#hence the gift of the Holy Spirit being gifted to us

[not-so-superheroine]

Jesus is my older brother, not my dad.

other christians don't seem to feel the same?

am i missing something where he insists on such a thing except perhaps with actual little children?

[tamaruaart]

YOU

Grant us your oc’s delicious lore, anything that comes to mind first-

Ah tysm for asking

(btw I apologize for this being long af 😔)

So I feel like I should prep this by saying before I figured out about LMK I was super into OPS's jttw series. So I made Zhao with the context of the book, and the book doesn't sugar coat things so Zhao's backstory is a bit uhhh, mature? There's no nsfw stuff but there is a lot, lot, loottt of angst (even though the backstory is kinda "simple"), so forgive me :'(

I did change up her backstory a bit for the LMK version because it is a kids show and I don't feel like the creators would stick with the dark tone of the original. Whenever I write OCs for sertant shows I try to write it with the context of "How would the creator tackle this if my oc was a Canon character?" Yk? You don't write a depressed, emo, Greek hero for a light hearted magical girl show.

So ye, this first segment will be her JTTW backstory sum-up and I'll note what is changed in the LMK version at the end👍

JTTW/original backstory(this is long, read at your own risk)-

-Zhao wasn't raised in the best household.. Not only was her father a total womanizer with 3 wives (at the time of her birth, by now he has 7) and who knows how many mistresses, but her elder family member were pretty verbally abusive. I mentioned before but Xiaotian and Biao-Qi (Zhao's father and grandfather) wanted Zhao to be born as a male because in their clan its essential for the first born of every generation to be a boy, so when they found out about Zhao being a girl they were really salty and thought of her as "The disgrace" of the family. (hence why Zhaoyan is a name generally given to Chinese boys, which yea Xiaotian is the type of douche-bag to chose the name of the child at the start of his marriage without the mothers approval)

-Zhao was the one basically raising her younger siblings because her parents couldn't be bothered to, Pangfua (Zhao's mom) couldn't even bare to look at Xiaotian's face so the last thing she cared for was some random children of him and his mistresses, and Xiaotian's other wifes didn't really care for the children either. However, Zhao ADORED her siblings because she was always good with little kids. But as time went on and on, with so many children coming in to the household she started getting tired, but what could she do? At the time she was barely a teenage girl, if she complained to her father she could legitimately be at risk to lose her head. Like I said, Xiaotian couldn't care less about Zhao, he doesn't give a damn if she likes taking care of her siblings or not.

-Eventually Zhao grew too tired of her family, and decided to leave. This might seem selfish but holy frick, the girlie felt like a maid, and it's not like she doesn't care for her family, it's that they couldn't care less about her. All of her siblings were old enough to take care of each other and the other family members treated them well, why shouldn't she be able to "go live her own life"?

- The first place she went was to a temple dedicated to the Chinese tiger spirit- Hu Ye. The reason she went to him specifically was because he was sort of the protector/symbol of Zhao's family (for context think about how Apollo was the protector of the Trojans in the Iliad), she prayed to him all night, she asked humbly to become a Jade Maiden that serves Guan Yin (because that was probably the best option. Also just so you have context- Hu Ye blessed the girls in Zhao's family with a healing gift. So basically they could heal any illness, wound, missing limb etc...). But to her surprise Hu Ye saw what she did as "unforgiving". You shouldn't leave your family who loves you so much, not cool >:( (cut him some slack tho, whenever to family would worship him they would make them self's seem like the most perfect people ever). And so in short he gave her flaming orange hair so she never forgets that she is a Tiger Maiden (bcz orange=tigers and he just be petty like that bro).

-Eventually she went to the woods but she was found by Lánhūa- a forest spirit. Lánhūa took pity on her and decided to take her in as one of her nymphs. Because Zhao had the healing gift she was a great addition to the palace Lánhūa lived in, Zhao was always the one making sure everyone was healthy and the worst someone suffered was a common cold, and even those wouldn't last long.

-However one day while she was collecting fruits for the palace she stumbled upon a strange noise near a mountain, she went to check what it was and wouldn't you have guessed its good ol' Sun Wukong. The pair fairly quickly became friends, Zhao would often tell him stories and keep him company and Sun (who was under that damn mountain for 346 years by the time he and Zhao met) would listen and tell her his life stories.

-At the early stages of the jttw Monkey actually did try and convince Zhao to come with him and the other pilgrims, she would be the one taking care of Tripitaka and making sure he stays healthy. Zhao refused at first but after some time she agreed. Her and Tripitaka were very close because they were both kinda the "sane ones" of the group and Zhao took her position very seriously. Sanzang eventually noticed that this was a bit weird considering how layed back the other pilgrims were, so he confronted her and Zhao opened up to him. And that's how I'd show her backstory in the book.

So in short: Girl leaves abusive family and prays to god, god makes her a ginger and she gets adopted by a hot forest spirit. A monkey befriends her and convinces her to give free health care to his friend **emotional**

Holy crap that took so long to write/ Notes on how her backstory would probably be changed in the lmk version:

In the lmk version I think they'd tone down how bad her family was just a bit, again it is a kids show. I think the start would generally be the same but that Hu Ye would grant her wish. But instead of a disciple for Guan Yin I think they'd change it into a Peach Maiden, so that she could meet the brotherhood and befriend Wukong like she did in the original backstory. They'd probably remove Lánhūa as well (because she is a very minor character in Zhao's backstory). So yea in short of what I think the creators of LMK would do with her character: -Hu Ye grants her wish of becoming a Peach Maiden. -Orange would be her natural hair color(bcz tigers woo). -I honestly think they'd give her a sort-of survivor's guilt because of the whole "leaving your family" thing instead of "Ama give u tiger hair so you never forget how you left your family >:(" -She meets the brotherhood through their lil' rebellion -Healing powers would probably be toned down a bit so there's still some risk

So ya-

Again thank you SO much for the question and thank you for coming to my Ted talk

[wisdomfish]

The Substitute

God’s perfectly holy, righteous, and just character demanded that he punish sin, hence sinners, appropriately. In order for sinful human beings to avoid such eternal condemnation God expressed his loving-kindness and chose to punish a fully adequate substitute― exclusively, Jesus Christ―thus allowing sinners to receive mercy.

On the cross Jesus Christ, the willing substitute, became the object of God’s just wrath against sin making it a certainty that the redemption of man clearly came at God’s expense. And like many Christian doctrines, the atonement contains considerable divine mystery. The truth about Christ's sacrifice on the cross is inexhaustible through human reflection. Nevertheless, let's look at some biblical word pictures surrounding the "atonement," with help from Shai Linne;

Regeneration: the Holy Spirit's true work in His love to the elect, who receive new birth from above. Expiation: means God's removed my filthiness Ohe old testament type was the goat into the wilderness. Redemption: we've been freed from slavery to sin and His very own blood is the price He paid, my friend. Propitiation: means since the Lamb has died His work is finished- God's wrath is satisfied. Adoption- means God is now my Father I got the hottest Poppa and by the Spirit holler Abba. Reconciliation: means there's no more enmity God is now a friend to me, and we're no longer enemies. Justification: God declares us righteous. Sanctification: we're being made into His likeness. Glorification: that's what happens at the finish when God conforms believers perfectly to Christ's image!

God's grace is magnificent, He slayed His innocent Son- through faith and repentance we get the benefits.

What is faith? Faith is a gift from God- when we receive this we trust and treasure the person and finished work of Jesus. What is Repentance? Repentance is turning from your sin and trusting Christ as the Spirit cleanses you within. What is grace? Oh, grace is unmerited favor, our inheritance major, 'cause we cherish the Savior.

Right, and if I may quote again, we were doomed with Satan but believers get Jesus' righteousness through imputation.

What is Imputation? God takes Jesus' righteousness amount through faith he credits it into the Christian's account.

Anything else? Well, I guess this overview must suffice but none of this is possible apart from union with Christ.

And finally, once you know the ways of the Lord then the only thing that you can say is Soli Deo Gloria!

The solution to man's greatest problem, the sin that separates a person from God, is found in the perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection of the God-man, Jesus Christ. God's perfect love and justice meet together for all to see in the atonement. As the apostle, John declared:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [1 John 4:10]

~ Samples, Kenneth Richard. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions

[curtklingermanposts]

Comfort

Comfort and Mourning With rare exception, everyone suffers, experiences loss and sorrow; and of course, with sorrow comes tears. Sadness is a part of life, but it is not the only thing in life; even though it may seem like it when one is deeply experiencing it. Yet, God never meant for it to consume our lives; hence, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). This may state the obvious, but without grief or mourning, there is no need of comfort. Interestingly, while on earth it is necessary; but, when the new Heaven and earth comes, there will be no need of it. Although, we will experience comfort for the last time when we are face to face with God. Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Think of it, the reason we will no longer need comfort is there will be no more sorrow, pain and suffering. It is the final comfort! It is part of our blessed hope, which will assuredly come for those who belong to Him. Nonetheless, comfort is also for the here and now. This is where the disciples of Jesus Christ have a very distinct advantage. We have the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in ways that cannot be found in the world. Psalm 30:10-11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my Helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. Comfort and Repentance One may not normally think of sorrow as a gift; but it is in some circumstances. When a person is in need of repentance, sorrow awakens him to his condition. When Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, sorrow may ensue. To be sure, there is a godly sorrow which accompanies a sincere heart, and a worldly sorrow that has no interest in repentance. With true repentance comes comfort. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death (NASB). For the full context of this passage, read 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, together with 2 Corinthians 7:7-16. Comfort Others Philippians 2:1-4 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. People are not meant to mourn alone, which is why we are encouraged to weep with those who weep (see Romans 12:15). In short, we are to help bear one another’s burdens. It is a very good thing to reach out to those who are mourning. As Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

perfectfaith.org

[writer59january13]

Gloriously luxuriating in eternal sleep...

versus being alive predicated victory videre licet lunatic if Trump trumped Kamala Harris and stole 2024 presidential election, (whereat Musk bribed significant number of voters handing out wads of cash) courtesy underhanded modus operandi and devious and sinister schemes. Forlorn; bereft of golden (slippered) opportunities I weep; Three score and five years replete with mailer daemons, hence mindset adrip with self denouncing expletive filled bleep unwritten expressed recriminations wielded upon figurative head of wimpy blip; decades elapsed at light speed clip

as the world turned days of mein kampf exhibited slow psychologically torturous analogous intravenous slow drip during emerging adulthood approximately half life of mine, when yours truly painstakingly besotted with unrequited love accursed extreme introvertedness severely hobbled coping ability

still reeling after being scammed gobs of greenbacks approximately sixteen months ago gifted at birth with congenital weakness such as being gullible to ruthless conartists mama's boy lacked ways and means integrating himself among peers: no supportive services to equip shy lonely lad devoid of fellowship even as grown man lost in space whereat

maximum head room cramped with obsessive compulsive thoughts social services slated for chopping block if Project 2025 implemented and if father or mother were alive they would flip at the course of political divisiveness sowed by MAGA onymous nasty brute, where palmar hyperhidrosis affected slippery grip

in tandem with being diminutive aiming to experience childhood's end forever son of a gun flailed with dating later in life analogous to psyche subjected to fracking compromising, forsaking, and issuing counter productively undermining potential heterosexual relationships invariably shooting from the hip. Nine different prescription medications allow umpteen combinations to yield against bombardment that fate doth wield delivered, signed and sealed courtesy the grim reaper able, eager, ready and willing to maneuver across pitted minefield accessing exiled soul whisking vis a vis grim reaper same to idyllic place named Edenfield. Oftimes methinks how cessation to breathe spirit buoyed aloft, where garlands wreath to escape hell on Earth, where neurosis and psychosis seethe within mine sixty plus five shades of crumbling sheet rock think scree ming atrophying gray matter symbiotically, dramatically, and alphabetically flourishing at expense of sanity case in point being

anxiety/ panic attacks obsessive compulsive behavior,

schizoid personality disorder,

long in the tooth fellow

his sustenance similar to pablum constituting imperial diet of worms of the Holy Roman Empire - called by Emperor Charles V fit for grown baby,

especially when removing dentures

cuz he must resort to eat soft foods

unless by some miracle I teethe for the third time. Homegrown destructive force muscles, tussles, wrestles,

et cetera within me likened to (but separate from) Intifada, (thus no insinuation this wordsmith linkedin to any militant group) grips mine soul asylum,

a recalcitrant doppelganger within windmills of my mind doth insidiously, poisonously,

and unpleasantly drum

palpably affecting writer of these words to feel glum. No respite whether I repose in deep slumber or lightly awake inescapable melancholic woes

haunts these lonely bones,

whereby system of the down houses reticent persona constituent feature characterized courtesy anhedonia

linkedin with passive suicidal ideation

accentuated when severe crisis erupt analogous to smoldering volcano. Fortunate for me the missus keenly aware plus (despite every now and again contention between us),

she makes crystal clear communicating her displeasure mixed with genuine fear bantering deadpanning facetiously gallows humor I half heartedly asseverate gibberish spouting jargoneer gravely alarms wife helpless to orienteer

conversation away from my demise, thus figuratively switch horses

in mid stream and jockey

to calm her down and lightning verbal exchange by undressing from the waist down revealing laughing stock of skinny legs (easily mistaken for spindleshanks) poking thru underwear charging on imaginary steed

feigning being loco despite NOT smoking weed,

energetic cavorting courtesy

nursing high test coffee, nevertheless ineffective battling fatigue despite flitting to and fro, hither and yon bumbling along (skeletal) joints of mine smoking hot suddenly after sipping strong brew,

I temporarily shuck off lethargy

long enough break to out dancing while simultaneously overtaken

to sing a song of sixpence while wings flutter at the speed of sound buzzfeed appetite for consumption Ecclesiastical History of the English People, one of our best-written sources for early English history authored by Venerable Bede.

[yhwhrulz]

Charles Spurgeon's "Morning & Evening" Devotional: October 9th

Morning

“Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”

John 16:16-33

Our Lord continued to cheer and warn the little band around him, telling them of the sorrows they might expect, and of the consolations which would be given them.

John 16:16

Because the Holy Spirit would enlighten them, they would see him in the truest sense, and would be prepared in a little while to see him for ever in glory.

John 16:20

When the Lord was gone they were full of grief, but as soon as his great representative, the Comforter, had come to them, they were filled with holy joy, triumphing greatly because the Lord had ascended and had bestowed gifts upon men.

John 16:21 , John 16:22

No longer do the saints sorrow over the departure of their Lord, for they see the joyful result of his death, resurrection, and ascension, and are filled with a sacred delight which cannot be damped by persecution.

John 16:23

They would be so well instructed that they would put no more childish questions to him, being led by the Spirit into the mysteries of the kingdom.

John 16:23

Blessed assurance, sealed with a double Verily! Who will dare to doubt the efficacy of prayer?

John 16:24

They had not yet learned the power of the name of Jesus, but when taught of the Spirit they would plead the name of Jesus with great prevalence.

John 16:25-31

He reminded them by this question that their faith was not so strong as they imagined. When we are not under immediate trial we fancy our faith to be far greater than it really is.

John 16:33

We have found our Lord’s words to be true, for tribulation has been our portion; let us be confident that the rest of his words are true also.

O love of God, our shield and stay,

Through all the perils of our way;

Eternal love, in thee we rest,

For ever safe, for ever blest!

Evening

“I have glorified thee on the earth.”

John 17:1-12

We have listened to our Lord’s farewell sermon, let us now attend to his farewell prayer. Melancthon says of it, “There is no voice which has ever been heard either in heaven or on earth, more exalted, more holy, more fruitful, more sublime than this prayer offered by the Son of God himself” Beyond all other forms of supplication it deserves to be known as “the Lord’s Prayer.” Our time will only permit us to read one half of it on this occasion, but we will meditate upon the remainder when next we gather at the family altar.

John 17:1

Our Lord, with holy calmness, looked into the face of the Father, and John, who seldom records the gestures of his beloved Lord, saw the upward glancing of his eye, and never forgot that impressive look. As Jesus looked up he prayed

John 17:1

This the Father knew, but Jesus loved to have fellowship with his Father in that knowledge. Prayer is not only the asking for favours, it is the intercourse of the soul with God, the drawing near of the heart to the Lord. Our Lord went on to cry

John 17:2

All men are in the hands of the Mediator here is the universality of his redemption; he will, however, save only his own people here is the speciality of it.

John 17:3

Do we know by experience what this eternal life is? Do we know the only true God and Jesus Christ the sent one? Let conscience answer. It is worthy of note that this is the only place in which our Lord applies to himself the compound name of Jesus Christ the Anointed Saviour.

John 17:9

The special blessings sought for by our Lord would not be prized by the ungodly world even could they obtain them, hence our Lord does Hot ask his Father to give such boons to any but his own disciples. He specially pleads that his beloved ones may be kept from the evil of the world, a prayer which evidently could not be offered for those who are themselves the cause of the evil and are living in it.

John 17:11

This is, as it were, a prayer from within the veil. The Saviour pleads as if he were already entered into the heavens.

John 17:12

The Redeemer’s petition is, that his people may be kept from sin. How carefully ought we to behave ourselves lest we go astray into that which would grieve his heart. If he pleaded with God that we might be kept from sin, God forbid that we should take pleasure in it.

There is a Shepherd kind and strong,

Still watchful for his sheep;

Nor shall the infernal lion rend

Whom he vouchsafes to keep.

Blest Jesus, intercede for us,

That we may fall no more;

Oh, raise us, when we prostrate lie,

And comfort lost restore.

Thy sacred energy impart,

That faith may never fail:

But under showers of fiery darts,

That temper’d shield prevail.

Copyright Statement This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore is considered in the "Public Domain".

[agape-philo-sophia]

➝ The Physiological Expression of the Three Aspects of Consciousness.

Understanding certain basic structures and functionality of the human brain is part of the discovery of self. Many of us do not understand what the components of the brain are, how they work and what they give rise to with respect to qualities of our personality-identity-ego construct. Understanding the human brain is to understand a core aspect of ourselves and is critical for our understanding of what is going on in the world. Our species is gifted simply by possessing a brain of the order and magnitude that we have.

Symbolism operates on many layers, levels and depth. Rigidly applying rules in one direction will prevent us from perceiving greater revelations through the frequencies of color and shape being used. Taking another symbolic look at the components of a Trinity based on the father, mother and child, we can see how the Christian narrative is represented by the hindbrain, limbic and forebrain respectively. The reptile survival hindbrain is the law-obsessed dominator god from the Old Testament. The mammalian emotional brain is the sacred feminine Holy Spirit. The neocortex higher order thinking brain is the Divine savior and Light of the world.

• The Brainstem “Reptile” Hindbrain

The brainstem can be considered the foundation and hence the oldest and lowest part of the brain. The brainstem and cerebellum are responsible for physical activity, motor skills, and the instinct for survival or the fight or flight mechanism. In a dangerous situation, a decision needs to be made between staying and fighting or fleeing to survive. The heart will pump blood towards the areas of the body that require it. Blood will be pumped away from the vital organs of the torso and brain because a fight or flight response of survival to fight or run away requires blood to be sent to the areas of priority which are the extremities. When we are trying to survive we are not going to be thinking about deep higher order conceptual ideas nor do we need to be doing much digestion or other intensive functions of other organs. Our richly oxygenated blood will be sent to our muscles, such as the arms to be yielded as weapons if we have decided to stay and fight, or to the leg muscles for us to be able to flee the situation.

This functionality is effective for fending off an attacker. However, in our modern society we are not in many dangerous situations where we physically need to make a decision to fight of flee, yet this mechanism is activated frequently because we are often engaged in stressful activities. This beneficial survival technique has become a detriment in modern society because we engage and remain in this modality of consciousness for a large portion of the time. Our lifestyle is hectic and busy, from one thing to the next without having much time in between the various activities we occupy our lives with: a job, children, traffic, other people, and other daily activities. Always being busy and having all of your time occupied is also known as stress. This creates a construct whereby responsibilities of adhering to a scheduled way of living traps a person in a survival modality of being with no standard ability to fight or flee from the situation presented. This causes harm to other structures of the brain.

• The Limbic “Mammal” Midbrain

This is the middle-brain that is responsible for the chemical interactions through which we experience our emotions as feelings, and despite emotions not being derived from here, without this “middle chamber” we would not feel emotions. Mammals display physiological reactions of emotional states that reptiles do not show. Reptiles are more instinctual and based in survival and are where we get the term of being a “cold blooded” person.

• The Neocortex “Human” Forebrain

The Neocortex is the most developed part of the brain containing the most neural activity and manages all higher order thinking. The cerebrum is bilaterally symmetrical being divided into the left and right cerebral hemispheres. The left brain is symbolic of the masculine principle and is related to the thought functionality of logic, analysis, science, mathematics, language and the use of words. The right brain relates to the feminine qualities of holistic thought, intuition, creativity, art, music and all other forms of creative expression.

This triune component of the brain is setup as a hierarchy of three different aspects of being into one, and information is processed in a certain way if the functionality between these layers is operating correctly. Proper functionality means the cerebral hemispheres are cooperating together, balanced, unified, harmonious, coherent, consistent, and integrated, as can be demonstrated through EEG coherence where neural and synaptic activity is distributed throughout both hemispheres. The forebrain is the executive command center of the whole brain responsible for our reasoning capabilities to determine how we use our actions in harmony with our thoughts and emotions. Having a balanced neocortex without one side dominating over the other allows a person to become capable of higher-order conceptual thinking and reasonable behavior which is governed through our ability to recognize patterns and derive meaning. The neocortex is the most advanced computer that exists and the most complex substance we know of in the universe and therefore our greatest gift. The feminine midbrain that governs emotions sends data upwards to the masculine reasoning-processing center of the brain, both to the logical-analytical masculine left-brain and creative-intuitive feminine right-brain, which then sends signals down to the motor centers of the brain complex referred to as the reptile brain in order for our actions and behavior to be based on higher order reasoning and not automated responses based on instinct and survival.

Failure to understand how we function, as a component of who we are, places us in a position where we are susceptible to manipulation and mind control. Understanding the basic functionality of the brain brings us closer to becoming a being that governs ourselves and less subject to the influence of those attempting to commandeer our mind and behavior.

[foxbox23232]

What is the difference between a medium/ psychic and prophetic person?

I used to wonder this a lot before I knew anything about any of that. Like, how can you ever solidify or get answers about something like that anyways. I went to a psychic when I was pagan, once at a pagan festival, another at a graduation party, probably even more times I don’t recall. Everything they would tell me was odd and true. At the pagan festival in 2015? He pulled out a card and told me I was backstabbed and many other things which corresponded to when my stepsister did in fact backstab me and we stopped being friends. At a graduation party a psychic also pulled out a card she knew I was going away for awhile. This was right before I left for army.

My grandma knew a medium, which is a person who could see spirits, my mom used to see but as you resist it they flee like the Bible tells you. “Resist the devil he will flee” James 4:7. So my mom wasn’t seeing them a lot back then. My mom has also never told anyone besides me because she doesn’t want people to think less of her, and tbh she never wanted it. But I remember I went to the mediums haunted house tour and thought it was odd things were moving. I kind of just assumed it was all plotted. But one time she came over because weird stuff was happening to my mom. When she walked in my house suddenly felt like a haunted house and our house lights were malfunctioning. She knew things about the people of the house who died and the area. And after that I must’ve been like 9 years old I realized ghosts were real. Which I think I knew deep down because I was experiencing weird things too even by like age 3-4.

At a prophetic church, they told me someone I knew backstabbed me. I had (it was either knives or arrows I don’t recall) in my back they needed to come out. I told them “What? Who?” And they replied a family member. Suddenly I remembered a few weeks ago one of my stepsisters did backstab me and my brother, and called us really horrible things to my stepdad behind our back. My stepdad ended up telling my mom and my mom told me. They told me I needed to forgive her in a very specific way, and the back pain went away after that. This is just one example.

So, they both know things so how can you tell the difference? The difference is the source. It’s either holy or unholy. The Bible warns against mediums and psychics and tells you to stay away from them. But why? Because they are associating with demons. I am around prophetic seers and am friends with many seers online and I can 100% guarantee you they do not see ghosts or aliens lol only angels and demons. Just like prophecy demons counterfeit fake gifts as well. Which have become honestly the norm, hence psychics. Demons also have access to a lot of information if they aren’t truly saved and because of the bloodline. Leeches need a host and so do demons they are pretty much the same. This is complex but bible explains everything.

I have another fun story. A witch came to our bible study once. But we don’t fear the bogeyman lol. We “stomp on the heads of snakes and scorpions.” So even if you are around a witch with God there is nothing to fear. So anyways, we didn’t know she was a witch at first but things got weird. And I love my bible study people because they are very wise with the things that they say. The witch told us, “my ancestors say there is a lot I can learn from you guys and to thank you” It got so silent. I asked her, “Are you a medium?” She said yes, and that her Grandpa was in the room with them. Little did she know she got invited to the most spiritual bible study she will probably ever encounter. My spiritual mom said,” that thing that came in with you was not your grandpa” and the whole room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. She started to reveal a lot of things very suddenly. Her spell magic, how she makes money from it, tarot cards, astrology, she wanted to be called a different name and I think I ended up realizing there was a reason for that. My spiritual moms son started having visions and he knew she was backstabbed and her heart was broken. You know I am not sure if I have ever seen an active witch cry in person before. But tears were shed and we ended the night singing and dancing to worship music. Some of which she even suggested.

Holy Spirit will always lead you to peace. To the Bible. The Bible will confirm itself. Because it’s the word of God. Witchcraft cannot mend your broken heart. It wants you to stay broken. Mend yourself, even though you aren’t God and have no idea how to. People often use witchcraft for revenge because their hearts are sick and full of hatred. But it’s dangerous and can kill people including the person casting the spells. It’s like a disease that makes you sick sometimes instantly sometimes over time. I can’t tell you why. But I can tell you it’s dangerous. And I am just talking about the act itself, I am not even talking about the spells. It doesn’t matter if they are a “good” or “bad” witch. Rotten fruit is rotten fruit which means the source is ultimately bad. I can almost guarantee you they are mentally unwell or suicidal, along with probably many other unbiblical signs of bad fruit. So the solution? Cut down the whole tree. Their “good” spells I can guarantee you are making them and others sick even if they don’t realize it. If your “Grandpa” leaves when you command it to by the name of Jesus that’s probably not your Grandpa. The devil is so sneaky, because he knows this confuses people and people perish from their lack of knowledge. New age is introducing new forms of spirits which involve “angels” and “guides” once you reach “enlightenment” lol. Which is really just summoning the demonic through their rituals. All about the self and what the self wants and desires, seems pretty easy if you think about it. Like eating junk food. Man following God now that is enlightenment. Much harder.

I also have plenty of testimony because I performed witchcraft as a child and also a few years ago. It does make you sick and unfortunately I did experience physical attacks and they wanted to kill me. It’s kind of interesting to me how the devil would always try to hypnotize me and draw me closer. He promised me a lot of earthly fleshly things too. But “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Matthew 16:26. Even as a kid the devil tracked me down and tried to get me to go the wrong way. And I was stupid and I did. But I think God knew my true heart deep down and knew eventually I would choose the right way.

Sometimes mediums and psychics are born that way because of their bloodline that hasn’t been healed yet. Typically it’s accessed. Which is the same with prophecy. The Bible says “Seek and you will find” Matthew 7:7-8. Except prophecy happens naturally to the seeking Christian and the source is God. I��m unsure if mediums/psychics even remotely have a book like the Bible or if they just have to guess check literally everything, although it wouldn’t be surprising. I used to pray for answers like this, because it would’ve helped me believe even more. And I finally did receive my answers. And it makes me feel so bad for people still caught up in that new age rabbit hole. Never ending! The lies never end I swear. But pray to Jesus for answers he will show you the truth and give you the gift of discernment. Pray for knowledge, discernment, wisdom, and truth to be revealed.

I pray if you go seeking for this stuff be careful… Have God by your side always. Ask for Gods protection through everything. Psalm 91. Ephesians 6 Armor of God. Everyday. They are all over the internet, Gods people and witches. They are in churches where you can meet prophetic for free or the witches run their own shops to con you, cast spells on you, and have you come crying back to them to spend even more money. Play safe and know that God loves you and doesn’t want to see you get hurt. He said in the Bible stay away from mediums and psychics.

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:31

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand, when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18

My lips praise you because your faithful love is better than life itself! Psalm 63:3

[wolint]

FRESH MANNA

ARISE AND SHINE

Isaiah 9:2

Believers aren't meant to remain in darkness as 1 Peter 2:9 says, we are chosen and called out of darkness into light. Darkness is the state of being devoid of light, nightfall, a secret, closedness, blindness, evil, a place of punishment and a spiritual term for cast-offs, eternal damnation or loss.

So many people are stumbling about in the dark, some out of confusion, some because they are lost, for others, it’s indecision while so many chose to deliberately remain in the dark, closed off to the love and light of God because of a misguides belief that either God doesn't want or love them or they are not worthy to be in the light or yet again because they enjoy the pleasures of the dark.

Why would one deliberately choose to be in the dark when the glorious light of God is on offer? Simple, deception!

God knows the importance of light hence the reason the bible opens with God saying in Genesis 1:3-5, "Let there be light," and there was light”. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

In between God setting light in its place, humanity decided to step back into darkness.

Now, the people are walking in darkness, in lies and deception and immorality. They are walking in unbelief and doubt, refusing to acknowledge and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and rejecting the Holy Spirit.

People like those who refused the Lord’s invitation and appeal in Isaiah 2:5 saying “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD”

The Lord is still beckoning us to come out of the dark and step into His marvellous light but as usual, we keep resisting and refusing the Lord’s appeal. Why are we so hard-hearted and stubborn to the Lord’s leading?

God has a reason for everything He does, it’s always for His glory and to our benefit. One of the reasons the Lord wants us to step out of darkness and into the light may be found in

Isaiah 60:1-3.

ARISE: Get up and out of whatever afflictions have held you back and down, rise up and out of mourning and captivity.

Let the blind receive sight to see physically and spiritually.

Let every closed door become open.

Let every secret, hidden treasure be unveiled and revealed.

SHINE: Be enlightened; for the light of God has come on you; the light in you that can impact others, the light that establishes the glory of the Lord on us and makes a clear distinction between those who belong to the Father.

The light gives revelation and insight.

Some of us have been in the dark for too long and the Lord is saying it’s time to step out of the darkness and into the light.

Whatever darkness we’re facing is the enemy using it as a veil to keep us hidden from the purpose, plans, love and grace of the father.

Darkness has become a chain for many. Holding them down, and stopping them from actively moving, progressively and boldly living as soldiers of Christ.

It’s a hiding place that never allows our gifts and graces to shine through and be used for kingdom business.

He has and will deliver us!

Just as God rescued his people who were in the gross darkness of slavery in Egypt in Exodus 6:6; He continues to deliver us from the domain of darkness, from Satan and the powers of evil.

Darkness is an excuse to not follow the Lord wholeheartedly and is a crutch many use to limp between desires while claiming disability. God’s searchlight is turned on you as stated in Psalm 18:28. The Lord has already delivered you according to Colossians 1:13.

Time to step out and step in!

PRAYER: Father, help me walk in your light, your well-lit path, amid a crooked and twisted generation, among whom I can shine as lights in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shalom

WOMEN OF LIGHT INT. PRAYER MIN.

[graciousheaven]

Deliverance from the Sting of Death

God has set eternity in the heart of man. Hence, although some skeptics reject the everlasting nature of the human soul – a fact affirmed and evidenced by the Holy Scriptures – the manner of life of people of all nations, ethnicities and languages, even when they are pagans, reveals a keen interest in the afterlife. However, although many unbelievers admit that life after death is a reality, they fully miss the point. Their perspective on the matter is totally deceptive; for what they envision is nothing but a fantasy utterly disconnected from biblical truths. This fallacy is rooted in their rejection of the One True and Living God and his revealed truth. They refuse to admit the sinfulness of sin and its deadly consequences, they do not acknowledge man’s total depravity. This is a blatant scorn of the person of God, an utter blasphemy of his holy name, since God clearly affirms that all people are sinful (cf. Rom. 3:10-19,23; Is. 53:6).

These heretics deny man’s alienation from God by sin, refuse to acknowledge man’s inability to find peace with God by human design, and thus reject the means ordained by God to reconcile all things to Himself. Since they have a high view of man and hold God in low esteem, they do not understand the holiness of God, nor consider his righteousness and sovereignty over all creation; because they are blinded by the spirit of the age, the devil. Therefore, they deny the existence of hell. For they do not see the judgments of the Lord of hosts, nor do they consider his righteous wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man. They deny any possibility of an afterlife in eternal, conscious torment for the ungodly, and view the afterlife as ‘a rest in peace’ opportunity for all who die, good and evil alike. In fact, they fantasize about a heaven where there is no God.

There is no such thing as heaven without God – heaven is the abode of God. Ps. 103:19 says, “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his Kingdom rules over all.” “Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Is. 66:1). And “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked” (Is. 57:21). Therefore, since no one is righteous, there is a need for all to be reconciled to God; for our iniquities have alienated us all from his glorious presence. To borrow the words of Isaiah the prophet, our iniquities have made a separation between us and our God, and our sins have hidden his face from us. We are all dead in trespasses and sin from the moment of our conception, thus candidates for hell. All the world stands guilty before the holy God, and He “does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex. 34:7). On the other hand, no one can be justified before Him by the deeds of the flesh. For all our righteousnesses are filthy rags before the Lord (cf. Is. 64:6).

Therefore, no one can overcome the grim reality of the second death by his own design. Ps. 49:7-9 says this about those who put their trust in what they possess, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.” That is to say, our works can never save us from the pit of hell. No matter how hard we labour, we can never achieve enough to redeem our souls. For we do not possess a righteousness of our own; rather we are inherently evil. We can only be justified by the righteousness of God. For it is God who graciously provides us a righteousness on the basis of our faith in his Son Jesus Christ, not according to our works – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20) – and from that moment we are declared righteous by God. Eph. 2:8-9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

God is sovereign, He has a supreme rule over death. He alone can save sinners from destruction. No one is able to save himself from the sting of death. Ps. 89:49 asks the following questions, “What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?”  God alone can deliver our souls from the power death; for He is the source of our righteousness. God is the only just and the justifier of repentant sinners who put their trust in his Son. “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4). God sent his Son into the world to be its Saviour. Christ came and obeyed the precepts of God’s law. He kept all the requirements, i.e., the righteous deeds, the righteous thoughts and the righteous words required by God’s moral law, thus fulfilling God’s demand for absolute righteousness on behalf of those who would put their trust in Him. Christ also sacrificed his life for sinners to be justified – to use the words of 1 John 2:2, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” I.e., on the basis of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, the sins of those who believe in Him are forgiven, and they are declared just by God.

Through Christ’s incarnation, perfect obedience and substitutionary death on the cross, God satisfied his demand for justice without compromising his righteous character. On the basis of Christ’s merits, God graciously justifies repentant sinners who have faith in his Son. So no man can be justified by his own doings. Rom. 3:21-26 reads, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

After the fall, God promised the redemption of sinful humanity through the Seed of the woman (cf. Gen. 3:15). Generations after, He reiterated this promise multiple times through his prophets to the people of Israel, through whom salvation would eventually be available to all flesh. For instance, Is. 25:6-8 reads, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Ps. 98:2-3, “The Lord has made known his salvation; his righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his mercy and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

This promise has been fulfilled in God’s own Son, the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ; for in Him grace was given to us before time began (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9). I.e., in eternity past God predetermined the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross in order to redeem humanity from the bondage of corruption and death. And when the appointed time, as ordained by the sovereign Lord, had come, Christ the Lamb of God willingly “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Tit. 2:14). God sent Him to bless us by turning away every one of us from our iniquities. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:19-20).

Christ is the only One who can save sinners from spiritual deadness and help them escape eternal destruction. He is the means designated by God to reconcile all things to Himself. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die”, declares the Lord in John 11:25-26. Christ is the source of both physical and spiritual life. It is He who created all things, for “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:2-4). Christ is the Prince of life, the Author of life, the Supreme Being in Whom all things dwell; nothing came into being apart from Him. He gives us the breath of life, and He alone saves us from spiritual corruption by cleansing us from our sins. Christ raises us from spiritual deadness. He will also raise the dead bodies of all people on the last day; and to those who died believing in Him, as well as to believing Christians who will see his return, He will give eternal life, thus saving them from eternal destruction. But those who reject Christ in this life remain spiritually dead, and at the second coming of our Lord, they will face the second death, the eternal torment in hell. All the ungodly who have died will be raised for judgement and cast into hell with their fellow unbelievers who will still be alive when the Lord returns to judge the world.  

God sent his Son into this world to ransom us from the evil ways we inherited from our forefathers. He came to fulfill the law of God on our behalf, and He died for the sins of all those who would ever believe in Him, that they might be set free from the bondage of corruption and escape eternal destruction. As Paul writes in Gal. 1:4, Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). Therefore, “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). Col. 1:13-14, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, in Whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ is the greatest revelation of God’s grace and love to mankind. As the Apostle Paul writes in Gal. 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” “God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that one can be restored to life and overcome the grim reality of the second death. Ps. 68:20-21 reads, “Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.” Christ is the means by which sins are forgiven and reconciliation with God possible. He is the life and the light of men (cf. John 1:4); He came to rescue those who sit in darkness, to help them pass from death to life. 1 John 5:11-12 reads, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

In Christ we no longer bear the guilt of sin and we no longer incur the penalties for violating God's law. This does not mean, however, that Christians have the right to sin against God. Rather, it means that what was once held against us has been atoned for. For the full penalties for the sins of all who would put their trust in Christ were paid for by Him through his death on the cross, and his righteousness was imputed to them. Being cleansed and justified before God by his precious blood, we pass from death to life. Christ graciously imputes to those who have faith in Him his own righteousness, and they are no longer guilty before God. As Paul writes in Rom. 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” But all unbelievers are held captive by spiritual death; there is no life in them. Therefore, they will end up in the fire of hell, where they will feed on the wrath of God forever, because they have rejected his Son. John 3:18 reads, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

If you have not yet repented of your sins, I urge you to do so right now and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not be caught up in lies and deceptions. Hell is real, judgement is coming. Do not be fooled by those who think that man can earn access to heaven by his good works. Also, don't be seduced by those who claim that because God is love, He cannot send people to hell. It is true that God is love, but God is also holy and righteous. As a holy God, He has established a standard of absolute holiness to which all men must conform. And to escape divine condemnation, you must conform to this standard of absolute holiness. For any violation, any sin brings about judgement in time and eternity.

Furthermore, God’s holiness and perfect love justify his hatred toward sins and unrepentant sinners. Thus, God punishes anyone who refuses to abandon their evil ways. Nah. 1:1-2 reads, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.” V.6-8, “Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by Him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.” In Ps. 5:4-6 we read this testimony concerning God, “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; You hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”

Anyone who spurns the incarnate Word of God, anyone who despises the Gospel of Christ, condemns himself to eternal destruction. Christ came and fulfilled all righteousness by his perfect life, He satisfied God’s holy justice by his substitutionary death on the cross, that sinners through faith in Him might be forgiven and reconciled to God. This was ordained in eternity past by the Father (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:2; 1 Cor. 2:7). Whoever wants to escape judgement, whoever seeks life, whoever desires to overcome the grim reality of the second death, must embrace the way of righteousness designed by God, i.e., repentance and faith in his Son. For sinners are saved by the work and merit of Christ the Lord alone.

If you are an unrepentant sinner, you stand guilty before God, the King of the universe against Whom you have sinned. And the price for your sins is too high for you to afford. I urge you to humble yourself before God, seek forgiveness in the name of his Son, and He will give you life. Stop shaking your fists in the face of God, stop clinging to your good works, lest you wake up one day in hell. There is no hope for those who dishonour or deny the existence of God. Anyone who rejects God’s Son and reviles his Spirit is without excuse. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth��� (Rom. 1:18). What awaits those who reject the Son of God is the second death, an everlasting, conscious torment in the pit of hell. Christ is the only way to salvation. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Call upon the name of the Lord today, acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. Cast yourself on the mercies of Christ. Do not hold onto your pride. Do not cherish the sinful desires and lustful passions of your flesh, lest you be held by the sting of death forever. For to live, one must die to sin and embrace Christ as Lord and Saviour. “For (as Paul writes in Rom. 8:6-8) to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

It is only in Christ that one can be justified before God and escape hell. I urge you not to despise the grace of God and his love revealed to us in his Son Jesus Christ, lest God’s curse remain on you forever. There is no forgiveness for those who trample underfoot the precious blood of God’s Son. God sent his Son to redeem sinners from all lawlessness, to save them from judgement, divine wrath and hell. Anyone who despises Him will perish. There is no escape for those who rebel against God and despise his Son, those whose god is their natural desires. Borrowing the language of Acts 13:40-41, I declare to you today, if you have not yet embraced Christ as Lord and Saviour, “Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: ‘Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’”

https://www.faithintheoneaboveall.com/post/to-live-one-must-die

[thaiamulet-us]

Wan Gai Daeng Charming Oil By Luang Phor Wan (Charming herbals Magically enchant your target for love or attraction purposes - mercy ,charm and stimulate sexual desire)

Wan Gai Daeng Charming Oil By Luang Phor Wan (Charming herbals Magically enchant your target for love or attraction purposes - mercy ,charm and stimulate sexual desire)

  💕 Magic oil Wan Gai Daeng By Luang Phor Wan is specially designed to provide the bearer a stronger sex appeal. Magic oil was created as a strong charming for users, being lovable by people all around. When contact with others, they will feel merciful, when use in talking negotiation you will be success.

The magical charming oil is very good for increase good luck and strong attraction towards opposite sex , same sex,The Metta oil not just good for improving love life it is also good for shopkeepers to increase trade and business sales.

  Since ancient times the Wan Gai Daeng  in traditional Thailand culture – is used as a symbol to represent the universal principle of love. Due to its naturally pleasant fragrance the leaves of this flower make excellent ritual offerings to the gods and spirits. Furthermore, owing to the highly attractive scent, Wan Gai Daeng also serve as ideal ingredients for all kinds of magical oils, though perhaps they are mostly used by Thai master to create powerful love potions. The Charming oil from Wan Gai Daeng flower , various kinds of sacred flowers  and herbs, pure essential oils and magical ingredients. Meticulously collected which are carefully selected and processed by hand to ensure the magical quality of the natural ingredients mixed into the love charming oil. Made from time honoured traditional natural ingredients long used for the magical purposes listed, for the purpose of generating a most powerful gift  

💕 If you are looking for a charmming oil that is known throughout ages to help conquer the heart of anyone, this is what we highly recommend.Magic oil the perfect tool if you have a Certain Someone in mind! It sends gentle waves of energy to your Beloved, opening their Eyes and Heart to what you have to offer! That a single drop of this particular oil is capable of making miracles happen. Indeed, the Wan Gai Daeng Charming Oil  can help you realize new possibilities, and ultimately fulfill your heartfelt wishes ,simply this is one of the best, easiest to use, and most affordable real love amulets charming oil you can get. It was used and tried for centuries and it’s 100% safe and have absolutely no side effects,  

Luang Phor Wan

  Luang Phor Wan is a respectable guru monk whom people admire and respect. He is famous in Phichit Province and the northern provinces of Thailand. Luang Phor Wan is the abbot of Wat Klong Koon in Phichit Province. In fact, his father was a Thai traditional doctor whereby he would use his Wicha to cure illness and detect any evil spirits. When Luang Phor Wan was young, he saw his father helping out with people on a regular basis. Hence, it made him merciful. Luang Phor Wan started learning Wicha from his father. After he was ordained as a monk, he continued to learn Wicha from other guru monks such as Luang Phor Jan, Luang Phor Rord and many others. Nowadays, Luang Phor Wan is a guru monk that is invited to join mass blessing ceremonies. Luang Phor Wan is also known for his amulets. In fact, there are some stories to be shared by the wearer of his amulet :   1. On 9 April BE 2555, a man took out one Rian of Luang Phor Wan and mentioned that he let his son wear this piece of Rian on his son's neck and it saved his son from drowning.   2. Kru Kai, a teacher, said that once he approached Luang Phor Wan to check on his fortune. However when Luang Phor Wan was checking, Luang Phor Wan mentioned that he could see that something bad was going to happen. So Kru Kai asked Luang Phor Wan whether he could make some holy water for him. Luang Phor Wan agreed and after Kru Kai went bathing with the holy water, he left for Laos for work. During his trip, there was a problem and he had to with another bus. Afterward, he heard that the first bus had an accident. Kru Kai mentioned that if he had sat in that bus, he would have died. Kru Kai believed it is the holy water from Luang Phor Wan that warded off the misfortune.   3. A man who owns a tire repair shop in Phichit Province shared his experience. On 8th November BE 2555, he was driving his car with 2 employees onboard and was hit by a pickup truck. It turns out that his care was damaged seriously while he and his employees were all safe. The man mentioned that he was wearing a Luang Phor Wan’s Rian.   4. This happened to a family in which all the family members were the devotees of Luang Phor Wan. One day, the entire family had an accident while making their way back home by bike. They all were safe, but a litigant died the next day. They believed amulets consecrated by Luang Phor Wan saved their lives.   Credit - Jun Wei  

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[atty-goldstein]

Hatchetfield and Mythology

I’ve been drawn back to mythology and its tropes lately so here’s some analysis to the best of my ability.

Webby most likely falls into the mythological archetype of the Mother Goddess. She’s a provider and is responsible for keeping the world in order. As with some great goddesses, she’s able to bring about destruction (requiring the deaths of those with a touch of the gift) in order to protect Hatchetfield from dark forces (her brothers’ servants). In a way, it’s quite reminiscent of the usual theme of death as a means of bringing about rebirth. It may even be why things in the Witchwood grow differently and exponentially.

It’s pretty obvious that the LiBs are of the Lords of Destruction archetype. Such gods are also linked to wealth and greed, and are not known to let go of souls easily. Except perhaps Wiggly, who seems to have let Nibbly have Linda in one timeline. And I suppose Pokey, Blinky, and Tinky aren’t so open to granting wealth.

I'm probably the only one who sees it this way but, I believe that the brother Webby said was the trickiest, was Tinky. I feel like Tinky is what fits the description of a trickster god, besides being a Lord of Destruction archetype. He appears to fit David Leeming’s description of a trickster god. Tinky is “wise and foolish,” possibly promiscuous, seems to be amoral, acts outrageously, and is in animal form as most tricksters are. He’s also “profoundly inventive” and “creative by nature.” I say this because he’s literally called the Bastard of Time and Space and the Weaver of Impossibilities. It takes quite an amount of smarts, cleverness, and creativity to manipulate time the way he does. Sometimes a trickster can be seen as a helper of humanity and come to think of it, if Ted played his cards right, he would’ve gotten that dream timeline where Jenny lived, and Miss Holloway uses spells related to Tinky in order to help others.

The song “The Witch in the Web” is oral tradition. In ancient times, songs were how myths and stories were passed on through generations. Webby passing down this song to Hannah is not unlike how the Greeks would say they were inspired by the Muses to tell the stories of heroes and history, it’s not unlike how Biblical authors would say they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write books.

Now that I read up on it again, Witch in the Web and Yellow Jacket do fit Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” for Hannah. (what makes it even more interesting is that one of the stages in the journey is literally called “apotheosis”) So apparently, Hannah’s got a monomyth going on.

Paul surprisingly lacks a good amount of stages in the Hero’s Journey, but that’s alright. I think he fits the Greek mythology standard of being a hero instead. He’s not blessed with exceptional skills, he doesn’t have much motivation, he’s kinda an asshole. But his being average and hatred of musicals is highlighted as the trait which is exactly what is needed to fight back the apotheosis. And sure, he fails, but he did his best, and that’s why it becomes a story worth telling, or singing, as is the case for the Infected.

In addition to that, the opening song itself is very reminiscent to how Greek epics would start with “Sing, O Muse, the story of...” Even the lines in the first stanza are a reflection of the significance of oral tradition in human culture. Hence, Paul’s story is intended to also become oral tradition even though what’s left of earth isn’t human.

Moving on, a good amount of stuff from the Hatchetfield stories are common to other world mythologies:

The Hatchetfield Ape-Man doesn’t just reference Bigfoot, because there are a lot of versions of large humanoid apes around the world. (i.e. the Himalayan Yeti, the Indonesian Orang Pendek, the Cambodian Tek Tek)

Willabella Muckwab is the Witch/Old Hag trope. Bonus points for the fact that she resided in Nightmare Time when hags usually did refer to “magical old women who are responsible for giving people bad dreams”

Trees are also often used to contain the cosmos in mythology, such as the Norse Yggdrasil and the Hindu Aswatha/Bodhi tree. They are also used to reflect personal transformation, like in the Daphne myth and the Vietnamese myth of Tun, Lung, and Tao. Both of these aspects of mythological trees are applicable to the Witchwood treeple. The Hatchetmen's ritual of turning them into the trees, to form Webby's protective net, which Hannah says represents the world, satisfies all that.

On the topic of trees, Yggdrasil had a squirrel that travels from the eagle and hawk on top, down to the dragon at the bottom, to deliver insults between them. So is that what Peanuts, the sentient pocket squirrel, is like? And would the eagle be McNamara, making Wiley the dragon?

There are various items that serve as artifacts, the Bastard’s Box as an evil artifact, Hannah’s ukelele as a magical weapon, the dagger in the Black Book as an ancient weapon, and I am still convinced that the Hatchet-Men’s hatchets are special artifacts as well.

True love also carries great power in Hatchetfield, as McNamara says. Though it is leaning more towards familial love. Lex and Hannah and Bill and Alice are the best examples of this because both pairs manage to defeat two LiBs. As for romantic love, I’d say Holloduke surpasses Paulkins in that Miss Holloway does keep finding Duke and Duke keeps remembering her in his heart even if the Deal wipes his memories away. Every time, Miss Holloway knows and feels that Duke loves her because that’s something even the gods cannot mess with. Whereas Paulkins needs more to get to that level.

Bringing Webby back up again, spider ladies are also quite common throughout mythology, such as Arachne. But an interesting one is the Japanese Jorogumo who is a ghost woman who shapeshifts into a spider and has the ability to manipulate dreams. Much like how Webby can manipulate what visions can get to Hannah.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but I’ll try to make another post if I’m to add on to this.

[lailoken]

‘:Formulae:’ [Pt. 2]

“Jewell'd Waters of Radiance.

A Sacred Bath For Women; being a most excellent preparation for the rites of any sylvan goddess, nymph, female spirit or deific form. The Balneum requires generous amounts of fresh flowers, hence several hours should be allotted for gathering, being ever mindful of the spirits to be honour'd.

Leaf of Raspberry, dry. 35 g.

Rose Petals, fresh. 35 g.

Cherry Blossoms, fresh. 35 g.

Blossoms of Honeysuckle, fresh. 35 g.

Orange Flower Water. 350 ml.

Rose Absolute. 13 drops.

Let a cold infusion of the fresh blossoms be made, allowing them to steep in large seal'd vessels of well or spring water. Make a hot infusion of the Berry Leaves, with sufficient boiling water to cover. Seal in a stopper'd jar and steep for 30 minutes. When the Bath is drawn, strain the Leaf infusion decoction into the water, along with the Orange flower water and Rose Absolute. Add double the amount of Salt of Lilith to the ablution, and agitate the waters. Finally, pour in the cold infusions, leaving the fresh flowers to float freely. Let the Spirit to Be Honour'd be invoked with the Wand of Quickening, and the bath-chamber lit with candles.

Aqueum Liliya.

A lustral sacrifice for ritual conveyance of the benedictions of Lilith in her fully waxed, angelic, and tutelary lunation. The bath may be modified for succubi, nymphs, or water-spirits. All flowers should be fresh-gathered in Her name.

Petals of White Roses. 200

Blossom of Jasmine. 200

Blossom of Gardenia. 100

Blossom of Lily. 3

Blossom of Angel's Trumpet. 1

Place into the Working Basin and cover with 4 litres of cold spring water. Knead the blossoms gently between the fingers for several moments while a graven image of the Lady is silently focused upon with Eye and Heart. Let stand for three hours prior to use in a quiet, sheltered place, away from the light, with a single white candle lit for the Lady before her Idol. During the rite wherein the lustration is to be employed, the Lady should be invoked with a wand of Crooked Willow or Tamarisk, and the branch employed to quicken the florid waters. The petals should be left in the waters and the lustration sprinkled upon the crowns, brows, and palms of those who would receive the Lady's goodness.

Waters of Magnetism.

An excellent bath for increasing Charisma or one's natural Charms, ideal for attracting a mate or other sexual glamours. The Balneum may also be used prior to gambling. Owing to the seasonal nature of Cherry and Quince, the Bath is best employ'd in Spring. Cherry blossoms are rarely found at the local apothecary. Thus, one must gather one's own in Spring. One may also employ blossoms of Apple, Plum, Pear, or Peach for like effect.

Cherry Blossoms, fresh or dried. 200

Blossoms of Flowering Quince, fresh. 100

Chamomile Blossoms, fresh or dried. 100

Rose Buds, fresh. 30

Steep in enough boiling water to cover. Let the infusion sit for 10 minutes. Strain into bathwater, washing the Herb material through several times. Immerse oneself for at least 30 minutes and allow the waters to air-dry on the skin after emerging.

Lustration of Mercurius.

A bath appropriate for invoking the patron of magic, and alchymic wisdom. This Bath of the Wise grants especial gifts prior to labours of the spiritual laboratory.

Lavender Blossoms. 30 g.

Essential Oil of Lavender. 8 drops

Essential Oil of Sandalwood. 8 drops

Kosher Salt. 60g.

Epsom Salt. 60 g.

Infuse Lavender Blossoms in 1.5 litres boiling water for the space of 30 minutes. Strain and add to a 300 litre bath and stir in, adding salt and oils. For best results, soak for at least 40 minutes and drip dry afterward.

Warrior's Ablution.

A stimulating brew to lend power during confrontations with enemies, the law, or for use prior to negotiations.

Leaf of Rosemary, fresh. 70 g.

Cinnamon chips. 30 g.

Bloom of Chamomile, dry. 30 g.

Flowers of Broom. 30 g.

Add Rosemary and Cinnamon to a cooking vessel with enough water Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. In a separate vessel, steep the Broom and Chamomile blossoms in 1 litre boiling water. Strain both infusion and decoction and discard Herbal material, adding the liquids to the bathwater. cover.

Earthing Bath.

For drawing stray powers back into the Corpus, centering the Mind, and subduing quarrelsome spirits.

Linden blossom, dried. 60 g.

Oak, leaves and twigs, dried and crumbl'd. 60 g.

Leaf of Wormwood. 33 g.

Infuse the Linden and Wormwood in 1.5 litre boiling water for 20 minutes. As it is steeping, simmer Oak leaves in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes. Strain both fluids into the bath tub and soak as long as is needed.

Midsummer Gold.

A Solar infusion made from traditional Herbs for washing the body and clearing and fortifying the aethyric orb.

Herb of St. Johnswort, dry. 30 g.

Herb of Vervain, dry. 30 g.

Leaf of Mugwort, dry. 25 g.

On the morning of the Summer Solstice, seal each of the Herbs in a separate steeping jar with enough water to completely fill the vessel. Allow to steep for at least four hours in the sunlight, absorbing the Solar Genius at the peak of its power. During this time of steeping, the very Fires of the Sun should be invoked and beseech'd into the Womb of the Waters of the Moon. In this conjunctio the Fruits of Our Labour arise. The exhausted plant matter is then strained out, and the resulting infusions mixed. The potentiated wash may be poured on the head while holding clear in the Imaginal Eye the Solar virtues cleansing the crown, and gradually seeping into the entirety of the aethyric orb. The wash may also be added to bathwater for extended soaking.

Floor Wash.

A general but potent Encharmed Solution for cleansing the oratory or home of Noxious Spirits or in the wake of an unpleasant event.

Leaf of Vervain, dry. 40 g.

Leaf of Sagebrush, dry. 30 g.

Leaf of Thyme. 20 g.

Root of European Mandrake. 7 g.

Steep Vervain, Sagebrush and Thyme in 1 litre boiling water, leaving to stand in an airtight jar for 7 hours before filtering. In a separate cooking vessel, add Mandrake to 400 ml. water and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Filter and reserve liquid, burying the boil'd Root in an honourable location and with a coin and thanks. Add to Herbal infusion when it has been strained.

Purification Bath.

A relaxing bath excellent for quieting and realigning the disrupted psyche, as well as nourishing and envigorating the bastions of spiritual defence. Our Fair Decoction may be simmered longer than the 15 minutes given, up to 25. The resulting brew may be used for a cold bath as well, omitting the salts and oil.

Fir Needle. 50 g.

Atlas Cedar. 33 g.

Epsom Salt. 30 g.

Root of Valerian, chopped. 25 g.

Root of Calamus, chopped. 25 g.

Essential Oil of Sandalwood. 5 drops.

Bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Add Fir, Cedar, Calamus and Valerian. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and add to hot bath water, along with essential oil and salt. For cases of extreme disruption, double the amount of Fir, Salt, and True Oil of Sanders.

Mist of Dispersion.

For banishing rude spirits or flocculum abomini. Mix all ingredients in 4 oz. atomizer bottle and agitate before use.

Essential Oil of Palmarosa. 5 drops.

Essential Oil of Fir. 4 drops.

Essential Oil of Juniper Berry. 3 drops.

Essential Oil of Atlas Cedar. 2 drops.

Essential Oil of Birch. 1 drop.

Water. 75 ml.

Perfumer's Alcohol or 100 proof spirit. 40 ml.

Asperge Sylvaticus.

A suitable brew for asperging brethren prior to Congregational works of sorcery. The ingenium derives from a subtil congressus of the Lord and Lady of the Desert, the Lord of the Forest, and the Lady of the Garden.

Leaf of Sagebrush, crumbl'd. 33 g.

Leaf of Douglas Fir, Larch, or Hemlocks, chopp'd. 30 g.

Leaf of Scent'd Geranium. 30 g.

Leaf of Wormwood. 5

Make a strong decoction of the Fir, Hemlock or Larch with 1 litre of water in a covered cauldron, simmered for fifteen minutes. Pour the hot decoction over the remaining ingredients in a steeping vessel and let stand seal'd for half an hour. Strain and asperge with a branch of the evergreen employ'd. Tincture of Myrrh may also be added in small amounts to enhance the cleansing virtue.

Mist of Severity.

Another Compound'd Mist for the more potent workings of Exorcism or in instances of stubborn hauntings. Mix all ingredients and store in 4 oz. atomizer bottle, shaking before use.

Essential Oil of Hyssop. 5 drops.

Essential Oil of Cajeput. 4 drops.

Essential Oil of Juniper Berry. 4 drops.

Essential Oil of Black Peppercorn. 3 drops.

Water. 75 ml.

Perfumer's Alcohol or 100 proof spirit. 40 ml.

The Viridian Broom.

A potent asperge for sprinkling, using a fresh bough of Cypress.

Sprig of Douglas Fir, chopp'd. 35 g.

Herbe of Pennyroyal, whole flowering. 35 g.

Leaves of Cypress. 28 g.

Berries of Juniper, crush'd well. 25.

Place Douglas Fir, Cypress and Juniper Berries in the Wort-Cauldron with 1 litre of water, and bring to a boil. Simmer, cover'd, for 20 minutes. Remove from Heat and add the Pennyroyal. Strain when cool.

Sorcerer's Hand Wash.

For hand-anointing prior to works of the Magical Arte. Place 11 Devil's Shoestrings, along with a slice of the very best Galangal Root, a twig of True Cinnamon, a pinch of Sweet Tobacco, and a small slice of True Mandrake in a bottle of dark glass and fill with 151 Proof Rum. Stopper, storing in a dark place. Gems or minerals sympathetic to the magician may also be added as desired.

Balneum of the Wayfarer.

A blessed wash especially for the feet prior to Sojourning forth in the Greenwood, or for such as wander long in lonely places, giving invigoration and purpose to the stride. Fresh-harvest'd Rhizome of Wild Ginger (Asarum spp.) may be substituted for Ginger.

Root of Ginger, fresh, sliced. 90 g.

Leaf of Bay, fresh. 50.

Leaf of Holy Basil, fresh. 40 g.

Make strong decoctions of the Ginger and Bay in separate vessels. Pour both over the Basil into a large Hermeticus and steep for ten minutes. Pour wash without straining into a basin and soak feet for 30 minutes prior to Sojourn.”

—

Ars Philtron:

Concerning the Aqueous Cunning of the Potion and its Praxis in the Green Arte Magical

by Daniel A. Schulke

[writer59january13]

Gloriously luxuriating in eternal sleep

Forlorn; bereft of golden (slippered) opportunities I weep; Three score and four years replete with mailer daemons, hence mindset adrip with self denouncing expletive filled bleep unwritten expressed recriminations wielded upon figurative head of wimpy blip; decades elapsed at light speed clip as the world turned days of mein kampf exhibited slow psychologically torturous analogous intravenous slow drip during emerging adulthood approximately half life of mine, when yours truly painstakingly besotted with unrequited love accursed extreme introvertedness severely hobbled coping ability gifted at birth with congenital weakness mama's boy lacked ways and means integrating himself among peers,

no supportive services to equip shy lonely lad devoid of fellowship palmar hyperhidrosis affected slippery grip in tandem with being diminutive aiming to experience childhood's end forever son of a gun flailed with dating later in life compromising, forsaking, and issuing counter productively undermining potential heterosexual relationships invariably shooting from the hip. Eight different prescription medications allow umpteen combinations to yield against bombardment that fate doth wield delivered, signed and sealed courtesy the grim reaper able, eager, ready and willing to maneuver across pitted minefield accessing exiled soul whisking same to idyllic place named Edenfield. Oftimes methinks how cessation to breathe spirit buoyed aloft, where garlands wreath to escape hell on Earth, where neurosis and psychosis seethe within mine sixty plus shades of gray matter symbiotically flourishing at expense of sanity case in point being: anxiety/ panic attacks obsessive compulsive behavior,

schizoid personality disorder,

long in the tooth fellow

his sustenance similar to pablum constituting imperial diet of worms of the Holy Roman Empire - called by Emperor Charles V fit for grown baby,

especially when removing dentures

cuz he must resort to eat soft foods

unless by some miracle I teethe for the second time. Homegrown destructive force muscles, tussles, wrestles,

et cetera within me likened to (but separate from) Intifada, (thus no insinuation this wordsmith linkedin to any militant group) grips mine soul asylum,

a recalcitrant doppelganger within windmills of my mind doth insidiously, poisonously,

and unpleasantly drum

palpably affecting writer of these words to feel glum. No respite whether I repose in deep slumber or lightly awake inescapable melancholic woes

haunts these lonely bones,

whereby system of the down houses reticent persona constituent feature characterized courtesy anhedonia

linkedin with passive suicidal ideation

accentuated when severe crisis erupt analogous to smoldering volcano. Fortunate for me the missus keenly aware plus (despite every now and again contention between us),

she makes crystal clear communicating her displeasure mixed with genuine fear bantering deadpanning facetiously gallows humor I half heartedly asseverate gibberish spouting jargoneer gravely alarms wife helpless to orienteer

conversation away from my demise, thus figuratively switch horses

in mid stream and jockey

to calm her down and lightening verbal exchange by undressing from the waist down revealing laughing stock of skinny legs (easily mistaken for spindleshanks) poking thru underwear charging on imaginary steed

feigning being loco despite NOT smoking weed,

energetic cavorting courtesy

nursing high test coffee, nevertheless ineffective battling fatigue despite flitting to and fro, hither and yon bumbling along (skeletal) joints of mine smoking hot suddenly after sipping strong brew,

I temporarily shuck off lethargy

long enough break to out dancing while simultaneously overtaken

to sing a song of sixpence while wings flutter at the speed of sound buzzfeed appetite for consumption Ecclesiastical History of the English People, one of our best-written sources for early English history authored by Venerable Bede.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Micah 2:1-5, Ps 9B; Matt 12:14-21

The Carmelite friars have a church located on the slopes of Mount Carmel. From here one overlooks the port of Haifa in Israel, and one can see the ships coming and going from the busy seaport (shown in the photo above). A statue of Our Lady stands on a tall column outside this church, and it can be seen from a distance, providing guidance to those at sea. Our Lady has long been associated with the sea: St Jerome, following Eusebius said that the name Maryam is translated as ‘Drop of the sea’, stilla maris, which later in the Middle Ages became stella maris, star of the sea. Thus St Thomas Aquinas said that just “as sailors are guided by a star to the port, so are Christians guided to heaven by Mary”. Certainly, if one stands outside the Carmelite monastery of Stella Maris on Mount Carmel in Israel, and as one looks out across the port of Haifa and out to the sea, one can understand the effectiveness of this image: Here at Carmel, Mary guides us through the storms of this life to the safe harbour that is heaven, that is, her Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

The brown scapular of the Carmelites that is worn by millions of Catholics is a sacramental, a sign that one places oneself under Mary’s guidance. To wear the brown scapular is to remind oneself to always look to Mary for direction, to live under her protection and care so that, following her example of obedience to God’s Word, one might safely sail to our heavenly destination. The brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is thus like the rudder that directs the ship homewards as our sails are propelled by the Breath of the Holy Spirit! 

In popular devotion, the brown scapular is often linked to the Holy Rosary, and stories are found in which St Dominic is said to have prophesied that Our Lady would save the world through the instrumentality of the brown scapular and the Rosary. There is truth in this because the scapular leads us to live by the humble obedience of Mary, the immaculate handmaid of the Lord, and the Rosary is but a meditation on the mysteries of our salvation. Indeed, if the scapular is the rudder, then the Rosary, I think, is the anchor. For one sometimes finds in Marian devotions and the prophesies of so-called mystics ideas and notions that, when unguided by the Magisterium of the Church or exaggerated by lay enthusiasm, can lead to superstition or a form of Pelagianism. The Rosary, with its concentrated and succinct meditations on the salvation that Christ has won for humanity, anchors us in the saving work of Jesus Christ and in the Gospels. Hence, it is true that if we use these sacramentals, these gifts from Our Lady, properly, then we shall not be led astray; through the brown scapular and the Rosary, Mary guides us to heaven, to Christ.

The Carmelite church on Mount Carmel is built around a cave in which Elijah had sheltered. In the Scriptures, the significance of Mount Carmel is that it was from this location that Elijah, during a time of terrible drought, saw a small cloud form far out at sea, and this cloud was a promise of rain, and thus a promise of relief from heat, of new life, and of God’s fidelity to his promises. This cloud is thus a symbol of Our Lady. For in the drought of our human existence due to original sin, the Immaculate Virgin is for all humanity a sign of God’s promises being fulfilled. In her, there is the promise of relief from sin and of new life and salvation, for through her we receive the Saviour of the world, the one of whom Isaiah said: “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth” (Isa 45:8) Therefore the Gospel says today that “in his name the nations will put their hope”. 

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, therefore, fills us with hope. In moments when the heat of the day is oppressive, that is to say, when life seems hard and wearisome, we look to the horizon with Elijah; we look to Mary, that little cloud who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, and we see in her faith, in her unwavering trust in God’s Word, even in the darkest moments, one in whom we can hope, and so we place ourselves under her motherly care and guidance. And, on the darkest of nights, when all other lights have failed, we look up to Mary, the maris stella, and so we follow her, the Lady of Mount Carmel, to the safe haven of Christ Jesus: we pray for that grace to follow her in her simple but most profound Fiat: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Or as Mary herself put it: “Do whatever he tells you.” For Christ is the One promised by God who will, as Isaiah says in the Gospel today, lead us to victory. 

[mx-metronome]

Sky Theory: The Light and The Darkness

A post about my thoughts on light, darkness, how they react to one another, and (possibly) what it all implies regarding the Eye of Eden. (Spoilers ahead!)

I wrote a post about the civilization we see rise and fall, but today we're going to delve a little deeper into how the story might really be going, from the conflict to the climax to a possible resolution.

To quote the game's story (from the updated Isle of Dawn):

"With the stars united, our light was infinite...and together, we lived in harmony."

It is well established that light is a valuable resource that the spirits relied on, and way back at the beginning, it was also a renewable one: Winged Light fell from the sky continuously, a symbol of innocence and purity as a gift from the Megabird. Because it was infinite, the spirits all flourished, and there was no squabbling over a scarcity.

"As spirits, we soon became many...creating our home here in the clouds."

Here is where the civilization really starts to grow, specifically in the Daylight Prairie stage. The spirits' needs are all met every day of every year. But somewhere down the line, their basic need wasn't enough for them anymore. As they grew in number, so too did they grow in curiosity and want.

"But darkness came and the stars fell...

This sentence here sums up the remainder of our story, although what take place over the course of this sentence is an entire age. Here's how I feel it goes down:

The darkness coming literally refers to darkstone being discovered, and how its potential in advancing the people tempts them away from the comfort of their infinite light. The spirits did not have the light ripped away from them: they chose the darkness over light and turned away willingly, severing themselves from the stars. The Winged Light stop falling and become a precious commodity.

So they toy with this newly discovered darkstone and find that it reacts to light: as light is applied to any kind of darkness, it gives off energy, a rudimentary sort of power generation. There are several pieces of evidence to confirm this:

Darkstone technology only activates when you apply your light to it.

In fact, whenever you activate a darkstone door in the Hidden Forest, you recharge a little bit of cape energy, suggesting excess energy is produced in the reaction.

Darkness plants, when exposed to light, are used up in the process (as they are less dense than darkstone), but they release candle wax in the reaction, a concentrated form of energy.

However, as mentioned above, you need light for the darkness to be of any use to advancements, and now that supply is finite. The spirits must now find alternate sources of light, and the only source available to them at this time is the creatures of light.

The prairie begins transporting butterflies en masse to the forest to be broken down, and their light is channeled through their dark machinations to keep things running. As the butterflies become scarce, they look to mantas instead, and so on.

The civilization continues to grow and with it their demand for light, but the supply continues to dwindle. The scarcity of light is now threatening the people, and an ultimatum must be reached. They need a reliable, renewable source of power, one that can run almost indefinitely, so the King has one built, for the future of his people and their way of life. That's right: the Eye of Eden was never a weapon, but a near-infinite energy source, like a nuclear plant.

The finest engineers gather at the capital city and splice together mass quantities of darkstone into one megalith, only requiring enough light to kickstart a chain reaction. The reaction would cause a feedback loop: the energy emitted by the light-dark reaction would be enough light to perpetuate the reaction for an extended period of time, and any excess energy can be harvested or siphoned off and used to power the grid.

The people have spread far and wide and into different factions, each jealously guarding what little light they have left, knowing the King has intent to seize it. Skirmishes turn into battles turn into a full scale war. The desperation of each front has them all take the glorious darkness and turn it into weapons, and in this production of arms the people are failing to realize the true long-term side effects of utilizing darkness: pollution.

The weapons are produced as close to the front lines as the people could safely manage, hence the heavy pollution in the Golden Wasteland, just outside the capital. The water becomes thick and near impossible to sail through; the light from the light creatures begins to react to the darkness in the air and water, hence the presence of krill and dark crabs twisted by the corrupting dusts. The people try to infiltrate the capital city to seize the light that the King was hoarding. Perhaps some of the elders were even privvied to the King's plan and were working to defend him to save their own factions of people. Perhaps some of the elders even fought each other over differing ideals regarding the new generator.

As a last-ditch effort, the King moves the generator to as close to the sky as he can in a futile attempt to harness the holy light of the stars they had turned away from ages before. He hopes that the reaction will reach high enough to begin drawing in star power, slowly draining the heavens to keep his people alive.

He gathers any light left in the capital city and sends it through the machine, and the reaction kicks off in an instant. The power is greater than the engineers had calculated, and it is too great for them to harness; the wave of energy is massive enough to wipe out most of the denizens in the city within the first few seconds. The displacement of energy creates fierce winds and kicks up poisonous dust clouds, even scooping up entire bricks and boulders and flinging them through the air.

The mighty capital begins to crumble under the weight of this blazing light, and the flinging rocks tear down surrounding cities, picking up more debris as it grinds away at buildings. The dark dusts scatter across the land, settling over what few survivors remain, reacting to their inner Light and encasing them in stone, leaving them with no light left to return to Orbit whence they came.

The people had fallen to the darkness and its powerful properties, using up all their precious light to maintain their mortal existence. Now there is no light left and no way home. All that is left of their existence is husks of darkness, broken bones of old cities, and a radioactive storm with an unholy hybrid of light and darkness at it center that will run its course for thousands of years more.

"...and with their light we faded away."

...But not without one last plea.

"A long time has passed. Now we call to you."

In their last few moments, some groups of people, those who still had faith that they'd rejoin the stars, began to pray. They stated prophecies, chanted incantations into the sky, erected shrines with candles, hoping that their selfless offerings of light would grant them grace. That somehow Megabird would hear their cries and send them a chance at redemption, a chance at attaining Her inner Light once again.

And so the Megabird sent down the Winged Light again, hoping it would be enough to begin healing the land. But She did not quite understand the inner workings of this darkness, for it was beyond Her: this Light was fragile, and couldn't stand up against the darkness that swallowed the sky. She needed a vessel able to carry this Light safely into the heart of darkness where Her people slumbered.

So She learned of the darkness and how it cancelled out Light, and in response, she created the first sky kids.

"Go forth, child. Return our spirits to the stars."

Sky kids are different from spirits in many ways. Firstly, spirits are also creatures of light in that they originate from Orbit. It was their go-to source of energy and sustenance. But that connection between the spirits and all the light they'd ever need was so easily broken by the want that darkness produced, and their sensitivity to this darkness made them fall prey easily when it fell out of control.

By contrast, sky kids were created as instruments of the Megabird, shells carrying Her fragile Light within. They are not beings of pure light, but that's the point: they were designed to withstand darkness, and granting them a corporeal form provides more protection for Her Light from darkness than otherwise.

So the first sky kids go and deliver their inner Light to what fallen spirits they can find. The elders see the coming of the sky kids as Megabird's answer to their pleas, as Her Light is within them, and as the sky kids present their Light to the elders, they are able to reconnect with the stars and send up the spirits freed from darkness. So begins the pilgrimage back to Orbit, spearheaded by an army of children.

The first sky kids free some of the spirits and then head to the capital where light and darkness collide, the point nearest the stars. Megabird's intent was for the collected Winged Light in the hands of the sky kids to be enough pure Light to dispel the storm, but the darkness is too great, and as the Light was torn from them, they had no Light left to keep away the darkness, and they fell at the summit with no way of returning to Her.

So She sent more sky kids, thinking greater numbers would aid Her will. But two things began to happen, things She did not foresee: the sky kids, blank slates with no discernable emotions or features, learned from the spirits they saved: they learned how to wave hello, they learned how to laugh, how to cry, how to cheer, and so on. They even began taking on some of the fashions from the spirits! They presented individuality, suggesting that Megabird's Light was more than just pure Light: it was also a soul in its own right, much like the spirits that came before.

The second thing that happened was at the summit of the Eye of Eden, as it came to be called: when the sky kids realized their Winged Light wouldn't survive the Storm, they passed it on to fallen sky kids instead so that they may ascend back to Orbit and rejoin Megabird, at the cost of their own ascension. This soul of Light each sky kid carried not only established a personality, but also compassion, as Her Light was always meant to do. Sky kids were drawn to one another, and they started to work like teams and help one another out. They gave each other offerings of light as symbols of friendship and acceptance, not unlike the spirits' desperate offerings of light and candles to Megabird.

The Eye of Eden is the purest, most powerful light colliding with the purest, most potent darkness, which makes it an ideal euphemism for death: suffering and then release. It is the door to Orbit, but their possessions - their Winged Light - will be left behind. They only carry their deeds in their darkest time, which they are rewarded for after the fact.

When they came to Orbit at last, Megabird lauded them for their sacrifice and kindness, and invited them to remain with Her. But many of them expressed distress and dismay for all the sky kids still down in the clouds that needed help, and all the friends that they would miss. So She sent them back with two boons: additional Light granted by the spirits they helped ascend, and the knowledge needed to guide other sky kids back to Her.

Even if not everyone would rejoin Her in the Light, it brought Her comfort that Her Light was spread across an aching kingdom, sharing hope and peace to those who couldn't be near to Her.