Umbraedeus

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Posts posted by Umbraedeus

  1. On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2016 at 4:57 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

    I've already done Seichem.  It was a mistake.  Also a source of humor.  I have a formal initiation to the  Lion Headed Goddess, Sekhmet.  Yes, I am a Jew, ordained as an Agnostic, formerly initiated to an Egyptian Goddess.  If there is one more way to be a cultural contradiction, I can't think of it.

    Well, I also have an initiation to Medicine Buddha, through a legitimate Tibetan Buddhist lineage.  It used to be important to me.

    Looking back on things, I have been so stupid, it hurts.

    Not getting lost on detail, there is more, I am a Reiki Master.  Based on what I know about Reiki, I can't teach it.  Buddhist mysticism is no improvement over Christian mysticism.  It's only different.  I'm persuaded that much of what I was taught is wrong.

    Well, one bit of boasting.  I was also trained in First and Second Degree Reiki by John Harvey Gray.  I took Therapeutic Touch workshops with Dolores Krieger and Janet Macrae.  I took MariEl under Ethel Lombardi and Shirley Hausman.  It all tastes like dust.

    Life goes on.     :whist:

    Hi Jonathan,

    There is nothing wrong with a little boasting :) I'm sure you learned some useful things from your training even if a lot of it no longer seems valid. I have still been able to find some few gems lying amid the piles of "dust" ;) 

    Umbraedeus :vamp: 

  2. Hi Jonathan,

    Yes, the Radiance Technique was what I had in mind when I was talking about 7 levels. I took an online/distant attunement course in Karuna Ki by Vincent Amador which uses the extra symbols that Karuna Reiki does and was supposed to be more "advanced." But at least I only spentd $30 on that instead of hundreds of dollars on Karuna Reiki (TM). I enrolled in Celtic Reiki by Martyn Pentecost but never received the follow up email to schedule my attunements. I studied Druidism along time ago and knew enough about the Ogham alphabet to see there wasn't much to it after reviewing the manuals. I mainly practice Komyo Reiki, one of the Traditional Japanese Reiki systems (but which has obviously been influenced by Western Reiki practices as well). This is because I wanted in person attunements and hands on training, and there was a certified teacher within 50 miles. It cost around $600 altogether to reach the shinpiden level (teacher's degree) but the instructor was very knowledgeable about Reiki as well as other alternative healing subjects. She put a lot of effort into teaching, and taught me in one on one sessions in her clinic. I still feel that was worth it. But I don't feel Komyo Reiki is more advanced or superior to standard Usui Reiki. BTW, don't forget to mention Seichem Healing Energy discovered in the Egyptian pyramids by Patrick Ziegler and Shamballa Multidimensional Energy Healing channeled by John Armitage from ascended master St. Germain :P 

    Hi mererdog,

    Thanks for the link; I am not bothered by detractors. I still personally believe there is something valid in energy healing, at least in some types of it  :)

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp: 

  3. On ‎5‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 4:11 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

    The fraudulent nature of new things is frequently more obvious.  Consider the world of energetic healing methods.  In the last ten years, the number of new methods in the marketplace has exploded.  And they all begin by saying that they are better than Reiki.  And they are all expensive to learn.  My BS detector is working overtime.  

    :sigh2:     :whist:

    Hi Jonathan,

    I agree with you about the Reiki/energy healing thing. I have been a Reiki master for 9 years and the number of new and supposedly more advanced systems has grown exponentially. Reiki only has 3 or 4 levels (depending on if level 3 is split into separate levels for master and teacher) but I have seen people claiming to have discovered new, "advanced" levels making anywhere from 7 to 12 levels. People also claim to be discovering or sometimes "channeling" new, more powerful  Reiki symbols all the time. Its also amazing how many new non-Reiki systems seem almost  identical to Reiki but have a new, mystical or esoteric sounding name like Atlantean Healing Method. I just made that name up, but there is probably a system out there called that or something similar. I think your BS detector is in perfect working order :)

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp: 

  4. On ‎5‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 3:04 PM, cuchulain said:

    I have heard those before, Umbraedeus.  Especially the Druid lie.  That's always an amusing one to look back on.  What matters when comes the wisdom, if it is wisdom?  People(myself included at times) seem to think that age adds wisdom.  In the realm of Wicca, I have had Gardner Wiccans get very hostile to me when I related their history as I knew it, and I wasn't rubbing it in their face or anything, simply telling them my understanding and asking for clarification.  

    Johnathan, clearly you haven't BEEN to my heaven, or you would know there is no greener grass.  Why not convert?(that's a joke, btw, since humor doesn't often translate well online)

    Hi Cuchulain,

    I guess many feel, sometimes myself, that if something has been around for a long time it is considered "tried and true" where new things are an unknown. Of course it depends on the situation. People are all the time seeking new medications or medical procedures but are not interested in having maggots introduced to their wounds to eat out the infection or having leeches applied to them for bloodletting :devil:

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp: 

  5. I have fallen for the same lie twice, although it was wrapped in different paper. As a teenager in the 1980's I studied Wicca, and I believed the then current party line that Wicca was descended from an unbroken line all the way from the ancients, starting with cave dwelling shamans, and carrying on in secret since the Middle ages right up to Gerald Gardner. In my twenties I studied with a Rosicrucian order which claimed to go back in an unbroken line all the way to Ancient Egypt. Now that I think of it, I actually fell for it three times, because I also studied with a Druid order that claimed to go back to the ancient Druids. In all cases I was motivated by the desire for "authentic" and "ancient" occult teachings. I eventually realized that the most profound occult knowledge I was going to find would come from within myself and my own personal connection with the supernatural. Another lie I fell for was that the gods are concerned with me or my fate. I used to follow after gods, first as a Christian, than as a Wiccan, Druid, etc., but I eventually came to realize that although other gods may exist, the only god I can truly count on is myself. The gods may actually be concerned with me now only because I refuse to worship them :devil: 

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus, God of Shadow

    :vamp:

     

  6. Hi RevDeCo,

    Sorry I didn't respond sooner; I was a away for a few days and had missed/overlooked your reply. I usually feel energy immediately and automatically. I can see energy and auras, but I have to intentionally decide to do it, to look closely at someone's energy field. I have been a Komyo Reiki shinpiden (master/teacher) for about 8 years. This practice has enhanced or refined my innate skills at energy work, although Reiki energy itself is not useful in the same way as the energy I acquire through vampirism. The first time I intentionally astrally projected was when I was about 18 (28 years ago). I was always drawn to the occult and was studying Witchcraft (Wiccan type) at the time. I was practicing meditation and honing my spirit mediumship skills, and astral projection was a natural outgrowth of that process. Thank you for your willingness to compare information/share notes, and I look forward to talking to you in the future :) 

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp: 

  7. Hello RevDeCo,

    I am a psychic or energy vampire. I have drank blood from my boyfriend, but on a lark, not as a recurring practice. I would classify myself as an "incubus" in that I typically draw in the energy created during sexual encounters. I don't have a label for my path other than energy vampirism, and my beliefs are not always consistent with others in the vampire community. I do not have a need to feed; my pranic body has no leaks and my chakras/energy centers function properly. But I have the drive or desire to feed. I believe I am a god (eternally existing spirit of nonhuman origin) who is incarnate in a human body. I feel the extra energy allows my to access or enhance some of my preternatural abilities such as psychic intuition, etc. But, if I do not feed on energy I still function as a normal person would without enhanced abilities. I do not weaken or become physically ill if I am unable to feed. My physical body ages and is mortal. I am not super strong or super fast.  I am a vampire on the astral plane which is where I plan to return once this incarnation is over.

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp:

  8. On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 11:30 AM, mererdog said:

    It seems a fairly even split between people who leave because they think the rules are too restrictive and people who leave because they don't think the rules are restrictive enough. As many complain "too mean" as "too boring"...

    My spiritual path being what it is, not to mention being homosexual to boot, I have found the board to be quite fair. I know there are those here who snicker at the thought of Vampires, but just because they may choose to believe in an invisible sky wizard instead (and I don't) doesn't mean we can't get along. In a place like this there are going to be a lot of differing viewpoints, and there is no reason to take things personally or attack others personally. Believe it or not, I feel more welcome here than places within the Vampire community. I was kicked out of The Vampire Church online community years ago for being too arrogant (go figure). I really like this place and the people here (even the grumpy ones), although I tend to read more than I post :)

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp:

  9. Hello All,

    Tonight is Walpurgisnacht (the name for May Eve which Stoker used in "Dracula's Guest"). May Eve was celebrated accross Europe in many guises; for many Wiccans and Pagans it is celebrated as the festival of Beltane. I'm spending the night working at the mental hospital, which I guess is an appropriate setting for a night devoted to ghosts, vampires, witches, and goblins. I hope everyone has a great May Eve followed by a bright May Day (though not too bright for myself; hopefully with my curtains drawn and sleeping the sleep of the undead after working all night).

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp:

  10. I do not believe that prayer should ever be used in place of standard medicine, but I do believe that sometimes prayer has a beneficial effect. Being a psychic or energy Vampire, I have sometimes (but not always) been aware of subtle energy exchanges taking place during prayer or faith healing, similar to Reiki or shamanic healing practices. I believe there are hidden forces that come into play, and an individual or group can send out positive energy resulting in healing or perhaps the acceleration of the healing process. I also believe an individual or group can send out negative energy resulting in an individual feeling ill or depressed, cursed if you will. I think this has to do more with energy manipulation in a generic sense rather than a specific deity or particular religion. I believe the spells of a Vodou priest can be as effective as the prayers of an evangelical Christian minister. I am not attempting to convince others to endorse my beliefs, but merely wish to express them. Quoting Bela Lugosi as Dr. Verdegast in The Black Cat (1934):

    Peter Allison: "I don't know. It all sounds like a lot of supernatural baloney to me."

    Dr. Vitus Verdegast: "Supernatural, perhaps. Baloney, perhaps not. There are many things under the sun."

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp:

     

  11. Ethnicity is not a factor in my belief system. I was born in Florida and raised in a family with its roots in the Deep South. I am a mixture of mainly Western European ancestries. But since I believe that my spirit is pre-existing and immortal, I think of my physical form more or less as clothing and not really important as far as my "true" self is concerned. I believe my spirit predates mankind itself, much less modern ethnicities.

    Yours in Darkness,

    Umbraedeus :vamp:

  12. The only god I worship is myself, however a few of the places where I feel a "spiritual" connection or atmosphere are: cemeteries, Gothic nightclubs, driving down the highway at night with the radio on, watching music videos in my room with the lights off and the air conditioning turned down low, at seashores or near rivers, outside on Halloween night, and in the intimate company of a lover :) 

  13. A very small point in passing. Dr. Tyson prefers the Agnostic label over the Atheist label. He said that the only "ist" he is, is a "scientist."

    Beyond that, I agree. I do not perceive the Cosmos as being benevolent.

    Thanks Jonathan for clarifying :). I did not mean to intentionally misrepresent Dr. Tyson; I incorrectly inferred he was an Atheist from some of his statements.

  14. Hello all,

    On the Astral Plane or in the Underworld I may be lord of all I survey, but being trapped within the limitations of a mortal physical existence is certainly taxing on one's godhood. I am thankfully recovering now, but it just reminds me of the day to day struggles we all face, and how hard life can be just on a minor scale. I watched Neil deGrasse Tyson, the scientist and atheist, on The Nightly Show, and he mentioned that taking into account all of the harmful things in the natural world from deadly diseases to giant meteors waiting to smash us, he does not believe in a benevolent, intelligent creator. Being sick as I was, it kind of hit home. I do not believe in a Supreme Being, as I have posted previously the only god I worship is myself. But how does someone who believes in a benevolent Supreme Being or someone who believes that the Universe is predominantly "good" reconcile themselves to even the daily hassles of life. The cognitive dissonance I would personally experience would be like screaming in my head. I am aware that I am a cynic (no perky Goths here), but since I expect life to be hard I am rarely disappointed. For those of you able to maintain a positive outlook, I salute you for your tenacity ;)

  15. I work in mental health. I do not believe he would be admitted. Being really bad is not an illness on its own.

    I concur Pete. I am a psychiatric intake counselor for the county mental hospital. I have been working the graveyard shift there for over 15 years; 2 years as a mental health tech while in college, and over 13 years as an intake counselor after i graduated. (I am the one who does a psych. eval on the patient, determines if the person meets admission criteria, assigns a provisional diagnosis, and then gives report to the psychiatrist so he can dictate admission orders to the nurse.) I have seen many people that are both really bad and completely sane :(.

  16. Perhaps my comment was misunderstood. Jonathan said he could understand the being gay part, and I accept that. I was referring to the Vampire part when I said some things are hard to understand without experiencing them. I was not suggesting anyone go have sex with a same sex partner to see what it's like to be gay. I also was not suggesting Jonathan go out and try to feed on someone like a Vampire. I was simply acknowledging that being a Vampire is something he does not understand as himself he had posted. Homosexuality is different because everybody is capable of experiencing love whether for the same sex or a different sex. Empathy is helpful when situations are similar, but it can only go so far in situations outside the realm of the ordinary.

    As far as cannibalism being less immoral than homosexuality, l guess I could start referring to myself as a cannibal instead of a homosexual. I am just eating my partners while they are still alive and very, very slowly without chewing :devil:

    Thank you, Jonathan for your respect. I agree it is preferable to tolerance.

  17. Interesting. You're being gay is the part I understand. There are so many gay people. Vampires, not so much.

    Some things must be experienced to understand. But since you are not a Vampire I do not believe you can experience what it would be like for yourself. Just like I would never truly understand what it's like to be a woman since I am not one. But I do sincerely appreciate the tolerance you have shown even though my path does not make sense to you :).

  18. I have no problem with someone who believes something. The issue I have is with those who cannot think beyond their script to see the immoral depth of persecuting gay people, stoning people, persecuting women, persecuting other faiths, so called honour killing, sacrificing people or helpless animals, and the list goes on. This backed up with threats of hell and damnation. I kinda go with - be free to believe what you will as long as I have that same right to agree, disagree, differ, critique or not believe at all. Trouble is for some this is something they cannot do and so even from an interfaith community, sadly a line has to be drawn (imo).

    There have been a number of incidents where people have been killed or persecuted for straying from the mainstream of fanatics and it is sickening (imo). It has led me to believe not all belief is to be respected.

    Hi Pete!

    :thumbu: