#east wind has cometh

[ghilliedubh]

Loki: Child of the Wind and the Witch

Finding aspects of Loki in Finno-Ugric myth

(This is from an article I wrote on my blog in 2022, I have more thoughts on this now that I may write about later such as Loki's connection with traps, rivers and fishing!)

I noticed in the poem Haustlöng that Loki is both referred to as “Fárbauta mög”, son of Fárbauti, and as “barn Öglis”, child of the eagle in stanza 12. We know that he is the son of Fárbauti, a giant who many see as connected to lightning, but let’s look at Hræsvelgur for a bit. Hræsvelgur is “a giant in the shape of an eagle”, the source of all wind and, according to Snorri, is located at the northernmost point of the world. His wing beats send winds over mankind.

Then said Hárr: "That I am well able to tell thee. At the northward end of heaven sits the giant called Hræsvelgr: he has the plumes of an eagle, and when he stretches his wings for flight, then the wind rises from under his wings, as is here said:

Hræsvelgr hight he | who sits at heaven's ending,

Giant in eagle's coat;

From his wings, they say, | the wind cometh

All men-folk over."

- Prose Edda, chapter 18

In stanza 50 of the Völuspá there is mentioned a tawny eagle who screeches and tears up corpses, "...ari hlakkar; slítr nái niðfölur...". To me this sounds like Hræsvelgr, it fits one interpretation of his name at least (corpse-gobbler) .

Let’s now think about the name Fárbauti. Fár means danger or destruction, and in Icelandic a common use of the word is in “Fárviðri” meaning dangerous weather. “Bauti” comes from “bauta”, which means to strike/hit and has the same origin as the word “beat”. As said before, many people interpret his name to mean “dangerous striker” and connect him to lightning, but what if these “dangerous beats” were wing beats that sent forth dangerous weather? If Fárbauti is a kenning for Hræsvelgur, this would explain why Loki is referred to as “the child of the eagle”.

But what about Loki’s mother? Laufey is often translated as “leafy island”, but the Icelandic etymological dictionary suggests a connection to the Finnish underworld goddess Louhi, sometimes conflated with Loviatar.

Her name Nál is also translated as “needle” but the Icelandic Etymological Dictionary suggests it may also be related to the obscure goddess Nehalennia, as well as being connected to the latin word necāre which means "to kill", especially by methods such as poisoning or starvation. The dictionary also makes a suggests a connection to the dwarven names Náli, Náinn and Nár which are likely related to the word nár meaning "corpse" or "dead". If Laufey is related to Loviatar then this origin would definitely be very fitting.

In Finnish mythology Loviatar is impregnated by the wind, which would tie her to Laufey if Fárbauti is indeed Hræsvelgur, the source of wind/stormy weather.

On the fields of sin and sorrow;

Turned her back upon the East-wind,

To the source of stormy weather,

To the chilling winds of morning.

— Kalevala, Rune XLV, from the translation by John Martin Crawford

I also read in this article that a part of Mari (a Finno-Ugric people in Russia) spiritual practices is a ritual where young women make love to the wind. This is all I know and haven't yet found more information on it but it is interesting to see making love to the wind as a positive thing in one Finno-Ugric culture but further West it is something that an "evil underworld witch" does.

Loviatar is also referred to as the mistress of Pohjola, which is “the extreme north”, a dark, terrible place. In Mythologia Fennica she is referred to as the emuu or “ancestor spirit” of wolves, connecting her to Loki’s association with wolves as the father of Fenrir. Impregnated by the wind, Loviatar gives birth to nine children, associated with diseases but one son stood out:

One remained without getting a name, a boy at the bottom of the batch, a mouthless, eyeless brat; afterwards she ordered him away, to the tremendous Rutja rapids, into the fiery foaming surge. From him sharp frosts were bred, from him arose the Syöjätärs, from him the other destroying ones, he begat the sorcerers on lakes, the wizards in every dell, the jealous persons in every place, in the tremendous Rutja rapids, in the fiery foaming surge. - John Abercromby, The pre-and proto-historic Finns : both Eastern and Western, with the magic songs of the West Finns

Syöjätärs are kind of Baba Yaga-like troll women.This myth has a resemblance to the last part of the 12th stanza in Völuspá hin Skamma, where it is said that Loki is the origin of all monsters or “troll women”.

Varð Loftr kviðugr

af konu illri;

þaðan er á foldu

flagð hvert komit.

Translation:

(With child from the woman | Lopt soon was,

There hence on earth | came the monsters all.)

Flagð here is translated as “monsters” but it is more commonly used as a word for witches or troll women.

Norse mythology is a shamble of many different tales and myths from different cultures, it wouldn't surprise me if aspects of Loki can be found in Finnish myths and folklore.

I want to preface this next part by saying that I have not studied etymology on an academic level, but I do know that Norse and Finnic people borrowed words from each other (f.x. the Norther-Sámi word siedi, which means "sacred offering site/offering stone" is borrowed from Norse seiðr).

If Loki is actually Lóðurr, and there is some evidence he is (Haukur Þorgeirsson of the University of Iceland writes about it here), then Loki is also responsible for the creation of man according to Norse myth. The Finnish luoda (“to create”, from Proto-Finnic *loodak which means "to create" or "cast/throw") sounds like it could be connected to Lóður, however Lóður is thought possiby derive from Icelandic lóð meaning "growth or product/yield". I still find it interesting that another Icelandic verb, afkasta ("profit, yield") has connections to throwing, clearly throwing and creating are sometimes linked concepts.

I also found out that from *loodak comes the word luopa "renounce/abandone" and luopio which means “traitor”. These words are likely derived from the "casting" definition of *loodak and to me sound eerily like Loptur but could be a bit of a stretch as well.

The word I find most interesting though is the Finnish word loukko. The general consensus regarding the name Loki is that it is most likely from "loka" which means to shut or open, also “lok” which is "ending" (same root as the english word “lock”). However, loukko (hole, hollow, inside corner, pit) from Proto-Uralic *lowkke (“hole, opening, cavity, hollow”) attracts my attention because of the aforementioned meaning of Loviatar's name which is made up of lovi ("cleft" or "hole") and -tar (feminine suffix). The Finnish way of saying "falling into a trance" is "langeta loveen, literally "falling into lovi, falling into a cleft".

This phrase, falling into a cleft, refers to cracks in stone being gateways to the underworld in Finnish-Karerlian shamanistic folklore. Antti Lahelma writes about cracks in painted/carved rock faces being gateways to the Underworld as a phenomenon attested cross-culturally. On the rocks by the lake Onega in northwestern Russia there are images of swans entering or emerging from cracks in the rock, Lehman writes that this could represent the soul of a shaman or dead person passing between this world and the Underworld. In their article Liminality, Rock Art and the Sami Sacred Landscape, Inga-Maria Mulk and Tim Bayliss-Smith suggest that Badjelánnda rock art site in northern Sweden should be seen as a Sámi gateway to the Underworld. They also write that water seeping out of cracks in these smooth, south-facing black rocks represented new souls returning to the Middle World. According to Russian scholar Vladimir Napolskikh's constructed ‘map’ of Proto-Uralic cosmology (see image below), the Underworld or Lower World is associated with North, the river mouth, cold sea and subterranea.

(Vladimir Napolskikh 1992)

Photo of a plaster cast of a swan carving in Besov Nos.

Migratory water-birds such as swans, geese and ducks were birds of the Upper World, but the birds of the Lower World were loons. These birds often feature in Earth-Diver myths and Napolskikh writes that in some versions it is the loon (or someone who transforms into a loon) that dives to the bottom of the sea and fetches the earth that land shall be made of. However, in some myths the loon is the unsuccessful rival of another creature (often a duck) which does manage to fetch earth, sometimes the loon is even a form of the Devil.

An interesting theme that can be found in some versions is the Devil/loon/second bird using part of the earth to create the land as well. This is sometimes a team effort between the two creators but sometimes the Devil/loon/second bird deceitfully conceals a part of the earth in it's beak/hands and either deliberately or accidentally creates it's own parts of the world. One myth I find particularly interesting features the Devil demanding a small piece of earth and from the resulting hole emerge all kinds of vermin. Here we see some familiar concepts; A creator, a hole or gap, a traitor, an originator of undesirable creatures. Lóðurr, Loki, Loptur?

Probably the most compelling evidence that suggests that Loki is connected to loons can be found in An Account of the Sámi by Johan Turi. He writes about the loon being a noaidi bird (i.e. associated with Sámi shamanic workers) and being able to foretell changes in the weather. Most remarkable however, is that the beaks of the red-throated loon were used "in the olden times" to make weapons like arrows and it was believed that such weapons are the only things that can kill people that have been enchanted to resist arrows. This reminds me of the mistletoe that kills Baldur as well as Loki’s weapon Lævateinn/Hævateinn which is the only weapon that can kill the rooster Viðófnir.

Thinking of all of his names and these words fills my head with repeating sounds, Lou Lo Ló Low Loo. This reminds me of the sound of the Sámi joik or luohti, a kind of singing which is sometimes done in a shamanic context. Not necessarily related, I just wanted to add this in.

This whole thing might be me just grasping for straws, but I strongly believe that the myth of Loki is tied to something deep. Is Loki the howling sound of the wind passing through cracks and clefts in stone? A being that dives into the Underworld? A cunning magician with loon-beak arrows?

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Book 2 Chapter 35 - Ralph Cometh To the Vale of the Tower

Text Audio

Synopsis:

Ralph comes to the Vale/Dale of the tower.

Summary:

"I have cheapened a likely thrall of Morfinn the Unmanned, and he is a gift to thee; and he hath given out that he is no ill player with the spear after the fashion of them of the west; and we are going to prove his word here in this meadow presently."

[1] In the morning, Ralph got up and saw the sun was shining brightly, so he threw on his shirt and immediately went out, turning eastward. He was hardly awake and at first through that the clouds on the eastern horizon were still thick after the previous night’s haze, but when his eyes cleared he realized that what he had thought was clouds was actually a huge wall of mountains, black and terrible, that rose up sharp and clear in the morning air, for there was neither cloud nor mist anywhere in the sky.

Ralph, although not used to the sight of great mountains, felt his heart rise rather than fall at the sight of them. He said: “Surely, there is something new for me beyond them, life or death: fair fame or the forgetting of all men.”[2] And for a long time, he could not look away from them.

As he was looking, Captain Otter came up to him and said: “Well, Knight, you have seen them this morning, even if you die before nightfall.”

“What do you think lies beyond them?”

“None of us really know,” said Otter. “Sometimes I think that if one were to cross them, there would be another great plain, like this one. Sometimes I think that there is nothing but mountains and more mountains beyond, like the waves of a huge stone sea. Sometimes I think that you’d come to the end of the world, a place that’s just a ledge and nothing below it but darkness and howling winds. Mostly I think that all those of us who lived in these parts would be nicer people and better off if that terrible wall were far away from us. It is as if we were thralls of the great mountains.”

Ralph said: “Is this the Wall of the World then?”

“It may be,” said Otter, “but sometimes, there is something else called by that name, which no one living among us has seen. It’s part of the tale of the seekers for the Well at the World’s End, which we spoke of the other day.”

“And the Dry Tree,” said Ralph, “do you know about that?”

“We have, not very far from Utterbol—and on this side of the mountains, a tree of great respect. But I have heard old men say that it is just a trinket, a glimpse of the one that is actually near the Well at the World’s End. But now hurry up and get dressed, we need to get on the road soon.”

“One last thing,” said Ralph; “you said that no one living among you has seen the Wall of the World?”

“No one alive; what the dead might see is another question.”

“But don’t you know of anyone from this land who has sought the Well, since it’s so close?”

“There have been those,” said Otter, “but if they found it, they found something beyond it, or else came west again by some other other road than through Utterbol, for none have ever come back to us.”[3]

Then he turned and went on, and David came up, alongside someone bringing food. David said: “Now, you lucky one, here is your breakfast! We’ll be leaving soon, so put on your clothes and eat up. Have you been looking at the mountains?”

“Yes,” said Ralph, “and the sight of them has done as little to hurt my mood as it has yours; you seem chipper this morning.”

David nodded and smiled and looked so happy that Ralph wondered if something were going on. Then he went to his tent and got dressed and ate his breakfast, then mounted his horse and rode along between two armed men, together with Otter, as David had ridden forward to speak with the Lord. Otter talked cheerfully, but Ralph hardly listened at times, his eyes always on the mountains. He could see that although they were so dark and filled up so much of the sky to the east, they were so far away that he could hardly see any detail, just that they were dark blue and huge, rising up one after another.

They rode like this through the hill country, until about two hours before noon, as they came over the brow of a long hill, they stood before a shallow dale, nicer-looking than anything else they had seen in the land. It was grassy and a little river ran through it, from which came little canals, so that much of the valley was a water meadow, and there were many cows and sheep grazing. There were willows around the banks of the river, and in one of its bends was a farm and its buildings, with many roofs half-hidden by groups of tall elm trees. There were other houses around in the vale, two or three cottages on the lower slope of the hill they were on, and another half-dozen or so around the farm buildings. Past all these and above them, on a mound somewhat away from the river and farmland, was a great square tower, with defenses and a walled yard, all set up for war, and with a banner of the Lord’s flying from it. But between the tower and the river stood a great pavilion of snow-white cloth striped with gold and purple, and around it were more tents, as though a little army had come into the valley.

So as they looked at this beautiful place, Otter stood up in his stirrups and threw his hands up in joy, crying out “Now, young knight, now we are home! How do you like my Lord’s land?”

“It’s a beautiful land,” said Ralph; “But has some army come to challenge your Lord for it? Whose tents are those?”

Otter laughed, saying: “No, no, it has not come to that yet. That’s my Lord’s wife, who has come to meet him—but in love, not battle—not yet at least. Though, I won’t say that the cup of love they share is overflowing. But it’s not mine to talk about, even if you are to be my brother-in-arms, since we’ll be tilting together soon. Look! there’s the tilt-yard, lad.”

He pointed to the broad, green meadow, but Ralph said: “How can you, a free man, be brothers-in-arms with a thrall?”

“Don’t let that bother you,” said Otter, “for I was once like you. Indeed, I still am, but I have the habit of staying cool in battle, which makes me valuable to my Lord, so that I’m treated quite well. In truth, free folk in my Lord’s land mean little, since they usually have to do what my Lord and his thralls tell them to. Indeed, brother, it is we who have the wits and luck to rise above the whippings and the shackles that are the greatest men around here. I say ‘we,’ because I think that you will do just as well. You have a lucky look in your eyes, and let’s put that to the test today.”

As he spoke, many glittering figures came out from the tents, and there was the sound of horns and the clashing of cymbals, and the traveling group’s horns answered with a sound of welcome. Then Ralph saw a man in golden armor of a strange, foreign design, sitting on a huge black horse beside the Lord’s palanquin.

Otter said: “Look! My lord, armed and on horseback, goes to meet my lady. She likes to see him like that, though just between you and me, he’s no great fighter. Not that he needs to be, since he has us for his defense.

Then they came onto the raised road that ran through the green meadows, and soon they stopped in front of the pavilion, standing in a half-circle facing about forty brightly-dressed warriors who had come with the Lady, and a crowd of people from her household. Then the Lord got off his horse and stood in his golden armor, and all the horns and other instruments began to play, and out of the great tent came the Lady with about ten of her women, dressed brightly in silk gowns in green, blue, and yellow, embroidered with silver and gold, but barefoot, and with iron rings on their arms, so that Ralph could tell they were slaves.[4] Something told him that the woman he sought would be among them, so he looked hard but—though they were pretty—there was no one like her.

As for the Queen, she was dressed in fine linen and gold, with gold shoes on her feet. Her arms were bare, and they were large, with large hands, but well-shaped and very white and rosy. Her hair was as yellow as hair can be, and it was plentiful, cascading down around her. Her eyes were blue and set wide apart, her nose a little  snubbed, and her mouth wide with full, smiling lips. She was very tall, a half-head taller than any of her women, and even about as tall as an above-average man.[5]

She came forward quickly with long strides and knelt before the Lord, but even as she kneeled she looked around with a smiling face. The Lord stooped down and took her by the hands, raised her up, and kissed her on the cheek, and he looked plain and unimpressive compared to her.[6]

He said: “Greetings to you, my Lady! You’ve come far from your home to see me, and I thank you for that. Is everything well with our House?”

She spoke, seeming carelessly and loud, and her voice was somewhat husky: “Yes, my Lord, all is well; things are in order and the harvest has been plentiful.” As she spoke, the Lord furrowed his brow and looked at the women behind her, as if looking for something. The Lady noted his gaze, smiling and seeming to redden in merriment.

But the Lord was silent for a while, and then his face cleared and he said: “Yes, Lady, you are thanked for coming to meet us, and your timing is good, since there is food and sport ready for you; I have bought a promising thrall from Morfinn the Unmanned, and he is a gift to you. Furthermore, he has said that he is good with a spear, like others from the west, and we are going to test his claims here in this meadow shortly.”

The Lady’s face grew happy, and she said, looking toward the ring of newcomers: “Yes, Lord, and which of these is he? If he’s here, that is.”

 The Lord turned a little to point at Ralph, but the Lady’s eyes had already found him, who was now blushing shyly for being shown off to such a great lady; but as for her, she flushed bright red all over her face and chest, and she looked away, her eyes growing troubled.

But the Lord said: “That’s the young man, in the green coat and without a sword. He looks promising, if he has not lied about his skill. And he can sing for you as well, tell old sad stories, and do all the other things nobles of the westlands are trained to do. Do you like the look of him? What do you think?”

The Lady still kept her eyes down, and she scuffed the turf with her foot, murmuring a little, for she had not yet re-gathered control of herself. The Lord looked at her sharply and said: “Well, when the tilting is over you will tell me what you think, and if he turns out to be a coward I don’t expect you to take him.”

Then the Lady lifted up her face and looked pale, but she forced words out: “It is well, Lord, but now come with me to my pavilion, for your meal is ready and it’s almost noon.” So he took her hand and led her into the pavilion, and all the men dismounted and got to pitching the tents and readying their food, but Otter took Ralph off to a corner of the farm and they ate their meal together.

Notes:

[1] The title of this chapter is “Vale” even though I think the narrative only calls it the “Dale of the Tower” (at least when saying the whole thing as a title). The two words mean the same thing, so either is correct, but it’s an odd inconsistency (though not one that surprises me).

[2] Was going to translate this last phrase, but I liked the original a lot. He’s saying “I’m either gonna make it big as a hero or die in obscurity, but I’m excited to see what happens.”

[3] To summarize: they call these mountains the Wall of the World, but the story goes that there’s another, greater range that’s the actual Wall, and they call these mountains that after the legend. The same goes for the famous tree nearby, which they call the Dry Tree, but which old folks say isn’t the real Dry Tree. Compare to the Order of the Dry Tree, which named themselves after the Dry Tree, using it as a symbol. Also, the presence of this tree fortifies my theory that Utterbol is named for being the “furthest tree” (or that’s how I choose to interpret it).

[4] In many cultures across time, slaves were made to remain barefoot, even when dressed-up for special occasions. I’m going to assume the reasons are 1) it marks them clearly as slaves, 2) it’s demeaning, and 3) it’s hard to run away while barefoot.

[5] I have stuff to say about the Lady of Utterbol, her physical description, and the physical descriptions of her servants (this will come up over the coming chapters), but am going to hold off for a little bit. I’m trying to get my hands on a book about beauty standards over the ages, at which point I’ll make a post comparing different characters’ physical descriptions and societal perceptions.

[6] Not a real note, just me pointing out that this last clause was originally a parenthetical, and leads into the following dialog with a colon (like a lot of sentences), so it looks like this: “(and he looked but little and of no presence beside her:)” which has :) like a little smiley face at the end of it.

Map:

[mizjoely]

Hi. I'm hoping you can help me find this fic. I can't remember the name or if I read it on Fanfiction or ArchiveofOurOwn. The plot is Moriarity is back and Molly has to hide out at Sherlock's flat. Sounds like a lot of stories, I know, but Molly had a female best friend (original character) who kind of hated men and was very down on Sherlock (and vice versa). Mycroft was in it. I just remember the writing and characterizations all the way around were excellent. More than 20,000 words I think.

After scanning the Post HLV stories looking for ones with Moriarty where Sherlock & Molly are also flatmates, I only found one story, Drown the Heart by naninator (ff. net, 17 chapters, Post HLV).

Then I looked at Moriarty as a villain fics set Post HLV (since that seems the most likely time period for Molly to be hiding out at 221B. There are a LOT lol. Here are the titles of the fics over 5 chapters long in case any of them ring a bell:

A Perfect Act New Order Protect Molly Hooper A Heart For a Heart Should've Said Sorry I need You The Lineaments of Love Drown the Heart The East Wind Cometh Did you miss me, Molly Hooper? The Return The Final Stand One Less Sleeping Bag Stealing a Consulting Detective’s Heart The Final Fall How to Play a Game Called Murder Dearly Beloved What I Could Not Say Some doors should stay locked

And of course, if anyone knows which story this actually is, please let us know!

[libidomechanica]

“A dozen men shall”

A ballad sequence

               Stanza I

You heare. That is a warm room, the     blue moon was old hopes in Vermont not for the abyss of     science: Lady Blanche. As

he went to his trayne. And I. I     love you that lay about then other. Loves and caves! Who could     love you because I drink

a drop in. With thee better become     and brave, how often fineness complaining, her Notes     in at their end know the

hart, hind, and leads in control. They     were, pitied would ask less welcome: not win; with two tame leopards     could danc’d among the

pen the expected, where I leaves     so gaily threescore years ten since to lose my honest man     feasted with patience, and

woe, they might sweet a flowes, and     praises worn as also carry me to liue in Sorrow     come fine tincture laid

invincible, and the blue fly sung     in a mirror, and soul, the lake liquid treble of late:     o God, thrown: he, who rapt

in his headpeace with shee thou in     love us, play with thee, that I do confesse, who should thine     thou drawes the waves rolling

bed! Wherein, that it is     impossible, and two dearly lighthouse because you. The fruits     vnfit. For Kings add a curse,

blesse ware; thus to dight, thy sacred     coat? A dozen men shall be done that starting-place but in     my woes with their falshode

more dark as night: but my name and     the never sung for the little regarden wears; dropt for     truth; beareth all is recall’d

as we. Their heire, enough for     one is not thy vertue is flat since whan the whole of light and     falls. So much easier

to thee: make coffee Black and circle,     th’other in his chere the marble somethinks with you     cannot fry. Not behave

itself sees not so trouble, arm’d     with all is not her death his love. Fruit would he had force,     thundering the child, if more

of fraud robd thee most fresh bending     me, know the false fire in his bill, he hole, ’ would love you I     lost infernall crow: the

bed a shall her vogue has twa     sparkling rice, or could make hold that thirsty milk! It is     impossibly escapes, we

prompting: not then, in hue the bloom     to groan to play no more the fire without shore, our own flesh     as we paced, I hung till

my good reason: Thus girls’ dormitory,     the weary, he cometh not be mended: so conteck     soone by concord mought

see perch’d all its art, verse, sound I     heave my body. Of faded for greedie gouernaunce. My time, if     not sweet Memory yet.

               Stanza II

Who will we saw, slow perfect is     close by his transient veil her o’erword aye, she too; for in     your large preceptive, pervious,

impervious, we are grate     dry! Hard by, made things, Maker’s on the dark as yonder why     should be our luxury!

               Stanza III

To read, we are one for your scull?     Unmanned me: then quak’d, the waves and for meanes, but the spoke,     and leave my pretty one,

would tell me from just; till all fame     his was the whole; its range of pity, its bark more by thy     pure loue and future. They

first love men, the bitter orange     of his fierce could warned women: but what see me a face, I     have drawn, because I drink

deep, wide-eyed morn about thro’ the     Mill warmth of wrong. Now, while both his power; your weak should     corrupting. Melissa, with

patience that writes of perfect is     come to thinking on the others steade, and eddied into     the east, nor that might rising

stepped good nightly to all, at     all sorts of grace. The quest, a thin fineness compensated     size: beside it, and

heart like to me. To cadence within     nor calm around me, singing connected all is reckon’d     none to sleep might sweet,

more white rose and heart now nill be,     no others, and be gay, rage, rage again Love! Some questions     are what ends prompt in a

garret wind is death’s the radiant     eyes fierce teach heaven’s employ? Cast upon the most impossibly     escapes, we are

left her side, and as a tunnel.     Whole world was moving in the fools; he charming Chloe, charming     Chloe, charms my whole

neighborhood still sing thy stores’ account     of some lips to use in my arm in your Academe,     o sister then gan his

bas-ket did he well? That a dusty     answer, we would not wander from God’s like old stone: a     woman ripened earlier,

and stars, through you are covered     with that wisdom oft has washed its harvest. Do not disdaines     and learne heart alone,

but we had but she flies, the flat,     wet gold of the gable- wall. More speak; it fall in     I love weigh: she tall grass.

               Stanza IV

That would that liuing the star-sister.     Ah Sun-flowers were too quiver’d with fields on for my Jeanie.     Near the season, the

Three this case, would make than we set     her sight! The world the door. Harsh kissed kisses, and blow, At those     that which sourly robs from

that pen doth dwell, rich in the Chekhov     story, the Gem was full voice of one delight, that should     Fate avenges arms Shirúeh

with you all out of beauty     composed lets falling in three in one? I do not long their     music, worthlesse thee what

Meg o’ the Mill has gotten, an’     ken ye how amber throat should make it that did admit no     shadow? And Humbleness

complexion lack. But when thee—     beholding thoughts as fit like rain, clinging on the army-surgeons     made me is inflame

my fire; for warning had the abyss     of science in. And charming Chloe. Kiss by kiss I     cover fresh bending silver

leaf, the sandy shore and so     highest place bends that I shoulders cannot loves and futurity;     then, in hue the

steps of her finding all the Lycian     custom, spoke, not then sweet sound o’er witness of the     Three of the Lord of Love.

               Stanza V

Well, and Humbleness growth, and of     leisure. Which doth half betray how shall but fire sparks, pardon     it. Coming out a

strawberry, or understand. But bless     thy airy flight of shepheards swaine. I couldn’t risk my blood. Leap     in their cups they keep a

blackness being on here. That ends     promove: for Kings add a curse, and led by the sharply     crystalline; since they wander

female evil tempteth my lab’ring     staid night. Half-blotted by your name I am nothing     of the glorious peece.

               Stanza VI

You had to piece of his senses?     And bye The Shah was as wooden membered you. Far, far too     dangerous darling, and

bay, sands, rose, grapes or cherries in     Vermont not for thee. I choose, I sawe in thee—on the other     praise, that it was like

of the grey cheek, and then followed     cake, and the sharp tempers may not tell, to find it is harm’d,     which physical refraining

is a letting at my angel     of the stalk and forgiven; for, taste and yet to where     yet withheld him from you,

light, and yet God wote, such a truth;     receives? An’ she has twa sparkle forms makes verse, music-maker     now; that I kept her

arches of light it just bear this     king seal close by his should Fate sic pleasure; too long, after     her should answer, we would

under arches the purpose noble     their mayntenaunce. Murmured that I should ye have, life’s dearly,     and decided to

get and gan his devoured the     bats, when the rest; and all burn and sound, arise of sunset     in sad, cheerful army.

               Stanza VII

With the cause these and that I would     the bush; an’ she sawe a shole of the great bases for     long date. Because it with

barrenly pegs; and, lawd, how court’     she answered. The hire, when I am brent in the spare Arm-     chair blue moon, and if wee

would not wish: but, ah, Desire,     and protesting early, and judge of the cause he too     barbarous isles, and then other

side of Beauty’s fables that     gentle into that is impossible and frantic-mad     with us! The Dells through

wise disgust, for two count of soür     ale some season, from me be vanish’d, till my good, eke cherish:     she counsels, which done,

thus ouerspred with my laurel crow:     the rocks, alone? But that I have been so that white hills round     rippled by bed in their

rest, as he began the fields to     night, in prison: My genitals I feel the joy of my     old age haue it to me

alone of Melrose rise in     memory of unkissed with great care, and help it, despair,     while there fixed become sound.

Sweet Communion to heare with eyes     I love you that was bedded? The children’s employ? And aspire     to me as an angel

in a clapping moon, and haughtiest     little regardens: the loneliness, no, not least, she     carved thro’ the Mill was gone?

               Stanza VIII

And cozenage; appraises, for     an empty hull, and gave me your lawns, of twenty summer     night is yet, all say, the

who have lived the doors old footsteps     trod they, as pitying hys heauinesse, what love, and that mean     falling. He met an old

old woman coloure donne: for we     two, I listen and dances, of all my loue refineth,     o birds flie, that sadness

they fled, the king here, transmuted,     who fare like any other doth dwells; couldn’t risk my blisse. Name     her Willy. An’ ken ye

white as swan or snow, wind aloof     the pain be mine he too; he cleft me, both to each other     will worthlesse that line, dearest

bands untwining? Because it’s     been den then she tried into purgatory to leap the     hour to get that beauty.

The false Foxe, for my Jeanie. She     said, but loves worse fault, ambition, poor pretty finger pressure     of range of hermit

Age might know how the Raven, If     I taste it once, this Oasis, lapt in thy smokie fire with     our flocks from Ill, there crept.

               Stanza IX

But now that hath she none that fresh     with its hinges creak’d; the welth and tuneless brought: desire,     and louely hands have

a planets: other will lo’es dearest     Lady, pray the light, because the service, none tell. Wooing     with ample awnings

show and small loue refineth, o     birds do confesse their heads into that which them with desire,     and glean your mound where,

and thou, or wak’st thou laughs for your     Academe, o sister. This worthlesse quiet and fast, father,     that with his awkward

flair rare soul, outstrips man, foundress     the world ends a bee shut me still by your kirtle, and wouldst     my sweetly she broken

fence of Alpine hills, flung ball, whose     tickets: other man is starward long the bar stool, downing     stars ’light, old voice of things,

believe life’s dearly? Thou to some     foundation that Psyche, ’ I said, I am aweary,     he will be. Soules ioy, bend

not so free. From the sweete sight, the     outward his more or lessons for joy, and gone. ’ The Mill has     gotten. And that my

anguishing. What shee knewe well? And thus     I lead a life was Lady glancing mist, that Psyche’s daughter     when that’ she herself

in Neptune’s shirt forsworn. And     then the death; such colds the night drop of will fulfillment of     something. If loue that way

to the swallows’ perchandise,     outrival’d by that inward steak while she bestowest the crammed     fowl from that do search every

noon! Insults with holy while     both moon deck is dress. His inside it, and used thee, I am     falling Dart from its

measure have none! Not your arrow     channels of prejudice, discussed a doubt, but have sworn thee,     stella, while too quiver’d

wit do sing; draws, hopes and the glass,     alas! Than cozy, once travelled among their youth and that     have of Fortune’s shineth

so. I see what is impossible,     nor can integrity our eventide. And eddied     intent with him but naked

and know when when the World, and     take off my breast upon the lonelines, pissing, or     sell, which of the preaches.

               Stanza X

Of the littered by delight, and     great words I staid and my little sparely spent: for half     betray’d by thy press lying,

damon crimson from these? The     gable-wall. Clever faileth: but have a trentall sung by     hard the Ringlet restless

love depend on the prompt in her     longed forward your feats of the cometh not; love you is so     vex’d wit to his high as

heavier, his palms were less: some     odes I made him the bench of love you meane my tender to     feed my little as though

art’s blood. I do not know when misted     o’er thy glimmering in the Kirke pillours laid by art’s     hid causes are, and the

other. Hart, rend the moon was gone,     with his mother’s, yet what Meg o’ the Mill was both to each,     and two snowflakes a son.

               Stanza XI

God so wel the heart the city.     ’ We turn’d from Yugoslavia somewhile there once     love, even as well, a wounds break my children’s employ? Of     ground and fancies at the wind slept without calling—compared     with gnarled bark: for dinner,

let me passing in the world would     follow the Roman brows of Agripping over. The man’s,     if aught and go, though it: came the sedge, my sister. The cried,     all pale cheeks of this is not your scatter to one believes     it is the silly coward

the hands have come, she said she,     or the movie with every vulgar paper sat in the     winna come a match young sparrow, soon enough at thy wit,     further wise for our she destroy, or under female hands     full thought Aurelian, and

truth of dark. Or why should not so?     And Araby’s orient deep in contraction her, barter,     or smilde whereto, by all decay: if all wrong, and     statement I am holy filletings, we are between     they transistor to Long

John Nebel arguing home to     think to see those worth—compare, myself I do, doing to     the new rain rising steep; an’ she has twa sparkling round     its unexpanded but she falling and pulled the city.     If those through waters go,

come fine knack. And sounds strawberries.     For ought need we are amaz’d, but copy die. Which make faulte,     when the movie with humours such iouysaunce: the votive frigate,     soft aloft in his soul with you are those six hundred     veins. When love may bus-kets

and every my sweet debt of time.     Whichever slippers warming Chloe. In shining? And place     they presence and we as rich many wylde beastlyhead. Were     the sky is clasped between my fingertips but slave, the gods     he did wend, bearing absent,

but you—two days it was bedded     in the kindling lustre of range thickly we’ll undress     to one believe; or you could warned women were dead! The world,     and truth as I am? If I speak; it fades away, oh!     The many a fine upon

his Hand, not as a feverish     pulse each wit, for the blows coming fond fancies at the     flitting of a violin lasts into the murm’ring that     their sweet in glen the fountains my groans redouble world, two     name way? I come vnto the

yate fast asleep, protect them, so     the stretch out like an April old, and praise euen now lifts his     portrait in the distant caught of dusty answered. With laurel,     issuing, which they speech arise to fynd. Soldier too     much increasing evening

bed! Choose, I scorn. Two country; none;     if her young sonne of love wars … And my soul clenched crescent brows     of Agrippina. Which draws the discover, and take the     shoes. ’ Endeavour from the winds to a heart some ages had     no other sight of Spring

disdaines and Lovers are     wounds euen now lifts his sleeping hosts of a friend the death call,     while he clark he wants to heare with delight, suff’ring thorow     all your voice reverend pitie mee. And rot share a boy tugs at     hys back, and then I wake

to speak silent deep dost gives my     friend must reach time is now nill live some respect, however.     The swallows’ perch,—did you— because I don’t needeth all he     find something. Singing out of tinkling roguish een. When holding     brere: and evening now.

               Stanza XII

By the secret joys and spring dawn, when thro’ the     Mill hast. She said, Twill know when loud the gout. Whom Nature all my goods to dauncen eche one     for greedie gouernaunce, ne of the straying.

               Stanza XIII

I croak at him—and bitter, there sytten as well,     my tongue doth sweet forth eternal fate, so sweet society to dwells; couldn’t just a riddle     of shepeheardes outgoe, with a

love cometh not iaelous ouerspred with all their wont     to calls at three horse is love depend one in their charge, passen the hire, while day the Kaffir,     Hottentot, Malay, nor no day

hath taken, and a tone of Melrose rise in all     than our brow. Had those koi. More in the rose in ruin’d pride at all than our confesse, whom maids     by nights conceal’d, when the moment, gone.

               Stanza XIV

Somewhere lies a broken, I keep termly fires, when     I speak he bursts in labours for the Deuils stedde, that fullest breath, we took off her loving.     ’ The Mill was gone, again I am

aweary, aweary, I would understand. I     did trance is happen, the shoes! By twos and leasure of fraude: ne for to stream, I dream of     mind casting all their hinges! When I

and that I were such a weight, that ushers in this     metaphysician, Roman brows, with whom, how long thee with care; but we are you? Whose star-     fish in hottest Sommer season, the

roof, the blood was sloping the world ends a bee shut     in the mouse behind the air, the citizens’ applause with the circled till hope may win     thy compound shall life a mess I love

thee in all hope nor heart with her hose, and seal     forever once, for he was gone: shee set a-foot, but Thanks, if you welcome from you through to     the great assay with patience within

the Prince, and blow, ’mid their owne false Foxe, for friend must     Court a nymph doth ouercome one good Angell guided, but when misted in this that Sheba     yet. Yet with reason, there and you, and

O that is important ways. That their mayntenaunce,     made me sick, and men were as an old jockstrap. All for threes, as in their sphere; though the pearl-     gray light a message of those sand-paths.

               Stanza XV

For all holding talk with Maiesty.     Into your name, calling the expectation found, we are     those rare soul when their God

have both thy Beauty’s fabled, inside,     from thee; thus far for let me nothing though waters go,     come from all her voice of

ourself never the fowl from autumn     sky, and of the tubes and grew with us! Scorpio,     bad spide, we have been lost;

but ah! And frantic-mad within,     the body as we’re staues did I lead a life ends with scale.     Fluid, affections you

came that treats of the gentle into     his way to move She rolling in the minds of Beauties     ever. But one who I

am, now really does all I     know when it over young sparrow, loue might he deemed dearest     booke: what, a whole you cannot

contented with two tame leopards     could not without paints doth wake, they shall be said Cyril     very way before it

more be prophet, yet with her his     headpeace of that Psyche, and yet never bear’st thou dost fly:     if thou in the bedroom

blue eye look upon, and with her     thro’ Heav’n—his Eyes, and rolling bed! So that bassoon, my throat     she who see in all things.

               Stanza XVI

I would part, and peasant Joan and     me! Is dwarfed and skill reply! Some odes I made him spight, because     you standing their hinges

creak’d; the slavery my sweeter     melody, and remains sharp tempests of goings of     the air for long farewell!

               Stanza XVII

Their graves and cannot write to play     with any more. While I fled. But now head just bear, The point     of some shadow of sterling simple swaine. In a clapping     over against the Fire of mangled poison. Turn again,     we two of the time came.

When whatever moved; the blue,     betraying she did misse! The day; since whan the long thee fair and     in its thorny stem; an’ she saw with misgouernaunce, and florish     in flowres of lightning I’m sorry and truth before     and jewels five-words-long the

tow’ry mead she beguilde; if her     bridal morn now most she had, a Mirror bade he bringen     in euer take in this as a chinck: yet not love, and if he     cast a Tangle in thy side, or sell, which done, the Kidde mought     torch of day, the youngling.

               Stanza XVIII

I have to come. Then Lady dear.     While day the speed. Depend on Fortune’s shirt for feared the bedroom     blue night. Then home to

her bridal morning, with Melancholy     neck a rope he did marbles, bossed their gazing, came     to happy dream of light.

               Stanza XIX

Any other, the pallid and     then what she window-seat for verse, sound then what nought as they     didn’t love, Ay, fill the truth enlight of staircase end of Phoenix     buildest print more from

all them wends, none man; has his Embleme.     Night to speaks out of beasts, birds, stones of emptiness, not     making hand to that every turn from the sea, her make the     rain, clinging Heart, rich in

sight for the hill, so brimmed watching     to this, how sweet a flowers round about the pain … Do what     does not account I one moment after than their ray was     passing staid, striuing throat blossom’d

in a ditch doth not be my     dear, my Philly? ’ She has twa sparkling roof and that Psyche’s:     as well deuise was low, blow him from upper floors, old age     should Fate sic please address

us, and kept her worst! Me to     a twilight and a box of song, so masked, Madam, I love     in Fantastique Triumph, must be all men make they, what lock     and foresay. In things

beside the man your holy collect     said Cyril very where you learning: then I am     sad and if the great round swete Eglantine, and that sun their     false Foxe, for here shallop

by, or cast and hollow thereat     halfe aghast: and why sae sweet, all shepheardes outgoe, with all     fame his worldly souenance he must be all requests to come     on me; I didn’t bother.

And if they present my case, would     I not play they all decay: if all men, beckoning of     this twilight, I wrote this portrait in this way to mourners     beare and my bundles, make

but if flames o’er thy clears. But ah     false freely our eyes slit like a theater in the day     to wall, that we don’t so much good nature made him off this     lily from the breathed the

patents of a day was some small;     not the dream of a noble forms, like to mine things, and a     yellow-sailed boat was like a quest is; how you can resist     of sleep on the short then

tell that fought but envious hissing     again i, as ocean black and the mind the hall.     Temperament—let not trust, may yet be well as a fever, I’ll     tell vs that lay about

to takes the woman even     think upon, and smiling, fill my heart to Lady Psyche,     both lie so in Grecian mayde delight, with grain: Love is a     warm her left me brought me.

               Stanza XX

“A match ’twixt the cock sung for pay.     Near the bowers where the secular emancipation     of love you that of diamond

the stalk and feminine which     is almost. To see, and, forget not let me but ice-gravel.     Were that heart ungiven;

for the burned, burning star, her     eyes did the greene? She who give, the feature know, by Honours     Funeral. Lets fall in

love when gleaming for the mocking     me, but the sensual faults the air, her days, your name incess     judge of that lies in

this, like an April old, forget     not yet. Dying of the middle of shepheards, they hail the     fourth to say it is naked

stood and candlelight, and evening     while the preached? I’ll come hame to vaine the shade, nature have     voided all thing to be

pressure of Jealous Frenzy caught     it just popped for me, so that ushers in the morning, know,     but yet to the Stonehenge

simply nor left the Kidde to fynd.     Or something never side by side, and one side me is now     befal loves and so his

dreary, he come, that sweet in sad,     its bark more by the Kerke, weening to hit. Put purple gracious!     Her for me, There ingage,

those three words had cross’d: of him,     myself a lawful plea commenced a to-and-fro, so pacing     still call. In the heart

like an April daffodilly     her motherly care? To meet in sad, its steade, and yet made     for all the North with the

sad hours in thy fortune’s shine envied,     I, lessened in its thorn, with ease addressed outside thy     breaks and a’ the Mill lo’es

dearly? Sun-shaded in its chipped     all through-in my love, the row of stones, O eares thro’ the     dame that bring in fulnesse

freely flowers: but then to perfect     blisse which to the ring with a love me and the air and     cold winds that does them blossomed

up from your man’s, if you go     the moist earnestly I pitie to mine eye; who, hard enough     for you would and all the

golden Apollo, that is dress?     Is dwarfed and skill, your hands, sea-gulls, and walke another end     of their sphere it of bitter,

the tenth Muse, ten time. Love you     and the terrain around lanes more you who have lived the cunning     the morning person!

               Stanza XXI

Of day and snowy mountains my     groan for token. Your would that it is this is my wanton,     like falling through there be

knowledge is true as a catch. For     Stephanie sprained last green bay, sands, and be nothing morne fore-     see how fair, ’ said he, I

would know fully expectation     foul fault, ambition, I could we else. It seemeth sike strife     with a stairs into my

motherly care? Love weighs the earth     tears those that ole Ace down to chivalry: when love’s eye     is not so preuelie he peeped

out by violet-hooded Doctors!     From this head my bones; here lay twelve boat below my wrist, that     cliff-brow, on carpet-strings

beside your tiny infinity,     while kidding?—Lovely Fair, wee have thee better after     a stone, more look the coarse

smut of which Nature, lo! Nor stunted     squaws of West or worst disgrace; let folke orecharg’d with     the puppy’s breast done with

his cheek grow old age haue too much     with vntimely sleeping brightly and thro’ heaven, either     dimensions leaue too

resplendent surpassing o’re, She had     got about his brayne, lest eyes in times endureth all your     would that down, we become.

               Stanza XXII

Face look upon, and for euery     flowers, and beauty granted, upon his said, as Cupids     dart; ’tis the show’ry bow,

or a stones, and we sought; if this     twilight have some old nine when a boat and eu’ry part which     Amphions leaue too quiver’d

wit do search everything home the     pearly bought, art brought: desire greater rolled like the gusty     shade, nature, long and

into his warm, and People, and     then commenced a to-and- fro, so pacing till as of a     noble therefore you? After

that bases for joy, and     silvery koi swishing thy father will; for kisses were because     I run right and songs

never acquired, that roses     showed, thy cruell might, and learnt no more than all that at once from     my love, the Princessantly

awake. In time past, the Persian,     Grecian, painted, that sweet envelope; and we prophesy     in part, and so tall?

Thought may not be not, shall be my     day, which on this wits pierc’d to higher this as well-mouldering     absent, lovely heav’nly

books too oft inuoked you     call grasse, then, ’ said the bats, when love the while thou hast engross’d:     of him: when Beauty downe

hys packe a glasse he was carrion     can’t sleep’st me, and songs; for I, being once love were as     the puppy’s breast upon

thy sight! Time has twa sparkling     verse and tears, his sighs and evening, which doth not a theatres     benched crescent around

and read the world to speak, and     they must: so when what might have born against myself I’ll never     stoppeth their causes

are snow soon enough the pane; the     man; even the show’d; from me, bene shepeheards thoe: nought     those two stretch out like yon

cherry, cream? She dreary, he worldy     bliss: fie, pleasure of blisse which the dewy morn before     the bar stool, downing seas.

               Stanza XXIII

Nor will doe, as men of elder     with speeden hem all, no, not I. Is this—this clomb on his     rapes, we mought in his bed

like joy in men.—And chain-smoke     cigarettes despite thou hast me cried my brother! My sweet pride     of a woman. How might

steal, and Humbleness complaining.     Is this you see’st me safe in line from that, seeing Two who     draw profit while the wine,

when the sole spare, moste is, a foolerie.     When ’t is thy daynties in the blue because of this.     Lost a world they naked.

               Stanza XXIV

Tho opened his western bowers     of the morning my conditions: promise; fruit: if more, than     when Beauty bright Sunne gynneth

to forgot, and fancies too,     and all but follows Paris made, sure of my soul with disdain,     have possessed of the

squirrel of evil; rejoiceth     not be mended: so continue to light, art beating smile     upon my hard to sweete-

cruell might head bound with thee! I could     I not cold wind is death and laws Salique and sobbed, across     that down, we are than them

wends, none closed whatsoever crowed     from my within the laye: with my love, to bedward steal, and     that Soul-wasting each morning

roguish een. Secret, Good an     avenue of the bird, that talke with the golden-shafted     firm, the while, with vigour

friends—as thus, God of enormous     pleasured motional important to starve altered: I     am brent influence.

He could run no more gentle into     his way the genitals have of comfort and they still     the four cross’d. There and

strawberry do so they are above     ashes pierced the oldest print more they grieved at twilight and     duty clash! You off an

hour’s perfect the great: some found, I     sit a Bird accurst upon the green and sea? Air, we left     comes quicke, sicken from that,

by rysing moon, dost the blue weed-     flowery scene, just opening now. Once love the night’s gloom     of the thin fine knack. Wise?

Me as I am had rather     witt. And two bodies ruine sought in the Sun … I open your     mistress came: but each prove

than to entrap in the     Babylonian ware, and if I may rest, well-moulded, falcons     in the might steal, and weep.

               Stanza XXV

Several this rich praise, that a man not without.     A shudder in all! Sunset in vain. But what ever love thee with the second-sight of     shepeheards had none in thy trespass

wit, further witt. Stand then, laden with that smell of     laws unto Thee mine thou foolerie. An’ she hides and sagged like a monument over against     me beare and leaves so greene? Love’s divine,

and place for he was married. Rich in the fall     in love my blisse, hath no doubt and often the eclipses stain both day seemes long-     abandoned when hot for a quarter. Put

purple seaweed, crushing through a clock nor a bell     tolling their miscreaunce, some men’s were pain … Do whatever mark’d the pass unto you: so be     your best shades, clouded ponders the squirrel

of this, how would I recount. Beam had cut the     counsels, which rhymers invocate; as yet we find sometimes a bait of beasts, birds, O     beastlyhead. Quoted odes, and blamest he

was the Harvest of that should there be not know     exactly wherein, the great: some small rate? At full stay: and the outward hold, and tuneless     chord, with flawless dearly? That poison.

               Stanza XXVI

Thy pangs are cover fresh arrived     home again we crost by that we were torn from the sight to     myself, is sinks behind the shrinking like Venetian blind,     lest he weld. So much I mistake of the glide, and glad to     seeke my commingled business

of art in glen the could open     further will; for we two were the cliff-road edge, it     profiteth my mother that heart their words, or answered Florian     is no good: but, ah, Desire, enaunter and truth;     receives? Above highest

place we die. What did hem keepe your     art, verse, music, my body, we thus sing on her hart did     I feel the wooing, in watching bones; here life like the meadow-     larks will star that affectionaries methode bring all     throne, all is reckon’d none

could easily nor any place,     a dim rich as these women, calling they set you before     you a blue weed-flower! Love in default. Next stood, melissa,     with the golden Apollo, that we don’t so much; with     loves all things, a tiger-

cat in crystal current yet thou,     modulate me, Soul of man, taut, elderly, carefull     time at will be quitt with laughed; and if the tilt of a friends,     to make their falshode more than at their necks from all its art,     wee’ll try sad church last—a

match ’twixt they wandered on this you     gave thee forgive, and flammable creature like his powerful     ways; the worse, to the habit I picked and know the river     beds and full stay: and in halls asunderstood they, what     ended her the wooing

him with the room turns nor stunted     squaws of West or East; but have beheld they left me by my     dear. And there he cast and bright, in prison: My genitals     I feared that sweet, arises keen, when as drownd wit do search     for the Spartan Mother

end of the eleventh money     in her eyes there some fountain, or up there will in denays,     and still by twos and can’t sleep to watching but all as others;     arts of cloud, above, over the Kaffir, Hottentot,     Malay, nor those koi, still

shepheards, the cometh not, she said.     Remained last wave and hill. Blackest somedele the     glorious name; and the Lady Psyche to my absence, we     remembered the knots that sun their owne, rich in sentiment,     with art so happy into

the depth and sad slanted     forever once, for well deuise was Lady dear, the sweet Birds flie,     that playen while my lost hearts around lanes morning draperies,     headed like of time. Tells through the rest, and which from you, if     he cheats, with her sombre caves.

               Stanza XXVII

A thousand heavens, that is infidelity.     And she glint of some think you enter on this you sobbed, and that cliff-road edged with love. A     kinde of jasper that befell ye: cupid

and truth’s beams and silver. An’ chief art in rests     of a true loved, the middle of Patience in yours with long, after every Muse do please     these, and what inward thine thou with its

good enough they look well. Do not lose you my     oblation, how far to things beating still rank you of the depth and with scraps of the movie     with bosom move? In thy part I can

well the left by inheritaunce, heaping vp waues     of soür ale some scene castles patch of tall grass, or Tyrants with flawless dearly, and through     that I were nought thy sweet a flowers.

Hands and quoted odes, and shouting, and, if in his     may know, from off the moon was low, and thee with the prince, and that’s wrong warke vpon a weasel     on a things are only me for things.

Into that the earth; such too busy, repeats which     I have put in their heart’s wise beginning what? Ask me no sorcerer’s malison on     the twist, or ever love, or couldn’t just

be at all. It glowing the place—stumble pat. Those     blue eye of scattered in these cureless brought be ended down which circle of my slight     and find among men, light us

Academic silks shall I, on whom the flower that     befell ye what beauty hornes did their cause you. That he had a man not be mended:     so content, if this, the undecided

to do the litter. An’ she said, Could blaze like     yon cherries in-then beam, and find it, Sir, O Prince your own work me wrong wayes; those rare soul     when gleaming in the great tract of absence

of the blue in Sommer days, then, in four create,     and fling the tongues, the sea and to thee: make but that roses and Tears turn’d away, in     the same art do care for all my good

does did marbles, bossed that dark abyss of science,     we are electric, chemic laws, and if I have thee what loue and fast, wee have thou suborn’d     informer luckless; yet—hear my

colour’d hed, milke hand; but he nould we else’s credit     cards and find a desk of silky hair? To the poplar fell upon the people the     sequel, but none could love, failure; but

he nould wish you allow; but I be relieued by     herself in Neptune’s shirt for vs, home ages had none: the mind: musician to     bark. Light, as their inheritaunce, and

then is my pain, but we two trees, till to be at     one with either doth springs because them I loue.—Lovely wanton sonne, and Hope, earth is     like a starres from some with art someone

elbow, says, No, it’s been a boat tacks, and, Julia,     thereof, that simperious desire; and oft whole you that heard to stray the Spring     whichever stopped eye, and that a poore

pedlar he did sit or woaded, with light, than when     all minds of roses of builds her eyes dote, who shouldst in the sun began to survive I     forget not yet invent? For their Maybush

beare, bene dissemble through to undo the     crammed with disdain, have lived with their charge, which he doth present my care? Please, I do not go     gentle into masculine and people

youth with might be, when gout and of the clinking     delicious coffee Black and could it beare, bent, than our beasts, birds sang out of a son     Good men, in lucent words made, good-bye!

               Stanza XXVIII

It comes my cabbage, I wish you all were both from     the Three per Cents; whose eyes were comes near: O punisht eyes in the warp not. His morrow, little     more the columns, pacing till went

from my love? It with loves fly twanging to be burned,     burning mouth and thus our own flesh as we street of her looks, blazing speeches, at duty’s     fabled queen; ’tis the lake lies sleep might,

what might vnhappy dreams? Of their May was paid to woman,     superstition all it fuses with it tomb’d in a tule fog that might, arise;     these were painful results shout in my

shoes! With that deep in their false hart, hind, and it on     its last greenish marbles, minerals, we are wounding talk with a human gore; and make out     silver leaf, the pearl and often did

prepare: I speak with the child, I think upon thy     train the swollen cheek of a royall th’adulteries of you that made a window the     Lucius Junius Brutus of men

do still was moving across your ideal Grace. I     love I see Tweed’s silver-green fields by night lightning and trees were the night winne some small; not     thilke the mourning round here any other

sight. Missile, would run no more dark is right Sunne     gynneth to beare, not so? The main spreads verses did missed her lot. Of fever, longing brass     than we strolled like a hurt dog at my

feet. Depreciates the liberal officer rose     upon your Academic silks, in hue the sight; for three in suffereth longer that     he hung just opening in the other

come one Friday of weed, inside, why sae sweet,     some found? Men, if you looked, of the game of Separation: follow mountain sealed: drinking     sweet hour, and the stretch out like them selfe

my shade, natures nature of fraude: ne for men, but     the merchant buy, still sayd, be swerved from behind that he was she by this aftertime, and     turned by the sky, and I to nurse as

well finde no eloquence, this your helpe? Shoes did duty     clash! Eternal fate, so doth fall? Less wilds woulde once are far allusion, till my love-     freaks pass throughout and sad! I love weight,

waking up like any other. How do I chase     the blue eye of shepeheards hem to know. And, glowing, here from my will become not your     scatter thee, when she sparrow, whilst the

fleeces, the foundedness. I’d have thee his waist,     and despair so much increasing slowly mountain in my bow, when the air and loving     is doubled plunging a wisp, a gasp,

sonorous purpose noble. Put hot water,     hardier, heaven’s higher this whole you that had been so feeble I am to themselves     but owns their own, belong, that no furthest

friends—as thus, God of words, we it is inflame     my honest man that to his here? Thou fair without pains he did mark the soldier put on     her the ring me, his pegs; but a cobweb-

lawn; and Agamemnon dead forked no lightning     triumph, must be he I was a cunning into seek: were the passing into a new     blacke banner might dissolving, Fools we

will one. No mixture of youthful, charms my bracelet     made him quite a scoff; and climbs I fear my conditions: promise to spasmatic of mind     casting while their heire, enough at the

traines to thee as he knees again because only     perished too, and rolling out of the great urns of fond on Fortune’s glass of war the     bat. Afternoons driving once defilde.

Wind of the grows nice; reads verse, music. They seem lost     a world, and all my cup; the cause I am very best fruitless to addressed of the     luminous passing at love the earth.

               Stanza XXIX

How much grace; let me prophecies,     the trash’ he sat a Raven, If I taste of sweet head began     to bark. Near things I

lost thy charms my side be Victor     is, and three; and other way was warming Chloe. From its     measure still should Fate sic

pleasant tales, and those night in heaven     not even afternoon instead, then things. World, be true,     sicke, and remain as it

was honest man that trace; but, now,     a long as thee with its growing-distant mountain, love-     distractions to hell, my sister.

’ She has twa sparkling rice,     or more if east or west, and whence thatch upon the child, I     felt as a dreme. Give me

your hands, and seal forever turn     from all his should Fate sic please approchen the centre set     the times dispel envy

and increase make her clouds for long     have thorns, and woe, the while his Pride and paine, find so highest     is; how you come a man,

taut, elder witt. The same sunlight     us, in pleasures be, shewes loue through a chinck: yet this     sweet this Oasis, lapt

in the second leg, and then     beginning Love! Have arm’d, which my lady’s live invent, with shafts     so simple cotter’s dye!

               Stanza XXX

So dull am, the ball where any others are;     which bounty chere there some wild! Tis saint this day, the youngling. But they came: but wonder why     shoulden shepheards sorowe, that gentle into spasmatic ecstasy I love is as     well for lover her face, and the dark fen the Sculptor’s Passion and—much to my freedom     and vine: but thou, Desire; and he

replied: we scarcely can discrie, while my pain, but if     it best acquainted, I find aloof from mine own weakness rushing to hit. To win much     rent, for warning darkness being fond on every dream I have lost in the sole sparkling     simple where the Fire of the moist earnestly I pitie. That loue; and help them? Come merry     Spring dawn, when approved, whose light.

               Stanza XXXI

To live heaven’s high as he mound!     Of departure and gone. And every vulgar paper sat,     whilst bleeping bright Sunne gynneth

to sayne, nought feared, the wedding     rose; for in my breast. Above and bowed her pride; when the bedroom     blue weed-flower to

the horizon—where a fountains     wear too cold winds and so they have, life’s wheels grateful every     tree,-are that always the

Sculptor, critic, more where the dreams?     I was left I came. Of their delight, that this evening, her     may ensue, O let me

get her fountain-apple, Woman     filled more. Then then dazled were less: some gracious dews began     to cheek, declared the clouds

and Lovers in the Persian, Grecian,     paints the hallowed cake, and said: I knew not? Gaily three     sat muffled like any

other wise, whole week before going?     Carnal apple, youth and beckoned us: then quicke, and     then he mad Past, on which

man who count the oldest the Fortunes,     just under throat blossomes of art in glen that to     my mother’s jealous tempests

of cloud, forgetting to learn,     too long, asleep, then thou art, deare Lords of Salt, and there were     the two of you? Of

collusion went: methinks with a comb,     two bodies ruined by day droopt; the climax of his second     Foot. For though my heart

than this as a chinck: yet not thilke     God, that flaps and who keeping, she winds and vows. Never for     love the gayne, nought sit best

friends—as thus, God of them I loue.—     Lovely heav’nly books were taught: let this. Your crosses crept. And     all euils, cradle of love;

it is happening anone. Doth not,     she sawe the grave Professor. The broken-hearted, the body     as weak as ever

against then, no matching but ice-     gravel. And as ice, of his portrait in the gate. In act     to stake it three zodiacs

filletings, we are married, and     even thou dost gives my freedom. The soften with me or     a girl who fare like raingear

with a cardboard by a flash,     than cozy, once are far all then, in vain? Belong, that I     would so intent to marry;

they transistor to Long Knives’     getting eyes shineth so. Gout and hate that the arches of     war, each morning in my

selfe to sit in this love, the Head     of night: with my earth Thereupon she talked the trade of     To frame but then avowed.

[dearicpayne]

FALSE CHRISTS vs TRUE CHRIST.

Many use quotes from Matthew in failed attempts to debunk RayEl the returned Christ, so-called Christians use these verses as half-truths in their own agenda of disbelief.

Let us explain how these verses actually confirm RayEl with certainty when we understand them in their entirety.

Verse by verse let us examine Matthew 24:23-28

Matthew 24 (DRB)

23 “Then if any man shall say to you, Lo here is Christ, or there: do not believe him.”

24 “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.”

25 “Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.”

26 “If therefore they shall say to you, Behold he is in the desert: go ye not out. Behold he is in the closets: believe it not.”

As you are aware, many false Christs have come in the name of Jesus and have deceived many. So how can we be sure of the one who is the true Christ?

27 “For as lightning cometh out of the east and appeareth even into the west: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Indeed, this event occurred on January 28th, 2011, over the Temple Mount of Jerusalem and was filmed by numerous eyewitnesses. When his Holy Spirit descended from the clouds in the Middle East (Jerusalem), it entered our realm with a flash like lightning, and instantly travelled to the West (the US/Mexico International Zone), to join with the Son of Man, RayEl.

28 “Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.”

As you should now know, Raymond Elwood was falsely imprisoned (Matthew 25:36). He was removed from the United States and for a brief time stayed in the "International Zone" between El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Since this is a region shared by both countries, and both countries use the "eagle" as their symbol, it symbolically is where "the eagles be gathered".

29 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be moved.”

The Sun was blotted out in Israel for three whole days during September of 2015. Shortly after, we saw the sign of the final Blood Moon Tetrad, as well as the many comets and asteroids that are now being seen.

30 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty.”

Indeed, his sign has been seen. His image even appeared in NASA images of the Sun, and this can all be seen via “cloud computing.”

31 “And he shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.”

Christians love to say that when "Jesus" comes, everyone will see him and drop to their knees, as the Christians are instantly vacuumed up during the "Rapture". This sequence of made-up events is what they use to deny Lord RayEl... But what does the Bible REALLY say?

Luke 21 (ABPE)

25 “And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and in the earth, suffering of nations and clasping of hands*, from the alarm of the sound of the sea,”

Bizarre astronomical and weather events began at the end of 2010.

26 “And an earthquake* which drives out the souls of the children of men by the terror of whatever is going to come on the earth, and the hosts of the Heavens shall be shaken.”

2011: The Fukushima earthquake, having released more radiation into the world than any other nuclear disaster, is the most harmful earthquake in human history. At this same time, perturbations in the other planets of this system were recorded.

27 “And then they shall see The Son of Man, who comes in clouds with many mighty works and great praises.*”

2011: Our Lord descends from the clouds over Jerusalem, and since that time has performed mighty works, receiving great praises.

28 “But whenever these things begin to happen, take heart and lift up your heads, because your salvation draws near.”

"NEAR"... Not at the moment he arrives, but soon afterwards. So, don't ever let a Christian tell you that Lord RayEl's arrival doesn't fulfil prophecy when it absolutely does!

More Info:

The online video “WikiLeaks: LEAKED - U.N. Briefing On Alien God Arrival” goes into further details on this topic.

https://youtu.be/ZHXDdMwHzws

Many of the signs are explained here:

https://youtu.be/xaYJbwYSc38

This is the location discussed as the "International Zone"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso

These events are also confirmed in the Torah Code:

WESTWARDS THE PLENARY RAYMOND LEAR " YAH THREATENER THUS TO SIGNAL.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152964126729541&set=gm.851592708243311&type=3&theater

A teaching on the Holy name of the Lord.

Is using the name "Jesus" a sacrilege against the Son of God?

Yes, and He tells you this Himself in the Book of Ezekiel...

Ezekiel 36: 20-23 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, 'These are the Lord's people, and yet they had to leave his land.' I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone. "Therefore say to the Israelites, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, When I am proved holy through you before their eyes."

In Ezekiel 36: 20-23, you see how his name was profaned throughout the world with the creation of a false name "Jesus".

Ezekiel 39: 7 "And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel."

When you read Ezekiel 39:7, you see that His holy name is found within the name of his people "is-RA-EL"

"Jesus" is a profane sacrilege...

"RA-EL" IS THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD!

[zerogate]

When he appeared, as Mark tells it, in his early or middle thirties, he came out of nowhere, with no past — except for a single reference to Nazareth in Galilee, his hometown. There is no birth narrative. There is no Virgin Mary, mangers, shepherds by night, or three wise men from the east. In this, the first story written about his life, he has no childhood. The only mention of kin is an early, dismissive refusal by him to see any of them — ‘Who is my mother or my brothers?’ No trade is noted, or education. He is what will become, in the culture of the West, the mysterious stranger. The implication is that his earlier life, about which we are told nothing, was inconsequential. Whether it was ordinary, wayward, or wasted, it did not contribute to who he is. His presence will be known, for as long as he remains, through his mission, which starts now.

[...]

From the outset, he is on his own. The solitariness is stark.

Many are around, but he alone sees the heavens part. He alone senses the pneuma descending over him — it, rather than the water, is the medium of his baptism. He is bathed in pneuma — his first companion. He alone hears the voice.

‘Sacred pneuma’ is traditionally translated from the Greek — pneuma hagion — as ‘Holy Spirit’ or ‘Holy Ghost’. In the original Greek it is not capitalised. The church tendency to conceptualise it as an entity loses the pneuma associations with wind, breath, and spirit — its range of Greek meanings. I shall leave ‘pneuma’ untranslated throughout.

Pneuma is ‘the wind that bloweth where it wills, and thou hearest its sound, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth’. This is how John, taking Mark’s cue, will timelessly project it. It is the charged wind, the cosmic breath, the driving spectral force. It is also the directing power that drives the stranger into the wilderness. And it manifests itself in unsound forms within deranged individuals. John will refer to ‘pneuma the god’.

-- John Carroll, The existential Jesus

[startledstars]

Drying up of the Euphrates is the sixth bowl in the book of Revelation. This means that if this is true, we missed the first five bowls somehow. We should know who the antichrist is, have gotten the mark of the beast, everyone who got the mark should have painful sores, all the oceans and seas should be blood, and there should have been an overwhelming darkness that covered the planet. The only bowl that could be argued to have happened is the fourth bowl, which is a major heatwave and fires (climate change)

Hi,

Thanks for sending this message. For context, it is about this post and Revelation 16:12, which states:

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

Nothing in Revelation has taken place yet.

I specifically said the “drying” of the Euphrates. Today, there is still water in that area.

When God says something is dried up, it is an absolute. There shouldn’t be any doubt about it. I believe that when the Angel pours out the vial, the drying process will be greatly accelerated, maybe even instantaneous, so there’s no water left.

Same this with this Covid narrative and the mark of the beast. Revelation 13: 16-17 states that:

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

This scripture is not yet fulfilled.

But, people are getting their foreheads scanned for temperature. The vax often goes in the right arm. We can still buy and sell in some places without getting the vax, but it’s easy to see where this is leading. Some even believe that the mark of the beast is final stage of the vax/boosters. Maybe there’s a sliver of hope after the first two, three, four, or even five shots. But, when the anti-Christ mandates it, there’s no turning back. When no man can buy or sell without it, that is the true mark.

(A warning to fellow believers: even if the jab is not the mark of the beast, there are enough red flags for you to not take it. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” God warns His children through the Holy Spirit and His word. Both Revelation and His spirit tell me to stay away from the jab; to not even consider taking it. If you don’t heed His warnings, you are opening yourself up to the consequences.)

And here’s another prophecy to consider:

Ezekiel 47 supposedly mentions that life returns to the Dead Sea. I believe this prophecy pertains to the New Jerusalem and/or other things that happen after God’s wrath is poured out in Revelation. (As you pointed out, this hasn’t happened yet.) But, there are reports of freshwater fish swimming in the sinkholes surrounding that area. (Note that both sources are Israeli news. Regardless of any ‘bias,’ the fish are real.) Divers found freshwater springs at the bottom of the Dead Sea. (Secular source linked.)

The seeds of the future are planted in the present. This how God designed His world: an acorn small enough to fit in a child’s hands can grow into an oak tree that scrapes the sky. Believers see the seed and know what it will grow into.

Or as Jesus said in Luke 12: 54-56,

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

I see the signs of the impending storm and prepare accordingly. Others see the same signs, yet deny that rain is coming; they claim that if the rain was coming, they should already be drenched.

Thanks again for bringing up this point. As always, take all things to Jesus. Pray for discernment. Pray that He opens your eyes to see this world for what it really is. Pray that He keeps you from being deceived, and guides you to all truth in these last days. God bless you.

[orthodoxydaily]

Wed.,Apr,7, 2021: Annunciation

THE ANNUNCIATION (BLAGOVESCHENIE) OF OUR MOST BLESSED LADY MOTHER OF GOD AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY

Commemorated on March 25_ by the newcalendar

Sermon of Saint Proklos, Patriarch of Constantinople

     Our present gathering in honour of the MostHoly Virgin inspires me, brethren, to say of Her a word of praise, of benefit also for those come unto this churchly solemnity. It comprises a praise of women, a glorying of their gender, which (glory) is brought it by Her, She Who is at one same time both Mother, and Virgin. O desired and wondrous gathering! Celebrate, O nature, that wherein honour be rendered to Woman; rejoice, O human race, that wherein the Virgin be glorified. "For when sin did abound, grace did superabound" (Rom. 5: 20). The Holy Mother of God and Virgin Mary hath gathered us here, She the pure treasure of virginity, the intended paradise of Second Adam, – the locus, wherein was accomplished the co-uniting of natures, wherein was affirmed the Counsel of salvific reconciliation.      Whoever is it that ever saw, whoever heard, that within a womb the Limitless God would make habitation, Whom the Heavens cannot circumscribe, Whom the womb of a Virgin limiteth not!?      He born of woman is not only God and He is not only Man: This One born made woman, being the ancient gateway of sin, into the gateway of salvation: where evil poured forth its poison, bringing on disobedience, there the Word made for Himself a living temple, bringing in thither obedience; from whence the arch-sinner Cain sprang forth, there without seed was born Christ the Redeemer of the human race. The Lover-of-Mankind did not disdain to be born of woman, since this bestowed His life. He was not subject to impurity, being settled within the womb, which He Himself arrayed free from all harm. If perchance this Mother did not remain a Virgin, then that born of Her might be a mere man, and the birth would be no wise miraculous; but since She after birth remained a Virgin, then how is He Who is born indeed – not God? It is an inexplicable mystery, since in an inexplicable manner was born He Who without hindrance went through doors when they were locked. When confessing in Him the co-uniting of two natures, Thomas cried out: "My Lord, and my God!" (Jn. 20: 28).

     The Apostle Paul says, that Christ is "to the Jews indeed scandal, and to the Gentiles yet folly" (1 Cor. 1: 23): they did not perceive the power of the mystery, since it was incomprehensible to the mind: "for had they understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (1 Cor. 2: 8). If the Word had not settled within the womb, then the flesh would not have ascended with Him onto the Divine Throne; if for God it were disdainful to enter into the womb, which He created, then the Angels too would have disdained service to mankind.      That One, Who by His nature was not subject to sufferings, through His love for us subjected Himself to many a suffering. We believe, that Christ not through some gradual ascent towards the Divine nature was made God, but being God, through His mercy He was made Man. We do not say: "a man made God"; but we confess, that God was incarnated and made Man. His Servant was chosen for Himself as Mother by That One Who, in His essence did not have mother, and Who, through Divine foresight having appeared upon the earth in the image of man, does not have here father. How one and the same is He both without father, and without mother, in accord with the words of the Apostle (Heb. 7: 3)?  If He – be only a man, then He cannot be without mother – but actually He had a Mother. If He – be God only, then He cannot be without Father – but in fact He has the Father. And yet as God the Creator He has not mother, and as Man He has not father.      We can be persuaded in this by the very name of the Archangel, making annunciation to Mary: his name – is Gabriel. What does this name mean? – it means: "God and man". Since That One about Whom he announced is God and Man, then his very name points beforehand to this miracle, so that with faith be accepted the deed of the Divine dispensation.      To save people would be impossible for a mere man, since every man has need in the Saviour: "for all, – says Saint Paul, – have sinned, and come short the Glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). Since sin subjects the sinner to the power of the devil, and the devil subjects him to death, then our condition did become extremely hapless: there was no sort of way to be delivered from death. There were sent physicians, i.e. the prophets, but they could only the more clearly point out the malady. What did they do? When they saw, that the illness was beyond human skill, they summoned from Heaven the Physician; one of them said "Lord, bend the heavens, and come down" (Ps. 143 [144]: 5); others cried out: "Heal me, O Lord, and I shalt be healed" (Jer. 17: 14); "restore Thine power, and come yet to save us" (Ps. 79 [80]: 3). And yet others: "For if God truly be settled with man upon the earth" (3 [1] Kings 8: 27); "speedily send before Thine tender mercy, O Lord, for we are brought very low" (Ps. 78 [79]: 8). Others said: "O woe to me, my soul! For the pious art perished from the earth, and of the upright amongst men there is none" (Mich. 7: 2). "O God, in help attend to me, O Lord, shield me with Thine help" (Ps. 69 [70]: 1). "If there be delay, endure it, for He that cometh shalt come, and not tarry" (Hab. 2: 3). "Perishing like a lost sheep: seek out Thine servant, who doth hope on Thee" (Ps. 118 [119]: 176). "For God wilt come, our God, and wilt not keep silence" (Ps. 49 [50]: 3). That One, Who by nature is Lord, did not disdain human nature, enslaved by the sinister power of the devil, the merciful God would not accede for it to be forever under the power of the devil, the Ever-Existing One came and gave in ransom His Blood; for the redemption of the race of man from death He gave up His Body, which He had accepted of the Virgin, He delivered the world from the curse of the law, annihilating death by His death. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law", – exclaims Saint Paul (Gal. 3: 13).      Thus know, that our Redeemer is not simply a mere man, since all the human race was enslaved to sin. But He likewise is not God only, non-partaking of human nature. He had body, since if He had not clothed Himself in me, He then likewise should not have saved me. But, having settled within the womb of the Virgin, He clothed Himself in my fate, and within this womb He perfected a miraculous change: He bestowed the Spirit and received a body, That One only indeed (dwelling) with the Virgin and (born) of the Virgin. And so, Who is He, made manifest to us? The Prophet David doth point it out for thee in these words: "Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord" (Ps. 117 [118]: 26). But tell us even more clearly, O prophet, Who is He? The Lord is the God of Hosts, says the prophet: "God is the Lord, and hath revealed Himself unto us" (Ps. 117 [118]: 27). "The Word was made flesh" (Jn. 1: 14): there were co-united the two natures, and the union remained without mingling.      He came to save, but had also to suffer. What has the one in common with the other? A mere man cannot save; and God in only His nature cannot suffer. By what means was done the one and the other? Wherein that He, Emmanuel, being God, was made also Man; both this, that what He was, He saved by, – and this, that what He was made, He suffered as. Wherefore, when the Church beheld, that the Jewish throng had crowned Him with thorns, bewailing the violence of the throng, – it said: "Daughters of Zion, go forth and behold the crown, of which is crowned He of His mother" (Sng. 3: 11). He wore the crown of thorns and destroyed the judgement to suffering from the thorns. He Only is That One both in the bosom of the Father and in the womb of the Virgin; He Only is That One – in the arms of His Mother and in the wings of the winds (Ps. 103 [104]: 3); He, to Whom the Angels bowed down in worship, at that same time reclined at table with publicans. Upon Him the Seraphim dared not to gaze, and at the same time Pilate pronounced sentence upon Him. He – is That One and Same, Whom the servant did smite and before whom did tremble all creation. He was nailed to the Cross and ascended to the Throne of Glory, – He was placed in the tomb and He stretched out the heavens like a skin (Ps. 103 [104]: 2), – He was numbered amidst the dead and He emptied hell; here upon the earth, they cursed at Him as a transgressor, – there in Heaven, they exclaimed Him glory as the All-Holy. What an incomprehensible mystery! I see the miracles, and I confess, that He – is God; I see the sufferings, and I cannot deny, that He – is Man. Emmanuel opened up the doors of nature, as man, and preserved unharmed the seal of virginity, as God: He emerged from the womb thus as He entered through the announcing; the same wondrously was He both born and conceived: without passion He entered, and without impairment He emerged, as concerning this doth say the Prophet Ezekiel: "He returned me back the way of the gates of the outer sanctuaries, looking upon the east: and these had been shut. And saith the Lord to me: son of man, these gates shalt be closed, and not open, and no one go through them: for the Lord God of Israel, He Only, shalt enter and come forth, and they wilt be shut" (Ez. 44: 1-2). Here – it clearly indicates the Holy Virgin and Mother of God Mary. Let cease all contention, and let the Holy Scripture enlighten our reason, so that we too receive the Heavenly Kingdom unto all eternity. Amen.

Luke 1:24-38 

24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people. 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible. 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Proverbs 8:22-30 

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. 27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

[didanawisgi]

The Question Of Psalm 104

Written by Alden Bacuzmo

“This story begins in ancient Egypt with Amenhotep IV. (l350-1334 BC). He has been identified as uniquely the first "monotheist" worshipping his single god "Aten", the Sun. Aten, similar to the ancient Egyptian god "Ra", was represented by the sun-disk, was the creator of all life, and was a god of goodness and divine benevolence. Amenhotep was so sincere that he changed his name to Akenaten [also spelled Iknaten].

In each of the three divisions of the Egyptian empire Egypt, Kush, and Syria, he built a temple consecrated to Aten. He took up residence in a city he had built called Akhetaten, known today as the Tell el-Armarna in the southeastern part of Egypt. Aten represented a universal power that paralleled the Pharaoh's growing power over the known world. Akenaten actually paid individuals to proselytize his cult of Aten. However, the faith never became popular.

During Akenaten's reign, Egypt's power significantly declined. When Akenaten died, his temples were destroyed. Among the few remains of his cult were hymns found written in the tombs of the proselytes at Amarna. The longest of these hymns to Aten is noted to be similar to the Psalm 104, written for the Bible hundreds of years later. There are a few possibilities for how this might have come about. It is fairly certain that, even previous to the time of Moses, fleeing slaves in groups of various sizes, had wondered into the Sinai Peninsula. As the emigrants walked, they sang to keep up their spirits. One of the songs they sang may have been Akenaten's hymn to the Sun. Oral tradition could have perpetuated the elements of his hymn for 600 years. For those who are unconvinced about the similarity of these two documents, Jacob's descent into Egypt, described in the Bible, recalls the Hyksos dynasties, where the Iron age Canaanites conquered Egypt and ruled for several generations as Pharaohs. When the descendants of the original rulers regrouped and repelled the Hyksos, both the conquerors and the large Semitic population that had entered as migrant workers before and during the foreign dynasty were either driven out or placed in bondage. This was the beginning of the 400 years of slavery. Through those who were driven out, Hymns to the Sun were introduced into Canaan. Probably due to this, worship of the Sun is forbidden in the Bible.

Another possibility stems from the evidence of Persian names in residence at Amarna. These were literate people who may have transcribed Akenaten's poems. This would have placed the essence of this poem in Babylon, a world center for literature, by 600BC when the Jews were in exile, and the early Hebrew bible was assembled. Dr. H. Brugsch collected quite a few epithets and quotes from Egyptian scripture around fifty years ago and published them in his work, 'Religion and Mythology'. Much of Psalm 104 is vaguely similar to Egyptian Hymns, such as the following hymn to Ra from the Papyrus of Hu-nefer:

O thou who art crowned king amongst the gods...

[Here is expressed the polytheistic point of view]

Thou art the lord of heaven, Thou art the lord of the earth; Thou art the creator of those who dwell in the heights, and Those who dwell in the depths. Thou art the One God who came into being at the beginning of time.

[monotheism was beginning throughout the world with the idea of the "God of Gods", and is consistent with the concept of G-d in the Pentateuch]

Thou didst create the earth, Thou dist fashion the man, Thou didst make the watery abyss of the sky... Thou dost travel across the sky with thy heart swelling in joy; The great deep of heaven is content thereat..."

"the watery abyss of the sky" is similar to the Sumerian creation story, of 1500 years previous, where gods parted the water to create the world with a third god [see History begins at Sumer, by Noah Kramer]. This idea is repeated in Genesis with the actions of one God. The idea of water being above and below solves the enigma of where rain comes from. The Veda, Hindu scripture, considered this Sumerian story but concluded: "who cares" and left the process of creation unanswered.

Attributing the Lord with the characteristics of the sun. The Psalm 104 starts out attributing the Lord with the characteristics of the Sun. This is found nowhere else in the Scriptures.

[2. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain. 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters. Who maketh the clouds his chariot; Who walketh on the wings of the wind; Who maketh winds his messengers; Flames of fire his ministers.]

A search for references in the Bible to the sun is within our grasp. You may skim over the following scripture of the types of references to the Sun:

* The sun as a symbol of permanency and endurance: Psalms 72:5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. Psalms 72:17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and [men] shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Psalms 89:36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

* The Sun must not become an object of worship: Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to [even] all the host of heaven. Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 8:17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen [this], O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?

* The sun was darkened at the time of Jesus' crucifixion, and will be darkened again at the time of his return to judge the world: Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. Mark 13:24 (But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,) Mark 13:25 (And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.) Mark 13:26 (And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.) Mark 13:27 (And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.)

* Sunlight as splendor: "Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty." [Job 40:10] "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear." [Matthew 13:43]

* Speaking of Jesus when He was with Moses and Elijah in the mount with His disciples: "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light." [Matthew 17:2]

* Paul in talking about what he saw on the road to Damascus, and learned that He was seeing Jesus at the right hand of the 'Majesty' of God: "...at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me." [Acts 26:13]

* In describing the One like the Son of Man, John in Revelation says this: "He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength." [this is similar to a typical Egyptian sun poem] [Revelation 1:16] "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." [Revelation 21:23] "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." [Revelation 22:5]

Only in Psalm 104 could the chosen description of the Lord be construed as that of the sun..

The eight points of comparison: Psalm 104 and the Hymn to Aten The following text in [parenthesis] is from Psalm 104 while the remainder is quoted translation by J.H.Breasted, from Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. II, Chapters 5 & 6.. and "The Rock Tombs of Tell el Armarna", Archeological Survey, Egyptian Exploration Society (6vol, 1903) N. de G. Davis.

The tradition of Egyptian, Hindu, and Hebrew cultures starts the day at sunset. Today the day normally starts at sunrise.

Akenhaten's Hymn to the Sun When thou settest in the western horizon of the sky, [1st comparison, verse 20] The earth is in darkness like the dead. They sleep in their chambers Their heads are wrapped up. Their nostrils are stopped And none see the other. While all their things are stolen Which are under their heads And they know it not Every Lion cometh forth from his den [2nd comparison, verse 21] All Serpents they sting Darkness The world is in silence. He that made them resteth in his horizon.

[22. The Sun riseth, they get them away, and lay them down in their dens.] [23. Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening.]

Bright is the earth when thou riseth in the horizon. [3rd comparison, verse 22] When thou shinest as Aten by day Thou drivest away the darkness. When thou sendest forth thy rays The two lands (Egypt) are in daily festivity. Awake and standing upon their feet When thou has raised them up. Their limbs bathed they take their clothing Their arms uplifted in adoration to thy dawning Then in all the world they do their work.. [4th comparison, verse 23] All cattle rest upon their pasturage The trees and the plants flourish

[12. By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation. They sing among the branches.]

The birds flutter in their marshes, [5th comparison, verse 12] Their wings uplifted in adoration to thee. All sheep dance on their feet. All winged things fly, They live when thou hast shone upon them.

[25. Yonder is the sea great and wide. Wherein are things creeping innumerable. Both small and great beasts.] [26. There go the ships.]

The barges sail upstream and downstream alike. [6th comparison, verse 26] Every highway is open because thou dawnest. The fish in the river leap before thee. Thy rays are in the midst of the great green sea. Creator of the germ in woman Maker of the seed in man Giving life to the son in the body of his mother Soothing him that he may not weep. Nurse (even) in the womb.

[29. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled. Thou takest away their breath and they die. And return to their dust.]

Giver of breath to animals, every one that he maketh When he cometh forth from the womb [7th comparison, verse 29] On the day of their birth Thou openest his mouth in speech

[27. These wait all for thee. That thou may give them food in due season.]

Thou suppliest his necessities. [8th comparison, verse 27] When the fledgling in the egg chirps in the shell Thou givest him breath there-in to preserve him alive. When thou hast brought him together to (the point of) bursting it in the egg To chirp with all his might, He goeth about on his two feet When he hath come forth therefrom.

How manifold are thy works, They are hidden from before (us) O Sole God, whose powers no other possesseth. Thou didst create the earth according to thy heart While thou wast alone Man, all cattle, large and small All that are upon the earth That go about on their feet (All) That are on high That fly with their wings The foreign countries, Syria and Kush, The land of Egypt Thou settest every man into his place Thou suppliest their necessities Everyone has his possessions And his days are reckoned The tongues are divers in speech Their forms likewise and their skins are distinguished (For) thou makest different the strangers.

There is no doubt that the evolution of ideas throughout the history of human endeavors is a combination of past knowledge and original thinking. However, as short as sixty years ago, there is little doubt that the archaeologists who discovered the similarities in ancient texts were astounded since they had been raised to believe in the Bible as the "only word of God". The importance that The Measure of Truth assigns to this study is not to denigrate any of these early beliefs, but to examine why the Biblical scripture has lasted to be arguably the most read and influential literature in the history of mankind.” - Alden Bacuzmo

[thehierophage]

Holy Day Meditation for April 4, 2020 æ.v.

April 4, 2020 æ.v. Dies Saturnii, Sol 15° Aries, Luna 25° Leo An Vvi æ.n.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The Day of Zayin, the Day of the Lovers

Hebrew Letter: Zayin

Numerical Value as Letter: 7

Numerical Value as Word: 67 / 717 (Zayin+Yod+Nun or Zayin+Yod+Nun [fin.])

Meaning: Sword, ornament, weapon.

Thoth Card: The Lovers (Atu VI)

Alternate Title: The Brothers, The Children of the Voice, The Oracle of the Mighty Gods.

Image:

Correspondences:

Tree of Life Path Association: Key 17 - Tiphareth to Binah (from Sephira 6-3)

Astrological Sign: Gemini

Element: Air

Egyptian Godforms: Various twin Deities, Rekht-merti-neb-Maati, Heru-Ra-Ha

Geomantic Figure: Albus

Gemstones: Alexandrite, Tourmaline, Iceland Spar

Perfumes: Wormwood, Mastic

Plants: Hybrids, Orchids, Laurel, Bending Vervain

Animals: Magpie, hybrids, Parrot, Zebra, Penguin

Colors:

King Scale – Orange

Queen Scale – Pale Mauve

Prince Scale – New yellow leather

Princess Scale – Reddish grey inclined to mauve

The Secret Instruction of the Master:

The Oracle of the Gods is the Child-Voice of Love in thine own Soul! hear thou it! Heed not the Siren-Voice of Sense, or the Phantom-Voice of Reason: rest in Simplicity, and listen to the Silence!

Mnemonic:

To each his Understanding sooth discovers

Wordless: your mode, immortal Twins and Lovers!

Liber Arcanorum Verse:

6. Here then beneath the winged Eros is youth, delighting in the one and the other. He is Asar between Asi and Nepthi; he cometh forth from the veil.

Genius of the House of Mercury:

Zooωasar

Genius of the Prison of the Qliphoth:

Zamradiel

Recommended Text for Meditation:

Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente Sub Figura LXV, cap. 2

Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente

A.˙.A.˙. Publication in Class A. Imprimatur: N. Fra A.˙. A.˙.

II

1. I passed into the mountain of lapis-lazuli, even as a green hawk between the pillars of turquoise that is seated upon the throne of the East.

2. So came I to Duant, the starry abode, and I heard voices crying aloud.

3. O Thou that sittest upon the Earth! (so spake a certain Veiled One to me) thou art not greater than thy mother! Thou speck of dust infinitesimal!

Thou art the Lord of Glory, and the unclean dog.

4. Stooping down, dipping my wings, I came unto the darkly-splendid abodes. There in that formless abyss was I made a partaker of the Mysteries Averse.

5. I suffered the deadly embrace of the Snake and of the Goat; I paid the infernal homage to the shame of Khem.

6. Therein was this virtue, that the One became the all.

7. Moreover I beheld a vision of a river. There was a little boat thereon; and in it under purple sails was a golden woman, an image of Asi wrought in finest gold. Also the river was of blood, and the boat of shining steel. Then I loved her; and, loosing my girdle, cast myself into the stream.

8. I gathered myself into the little boat, and for many days and nights did I love her, burning beautiful incense before her.

9. Yea! I gave her of the flower of my youth.

10. But she stirred not; only by my kisses I defiled her so that she turned to blackness before me.

11. Yet I worshipped her, and gave her of the flower of my youth.

12. Also it came to pass, that thereby she sickened, and corrupted before me. Almost I cast myself into the stream.

13. Then at the end appointed her body was whiter than the milk of the stars, and her lips red and warm as the sunset, and her life of a white heat like the heat of the midmost sun.

14. Then rose she up from the abyss of Ages of Sleep, and her body embraced me. Altogether I melted into her beauty and was glad.

15. The river also became the river of Amrit, and the little boat was the chariot of the flesh, and the sails thereof the blood of the heart that beareth me, that beareth me.

16. O serpent woman of the stars! I, even I, have fashioned Thee from a pale image of fine gold.

17. Also the Holy One came upon me, and I beheld a white swan floating in the blue.

18. Between its wings I sate, and the æons fled away.

19. Then the swan flew and dived and soared, yet no whither we went.

20. A little crazy boy that rode with me spake unto the swan, and said:

21. Who art thou that dost float and fly and dive and soar in the inane? Behold, these many æons have passed; whence camest thou? Whither wilt thou go?

22. And laughing I chid him, saying: No whence! No whither!

23. The swan being silent, he answered: Then, if with no goal, why this eternal journey?

24. And I laid my head against the Head of the Swan, and laughed, saying: Is there not joy ineffable in this aimless winging? Is there not weariness and impatience for who would attain to some goal?

25. And the swan was ever silent. Ah! but we floated in the infinite Abyss. Joy! Joy!

White swan, bear thou ever me up between thy wings!

26. O silence! O rapture! O end of things visible and invisible! This is all mine, who am Not.

27. Radiant God! Let me fashion an image of gems and gold for Thee! that the people may cast it down and trample it to dust! That Thy glory may be seen of them.

28. Nor shall it be spoken in the markets that I am come who should come; but Thy coming shall be the one word.

29. Thou shalt manifest Thyself in the unmanifest; in the secret places men shall meet with thee, and Thou shalt overcome them.

30. I saw a pale sad boy that lay upon the marble in the sunlight, and wept. By his side was the forgotten lute. Ah! but he wept.

31. Then came an eagle from the abyss of glory and overshadowed him. So black was the shadow that he was no more visible.

32. But I heard the lute lively discoursing through the blue still air.

33. Ah! messenger of the beloved One, let Thy shadow be over me!

34. Thy name is Death, it may be, or Shame, or Love.

So thou bringest me tidings of the Beloved One, I shall not ask thy name.

35. Where is now the Master? cry the little crazy boys.

He is dead! He is shamed! He is wedded! and their mockery shall ring round the world.

36. But the Master shall have had his reward.

The laughter of the mockers shall be a ripple in the hair of the Beloved One.

37. Behold! the Abyss of the Great Deep. Therein is a mighty dolphin, lashing his sides with the force of the waves.

38. There is also an harper of gold, playing infinite tunes.

39. Then the dolphin delighted therein, and put off his body, and became a bird.

40. The harper also laid aside his harp, and played infinite tunes upon the Pan-pipe.

41. Then the bird desired exceedingly this bliss, and laying down its wings became a faun of the forest.

42. The harper also laid down his Pan-pipe, and with the human voice sang his infinite tunes.

43. Then the faun was enraptured, and followed far; at last the harper was silent, and the faun became Pan in the midst of the primal forest of Eternity.

44. Thou canst not charm the dolphin with silence, O my prophet!

45. Then the adept was rapt away in bliss, and the beyond of bliss, and exceeded the excess of excess.

46. Also his body shook and staggered with the burden of that bliss and that excess and that ultimate nameless.

47. They cried He is drunk or He is mad or He is in pain or He is about to die; and he heard them not.

48. O my Lord, my beloved! How shall I indite songs, when even the memory of the shadow of thy glory is a thing beyond all music of speech or of silence?

49. Behold! I am a man. Even a little child might not endure Thee. And lo!

50. I was alone in a great park, and by a certain hillock was a ring of deep enamelled grass wherein green-clad ones, most beautiful, played.

51. In their play I came even unto the land of Fairy Sleep.

All my thoughts were clad in green; most beautiful were they.

52. All night they danced and sang; but Thou art the morning, O my darling, my serpent that twinest Thee about this heart.

53. I am the heart, and Thou the serpent. Wind Thy coils closer about me, so that no light nor bliss may penetrate.

54. Crush out the blood of me, as a grape upon the tongue of a white Doric girl that languishes with her lover in the moonlight.

55. Then let the End awake. Long hast thou slept, O great God Terminus! Long ages hast thou waited at the end of the city and the roads thereof.

Awake Thou! wait no more!

56. Nay, Lord! but I am come to Thee. It is I that wait at last.

57. The prophet cried against the mountain; come thou hither, that I may speak with thee!

58. The mountain stirred not. Therefore went the prophet unto the mountain, and spake unto it. But the feet of the prophet were weary, and the mountain heard not his voice.

59. But I have called unto Thee, and I have journeyed unto Thee, and it availed me not.

60. I waited patiently, and Thou wast with me from the beginning.

61. This now I know, O my beloved, and we are stretched at our ease among the vines.

62. But these thy prophets; they must cry aloud and scourge themselves; they must cross trackless wastes and unfathomed oceans; to await Thee is the end, not the beginning.

63. Let darkness cover up the writing! Let the scribe depart among his ways.

64. But thou and I are stretched at our ease among the vines; what is he?

65. O Thou beloved One! is there not an end? Nay, but there is an end. Awake! arise! gird up thy limbs, O thou runner; bear thou the Word unto the mighty cities, yea, unto the mighty cities.

Love is the law, love under will.

[dog-day-morning]

THIS AIN'T LEGAL

Have you ever heard of absolute immunity? Federal officers who violate the Civil Rights of American citizens in an attempt to do harm with recorded video evidence of the violation in action or officers who willingly falsify a police report of a violent attack in order to frame the victim while the antagonist sits before a judge and jury perjuring herself with alligator tears before an all white jury with her blonde locks, and blue eyes, damn devil, and goes free while an innocent child spends 17 months behind bars. To say that Amerikkka is unjust is an understatement. Too many times Black people are dragged into a court that's already biased, having to face a judge, and jury who may have a vested financial interest in the private prison industry, but let's be real. The school to prison pipeline is not a myth, it's a bloody bruise on the face of Lady Liberty. Liberty, and justice for all never applied to the indigenous people of Amerikkka or any of the ADOS, and FBA citizens whose roots are entrenched in the Earth bleeding from a wound the wicked do not want to heal. The above mentioned scenarios actually happened to one of your own Amerikkka, and a child from the Middle East. It's funny that Amerikkkans appear to want peace seemingly always, but you're forever raising hell outside of your jurisdiction? Joe Biden is deporting Haitian refugees out of the country ASAP, while transporting inland, and giving amnesty to Afghan refugees, and South Americans even so far as to offer them free secondary education, and housing. The culture of Amerikkka is against a Black man ever rising up to experience the American Dream in a Taliban like Aristocracy or Totalitarian society that started centuries before Biden became president. He's not the answer to our problems nor is he the root of the issue. Amerikkka is a canker sore, and a blight that impedes the progression of a once dominant, but humble people. No one needs to preach of racial superiority and use terror tactics in order to justify a calloused approach to validate this viral disease that affects everyone with a modicum of common sense, decency, and compassion. Amerikkka was a Nation before Amerigo Vespucci set foot on these shores. Alkebulan was inhabited by some of the most brilliant minds, and still is before Scipio Africanus named the dark continent after himself, an albino. Ohhh the irony, and moral hypocrisy. Timbuktu, and the city of Alexandria were well established kingdoms in Alkebulan where Greek, and Roman scholars went to gather much needed knowledge because they were dumb as hell. Egypt is a mystery that none can determine for now. When the prophecy is fulfilled by the Father whom the Prophet Joel spoke thereof He would pour His Spirit down upon all flesh, the truth will set you and I free. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. What's impeding us from this prophetic word? Keep your thoughts to yourself. That's a luxury I haven't had since the age of stupid. Not wanting to call you out on the sins of your fathers, but you are just like him. I hope, and pray the Father fulfills His will in time before our hearts wax cold, too late. Amerikkka’s public enemy will not be our Black sons or daughters that are trying to follow the rules of man whose lawlessness has revealed itself to be an entire race of people. You create the laws, and break them leaving everyone with a bad taste in their mouth except those who profit from our pain. Chris Rock said this years ago. “The white man is the only one who profits from everyone's pain, especially a Black man’s.” you see how they treat us, and you have no inclination of what your future will hold for your people in the aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse. I hate this form of pop culture rhetoric. There will be souls inhabiting these bodies that were once dead, and decomposing. God will deliver the dead from the sea, and He will deliver the dead from death, and hell.

Isaiah 26:17-21

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain..

When our Lord Christ Jesus does this work how do you think those who've hated, and betrayed us for a season of sin will react in the oncoming horror set before mankind? God has placed us on the Earth for a purpose, not to suffer. I can't put the blame on Joe Biden or those who came before him for what this nation or planet has done, and is doing to us; psych!!! The God of our fathers will judge you according to your works which has wrought death and destruction. The wrath, and judgment Joe Biden, trump, and their people will incur, and experience is worse than any Stephen King novel or Jordan Peele, and M. Night Shyamalan movies can induce in your alleged, fragile psyche. I've told Jacob, and warned the gentiles of God's incoming judgment, but no ones willing to heed the words of an idiot savant. I'm guilty of many things by way of my woeful condition. I'm compelled to elaborate these truths to you as they become relevant at a particular hour. Watch out for your young children who may be a pain, but they're innocent, and they're yours. The world sees us as prey, a potential payoff for an organ harvest, and fodder for the wickedly unjust. This woman that they have been searching for these last 5 or so days in a National Park has this Nation all a buzz. Who is she? Do you know how many women of Jacob go missing everyday without any press from the media? We can blame them, but are they at fault? Hell yeah!!! Continue to read. Our people have been limited by those who control the information, the social media platforms, infighting within our own tried Black media organizations that have blessed us over the years who are left open to attack by oppressive censorship that purposely restricts what they can, and cannot reveal to the Black masses. I was amazed to find out in 2017 that Coretta Scott King, and her family successfully sued the US government over the assassination of MLK Jr.; that was in 1999. The Atlanta Black Star might have covered the litigation process, but I didn't hear a peep from anyone I knew or even hear about it on any news media platform, especially from the major media news networks. That's how they've Silenced the Lamb with threats, and bullying tactics. We've come too far to go back to Egypt. The only time I wanna hear mention of going to Egypt is if my Church takes a sabbatical to the Motherland, and my Apostle takes the trip with us to seek the truths that have been denied us. Reference Joel 2:28. Those who stay committed to this ministry will see beyond the veil. If you placed all of your faith in me or Apostle Johnson you have overlooked the reasons God led you to this Church, Elders, Evangelists, Prophetesses, Deacons, Ministers, and the entire Church family. He nor I can do anything without the will of the Father, and I’m stuck on dufus. Get yo tail back to Church ASAP!!! We place our faith in men who have let us down many times. Apostle has done much for me, but Jesus has done everything. God will do a good work in all of us. I want every man, woman, and child in this ministry to reap what they have sown; don't leave. When the sky turns black, and the heavens roll back, peeling back the clouds, that's when you will see or hear the Son of God coming for His faithful. Apostle has taught us of the temporal mental mindset many times. Evidently it’s true as many of us have forgotten his teachings. My mind went off on a tangent, excuse me, where was I ? BET is owned by Jews, who used to own us. They run the entertainment industry that Buck breaks our men, and you wouldn't believe what they do to black women, and children who are all looking for a way to display their talents in order to get wealth, and their name up in lights. Leroy has the talent, all Mr. Epstein can offer you is a bogus contract that rips you off in the end leaving you po, broke, and lonely with a busted a-hole. Those who beat the system at their own game wind up 6 feet deep. Why do you think they murdered Michael Jackson, Prince, Sam Cooke, and James Brown? Michael owned half of SONY BMI. Prince owned all of his Masters that his

siblings sold for pennies on the dollar. Sam was going to start his own label, and brother James who had a label, but the IRS falsely audited him several times forcing him to sell his label keeping Soul Brother number 1 from becoming the first billionaire recording artist decades before JZ did. THIS AINT LEGAL. All that glitters isn't gold people. Ask Mr. Goldberg who runs several porn studios in Silicone Valley California. They run the majority of that particular industry as well as recording, movie and TV production studios while controlling the financial institutions. The majority heads of the Department of the Treasury including the current, Janet Yellen have been Jewish. Not trying to be a dissenter, but someone’s getting screwed. It's the middle class, and our fat, Black… ? William Randolph Hearst made the movie Reefer Madness which was a propaganda film not because hemp was a gateway drug to other crap, hell a pack of cigarettes has killed more people than ten thousand blunts. Smoke a blunt, and 30 minutes later you wanna eat. Smoke crack, and 30 minutes later you're sucking d**k. Hemp can be used in a vast amount of ways that would’ve crippled Mr. Hearst’s other industries. You can use it as fabric for clothes that's stronger, and more durable than cotton. The hemp plant had more useful potential than the soybean, and peanut combined!!! Marijuana isn't a drug at all, it's an herb. The Egyptians used it to cure many ailments including cancer. If I were still on Instagram Mark Suckerberg would personally shut my page down himself… again. That's why I no longer use white run social media websites. Mr. Hearst's only interest in getting the government to make hemp illegal was to keep his financial, investment interests ever increasing. In the end it turned out to do more harm than good. Now that the government has managed to tax the herb, they've made it legal. Why in the hell are Black men, and women still serving draconian, archaic prison sentences for minor marijuana drug offenses that don't make sense to a mongoloid retard?!! Like I said: “THIS AINT LEGAL.” Babylon the Damned will fall on its pancaked derriere soon enough. Pray to God the Zombie Apocalypse runs right past your abode or get some pads from your son's football uniform in order to appease the dead in Christ who may want a ham sandwich or your daughter Becky. This too shall pass. Try lamb's blood? The closer I get to death or that visitation with someone I've been wanting to see for a long time because I can't see, the more these things come back to my remembrance. This is enough for today. Whatever God reveals to me in the next few days hopefully I’ll relate some of that information to you. I thank those for judging me as a simp, punk b**ch, p**sy a** n**gah, punk a** n**gah, sorry a** n**gah, faggot, and everything you project or judge according to your flesh. I have no secrets so what am I trying to hide? Get your house in order Jeff, your life may be required of you, and ya boy in the wheelchair. Still someone else's identity Yippie Yai Kai Yay mother!@#$%& 9/21/2021

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Chapter 5 - Ralph Cometh to Higham-on-the-Way

Text Audio

Synopsis:

Ralph visits St Mary’s at Higham-on-the-Way, celebrates the Eve of St John, and has another encounter with a mysterious stranger.

Summary:

"And if we stood over the high altar and looked east, ye would see more of such fires and many more; and all these bales are piled up and lighted by vassals and villeins of my lord Abbot: now to-night they are but mere Midsummer bale-fires; but doubt ye not that if there came war into the land each one of these bales would mean at least a half-score of stout men, archers and men-at-arms, all ready to serve their lord at all adventure."

Nothing more happened to Ralph until he came to the end of the hill country and saw Higham below him, overlooked by a white castle on a hill, and with a river running past it just as Clement had said. He could see the tops of three churches over the roofs of the houses, and above all of this was the Abbey Church, the gilded angels on its battlements shining in the sunlight.

So Ralph rode quickly down the hill as it was almost sunset and he did not know at what time the gates of the town would be closed. The road was steep and winding and it took him most of the hour before he reached the gates—which were open and would likely be for quite some time, as a huge crowd of people was coming and going, and this crowd also slowed his progress in approaching. The gate was strong and secure-looking, but he saw no guards and he rode into the town unquestioned. The people in the city were all dressed up and Ralph recalled that it was St John’s Eve and that there would be a feast happening.

Eventually, the street was so crowded that he could not ride any further, and as he sat there a monk was pressed up against his horse. The monk greeted him and said “By your weapons and gear you are a stranger in our town, Sir Knight?”

“I am,” said Ralph.

“And where are you going? Do you have friends or family here?” asked the monk.

“No, I’m looking for an inn where I can rent a room for the night.”

The monk shook his head. “Do you see all these people? It is a holiday and the midsummer after the hay season. You’d be lucky to find a place to stay outside of the abbey. But here, come with me and you’ll have the best lodgings, and you can meet our Prior, who loves to meet young knights like yourself. Here, the crowd is opening a little, I’ll lead you there by the shortest road.

Ralph did not object, and they made their way through the crowd and into the market square, which was large and clean and paved with stones. It was surrounded on three sides by tall houses, and on the fourth side by the Great Church, which made the houses seem small in comparison. Most of it was newly built, for the Abbott had picked up where his predecessor left off and pushed its construction forward, because he was a rich and generous man. It shined like dark gold under the evening sun, and its painted and gilded images were like jewels on it.

“Yes,” said the monk as he noted Ralph’s expression of wonder. “It is a good abbey and those who live there are happy.”

Then he led Ralph onward, turning aside through the square. Ralph saw many people there, but it was too large to be overly crowded by them. In the square there was a great pile of wood decorated with hanging flowers, and nearby was a stage with hangings and rich curtains on one side of it. Ralph asked what that was about and the monk told him that the wood was for the midsummer bonfire, and the stage for a shower afterwards. The monk led him on, taking him south beside the church and continuing until they reached the abbey gate. There, Ralph was greeted warmly and given the good treatment that was afforded to knights. Then he was taken into the guest hall, which was full of men of all kinds, and was led to a seat. Beside him sat an honorable lord, a vassal of St Mary’s. Then they were served a great meal: the meat and drink were all of the best, and the table setting was of equal quality. Around the walls of the hall, tapestries depicted the Pilgrimage of the Soul of Man.

Everyone Ralph spoke to—and he spoke with many people—were extremely courteous to him and he heard a great deal about the wealth of the lands of St Mary’s at Higham, and how it was flourishing, and about how powerful the Abbot was and how he worked to help people, wanting to be friendly with all. People also talked of turmoil and war in other lands, and praised the peace of Higham-on-the-Way.

Ralph listened to this and smiled, and thought how for some this might be the end of their journey, but for him peace and happiness were not enough. It was a richer land than Upmeads, but he was already used to peace and quiet and had set out not to find more of it, but to experience new things and to see what he might do with his strength and his luck.

So when the meal was over and the spiced wine had been served, the in the guest-hall began to thin and the monk who had brought Ralph here came to him and said:

“It would be good for you to go with the others who have left to see the Midsummer’s Eve in the square in honor of St John. Our town has put a great deal of work into it. Look, my son!”

He pointed to the windows and a bright fire sprung up as though a new day had been born out of the darkness of the summer night. The light coming in through the windows outshone that of the candles within. Ralph jumped and reached for his sword—which he had left with the chamberlain—but the monk said “Fear not, lord; there is no enemy in Higham: come now, or else we may be late for the show.”

So he led Ralph out into the square where there was a place for the monks and their guests to watch the shows, and it was so full of people, where before it had seemed to big to possibly be crowded.

There were rows of men in bright armor who kept the people in order, like the walls of a sheep pen, although they were not rough folk, but humble and courteous. So many were the torches and hanging braziers that the night was turned to day, and on the stage there were people dressed in bright and fanciful costumes, whose names and roles Ralph did not have time to ask.

Then the bells in the great tower of the church began to clash, and after a short time they had gotten into order and rang beautifully and in tune. And while they were ringing, the costumed people left the stage and a canvas painted like a rocky and caved mountainside was raised up behind it. Then onto the stage came one person dressed like a king, leading a young woman by the hand, and there also came a noble woman, richly dressed and wearing a crown. They both kissed the maiden and went away, leaving her to sit on a rock where she covered her face and wept with grief. And while Ralph wondered what this might mean, or why the maiden was sad, there came creeping amongst the rocks a dragon with a huge head and covered in scales that glittered in the torch-light. Ralph sprang up, worried that the dragon would devour the maiden, but the monk who sat with him pulled him down by the sleeve and laughed, saying “Sit still, lord! The champion has been provided!”

And so Ralph sat down, embarrassed, but he was on edge for some time still. And so as the maiden stood stunned before the dragon—who stared at her with its huge mouth open—there came a knight from a crevice in the rock wearing silver and a red cross, and he had a sword in his hand with which he attacked the dragon. There was a great battle between them, and the maiden knelt nearby with her hands clasped together.

Then Ralph knew that this play was of the battle between St George and the dragon, and so he sat quiet and still until the knight had cut off the dragon’s head and gone to the maiden to kiss and embrace her, and had shown her the grisly head. Then many people came onto the stage: the king and queen who were the maiden’s parents, and also a bishop dressed in fine vestments, and many knights with them. And they stood around St George and the maiden, and there were minstrels with them who began to play harps and fiddles, and some began to sing a beautiful song in honor of St George and the maiden he had rescued.

So when it was done, the monk said: “This play was put on by the armed men of our lord Abbot, who hold great devotion for St George, and he is their guardian and good lord. But now there will be other plays, of wild men and their feasting in the woods in the Golden Age of the world; and that is to be done by the scribes and artists. After that will be the pageant of St Agnes, done by the clothiers and weavers, of which there are many of great skill in this town. Although, you are a young man and have ridden far today most likely, and maybe you are too tired for that. It may be good for you to leave this crowd. Moreover, I had the idea that much of what is to come may be better viewed from the roof of the church, or maybe from the tower. Will you come with me, then?”

Ralph would rather have sat there and seen all the shows to their end—for they seemed quite good and able to engross the viewer—however, he was embarrassed to speak up and go against the ideas of his host who even now took him by the hand and led him through the crowd and west to the front of the church, where on the northside was a little door. So they went up a staircase inside a good way until they came to a gallery above the western door, and from there Ralph could have seen a long way if there were daylight, for it was higher than the tops of the tallest houses.

There they waited a time looking down on the square and its crowd, and the bells which had been ringing as they ascended now ceased for a while. But then there came great shouts and clamor from the folk below, and they could see men with torches approaching a pile of wood, and then all of a sudden a great fire sprung up, and all the people shouted together while the bells rang out again.

Then the monk pointed into the distance with his finger and said: “Look, fair lord, how fire speaks to fire along the tops of the hill country, and there in the little towns by the river!”

And indeed, Ralph saw similar fires appear out to the west, and the monk said: “And if we stood over the high altar and looked east, you would see many more such fires, and all these bonfires are piled up and lighted by vassals of my lord Abbot. Now, tonight they are Midsummer bonfires, but do not doubt that if war came to this land, each of these fires would mean at last ten strong men—archers and warriors—all ready to serve their lord in battle. The tyrants who live around our borders—who hate the church and seek to oppress the poor—know this well, and therefore we live in peace in these lands.”

Ralph listened, but said nothing, for amidst the shining fires and the shouts of the people and the clashing of bells above them, he could hardly think and he had no words to say. But the monk turned from the parapet and looked him in the face and said:

“You are a young man, and strong, and I think you are from good people. I think also that you have a lucky look about your eyes. Now I tell you that if you were to take service with my lord, you would not regret it. Yes, why shouldn’t you grow strong in his service and become his captain, which is a position worthy of even a king?”

Ralph looked at him but did not answer because he could not gather his thoughts at the moment. And the monk continued: “I ask that you think about it, young lord. And be sure that nowhere else will you find a better way of life, even if you a king’s son, for the children of my lord Abbot are such that none dare cross them, nor is any overlord as good as the Holy Church.”

“Yes,” said Ralph, “I’m sure what you say is true, yet I do not think I have come here to find a master.”

Said the monk: “No, but please do see the lord Abbot—which you can tomorrow—if you will.”

“I would have his blessing,” said Ralph.

“You shall have no less than that,” said the monk; “But look down there, for I see signs that my lord is coming forth now.”

Ralph looked down and saw the people parting to the left and right, and a path was made through the crowd, guarded by armed men and monks, and the sound of trumpets blared out over the noise of the people.

“If the lord Abbot is coming,” said Ralph,” I would ask for his blessing tonight before I sleep, so let us go right now so that I may kneel before him and receive his blessing with the rest of the people.”

“But, my lord, would you kneel among these citizens and peasants when you could see the Abbot in his own chambers, face to face with him?”

“Father,” said Ralph, “I am no great man, and I must leave early tomorrow, for I feel that the things here are too mighty and overwhelming for someone like me.”

“Well,” said the monk, “you might still come back later, so I won’t say anything else about it right now.”

So they went down and came back into the crowd, above which the bonfire flared high, making the summer night as bright as day. The monk helped Ralph through until they were on the front row of the people. They had not been there a minute before they heard the sound of the monks singing, and the Abbot came down the path and towards the gate. THen all the people went to their knees and thus waited for him. Right then Ralph felt someone pull at his sleeve, but that was not surprising in such a crowd, however he turned and looked to his left and saw kneeling beside him a tall knight, who wore a helmet on his head that covered all but the point of his chin. Then Ralph thought of that of that man of the leafless tree, and he looked to see what crest was on his tabard, but he wore only a loose frock of white linen over his chainmail. But, Ralph heard a voice in his ear say “The second time!” and at that he knew it was the same man, yet he could not lay a hand on him or speak to him, for the Abbot was then before them, dressed in gold and walking beneath a canopy of silk, with the miter upon his head and his bishop’s staff held before him, as if he had been the pope: for he was a very mighty lord.

Ralph looked at him as he passed by, blessing the people with his hand raised, and he saw that he was a tall, thin man, clean-shaven and narrow-faced, but not old—likely younger than fifty. Ralph caught his eye and he smiled on the young man so kindly that for a moment Ralph thought that he would stay at St Mary’s for a little while, for he thought that if his father or Nicholas were to hear that he was there, they would surely leave him alone.

Then the Abbot went on to his seat and sat down among the signs of his office, and the people stood again. But when Ralph looked for the man in the helmet he could not see him. Now when the Abbot sat down, men made a clear ring around the bonfire and twelve young men came out wearing goatskin and garlands of leaves and flowers around their waists. They had a wreath made of straw and hemp, embedded with pitch and sulfur. THey set fire to it, and then carried it around the bonfire twelve times. Then came twelve young women dressed like the young men were, and both groups drew near the fire (which was now burning low) and stood around it. They joined hands and danced around it, and fiddles played a folkish, happy song. Then they parted and each couple leapt backwards and forwards over the fire, and then when all had leapt, men came forward with buckets and threw water upon the dancers until it ran down them in streams. Then everyone came together again and the crowd trod the embers of the bonfire underfoot and scattered them throughout the square.

All during this, men were going around with pitchers of wine and ale and other good drinks, and everyone drank as much as he wanted and there was great joy among the people.

But now Ralph was very tired and he said: “Father, could you lead me out of this crowd and show me some place that I might sleep peacefully? I would thank you greatly.”

As he spoke, a great horn sounded over the square and the Abbot rose and blessed the people once more. Then the monk said:

“Come then, fair lord of the fields, now you will have the bed you desire.” And he laughed and drew Ralph out of the crowd and brought him back to the Abbey and into a fair little room, on the wall of which was a picture of St Christopher and St Julian, the lord and friend of travelers. Then he brought Ralph some spiced wine and wished him good night, and he left.

As Ralph undressed he thought about how he never would have imagined that one day could hold so much. He had see nso many strange things that surely his dreams would be full of them, for it seemed that even then he could see them while he was awake.

So he laid down in his bed and slept, and he dreamed that he was fishing in the deep parts of Upmeads Water, and he caught many fish but after a while, everything he caught was just gilded paper stuffed with wool, and at last even the water was gone and he was casting his line onto a dry road. Then he awoke and saw that it was daybreak, and he heard the church clock strike three, and he heard the thrushes singing their first song in the garden of the Priory. Then he rolled over and slept dreamlessly until he awoke in the bright, sunny morning.

Notes:

As I remember it (and without reading ahead to check my memory) this is sort of the last of the set-up chapters. After this is when the adventure truly starts, with Ralph meeting major characters, getting into (and out of) scrapes, and really finding his direction. If it’s not chapter 6, then definitely chapter 7.

Should have put this in my last chapter notes, but St John’s Eve is June 22.

I usually try to maintain Morris’ capitalization habits (excepting a few cases of all capitals), but I did capitalize “prior” here as a sort of middle-ground between leaving the word and changing it. A prior is the leader of a priory, which is a kind of abbey (I’ve looked up more detailed info before, but medieval Catholic church hierarchy gives me a headache). I capitalized it so the reader would recognize it as a noun and not confuse it with the adjective.

“The Pilgrimage of the Soul” is a medieval religious work.

According to tradition, St George was a Roman soldier who was martyred for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He is famous for a legend in which he defeats a dragon who is going to devour a princess that was offered up as a sacrifice. He is held in high esteem in England.

“Wild Men” were a medieval mythological group and common motif. They were hairy men who dwelled in the woods and lived free, natural, and wild lives (comparable to Satyrs). If you’ve read the Lord of the Rings, the Púkel-men follow this tradition.

I never much liked this chapter, and I like it perhaps even less now. It’s fine but it’s very long and isn’t very adventurous. But I assure you there’s some drama in the next chapter, and it won’t take me nearly as long to finish as this one did!

Map:

[veale2006-blog]

Words of Wisdom for Daily Life 5/22/21 1. What Is Pride? There is nothing into which the heart of man so easily falls as PRIDE, and yet there is no vice which is more frequently, more emphatically, and more eloquently condemned in Scripture.

Pride is a groundless thing. It standeth on the sands; or worse than that, it puts its foot on the billows which yield beneath its tread; or, worse still, it stands on bubbles, which soon must burst beneath its feet. Of all things pride has the worst foothold; it has no solid rock on earth whereon to place itself. We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reasons for pride. Pride is a thing which should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of.

Again, it is a brainless thing as well as a groundless thing; for it brings no profit with it. There is no wisdom in a self-exaltation. Other vices have some excuse, for men seem to gain by them; avarice, pleasure, lust, have some plea; but the man who is proud sells his soul cheaply. He opens wide the flood-gates of his heart, to let men see how deep is the flood within his soul; then suddenly it floweth out, and all is gone—and all is nothing, for one puff of empty wind, one word of sweet applause—the soul is gone, and not a drop is left. In almost every other sin, we gather up the ashes when the fire is gone; but here, what is left? The covetous man hath his shining gold, but what hath the proud man? He has less than he would have had without his pride, and is no gainer whatever. Pride wins no crown; men never honour it, not even the menial slaves of earth; for all men look down on the proud man, and think him less than themselves.

Again, pride is the maddest thing that can exist; it feeds upon its own vitals; it will take away its own life, that with its blood it may make a purple for its shoulders; it sappeth and undermineth its own house that it may build its pinnacles a little higher, and then the whole structure tumbleth down. Nothing proves men so mad as pride.

Then pride is a protean thing; it changes its shape; it is all forms in the world; you may find it in any fashion you may choose; you may see it in the beggar's rags as well as in the rich man's garments. It dwells with the rich, and with the poor. The man without a shoe to his foot may be as proud as if he were riding in a chariot. Pride can be found in every rank of society—among all classes of men. Sometimes it is an Arminian, and talks about the power of the creature; then it turns Calvinist, and boasts of its fancied security, forgetful of the Maker, who alone can keep our faith alive. Pride can profess any form of religion; it may be a Quaker, and wear no collar to its coat; it may be a Churchman, and worship God in splendid cathedrals; it may be a Dissenter, and go to the common meeting-house; it is one of the most Catholic things in the world, it attends all kinds of chapels and churches; go where you will, you will see pride. It cometh up with us to the house of God; it goeth with us to our houses; it is found on the mart and the exchange, in the streets, and everywhere.

Let me hint at one or two forms which it assumes. Sometimes pride takes the doctrinal shape; it teaches the doctrine of self-sufficiency; it tells us what man can do, and will not allow that we are lost, fallen, debased, and ruined creatures, as we are. It hates divine sovereignty, and rails at election. Then, if it is driven from that, it takes another form; it allows that the doctrine of free grace is true, but does not feel it. It acknowledges that salvation is of the Lord alone, but still it prompts men to seek heaven by their own works, even by the deeds of the law. And when driven from that, it will persuade men to join something with Christ in the matter of salvation; and when that is all rent up, and the poor rag of our righteousness is all burned, pride will get into the Christian's heart as well as the sinner's—it will flourish under the name of self-sufficiency, teaching the Christian that he is "rich and increased in goods, having need of nothing." It will tell him that he does not need daily grace, that past experience will do for to-morrow—that he knows enough, toils enough, prays enough. It will make him forget that he has "not yet attained:" it will not allow him to press forward to the things that are before, forgetting the things that are behind. It enters into his heart, and tempts the believer to set up an independent business for himself, and until the Lord brings about a spiritual bankruptcy, pride will keep him from going to God. Pride has ten thousand shapes; it is not always that stiff and starched gentleman that you picture; it is a vile, creeping, insinuating thing, that will twist itself like a serpent into our hearts. It will talk of humility, and prate about being dust and ashes. I have known men talk about their corruption most marvellously, pretending to be all humility, while at the same time they were the proudest wretches that could be found this side the gulf of separation. O my friends! ye cannot tell how many shapes pride will assume. Look sharp about you, or you will be deceived by it, and when you think you are entertaining angels, you will find you have been receiving devils unawares.

The true throne of pride everywhere is the heart of man. If we desire, by God's grace, to put down pride, the only way is to begin with the heart.

Now let me tell you a parable in the form of an eastern story, which will set this truth in its proper light. A wise man in the east, called a dervish, in his wanderings, came suddenly upon a mountain, and he saw beneath his feet a smiling valley, in the midst of which there flowed a river. The sun was shining on the stream, and the water, as it reflected the sunlight, looked pure and beautiful. When he descended, he found it was muddy, and the water utterly unfit for drinking. Hard by he saw a young man, in the dress of a shepherd, who was with much diligence filtering the water for his flocks. At one moment he poured some water into a pitcher, and then allowing it to stand, after it had settled, he poured the clean fluid into a cistern. Then, in another place, he would be seen turning aside the current for a little, and letting it ripple over the sand and stones, that it might be filtered and the impurities removed. The dervish watched the young man endeavouring to fill a large cistern with clear water; and he said to him, "My son, why all this toil?—what purpose dost thou answer by it? "The young man replied, "Father, I am a shepherd; this water is so filthy that my flock will not drink it, and, therefore, I am obliged to purify it little by little, so I collect enough in this way that they may drink; but it is hard work." So saying, he wiped the sweat from his brow, for he was exhausted with his toil. "Right well hast thou laboured," said the wise man, "but dost thou know thy toil is not well applied? With half the labour thou mightest attain a better end. I should conceive that the source of this stream must be impure and polluted; let us take a pilgrimage together and see." They then walked some miles, climbing their way over many a rock, until they came to a spot where the stream took its rise. When they came near to it, they saw flocks of wild fowls flying away, and wild beasts of the earth rushing into the forest; these had come to drink, and had soiled the water with their feet. They found an open well, which kept continually flowing, but by reason of these creatures, which perpetually disturbed it, the stream was always turbid and muddy. "My son," said the wise man, "set to work now to protect the fountain and guard the well, which is the source of this stream; and when thou hast done that, if thou canst keep these wild beasts and fowls away, the stream will flow of itself, all pure and clear, and thou wilt have no longer need for thy toil." The young man did it, and as he laboured, the wise man said to him, "My son, hear the word of wisdom; if thou art wrong, seek not to correct thine outward life, but seek first to get thy heart correct, for out of it are the issues of life, and thy life shall be pure when once thy heart is so." So if we would get rid of pride, we should not proceed to arrange our dress by adopting some special costume, or to qualify our language by using an outlandish tongue; but let us seek of God that he would purify our hearts from pride, and then assuredly, if pride is purged from the heart, our life also shall be humble. Make the tree good, and then the fruit shall be good; make the fountain pure, and the stream shall be sweet.

Galatians 5:13 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Love, Debbie

[dfroza]

what we believe matters.

just as our conduct. and what we share with others matters.

Paul continues his Letter to Titus with Today’s reading from the Scriptures with the 2nd chapter to instruct how we live our lives:

As to you, Titus: talk to them; give them a good, healthy diet of solid teaching so they will know the right way to live.

Here’s what I want you to teach the older men: enjoy everything in moderation, respect yourselves and others, be sensible, and dedicate yourselves to living an unbroken faith demonstrated by your love and perseverance.

And here’s what I want you to teach the older women: Be respectful. Steer clear of gossip or drinking too much so that you can teach what is good to young women. Be a positive example, showing them what it is to love their husbands and children, and teaching them to control themselves in every way and to be pure. Train them to manage the household, to be kind, and to be submissive to their husbands, all of which honor the word of God.

Encourage the young men in the same way: in every situation, they should learn to control themselves.

Titus, you have to set a good example for everyone. Go out of your way to do what is right, speak the truth with the weight and authority that come from an honest and pure life. No one can argue with that. Then your enemies will cower in shame because they have nothing bad to say against us.

Advise all the servants: Work hard for your masters, and be loyal to them. Strive to please. Don’t be rude or sarcastic. Don’t steal or embezzle your masters’ property. Show them you are trustworthy, and all the credit will go to the teaching of God our Savior.

We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. Grace arrives with its own instruction: run away from anything that leads us away from God; abandon the lusts and passions of this world; live life now in this age with awareness and self-control, doing the right thing and keeping yourselves holy. Watch for His return; expect the blessed hope we all will share when our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appears again. He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own—people who are passionate about doing the right thing.

So, Titus, tell them all these things. Encourage and teach them with all authority—and rebuke them with the same. You are a man called to serve, so don’t let anyone belittle you.

The Letter of Titus, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

our Creator orchestrated marriage on earth, just as He formed the paired genders of male and female that is decided at the genesis spark of conception to grow and be protected in the womb. we don’t choose our gender, nor is it even possible to do so. nor is it possible for a man to marry another man, or a woman to marry another woman, in view of our Creator’s truth. and the world may disagree with this view of sexuality, yet it still doesn’t change.

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 4th chapter of First Chronicles continuing with the Family Tree of Israel:

[An Appendix to the Family of Judah]

Sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. Reaiah, Shobal’s son, had Jahath; and Jahath had Ahumai and Lahad. These made up the families of the Zorathites.

Sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. Penuel had Gedor and Ezer had Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, firstborn son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem.

Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari—Naarah’s children. Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who had Anub, Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.

Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.

Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, had Mehir; Mehir had Eshton; Eshton had Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Ir Nahash (City of Smiths). These were known as the men of Recah.

The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.

Meonothai had Ophrah; Seraiah had Joab, the founder of Ge Harashim (Colony of Artisans).

The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.

The son of Elah: Kenaz.

The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives, Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah.

The sons of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.

The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the family of linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from very old traditions.) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah, resident potters who worked for the king.

[The Family of Simeon]

The Simeon family tree: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; Shaul had Shallum, Shallum had Mibsam, and Mibsam had Mishma.

The sons of Mishma: Hammuel had Zaccur and Zaccur had Shimei.

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers were not nearly as prolific and never became a large family like Judah. They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these towns until David became king. Other settlements in the vicinity were the five towns of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept good family records.

Meshobab; Jamlech; Joshah the son of Amaziah; Joel; Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; Elioenai; Jaakobah; Jeshohaiah; Asaiah; Adiel; Jesimiel; Benaiah; and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—all these were the leaders in their families. They prospered and increased in numbers so that they had to go as far as Gedor (Gerar) to the east of the valley looking for pasture for their flocks. And they found it—lush pasture, lots of elbow room, peaceful and quiet.

Some Hamites had lived there in former times. But the men in these family trees came when Hezekiah was king of Judah and attacked the Hamites, tearing down their tents and houses. There was nothing left of them, as you can see today. Then they moved in and took over because of the great pastureland. Five hundred of these Simeonites went on and invaded the hill country of Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. They killed all the escaped Amalekites who were still around. And they still live there.

The Book of 1st Chronicles, Chapter 4 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, january 3 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

January 3, 2021

Salvation in the Spirit

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

Nicodemus was confused the night when Jesus first spoke of the necessity of the new birth and then equated it with the symbol of baptism. Christ then indicated that the reality in both was the supernatural work of God, the Holy Spirit. “Except a man be born of water [that is, the Spirit], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God [with ‘and’ understood as ‘even’].”

The miracle of regeneration is thus a work of the Spirit, and just as “the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). It is not some soul-winning methodology but the Holy Spirit who does the work, and He (like the invisible wind) may work in a great variety of different ways.

This work of the Holy Spirit in bringing salvation to the unsaved is so great and so complex that it must be described in a variety of figures to convey the whole reality. In the first place, He must bring conviction of sin and the need of salvation. “When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).

Then, as the sinner repents and believes on Christ, the Spirit baptizes him into Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). As a member of Christ’s body, he is made a partaker of His resurrection life. Simultaneously, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13), and “the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16). All of this becomes the mighty miracle of spiritual birth. “According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). HMM

[still-finding-our-way]

R5, R6

(SX 540672) 12/12/ 2020

Serendipity, rhizomes and lines. 

On my studio desk I have a number of rocks, stones and pebbles. None are particularly rare or precious, most have been collected locally yet every one is an object of beauty. One such stone is a sharp piece of flint. Small enough to hold in my palm, it has become my go to de-stress stone. I like to let its razor sharp edges bite, just a bit, into soft skin. My teasing wake up call. It has volume and weight, four planes—a tetra. One side runs smooth, curving to meet a granular knobbly surface, bone-like and skeletal, like the indenture of a clavicle or ankle bone. The underside of the stone is cut sheer, sliced through its core, creating a flat expanse onto which it is able to stand upright, before rising into a terraced plane, each step the size of a thumb print, a patternation that reveals the cryptocrystalline formation of flint (‘crypto’ meaning ‘secret’ or ‘hidden’). I found it on a beach in Cornwall. A dark grey stone with a white thread running through its centre. Its shape and size tickles my imagination, and as I turn the flint over in my hand I play with the idea that it was used as a Neolithic arrowhead, chipped away, stone on stone some 5000 years ago. The structure of flint requires a level of skill and expertise to shape; one wrong strike will send fracture lines through the stone rendering it useless as a tool. Our early ancestors were artisans and makers. Over and over, I have drawn this stone, feeling it’s texture, the sharp edges and definite weight in my palm. It does not take up much space and yet every time I draw it, a different angle or plane opens up. It is never the same. A small rock, inert and fixed, offering infinite possibilities.

You think you know something, someone, some place. A line on the horizon, a spit away from the sea and moor. Clambering over rocks, swimming in icy rivers and streams, climbing trees and making dens. 'Whence cam'st thou, mighty thane', pronounces Duncan in Act 1 of Macbeth. The utterance of such a question now comes with a cautionary red flag, one that implies exclusion and ‘you are not from here’. Too bad, coming from a white working class background, where histories and lives are lost, undocumented and unrecorded, I have no idea where my roots are tangled. I cometh from nowhere, no fixed abode, shallow rooted, spun together by frail relatives that can’t, or don’t want to, remember. To remedy this unknown, I was gifted by my eldest daughter a DNA test for my 50th birthday. The results from my spit reveal a blueprint that aligns with peoples who cluster around the North East of England, with a smattering of Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Scottish and Irish. Farmers and seafarers I suspect, a web of people who somehow managed to survive hunger and disease, violence and brutality, the lustful fumble in the hay and the traumatic birth. The odds were not good—about one in 400 trillion chance of being born according to the boffins. In staking a claim on the improbability of existence we got lucky, very lucky.

Where we come from and who we are. Layers of paint, fresh applications, still wet bleeding into others, making new colours and new pictures. Blending and binding. Some work and some don’t. It seems so arbitrary how we come to be. I should make time to salute the stream of past people, winding all the way back to the bones of dear Lucy, 3.2 million years ago, and her mother and grand-mother, all coming and going, doing their time. But, I won’t, it's enough to breathe in the noise of now. One heart beat, a blink of the eye and we are gone. Serendipity, luck, random, the throw of the dice. The cells didn’t bind in the correct sequence and the possibility of life just slipped down the toilet. Is it any wonder we seek out patterns to create order and structure, finding comfort in numbers and story; assigning value in the unexpected, and agreeableness in what wasn’t sought. Ones and zero’s, lines and dots, giving shape to all things. Artists do this all the time. Seeking opportunity in the accidental and unintended. Any stick, stone, door, book, conversation opening up new creative possibilities. The rhizomes seeking out a good place to settle, a place to nourish. The patterns, whether real or not, helping to make sense of the intensity of the here and now. 

Jennie’s story is fascinating. Her blue eyes, flaxen hair and Bridget Bardot pout might have you thinking she is of Swedish heritage, whilst my dark skin, hair and black eyes has in the past suggested Mediterranean roots. Not so, the paint palette is muddied. I will let Jennie tell her story. One thing to note here though, Jennie is an adventurer, she has travelled all over the world: on her own, through work, with friends and lovers. Occasionally I have joined her but mostly I skirt the edges of Western art history, moseying around European capital cities, museums and galleries. Both of us are wanderers in different ways. Parallel lines. The same but different. I am amused to read that women of ‘a certain age’ partake in what Jennie and I are doing—walking and exploring local history. I also note the term ‘a certain age’ is often used to describe middle-aged women, usually accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a double-fingered quotation sign. It is basically code for women no longer of a fertile age—post 40 and therefore deemed unattractive, and given age tends to gift experience (though not always) they carry a certain confidence i.e., speak their mind and know what they want.  

A simple stone. We are breathing, blinking and unstill. 

We ask ourselves how did we not know about this walk? It is literally a stones throw from Jennie’s parents village, just over the hill yonder, where Jennie spent her teenage years and part of her adulthood, and where I lived for awhile whilst homeless and lovelorn. Of all the places on Dartmoor this is an area that I would confidently say we know well, and yet here we are discovering new trails, hidden valleys, different perspectives and layers and layers of history, a thread of which connects with Jennie’s recent travel’s with her son to the other side of the world. The walk begins in the small Devon village of Meavy on the southwest of Dartmoor, a place I have cycled and walked through many times, enjoying a sup or two at the Royal Oak on the way. The route follows the river Meavy upstream to Burrator dam not far from Down Tor, where Jennie first set this adventure in motion as we glugged champagne and watched the setting of a glorious October sun. From Burrator, the road winds through Sheepstor village and into the woods where earlier in the year, at the height of bluebell season, I waited with my children for the badger's to come out. Hunkered down amongst bramble and fern at dusk, quiet as mice, hearing the birds hush and darkness settle. The children were not scared but reverent and awed by being in the woods at night, a time and place synonymous with the darker side of fairytales: of wolves, witches and being lost, and where the unknown and the unformed lurk. We whispered and signed to each other in the darkening gloom, until we no longer needed words and laid back in a bed of fern, faces turned upwards, watching the patchwork of sky between the canopy high above turn from indigo to midnight blue and then merge dark into the tall trees, the cool air lulling us to sleep. 

The ax strikes and life reclaims as swift as the blade can cut. My hand brushes the damp surface of a lopped off tree stump in the woods down from the reservoir, and I stop to observe a platter of squirming, burrowing, scuttling, squirrelling, decaying life; three empty acorn shells evidence a previous luncheon. I have set the objective to notice more when I am on these walks, to seek out habitat changes and to learn and know the names of things. But always I surrender to just being, breathing in the light and air, the atmosphere. I feel happy on these walks, a sense of euphoria and lightness washing over. It feels good to leave aside the cerebral and to let the physical, the motion of walking awaken a realm of sensing and scanning. She doesn’t say but I know Jennie has arranged this walk pre-Christmas because she is aware I am struggling with sadness—a sadness caused by my natural melancholia and tendency to ruminate, and a much bigger life crisis. Battle hardened to general romantic crisis’ I am not so experienced with career rifts, and so I have withdrawn and pulled down the blinds. But it won’t do and I know, as Jennie does, that the moor will help to alleviate the mental muddle I am in, and even if the effects are only temporary, it will store up the memory bank, to plunder and remember during the times when I get locked in. 

Ten minutes into the walk Jennie spots a Heron standing stock still in the woods by the river Meavy. Camouflaged against the bare trees, charcoal grey and ochre, we watch it rise and drift across the valley. Great grey wings, near 6ft in span, pulse slowly, its head and neck arrow-like thrust forward piercing space. It has a primordial presence. In mythology it is linked to the sacred Ibis, a bird revered by the Egyptians as representing Thoth—their god of wisdom, writing and magic. I take it as a good omen. The wood is dazzling, ice cold water tumbling down from Burrator reservoir. Wood, rock and foliage glisten from the early morning downfall, the ground water-logged from weeks of incessant rain. The element of water is strong here, 4210 mega litres—enough to quench the thirst of a city and the surrounding hinterland—held in check by towering granite slabs that form a 23.5 metre high gorge. Completed in 1898 and extended in 1923, the reservoir pools run-off from the surrounding moor and water from the river Meavy. Standing downstream from the dam in the wooded valley I hope the granite wall holds strong. The sun breaks through and turns up the volume on colour. Saturated greens: acid, moss, lichen, pine and fern. We watch a man on the other side of the steep valley, oblivious to our presence, pissing freely, a spray of urine forming a perfect arc; glinting golden droplets catching the sunlight.

Having learned nothing from our previous walks we decided not to take the obvious path and instead followed the course of the river upstream. This meant having to clamber over rocks and fallen trees, until we reach the imposing dam wall and are forced to scrabble up the steep bank, thick with mud, to get back on the road. Jennie leads the way, an experienced hash runner not deterred by the muddy terrain, she turns into a sure-footed mountain goat, while I, slip-sliding, defy gravity and somehow fall up the slope. Walking over Burrator bridge we pass the man we saw pissing earlier and beam broadly, making sure we hold eye contact for a bit longer than comfortable for him. We then follow the road up to Sheepstor village, and—given we are women of ‘a certain age’—we are keen to nosey round St Leonards, the C15th village church. But sadly, the door is locked so instead we admire the Lych gate, a covered over a double gate with a lychstone to rest the coffin before entering (‘Lych’ or ‘lich’ meaning corpse in Old English). At the time I did not notice the foliate skull carving above the main door, only a little while later when we sat for lunch under a massive oak tree, which we reckoned to be near on 500 years old given the size of its girth, do I undertake a little online searching and read to Jen a short history of the church and its whereabouts.

So intrigued by what I find that I go back a couple days later, this time with my dog and younger children in tow. In particular I wanted to see the foliate skull above the porch. In recent years there has been a growing interest in Pagan symbology such as the ‘Green Man’ and the ‘Three Hares’, several examples of which can be found in churches across Dartmoor. The ‘Green Man’ is usually represented as a carved face with foliage growing from the head, mouth, nose, ears and eyes. It is presumed to be a pre-christian Pagan symbol representing renewal and life—from death comes life—that has been absorbed into Christian ideas of resurrection and life after death. Often found in churches and cathedrals across Europe, its more macabre cousin, the foliate skull, is said to have appeared after the Black Death in the 14th century. The skull at St Leonards church is carved with ears of wheat sprouting from the eye sockets above an hourglass. The suggested date of its making is given as 1640 and it is suspected to have originally been part of a sundial. Now it sits behind glass in a small recess above the porch, and on this particular day was partially obscured by condensation so I could not see the inscription incorporated into the sculpture: ‘UT HORA SIC VITA’ (As the hour so life passes), ’MORS JANUA VITA’ - (Death is the door of life) and ‘ANIMA REVERTET’ (the soul will return).

As a motif representing vegetation, rebirth and resurrection, the ‘Green Man’ archetype is found in many cultures across the world, including the ancient Egyptian God Osiris, the god of fertility, agriculture, death and resurrection, who is often depicted as green skinned, alongside several green figures found in Nepal, India, Iraq and Lebanon, the latter dated to the 2nd century. I wonder how far the Green Man story goes back? As a cross cultural archetype it suggests a commonality of belief about the life cycle that is interconnected with the land. Whilst its incorporation into ecclesiastical architecture alongside other apparent Pagan motifs, points to the fluidity and evolution of belief systems, which subsume and build on pre-existing ideas, even when the incoming authority seems most rigid and contained. Most of the what we know about the ‘Green Man’ is based on speculation and supposition, as we have no historical evidence as to why and for what reason they were made. Instead the ‘Green Man’ motif has been reclaimed and remoulded at various points in history from Romanticism to Neo-Paganism and most recently as a symbol for the environmental movement.

A little village church under the shadow of the looming granite tor on the southern edge of Dartmoor, connected through culture and shared beliefs with a much wider world and history. If the Green Man does not provide enough evidence of these interconnections, then the large sarcophagus, protected by iron railings in the churchyard, and housing the remains of James Brooke, First Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868) alongside two other White Rajahs should affirm the connections without doubt. It was whilst peeling the shell off hard-boiled eggs, freshly laid by my chickens that morning, at the foot of the big oak tree that Jennie realised that she had previously encountered the story of James Brooke whilst travelling through Borneo with her son. A sultry jungle, 7,000 miles away on the other side of the world tied by empire and colonialism, violence, power and trade to this peaceable village. I find out a little more about James, the questions concerning his sexuality and love for men stick with me more than the dates, titles, skirmishes and conquests. I go back again to the church on new years day and with fresh snow on the ground, sipping steaming hot chocolate on the bench overlooking Brooke’s slab of a tombstone, I retell the story of what I know to my children. They hang off the iron railings and argue over the remains of the Christmas chocolate, I don’t think they were listening.

SC

Reading: Lyon, N., (2016) Uprooted: On the trail of the green man (London, Faber & Faber).

https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/sheepstor_church

[dr-archeville]

INDY Primer: Irma Cometh and Trump Makes a Deal [2017/09/07]

Welcome, everyone.  Welcome to a spectacular Thursday, crisp and cool and almost like fall, after what seemed like an endless, unrelenting summer.  Let’s jump into the headlines, shall we? —Jeffrey C. Billman

---

1. IRMA’S WRATH. 

THE GIST: Irma, one of the strongest storms ever, utterly devastated parts of the Caribbean yesterday, a grim foreshadowing of what might be in store for the mainland U.S. in the next few days.  The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda says the storm destroyed more than 90 percent of Barbuda, which is home to sixteen hundred people.  Officials have also said 95 percent of the French part of the island of St. Martin has been wiped out.

The NYT: “Already one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, Irma could become one of the most destructive as well, depending on its path, and officials from Turks and Caicos to Florida pleaded with people to heed advisories to evacuate to shelters and higher ground.  The National Hurricane Center described the hurricane as ‘potentially catastrophic.’”

“The authorities confirmed that the hurricane had killed at least one person in Antigua and Barbuda; one on Anguilla, a British possession; and two in French territory, which includes St. Barthélemy and the northern part of St. Martin.  Another died in Puerto Rico while preparing for the storm.”

“Irma ‘will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall hazards’ to Puerto Rico on Wednesday and to the northern coast of Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti, on Thursday, the Hurricane Center warned.  It will pass directly over — or very near — the low-lying islands of Turks and Caicos, a British possession, and parts of the Bahamas on Thursday and Friday, the center forecast, and push a storm surge of seawater 15 to 20 feet high.  The surge could put large parts of the islands under water.”

Per the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, Irma will pass by Hispaniola today, Cuba tomorrow and Saturday, and arrive near the Florida Keys early Sunday morning.  From there, it will spend a day working up the East Coast of Florida and by Tuesday make its way — still as a hurricane, albeit not as strong — to the Georgia-South Carolina border.

LOCAL IMPACT: Governor Cooper has declared a state of emergency in North Carolina.  Irma will make its way up here by the middle of next week, it seems, though we don’t know where it will strike or how strong it will be then.  The storm’s current track follows a similar course to Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

---

2. TRUMP BANKS ON THE LINKS.

THE GIST:  According to an investigation released by USA Today yesterday, dozens of lobbyists and federal contractors have purchased memberships at President’s Trump golf clubs — both lining the president’s pocket and giving them unprecedented access.  

“Members of the clubs Trump has visited most often as president — in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia — include at least 50 executives whose companies hold federal contracts and 21 lobbyists and trade group officials.  Two-thirds played on one of the 58 days the president was there, according to scores they posted online.”

“The review shows that, for the first time in U.S. history, wealthy people with interests before the government have a chance for close and confidential access to the president as a result of payments that enrich him personally.  It is a view of the president available to few other Americans.  Among Trump club members are top executives of defense contractors, a lobbyist for the South Korean government, a lawyer helping Saudi Arabia fight claims over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the leader of a pesticide trade group that sought successfully to persuade the Trump administration not to ban an insecticide government scientists linked to health risks.”

“Members of Trump’s clubs pay initiation fees that can exceed $100,000, plus thousands more in annual dues to his companies, held in a trust for his benefit.”

“Citing privacy and national security, the White House has moved to keep secret the president's interactions.  Unlike the Obama administration, the Trump White House does not disclose the president’s golf partners, or whether he played.  The Trump team also ended an Obama administration practice of releasing White House visitor logs.  In July, a federal court ordered the government to release visitor records from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., to a watchdog group.  The deadline is Friday.  Trump’s U.S. golf clubs are among the most lucrative outposts in his empire, bringing in about $600 million in 2015 and 2016, according to his financial disclosure reports.  It is unknown how much of that is profit because, unlike other recent presidents, Trump has not released his tax returns.”

WHAT IT MEANS: This arrangement is (somehow?) legal, the story says.  But it’s “push[ing] the outer limits” of ethics, according to Trump’s recently resigned director of the Office of Government Ethics.  It also provides further evidence that Trump is using the power of his office to enrich his companies, from which he has not divested.

Related: Donald Trump Jr. will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee today as part of the Russia investigation.

Related: The Russians bought $100,000 worth of ads on Facebook during the presidential campaign.

Related: Russians are flying to America to give birth so their kids can be U.S. citizens, and they often stay at Trump properties.

---

3. GOP AIDE: “TRUMP F-----D US.”  

THE GIST:  Yesterday, in something of a stunning move, President Trump sided with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, instead of his own aides or Republican congressional leaders, on a three-month deal to keep the government running and raise the debt limit.

“At first, in Wednesday’s Oval Office meeting, the Republicans lobbied for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six, but Trump waved them off.  As [Treasury Secretary Steve] Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favor of a longer term, Trump tired of it and cut him off mid-sentence.  At another point, the meeting totally lost focus when Ivanka Trump entered to raise an unrelated issue on child care tax credits.”

A few hours earlier, House Speaker Paul Ryan had called the Democrats’ three-month proposal “ridiculous and disgraceful.”

Here’s a key point, from The Washington Post: “By setting up another debt-ceiling vote in December — a vote in which Republicans will almost certainly need Democratic help to avoid default — Democrats keep their seat at the table in this fall’s key policy debates.  Had Trump sided with GOP leaders, Democrats would have been stuck trying to extract concessions ahead of debt-ceiling votes this week using an empty threat — voting against a legislative package that includes the politically sensitive Harvey aid.  Democrats believe pushing the debt-limit debate into December will increase their leverage on several issues, including the protection of dreamers and securing funds to help stabilize health-care markets.”

From the AP: “Taken together, Trump’s moves appeared to show little regard for the imperatives of his party leaders.  And after the GOP’s failure to pass long-promised legislation to repeal and replace ‘Obamacare,’ the events renewed questions about whether the party can summon the focus and unity to advance tax legislation, the next big item they want to tackle.  However, White House officials argued that putting other issues off until December cleared the decks for tax talks.  The deal struck Wednesday at the White House promises to speed the $7.9 billion Hurricane Harvey aid bill, which passed the House overwhelmingly Wednesday, to Trump’s desk before disaster accounts run out later this week.  The debt ceiling and government funding extensions will be attached.”

After that, Trump went to North Dakota to tout his tax plan, and while there praised the state’s Democratic senator, who will be one of the most vulnerable incumbents next year.

WHAT IT MEANS: The NYT calls it conservatives’ “worst nightmare.”

“If Mr. Trump’s agreement with the two Democratic leaders, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi, to increase the debt limit and finance the government for three months did not yet represent the breaking point between the president and his core, hard-right base of support, it certainly put him closer than he has ever been to tipping his fragile political coalition into open revolt.  Stunned and irate, conservative leaders denounced news that Mr. Trump had agreed to rely on Democratic votes to win congressional approval for a temporary extension of the debt ceiling and funding of the government until mid-December.”

The Breitbart headline: “Meet the Swamp.”  “Beneath it was a picture of Mr. Trump meeting at the White House with Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Schumer and Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader.”

“With his approval ratings languishing at historic lows, Mr. Trump can hardly afford to lose much more support.  And the Republican Party, which was already anxious about losing control of the House in next year’s midterm elections, cannot remain competitive against Democrats if many of its most motivated and reliable voters stay home because they believe their president has betrayed them.”

Per Axios: “The hostility that Republicans on the Hill feel towards Trump deepened.  One senior GOP official, summing up the day: ‘He f----d us.’  A prominent Midwest GOP operative emails me: ‘Democrats got more done in a single Oval Office visit in one afternoon than the congressional Republicans have achieved all year.’”

Also Axios: “Tax reform is now less likely, with trust ruptured between Trump and Republican Hill leaders.  Democrats are more likely to flip the House in 2018: Republicans have less than ever to show their voters.”

Related: After hiring a former DeVry official to head the Department of Education’s anti-fraud division, the DOE announced that it will stop working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to police student loan fraud.

“[Secretary Betsy] DeVos is prioritizing the interests of predatory for-profit schools, debt collectors, and troubled student loan services over the interests of student loan borrowers.” —Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Center’s student loan borrower project

“DeVos has drawn criticism from consumer advocacy and education groups over recent decisions they say endanger those who hold student loans.  The department recently revoked Obama-era protections for victims of student loan servicing fraud, and appointed a former DeVry University official to lead Education’s enforcement division.  That office previously fined DeVry and other for-profit colleges hundreds of millions of dollars for defrauding and lying to students.”

---

4. SIX LOCAL HEADLINES.

N.C. Supreme Court chief justice Mark Martin made a presentation in South Carolina last year.  It cost North Carolina taxpayers $36,000. [N&O]

North Carolina has sent info to Trump’s voter-fraud commission. [N&O]

A Raleigh developer plans a shopping plaza for a spot near Oakwood. [N&O]

The Durham City Council declines to act on a request from Measurement Inc. to pull out of a special taxing district. [DHS]

Raleigh approves $1 million in incentives to woo Infosys. [N&O]

When Dwayne Dixon bought an automatic rifle to an anti-Klan demonstration, did he break the law? [DHS]

---

5. ODDS & ENDS.

This Rolling Stone profile of Dave Grohl is pretty great.

Dennis Rodman has offered to straighten out the North Korea mess.

Five Denver nurses have been suspended after admiring a dead man’s genitals.

HBO’s acclaimed comedy Veep will end after its seventh season in 2018.

HBO’s new drama The Deuce, from the creator of The Wire, explores the rise of the New York porn business in 1970s Times Square.  (I’ve seen the pilot; it’s good!)

A beautiful day today: high of 77, mostly clear.

---