varieties of plants around the property, as the property has plenty of hazelnuts and juniper, and it would like to see some other things. It approved of the plants we'd already brought in: geraniums, and a spider plant. I don't usually share a lot of my meditation images with other folks, but this time I felt moved to tell Paddy

If you've read my Jupiter series, you know that I do quite a bit of spirit summoning. It may seem like an odd vocation for a modern person, to summon and talk to invisible spirits. However, I've found it to be both informative, provocative, and an interesting activity. I have to give a big shout out to Jason Miller , who's book The Sorcerer's Secrets   has been a great influence on my thinking in regards to spiritual beings. If you're a worker of magic and you haven't read this book, you seriously need to give it a look. I haven't read his Protection and Reversal Magic, but I have taken part in the Strategic Sorcery course, and recommend that highly. If you read the grimoires or take a solely Christian stance, you may end up thinking dealing with spirits is an incredibly dangerous act. However, Jason Miller advocates treating spirits just as you would any other being, and I have to say that particular attitude is incredibly effective. Not all spirits a

I was asked how I balance being a clergyperson and an esotericist. Do I see them as part of a greater continuum, or keep them separate. I definitely see them as a continuum. I think the clergy person is an esotericist, even he or she does no magic or joins no orders. The clergy, after all, read obscure books and have obscure knowledge, which can only be described as 'esoteric'. Some of it is overtly so, parables and numerology and mysticism, and some of it is not. In any case, the goal of the clergy and the practicing esotericist should be the same: The salvation of as many as possible. The clergy person does it directly, through pastoral efforts and education of the populace. Sometimes, the efforts of clergy are misguided, but I do genuinely think that most are trying to provide for the lost in their own context. That context may not be appropriate, and there are bad examples. The esotericist is looking for the salvation of many via the learning of, wrestling with, and p

As with any sort of change, there are risks involved. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and ruleship, and neither of these are necessarily safe things. There's a reason Jupiter is also associated with storms, with anger and lust and pettiness. One risk I've identified is a tendency to try to control the expansion to much. "I want x, and it has to happen in this particular way." Well, it may be that the particular way you want it will not actually make x manifest. Working with Jupiter is a very organic process, and in my experience it works in fits and starts. Sometimes, you'll get frustrated with the pace, either too fast or too slow. Again, in my experience, meditation helps even out the fits and starts, and lets you see that a pause in expansion is a chance to consolidate, while a breakneck expansion can be managed with judicious application of the word 'no'. Another risk is the avarice which comes along with expansion. The more you get, the more yo

I started this work in April of 2011. A lot of things have changed in my life since then. Since adopting the goals mentioned previously, I've met more local folks interested in the Johannite Way than I had up to that point. I started finding good, committed folks, people who shared the goal of expansion. I've had interest from all over the PNW, and thanks to the help of Michael Strojan and Jason Thu, have bodies established both in Seattle and Portland. I've had feelers of interest from Port Angeles, Eugene, Salem, and McMinnville. Growth has been slow but steady on the establishing 7 bodies in 5 years front. I've had two established in 2 years, and those two seem to have solid foundations and good people supporting it. The longer term project of something truly Johannite is proceeding well. I've found a piece of property with potential to be what I need for that sort of project. I have a vision of a project that is able to be accomplished by me, in a reasonab

The ritual has a group component and a solitary component. The group component I will be mostly silent about, except for the fact that I toast all the members of the group (singly and as a group) as well as my family and Church members. The toast is to their health and necessary wealth. For the solitary component, I use a ritual developed by +Rufus Opus  called "The Gate of Jupiter" once a month. It can be found here . I've used all the planetary rites, and recommend them all. In this rite, you basically cast a circle, and call upon the Most High in his aspects as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to send the angel (Tzadkiel) to give you direction, and then to help direct the energies as you need them directed to accomplish your goals in line with the Will of Heaven. The ritual then has you draw a circle, light some incense, and summon the angel into the crystal by beseeching the Most High to send the angel named in a pleasing and helpful form. Then there is a period of q

When I started the work, I wanted my success to aid in the success of the Church of St. John. That's my kingdom, that's my goal, to expand the church and my own role and influence. At first, I took a lot of time looking at how I could do that. I'm already a fairly central member of the Church: I'm the treasurer, I'm on the Apostolic Council, and I have a great deal of influence over what happens in the liturgical life of the Church. However, I wanted to concentrate on the local level, and look more closely on what I could do at that level.  And I set a goal. I wanted to have seven new church bodies (Narthexes, Missions, etc) in 5 years in the Pacific North west. I also wanted to lay the ground work so that, in 5 years, I could build a permanent site for Johannites to come to. I wanted it to be out of the way and natural, so a slight pilgrimage required. I also wanted it to be something unique, something truly Johannite. That's the 10 year goal. In this wor

I had a request to talk more about my Jupiter work, and what it means for me spiritually, and in my larger schemes. This post will address theory. Under medieval (and even earlier) thought, each planet rules certain spheres of life. Mercury rules learning, healing, etc. Mars rules martial things, issues of power, and the like. Jupiter rules health and wealth. The planet influences kingship, rulership, also enjoyment, extravagance, abundance. This is the planet one turns to in order to influence your material aspects not in the short term, but the long term. Magic and spirits in this sphere aid in the growth and expansion of your resources, your kingdom, so to speak. A person can't rule over the outer without ruling over the inner. The first steps of the Jupiter work concentrate on this aspect. You determine what your goals are, and then begin to focus the spirits and your own energies on those goals. You start reading about that which you'd like to accomplish. You start t

This story appeared in the Wisconsin Masonic Journal, February 2013 edition. I share it so that we may all think about those groups which we've joined, and have not attended in a while. I'm currently in the middle of a big move, so I am stealing it for today's post. Original content will resume Monday. A member of a certain Lodge, who previously attended meetings regularly, stopped going. After a few months, the Master decided to go and visit him. It was a chilly evening, and the Master found his Brother home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for the Master's visit, the Brother welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace, and waited. The Master made himself comfortable, but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After several minutes, the Master took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth, all

Summoning angels is something I've been fascinated with since I first got involved with estoeric matters.  The stories of Dr. John Dee fascinated me when I was just a Freemason*, and not a practical occultist. I read his experiences with a great deal of interest and wondered what they would be like. I also read +Lon Milo DuQuette 's ' My Life with the Spirits ' early in my esoteric career, and found the idea of getting a non-corporeal being to manifest in a space absolutely fascinating. However, my first experience with the true power and wonder of the technique was after I'd been initiated into the Friary, and a fellow Friar summoned the archangel Gabriel to talk to another Friar. That experience left me shaken and in awe of the majesty of these beings who interface between our corporeal forms and the Divine Essence. To that end, I'd like to recommend an effective and easy book which can help the aspiring Esoteric practitioner to get off the ground with e

Inspired by Father Donald's post about a naked view of lent , I've decided on a Lenten practice that does not involve sacrifice, but does involve discipline. I'm going to start blogging again. In the past, I've tried to keep my blog limited to truly Gnostic Deep Thoughts (tm) or at least meanderings about various esoteric ideas. However, we can see by the publishing schedule that particular approach does not allow for the most frequent of posts. I've also said "I'm going to start blogging again" several times, but without a theme or a reason, it's been difficult to be motivated, easy to be distracted. As lent is a wonderful time to try to enact discipline, I'm going to commit to posting once per day. It may not always be profound.  It may simply be the weird stuff that pops into my head or a short list of what happened during my day. I'll try to relate it to gnosticism or esotericism in some way, but I may not always succeed. Latel