Appreciating your god

If only Christians could truly appreciate Jesus. I mean, it seems sometimes that they very much reduce this man to a formula to get into their heaven. I remember this group in college that spouted a simplistic, formulaic method for ensuring you claim a spot on the salvation express called the Four Spiritual Laws. In addition to saving your own, they had a plan for spreading this message virally throughout the collegiate biosphere. Limiting such an important figure to a means to save your eternal ass, is missing the point. It misses the whole target, falling well short of it.

I went to church for many, many years. Part was put upon me, part was my own choosing (late high school, early college as I went through a Christian youth revival period). But in all those years, I never learned as much about Christianity as I did from one source — a musical. That’s right, Andrew and Tim’s Jesus Christ Superstar. This one musical allowed me to see for the first time ever the world that Jesus found himself in at that time and place. His land was occupied by a foreign power, the Jews were looking for a way out, and even though his message was spiritual, it was taken as political and used ultimately to kill him.

My absolute favorite line from that musical is this one, spoken by the Jesus character: “Neither you Simon nor the fifty thousand, nor the Roman’s nor the Jews, nor Judas nor the Twelve nor the priests nor the scribes, nor doomed Jerusalem itself, understand what power is, understand what glory is, understand at all…”

That really says it all. And the tune behind it is riveting. Power is not what we think it is. It is not “power over.” It is “power within.”

It seems Christians ignore the very evident Jesus as mystic, enlightened master, self-aware, awakened, human. And they are the ones who should know. They study his words, spend time worshiping him, and supposedly try to be like him. It’s odd that this would be the case, but at the same time, I understand the bible is a very dangerous — if not inscrutable — book, in that it can be interpreted in as many ways as there are people who read it. And since some claim it is the inerrant word of God, well there’s your recipe for disaster (and a world of history to prove it). When a book is said to be written by god, in any belief system, it’s a sure fiasco waiting to happen. And it has happened. And is happening now.

Everyone has their own truth. And all those truths lead to the Ultimate Truth. No one person, no one belief system can claim ownership of Truth, only of truth. One question I have is, was Jesus really here to ensure people worshiped him endlessly? Or was he here to point to a better way, toward a truth which could ultimately lead people to The Truth. It just seems to me that simply worshiping him, or focusing solely on the “he is God” aspect completely blinds people to his message. That’s how you get things like “Baseball+Apple Pie+Jesus = American.” I mean, how else could such a concept come from what Jesus taught? It takes a lot of reduction to get there.

I am this, I am that

I’ve seen in some writings, in some new age groups and even among Pagans, the idea that “I am God.” Although it is fun to say, I just want to be clear about where I stand. I don’t think I am “God.” As a matter of fact,  as gods go, I’m pretty much not one. But read on…

Then what do I think I am? According to Tolle, I am “the Universe becoming conscious of itself.” I am a point of consciousness, a point joined to all the other points, being the Universe to consciousness. My sentience is a reflection of All-That-Is. I’m finding the words to describe this relationship very difficult to come by.

By consciousness, I don’t mean thought, I mean existence. Or more so, awareness. Enlightenment is the awareness of Awareness.

But back to “I am [not] God.” What are these “I am’s” that we humans describe ourselves with? I am a lot of things. People use “I am” to describe themselves, yet not a single one of the I am’s is what we really are. We are only describing a facet of ourselves, a property, if you will, or an attribute. But who wants to say, “Hi, one of my properties is lesbian (I’m not, but…), or one of my properties  is millionaire (again, not).” What if I told you “I am a Witch, I am a barefooter, I am a bicyclist, I am a bi-sexual, I am a recovering alcoholic, I am a father, I am employed, I am a vegetarian, I am a US citizen.”

Truth is, I am none of those things. They are merely some of my properties. How about, I am a human. Surely I must be human. No… again, merely a property. What I am, can not entirely be fathomed, until I become enlightened.

But am I not saying, in some way, indirectly, that I am God? No, that isn’t what I’m saying. Because God to me isn’t what a statement like that could refer to. In other words, you (I) can’t be God. God is All-That-Is, and I am not all that is, I am a part of what is. A part of All-That-Is, and inseparable from it. It is me, and I am it. One. But saying I am One with All-That-Is is not like saying I am God. And at the same time, it’s not as easy as saying I am a part of God — even though God being all that is. Words can not describe, they can only point.

Ok, pretty heady. I’m almost beginning to sound guruish. Let’s take a break:

<Play the song 1-1-1 by the Elvendrums here.> Wish I could. See track 7 in the link.

Strong pull of the Goddess

My whole being is drawn in, pulled toward the light of the Silver Wheel. Her presence is felt. But more than that, it’s a part of my being. Where did this come from? Why so intense? And why now?
Summer is strong, the heat is at a climax. I feel her inside and out. Inside in my soul, and outside in the warmth that surrounds me.

Every night for the past week or so, I have been called outside to just be there with Her, with the elements and myself. I go to my little garden (which isn’t really a garden this year) and do a small ritual. I honor each of the four sacred directions, calling to each of their attributes with gratitude. Sometimes I am skyclad, and it feels so good to just be there alone, covered only in darkness with the warm summer breeze caressing every part of my skin gently, softly. How it increases my appreciation and energizes my ritual.

Of course, being in my backyard, in a neighborhood with other houses around, skyclad, even in darkness, is a bit risky. I think I may have been spotted on an occasion or two. One night I was headed back to the house, and there were people out, and it appeared they were looking at me. And at that point, I was slightly more illuminated. But so what, I just get so much out of it. I mean, it’s not as if my neighbors don’t already think I, and my unschooled family, are pretty weird. Just the other day, I was having a photo-shoot out in the backyard with my wife. I was in my witchy robe, in a tree, with my wand, as my wife took some pictures of me in different poses. They were for my profile in my The Witches Voice page — turned out pretty good too! My next door neighbor looked out his window and I can only imagine what he was thinking.

But I love my nightly greetings. If I could do it right through to winter I would, but naked at 0 degrees is not for the faint of heart! Plus, the way light scatters so easily off the snow, makes the darkness of a steamy summer night less possible. The other night, just as I ended my ritual in which I dedicated myself the the Goddess and God, I spotted a tiny but bright light on the ground just outside my pebble-outlined circle. I stared. I couldn’t believe it. In a way, it looked like the stars above me, but it was at my feet. I looked closer. It glowed. Was it a pixie? Could it be a firefly? And this late in the year? After I had seen none for quite some time, and at a time of the year when I had NEVER seen any before? I’m not superstitious, but I truly feel this was a gift, just a little sign from All-That-Is to me, to let me know that I’m being heard, watched over, loved. I remember the first night I did my ritual, I saw a shooting star just as I finished. And this was several nights after not seeing any during the height of the Perseid meteor shower.

Blessing to all, and peace of the beloved Goddess to you. May you find your own sacred space, and may you experience divinity in your lives daily.

Here I am on the edge, between Earth and Sky. I am the conduit; may the energy flow through me.

Peace.

My Paganism…

…most likely isn’t like your Paganism. I would go so far as to say no one’s Paganism is like anyone else’s. But mine is particularly distinct in flavor. Eclectic Universal Tollianism. What in the world is that?

Well, I’m eclectic. I do not stick to any single tradition or system of beliefs. I absorb that which works for me and makes sense to me. I’ve had enough time trying to take in things that make no sense to me. That was where I and so many others come from. It is so unnatural, and unnecessary. It doesn’t have to be that way people!

I’m a Universalist. Not a Unitarian Universalist, but a Universalist as in I believe Universe is God. But God is such a loaded, abused word, that it is difficult to use. I see the Universe, all that is, as god itself. I believe god is not apart or outside of us, but is all around, and within us. Is us.

I’m a Tollian, even though that’s not a word, nor should it be. Eckhart Tolle’s books have had a great influence on me. I’ve learned so much from them, and even though I find them difficult to put into practice, I understand them… I get it. I know what he is saying and it explains so much of what I already knew, but never could piece together until now. His words speak deeply to me, and I know them to be true. What he says actually explains so much of the Christianity I grew up with. It gives me a new and deeper appreciation for Jesus teachings. It allows me to move on from those years, with appreciation instead of resentment. I know Tolle’s words are not new. I know he draws from various traditions and sages. But there is something about the way he presents it that has gotten through to me.

I’m also a Witch. I learned of that around 1994 or 95. I was looking for my spiritual roots before Christianity, and stumbled upon modern Witchcraft. Lo and behold, what I read resonated loudly in me. I felt it inside. Words were put to what I always knew, but couldn’t explain. I cast the sacred Circle, call the quarters, invoke the god(s) and goddess(es). I feel the energy in me, moving through me powerfully and in a real way

But again, my witchyness is probably quite different than yours (if you are one). I would go so far as to say there are not even two Witches the same. There are many out there that I do not resonate with, and many that I do. We are all very different, for there is so much individuality in our beliefs.

Words that make me cringe

• Church
• Congregation
• Worship
• Prayer
• Liturgy
• Religion

Alternatives

• Enlightenment
• Presence
• Meditation
• Spirituality
• Acceptance
• Community
• Circle
• Collective

War on Xmas

What’s all this about a War on Xmas? We have the war on drugs, war on poverty, war on terror… it seems there ain’t nothin we won’t go to war against. So now we’re at war with Xmas. Well, if we have the same luck as we’ve had with all those other wars, it looks like Xmas should do just fine.

Anyway, really, it seems to be that time of year when certain people get very offended that Macy’s uses “Holiday Sale” instead of “Christmas Sale” in their fliers. It seems they feel it is important that their god endorse all sales, or they aren’t valid sales. Seriously, why would these people want commercial stores to make reference to their god? How insecure must a person be about his or her beliefs. How small must they think their god to be, if threatened by such an insignificant  matter.

What is really going on? Is it the lack of faith? Maybe. But what you’ll really find behind this is the religious right, trying to usurp control and force their vision of Christianity on the populace. Similar to what the Taliban liked to do with the people of Afghanistan. What is their fear of taking Christ out of store ads? Is it that it will only get worse? If they take their god out of the stores, then next he will be taken out of public restrooms, then NASCAR, then finally, the worst of the worst, their god will be blasphemously removed from bumper stickers and billboards.

It’s about fear. It has always been about fear for Christians. They do not actually put any trust in their god, as evidenced by their belief that they must forcibly push their god on others. They are fearful of anything they do not understand, and they are fearful of many things — which means they don’t understand much. It seems that if Christians just let go, and trusted in their god, all would go well. If their god was so great (and I’m not saying he isn’t, it just seems no one gives him a chance), it’s presence would be naturally accepted around the world.

This fear spreads to the Christians heavy emphasis on their dark god, Satan. They have so much interest in their dark god, that you would think that it is their primary god. Why so much emphasis? Why so much apparent fear? Again, it seems like a lack of faith in their main god. Stop giving the bad guy so much credit, and press, and attention. For where your intention goes, so goes your power.

Peace out, y’all.

Auto-maker rescue

Help me. I really don’t get this one. Here’s the deal: auto-makers like, oh, say… GM, make big-inefficient-gas-guzzling-truck-cars.  Their entire business model is built around selling such things. Their entire profit structure revolves around people’s gullibility to buy such things. Here are the lies: buy them because they’re safer, or handle better, or go through the snow better, or have roomier interiors or are more rugged. and on and on. Fact is they are none of those things. At least no more than any other normal cars. See this link for more.

So, now the large car market has sunk. People want smaller more efficient cars. But here it is 2008 and the big car makers still don’t know how to make them. So now they want the government — we the people — to pay for their incompetence.

I would never buy one of those useless truck cars… that’s just my thing. It is so wasteful to drive 7000 lbs or more of steel and plastic around to move one or two people from place to place. One wheel weighs more than I do! Now, through, my taxes via a government bailout, will be used to pay for everyone else’s SUVs.

One of the best comments I’ve heard about this is that we do not have a capitalist economy, we have a corporatist economy. Companies don’t want anyone or anything to touch them as they are earning profits, but as soon as they start hemorrhaging their cash, they want the government to step in. And in this case the government has no choice. They must support these huge companies because to lose them would be even more devastating. It certainly doesn’t sound like capitalism to me. It means these companies can make whatever crap they want and know that at the end of the day, they cannot fail. The government will always be there to bail them out. It certainly seems to encourage their inefficient ways. It makes the companies plan only for the short term, the quick profit, and it discourages long term thinking and sustainable business practices.

Capitalism on the way up. Socialism on the way down. That’s our economy.

Oh, and then I found this:

From Dilbert.com, Nov 8 2008

The fly in my car

This morning I had a fly in my car. It was buzzing around my head and bouncing into me. Normally, I would put down the windows and try to get it out, meaning I might not be paying attention to my driving. As a matter of fact, the night before, that’s exactly what I was doing… to no avail.
But this morning, at the particular point where I was going to start swatting and shooing, I heard a voice in my head say “just let it go; pay no attention to it” and so I did.
It ended up that that was the best thing I could have done, since as I was going around a sharp turn, another car was coming from the other direction and I know that if I was messing with trying to shoo a fly out of my car, I would have drifted over the line and possibly smashed into the oncoming car.
This came about because of the book I’m reading “Fourth Uncle in the Mountain” where the author was very hungry and meditating and at one point in his meditation, saw food next to him. He asked the master about it and the master said “pay no attention to it.” I don’t know why, but that is what came up for me, and very strong.
Around noon, I found the fly dead on the driver’s seat in my car.
Just let it go. Pay no attention to it. Lesson learned.

Religion du popular culture?

Can a religion just start? I mean, does it have to be old and, well, old?

I’ve heard of a couple of (admittedly cool) attempts to begin new religions based on movies or popular culture. One such religion is that of the Jedi Knights. When I first heard of it, I thought… that would make a great religion! There is a site [link] for the Jedi Church (recognized on the UK census, though not an official religion there), and something called the Jedi Resource Center [link].
The other is from The Lord of The Rings. Their Elven religion is based on the elves from Rivendell [link]. So cool!

Why in the world would these be at all valid? Why is any religion valid? A philosophy, a common set of beliefs adhered to by a group of people. Is that all it takes? Well, basically, yes.

That’s how any religion ever started.

And that’s how you can start your own.

(Anyone for a moment of worship at the Shrine of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?)

The Power of Now

My mind struggles with The Now. That’s because Now can not be conceived by the mind. For instance, when I try to think about it, I wonder: when does Now start? How long does Now last? Is it 5 seconds, 1 second, or maybe a millisecond? If so, I imagine it must look a bit like a bell curve in time. The apex of the curve is the Now, as you go to the left, it drops off into the past, and as you go to the right, the future approaches. Just a short time away from the apex of Now either way, either Now just happened or Now is about to happen.

But according to Eckart Tolle, the Now is timeless. It is not a part of time and can not be understood by the mind, because the mind exists only in time. So if the Now is not a part of time, then to think of it in terms of “how long” it is, is ultimately futile… as much as my mind would like to think otherwise.

According to Tolle, to experience the Now, one must enter a place of no-mind. Stop the addictive thoughts. Move deeply into presence and awareness. Become the observer of your thoughts. But I can’t explain it all here. I recommend his book “The Power of Now.” I read it recently and am now reading another of his books, “A New Earth.”

He makes many references to Christianity, to Jesus words. But, as a Pagan, when he refers to Christianity, it actually makes sense. Not the kind of sense an Evangelical, right-wing, pro-war christian might understand, but a deeper, timeless wisdom, one of enlightenment.

From what he says, I see that Jesus was a pointer to the Truth, not an end unto himself, but a conduit. Not to be endlessly worshiped while his message gets lost, but to actually seek enlightenment. People who focus on Jesus only, or literal interpretations of the bible, or the rapture, or converting others, or judging, or piousness, miss an important (the most important) part of Jesus message. To free us of our mind.

Tolle also references the Buddha as well as other great teachers through the ages. Suddenly, it all begins to make sense. My Christian upbringing, my recovery from active addictions, simplicity, ecopsychology, my journey into Paganism and Witchcraft — I see all of it in what I am now learning. No, I am in no way at the end of my path. I am just beginning.