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thepassionatelady · 2 years

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Lore Olympus Theory 201 (SPOILERS)

I do not own any of the characters of Lore Olympus. These bullets are my opinions and based on what I think will happen. Thank you!

* As we dive into this week's episode, we see the wonderful Persephone as she argues with Zeus that if he needs sorrow, he will stay. Yet, Zeus argues that he must inspect Tartarus and see what is happening. My theory is that when he gets there, Kronos has got to be waiting for Zeus to show up with Persephone to hand her over or “control” Zeus in some way.

* Then after they argue, Zeus says he will take her back to the Mortal Realm, and I am so happy Persephone stood up for herself and said no!! Like yes, queen! Take over your realm and claim that throne! Zeus mentions that Persephone is a liability because Kronos wants to eat her/want her powers, so Zeus is trying to be an excellent brother-in-law to defend Persephone by going with her as they explore the unknown of this new Underworld! I feel the more they investigate, the more shit the whole situation is.

* As the bitter and argue more, Persephone ask if Zeus knew how to get to Tartarus and even suggests an offering. Zeus is like, what, offering? (Like major freaking out, LOL). Then Persephone defends herself by saying he doesn’t know anything ABOUT THE UNDERWORLD. Like for a King of the Gods, he really should know how each realm works!

* When they reach Hades’s office, they see Hecate under Kronos's spell because you can tell the long black hair and long claw hands. I love how both of them agree not to approach Hecate because they both know they will be fucked up if they try to challenge her. In Greek mythology, Hecate is one of the most potent goddesses, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they tried to avoid her as possible! (I wish Hecate would have been the person guarding Hades, but now that I look at it, I am so happy Rachel decided to put Hecate and Hermes under Kronos's spell). That leaves me with another theory if Hecate and Hermes are under a spell, then what about Hades? How bad is the damage? Will Zeus and Persephone try to stop Hades and wake him up? I want to see the showdown between Zeus and Persephone versus Evil Hades/Kronos and see our beautiful soon-to-be Queen help rescue her king like he did when she went into Hyper-nation!

* As they explore more and more, Persephone asks Zeus when was the last time he saw Hades. Zeus mentions a few meetings, but each time Hades pulls further and further away. Then he openly said I offered him a bride, yet he declined. Persephone was like you kidding me? Really? To Zeus. The bride was Leuce. In Greek mythological, Leuce was a lover of Hade's, but I can’t remember the whole tale. I am so happy that Rachel included Leuce and the many other “small details” of Greek Mythological and how it plays in modern times. It makes the series more interesting! When Leuce and Hades interact, Hades defends Persephone and declines Zeus's offer. Hades wanted Persephone to be his queen. He mentions this in the conversation between Leuce and Zeus.

* ONLY 👏A 👏MAN 👏WITH 👏NO 👏UNDERSTANDING 👏OF 👏LOYALTY 👏WOULD 👏THINK 👏THIS 👏IS 👏A 👏GOOD 👏IDEA👏 >> I love when Hades screams this saying towards Zeus. He is telling Zeus that he should wake up, love Hera, stop cheating, and get him Persephone. Hades understands true love; he is trying to teach that to Zeus! 👏YOU 👏CAN’T 👏JUST 👏REPLACE 👏HER👏Another point of him telling Zeus that true love is real and he should start treating Hera. This goes back to the relationship of Hades and Persephone from day one, how they fight, how they argue, and how they fall in love repeatedly. More reasons why we need to find Hades!!

* Hades finally said he wouldn’t have any more negotiations or meetings with Zeus unless he had Persephone by his side. I love that so much and how he defends Persephone repeatedly. My theory is that when they find hades, I believe Persephone will pull what Hades did when she was in the hyper nation back a few episodes (when everyone found out what she did and it was on the news). Or Persephone will saved Hades by being vulnerable or authentic true love’s kiss to keep him. I am so excited for that episode!!

* We see a new character popping in the window and catching Zeus and Persephone walking/talking. My theory is Hypnos, God of Sleep. He is the twin brother of Thanatos, but maybe there is more to it with Rachel 🧐? My gut feeling is that he is the reason why the citizens and (perhaps) gods under the sleeping spell not only to protect them from Kronos but to probably save the realm from chaos.

* Then we see Persephone talking to Zeus, saying she loves the devotion, but the idea of being lonely is crushing. Hades wants to be with you and only you, Persephone! Then Zeus doesn’t understand why they love each other due to the time limit they had with each other. He goes on to about risking more wrath from him to see Hades. Yet we see/read the truth of why Persephone decided to go and see what was going on in the underworld (not that she confesses her feelings about hades) but telling Zeus why she wanted to see hades. The idea of helping Hades how he helped her over and over again! She wants to be there for him like he was for her.

* Then she asks Zeus why he won’t let her be with Hades in the first place. She goes over all the reasons why she wanted to be with Hades. Then Zeus said I advise him to marry you, but in the first few episodes, Hades wanted Persephone to love him instead of forcing her to love him. As we see their relationship/story grows and unfolds, the more I want to see them together again!!

* Zeus then again asks whether Persephone gets tired of hades and moves on? (hinting at the many relationships with Zeus). Bragging about her fertility goddess powers and how someone like Apollo might overthrow Zeus. Then Persephone ends that quickly because we all know what happens with Apollo. How he raped her, used her, and gaslighted her. Rude!

* Then the episode ends with Hypnos freaking out, making Persephone freak out. Why do you think they are freaking out again? Maybe Kronos? Who is trying to control the Underworld? Perhaps Hades is in deep trouble than we thought? Maybe to get some more power to help defeat Kronos once and for all? All of these are my theories!

* SIDE NOTE: When Kronos versus modern gods/goddesses comes down to it (the showdown). My theory is Persephone is probably going to consume his powers, and she might become evil. Not really Kronos controlling her evil, but a new form of Persephone is born, and maybe she might be the new villain? (again, one of my theories).

#lo hades #lo hermes #lo persephone #lo theory #lo zeus #lore olympus #lore olympus hades #lore olympus persephone #lore olympus season 2 #lore olympus theory

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uthseikoashx-inflamedme · 3 years

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Summer of 1899 fanfictions: with Philosophy, ancient Greek and Latin, foreign languages and a bit of Literature

(note: by “Summer of 1899 fanfictions”, I refer to the summer of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald’s meeting as teenagers)

(note: I am not a native speaker, so I apologise for the mistakes, inaccuracies, truly bad use of tenses and wrong phrases. I hope it won’t be too unpleasant. Let me know if something is really not understandable!)

What about philosphy, Latin, etc, but in 1899 fanfictions? (dark academia vibes, I know)

There are already quite a lot of fanfics about it but not enough - because it's so great, let me detail why it is (and expose my headcanons)

(the [1] and [2] are notes, check the end of the post to read them)

(tiny disclaimer: i am not at all an advanced scholar on any of the following topics, just studying that kind of subjects and loving to draw parallels with hp. i hope i won’t say too many wrong things, etc.)

Philosophy :

Moral philosophy

The theories and questions throughout the history of moral philosophy (as far as I know) fit so well with the concerns of our revolutionary boys.

Is there any moral duty? Knowing wizards and witches could solve an amount of muggles' problems, is this immoral for them to stay in the shadows? What about the means of the revolution - is this ok to kill for the Greater Good, to initiate injuries, doom and destruction to build a better world, which cost is acceptable? What about consequentialism, utilitarianism, moral of virtue, deontological philosophy, idk? What's good? What's fair?

More touchy question: the maj-people are able to perform marvellous things, so are they consequently more important than maj-people? Because of their capacities, should they be praised - considered as superior beings - as gods? But if yes, should they treat muggles differently than they would treat wizards? If wizards shouldn’t be considered as superior beings, are they equal to muggles anyway?

And what about the Hallows - is this moral to possess them, considering they mirror Gyges’ ring? Should Albus and Gellet keep them for themselves, use them for the Greater Good (yes they want to, it’s clearly exposed in DH)? Is the Quest important enough to justify sacrifices?

Also, what about Aristotle’s virtue system - being moderate and all, use our reason to be in the middle? Because I’m sure as hell Albus and even more Gellert would reject this idea: isn’t it a form of passivism? (no, but through their pov and situation, they might think that)

(by the way they both read passages of Bentham's and Mill's and Kant's and Plato's and Aristotle's books nobody can convince me otherwise)

(I never read Nietzsche’s extracts and haven’t even merely a define idea of his theories to be honest, except for a few uncertain glimpses of his philosophy - he disagrees with religious morality and is quite vehement about it, and praises an idea of a free human being, released from this moral of the weaks. And as far as I know, I’m pretty sure Gellert would agree with him.)

Political philosophy

I do have a headcanon: Albus and Gellert both read the Republic of Plato (initially because it’s well-known and they didn’t want to be ignorant about it and they surprised themselves being enthralled by Socrates reflexions) ; and quite a lot of their discussions about a perfect society instituted by themselves (and about what’s fair and what’s good) were underpinned by the book.

Is this ok to rule the world? Which system is the best - tyranny, democracy, oligarchy? Are the wizards just like the philosophers and, thus, are righteously meant to be the aristocrats at the top of the government? And are all the wizards as legitimate as Albus and Gellert to rule the world (no)? What’s the acceptable extent of power they should have on civilians? What’s the necessary authority they must be allowed to have on civilians? What about the freedom of the press, of speech (those themes are explored in the Republic and well-), of maj-people and non-maj-people?

Philosophy of desire, joy, pleasure, beauty, etc

Have you ever heard of Plato? (sorry, again, yes.) Well in several Socrates’ dialogs, themes of love and desire are developed (I particularly think about the Symposium) and Albus and Gellert could be convinced by it: the praise of relationships between men, of intellect, of beauty… but also by the myth of Aristophanes (people are halves and search their soulmate (more or less)). Besides, I’ll be quite curious about what Albus and Gellert may say about Alcibiades’ eulogy of Socrates and what they may think of their dynamics.

(long story short, Alcibiades is young and handsome and desires the ugly Socrates, is fascinated by his intellect and considers him as the most interessant man he knows, and can’t help but feeling inferior facing him and being deeply humiliated because Socrates rejects him (on top of that, Alcibiades is drunk and jealous - the parallels to draw between them and our revolutionary boys are bloody interesting but back to the point))

Also, I totally see Albus and Gellert as hedonists during their youth - justifying their immoral and unwise chase of pleasure and complaisance by an artificial sentiment of moderation, temperance, so not true hedonists, like they are not epicurean at all - and this is again something quite compelling, I must admit.

Ancient Greek and Latin :

Latin and ancient Greek at Hogwarts

Throughout the 19th century, the civilizations of antiquity increasingly fascinated the intellectuals - a phantasm around the topic grew and influenced artists and erudite persons, and was furthermore a mark of the cultural capital and level of education of somebody.

Although we haven’t any clue about the fact that Hogwarts changed the disciplines provided through the centuries, we know it is possible : Dumbledore himself almost dismissed divination studies and depending the demands of the students, 7th years can study alchemy (most likely thanks a teaching offered by Dumbledore himself).

And I do have the headcanon that Hogwarts was in the past not that far from studies dispensed in english colleges - or at least, proposed classes of British (magic) Literature, maybe Law (like an elitist subject but necessary to enter in the Ministry and consequently pure-blood kids are always following that course) and, of course, ancient Greek and Latin classes.

And it was necessary, because Latin is the language of spells and most of the magical essays written back in antiquity were in ancient Greek - furthermore, the more complex, ancient and ruthless spells and rituals were based on ancient Greek and not on Latin, more used in everyday, ordinary, common magic (it is again an hc).

(by the way, Arabic and Hebrew could be as well considered as ancient languages used in magic (again an headcanon, but it would underline how magic is complex and has multiple forms and is not just European-centred), but I have the slight feeling that the ideologies and culture of European countries combined with xenophobia and racism have excluded the study of those languages even though they are also vital in the history of magic you know)

Yes it’s based on nothing, but it would be so great and ask so many things about the Wizarding World back in the late 19th and early 20th century - especially about social and political struggle between the population - pure-blood families vs muggle born students, etc [1]. (And it would satisfy my dark academia aesthetic. But quite irrelevant here.)

What about Albus and Gellert then?

Durmstrang could also dispense Latin of Ancient Greek class, in my opinion, but I think (again, imo), it is a bit unlikely. But it does not change the fact that Gellert had always been attracted to Dark magic; so he could have learned the basis by himself in order to decipher ancient Dark ceremonies, etc.

That’s why I think both of them had learnt ancient languages. Maybe Albus took an interest in Celtic dialects (Merlin’s language?), and Gellert was familiar with Vicking Runes. It obviously helped them regarding a lot of their magical and academic performances. Indeed, the boys were able to understand old papers about the Hollows, but also ancient rituals, etc. And thus, had a wide access to a more dangerous, unstable, raw and primeral practice of magic: it was not like the average spells in Latin, but an intricate way to unleash their potential [2].

Besides, only few people - erudites - were as interested as the boys were in these old ways to use magic, and needless to say that neither of those persons were as powerful as Albus and Gellert were. Furthermore, the boys were able to keep a balance between the complexity of the enchantments and the instincts they both have regarding the expression of their magic. They accordingly thought of being more powerful than everybody else.

Foreign languages :

The languages in the schools

It is clear that Hogwarts is exclusively Anglophone. The school is quite small: 40 students per year, so 280 students in all, coming from Great Britain - England, Ireland, Scotland, Yales, so the isles. We could also think that the wizardkind living in the CommonWealth during the colonial age also studied in Hogwarts. (again a hc, but Henry Potter and his son Fleamont were both born in India, fight me)

Durmstrang, on the other hand, could host quite more nationalities. I imagine the school having three main languages: German, French and English. But in fact, English and French are more “officials”, used by administration and in some classes (French was quite important at the time, right? then it was English?). So the students most likely speak between them in German (Germany had been formed in 1871 and I think the Austrian-Ungarian Empire was also Germanophone?), Russian, Hungarian, Lithuanian… well, all the languages spoken in Easten Europe.

(and just to mention it, I believe that Beauxbâtons is a huge school, bigger than Hogwarts and Durmstrang, because we need logic at some point - anyway)

What about Albus and Gellert then, again?

Gellert was probably speaking German, English (obviously, he wrote letters in English, spoke in English with Albus and Aberforth…), maybe French, and maybe another language depending on his mother country. I headcanon him coming from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but he might as well come from Denmark (the country of Mikkelsen?) or a Balkan State (there were wars here at the end of the 19th century, it could be an interesting theme), etc.

However, I doubt that Albus knew Danish or Hungarian, but he definitely spoke French rather well (he exchanged letters with Nicolas Flamel) and perhaps the basis of something else (Italian? German?).

I do not mention magical foreign languages they could have been familiar with - we know Albus is fluent in Goblegedook and Mermish in 1994, but I doubt he already was in 1899.

(Also, Albus’ mother came from America, so she might be originally from the Native American community and thus know an another language and let Albus know as well, but the fact that she is Christian (most likely, regarding what is her epitaph) let me doubtful; but I’m not enough informed about the Native American history to build meta, headcanon and theories, so I won’t explore this idea more.)

All in all, they are quite familiar with a lot of languages, and they certainly had a few conversations in what was not English (a mix of Latin, Ancient Greek, German and French, perhaps?) to infuriate Aberforth and not let him know about what they were talking about. (headcanon, again)

Literature :

We do not have a lot of clues about fiction - novels, theater or poetry - belonging to the wizarding universe - except Beedle’s Tales, of course. But we can imagine it exists.

Nevertheless, I am more interested in what Albus and Gellert might have read in the muggle literature. Besides, I think it is funny to consider that some writers or playwrights are known by muggles but are in reality wizards and witches - especially Braham Stoker, Mary Shelley… maybe Poe and Shakespeare as well.

So, I imagine that Albus and Gellert would have heard of Goethe, Heine, Novalis for German literature; maybe Hugo, Baudelaire, Flaubert for French literature… most likely Dante (definitely Dante). Though I honestly do not think they were fond of novels and literature, they could have been interested by it sometimes, when it echoed to something in them - Shakespeare, but also the story of Verlaine and Rimbaud, or Oscar Wilde’s story and unique novel.

There is also the theme of Oscar Wilde, homosexual writer, and his trial at the end of the 19th century, which are recurrent topics in 1899 fanfictions - a quite interesting one, imo. Have you ever read the Preface of the Picture of Dorian Gray? Definitely Albus and Gellert vibes.

All in all, I don’t think they may have been interested in literature for literature itself, but rather for the political aspect of it. (except for Shelley, Shakespeare and Dante which are a witch and two wizards, and are interested by the references to magic in the works themselves, again hc)

To conclude :

Even though 1899 fanfictions are great - and I thank you, 1899 fanfictions writers, you are amazing - I quite love the idea of all of this aesthetic that could developed. It is somehow prompt ideas.

(also I an studying humanities so it might be why I see those themes in 1899 fanfics so well, yes)

Thanks for reading! :)

Notes :

[1] : I wrote about the conservative Wizarding World and pure-blood families here: Why are the Weasleys poor? (eng&fr) (theories about pure-blood families, inheritance, etc) / How can everyone find their true-love and still be in love after years in HP? (”magic-soulmates” theory and conservative society)

[2] : I wrote about Dark magic and rituals in 1899 here: What if Antonio (Gellert Grindelwald’s chupacabra) had been created in 1899? / What about a dangerous, complicated and a bit gore alchemical experience tried by Albus and Gellert secretly?

And I posted quite a lot of things about GGAD, check the Table of contents if you are interested! :)

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myupostsheadcanons · 3 years

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Books “Read” in 2020

Previous entries: 2019, 2018, 2017

I don’t rank these based on actual literary quality, but by how much i enjoyed reading/listening to them. Hopefully with Audible’s new “Premium Included” feature it would cut down on so many Average/Below Average books next year, it’ll give me more of a choice on what kind of books/podcasts i want to listen to rather than given a handful to pick from a month.

The “Top 10″

Forging Hephaestus / Bones of the Past: Villains' Code Series - Drew Hayes has became one of my fav authors over the past couple years, from his Vampire Accountant series, 5-min Sherlock, and his Spells, Swords, and Stealth books. FH is one of the few times he wrote Adult Fiction. This is the second time Drew created a world of super heroes (the YA Superpowereds), thus previous experience in dealing with the nuisances and meta of super meta dynamics. I love the main character, Tori, and especially love many of the side characters (like Ivan) and the comedy is the right tone of dark and not-in-your-face (not quite as well -written as something like The Venture Bros or The Tick, but being adult fiction you can get away with having characters named Johnny Three-Dicks and Captain Bullshit)

Dreadnought / Sovereign - the second super hero series I’ve placed on my top list this year, this one is Young Adult. This one is far more serious and deals heavily in issues like trans and women’s rights, mental abuse, and social acceptance. The main character is full of angst, but that should be a given for a 15 yo with lots of mental baggage and new social pressures. The main character is the main draw, most of the side characters are a bit more one-dimensional.

The Trouble with Peace: Age of Madness, Book 2. It isn’t a “First Law” book if you don’t want to strangle half of the main characters. Many are stepping outside of the shadow of the previous generation and finding themselves falling flat on their faces. If they aren’t at each other’s throats, they would soon have to deal with rebellion in the streets and the constant looming presence of Bayaz, who waits to sweep the board clear and rearrange the pieces the way he sees fit.

Michael J. Sullivan’s: The Riyria and Legend of the First Empire Books.

Riyria Revelations: Theft of Swords / Rise of Empire / Heir of Novron

Riyria Chronicles: The Crown Tower / The Rose and Thorn / The Death of Dulgath

Age of Death / Age of Empyre, Pile of Bones

After finishing the Legend of the First Empire books that came out earlier this year, I went ahead and read the prior series that takes place in the same world. I would suggest reading the entire series by Publish order, but they can be read Chronologically. I read the Legends books first, and it helped me see where Sullivan was heading and when he started to plan out the Legends books in more detail. (The early cameo of the Main characters from Legends in a mural in Heir of Novron, and knowing who is behind the events in Dulgath)

The Dresden Files: Peace Talks / Battle Grounds - They really should be read as one book, because that was how they were written. It is a Feast of Crows / Dances with Dragons situation, where the book got too long and got split up. The fans are pretty divided by the book(s) ending and how some of the main characters are handled, but these are Jim Butcher’s characters not theirs and he can drop bridges on whom ever he wants.

What Lies Beyond: Cycle of Galand, Book 6 - This is a “mythology” book (like Sullivan’s Age of Death was) where it introduces most of the Pantheon of their religion and corrects much of the mythology that had been lost over the decades. They seek a weapon to vanquish the Litch and save their world and the afterlife from oblivion, but not all of their Gods are happy about it.

Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash - Yahtzee (Zero Punctuation!) has to be one of my favorite internet personalities for the past 10+ years, and I eat up every book he puts out and because he wrote the books, and is an actor himself, he could deliver the lines as they are intended to be. The sequel to Will Save the Galaxy for Food does not disappoint and even ups the stakes from the previous book.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon - This has to be one of the most charming books I’ve read. It is magic and wonder at it’s finest, no need for long explanations on how the world works. If you like Ghibli movies, you’ll be interested in this book. It has its dark moments but isn’t outside of what you’ll find in something like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Nausicca.

The Goblin Emperor - the youngest son of the Elf King finds himself emperor after the death of his father and brothers in an assassination. The only problem is, that he is only half-elf... his late mother was a Goblin, and he had been in exile as an embarrassment to the family for most of his life. He knows nothing of how the courts work and what’s left of his own family work against him just for being who he is.

Lost Gods: Brom - I liked this book more than I did American Gods (which I read a few years ago). It is darker and bleaker by the bucket loads. One of the few books with a downer ending that I actually liked. I would compare this book to books like All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men-- but it is a Fantasy!

Above Average.

Siege Tactics (Spells, Swords, & Stealth. Book 4) - What happens to adventurers after they retire? A fun concept that is explored with our party of NPCs running across a town full of epic-level characters that no longer have a player.

The Arthurian Saga - The Crystal Cave / The Hollow Hills / The Last Enchantment / The Wicked Day - A more realistic version of the Arthurian tales, taking the POV of Merlin, bastard son of a princess, as he earns notoriety as a scholar and wizard. The Wicked Day takes the POV of Mordred, making him far more sympathetic than other iterations of his character.

Arc of a Scythe - Scythe / Thunderhead / The Toll - Science and Technology eliminates death and in order to prevent over population and complacency an order of grim reapers are chosen to randomly deal out quotas of permanent deaths. An example of what happens when every need and want is satisfied by a higher force and the apathy that causes rot in human society and the superiority complex of those in charge of life and death.

The Diviners / Lair of Dreams / Before the Devil Breaks You / The King of Crows - Horror during the Roaring 20′s. Tackles issues as Racism, Poverty, Government Secrecy, Christian-Evangelical Cults, Nationalism Cult Mentality, Communism, Labor Unions, Eugenics, Post-WW1 trauma... It could almost pass as an adult fiction book. I wouldn’t recommend giving it to someone under High school age.

Ancillary Justice / Ancillary Sword / Ancillary Mercy - Artificial Intelligence takes over human bodies as a form of capital punishment, controlling ships and space stations. The dominate human empire outgrew the need to label any gender, using “she” to refer to everyone rather than the vaguer “them/they” pronouns, and only outlying colonies stick to the binary ideals. Think of “The Left Hand of Darkness” but on a more broader scale and as the default majority/ruling empire. Toss in a solid military action novel on top and it isn’t nearly as boring as Left Hand.

Children of Time / Children of Ruin - War destroys the human population of Earth and those that remain are the ones that headed out to the stars on tera-forming missions. A virus created to advance life forms to prepare a world for human habitation runs amuck with out its overseers, creating intelligent arachnids, crustaceans, and squid.

The Licanius Trilogy - The Shadow of What Was Lost / An Echo of Things to Come / The Light of all that Falls - It is very heavy on info overload, there is a lot to keep track of, so much so there is a summary of book one and two at the start of the third. I like the twist at the end of the first book and that the villain is actually trying to help save the world, and you spend most of the second stuck between who thinks they are doing the right thing and who is actually doing the right thing - a lot to talk about doing the lesser of two evils.

Mythos - Steven Fry - A humorous retelling of Greek mythology. I read Mythology - by Edith Hamilton prior to this book, which is a more scholarly take on the myths, and helps if you are unfamiliar with classical mythology prior to reading Fry’s take on it.

Iron, Fire and Ice: The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones - a nice history book about Iron Age royalty. It is actually refreshing to read after going through so much faux fiction that is in Philippa Gregory’s books.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? - Children ask questions to a Mortician about death and what happens to bodies after people die. I listened to her autobiography last year/year before and it is worth picking up this one along with it.

Average, but still good.

Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet Universe: Triumphant (Genesis Fleet, Book 3) / Tarnished Knight: Lost Stars, book 1 - The realistic space battles just drag me back in each and every time.

The Case of the Damaged Detective: 5-Minute Sherlock - Drew Hayes can’t write a boring book. It isn’t quite on point as his other series, but still fun to read. Hayes is really good at making YA books with Adult Protagonists. It is a road-trip book, the main character is a washed-out operative that is getting his second chance playing bodyguard and future assistant to the 5-minute Sherlock.

Locked In / Head On - Do you remember “Surrogates”? that Bruce Willis movie where people walk around in robotic avatars, well... it’s almost the same thing. A virus kills millions, save for a select few that experience “lock in” syndrome and are able to connect to robots via their brains and the internet. The main character is gender neutral and you get a choice to listen to the book with a male or female reader.

Murder by Other Means: The Dispatcher Book 2 - more John Scalzi! The first book was in my top list a few years ago, and i enjoyed the sequel just as much. Between Scalzi’s The Dispatcher and Locked In series, i like the Dispatcher more.

The Shattered Sea Trilogy: Half a King / Half the World / Half a War - Joe Abercrombie’s attempt to make Young Adult books. It keeps all the grim dark, but lacks all the swearing and humor that made The First Law books more enjoyable. Many of Joe’s favorite character tropes are still present and is one of the better “Fall to Darkness” stories I’ve read. It also has different POV characters each book and is one of those “faux fantasy” settings.

Mage Errant: Books 1, 2 & A Traitor in Skyhold: Book 3 - If you are wanting to get away from Harry Potter, pick up this book series. It takes place in magic school, but it is its own world and setting and not just a hidden world within our own. The main group of kids are misfits among the school, unable to master their powers, that get taken up by the badass librarian to be trained in more unconventional ways.

Dawn of Wonder: The Wakening Book 1 - the main character has ptsd from growing up in an abusive household, and i thought it was handled rather well. He would be rather competent and cleaver most of the time until he gets triggered into an episode, he fights really hard to overcome this short-falling of his. Standard classic affair else wise, family leaves home because the local authority figure doesn’t want them around anymore, goes to big city, kid wants to do good and avenge the deaths he was accused of, joins the badass school of hard knocks... big powerful evil thing trying to consume the world.

The Rage of Dragons - It shares a lot of tropes and story points with Red Rising... just in a fantasy setting, not in space. If you are wanting fantasy with POC main characters and a non-European-centric culture, that doesn’t pull any punches, give it a shot.

Earthsea - Tehanu and Tales from Earthsea - I had read the first three books several years back, and i did re-read them in order to refresh myself prior to reading the final two.

The Secret Garden - I absolutely loved the movie from the 90′s as a kid, and finally got around to listening to the book.

Six of Crows - A heist book in fantasy world with the magic users being heavily “Jewish / Slavic” coded by how they are treated and persecuted. I might have thought more favorably about the book if i hadn’t read other books with “street rat slum” main characters. (Seriously, after spending six books with Royce in Riyria someone like Kas is just second bananas)

Unconventional Heroes / Two Necromancers - Comedic Fantasy, the humor’s not on par with say MogWorld, and has more jokes than Fred The Vampire Accountant. It is still a parody of villains and heroes in fantasy worlds. I would find it safe for a 12/13yo to read, cursing and all, though they might not be aware of many of the tropes that are being deconstructed. The reader of the book did better in this one then he did with Six of Crows and Beezer, still the audio needed some editing because it repeats itself a few times.

Once More Upon A Time (Free Audio Book) - I don’t always care to read romance stories. I like the idea behind it however, to trade their love for each other in order to save their partner’s life, then learn to re-love one another again.

Monster Hunter International - If you think Dresden is too liberal, this takes a hard turn to the right.. replace the magic with GUNS, lots and lots of GUNS. An organization that hates the government but hunts monsters for government bounties. The main cast is multi-ethnic and they do make fun of that at one point. There isn’t a lot of thought into the plot, because action is #1, but it is fun enough to ignore the politicking.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Collection - i bitched about there not being an omnibus last year, and then Audible uploaded one. The ending is still one big clusterfuck.

Stephen King’s Insomnia - this book is the bridge between Steven King’s two universes. It is a sequel to IT and brings up the Darktower often. IT dealt mainly with childhood fears, Insomnia deals with Elderly and feminine fears.

D’Arc / Culdesac: War with No Name - I liked D’Arc more than i did Mort-e, and Culdesac is more on track with Mort-e. The virus that mutated the ants and animals reminded me of the virus from Children of Time/Ruin, even though i read Mort-e first, reading D’Arc after CoT let me notice it.

Michael McDowell’s: The Amulet / The Elementals / Gilded Needles / Blackwater - From the guy that wrote the screenplay of Beetlejuice, and the pioneer of the Southern Gothic Horror. Gilded Needles is a bit out of place, taking place in 1890′s, and is more of a social horror rather than a super natural horror the other books are.

Gardens of the Moon: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1 - high fantasy dark fiction. if you really want some CHONKY door stoppers, there’s over 10 of them in this series. Could’ve done less with the manipulative bastard mage that speaks in 3rd person. I had read The Willful Child, an attempted comedy science fiction novel by the same author, and it showed that the author was unfamiliar with that kind of genera and should stick to grim fantasy.

The Knife’s Edge / Citadel of Fire: The Ronin Saga - This is one of those series that I’m always going “oh, that reminds me of [insert another better series]” At times it reminded me of The Licanius Trilogy, Shades of Magic, Arc of Scythe, Riyria, Korra... It is just shy of being as good as them, and is rather firmly in that Sci-Fi Fantasy Ghetto and has a bit of “anime” feel to it with their magic users having ‘power levels’ and the power creep.

In Calabria - My only problem with the book is the massive age-gap between the Main character and his love interest. Outside of that, the whole Unicorns in the modern world concept is done very well.

Pout Neuf (Audible Free Book) - Journalism and romance during WW2. A quick read and the book really shows that research had been done about the setting and time period.

Nut Jobs: Cracking California's Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist: An Audible Original - Not only does it talk about the heist, it actually touches on the subject of migrant farmers and slave labor, as well as the desertification of the California Valley.

The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel (Free Audio Book) - a neat little informative podcast if you are looking for an introduction to some of the harder science fiction.

Mythology - by Edith Hamilton - Text book about Greek Mythology. Like “used in schools” text book. It is a good read if you don’t want to go through Ovid, Virgil, Homer, and all the other classical writers on your own.

The Space Race: An Audible Original - America didn’t win the Space Race. Russia did just about everything first. The only thing we did first was put people on the moon. It also goes into detail about how the inventor of the Nazi’s V2 rockets became employed with the US Space program. As well as the government’s announcement to let space travel become privatized.

Pale Blue Dot / Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - It’s Carl Sagan. Come on! Everyone should be reading them. Pale Blue Dot was being turned into an Audiobook in the 90′s but with Sagan’s death, only the first few chapters were read by him and his partner reads the rest of it (she does a decent job, and i understand why they wanted her to read it, it should’ve been done similarly to Cosmos, with guest readers doing each chapter)

Thicker Than Water (Free Audio Book) - start up pharmaceutical company scams people out of millions with promises of a miracle machine that was ahead of its time. Story told from the whistleblower himself as he recounts what his job was within the company and how he knew the owner/founder of the company and how coming out about what was going on ruined his relationship with his family and friends.

Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - biography on Douglas Adams and the history behind the creative process behind the Hitchhiker’s Guide series.

The Genius of Birds - It reminded me a lot of “The Soul of an Octopus” in quality. It is rather informative about birds, how they behave, and how we judge intelligence in non-human animals.

It’s “ok.”

Les Miserabes - I can see why people favor movies and theater versions because of how dense the book is, getting the cliff notes version of the book instead of reading several chapters about the Battle of Waterloo.

Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons (Audible Free Book) - It’s cute, and I spent the next several weeks humming that freaking song.

Challenger Deep - A book about mental illness by the same person that brought us The Arc of a Scythe series. It isn’t a bad read, but if you are prone to get panic attacks and have mental illness yourself, you might get too into it and make you uneasy. It can help with neurotypical people with understanding how some illnesses work.

Into the Wilds (Warriors, Book 1) - Ah, the cat book. It is prob because there are soooo many books in this series that it over-saturates the kids impressionable minds.

House of Teeth (Audible Free Book) - I read this book prior to Monster Hunter International, and thinking back on this one, i am reminded about the other. Save for this one is PG. So... the kid friendly version.

The Martian Chronicles - Space Horror, on Mars. If you like old science fiction, like Classic Trek, Wells, or Forbidden Planet stuff. There is a lot of zerust.

Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection - The third superhero series I’ve read this past year. It is not as ground breaking nor subversive as Villain’s Code or Dreadnought. The humor is a bit too forced and parts of it falls into “we can be more offensive because it is an adult book” category.

Interview with the Robot - Don’t really care for books or programs that are set up in the “interview” format where it is two people talking to one another. (I have no fucking idea how this book got top Kids book of the year on Audible, it is more of a YA book... it must been because it was Free and lots of people picked it because the rest of the choices that month were complete garbage)

Micromegas - perhaps one of the oldest examples of Speculative Science Fiction. Written by Voltaire, it is about a giant from another solar system that is so big that humans and life on Earth are microscopic. “what value are the lives of ants to a man?”

The Three Musketeers - i had forgotten how much espionage there was in this book. I would say this is a good companion book to Don Quixote, as it takes its fair share of inspiration from and even name-drops the character a couple times.

Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist / David Copperfield / A Tale of Two Cities - DC is the standout IMO among the three, it is Dickens’ Magnum Opus. Les Mis did a far better job with the Revolution than Tale did as well. I felt rather obligated to reading these books because of the subplot in the Age of Madness books being about Poverty during the Industrial Revolution and Workers Revolts against the Ruling Class.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - the version i listened too made most of the Americans sound like GWB... which is funny because one of them is Canadian, and the Comic Relief character about how boorish Americans are.

Stuck (Free Audio Book) - it is a neat idea, getting jarred free of time but everybody else isn’t and doesn’t remember. It gets a little heavy for a kids book near the end, edging into YA territory as the character gets older mentally and the people around him age physically.

Phreaks (Free Audio Book) - i knew a lot about Captain Crunch and other phone hackers of the 60′s. There is a subplot of the big radioactive corporation covering up causing cancer to their workers, and the father (voiced by Christian Slater) being in the closet but still homophobic about it.

Silverswift (Free Audio Book) - If you like fairy tales set in modern times, it is worth a look. It is similar to In Calabira in that way. The mom being the nonbeliever and thinking grandma is off her rocker, but the granddaughter knows it in her bones that grandma is telling the truth.

Sleeping Giants - alien mechs from the distant past, once mistaken as the titans and gods form mythology, now being studied and experimented on by the government. This is another “interview style” story telling.

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes - there is a lot of names and stories, it is worth prob getting a physical copy of the book to keep things straight and to use as a reference.

How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps - A love letter to The Legend of Zelda’s Ocarina of Time and other RPG games.

Casino Royal: James Bond - the movie was rather faithful, including the part of being tied to a chair. I do wish they kept more of the book’s ending where Bond was ready to retire prior to his secret-spy love interest gets killed.

Aliens: Bug Hunt - a compilation of Alien stores about people landing on various planets and encountering aliens, not always the Xenomorphs we know, but the term “Bug” came synonymous to any dangerous alien lifeforms encountered.

Macbeth: A Novel - retelling the story of Macbeth but in a novel form. If you can’t get past the language of the original play, this would help. It sets it more firmly in historical fiction.

Hannibal: A Novel - I went ahead and re watched the tv show after finishing the book. I’ve seen the movie a dozen times, and i understand why they changed the ending to the movie. The book is the main one that characterizes Hannibal and the show uses a lot of the plot. Hannibal Rising wasn’t really needed because Hannibal (in this book) does think/talk about what happened to his sister and home, and i can see why Harris didn’t want to write that book either. The audiobook is rather poor quality, they talked too fast in places and i don’t really care for their acting...

The Power of Six - I read I am Number 4 several years back and this one popped up on sale so i nabbed it. I like Neil Kaplan, and i think this one is better than the first one and actually gets into the meat of the story.

Cut and Run: A Light-Hearted Dark Comedy - body parts harvesting.... mmmm.

Calypso - non-Fiction, biography of the author. Talks about his family, his life with his partner, and what he does. Much of it is charming and it is read by the author. this was prior to him loosing his marbles about retail workers and becoming a karen.

Our Harlem: Seven Days of Cooking, Music and Soul at the Red Rooster - the history of Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance. I didn’t mind this podcast so much because i was reading The Diviners during the same time.

Malcolm and Me - another biographical book. one of the free books i got during Feb’ Black History Month.

History of Bourbon (Free Audio Book) - Informative about the liqueur industry in America.

Junkyard Cats: Shining Smith Book 1 - post apocalyptic action science fiction novel. the moment that guy showed up i was “that’s your bf.” and it was so... the plot wasn’t hard to figure out, it’s all about the action and setting.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - One of the better Heinlein books. The man can’t write romance and he is rather big on casual polygamy and open marriages. An anarchist-revolution book written by someone that is more on the Libertarian side of the aisle. Mycroft (the computer) comes off as rather antiquated, an AI that runs on a closed server, communicating through the telephone lines and printed paper, makes me wonder what Heinlein would’ve done if he was told about the internet and Deep Fake tech. (the book takes place in like 2075, but written in 1966)

Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World - the production of coffee and it’s prevalence around the world.

The Life and Times of Prince Albert - Exactly what it says on the can. *rimshot*

The Real Sherlock: An Audible Original - a biography of Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Design of Everyday Things - using psychology to improve the design of systems, products, and the modern business model. It gives proper terminology for several common design features and how to improve on existing structures.

Bottom of the Barrel.

The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity. I was hoping there would have been something in there about European Religions, there isn’t, and the book was mostly Greek and Roman life styles and how gods are worshiped. It let me know where the word “auger” came from and why it was used in the Licanius Trilogy.

Life Ever After - disjointed at best. a couple that aren’t good for each other spend the next several hundred years in a crappy relationship.

Beyond Strange Lands: An Audible Original - The audio was complete crap on half of the voices. Which is bad because this could’ve been better. It is a Pod Cast Show and the director couldn’t make sure everybody had decent recording equipment and the sound effects often drown out the actors.

Henrietta & Eleanor: A Retelling of Jekyll and Hyde: An Audible Original Drama - They were going for a modern telling, but the language used is archaic. They speak like Dickens characters even though they talk about cellphones and computers.

A Crazy Inheritance: The Ghostsitter book 1 - The concept is there, but it is too nerfed. It was made for the 8-12yo crowd in mind by people that don’t know how to write for children.

Tell Me Lies (Free Audio Book) - It really wants to be smart. Who’s playing who and who is the actual villain of this story? If you want a quick “who done it?” maybe look into it.

Evil Eye (Free on Audible Plus) - told through phone calls between a mother and daughter. The whole genera of evil boyfriends/husbands isn’t really my cup of tea, and the boyfriend’s actor was too fake and the set up to the meat of the story was annoying.

The Half-life of Marie Curie - I didn’t mind learning stuff about Marie Curie... falls squarely in “made for TV lifetime movie” quality though. You should not carry around a vile of uranium where ever you go.

Alone with the Stars - A girl in Florida hears the call for help from Amelia Earhart, but nobody listens to her. Part fiction, part biographical. It would’ve been better as a biography and talking about various conspiracy theories about what happened to her and finding the pieces of the airplane.

Beezer - The son of the Devil learning to become a good person with a found family... however, most of the characters are annoying.

The Year of Magical Thinking (Free Audio Book) - very heavy on the subjects about loss and death.

Complete Garbage.

The Getaway (Free Audio Book) - A man being a POS by stalking and abducting women. It broadcasts just about everything that is going to happen.

Agent 355 (Free Audio Book) - Do you like “American Mythology?” Like the whole “the founders are the greatest people in the world” kind of vibe? I don’t. I also hate the main character for being one of those “i’m smart, because i read books that women aren’t supposed to” girls when she doesn’t really think for herself at all.

#myu reads #books read in 2020 #audiobooks #booklr #Audible #long post

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lawrenceop · 4 years

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HOMILY for 2nd Sun after Pentecost (Dominican rite)

1 Jn 3:13-18; Luke 14:16-24

During this Octave of Corpus Christi, today’s Gospel, known as the parable of the Great Banquet, is read. This is fitting. For the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which the Most Blessed Sacrament is given to Man, is that Great Banquet of the Lord. The Mass is, as St Thomas Aquinas says, the sacrum convivium, the Sacred Banquet, in which we receive the Lord, remember his Passion, and have a promise of future glory in heaven, a promise of our place at the heavenly banquet spoken of in today’s parable.

Hence Pope Urban IV said in 1264 when he instituted the feast of Corpus Christi: “Therefore [Christ] gave himself as nourishment, so that, since Man fell by means of the food of the death-giving tree; Man is raised up by means of the food of the life-giving tree [i.e., the Cross]. Eating wounded us, and eating healed us. Thus the Saviour says, ‘My Flesh is real food.’ This bread is taken but truly not consumed, because it is not transformed into the eater. Rather, if it is worthily received, the recipient is conformed to it.” This conforming of the recipient, the guest at the Banquet, so that he becomes like Christ the Host is a work of God’s grace. It is a work of God’s mercy. It is a work of God’s saving love.

The parable therefore stresses the expansiveness of God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s grace: ultimately, all Mankind has been invited to the Banquet, and so to taste the goodness of God; to receive the salvation that comes from the Passion of Christ; to receive the grace that conforms us to Jesus and makes us like him in friendship and in charity. Truly, this is the Banquet that makes us into friends of God and into better lovers of one another so that, as St John says in the epistle, we will “love [not merely] in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” (1 Jn 3:18)

For at this Banquet, that is to say, in the Holy Mass, we have the “special and outstanding memorial of [Christ’s] love” for all peoples. In the Mass, we behold and we receive the One who shows us the costliness of love. For in this sacred Banquet, Christ’s Passion and Death on the Cross is remembered. In this great Sacrament, God demonstrates his love for all peoples. For, as St Paul says, “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) Hence Christ has given his all for all, even for the unworthy. This is the mystical meaning of today’s parable, for this great Banquet, which is symbolic of the richness and endless depths of God’s love and friendship is ultimately for all peoples, even sinners.

Contrary to some of the ideas current at the time of Christ, then, Jesus stresses that the Messianic Banquet of heaven is open not only to the Jewish nation, who would come to reject him and insult him – for this is what the invited guests in the parable did – but God’s grace is now extended also the Gentiles. The Gentiles are those who, in the symbolism of the parable, are the “poor and maimed and blind and lame” because the Gentile nations could be said to be handicapped with regard to salvation because they were not numbered among God’s Chosen People. However, Christ overturns this exclusive notion, and he teaches, as the prophet Isaiah did, that God’s salvation is for Jews and Gentiles alike; God’s grace is freely given to all. And finally, there is a third group of people who are mentioned in the parable – those “at the highways and hedges” who are “compelled” to come to the Banquet. Who are these? It would be wrong to think that this verse gives us justification to force people to become Catholics and to come to the Mass, of course. For there can be no compulsion in love. Rather, this part of the parable refers to those who are ostracised and live outside of the towns, those who are reluctant to come because they are afraid, because they feel unworthy, because they feel they must earn God’s love.

Sin, especially the ones we are most ashamed of, isolates us and we are, so to speak, kept outside of town. The tactic of Satan, with regard to sin, is to divide and conquer us. Therefore, the Saviour comes to gather us into friendship with him and with one another; Christ’s grace frees us from the isolation of sin and calls us into a communion of love with God and our fellow men and women. The word Church, indeed, comes from the Greek ‘ekklesia’, meaning the assembly, the gathering, the people called to come together. We, who are all sinners, all unworthy of God’s love and mercy, have nevertheless been called together, compelled, even, to sit at God’s holy table. We have been made worthy by his grace, because God, in his love and mercy, has called us; he has chosen us, and he now wills to give himself to us. Awareness of our universal unworthiness as sinners and of our common need for God’s grace and mercy is surely the basis for any equality that we might hope for in our societies. Clearly, justice and equality among us will always be lacking if we are not steeped in God’s life-giving love as a response to our fundamental death-deserving lack of virtue.

The poet George Herbert expresses this really well in his poem called Love (III), which I quote in full:

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning If I lack'd anything.

“A guest,” I answer'd, “worthy to be here”; Love said, “You shall be he.” “I, the unkind, the ungrateful? Ah my dear, I cannot look on thee.” Love took my hand and smiling did reply, “Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame Go where it doth deserve.” “And know you not,” says Love, "who bore the blame?” “My dear, then I will serve.” “You must sit down,” says Love, "and taste my meat.” So I did sit and eat.

In this sacred Banquet, therefore, in the Holy Mass, we have gathered together – when not prevented by our concrete circumstances – not because we deserve it, nor because we have any right to it, but we are present, here and now, entirely by God’s grace. We are called together so that we can taste the Love of God. The Eucharist, therefore, is called the Sacrament of Charity because it is the love of God sacramentally present and visible for us, and it also makes us into Lovers like God – we are conformed to the Eucharist, conformed to Christ, as Pope Urban IV said. Thus, St John says in today’s epistle: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1 Jn 3:16-17) Pope Benedict XVI called this “Eucharistic consistency”, meaning that if we receive the Eucharist, and indeed, even if we cannot at this time but we long for the Eucharist, then we long, ultimately, not merely for the Sacrament but for the res, the reality of this Sacrament, namely Christ and union with him through charity. We must long, therefore, for Charity itself and live according to that Christ-like love.

In today’s epistle St John spells out what this entails. He says: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 Jn 3:14-15) Therefore, says the apostle, “let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” (1 Jn 3:18)

This apostolic teaching on Eucharistic consistency is found in St Paul’s letters too. His injunction in 1 Corinthians 11 is read each year on the feast of Corpus Christi: “Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” (vv28-29) These verses have often been thought to refer to the necessity of belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or to the necessity of refraining from Holy Communion if one is in a state of mortal sin lest one “eats and drinks judgment” upon oneself. Both these positions are absolutely true, and are necessary with regard to the Eucharist. However, the Liturgy places today’s epistle within the Octave of Corpus Christi so that we can providentially read St Paul’s teaching in the light of St John’s instruction. If you look at the context of 1 Corinthians 11, St Paul isn’t teaching about the Eucharistic doctrine of transubstantiation. Rather, he’s scolding the Corinthian Christians for their lack of Eucharistic consistency. In particular, he is concerned about how the Christian community treats one another and talks about one another, and how we behave together.

St Paul says: “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26) In other words, the Eucharist is a proclamation of God’s love, demonstrated for all on the Cross. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Charity. When we eat and drink of the Blessed Sacrament, therefore, St Paul warns us to “examine himself… for any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” (1 Cor 11:28, 29) Recall that St Paul also refers to the whole Church as the mystical Body of Christ. Therefore, he says that before you receive the Sacrament of Charity, examine your conscience: Do I love one another as Christ has commanded me to? Do I have charity and indeed, reverence, for the whole Christian people, the Body of Christ; for the clergy and laity, even those with whom I disagree and who I think are sorely mistaken? Do I remember that God has called the ostracised and unworthy to his Great Banquet, and so I am to show the same generosity, mercy, and love? These questions, it seems to me, help us to “discern the body of the Lord” as St Paul puts it. They help us to avoid profaning the Eucharist through our lack of love for our fellow Christians when we approach the Sacrament. For otherwise, if we receive the Eucharist without love “in deed and in truth”, then, St Paul warns us, we risk coming “together to be condemned”! (1 Cor 11:33)

This great Sacrament of the Mass, therefore, is the great Sacrifice of God’s love for us sinners. Through it, by his grace and mercy, God conforms us to Christ who is Love incarnate. Through it, we are made to become Lovers of God and lovers of our fellow men and women, of our fellow Christians. As the Lord says: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35) So, let us long for Communion in a holy way, with charity. Let us thus receive the Eucharist worthily for, as Pope Urban IV said, “if it is worthily received, the recipient is conformed to it.” And, therefore, let us be transformed by charity so that all peoples will look at what we say and what we do – in our various interactions, particularly on social media right now – and let them hence know that we are Christ’s disciples, students of Love himself. And if we can’t be charitable online, it’s probably best to log off and spend more time with the Lord in prayer. For “you must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat.”

#charity #Eucharist #Sacrament #Blessed Sacrament #Mass #Love #discipleship

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mid0nz-archive · 4 years

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The Cannibal & the Consulting Criminal: How Silence and Sherlock Taught Me to Read

(I’m writing a series of autobiographical essays. This meta is a messy. messy warm up…)

PART I: TSotL The Odd Flash of Contextual Intelligence

Know your intertexts (and the limits of their influence)

I’ve spent a LOT of time writing about the influence of Harris on Mark Gatiss in particular. We have Harris to thank for Sherlock’s mind palace for starters. Moriarty and Dr. Lecter share many traits. Then again so do the psychiatrist and Sherlock. I’ll come back to these obvious connections between Sherlock and TSotL in a later part of this meta. (The connections are actually quite superficial.) For now I want to return to my first obsession: the genius cannibal who taught me how to read and the fandom that saved me from him.

Do your research.

Thomas Harris, author of The Silence of the Lambs, choses every word with great care. How many people, for example, do you know called Hannibal? Clarice is more common I suppose, but it’s certainly not a run-of-the-mill monicker. While starlings are the most common of birds have you ever met someone with that surname? Have you ever met a Lecter? What if I told you there is an extremely obscure historical figure called Hannibal the Starling? (You’ll find the reference in Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology if you seek.) Would you think that Harris must have heard of that man? Possibly. Possibly. If I told you that Harris makes most of his characters’ names up– that they sound plausible enough, but unless you’re an everyman like a Jack Crawford or a Will Graham you’re a Francis Dolarhyde or an Ardelia Mapp.

Ardelia Mapp? In the novel Ardelia is Clarice Starling’s roommate at the FBI academy. When exams roll around and Clarice has been too busy hunting Buffalo Bill to read her textbooks, it’s Ardelia who makes sure that Clarice knows all about search and seizures. Adelia Mapp. Ardeila Mapp. What kind of name is that? It helps if we cram along with Clarice:

Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961), was a landmark case in criminal procedure, in which the United States Supreme Court decided that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures”, may not be used in criminal prosecutions in state [or] federal courts. (x)

Hey Thomas Harris!

Recognize when there’s a joke and you’re not getting it.

Thomas Harris amuses himself with language. Clarice comes from the Latin root clar and the words related to pertain to brilliance and light and the illustrative. And Lecter? So many people have tried to trace its origins but all becomes clear when you think about its etymology. In Latin lector means reader.

Clarice’s boss, Jack Crawford, likes to quote impressive sounding things out of context. Dr. Lecter mocks him for picking and choosing passages of the Meditations of the Roman Emperor, Stoic philosopher, and persecutor of Christians, Marcus Aurelius.

“I’ve read the cases, Clarice, have you? Everything you need to know to find him is right there [in the case files], if you’re paying attention. Even Inspector Emeritus, Crawford should have figured it out. Incidentally, did you read Crawford’s stupefying speech last year to the National Police academy? Spouting Marcus Aurelius on duty and honor and fortitude— we’ll see what kind of a Stoic Crawford is when Bella [his wife] bites the big one. He copies his philosophy out of Bartlett’s Familiar, I think. If he understood Marcus Aurelius, he might solve this case.” “Tell me how.” “When you show the odd flash of contextual intelligence, I forget your generation can’t read, Clarice. The Emperor councils simplicity. First principles. Of each particular thing, ask: What is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is its causal nature?” “That doesn’t mean anything to me.” “What does he do, the man you want?”

I could go on and on about how Harris allows Dr. Lecter to reference Stoicism and all kinds of other ideas for his own amusement. I say amusement because the reader need not understand Dr. Lecter’s jokes to enjoy Harris’ books. Clarice doesn’t and she doesn’t pretend to. Oh how Dr. Lecter fancies his student! I could go on and on because the entire fucking book is a compendium of in-jokes. That in itself is Stoic food for thought. Diogenes Laertius recounts a Stoic idea that Harris likes to chew on.

“Some appearances are expert (technikai), others are inexpert; at any rate a picture is observed differently by an expert and the inexpert person.”

Julia Annas explains:

A non-expert will just see figures; the expert will see figures that represent gods. The expert is right— there really is that significance- and the non-expert is missing something. What is more surprising to us is the claim that the appearance is itself “expert.” The expert is not seeing anything that is not there for the ignoramus to see. It is the fault of the ignoramus that he fails to see what is to be seen, because he fails to understand the content of what is presents to him. (82) - Hellenistic Philosophy of Mind by Julia Annas

Lecter, the consummate reader, is the expert. Clarice, who’s not more than one generation from the mines, is the ignoramus. Yet she shows the odd flash of contextual intelligence.

Discern clues from NOISE.

Though their relationship was weird, close, and lasting Clarice would never realize that Dr. Lecter gave her everything she needed to know to catch Buffalo Bill the first time they met!

On that fateful day, with instructions from Jack Crawford to note anything and everything she sees, Clarice shows enough intelligence to asks Dr. Lecter about the drawings in his cell. Dr. Lecter replies:

It’s Florence. That’s the Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo, seen from the Belvedere. Do you know Florence?“

If Clarice were prepared "to read” Dr. Lecter’s work, she might have understood the significance of the image. She’s the very model of the Stoic ignoramus.

Clarice finds Buffalo Bill/Jame Gumb by recognizing his personal acquaintance with the first victim he skinned, Fredrica Bimmel. They both lived in Belvedere, Ohio where Clarice finds Gumb while Crawford’s teams go all SWAT on John Grant’s last known address. We find out later in the novel that Dr. Lecter knew Gumb lived in Belvedere, Ohio. Perhaps he was musing on the facts of the case while composing his sketches.

Jack Crawford, of all people, should have noticed the name “Belvedere” and made the connection. His dying wife’s name is Phyllis but he’s called her Bella for most of their entire relationship. Phyllis and Jack were both stationed in Italy and during one of their outings, a man called Phyllis “Bella,” or beauty. Bella is the feminine form; “bel” is the masculine form, as in bel vedere, or beautiful view. We learn later that Clarice has to work hard to trick herself into seeing any beauty in Belvedere, Ohio.

Now you’ve got the facts. Theorize with them.

There is another explanation as to why Crawford might have missed the clue in Dr. Lecter’s drawing from Clarice’s notes. Clarice does not know Italian. How would she have written the sketch’s title in her report? Dr. Lecter does not say, when she asks about the sketch, that is is the Old Plaza and the Dome seen from the Belvedere (pronounced in English, be-vuh-deer as in Belvedere, Ohio). Dr. Lecter says all the proper names in Italian except “Florence.” Florence is the English name for the city Italians call Firenze. Clarice’s ear would catch “Florence” and it may be that her report stated that the sketch was of Florence, but no further details. She doesn’t, after all, ask Dr. Lecter how to spell the names of the places with which she is unfamiliar. Crawford, reading a reasonably detailed report from Clarice, might have only noted that Dr. Lecter was sketching Florence– enough detail for a report if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Clarice, while an ignoramus in the Stoic sense, shows potential. Dr. Lecter is polite when he surmises that she is “innocent of the Gospel of St. John.” He calls her innocent, not ignorant. She’s simply not an expert in iconography. She sees all she can see in the image. Crawford, however, is experienced enough with Dr. Lecter to know how important images are to him. Will Graham captured Dr. Lecter in Red Dragon by recognizing that one of his victims was posed in a tableau of a Wound Man in one of Dr. Lecter’s books. Graham was an expert. We can’t be sure from simply reading the text that Dr. Lecter isn’t making the epiphany of “Belvedere” especially difficult to decode even if Clarice were to have written a verbatim transcript of their discussion. In speech Dr. Lecter may be pronouncing the proper names as an American would, or, alternately, with an Italian accent. He could be pronouncing the incidental proper names (Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo) in an Italian accent and “Belvedere” in an American accent to dare Clarice and Jack to take notice. Or, he could be pronouncing all the names in an Italian accent, a fact could be lost in translation between Clarice, innocent of Italian, and Crawford, who knows just enough to have had an epiphany. Each scenario is possible and each reveals a slightly different interpretation of Dr. Lecter’s motives. If we take Thomas Harris himself as the final authority, in the audiobook Harris reads Dr. Lecter’s part. Harris says all proper nouns including “Belvedere” with an Italian accent (albeit with a Mississippi drawl.)

Yeah ok SO WHAT?! And what about Sherlock?!

In Part II I’ll talk about TSotL as an intertext to Sherlock and the limits of this influence. I’ll compare Dr. Lecter’s method of reading to James Moriarty’s. I’ll talk about why & how I crawled out of the cannibal’s skull and into the consulting criminal’s and where I am going next… Or I just might try to revamp this to make more sense. I dunno…

#Repost of an old meta I deleted but need for a new project.#The Silence of the Lambs

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questionsonislam · 4 years

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How can I understand that Mohammad (pbuh) is really the prophet of God?

THE EVIDENCES OF OUR PROPHET’S (PEACE BE UPON HIM) PROPHETHOOD

a- News About His Coming In the Previous Divine Books

In the previous divine books, there are expressions that give us some information about our Prophet’s (pbuh) coming as good news and that he will be sent to humankind as a prophet. Even if they were exposed to many changes, there are many signs about him in the Old Testament and New Testament copies that are present today.

We will present only four of them from the Old Testament:

“…Moses says: “God will create a prophet like me among your brothers; you are going to listen to whatever he says. And all the prophets, Ishmael (Samuel) and the others coming in a row have always declared these days that are mentioned.”

“…And your Lord… did not create a prophet like Moses in Israel.”

“I will create a prophet like you for them among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and I will command him; he will tell everything to them.”

“The Lord came from Sinai and appeared to them from Sair; He shone upon Paran Mountains and ten thousands holy people came out of it. For them there was a fire decree on the right.”

We can conclude the following from the extracts taken from the Old Testament (Torah):

Moses’ address as “your brothers” to Israelites that come from the blood of Ibrahim’s son, Isaac is a symbol of Isaac’s brother Ishmael’s blood, namely to Ishmaelites. A prophet who will come from Ishmaelites can only be our Prophet; because only our Prophet (pbuh) has come from Ishmael’s blood. Here, it comes to mind that Jesus and Joshua as being prophets come after, but in fact, both of them come from Israelites not Ishmaelites. In fact, Moses has obviously told in the second verse that there will not be a prophet like him from Israelites.

Moses means our Prophet by saying “like me” because it was our Prophet who was like Moses; neither Jesus nor Joshua in many matters such as jihad, decrees that he brought, punishments he imposed, being someone who is highly obeyed by majority and so on.

The expression “I will put my words in his mouth” is our Prophet’s ability to read the Quran by heart even if he is illiterate. Allah, the Exalted, sent His revelation to His prophet and he orally told humankind about it. In this matter, He is in a position of intercessor. This verse of the Quran points to it: “Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds: With it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth― To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish. In the perspicuous Arabic tongue. Without doubt it is (announced) in the revealed Books of former peoples. Is it not a Sign to them that the learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)? (ash-Shuara, 26/192-197.)

The expression “coming from Sina” symbolizes the divine decrees given on Mount Sinai. The expression “appearing from Sair” symbolizes the Bible given to Jesus. And the expression “shining on Paran mountains” represents our Prophet’s leaving from Mecca. Paran –with its spelling in Arabic, Faran- is one of the old names of Mecca and it is told in the genesis part of the Bible that Ishmael lives in Paran desert. In this verse, through the expression ‘holy’, is the character of our Prophet, who is away from every kind of faults and the people in his family and his companions. Similarly, the expression “fire decree on the right” indicates Jihad in Islam.

It is also possible to see some signs in some texts of the present day Bible:

“The corner stone became the head of corner…it is marvelous in our eyes… God’s property will be taken away from you and it will be given to a nation that will bring up His fruits and anyone who falls onto that stone will break into pieces; and that stone will cause anyone that it falls onto break into pieces and turn to powder.”

“Lord will you give you another prophet; and let him be with you till the end.”

“He will teach you everything and will bring into your mind whatever I have told you before.”

“…If I don’t go, the prophet will not come… and when He comes, He will bind all the world for sin, improvement and decrees.”

The “corner stone” in first verse cannot be Jesus; because there occurred no events like breaking into pieces and turning into pieces like powder during the period of Jesus and what he brought with him. However, it happened when our Prophet came. Besides, it was not Jesus who ruled but our Prophet. As a matter of fact, it was Jesus himself who told us that He did not come to rule. On the other hand, in hadiths, our Prophet himself tells us that he is the corner stone of prophethood construction, that is, the propethood was brought into perfection and completed with our Prophet.

In the verses that followed, the origin of the word appearing as Prophet in Greek is “Piriklitos” and “Ahmad” in Arabic. Besides, in the Quran, it is mentioned that our Prophet’s name is “Ahmad” in the Bible. In fact, we do not have many Bibles today that tell us about our Prophet’s coming and his characteristics.

b- His Excellent and Unique Ethics

It is a fact confirmed by all resources that deal with history that our Prophet (pbuh) helped everybody, supported people who were in need, lived a plain life, never lied, forgave people who behaved adversely towards him, was a reliable person in all matters and was a perfect man having “Excellent and Great Ethics” every period of his life before and after his prophethood. The Quran mentions our Prophet’s unique ethics as follows:

“And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.” (al-Qalam, 68/4.)

It can only be possible for a prophet who undergoes direct divine upbringing to live all moral values, and to give us examples of these values as a human against all kinds of detention, condition and situation in every phase of life.

He has combined all kind of excellent characteristics to form the greatest personality. He was absolutely brave and doughty but he was also excessively humble, meek and mild. Furthermore, the most importantly, his bravery and doughtiness never went ahead to break hearts and his humility and forgiving characteristic never fell down to an equal level of contempt and cowardice. Together with his solemnity and earnestness, our Prophet was a smiling and restful person. In addition, as well as his strong and austere characteristics, he was a person who loved everybody and showed mercy to them. In spite of being in a spiritual position that his lovers directed toward him with their deepest feelings, he was humble enough to talk to a child. Yet, he was extremely generous but he was also very economical; he would not to go beyond a point where extravagance started. The fact that he had all these characteristics, ethical values and many more like these and that he served as an example in accordance with them can only be explained by being a special human being and a person of duty (prophethood).

Our Prophet (pbuh), who preferred to live a plain life during his life, always refused the worldly promises offered to him again and again such as ranks and fortune in the period of Makkah. He also had an important role for his family and children to keep away from such things which he always kept himself away from. His sensitivity will be understood better about these matters if we look at his family where receiving charities and alms are forbidden and if we look at his daughter Fatimah for whom there was even no permission to wear a necklace. The fact that he did not change after all kinds of achievements, victories and financial possibilities acquired in the period of Madinah shows us the honesty degree of his great and unique ethics. The fact that he did not get confused and that he did not feel conceited and that he finished his duty as he started even after the greatest victories and conquests is a brilliant evidence of his prophethood.

In short, if there had been a lie or a sign of insincerity in his words and behaviors, he would certainly have been unable to hide it in his prophethood period or before the prophethood, and as a result, his opponents seeking for an opportunity would have reached their targets by benefiting from this situation without needing to grab their swords.

Then, we can easily say that even if he had not shown any miracles, He, himself is a great evidence and witness for his honesty and prophethood.

c- Revolutions He realized in the history of Humanity

It is impossible to show anybody else who comprehended and raised human beings that are complex creatures and who turned them into exemplary people in history who became pathfinders and teachers for civilized nations.

He is a rightful Prophet sent by God with true messages. The immaculate life that he led and the unique revolution that he realized are sound evidences that he speaks in the name of Allah.

We find it useful to make some remarks about the issue.

How can one suspect of him being a true Prophet? He embraced life at every point and built up a flawless universal system which he commenced with a man, a child, a slave and a woman integrating it into life in a period of twenty-three years, which is actually a really short time. How can one explain the fact that he speaks as an expert at every field gives straight answers and says immortal words despite the fact that he had no pedagogic education, did not graduate from any military school, never got in contact with a telescope or microscope in his life and he was illiterate?

Our Prophet extracted the most valuable guides of humanity out of a society that consisted of stubborn, oppressing and conceited people of the desert where the weak and the poor were kept down and where people were valued by their lineage and tribes. In this very society, interest, black-marketeering and power ruled. How can this situation be explained by anything except for the fact that he is a Prophet.

It is obvious that it is very hard to alter beliefs and habits, especially obsessions rooted in the brain and heart; it is even harder to make people who are over a certain age quit faulty and superstitious beliefs. In our modern world, making someone give up smoking is considered a great success let alone making people quit practices like taking alcohol, prostitution, bribing, defrauding and theft. Although scientist keep telling harms of alcohol, smoking and gambling, people still cannot be persuaded to quit them.

Let us have a look at the century which was completely changed by our Prophet. We witness that although he was not a ruler, which means he did not conduct his mission by force and as a matter of fact he did not have the possibility to do it by forcing people, he removed not one or ten but hundreds of habits and customs in a very short time with very little resources from various tribes and communities that consisted of stubborn, conservative and tradition-addicted people with deeply rooted customs. Moreover, not only did he remove those habits and customs but also he replaced them with features that make a man a real human. Is it not the duty of every single person that knows all of the facts mentioned above to say ’You are the Messenger of Allah’?

While doing all of these, he did not benefit from intimidating or forcing; instead, he followed a way to conquer their hearts and minds; he persuaded them kindly that actually led them to love this religion. If he had used intimidation and brutal force, it would not have been possible for the religion he brought to reach today. He not only gained the love of his friends with his behavior which consists of tolerance, tenderness and being merciful but he also earned the love of his enemies who fought against him with their swords such as Khalid bin Walid, Wahshi, Abu Sufyan, Hind, Ikrimah and Safwan.

He is the model for a quarter of the population of the world with the Quran he conveyed to people and with its living interpretation, his Sunnah. Besides, if it is not possible, and it is not possible, to show a second person whose name is heard all over the world five times a day, then, should not one think that this very person can only be a Prophet getting his power from Allah?

d- The news he gave about the past and the future

Only Allah can now ghaib (the unknown, the unseen). The Quran attracts attention to this truth in its many verses. In this respect, our Prophet would not have known about the future events as he was a human being but he knew about the future to the extent that Allah told him. The issue is expressed in a verse as follows;

“He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries― Except a messenger whom He has chosen”. (Jinn, 72/26-27.)

He did not say anything by himself; what He said was only what God informed him. So, we will assess the news of our Prophet about ghaib in two categories as the future and the past.

a- None of the news he gave using the Quran both about a single person and past nations like Ad, Thamud and Iram has been denied by the archeological and scientific researches carried out for fourteen centuries; on the contrary, they have been confirmed as new discoveries have been made every day. In addition, he not only told us these events as stories of the past but also as exemplary scenes that need to be taken lessons from. How can it be explained that our prophet (pbuh), who was illiterate, assuredly criticized the books of divine origin like the Torah and the Gospel in the presence of the scholars living at that time and the future scholars and confirmed the correct parts of them and corrected the mistakes in them? Only by the fact that he was a prophet.

b- We can mention some of his news about the future here except for those in the Quran: Just before the Battle of Badr, the Prophet showed people the exact death locations of the idolaters such as Abu Jahl, Utba, and Shayba and they died in the exact places that the Prophet showed. He told people that it would be her daughter, Fatima, who would die first after his death in his family and she died six month after the death of the Prophet. When Hassan was a small boy he pointed to him and said, ”This is my son, Hasan; He is a Sayyid and Allah will restore peace between two large groups through him and also it happened exactly. He said that Ammar Bin Yasir was going to be killed during a mischief. He also said that Ummu Haram who was a relative of him would attend to an expedition and it happened during Cyprus expedition…

There is news of distant future from our Prophet. Since such news require comments and deep thought, this surpasses the capacity of this work.

As a result, There is no way but kneel down in front of this illiterate person once again and say that” You are the Messenger of Allah” as he miraculously narrated it with a perfect style and precision the events that happened centuries ago before his time and also events that will take place in the future.

Miracles That He Showed

Miracle can be defined as a situation or event shown by Allah through His Prophets to support the accuracy of inspiration, strengthen the faith of believers and to break the pertinacity of deniers. We can classify the miracles of our Prophet within two separate groups. The Quran itself and the miracles about those who are created:

a. The Eternal Miracle: The Quran

There is no suspicion that his greatest miracle is the Quran. The Quran, with its ultra modern reality, stands in front of us as evidence that supports the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

The Quran came out in the hands of an illiterate person and the truths it includes do not conflict with each other. As it includes news from the future and the past and refers to some issues about creation, which are some of the miraculous features of the Quran, the things in the Quran are clear evidences of the fact that the Quran is the word of Allah and Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is a prophet.

Every Prophet showed miracles associated with things which were popular at their time. For instance, during the time of Moses, magic was popular and he came up with a staff that wiped out all other magical things. Around the time of Jesus Christ, medical appliances and medicine were popular. Therefore,he was granted the miracle of healing incurable illnesses and reviving dead people. In the time of our Prophet poetry and being articulate in speech were highly important so he came up with the miraculous Quran as rhetoric would be the most effective and powerful instrument of his time and future. Therefore, our Prophet came with the miracle of the Quran, which silenced all poets, literary men and speech-makers.

b. Other miracles and the issues that should be emphasized about those miracles

Naturally, the miracles associated with our Prophet are not only limited to our Holy Book, the Quran. As he was sent as mercy to all worlds, he showed various miracles about all kinds of creatures and beings. When a sovereign sends his messenger to a country where different nations and communities reside, everyone welcomes this messenger in the name of their nation, tribe or community. In the same way, Our Prophet came to the humanity as a representative and an official. In addition, he was sent to other beings and creatures as a sign of mercy and forgiveness of Allah. That is, all beings gained their true meaning of existence when our Prophet taught humanity that there is only one God. So, all of the beings from angels to jinn, from stars to trees and stones, from animals to plants presented their thanks to him and became tools for the miracles that came out of his hand. Thus, everything became witnesses for the truthfulness of this messenger and declared it to the universe.

The point we are trying to emphasize may be regarded to include exaggerated expressions. At this point, it will be sufficient for us to remind this: it must not be forgotten that the message our Prophet brought, the mercy and forgiveness sent through him are associated with all other universes or dimensions. Based on this, it is reasonable that every dimension of the universe become a scene for those miracles that confirm his prophethood.

One cannot deny a miracle in terms of its probability. Although miracles are shown by prophets, it is Allah who creates them. Nothing is hard or easy for Him. The Quran says “It is Allah who does whatever He wishes to do”. God does things based on laws and reasons as it is a necessity of His Divine Justice. However, He does not have to do things based on reasons. Actually, it is out of question for Allah. So, He shows miracles both to show that He does not have to act based on the laws and to prevent minds from being caught up by webs of reasons and laws. Thus, He reminds us that His power is beyond cause and effect and that it is infinite.

All the miracles did not occur in public where everyone could clearly see them. If it had happened this way, there would be no wisdom for the existence of the human mind. In such a situation, human beings would not have their free will and they would be forced to believe, which would not be compatible with the test and trial that they underwent.

Most of the miracles were reported by a community that would not come together to tell lies. Some of the miracles were not reported by a group like the one mentioned above but they are as reliable as those since the other witnesses/sahabas (companions of the Prophet) did not object to them.

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shroud-of-roses · 6 years

Text

Bronwyn’s Witchcraft FAQ

This is my FAQ for mobile users to access! I know tumblr is a pain, so here is my complete FAQ under the cut. I will update this as I add to my FAQ on my main tumblr page!

I have divided my FAQ into several sections, so feel free to look around till you find what you are searching for! The first section is for those of you that are curious about witchcraft, and want to learn more about it; whether that means you are thinking of trying it or know someone that is, I felt having it up at the top would be useful. Remember, my ask box and messages are always open, so let me know if your question isn’t on here, or you need further clarification!

Basic Witchcraft Questions

Is witchcraft real?

Yes, witchcraft is real. Many people practice witchcraft, and you’d be surprised to find that you probably know at least one witch personally. I have met at least four other witches that I know of. It’s a skill, art, and practice, and as real as any other.

What is witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the practice of using energy, tools, and other mediums such as herbs, candles, and crystals to bring about change. It is not the same across the board, and can be seen differently in many cultures, regions, and groups. In short, it is the intentional use of one’s own power to create an energetic shift that will change a future event or add something to an area, object, or person. It is neither inherently evil, nor inherently good; all things can be used in a positive, negative, or neutral way.

Are witches evil?

Witches can be anything. But being a witch does not automatically make you evil. A label doesn’t usually provide moral alignment. For example, I have met teachers, religious leaders, and peers that were kind, mean, or fairly neutral in nature. Their title as a teacher, religious leader, or peer did not change that factor. The same is true for witches.

Is witchcraft dangerous?

Witchcraft is a practice, just like gardening, yoga, or even medicine. Just as a gardener can accidentally come into contact with deadly nightshade if they don’t know what it looks like, so, too, can a witch make a mistake due to inexperience. As a whole, witchcraft is generally seen as something to be cautious with, but not something that will kill or seriously maim the practitioner. I always always always recommend learning about the more risky pieces of the practice before diving in, and even then, I suggest learning protection magic before any other kind. Research is an incredibly important piece of witchcraft, and leaving it behind is what is dangerous.

Are witches the same as Wiccans? Is Wicca the only way to be a witch?

This is a common misconception in the witchcraft community, especially among beginners. Wiccans are the members of a religion known as Wicca. Wicca was made and popularized in the 1950s-1960s by a man named Gerald Gardner. It was created to fit well with witchcraft. Witchcraft is an ancient, truly timeless practice, and came long before Wicca. Some witches are Wiccan, but not all of them. A lot of Wiccans are Witches, but that is not a requirement for being a Wiccan. You do not have to be a Wiccan to be a witch, or vice versa.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a religion created by Gerald Gardner. He made and popularized it in the 1950s-1960s, and it is meant to be an ideal partner for witchcraft. However, being a witch is not necessary to be a Wiccan.

The religion centers around the worship and invocation of the “Goddess” or “Lady” and the “God” or “Lord”. Traditionally, these figures remain as such, without goddesses and gods from other cultures representing them. You can find more information about the rituals, altar setup, etc. from a local Wiccan group, or ask someone you know who practices it themselves. I am not Wiccan, but I will share what I know with you here.

Traditionally, people who want to become Wiccans are required to join a coven and become initiated (which varies from tradition to tradition, and group to group). There may be a High Priestess, Priestesses, High Priest, Priests, High Priesten, Priesten, or other leaders they can contact to set this up, or ask for resources and information.

Usually, a period of study leads up to the initiation. In this way, the person looking to become a Wiccan has the chance to learn, have support from others in their faith, and can see the religion actively portrayed by practitioners. There may be levels to go through or ceremonies to partake in before the final initiation, but, again, this can vary.

There are also Neo-Wiccans. Neo-Wicca is a more-recent derivative of Wicca, and does not require any sort of initiation or ties to any coven or group. Because of this, many feel that it is more convenient and personally fulfilling than traditional branches of Wicca. It relies on solitary practice, and may include more personal elements of the religion, such as frequent offerings, or even iconology of a specific deity in place of the general “God” and “Goddess”. In my experience, a majority of people that follow some type of Wicca on online forums are Neo-Wiccans, but may not specify that. This is pretty much the extent of my knowledge, but I know there are many resources out there!

Is “Witch” a gender neutral term? Can guys be witches?

Yes, it is a gender-neutral term. Anyone, regardless of race, social status, gender, age, nationality, etc. can be a witch. It is a very welcoming practice for anyone to participate in- or leave- as they see fit.

Are witches born or can someone learn to be one?

You can be a witch whether you were born into a witch’s family or not. You may hear the term “hereditary witch” every once in a while; this means the person who uses the title had a family member (usually a parent or grandparent) that was/is a witch. It doesn’t give them any extra power than someone who was born into a family without any close relatives that practice witchcraft. However, these people are generally taught by a witch and/or grow up around witchcraft, which can boost their experience and knowledge in the practice. No one is born and immediately a witch. To be a witch, you must practice witchcraft. Babies don’t do that.

Can witches fly, perform telekinesis, or other similar things from movies?

There are always going to be people that claim they can move things with their minds or turn into a werewolf. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. Magic, in the real-life sense of the word, cannot defy the limitations of our chemical make-up or give us incredible powers that will make us rival superheroes. Movies have a habit of dramatizing and stretching tales in every area, and witchcraft is no different.

What can a witch do? What is possible?

Witches can cast spells to bring financial success, draw in luck, draw in love, and many other things. They may cleanse homes, cast protection spells over them, and ward negative/malevolent energy/entities from themselves or others. Witches can curse and bless. Witches can call or banish rain, snow, etc. They can heal and use energy to create change. Witches can do many things, some more subtle than others.

How can a witch prove they are a witch/that their magic works?

First, I beg the question: why should they have to? It is their practice, and not everyone wants to show off the latest results of their spellwork or the energy manipulation they can achieve. If they want to show or tell you about their practice, they will. Respect boundaries, just like you would with anyone else.

Being a witch requires that you practice witchcraft. If that isn’t good enough for someone to see that you are, indeed, a witch, there isn’t much else to do other than help them learn about the practice. Send them here, if you want.

If you wanted to show someone that your magic works, I recommend trying out energy work (sending energy through one hand onto a willing participant, giving off a specific intention for them to describe to you), divination if you are psychically inclined, or sharing the purpose of your next spell with them, and then let your success speak for itself.

Sometimes, spells don’t work. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. Working on it and finding flaws is what helps you grow as a witch, and having people around you critique it like they could do better is not an encouraging thing. Don’t feel obligated to share, but do if you and the person in question wish to share the experience.

Do witches sacrifice animals?

Not really. Some practitioners of certain practices, religions, etc., do kill animals according to their tradition, but it’s not extremely common as far as I have seen in the years I have been a witch and part of this community. I have read a post regarding this topic from the point of view of a culture/religion that does kill animals in rituals, and they relayed that they don’t torture animals or prolong their suffering. Just like a butcher would, it is always swift and not cruel when done correctly.

Religion and its Relationship with Witchcraft

Do witches believe in God?

Some do, some don’t. Just as being a doctor is a practice, so is witchcraft. Being a doctor doesn’t determine your religion, and neither does being a witch. I am not Christian, nor do I believe in the Abrahamic God. Anyone, from any religion, can be a witch.

Do witches worship Satan?

As stated above, some do, some don’t. Theistic Satanism isn’t something I see all that often among witchcraft communities. I see a lot of LaVeyan satanists (atheistic), but not too many that worship or honour Satan. However, some do. And that should definitely be respected, and not seen as an inherently bad thing. They may view Satan differently than those who devote their lives to the Abrahamic God.

Aren’t you scared of going to Hell?

I am not, at least, not actively. I don’t believe in the Abrahamic God; I am a Hellenic Polytheist (I worship and honour the Greek Gods). I don’t constantly fear what I don’t believe in. I was raised Catholic, and the shift was difficult. I may never truly stop doubting my eternity or my fears. But I am more comfortable with my life than I have ever been. I speak for myself alone and not anyone else. Other witches may feel differently.

Do you have to be religious to be a witch?

Nope! It is entirely optional. In fact, witchcraft is a different category that can overlap with religion but doesn’t have to.

Can I be religious and not include the god(s) I worship in my practice?

Absolutely. I do this, and many others do as well. If I want to ask my gods for something, I do it directly, without a spell. If I want to do something on my own, I do. They are separate, but I value them both an incredible amount.

Can I be religious and include the god(s) I worship in my practice?

Yes. However, depending on your religion, it may be easier/harder than other religions. Ultimately, you’ll need to as two questions: 1) Do I want to incorporate my religion into my practice? And 2) Is my pantheon/god/goddess open to witchcraft? Usually, the answers to this come fairly easily. You can ask your pantheon directly (through prayer, divination, etc) if you aren’t sure.

How do I make offerings/begin a journey into another religion/research a religion?

This varies widely from religion to religion. My religious blog (for Hellenic Polytheism (Reconstruction-based)) is @breathing-in-gilded-dust . There are many groups, blogs, and official sites for different religions. Here are my main recommendations that I have found over the years:

Hellenion.org - for Hellenic Polytheism; includes hymns, calendars, ritual examples, resources, ritual dates, clergy certification, and more.

Elaion.org - for Hellenic Polytheism; includes hymns, calendars, ritual examples, resources, ritual dates, and more.

Baringtheaegis.blogspot.com - the blog of an insightful, well-read Hellenic Polytheist. Full of information, articles, and plenty of wonderful posts to read! A great place to begin if you’re wondering about the religion.

Theoi.com - Thousands of articles about specific Hellenic Theoi/Theia (gods/goddesses), rituals, hymns, mythos, and so much more. A wonderful resource for epithets, simple knowledge of myths, and learning about the Theoi in ancient context.

http://www.labrys.gr/en/ - Labrys is a religious group formed by Hellenic Polytheists. They have a book recommended by many people, I believe it is called Household Worship. They have good resources online, too!

Kemet.org - for Kemeticism; includes resources, information, guides, ritual examples, and more.

Sacred-texts.com - holds so many pieces of sacred texts from so many different religions and cultures. It is the epicenter of documentation of religions like Hellenic Polytheism, Kemeticism, Nordic Polytheism, and tons more. I highly recommend looking around on this site, it is a great resource.

https://chs.harvard.edu/ - This is Harvard’s center for Hellenic Studies. It has a digital library and a friend of mine, @songbirdspells, has recommended it!

https://secondgenerationimmigrant.tumblr.com/post/162862714335/free-academic-resources-masterpost - This is a link to a free academic resource masterpost. Make use of it for religious investigation! It can be super helpful when looking for historical documentations.

Is this a sign from the gods?

Only you can decide if something you see/feel/experience is a “sign”. There isn’t a specific formula or rule book for determining this, but the general consensus is: follow your heart. Cliche, I know. Many of us rarely receive signs, and some of us never have/will. And this is okay. We don’t need a dove to tell us Aphrodite is watching over us. We already know that.

Beginner Tips, Guides, and Resources for New Witches

How can I begin?

The best thing you can do to begin your journey into witchcraft is read, record, and learn. Keep a journal for things you want to be able to look back on later, preferably in a medium you can rearrange and easily update. I recommend binders or online documents (google drive is my favourite). Some things I recommend researching first include:

Protection and warding

Correspondences for herbs, crystals, colours, and moon phases (later on, you may want to reevaluate these correspondences and decide which ones work for you and which ones don’t. There isn’t one perfect set of meanings for anything, so after experimenting, you may find that a particular item works best for love or finances rather than sleeping.)

Commonly used terminology in witchcraft

Meditation or mindfulness practices

Energy work

Candle magic

Divination

Herbal medicine (Herbs are used as medicine. I highly recommend learning not only their correspondences or mundane uses but also their potential side effects. Certain people are more susceptible to side effects or potency of herbs, especially those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have illnesses/diseases, or are on medications. Herbs are not necessarily a safe thing to dabble in. Learn before you use them. Don’t harvest any, especially if you aren’t sure what they are. I harvested red columbine a long time ago without the slightest idea as to what it was, and I handled them before I ate. My stomach had a hard time for a day or so, and I later learned they are toxic. I could have have ended up much worse than I did, and I learned my lesson about not picking plants that I am unable to positively identify.)

Sigil making (I describe my knowledge of sigils here)

Spell writing/anatomy and spellcasting

Traditional witchcraft practices in your area

The different uses of different water sources (rain, stream, ocean, storm, etc)

Crystal care (some crystals can be damaged/bleached of their colour in sunlight, or crumble in water or other substances. Learning about the hardness of a crystal and their tolerance to sunlight are important for anyone that wants to keep their crystals in good shape. Some crystals are toxic to touch or release toxic minerals if they become wet. Research is key with witchcraft, and mundane information is incredibly important as well.)

Sensing energy/emotion (empaths, sensitives, psychics, and mediums find this easier than others, but anyone can develop these kinds of skills to a certain extent.)

Simple spells to keep up with your home (sweep out negativity with a broom and a chant, ring bells to disperse stagnant energy, etc

The use of tools in witchcraft (bells, brooms, cauldrons, candles, wands, staves, etc)

What you can and cannot do as a witch (can’t fly among geese, unfortunately. But you can learn about the astral realm, a term for other planes that one can enter and explore in many different forms. Some call this “flying”.)

Different practices of different types of witchery.

These are just my personal recommendations, not the end-all-be-all of beginner topics. If you are interested in something, learning about it is a wonderful thing to do!

Do you have a masterpost of your resources?

Yes, I do! Here is a link to it.

What are some good beginner tools?

Witchcraft is about using what you already have to achieve something that you don’t (whether that be an object, scenario, or state of being). Use what you have, and make what you want. You don’t need expensive items to be a witch, or to be successful as one. My favourite tools are crystals, my handmade wand (cost me nothing to make, since I had the materials and tools at my house), herbs from around my area or in my spice cabinet, and anything I can create for a specific purpose. I love making poppets (dolls you can use to heal, bring things to you/someone/something/an idea, or even curse), and I use upcycled fabric for them. Some people find altars to be a very useful thing to have, since there is a specific space you can sit at to do your workings. I go back and forth as to whether or not I want/need one. I usually settle on having a sacred space without any decor except my main tools and a box with everything else I use.

Here is a super general list of things you may want to look into, but do not have to buy by any means:

Incense sticks/cones and/or resins (with charcoal discs) and a holder to burn them with

Three-ringed binder (to journal, record information, and write down ideas for witchcraft)

Candles and/or candle holders (tea lights are cheapest in bulk)

Crystals that are safe in water and to touch (citrine, carnelian, rose quartz, amethyst, and clear quartz are my must-haves that I trust for gem elixirs and handling)

Sachet bags (the dollar store has these, and they are great for carrying around items such as crystals, herbs, and enchanted items)

Jars (jar spells are wonderful, and you may also use these for storing objects while you aren’t using them)

Ribbon and/or string

Nails and/or pins

Divination tools

My mentor said I have to (insert ‘must’ here) to be a witch. Is this true?

Unless they said “you must practice witchcraft to be a witch”, then no, it isn’t true. There are some ‘mentors’ who use the inexperience and ignorance of a new practitioner to manipulate and abuse them. Sex magic, blood magic, making oaths, or participating in any sort of activity you are not comfortable in is not required for you to be a witch. Get away from that person as fast as you can if they say otherwise. You are welcome to explore lesser-followed paths, but please do not feel obligated to do so in any manner.

How do crystals work? What makes them ‘magical’?

Crystals vibrate at certain frequencies, many of which are great for setting our intentions and shifting our own energy alignments/focuses. Casting spells and directing energy comes from within, not from the crystals. They help us get to a specific vibration so we can use the vibration to make a change and cast a spell. Some crystals help people sleep due to their vibration while others give their bearer energy. Crystals may affect everyone in slightly different ways, but there are usually a few basic meanings agreed upon by a majority of people for a specific crystal.

What is cleansing? How do I cleanse things?

“Cleansing” is the act of clearing away energy from an object, person, or place. One can cleanse in many ways, but some common ones include burying an object for 24 hours (I recommend burying items in a pot of dirt, not in the ground, to ensure you can find it again and no animals will be harmed by it), submerging it in water/salt water (only for items that won’t be damaged, of course), sprinkling an item with salt, holding an object as water runs over it, as in a stream, smoke cleansing with sage or other smoke-producing herbs/woods/etc, placing crystals around the object/person/place, energetic resetting, and bell ringing (or any constant tone ringing through the air). There are many more, but these are common methods.

What is charging? How do I charge things?

“Charging” is the act of instilling an object with energy that can be used later on. Crystals can be charged to re-establish the energy they hold to amplify their vibrational qualities. It’s like replacing the batteries in a remote. The batteries don’t make the remote something different, they just power it to be able to do its job. You can charge things by placing them in a window during a full moon/visible moon (full moons tend to work best), charge things the same way, but in sunlight instead of moonlight, use your own energy to fill the object, place candles around an object, spin an object rapidly (ex: a wand), or surround an object with crystals or herbs. There are other ways, but these are things I have tried and really like.

What is enchanting? How do I enchant things?

“Enchanting” is filling an object with a specific intent and energy. Unlike charging, enchanting does reprogram an item’s properties/energy, usually temporarily. This works best with objects that do not have a powerful vibration like a crystal or herb does. I recommend pebbles, coins, jewelry, clothing items, etc. You can enchant an item with your own energy or the energy of objects that relate to what you want to enchant the item with. I have a post on enchanting wards here, but you could easily use it as a guide for any enchantment.

What are sigils? How do I make them? How do I charge them?

Sigils are symbols created for a specific intention and purpose. I have a complete guide with pictures, text instructions, and advice right here! It’s a google drive share link, so it gives you access and shares it with whatever email you’re signed into if it’s a gmail.

What are sabbats? Esbats?

Sabbats are the eight holidays celebrated by most Wiccans and some witches. The holidays stem from the ancient Celtic religion (if I am not correct, please let me know so I can change this). It does have religious ties because of this, but many people do not observe them. Some witches do celebrate in some way on some/all of the sabbat dates, due to the fact that half of them fall on equinoxes or solstices, and the other half are the midway point between a solstice/equinox. They have fairly easy to follow dates, each with a distinctive name. They are based on the seasons, so the northern and southern hemisphere dates are very different. The sabbats are: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas (or Lughnasadh), Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. I suggest researching the dates of these sabbats for your area if you plan to observe them. I don’t observe them as they are named, but I do have a similar system for myself, based on the solstices/equinoxes/shifts in temperature and weather.

Esbats are meetings between witches as a coven, which are usually held on the new or full moon. Any meeting of a coven to do a ritual is considered an esbat. I believe this is primarily a Wiccan thing, but I could be wrong.

What is the wheel of the year? Do I have to follow it?

The wheel of the year is the observance of the eight sabbats. They are derived from an ancient European religion (Celtic, I believe), and are celebrated most frequently by Wiccans. The wheel of the year observes the equinoxes, solstices, and the midpoints between them. You do not have to follow the wheel of the year if you do not want to. I don’t, and I am happy as can be!

What are the elements, and how are they used? Do I have to use them?

The elements are frequently seen in circle casting and on pentacles. The elements are Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit. This grouping of five elements is representative of the whole self, the whole world, the whole Universe. They can be used in circle casting as mentioned, they can be used as sources of energy during spells or rituals, and they can be communicated with during meditations (among other things). It is not a necessary part of being a witch, but many people do use the elemental system in one way or another.

Do I have to pick a path and label it?

No, you certainly do not. You don’t even have to call yourself a witch. Labels are words. Call yourself what you like, if you call yourself anything at all.

Why do some people spell magic as “magick”?

The idea to spell “magic” as “magick” came from the man Aleister Crowley when he wanted to differentiate metaphysical occurences from magic tricks at parties. Many people do this for the same reason, but there isn’t really a necessity for it. If you’re in the witchcraft or spell tag, I doubt you’re going to confuse a stage magician with a witch. There are also some issues with the actual kind of magic Crowley was talking about, which was ceremonial magic that was leading one towards their highest, truest purpose. Most of the things I see that are tagged or referred to as magick do not fall into that category, only because it’s not the same form as what Crowley defined as ‘magick’. It’s an outdated word often used inaccurately, anyway. I cringe a little when I see it due to this, and some of the people I met only use it for attention or to seem more ‘witchy’.

Do I have to use spells made by other people? Can I write and use my own?

You do not have to use spells by other people, and you definitely can write and use your own! The only disclaimer I have for this is that you should read and try spells by experienced people you trust to get a sense of what a well-rounded spell feels like. Study before you jump in, as with anything else, just in case. It also helps you figure out what you really like to do, and you can experiment with different spell types and tools/ingredients.

Do witches have to join a coven?

Nope. The only time a witch ‘has’ to join a coven is if they are a Traditional Wiccan looking to be initiated, but not all Traditional Wiccans are witches, anyway.

How and why do people use the moon and its phases in spellwork/magic?

The moon affects many mundane things, from the tides to menstrual cycles. It holds so much history and energy that can be used in magical workings. It reflects the light of the sun, and is charged constantly because of this. It is full of nearly untouched vibrancy, which is great for many spells and rituals!

What is a grimoire? What is a book of shadows?

A grimoire is a book of journals, spells, correspondences, and other useful information in the possession of a witch. They can be physical or digital. A Book of Shadows (sometimes referred to as BoS) is a similar book of such things, but has more specific ties to Wicca. It is full of rituals and texts regarding Traditional Wiccan practices, and is less ‘personal’, for lack of a better word. It may contain the Wiccan Rede, copies of important rituals used in the practitioner’s coven/sect, or texts written by trusted religious figures.

What is energy work? How can I practice?

Energy work is the manipulation of metaphysical energy to manifest an intent or infuse power into something. It can consist of making orbs to send to others (healing, cursing, etc.), the use of energy to shield/ward a person/place/thing, using one’s own energy to charge or enchant an item, and much more. Some people even focus on energy points within the body and center themselves through energetic rebalancing. You can practice with exercises put on the internet for it, such as my favourite:

Rub your hands together. Feel the friction and the heat- the energy- produced by the action. Stop for a few seconds, and do it again, this time focusing on the feeling between your hands. For me, it feels kind of tingly, even after the heat has faded for a few seconds.

Rub your hands together again, and then pull them apart, but not too far from each other (maybe three or four inches from the other). Visualize and try to feel a blob/ball of energy between your hands, fueled by the friction’s energy. Do this several times, and make the blob/ball bigger if it becomes easier. Practice makes perfect with this!

What is warding?

Warding is a type of magical action in which an object or energy form wards off an unwanted subject. The subject could be a person, negativity as a whole, malevolent entities, spirits, misfortune, etc. Wards can be made of physical items or energies anchored to an area, object, or person.

What is grounding?

Grounding is the act of reconnecting to the Earth and resetting your energy to a more mundane frequency. It involves releasing your energy into the ground while simultaneously taking in new energy from the Earth. This is usually done after centering, and is very refreshing for those of us who struggle with energy consumption. This technique is ideal for empaths as well, due to how accessible it is and how effective it can be.

What is centering?

Centering is bringing awareness back to yourself, and being mindful of your body, its energy, and how you feel. Centering is always found in meditation, and is a great skill that is used in mindfulness. To center, you can use breathing, visualization, and specific thoughts that help you return to your mind. Everyone centers differently, but once you find your method, it is so great to be able to do!

This is overwhelming. What should I do?

Whew, I know, right? It can be extremely intimidating to begin a practice like this. My biggest pointer is to allow yourself time to learn. Don’t cram like you’re about to take the ACT/SAT. This is a fulfilling practice, not a guide to college! You have plenty of time to learn, grow, and absorb information, which is awesome! I definitely recommend joining some sort of community, whether offline or online. Tumblr is definitely my favourite place to hang out, but there are other forums. Discord seems to have a good many, and I occasionally see links on Tumblr to other social media groups!

Astrology

I am a Leo/etc. so why don’t I feel like one?

Your sun sign is a teeny weeny tiny bit of who you are, according to the stars. There are so many different stars that relate to you, “houses”, moons, etc. You can calculate your natal chart (see next question) to see what other signs you are. The sun sign is who you are publicly, while your moon sign is most likely a better representation of who you are on the inside. It blew my mind when I discovered natal charts!

What is a natal chart?

A natal chart is the positioning of certain celestial bodies on the day you were born. It also takes into account the time and place of your birth. I recommend calculating yours! I believe I calculated mine with astro.com, but the next question has a masterpost of good resources to try, and I am sure I got the link for mine in that list.

What are some resources for beginners interested in astrology?

I saw a great post of some awesome astrology links! Here is the link to it for your convenience.

Do I have to learn astrology to be a witch?

Nope! Astrology isn’t witchcraft, just something many witches and spiritual people like! Actually, many witches don’t have a clue about astrology, including me. I know what four of my signs are based off of my natal chart, and I understand the traits of some of the zodiac signs, but that’s about it. I can maybe draw a few constellations and miss a couple stars, but eh.

#FAQ #masterpost #witchcraft #how to #beginner

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kabane52 · 5 years

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The Trinity, Maleness and Femaleness, and “Subordinationism”

This is as a comment on this video:

https://blog.logos.com/2017/06/video-wayne-grudem-responds-critics/

I think he generally is on the right track but is wounded with imprecision at points either because of his ignorance or suspicion of the traditional dogmatic language about the Father-Son relation. I'll make some critical comments and then try to spell out a coherent way of thinking of the trinitarian relations and male-female relations in light of each other. I have been frustrated watching this discussion because many of Grudem's critics (who at times make sound points- I believe Grudem used to reject eternal generation, for which he was rightly lambasted) claim to speak for the catholic tradition of the church without a good knowledge of it. Some have rejected any suggestion that the Son eternally submits to the Father as "subordinationist" and ruled out by the classical doctrine of the Trinity. But the patristic tradition clearly affirms that there is a way in which this is true eternally and does not merely read "the Father is greater than I" in terms of Jesus' humanity. It is rather read in terms of His being the Son who is eternally birthed from the Father. We honor the Son just as we honor the Father because they share the one nature on account of which God is honored as God. Yet the Father is greater in the sense that He is the one who has "given it to the Son to have life in Himself." The life is simultaneously intrinsic (something which is only true for God) and given (which describes a relation of eternal origin from the Father).

As soon as the distinction between Father and Son is framed in terms of "authority" problems arise, because the word "authority" naturally refers to the person who holds, in a given sphere, the capacity to make a final decision in the midst of disagreement. But there is never disagreement between Father and Son. His comment on the relationship of "act" to the divine persons is confused. To state that each act is an act of all three persons is not to say that the act belongs to the three persons in the same manner. The incarnation and messianic task is an act in the divine economy in which God acts as Father, Son, and Spirit- the Father sends the Son through the Holy Spirit who brings Him into the world and carries Him back to His Father. Likewise, in God's work of creation the Father creates through the Word and in the Spirit. There are no acts of God for which this is not true. Grudem affirms something like this point in stating that the other persons participate in or are related in some way to acts belonging uniquely to one person, but his explanation is muddled and then undermined by stating that there are some acts where two or three divine persons act together while there are others for which this is not true. This implies that there are some acts of God in which two or three persons act indistinctly, in exactly the same way. On the contrary, every act of God manifests His simultaneous oneness and threeness. Every act of God is one act of God which is enacted in a threefold way according to the irreducible uniqueness of each hypostasis.

I was surprised to see how much I agreed with what he said. I think that he basically has the right idea, but that it is unwise to use "authority" as the primary word to understand the eternal Father-Son relation. He is without question right that the male-female relation needs to be considered in light of the doctrine of the Trinity. I have been amazed to see how many theologians in this controversy have declared that there is no relationship. Seriously?! We are dealing with the primary- both in terms of its temporal primacy as the first human interrelationship ever existing, per Genesis 2 as well as in terms of its utter pervasiveness in structuring in one way or another all peoples and civilizations. God, as the only self-existent being, is the basis for all existence. The character of God, therefore, is that which constitutes the inner core of created reality. All creation reflects this, most of all man as the crown of creation. The catholic tradition of the church whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, affirms the double homoousios in principle through the profession of Chalcedon.

The oneness of God is expressed and symbolized in the oneness of the human family. There is one image of God in Genesis 1:26-28: the human family considered as a corporate body. This is verified in Genesis 5:1-2, where "male and female He created them and called them Man." God, being a plural unity, invokes His plural unity in the creation of man: "Let us make Man." God also invokes His plural unity in His multiplication of the human family into many national families: "Let us go down and confuse their language." The Church as the proper form of human existence is a plural unity: (John 17:22-23) The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. That plural unity, rooted in the Trinity, gathers all the children of God into one people without obliterating distinction. And so when we hear the apostle Paul addressing this unity, what do we see? The unity is contextualized in terms of three sorts of distinctness gathered into one people of God: there is neither 1) Jew nor Greek, 2) slave nor free, 3) male nor female. These are distinctions of nationhood, class, and sex. Each of these distinctions are preserved and related to each other through mutual indwelling. [I am not implying that slavery is somehow demanded by the New Testament, but I see the reference to the distinction as a cipher for all class distinction just as Jew nor Greek is a cipher for all national distinction- social hierarchy is preserved even as its internal relation and order is restructured according to charity.] So there's the broad context. Specific evidence? 1 Corinthians 11:1 is the most direct where we are told that the head of every man is Christ, the head of every wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God the Father. There is an analogical relation uniting these three relationships. How? In particular, how is the man-Christ relation analogous to the God-Christ relation? This is where our framing of these issues according to precise vocabulary is very important. Authority is not the most precise mode of framing since the Son never has a difference of opinion with the Father which needs to be resolved by the Father deciding the issue. Can't happen. Instead of using "authority" as our frame of reference, let's use the duality of activity and reciprocity. Activity and reciprocity is much more useful because it does not depend on the possibility of disagreement or conflict and also because it is more comprehensive. As Lewis rightly noted, maleness and femaleness are simply the most concrete realization of a comprehensive dynamic existing between the masculine and the feminine. Activity, in this context, means that a thing is the primary mover in a relationship. The God-creation relationship is one of the more helpful examples as it requires less qualification. God is the active party: He is the one who initiates the relationship with the world in His act of creation and in His constant sustaining motion towards the world. Yet, creation is not passive as if it simply receives the creative and sustaining presence of God without participation. Rather, receptivity is itself an activity. Think about the concept of sight. When one looks at the sun, for example, the sun is the primary actor in that it acts upon us by the sending forth of photons. That is something received by us: we could retain the capacity for sight and not see the sun, but the sun would exist without the capacity for sight. And yet, our "seeing" the sun is not simply passive. The verb itself is suggestive of this fact, being an active verb. There is an act of "seeing." When we consider this more deeply, we understand that the sun acts in relation to us precisely because we have the intrinsic capacity to see light of this wavelength. As the sun reaches out towards us in its illumining activity, we reach out towards the sun according to our intrinsic capacity to receive this particular manifestation. The reason we don't see quarks is not merely because they are too small. Rather, it is because quarks possess no activity which exists in relation to the capacity to receive in sight. Likewise, we do not see infrared light because we do not have the corresponding receptive capacity to reach out and grasp what is manifested at this wavelength. When God moves towards the world in His divine sustenance, His sustenance of the world is a sustenance in its particular receptive capacities. It is, as the Psalmist says, "in thy light that we see light." The work of the Spirit of God is a work of filling man with grace and providing him with the capacity to receive grace. The receptive aspect of the feminine relation is complemented and reinforced by its reciprocal act. When God blesses the creation with His presence, the creation reciprocates that blessing according to its reception. When we receive the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and adopts us as children of God, we also reciprocate that gift by praising God according to the Spirit's work in us. This is the heart of the masculine-feminine dynamic, and this is the interpretive key for understanding the bridegroom-bride dynamic. The husband is to love his wife and the wife is to honor and respect her husband. That the male is active and the female receptive and reciprocal is woven into the very constitution of males and females. No matter how hard we try to think in "modern" terms, the passive man will inspire a degree of disdain, and the overly assertive woman will inspire a feeling of dislike. This is why there is consistently the expectation that men are to pursue women and not the other way around- the woman who is too forward with her intentions will be looked on with some suspicion.

The reciprocal nature of the receptive capacity helps shape out the unique ways in which love and respect exist in relation to men and women. The husband is the active partner in his movement of love towards his wife, and the wife is the receptive and reciprocal partner in her acceptance of this love and return of it to her husband. This is an ongoing pattern of life: the husband then receives and reciprocates the honor with which he is honored. The man is called to love his wife in a respectful way, and the wife is called to honor her husband in a loving way. Love without honor is infantilization, and honor without love is fear without joy. A husband can love his wife but never take her counsel into consideration and thinking her to be unworthy of serious intellectual discussion, while the wife can respect her husband in a way that fails to delight in him through love. If we are in the same room with a head of state, we are respectful and honoring of him simply by instinct (if we have any good sense) because of the innate respect we have for authority- that doesn't mean we are terrified of him as a wife would be of an abusive husband, but there is no loving delight that exists in that relationship.

So, how does this all come back to the Father-Son relation? The Christ-man relationship is one of activity and reciprocity. Christ moves towards us through the Spirit, we receive that movement and reciprocate by the Spirit. That is the structure of the man-wife relationship. And this is also the structure of the Father-Son relationship. The Father eternally makes movement of love towards the Son in a bond carried by the Spirit. The Son receives the Father's love and reciprocates by that same Spirit, so that the Spirit manifests the love of Father and Son to Father and Son- and to us. This relationship is manifested in the Gospels. When Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends upon Him and the Father proclaims His love for the Son: "This is my beloved Son." Then, it is the Spirit who drives the Son into the wilderness, where the Son reciprocates the love of His Father by His loyalty to God above all, not living by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

This dynamic is, I believe, the key to explaining why Christ as the Preexistent Wisdom of God is described in Proverbs as feminine- and more specifically, as a bride. Some have simply waved this off because the word for wisdom in Hebrew is feminine. This is not sufficient- Solomon did not have to develop a sophisticated vocabulary of bridal symbolism and imagery to describe Wisdom. He could have placed no significance on Wisdom's feminine quality at all. But he did place emphasis and significance on it. Ultimately, this is because the Son is feminine (not female) in His receptive and reciprocal dynamic with the Father. In creation, the connection between the feminine and sons who are in their father's house is symbolized by the fact that we all start out feminine. Prepubescent boys have feminine voices. If they are made eunuchs before puberty, they will sing alto forever. The masculinity of the sons is something grown into as they begin to stand in relation to a receptive and reciprocal partner. In relation to God, the human family is feminine, in relation to creation, the human family is masculine. This is rooted in the trinitarian relations, since the ontologically ultimate form of existence is trinitarian. Everything must express it.

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multiphandomunnies · 6 years

Text

wild flowers | hirai momo

Hades!Momo x Persephone!Reader

requested; Then is it okay if I ask for an imagine with Momo as Hades and the reader as Persephone?

word count;3.1k

a/n; I have a few things id like to say! First, I had so much fun writing this, its 2 of my favorite things in the whole world, greek mythology and momo! This is actually the longest thing i've written! Second, I tried to follow the myth as close as possible but I changed up some things and some things differ from book to book, ya know? Third, I really hope you enjoy it and im sorry if its crappy and not what you wanted!

admin; mirae

More n likely spelling and grammar issues, if you tell me where ill fix it

The path you walked became as visible as a fleshly snowed trail. The tall grass and decorative flower that once stood up high had been become flattened over time. You stood there, watching over everything, with complete amazement. It wasn't anything that you weren't used to seeing, just the gorgeous wildflowers. It was a riot of color; from the bluebells to the lady's glove, the field had it all. The flowers melt sweet, almost sickly. You sat, legs outstretched on the sun-scorched grass. You looked up at the sky, it's clear blue beauty was something you always loved. Only a few clouds painted it today, it was almost as empty and barren as your heart.

Almost like your mother knew you were thinking bad thoughts she appeared next to you. “What are you doing out here?” she asked lying down on in the grass next to you with a soft smile. “Oh nothing mother, just admiring the sky,” you said not wanting to talk much more. Your mother lightly poked your arm, you looked over, confused as to what she wanted from you. “Yes mother?” you asked in your most polite voice. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you, that is all,” she didn't even give you time to reply, instead she stood up and left you all alone. You sighed heavily and replayed your words “Weird,” you quietly mumbled before laying back down and closing your eyes.

The soft wind and bright sun made you feel tired. It was days like this where you knew that you could just sleep for hours in the meadow, sometimes the grass and flowers felt better than your own bed. It didn't take you long before you were dozing off into a comfortable sleep

Momo.People often thought of her as the definition of terror and horror, which was completely true to an extent. Like any other person she had feelings, and she got lonely. The facade she had kept of a lonely,heartless person was beginning to tire her out rapidly. All she wanted at this point was to find love, someone who could understand her like no one else. But no one like that existed.

Momo sat still in her cold stone chair as she ate her pomegranate. The room she was in was rather dark and cold, but she didn't mind. “Does true love exist?” she mumbled quietly to no one in particular. “Or is it a made up thing?” she continued, playing around with the pomegranate core. She stared intently at the door before deciding to go to the outside world. It is something she didn't do often, she quite enjoyed her cozy space down here, but today it felt needed.

She couldnt help but lightly hiss when the sun beamed into her eyes. “I say we destroy the sun,” she mumbled with a scratchy laugh. Looking around she questioned where she was. It was a field full of flowers and grass that seemed to stretch on for miles. Trees looked like they were delicately placed in certain spots.

“Pretty,” she said bending down to touch the yellow rose that had caught her eye. “I like you,” Momo plucked the rose and held it tightly to her chest in fear of losing it like she seemed to lose everything else. She walked a few steps before noticing a young looking person laying in the field. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the person. “Spectacular,” she mumbled, marveling at the sleeping figure. She blinked a few times before thinking “You are asleep and not dead, right?’ she continued to speak to herself.

Bending down she carefully checked the pulse. “Thank god, alive.” Momo felt her heartbeat speed up the more she stared at you. You looked so ethereal laying there, the flowers looked like utter garbage being next to you. Bright and high pitched giggles cause Momo t stop staring at you and to instead panic. The voices were coming closer. “I want you to be mine,” she mumbled before hardly disappearing back into the underworld. Momo was out of breath when she landed on her chair. She was always tired after visiting the affairs from upstairs but today was different. She met you today and you were no ordinary being. “Aphrodite has nothing compared to you,” Momo giggled to herself. You were going to fill the empty void in her heart with the one thing she has been missing for years, love.

You had finally returned to the flower field after a few days away. You were playing around with the nymphs in the flower field. For the past hour or so you guys had been making as many flower crown as you could. It was something rather fun and entertaining. The sweet flowers in your hands made you feel even happier. You and your fellow nymphs looked up when the wind suddenly picked up.

What looked like a dark void started to appear from the ground. The sound of screamings pierced your ears. The myths started to panic, they began to throw the flowers at the void in a bad attempt to stop it. You squint your eyes when you noticed a figure emerging from the darkness. You let out a light yell when a herd of horses came charging out you. Behind them on the chariot stood a mysterious girl. She grabbed you and pulled you into the void with her.

The nymphs watched with pure fear. Once the dark void closed and you were gone they all exchanged looks before shakily before bursting into tears. They had failed to protect and save you. Cyane, a loyal water nymph, could stop weeping, she had felt worse than ever before. All of the pain and sorrow that she was feeling started to become overbearing, her tears threatened to not stop. Cyane, once a loyal water nymph, turned into a river right on the spot

Once you were being dragged into the void you had knocked out from shock and fear. When you awoke you were laying in a beautifully decorated bed of flowers. Momo sat in the corner of the room, admiring you from afar.

“Oh how lovely, you are awake,” she said clapping her hands together.

“Who are you and what do you want from me,” your voice was as stern as you could get it.

“Why dear heaven you heard of me? I'm the ruler of the underworld, and you're going to marry me,” she had a smile that could only rival the Cheshire cats.

“You must be completely and utterly insane! Why on earth would I marry you, the ruler of the underworld? You kill for a living,” your tone of voice as rather harsh and mean. Momo felt a pang in her heart, your words actually did some damage on her. Momo did her best to remain calm.

“That means nothing, you think you're so great just because you live on the surface and spend your days frolicking around in the flowers? Who are you to judge me?” Momo felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

All she wanted was to feel love and yes she was starting to realize that her plan to earn it wasn't the best but still. Your mouth had fallen agape at her words, she made a great point. “Hey,” your voice was soft and smooth as your carefully moved closer to her. Momo felt herself flinch when your hand came in contact with her cheek. “I'm sorry,” you quietly whispered. Momo looked into your eyes. She was normally good at judging people's emotions but for once she had no clue what you were thinking.

“I know you want to marry me but I want to return home,” you said hoping she would send you home.

“I can't do that, you and I are going to get married,” Momo stood up she looked down at you before offering you a plate of food to which you denied.

“I'll return soon,” she said before exiting the room. You sighed heavily and looked around. There was no way for you o leave this room, Momo was a smart girl who had every entrance and exit locked.

“Mother will find me,” you mumbled, slightly cringing when your stomach growled.

“No Y/n, you can't eat or else you'll be trapped here forever,” you reminded yourself.

“Oh Y/n~” Demeter called out as she approached the flower field where you had once been. Her face twisted into one of confusion once she saw the river and you weren't anywhere in sight. “Where is Y/N?” She demanded the crying water nymphs to tell her. The nymphs were not going to budge, they were too afraid to say anything to the woman. “Where.Is.Y/N?” Demeters voice was deep and dark, the nymphs had never seen her so angry. When the water nymphs once again, refused to tell, in her fit of rage Demeter turned them into hideous creatures.

Cyane, now a river, watched all this happen. She wanted to be able to show something to Demeter, anything. Cyane used her currents to bring your belt to Demeter. Once Demeter saw she grabbed the belt and began to weep, now she knew for sure that something had happened to you. “Y/N...my precious Y/N” she weeped.

For the next few days Demeter refused to take care of the crops, if she couldn't have you then there was no point at all. Hekate watched from afar, she couldn't stand to see Demeter in so much pain anymore. “Let me help you,” she said cooly, Demeter looked up at her confused. “Really?” Demeter asked tearing up. No one had offered her help, everyone was ignoring all her pleas. Hekate helped guide Demeter through the night with her torches. The night was still dark and , no voices could be heard. “We will never find Y/N,” wept Demeter. Hekate sighed softly, she rubbed Demeters back in attempted to comfort her. “Demeter, we will find her ,” she said full of determination.

More days had passed and they still couldn't find you. Not only were the crops crying but so were the people, a famine swept over the nation. “Demeter, perhaps we should ask Helios, for he may know something about Y/ns whereabouts” Demeter nodded at her words, Hekate was right.

Together they marched up to Helios and demanded to know what happened to Y/n. The news they got sent Demeter on a outrage. “Are you kidding me? The underworld? I'm going to kill Momo when I get my hands on her,” Demeter spoke feeling a fury she had never felt before.

After what felt like a few days you had grown to Momo. She was really a sweet and kind girl who was misunderstood by the people. She seemed to really understand you, unlike your mother and those who you were accustomed to, Momo didn't treat you like a child, she didn't baby you. Momo treated you as if you were your own person, which was completely true. At this point, you really didn't mind if you had to spend a while down here, everyone seemed to treat you kindly and with care.

While you were wandering around in the world your stomach was cramping up painfully, it was a pain you had never felt before. “Want some?” a sly voice asked, offering you a pomegranate. You bit your lip and looked at it, you were beyond starving at this point. The pain in your stomach was worse than anything you had ever felt. Instead of taking the whole thing you took and ate a few seeds. “Thank you,” you mumbled quietly before continuing on your walk. The cramping in your stomach has finally seized to exist.

“Y/n,” a smooth voice called out. You turned around and made eye contact with Momo.

“Hello Momo,” you said giving her a tight hug. Momo smile into the hug as she pulled away.

“Would you like to go walk the River of Phlegethon with me?” she asked hoping deep inside that you would say yes.

LI'd love too,” you said walking hand in hand to the River of Phlegethon.

“It's nice here than I thought,” you shyly admitted to Momo. Momo nodded her head

“I'd like to think that everyone here is full of kindness for we have felt pain like no other,” Momo was staring far into the distance as she thought of her people.

“We have a few bad apples in the bunch,” she admitted. You nodded your head

“I've met some of the worst people up on the surface.” Momo looked over at you, you looked eyes and felt your heart speed up.

“That's sad, I'd never treat you poorly. I promise you Y/N 'll do my best to satisfy all your needs and to keep you happy,” Momo felt so passionate about keeping you happy. She wanted to prove not only to herself and you but to everyone that she could love and be kind.

“Thank you,” you mumbled, looking down at the ground. “That means a lot to me,” you placed a soft kiss on Momos cold cheek before giggling. Momo had to look away so you wouldn't notice the deep crimson blush on her cheeks.

“Good because it's very much true. Y/N If you want me to, I'll swear on the River of Styx,” she said looking at you, trying to prove her point.

“Momo, no! That’s dangerous and careless you don't need to swear off that river in order to prove your love to me. I can feel it already,” your heart was beating even faster now.

“Oh,,, okay,, the offer still stands,” Momo nudged your shoulder lightly. You shook your head and smacked her chest lightly

“No, never swear on the River of Styx for me, please,” Momo stopped to pretend to be hurt and nodded

“Alright, I won't.” The walk became silent until you reached the River of Phlegethon.

“It's beautiful,” Momo smiled at your words.

“It really is, but it isn't as beautiful as you,” Momo winked and started to giggle at her own words. You lightly laughed and scoffed.

“Oh will you stop it already, you're being so cheesy,”

“Darling, you're going to have to get used to it,” Momo smiled at herself.

“I don't know if I want to,” you started to laugh at Momos facial expression.

“Alright, alright, I'll get used to it,”

“Good,”

You sat there, playing with the flowers in the garden. This place reminded you of home, with its flowing and bright beauty. “Y/N, we need you to return back home,” Hermes said, appearing at of almost nowhere. “Hermes! You've found me!” you called out, happy to see a familiar face. ‘Y/N, your mother is refusing to grow the crops, people are dying. She needs you to return home,” Hermes desperately pleaded. “What?” you asked in complete despair, your mother must have been losing her mind. “Y/n come with me,” Hermes grabbed your hand, in a flash you guys had both disappeared and reappeared in front of the gods.

“Mother!” you called out happily, giving her big bear hug “I missed you so much sweetie, please don't leave me like that ever again,” Demeter said while kissing your forehead. You bit your lip and nodded “

I can't believe Momo wanted to marry you, how ridiculous,” Demeter said before huffing out loudly and snapping at Zeus. “And you approved of it?” Demeter was sending Zeus a dark glare.

“I don't see a problem with it,” he added with a shrug.

“Whatever, im done talking to you. Y/N sweetie, it's great to have you back up here with me,” Demeter was about to take you back to your home when Momo appeared before you.

“Oh no no no, that can't happen,” Momo said reaching out and grabbing your hand. Demeter scoffed

“Yes it can,” Demeter voice was stern and stable.

“Actually it cant. Y/n ate some pomegranate seeds while she was in the underworld,” Momo said casually with a smirk.

“Zeus you can't allow this!” Demeter demanded.

“Yes he can.” Momo and Demeter began to argue. You kept exchanging look between them. You loved your mother, she raised you and made you extremely happy but Momo made you feel a new feeling, Momo love you in a way that no one else had ever done before. Zeus sighed

“I'll tell you what, Y/n, how many seeds did you eat?’ Zeus asked.

“I ate 6 seeds,” you admitted sheepishly, you were very angry and couldn't take it anymore.

“Then for 6 months Y/N shall live with Momo in the underworld and for the other 6 months Y/n shall remain with her mother here on the surface. You smiled at idea, it was genius.

“Fine,” Demeter scoffed not really wanting to agree to anything.

“But when Y/N is gone from me don't expect those crops to be in the best condition,” Demeter wasn't going to be nice.

“Marvelous, I'll Take Y/n back with me to the underworld and begin my 6 months with her,” Momo said lacing her fingers with yours. Demeter was tired of arguing

‘Let's get this done and over with,”she said kissing your forehead.

“I'll see you soon sweetie,” she said before Momo took you with her into the underworld.

“Momo, I'm excited to be able to spend many months of the year with you, thank you,” you said looking at her. Momo bit her lip “Well you should thank yourself for eating those seeds,” Momo winked. You both couldn't help but laugh, her words were completely true. “I guess that's true but, ya know,” Your stare was intense and it was making her feel nervous.

You leaned up and placed a long-awaited kiss on Momo's lips. Momo was shocked at first but then she placed her hands on your hips and pulled you into her, depending on the kiss. Your fingers laced themselves into her hair, Momo bit your lip lightly before slipping her tongue into your mouth.

You guys pulled away for air and giggled softly at each other's slightly swollen lips. “I'm looking forward to our future together,” she admitted making you nod. “Me too,”

#kpopwritingnet #flowergirlsnet #kgirlsquad #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop fluff #kpop au #twice imagines #twice scenarios #twice fluff #twice momo #momo imagines #momo scenarios #momo fluff #momo au #twice au #greek mythology

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bisexual-in-every-gender · 3 years

Text

survey

Approx. Time you began this survey: 10:03 AM

Describe your mood right now: Bored and slightly anxious

Spell your first name without vowels: Bln

Age you will be on your next birthday: 29

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Do you believe what your horoscope says about your sign? No, most of the time it’s bang wrong. I resemble a Pisces much more than I do a Gemini.

What state/region do you live in? I live in Guangzhou, China but will soon move to Madrid, Spain

Height: About 150 cm

Do you smoke? No

Do you drink? Sometimes. Not very often though as I don’t like how it makes me feel.

What's your ethnic background? White/German

What's your religious background? I’m a Christian and was also raised that way.I do still consider myself a Christian and believe in God and Jesus but I am much more liberal in my views than the majority of the people I grew up with (for example, I’m queer and obviously support the queer community and I’m pro-choice).

What's your natural hair color? blonde

What;s your natural eye color? Dark green

Do you have any bad habits you want to break? Overthinking and worrying

Name a few of your positive habits: I’m diligent if I have a task and do it early (for example I already have my uni assignment finished although its due date is the 20th May), I tell my wife I love her every day, I try to eat healthy and to not drink too many sweet drinks

Have you ever lived in a foreign country? Yes. I’m living in one now. I was born and raised in Germany but moved to China for my job 4 years ago. This year, we’ll move to Spain.

Did you vote in the Nov. 6 2012 presidential election? I’m not American, but I did vote in the last election we had here --> same

Are you even eligible to vote? Yeah, I’ve been since I turned 18

Are you right handed or left handed? I’m right-handed

When you write, is your penmanship usually neat or do you tend to scribble? I think it’s neat but I have been told otherwise xD

Have you ever experienced an accident? (of any type): Does falling out of bed and breaking your toe in the process count as an accident? I also snapped my tendon on the other foot a week after xD

Do you have/want children? Definitely! Since I struggle to become pregnant naturally, my wife and I will be starting IVF-treatment in Spain.

Are you environmentally conscious? I try to be.

What's your favorite mode of transportation? Cars

Do you prefer 80's - 90's music compared to today's music? 80′s all the way!

Are you more of an introvert (quiet/shy), or extrovert (social butterfly)? I’m definitely an introvert

What's your favorite emoticon? the one surrounded by little hearts

Do you miss the good old days of hand-written letters? I do like a handwritten card or letter but I don’t condemn technology either

Do you enjoy receiving or giving more? I like both, but giving makes me feel happier because I love seeing other people happy because of what I gave them --> same

Are you good at keeping secrets? I’d think so.

Do you take or give advice more often? I give advice more often than I ask for it, usually. But that’s also because I tend to internalize stuff and I talk about it to people only if they ask first.... --> honestly, is the person that answered this survey before me myself??? SAME!

Do you have your driver's license? No.

Would you rather be poor & happy or rich but miserable? Poor & happy I guess but I probably wouldn’t be miserable if I was rich xD

Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? Once but then when I turned out not to be pregnant, we actually cried a lot because it didn’t happen... ever since then, I’ve wanted children really badly.

Have you ever blocked someone on Facebook? Yes

Do you think recreational marijuana should be nationally legalized? Yeah, especially because it would help fight illegal traffics --> I agree

Describe your perfect first date: Going out for coffee and lunch and just talk about everything.

Have you ever been high? No

Have you ever watched a NC-17 rated film? What is that?

If you ever become reincarnated as an animal, what would you want it to be? A bird or a dolphin

Do you remember where you were/what you were doing on September 11, 2001? I was 9 but I still don’t remember what exactly I was doing

Do you ever wish you were of a different nationality/religion? I sometimes wish I wasn’t German, yeah, because of all the shit that we get associated with. I do agree that the Nazi regime was horrible. At the same time, I would say that we Germans learned a lot from that and have become an open and mostly tolerant nation and I would like that to be recognised more.

Are you more of a junk food addict or health nut? Neither. I don’t eat much junk food, but I’m also not obsessed with eating healthy --> same

Do you believe Antarctica should be considered the 7th world continent? I actually thought it’s already considered a continent, according to what I was taught in school --> so did I

Describe your own sense of humor in 1 word: Dumb xD

Have you ever quoted the Bible (or any other Holy Book)? Yes, I have. Mostly to other Christians.

Have you ever completed a Sudoku puzzle? Yes.

Would you rather be a nuclear physicist or marine biologist? Marine biologist. It actually was my profession of choice when I was a teenager. I love the sea and its creatures.

Do you have a deep, dark secret you're hiding from every one? Nah

Would you rather be able to soar like an eagle or swim like a dolphin? I already can swim, so I’d rather be able to fly --> totally!

If you wanted to learn a foreign language, what would it be? Japanese, Greek, Hindi and Icelandic

Are you bi-curious? I’m fully bisexual --> as am I

Did you watch the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon more as a kid? Nickelodeon since you had to pay for Disney Channel.

Name 5 films that were made the year you were born: Disney’s Aladdin, Bodyguard, Pet Sematary II, Basic Instinct, The Crying Game

Did you have a lot of friends in high school? Not many but I had this weirdo (I mean it in an affectionate way!): @umnachtung

Do you rely more on the newspaper, Internet or TV as your news source? Newspaper on the phone.

True or false: Bigger is better. I need more contextto answer this question.

Do you think religion is the primary cause of war? No. It can be but a lot of it these days is about economic gain

What's your favorite pizza topping? Tuna or just plain cheese

Think of your wardrobe. What color do you wear the most? Black.

Have you ever been to a planetarium? Yes

Do you feel like you connect more with animals or other people? Animals. They don’t judge you.

Do you feel like sometimes you have to lie in order to protect yourself? Not really.

How often do you exercise? Twice a week

Can you swear in a different language? Yeah, in a few languages

Do you think teachers/doctors deserve to get paid more than pro athletes? To be honest: Yes. Because I think that athletes provide entertainment and that’s great but doctors save lives.

From a scale of 1- 5, you would rate this survey: I liked it, I’ll give it a 4

Do you think most of these questions were more original or more ordinary? A mix of the two

Approx. time you completed this survey: 10:22 AM

0 notes

realyoungdarius · 3 years

Text

2.1 Assignment: Something Different is Needed

Getting Started

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 7:9–10

Have you ever wondered what heaven will be like? There are a number of descriptions given to us in the Bible. One depiction specifically stands out among the several that exist. In the above passage of Scripture, the disciple named John describes a countless multitude of people who are immensely diverse according to their nationality, tribal affiliation, uniqueness of creation, and language spoken. In fact, the list of diverse characteristics in the Bible verse is thought to not be an exhaustive list but one that is infinite in nature.

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

Integrate the concepts of diversity with an understanding of those same or similar concepts of a Christian worldview.

Resources

Bible: Eastern Standard Version

File: The DeVoe Report Fall/Winter 2017

File: The DeVoe Report Spring/Summer 2017

Website: Bible Gateway

Reference

U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Prohibited employment policies/practices. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/index.cfm

Background Information

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (n.d.) states,

Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person's race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

The law forbids discrimination in every aspect of employment.

The issue of discrimination has been an issue that human resources management have wrestled with in the workplace for a very long time. The article reading selected for this workshop sheds light on the fact that there are differing views for how to address workplace discriminatory practices—especially those illegal or unethical practices among management and executive leaders of the organization. Read the article and consider your own workplace or one that you are familiar with. Has the organization attempted to use any one of the suggested solutions found in the article? None of them? Or a different solution altogether? And if a solution was attempted, has it been successful?

Instructions

Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

Make sure you have carefully reviewed the Getting Started and Background Information sections of this page.

Review the following Scriptures from the Bible Gateway website:

How do these Scriptures inform your understanding in regards to the following questions and the complex realities of today’s workplaces:

Access The DeVoe Report Spring/Summer 2017 edition.

Access The DeVoe Report Fall/Winter 2017 edition.

Write a paragraph of 50-100 words for each of the following four questions based on the Workshop Two reading:

Prior to submitting your journal entry, review for correct spelling, word choice, punctuation, and grammar.

Submit your journal entry by using the Assignment submission page the final day of the workshop.

Review the following Scriptures from the Bible Gateway website:

Revelation 4:11

Revelation 4:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible

11 Our Lord and God,[a] You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.

John 3:16

John 3:16 Holman Christian Standard Bible

16 “For God loved the world in this way:[a] He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Galatians 3:28

Galatians 3:28 Holman Christian Standard Bible

28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Samuel 16:7b

1 Samuel 16:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees,[a] for man sees what is visible,[b] but the Lord sees the heart.”

Matthew 6:10

Matthew 6:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Write a paragraph of 50-100 words for each of the following four questions based on the Workshop Two reading:

If heaven is a place of inclusion and diversity, shouldn’t our workplaces similarly be such a place of diverse peoples?

I believe, similarly to many Libertarians, that it can be Constitutional, as well as ethical, for many groups to exclude people of different Constitutionally protected groups, when it involves the thoughts and feelings that they want to have remain private, except among the group they trust. I am a part of a fraternity! Should we let women in, when we are supposed to protect people who are in our fraternity and our sex? I believe that women should have a place to consider their private thoughts and feelings, with people who are their sex and a part of their group! What’s wrong with a fraternity doing the same thing? We’d let in people with different genders...

Or, is our earthly domain to be so different from our heavenly domain?

I believe that there can be heaven and hell on Earth! People can even have their own personal hell and/or heaven; even if they are considered to not be a part of other people’s hell and/or heaven. For instance, everyone can be beautiful. However, someone who is hot to many people, may not be sexy to everyone!

Read the article “Something Different is Needed: Influencing Managers to Avoid Discriminatory Practices” beginning on page 24, which provides a holistic solution to address the problem of diversity.

Review the article “Growing a Literary Executive” beginning on page 68, which provides the encouragement for you to become a literary executive.

From “Growing a Literary Executive”:

“Read voraciously; this is not a place where moderation is a virtue, rather view it as a feast of ideas and you’ll profit significantly.”

“You will sharpen the perspectives that shape your engagement with the world; you will find yourself being more intentional in revealing and creating experiences that demonstrate the reality that His Kingdom has come, and finally; you will experience greater joy as you rest in the confidence of the coming consummation of all things.”

From “Something Different is Needed: Influencing Managers to Avoid Discriminatory Practices”:

“it is that inner disposition of the heart which influences our outer behavior, actions, reactions, choices, decisions and words” (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 12:35; 15:19; Galations 5:22-23, Luke 6:45; “Gateway Biblical Counseling,” n.d., para. 4).

What did you learn?

What I have to recognize about my own issues and/or problems with the way my mind, and especially my mind, tends to work, is that I have to fight off the bad thoughts and feelings I have.

How did you discover that?

I found this out after making mistakes I shouldn’t mention. Those issues and/or problems are mostly in my past. Now, I just have to deal with my thoughts and feelings, when they become bad and/or something that is not ethical. I usually try to either let those thoughts and/or feelings roll off my sleeve or I fight them off with thoughts and feelings I’ve learned can counteract those bad and/or unethical thoughts and feelings.

Why is that important?

If I didn’t do that, I would be acting out in ways that would lead me to ending up dead or in jail. I have to keep myself from being investigative, like I tend to like doing, sometimes. I’m also, mostly, a conceptualizer and optimizer; instead of an implementer and generator.

And, so what? (That is, what are the implications of the learning for practical living?)

Everyone is different. So, I can’t assume that everyone will do things the same way. It’s especially true that people tend to focus on their strengths, while attempting to mitigate their short-comings are. Doing those things helps people to sharpen the saw.

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theprinceofsnark · 6 years

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De Acherontis Natura; Or Lucretius in Hell

Here’s my salty ass poem about Lucretius if any of you have a desire to see me drag a dead philosopher.

O flower of the darkness, it is you

Who guides my verses with your tender hand.

Great Proserpina, mistress of the Styx,

Whose gloomy waters bind the mighty gods

With sacred oaths, you are the lady of

The shadows mortals fear as their life sets,

Just like the sun, sinking his golden rays

Into the waters of the Ocean stream.

It is from you that I receive this tale

Which comes to me across the dusty years,

A warning from the Queen of Acheron

To mortals ages hence, whose eyes may catch

Upon the works of a philosopher

Who claims to set forth in his sev’ral books

How atoms swerve, the nature of all things.

With reckless words he robbed great Pluto’s queen

And stripped her of the honors she deserved.

In verses brash he said that souls must die

Just like the eyes or hands or beating hearts

Of mortal men, denying that the soul

Lives on beneath the caverns of the earth

In lands of shadow where the Maiden rules

From hallowed halls beside her dark haired lord.

In saying this, he sought to ease men’s fears,

To show the world that death was nothing more

Than sleep, a dissolution of the self.

A worthy goal, to help his fellow men,

But still his words blasphemed the Maiden’s rites.

The Lady of Eleusis, filled with rage,

Awaited patiently the Dear one’s death

For in the end she knew that she was right

And when the time had come he too must die.

So Lady Proserpina sing in me

And through my humble verses tell the tale

Of what befell that great philosopher,

Lucretius, when he met his final end.

Thus with your help I will begin to sing.

Deep down beneath the surface of the earth

Reside the souls of mortals dead and gone.

This is great Acheron where shadows rule

And spirits drift through all eternity. This also is the place Lucretius claimed

Did not exist, when he set pen to page.

Poor foolish man. Look there, I see him now!

Lucretius comes across the river Styx.

Enraged by all he sees, he cries aloud

To anyone with ears to hear his words

That all the caverns, Charon, and the shades

Are nothing more than fragments of a dream

Created by his fading, dying mind.

“It’s clear to see that I’m not dead,” he cried,

“For I can see, and hear, and feel, and speak:

Therefore it follows that I’m still alive!”

But yet despite the protests that he made,

The many proofs and clever arguments,

Lucretius still alighted on the banks

And went to face the Triune Magistrates.

There Rhadamanthus stood, Aeacus too,

And grim-faced Minos, once the lord of Crete,

Now king with the deciding vote in death.

But at the Atomist’s approach, he rose

And went to greet the fabled man of words.

“Well met, Lucretius,” said the Cretan King,

“Your coming is most welcome to the Queen

Who has awaited you for many years.

And at the Maiden Queen’s command I bid

You come and follow me and we shall see

The kingdom you’ll call home forevermore.”

Thus with these words the wily Cretan King

Walked off with poor Lucretius in his wake

To tour the regions of the murky Dark.

First grim-faced Minos led the sulking ghost

Of the dejected Atomist up to

A pool of shining water, crystal clear,

Upon its banks there grew a copse of trees

With branches sagging low under the weight

Of fruit grown fat and ripe, heavy and sweet.

There in the center of the pool, ragged

And starved with hands like grasping skeletons,

Stood Tantalus, the fallen son of Jove.

And gesturing up at the stone above

The doomed man’s head, Minos began to speak.

“See here, Lucretius? Tantalus is real.

That stone up there is not a metaphor

Or allegory for the fear of gods

As you put forward in your little book.

It seems you think that faith springs forth from fear

And therefore is a source of pain for men.

It’s true, some mortals fear divinity

And it’s this fear which drives them to the gods.

But you forget that holy thankfulness

Can motivate a prayer as much as fear.

You say yourself that fear is to be fled,

But some find solace in their sacred faith:

The presence of the gods removes their fear.

So why lambast all faith as wickedness

When it can calm the frightened heart and move

The soul unto great acts of charity

Which ease the burdens of their fellow men?

Was Numa wicked for his piety?

Is that great king a sinner in your eyes?

For if religion’s evil, so is he;

But since he’s good, religion must be too.

Your logic is quite flawed, so let it go.

You think too much in terms of white and black

When much of life is painted shades of grey.”

With that King Minos led Lucretius on

Away from parched and starving Tantalus

Towards the shrieking cries of birds of prey.

Before too long the trembling ghost of that

Once proud philosopher saw Tityos

Laid out just like a banquet for the birds

Who with their vicious talons tore his flesh.

Once more King Minos stopped and faced the shade.

Addressing him, he thus began to speak:

“Again your error lies before your eyes,

And since you sense it, therefore is it true.

Is that not your philosophy, my friend?

You said these winged creatures were not birds

But rather Loves that feed on mortal hearts.

Well friend, not only are these birds, but you

Have misjudged love, the balm of cruel pain.

Yes, love can tear the heart when it goes wrong

But you forget the joy that love can bring.

Lucretius, who has wronged you that you rail

With such ferocious vehemence against

The greatest gift that mortals ever had?

What man or woman shattered so your heart

That you are blind to all the blessings love

Can bring to mortal lives burdened with grief?

I will not tell you tales of tragic loves,

For I can tell you know them all too well.

Instead I’ll ask you this, you lonely man,

Do you remember aged Baucis and

His kindly wife, the lady Philemon?

Despite their poverty and shabby home

Their love made up for all their dearth of gold.

And after when the world was drowned by flood

It was their love that gave them strength to hope,

And from that hope to make the world anew.

All mortals living on the fertile earth

Owe their existence to that timeless love.

I pity you. To think sweet love a sin

Makes life more hateful than a broken heart

Could ever do. And so my friend I weep

For what you’ve lost.” Shaking his head, Minos

Walked past the wailing giant Tityos

And led Lucretius to a tow’ring hill.

But as they walked, the Atomist did weep

To think his idol had been led astray

And was so wrong in his philosophy.

His reverie was interrupted by

A thunderous crash which shook the very earth.

Lucretius and his guide stood back and watched

As Sisyphus came running down the hill,

Ready to struggle up the slope again,

Hoping in vain this time would be the last.

Lucretius groaned to see the ancient king

Bound thus to suffer here forevermore.

But finding fire in his heart once more

The pale ghost addressed the Cretan King.

“I’ve listened to you tear my work to shreds

And patiently I’ve borne the shame of it

But in the struggle of this tortured soul

There still remains the echoes of the race

Which mortals, driven by ambition, run.

I care not for the shadow here in hell,

So let it be, he’s still on earth as well.

I’ve seen the price a mighty nation pays

For the ambitions of a pompous fool

Who slips divisive words just like a knife

Between the ribs to find the beating heart

And bring the body politic unto

Its knees upon the earth so he can grind

Its face into the dust beneath his heel.

You cannot tell me Minos, that I’m wrong

To think ambition such as this a sin

When it can turn once civil men into

A pack of hateful wolves looking for blood.

So spare me now your righteous preaching, King

Of Crete, for I do not have need of it.”

At this King Minos laughed and thus he spake

As down the hill once more the boulder came.

“It’s good to see there’s still some spirit in

Your fighting ghost Lucretius. But I say

That you are right, at least in part, in this.

Ambition in the hearts of fools spells doom

For peace, prosperity, and righteousness.

For there, ambition leads to cruelty

And pushes greedy men to tyranny.

But what about ambitious men who hold

The good of others in their righteous hearts?

For you yourself did sing self-serving praise

For your own work, misguided though it was,

To free men from the burdens that they bore.

Are you then evil in your own account?

I say ambition’s no more evil than

A knife, which in a villain’s hands can do

No good but only bring forth pain and death,

But in a surgeon’s hands is free of sin

And works to make the sick man well again.

It’s true ambition makes men go to war

But then again it makes great works of art.

It is a force of nature, powerful

But neither good nor evil in itself.

Can you say lightning’s evil, or the wind?

Are storms that stir the salty sea a work

Of wickedness? No as you say yourself

They’re forces of a world of atoms made.

So peace be in your heart Lucretius, let

Nature in her fullness be complex

And do not try to squash her varied forms

To fit into the box you’ve labeled Truth.”

This speech was punctuated by the crash

Of failure once more spinning down the hill.

And on they walked, past all the pains of hell,

Those heinous tortures that the poet scorned.

It seemed they walked for ages through the smoke

That billowed from the maw of Tartarus,

Passing by countless figures in the gloom:

Greeks, Romans, Phrygians, heroes of old,

Even two poets walking arm in arm,

A wise old Roman and a Florentine

Strolling through hell as if on holiday.

But in the end, a tower did appear

Upon the dark horizon, rising high

Above the mist and cries of anguished souls.

To this great edifice King Minos led

The spirit of the great philosopher.

Up many countless flights of stairs they walked

Until they reached the very top and came

Into a room with windows all around.

From there the eye can see, for miles on end,

All of the regions of the underworld:

Black Tartarus, the fields of Asphodel,

And in the distance there, Elysium

And blessed isles where heroes spend their days.

“This then is where you’ll stay,” King Minos said,

“Where you can spend eternity seeing

The error of your ways. But do not weep,

For in this place you will not be alone.

The idol of your verses shares your fate

And in this chamber spends the ages too.

But now Lucretius, I must take my leave

And journey back to where the souls are judged

For you have your own fate and I have mine.”

With that King Minos vanished into mist

Leaving Lucretius there to think about

The meaning of the word “eternity”.

But as a comfort to the broken man

Queen Proserpina blew aside the fog

Which hid the Greek man from the Roman’s eyes.

Then grateful Epicurus spoke unto

His champion with these kind words:

“Great poet who set forth in Latin verse

The secret workings of the mortal world,

Hear these my words and know I speak the truth.

For I am Epicurus whom you praise

With clever verses in the Roman tongue.

Do not despair because your ghost lives on

When you, and I, both thought that it would not.

So we were wrong about the nature of

The soul and its mortality, but think

Of all the things we managed to deduce

From simple observation of the world.

For everything in all the universe

Indeed is made of atoms as we thought,

All matter is conserved, creatures evolve:

Hold onto victories Lucretius, let

The failures go. Rejoice in knowing that

All things are not yet known, for dull indeed

Would be the life with nothing left to learn.”

These gentle words like soft white snow did fall

Upon the seething torment in his brain

And with new hope Lucretius looked again

Upon the place he thought had mocked him so.

But now the realm of Acheron did seem

To be a place of possibility:

Eternity in peace to think and learn,

So that is what they did forevermore.

#my writing #blank verse #lucretius #latin

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dfroza · 4 years

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rebirth is being set free from the curse

from the evil spell that has been cast upon the world through sin. and it is by an act of grace alone that we are set free from this state of past (tense)

although and only when we choose to believe in its freedom for ourselves, personally.

A point made clear by Paul in his Letter of Galatians with Today’s reading of chapter 3:

[Faith Brings Freedom]

What has happened to you Galatians to be acting so foolishly? You must have been under some evil spell! Didn’t God open your eyes to see the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion? Wasn’t he revealed to you as the crucified one?

So answer me this: Did the Holy Spirit come to you as a reward for keeping all the Jewish laws? No, you received him as a gift because you believed in the Messiah. Your new life in the Anointed One began with the Holy Spirit giving you a new birth.

•

You have all become true children of God by the faith of Jesus the Anointed One!

The Letter of Galatians, Chapter 3:1-3, 26 (The Passion Translation)

and the whole chapter in The Message:

You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.

Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed in you.”

So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: “Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law.”

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.” Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them.”

Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it.

Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person’s will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it. Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say “to descendants,” referring to everybody in general, but “to your descendant” (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will.

What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.

If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God’s will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.

Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.

But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.

[In Christ’s Family]

In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.

The Letter of Galatians, Chapter 3 (The Message)

and a revealing is seen in Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments of Galatians 3 with Genesis 45 that makes me think of the address of 345 Logan street where i lived at the Croydon back in ‘93:

Joseph couldn’t hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, “Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!” So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn’t help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh’s palace.

Joseph spoke to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word. They were speechless—they couldn’t believe what they were hearing and seeing.

“Come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t feel badly, don’t blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years—neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. So you see, it wasn’t you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt.

“Hurry back to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: I’m master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. I’ll give you a place to live in Goshen where you’ll be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of. I’ll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I’ll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you—you won’t want for a thing.’

“Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can see for himself, that it’s me, my own mouth, telling you all this. Tell my father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything you’ve seen here, but don’t take all day—hurry up and get my father down here.”

Then Joseph threw himself on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He then kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him.

The story was reported in Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It was good news to Pharaoh and all who worked with him.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is the plan: Load up your pack animals; go to Canaan, get your father and your families and bring them back here. I’ll settle you on the best land in Egypt—you’ll live off the fat of the land.’

“Also tell them this: ‘Here’s what I want you to do: Take wagons from Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives and load up your father and come back. Don’t worry about having to leave things behind; the best in all of Egypt will be yours.’”

And they did just that, the sons of Israel. Joseph gave them the wagons that Pharaoh had promised and food for the trip. He outfitted all the brothers in brand-new clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and several suits of clothes. He sent his father these gifts: ten donkeys loaded with Egypt’s best products and another ten donkeys loaded with grain and bread, provisions for his father’s journey back.

Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, “Take it easy on the journey; try to get along with each other.”

They left Egypt and went back to their father Jacob in Canaan. When they told him, “Joseph is still alive—and he’s the ruler over the whole land of Egypt!” he went numb; he couldn’t believe his ears. But the more they talked, telling him everything that Joseph had told them and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the blood started to flow again—their father Jacob’s spirit revived. Israel said, “I’ve heard enough—my son Joseph is still alive. I’ve got to go and see him before I die.”

The Book of Genesis, Chapter 45 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, march 12 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

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thesohirydestiny · 7 years

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Worldbuilding 101 : Science or Paganism

Okay, this article is basically a study I’m working on while I put together my own world for NaNoWriMo--assuming that I get everything together in time.

There’s going to be at least three articles for this--Part One is for Deities, Part Two is for building Fantasy Races, and Part Three is for the World itself. I’m going to work on having them all finished by November, but if you know me...articles take a while.

Worldbuilding 101 : Science or Paganism

One of the most important things to decide when you begin your story is where everything comes from. Where did your planet come from? Did some cosmic entity sneeze the planet into existence, or was it a matter of ice and dust clumping together via gravity?

I usually pick paganism for my world’s origin because it’s highly unlikely that all sentient races on any world will be atheists. And since there are going to be gods involved in any case, I tend to bring them in early. But really, it’s up to you.

If you decide that your fantasy world was created through divine intervention, the next thing to decide is what was there before the gods. Was the non-world a black void, or was it a dream? Or perhaps your gods were on their home plane and decided to make your world as a sort of science project.

As an example, in the world I’m currently working on, the Overdeity was traveling through different planes of existence for a long time before despair led him to give up and create other gods for company. At some point, those other gods rose up against their creator, and the Overdeity’s corpse became the world.

(Fun Fact: I told my brother my world’s origin story. He was reminded of both Norse and Greek mythology. However, the actual inspiration was from Moana, when Te Fiti lies down to become Mother Island.)

Once you’ve decided where your world comes from, the next step is to nail down specifics. How many gods do you have, how many worshipers would you say they have, what kind of gods are they, etc.

There are many different methods of picking all of these out, and there is no right answer. If you think your world has multiple pantheons, decide if that is according to race or nationality, or both. Do those pantheons share an Overdeity, or do they each have their own?

Note that Overdeities are generally defined as the God of Gods, which means that in most cases, your made-up deities will worship the Overdeity. And in virtually all cases, your sentient races will not even know that the Overdeity exists (and even if they do know, the Overdeity is highly unlikely to hear any of their prayers).

Now, you can either figure out the answers to these questions on your own, or you can follow my example, which is to keep a deck of playing cards handy at all times. (Or dice. Or a coin. I’ve done it all.) Playing cards will give you a range from 0-4 (suits + joker), 0-13 (face + joker), or even 0-52 (all cards)--in which case, I salute you and go about my merry way. Because that is a lot of gods. What you can get from dice is dependent upon how many sides they have. Flipping coins is time consuming, but workable. Also, you might lose all of your loose change.

My personal preference is playing cards on the 0-13 scale, but a d12 would have virtually the same results. If you have a full set of dice, you might decide to do something fun, like use d4 to determine the number of Overdeities you have, d6 for Greater Deities, d8 for Intermediate Deities, d10 for Lesser Deities, d12 for Demigods, and d20 for Quasi-Deities, or Heroes. Note that you can achieve the same result with a deck of playing cards.

If you want there to be more chance involved (or you want more than 6 Greater Deities, for example), you can simply decide how many gods you get, and then run a scale for ranking. The default scale for Dungeons & Dragons is 0 for Quasi-Deities or Heroes, 1-5 for Demigods, 6-10 for Lesser Deities, 11-15 for Intermediate Deities, 16-20 for Greater Deities, and 21+ for Overdeities, which you can achieve with four d6.

In my case, I ended up with one Overdeity, three Greater Deities, eight Intermediate Deities, and one Lesser Deity using the second method, for a total of thirteen gods and goddesses.

At this point, you might decide to gender your deities. Or you might not. They can be genderless, dual sexed, gender fluid, or transgender. They can be male or female or a different gender entirely, depending on your worldbuilding.

As an example, in my story Ties of Fate, my goddess of creation (called The Radiance) was actually genderless, but was routinely misgendered because of how beautiful “she” was.

You can randomize the gods’ genders if you like. Just build a scale on how common you want to make it, and then place them how you’d like. Example: 0-2 Nonbinary, 3-5 Transgender Female, 6-8 Female, 9-11 Intersex, 12-14 Male, 15-17 Transgender Male, 18+ Gender Fluid. You can achieve this with two d10.

On this scale, I have five cis gods, one trans god, two intersex deities (one uses they/them pronouns, the other prefers he/him), two trans goddesses, and three cis goddesses.

Now that you have some idea for your deities, the next (and arguably most fun) step is to assign them powers. There are several methods you can use to do this. You can look up Dungeons & Dragons cleric domains (you can probably find these online if you don’t have a book handy), or look up powers on the TV Tropes site, or you can find a random generator online to roll up gods for you (I recommend Seventh Sanctum, or Chaotic Shiny).

I personally prefer to empower deities with my deck of Clow Cards, but if you don’t have your own, it is possible to “fake it” with a deck of playing cards by giving each individual playing card a corresponding Clow Card. You can find these lists online.

Feel free to mix and match each of these methods if you like. It will only give more facets to your deities.

Once you have assigned your deities their own realms of influence, you can give them names. However, I am going to be very unhelpful here: I find naming deities highly offensive. There is a reason people say “don’t take the Good Lord’s name in vain.” Give a group of worshipers access to a deity’s true name, and they will be constantly yelling in his ear over inconsequentials. Treat them with respect, for goodness sake!

That isn’t to say that you can’t name your deities (given the sheer number of pagan deities in fiction, you’ll find that a lot of people do), but you don’t need me to help you there. You have a language and an alphabet? Knock yourself out.

My personal method is a bit more colorful. I give my deities appellations. I give them descriptions that their people will recognize them by. My moon goddess is called The Guide because she created the moon and stars to show people the way. My goddess of time is called the Painter because she’s responsible for the changing seasons.

There is a reason you save creating appellations until after you’ve given your deities power. And sometimes even hold off until you’ve given them an alignment. (“The Big Evil” should never be attached to a Lawful Good deity. It shouldn’t be used, period, unless you’re writing satire. It’s kind of tacky.)

I would suggest holding off on assigning your deities a specific appearance until after you create your races, unless it’s a very basic one, such as general height (tall/short/average), general appearance (beautiful/ugly/plain), or associated feelings (happy/awed/fearful). This is primarily because deities often create races in their own image.

If this is not the case, and your deities actually look like giant gumballs, whereas the sentient race are centipedes, then go ahead and knock yourself out. If your deities are portrayed like the Egyptian gods with animal heads, then go ahead and note it as an animal head, but save specifics until you actually populate your world. They might not even have orangutans there.

Please note that this obviously doesn’t cover everything involved in creating your deities. I haven’t covered alignments, or even forms of worship. I think that worship can probably wait until after you have races to do so, and alignments aren’t all that complicated. Just build a scale and have at it.

As for me, I have

Examples from A History

01 God: The Fallen (Overdeity). Male. The Voice: repose, spell, suffering

The god of death. He Who Waits at the End is neutral evil. He is the one that created the gods, and when he was slain, his body became the world. He waits to welcome the dead into the afterlife. He hears the prayers of those lonely and suffering.

02 Goddess: The Guide (Greater Deity). Transgender. The Glow: darkness, moon, travel

The moon goddess. She Who Guides the Lost is neutral good. She is the one that created the moon and stars in the night sky. She guides the steps of those who travel to safety. She hears the prayers of those lost or traveling.

03 God: The Laughter (Greater Deity). Male. The Light: fire, healing, sun

The sun god. He Who Laughs in the Sun is lawful good. He is the one that created the sun. He brings hope and healing to the injured. He hears the prayers of healers and patients alike.

04 Goddess: The Planner (Greater Deity). Transgender. The Silence: knowledge, planning, runes

The goddess of wisdom. She Who Watches in Silence is lawful neutral. She is the one who orchestrated the creation of the world. She created the written word. She hears the prayers of those who seek guidance.

05 Goddess: The Painter (Intermediate Deity). Female. The Change: fate, luck, time, winter

The goddess of time. She Who Paints the World is lawful good. She is the one who created the ever-changing seasons, the magnetic pole, and associated climates. She perceives the fate of all. She hears the prayers of all those who take risks.

06 Deity: The Harvester (Intermediate Deity). Dual Sexed. The Wood: plants, renewal, water

The green deity. One Who Grows in Bounty is neutral good. They are the one who created the trees and plantlife. They grow the plants and give aid to the farmers. They hear the prayers of those who grow, and those who harvest.

07 God: The Lover (Intermediate Deity). Male. The Twin: animal, charm, family

The god of family. He Who Joins in Hand is chaotic good. He is the one who created animals. He causes mates to recognize one another. He hears the prayers of expectant mothers.

08 Goddess: The Guardian (Intermediate Deity). Female. The Sand: destruction, earth, strength

The earth goddess. She Who Walks in Ruin is neutral. She is the one who created the sand and soil. She causes earthquakes and landslides. She hears the prayers of those who travel through the desert.

09 God: The Shaper (Intermediate Deity). Male. The Lock: craft, metal, trade

The god of craftsmen. He Who Shapes the Bridge is neutral good. He is the one who created the people. He guides the hands of those who create. He hears the prayers of craftsmen and merchants.

10 God: The Hidden (Intermediate Deity). Transgender. The Illusion: illusion, ocean, trickery

The trickster god. He Who Hides in the Mist is neutral evil. He is the one who created the oceans and rivers. He watches over those who traverse the seas. He hears the prayer of the hidden and the fearful.

11 God: The Crowned (Intermediate Deity). Dual Sexed. The Fight: death, hatred, war

The war god. He Who Rises in Challenge is chaotic evil. He is the one who created the hills and mountains. He gives courage to the fearful and oppressed and leads those who fight to victory. He hears the prayers of warriors and slaves alike.

12 God: The Singer (Intermediate Deity). Male. The Song: magic, nobility, protection

The god of magic. He Who Sings in Many Voices is neutral. He created the shimmering pools where magic flows. He gives inspiration to both singers and artists. He hears the prayers of those who hear the music of the world.

13 Goddess: The Dancer (Lesser Deity). Female. The Windy: air, destruction, storm

The storm goddess. She Who Dances in the Wind is chaotic evil. She is the one who created the weather. She carries the storms the world over. She hears the prayers of those who find beauty in the sky.

Currently about a third way through with the next part. (It’s even longer than this one.) Here’s hoping that I get the opportunity to post it tomorrow?

#nanowrimo #worldbuilding #writing #my writing: a history

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revpauljbern · 5 years

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What’s In Store for America in 2019? The Answers Can Be Found in the Scriptures

Is The USA In Biblical End Times Prophecy?

by Minister Paul J. Bern

For a website view, click here :-)

By now you all know or have heard and read the various arguments about America's role in Biblical prophecy, both pro and con. There are those who say the US isn't in the Bible, and many others who insist that it is. These folks have included everyone from master theologians to televangelists on the Christian TV channels to some pretty wild conspiracy theories posted on You-tube and other websites. I see no point in debating this or in blogging about it based on what has already been disseminated. Instead, as I always do, I'm going straight to the Word of God as my reference point. This is not about dogma, nor denominational exclusivity, nor is it about any particular version of the Bible being more “correct” than any or all others. This is based on a lot of research, study, prayer and meditation based on the Word of God, which surpasses the religious dogma of humankind.

So what will our starting point be? How can we make sense out of end times prophesy considering all the angles and points of view being discussed both within and outside of the Church? One good starting point is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter ten, verses 1-4, as it is written: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain.”

Who is it that makes unjust laws? Was this intended for groups of people, or races, or entire nations? First of all, discriminatory laws are based on all of the above. Laws that discriminate against people due to their race, nationality, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation or religion – and especially for class and financial status – have no place in any 21st century society. Here in the US, we have or have had institutionalized discrimination based on all of the above for as long as I can remember, and I was born in the 1950's. During WWII, America forcibly incarcerated several hundred thousand Japanese Americans based solely on their race and ancestry. Then there were the “Jim Crow” laws that openly oppressed all black Americans up until the 1960's. As you know, there are significant vestiges of this vitriol against our black brothers and sisters that continue to be active even as I write this. And let's not forget the genocide of Native Americans that has been ongoing for the last two hundred years.

Another form of discrimination still in force in modern times has been the enormously wasteful 'war on drugs', where punishment replaces treatment with predictable results. If you smoke or otherwise ingest marijuana, even for medical reasons, you're considered a criminal, but if you overdose on pills that you purchased legally, it's usually ruled to be accidental and it gets swept under the rug. As of 2017, 56% of all incarcerated inmates at the state and federal levels are locked up for nonviolent drug offenses – mainly simple possession cases – with well over 75% of these hapless individuals being people of color. Now there's a classic case of discrimination based on race, ethnicity and class. Last but not least, is the ticking time bomb of economic inequality. When you have a situation where 99% of any given country's wealth (not just America – but any country) is in the hands of 1% of the population, you have a recipe for class warfare and civil unrest throughout that country. All of these things are the result of unjust laws and oppressive decrees whose source is centralized government. And it is for this reason, among a few others, that I believe America is being judged, or is about to be judged, by God.

“What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar?” What was Isaiah talking about? “Days of disaster” from “afar” sounds a lot like a nuclear first strike. This has nothing to do with domestic terrorism. This is worded to look like anything from terrorism outside the US directed inward to a full amphibious military assault on American soil by way of external invasion. But, a nuclear first strike would be much quicker. Before moving on, allow me to share another related quote from the prophet Isaiah: “Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is within it, the world, and all the nations that come out of it! The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood (Isaiah chapter 34, verses 1-3).

How does this read to you? I see the total obliteration of all the armies of the world, apparently all at once, and the US will not escape unharmed. God is sick and tired of all the countless centuries of fighting among humankind. God is fed up to here with our militarism. He has had more than enough of those who are murderers, robbers, kidnappers, extortionists and rapists within and around the military. God is enraged with the world's armies who kill and pillage their neighbors and other countries due to extreme covetousness on the part of all the governments and multinational corporations, who forcefully put their profit margins ahead of the people they claim to be serving. So, God is going to wipe out all the world's armed services in one swift stroke, and what a horrible day that will be! God wins, and everybody who stands against him will lose, beginning with those for whom fighting has become a way to make a living.

Now that I have shared some quotes from the Old Testament, I will move on to the New Testament. As I do this, let me mention some related facts with regard to Bible prophecy. There are numerous examples of prophecy throughout the Bible that have to do with the end times that we are currently living in. In the overwhelming majority of these instances, these prophecies have to do with the fate of the nation of Israel, God's holy land. Much has been said about the fact that the United States doesn't seem to fit into Biblical prophecy, and that it is barely mentioned at all. By and large this is very true. But there is one place in the Bible where America is not only mentioned, but her fate is spelled out in stark and frightening detail. For that, we need to go all the way to the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation, where we will focus on chapter 18.

“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons, and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth have committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. Then I heard another voice from heaven say, 'Come out of her, O my people, so that you may not share in her sins, so that you will not receive her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion of her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as a queen, I am not a widow, and I will never mourn'. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'” (Revelation 18, verses 2-10)

What or who is Babylon the Great? Is this a person, a place or a thing? It has been taught in the past that this is a reference to the Babylonian Empire that conquered the nation of Israel and carried her into captivity around 880 BC. There is a famous quote from Iraq's now-deceased dictator Saddam Hussein that he was going to resurrect this ancient empire and make it into a world power as in days of old. As you all know, this didn't quite work out as Saddam Hussein had planned. So we can discount that possibility by process of elimination. Others have taught erroneously that this was symbolism for the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great, or for the Roman Empire, Napoleon's France or Hitler's Germany. But when we compare these possibilities to the ancient prophets such as Jeremiah, Daniel, Zachariah, or Joel – to name a few – Babylon the Great as foretold in Revelation simply doesn't match up with those passages of Scripture. So we conclude that this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Since Babylon the Great is a world power based on what we have just read, that leaves only one possibility. What global powerhouse, both financial and military, fits this description? None other than the USA.

Let's examine this more closely, starting with verse two. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons, and a haunt for every evil spirit ... For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.” Has the US become a home for demons and evil spirits? We only need to look at today's news for the answer. There are mass shootings in our nation's schools, at military bases, and out in the streets. Mayhem is running rampant and it continues to get ever worse. America is devolving into a battlefield populated an assortment of psychotic murderers, armed robbers, rapists and thieves. People of all ages are being kidnapped, and people disappear every time you turn around, especially children. Sometimes their bodies are found, and more and more frequently their internal organs have been “harvested”. Other times, and especially concerning our children, people disappear never to be seen or heard from again. This is usually because they are either kidnapped and sold on the black market by human traffickers, or because they are being sacrificed in satanic rituals that are nothing short of revolting.

So we can now see clearly that the phrase “home for demons” is very accurate indeed. What is “the maddening wine of her adulteries”? This is far more than mere substance abuse or addiction, although those things do play a part. I think this represents all the espionage, cloak-and-dagger “black ops”, and political and military maneuvering behind the scenes both at home and abroad. From the Kennedy assassinations to Rev. Dr. King's brutal murder, from the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan to incidents of government-initiated domestic terrorism such as Waco Texas, Ruby Ridge Idaho, Oklahoma City and the 9/11 attacks, America's “leadership” has been behind them all to one extent or another (they're called “false flag operations”). So as we translate this into 21st century English, the US government has been fooling around behind the scenes for decades as they engage in espionage in nearly every country in the world, playing both sides of the fence, pitting one opponent against another for the profit of the US military-industrial complex. Most recently, technology has allowed remote enforcement of America's military-industrial paradigm by drone warfare.

“Come out of her, O my people, so that you may not share in her sins, so that you will not receive her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” There are at least two different explanations I have read about for this verse. The benign explanation comes from the apostle John (see 1st John 2, verses 15-17) that says we are to be “in the world but not of it”. There are still others, some Christian and some not, who have taken this passage literally by obtaining a passport and leaving the US for countries where the cost of living is lower (which is nearly everywhere else). Also, the “crimes” mentioned in this passage are everything I described above, and I regret to inform you that my country, the United States, is guilty of all the above, and there are times when I feel ashamed about America. Not its people – just those in charge. Although I have a passport, I haven't left yet, and I'm trying to hang on at least for the short term.

“Mix her a double portion of her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.” Evidently the US will get all its bad karma thrown back in her face, meaning that things within US borders will become as bad or worse than most banana republics. Pandemonium will reign supreme across America's landscape, and only those who put their complete trust in God and his only Son will escape unharmed. “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her.… She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'” What does it mean when it mentions “her plagues”? Some say it will be epidemics of various kinds, and I believe this is at least partially true, but I also think there is more to it than that.

It is a little-known fact that America has the world's largest stockpile of germ warfare weaponry. The ongoing civil war in Syria is just one example. By now nearly everyone has seen the international news broadcasts about the Syrian people who were killed by chemical weapons of mass destruction. If you believe everything you see on the news – and who does anymore – you were force-fed false information that it was the Syrian government who launched these weapons after their own people. Where did these Syrian rebels get these weapons? They most definitely didn't have the resources to go out and buy such awful weapons. That leaves only one other possibility – none other than the United States. Our own country supplied the rebels for these WMD's, and they had the CIA's fingerprints all over them. Now that's what I mean by a false flag attack! But, it's the last verse of this passage of Scripture that sends chills up and down my back: “In one hour your doom has come!'” This is not a typo, people. When America falls, it will happen quite literally in one hour, like turning off an electric light in slow motion. There is more to back this up further down in this same chapter of Revelation, so let's begin to conclude this Spiritual fact-finding mission by taking up where we left off at verse 11.

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore – cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon, spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep, horses and carriages; and the bodies and souls of men .… Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'. Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who had been killed on the earth.'” (Rev. 8, verses 11-13, verses 17-24)

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore... “. I could end this commentary right here and simply say that this is a prediction and a prophecy regarding America for the near future, but that's only part of the explanation. As I write this, the US still has the world's largest economy, with Red China's economy running a close second place. But China's economy will not overtake that of the US until the US dollar will no longer be able to maintain its position as the world's reserve currency. When that inevitability finally occurs, the dollar will either have to be devalued or it will suffer a total crash – the likes of which no one has ever seen before (it will make the Great Depression of the 1930's look like child's play). This is the first two and the most palatable options for what will happen to the US economy in the next decade or so.

But what if it's not just the US that goes belly up? That leads me to the second and more likely conclusion, which would be a total collapse of Capitalism as an economic system. This would make the above passage of Scripture from Revelation something to be taken symbolically rather than literally. “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'.”

“The great city” could very well be New York City or Washington, DC. Then again, this could be symbolism for an entire economic system and not just one country – a truly terrifying possibility. Either scenario would create unimaginable chaos across our land as well as the other capitalist countries in Western Europe and Asia, and let's not forget Australia and Hong Kong while we're at it. But check out what the apostle John wrote further down: “Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” There it is again; the prediction that the US and capitalism will not only fall, but that they will never rise again, and it will all be over with in just one hour. Of course, there will be some who dismiss this commentary straight out of hand, and they might say, “Who does Rev. Bern think he is? Why, he never even graduated from a seminary!” I will only respond that I have taken this straight out of the Scriptures. My word may be refutable to some, but the Word of God is irrefutable! Be careful that these dire predictions don't fall from out of the blue and hit you on top of your heads. There is no substitute for God's Word, which is truth, so there can be no argument about that unless one rejects the very possibility of God's existence. That is a separate argument that I have taken up previously.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'.” This implies that there will be religious persecution of Christians in North America and western Europe, something that has previously never happened. This is not a drill, people, this is the real deal. There is one last prophecy that needs to be mentioned here, and it reads as follows: “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” This can only be explained as a meteor or comet strike upon the earth, most probably in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. There is nothing else that fits this description. So, insofar as this is possible, it must be taken very seriously. Otherwise, like Babylon the Great, America will be obliterated. So there you have it: the United States is in Bible prophecy all right, but not in the way the majority of churches and denominations are anticipating – nowhere near, in fact. The time for all of us to get ready for these events – and they will occur, it's only a question of when – is today, while we still have time and while we still have a choice. So until next week at this same time, keep a close eye on current events globally, particularly in the US and the Middle East, keep on studying your Bible, and continue to look upward for any sign of our Lord's return. Shalom!

#Progressive Christian #end times prophecy #Bible teaching #the USA #the Book of Revelation #the last days

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