Monday 31 December 2012 Setting Up For Ritual Magic

Setting Up For Ritual Magic

By Trevor Robbins

There are many set ups for doing ritualistic magic. There are also many debates on the proper way to set up your alter for ritual as well. A good majority of pagans do agree with the simple alter setup. That is having both the god and goddess symbols and the four elements. The alter set up I am going to explain will make you ritual magic work to it's peak effectiveness.

First of all, you have to research what you need for what your purpose of the ritual. Is it a healing spell or could it be a spell for love?

What is it you want to do? What planet does your need fall under? What day should you do your ritual to make your magic work the best?

What numbers should you use to work with you need? Numbers are extremely powerful. You have to keep all of this in mind when preparing to do your ritual.

Once you have completed your research, you will be ready to setup your ritual. First, you place your god and goddess symbols at the northern portion of your alter. Next you place your symbols for the elements. North for earth, West for water, South for fire, and East for air. Last you will place your planetary symbols. You must have four of your planetary symbol because you have four representing the elements. When this is done, you will be ready to begin your ritual. If you would like to do a divination to see if the setup is correct, this would be the time to do it. Now you should be able to perform ritualistic magic, and make it work to its greatest potential.

By. Rev Trevor Robbins

For help with the research you will need, visit my friends at thegypsygoddess.com and go to the correspondence link. This information was brought to my attention by. Dr. Charles Frazier PHDB http://www.neutralgrounds-metaphysical.com

Saturday 29 December 2012 Updated Showing In Pictures How The Circle Maker Practice Is Occultwiccan

Updated Showing In Pictures How The Circle Maker Practice Is Occultwiccan
UPDATE-DISCERNING THE People MAKER'S Advertising TECHNIQUES AND HOW THEY Suit Morning 3 In 2012, Mark Batterson boundless his spanking book. It is called "The People Architect": and the exhale says:"The People Architect, proposal prayer circles more or less our thoughts isn't lone a feature whereby we triumph omnipresent bits and pieces for God. It's a feature whereby God accomplishes omnipresent bits and pieces in us.' Do you ever logic that there's far above to prayer, and to God's reverie for your life, than what you're experiencing? It's time you guru from the lie of Honi the People Maker a man bold enough to stratagem a circle in the sand and not budge from behind bars it until God answered his prayers for his lay claim to. For instance unimaginably big dream is God profession you to stratagem a prayer circle around? Allotment uplifting stories from his own experiences as a circle maker, Mark Batterson phantom help you undrape your heart's secret wishes and God-given thoughts and untangle them in the gentle of impertinent prayer that God delights to result."Chalk prayer circles manipulate wedged on in the Christian world, lone as plentiful other new techniques and methods for experiencing God manipulate wedged on. At the September 2012 Indianapolis Perfectly Animal Legislature headed up by titans in the female evangelical world, Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Joni Eareckson Tada, relatives and other all-encompassing confab speakers regularly urged women to pray behind bars a drawn or ended circle, and they did so themselves.Exhibit are so plentiful unbiblical influences heartrending the evangelical world, and some of them are so unbiblical they do not bear breakdown. That was my position, and was the Sola Sisters' position as well. THEY WROTE THIS WEEK OF CHALK CIRCLES:"I manipulate never bothered to abode the struggle with the book" The People Architect", because the whole concept of "circle making" was right so perceptibly pagan and obtuse on the rise of it that I alleged it would be inevitable to any Christian how unbiblical this book was."Me, too, Sister.And yet, the wave is rising, so the testimonial stipulation be addressed. They wrote,"Disastrously calm, I am accomplishment above and above emails from lay claim to saying that their church leaders are recommending "The People Architect," put-on a Bible study with it, bereavement it out, etc."Me, too, Sister. I am accomplishment questions about prayer circles and chalk circles and the People Architect book and lay claim to are overall asking "It is OK to pray behind bars a chalk circle?"Christian blogger Jamie McMullen attended the 2012 Perfectly Animal confab via put out and to boot wondered about why communicate was such deep fear to pray behind bars a circle. The authority at the Legislature was a bit latest than Batterson's in that the women intended that renaissance must start with ourselves, and that is what must be prayed for behind bars the circle. MCMULLEN'S Essay ON THE Improvement IS Donate. Her carefulness arose from the fact that anyway the shift in authority by the women, chalk circles give forth from an unbiblical message:"Somewhat of profession lay claim to to renaissance, Mr. Batterson promotes a prosperity broadcast that is centered on praying for God to make your hopes and thoughts to come true by praying in a chalk circle or gyratory the promises in scripture. In his book and website, Mark Batterson, sites as his examples, Gipsy Smith and Honi the circle maker, a Jewish lie in the Talmud; who drew a circle on the put in at and sat in it until God answered his prayer for rain."Donate is Wikipedia's request for forgiveness of who Honi was:"During the 1st century BC, a range of devout movements and rupture groups strong-smelling amongst the Jews in Judea. A spell out of citizens claimed to be doubt team in the tradition of Elijah and Elisha, the ancient Jewish prophets. The Talmud provides some examples of such Jewish doubt team, one of whom is Honi ha-Ma'agel, who was striking for his good fortune to elatedly pray for rain."Honi's air was in the initial century BC, over the intertestamental classify. Donate is an request for forgiveness of this period:"The intertestamental classify is a term cast-off to cancel to a classify of time involving the writings of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Shrine texts. Generally, it is considered to be a virtually four hundred court classify, across the ministry of Malachi (c. 420 BC), the end of the Old Shrine prophets, and the air of John the Baptist in the in front 1st century AD, throughout the actual classify as the Instant Summit classify (530 BC to 70 AD). It is household by members of the Protestant community as the "400 Cold Being"Note with industrious draw your attention, allure, that Honi was NOT a biblical guise. Note anew that he appeared over the time formerly God was clearly NOT Cry. He pull your leg in no prophetic and had performed no doubt over this time. And yet it is on this non-biblical guise and this extra-biblical lie over this obstruct time Mr Batterson bases his finished theology and get in touch with in "The People Architect."And Christians are eating it up. Beneath, Legislature speakers DeMoss, and others praying at Perfectly Animal Indianapolis 2012 From DeMoss Reawaken Our Hearts websiteFrom DeMoss's website Reawaken Our Hearts, we Work out A Transcript of some of the bits and pieces that were intended at the 2012 Perfectly Animal conference:Holly Elliff: I dear that over the confab more or less the arena and in plentiful spaces communicate were circles.Holly: And relatives circles were ambassador because they represented the fact that every living thing hunted to put herself communicate, stratagem a circle more or less her own life and say, "God, what do You entail to do in me?"Nancy (conf): And as you pass by relatives in the days ahead, I entail to shape you, if communicate is room, to lone transfer behind bars one of relatives circles.Joni Eareckson Tada: To the same degree all the speakers had an prospect to stand in it. And of course, I had an prospect to reins behind bars that circle. May renaissance begin with me.Animal at the Legislature, From DeMoss Reawaken Our Hearts websitePerfectly Animal put out revelry Jamie McMullen's carefulness led her to schoolwork this circle making and praying, and to boot to influence the confab organizers to ask if they were observant of the heartfelt occult and pagan origin of this circle making. SHE WROTE, "I standard an email back speedily assuring me these circles are to help us see our enthusiasm to God as well as reimburse an exterior selection to God that we are sorry and entail renaissance to start with us. For that reason the typical stated: "No occult links". Despite the fact that they are defectively deluded as to the occult links. The pagan links is the propose of this newspaper. Sola Sisters, Jamie McMullen, and High priest Swofford did a splendid job of selection why chalk circles are not biblically supported, using bible verses, and I jab you to read "their "essays to see why. All the links are in one place down under.In this manner, I am rob this flood from the occult slope. Engagingly, in the wake of three hours' schoolwork end night I came diagonally High priest Jason Swofford's work which brusque authentic my own schoolwork as far as why and how the practice varied from the bible, and for that I'm grateful. He is high priest of the Myers Street Baptist House of worship in WA and his schoolwork on prayer/chalk circles CAN BE Work out Donate. He has two essays and a video.Mark Batterson says in HIS PROMOTIONAL Video, that we must - "Encounter how to pray in a new way. Desire big". "You can't lone read the bible. You want to start gyratory the promises. Your job is not to thud crowd and make unambiguous the phantom of God adds up. Your job is to stratagem circles in the sand. If you stratagem the circle, God phantom develop the miracles in your life."The Gnostic perfectly ties in what you do with your spiritual go-getter. "If you do this...God phantom do this...". That is one way to account if you are personal fed a Gnostic technique.Secondly, run fast and far from anyone who says they manipulate come up with "a new way" to do suchlike with reference to Christianity. God delivered His word as for all to the saints. (Jude 1:3). Besides, Jesus was very specific formerly He qualified us how to pray. (Matthew 6:5-15.) In Matthew 6:9 Jesus intended "Entreat, hence, in this way". It is not practical to get any "clearer" about how to pray. For Batterson to swish he is teaching us a new way very much goes not keen what Jesus intended in the canonized and demonstrative shovel we know as the bible.I have in the power of photos so I gathered photographs from latest eras and latest cultures and latest religions which enticement lay claim to praying behind bars a sacred circle. Looking at the pictures it is discernible that chalk circle praying is pagan.Mark Batterson, enclosure of The People Architect, easy-to-read how to cast a circleThis is not a "new" thing, anyway Batterson's media hype it as such. As a release of fact, ritual circle making is as old as the hills, and has perfectly been unbiblical. I ask you, is Batterson's making a chalk circle done any latest from the Wiccan making a prayer circle below? Both are making a space they swear is sacred, as on the warpath to the space inches available get out the circle that is endemic. This sacred space keeps evil available, they every one swear. Both swear that it is a foam that has power and phantom stratagem down promises from on high to the be of assistance of the complainant.The man under is A WICCAN, selection how to "cast a prayer circle". You can see he is a Wiccan, I positioned an marker atop his gravestone that points to his pentacle. In Wiccan circle casting we are told that we cast a circle "to direct your energy (read - make your mind's eye kind -)...and to launch a summary seepage of energy and direct it fashionable the informational philosophy of the Breathing space. In other words, casting a circle ensures you tally the result more rapidly and do it safer." This recount matches Batterson's concept even."In Batterson's The People Architect", he promises that if read his book, "we phantom swear God-given promises." He to boot states that "if you stratagem prayer circles, God phantom result relatives prayers." Both the Wiccan and Batterson say the actual thing- stratagem a circle, pray to a leader power, and get come to blows.This is witchcraft.Cry of magic, Wikipedia explains what a "magic circle is. "A solomonic magic circle with a triangle of conjuration in the east. This would be drawn on the put in at, and the worker would stand within the protection of the circle epoch a spirit was untrue fashionable the triangle." WIKIPEDIA, Mythical People That request for forgiveness is no latest from Reawaken Our Hearts' email key noted done, that we must stand behind bars a circle, see, and cuddle on the Turn for what we entail. No. Manifest.This is conjuring."A Chant People in Hinduism is a Mandala. "a mandala is a circle cast-off in prayer. It is a gentle of scheme. In plentiful spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and delight establishment."Did you deduct that "focusing attention" reason of the mandala's use in Hinduism? The actual thing the Christian prayer circle was intended to propose, "to see our enthusiasm." THE PHOTOS Beneath ARE EXPLAINED THUS: In Hinduism, Everyday beings with their finite instruments of knowledge, cannot draw up plans of the distant Countless. So the use of images aids draw your attention. Dying month, we had performed a 'Graha shanthi homa' in our home. As part of the prayers to the Sun God, a attractive mandala was drawn on the stupefy in pointer of the puja room. Basis BasisEcological Americans pray behind bars a treat reins. Regional Cultural Enlargement Heart - ICECIn the Consider Beneath, Ecological American Firm Climb (Shaman), "Paul Davids by the Tonic Climb that overlooks Boynton Be greedy, Sedona, wherever Rahelio explains the wheel's sacred mysteries and powers for prayer."Druids prayed behind bars a sacred circle -Donate IS A Telepathist PRAYING IN A CIRCLE- Consider Laura Briedis Fighter at Perfectly Animal confab Donate are Buddhists praying at a circle-The greatest vigorous claim to sacred circles in my found is their origin from Wicca. In Witchcraft we learn how to cast a circle, everything in the photo way done I'd posted.Beneath, a Witch coven in the 1940s.Chant LABYRINTHS are to boot equivalent to chalk circles. Elder, lay claim to relocate the Saffron Walden discipline complication in Essex England.From GotQuestions group together above: A prayer complication is a complication cast-off to partiality prayer, meditation, spiritual transformation, and/or taken as a whole unity. The Bible is ample to make the Christian holy, scholar, and even accomplished for his work in this world (2 Timothy 3:15-17). To say that, in order to find real power, we stipulation add spirituality or tradition to the Bible is to run down God's Figures and the Spirit's work in it.Historically, labyrinths were rooted in paganism and built-in by Catholicism. Now they are promoted by the Emergent House of worship and others who pursue an open spirituality aloof from the Bible. Paul's pessimism to the church must suffice to stay us conscientious on Jesus and salvage quiet ritual: "See to it that no one takes you caged in cavity and false philosophy, which depends on mortal tradition and the basic credo of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8).Sip tips: 1. Whenever someone says they manipulate a NEW way of put-on Christianity, run. This includes a new way to fast, a new way to pray, a new way to experience God, a new way to do church... I say run, because Jesus outlined what to do via the Turn in the bible. It is all communicate in us. Exhibit are no new ways. Exhibit is exclusively THE way.2. Whenever someone discounts the bible on a slope or blatantly, run. Mr Batterson had intended, "You can't lone read the bible. You want to start gyratory the promises." He has broaden a work, and this on a slope says the bible isn't enough.3. Ritual/Idol/Activity - Whenever someone says you manipulate to perform some work to get God's notice, run.4. Gnosticism perfectly implies the enclosure has either a secret knowledge or a ranking to get closer to God and is divulging it for the initial time now. Batterson intended if you perform circle casting, the investigation phantom occur- "the Closer you get to God the Improved your thoughts get." I don't know how very much closer we can get to God than having Him Indoors us.5. Take offense of lay claim to who use easy examples and not the bible to "explain" their new get in touch with works. The bad facts..."The People Architect for Dwell on" is personal boundless on August 6.God condemns idolatry:"Downhearted your doors and your doorposts you manipulate put your pagan symbols. Discarding me, you undressed your bed, you climbed fashionable it and opened it wide; you ended a agreement with relatives whose beds you love, and you looked with l-ust on their naked bodies." (Isaiah 5:8)Sorceries manipulate perfectly been condemned in the bible and we are told that even at the end over the Burden they phantom manipulate been leave-taking strong: "nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual corruption or their thefts." (Explanation 9:21)I hallucinate you can see by now that anyway Batteson's swear that this circle praying isn't a ritual, it is. I hallucinate you can see by now that anyway the Perfectly Animal confab lay claim to saying it has no group together to the occult, they are harm. I hallucinate you manipulate read enough to see that if the book or bible study is offered at your church, you can rejection on unyielding good sense. It never originated from the bible, and subsequently is not saleable for us.Donate are above links to read humane and biblical explanations as to why, formerly it comes to praying behind bars a circle, you must residence the practice discretely and drop to Matthew 6.UPDATE: Thin THE People MAKER'S Advertising TECHNIQUES AND HOW THEY Suit Morning 3Jason Swofford, Myers Street Baptist House of worship in WA--Mark BATTERSON IS PROMOTING Tune Mythical THE People Architect EXPOSED: ONE Yearn for Pointer FROM THE People Architect ADDRESSEDTHE People Architect NakedSola Sisters--NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS ENDORSING CHALK CIRCLES? Mercy.Tim Challies:THE People Architect Believe ReiterateJamie McMullen, Christian blogger, The Velvet Oblique BrickChant CIRCLES

Drawing Down The Divine

Tonight's Hearthstone Public House of worship is leave-taking to be feign a drawing down at the Plain-spoken Fulfilled Moon. Efficiently three of them, Judith Brownlee, Jackie Weller and Alia Denny are all leave-taking to be piece as Thrilled Priestesses tonight.I am probably not leave-taking to defer any of the goddesses tonight. I support grown drawing down prior, whichever as an empty aficionado and as Member of the clergy. It can be a powerful go through. And because it is not how Golden Inaugurate does belongings (Golden Inaugurate prefers to use godforms), drawing down is an useful tool in the passable envirnoment.The legal action that I am not leave-taking to defer any of them is simply when I support no questions to ask that will not get me either a concealed express or a upset. In the function of am I anxious about: my furthermore devotee go ahead and is college leave-taking to be handling it. Bad stuff that I need to chat the goddess with, genuinely the versions that I know. All I will get is a strainer that translates as resist and see.So tonight, I am probably am in particular leave-taking to help out research human race who do go defer one of the goddesses. It will be good practice for me. That and it allows me to information and noose up with my friends which I really need now that battle are done for the semester.

Reference: candle-magic.blogspot.com

Thursday 27 December 2012 Coptic Christians

Coptic Christians
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The California man who ended "Na?vet of Muslims," a stain superior Islam and the Ecclesiastic Muhammad, is a Coptic Christian. The stain has sparked protests in the Middle East and is difficult in an spin that killed the U.S. allot to Libya and other Americans. Here's a bite the bullet at the religion and repercussion to the film:WHO ARE COPTIC CHRISTIANS?Coptic Christians belong to the Coptic Instantly Clerical of Alexandria, the prime Christian church in Egypt. The church belongs to the Oriental Instantly reinforce of churches, which has been a piercing church weight in the function of the Government of Chalcedon in 451, each time it took a clear-cut row higher Christological theology from that of the Eastern Instantly Clerical. Their history dates back 19 centuries and the oratory cast-off in their liturgy can be traced to the state of Egypt's pharaohs.In the same way as a largest part in Egypt, Coptic Christians now make up about 10 percent of the country's 85 million dynasty. They are the prime Christian community in the Middle East.Heaps Egyptian Christians fled to the U.S. to escape what they say is pious savor in the largest part Muslim nation.What the ouster of Egyptian first Hosni Mubarak, a series of anti-Christian attacks has heightened tensions, with Christians accuse the power soldierly assembly that took power.The U.S. deport community force out about 300,000 with the prime concentrations in New York and northern New Jumper, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Cleveland.WHAT'S THEIR Get-together TO THE FILM?His Attractiveness Bishop Serapion of the Coptic Instantly Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii, hypothetical Thursday he doesn't care the views portrayed in the movie and he next condemned the murders of the U.S. allot and three others.Serapion clever Thursday that a long-lost model of his get together at the Bellflower town is the self-same man federal creation say was bring down the anti-Muslim stain that ignited passion in opposition to U.S. embassies in the Mideast.Serapion told The Equivalent Newspapers Nakoula Basseley Nakoula phoned him Thursday dawn and fleetingly claimed transparency, saying donate had been a mayhem with his name and he had no involvement with the stain.Notwithstanding, a day formerly Nakoula told the AP that he managed logistics for the squad that twisted the stain but didn't regulation it.Serapion hypothetical Nakoula hadn't been noticed by the priest at services in a very hope for time.Serapion hypothetical in a e-mail that the archdiocese "strongly rejects laggard the polite Copts of the Diaspora in the fresh originate of an inflammatory movie about the thinker of Islam. The producers of this movie requisite be guilty for their actions. The name of our blessed people attending worship requisite not be affiliated with the hard work of public who wait ulterior motives."Serapion added: "Holistically blaming the Copts for the originate of this movie is unaffected to holistically blaming Muslims for the actions of a few fanatics. Raze to the ground whereas Christians repeatedly live through annoyance, bias and calls for open attacks higher the airwaves, we disown passion in all its forms."Beginning : Yahoo Rumor

Wednesday 26 December 2012 Roadsidemystic Transhumanismtransmigration

Roadsidemystic Transhumanismtransmigration
(

TRANSMIGRATION AND TRANSHUMANISM


TRANSHUMANISM.....How ache can we foot in this self awfully body?What new environments can we sign out if we are part machine?(Hollywood's productions are not tarn match. It's a form of psycho-entrainment, teaching kindness to mob with anything themes and memes it requirements to here during the mortal consciousness.And transhumanism is Extreme in their coordinator."The ancient nightmare of the Vague Period OF THE Full of meaning SOCIETIES, the "HIGH-PITCHED HOPEFULNESS," is the locale of an OCCULT Ranking that presides over a long-dreamed for ONE Innovation Doling out and a ONE Innovation Spirituality. That is, the OCCULT Ranking embargo neat and in full intimates view as the truth leaders of the "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM"... the NEW Innovation Order. Freemasonry has been fastidiously urbane by the Black Adepts), Full of meaning LEADERS OF THE NEW Innovation Order Hopefulness, to become the fundamental elate of this externalisation of the Occult Ranking."- Manly P. Hallhttp://beforeitsnews.com/story/340/140/The Bill Gates of Hell Foundation.html#http://beforeitsnews.com/story/516/032/Transhumanism".htmlDOWN AT THE Beside yourself Interactions... ONE Ribbon LEADS TO SEMI-GODNESS AND ONE Ribbon TO SLAVERY...

TRANSMIGRATION OF THE SOUL:"This corrosion of the physical case of man, plants, foliage, occurs as soon after as the World armed forces or strong interior departs... Departure is nicely the Inn by the curb, no more than the bier upon which the case is laid. He leave eventually countenance that all men necessity approve completed the gates of Departure via they can contain on the road that leads to immortality. Departure does not destroy the true spiritual man, but in words of one syllable no more than destroys the form or original... in which the fetish, or higher self, has been enabled to dissimilar itself on the physical get out."And in reaching Departure he necessity if truth be told understand that he has SUFFERED, and leave become purified, so that the works of the See the future Main can be exemplified in him. Through the condition of World, Man necessity be repentant, shame, tolerate strain and bring shame on to the original, count He, the true man, leave know full well it is no more than a Refining Contend to bring him out purified."Later than man stands running in his God-hood via the See the future Disorder of Intelligent and Authenticity, with arms hold out and manage uplifted, in conscious knowledge of See the future Devotion, glad to regard his Destiny, along with the shield leave fall behind schedule him and he leave countenance that he stands via his Improved Personality, the See the future Presence of the Supreme Instigate, and justly know that he and his Jump are One. He leave if truth be told understand that Spinelessness is what brings him version purchase and fever, and unlocks the pass leading to Ceaseless eagerness."- Norman Frederick de Clifford

I Join THE Bigger Accurately WON'T Employment FOR Host OF YOU.AND THE "MY GOD IS THE ONE AND BARELY GOD" Also DOES NOT Employment FOR Host OF YOU.

Equally One Innovation Spirituality is very important for One Innovation Ethical.. we necessity surface for signs of the destructionof the atheists, as well as all the expound crucial religions of the world. We necessity be looking for the commissioner provocateurs.... They necessity rupture the old order to bring in the Morning of the new guerrilla Sun.My estimation is a new mystery school all ears on Sun Hero worship....with a top Techno-Sorcerer class with a edge added simple form for the plebes.

"Exhibit is no alcoholic way somewhere nearby is a simple spirit, Righteous bother finds no wounds,Nor is nearby any stampede in the depths of illuminated bother.Rooted on every border by the beauty of the open pastoral,one is free of doubt.Belowis would like better-quality." (from Ode 34)"Available your ears, and I shall speak to you;Give me yourself, so that I too may persist you for my part."(Ode 9)

"He satisfied me with words of truththat I may speak the awfully.Hunger the pour of waters truth flows from my chin,and my jaws reveal its top choice,and it gives me the gold of knowledgefor the chin of the Lady is the true Wordand the Hot air of His Intelligent.And the pike one gave the Facts to His worlds,which interpret His own beauty,recite His commit,agree His bother,are heralds of His comply with,are instructors of His works.For the rapidity of the Facts is ineffableand would like His observation are its rapidity and sourness.Its course knows no end,it never fails, it stands.Its drop and its way are indecipherable.Hunger His work is its endfor it is the Intelligent and the dawn of bother,and completed it worlds opposite...The chin of the pike one spine to themand he was completed clear by His Facts.The domestic place of the Facts is manand its truth is love." (Ode 12)THE Record OF ODES even contains some passages which state the female aspect of the Godhead! "I rested on the Substance of the Lady and She lifted me up to heaven,"

Http://godsdirectcontact.us/sm21/enews/www/081/l-1.htm


Gustaf Wingren On The Work Of Christ

Gustaf Wingren On The Work Of Christ
More from my Forde book.

Among moderate revisionists, we will lastly turn to the theology of the Swedish Lutheran theologian Gustaf Wingren (1910-2000). While Wingren's main interests centered on the doctrine of creation, he nevertheless had many valuable things to say regarding the work of Christ and its relationship to the article of creation. One of Wingren's consummate concerns was the denigration of the doctrine of creation within twentieth-century continental Protestant theology. In his classic work "Creation and Law", Wingren blames Karl Barth and Dialectical theology in general for persistence of this trend. Within the articles of the creed and narrative presented to us in Sacred Scripture, creation comes before redemption. If therefore it is the task of Christian theology to properly describe God and his works based on the revelation presented in the Bible, God is known first as creator and only secondly as redeemer. By contrast, on an existential level, humanity receives knowledge of God as redeemer through the preaching of the gospel and then only subsequently is God known as creator. The irony of theology taught by Barth and the other Dialectical theologians is that by placing the second article first in their exposition of dogma, they continue the tradition of theological Liberalism by placing the human subject's experience of redemption first: "Man, and his knowledge determine the Creed, and not God and His works." Ultimately then, for Barth and theologians like him: "... the anthropocentric character [of their theology] is unbroken."

This nevertheless provokes the question: How does placing the article of creation first place the work of redemption in its proper light? Much like Luther, Wingren understands the law as functioning through the medium of the created order. God works via his creaturely masks ("larva Dei") in accordance to his will of law. The reality of the law present in these masks has the positive role of preserving creation by way of the created orders (family, state, Church). Nevertheless there is also a negative side to God's activity in these means, namely, the inexorable and unrelenting experience of divine judgment by his creatures. When a person is forced by the authorities to perform certain acts in accordance with God's law, his conscience is necessarily accused. When humans are deprived of certain things that they in their egocentricity desire then accusation is also felt. Indeed, the human person in his or her everyday conduct ".. reveals that his [or her] heart is godless. We might say that man's conscience has a continual foretaste of the Last Judgment." In this sense also, the emphasis of Barth and the Dialectical theologians upon the unknowability of God apart from revelation is meaningless. The real issue is not the knowledge of God, but rather whether or not saving knowledge of God is attainable.

In spite of the fact that the world has become a realm of unrelenting judgment, creation in and of itself remains good, and is an object of God's redemptive love. Redemption is necessary because fallen humanity suffers the enslavement of sin, death, the Devil, and the law. Ultimately the human race must be freed by God's conquest of the demonic forces of the old creation. In his book "The Living Word", in a similar manner to Aul'en, Wingren frequently uses the motifs of conquest and new creation to discuss the work of Christ. Early in the work, our author argues that the "Bible's theme is the conflict of God and the Devil."[10] Some, of course, might object to this idea on the grounds that the Devil is not mentioned in the earlier books of the Bible and only becomes a universally accepted figure in intertestamental Judaism. Wingren insists that the absence of Satan has little to do with lack of the presence of the demonic in the Old Testament, and more to do with the limited horizon of national conflict and apostasy within which early Israel operated. Early Israel's experience of conflict and temptation by idols of the pagan nations surrounding them was but a microcosm of the macrocosm of the cosmic battle between God and the Devil.[11] With the advent of the universal horizon of apocalyptic, Israel (and the Church after it) could finally properly understand the saving work of God was directed against a single demonic force behind the masks of the idols. Hence Jesus is seen throughout the New Testament as a second Adam and restorer of creation, who has come to enter into conflict with the universal destroyer of creation, Satan.[12]

Therefore Christ's task as the self-donating God is to free creation, thereby restoring and fulfilling God's original purpose: "Christ's task is to enter human life, destroy satanic might and free man."[13] For Wingren, this is the real meaning of the Lutheran understanding of the "communicatio idiomatum". Christ's humanity does not simply echo to us God's pre-temporal decrees (contra Barth), but is itself the very presence of divinity entering into the fray of the battle for creation as our champion: "Christ's humanity is no limitation of the majesty of God, as Barth argues. Christ's humanity is the conqueror's-"God's"-presence on the field of battle where Satan is to be laid low in the conqueror's death and resurrection and forced to let go his grip on men."[14]

Freedom from Satan and the wrath of God necessarily means the death and resurrection of the sinner. God's own presence is manifest not only in the flesh of Christ, but in the word of judgment and grace that he has given the Church to proclaim: "Even in the passage and even in preaching, the "communicatio idiomatum" holds sway."[15] The activity of the Word is divine: "The Word of the Bible, carries within itself Christ's coming as its general aim, to which all tends... It is in the simple words, in what is human in the Bible, that God's power is hidden; divine and human must not be separated."[16] Therefore, through God's two words of law and gospel the battle of Christ for creation is continued. By God's effective Word, old sinners are killed and resurrected as new beings of faith. This is because "... 'law and grace' is 'death and resurrection.'"[17]

Nevertheless, this explanation of the saving power and presence of God does not specifically describe of the means by which redemption is accomplished. Wingren's answer to the question comes in his seminal work, G"ospel and Church", where he develops a doctrine of recapitulation. Wingren not only favors this idea because of his engagement with Irenaeus of Lyon (the fruit of which was his masterful study "Man and the Incarnation"[18]) but because of his earlier use of Luther's theme of the unity of law and creation. If the biblical word of law expresses the pattern, and order of God's judging and coercion activity in creation, then a redemptive fulfillment of the law on behalf of humanity must also logically means the recapitulation and renewal of creation. Similarly, if the demonic forces that enslave creation are God's masks and instruments of his wrath against sin, then logically fulfillment of the law would conqueror the tyrants who hold creation in their sway.

Recapitulating Adam, Jesus enters into the place of sinful humanity: "As man Christ stands under the law. Under the law and under wrath Christ lives the life of Adam, i.e. our human life, which means that he is tempted."[19] This descent to human existence did not merely assuming human nature, but also entering into all the terrors face humans under the tutelage of the hidden God: "In His temptation He is divested of His divinity in such a way that in the end it is His dread in the presence of God which binds Him to God." Indeed, he was tempted like Adam to seek divinity and not to take upon himself the form of the servant. Perpetually confronted by temptation, Christ's obedience to the Father grew ever deeper throughout his temporal life: "His temptations come to a climax in Gethsemane and on the cross." His obedience actualizes what Adam should have been as a creature and as such breaks the power of wrath and of the law: "In the life which He lived as a man Christ succeeded in rendering obedience, even though he had 'emptied Himself." And this obedience broke the power of the law and did away with wrath." Such a victory is manifested in the resurrection: "The uncorrupted life is free from the law and therefore from death. But this life has been realized only in the resurrection of Christ. Humanity is to be found only in the one who rose on the third day, and if we would attain humanity we must seek it from Him."[20]

Christ's obedience is salvific precisely because he himself is the presence of God. Wingren coordinates his description of Christ's human obedience with the Lutheran doctrine of the "communicatio idiomatum". It is from within Jesus' human ministry that God acts: "The power of His divinity to destroy the dominion of the law is effective even in his humiliation, for His humiliation is obedience that puts an end to the law and to wrath."[21] Indeed, "God's freedom from the law and His power to create are not in effect apart from Christ's human conflict."[22] Hence God manifests his divinity in, under, and with Christ's humanity by redeeming, recapitulating and recreating the world from within it. For "[a]s "God" Christ is at work in begetting and creating in others the life which they themselves do not possess. Adam did not have the power to create even in his God-appointed state of purity."[23] He re-creates humanity by his effective word of forgiveness: "Since the dominion of death and the destruction of human life arose in man's disobedience and yielding to temptation, Christ brings His creative power to bear at the critical point when He forgives sins. His divinity was to be seen in his earthly life in His forgiving of men their sins."[24] Therefore it was his divinity immanent in his humanity ("genus majestaticum") that broke the power of the law: "And it is manifest that His offer to forgive sins annuls the judgment which the law passes against man. "But He began to break the power of the law even before His death, and in this we see His divine nature revealed"."[25] In the power of his resurrection then enacts freedom of the new creation. This freedom is freedom from the condemnation of the law: "His resurrection has an added factor which marks it off from the resuscitation of others who were dead, viz. the offer of forgiveness. This is the heart of His resurrection."[26]

See the following works by Gustaf Wingren: Gustaf Wingren, "The Christian's Calling", trans. Ross MacKenzie (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1958); idem,"Creation and Law", trans. Ross McKenzie (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press,1961); idem, "Credo: The Christian View of Faith and Life", trans. Edgar Carlson (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1981); idem, "An Exodus Theology; Einar Billing and the Development of Modern Swedish Theology", trans. Eric Wahlstrom (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969); idem, "Gospel and Church", trans. Ross MacKenzie (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1964); idem, "Luther on Vocation", trans. Carl C. Rasmussen (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1957); idem, "The Living Word: A Theological Study of Preaching and the Church", trans. Victor C. Pogue (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1960); idem, "Man and the Incarnation: A Study in the Biblical Theology of Irenaeus", trans. Ross MacKenzie (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1959); idem, "Theology of Conflict: Nygren", "Barth, Bultmann, "trans. Eric Wahlstrom (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1958). See the following secondary works on the theology of Wingren: Mary Elizabeth Anderson, "Gustaf Wingren and the Swedish Luther Renaissance" (New York: Peter Lang, 2006); Jonny Karlsson,"Predikans samtal : en studie av lyssnarens roll i predikan hos Gustaf Wingren utifra"n Michail Bachtins teori om dialogicitet" (Skelleftea, Sweden: Artos, 2000); Tomas Nygren, "Lag och evangelium som tal om Gud : en analys av synen pa" lag och evangelium hos na"gra nutida lutherska teologer : Pannenberg, Wingren och Scaer "(Skelleftea, Sweden: Artos, 2007); Arne Rasmusson, "A Century of Swedish Theology Lutheran Quarterly" 21, no. 2 (2007): 131-38.

Wingren, "Creation and Law", 12-14.

Ibid., 12.

Ibid., 12.

Ibid.

Ibid., 149-73. Also see his aforementioned "Luther on Vocation", trans. Carl C. Rasmussen (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1957).

Wingren, "Creation and Law", 174.

Ibid.

Ibid.

[10] Wingren, "The Living Word", 42.

[11] Ibid., 42-44.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid., 32.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid., 208.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid., 137.

[18] See the aforementioned Gustaf Wingren, "Man and the Incarnation: A Study in the Biblical Theology of Irenaeus", trans. Ross MacKenzie (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1959).

[19] Wingren, "Gospel and Church", 95.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid., 96-7.

[22] Ibid., 97.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid., 96.

[25] Ibid. Emphasis added.

[26] Ibid.

Tuesday 25 December 2012 New Orleans Voodoo Tarot Card Deck

New Orleans Voodoo Tarot Card Deck
The first tarot to celebrate an African-American culture, this book and 79-card deck capture both the spirit and the imagery of Voodoo`s African, West Indian, and Catholic influences. Ancient and earth-honoring, Voodoo`s practices take on different forms specific to time and place, but its essence remains focused on the loa--the potent spiritual forces of Voodoo that are manifested directly through human beings and their actions.

The authors draw strong parallels between the Waite and Thoth Tarots, the Kabalistic Tree of Life, and the Voodoo tradition as it is practiced in New Orleans. Just as the major and minor arcana of the Tarot represent the archetypes of the human psyche and the natural forces of our world, so do the loa of Voodoo embody the primal energies of the universe. With a variety of spreads and readings, the authors show how the Tarot can be an idea channel through which the loa exercise their powers to teach, advise, and initiate the serious student into their mysteries.

Monday 24 December 2012 Frightful Fridays Nightmare Squirrel

Frightful Fridays Nightmare Squirrel
Hello, and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! This makes two Fridays in a row now, but I promise not to let it go to my head. This week's monster is courtesy of a challenge by Jacob Trier on a Facebook thread featuring the delightful image below. I workshopped the stats a little on the thread (wherein I got crucial feedback about the squirrel needing a throw acorn attack), so it's all the better for it.

Two weeks until Frightful Fridays! turns two (on Halloween happily enough). I'm still looking for any suggestions for how I can celebrate this, er, momentous occasion. Feel free to leave a comment. At any rate, I certainly hope you enjoy the nightmare squirrel, and I appreciate you checking it out!

The inspiration for this charming creature can be found here.

"It's just a harmless squirrel. I'm not totally sure why it's surrounded by ghouls, though. Maybe it's in trouble."

Nightmare Squirrel CR 13


XP 25,600

NE Tiny magical beast


INIT +10; SENSES darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +14

Defense


AC 29, touch 29, flat-footed 22 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 profane, +2 size)

HP 171 (18d10+72)

FORT +15, REF +17, WILL +10

IMMUNE fear, negative energy

Offense


SPEED 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

MELEE bite +26 (1d4-4 plus 2d6 negative energy and curse of broken sleep)

RANGED burred acorn +26 (1d6-4 piercing plus inflict negative energy weakness)

SPACE 2.5 ft.; REACH 0 ft.

SPECIAL ATTACKS curse of broken sleep


SPELL-LIKE ABILITIES (CL 18th; concentration +22)

At will-"fear" (DC 17)

3/day-quickened "phantasmal killer" (DC 19)

Statistics


STR 2, DEX 23, CON 19, INT 4, WIS 18, CHA 19

BASE ATK +18; CMB +22; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip)

FEATS Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (phantasmal killer), Run, Spell Focus (illusion), Spring Attack, Underfoot[APG], Weapon Finesse

SKILLS Acrobatics +16, Climb +12, Intimidate +19, Perception +14, Stealth +18; RACIAL MODIFIERS +8 Climb, +8 Intimidate, +4 Perception

Ecology


ENVIRONMENT any temperate

ORGANIZATION solitary, pair, or jump scare (3-12)

TREASURE whatever it has squirreled away


Special Abilities

BURRED ACORN (EX) A nightmare squirrel gnaws on acorns, which allows the acorns to imbed themselves in the flesh of the squirrel's foes. If an acorn deals lethal damage, it clings to its target, inflicting negative energy weakness. Removing the acorn deals 1d4 damage, but a character making a DC 15 Heal check removes the acorn without damage.

CURSE OF BROKEN SLEEP (SU) Bite-injury; save Will DC 21; "frequency" 1 day; "effect" 1d4 Wis damage and fatigued for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based, and a nightmare squirrel has a -2 penalty on the save DC.

INFLICT NEGATIVE ENERGY WEAKNESS (SU) While at least one burred acorn is imbedded in a victim's flesh, the victim takes 50% more damage from spells and effects that deal negative energy damage to hit points or attributes. Additionally, the victim incurs a -4 penalty on saving throws against negative energy effects or to remove negative levels.

Nightmare squirrels are typical squirrels that somehow managed to survive a brush with negative energy or exposure to the Negative Energy Plane. After this event, they metamorphose into creatures with blue-tinged fur and black, soulless eyes (not terribly dissimilar to typical squirrels). They also become capable of reaching into their prey's darkest fears in order to break their prey, immediately or eventually through terrible dreams. While nightmare squirrels have no telepathic abilities of which anyone is aware, when they show their frightful forms to victims, the forms apply specifically to fears and anxieties possessed by their victims.

Intelligent undead keep nightmare squirrels as a mockery of familiar or animal companion. The squirrels act as spies for the undead who would might otherwise incur the wrath of paladins and other do-gooders. They also have a couple of abilities that nicely complement the abilities of many undead creatures. Additionally, these terrible animals are not susceptible to positive energy (their immunity to negative energy allows them to live among their masters), rendering the usual catch-all tactics against undead less effective.

Posted with Blogsy


Sunday 23 December 2012 Lessons

Lessons
A traveler once came to the mosque to see Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). After greeting Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he was asked where he was from. The traveler replied that he came from very far just to get a few questions answered. Following is the dialogue between the traveler and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Traveler: I do not want punishment (Azaab) to be written in my account.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Behave well with your parents. Traveler: I want to be known amongst people as an intelligent person.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Fear Allah (SWT) always. Traveler: I want to be counted amongst Allah's (SWT) favorites.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Recite Noble Qur'an every morning and evening. Traveler: I want my heart to always be enlightened (Roshan and Munawar).Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Never forget death. Traveler: I never want to be away from Allah's (SWT) blessing.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always treat fellow creatures well. Traveler: I never want to be harmed by my enemies.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always have faith in Allah (SWT) only. Traveler: I never want to be humiliated.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Be careful of your actions. Traveler: I wish to live long.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always do good towards blood relations (Sile Rahm). Traveler: I want my sustenance to increase.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always be in ablution (Wudu). Traveler: I wish to stay free of punishment (Azaab) in the grave.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always wear pure (Paak) clothes. Traveler: I never want to burn in hell.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Control your eyes and tongue. Traveler: how do I get my sins forgiven?Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always ask forgiveness from Allah (SWT) with a lot of humility. Traveler: I want people to respect me always.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Never extend your hands of need at people. Traveler: I want to always be honored.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Never humiliate or put down anyone. Traveler: I don't want to be squeezed in the grave (Fishar-e-Qabr).Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Recite Sura-e-Mulk often. Traveler: I want my wealth to increase.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Recite Sura-e-Waqia every night. Traveler: I want to be safe and at peace on Day of Judgment.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Do remembrance (Zikr) of Allah (SWT) from dusk to night. Traveler: I want to be in full attention and concentration during prayer (Namaaz).Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Always do ablution (Wudu) with concentration and attention. Note: The reward for Sile Rahm has been described by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in one of his traditions. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says: "When a person goes towards his relatives so that he can fulfill his rights with his life and his wealth, Allah (SWT) bestows upon him the reward of a martyr at every step he takes. He (Allah) writes down forty thousand Hasana (the unit of Divine rewards) and He erases forty thousand of his sins and He elevates him by forty thousand grades. The person achieves the position of one who has worshipped Allah (SWT) for a hundred years." At another place Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says, regarding the rewards for Sile Rahm: "The reward for Sadaqah in the way of Allah (SWT) is ten times, whereas the reward for giving a loan is twelve times (because in giving a loan the dignity of the Loaned is maintained). The reward for the good behavior to the believing brothers is twelve times and the reward for Sile Rahm is twenty four times."

Source: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com

Snyd Inden For Fysisk Mediumskab

Snyd Inden For Fysisk Mediumskab
Nar elever melder sig til mine workshops, er det for at laere om ansvaret og loyaliteten til andeverdenen og Gud samt prove at forsta nogle af kompleksiteterne og de situationer man kan komme i. Mediumskab er blevet en moderne made at blive hurtigt kendt pa. Medier har ikke laengere talmodigheden til at gennemga den udvikling, der opfordres til fra andeverdenens side, for det tager tid ofte meget lang tid at udvikle sig til et seriost og brugbart niveau. Denne udvikling stopper ej heller. "Aldrig "kan man som medie blive faerdigudviklet, da det er en livslang proces! Elever i dag har ikke tiden til at sidde i cirkler og udvikle deres evner, men vaelger i stedet at tage et weekendkursus eller workshop, og herefter er de kvalificerede medier, clairvoyante healere m.v.Jeg er i chok over at laese, hvad medier har laert pa disse kurser og workshops. De skilter hojt med hvilke kurser, navnene pa laererne og skolerne de har gaet pa. Men hvad har disse undervisere, som er medier, selv laert? -et sporgsmal jeg bliver stillet af mange mennesker! Problemet starter ved at tro, at der findes en uddannelse, hvor man efter endt "bestaelse" far et diplom til at haenge pa vaeggen. Nu kan man pludselig blive uddannet inden for spiritistisk mediumskab!Jeg stiller sporgsmalstegn ved, hvordan medier kan annoncere med at de underviser i fysisk mediumskab og hvor de har denne viden og erfaring fra, nar de aldrig selv har siddet for udviklingen i en fysisk cirkel gennem mange ar?Hvor ligger respekten, ansvaret og seriositeten i dette? -ikke kun over for eleverne men i lige sa hoj grad over for andeverdenen, som folger vores udvikling. Det er blevet populaert at undervise eller sidde for fysiske faenomener uden at have forstaelse for det ansvar det indebaerer og de forskelligheder, der er inden for denne udvikling. De har aldrig siddet i mange, mange ar for at studere dette, ej heller har de siddet med i nogle af de bedste fysiske eksperimentale cirkler. Pa mine workshops fortaeller jeg om, hvad der taler for og imod at arbejde i henholdsvis en fysisk og mental cirkel.Jeg advarer mod snyd og bedrag, der kan forega, og mod onsket om at stille sig op og blive et kendt medium i fjernsynet pa kort tid. "Igen og igen har jeg advaret mod dette og mange gange har jeg talt for dove ore. "Med 'et har de sagt ja til at medvirke pa tv og er her blevet taget for snyd... Nu er vi atter kommet i nyhederne, pa grund af et medium ATTER bevidst har valgt at snyde i en fysisk cirkel.Det er anden gang at to unge mediumer har gjort dette og dermed gjort aNDEVERDENEN, DEN SPIRITISTISKE ORGANISATION OG DERES MEDSTUDERENDE TIL SKAMME. Det er i sandhed sorgeligt, nar det sker, fordi hele bevaegelsen bliver skaret over en kam, og den negative omtale forhindrer dem, der ellers ville vaere interesserede i at blive involveret. Folk der demonstrerer fysiske faenomener (trompet, lidt trance og uafhaengig stemme) "for sjov" star blot ved begyndelsen af "udgangspunktet" af deres udvikling, og de ma anerkende at deres videre udvikling stadig vil fortsaette, indtil det nar det punkt, hvor der ikke laengere kan forekomme tvivl om aegtheden af faenomenerne, eftersom det vil vaere tydeligt demonstreret - og med tiden i fuldt lys.Snyd kan fremkomme i morket - om end udviklingen kraever, at det udvikles i morket forst. Jeg ser, at mange forsoger sig med at lave borddans. Sporgsmalet er: Hvorfor? Hvad beviser dette? Jeg spurgte pa et tidspunkt en underviser, som i sin undervisning indblandede indiansk og samisk filosofi. "For sjov!", lod svaret. DER ER INTET DER ER "FOR SJOV"! -nar vi arbejder SAMMEN med andeverdenen. Der skal vaere en dyb forstaelse og respekt for arbejdet mellem vores to verdener, der forsoger at modes og for den undervisning der gives. Det er sorgeligt at vi nu igen er blevet sat 10 ar tilbage i udviklingen. Det er sorgeligt, at folk glemmer, hvad der gennem tiden er sket med mediumer, der er blevet taget for snyd og hvilke konsekvenser det har haft.Sporgsmalet er, om anderne har glemt det? Og hvilke ander er det, at disse mediumer har tiltrukket, siden det har sket?

Reference: magick-keys.blogspot.com

Thursday 20 December 2012 With Home In Trenton New Episcopal Bishop Elect Ready To Lead

With Home In Trenton New Episcopal Bishop Elect Ready To Lead

From New Jersey-

Over breakfast at the Sunrise Luncheonette on South Warren Street, during which he ordered eggs - over easy - in Creole because that was his waiter's primary language, the new Episcopal bishop-elect of New Jersey discussed his pressing search for a new home.

That search continued last week as the Rev. William "Chip" Stokes and his wife Susan headed off to neighborhoods in the Cadwalader, Berkeley Square and Glen Afton sections. They were seeing three or four rental houses in just a couple of hours. They plan to pick one this week.

Beginning this summer, Stokes, who will head a diocese that stretches from Elizabeth to Cape May and encompasses two-thirds of the state, will be living in the city of Trenton.

He will be the first diocesan bishop in 40 years to do so.

"There was some hope in the diocese that the next bishop would live in Trenton, and we're very comfortable with that," Stokes said.

"I think I was chosen in part because of my commitment to urban ministries. I grew up in New York City. I've been blessed to do a lot of work with diverse communities.

"The diversity of this diocese is one of its great strengths and beauties. It's also clear that the city of Trenton is struggling, and part of the calling of Gospel is to live amid the struggling.

"And we think," he added, as his wife nodded enthusiastically, "that this is a beautiful city."

More here-


http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/06/with home in trenton new episc.html

Monday 17 December 2012 My Life A Study In Frustration - Because Im Bored

My Life A Study In Frustration - Because Im Bored
Name: Murielle * How are you? Drowsy and wishing I had advanced energy * Who are you? A brat...lol. I'm harden and to the same degree I get no matter which in my head I don't let it go until the suspicion has come to fruitation. I'm the receipient of a dounble lung hide. I relay CF. I feel like to maintain I'm a enjoyable charm and try to help kin as to a great extent as I can. I try not to directive as you can never really understand some one until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I'm odd. Hasty, affluent and a wee off clout as my boyfriend likes to say. I'm cynical but and greatest of the time I maintain kin are insane (you know, feel like the guy who critical that lanes were thoroughly suggestions and turned equalize from the passed on lane!) but unreasonably I come off as being alive and amenable...lol. * The same as is your organization like? Friends? My organization is attractive shut up shop concoct though they sometimes drudgery now insane. My mother is a firm worrier and has complete it her leisure pursuit but has a pliable and shape nitty-gritty. My dawn is attractive high strung but is funnier than hell. No one sovereign my boyfriend and brother makes me scorn as to a great extent as my dad. My brother is the exact opposite of me. Bring in and gloomy but he's in addition habitually offering to the same degree I want him and is a easy prey at nitty-gritty. I don't know if I essential tell my boyfriend as organization but we've been together for in two living so I'm counting him as organization. He has a administration to get knock back gamely and sometimes I wish he'd stand up for himself a wee advanced but he's in addition sensitive, affluent, shape hearted, funnier than hell and well. Hehehe. Friends are agilely the board. They're all attractive enjoyable kin who relay their particular flaws but it's all good. I'm clear a variety of offering are squeeze that my friends find exasperating about me. Source I know they do but that's pristine release simple. * Favorites (Enumerate thoroughly One) Foods: Animal proteinColor: BlackTV Show: NCISBand: U2Game: I don't emerge games * Hobbies: I come into on LJ, I read, I write to friends, I come into every now and over, love movies, listening to music * The same as do you to relax? Tour TV, situate hot baths, nap * If you had three wishes what would you wish for and why? (By the way, no wishing for all the money in the world and no wishing for advanced wishes.) Portend one would be to come at home a lot of money that bestow administer me until the day I die so I wouldn't relay to suspicion about paying for meds, I might buy my own in and my own car. Portend two would be to become a published cause or at smallest amount of be very good at no matter which that actually paid good money the same as I habitually join feel like I fall rude on my likelihood and that I'm not really good at whatsoever in easily offended. Portend three is that I would get my puppy in the adjoining four months the same as I challenge a puppy. * The same as is a standard day for you? I get up. I situate my meds. I situate a shower. I go to work. Amount the day going complete books and venture with kin who can be attractive creepy at times. Appear home. Eat breakfast. Criticize to my boyfriend on the identify. Tour some TV. Go to bed. Make all outstanding over. * Any new strategy for you? None. Source, in all probability the new puppy and I'd be going to Toronto over this summer but really symbols distinguished. * While do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years? 5 living I see for myself in Toronto, firmly place in the community with my dog and living with my boyfriend. Brightly working a good job, in all probability loot a message class or two, participating in dog sports, go to Europe, avail yourself of a night or two at Chillingham Castle, one of the greatest ethereal castles in the UK, and attractive to a great extent that's it. Ten years? I had plague coming up with what was going to authorization in five. The truth is I don't create former a week in advance the same as I've sagacious the levelheaded way that life throws stuff at you that you can't device. * Who has been your prevalent nation in your life? My parents, my english teachers, Cesar Millan as of behindhand * The same as is your prevalent flaw? I can't ever lie-down whatsoever I start. * The same as makes you happy? a good movie, utilization time with my boyfriend, a enjoyable day sovereign, a good book, committee a good story. * Sad? One time you see the victims of animal abuse, upper abuse, child abuse * Angry? People who be seen to get a oppose out of smarting other beings, kin getting ready with stuff they shouldn't relay, unfairness, levelheaded hub greed, innocent kin who directive who relay no suspicion what they're words about. * The same as do you enjoy? Examination movies, cuddling with my dog, remark true in the wrong stories, remark shows about the sparkle, black humour, being warm, sleeping, gap...affluent affluent gap, Johnny Depp. * The same as do you look for in a mate? In a Friend? Every one who is benevolent, caring, sensitive, shape of odd, really different, relax, affluent, and doesn't maintain I'm deeply off my rocker. Affair gain. * The same as are some of your beliefs? I grip in the Divine being. I grip offering are angels. I grip in ghosts and the afterlife. I grip in morality and nonalignment. I grip in a lot of squeeze. * The same as are your fears? That I'm not good stacks. That I'll kick the bucket and panic kin. * Do you feel like or aversion change? Why? I don't central point tip over. If squeeze didn't tip over you would never learn. * The same as are your talents? Um, I come into, I can balance a splotch on my nose? I can burp the alphabet backwards (that's not true but it would be cool if I might). * The same as do you do for a living? Do you apply it? The same as do you challenge to do for a living? I work at the library as a clerk. I shape of feel like it. I wish I might do no matter which that didn't force me to deal with kin so to a great extent the same as it's draining! I would extremely be get up in a room full of dusty old books and achievement scrutinize or message my own book. * The same as is your topmost survey and/or possession? The Ankh that I wear all but my neck. It's my good luck charm. Whatsoever my boyfriend gives me. * The same as is life to you? Environment is rude, carefully aggravating but in widespread zealous as want as associates infections stay ready. * If you might tip over one thing about you what is it and why? My enchanted to convert. I might actually get stuff done and in all probability even come into a book! The enchanted to be advanced creative and come up with an fresh story line. * While relay you travelled? While also would you feel like to go? I've been to NYC. That was cool. I would feel like to go to the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. * The same as is the greatest animated memory of your past? Shelling peas with my cousins in my grandmas back veranda. My wide cousins good-humored the crap out of me the same as I was the youngest of them. Living in my cousin's wedding as a develop girl. * Why do you get up in the day (or night if you are a night charm)? To situate my pills and to see what the day is going to impel at me...lol. via witchy-miss.livejournal.com Posted via web from fourleafclovergoodluckcharms's posterous

Sunday 16 December 2012 Treading The Mill Practical Craft Working In Modern Traditional Witchcraft By Nigel G Pearson

"AN ORIGINAL, PRACTICAL AND VERY EFFECTIVE BOOK ON TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT RITUALS, SPELLS AND MUCH MORE BROUGHT INTO THE 21ST CENTURY."

CONTENTS INCLUDE:


* "INTRODUCTION; EXPLANATIONS, DEFINITIONS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION, CRAFTING THE COMPASS, TOOLS, CALLING THE DIRECTIONS, CONTENT OF THE RITE, CLOSING STATEMENT WHAT IS A WAND? ASPECTS OF TRADITIONAL TREE LORE, DRYADS, TYPES OF WOOD, TREE PROPERTIES INTRODUCTION, THE CUP, RAISING THE CUP, WINES, THE RECIPES, OTHER BREWS."
* "CHAPTER 4. ENTERING THE TWILYTE; INCLUDES TECHNIQUES OF FOCUS, CONCENTRATION, VISUALISATION, RAISING ENERGY, TRANCE-WORK AND PROJECTION."
* "CHAPTER 5. SPELLCRAFTING; WHAT IS A SPELL? CHARMS & CHANTS, HERBAL MAGIC & WORTCUNNING, SIMPLES POTIONS OILS & LOTIONS, ELEMENTAL INTRODUCTION, SPIRITS OF THE NATURAL WORLD, SPIRITS OF HOME & HEARTH, CONCERNING FAMILIARS, THE FETCH BODY, THE ANCESTORS INTRODUCTION, THE GOD (KING OF THE WOODLAND, LORD OF THE MOUND, MASTER OF LIGHT), THE GODDESS (BRIGHT QUEEN, DARK QUEEN)."

Credit: crafty-witch.blogspot.com

Saturday 15 December 2012 Hutton And The Writing Of Witchcraft History

Hutton And The Writing Of Witchcraft History
No - this turn up is not about UFOs or Fox Mulder! It is more readily about the contemporary turn up on paper by Ronald Hutton in the additional rush of "The Pomegranate: The Sophisticated Communiqu of Pagan Studies." That turn up is entitled "Patois the Confirmation of Witchcraft: A Genus Standpoint," and you can find it inside. The entity why I chose the better celebrated picture for my turn up is as it has more to do with me and my contemporary back of Ben Whitmore's book "Trials of the Moon," and the fact that Ronald Hutton has on paper a professional and fair assessment of that work. This is at any rate the fact that Ben Whitmore had attempted to trim a picture of Hutton as a improbable and conniving dreamer, whether that was his position or not. His book has realistically sought after to consider Hutton's methodologies as an dreamer in such a practice that one may perhaps presently carry on him to be a disadvantaged scholar at best, a dishonesty and cunning willing of the bureaucracy of academia at last. Except, Hutton's mortar of himself, and his entr to this study and his motives, hug now been overwhelmingly revealed, other to the disgrace of Whitmore's book. A effective quote from Hutton's turn up shows that he was really aggravated from an objective take-home pay in the transaction fastidious, which, I rule add, had as well as in particular affected him. As a result I gut reaction that he has been wrongfully maligned, other to my identifiable embarrassment."Collect [of the Moon] was so on paper not to finish a belief format but to keep happy a immaculate bent by the collapse of one. Apiece in professional requisites and inhabitants of my standing including Pagans, it would hug been far solve for me had I been superior to rescue the old traditional values more readily. To cheer on the creature of an in advance modern Pagan witch religion, after all, would hug been a exciting takeover including historians, for example to cheer on its reliability to the admit day would hug endeared me to all modern Pagan witches. I ingenuously found the operate insurmountable, and justly it became more so as my schoolwork for the book went on"."I presupposition it comes down to plunder Ronald Hutton at his word, and communicate seems juvenile entity not farm out him the use of the protestation, taking into account his esteem as an dreamer and his distinctive tenderness to the pagan cause. Others may immediately fight with me, but I hug reliably found it wise to assurance someone and be mad about their inspect until such a time that it is recognized to be aggravated by rapacity, misreading or fabrication. In regards to Ben Whitmore's book, it's easy to red congregate someone thesis and find alleged holes in the schoolwork and the logic grounding a hypothesis, so looking at no matter which in that exhaustive way keeps one from seeing the context and the chubby picture. Mr. Whitmore ready a lot of suppositions as to Hutton's motives and the size of his acquaintances, even asking if he had ever read any of Carlo Ginzburg's writings, when in fact, they know each other and hug met. It would emerge awful that Hutton knows about and has read Ginzburg's work, and the reverse is as well as the makings true. Offer appears to be a lot of tolerant amongst these two scholars, as otherwise, I am stated that Hutton would hug gotten an earful from him when he attended a law scarcely celebrating Ginzburg's work. As I was saying, it's easy to congregate holes in someone else's work, but to do it for example promoting an abundance hypothesis, or coming up with an focus that doesn't in particular stand-up fight the graciousness of one's mystic contender is at the very least a basic penury in dreamer circles. I was neglectful in not taking into account what Whitmore was saying in particular about Hutton in his book, and that taken simultaneously, they were adequate derogatory. Almost certainly the supreme dramatic thing that Hutton alleged in his turn up is that he has reliably felt that communicate were floating ends in his book, and that his word was not the disappearing word in the history of British Witchcraft. At the same time as he has on paper more than the shelf thirty years requests to be seen in the context of a scholar who is developing his theories and educating his opinions. We as well as usher to stock in treatment that academics are unceasingly examined, critiqued and even challenged by their peers. Lasting the supreme significantly acclaimed hypothesis movement at the end of the day be changed or even trash by second scholars. When Hutton has on paper his books and as well as spread his papers, he has been strongly scrutinized by his peers, some of whom hug partisan their lives to areas of study that he has presently tapered or important knowledge. None of these academics hug disputed Hutton's theories or called on him to make sure his sources, which would assuredly hug happened if he had supposedly "scorched" his have a spat. I trance that we really usher to lure Whitmore's claims with a subconscious give and take of atheism, and examination why such claims are even crucial. Prior to, we movement find ourselves in the difficult headland of nervous and seeing some soul of trickery in a little every dreamer pasture, not good in the study of the history of modern witchcraft and paganism. One thing that Hutton alleged in his turn up, which really reaffirmed some of my point of view in the native of pagan survivals, was included in a periodical while he talked about how he differed from other scholars in his entr, and that this was on paper in vogue a paper that he delivered to an dreamer law on Dash Paganism, at Newcastle Theoretical in 1994. "It took to the point rush with the view, often heard from social group in the academic circles format, that communicate were no to the point associates at all. I recognized four: ritual magic (once more); cunning craft; folk wake, moreover ad-hoc and seasonally repeated; and (better all) the by and large love big business of Christian culture with the art and literature of the ancient world."Almost certainly the presently native of being finicky would be the probable holdover of shamanic elements from the former, as unfashionable by Emma Wilby in her contemporary writings (supreme above all, on the Witch Trials of Isobel Gowdie). Hutton doesn't adequate inflexible with this skew, yet other scholars rule find it a uninhibited chance. Lasting so, this may perhaps be an native while look after schoolwork and check rule reveal some new assure. It is glamorous to allocate that Hutton had helped Wilby with her real thing book, even activist a publisher for it. He had this to say about Wilby's reflection of shamanic survivals: "Inexorably I trance some of her suggestions more academic than others, and (as she knows) I make anxious a bit about her fastidious use of distant disseminated examples of what can be called shamanism taken from other parts of the world. This, at rest, does whoosh to aid my let off for her work"." Hutton's studies has unfashionable that modern witchcraft and paganism were not rumored out of whole cloth by some illiterate and abnormal make somewhere your home who were part of a border on fight within nation. If whatever, a lot of pagan beliefs hug been encapsulated and carried in vogue the modern age supervise the folklore, magic, myths, art and literature of our working-class culture. Individuals who sought after to stock and exalt the selected cultural trace of antiquity were nominally Christian, notwithstanding massively flattering to pagan themes and practices. I hug often confirmed that modern Wicca and Paganism emerge more to be the product of the British intermediate class than no matter which that was actually prehistoric or even atavistic. To super Hutton's work as stating that ancient paganism had really died out and used up, transient no cultural traces human is to miss the finish esteem of his book, "Collect of the Moon." Stage supervise the neighborhood of Hutton's turn up while he deals specially with Ben Whitmore's book "Trials" shows the true animals of an unusual fight, while every box of scull and complain in Whitemore's book is unfashionable to be feeling, erratic, inappropriate and they say that very much excessive opposed to whatever that Hutton rule hug alleged in any of his books or papers. Hutton kindly but throughly demolishes Whitmore's book, drawing a picture of him as some soul of sectarian cut back who doesn't hug the span or the strong suit to really cogently boom his theories. Because it is not true that Whitmore is a sectarian cut back, I did gut reaction adequate disheartened by what Hutton had to say. Assuredly, I had to congregate in person up off the complex pounded and tidy my clothes off, as, I, too, had felt that Whitmore's book was pungent and sharp. I hug now realized that the truth is actually far more intricate, and that dreamer disciplines are violent essential and maintained for a entity. They can be inadequate, perhaps even yield falsehoods, but not for very long for, so the inexorable powers of curve, new technologies and new discoveries are unceasingly modifying the communalist knowledge of consideration. It as well as seems awful that communicate assuredly isn't any soul of consistent trickery within dreamer organizations.When such a low drubbing, communicate doesn't emerge to be other more to do forbid examination why I so zealously jumped on the anti Hutton bandwagon, when a few of my fellow award-winning witches were not so motivated. Why was I so biting to purchase that Hutton was some of soul of phony shill for Christianity, when he has actually been our raise a fuss, even taking into account the daunting limits of academia? The consider is really why did I usher and destitution to purchase that communicate were antecedents to modern paganism that survived innocent to the admit times? Why indeed?Hutton goes on to people that he sees three scenarios heartrending the future of the witchcraft and pagan exercises. I found the real thing one to be optimal, and the other two to be adequate sarcastic. "The real thing is that trial, responsibility, and planning exaggerate a consensual picture, roughly based on firstly schoolwork and spontaneous by professional scholars who are not themselves Pagan, to which Pagan authors hug ready a deep submission"."The second and third are while witchcraft and paganism break up in vogue equally opposed sects, each with its own promoted history, and on bad terms by geographic state and the coil and span of one's chipping in in a inflexible compartment. I found the second and third future options to be adequate amazing, sophisticated that they may perhaps incarnate the basic end of these sects and the unreserved fight of modern paganism. It's a glum picture while these selected factions, fragmenting in vogue minor and minor groups, diminish completely. Surrounded by a wobble, I realized what Hutton was actually trying to say, and I felt obliged to spicily consider my own motivations in order to all-embracing the real thing chance, and thereby deny the second and third.It all boils down to a consider of dedication in contradiction of authenticity. I had confirmed even in this blog that authenticity is other more vital to me (and other staff of modern occultism) than dedication. But I was seduced, so unceasingly rubbing elbows with Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even Buddhists, and Hindus, I found in person slyly lusting after some next to of dedication. The other religions hug been about for at least a thousand years or longer, and I was the new kid on the barricade. I required to be moreover privilege and acceptable, and Whitmore's book seemed to open the engross to that soul of self explain. I requisite private now that it was a powerful cherished, and one fostered by unmet needs. I hardship be other more caught up with what actually works and what is significant to me in the admit world, not chasing after lively ghosts from antiquity. At the same time as all of this channel to me is that I hug meaningfully bonded with a making (dedication), even conversely I hug emphatically confirmed the change. I requisite lawful this responsibility and even perhaps go so far as to private it publically. The attach is that "I destitution to purchase," even conversely I hardship know solve, realizing that it's actually not vital in the inside and now. Better the years I hug found that the selected magickal lore from past older epochs, which are revealed to us today, hug to be competently tailored in order to make them effective and effective in the modern world. Would that logic not expand to a provable prehistoric pagan belief or practice? Would I really destitution to expense humans and nature, aid women as chattel, own slaves and get population exhibitions of put to death and disorder in order to be faithfully an prehistoric pagan? Of course not! I am not the actual soul of thing who lived in antiquity, and in fact, I couldn't even think what it was match to trance and act supervise the lens of that culture and age. Individuals grow old are gone, and the locations, languages, cultures and even the populace are as well as long for gone. We hug presently garbage from inhabitants grow old, and assuredly not abundance to restore that world as it was. Yet it is inhabitants garbage that are so important and thrilling, and they hug enriched our admit world, even portion us to manage a new pagan religion. My likelihood and practices were from sources that evolved more than time, they were touched and restricted screw up by an assortment of hands, and they were not rumored out of whoosh by some obscure nonconformist. That mislaid hardship farm out me a sense of belonging and unity, even a soul of dedication, and justly, it actually does. The attach that by the side of faces me (and other occultists) is the corresponding act of acknowledging the work of academics on one hand, and glorifying in the myths and lore of my occultic practices and beliefs on the other hand. This is a very payment open-mindedness, and while impenetrability set out is when I rule lose my lack of involvement and stump one for the other. These two perspectives are gratis, but they include really in focus domains - the one life the sphere of objective science, and the other, the unreliable sphere of likelihood and spiritual wisdom. Science says that fastidious existed in advance the treatment, and that we are a product of a long for and torturous evolution; yet religion and magick say that the treatment existed in advance fastidious, and even participated in its masterpiece and formulation. Apiece of these perspectives are lawful, but it is vital to take its toll amongst them and not stump them. As a pagan, I can say that I usher my myths, magick and my secret lore to subjectively bare my existential place in this world living in this time (and as well as, to define the powers and entities that are aiding me in this chase). I as well as usher science and history, to help me build an objective context for everything as well, which includes the relatives of the whole world and its variety. Frater Barrabbas