The Eighth Sermon to the Dead

Israel vs. Lebanon/Hezebollah U.S. vs Iraq & Afghanistan & Al-Queda West vs. Islam Etc. I deplore the fighting. I deplore the reasoning behind the fighting. I deplore the actions of those doing the fighting. I weep for the innocent dead, simply caught in the way, by virtue of their address. I am not an activist. I do not trust the agendas of the systems in place to help those who are affected by the fighting. I do not trust the agendas of the fighters, or the players on the worlds stage. I don't know the issues well enough to take sides. I'm not personally affected. So I sit behind my oceans, and I worry about my own, smaller problems, and try to help those locally that I can. In my land of plenty, I help the 'poor'. I hope that through syncronicity, my helping here will help there. I pray for peace, knowing it will not come. While people die in a conflict not of their making. But I am not an activist. I have my own problems, my own worries, my own is...

The Prince of Eternity* Go and seek the truth within. Throw away your petty rituals and become a prince of eternity. Don't take the soul from your soul. Don't turn this bread into poison. Can't you see? -- Someone tossed a pearl into the bottom of a dung heap. It is only for the sake of that pearl that we cover our hands with dung. --rumi An interesting, very deep little poem. The things that stuck out for me: 1) Don't turn the Bread into poison: Don't make the spiritual world such an evil or difficult place, but rather keep it as something lifegiving. 2) Throw away your petty rituals: this, to me, indicates a process of continual self-review, to see which rituals are becoming habits, and no longer have meaning. Either throw them away, or make them non-petty. Rituals, themselves, are neither good nor bad. It is when they become automatic, rather than having the meaning enfused in them, that they are worthless. Something to think about, next time you're doin...

Video RIP Syd Barrett. Although I never met you, you've shown us it's OK to be crazy. I actually did a sound poem for several open mikes which was reminiscent of "Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With a Pict" Lots of audience participation in that one. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

http://plutopsyche.livejournal.com/468583.html And http://ceilede.livejournal.com/267921.html In my own research, I've noticed a) a lack of female authors, and b) a lack of female authors with anything to say. The exceptions encountered include Dion Fortune (Who's "Mystical Qabalah" was very interesting) and Madam Blavatsky. Perhaps it's simply the direction I'm taking. Perhaps its that women authors focus more on Wiccan style stuff, or books of spells. I've seen a few good tarot authors, but not many. Can anyone recommend good female occult authors?

...To the archonic gameplaying that seems to plague so many of the other religions, the pursuit of material power and status? I think it needs to be something along the lines of "In the game, but not of it." The focus should not be on the institiution, but on the goal for which the institution was created. Once the Church becomes an end in itself, it's time to leave. It's a tool, just like money is a tool, or your car. You can't love your car, because it will eventually stop working, and it can't love you back. What you can do is use your car to get you where you want to go. We use the church to do the same thing. If the church provides a good framework for you to obtain that salvific knowledge of which we speak, then use it. IF NOT, DON'T. Maybe it's not the proper tool for the job. For some people, a church provides a reinforcing community, with a guide and standards to attain the gnosis they seek. For others, it's a stifling exercise i...

A question from the AGCA mailing list, and my response: " So "IF" Yaldobah and Samael and Satan are all one and the same ...and a "souless" tribe was created via their union, If one worships Satan or Samael...are they indeed worshipping and promoting the agenda of the demiurge? I am very curious on the Sophian tradition on this matter as Manechians view the unknowable as the one true god and Yaldobah as the Demiurge. Thanks for your help." Historically, I'm not sure, as I haven't done the reseach. Theologically, this raises some interesting questions. We, as the Apostolic Johannite Church, believe the divine spark is present in all people. Therefore, the idea of someone as 'soulless' due to descent is antithetical to our assumptions, and we would definitely reject a literal interpretation of this idea. Mythologically, this is also a problem. The existance of a soulless tribe of individuals would lead to the definition of an 'other...

Who was John? Well, he was a crazy hermit who lived in the desert dousing people with water and saying that God talked to him. He became a distraction to the authorities, and they lopped off his head. What is his significance to Gnostics? Well, we may not live in the desert, but we continue dousing people with water and saying God talks to us. And the authorities are all distracted by the gnostic movement (just look at all the da vinci code backlash), and may try to lop of our heads at some point. So, there are parallels. Matthew 3 lays out his message: "7You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11"I baptize you ...

I wanted to invite you to the first public mass of the Parish of St. Gabriel in Madison, WI. We will be celebrating the feast of St. John the Baptist. St. John is an important saint for the Apostolic Johannite Church(http://www.johannite.org), for the account of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus the Christ is one of the most powerful examples of Gnosis in the Bible. Please join us for our inaugural celebration! Date: Saturday, June 24th, 2006 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Gates of Heaven Synagogue, Madison, WI Map: http://tinyurl.com/gzuq7 Fellowship: We’ll be arriving at the park at 4:00 pm, and having a potluck barbeque. Please RSVP if you’ll be attending the fellowship, and whether you’ll be taking communion. All that is required for receiving communion is a respect for the sacrament. Thanks for your time, and hope to see you there. -- -Rev. Deacon Scott Rassbach Apostolic Johannite Church Nonne melius est comedere et bibere et ostendere animae suae bona de laboribus suis...

This was posted on the Johannite Mailing List. Peace to all Everyone here on this list is here because they are interested in Gnosticism as a topic of interest and might be interested in Ministry later. Several are here because they are interested in pursuing/already undertaking Formational studies. for Gnostic Priesthood. It has been said that many gnostics are 'stuck in the heads' and are only interested in learnig from books or that we don't know how to translate our intellectual knowledge into actual 'praxis' - practises that help us in the world. Mindfulness and devotion need to be practised. So I have a small challenge for all of you. This is a challenge relating to Ministry, less than being purely Gnosticism, per se. It is relatively easy and certainly inexpensive, but requires committment and a little work. As there is a wide range of ages and backgrounds in the people in this group, often times people need to be nurtured in their understanding of what is me...

I find myself struggling with a bit of anger towards a co-worker. This gentleman took the opportunity to denigrate my department in front of the CEO, knowing the CEO already had a bad opinion of the department. It was a base career move by a person I thought was a friend. I've written a letter to my co-worker, explaining my reaction, and the betrayal I feel. After writing the letter, I feel a large, empty feeling where the anger was, as if it had burned itself out, and left only ash. I haven't sent the letter yet, it seems as though the writing was catharsis enough. Anger is a strange thing. While it's happening, it feels good to feed it, make it burn higher and higher, until it reaches an almost irrational level. As I try to express it, it dies down, and leaves nothing in it's wake. I've always thought it was a dissonance between what I knew and reality, and perhaps that is true in this case, as well. What is it worth? Is it worth it to express this anger, ...

...That I don't post very much. I'm going to endeavor to change that. Once a week shouldn't be too hard. On Sunday, I was able to say Mass for my Mother-in-law. She said afterwards that she had such a sense of peace and relaxation, and that it was a very spiritual experience for her. I was glad, and had to tell my ego to settle down and go sit in the corner.

Please check out The Paulo Coelho Blog . Every time I read Mr. Coelho, I find something amazing and astonishing that I already knew. Like this: On one of the doors of the old wall hangs a lantern. Fathi comments that I am a well-known writer, whereas he is still struggling for recognition: “Here we have the origin of one of the most famous of Arab proverbs: “light only illuminates strangers.” I reply that Jesus made the same comment: no-one is a prophet in his own country. We always tend to lend value to what comes from afar, without ever recognizing all the beauty that is around us. Of course, we are fascinated by what is far away; we hold in contempt that which is near. We often find our own efforts to be too little, the efforts of others to be so much more. What can we do, who are so imperfect, to improve the world and spread the light? I think this is why Jesus says, in the Gospel of Thomas, "Be passersby." We need to look at what is in our life as a traveler would s...

I found the refrence I was looking for earlier, about AND vs. OR. It was here! Of course, you may not be able to see it, as it was on a forum. But you could join the forum, and then see it. I heartily recommend the Esoteric Freemasons Network and Forum. Lots of good stuff there.

“Theology, mysticism, spirituality, moral rules, worship, art: these things must not be kept in separate compartments. " - The Orthodox Church, Timothy Ware, p. 207 As I'm trying to write my paper on this book, and desperately seeking any distraction, I started to think a bit about separate compartments. Pauline Kilar writes a blog entry about unifying her mind, making sacrifices, and the voices that plague her with doubt. This also reminds me of separate compartments. I think our human, binary tendency to divide is not a good thing, all the time. Sometimes it is, and when it is it works well. Sometimes it is not, and when used at inappropriate times, it's horrendous. Heretical Ideas gives me a quote about separating the artist and the scientist. Again, this idea of the syncretic being superior to the individuated. The Angry Nurse asks "Why does one group have to be right and one group wrong?" in reference to the publication and furor around the Gospel o...

Well, I didn't post before Tuesday. Saturday we did the Easter Vigil Mass. I was able to assist as an acolyte, meaning I got to do the opening prayers, the readings, etc. Then came the ordination. There's something about laying face down on the ground, arms outstretched, that really puts things in perspective. You have some time to think as "The Prayer of St. Francis" plays in the background. You consider what you're doing. How this is the moment, and there's no going back. How after this, your life will be different. How from now on, you'll be conforming your own goals to a higher purpose. When the Bishop brought me to my feet, I could see my wife had been crying, and I was so moved myself. I knelt before the Bishop, and felt a glowing light enter me, or emanate from me. It was a very profound and life-changing moment. [Incidentally, it's kind of odd that the guy you were joking with and having a few beers with the night before, becomes THE ...

Right now, I'm taking a break from our activities to write a quick summary of the Conclave so far. This has been a great event, and I've enjoyed just about every minute of it. Thursday, we went up into the mountains, and had a great time. I'm from Wisconsin, so we don't see mountains much. It's amazing that big piles of rock can be so impressive. Later that evening, we had our Maundy Thursday service, and it too was impressive. The Patriarch was in great form, and I felt it was a very good service. Also during the service, the patriarch blessed oils for use as Chrism in the various rituals of the church, and ordained me in the minor orders (Doorkeeper, Reader, Exorcist, and Acolyte) Then, Thursday night, we had a Seder meal, which was delicious. Our hosts cooked a wonderful salmon meal, and the wine flowed freely. Friday, we did a little sight-seeing around Calgary, and then returned to Kenosis's house. The Friary met in it's Grand Session, and we...

I am sorry for the continuing political tone of the blog. However, unless we wake up a bit, my sermons will actually be directed toward the dead. Warrantless wiretaps This is, quite simply, against the 4th amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Past Republican presidents have lost their seats in the oval office because of this. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happin...

Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., responded: "How many officers would have to be punched before it becomes a big deal?" This is, perhaps, the most asinine thing to ever come out of Congress. That's saying a lot. The easy retort to this is "How many people does the vice president half to shoot before it becomes a big deal?" His lifethreatening accident ends up with a man in the hospital, but no charges against the VP. A slap to a police officer, however, could merit a felony. Seems fair. Why do congress people get a free pass anyway? Isn't it possible one of them could bring a gun into the office? This shouldn't be a big deal anyway. She should have apologized to the officer, and that would have been that. So many of these 'offenses' could be solved with some simple politeness.

You scored as Catholic (Pagan?) . Frequently branded as pagans by sister faiths, the Catholic religion is a melting pot of the Christian and pagan faiths. Open to praying to saints for small assistance, and acknowledging the vital importance of the Blessed Virgin, Catholic faith offers a more balanced view on monotheism, particularly in the sense of male and female energies. Unafraid to use many "pagan" tools (the cup, incense, candles, esperaging water, ritual *read: communion*) the Catholic faith stands at an odd crossroads with its pagan cousins. Catholic (Pagan?) 95% Kabbalistic Pagan 85% Zoroastrian Pagan 75% Celtic Pantheonic Pagan 50% Eastern Pagan 35% Egyptian Pantheonic Pagan 30% Ecclectic Pagan 25% Sumerian, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian Pagans 20% Roman Pantheonic Pagan 20% Shamanic Pagan 10% Greek Pantheonic Pagan 5% Norse Pantheonic Pagan (Asatru) 0% What kind of Pagan are you? created with QuizFarm.com

The Senate voted Thursday to allow the national debt to swell to nearly $9 trillion, preventing a first-ever default on U.S. Treasury notes. link I don't normally post on political issues, but I have a question. Where are the conservatives? Where are the patriots? Why is this happening? $30,000 for every man, woman, and CHILD in the United States? Is there no sanity in our government? Is there no restraint? The enemy is not in the Middle East. It's on the East Coast. Debt will destroy our country long before suicide bombers will.