#enlightened Enoch

[im-this-kind-of-girl]

My complete and unhinged Metatron analysis

Hello, I have seen that many people are theorizing about Metatron, so I'm here presenting an analysis of who Metatron is, rather his biblical role and how he may be more connected to the Aziraphale and Crowley than we might believe.

-Also, English is not my first language, so please be patient with me-

ANALYSIS OF METATRON AS A FIGURE WITHIN CHRISTIANITY:

Metatron, has always been a controversial figure in Christianity, full of dualisms.

Let's start with its etymologically. The term Metatron has two completely different translations: one comes from the Greek metradromos meaning "he who pursues with vengeance"; or it is also possible that its origin is from the term meta ton thronon which means "closer to the throne". There are many doubts about his true origin, since it is mentioned in non-canonical versions of the Bible, during Genesis*. However, in the most current and official versions of the Bible, it never appears.

While there is nothing official, the most accepted version is that he is actually the prophet Enoch, Noah's grandfather. Enoch -who used to have his own book of the Bible in earlier versions- was a prophet who had the God-given gift of visiting Heaven through different visions. In his 1st vision, Enoch has the mission to intercede with God on behalf of the fallen angels. In another vision, he sees the Cherubim in Heaven, whom he describes as beings of fire. Later, he is taken by the archangel Michael to the highest heaven. Enoch also travels in his visions or dreams to the tree of knowledge. He is supposed to have lived 365 years and, at the end of his visions, Enoch is chosen by God to become the archangel Metatron, a powerful archangel who is also called the little Yahweh.

There is another explanation for his origin: he is the first being of creation, seated at the left hand of the father, which in tradition is associated with Satan.

The Zohar also describes Metatron as "the king of angels" who reigns over the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When Enoch was on Earth, he devoted himself to writing a book containing the secrets of wisdom until he was taken to Heaven to become an angel. God allowed Enoch to continue this same ministry in Heaven** .

FUN FACTS:

Metatron was the one who led the Israelites to the Promised Land (Moses).

Metatron is the patron angel of children.

Metatron transmits God's daily orders to the angels Gabriel and Raphael.

Not being an angel from his origin, Metatron is associated with the angels in charge of Death, he supervises them when they help the souls to make their transition from the physical to the spiritual plane.

He is canonically the most powerful archangel in the entire celestial realm, second only to God. His role is similar to Lucifer's original rol, the right hand of God.

The archangel Metatron is in charge of directing the ascension and activation of the human being's light body. Having been human, he knows the path of enlightenment. He represents the potential for transformation and purification of the soul when it sets out to transcend matter to unite with the pure spirit of the Divine. Metatron is in charge of guiding the souls towards the light, towards purity (insert the fact that he asks for coffee with almonds, which in Christianity is related to purification).

METATRON IN THE LORE OF GOOD OMENS

It is worth mentioning that in the original Good Omens book, Metatron is the only angel that appears besides Aziraphale. While other angels are mentioned, Metatron is the only one who appears, firstly when Zira wants to talk to God, and secondly when Beelzebub and Metatron make presence at the Tadfield airbase to try to convince Adam to restart the end of the world (it is not Gabriel who appears in the book).

And, considering that the 3rd season is based on the sequel to the book that never came out, it makes sense that Metatron would have had a bigger role because he was always a present character.

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CROWLEY AND ZIRA:

So, from all this information, I would like to point out that Metatron not only used to be human and knows the "true path of purification," but he is also in charge of caring the tree of knowledge.

You know, that tree?

Aziraphale and Crowley represent the two things that oppose his very existence: an angel that is becoming more and more human with each passing day and the Serpent of Temptation that keeps doubting and questioning the edges and the difference between good and evil. These two not only were they not punished, but together they are two extremely powerful entities, perhaps as powerful as he is.

They are a threat… but only together.

Metatron can see in Aziraphale the very opposite of what he represents, someone who needs to return to the path of divinity:

Aziraphale, the supposed guardian of Eden, who started out as an angel, who gradually transformed into someone with more and more human habits, falling into almost all the deadly sins, in love with the Serpent who tempted humans to eat from the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge. Someone who loves forbidden books and bibles, with a hedonistic and condescending personality who managed to deceive his brother angels for millennia to protect humanity and his earthly life***.

It would also explain his disdain towards Crowley, why he looked at him with that face: Metatron is the protector of the tree that Crowley managed to corrupt.

To all this we can add that Metatron/Enoch renounced his humanity to become something superior, while Crowley and Aziraphale consider humanity to be something superior worth defending and loving. They see in humans what Enoch could not see behind his judgment of false celestial purity. They are two supernatural entities who managed to love humanity more than he, a human, ever could.

These parallels are not only born out of my obsession, no. The fact that Metatron has separated them has a much more possible and deep significance.

Narratively, this can only mean one thing: Metatron is the villain, the perfect antagonist to Aziracrow.

CLARIFICATIONS *Genesis is where the Adam and Eve story is found, the Garden of Eden, the moment that changes Zira and Crowley forever…. **That "book that contained the secrets of wisdom"… is it the book of life? Is Metatron the only one who has access to it? ***I would like to clarify, that for me the real main character of Good Omens is Aziraphale, that's why I find more comparisons with him, followed by Crowley as co-protagonist, but I will continue this theory another day.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #did i just also make a whole bible analysis? Look what you made me do gaiman #can this be tagged as a bible study? #bible study #every time i see a catholic metatron figure i want to throw up #neil gaiman #terry pratchett #good omen season 2 #good omens theory #good omens metatron #go2 #aziraphale #crowley #good omen 2 spoilers

[abucketofweird]

Okay now that I’ve screamed about Ezra and Sabine a little bit (you will be getting so much more later) I want to talk about Enoch

First of all he looks very menacing and cool

I just thought it was really interesting that they used his name so much. It felt very emphasized to the point that it was stuck in my head.

But as soon as I noticed the name I was thinking about where it was from (please note for the following section I have never read The Book of Enoch, I am not familiar with pretty much any religion for that matter and all of this info comes from a very quick google search)

I personally think that Filoni might be using the Hebrew meaning of the name Enoch

“The name of Enoch (Hebrew: חֲנוֹךְ Ḥănōḵ) derives from the Hebrew root חנך (ḥ-n-ḵ), meaning to train, initiate, dedicate, inaugurate” -Wikipedia

From the little we have seen of him so far he is Thrawn’s right hand man and the sort of leader of the troopers. Which I would say is dedication to Thrawn.

I wanted to add some different things I’ve read about him from other religions below the cut

Source: Wikipedia

“(The Book of Enoch) recounts how Enoch was taken up to Heaven and was appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the immediate attendant on the Throne of God. He was subsequently taught all secrets and mysteries and, with all the angels at his back, fulfils of his own accord whatever comes out of the mouth of God, executing His decrees.”

“with the origin of writing and other technical arts of civilization, 371 including the study of astronomical phenomena, both of which Enoch is credited with in the Testament of Abraham.”

Source:

“Enoch is the pinnacle of this higher nature awareness. We could even say that Enoch is the ultimate symbol of Christ consciousness in the Old Testament.”

“Enoch is seventh in the line from Adam. As you may already know, seven is the number of fullness and completion. As we'll see in a moment, with Enoch it symbolizes the fullness and completion of GOD'S REVELATION! So seven generations after the fall from grace we have a symbolic spiritual resurrection in Enoch!”

“Enoch represents the mind of someone who has walked the spiritual path and attained enlightenment because he became one with God. We could also say that Enoch is the embodiment of the complete revelation of God in man.”

“The story of Enoch is symbolic in the true esoteric sense, and it was written to teach you about something wonderfully housed by the physical body!”

“Think as nothing as no-thing! Raw spirit or consciousness is truly no-thing. It is infinite, yet it has no definitive location. It certainly cannot be explained by thought or ideas, but it can be experienced. When the conscious observer truly realizes that all matter and form arise from one's thoughts, then you become aware of the higher nature of the self, which is non-physical and immortal. Upon this realization the path to spiritual enlightenment has begun. Enoch has realized this so completely that he symbolically becomes the higher self which is NOT a thing (the illusion of the physical body and the physical world), but rather that he is a spirit having a limited, conscious physical experience. In essence, Enoch symbolizes one who has completely crucified the ego as Christ symbolically did on the cross at Golgotha” -Talking about the next quote:

“And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” -Genesis 5:23-24

#star wars #ahsoka spoilers #ahsoka show spoilers #ahsoka series #ahsoka show #star wars rebels #ahsoka #ahsoka speculation #ahsoka theories #Enoch #Star Wars Enoch #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn

[beebopboom]

Am I a Good Angel? Am I a Mad Angel?

Here for the Occult Stuff

(Intro, part 1)

Last time we explored who The Metatron was among scripture

This is actually going to be like a miniseries within this ongoing analysis of the Metatron because this post and the next were supposed to be one however I recognize this part is pretty out there so it's getting its own part.

Like I know, I understand - this is just to explore and have fun

But join me down this rabbit hole if you want - with an open mind

Not One but Many

There is one interpretation of the Metatron I left out of the last post and it has to do with Éliphas Lévi.

Éliphas Lévi was a French Occultist in the mid 19th century and his works were highly influential in occult circles

When it came to the Metatron he didn’t believe him to be one specific angel but rather an honorific for an enlightened existence. That they are the Chief of Souls on Earth who do not die and instead rise alive to Heaven. He gave them the title Metatron Sarpanim, or Metatron: Prince of Lights.

Here is quote from him

"All Metatrons must have two reigns and they return to earth after having traveled through all the globes of our solar system. This is why the return of Enoch and Elijah will precede the second coming of Jesus."

His ideas are obviously pretty influenced by Enoch but the fact he seen Metatron not as an angel or human but rather a job, or position, is pretty interesting considering how in the show their names seem to be intrinsically linked to their position in Heaven.

Also back in season one there were a few instances of him using “we” - which is probably just referencing Heaven as a whole or perhaps even just God and Himself - just interesting nonetheless

I was going to include that in the next part as a merge between the two. Except because I’m totally normal I decided to keep looking into his works and oh boy…just hear me out

Another Face

If you didn't recognize Lévi by his name you may recognize some of his drawings

some of these will come into context in a future, separate meta about Agnes Nutter. But you have the seven seals and probably his most recognized drawing, Baphomet - who we are going to focus on here

Stay with me - I'm not trying to say they are one in the same, just some parallels

So let’s break down elements of this drawing

The androgynous nature - with breasts and a phallic caduceus - that represents the union of male and female

Male is meant to represent good and wisdom while Female is to represent evil

The wings which represent spirituality and ascension

The goat head representing sin and animalistic nature of humans

The four elements - wings = air, scales = water, hooves = earth, torch = fire

The gesture which represents "that which is above is like that which is below” - in which "above" is the universe at large or divine realms and "below" is life on earth or the human body

The words on said arms "solve", or to separate, and "coagula", or to bring together

The torch representing intelligence, divine knowledge, and enlightenment - the soul over the body

The pentagram is upright on the head putting spirit above matter

The white and black moon represent the sephiroth Chesed and Gevurah (respectively), therefore the qualities of mercy and severity (respectively).

The caduceus representing magical power, healing, bringing together of opposites, and eternal life

The circle behind the caduceus is reminiscent of the Ouroboros, representing the Principle of Mentalism — all of the universe is in the mind of God.

The image as a whole is reminiscent of the Tree of Life - which if want to learn more about here is a video on that

Baphomet in itself is primarily a symbol of balance, of the goal of a perfect social order. Also has been seen as a symbol of wisdom.

In his writings Lévi says that Baphomet is associated with the nature forces that are explained in his theory of Astral Light

Astral Light - honestly I'm not going to into detail about this because my brain hurts, just pointing out what is relevant I guess

In his book Dogma and Ritual of High Magic he describes it as this blind, amoral, universal force that sweeps all before it in a perpetual and restless search for equilibrium

That it was created when God said “let there be light” and is "indifferent in itself” - can be used for good and evil

He also notes "it is a kind of universal record keeper that registers all of our desires, intentions and, acts.”

Honestly there is a whole history between Baphomet, Templars and the Freemasons - largely due to them being falsely accused of worshipping them, or so it is said. Plus Aleister Crowley thrown into all this. It’s just a lot but if it’s wanted I can go into further detail about it.

If have been following along with this series though some of these things might have set off some alarm bells in relation to the Metatron

It’s just something about an Angel dressed in dark clothes that hints at a duality, a balance, who is primarily remembered as a head - a head that holds knowledge - a human head with a goatee 

Something about him giving the “choice” of bringing together Aziraphale and Crowley as angels or completely them ignoring him and staying together on Earth except was that ever an option really? or to separate - with a coffee that he lifts up to offer while keeping the other hand below.

Something about an Angel that seems to come after four angels. Something about him having a connection to Wisdom and the Tree of Life.

Something about the portal that looks similar to the light that Aziraphale called down with “let there be light” and it being used to discoporate demons and angels

Something about him sweeping into the bookshop and sending the remaining angels away only to beeline it to Aziraphale.

Something about an Angel who is connected to the Book of Life - that keeps a record of all good deeds and transgressions in Heaven and on Earth

Something about an Angel whose primary goal is to bring about the Second Coming, or Heaven on Earth. From his point of view would be a perfect social order.

an Angel that is supposed to be on the side of good, and is probably in charge of all the “good” rhetoric and in charge, or responsible for how Heaven is set up but that’s a whole other thing, but really his motivations and actions (from what we can see as an audience) prove to be the opposite

(it’s giving “The Greater Good”, my lord the dumbledore flashbacks)

Can you see my point? It’s just a few parallels I noticed and this series is pretty much just about exploration

Look I know it’s a little out there - it’s on its own for a reason.

But tune in next time for some symbols, numbers, and tarot cards - or yknow what this post was actually supposed to to be - here in part 3

#this feels unhinged #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens theory #good omens metatron #the metatron #metatron

[viviennelamb]

Do you have any literature or media recommendations? Your work is very enlightening and I hope to be able to purchase a physical copy of your work someday! I wish more women philosophized, it makes the world feel less lonely. 🩵

I'm studying Self-Realization Techniques which instructs the student on meditation which is a requirement for emotional control. My favorite media is Happy Now Olivia - I'm currently only reading/watching what she recommends.

I've found that all modern spiritual teachers have gotten their information from Yoga Masters, so there isn't much I've gotten out of them other than confusion, ignorance & no accountability as they have all rewritten the Truth so they may continue to engage in their carnalism. Spiritual texts from the late 1800s to early 1900s (and prior) have a trend of being the most informative without being stylistically hesitant.

The Holy Bible, The Bhagavad Gita and other ancient texts such as the Qu'ran, The Books of Adam and Eve, The Books of Enoch, The Book of Jasher (About the Original Sin, Divine Presence, and Cosmic Law).

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich and her other works (Christ's story demonstrate that the black-hearted 99% are incapable of sympathy/empathy for the innocent no matter how young or old they are. Remaining pure of mind in all situations is possible through our unwavering love of God).

Sex, the Key to the Bible by Sidney Tapp and The Great Read Dragon by Hilton Hotema (directly speaks on the karmic punishments of lust while accurately decoding the Bible).

All books from Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Vivekananda (How to escape delusion, right living, becoming a Yogi, the "impossible" made possible through overcoming the animal nature i.e. attaining perfection through our adoring concentration on God).

The Power of Now and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (The insanity of non-presence and how the Ego capitalizes on sufferings of the "past" or anxieties of the "future;" it's not possible for the ego to be present, but the Soul and God are).

The Kybalion (to understand the omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omnibenevolence of God; to understand how important you are - how your thoughts, words and actions contribute to your reality; all seven principles explain the magnitude of the One Cosmic Law).

Other than that, I will watch and read what I have a personal interest in, transmuting it into themes of Love for God, purity, innocence, goodness, inspiration, hope, power, discipline, persistence and heroism.

I avoid philosophy and intellectualism because it's based on unearned pride and is a waste of time. Somehow, modern thinkers always miss the divine system of the world stage and make up convoluted terms while "You Reap What You Sow" is pointed, clear and self-sustaining. In this mindset, all delusions of crime and punishment melt away because the average person is already in their personal hell.

If Karmic Law had one quote: "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." - John 8:45. Most people are getting physically, mentally and emotionally decimated by what they have sown and will deny the Truth of God's Will that it is right in front of their eyes and is their eyes (...as well as the rest of their body because thoughts change the individual's constitution).

My book will be about the Ego as well as everything I talk about on this page frequently & available in all formats early next year. Thank you for your precious consideration - your loneliness will quickly subside once you begin identifying with your Soul and realize that you have all the power of the Cosmos!

#spirituality #yoga #books #ask

[chiss-ticism]

Art wonderfully crafted by the magnificent @/tzimisce!!! [tysm again - I love her to Enoch and back :)] Woe, Pack Priest be upon ye... My beloved Dragon has art now so it's probably prudent that I actually get around to introducing her in a formal capacity :) She's probably the only [fully] V20 character in my line up now that I think about it 🤔

BASIC INFORMATION

NAME: Ida Obertus

CLAN: Tzimisce.

GENERATION: 9th.

PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT: Path of Honorable Accord

[former] REVENANT FAMILY: The Obertus. [how'd you guess?]

SECT AFFILIATION: The Sabbat [More specifically their Tzimisce specific Children of the Dracon subfaction]

D.O.B.: April 21st, 1880.

D.O.D.: May 10th, 1910.

APPARENT AGE: 30.

HEIGHT: 5'2'' | 157 cm

NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES

Intelligence [••••] [S: Subject Authority] You're not just bright, you're downright brilliant.

Perception [•••] You perceive moods, textures, and small changes in your environment.

Wits [•••] You are seldom surprised or left speechless.

Strength [•••] Good: you can lift 250 lbs (a little over 100 kgs).

Dexterity [•••] Good: You possess some degree of athletic potential.

NOTABLE SKILLS [what you're not seeing is how low everything else is :)]

Occult [•••••] [S: Quirks of the Blood] Scholar: You know the most basic truths about the hidden world.

Science [••••] [S: Hematology] Doctorate: You're fully capable of advancing the knowledge in your field.

Academics [••••] [S: Constantinople History] Doctorate: Professor Emeritus

Medicine [•••] [uses it for meat crimes] Masters: General Practitioner.

TIDBITS

She's friends with @styxnbones' Peona. Montreal Tzimisce buddies with conflicting Paths of Enlightenment😎🐉

OCD is a fairly common affliction for the Family, and Ida is no different.

Born and raised in Montreal, Québec - Ida has almost always preferred the quiet life to the hustle and bustle it no doubt provides for many a person elsewhere. This isn't exactly uncommon for the Family, who're a group of reclusive scholars loyal to the Tzimisce, and as such her parents were content to homeschool her away from the public eye.

This didn't have any ramifications on her socialization skills. None whatsoever.

A mixture of having taken a genuine interest in her chosen fields of study [mostly supernatural related quirks of the blood. Changelings, Vitae, Lupine blood, etc. etc. ] -often to the detriment of other things- & having an Eidetic Memory lead to many-a-breakthrough on her end.

In addition to her having shown signs of having been a revenant, her parents believed that they had something special with her and, as such, exchanged letters with a Tzimisce [and former cousin] interested in sponsoring her Embrace... -------

While she's perfectly capable of defending herself or reveling in sanguine succor should the situation calls for it, Ida is probably the only member of the pack that isn't on a martial bent. She prefers the time she gets to spend locked away with ancient tomes or helping prep for the Sword of Caine's festivals to, say, engaging in War Parties or the Wild Hunt.

Ida would prefer that the main body of the clan -and everyone who abides by their rulings- would carefully dissect every choice they make and refrain from haphazardly damning the rest of the clan even further than they already are, playing devils advocate like the Children are want to do: make them consider the weight of their actions and consider the responsibility that intrinsically comes with as much sway as they do.

Barring Noddism, of which she and Luther have [good naturedly] debated one another about the semantics of for hours on end, her expertise in life veered toward [supernatural] quirks of the blood: Ghouls, Revenants, trying to figure out what on earth makes changeling blood as fucked up as it is when they aren't visibly distinguishable in the slightest from everyone else, etc. etc.

Would love to get her hands on a Lupine's corpse for study but, for a plethora of reasons, it's extremely Unlikely. The handful of times the pack has been Dog tagging they trend towards leaving the damnable creature where they found it - Ida, without fail, asking a one (1) time if she can bring it back to the haven. M.J., without fail, will pretend to humor the idea and put a pin in the conversation with a resounding "No."

MERITS / BACKGROUNDS / FLAWS

Pain Tolerance [2 Point Merit] [Source: Guide to the Clans] She turned off her nerves through Vicissitude :)

Grand Library [2, 4, 6, or 7 Point Merit] [Source: The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal'Mahe'ra] Throughout the years, you've managed to amass an exquisite collection of books, both common and rare. Her personal library, housed in her home domain of Montreal, is dutifully maintained by members of her former mortal family. Any books she and their pack can't lug around on their travels, she has sent back to the library for proper sorting and cataloguing.

Eidetic Memory [2 Point Merit] You remember, with perfect detail, things you see and hear. Documents, photographs, conversations, etc., can be committed to memory with only minor concentration...

Language [Latin, Byzantine Greek, French.] [3 Points of Merits] [Source: V20 Corebook] Self explanatory :)

Retainer [1 Dot Background] She has a singular Revenant, a distant cousin of hers by the name of Colin Obertus, who helps her with her studies & helps the pack maintain their Haven. [Barring her own room, which she insists upon maintaining herself]

RITAE [She is the Pack Priest, after all.]

All 13 Auctoritas Ritae

Allegiance Ritus

Before the Acceptance Ritus occurs, a vampire already Embraced but not yet Sabbat must go through the Allegiance Ritus. This ritus is especially important for Camarilla defectors. The Allegiance Ritus is long and involved, and it may go on for years before the recruit is permitted the Acceptance Ritus and welcomed as a full member of the sect. Part of the process involved the implanting of a secret mark on the body of the defector (a tattoo, scar, brand, etc.) through the use of Vicissitude so it will be permanent. Before receiving this *ritus*, the initiate must sit or stand to the rear of his packmates during auctoritas ritae. He must drink last at the vaulderie, and may not contribute himself. He may not read or discuss passages from the *Book of Nod* aloud. The time involved in confirming the initiate's commitment to the Sabbat makes it all the more difficult for him to leave the sect.

Acceptance Ritus

This ritus welcomes a new member to a particular pack, to recognize the ascension of a recruit, or any time a change in power or membership occurs (such as a new Ductus or Pack Priest). Each member of the pack must recognize the new position of their fellow Sabbat in a personal manner, be it by sharing blood, the giving of a gift, or whatever. The Sabbat being accepted must make an oath of allegiance to each member of the pack, and to the Sabbat cause in general. The Acceptance Ritus differs from the Creation Rites because it is more social than supernatural. A Sabbat may have received his Creation Rites, but may be snubbed by a pack that refuses to extend him the ritus of acceptance.

Contrition Ritus

Even Sabbat commit sins and indiscretions, for which they sometimes need to atone. The Contrition Ritus allows for this, much in the same manner a Catholic confession works. This ritus is perhaps the most important of the ignobilis ritae, as many Inquisitors, Black Hand operatives, Pack Priests, and Ducti offer a choice of contrition or death to Sabbat who have committed wrongs upon the Sect. All sensible Sabbat take these ritae as seriously as they would any other, for only by the grace of their betters can they continue to exist. Of course, many disingenuous Sabbat may make an insincere act of contrition, but they might not be extended the option next time.

Stealth Ritus

In the interests of maintaining silence, some packs take extra precautions and invoke favorable omens. In the Stealth Ritus, all participating vampires bite out each other’s tongues and spit them into a fire. Though this causes no health levels of damage, the immediate bleeding and healing consumes one blood point. The Pack Priest or Ductus usually bows out so he can issue orders, but some packs have developed complex hand signal systems so they may communicate silently while on stealth-intensive activities

LORE QUOTES FOR CLARIFICATION:

The Children of the Dracon

A bizarre knightly order of Tzimisce vampires, the Children of the Dracon seem to bear more Hellenic features than the Slavic heritage of Clan Tzimisce suggests. The Children seem to be a cultural division, almost like a bloodline, but the distinction is more artificial than that which would be caused by a deviation of vitae. The exact agenda of the Children of the Dracon is unknown, but they seem to be at intellectual odds with the rest of the Tzimisce. Perhaps this is due to some past transgression, or perhaps it lies in the difference of mortal stock from which the vampires were originally drawn. Whatever the case, the Children of the Dracon do not antagonize the other Tzimisce, so much as they take a consistent role of the Devil's Advocate. If the Tzimisce favor a siege, the Children posit the values of holding back; if the Fiends support the Inquisition, the Children argue against giving any faction too much power. Although this seems arbitrary, the Children seem to see themselves as the warders of their brothers. Apparently, sometime in the mists of history, a Tzimisce made a decision that affected the entirety of his clan (perhaps resulting the clan's odd weakness). The Children of the Dracon have sworn to make the Tzimisce consider the full gravity of their actions... or perhaps atone for them. The Tzimisce report that no Child of the Dracon has ever held the title of voivode in the clan, and that the Children are either incapable of learning their koldunic magic or they steadfastly refuse to. This distinction means little outside the clan and faction, and others regard it as a curious family affair.

...Before the Embrace, the Children leave the monastery to study the “12 legacies” — precepts of the order — with various enclaves across the globe. Then, they return to their monastery of origin to be Embraced. If the initiate is an Akoimetai, he is entrusted with one volume from the Library of the Forgotten.... Confirmed in the order, the new Child of the Dracon departs to establish himself within Sabbat society...

The Children of the Dracon organize themselves much like a monastic order, with “scions” establishing monasteries made up primarily of their own broods. The monasteries coordinate their activities through the Hagia Sophia, a Dracon Vatican of sorts somewhere around the Mediterranean. The scholarly wing of this order, the Akoimetai, is drawn almost exclusively from a branch of the Obertus revenant family...

#Ida Tag #My OCs #Percy Pack Tag

[walugus-grudenburg]

There's three bonus tracks on the Tettix half of the Rogue Legacy 2 OST that aren't used anywhere in-game; not even the jukebox has these ones. The first is Old Magic and while I quite love the track on its own, it's only kinda RL2-feeling, so I get why it was cut. I wonder where it was meant to play. The second is Caco Phoney which again sounds only a little like the rest of RL2's soundtrack (this one sounds very Binding of Isaac to me). If the game had an area similar to the Lair Of Darkness in RL1 (while Pishon takes this role it goes for a lot more of a defiled nature theme and less of an evil one) I could see this playing there. And third and finally, we have Enlightenment. This one's closer to the rest of the game's style, and could easily fit in under only moderately special circumstances. If Enoch was the final boss I could easily see this playing there. It's still very clearly not-quite-the-finished-OST though. But more than anything else, I'm pretty confident this did end up being reworked into Glass Spires, which did make it into the final game (though even this is jukebox-exclusive I think? poor song can't catch a break if true. EDIT: Nevermind, it does indeed play during the Two Lovers scar. Thanks to my mutual volt-race-art for the correction)

#rogue legacy 2

[muzzleroars]

Ight I hope you don't mind me putting this here but-

BAM!

This is my oc for your fallen gabe Au if that's alright!

His names Enoch (no relation to the book of Enoch) he's a throne angel so about one rank or two above Gabriel. Hence why his face is a bit more humanoid

Also side note he is a fallen angel of wrath but I haven't finished the drawing for that yesterday and this one's been done for awhile and I reaaallly wanted to show him off so I'll be talking more about him pre fall.

Basically after God's disappearance he was one of the founding members of the council (though not for long).

During the Sisyphus insurrection he lead the charge against Sisyphus unfortunately permanently loosing the use of his wings, rumor states that his wings were torn off by Sisyphus himself but the validity of this statement is iffy. Though it was confirmed they where torn off in the battle

Part of the reason he didn't get his wings back is because he's from one of the oldest generations of angels makeing his wings extra fragile (plus eh, more of a head cannon to me that angel wing are so fragile it's hard to heal them from terrible injuries like that)

Both before and after the Sisyphus insurrection though he was an avid believer in the "ferryman have paid for there sins" and to let them into heaven (part of the reason he's now fallen). He's also had a tendency to yell when he got angry (and he got angry a lot).

But the thing he's most famous for is haveing either A. Brought the idea of tearing the light from angels as a punishment to the council or B. Taught the council how to tear the light from an angel without God's assistance (like god had to approve of an angels light being torn from them before hand). But I'll let you decide whatever.

And he was all for this "tear the light" out of the heretics bodie's". At first the council didn't agree but once they realized how useful it was to keep people in check they also went full force on it.

Part of me is thinking he either went a bit Robespierre and went crazy with tearing the light from people he thought was heretics or he thought the council was going crazy with tearing the light from people (probably the ladder)

Eventually though the council got tired of Enoch yelling about how the ferryman should be forgiven. And whatever stance he had on the councils use of tearing the light out of people. and in turn used the very punishment he brought to the council against him, tearing the light from his body. Over the years heaven forgot about him and the council said he retired.

He became a fallen angel of wrath and there's a lot of ideas I have there but this is already a wall of text so I apologize. In short as a fallen angel of wrath he went a bit crazy from the constantly drowning.

Final notes,

He probably knew our favorite archangels, maybe interacted with Gabriel a couple of times from being on the council, and Raph from haveing lost his wings in the insurrection (the one patient he couldn't heal other then Micheal)but I don't think he was to to close to either of them. Part of me wants to think of Enoch as a kind of mentor to Uriel but that's up to you. I just think it would be neat since Enoch Pre fall and after the insurrection was a pretty decent guy typically spending most of his time trying to find ways to make heaven better overall, once haveing been this source of enlightenment turned into this monster of rage and anger.

It would probably hurt Uriel to see what Enoch becomes but not destroy him completely. But that's more for when I get fallen Enoch art finished.

Ight, thank you for dealing with my ramblings and this monster of an ask I just really wanted to show my boy off.

OOOOH i really like the idea that he introduced light being torn from angels and so, whether he knew it or not, he ushered in the age of the council's tyranny once they realized how useful this could be. tbh it's interesting to consider a council corruption arc, although i do think they were at least already halfway there just from assuming god's throne (they 100% encouraged michael to leave and i think that was the tipping point into "anything goes" for them to maintain power) also attached to the idea of a primordial angel, sort of one of lucifer's time, who were made before much of creation and act as advisers to all the younger sets (CUTE to have him know and work with uriel) makes it all the more intriguing in a character sense when the wiseman falls as an angel of wrath...falling deeper and deeper into that pit of concern over heresy, what he brought into heaven, and the denial of the repentant. poor guy ;o;

#also made me think of like. the full fallen au #since uriel becomes an angel of heresy....HM HM.... #oh and!! i go with the idea that all the archangels are cherubim since they're placed so much higher than the virtues! #with archangel existing purely as a title #which is. really not here nor there since he would still be subject to enoch as a member of the council and due to his age imo #plus any of the thirds of the hierarchies are pretty loose in power structures due to their grouping and close ranking besides #apologizing once more for my au being!!! a mess!!! #cake answers #long post

[surya-chandra]

The Burning Ones

“The Seraphim are all eyes — they can perceive true beauty.”

In the Second Book of Enoch, a class of celestial beings are mentioned alongside the seraphim, known as the “phoenixes.” They are described as "flying elements of the sun.” The phoenix could therefore be an analog for the seraphim.

(A winged sun hovers over a sepulchre filled with water; an alchemical symbol from Rosary of the Philosophers.)

The Phoenix, a mythical bird that symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and immortality across various cultures, is often depicted as being reborn from its ashes, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

In a literal sense, Twin Flames represent the dual nature of existence — life and death, destruction and rebirth, or even the Phoenix's power over fire itself, alluded to in its namesake that incorporates the word “flames.”

This dual imagery emphasizes the transformative power of the Phoenix, not just in its ability to be reborn, but also in its capacity to navigate and unite opposing forces within the cycle of renewal.

Twin Flames, in spiritual and esoteric beliefs, are souls that are mirror reflections of each other, thought to be the ultimate soulmate connection. Much like the Phoenix, Twin Flames undergo a journey of transformation and rebirth. The journey is deeply connected to another soul and is a powerful transformation that leads to higher levels of consciousness or existence. Twin Flames are phoenixes that represent the idea that through cycles of destruction and rebirth, a soul finds its most profound connection and fulfillment.

Additionally, Twin Flames signify the balancing of energies within oneself or the universe, embodying a harmonious state achieved through the process of rebirth that the Phoenix undergoes. This harmony is essential for personal growth, enlightenment, or the attainment of a higher state of being. The imagery of the Twin Flame Phoenixes is rich with symbolic meaning, often touching on themes of profound transformation, eternal love, and the cyclical nature of life and spiritual evolution.

If Scorpio represents the death of the Phoenix, then Aries represents its resurrection. Both of these astrological signs have a shared home planet in Mars. The planet is named after the Roman God of War: Mars (Ares in Greek mythology). His counterpart is the Roman Goddess of Victory: Victoria.

#the seraphim #the phoenix

[nellygwyn]

It's crazy that so many of the responses on that Cultural Tutor post are 'This is just a thread about furniture, buildings, and art, it's not fascist rhetoric' when a dogwhistle literally manifests as something seemingly mundane but has dangerous, often well-hidden undertones. That's the point. One minute, you're saying you just simply don't like modern art, the next, you're calling modernity 'degenerate' and decrying the prevalence of Jewish and non-white/non-Western influence in modern European art. That's the pipeline, that's how people are radicalised. Well, sorry but people who use Enoch Powell and Oswald Moseley as their Twitter PFPs and disparage Ottoman art in favour of their Byzantine predecessors are not benign or academic.

I can't afford to be blind to neo-Nazi and prejudicial rhetoric, as a Romani bi woman, and so many people can't afford to just ignore it, just take things at face value either. If you don't understand why 'traditionalist' rhetoric is more often than not Neo-Nazi rhetoric, maybe read up on how neo-Nazis have appropriated Ancient Roman/Greek aesthetics, have appropriated the Crusades and other forms of medieval Christian history, the Enlightenment etc. to promote their cause. Don't call Jewish, Romani and people of colour pointing out what you've missed overly sensitive and hysterical.

#it's easy to miss dogwhistles. it's understandable. #it's not understandable to just ignore them or downplay them #when you've been shown them

[fatherenoch]

He walks into the church as quietly as possible, the heavy door shutting out the rain. It plinks against windows that could be stained glass, or could be reflecting neon lights down the way. Who knew. The slouched figure keeps his hood up as though to guard against the eyes of God. Sneakers cross the floor – it's lit and warm, inviting, but there's no one to be seen. His hand smooths down the arms of the pews in passing, just like it did when he was a boy.

He swiftly returns his hand to his pocket. He wanders a bit, looking at everything, touching nothing more save to pass a hand over a flame, not speaking a peep - until he sits down in the confessional. He smells like an ash tray and looks like a waterboarded possum, jeans heavy with rainwater. He's aged too quickly – sinuous, loose skin; dark purple bags under his eyes; dull hair in need of a cut; but his beautiful pupils are watery, bright, and see all too clearly.

“Forgive me--,” his whisper pinches off with a high-pitched squawk in his throat which echoes like thunder in the silent sanctuary. The boy clamps his hands over his hooded ears and sinks down on the bench, wishing for headphones to materialize out of thin air. He plants his feet on the opposite wall and continues, glad to be alone at least, and slumps away from the divider. A large painted eye stares from the back of his hood. “--just outta rehab and the only thing they care about is the HRT.” He rubs his scorched fingertips together, squeezing painfully to control his composure. He fishes a slim multitool from his pocket and chisels idly into the wood, distracting himself from his predicament with a little vandalism. “...Kiiiinda bullshit, mom,” he murmurs, then diverts his ire, “Come out and punish me, God,” he challenges, voice hardly speaking yet sounding quite loud in the silence. “I know that's your favorite.” Though his words are defiant, he sounds anything but. Defeated, seeking penance and a miracle. Another moment of silence passes before the unfortunate soul acknowledges, “...Thanks for shelter from the rain though.”

🐕‍🦺

Looking for Father Ambrose's hymnal up on the choir loft (the one he's had for quite literally centuries now, despite losing monthly), Enoch is perfectly out of sight when the man comes in. His ears, much more perceptive than most, catch all the little noises the intruder tries to hide: squeaks from rubber-soled shoes, the creak of the confessional door's hinges, and of course, the voice crack. Not wanting to reveal himself yet, he stays up on the loft for a while longer.

Until he doesn't hear anything else from the confessional. Perhaps he's waiting? Enoch can't tell his intentions from sounds alone, but it is odd that he didn't call out, ask for anyone. The stairs, old and wooden, can't help but creak a little as he starts to step down them. He tries to blend in with the shadows, slipping behind columns as he approaches the confessional. His steps are careful to hit only carpet, especially since he's never given up the habit of wood-heeled shoes.

He's able to get right up to the confessional, and press his ear against the wooden walls. Scratching wood and murmured words he can't make out. Another kid coming in to vandalize or try to steal. No matter what wards Enoch puts up, the ground is still too holy. Just yelling at them never works. Instead, he slips in as quietly as he can (with a little...additional assistance from his unnatural abilities) to the other side of the booth.

"May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in His mercy," he says, finally breaking his silence. His voice has no need to be loud, but it creeps to the other side, dripping with a tone of gotcha. Through the screen, he sees a slumped figure, and smells him more. "You know what to say next, my child?"

#confession #🐕‍🦺

[xnoctifers-eveningx]

Faces of the Devil: The Serpent

  Starting at the origin of sin where the serpent tempted Eve into eating the forbidden fruit — God made Adam and Eve, how they were made exactly varies from religion to religion, sect to sect. Adam and Eve resided in the Garden of Eden, a paradise where they didn’t have to worry about anything. God told them to not eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, the tree of knowledge. A serpent came into Eden to try to tempt them into eating the forbidden fruit, Eve caved in and shared the apple with Adam. Immediately, they became aware of their nakedness and began to hide themselves under fig leaves. God came and knew why they were hiding and punished them for eating the forbidden fruit. This was the first sin, the origin of sin. God gave humans all punishments for what Adam and Eve did — they would now be cursed with childbirth, have to do labor in order to eat, and experience death at the end of their lives. The serpent was blamed for the beginning of sin, snakes are often associated with deception and evil. Some choose to view the serpent in this story as a metaphor for sin itself, while others believe it to have been a demon (Satan or Samael). Sometimes Samael was depicted riding the serpent. In Jewish belief, the serpent was in fact Satan but they traditionally view Satan as a metaphorical evil that represents yetzer hara, or the human tendency to sin as an overly simplified explanation. In Islam, there isn’t a snake but instead, the story of God asking Iblis (Satan) to bow to the humans he’s created and Iblis refusing to do so. 

  Many Satanists view the Adam and Eve story from a very different perspective than the traditional view. In these interpretations, Lucifer is the serpent who comes to tell Adam and Eve of the Tree of Knowledge and all they could learn from it. Eve wasn't tricked into "eating the apple", a metaphor for enlightenment, but rather was offered access to higher knowledge. Lucifer is the lightbringer who brings eternal knowledge to humans, the ability to rebel and choose our own paths. He represents freedom and unlimited knowledge. This retelling of the story also often seeks to get rid of the blame people push on Eve for the "origin of sin" as this has pushed an unfortunately common narrative that women as a whole are to blame for sin, and that experiences like menstrual cycles and pregnancy are punishments. Or “she grows her hair out long like Lilit, she sits and urinates, like an animal; and serves as a pillow for her husband."

Serpents in the Bible

  Onward, serpents are associated with evil and trickery in the Bible. In Genesis 3:14-15, God curses the serpent after he infiltrated the Garden of Eden;

"And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life / And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel".

In the Book of Revelations, the “ancient serpent”, also referred to as the dragon, represents Satan in the War in Heaven as he battles Archangel Michael. In the Catholic saint tradition, St. Patrick of Ireland was said to have banished all snakes out of Ireland — sometimes interpreted in reference to driving out Pagans and perceived evil. Serpents were also commonly related to sea serpents, great beasts that live in the seas and cause chaos by disturbing the waters and attacking ships. Leviathan is a Hebrew sea serpent that is referenced in Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and the Book of Enoch. Leviathan represents chaos and death, it’s unclear who created him or whether he is “evil” or not but in Christianity he represents the sin of envy. Leviathan likely originates from the Ugartic Lôtān, a sea serpent serving under the sea god Yam. 

  A little bit of a tangent but I think it’s funny. In the Book of Isaiah, “flying fiery serpents” are mentioned 3 separate times and it’s pretty debated on what exactly they’re supposed to represent. They are likely Seraphim, fiery flying angels, but some translate it to reference a real creature. This isn’t an absurd theory as “fiery serpents” are also mentioned which likely represent vipers who’s bite feel like fire. However, there are a surprising amount of people who think these fiery flying serpents were real-life, living dinosaurs. Some creationists believe that these verses referencing the flying serpents can prove that dinosaurs and creationism can be true at the same time. There are a few people who have spent a very long time looking into this and believe that there were living, breathing, flying pterosaurs on the Galapagos Island at the time The Bible was written, sometimes believing they are still alive there with authors like Jonathan David Whitcomb writing several books on finding evidence. (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dont-get-strung-along-by-the-ropen-myth-78644354/ ) 

   Despite the common use of serpents as symbolic of evil and trickery within Abrahamic belief, they're also sometimes associated with intelligence, fertility, healing, and transformation. In the Book of Numbers, Moses wields a bronze serpent staff that has the ability to heal people, a parallel to the Staff of Aesculapius and The Caduceus. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus refers to his apostles as serpents a few times as a metaphor for their wisdom, mirroring how Ancient Hebrews commonly used snakes as symbols of intelligence. 

Serpents in Various Cultures

  In the Americas, the Mexica deity Quetzalcóatl is a feathered serpent that ruled over the winds, rain, agriculture, and wisdom. Native American nations near the Great Lakes also had a similar figure generally referred to as the Horned Serpent, a large serpent with horns that often ruled over rain, water, and storms. Stories of these great serpents often related to water, there are many stories of huge sea serpents swimming in large bodies of water that men feared but also respected for their wisdom. Tiamat, a Mesopotamian sea goddess is often depicted as a large sea serpent and represents both the chaos and depths of the sea. And we’ve already mentioned the fearsome Leviathan from the Bible. Water is often tied to hidden things like fears, our unconscious, creativity and the occult. It’s a very feared although respected element.

A common association with snake imagery is healing, most popularly seen in the medicinal symbol of a staff surrounded by two intertwined snakes topped with a pair of wings called the caduceus which is a staff carried by Hermes or alternatively, a staff with one snake wrapped around it called the Staff of Aesculapius (both commonly misidentified as the other staff). The Caduceus is a staff carried by Hermes that is said to offer peaceful deaths to the dying and bring the dead back to life, it is a symbol of Hermes and Mercury. It was widely used as a symbol in astrology, astronomy, and alchemy. But in 1902 the US Army Med Corps adopted the symbol, popularizing the symbol’s use in healing and medicine despite it being chosen for its representation of power and wisdom. Many consider this to be a misuse of the symbol since Hermes dealt with death more than life, granting peaceful deaths rather than trying to keep people alive, some even saying this would be a better symbol for people like morticians than doctors. Which is why the Rod of Asclepius is considered the true symbol of medicine, the two are conflated with each other very often. The Rod of Asclepius is a rod held by the Greek deity Asclepius who is the god of medicine, healing, and doctors. The rod has a single snake wrapped around it which is thought to depict a specific nonvenomous snake, the Aesculapian snake, that was used in his honor in healing rituals that took place in his temples. This symbol is a very popular symbol used to represent medicine today, even being seen on the flag of the WHO (World Health Organization). 

  In contrast, snakes are common symbols of death and are feared by many people all over the world. As humans, we have instinctual fears of things that threaten our livelihoods, one of those things is often snakes because they are/were one of our natural predators. This is probably a huge reason why there are so many folklore and mythological stories of huge serpents that kill people and cause chaos. A Norse creature called Níðhöggr (Nidhogg) is a feared serpent/dragon that gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasill and represents chaos. Apep is an Egyptian deity depicted as a massive serpent and is the embodiment of chaos, he is an extremely feared god that only wants to wreak chaos and destruction on the world. Snakes are also often associated with Chthonic deities and the underworld. In Africa, many regions traditionally consider snakes to be sacred animals that often represent their deceased or reincarnated ancestors. 

One of the most popular snake symbols is Ouroboros which depicts a snake eating its own tail and originates from Ancient Egypt and Greek imagery. It represents an infinite cycle, life and death, and rebirth. There’s also Jörmungandr who is a massive Norse mythological serpent that encircles the world while biting its own tail. Snakes both represent life and death, often making them one of the go-to symbols for rebirth. And it’s easy to see why, ancient people witnessed snakes shedding their skin and assumed that they could live forever by being ‘rebirthed’. Even though we know them to be mortal now, the association with rebirth, enlightenment, and immortality still stands strong.

This all mirrors how I view Lucifer. He's life and death, chaos and peace, divine balance and polarity. He's a powerful force who can be both destructive and restorative, forcing you to view things from a new perspective and build from the ground up. Ave Lucifer, the bearer of the torch of enlightenment and freedom ♡

#lucifer #devotional #luciferian #snakes #serpents #Samael #infernal divine #satanism #biblical

[kathyprior4200]

Seraphim Sisters: Prologue: "Seraphim Sera"

Seraphim, “the burning ones,” are the highest ranking type of angel in Christian angelology and fifth in the Jewish hierarchy. In Islam, they are the highest, followed by spirit, archangels, and cherubim. Sometimes they are depicted as an eagle, a bull, a lion, and a human; other times they have four faces and six wings. In the Book of Isaiah, they are fiery beings with six wings which fly around God’s throne, singing “Holy, Holy, Holy, God is the Lord of hosts, the Earth is full of His glory!” They are the caretakers of God’s throne. The six wings would have eyes on them, two covering their face, two covering their feet and two used to fly. Seraphim have a fiery passion for doing God’s work, not resting day and night. Like fire, they are eternal and can bring enlightenment to others. One Seraphim placed a hot coal to prophet Isiash’s lips and said, “See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sins are atoned for.” The choir is ruled by Archangel Metatron in “Meteorologica Cosmica” by Robert Fludd; the archangels each rule over a specific choir of angels. The Shem HaMephorash Seraphim members are Vehuiah, Lelial, Sitael, Elemiah, Mahasiah, Iehahel, Achaiah, and Cahethel.  

In Hazbin Hotel, the Seraphim are the third-highest ranking below the mysterious Speaker of God and God Himself. They are above or equal to the Archangels and also above Adam, the Exorcists and the Powers.

Seraphiel is one notable Seraphim, said to be the protector of Metatron. In Enoch three, he is tall as the seven heavens with the face of an angel and the body of an eagle. He is called the chief of the Seraphim, a judge angel, and a prince of the Merkabah and guide to Enoch/Metatron. He teaches songs to sing for the glorification of God. Jehoel is his servant, often associated with Michael, charged to restrain Leviathan, and destroy idolaters. He commanded the choir of Seraphim with Lucifer and rivaled him in beauty.

Metatron is a likely candidate for the Speaker of God, since Seraphiel protects him/works under him and Metatron is said to act like a vessel for God. Every command by Metatron must be fulfilled by the other angels. Seraphiel is called the Angel of Silence or the Angel of Purification because he emanates the fire of God that burns away sin.

Emily

Appearance: Emily is a bird-like seraphim woman with long spiky white hair, a black/gray face and large teal eyes. She has a white halo over her head.

She has six white wings and wears a long periwinkle dress with small diamond crystal designs near the bottom and a dark purple trim. She has a black star-like crystal design on her chest and wears black boots.

"Emily is the Glinda of Heaven, flitting around and bringing hope and cheer to the denizens of Heaven. She is the face of the Angel hierarchy in charge, and she adores her people. Doing everything in her power to do right by her kingdom and take on the responsibilities, she is a bit unaware of what goes on, being deliberately kept out of things. She wants to take on more responsibility and is determined, passionate, upbeat and kind.

Emily is playful, with a bright voice, and cheerful energy.”

0 0 0

Sera

Appearance: Sera is an avian-like Seraphim woman princess with a gray face with white freckles, thick extended eyelashes, and large teal eyes. She wears a glowing white/teal five-pointed crown on her head with teal crystals in it. In the trailer for Hazbin Hotel, she is seen grinning widely with flames in her eyes. Her hair is white/gray styled in long thick tubes or curls. She wears a long gray/teal with diamond crystal designs similar to Emily's.

"The eldest of the Seraphim Sisters, who work directly under the Speaker of God.

Sera is calm and responsible, carrying the weight of her leadership in Heaven, and feeling constant state of pressure to do right by her people. She is constantly under stress but hides it well with her controlled demeanor. She is overly serious and rarely eases up. Strict and orderly.”

0 0 0

King Seraphiel and Queen Seraphina were the ancient, royal Seraphim in Heaven, who worked under the Speaker of God. They were passionately devoted to God and would sing praises for Him and teach others to do the same. They were similar to the Ars Goetia in Hell; as the Ars Goetia were alternate rulers alongside the Seven Deadly Sins demon kings who ruled the Rings, the Seraphim ruled alongside the Archangels or the Seven Heavenly Virtues who ruled the Halos. Along with singing praises to God, they also interpreted messages from the Speaker of God and carried out His divine instructions. They often had meetings with Metatron, Jesus, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and other elite angels to make sure things were running smoothly.

King Seraphiel had been around since the dawn of creation. He and Lucifer rivaled each other in light, song, and beauty. Seraphiel and Lucifer were called the “Morningstar Twins,” though Archangel Michael was often called “Lucifer’s more obedient twin.” Lucifer was the oldest of the angel siblings, a little older than Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Camael, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. Seraphiel was a different kind of angel, born from divine flames.

Like many angels, Seraphiel was upset when Lucifer and his angels rebelled and were later banished to Hell. Michael was soon put in charge of Heaven’s military (Before Adam was turned into an angel Exorcist and took over), while Seraphiel was now solely in charge of the Seraphim choir. Seraphiel had no more competition but was often lonely at the same time.

The universe must have sensed his loneliness, for before long, he had met his soon-to-be wife, Seraphina. Seraphina loved singing and spreading divinity as much as he did; it was a literal match made in Heaven. In human terms, they had the demeanors of African American performers. The royal couple had two beautiful daughters, the first one around ten years older than the second.

The parents smiled down at their first-born daughter. She lay in a golden crib in the palace, a ray of light touching down on her through a circular window in the ceiling. She had a dark gray face with large bright teal eyes and whisps of white curly hair beginning to sprout on her head. The downy white feathers of her six wings were poking out from her back.

“Oh Seraphiel, she’s perfect,” smiled Seraphina. “And she looks like you, too!”

Sure enough, their daughter did match Seraphiel, with his dark gray face, white freckles under his eyes and teal eyes. Seraphiel had a white beard, thick short white hair, and wore a glowing white crown on his head.  His robes were often fiery red and orange. Though his six wings were usually white, they could change color to yellows, oranges, reds, and hot blues, with flaring eyes all over them in his Angel Form.

“Well-behaved, too,” Seraphiel said with a nod. “Not a sob to be heard.”

Seraphina picked up her daughter and cuddled her close. The baby laughed and reached out to tug Seraphina’s curly white hair that hung slightly past her ears. Seraphina also had teal eyes and a dark gray face with white freckles. Unlike Seraphiel who was passionate about work, she was more inclined to spending free time doing art, poetry and composing her own songs. “They don’t have to be about God all the time,” she mentioned to Seraphiel. The baby tried to flap her little wings, staring down at the ground as if afraid she’d fall. Seraphina danced with her baby in her arms, wearing a stunning long purple dress with light purple crystal patterns near the trim.

The baby tried again, flapping her small wings, but barely getting an inch off her mother’s hands.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be flying in no time,” said Seraphina with a chuckle. She turned to her husband. “Shall we keep up with our family name traditions?”

“Oh yes,” said Seraphiel. “And I have the perfect name for her: Sera.”

Seraphina gently placed Sera in her crib and sang her a lullaby to sleep.

“Once there was a way

To get back homeward

Once there was a way

To get back home

Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby

Golden slumbers fill your eyes

Smiles await you when you rise

Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby.”

Sera soon grew up fast. As the first-born, she would be the next heir to the Seraphim choir. Seraphiel trained her in singing, fire magic, angelic weapon use, Enochian, Latin, flight, music, and other divine duties from the very start. Sera soon became one of the greatest muses in Heaven, having an angelic voice that all the Archangels and other Seraphim admired. Even the Speaker of God was most impressed with her progress. Seraphiel decreed that she would formally be included in the political council meetings to help make decisions once she became a teen. The more Sera grew up, the more stress she began to feel. If she wasn’t pleasing her parents, she was trying to please the other Seraphim. And then after getting through all that, she would eventually have to please the whole kingdom of Heaven!

Oh, how she longed for peaceful Golden Slumbers!

Sera buried her stress under piano lessons, studying, lectures, poetry, art, and any activity that could try and numb her thoughts. The few times she could relax and hang out with her fellow friends was a blessing. Sera would often pray to God to not force her into any arranged marriages. Fortunately, she was safe from that for the time being. Though that didn’t stop some Seraphim males from gazing intently at her beauty from afar.

Seraphiel conducted the fiery Seraphim choir; Sera flying around for hours in performances that stunned the adoring crowd below.

“Holy, holy, holy, God is the Lord Almighty!” Sera chanted, memorizing the words by heart. Five other Seraphim women flew with her, harmonizing as she led the choir. Her six wings glowed in stunning rainbow colors and fireworks boomed in the heavenly blue sky. They sang songs and hymns for more than an hour, vowing to “not rest day and night” until it was over. Sera posed with the five other Seraphim women as the crowd applauded, their feet and faces covered by their wings. They were Serenity, Serabella, Serena, Serastella, and Serendipity. They weren’t her sisters but part of the greater Seraphim devotee family. Sera was dressed in blue and purple, contrasting the golds and the reds of the other young angel women. They were, in human terms, a variety of different races, all with six white wings that could burst into harmless flames with eyes blinking on them.

“Don’t be afraid to create something original,” her mother said. Sera did create her own songs, but only in the privacy of her large bedroom. She didn’t want her father to think she was straying too far from traditional music.  Sera remembered all the fun times when she and her mother would travel around Heaven and make up their own music as they went. They would sing songs together and not have to worry about anyone watching them. It was one of the only times where Sera truly felt free.

“No matter what you have to do,” Seraphina said as they sat near a lake of golden water. “Know there’s always a shining star in you. Muzzled in work or happy in play, my eternal love is here to stay.” Mother and daughter embraced as Heavenly music played in the background.

Sera belted out as she played on her piano:

“Somebody (somebody)

Oh somebody (somebody)

Can anybody find me

Somebody to love?

I work hard

Everyday of my life

I work ‘til I ache in my bones

At the end (at the end of the day)

I take home my hard earned pay on my own

I get down (down) on my knees (knees) and I start to pray

‘Til the tears run down from my eyes, Lord!

I have spent all my years believing in you

But I just can’t get no relief, Lord!”

Tears flew from her eyes, the music a catharsis for her ever-nagging weary feelings. Was all her hard work and fading childhood worth it in the eyes of God? Why was she destined to be the center of Seraphim attention, while many souls in Heaven would stroll around, oblivious to Heaven’s intricate workings?

“Hmm…I-I think I should create something more unique than that mortal song I like…”

But she was soon tired and out of ideas.  

0 0 0

Once Sera became of age (still ancient in human years and terms), Seraphiel invited her to the first meeting.

“I know we have hidden some things from you,” he mentioned. “But we wanted to make sure you were ready. You see, the worlds outside Heaven are very dangerous places.”

“I have heard of Earth,” Sera said, smoothing out her teal-gray dress. A white crown glowed on her head. “That’s where humans are born and then they die and are sent to Heaven or Hell.”

“That’s right,” he said. He led Sera inside to a spacious room where some archangels and other Seraphim waited. The council members stood and bowed to the royals as they sat down. Sera sat next to her father at the round table as Michael discussed angelic weapons, military strategies, politics, charities, and the occasional music festival. Sera flinched as a large eye surrounded by six wings with smaller eyes on them casually discussed economics in a seat across from her. Blue fan-like designs decorated the walls and gold pillars held the ceiling decorated with Christian religious art. Stained-glass windows depicted fiery Seraphim, and a trio of Metatron, Jesus, and Seraphiel standing before God’s light. (Although the Speaker of God was implied to be Metatron, no one knew exactly who it was.)

Sera yawned in boredom, favoring scribbles over her previous notes on a scroll in front of her, until Michael mentioned something that made her hair and feathers stand up.

“As many of you know, Heaven is not one hundred percent foolproof, even though we’d like it to be.” Michael stood proud wearing blue robes and a golden sword sheathed by his side. “Ever since Lucifer fell to Hell, there has been an increased need for security. At first, we thought that Lucifer and his army would perish in the dark, never to be seen again. Alas, they soon formed their own kingdom of chaos, growing ever stronger. As soon as Lucifer tricked Adam and Eve into eating the Forbidden Fruit, and were banished from the Garden of Eden, God ordered us angels to step in. We realized that humanity was in danger of falling to sin. And if that sin ever reached our abode, it would infect us with it’s vengeful evil and suffering.”

“Lucifer would want nothing more than to kick us out of our own paradise,” Gabriel mentioned, his robes white. “All because he thought that humans were all evil and that God was unwise in favoring them over him. Still, I miss him.”

“Some wounds cannot be healed,” Raphael somberly added, his green robes shimmering in the sunlight coming from the stained-glass windows. “We tried allowing as many souls into Heaven as we could. But as the population grew, so did sin. More souls had to be banished from Heaven when they dared to question God in Heaven. Angels became like humans, getting into petty quarrels and arguments.”

Uriel fanned a flame in his hand, wearing robes of ruby red. “Something had to be done. Michael’s army alone was not enough to keep the demons at bay. Soon we had to deal with a new problem. The humans who had been banished to Hell somehow remained immortal in the Pride Ring. If was like they had to re-spawn and deal with suffering with not even death sparing them. Hell’s population grew and soon the overpopulation led to more chaos and more thoughts of rebellion.”

 Metatron added. “If Hell became more overcrowded, it would inevitably lead to a second Heaven/Hell War, with poor Earth in the middle. More demons roaming around would put Earth in danger. Many of the noble demons and the Sin Kings started to send their minions to Earth to spread lust, disease, war, and sin. Our Archangel Virtues send angels to counteract them, but it’s never been enough.”

“It was a drastic decision. A decision not many of us liked,” said Seraphiel. “Samael and Adina approved it right away. Michael and I were more apprehensive. How could we trust a former human to suddenly become an angel and take on such a crucial role? But then we remembered how God turned Enoch and Elijah, two former men into Metatron and Sandalphon respectfully. And we knew that all we could really do was trust in God’s plan.”

Sera looked worried. “What happened then?”

Seraphiel continued. “Adam, the first man, was one God entrusted to rule the New Earth, a place where humanity all bowed to their Lord. Since Adam soon died after nearly a thousand years on Earth, God turned him into an angel to reward him for his faith. Lilith was banished from the garden for her disobedience and Eve…well her fate was lost to time. Adam was the pinnacle of masculinity and strength. God then promoted him as the ruler of the Exorcists, a group of angels sent to protect Heaven from sinners and invading demons. Originally, they were sent down to Hell to try and purge the former humans of their sins. But since sinners could only redeem themselves on their own (and they didn’t, of course) the Exorcists had a new job…”

Seraphiel’s eyes glowed darkly. “…to exterminate and purge sinners in Hell once every year.”

Sera couldn’t help but gasp. “You mean…our own people kill the demons…and people who were formerly human?”

“Yes,” Seraphiel explained. “Adam and the Exorcists soon grew more demonic themselves, relishing in their bloodlust and killing as many as they could: men, women, children, didn’t matter who. The victims of murders on Earth got their revenge against those who had killed them, when they became Exorcists. The angelic weapons erased the sinner from existence and their remaining energy became part of Hell’s infrastructure. That energy also powered the Overlords in Hell, keeping their hierarchical systems running. Lucifer, too, approved of the exterminations of his own people. He didn’t care for the ex-human sinners and he did it to ensure the safety of his own royal family and his rule.”

“That’s…that’s terrible,” Sera breathed.

“I know,” Seraphiel said. “But we have no other choice. Once a human goes to Hell, all is lost for them.”

“Can’t God cure them?” Sera asked.

“Sinners must cure themselves,” Seraphiel said. “The whole point of sending them to Hell is for them to be reminded of their misdeeds on Earth. They have to work extra hard to prove themselves to God. Without the suffering leading to redemption and repentance, there’s no real faith.”

“But still…our own people, killing members of their own kind…hardly any soul can get to Heaven now!”

Seraphiel put a hand on Sera’s shoulder. “That’s the point, unfortunately. To keep the universe in order, we cannot take any risks letting random foreigners inside. Saint Peter is in charge of all the background checks and making sure the souls go through their Purgatory in the divine Courtroom of Judgement before going through the golden gates and receiving their heavenly identity.”

“But can’t they just be banished back to Hell?” Sera asked her father.

“We have too much work to do as it is. God expects perfection here. Souls working on their perfection go to Earth. Those who fail have no place in any world but Hell. Our kingdom needs to set an example for our Lord and to the rest of the universe.”

He looked at his daughter again. “One day, you will fully understand, Sera. Demons have no second chances…all they do is spread evil and suffering onto themselves and to the rest of their kind. Demons turning into angels is a one percent chance at best. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. If we let them in, they’ll only unleash the same suffering onto us. And if our kingdom crumbles, God might…” he choked, “Leave us behind, too.”

There were low murmurs spreading throughout the council. Sera, too, suddenly grew afraid of the demons and sinners.

The proud blonde Samael waved his hand, and a large orb of light showed a scene of Hell. Buildings were burning in flames under a crimson sky. Adam was playing his guitar and using it to magically blast citizens away. Lute and her fellow Amazon-like warriors flew through the sky, black halos with three black crystals hovering over their heads. The warrior women dived down and slashed and stabbed the animal-like demons on the streets with harpoon weapons, grinning evilly behind their black LED screen masks. Their Xs were over their right eyes. Lute was laughing manically in the air, licking demon blood off her curved swords. Sera was instantly appalled at Lute’s cutthroat methods and Adam’s sinister sexualization of the females.

“Sera, my daughter,” Seraphiel. “The time has come to learn your role. The Seraphim royals serve under the Speaker of God and collaborate with the Archangels. But we also have a duty to preserve our kingdom and watch over the incoming souls. And you, specifically…”

Sera waited with bated breath…

“One of your main duties is to watch over Adam and his Exorcist army.”

Sera’s eyes grew wide with fear, and she gulped. “Adam? I’m in charge of him?!”

“Yes,” Seraphiel said. “I know it’s a big, unexpected responsibility. But I know how strong and dependable you are, already. Your mother and I have instilled great leadership in you. I know you have what it takes to keep him in line. He’s been behaving recklessly for a while.”

“I can’t stop the exterminations…”

“No.”

“But…” she pondered. “As long as that creep leaves me alone…I suppose it could be enjoyable to make sure things go smoothly.” She grinned. “At least I can tell him off if he decides to make trouble.” Seraphiel nodded in approval.

Metatron and Seraphiel moved toward Sera who stood up. “Get ready,” Seraphiel whispered to her. Sera took a deep breath, remembering all the practices leading up to this. They moved to the center of the vast council room.

“Riase your right hand,” Metatron said. Sera did so. Sera knew she was being filmed to the denizens of Heaven the moment Metatron’s cell phone glowed purple and hovered next to him.

“I, Princess Sera of the Seraphim Royal Family…”

Sera repeated. “I, Princess Sera of the Seraphim Royal Family…”

“…hereby pledge my allegiance to God and the Speaker of God…”

“…hereby pledge my allegiance to God and the Speaker of God…”

“…carrying out His will and bringing order to my kingdom…”

“…carrying out His will and bringing order to my kingdom…”

“I shall exemplify courage, confidence, and compassion to my people…”

“I shall exemplify courage, confidence, and compassion to my people…”

“Ensuring the safety of souls and the competence of our armies…”

“Ensuring the safety of souls and the competence of our armies…”

“To aid in legislation and decision making for the greater good of all…”

“To aid in legislation and decision making for the greater good of all…”

“I accept all terms and consequences henceforth…”

“I accept all terms and consequences henceforth…”

“By God’s will, it is done. Amen.”

“By God’s will, it is done. Amen.”

Sera’s hands shook as she signed the line on the bottom of a piece of paper. Seraphiel’s royal golden eye seal burned onto the page.

“All hail Princess Sera!” Metatron announced.

The archangels and Seraphim clapped respectfully. Seraphiel walked over and placed a large glowing white crown on her head. It had five glowing points and teal gems in the front. The other crown was taken by Seraphiel. Sera’s white hair was in thick tube-shaped braids. She suddenly looked more womanly. Sera walked out to a balcony, where a crowd of denizens cheered for her below, following the conclusion of the meeting. Several Exorcists banged the ends of their spears and harpoons onto the ground in salute. Sera’s parents stood proudly behind her. Holographic images flashed in the sky of demons burning in flames at the mercy of the Exorcists. Adam winked at her from a hovering golden throne, making her squirm inside.

Sera stared hard at the flames before her eyes, her thick eyelashes extending past her dark colored face. The flames danced in her eyes…and she forced a wide beaming smile.

0 0 0

The day Sera’s younger sister was born was quite a unique one. Seraphiel and Seraphina were delighted by the baby’s constant laughs and cute dark face. She also had white hair, teal eyes, a dark face, and freckles. With a happy squeal, the baby zoomed across the room, Seraphina chasing her around the palace.

“This baby sure is hyperactive!” Seraphina called.

“Mom, are you sure she’ll be a good little sister for me?”

“Yes,” she called. “Of course, you’ll be expected to watch her.”

Sera groaned as the baby let out some loud cries and squeals, nearly knocking over a vase.

“Flying time is over,” chuckled Seraphina, catching her breath and holding her baby. The baby flapped her sprouting six small wings. All the family members had white halos over their heads.

“Right, now her name,” said Seraphiel. “Sera is perfect.”

“We already have a Sera,” Seraphina said.

“Seraph!” he called.

Seraphina giggled. “No. Seraph is over there.”

Sera smiled as a beautiful red fiery phoenix flew over and landed on Sera’s shoulder. She pet her feathery friend and he nuzzled his head into her hand.

“Your mom sure has her hands full,” Seraph mentioned.

“Tell me about it,” Sera communicated back telepathically. “I’m guessing my sister will be so passionate about redeeming demons that she’ll be a real thorn in my side for a while. I sure hope not.”

“Remember you were once more sympathetic to demons and sinners too,” Seraph reminded her.

Sera sighed sadly. “Those days are over. I can no longer focus on a fantasy dream. Especially with my crazy little sister flying through the palace!” She rolled her eyes, her crown heavy on her head.

The baby stared into her mother’s teal eyes.

“Mama!”

“Wow! She just talked in my mind! She said ‘Mama!’”

“Wow, that was fast,” Seraphiel said. “Usually takes a week or so to learn telepathy before the babbling regular speech. She’s only a few days old!”

The baby spotted a crude drawing of a sad demon with a spear in its heart on a fridge. “Poor guy, poor guy,” she said into their heads.

Sera tore down the piece of paper and crumpled up the drawing. “No, not ‘poor guy,’” she sighed. “Demons are evil!”

Seraph flew over to his perch and slowly burst into flames. He was soon a pile of ash on his small bed. The baby spotted it and started wailing.

“Birdy gone! Birdy gone!”

“It’s okay, Serenity,” said Seraphina. “Our phoenix is immortal and rebirths itself from the ashes.”

“Not my name! Not my name!”

Seraphina looked taken aback. “What? What do you mean ‘not my name?’”

“New name! New name!”

The two royal parents and Sera stared at each other. With a baby so eager and hyper to spread cheer…could Sera’s daughter be so bold as to change family tradition already at such a young age?

This child was not ‘Serenity’…for a name popped into each of their heads that made her more like…

“Emily!” all three said at once. Emily laughed in approval.

0 0 0

Seraphina smiled at Emily. “This one will be the smiling face for Heaven. I bet she’ll do a splendid job greeting new souls in Heaven! She already looks like a great future performer, like me!”

“I believe you’re right,” Seraphiel said with a smile of his own.

Sera was worried. “I don’t think she’ll be ready for my responsibilities when she’s grown up,” she said. “Already, she’s causing trouble from day one.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you girls are safe,” said Seraphiel. “In the meanwhile, perhaps you can show Emily the way of an angel. With her positivity, she’ll help new souls adjust to Heaven while you continue your duties. We are immortal and essentially ageless, so there’s not much to worry about. If she tries to get in trouble, you can help change things for the better.”

Emily landed in Sera’s lap and let out a loud fart. Sera scrunched her nose. “I’ll sure be changing things alright,” she grumbled as she picked her up and walked off to change her sister’s diaper. When she was done, Emily was staring in awe at rainbow light reflecting off a stained-glass window in the palace.

“Yep, definitely an odd one,” Sera thought. “I only hope our family can do what’s right for everyone.”

Sera stared at Emily again and smiled warmly. She decided to sing her favorite lullaby she remembered when her mother sang it to her years before:

“Once there was a way

To get back homeward

Once there was a way

To get back home

Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby

Golden slumbers fill your eyes

Smiles await you when you rise

Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby.”

Emily soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Emily, despite her quirkiness…as a sister, she really was Somebody to Love.

#hazbinhotel #seraphim #sera #seraphimsisters

[halofaxu]

ranting about ezra and thrawn’s costume design and dubious visual storytelling before whatever the finale might bring but my first thought seeing ezra onscreen again was how his outer robes resembled the nightsisters and their traditional red garments. ahsoka is a show that likes to be vague, yet ezra and thrawn’s personal unconscious can be clearly expressed through their current costumes.

Thrawn still wears his imperial uniform, discoloured and weathered, but there is no attempt to hide his current faults and damage — just as the chimera is. the repair is literally illuminated through the gold cracks of his nighttroopers. the vicissitudes of existence over time, to which all humans are susceptible, could not be clearer than in the breaks and finer than the original art.

Ezra on the other hand wears clothing comprised of earthy colours — a complete deviation from his saturated rebels uniform — evoking the silhouette of Jedi robes instead. judging by his personality, he doesn’t appear to be a wounded thing, yet his clothing and fighting style suggest a difference in approach to the force. he’s conformed to the landscape of peridea, and perhaps the dreams and madness associated with it.

aside from a possible nightsister connection, ezra’s red and beige robes also resemble the family colours of the mitth, burgundy and yellow. “he’s not using people in a bad way. He’s using their creativity to reach his goals.” because why would thrawn need the help of dark jedi mercenaries when he already has integrated a jedi like ezra at his immediate disposal?

Although red is associated with the dark in Star Wars, it’s also considered to be the colour that emanated from Buddha when he achieved enlightenment and a colour worn by messianic figures such as Jesus — cloaked in the dwelling of God. the positive and negative connotations regarding the colour red can symbolize ezra’s own imbalance between the light and dark. based on these observations, you could argue that ezra and thrawn are the messianic figures of their respective homeworlds; their return to the galaxy signifying salvation. the threads of fate do, indeed, have a plan for them.

“for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord."

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Enoch is another character who wears red, along with the binding threads wrapped around the bodies of the rest of the nighttroopers—perhaps symbolizing ezra and thrawn’s bond, a red thread of marriage, a magical cord that shall never break. It could be indirect, but their biblical namesakes suggest that enoch may act as a foil to ezra, his current replacement. I have so many questions… when/why did ezra separate from thrawn? has he been patrolling that forsaken planet for the threat on ground as thrawn patrols the skies? why do their fates continue to be intertwined so closely?

#ezrathrawn #I’m just being delusional this will probably make no sense to no one expect me

[msclaritea]

The authoritarianism stalking Ireland | Denis Russell | The Critic Magazine

The authoritarianism stalking Ireland

A secular clerisy is silencing dissent

ARTILLERY ROW 26 December, 2022

By Denis Russell

“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand; I can do no other.”

These are the words attributed to Martin Luther, who in 1521 was excommunicated and outlawed by the authorities for his rejection of the belief that the Roman Catholic Church was the intermediary between God and man. Luther’s Protestant Reformation opened the door, albeit inadvertently, to the emergence of a new belief in the capacity of man to order the world in a rational and enlightened way. Five hundred years later, Luther’s protest resonates again in modern Ireland.

A secondary-school teacher called Enoch Burke recently rejected edicts from the authorities which required him to act against his conscience. In a Church of Ireland school in County Westmeath, he was asked to address a gender-transitioning student by a new name and preferred pronoun (“they”), but he refused. As a result, the school authorities suspended Burke from his job and told him not to come to school. He defied this order and came to work, sitting alone in his classroom, arguing that he had done nothing to warrant his suspension. Burke, in the best traditions of protest, confronted his school head at an anniversary service to highlight what can only be called the institutionalisation of a new doctrine. How ironic that in Ireland, until recently a very Catholic country, another fervent protestant has emerged to reject the irrational beliefs of the new “woke” clerisy.

Buke has been imprisoned in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin

The High Court in Dublin granted the school an injunction banning Burke from the premises — which he also defied. As a result, he has been imprisoned in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin. Burke rejected the facile argument put forward by the High Court and the school authorities, that his crime was ignoring the lawful decision by school authorities to suspend him on full pay until a disciplinary process was concluded, rather than his questioning of the introduction of transgender ideology in school. When an education system requires teachers to contravene not just their conscience, but their rational consciousness, how can they maintain any authority in the classroom? It is a great shame that teenagers were not thought competent to engage with a gender-critical view around what is one of the most highly contentious debates of our times.

Burke might have support amongst ordinary Irish parents, but he is certainly alone when it comes to the mood among the Irish political class. The Irish Times columnist Jennifer O’Connell argued that “no one is asking him to change his beliefs, only his behaviour”, and that the rush to make Burke’s imprisonment a culture war issue by the likes of Jordan Peterson and Piers Morgan was ignoring the facts. O’Connell and others misunderstand the link between belief and action — she might well consider the fact that if women had not behaved very badly 100 years ago, she would likely not have had the vote today. Had James Connolly and the other 1916 rebels not been prepared to act on their beliefs, would Ireland be free today? If people are not allowed to challenge the idea that the Earth is flat, or that a boy is a girl, for fear of being imprisoned for bad behaviour, we may be in for a new era of troubles in Ireland..."

The truth comes out! Ireland is truly fucked in the head. It's not a place fit for women and children. I see now that there's been a lot

of grooming going on in the schools with boys there. It's a sick country. And they can keep their cheap little Rent Boys, disguised as actors.

#Ireland #Authoritarian Country #Forced Trans Doctrine #Male Movement #DON'T GO TO IRELAND AND DON'T SEND YOUR CHILDREN THERE #World Economic Forum #Klaus Schwab #Freemasons #Cillian Murphy's Oppenheimer was a dedication to these people and thus doctrine which Hollywood has been perpetuating #Andrew Scott #Colin Ferell #Barry Keoghan #Oppenheimer was also their cute way of introducing WWIII #FUCKING LOSERS

[imperfectly360]

Elect elevator enslave enamel Emanuel entrepreneur entrenched entrance engross essay Esau ensnare exam expired expedition enthusiast enrollment evolution except excerpt eczema exposure expectation economy encompass erewhon Enoch empire enrichment enatch eBay equivalent equal encrypted enigma Eden edition expensive expansive essence elder Erin epic eligible embassy embark ecclesiastical eclectic emerge engram Elmer earn eagle extract extreme eccentric execution executive exclaim enforcement endorsement endorphins encyclopedia encephalitis encephalopathy eosinophilic endocrine ethereal 'Ephesians' ephemeral ecosystem elite Elijah e.t. easel earth earheart emu emulator enunciate Eminem elude Eurasia Eloise Elodie elixir enlighten erma

[dfroza]

be careful of deceivers.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 1st and only chapter of the letter of Jude:

Jude, a slave of Jesus the Anointed and a brother of James, to you, the ones whom God our Father loves and has called and whom Jesus, the Anointed One, has kept. Kindness, peace, love—may they never stop blooming in you and from you.

Friends, I have been trying to write you about our common salvation. But these days my heart is troubled, and I am compelled to write to you and encourage you to continue struggling for the faith that was entrusted to the saints once and for all. Vile men have slithered in among us. Depraved souls who stand condemned have made a mockery of the grace given to us, using it as a pretext for a life of excess, lived without any thought of God. These poor fools have denied Jesus the Anointed, our one Lord and Master.

You have heard the stories many times, and the Spirit has enlightened you about their meaning, but you still need to be reminded. Remember when the Lord saved our ancestors from the land in Egypt? He breathed life into their earthen lungs and took back the life from those who did not believe. And God has kept the rebellious heavenly messengers bound and chained in utter darkness—shadowy gloom—until the time when His judgment arrives, because they failed to keep their rightful positions and abandoned their appointed realms. Sodom and Gomorrah and all their neighbors were defeated by their own sexual perversions as they pursued the strange and unnatural impulses of the flesh. Let these who went their own way and are experiencing the eternal heat of God’s vengeance—a punishment by fire—be a warning to you.

These stories are examples to help you understand the fate of those dreamers who have slipped in and defiled your community, rejected those in charge, and insulted the glorious majesty of the heavenly messengers. Even their chief, Michael, when disputing with the devil over Moses’ body, did not offer his own taunting judgment against him. Michael simply said, “May the Lord’s rebuke fall on you.”

The deceivers among you despise what they do not understand; they live without reason like animals, reacting only with primal instincts; and their ways are corrupting them. Woe to these deceivers! They are doomed! They have followed in the footsteps of their father Cain, sold their souls for profit into Balaam’s deceit, and suffered the devastation of Korah’s rebellion.

These men are cold stones on the warm hearth of your love feasts as they glut themselves without fear, thinking only of their own benefit. They are waterless clouds, carried away by the wind; autumn’s lonely and barren trees, twice dead, uprooted; violent waves of the sea breaking over the bow, foaming with shame; lost and wandering stars destined to live forever in gloomy darkness.

During the seventh generation after Adam, the prophet Enoch said, “Look! The Lord came, and with Him tens of thousands of His holy messengers to judge wicked men and convict the impious and ungodly for all they have said and all the hard things they have done against the Holy One.” These men are complainers who look long and hard to find the faults of other men. They are led by their own lustful desires like fools down the path of destruction. They are arrogant liars who want only to get ahead of others.

But you, friends, remember the words of the emissaries of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King: “At the end of time, some will ridicule the faithful and follow their lusts to the grave.” These are the men among you—those who divide friends, those concerned ultimately with this world, those without the Spirit. You, however, should stand firm in the love of God, constructing a life within the holy faith, praying the Spirit’s prayer, as you wait eagerly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, which leads to eternal life.

Keep being kind to those who waver in this faith. Pursue those who are singed by the flames of God’s wrath, and bring them safely to Him. Show mercy to others with fear, despising every garment soiled by the weakness of human flesh.

Now to the One who can keep you upright and plant you firmly in His presence—clean, unmarked, and joyful in the light of His glory— to the one and only God, our Savior, through Jesus the Anointed our Lord, be glory and greatness and might and authority; just as it has been since before He created time, may it continue now and into eternity. Amen.

The Letter of Jude, Chapter 1 (The Voice)

Today’s paired reading from the First Testament is the 1st chapter of the book of Daniel:

Now it happened during the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah, the armies of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched against him and laid siege to Jerusalem, Judah’s capital. The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar the victory and allowed him to take King Jehoiakim of Judah as his prisoner. At the same time, He permitted the Babylonian king to rob God’s temple of some of its sacred vessels and carry them away to Babylonia (called Shinar), which was the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, to fill the treasury of his own gods, Marduk and Nebo.

After the king returned home, he commanded Ashpenaz, chief of the royal eunuchs, to bring some of the Israelites who had been taken captive to the palace. These included members of Judah’s royal family and the nobility. He was looking for potential candidates from the exiles to serve in his court, fit young men with no physical or moral infirmities, handsome, skilled in all wisdom, knowledgeable, discerning, and understanding. Those selected would be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans, the people who lived in Babylonia. As part of their assimilation into Babylonian court life, the king offered them a daily portion of food and wine from his own table. They were to be educated for three years before serving in the king’s court. From among Judah’s exiles, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were selected. Ashpenaz, chief of the royal eunuchs, gave them Babylonian names to signify their new identities in a foreign place: Daniel he renamed Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abed-nego.

Although the king ate only the finest Babylonian fare, Daniel was determined not to violate God’s law and defile himself by eating the food and drinking the wine that came from the king’s table; so he asked the chief of the royal eunuchs for permission not to eat the food.

Now God had given Daniel special favor and fondness in the eyes of the king’s chief eunuch. Still the eunuch was concerned.

Ashpenaz (to Daniel): Belteshazzar, your request puts me in a difficult position. I am afraid of what my lord the king might do. He has ordered that you are to eat the food and drink the wine prepared for his table. What will happen if he sees you and your friends over time in poorer health than the other young men your own age? I am certain he will have my head.

When Ashpenaz refused, Daniel reasoned with the guard whom the chief of the royal eunuchs assigned to watch over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Daniel (to the guard): Please, do us a favor. Put us, your servants, to the test for the next 10 days. Give us a vegetarian diet and water. When the time is up, you can see for yourself our condition and compare it to the condition of the other young men who are eating from the king’s table. Then, after you have seen what has happened, do whatever you think is best with us, your servants.

So the guard agreed to do as Daniel requested. He tested them on a diet of only vegetables, grains, and water for 10 days. When the 10 days were up, he looked them over and noticed that Daniel and his friends were better off than all the young men eating from the king’s best foods. They looked healthy and well nourished, so the guard continued to hold back their royal rations and replaced them with a strictly vegetarian diet. Through all of this, God conferred upon these 4 young men superior abilities in literature, language, and wisdom. God had given Daniel an additional gift, too: the ability to interpret visions and dreams. When the 3-year period of training and conditioning, as set by the king, was over, the king sent for the candidates; the chief of the royal eunuchs himself escorted them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king interviewed all of them and found that none of the candidates were any better than Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they were each assigned an important place in the king’s court. When the king inquired further into their grasp of wisdom and understanding, he discovered that they were better prepared than all the magicians and enchanters in his empire, even 10 times better. This is how Daniel came to serve the royal court, a position he safely held until the first year of King Cyrus when his Persian army conquered Babylonia.

The Book of Daniel, Chapter 1 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

Daniel and his companions ask for a diet consistent with God’s instructions to His covenant people: vegetables and grains, without the rich cuts of meat that are normally a staple of those who eat at the king’s table. They also want to exclude any wines or mead because they intend to avoid any unnecessary entanglements with Babylonian culture. Most of those meats and wines have been offered to the Babylonian gods, and Daniel wants no part of that. Daniel and his exiled friends may have to live in Babylon, but they don’t have to be absorbed into the culture. Every bite of every meal reminds them that they are different.

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, december 15 of 2023 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New) of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about what is essential:

The essential thing is to remain focused on what is ultimately real, true, and abiding. We do this by praying "without ceasing," which means intentionally centering our thoughts and desires in light of God’s Presence. King David said that he always "set" the LORD before him and therefore he was made sure in times of testing (Psalm 16:8). To know the truth means choosing to live before the audience of God's reality, before the holy witnesses of heaven and the sacredness that inheres in all things, as it is written: "Sanctify yourselves and be holy; for I am holy" (Lev. 11:44; 1 Pet.1:16). We know this truth as we live it - as we esteem God’s greatness by regarding the sacred in our decisions. Most especially we must learn the truth of God's comfort in Yeshua, for he promises never to leave nor forsake us (Isa. 40:10). Do not lose sight of your blessed end; "remember the future" that awaits you... it's just up ahead!

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

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Psalm 63:8 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm63-8-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm63-8-lesson.pdf

­12.13.23 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel365:

So, while the Seleucids are no more, the form of antisemitism that they displayed remains prevalent today, and the battle against Hellenization and self-centered idolatry continues. And just like in the days of the Maccabees, the battle is focused on Jerusalem.

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

December 15, 2023

Doing Righteousness

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” (1 John 3:7)

Every genuine Christian knows that part of the salvation gift is the promise of being made “unblameable in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). We sometimes have trouble, however, with the concept of present-tense holiness in our everyday lifestyles.

John speaks of the abiding Christian who “sinneth not” (1 John 3:6). Indeed, such a Christian “doth not commit sin” (1 John 3:9) because, John notes, the “seed” of God “remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Furthermore, “whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18).

It’s accurate to translate those passages with the “continuing” implication of the Greek structure (i.e. “does not continue in [the practice of] sin,” etc.). However, the emphasis is on an obvious, continuous, clearly embraced lifestyle of righteous living!

The visible transformation from a worldly conformity (Romans 12:2) begins with a desire for “the sincere milk of [God’s] word” (1 Peter 2:2), fashioning ourselves after God’s holiness “in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:14-15). Neither are we to let sin reign in our bodies, but we are to yield ourselves as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:12-13). Since we are “risen with Christ,” we are to “mortify” the fleshly appetites, “put off” emotional outbursts that reflect an ungodly nature, and “put on” godly attributes so that whatsoever we do is done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-17). HMM III