#Spiritual Article

[blorbocedes]

the reason brocedes can't be replicated is cause the silver war was so funny

on the same weekend lewis (and nicole) both met the pope, and nico bumped into the dalai lama 😭😭😭 they were mind gaming in the spiritual realm

[spanishskulduggery]

In my heart, I'm on siesta time - I'd love to take a nap in the middle of the day and eat dinner at like 9 or 10 at night

But I'm also becoming an old person because if I eat dinner too late it hurts my tummy or gives me nightmares lol

[kaportka]

7 Signs You Are Becoming Your Best Self

Heightened Self-Awareness. As you embark on becoming your best self, you start peeling back the layers of the person you thought you were.

You Embrace Change. The unknown is no longer scary. It becomes a representation of the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

You Question the Status Quo. You question the norms, the expectations, and the predefined roles assigned by society.

You Find Strength in Solitude. You realize that solitude is your friend, not something you should run away from.

You Seek Knowledge. You find yourself drawn to books, courses, and experiences that contribute to your intellectual and spiritual growth.

You Cultivate Resilience. Instead of viewing obstacles as insurmountable roadblocks, you see them as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

Compassion Is Your New Language. You understand that, beneath the surface, everyone is navigating their journey, facing challenges, and seeking a path to fulfilment.

[the--highlanders]

jamie stans we made it

[thejewitches]

For those seeking spirituality, crystals have become almost synonymous with mystical wisdom, but almost exclusively through New Age lenses. The New Age amoeba functions through appropriation and assimilation into itself: take from a culture, dilute the meanings, apply generalizations, mix and blend with other appropriations, spit back out. It is therefore not surprising that so many are shocked by the presence of wisdom surrounding stones in Judaism; after all, the mystical 'Judeo-Christian' entity envisioned by the New Age carriers of crystals often decry how devoid of magic and 'true spirituality' Judaism is. Of course, Judeo-Christianity does not exist, and precious stones have existed as an important part of the Jewish spiritual ecosystem since the time of the Exodus.

CONTINUE READING...

[penmethame]

DEBUNKING REALITY SHIFTING

I am not here to share my biases or anything hurtful. I am a shifter myself. As an active community i respect ur interest and devotion into reality shifting and i am so interested i am writing an article to understand it better. I am no scientist or journalist, just a writer trying to make sense of this fascinating thing. So i ask for a favor for those who are interested, if you aren't i won't force anyone don't worry.

My article is called "Shifting: a variant of dreaming? And how we don't understand our brain power yet" -- i am both taking the social understanding of it, through experiences and beliefs, and the science behind dreams, how our brain can perceive experiences and senses into the dream state and more.

i want to know the experience. Not the process. The experience after shifting, the way objects appear, the way sounds and touch feel, how vivid is it? Every detail i can get out of your experiences. That way, if it is really possible to do so, we can find a better way to achieve this.

I appreciate both shifting and non-shifting input.

These can be done publically or through dms, i don't mind which i am just here to get a better understanding of this topic. Getting the hard truths is my goal and i intend to keep it that way. as trurthful as possible.

if you are interested in this project, please do reach out to me through this account, or email me at phoebethame@gmail.com

thank you

[elisabethbabarci]

DISCERNMENT

Freedom represents perseverance, strength, focus, determination, boundaries, discernment, ambition, resilience, achievement, sovereignty, and is the epitome of manifest destiny. It allows us to scale to new elevated heights to flourish in the complexities of life. It is a state of moving beyond limitations. It is patience, compassion, understanding and never encompasses recklessness.

Within this life, what must be concentrated on is an individuals lack of humility. Arrogance, domination, sequestering, curtailing, and controlling others freedoms and liberty is the root of control.

Disregard for others and sense of entitlement are represented in a young soul, whose evolutionary journey has stagnated to recognize the importance and value of others and most importantly the collective conscious community. Derived from selfish mindset — If the root is untreated, it manifests itself as greed, jealousy, overly comparing oneself to others, and to the farthest extent, envy. False humbleness is a lack of awareness, for the action does not to bring peace instead, seeks to create a facade of compassion.

Discernment is fundamental when deciphering an individual’s true nature. We must always listen to our intuition when we recognize when the actions do not align with the spoken word.

Each individual within this lifetime is worthy, valuable, humble, sincere, authentic, unique, and genuine, with a tapestry of history that motivates and inspires others to become stronger from their lived experience. Their strengths are not imperfections, as they embrace and accept who they are. No labels, societal pressures, norms, words, statements can create barriers on the human spirit, without their consent. When we walk and live our truth , we maintain inner peace as we are secure in who we truly are.

When we evoke discernment, we analyze and observe the action rather than the spoken contract. Building this characteristic enables self awareness, self respect, self compassion, self understanding, self patience, and self empathy. To see beyond the veil is not a cause for concern, it is a strength. Maintaining boundaries, evoking limitations on what goes against our fundamental moral judgment, and to stand up on principle are attributes of true leadership.

To assist and serve others during their spiritual awakening, growths, evolution, and journeys enables us to heal aspects of ourself that might be fragmented.

Discernment also means recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, exhibiting empathy, questioning your experiences, and most importantly listening and observing without expectation of a desired result.

Within this lifetime, to follow instruction blindly without question is irresponsible, reckless, and demonstrates a quick cure for long term systematic foundational issues.

To be methodical, patient, strategic, systematic in your practices and approaches creates wisdom, as you present and aware, which is a virtue. To be orderly, planned, structured, will enable you to evaluate situations with a calm and rational mind.

Discernment is a form of self love, self respect, self acceptance, and self awareness as you are listening within of what is true and aligned with your principles. When we compromise our principles we go against our integrity.

The framework of structured routines creates a strong foundation as you honour and respect traditional approaches while incorporating new innovative ideas.

Boundaries enable us to analyze our triggered responses. It is due diligence and essential. Boundaries set a tone to demonstrate what you are comfortable with, and what you are no longer able to accept. It enables us to see beyond disillusionment and uncertainty.

Discernment is knowledge with confidence. It is respect for oneself, trust, peace, faith, and most importantly compassion for yourself and others. Discernment enables us to see patterns, belief systems, societal movements, roots, then we extract the information and discern if it is safe, humane, and honourable. It is emancipation from destruction for you have the choice to not partake in what devalues or degrades your existence. You always have the choice to chose better actions, decisions, thoughts, and words. Inner peace is sacred, and must be preserved at all times as you embrace the essence of existence.

Never diminish your principles for the here and now, always forecast into the future to predict how your actions will impact others. It is not just a personal decision, it is a conscious collective decision, for being a good human being.

Boundaries and principles are not selfish, they are protection for what is sacred to you and your heart. If it does not feel right, do not get encapsulated within it. Just because everyone is following a certain direction, does not constitute that you have to adhere blindly. Always ask, is this the best decision best for humanity? Is it in alignment with my core principles? Have I examined all the information before proceeding? Am I acting on impulse or self reflection? Is this a peaceful resolution?

Allow your light to guide others, and be a guardian for future generations. Navigate new beginnings with compassion, kindness, patience, acceptance, and understanding.

There is a powerful quote “You can not achieve happiness by bringing other people misery.” If we cause harm to others, or allow individuals to inflict their projections and negative attributes onto us, what karmic cycle do you feel will be the response? The universe always responds to our frequency.

Mindfulness and a positive mindset to seek the best responses, solutions, and resolutions, enables us to mitigate the complexities of life. If it will not cause a good outcome, do not do it. If it will cause harm to yourself internally or externally, do not allow it.

Reclaim your life, rise from obstacles, and do not allow obscurities to create cataracts on your eyes within life. See beyond the veil, and propel forward. Make considered decisions, and hope for sensible peaceful outcomes and results.

Situational judgment of assessing ones own environment will enable us to make evaluations to avoid calamity. Do not succumb to the principle that there is only one resolute answer for a situation, always enable Socratic method of analysis in your daily life. Question everything. To be mindful and present enables us to question, experience, and extract wisdom. Boundaries enable us to love and respect ourselves. If someone is projecting their expectations and views onto you, gently remind yourself that you do not have to be who they want you to be. You are unique, sovereign, abstract, and independent. You hold the pen to your life.

Observe how others treat individuals that can do nothing for them. Do they discard their support system easily? Are they obsessed with triangulation? Is warfare mindset their solution? Are they present? Are they peaceful? Their actions, are they supportive and nurturing? Do they seek to make meaningful connections or to use? Do they take accountability? Are they mindful and aware of their actions? Are they compassionate, kind, open, respectful, understanding? Are they loyal or only loyal to what serves their highest interest? How is their relationships with those closest to them — their emotional connections? Do you feel gaslighted? Do you feel silenced, abandoned, rejected, breadcrumbed?

“The hardest battle is who you are now and who you want to be.” — Unknown

Self exploration, internal healing, and positive mindset to seek resolutions, will enhance your structural foundation for healing, life, and relationships. Allow your soul to be at peace. Speak less and impact more. Listen — universal guidance and assistance is always directing you for your highest good. Evoke personal boundaries to enhance your freedom, safety, and protection.

Always be mindful that our environment is also the words, thoughts, actions, that we intake on a daily basis. Is it in alignment with your internal compass? Seek individuals that will honour and respect your chapters. Be strong enough to stand alone at times.

“Unconditional love does not mean unconditional tolerance.” — Unknown

Do not allow those that are conflicted with their direction make you question your existence, worth, or value. Beyond what you feel, remember what you deserve, and what is in alignment for you. Do not go to war with your internal compass for others — if you have to — it is not your path. Never devalue yourself on the basis of individual constructs of you, you define yourself in this lifetime. Seek natural transformation through peaceful measures.

[thelesbiancitizen]

"Women were not allowed to speak in public at this time. Because Spiritualists were considered to be channeling the voices of others, they were allowed. Through the Spiritualist movement many women found their voices and Americans became accustomed to seeing and hearing women speak powerfully in public. After that there was no going back to a silenced female populace. Women had taken to center stage. Through the Spiritualist movement women gained a voice in the United States of America.

“Spiritualists became a major—if not the major—vehicle for the spread of woman’s rights ideas in mid-century America”(57).

[challenge-ant]

the first two are from here the third one's from here

[moonhedgegarden]

[mariocki]

The Headless Eyes (1971)

"You've tried to alienate yourself but, Mal, I'm here, you -"

"Why? For two years I have been trying to live alone and to be able to accept this. Why are you here?"

"Because you haven't convinced me."

"Of what?"

"That you're incurable."

[divinum-pacis]

This is an opinion article by Thomas Reese.

Read below:

"Many people give up on religion when what they really need to do is change their image of God and how they relate to him. Too many people, when they grow older, give up on the God they learned about as children. What they really need to do is think about God in a more mature way. 

This can be a crisis of faith for many people, especially young people who can no longer relate to the God they learned about as children. Too often, priests will tell them that this is a temptation. They are told to have greater faith. Hold on to their God and don’t let go.

In truth, when someone is undergoing a crisis of faith, they may need to leave their old image of God for a new one. We need to change our understanding of God as we mature, just as we need to change our understanding of our parents as we mature.

Psychologists, like Erik Erikson, teach us that humans go through stages of development as they mature. The great Catholic mystics taught the same thing for centuries when they wrote of the purgative, contemplative and unitive ways. More recently, spiritual writers like James Fowler have used modern psychology to enrich our understanding of spiritual development.

My own simplified vision of spiritual development has three stages: turning away from sin, the practice of virtue and being embraced by God’s love. These stages are not airtight compartments but more a matter of emphasis. All our lives involve turning away from sin and practicing virtue, but the emphasis will be different as we mature.

Many of the greatest saints were first great sinners. They had to go through a conversion, reject sin, do penance and accept God’s mercy. Many Christian ministers put a great emphasis on this process, focusing on sin and the need for conversion in their preaching. Their God is a lawgiver and judge and sometimes even a policeman. God’s wrath will fall on sinners, but his mercy will come to those who turn away from sin.

Pentecostals, Baptists and conservative Catholics are good at challenging sinners and calling them to repent. This approach can be especially successful in dealing with prisoners and those with addictions.

Knowing that God is watching can also keep ordinary Christians from falling into sin. The fear of getting caught and punished keeps many people from doing wrong. We are like children who behave because we don’t want to be spanked.

The prayer life of a person at this stage of development is all about contrition, recognizing we are sinners and saying we are sorry. If we hear the parable of the prodigal son, we identify with  the prodigal and his brother, and how we are just like them. We spend a lot of time examining our conscience and listing all the sins we have committed in confession.

At this stage, God can sometimes come across as arbitrary and vindictive. When I was a child in the 1950s, we were taught that it was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday or miss Mass on Sunday. Adolescents were told that they would go to hell if they enjoyed a “dirty thought.” Wives were told to stick with their husbands, even in cases of abuse.

For many, it seemed absurd to burn in hell alongside Hitler for eating a hamburger on Friday. This was a God who could be easily rejected.

At some point after turning away from serious sin, a Christian needs to move on from a focus on sin to a focus on the practice of virtue. If you are no longer a great sinner, it is time to move from the negative to the positive. We need to move from “How can I stop sinning?” to “How can I be a better Christian?” Scrupulosity is a sure sign that it is time to move on.

In this second stage of spiritual development, God is not so much a judge as a coach. We ask him for help to be a better Christian. He urges us on to greater and greater virtue. When we pray and read the Gospels, we don’t focus on sin, but on Jesus as the person we want to follow and imitate. “What can I do for the Lord?” “How can I be better?”

Most Christians spend most of their lives at this stage of spiritual development. We are not great sinners, but neither are we saints who practice the virtues perfectly. We try to be better but frequently fail. We don’t pray well, we don’t love as much as we should, we struggle and don’t seem to get better.

This can get tiresome after a while. The coach wants us to run faster, but we know we are never going to win a gold medal. We begin to resent the coach for asking too much of us.

At this stage of development, we are like a teenager trying to win someone’s love with the perfect clothes, hairstyle, makeup, conversation and social media. We are looking in the mirror all the time, not at the person we are with. By being good, we think we will earn God’s love.

In the third stage of spiritual development, we focus not on ourselves but on God. We look less at the prodigal son and his brother than at their father. Many Scripture scholars call the story the parable of the prodigal father because of the love that he showers upon his sons.

When we look at Jesus in the Gospels, we see someone who will not just tell us to stop sinning and follow him. Rather he is someone who is wonderful and who tells us about his Father, who is loving and compassionate. In this stage of development, we are not looking for sin or ways to be better; we are looking at the Scriptures to learn how awesome and wonderful God is.

I sometimes think that the hardest act of faith is not to believe a particular dogma but to believe that God loves us unconditionally, that above, behind and in the universe is a benevolent God.

In each stage of spiritual development, our prayer life is different. In the first stage it is mostly contrition (I am sorry), in the second stage it is mostly petition (help me) and in the third stage it is mostly thanksgiving and adoration (you are amazing).

To truly fall in love, we must forget ourselves and focus on the person in front of us. God is amazing and we give thanks to him for all that he has done for us. In the final stage of spiritual development, we fall in love. We aren’t good out of fear or to win God’s love; we are loving and kind because God has first loved us."

[amandadoylewriting]

The Art of Manifesting with Gratitude

How I became grateful AF.

(A reupload of my own article on vocal.media)

I only started to really hear and learn about manifestation a few years ago. I heard a lot about how there were many different ways to manifest. The way that always stood out to me was through gratitude.

The first ever method I used for manifesting was writing a gratitude letter, where I talked about what I was grateful for, as well as what I was hoping for. Then, I started to write in a manifesting journal that I had purchased, and I was delighted to see my gratitude journey continue — the book already had a section specifically focused on the gratitude aspect of manifestation.

When I took breaks from manifesting, I was somehow always incorporating gratitude into my life still. I didn't think it would do much for me, but I was able to use it as a grounding practice to help me understand what was really important in life. Without realizing it, gratitude has become a huge part of my manifestation routine, and my journey to becoming my best self wouldn't be the same without it.

The Power of Gratitude

I find it really helpful and grounding to start each day with appreciation. I write my gratitude statements in the morning, even if it's just for something small.

Countless mornings, I have written down that I was grateful for my bed. I've written down that I was grateful I got to sleep and then see the sunshine the next morning. Eventually, bigger things start to stad out to you.

The thing is, the more you practice gratitude, the easier it is to find things to be grateful for. This is because you're training your brain to behave a certain way. Practicing gratitude repeatedly provides a positive shift in mindset, resulting in increased awareness of your blessings.

I also use gratitude to manifest. I'm currently trying to find a way to make microdosing happen for me, so each morning I've been writing "I am so grateful to be microdosing mushrooms" as if it's already happening to me.

The trick is to be grateful for what you wish you had. You can turn any manifestation into a gratitude statement, from a tangible object (I am so grateful for my new car), to an intangible object (I am so grateful for my healthy relationship), to an experience (I am so grateful for the opportunity each day to meet interesting people).

The reason that gratitude is so highly recommended is because it shifts your perspective and actually begins to exercise your optimism bone.

Gratitude helped me overcome the challenges that I faced when I was getting used to parenting a new puppy. I had never done this before and it was extremely stressful. I wanted to give up many times. But each morning when I wrote in my gratitude journal, she was right there beside me. Even though she was causing me so much annoyance, how could I not be grateful for all of the love that she gave?

When I was waiting to hear back about a job that I applied for, I was feeling anxious and I was having a hard time taking my mind off of the situation. I had to consistently remind myself of something very important — the "wanting" energy does not provide the want. I would try to use gratitude to have optimism about the situation. I would try to say something like "I am so grateful for my new job" even though I never ended up getting the job. However, the universe always knows what it's doing.

Having a regular gratitude practice helped me to relax my viewpoint when it came to certain situations in my life, as I started to accept my circumstances by being grateful for what I already had, instead of just focusing on what I was missing.

A Journey of Personal Growth

Even in simple moments, gratitude can help you develop awareness and mindfulness. All you have to do is look around and notice the good that surrounds you. Gratitude shifts your mindset radically over time, therefore gradually improving your well-being, as well as helping you gain acceptance when it comes to hard situations in your life.

As you can see, it is more than beneficial.

I am starting to appreciate the small things in life so much more than I did before, even if it is still a struggle. Some days are better than others. If I don't like the way I look overall, I can at least admire that my skin is pretty nice and clear. If I feel disappointed with my progress on a project, I can usually find at least one good thing about it to be proud of.

You nurture a grateful heart through repetition. The more you do something, the more natural it becomes to you. A grateful heart will naturally nurture itself because it's able to realize how important that action is for self care.

The reason why I wanted to share my gratitude practice with everyone is because I see how it could benefit so many people with just a little bit of effort on their part.

Even though I can't tell you how to live your life, I encourage you to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine, even if you only note one small thing that you're grateful for each day.

A regular gratitude practice can not only improve your mindset by showing you all there is to appreciate, but it can also completely level up your manifestation game with just a few simple statements each day. If you knew it was that easy, wouldn't you have started this practice a long time ago?

[holystormfire]

Luke 24:13-35

Easter Wednesday - The Supper at Emmaus

Friend of the Humble (Supper at Emmaus),

Painted by Léon-Augustin L'Hermitte (1824-1925),

Painted in 1892,

Oil on canvas

© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Gospel Reading

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.

Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’

Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

Reflection on the painting

Our painting combines today's Gospel story, where Jesus is breaking bread and the onlookers suddenly recognise him, with portraying Jesus as Friend of the Humble, the title of our painting. I do think this is a beautiful, gentle, gripping painting. Three generations of a family are depicted, sharing a meal. Before Léon-Augustin L'Hermitte painted this canvas it would be fair to say that artists always tried to represent Jesus as majestic, full of glory and maybe somewhat distant from normal day-to-day life. Our artist masterfully places Jesus in a contemporary setting of 1892, when this was painted. The painting emphasises that Jesus became human and that he did walk among us.

Vincent van Gogh was one of L'Hermitte's greatest admirers. In one of his letters he wrote: "If every month Le Monde Illustré published one of his compositions... it would be a great pleasure for me to be able to follow it. It is certain that for years I have not seen anything as beautiful as this scene by L'Hermitte... I am too preoccupied by L'Hermitte this evening to be able to talk of other things." Quite the accolade to have Van Gogh write about one's artistry this way.

As the risen Lord approached the two disciples, his first act was to draw them into conversation, asking them to share the nature of their discussion. He sought to hear their tale; a tale filled with sorrow and loss. He wanted to fully engage with them in their moment of grief. He accepted them as they were, demonstrating a profound respect for their current state on their spiritual journey. This is precisely how the Lord presents himself to us: he encounters us in our present circumstances, encouraging us to open our hearts to him, to express our deepest thoughts and feelings. It was only after attentively hearing the disciples' lament that the unrecognized visitor responded. His words cast their despairing narrative in an entirely new light. He made sense of their grief, by placing it in the greater narrative of God's plan - a narrative not concluded by death, but crowned with light and triumph.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

[summae]

lol....