Tsukino_Rei

He most likely found a forum that was more like the one he was intending to find.

Our modern concept of Hell is certainly a fabrication that has evolved as a control mechanism within the religion but was not originally present. The whining 'believe in me or burn' deity would only have himself to blame if he could see the future and then created billions upon billions of people for the soul purpose of punishing them for doubting him. But remove hell, and the intent to do harm to mortals, from the concept of God and forknowledge of our choices no longer diminishes the goodness of the Deity. Imagine if I could use a device to watch your life before you lived it. Does my seeing what you will choose to do diminish the fact that you decided to do it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time#Time_as_.22unreal.22 (See also Ontology for the sake of interest) This is a relatively simple paper - The Origin of Time Assymmetry I've tried to find some explanations that aren't entirely built of math that uses more letters than numbers. But this should 'hopefully' be a very general overview of a concept of time which has developed through religion, philosophy, and science over time and is still developing.

- Neil Patrick Harris, in Glee

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm Poppies flourished in war torn fields. Imagine fields upon fields of bright red flowers springing up where the blood of so many soldiers had been spilt. John McCrae, a military doctor, was inspired to write the poem "In Flanders Fields". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields

Rememberance Sunday in the UK is on the 11th day of the 11th month and there is a special time of silence at 11:00. Canada's is on the same day, as it is a Commonwealth Holiday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day I usually forget that that the U.S has theirs on a different day. Are Poppies significant for you folks?

I ask myself can choice exist or is the relevance of choice diminished within the framework of non-linear time as understood by physics. My answer is no. If a Being could observe all of time non-linearly would that Being by act of observing diminish the relevance or remove entirely that choices had or were being made? My answer remains no.

Nifty! I agree regarding the reference to one world but different dispensations of time. It's also feasible that it connotates multiple dimentions within our single world which would defacto include time/ages. I think belief systems can contain useful tools so long as one does not become totally dependent upon one or become dogmatic.

Hebrews 11 does give a good definition, and it's the one I'm using. Faith in Hebrews chapter 11 is belief in what is seen with ones spiritual eyes and ears, the Truth that is written in the heart, and is born not out of blind faith to what is written in a book or what someone else tells you is true but out of direct spiritual interaction and this is evidenced in every single example used in the chapter to illustrate that little description of faith at the top of the chapter. It's easy to misconstrue this as saying that the modern definition of Faith as merely suspended disbelief until one reads the entire chapter. I went further and did a study by reading in conjuction to each section the original story of each example faithful individual. Given the apparent incongruence between the examples given and the statement made I thought this deserved further study. So I did! (about a decade ago give or take) Faith - Pistis - Persuasion Things Hoped For - Elpizo Evidence - Elegchos Understand - Noieo Substance - Hupostasis So here's my translation. Now Pistis [persuasion] is the foundation [hupostasis] of confidence [elpizo], the proof [Elegchos] of things not seen. Persuasion is an interactive process, as is shown in the examples provided in the chapter. Furthermore it engages the mind. What do other translations suggest? How easy is it for offical translators to inject a given Churches theology into the text. (and yes I am aware that it will and should be pointed out that I may well be doing the same thing). World Wide English New Testament Wow. Just... wow.... Darby Young's Literal That word, Ages, just moved us from a translation with implication on the physics of the universe to a translation with implications centered fully on historical events. What the H E double Hockey Sticks?! American Standard Passages taken from Bible Gateway Lexicon Concordence

Or how much are our personal preferences influenced by electro-chemical processes which are influenced by our environments? The short answer is I don't know. =o) I can ponder though! I do ponder that our bodies have a chemical response to light spectrums, so much so that we produce vitamins form sun-light. Given that colours are produced by the reflection of various spectrums of light that leads me to ponder what yet unproven physiological responses might be involved. Also Feng-Shui moves beyond colour schemes to incorporations of features which can symbolize the elements. Candles for fire, or a volanic stone. Floating candles in a bowl of water to incorporate the element of water. A water fountain. A picture of the ocean or a lake. Wind chimes or windmills to represent air. These things can work to center the mind in an awareness of nature and of the constant interaction of elements in our environments.

What you describe is not faith, it's suspended disbelief. Faith seeks and questions without fear or shame. There is no such thing as blind faith. Faith is Sight. Faith for faith's sake, with no understanding or 'curiosity' is just another Golden Calf.

I agree that it seems quite overwhelmingly involved at first glance. But once one understands the historical development of the ideology one can extract and separate ideas which developed out of aesthetic theory, folk beliefs, and cosmology and then compare these various elements to other belief systems to find similarities, compare development in the various cultures, and make an informed decision about which elements might be relevent to oneself. It's also interesting to consider that over time these intricate and organized systems were developed from individuals intuiting and recording what was beneficial to themselves, comparing the data and finding similarities, and then tracing those similarities to other commonalities such as date and time of birth, season, etc. Just as modern aboriginal tribes have been found to wrap pharmaceutical science in mythologies and ancient human civilizations such as Sumeria has been found to have recorded intricate medical procedures and pharmaceutical remedies on the same stones and tablets as good luck charms, talismans, and astrologies. Feng Shui has developed in much the same way and may well be found to have elements which are supported or proven by physics or psychology at some points. Science and religion were not always enemies. Think of how early books were written with intensely beautiful and colourful designs. In some cultures the first letter of a page would be a work of art. In other cultures every letter was concidered a work of art. Think of the caligraphies developed. An idea would be carefully formed, every word of a sentence and then a paragraph carefully constructed in the minds eye to perfectly express the idea because any idea worth expressing in such a permanent way was worthy of full contemplation and then to put to paper with beauty and art in such a way that the art itself would add meaning to the text. Going a bit further, in the Chinese language every stroke of the brush held a meaning and the order of the strokes would alter that meaning so that even a single word contained a sentence of connotations. Religion is the creativity and beauty surrounding Eureka. It is the intuited realities of the universe translated into the language of the psyche. IMHO

It's remarkable how many people like to argue that if someone has left their religion they were never 'really' part of it to begin with. But it's a sweeping generalization and it's impossible to know. I am certain that there are a great many former true followers of Christianity who have been led away from Christianity BECAUSE their devotion led them to be open to the spiritual and intellectual transformation necessary to leave. I have sung songs of praise in which every word and tone that left my lips was a prayer and meditation until my very skin and teeth vibrated in attunement to deity. I have studied the Bible with humility, prayerfully and meditatively and without personal prejudice entirely willing and expecting to be led to new understanding by the Holy Spirit. I have walked in prayer, enveloped by the presence of Deity. I have supplicated myself at the alter and meant every word and emotion as I dedicated my life, my heart, and my mind. If I now question how many of those experiences might have somatic explanations, be a product of mental conditioning, whether religions tap into a portion of our psyche through symbology that give us access to greater physiological control and deeper thought or am CERTAIN that at the very least all religions seek and find equally and are paths to the same end - you cannot tell me that my faith was not genuine. By your reasoning I might assume that all those who are still Christians are faithless cowards. But I know better.

The Lo Shu Draw a square of boxes, three by three. Number the boxes thusly; 492 357 816 Now, starting with the number 1 connect all the numbers in sequence. Imagine the numbers in fluid motion following the pattern you create. The symbol which you end up with is the ancient square of Saturn or Earth in Western Occult Tradition, based on Hebrew magical tradition. The Lo Shu in Chinese tradition coincides with the eight trigrams of the Pa Kua Later Heaven Sequence, the number 9 placement being aligned with the south and the number 1 with the north. In Feng Shui the Lo Shu is used to add measurements of Time to the Compass readings. "Time is divided into Eras of 60 years, consisting of three cycles of 20 years. During each ccyes the order of numbers differs from the original Lo Shu..... The numbers change in the Lo Shu in a logical manner from Era to Era. If you connect up the nine chambers in numeric order, you get a diagram which shows the order in which the numbers move from Era to Era". Since this book was written we have moved into a new era. So the sequence has shifted forward from the diagram shown above. The Lo Shu gained special significance during the Sung Dynasty when Feng Shui developed gained a great deal of comprehensiveness in methodology in which various schools of thought on cosmological associations and influences were drawn together into a single system. It is in this school of thought that the Pa Kua, the eight Trigrams, the Heavenly Stems, the Earthly Branches, and the Constellations gain significant influence. More later. My brain is melting.

Okay. NOW it gets a bit more involved. There are block shaped symbols formed of three lines. Some lines are broken in two. Some lines are straight and unbroken. The unbroken lines are Yang. The broken lines are Yin. There are 8 Trigrams placed at 8 compass points. Ch'ien - (NW) Immobility and strength, correspondences include metal, jade, roundness, a horse, the head, the heavenly sphere, the father, a prince, red. Influences Helpful People. Chen - (E) Motion, correspondences include a dragon, the feet, the eldest son, thunder, development, high roads, decision, vehemence, bamboo, rushes, dark yellow. Influence Family. K'un - (SW) Docility, correspondences include cows, the belly, the mother, Mother Earth, cloth, cauldrons, parsimony, large carges, figures, a multitude, a handle, Black. Influences Marraige. Sun - (SE) Penetration, correspondences include fowl, the thighs, the eldest daughter, wood, wind, length, height, a backwards and forwards motion, bald-headedness, a broad forehead, white. Influences Wealth. Ken - (NE) Stoppage, correspondences include a dog, the hands, the youngest son, paths and roads, small rocks, gates, fruits and cucumbers, porters or eunuchs, finger rings, rats, and birds with large bills. Influences Knowledge Tui - (W) Pleasure, correspondences include sheep, the mouth, the youngest daughter, spiritual mediums, the tongue, and a concubine. Influences Children K'an - (N) Peril, correspondences include pig, the ears, the middle son, channels and streams, hidden things, a bow, a wheel, anxiety, pain in th ears, high spirits, a drooping head, thieves, strong trees, and blood-red. Influences Career Li - (S) Beauty, correspondences include brightness, a pheasant (the bird of the South in the Later Heaven sequence), eyes, the middle daughter, the sun, lightning, helmets, spears and swords, dryness, crabs, mussels. Influences Fame This is the 'Later Heaven Sequence' which is utilized in Feng Shui for the living. It was created specifically for houses and gardens. The 'Earlier Heaven Sequence' is used for tombs and grave sites and represents the ideal heavenly order. In it the Ch'ien, Heaven/Father Trigram is located in the South and is directly opposite the Earth/Mother Trigram in the North. And the Fire (East) and Water (West) Trigrams are directly opposite eachother. Cycling Elements for Production and Destruction. (production) Wood Water-----Fire Metal-----Earth (destruction) Wood Metal-----Earth Fire------Water (again - these fit nicely on a pentagram) If one element is over-represented in an area of the household the destruction pattern can be utilized. Naturally to increase an element the production cycle is used. Stay tuned later for the Ten Heavenly Stems, Twelve Earthly Branches, 24 Compass Directions... You end up with something that looks like this: Which becomes a guide to interacting with a complex cosmology and symbology. I actually got into this when I was researching comparative cosmologies and symbols in relation to colours and elemental associations in world cultures.

The practice of Feng Shui (pronounced foong-shway) dates back thousands of years to ancient China. It works to tune or harmonize the individual to seasonal changes, and their environment to encourage good fortune and wealth (no doubt by creating an environment in which the individual is more likely to feel inspired and productive). In the past on the Emperor and his households were permitted to practice Feng-Shui. If anyone else was caught doing it they'd get the death penalty. Feng means Wind. Shui means Water. The principle is that the tides which move the water also move the air and move us. (all of which we know to be influenced by the moon). These two elements are viewed in Feng-Shui as the carriers and movers of Ch'i (life force energy). "We live immersed in air, whose changing tides are the winds. Gentle breezes bring contentment while strong winds disperse life enhancing ch'i. The changing nature of flowing water not only symbolizes the theory behind feng-shui, but is actually one of the agents that carry life-giving ch'i." Stephen Skinner in Feng Shui, The Traditional Oriental Way to Enchance Your Life. Ch'i loosely means 'Cosmic breath' or 'Life Force' or sometimes 'Dragon's Breath'. It can be thought of as "The breath of life." More Terms Sheng Ch'i - Benign Cosmic Breath, Sha Ch'i - Depleted or stagnant Cosmic Breath It gets complicated as he starts to get into Earth Ch'i, Weather Ch'i and Heaven Ch'i so maybe we'll get into that later. For Symbolism purposes it's also important to understand that Chinese dragons are creatures of water, not fire, and live in rivers and clouds as part of the Ch'i and governing the movements more like gods than monsters. Five is an important number in Feng Shui. There are 5 elements, 5 types of weather governed by the 5 elements, 5 types of mountain indicating the stength of influence of the 5 elements in the particular range. There are four directions governed by four celestial beasts. And of course we know there are four seasons. (South, Phoenix East, Green Dragon West, White Tiger North, Dark Warrior (Tortoise)) It is particularly significant in considering this that the compass and map are the other way around in Chinese Tradition. South is up. North - dark - cold - Water - Winter, Maximum Yin. South - Light, warm, Fire, Summer - Maximum Yang. East - Spring - sunrise, green dragon, Wood. West - Autumn - white tiger, Metal. Compass centre - Earth, balancing point for the four. DUALITY (Yin and Yang) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang In a way I can see this as matching nicely with the Wiccan/Pagan philosophy of honouring the masculine and feminine duality in deity. Take the Yin Yang symbol, in which there is a balance of Yin/Yang in all things, a little light in the dark and a little dark in the light. Surround it by the five elements as though marking the five points of a pentagram. As you look at it concider the yin/yang categorizations and the symbolisms associated with each the elements at the five points and you have begun to construct a mental Feng-Shui compass. More later!

Rock on!

I am a female because I have boobies.

I have an introductory pocket book and have looked at a few websites.

You're welcome. And thank you for starting this thread Salem. It's encouraging me to do a good tidy and reorganizing of our apartment. I do find that my mind works better in an uncluttered room and I find it easier to be goal oriented in an aesthetic environment. Feng Shui anyone?

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1209.html

Yesterday was very strange changing weather all day. Sun, rain, Sun, Hail, Sun. Last time we had that I was in agony. Yesterday I had no pain at all! Not even a little. When I woke up my back and neck popped a few times, then I was fine all day!

Thank you! *huggles* I made Apple and Sultana pie, Pear and Rasberry Pie, and Strawberry and Banana Pie. And they all had no added sugar.

Today I managed with just Ibuprofen. It's been a while since that's worked. But I also don't want to be dependent on medication for chronic pain. So wish me luck and send me good will as I continue to seek out and try alternatives!

The cake is a lie.