Two famous biographies are here summarized to make a point about a significant problem in the art of archaeology. The question is whether one can even determine if the character of some ancient story actually lived when all you have are the written records that tell the story.
My first subject has defined an entire school [...]
People and History
July 27th, 2008 · 3 Comments · culture, history
Tags: anachronisms·anthropology·concepts·post-modernism
Jah Calling
July 26th, 2008 · No Comments · christianity, history
At the root of Judaism is a written history of people to whom Yah has spoken. These people, we are told, had direct, immediate, and personal knowledge of God. They spoke with him. He answered. His words became the driving force for their actions.
This is exactly the sort of individual congress with the divine that [...]
Tags: abraham·bible·concepts·gnostic·judaism·moses·patriarch traditions
Equilibrium
June 4th, 2008 · 1 Comment · metaphysics, ritual
I have been dwelling further on Venus, the planet specifically, in its passage from Morning Star to Evening Star. I sense a deep pattern here, and placing myself within it may be the best way to quickly understand it.
On Sunday, June 8th, Venus-Solar conjunction will occur. There are three significant points to make about this [...]
Tags: concepts·paganism·practice·theology·venus
New Time
May 20th, 2008 · 1 Comment · ritual
My recent flirting with a regular weight-training regimen has begun to produce noticeable results, almost despite my inability to keep to a schedule. My body feels better and my yoga is better when I keep the discipline of practice.
It reminds me of the benefits I would get with regular meditation practice. Again, discipline with regular [...]
Tags: concepts·paganism·practice·venus
Cultural Congruity
March 13th, 2008 · No Comments · Uncategorized
Cultural congruity is a relative measure of the cultural distinctiveness between two organizations and /or individuals. Cultural congruity is noted by a person when another person or group makes them feel “at home”. Conversely, cultures are considered incongruous when the customs or habits of others are perceived as being very different.
Cultural congruity is highly sensitive [...]
Tags: concepts
War on Christianity
March 18th, 2006 · No Comments · christianity, culture, history, media
There’s yet another war on. Sheesh. I just can’t keep up!
It seems that that another poor, defenseless minority — white, Republican Protestants — are being singled out and attacked by wild nomadic packs of uncontrolled, raging homosexuals. It’s true. I read about it on the Internet.
Now while I might have a few friends who actively [...]
Tags: anachronisms·concepts·constantine·politics·roman empire
Democracy and Culture
January 18th, 2006 · No Comments · culture
When I was very young and I was learning about government for the first time, my initial judgment was that our government was carefully contrived to make it as difficult as possible for one person or group to hold power for very long, while simultaneously preventing anything from ever getting done. I recall also making [...]
Tags: anthropology·concepts·faith·politics·sustainable living·utopia
Magic in the Bible
January 12th, 2006 · No Comments · ritual
A long time ago, before folks had popes or corporate arbiters of faith to consult on matters of the spirit, they were a little more cavalier about seeking personal gnosis. We do ourselves few favors today to assume that the patriarchs and heroes of the Bible would have suffered the same circumscription of their spiritual [...]
Illumination Spotlight: Psychic Arts
November 23rd, 2005 · No Comments · Illuminations, metaphysics, ritual
Human mental and sensory facilities are rarely developed to their natural limits of complexity and depth. People today normally use only a small percentage of their total mental capacity: often only in a simple, blunt way; all but isolated from their own perceptions. While we may flatter ourselves that we are the apex of human [...]
Meditation Class
August 19th, 2005 · No Comments · Illuminations, metaphysics
Meditation is a natural state of mind that we unconsciously achieve many times each day. The practice of meditation consists of the exercise of deliberately inducing this state of mind in order to gain the benefits of a mind at rest. Cultures and religions around the world revere meditation as the keystone of spiritual practice. [...]