Jonathan H. B. Lobl

I suspect that Reiki is a good start for seeing Wicca as it is. Oh, the symbolism is different, and the vocabulary, and the methods. In the end, it's largely about awareness. Awareness of things that other people don't get. And not getting stuck in the illusion of others. I'm clear enough that there is only one reality -- but it gets thin around the edges.

Things that can't be defined also can't be rationally discussed. You must have noticed. People who strongly believe in God -- and people who strongly disbelieve in God -- often mean different things by God. Without common terms, we are talking past each other, without communicating. This is not useful.

Welcome back. I've missed you. You understand the Hebrew. What does it say?

An addendum: I waited too long for editing. Kirby Hensley had some regular arguments. He would ask -- "How is a minister different from everybody else?". He would then answer his own question. "The minister has a certificate. Do you want a certificate? We have certificates." It's clear to me, that Kirby never thought the clergy were a separate class of people.

I'm a minister the same way that I'm a man. It's not about a job, or duties, or responsibilities, or schedules, or anything else. It's what I am. My decisions to do what's right, are not based on church doctrine. I was concerned with right and wrong before I was ordained. Nothing has changed.

To me, your story suggests a need to pick the right word.

The Taoist Yin Yang symbol is more complex and subtle than you give it credit. Look closely at the symbol. The Dark, Yang side has a spec of Light. The Light, Yin side has a spec of Darkness. We learn from the I Ching that if something is all Yin, it becomes unstable and turns into Yang. If something is all Yang, it becomes unstable and turns into Yin. The spec of Light keeps the Yang stable. The spec of Darkness keeps the Yin stable. In the larger symbol, the Light and Dark keep each other stable. They are not at war. They are in dynamic harmony. It is not just pretty symbolism. It has been confirmed by Astro-Physics. Our galaxy is a place of great Light. Many billions of stars. The galaxy would fly apart except for the super massive black hole at it's center. It is the gravity of the super massive black hole that keeps the galaxy stable. As with the Taoist Yin Yang symbol, the Light is kept stable by a spec of Darkness. Since we are talking about the Taoist symbol -- a small side issue. Light and Dark are not at war with each other. This is something that Star Wars got totally wrong. Every atom has both a positive and negative charge. There is no war.

After all the lectures you have given me about being open minded -- you come up with this?

I think the non-believers would be the soft skeptics. The hard skeptics would be dis-believers. It's a nuance.

Are you seriously suggesting that the Earth was around, before the Sun? Or the Moon? Or the stars?

1. My most advanced Reiki training, made a distinction between Darkness and Shadow. 2. There is no way that plant life preceded the Sun. I don't mind in terms of poetry or myth. In terms of Cosmology, it's absurd.

Perhaps. I thought it might make an interesting conversation. To me, it looks like Light and Dark are separate creations. Of course, it's not science. Or physics. I can't get over plant life being created before the Sun. It's still interesting. The question is not what you and I think Light and Dark are. The question is, what does the Bible say that Light and Dark are? Obviously, my understanding could be way off. Remember, these verses were constructed by people, who had no concept of where the Sun goes at night.

Just so. Western State Winters can be harsh.

I went back over the threads. It was Amulet I was thinking of.

This thread has gone quiet. If there are more questions about Reiki or Therapeutic Touch, just ask. I'm available.

They are interesting verses.

A source of wisdom.

The following sections have God creating land and using the land to divide the waters from the water. That context makes it seem less like separating out saltwater and more like putting the light and the dark in different places. Since this dividing is presented within the context of creating a day/night cycle, it is easily interpreted to suggest that where you are determines what time it is- which is a fairly sophisticated idea. I went back and looked. You're right. It is present tense. An excellent observation. As for your second observation -- maybe.

Thank you. Actually, it's more like -- I've already exhausted myself on the climb -- and discovered that I had come full circle. Why did the chicken cross the mobius strip? To get to the same side.

Or -- from the God's eye view -- Light and Dark are the same. They would be, to the entity that created both.

Perhaps I am losing my tactfulness and my patience. When Christians pray that God will show me the truth -- their truth -- I tell them to go ahead. That I am not afraid of their coercive magic. Did you see my comments on Reiki?

Are you making a distinction between prayer and spellwork? I regard them as the same. A way to focus intent. I speak from the perspective of Reiki. What are the Reiki symbols but a means of focusing intention? Since you are a Reiki Master, you must know about the process. If a Wiccan does the same thing, it's called magic.

In large measure, this is the image that comes to mind when people say God. This is not the triumph of Monotheism, so much as the dumbing down of the general population. Say "Mother Nature". What comes to mind? A woman with long hair, walking through a woodland or meadow. Sometimes, there are stars in her long, flowing hair. People know well enough, that this is nothing more than poetic imagery. Somehow, the same people expect God to be real. As you say. Literalism.

Psalm 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations If nothing else, it's an interesting image. Bright shining darkness.

Perhaps. I actually get why you think this. In common usage, this metaphor is about finding God. The many paths up the mountain are the different ways -- the different religions -- that bring us to God. The thing is, I don't believe in God and I'm not looking. Certainly, not climbing. The Transcendendtal Meditation people would agree with you. Then again, TM is a path to God. In general, Yoga is about finding God. Buddhist meditation is about awareness. My practice is more Taoist. Similar. A different flavor. Still, not about God.