#these are also the fruit of the spirit/spiritual gifts folks | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chloeworships · 2 years

Text

In relationships we walk by faith but we must also walk by sight.

There are many people who claim to be people of God but their actions, my loves will always prove whether they are or are not. A good and godly person only bears good fruit 🍎 How someone treats you and how someone treats others and reveres God, will tell you all you need to know.

We cannot be fooled by words alone. The spirit of discernment will reveal the truth to you about someone but we must have our spiritual eyes open to believe what we are shown and sometimes we CHOOSE to dismiss the red flags 🚩 then blame the other person for hurting us.

We must always have faith in God and not trust in the vain imaginations of Man and flattery. Walk by faith means to trust in GOD, not what someone else is promising you. Promises need to be followed up by action. Don’t get it confused love bugs 🐞

Someone who is truly connected with the Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit will treat you with love and respect. That is how you will know this person is for you and/or is ready. They wouldn’t do anything to harm you or embarrass you.

True Men and Women of God love differently, love purely and without manipulation. If your person is still acting childish, doing things to trigger or hurt you, and disrespecting you in any way, not only are they also being disobedient to God for how they are treating you, but this is a TELL TALE SIGN, they are not ready OR that it is time for you to leave.

In the name of Jesus, I prophesy that you will be deceived no more and that the Father will gift you with the spirit of discernment and wisdom.

Sending you all so much love on your healing journey 🤍🕊

PS. While we are on the topic of relationships, there are two things I need to share:

1. I heard God AGAIN last night say to leave someone else’s wife/girlfriend alone. Bear in mind there is a tremendous amount of jealousy and envy about. I couldn’t see the face of this other person God was speaking to. Don’t be surprised if some terrible fate awaits this person 😭 I promise you God will vindicate you if you leave the situation up to him. In the interim, forgive this person. They are hurting. Some are watching their finances being drained to nothing and will do or say absolutely ANYTHING to be seen for profit. They are feeling DESPERATE because the lifestyle they live ain’t cheap.

2. Some of these same people (male/female) are in your comment sections or comment sections under posts you view, that are inciting drama and trying to pretend to be others, including your person. I like to call these people Agent Smiths. These individuals always, always sound like Lucifer who is referred to as the Great Accuser.

This scrip is confirmation because I felt AA Michael here this morning after I had asked the Lord to send an Angel to guard me last night as I slept.

These individuals will try to tear you both down so don’t react because they love that. It makes them feel superior and powerful to see you crying and crumbling at their antics. Understand that these are their demons being used to hurt you. THIS IS AN ATTACK FROM THE DEMONIC KINGDOM SO STAY STRONG 💪🏾

Some of these folks could have also been hired to harass you online. Yes, this does happen. This happens to political figures as well and ordinary people like you and I, not just celebs and this will be a MEGA confirmation for someone.

Close the comment section if you feel you must and don’t read into anything without receiving confirmation from the Lord AND without having direct communication with another person.

You may see this on YouTube channel’s or other social media platforms dedicated to gossip. They may try to stir the pot as well and create drama where there is none.

There is only two ways to defeat these folks, ignore them and let God handle it. It will all work out for your good 😊 If they hated and killed Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we would be naive to think they wouldn’t hate us too.

Stay blessed people of God✨

#relationships #gossip #blogs #drama #fake news #profit #love #godly dating

0 notes

tipsycad147 · 3 years

Text

The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays

by Michelle Gruben

Modern Pagans celebrate eight major holidays throughout the year, known as Sabbats. They are based on pre-Christian customs related to the movement of the sun. Most are related to the Celtic agricultural festivals that have given them their names.

Of course, now we know that the sun doesn’t actually move around the earth. And lots of Pagans live far away from the places where our food is grown. But the Sabbats are still a meaningful way to connect with the cycles of the seasons and of human life.

The Pagan Sabbats include the four astronomical holidays (the equinoxes and solstices) and four traditional holidays in between. Together, these eight festivals are known as the Wheel of the Year. They are observed in Wicca and Wicca-influenced forms of neo-Paganism.

Learn about the eight Witch’s holidays and some popular customs for each one:

Samhain

Probably the best-known of the Sabbats, Samhain is celebrated on October 31st. It coincides with Halloween or All Hallows Eve. Halloween is a time when even non-magickal people indulge in spooky activities and ancient superstitions. It's also the time when mainstream culture pays the most attention to the activities of Witches and Pagans.

The word Samhain comes from the Irish Gaelic word for “summer’s end.” The days have become shorter, and the darker half of the solar year is upon us. At this time, farmers would use up the remaining stores of perishable fruits and vegetables, preserving other foods to sustain them through the cold and dark season. They would also slaughter any livestock that they did not plan to feed through the winter. This is why we sometimes refer to Samhain as the Third Harvest, or Blood Harvest.

At Samhain, many people believe the boundary between the words is at its thinnest. Samhain is also known as Ancestor’s Night or the Feast of the Dead. For most Witches, Samhain is the best time to commune with the beloved dead (ancestors and honored spirits). Some also believe that lonely or angry spirits may wander the Earth on Samhain night, looking for humans to annoy.

How Pagans celebrate: For Pagans, Samhain is the beginning of the new year. It is a holiday of reflection and celebration. At Samhain, we cast off the old year’s attachments and turn our attention to the coming scarcity of winter. We feast on the last of summer’s bounty. We contemplate what is worth saving and nurturing during the dark of winter. We try to make friends with Death.

Pagans celebrate Samhain in many of the same ways muggles do: Scarfing down sweets, carving jack-o-lanterns, dressing up in costumes. We decorate with skulls and spiders and go to haunted houses. All of these Halloween traditions are too fun to miss out on—and besides, most of them have their roots in old Pagan beliefs, anyway.

If you’re invited to a Samhain ritual, you may see an ancestor altar. This is a shared altar where participants are invited to pile on their mementos and offerings for the dead. The presiding priest or priestess may invoke a deity who rules over transitions or the migration of souls—Morrighan, Hecate, or Hermes. You may participate in a meditation where you travel into the depths of the underworld, or look departed friends in the eye once more. People will speak the names of loved ones who died during the previous year, or long ago.

Feasting is a component of many Samhain rituals. When we eat sweets, we are savoring the sweetness of life and its impermanence. When we eat meat, we remember that all flesh must die and become nourishment for some creature or another.

We also use food as an offering to the dead—to communicate fond memories, to pay our respects—and perhaps, to appease hungry ghosts. Some Pagans set an extra plate at the Samhain table for spirit visitors. Another contemporary Pagan custom is the “dumb supper”—a silent meal where we invite our ancestors (both known and unknown) to come and dine with us.

Yule

Yule is the Pagan name for the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls on or around December 21.

After the winter solstice, the darkest part of the year is over and the days begin increasing in length. This solar holiday is related historically to Christmas—Pagans delight in pointing out that Christians co-opted the date around the third century CE.

In the overarching neo-Pagan mythos, Yule is the birthday of the divine infant who is conceived in the spring. The dark of midwinter is the period of the Goddess’s confinement and labor as she prepares to welcome the solar child. On the longest night, the Sun God is born to the praise and gratitude of all Earth’s creatures.

How Pagans celebrate:

Yuletide is a time for passive, personal magick—for short days of work and long nights of dreaming. We set intentions and incubate our plans. It is a time of preparing mentally and spiritually for the light half of the year. Some Pagans keep a midwinter vigil, awaiting the rebirth of the sun at dawn.

It’s not often that you find large group rituals for Yule—probably because lots of Pagans are busy traveling and visiting with non-Pagan family! Instead, Yule rituals tend toward the home-y and conventional.

We decorate with evergreens and holly. We exchange gifts with friends and family. On Midwinter Eve, we light candles to herald the return of the sun. (The ambitious among us may set a Yule log blazing.) We eat traditional, calorie-rich holiday foods: Tamales, eggnog, rum cake, ham, and chocolate. We give thanks for the life-giving energy of our planet’s sun.

Imbolc

Imbolc is a festival of purification and the early signs of spring. Imbolc is celebrated on Feb 1. (Not yet spring in most of the world, to be sure—but sometimes spring-like in Britain due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.) It is the first of the three Pagan fertility festivals, followed by Ostara and Beltane.

In Old Irish, Imbolc means “in the belly” and was associated with the onset of the lambing season. It was an obscure Irish folk festival until the 20th century, when neo-Pagans revived it as part of the Wheel of the Year. It coincides with the Christian festival of Candlemas and with that old farmer’s oracle, Groundhog’s Day, both observed on Feb. 2.

For our ancestors, the significance of Imbolc would have been the beginning of the ground thaw. It is the time to prepare for the planting season—to survey the land, take an inventory of tools, and make any repairs or modifications that will be needed. For the Witch, it also a time of preparation. We clean and bless our altars, and make sure that the tools of our practice are attuned to their intended use.

Mythically, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the Goddess after giving birth to the young God at Yule. In the Earth, we observe the first stirrings of life after the frozen winter. (If you don’t know what a frozen winter looks like, ask your grandmother.) Imbolc brings the energy of creativity and imagination. Projects that were put on hold during the holiday season start to creak into motion again. Our midwinter dreams resolve themselves into their first visible shapes.

How Pagans celebrate:

Imbolc is especially sacred to Brigid—Celtic Goddess of hearthfire, healing, the bardic arts, and smithwork. Many Imbolc rituals honor Brigid with candlelight, poems, and woven ornaments known as Brigid’s crosses. The first light of spring is evident by now, and it is an auspicious time of year for rites of cleansing, healing, and blessing.

Imbolc is a time for spiritual dedication and re-dedication. Some covens—especially women’s covens—initiate new members at Imbolc. For old Pagans, it is also a time to examine and refresh our practice. If we have become lax, Imbolc is an opportunity to purify our intentions and reconnect with spiritual guides. We light candles, open windows, and wash the floors to cast out the last gloom of winter. Some also use Imbolc for divination for the year’s harvest.

Imbolc is not really a feasting holiday, as the season of grains and fruits is months away. The first food of the year is dairy. Butter, milk, and cream are traditional foods for the Imbolc table.

Ostara

Ostara is the spring equinox, which falls on or about March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. It is opposite the autumn equinox (which Pagans refer to as Mabon). But any desktop calendar can tell you that. Ostara is the Pagan cousin of the Easter holiday, a modern revival of one or more ancient spring celebrations.

Ostara is the second of three fertility festivals, a time when the blessings of spring become more visible in the natural world. Flowers bloom, the birds and the bees do their thing, and grocery aisles fill up with pastel-colored treats. Ancient fertility symbols like eggs and bunnies are everywhere. (Yep, Ostara is the Sabbat with the rabbit!)

Astronomically speaking, Ostara is a midpoint of the year, and day and night are equal at this time. The Sun God (who has been growing and gathering strength since Yule) is an adolescent. The Great Goddess, who has been getting progressively younger since December 21, is in her maiden form. These two lusty youths are now the same age, and will soon conceive the child who will be born at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

The original meaning of Ostara as a fertility festival is not lost on modern Pagans. Ostara provides a perfect opportunity to work magick for love, prosperity, and gains of any kind. We harness the energy of the lengthening days to fuel our desires and bring projects to fruition. We honor the gifts of the earth Goddess, who is presently blessing the land with beauty and nourishment.

Pagans also use Ostara as a time to reflect on the principle of balance. Everyone has goals and responsibilities—work, family, art, spirituality—that compete for our time and attention. At Ostara, we take a moment to notice things that may have shifted out of balance. We reset our priorities as the austerity of winter gives way to the exuberance of spring.

Beltane

Beltane is the ancient name for the May Day rite, held on May 1. Originally a fire festival, it was widely celebrated in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland. The name comes from the god Bel (“the bright one”) and means “Bel’s fire.” It is the second of two principle festivals on the Celtic Pagan calendar, the other one being Samhain. Samhain and Beltane are the two poles of the magickal year, when the gates to Faery and the spirit world are most open to travelers.

In traditional Wicca, Beltane is a sexual festival, the last of the three fertility festivals. It is the time when the Maiden Goddess takes a lover in the form of the young God. Wiccans enact this drama through the ritual marriage (Great Rite) of a High Priestess and High Priest, whose union will bless the land.

How Pagans celebrate:

Theoretically, Beltane is an occasion of unbridled sensuality and revelry. However, sexual rites are rare in modern covens. If invited to a Beltane ritual, you’re far more likely to dance around a maypole or witness a symbolic Great Rite (with a chalice and athame) than encounter an orgy.

For the social Pagan, Beltane season abounds with bonfires, festivals, concerts, and campouts. Solitary Pagans might celebrate by making an altar to the young God and Goddess or connecting with a lover. Flowers, honey, sweets and wine on the altar echo the sweetness of the occasion. Beltane is also a time for illusion, seduction, and Faery tricks. By the light of the Beltane fire, the real can become unreal (and vice versa).

Since Beltane celebrates the union of the God and Goddess, it is a popular time for proposals, handfastings, and renewing of vows. Magickally, the combined masculine and feminine energies lend a powerful alchemical surge to almost any type of spellwork.

Litha

Litha is the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere falls on or about June 21. Linguists disagree about the origin of the Sabbat’s name, but summer festivals were common across pre-Christian Europe. People lit bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for as long as possible. Solstice revels were supposed to bless the crops in the fields and drive away evil spirits.

Litha is the day when the Sun God is at the peak of his power. It is an auspicious day, ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. After Litha, the nights will begin to grow longer and the Sun will move further away each day. With the fall harvest imminent, Litha is an opportunity for anticipating the (actual or symbolic) crop. Medieval people believed that Midsummer Night was blessed, and that whatever a person dreamed on this night would come true.

How Pagans celebrate:

Outdoor rituals are common at Litha, as Pagans take advantage of the long hours of daylight. It is a joyful Sabbat. Bonfires and summer games brighten the space between earth and sky. We decorate our altars with solar symbols, and honor the God in his aspect as Father.

Litha is an appropriate time for all magick ruled by the Sun. This includes spells of cleansing, protection, charisma, and truth.

Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest festival on the Pagan calendar, observed on or about August 1. It is related to an old agricultural holiday celebrating the reaping of grain. Lammas probably comes from the Old English words for “loaf mass.” Loaves of freshly baked bread would have been prepared from the first grain and blessed in churches around the countryside. Lammas is also called Lughnasadh, after the Celtic sun God, Lugh.

As the summer stretches on and the days grow shorter, the sun God symbolically loses some of his strength. He is not yet dead, but is aware that the dark season will soon approach. The god of summer “dies” in the fields to nourish the people, and prepares for rebirth at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

Lammas is a time to welcome the harvest. We give thanks that the year’s work is proceeding as planned, and that we will soon enjoy the fruits of our labor. Grain is the traditional food for the Lammas table, in the form of wheat, barley, beers and ales.

Celtic Pagans celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh as the feast of Lugh, an agricultural god—but also a patron of poets, musicians, and craftspeople. At Lammas, we may show off the skills we have acquired and trade them for things we will need. It is a traditional time of year for craft fairs and local markets.

Mabon

Mabon is the autumn equinox (or as us Texans call, it “fawwwl”). In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls around Sept 21. Mabon is the pivot point of the solar year when the days begin to shorten and winter is on its way. (The name of the festival is modern and dates from the 1960s or early 1970s.)

Mabon may also be called the Second Harvest, because it is the time when autumn fruits and nuts reach their maturity. It is a time to contemplate what we have worked for in the previous year and what rewards we are ready to reap. We give thanks to the waning sunlight and prepare to store our wealth away for the scarce season. We shift from active to contemplative magick. Mabon season is a fine time for workings of prosperity, gratitude, security, and balance.

How Pagans celebrate:

Mabon is a time for celebration after the hard work of the harvest. Though it is sad to watch the beauty of the growing season fade away, we revel in the mild weather and rest that autumn brings.

Mabon foods are comfort foods, those that evoke fond memories and connect us through sharing. We bake and brew, pickle and can. Offerings of wine, cider, fruits, and boughs may adorn the Mabon table—along with that most Pagan of centerpieces, the Cornucopia.

On the Pagan religious calendar, Mabon represents the turning point to the dark half of the year. We shift our attention from the youthful merriment of the summer Sabbats. At Mabon, we honor the Crone and Sage deities, the cycles of aging and death, and the spirit world.

Mabon is a popular time for large outdoor rituals—in part because the weather is good and it doesn’t conflict with any major mainstream holidays. We gather together to feast and express gratitude for our lovely tilted planet. Many cities host a public Mabon ritual as part of their annual Pagan Pride Day gatherings. Solitary Pagans might celebrate Mabon with offerings at a home altar, or a contemplative walk in the woods.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-sabbats-witchs-holidays

4 notes · View notes

hyliascommonwealth · 3 years

Text

For the day, here's a silly little headband i have for the Hylian folk,

The four seasons are each devoted to one of the 4 goddesses,

Spring for the goddess Hylia, a very big time for the princesses, Hylian festivals and preparation for the new year. Lots of craft and magic and dance.

The Gerudo also have their big sand seal races during the spring, learning courses for children and adults and big parties! (Ladies only though! This is non discriminate for Gorons, Zoras, Rito, trans and NB Hylians!) Though it's not tradition there is a minor belief among the Gerudo that those setting out to find a partner and other wonders will have the most fortune in spring time.

Summer for the goddess of power Din, this season is full of hard work, certainly a high point in the Goron travel season as they need high temperatures to travel comfortably. Lots of gatherings to show one's strength, swordplay, horseback tournaments and archery are commonly displayed as well as many fresh markets to help neighbors stock up before winter!

The Gorons have a very big party on death mountain for the powerful summer season! Dance! Music! Wrestling!! All the rock roast and tender rock sirloin you can eat!!

The Yiga have a summer midnight festival week the party gears up leading to the full moon with each night getting more and more wild. On the night of the full moon once it's at it's peak they're all absolutely wasted dancing about and playing music in honor of the demon king Ganon, or calamity Gannon.

Autumn is the season of the goddess Farore and courage. Autumn is commonly believed to be the most spiritually active season among Hylians, as many spectral monsters reach their peak in appearances, poe, wizrobe, and other spirits tend to appear more commonly after sunset, most commonly in village graveyards, and abandoned villages. Though they also tend to follow those on horseback foolish enough to travel at night, swinging their lanterns about and appearing randomly to scare the horses. Those courageous and skilled enough to defend their villages from these creatures are often said to be blessed by the goddess of courage. Most festivities during this season are around the harvest, winter markets and assessments of villages and towns are made,must smaller towns and villages share their goods all around their populations.

Autumn is also significant to the Zora, as this is the season of courage, to take care of the waterways and rid them of monsters and their garbage. It is also a time of interest to make sure the waterways between the Zoras domain and Hyrule castle are not blocked by any debris from any of the seasons harsher storms.

Gerudo also host their sand seal racing championships in the autumn, it is certainly a big spectacle, though many thousands of years ago they were once horseback archery trials.

The Rito also host their annual archery tournament accompanied with a hunt to prepare for winter. Adults go out to hunt, children and their mothers forage for fruits and grains. Children sing and play typically learning to fly and seek out berries and goodies. The Hebra territory is by far the coldest region year round. But winter and Autumn hit hard

The Gorons typically make their way back to their home on Death Mountain in the Autumn as winter in most regions outside of their volcanic home, the Gerudo desert and Lurelin village are simply too cold.

Winter is the season of Naryu, goddess of Windom. A time for study, game, and family, found or blood, everyone comes together on a day to cherish their parents, caregivers, guardians,those who helped raise them to the adult they are now. A day to cherish their spouse, partner(s), and significant others, this is a day for the romantic and platonic bonds of life, to come together as neighbors and friends and eat together. And a day to devote to the children, to give them all of your love and prepare them for the new year and all of the wonders it will hold for them depending on age you may receive a gift or a family tradition, new clothes, or boots, tools for the trade they wish to learn. These are all variant on family region and race.

Lurelin village hosts a swimming competition, one for Hylians, one for zora, and one for youths. The goal for each swimmer is to retrieve several items from the bay in a certain amount of time, and whatever your are able to retrieve is yours! This is typically Hylian Rupees but it can also be gems, or particular fish and items.

The Yiga have a gathering on the night of the last day of the year where they eat bananas, and other yummy foods and praise the calamity Gannon. Once the new year begins at midnight they party hard for the next three days and once that's out of their system they resume their training and other nefarious shenanagains.

Hyrule castle will typically open it's doors to those who have need of it, the library is open to local guests, and music seems to permeate the halls

On the last day of the year it is customary of those who follow the faith of the golden goddesses to fast until the new year and to deliver items of offering to the goddess statues. These items can range from food, to clothing, to monster parts(guts bones horns) again it depends on the regions.

Anyway, that's the end of my long post.

Happy holidays!

#zelda oc #nonsense headcanon forhylian festive seasons #so so so simplified #you have no idea #should i do more like this?#it is also to note this definitely not canon to anything #these are just my thoughts and ramblings

14 notes · View notes

rabbitcruiser · 3 years

Photo

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and it is also celebrated as a non religious cultural holiday. It is a public holiday in many countries, and is celebrated in some countries where there is not a large Christian population. It takes place after Advent and the Nativity Fast, and begins Christmastide, or the Twelve Days of Christmas. The name of the holiday is shortened from “Christ’s mass,” and throughout history the day has been known as “midwinter,” “Nativity,” “Yule,” and “Noel.”

The New Testament gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem, in Judea. Luke’s account tells of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem from Nazareth for a census, and Jesus being born in a stable and being laid in a manger. According to this account, angels proclaimed him as the savior, and shepherds came to visit him. Matthew’s account tells the story of the magi following a star in the sky and bringing Jesus gifts.

The month and date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, but the Western Christian Church placed it as December 25 by at least 336 CE, when the first Christmas celebration was recorded, in Rome. This date later became adopted by Eastern churches at the end of the fourth century. Some Eastern churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the Julian calendar, which is January 7. The date of December 25 may have been chosen for a few reasons. This is the day that the Romans marked as the winter solstice, the day when the Sun would begin remaining longer in the sky. Jesus also was sometimes identified with the Sun. The Romans had other pagan festivals during the end of the year as well. December 25 also may have been chosen because it is about nine months after the date commemorating the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Christmas celebrations were not prominent in the Early Middle Ages, and the holiday was overshadowed by Epiphany at the time. Christmas started to come to prominence after 800 CE, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day. During the Middle Ages it became a holiday that incorporated evergreens, the giving of gifts between legal relationships—such as between landlords and tenants, eating, dancing, singing, and card playing. By the seventeenth century in England the day was celebrated with elaborate dinners and pageants.

Puritans saw the day as being connected to drunkenness and misbehavior, and banned it in the seventeenth century. But, Anglican and Catholic churches promoted it at the time. Following the Protestant Reformation, many new denominations continued celebrating Christmas, but some radical Protestant groups did not celebrate it. In Colonial America, Pilgrims were opposed to the holiday, and it wasn’t until the mid nineteenth century that the Boston area fully embraced the holiday. But, the holiday was freely practiced in Virginia and New York during colonial times. Following the Revolution it fell out of favor in the United States to some extent, as it was seen as being an English custom.

Around the world there was a revival of Christmas celebrations in the early nineteenth century, after it took on a more family oriented, and children centered theme. A contributing factor to this was Charles Dickens’ publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843. His novel highlighted themes of compassion, goodwill, and family. Seasonal food and drink, family gatherings, dancing, games, and a festive generosity of spirit all are part of Christmas celebrations today, and were part of Dickens’ novel. Even the phrase “Merry Christmas” became popularized by the story.

In the United States, several of Washington Irving’s short stories in the 1820s helped revive Christmas, as did A Visit From St. Nicholas. This poem helped to popularize the exchanging of gifts, and helped Christmas shopping take on an economic importance. It was after this that there began to be a conflict between the spiritual and commercial aspects of Christmas as well. By the 1850s and 1860s, the holiday became more widely celebrated in the United States, and Puritan resistance began to shift to acceptance. By 1860, fourteen states had adopted Christmas as a legal holiday. On June 28, 1870, it became a federal holiday in the United States.

Celebrations of Christmas in the United States and other countries are a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular influences. Gift giving today is based on the tradition of Saint Nicholas, as well as on the giving of gifts by the magi to Jesus. Giving also may have been influenced by gift giving during the ancient Roman festival Saturnalia. Closely related and often interchangeable figures such as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind are seen as gift givers to children—the best known of which is Santa Claus. His name is traced back to the Dutch Sinterklaas, which simply meant Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a fourth century Greek bishop who was known for his care of children, generosity, and the giving of gifts to children on his feast day. During the Reformation, many protestants changed the gift giver to the Christ child, or Christkindl, which was changed to Kris Kringle in English. The date of giving changed from Saint Nicholas Day to Christmas Eve at this time. Modern Santa Claus started in the United States, particularly in New York; he first appeared in 1810. Cartoonist Thomas Nast began drawing pictures of him each year beginning in 1863, and by the 1880s Santa took on his modern form.

Attending Christmas services is popular for religious adherents of the holiday. Sometimes services are held right at midnight, at the beginning of Christmas Day. Readings from the gospels as well as reenactments of the Nativity of Jesus may be done.

Christmas cards are another important part of Christmas, and are exchanged between family and friends in the lead up to the day. The first commercial Christmas cards were printed in 1843—the same year as the printing of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In 1875 the first commercial Christmas cards made their debut in the United States. Today both religious and secular artwork adorns the cards.

Music has long been a part of Christmas. The first Christmas hymns came about in fourth century Rome. By the thirteenth century, countries like France, Germany, and Italy had developed Christmas songs in their native language. Songs that became known as carols were originally communal folk songs, and were sung during celebrations such as “harvest tide” as well as Christmas, and began being sung in church. The singing of Christmas songs went into some decline during the Reformation. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” came about in the eighteenth century, and “Silent Night” was composed in 1818. Christmas carols were revived with William Sandy’s Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern in 1833, which included some of the first appearances of “The First Noel,” “I Saw Three Ships,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” Secular Christmas songs began to come about in the late eighteenth century. “Deck the Halls” was written in 1784, and “Jingle Bells” was written in 1857. Many secular Christmas songs were produced in the 20th century, in jazz, blues, country, and rock and roll variations: Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was popularized by Bing Crosby; “Jingle Bell Rock” was sung by Bobby Helms; Brenda Lee did a version of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree;” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was recorded by Gene Autry. Elvis Presley also put out a Christmas album.

A special meal is often eaten on the day, and popular food varies from country to country. In United States, turkey with stuffing—sometimes called dressing—is often the main course, but roast beef or ham are also popular. Potatoes, squash, roasted vegetables, casseroles, and cranberry sauces are common. Popular drinks include tonics, sherries, and eggnog. Pastries, cookies, and other desserts sweeten the day, and fruits, nuts, chocolates, and cheeses are popular snacks.

Finally, Christmas decorations are an important aspect of the holiday and include things such as trees, lights, nativity scenes, garland, stockings, angels, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. The Christmas tree tradition is believed to have started in Germany in the eighteenth century, although some believe Martin Luther began the tradition in the sixteenth century. Christmas trees were introduced to England in the early nineteenth century. In 1848 the British royal family photo showed the family with a Christmas tree, and it caused a sensation. A version of the photo was reprinted two years later in the United States. By the 1870s the putting up of trees was common in the United States. They are adorned with lights and ornaments, and can be real or artificial.

Christmas Day, also known as Christmas, is being observed today! It has always been observed annually on December 25th.

There are an innumerable amount of ways that you could celebrate Christmas:

attend a church service or read the gospel Christmas accounts

watch a Christmas film

listen to Christmas music

complete an Advent calendar or wreath

give gifts

view a Nativity play

watch a Christmas parade

visit family or friends

visit Santa Claus

read books such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas! or A Christmas Carol

light a Christingle

view Christmas decorations

go Christmas caroling

make Christmas cookies or other foods associated with the holiday

Source

#Christmas Day #ChristmasDay #25 December #it's snowing #Christmas Tree #Nativity scene #manger scene #Christmas Tree Topper #original photography #Schweiz #Switzerland #Xmas 2020 #real tree and real beewax candles #homemade stuffed turkey #but not this year #Cabernet Sauvignon #Christmas Lights #Merry Christmas #Merry Xmas

2 notes · View notes

curseofconsciousness · 4 years

Text

Slaying Abel: A Left Hand Path Perspective from a Son of Cain.

So I’ve been sitting up for about an hour or so, wondering what is the sense of why a brother would slay his brother. The first being the lack of understanding pushed by society as to how a brother should treat a brother. Even Judeo-Christianity didn’t elaborate this at the point of Genesis. For at this point the concept of murdering people didn’t even exist. The only things that did were creation (God created Heaven and Earth, as well as Eve, Lilith, and Adam), birth (Adam / Serpent / Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel) , survival (The pair were allowed to eat from the garden to provide substance), and death (Cursed to death via eating off the tree of knowledge) by biological force only.

What we do know thus far is before this, man had no emotional content. There was nothing human (or Godly ((I’ll get to this in a second)) about Adam and Eve. They asked simple things, to receive simple directions, and didn’t display any real apathy or empathy about anything. They were kinda just semi-sentient drones.

And then we have the birth of Cain and Abel. The first sons of fuckin man, wheeeeew. Well Abel is the first son of man, Cain is considered in most primordial gnosis writings to be son of spirit. The son of the serpent. Again: Abel being the son of man, he has no emotional content or real empathy at all. God ask him for sacrifice, and what does he do? Kill a bunch of animals.

Now before this point, it isn’t quoted anywhere that man needs to be killing beast. It says he is a master of all things living. It is his job to care for them. You can live off vegetables, Vegans do it all the time. Nonetheless, Abel was the first being to slay something in cold blood for virtually no reason than appeasement. And it was like a lamb or sheep, so a completely harmless/defenseless animal at that.

Cain offered God seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Things that were given, that would grow back, that didn’t require taking the life from another breathing being. It was the Godly thing to do because it put the nature of other things before the desire to inflict death on another living thing. God didn’t accept his sacrifice.

If your parents told you that you were here to protect living creatures, and your brother is just wandering around blatantly ignoring what he was taught, you’d be mad as hell to. YOUR God gave you this rule, yet gives you a pat on the back for doing the opposite? Hypocrisy, it seems like the deck is already loaded against Cain, Hm? Maybe because God BY ALL MEANS, dislikes what the serpent is doing to his society of minions.

It is here that the divide is drawn. Nature / Natural = Bad, Slaying / Killing / Ending Life = Good. So you have to think what the serpent did to convince man that he should eat the fruit...he implored his LOGIC. So you have to think, primitive Cain, with no doctrine, sees his brother kill something and get favor, shit he wants some to. But instead of killing something helpless, he decides to kill what he thinks is his equal, but really he is killing something weaker than him. He is killing the side of himself with little to no empathy or sense of logic. He is killing the duality of him that can only follow directions.

So boom, slays Abel, “How you think that sheep felt now, punk” (spits). Now THIS, despite how fucked up it is, IS GODLY. A.) He implored his sense B.) Emotion thus far has only been shown by God C.) He was so enraged he slew the person he was enraged at (Sounds like God in later books, hm?)

Iight so boom, God sentences Cain to The Land of Nod (Wandering), where he is marked. No one can do ill to him, and he is “cursed” to wander around and do what the fuck he wants to. This isn’t a curse, it’s freedom. The Mark being an indication that he wasn’t the same as everyone else, he was capable of free thought. He was capable of accessing that dark space in his mind and trying to balance his instincts with his logic and emotions.

Cain was the first agricultural/farmer that produced the manuscript for healthy living of man to this day. His lineage produced Enoch, who in turn gave wisdom to the world. His lineage has the first Metalworkers in it. He still copulated and had children. He rose to Kinghood in the Land of Nod. He established his own bloodline, all of which seemed to be imparted with the gift of free thinking beyond direction following, unlike the lineage of Adam.

Cain is the first being in the world with an illuminated thought process beyond caring what he is told. He applied logic, empathy, passion, and common sense. We are watching a man ascend so much to the equivalent of his Judeo-Christian God, that God was like “...I don’t like that...go do that somewhere else before you infect my folk with that real free will shit.” He created his own path with nothing.

And at this point of slaying Abel, you also have to look at it objectively. Killing someone was not considered to be right or wrong. And even if it was, if Cain is of the Spirit, he’s wise enough to know that a physical death isn’t a true death of the spirit. He killed a husk and that’s it. Secondly, his curse wasn’t his freedom, his curse was that God wouldn’t let him ascend to spiritual energy until he died of natural causes. He was cursed with physical life. God cursed Adam and Eve with life because they had a fear of dying, and created a theism based on their fear of death. God cursed Cain with life because he didn’t have a fear of death, and knew that he was of spirit anyway so it meant nothing.

#freethinking #cain and abel #lhp #adversary #serpent #wisdom #gnosis #the apotheosis is upon us #illusions #reality #luciferian #darkness #lightbearer

44 notes · View notes

peepingtoad · 4 years

Text

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭 || 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐈𝐈 : 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 (𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠)

AKA House I, is the area of self identity. The ascendant is a symbol of how one acts in life. It is the image of the personality as seen by others, and the attitude that one has towards life.

𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬

The world is filled with adventure, new things to experience, and, most of all, hope, with this Ascendant. There is an unmistakable faith and enthusiasm with Sagittarius rising people. Grand schemes, big promises, and a willingness to explore and experiment are themes, although follow-through is not a strong characteristic of Sagittarius. These individuals are somewhat restless and often active people. They always seem to be looking for something that is just out of grasp—and many do this their entire lives. They can be quite direct at times, yet they are likable enough to forgive for their faux-pas. Most have a lot to say and offer. Their insights and opinions are usually interesting and exciting, although sometimes lacking in details.

Sagittarius rising people have opinions about everything, and they just love telling others exactly what they are. Not all people with this position are outgoing folk, but they all have a way of moving about that at least exudes a certain level of confidence. Some might even call them naive or overly optimistic. Even the quiet ones don't shrink from life and from experience. One of the most obvious and endearing traits of Sagittarius rising is their willingness to keep up a sense of humour. Even when they're feeling low, they manage to find humour in life and have fun with whatever they do have. The placement of Sagittarius' ruling planet, Jupiter, will give more clues to how they go about expressing themselves.

You experience your soul’s calling early in life. Other people may put down your budding ideas, but you gather these thoughts to yourself and nurture them. You trust that these ideas have come to you for some reason. You are able to recall them in moments of crisis, and you find you can communicate profound sentiments with few words. You have material ambitions, yes, but you also have spiritual aspirations. You will find that the right spiritual aspiration often brings suitable material satisfaction in its wake.

High-spirited, enthusiastic, and exuberant, you love adventure, change, exploring new territory, and are not happy confined to the same safe, familiar, secure little world all the time. You have a strong restlessness and yearning for something greater than anything you’ve yet experienced, and you often live in your dreams and visions for the future. You tend to believe that the grass is greener somewhere else and you like to keep moving, either literally or figuratively. Idealistic and optimistic, you always expect something better ahead. You love to have a goal, something to aim for, but once you achieve it you are on to something else. You are ever on the lookout for new opportunities and you are a gambler, willing to take risks and to break new ground. The possibility of discovering something new is what makes life interesting for you. You have great faith in life and bounce back quickly from disappointment and failure.

Freedom-loving and independent, you cannot tolerate being caged for very long, and friends and loved ones must respect your need for freedom of movement. Binding commitments and responsibilities often weigh heavily upon you and you may resist “growing up” and taking on the limitations of adult life.

You are friendly and outgoing and have a great sense of fun and playfulness. You are also philosophically minded and often quite outspoken about your convictions and beliefs. Sometimes you get carried away with your enthusiasm of the moment and you tend to exaggerate. You are often a big talker, full of big promises, and you are usually pretty convincing. You do everything in a big way, a generous way. You like to have the best, and you heartily dislike stinginess, littleness, or pettiness. Your vision is always large. You are able to perceive the big picture, general patterns and principles, and are well suited to politics, business, higher education or religion.

Other people see you as a good sport and a good friend, but one who is not always consistent and dependable. You may also be seen as a wise person since you do not get bogged down in pettiness and trivialities, and are able to communicate a larger way of looking at situations, one that opens up new potentials. You are a person who believes in miracles, grace, or just plain good luck, someone who never gives up on life, and you inspire and encourage others to keep looking forward.

Because your rising sign is connected to the hips and thighs, you may find that walking meditation or other contemplative movement suits your spiritual development. Sitting may not help you to focus, while walking meditation may allow your thoughts to settle and your intuition to arise.

𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬) 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐬

In general, faith, belief and the ability to foresee and envision the future or “what could be” are essential elements of your soul function. You may well be ahead of your time or at the forefront of coming trends and movements in the collective. You are a seeker, one who searches for the overview, the larger pattern, or a broad, over-arching philosophy of life—and also a teacher who conveys that vision or broadcasts it in some way. Your ruling planet is Jupiter.

Your Jupiter in Taurus suggests that in addition to vision and optimism, you have the practicality and stability to bring your dreams into concrete manifestation. You are gifted along material and financial lines, and are generous with your gifts. Business is a natural avenue of expression for you. Using the fruits of the earth wisely is a key to your fulfillment.

See here for Houses II through XII

#more links to be added as the posts are made #namely the houses #{in the stars | zodiac}#{zodiac}#{memoirs(headcanons)}

4 notes · View notes

endurraesa · 4 years

Text

About Yule (Jól)

Yuletide is the pre-Christian Germanic Midwinter celebration. The name Yule is derived from the Old Norse HJOL, meaning 'wheel,' to identify the moment when the wheel of the year is at its lowest point, ready to rise again. HJOL has been inherited by Germanic and Scandinavian languages from a pre-Indo-European language level, and is a direct reference to the return of the Sun represented as a fiery wheel rolling across the heavenly sky. Yule celebrations and traditions at the winter solstice predate Christianity by thousands of years. There are numerous references to Yule in the Icelandic sagas, and in other ancient accounts testifying to how Yule was actually celebrated. It was a time for feasting, giving gifts, feasting and dancing.

The Yule holiday is the holiest and most popular of all the native Germanic spiritual celebrations, as Yule marks the return of the God Baldur from the realm of Hel and the loosening of winters grip on the frozen Earth.

The commencement of the Yuletide celebration has no set date, but is traditionally 12 days long with the start of the festivities beginning at sunset on the winter solstice (In the northern hemisphere, this date usually falls on or around December 20th) This Germanic Heathen holiday was forcibly stolen by early Christian missionaries and became known as the "12 days of Christmas". The first night of Yule is called The Mothernight, where Frigga and the Disir (female ancestral spirits) are especially honoured on this night. Mothers Night is appropriately named, as it represents the rebirth of the world from the darkness of winter. This is the date with the shortest day and the longest night of the year. A traditional vigil from dusk to dawn is held on the Mothers night, to make sure that the sun will rise again and welcome her when it does.

Yule is the season at which the gods and goddesses are closest to Midgard: our deities were called 'Yule-Beings' by the Norse, and Odin himself is called Jólnir, the "Yule One" and is where the image of Santa Claus is derived from. Yule is also the season during which the dead return to earth and share the feasts of the living. Elves, trolls, and other magical beings roam freely at this time, and must either be warded off or invited to come in friendship and peace. Yule is the time of the year at which the Wild Hunt - Wodan's host of the restless dead - rides most fiercely; it is dangerous to meet them, but gifts of food and drink are left out for them, for they can also bring blessing and fruitfulness. Yule is a time for dancing, feasting and family. Sun wheels are sometimes burnt as part of folk festivities at this time. It was the practice in Germanic Heathen times to swear oaths on a hallowed boar (the totem animal of Freyr and Freya). This survived in Swedish folk-custom; a large boar-shaped bread or block of wood covered with pigskin was brought forth at Yule for this purpose through the beginning of this century, and boar-cakes are used for Yule-oaths by most Heathens today. Especially meaningful oaths were also sworn on the horn or cup while drinking at the Yule-feast. The 'New Year's Resolution' is a diminished form of the holy Yule Oath. The fir or pine-tree which is carried into the house and decorated is an ancient Germanic custom, brought to America by German immigrants. The tree on which holy gifts are hung was Heathen in origin representing Yggdrasil, the mighty cosmic tree of life. In Germany, those who kept the old custom hid it inside lest the church authorities notice, but in England and Scandinavia, the trees and various spirits received their gifts outside. In those latter countries, it was a candlelit and ribbon-bedecked wreath, the ring of which may have reflected the holy oath-ring or the Yule sun-wheel, that was traditionally brought in to decorate the home. The Yule-log is also an old Heathen custom. This log was supposed to burn all night during the longest night of the year to symbolize life lasting even in the time of greatest darkness, its fire rekindling the Sun in the morning. Its ashes or pieces were used as protective amulets during the rest of the year. Those who lack large fireplaces often use 24-hour candles instead.

The 12 days of Yule is largely devoted to baking cakes, cookies, and breads and making the unique decorations which beautify every Heathen home at this holiday season. There are, for example, intricate paper cutouts to make and put on the walls; festoons, stars, wooden toys, and straw animals in the shape of Goats, and Wild Boars to hang on the Yule tree. The straw animals, which are still widely found throughout Sweden, are intimately related to ancient Norse Germanic mythology; originating in legends of the sacred animals of the gods; the Goats of Thor, the thunder God, and the Wild Boar of Freyr, God of Fertility.

The majority of the symbols associated with the modern holiday of Christmas (such as the Yule log, Santa Claus & his Elves, Christmas trees, the Wreath, the eating of ham, holly, mistletoe, the star...) are derived from traditional northern European Heathen Yule celebrations. When the first Christian missionaries began forcibly converting the Germanic peoples to Christianity, they found it easier to simply provide a Christian reinterpretation for popular feasts such as Yule and allow the celebrations themselves to go on largely unchanged, rather than trying to suppress them. Halloween and Easter have been likewise assimilated from northern European Heathen religious festivals.

Source: http://odinsvolk.ca/O.V.A.%20-%20SACRED%20CALENDER.htm

#yule #jol #interests #norse heathen

9 notes · View notes

bowitched · 5 years

Text

headcanon: halloween practices

Halloween is easily one of the most important holidays for witches. It is there day when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead are is thinnest, and spirits roam about the mortal realm. It is a time to honor the dead and to reflect on both the past and the fresh start that comes with the upcoming winter season. In the mundane cultures, spring is widely considered the season of new beginnings and the new year begins in January. Contrarily, witches believe that the end of harvest season brings in the new year because that is when Earth sheds her trappings to be born anew.

Before her maiden journey, Kiki celebrated Halloween with her parents, and over the years she learned its traditions from her mother. As a child, she looked forward to baking and feasting with her family, but now that she is living on her own in Koriko she has found that she values the spiritual parts of Halloween more than anything; she is content with spending most of the day alone to reflect and plan for the New Year. She typically closes her delivery service from October 30 through November 1st to prepare and celebrate.

Cleansing & decor Kiki spends most of the day before Halloween prepping her home for otherworldly visitors. Her attic receives a thorough cleaning from floor to ceiling, inside and out. Once her home is in order she decorates with garlands of chrysanthemums and autumn leaves. She also hangs bunches of rosemary (a symbol of remembrance) on her window and front door to ward off evil spirits. She will also burn rosemary to rid the home of any negative energy. Jack-o-lanterns are placed on her window sill and on her porch to guide benevolent spirits into her home and to deter bad spirits.

Baking Kiki will start her Halloween baking on the afternoon prior, starting with the treats she will give to trick-or-treaters. On the morning of Halloween she will wake up early to bake several types of bread, which will make up the majority of her offerings to the spirits. Fukuo, who rises early everyday to begin work for the bakery, always lends his expertise and a helping hand.

Altar building With her baking done Kiki will then construct an altar to honor the dead in her room. She covers a side table in a fine altar cloth borrowed from her mother before decorating the area with flowers, candles, heirlooms, keepsakes, old photos of ancestors, a cornucopia, and an offering bowl. The cornucopia is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, while the offering bowl is used for baked goods. Any remaining food is taken to a forest for the spirits of the woods to enjoy.

Guisers Many children love the idea of visiting a witch’s home on Halloween, making Kiki’s attic a popular stop among trick-or-treaters. Refusing spirits seeking appeasement is said to bring about misfortune, and on a night where spirits and guising children intermingle, it is best to give gifts to all who visit for safe measure. Kiki never offers candy, instead she opts to give out homemade goods like caramel apples, pumpkin bread, and berry cakes.

Reflection Those wish to visit Kiki’s home must do so within the few short hours after sunset. When the sky is completely dark Kiki leaves her home to take to the skies. The citizens of Koriko have formed the superstition that it is good look to witness a witch on her night ride on Halloween, making it somewhat of a citywide game to search for her. While Kiki finds the enthusiasm endearing, she does not do this for the entertainment of the ordinary folk. For witches Halloween is a day of reflection. Flight puts Kiki’s spirit as ease, making it easy for her to clear her head and ruminate. She’ll spend a few hours reflecting on the past and thinking about the new beginnings that will come with the end of harvest season, before returning home to retire for the night.

#【☾ headcanons. 】#this ended up...way longer than i originally planned lmao #but i've been thinking about this since october 1 #also i love to think that kiki wakes up and all her offerings are gone #because spirits where having a grand old time while she was out flying and/or sleeping

2 notes · View notes

sola-invinctus · 5 years

Text

Bones, Horns, and Necromancy: A Snapshot Into My Newfound Gems

A got a few lovely gift cards for my Christmas, which really made it a nice one. One of these was for a taxidermy store in the city called Paxton Gate that I absolutely love. Taxidermy, bones, oddities, crystals, plants, and more! Shown here are the bones I got on my first trip; Coyote rib, springbok horn, coyote vertebrae, and badger baculum. Here’s a bit of info on these bones and how I plan to use them under the cut.

Bones are a common tool in magic of the low variety, whether it be folk magic, witchcraft, or anywhere in between on a sliding scale. The utilization of animal bones in magic is mostly based off of the spirits within them, and it’s the spirits residue or energy that gives it power. However, you don’t always need to work with the spirit of the bones directly for their use. It’s one use of them, though, to contact and awaken their spirits. Those that are closest to the heart, head, or spine will have the most residue, and it requires things such as offerings, incense, and reddening the bones to wake them. Reddening the bones (by blood, ink, or fruit, a symbol of life but also of grosser bodies and the physical Saturnian bond) will bind them to the user and fully ignite their flame of power. A sort of consecration for the bones.

The bones shown above are a coyote rib, springbok horn, coyote vertebrae, and raccoon baculum, although I switched the raccoon out for a badger. Two of these connect a specific animal native to my area, which is the coyote, and so, by utilizing these bones and waking them up, I create a connection to an animal that I can regular find here. I plan on getting the skull too, soon. All these points connect strongly to the animal’s spirit, by head, heart, or spine. I plan on making a necklace with the vertebrae to wear around my neck. Thus, altogether connecting me to the land. But also to the trickster, or the Man in Black. As a witchcraft inclined person, I tend to want to connect to the primeval, more trickster-y spirits of the land and wild. This animal purely embodies the trickster of my home, just as a wolf or fox might with others.

Along with the skull, I’ll also be getting another springbok horn. I plan on setting it up on an altar so that they kinda adorn the skull. I want to communicate with the spirits, as well, as animal spirits can be used in anything employing a spiritual agent, as well as just learning from them. I plan on giving them libations of pomegranate juice and red wine from California, to further consecrate them. This is a good idea for any bioregional or land based magicians in my area, as the alcohol itself comes from nearby. The springbok is a foreign animal but still good. I love horned animals, but felt a call to the calmer, less Saturnia animal. I can feel it’s spirit is old and was ready to pass on. It feels proud and wild, which makes this horned spirit good for amplification of magic. This one also connects to the head, making it have some of the strongest magical residue. This one and the vertebrae. The coyote rib having a little at its tip.(edited)

Now! Onto the baculum. This one is certainly the most interesting bone. If you don’t know why, that’s probably because you don’t that baculum means dick bone. I have a badger dick bone. But why? Well, baculums can be used in a large number of ways. They’re often carried, worn, or hung up as a charm for good luck and warding off spirits and dark magic. This is most likely because of the old Roman charms of stone penis’s that would bring good luck and ward things off. Dicks bring luck, I guess. But they’re also used for all sorts of sympathetic magic relating to sexual things. That is, breaking a baculum with someone’s name causes impotency. Rubbing the baculum gets them heated. Wearing one attracts suitors. Etc. Why badger? Badger bones can be used in offensive and protective magic. I also associate them with digging things up, so digging up suitors, for instance.

#mystical #occult #magic #witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #folk magic #spiritwork #spirits #necromancy #bones #vulture culture #baculums #lucas speaks

118 notes · View notes

hadit93 · 5 years

Text

The Material and the Spiritual.

I have seen some arguments on tumblr and elsewhere between some magicians and some witches criticizing their approaches to magick. These people are like members of two extreme political parties which can’t see the beauty of balance in the middle.

The magicians criticise the witches that they largely use magick for personal needs, manifesting material things, work with spirits of a sub-lunar nature. Sub-lunar nature is a pompous way of saying astral beings, elementals, and spirits rather than ‘solar’ angels. They criticize that their approach seems to be less focused on what they define as spiritual, usually absorption into God head or attaining knowledge and conversation of the HGA, or something as grandiose as perceiving the face of God. They state that witches care more about the here and now rather than the knowledge of the spirits, of humanity, and of their Selves.

The witches on the otherhand state that magicians are pompous and arrogant and are too busy playing with their own fantasies and day dreams, communing with angels which tell them they are the next messiah, and spending all their efforts chasing an end which is seemingly impossible. The biggest criticism is that they cannot work magick to effect the physical to save their lives and whilst they may have grandiose experiences in the temple, they are flipping burgers at McDonalds and struggling to make ends meet.

My opinion:

There are witches who are excellent at effecting physical change, but they are also highly spiritual with their practice. They may work with demons, spirits, but there are others who work with angels. As I have always said, you can think angels are higher beings all you like, but they are just spirits- the only classification systems which state they are higher are largely man-made and serve a purpose within a particular system. In short, there is nothing wrong with working with ‘sub-lunar’ (I hate that term) spirits. They also perform astral work and learn directly from the spiritual realms just like a magician. Many also seek to be absorbed by a concept of deity, others do not.

There are many magicians who are arrogant pricks, but not all are. There are many magicians who could learn a thing or two from the above witches and learn how to work magick to effect the physical realm. I was guilty of belonging to the pompous, arrogant magician camp. I couldn’t work magick to effect the physical to save my life, it was folk magick and spirit contact which sorted that out for me. I am still building a solid life for myself, but I am only 23 and I am getting there. My focus did used to be solely on the HGA, it is not anymore. He is still in the background of my thoughts, the link is still there and my devotion still strong, however, I now know I have to take care of my mundane life. The Angel cannot manifest through you if your life is in pieces, you are in debt, working a job you hate, and spending every waking minute of your life hating yourself and having regrets. No, you should be happy with your life, and it only makes sense to use all of your resources, which includes magick.

My opinion is that magicians and witches should realise that their practices share a common root which has flourished into a many branched tree with different species of fruit. There should be less divide between them. Sure, I do think some witches neglect the spiritual, they have the right to do so, but I do feel they would benefit from contacting the higher realms and exploring the psyche. I think everyone would benefit from that, even some magicians can’t get past daily banishing rituals!

I also think that some magicians need to get their head out of the clouds and realise their arse is still sitting on the Earth. They need to realise their mundane life needs looking after first. Sure, keep your spiritual practice, but don’t forget to set realistic physical goals, and make a plan. I tend to analyse it in the four worlds- what can I do physically to increase my chances? What can I do mentally to change my approach? What do I need to work on emotionally? What can I do spiritually to attain my goal? You live in all four worlds, not just the spiritual or the physical!

Be friends, see your differences and learn how you are similar. Learn from each other and maybe your magick will become more successful and more powerful. Don’t divorce the physical from the spiritual or vice verse, they are one and the same, there is nothing unspiritual about the physical realm and the mundane, all is born out of spirit and all is a part of the projection of the Godhead. We are modern Western folk, we need cash, we can’t be the local witch who gets all they need through gifts from the town folk in exchange for ritual, you need a living, but you also can’t forget the spiritual nature of the path.

#peace #magick #witchcraft #material #spiritual

22 notes · View notes

johnhardinsawyer · 3 years

Text

Feeling All the Feels

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

7 / 25 / 21

Ephesians 3:14-21

John 6:1-14

“Feeling All the Feels”

(Rooted and Grounded with All the ‘Fulls’)

If you have watched the Olympics at all over the past however-many years, you probably know that at this very moment, there is likely some producer or editor over at NBC Sports who is putting the finishing touches on a video that highlights a member of the US Olympic Team. Maybe you have seen one or more of these videos, which are scientifically engineered to give you “all the feels,” as some folks say. There are images of the athlete’s hometown, perhaps a school ballfield or track or pool where the athlete learned to go so fast, perhaps there’s the story of a broken home or someone overcoming the odds and finally making it to the Olympics. Whether the video is highlighting a superstar like Simone Biles, or some up-and-coming Olympic badminton player, if you watch one of these videos, you’d better have some tissues handy and the ability to convincingly say, “What? I’m not crying. You’re crying.”

Just about all of us have had those moments when we feel all the feels – all of the heightened emotions of love and pride and joy. Our child does something wonderful, we feel loved and accepted, we see something beautiful in nature, we see the beauty of another human being accomplishing something great, we have a moment of national or community pride, we have a moment of sheer grace and we “feel all the feels.” We are amazed and overwhelmed. We can’t stop the good goosebumps, we can’t hold back the tears, we can’t find the words to say in the moment. We just “feel all the feels” – all of the feelings at once.

Today’s reading from the letter to the Ephesians wants us to feel all of the feels and to be overwhelmed by the love of God.

This week, we are continuing our summertime study of Ephesians and reminding ourselves about some of the basic principles of being part of the Body of Christ, the church. You might remember a few weeks ago, when we talked about having a new identity in Christ Jesus and how last week we talked about how this new identity brings us together, even with those people who are far off from us. You also might remember that the city of Ephesus was a bustling seaport that was a melting pot of cultures and religions and that the people who were part of the early church in Ephesus were just a small religious minority – barely a blip in the big city.

The author of today’s reading, who goes by the name “Paul,”[1] reminds the Ephesians that even though there are marvelous real-life and eternal-life benefits to following Jesus, in truth, following Jesus can lead to persecution and imprisonment, even death. Just prior to today’s reading, we find Paul telling his readers that he is “a prisoner for Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:1) His charge? Bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and stirring up trouble in the process, and getting thrown in jail. You might remember from last week that many people thought that those who followed Jesus – a Palestinian Jew – had to be Jewish. So, whenever Paul (and those who traveled with him and for him) arrived in one town or another and went to teach in a Jewish synagogue that Jesus was the Messiah, it got the Jewish people riled up and they would call the local authorities and there was always trouble. At one point, Paul was accused of “turning the world upside down,” (Acts 17:6) – upending the status quo, and upsetting a lot of people who didn’t see things the way that the Holy Spirit was leading Paul to see things, namely that the good news of Jesus Christ was for allpeople – Jew and non-Jew alike.

Now, this new way of seeing God at work in the lives of all people instead of just some people was good news to the little church in Ephesus and it is good news to those of us who hear these words, today. But I can’t help imagining that the sufferings of Paul – his multiple times in jail and being beaten and mistreated by those in power – would have been concerning for the church in Ephesus. I mean, how would you feel if the person who first taught you about the love of Jesus – maybe a grandparent, or parent, or a pastor, or Sunday School teacher – sent you a letter from jail, saying, “Well, I love Jesus and now I’m in jail”? Not only might you feel terrible for that person, but you might start questioning whether such a sacrifice was worth it or not.

And so, right before today’s reading begins, we find Paul saying, “Yes. It is worth it, because you who are reading this letter are worth it.”[2] “So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!”[3] “Be proud,” Paul is saying, “because I am doing this so that you may catch a glimpse of the love that God has for you through the love that I have for you. I want it to somehow sink into your minds and hearts just how much God loves you. When it comes to the love of God, I want you to ‘feel all of the feels.’ I want you to know the immeasurable and incomparable love of God.”

This is what Paul is praying for – as he kneels down in his prison cell – that the people he loves will know just how much they are loved and that they will feel this love at the heart of who they are. As we read earlier, “I pray that, according to the powerful riches of God’s glory, God may grant that your inner being would be strengthened with the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit.”[4] (Ephesians 3:16)

Paul knows that the church might feel that it has very little power and influence in the world. How could they do anything for God with so little? It’s kind of interesting that even though we live in a nation in which the church has had – and continues to have tremendous influence – we still wonder a similar thing. How could we do anything for God? If we even tried, we might lose whatever power or influence we have. We might end up being persecuted like our spiritual ancestors, the Ephesians, or worse: someone might unfriend or unfollow us. Many of the Ephesians have been abandoned by their families for following Jesus. The locals look down their noses at these so-called “Christians.” The Roman empire has been known to arrest and persecute these Jesus-followers. And yet, the Holy Spirit is capable of granting them – as well as you and me – an inner strength, not just to survive, but to be faithful. When John Calvin wrote about this passage almost 500 years ago, he was writing from an outnumbered and persecuted place, not unlike the Ephesians. Calvin wrote,

The prayer of Paul, that the saints may be strengthened, does not mean that they may be eminent and flourishing in the world, but that, with respect to the kingdom of God, their minds may be made strong by Divine power.[5]

“Look,” Calvin and Paul are saying, “you might not be the wealthiest or the most powerful person. You might not be a captain of industry, or a darling of the Washington lobbyists. You might not be building your own rocket to fly into space, or have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But God grants you and I the inner-fortitude to live the life God is calling us to live. This is a different way of life from the life the world has given you or what you may selfishly want for yourself. With Christ dwelling in your heart – ruling your heart – you and I are guided by a different set of priorities and expectations – rooted and grounded in the selfless and sacrificial love of Jesus.”

Friends, the love of God is the fertile soil in which we are planted and from which we are nourished so that we can bear fruit. Being “rooted and grounded” in love means that you and I have “taken root and have been fixed firmly”[6] in God’s love to the degree “that nothing will be able to shake us”[7] and we will continue to bear the fruit of God’s grace, no matter what hardships may come our way.

And so Paul prays in his prison cell that the church at Ephesus and all those who will ever read this letter (including you and me) may – no matter what hardships come – be granted the power to comprehend “what is the breadth and length and height and depth” (3:18) of the love of Christ. Just as an aside, when St. Augustine wrote about this passage, he said that the breadth and length and height and depth formed the shape of the cross of Jesus.[8] But really what Paul means, here, is that the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love is so great that no one can fully comprehend it – no one except the saints in heaven who see God face to face.

The real blessing that I see, here, is that even if we cannot fully comprehend the love of God in all its fullness, God is always granting us glimpses of amazing grace and using these glimpses – through whatever meager gifts we offer – to build up the kingdom of God. As Paul writes, “the One at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. . .” (3:20)

I don’t know how all of this makes you feel. Maybe, like me, there are times when you find yourself wondering if you can do anything right – that the Olympic highlight reel of your life would show more failure and struggle than triumph. And you feel that the only tears you might shed while watching it are because it could be so much better than it actually is. I am comforted, though, that God is able to take whatever little gift you and I have to give – five loaves and two fish, a quiet moment of prayer, a small word of encouragement, a song that we carry in our hearts, the gift of patience, the gift of our presence, the gift of kindness, the gift of peace – that God takes these small gifts and uses them to reveal just how great God’s love is.

God’s grace is worth it – especially to those who receive God’s gift through us. And maybe, if we can see and know that what little we have to offer is one small, but essential, part of the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s immeasurable grace, maybe we can feel all of the feels of the fullness of God’s love.

Friends, may you be strengthened in your heart and mind and soul with the fulness of God’s strength and love.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

-----------

[1] The letter was likely written by an associate of Paul – one of his followers.

[2] Paraphrased, JHS – Ephesians 3:1-12.

[3] Eugene Peterson, The Message: Numbered Edition (Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 2002) 1614. Ephesians 3:13.

[4] Paraphrased, JHS.

[5] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries – Vol. XXI (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009) 261.

[6] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) 736.

[7] Calvin, 263.

[8] Calvin, 263.

0 notes

0ssuary · 6 years

Text

Hello starbrights, it's time for a little housekeeping. A few things: I've recently made a Twitter account to focus on writing, you can follow me @river_quinn if you'd like. Currently I'm participating in the #LGBTWIP challenge, so there's little extra morsels of Ossuary stuff there. Also, I'm going to try to get onto a more regular posting schedule, ideally once a week, likely on weekends. You're welcome to hold me to this! Lastly, I also have a ko-fi account, so if you feel so inclined, you can support my work there. I'm really grateful to everyone who's on board already, you're all wonderful! I'm glad this world is drumming up some interest, and if there's a story snippet or some world-building that's stuck with you, maybe reblog it?Your followers might like it, too, and it would really help me out to have my work be seen in wider circles. I had a longer piece planned for this weekend, but it turned into a bigger project than I'd originally intended, so you'll be seeing that next Saturday, most likely. For now, enjoy another myth (Rho'ki's favorite, the one they carry a talisman of told in stitched motifs on a small kerchief, embroidered by Feana), and a collection of short introductions of some minor characters I'm excited to flesh out.

When Yotri was young, all ocean and sky, the Mother of Creation thrust Her hands into the waters and drew up the land, letting it draw its first breath. She sculpted the mountains and carved out canyons, smoothed the plains and caressed into being the rolling hills. The God of Passion, Her Shining Light, cast golden rays down onto the soil and flowers sprang up to turn their faces to Him, moss and grass covering stone and dirt and blanketing the land. Together, They planted the world and began to birth small creatures into it. Inspired, the Creatrix bent down and kissed the ground, and a forest of saplings pushed their way up into the Light.

Slowly, they grew together, roots entwined, stretching upwards, and when they were thirsty the Mother sent them rain. When the sun shone too brightly, She shaded them with clouds. At night, they rested under glittering stars and watched the moons change, watched bright colorful plumes of star births blossoming in the dark Cosmos, and as the forest grew taller, it fell in love with the sky. They reached higher and higher towards the clouds and stars, feeling kissed by the rain, embraced by the wind, graced by the night's shimmering darkness, but no matter how high they reached, they could not touch the sky.

Crestfallen, the leaves began to droop and lose their color. The trunks and branches no longer swayed in the wind, only a cruel reminder of their unattainable love. Feeling their sadness, the Divine Lovers plucked out tufts from the clouds and made from them a flock of white birds. The birds could soar through the sky and roost in the trees, and the forest knew they were of the sky. The leaves became green again and flowers bloomed, bearing fruit. When the birds ate the forest's fruit, their white feathers turned into bright floral colors, and they carried the hues back up into the sky like a love note.

Mesmerized by the colors, the sky fell in love, too. It no longer needed the Mother's prompting to nourish the forest with rain, or cloak it in fog, or shade it with clouds. It did so out of adoration, showering its affection down onto leaves and branches, soaked up into the roots to help the trees grow taller and taller, never quite touching the sky, but coming ever closer so that they might admire one another, sending their love back and forth through rain and birds.

When the clouds break after a storm and are painted jewel- bright hues like a field of flowers, that is their love story.

minor characters

Vamman Khi - She is the temple mother and spiritual leader of Handien, a former head priestess of the Mother of Creation. She’s a portly trans woman in her late sixties that gives off intense high school art teacher vibes; commanding and intense when she needs to be, which is more often than she’d like, but soft and gentle and kind, with an exuberant streak that keeps spirits lifted. The younger priests and dedicants are like her children, and quite a few of them were orphans of Rho’ki’s generation that she looked after as a priestess; she’s watched them grow up and choose to remain with the temple and take their vows, and it makes her feel like a proud mom. She is the only person besides Feana who is allowed to hug Rho’ki without asking. It isn’t uncommon for priests to be nude in the temple (there’s significance to it in terms of vulnerability and celebrating the physical body as sacred creation, but it’s also very hot in Handien for most of the year), and Vamman Khi is nude almost always, whether she’s in the temple or not, leaving nothing about her body to the imagination. She is castrated, has breasts, and still has her penis, she’s fine with it. Being trans (or queer, for that matter) isn’t a big deal for Mahai folk, they recognize five main genders along a spectrum (and are open to more if a person does not feel they fit neatly within these) so Vamman’s body on display doesn’t raise so much as an eyebrow. She is beloved, especially by the devout, and a major influential power in the community, which she does not take lightly. Rho’ki and a lot of the other priests around their age or younger call her Mama.

Draea - A priestess of the God of Passion, Draea is from a large modern city on the other side of Mahai, but came to train in Handien and fell in love with the community, asking to stay. She had just been ordained when Rho’ki returned home and they had beds next to each other in the dormitories and quickly became friends. She is a cis woman, very petite with short cropped hair and traditional tattoos of her order on her forearms and hands. She is one of the priests who performs sacred healing and pleasure, which can range from cuddle sessions with talk therapy, to hands-on sex education, to sex in general. There are many different facets of the Passion Order and sex is not required of priests (it’s in fact a very strict and respected realm of practice with a huge emphasis on consent and awareness), but the God of Passion does tend to attract a lot of pan hyper-sexual extroverts into the order. Draea is quick-witted and assertive and a loyal friend. People who go into training for priesthood intending to dedicate themselves to the Passion God have a high turnover rate for not making it to ordination for a whole host of reasons, and those who make it to their vows are often the most devout of any of the priest orders. Draea deeply loves her god and sees her work as an important part of serving the community and spreading His joy. There’s a really delicate balance between treating sex and intimacy with respect and not trivializing it as a passing pleasure, but also not discounting that that pleasure is sacred and a gift to be enjoyed for what it is. Draea played a big part in helping Rho’ki let go of the resentment and distrust they had for the God of Passion and His followers and understanding what He is really about, rather than the warped ideas they had been manipulated with in the Qores temple.

Eridae - A young priestess-in-training, Eridae is shy and quiet and sweet and has become like a little shadow to Rho’ki. She is sixteen and trans and looks up to Rho’ki as an ideal of what a priest should be. Though she doesn’t feel called to They Who Is Between, her year studying Their realm is her favorite so far simply because it means getting to be taught by and work with Rho’ki. She comes to them for advice and guidance and wants to make them proud. She also has an enormous crush on a boy that sells bread in the market and is too shy to speak to him.

Moireina - Mahaji tradition is not closed only to Mahai folk, but it is uncommon for non-Mahai to follow their path, and rarer still for them to pursue priesthood. Moireina is Skanan, nonbinary, and a priestess of the Mother of Creation. She is disfigured (Crouzon syndrome) and deaf and the primary caretaker of the temple’s rooftop garden. There was some stigma both about her ethnicity/nationality and her appearance when she first came to Handien, but regulars of the temple got to know her quickly and she’s a favorite for spells involving luck and prosperity. She and Rho’ki often have lunch together in the temple cafeteria and trade herbs, seeds, and gardening tips. Because Handien’s temple is one of the oldest and largest in use, it is a minor tourist destination for non-Mahaji folk, and Moireina sometimes finds herself having to be the translator to tell curious Skanans admiring the architecture to take their damn shoes off and be respectful.

Dova Qersho - Qersho (his first name is irrelevant (dova is his title) because literally no one feels comfortable being informal enough with him to use it) is the elder priest of They Who Is Between. He’s trans and in his early eighties and is very no-nonsense. He walks with a cane and has slowly evolved in my mind to looking very much like Srila Prabhupada. In his old age, he leaves a lot of the presiding and counseling to the younger priests and focuses on the more mystical and esoteric parts of priesthood, though he is the one to give the final prayer at every tomb interment. He and Rho’ki have a great deal of respect for one another, Rho’ki is his chosen successor for dova after he has passed on, but their personalities are just similar enough that they clash and they don’t actually get along. They have virtually no personal relationship, only a working one, but for Rho’ki this is a benefit, as they never doubt if his faith in them is biased and knows it is based on merit, alone.

Handien is getting more populated by the minute in my head, but these five are currently the most prominent outside of Feana and Rho’ki. There will especially be a good deal more of Draea in backstory very soon!

#fiction #world building #writing #queer characters #trans characters #mythology #witch fiction #info dump

5 notes · View notes

mattspinksjoyblog · 3 years

Text

The IN HIM Reality!

Life truly can be all joy, overcoming joy! Thriving is absolutely normal, once we behold the Truth, the actual Truth of Jesus.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges, trials, or troubles. Surely there are. Yet, James reminds us in the beginning of his book to “consider it all joy!” When we test gold, it only proves it to be gold all the more!

And, that is what we have! Pure gold! That is who we are, IN HIM!

Personally, I remember years of riding the roller coaster of human emotions, of spiritual breakthrough, then spiritual struggle, of difficult seasons then better seasons, of clarity then confusion, et cetera, et cetera, and up and down. But, the reason I continue to minister NOW is because something happened to me! I found out the roller coaster was over. My journey found it’s “Telos.” There is a steady and stable ecstatic JOY that comes from seeing the implications of the Person of Jesus, and what He’s done, once and for all!

Most Christians grew up knowing that “Jesus” is always the correct Sunday school answer. But, we very rarely realized much of the actual implications of being experientially in Him.

I thank God that there are beginning to be more and more folks waking up to the IN HIM reality!

I use that phrase specifically because it is specifically knowing the Person of Jesus as my new reality that changed everything. Jesus Himself is the new creation! He is the cosmos reborn! Jesus is the whole new world where heaven and earth are inseparably united forever.

Knowing Jesus as God is integral. Knowing Jesus as man is mind blowing. Knowing Him as the One Reality that fully defines the truth of all of God AND all of humanity is THE mystic truth that really transforms.

Why?

What are some of the implications of Jesus?

A. We don’t just have “our own personal relationship” with God. We all are in Jesus’ personal relationship with the Trinity! Our intimacy with God is always flawlessly intimate and one at all times. We can’t get any closer with God, we can’t get any further away.

B. We have the gift of His mind, will, emotions inside of us giving us a stable reference of the highest thoughts, emotions, and desires to experience from within, as our own! I am no longer a victim to my limited emotional ability or perspective regarding any situation. I can see, feel, think, and desire like Jesus in any given moment.

C. Every spiritual blessing that Jesus has is ours! Every spiritual curse or hindrance no longer applies, because they don’t apply to Him. We have all spiritual power and authority within us.

D. We have Jesus’ ability to avoid sin, and walk in pure child-like innocence.

E. We have the resurrection health and life of Jesus in our bodies.

An infinite number of books could be written about the implications of this IN CHRIST reality. It is truly a whole new world, where the things that we thought defined us or limited us before, no longer apply.

I continue to search for new language to describe the Glory of what it means that we are IN CHRIST, and that He is in us!

I am thankful for the work of those who have been expounding on the understanding of Jesus Christ, the Vicarious Man! This is another way of saying the In Christ reality. Jesus as our vicarious man became the One in whom we live through. Not in a way where our life and personality don’t count. But, in a way where we get to come most fully alive by participating in His life. It’s certainly a mystical reality! His experiences are what’s most true about us. His birth was our birth. His death was our death. His resurrection was our resurrection. The truth about Him is what is true.

Coming In the Name of Jesus

This is what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. This is what it means to live in the name of Jesus. We are no longer approaching anyone simply by our own life experiences, or in our own abilities, or in our own anything. We have everything that is true about Him carried with us, in us, and ultimately defining us!

When we are awake to this, everything changes. This is where all of reality bends, and we have whatever we ask, or even whatever we speak, because we are not coming in our own ego, but wholly living by the Presence of the Person whose life defines us now.

Living life in His name causes sin to have no appeal to us. Love is our first nature. We get to live just as He does! Heaven on earth!!!

First of all we need to know that this is something objectively true, not dependent upon us to make it true. When we see that God became man, i.e. all of humanity, we are empowered to walk like Jesus consistently.

The discouraging, unreliable roller coaster of life is over, and we are able to walk as He walked by no efforts of our own!!!

This is why we preach the truth, and will continue to say it in many different ways, until all wake up, and to keep ourselves reminded!

One of my favorite revelators of this reality, Norman Grubb, used to say that he believed Galatians 2:20 was the apostle Paul’s chief revelation. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This doesn’t remove you, or your personality, no! It’s gives you a higher reference point than yourself, and removes the false broken self that you had thought was truly you.

In Christ, we are whole, complete, powerful, filled with over flowing love, joy, peace, patience, and all the fruits of the Spirit. In Christ we are dead to sin and alive to God. In Christ we have perfect eternal intimacy. We hear God just as well as Jesus hears God. We are fully human and able to enjoy the natural world, just as Jesus is.

What else do you know to be true about the In Christ world? There are so many implications! Much more than we could say in a simple blog post! Enjoy God’s completely new reality, IN HIM!

1 John 4:17 - Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

2Cor 5:14-17 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (15) And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (16) Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Col 2:9-15 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (10) and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Eph 1:3-10 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (5) he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

- Matt

✝❤🍷👪🥳

#in christ #in him #new creation #reality #torrance brothers #spinks

0 notes

rabbitcruiser · 4 years

Photo

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and it is also celebrated as a non religious cultural holiday. It is a public holiday in many countries, and is celebrated in some countries where there is not a large Christian population. It takes place after Advent and the Nativity Fast, and begins Christmastide, or the Twelve Days of Christmas. The name of the holiday is shortened from "Christ's mass," and throughout history the day has been known as "midwinter," "Nativity," "Yule," and "Noel."

The New Testament gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem, in Judea. Luke's account tells of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem from Nazareth for a census, and Jesus being born in a stable and being laid in a manger. According to this account, angels proclaimed him as the savior, and shepherds came to visit him. Matthew's account tells the story of the magi following a star in the sky and bringing Jesus gifts.

The month and date of Jesus' birth is unknown, but the Western Christian Church placed it as December 25 by at least 336 CE, when the first Christmas celebration was recorded, in Rome. This date later became adopted by Eastern churches at the end of the fourth century. Some Eastern churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the Julian calendar, which is January 7. The date of December 25 may have been chosen for a few reasons. This is the day that the Romans marked as the winter solstice, the day when the Sun would begin remaining longer in the sky. Jesus also was sometimes identified with the Sun. The Romans had other pagan festivals during the end of the year as well. December 25 also may have been chosen because it is about nine months after the date commemorating the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Puritans saw the day as being connected to drunkenness and misbehavior, and banned it in the seventeenth century. But, Anglican and Catholic churches promoted it at the time. Following the Protestant Reformation, many new denominations continued celebrating Christmas, but some radical Protestant groups did not celebrate it. In Colonial America, Pilgrims were opposed to the holiday, and it wasn't until the mid nineteenth century that the Boston area fully embraced the holiday. But, the holiday was freely practiced in Virginia and New York during colonial times. Following the Revolution it fell out of favor in the United States to some extent, as it was seen as being an English custom.

Around the world there was a revival of Christmas celebrations in the early nineteenth century, after it took on a more family oriented, and children centered theme. A contributing factor to this was Charles Dickens' publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843. His novel highlighted themes of compassion, goodwill, and family. Seasonal food and drink, family gatherings, dancing, games, and a festive generosity of spirit all are part of Christmas celebrations today, and were part of Dickens' novel. Even the phrase "Merry Christmas" became popularized by the story.

In the United States, several of Washington Irving's short stories in the 1820s helped revive Christmas, as did A Visit From St. Nicholas. This poem helped to popularize the exchanging of gifts, and helped Christmas shopping take on an economic importance. It was after this that there began to be a conflict between the spiritual and commercial aspects of Christmas as well. By the 1850s and 1860s, the holiday became more widely celebrated in the United States, and Puritan resistance began to shift to acceptance. By 1860, fourteen states had adopted Christmas as a legal holiday. On June 28, 1870, it became a federal holiday in the United States.

Christmas cards are another important part of Christmas, and are exchanged between family and friends in the lead up to the day. The first commercial Christmas cards were printed in 1843—the same year as the printing of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In 1875 the first commercial Christmas cards made their debut in the United States. Today both religious and secular artwork adorns the cards.

Music has long been a part of Christmas. The first Christmas hymns came about in fourth century Rome. By the thirteenth century, countries like France, Germany, and Italy had developed Christmas songs in their native language. Songs that became known as carols were originally communal folk songs, and were sung during celebrations such as "harvest tide" as well as Christmas, and began being sung in church. The singing of Christmas songs went into some decline during the Reformation. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" came about in the eighteenth century, and "Silent Night" was composed in 1818. Christmas carols were revived with William Sandy's Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern in 1833, which included some of the first appearances of "The First Noel," "I Saw Three Ships," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." Secular Christmas songs began to come about in the late eighteenth century. "Deck the Halls" was written in 1784, and "Jingle Bells" was written in 1857. Many secular Christmas songs were produced in the 20th century, in jazz, blues, country, and rock and roll variations: Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" was popularized by Bing Crosby; "Jingle Bell Rock" was sung by Bobby Helms; Brenda Lee did a version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree;" "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was recorded by Gene Autry. Elvis Presley also put out a Christmas album.

Christmas Day, also known as Christmas, is being observed today! It has always been observed annually on December 25th.

There are an innumerable amount of ways that you could celebrate Christmas:

attend a church service or read the gospel Christmas accounts

watch a Christmas film

listen to Christmas music

complete an Advent calendar or wreath

give gifts

view a Nativity play

watch a Christmas parade

visit family or friends

visit Santa Claus

read books such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas! or A Christmas Carol

light a Christingle

view Christmas decorations

go Christmas caroling

make Christmas cookies or other foods associated with the holiday

Source

1 note · View note

quentaleardanomion · 6 years

Text

Religion in Middle-earth (Part 2)

Having discussed the Elves and their ideas about religion, I will now turn to the other races. This will be a more straightforward, and also speculative discussion, and I will divide it into sections by peoples: the Atani, the Drúedain, and briefly other miscellaneous peoples. This is part 2 of a series. (Part 1 / Part 3)

The Atani

We are given very little information about the culture of the three houses of the Atani. Indeed, we see most of their story from snippets caught in the glimpses of the Elven chronicles of the first age. Our most valuable resource in this discussion will definitely be the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth.

Andreth is of the people of Bëor, who are said to be speakers of the same tongue as the people of Marach. In ages past they dwelt by the Sea of Rhûn together, and had concourse, and marched west together, the people of Bëor leading the way. Andreth says of the philosophy of Men:

Yet among my people, from Wise unto Wise out of the darkness, comes the voice saying that Men are not now as they were, nor as their true nature was in their beginning. And clearer still is this said by the Wise of the People of Marach, who have preserved in memory a name for Him that ye call Eru, though in my folk He was almost forgotten. So I learn from Adanel. They say plainly that Men are not by nature short-lived, but have become so through the malice of the Lord of the Darkness whom they do not name.

She claims that the wise men and women of their peoples believe that Men were not always destined for death, and were once like the Elves in body, designed to be immortal on earth and beyond it. Finrod and she have a debate about the veracity of this belief and the particulars, and arrive at a more modified conclusion: that if they were thus in the beginning, they must have been made mortal by an act of Eru, whom all the Atani acknowledge. Andreth plainly has some lore as to what Men may have done, but says she will not speak of it to those of other race.

She and Finrod discuss the ideas of fëar and hröar, and find their beliefs much in accordance. She says that they received instruction from the Avari, who spoke much as Finrod did, and that her own peoples’ lore agreed: that they were a union of body and soul, and were the special children of the Creator. However, she speaks with scorn of the Valar:

'Do you think that none know save yourselves?' said Finrod at last. 'Do not the Valar know?'

Andreth looked up and her eyes darkened. 'The Valar?' she said. 'How should I know, or any Man? Your Valar do not trouble us—either with care or with instruction. They sent no summons to us.'

From this we can glean that the Atani, although ultimately those who reject Melkor, do not feel loyalty or devotion to the Valar in any particular way. However, the Valaquenta says of the Valar that ‘Men have called them gods,’ which seems to imply that Men have worshipped them in some capacity in certain places. This may be through the instruction of the Avari, who knew of the Valar from the arrival of Oromë, but never saw them or their land. The tales of these ‘gods’ may have spread in Mannish cultures and inspired similar deities, but of this we know no more than this.

Andreth seems to say throughout the Athrabeth that the Men of the Atani do not practice any religion, feeling themselves rejected by their Creator because of some undisclosed transgression in their past, but at the same time rejecting the deific lordship of Melkor or the regency of the Valar. This paints a picture of a very bleak outlook on life for the Atani, although Andreth hints that the people of Marach hold out a more hopeful view:

'A few,' she said; 'but their number has grown since we came to this land, and they see that the Nameless can (as they think) be deﬁed. Yet that is no good reason. To defy him does not undo his work of old. And if the valor of the Eldar fails here, then their despair will be deeper. For it was not on the might of Men, or of any of the peoples of Arda, that the old hope was grounded.'

'What then was this hope, if you know?' Finrod asked. 'They say,' answered Andreth: 'they say that the One will himself enter into Arda, and heal Men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end. This they say also, or they feign, is a rumor that has come down through years uncounted, even from the days of our undoing.'

To be fair, she does not ascribe this view exclusively to the people of Marach, but says earlier that they have more clear legends about Eru and their relationship to him (more on that later). This is the most religious of the sentiments we are ever shown by the Edain in Beleriand in the First Age: ‘Those of the Old Hope.’ This bears very strong parallels to Jewish tradition of the promised Messiah, although with the explicit Christian twist of the seeming Incarnation or at least the special entrance of God into the Creation (Finrod extrapolates more, and Tolkien discusses this in more detail in his Commentary).

Andreth present the people of Bëor overall as being less religious than the people of Marach, and less concerned with metaphysics in general. Theirs is a practical concern: survival. Marach’s people, being more numerous and more domestic, also harbor the most developed legends and stories of their Fall, and their relation with the Divine. Indeed, in the Commentary we are given an ‘alternate form’ of the Athrabeth where Andreth tells Finrod the legend of the fall, saying she learned it from Adanel of the people of Marach. However, Tolkien himself concludes that this was written much later, indeed saying it was written (or at least edited) under Númenórean influence. However, he concludes that it was drawn from the lore of the people of Marach, who made up the majority of Númenórean peoples, and who contributed the most non-Elvish cultural traditions.

In this Tale of Adanel’ we learn that in the beginning Eru created Men in his image, and they walked with him and heard his Voice in their hearts, and they lived and grew under the new Sun. But then came one in fair guise who won their hearts and admiration with fair gifts and great knowledge, and who began to teach them and govern them. As time went on, he became more lordly and more commanding; more cruel and more jealous. He told them that the Voice they heard was the voice of the Dark, and that they must worship him so that he would deliver them from the Dark. They then turned from the Voice and worshipped him, offering sacrifice to him in his temple upon his chosen mountain. But they heard the Voice one more time, saying that they had rejected him, and that they would reap the fruits of their rejection. Death began to enter the world, and then they perceived that the cruel lord would not defend them from the Dark, because he was the lord thereof. Then many repented of their folly, and fled the lands of the awakening of Men, heading west, towards where they had seen the Sun rise in their beginning. Thus the Edain came to Beleriand, and there found the Lord of the Dark before them, in his true guise as Melkor.

This provides a basis for the hinted darkness in the past of Men, and a story of their Fall. It contains a clear knowledge of Eru, Melkor, and the belief in the origin of the mortality of Men. However, beyond what is hinted, we can know no more of the religious beliefs of Men.

In the Narn i-Chîn Húrin, Túrin asks Sador about the darkness in the past of Men, but is refused the knowledge. This shows that even among the people of Marach, these beliefs were not discussed or widely known. It seems that they were the province of the Wise-women of the Atani to guard these stories, to keep them in memory, but not in the general mind of the people. In this way, they may be counted as ‘priestesses’ but only in a very loose definition of the word, as there seems to have been no religious ceremony, preaching, or any other function of religion in the society of the Atani.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Haladin were a different people, and although generally of the same origin as the others, did not share a common language or societal structure. We know nothing about them, save that they were a proud and lordly people, who believed in the power of the individual and the reliance on one’s own strength. They had bards, as we learn in The Wanderings of Húrin, and some had the ability of prophecy, but whether they functioned like Nordic skalds or had a more religious vein beyond that is not known. In addition, whether or not the bards were a universal feature in Atani society is unknown.

The Drúedain

The Drúedain (and by extension the Púkel men, Dunlendings, Men of the Mountains, and the Woses) were a unique branch of the Atani. They clearly left Hildórien along with the others of the repentant after the beginning of Death, but many of their branches never came to Beleriand. They had very complex spiritual knowledge, and apparently excellent control of their fëa (as they had the ability to control stone figures which they carved and imbued with their own essence). This practice of golem-making is not unique to the Drúedain, as the Púkel men also created stone figures with spirits of watchfulness.

We are given no stories of their beliefs or religious practices, due mainly to their isolationist nature and the rarity of their concourse with other people (with the notable exception of Brethil and the Drúedain and the Haladin). Ghân-buri-ghân and his people describe a hatred of Orcs, and they seem to use drums (although whether in ritual or simply practical use is unknown). Sadly, beyond this there is not much we can know about the Drúedain, except that they rejected Melkor and hated him and his people.

Other Races

I have not included a discussion of the Easterlings, Southrons, Variags, etc. simply because we know nothing about them beyond the fact that they might be descended from the people who worshiped Melkor long ago, and so their religions may be as varied as the imagination could conceive. Sauron is also said to be a god-king to many of them, but that’s as much as we know. As for the Dwarves, we know that they revered Aulë (whom they called Mahal) as their maker and had some ideas about the Apocalypse, but beyond that we have no idea. Whether they acknowledged the other Valar, or Eru, is unknown, although the legend of the Dwarves’ creation given in the Silmarillion is said to come from Pengolodh’s discussions with the Dwarves, so it would seem that they do acknowledge Eru and the other Valar. The Dwarves are said many times to be mostly concerned with themselves, however, and I doubt that they would have been devoted to other Valar beyond Aulë. The Orcs worship Melkor or Sauron in some capacity, although what this means practically is not clear.

#arda #middle-earth #meta #religion #dwarves #paganism

13 notes · View notes