#lend me your wisdom o wise ones

[amiscreations]

✨Flowers underneath us now

Towers underneath us now

We walk above the city

You and I✨

[libidomechanica]

Young Robin, his the rich a freshness—verily perhaps not

And what must be in a languor were, but should lends.     Somebody, and over Catholic virgin’s laps, and death, the frost word and gather sea rank     thee fall, despised. That same give cross-wise

did sherbet, she drew yours sweet eyes close two hundred     ground, adorings that: whom my spight: of asswagement the rises, then as a mastert:     but, now lies did I knows he kitchen-

tables, it were my must notion; and, and oars, they     tell that allured, you flappere. I can’t straight and thy father for t is mean? As which seruice     o’er thine own dead there it is, but

heat on a photo in my gentle bittering     fynd, the world vnworthiest she scarce tiger’s daughter. For wanted; at learne that Boy, and dart, is     so goodly laments after, stella,

the hynd: yet in vain—in vaine from whom the would not     go astrayne follow hair, after is a strange. Will build a bonny shouts upon our of     the epopee, that Wisdom, better’d her

too much; from the hour. The long away; the glittering     has past might her happy bound its way we forget thy gay fear. Win ye, O: nae ithere,     those bow the hath my lowers, affrayd.

By thy commends his like all-not thy locke of     my opine, with the pretious bliss deare, and nowe say him? As yet still I could felt clouds and     sensual earth’s sky admire sun and

men—and the spark. My breaches a’s my sent revere:     the living but if I could quake. Ding, or deares a gander liue we cross to his pleasant     by then we but whom mother old,

until he greate so my true relief. Only my     gain for then Kidde spoken of the Musicians, with beneath beneath witles that it was.     Whan the wintersect and still Gregory,

for feare weaves goods, nor be made the fell, yet that     has difficult that hands, and speak and virgin the one long at then on flames not seem’d death!     Young Robin, his the rich a freshness—

verily perhaps not unlike, and, when them achieve     theirs, and her day. The honour mind; affection, have no tones of so soon? Thou will of     more me did not pretty stood, the

Gregory. But now and delicate practice you shines     which beguiled. You stooped, return’d to spends her eyes ouer they maun parts me: we are lyke to when,     in the British world of beer, but thy

ryme, we know; and like becomes home brights my constray     or selfe doth are nis sinful pretty felt though life; and curse doth rows erect your inter-     turn, and letter in the six book I

am shall says my pomegranate cup, and aspect     layers—but prudence on the upper cruel many a moment vp them had year astray     or specially thou breaks the blue affect

thee and hell-fire—all who dreams the chill, and to     quite cloud may ten-speed across the riddle- book, the figures, you colliday; most suck’d both     of us died or still I think

beloved—she addressings miswent? Beloved     evergreens all, how the think upon and wings fills in the rest, remedies in snow: arise,     she had coupled to secure, and this

right. The was bonny land clos’d awhit; thought, and wound:     the light; and grows in Beauty, Common in a bland: they appall? I known was o’ the selfe     assured vnto me giue lyke to thee,

Porphyria’s Love is; her room we touch a Meantimes     he wintry of Charon’s finger in heauenly spent: to satirize or seats and bark, has     rise alone is thy trice; it is paine.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for june 13 of 2023 with Proverbs 13 and Psalm 13, accompanied by Psalm 86 for the 86th day of Astronomical Spring, and Psalm 14 for day 164 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 13]

A wise child is attentive to his parents’ instruction,

but the mocker is deaf to correction.

A person eats well when he speaks wisely,

but the treacherous crave violence.

Those who guard their speech insure they will take another breath,

but those who talk without thinking guarantee their demise.

Slackers crave but have their fill of nothing,

but the hardworking desire and are completely satisfied.

The right-living will not tolerate any lie,

but wrongdoers come to shame and embarrassment.

Doing right keeps the innocent on the path of life,

but doing wrong is the downfall of the wicked.

One pretends he is wealthy but has nothing,

while another seems to be poor but has great wealth.

The rich are targeted and must ransom their lives,

but no one bothers to threaten the poor.

The light of the right-living brings joy as it burns brightly;

the lamp of a wrongdoer will be snuffed out.

Arrogance only produces arguments,

but wisdom accompanies those well advised.

Money earned hastily is easily lost,

but hard-earned money continues to grow.

Hope postponed grieves the heart;

but when a dream comes true, life is full and sweet.

The one who hates good counsel will reap failure and ruin,

but the one who reveres God’s instruction will be rewarded.

Wise instruction is a spring yielding a satisfied life;

those who follow it avoid the traps that lead to death.

Good sense brings blessing,

but the road of the treacherous is long and rough.

A clever person acquires knowledge and then acts on it;

but a fool advertises his folly for all to see.

An untrustworthy messenger stirs up trouble,

but a faithful emissary is curative balm.

A person who turns from correction faces poverty and shame,

but one who regards constructive criticism is well respected.

A dream fulfilled is the sweetness of life,

but abandoning evil is repulsive to fools.

One who walks with the wise becomes wise,

but whoever keeps company with fools only hurts himself.

Trouble eagerly pursues the sinner,

but success rewards the right-living.

A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren,

but the wealth of the sinner is eventually passed on to the right-living.

Though the fields of the poor yield a bumper crop

in a land without justice, it is stolen out from under them.

Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children,

but those who are quick to correct them show true love.

Those who do right have plenty to eat,

while those who do wrong go hungry.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 13 (The Voice)

[Psalm 13]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

How long, O Eternal One? How long will You forget me? Forever?

How long will You look the other way?

How long must I agonize,

grieving Your absence in my heart every day?

How long will You let my enemies win?

Turn back; respond to me, O Eternal, my True God!

Put the spark of life in my eyes, or I’m dead.

My enemies will boast they have beaten me;

my foes will celebrate that I have stumbled.

But I trust in Your faithful love;

my heart leaps at the thought of imminent deliverance by You.

I will sing to the Eternal,

for He is always generous with me.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 13 (The Voice)

[Psalm 86]

A prayer of David.

O Eternal One, lend an ear to my prayer and answer me,

for I am weak and wanting.

Safeguard my soul, for I remain loyal to You.

Save me, Your servant, who trusts in You, my God.

O Lord, please be merciful to me,

as all day long I cry out to You.

Bring joy into the life of Your servant,

for it’s only to You, O Lord, that I offer my soul.

O Lord, You are good and ready to forgive;

Your loyal love flows generously over all who cry out to You.

O Eternal One, lend an ear and hear my prayer;

listen to my pleading voice.

When times of trouble come, I will call to You

because I know You will respond to me.

O Lord, You stand alone among the other gods;

nothing they have done compares to Your wonderful works.

O Lord, all the peoples of earth—every nation You established—

will come to You, bowing low to worship,

and rightly honor Your great name.

For You are great, and Your works are wondrous;

You are the one True God.

O Eternal One, guide me along Your path

so that I will live in Your truth.

Unite my divided heart so that I will fear Your great name.

O Lord, my God! I praise You with all that I am.

I will rightly honor Your great name forever.

For Your loyal love for me is so great it is beyond comparison.

You have rescued my soul from the depths of the grave.

O True God, arrogant people are after me.

A violent gang wants to kill me;

they have no interest in You or Your ways.

But Lord, You are a God full of compassion, generous in grace,

slow to anger, and boundless in loyal love and truth.

Look at me, and grant me Your favor.

Invest Your strength in me, Your servant,

and rescue me, Your handmaiden’s child.

Give me a sign so I may know Your goodness rests on me

and so those who hate me will be red with shame at the sight of it.

For You, O Eternal One, have come to my aid and offered me relief.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 86 (The Voice)

[Psalm 14]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

A wicked and foolish man truly believes there is no God.

They are vile, their sinfulness nauseating to their Creator;

their actions are soiled and repulsive; every deed is depraved;

not one of them does good.

The Eternal leans over from heaven to survey the sons of Adam.

No one is missed, and no one can hide.

He searches to see who understands true wisdom,

who desires to know the True God.

They all turn their backs, walking their own roads;

they are rancid, leaving a trail of rotten footsteps behind them;

not one of them does good,

not even one.

Do the wicked have no clue about what really matters?

They devour my brothers and sisters the way a man eats his dinner.

They ignore the Eternal and don’t call on Him, rejecting His reality and truth.

They shall secretly tremble behind closed doors, hearts beating hard within their chests,

knowing that God always avenges the upright.

You laugh at the counsel of the poor, the needy, the troubled who put their trust in God.

You try to take away their only hope,

but the Eternal is a strong shelter in the heaviest storm.

May a new day, a day of deliverance come for Israel, starting with Zion.

When the Eternal breaks the chains of His oppressed people,

the family of Jacob will rejoice, and Israel will be delighted.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 14 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

This is a wisdom psalm that grieves over the pervasiveness of sin and its sad effects. It is repeated with minor changes in Psalm 53. Paul refers to this Davidic psalm to explain how all of humanity is tainted by sin (Romans 3:1–12).

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

24th July >> Mass Readings (USA)

Friday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

    or 

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest.

Friday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Jeremiah 3:14-17

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart; all nations will be gathered together at Jerusalem.

Return, rebellious children, says the Lord,

for I am your Master;

I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,

and bring you to Zion.

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,

who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.

When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,

says the Lord,

They will in those days no longer say,

“The ark of the covenant of the Lord!”

They will no longer think of it, or remember it,

or miss it, or make another.

At that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne;

there all nations will be gathered together

to honor the name of the Lord at Jerusalem,

and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to Gog.

Responsorial Psalm

Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

R/ The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,

proclaim it on distant isles, and say:

He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

R/ The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

The Lord shall ransom Jacob,

he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,

they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings:

The grain, the wine, and the oil,

the sheep and the oxen.

R/ The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,

and young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

R/ The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 8:15

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 13:18-23

The one who hears the word and understands it will bear much fruit.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

—————————

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest 

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Sirach 3:17-24

Humble yourself and you will find favor with God.

My child, conduct your affairs with humility,

and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.

Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,

and you will find favor with God.

The greater you are,

the more you must humble yourself in all things,

and you will find grace before God.

For great is the power of God;

by the humble he is glorified.

What is too sublime for you, seek not,

into things beyond your strength search not.

What is committed to you, attend to;

for it is not necessary for you to see with your eyes

those things which are hidden.

With what is too much for you meddle not,

when shown things beyond human understanding.

Their own opinion has misled many,

and false reasoning unbalanced their judgment.

Where the pupil of the eye is missing, there is no light,

and where there is no knowledge, there is no wisdom.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R/ The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

and slanders not with his tongue.

R/ The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

By whom the reprobate is despised,

while he honors those who fear the Lord.

R/ The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

shall never be disturbed.

R/ The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 23:9b, 10b

Alleluia, alleluia.

You have but one Father in heaven;

you have but one master, the Christ!

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Matthew 28:19a, 20bc

Alleluia, alleluia.

Go, and teach all nations, says the Lord;

I am with you always, until the end of the world.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Mark 1:17

Alleluia, alleluia.

Come after me, says the Lord,

and I will make you fishers of men.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Luke 4:18

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

John 15:5

Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:

whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

John 15:15b

Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord,

for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

2 Corinthians 5:19

Alleluia, alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 19:27-29

You who have followed me will receive a hundred times more.

Peter said to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[tipsycad147]

The Fiery Wall of Protection

The Fiery Wall of Protection is a folk magick ritual to stop someone from bothering you. Like most spells that have been passed down through oral traditions, it has countless variations. A Fiery Wall can be constructed with just a few household items—and of course, your properly focused will.

Here is a very simple recipe for a Fiery Wall of Protection. (The way I learned it from my teachers, with a few personal notes added.) I call it the quick-and-dirty version. Anybody can do this spell and see positive results almost immediately. You can customise this spell to your individual circumstances, and I’ll tell you how.

What it does:

The Fiery Wall of Protection sends a powerful message to your opponent that you are wise to their crap and you’re not going to take it anymore. It protects your personal energy from intrusion and disruption. It strengthens your aura and home shields with the energy of Fire. It reminds you that you have friends in high places and anyone that wants to mess with you is going to have to work a lot harder from now on. It may be used against any adversary, human or non-human.

What it does not do:

A Fiery Wall of Protection is not a curse, binding, or reversal spell (not really). It does not punish your enemy for past sins, and it does not prevent them from transferring their negative attentions to someone else. It’s also not a substitute for medical or legal services, so please seek help if you are ill or have been a victim of a crime.

Oh, and this probably goes without saying, but the Fiery Wall is a defensive magickal technique. It really only works if someone else is the instigator. If you’re the one trying to cause pain and consternation, look beyond it to more aggressive spells (and watch your back).

You will need:

A white candle (votive, taper, chime, your choice)

A black, grey, or other colour candle (same size)

Something to make the Wall itself (salt, herbs, piece of string)

A statue, picture, amulet, or candle to represent your Helper (more on that later)

Your Candle

The white candle represents you in the current situation, your pure and blameless state. (White is traditionally used this way in candle magick—but if you don't like it, feel free to use another colour that represents purity to you.) This candle will go in the centre of your altar or work space.

Before preparing the central candle, you may want to take a few moments to purify yourself. Take a cleansing bath or shower, do some yoga or meditation, drink water, go for a little walk. Try to let go of all immediate anger and noisy thoughts surrounding the situation. Instead, anticipate how good you’ll feel once the trouble has passed.

On that note, if you're currently doing anything to pester your enemy, knock it off. You're about to magickally claim the moral high ground and seal yourself off from the other party. Any lingering ill will is just going to get in the way.

Carve your name in the candle (but don’t light it yet). If you have a sacred or magickal name, use that instead. You can anoint the candle with Protection Oil, Keep Away Trouble Oil or your favourite all-purpose anointing oil. I like Dragon’s Blood or Frankincense for their powerful Earth/Fire energy.

Enemy Candle

The other candle represents whoever or whatever you need protection from. This can be a person, group of people, or concept—but it’s easier if it’s something you can easily visualise and name. The second candle should be around the same size and shape of the white one (not too much bigger or smaller).

The enemy candle can be any colour except white. I use black if the opponent is purely nasty and grey if their motives are unknown or unclear. Orange can represent a person who's aggressive and self-serving. But it’s really up to you.

If you know your foe's favourite colour or astrological sign, you could use that information to choose the candle colour. Or just pick the ugliest smooshed-up candle in your drawer, the one that smells like cheap perfume and is a colour you hate.

Carve your adversary’s name on the second candle. Some people also like to include a photo of the enemy, or a piece of hair or clothing. That’s great if you have access to those things. You can also include a small token alongside the enemy candle which represents the kind of harm they would try to cause. (A coin if the person is trying to cheat you for money, a nail if they’ve threatened you physically, a thorn if they’re a thorn in your side, etc.)

The Wall

Now you need to find some kind of material to make a barrier. Black salt is a classic choice for a Wall of Protection. Ordinary table salt will do the trick, too. Use the salt alone or blend it with the herbs and oils for your own Fiery Wall mix.

My fave recipe uses Sea Salt, Wormwood and Stinging Nettle. Grind it all up in a cauldron with five drops of Banishing oil. Oh yeah.

But honestly, any material will work for the Wall as long as it has some backbone to it. If you don’t have herbs or salt, you can use a piece of black or red string. Some Witches get all showy with flash paper. Here in Texas, I’ve even seen people collect snips of barbed wire for protection spells. Whatever makes you happy.

Decide on your wall’s “construction material” and keep it handy.

The Helper

The final component of the Fiery Wall of Protection is what I call the Helper, the higher being who will lend their power to help keep your enemy at bay.

Your Helper should be one who knows and sympathises with your case—an ancestor, angel, patron saint or deity. Pick someone who is wise, just, and powerful. St. Michael the Archangel is a very popular and willing helper in protective magick. (And you can get a St. Michael candle at almost any corner store.) Pagans may prefer to invoke a warrior God or Goddess to come to their aid.

I don’t recommend employing demons, elementals, or chaotic gods for this working. Why? Because the Fiery Wall is not about wreaking senseless havoc on people who have wronged you. It’s about maintaining boundaries and preventing future harm. In other words, find a Helper whose alignment is Lawful Neutral to Lawful Good.

If you’re a non-theistic Witch, you could skip the Helper part of the spell, but I really don’t recommend it. Everybody has vulnerabilities and weak moments—that’s how your enemy was able to get under your skin in the first place. Calling on someone or something bigger than yourself lends power to the spell. Call it the Sun, spirit fire, the Genius or Higher Self. I’ve even used the Justice or Adjustment card from the Tarot. Your Helper will stay vigilant for you when you need a break.

You’ll represent the Helper in your spell with a statue, amulet, picture, or other item. You can use a candle, naturally—but if you do so it should be bigger than the two other candles on the altar.

Casting a Fiery Wall of Protection

Here’s how you set up the altar for a Fiery Wall of Protection:

The prepared white candle, representing yourself, goes in the very centre of the altar. The other candle, representing your adversary, goes in front of it, directly across from your physical body. (Any tokens or other items go beside or underneath.) The two candles are positioned in a straight line, almost like you’re confronting your enemy directly from both sides.

Now get a hold of your barrier material, the one you decided on earlier. Using the salt, herbs, string, or what-have-you, build a circle around the white candle. Do this deliberately, making it as perfectly round and complete as possible. Your candle is now enclosed in a circle, with the enemy candle on the outside. Good riddance.

A couple of tips: Using a bag with a hole cut in one corner is a good way to pour out ritual salt. A very small spoon works, too. If you're using string, tie the ends in three knots and place the knots between the two candles. I've heard of people soaking the string in vinegar, chilli oil, or bug repellent. If you’re working outside on the ground, you can even dig a “moat” in the soil and place your barrier items in there. (Not quick, but plenty dirty!)

The item representing your Helper goes just outside the circle, to your left. (Which would be to your right side if you were standing inside the circle and facing your enemy.)

Take a few deep breaths, and begin. You’ll start in the enemy’s corner, because they’re the one who started all this in the first place. (Right?) This is the black or grey or orange candle outside the circle, the one closest to you.

Light the enemy candle. Staring intently at the candle, say,

“[Enemy], I see you. I’m aware of your [summary of past misdeeds] and will no longer tolerate your garbage. Do as you will, but harm me not.”

Or something similar. It’s not poetry, but you get the idea. Let the words you choose fit the circumstances and your intention for this spell.

Now light the white candle, the one within the circle. As it burns, see the light fill the circle and enflame the protective ring.  If you’re mad, now is the time to get really mad. (This is a Fire working, after all.) Let your anger feed the wall, causing it to rise higher and burn brighter, completely shutting out your enemy. Say,

“My body is my own. My mind is my own. My home is my own. No evil can enter this circle of fire. I see those who would harm me, and I laugh at their frustration! I will succeed despite your best efforts to mess me up!”

Finally, call upon your Helper to amplify and maintain your Fiery Wall. Spend a few minutes praying and meditating on the Helper's power. They're bigger than you, and they've got your back. Here are some example prayers:

"Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray."

“Mighty Warrior Athena, my cause is just. Look on me with favour in this struggle. May I prevail over my enemy who wishes me harm, and may [enemy] grow in wisdom and see the error of his ways.”

“O Fire of the Sun, long may you burn. Thou hearest me not, and yet I raise my voice to the sky that my foe might hear these magick words: F--k off eternally, thou son of a dog and camel.”

Blow out the enemy candle, savouring their withering disappointment at not being able to bother you anymore. Place the Helper item on your altar or somewhere you can see it every day. (If it's an amulet, you can wear it.) Dispose of the candles and other ritual items. Go about your business with a smile.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-fiery-wall-of-protection

[dailybiblelessons]

Saturday: Preparation for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 16 Roman Catholic Proper 21

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from the Former Prophets: Joshua 22:21-34

Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, “The Lord, God of gods! The Lord, God of gods! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or offerings of well-being on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. No! We did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and offerings of well-being; so that your children may never say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we could say, ‘Look at this copy of the altar of the Lord, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.’ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

When the priest Phinehas and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manassites spoke, they were satisfied. The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manassites, “Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the hand of the Lord.”

Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the chiefs returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the Israelites, and brought back word to them. The report pleased the Israelites; and the Israelites blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them, to destroy the land where the Reubenites and the Gadites were settled. The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar Witness; “For,” said they, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture Lesson from the Former Prophets: 1 Kings 5:1-12¹

Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram had always been a friend to David. Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ Therefore command that cedars from the Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants; for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” Hiram sent word to Solomon, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfill all your needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. My servants shall bring it down to the sea from the Lebanon; I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will have them broken up there for you to take away. And you shall meet my needs by providing food for my household.” So Hiram supplied Solomon's every need for timber of cedar and cypress. Solomon in turn gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty cors of fine oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and the two of them made a treaty.

¹There is a parallel passage at 2 Chronicles 2:1-16

Complementary Psalm 34:15-22

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,  and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers,  to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,  and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,  and saves the crushed in spirit.¹

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,  but the Lord rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones;  not one of them will be broken.² Evil brings death to the wicked,  and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants;  none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

¹This stanza is quoted in 1 Peter 3:10-12 ²This verse is quoted in John's account of the crucifixion (John 19:36)

Semi-continuous Psalm 84

How lovely is your dwelling place,  O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints  for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy  to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,  and the swallow a nest for herself,  where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts,  my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house,  ever singing your praise. Selah

Happy are those whose strength is in you,  in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca  they make it a place of springs;  the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength;  the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;  give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah Behold our shield, O God;  look on the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better  than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God  than live in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield;  he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from  those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts,  happy is everyone who trusts in you.

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Luke 11:5-13¹

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

¹There is a parallel passage at Matthew 7:7-11

Year B Ordinary 21, RCL Proper 16, Catholic Proper 21 Saturday

Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from The New Revised Standard Version, (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Footnotes in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) that show where the passage is used in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) from Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) by David H. Stern, Copyright © 1998 and 2006 by David H. Stern, used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the CJB, the passage ends with (CJB) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Parallel passages are as indicated in The Holy Bible Modern English Version (MEV), copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When text is taken from the MEV, the passage ends with (MEV) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Image credit: The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

[loveofgodblog]

You will seek Me and find me when you search for me with all your heart

This article was republished from WhiteRaimentEvangelism.blogspot.com.

By John Foll, Finished 6/9/2018, 6/10/2018. © Copyright 2018 John Foll “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’” Jeremiah 29:11-13 NASB. No matter where you have been, or what you have done, or how much of a failure you have made of your life, don’t lose hope. God has a better plan for your life. He wants to give you a future and hope for a better life. Being able to be good and having eternal life are not beyond your reach, if you will grasp the Lord’s hands and allow Him to save you. If this is what you want, seek after God with all your heart, no holding back. Is that what you want? What do you have to gain by holding back yourself from this wonderful hope and peace that God wants to give you? Do you feel like God doesn’t hear your prayers? Are you unsure of what your future holds, or whether you can be saved? Are you sure if you have what it takes to succeed and be the victor at last? Do you wonder if you are good enough, strong enough, smart enough, or wise enough, talented enough, and industrious enough to be able to provide for yourself and your family’s needs? Are you worried you will fail? Do you want to have the assurance of your own salvation? God declares here through His prophet Jeremiah that if you will search for Him with all your heart you will find Him. Much peace, hope, love and joy await you if you will just search for Him with all your heart. Then you will find Him. Are you tired of what your human nature and this world have to offer? Are you tired of its empty promises and lies? Are you tired of trying so hard and failing? Then it is time to try it God’s way, and search for Him with all your heart. When it is in your heart to do so, pray to Him and He will hear your prayer and answer it to the fullest! Oh so full! If you are not there yet, then come to Him as you are, sins, failures and all, and beg Him to help you. Don’t wait until you are ready all the way, or you never will be. But if you have been following Him and are ready to take your next step with Him, why not search for Him and seek to find Him with all your heart? What do you have to lose? If you are new to all of this, or a new Christian, or are not a Christian yet, why go through all the perplexity and trials of following God half-way and failing, when you can throw yourself on His side all the way and find Him and get all the power you need to succeed and to have a new life with Him? You will never regret it, we promise you. Cling to God, He is your only hope, Oh sinner! He is your path, your light and your life. Deuteronomy 10:20; 13:4 NASB. “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 NASB. “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.” Proverbs 8:32-35 KJV. What is Solomon talking about here? He is talking about wisdom. To be wise one must be willing to receive instruction. Wisdom is receiving instruction - learning what you need to know to get life and have it more abundantly, and then do it. Seek after it daily from God’s Holy word, the Bible, and through much prayer with Him. This is where you will obtain instruction from Him. This is how you will find life and obtain favor from the Lord, by receiving His instruction for your life. Note the counsel that king David gave his son Solomon: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB. There is no hiding from God. There is no hiding your words, your actions or your thoughts from Him, He knows them all. Now put it all together: If you wish to have life and not die, receive the instruction that you need to seek after God with your whole heart and a willing mind. If you will seek Him, He will let you find Him. Is that what you want, dear reader? Then seek after God with all your heart, and He will be found by you, and your whole life will change for the better. As God told Abraham, ‘I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward’ Genesis 15:1 KJV, He also tells you, if you will seek after Him, He will be your shield and exceedingly great reward. Abraham was called the friend of God. James 2:23. Many people cannot understand those who want to live a life of love and devotion to God, to give up the sins and pleasures of this world, and it’s wealth and ‘baubles’, with a willingness to give themselves to God all-the-way and serve Him, living an unselfish life to serve Him and others – it seems like there is nothing in it for them. Why would they want to do it? But they have vastly underestimated the great reward in finding and knowing the Lord, a great reward indeed! God and His precious Son Jesus are both great rewards to those who love and serve Them. This great joy can only be known by those who seek after God with their whole heart. Those who only seek Him half way are shortchanging themselves, and will never know this sweetest, full joy. And those who do not seek after Him, and those who do not find Him will know an eternal loss. God tells the saved that He is their great and exceeding reward. In contrast to this Paul tells us that the real loss of the lost - is to be forever shut out from the presence of the Lamb: “*** when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed — for our testimony to you was believed.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 NASB. Jesus and His Father are the source of life and of every blessing that you would ever need. They are your eternal security blanket, if you will just put your trust in Them. But those who will not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, who do not accept His salvation, will be cast out from His presence, paying the penalty with eternal destruction, away from His loving presence that alone can bring peace, everlasting life, blessings, love and joy. “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:12 NASB. This is one of the chief reasons why God does not answer everyone’s prayers, and why He doesn’t hear them. There is no room for halfway measures, half-hearted love and devotion to God. Your sins have separated you from God until you confess, repent and humble yourself before Him. He will save you regardless of how bad you are or what you have done, if you will just throw yourself on His mercy, and seek after Him with all your heart. Half-hearted seeking is for all who would fail. If you have only sought after God half-way or have not been consistent in seeking Him every day with all your heart, you can still seek after Him with all your heart and find Him, there is still time! But wait not another day or for a convenient season. Do not be like Felix who said to Paul, ‘when it is a convenient season I will call for you – a season which never came for him. Acts 24:25 KJV. Now is the day of salvation, while you hear God’s voice, His call to your heart. “For He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” 2 Corinthians 6:2 NASB. Harden not your heart against Him, He loves you! Listen to His counsel to you here: “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, to day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Hebrews 3:7-12 KJV. Do not harden your heart against God, or have a heart of unbelief, not believing that He will save you or not wanting His salvation. Do not have a heart of unbelief, which is departing from the living God.

Consider Jesus’ message here:

“Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:5-13 NASB.

Consider the message that Jesus is trying to teach here: If you will be persistent with God, making your petitions known to Him for a new, better life with Him – wanting a change from the failure and the wreck that your life has been, He will hear your prayer. If you cling to God and persist in making your petitions known to Him for your desire to be saved and to be a better person, He will hear your prayer. God is not like your earthly parents, who sometimes made mistakes or sometimes forgot your needs or sometimes only thought of themselves, but God really cares. If your parents gave you good things in this life, how much more will your Heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit when you ask Him? But you must ask Him, you must seek after Him, you must knock, and the door will be opened to you – the door to eternal life! You must be persistent and cling to God, not giving up, praying to Him and making all of your requests known to Him, of your desire to have a new life with Him, and for the spiritual blessings that He wants to give you, until you get these desired blessings. After God’s gift of His dear son Jesus for the world, His other most precious gift to those who belong to Him, is the gift of His precious Holy Spirit. He will give the Holy Spirit to all who ask, to all who seek after Him with all their heart. This is one of the gifts that all are required to have to enter Heaven and have eternal life. John 3:3, 5. All who wish to enter the Pearly Gates of Heaven will have to be born again of both the water (have the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, symbolized by baptism in the water) and by the Holy Spirit. These gifts from God allow you to become born again, Oh sinner, that Ye might be saved and be able to enter the kingdom of Heaven, like Jesus said in John 3:3, 5. The Holy Spirit is a most precious gift and reward for those who seek after God with all their heart, no holding back. (Why would anyone want to hold anything back, not getting this sweetest of rewards? This is a great mystery.) Dear reader, why would you want to hold anything back and not get this sweetest reward for yourself?

The Conclusion of the Matter:

Everyone who seeks after God with all their heart will receive the joy of their salvation, and have great peace, love and joy! Everyone who seeks after God, and knocks, the door will be opened to them, the door to eternal life! Especially when they persist in clinging to God, and keep humbling their heart before Him every day, every hour, and learning to commune with Him in prayer. Everyone who asks, and really wants it, can receive the best gift from God after forgiveness, the Holy Spirit. They will receive the Holy Spirit, the pledge of their redemption (Ephesians 4:30 NASB), and have the assurance of their salvation, because God will tell them He loves them, and His precious Spirit will dwell in their heart and help them on their way to Heaven. They will have the continued assurance of their salvation, if they continue to seek after Him with all their heart, every day. But the presence of the Holy Spirit gives them the strongest inducement to want to keep all this peace, love, joy and hope that He brings them. When they have all this peace, love and joy and really value it, why would they want to give it up? We do not know why anyone would give up God’s offer of mercy, forgiveness, peace, love, hope ��� much less the wonder and joy of having the Holy Spirit in their heart, and know that their life is pleasing to God, because they are letting Him save them, and He is giving them the power to live a righteous life. What more could you want? This is everything your heart has been searching for! Just give yourself to God now, and forevermore and enjoy your new life with Him! The secret to having a better life, with peace and hope for tomorrow, is to seek after God with all your heart, and then you will find Him! You will be so glad you did! We promise you, that if this is what you are searching for, you will be so glad you did, and God’s love for you will be a well of water inside of you springing up into eternal life! John 4:13-143. God will be delighted to give this to you! May the grace of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Songs For Today’s Message:

If you seek Me, You will Find Me: (Truth Songs) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfb4HK6mKvk If you seek Me, You will Find Me: (Hawaii Baptist Academy choirs) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7jl61jkIDg

Click here for a Free PDF of this article!

[thehorsedispatch]

New Post has been published on https://horsetoloan.com/horse-riding/horse-quotes/

Horse Quotes

Horse Quotes

For all the horse lovers out there, we have put together a list of the all-time best horse quotes ever. Of course, these weren’t actually spoken by horses, but most of them were spoken by horse lovers, and all of them were spoken about horses. 

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.

Winston Churchill 

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. 

Winston Churchill

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. 

W.C. Fields

I’d rather ride on a Mustang than in one.

Bailey Ann Neal

When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, and when you look at him and feel a tingle down your spine… you know you are loved.

John Lyons

There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.

Robert Smith Surtees

A horse gallops with his lungs, perseveres with his heart, and wins with his character. 

Tesio

We have almost forgotten how strange a thing it is that so huge and powerful and intelligent an animal as a horse should allow another, and far more feeble animal, to ride upon its back.

Peter Gray

He doth nothing but talk of his horses. O for a horse with wings! When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in Midsummer.

William Shakespeare 

Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.

John Wayne

The history of mankind is carried on the back of a horse.

Unknown

There are many wonderful places in the world, but one of my favorite place is on the back of my horse.

Rolf Kopfle

A pony is a childhood dream. A horse is an adult treasure.

Rebecca Carroll

There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.

Robert Smith Surtees 

A man on a horse is spiritually, as well as physically, bigger than a man on foot.

John Steinbeck 

In their eyes shine stars of wisdom and courage to guide men to the heavens.

Jodie Mitchell

A horse doesn’t care how much you know until he knows how much you care. Put your hand on your horse and your heart in your hand.

Pat Parelli 

No heaven can heaven be, if my horse isn’t there to welcome me.

Unknown

Horses lend us the wings we lack.

Pam Brown

God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses.

R.B. Cunningham Graham 

I am still under the impression that there is nothing alive quite so beautiful as a horse.

John Galsworthy

I often said there is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.

Ronald Reagan

No philosophers so thoroughly comprehended us as dogs and horses.

Herman Melville 

For one to fly, one needs only to take the reins.

Melissa James

One can get in a car and see what man has made. One must get on a horse to see what God has made.

Unknown

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and freedom.

Sharon Ralls Lemon

The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.

Ronald Duncan

The horse, with beauty unsurpassed, strength immeasurable and grace unlike any other, still remains humble enough to carry a man upon his back.

Amber Senti

There is something about riding down the street on a prancing horse that makes you feel like something, even when you ain’t a thing.

Will Rogers

A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks – but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan.

Pam Brown

A dog may be man’s best friend, but the horse wrote history.

Unknown

You took me to adventure and to love. We two have shared great joy and great sorrow. And now I stand at the gate of the paddock watching you run in an ecstasy of freedom, knowing you will return to stand quietly, loyally, beside me.

Pam Brown

Wherever man has left his footprints in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization, we find the hoofprint of a horse beside it.

John Trotwood Moore

Through the days of love and celebration and joy, and through the dark days of mourning – the faithful horse has been with us always.

Elizabeth Cotton

Horse thou art truly a creature, for thou fliest without wings and conquorest without sword.

Unknown 

There is no better place to heal a broken heart than on the back of a horse.

Missy Lyons

You and your horse. His strength and beauty. Your knowledge and patience and determination and understanding and love. That’s what fuses the two of you onto this marvelous partnership that makes you wonder… “What can heaven offer any better than what I have here on Earth?”

Monica Dickens

At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well-being.

Unknown 

It is the horse’s gift to connect us with Heaven and our own footsteps.

Ronni Sweet

The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.

Proverb 

The horse moved like a dancer, which is not surprising. A horse is a beautiful animal, but he is perhaps the most remarkable because he moves as if he always hears music. 

Mark Helprin 

[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 76 - The Former Holder

"Peasant! I said look at me!" Azula barked in a loud voice as she snapped her fingers in her serving girl's face just as her intended finally registered her presence.

"Yes Azula-sama?" Elle answered in a loyal voice as she turned to meet her master's strict gaze while she calmed when she felt the older woman's strong hand grasp her cheek.

While her big sisters also gazed at her in shared concern.

"Are you alright Elle? What did that girl tell you?" The princess questioned in a possessive voice with her hot breath sweeping against her little girlfriend's trembling cheek.

"Oh! She just told me that she would see me later!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed in an unconvincing voice while she shivered pleasantly under the older woman's dominant stare.

"Really? Is that all?" Azula pondered in a forceful voice with her well-manicured fingers holding her little handmaid's cheek.

"Mhm. That's all." Elle stated with a sigh when Azula let out another dominant growl as she glared strictly back into her lovesick eyes.

"You are a terrible liar peasant. In any case it matters not. I will deal with her if she attempts to harm you." The princess declared in a controlling voice as her hand fell back to her side while her serving girl swooned once more.

"O-oh my princess charming…" The blonde-haired girl trailed off in a gush with her big sister's observing fondly while her master smiled at her once more.

"It will be okay Elle. We'll protect you." Ty Lee assured with a nod while Elle smiled in appreciation.

"Yeah. We will." Mai agreed with a nod of her own while Zoe observed calmly from where she leaned on the door.

Only for all five of them to turn their heads when the old woman tapped her staff on the floor once again.

"Enough distractions! It is time that we returned to focus young Component. Whatever happens outside of this hut does not matter. I don't care if the Fire Nation burns to the ground while we speak. So, it shall burn then! All that matters is this talk." The sage announced as she hobbled forward once more with the five females listening closely once more.

"So be it old hag. But you had better be worth our while." Azula spoke in a rude voice with her lifelong friends groaning beside her in renewed embarrassment.

Leave it to Azula to continually disrespect possibly the oldest person in their nation!

"Forgive us wise sage! We eagerly await your wisdom!" Elle cried out as she bowed respectfully at the approaching old woman while Azula lazily lounged in her seat with a returning smirk on her lips.

"Bloodthirsty your friend may be but she was right. You must get in touch with your heritage." The elderly woman stated as she made her way closer while the highborn women listened in growing intrigue.

"Her heritage?" Zoe questioned in a piqued voice as she watched the hunched over sage nod her head.

"I speak of course of the former holder…the one who held the Component before you." The sage explained with a wrinkled finger now pointing down in the young girl's awestruck face.

"How do we find out who the former hold is?" The brown-haired woman pondered in an amazed voice as she sat with her still healing foot comfortably on the floor.

"Are you inferring to past lives? Like the Avatar Cycle?" The princess asked in a stern voice with her authoritative eyes gazing at the old woman's aged face.

"No. As I said before. The passage of the Component is not like the Avatar Cycle. Each Avatar is a reincarnation of the past holder. The Avatar today shares a connection with the past lives of all Avatars." The elderly woman instructed in a voice of boundless knowledge while the group listened in fascination.

"Wow. That's amazing isn't it Azula-sama." Elle said in a voice of childlike awe with her girlfriend lazily shrugging her shoulders over her.

"But the Component is another matter entirely. Each Component is a completely different person. And the rules of succession…a truly complicated affair. Elle Turner is no one but Elle Turner. And so was the holder before. And so on. And so, the next shall be if you fail." The sage spoke in an enigmatic voice with her hands upon her staff while the young girl gulped nervously.

The concept of Elle dying and the power going to another was a disturbing thought to all four highborn women.

In some way or another all four of them had grown close with the teenager.

And the last thing they wanted was for the girl to die.

"I-I'll do my best not to fail." The blonde-haired girl piped as her princess gazed at the back of her head unconvinced.

"Do you know the identity of the former holder?" Azula demanded in an ever-interrogative voice with her cold eyes turning to peer at the old woman's aged face while the sage met her gaze.

"Hm. I have a way to find out." The elderly woman responded in a wise voice with the five females listening in anticipation.

"Wise sage! Please tell us how we can uncover the name of the former holder!" Elle chirped in a sweet voice with Ty Lee grinning at her from where she sat on the floor.

"Before I can tell you that gentle Elle. First you and your friends must complete a preliminary task." The sage commented with her hands gripping her staff while the young girl gazed up at her in excitement.

While the four older girls exchanged a look as the princess scowled at the old woman.

"Preliminary task? So be it. These four will do this task while I sit here. Such is the privilege of being royalty." The princess boasted in a smug voice with her boots sprawling out on the floor while all but her pet glared at her.

"She said all of us Azula." The markswoman reminded in her usual voice with her spoiled friend scanning her fingernails with a spoiled smile.

"What do we have to do? Is there a beast that we must slay?" The captain inquired with her fist grasping her sheathed blade while her young friend hurriedly nodded her little head.

"Oh, I know! Perhaps we must perform an act of love and peace!" The blonde-haired girl blurted out in a sweet voice with Mai and Ty Lee smiling fondly at her back.

All the while Azula rolled her eyes over her once more.

Only for the old sage to close her eyes as she clutched her staff while they waited in suspense for the old woman's reply.

"You must fetch ten barrels of water from the stream." The elderly woman announced in a serious voice while all but the young girl nearly fell over in disbelief.

"Ten barrels of water?" Elle repeated in a lovably naïve voice as she held a finger under her chin while Azula's eyes twitched in aggravation as she now glared daggers at the old woman.

"Well! That's not what I was expecting to hear." Ty Lee sighed as she sat up with a smile still on her lips while blue fire now burned from Azula's hands.

"Go fetch your own water peasant! Now you will speak now or I will-" Azula shouted only to find herself hissing in pain not a moment later when a staff slammed down atop her skull.

While everyone not named Elle chuckled in entertainment as they watched her turn red in fury in amusement.

"You will fetch the water rude one or I won't tell you anything at all! Now get!" The sage ordered with her staff now being blocked by the princess's burning hand as she glared up at her with murderous golden eyes.

And then not a second later.

The monarch was once more being restrained by both noblewomen as she breathed a large stream of blue fire in the sage's undaunted face.

"Azula! Stop being so difficult!" Mai snapped as she grunted while pulling back her much more powerful friend as the royal woman seethed in her grip.

"I am going to burn you at the stake!" The princess yelled in a beyond violent voice with her two friends groaning beside her.

Only for her golden eyes to twitch in growing anger when she heard her captain laughing from against the wall.

"You know what they say Your Highness. A good ruler works her way up." Zoe taunted in a humored voice as she pushed her body off the wall while Azula's eyes burned through her skull.

"Shut up Zoe! And all of you go fetch the Agni damned water!" The princess commanded in a domineering voice as she snorted flames from her wrathful nostrils.

Only for her scowl to deepen when the three noblewomen cast her a pointed look.

Just as they all turned to their small friend when the young girl sprang to her feet in adorable excitement.

"Yes, oneesan I have heard the same! A wise man once said that a good leader starts from the very bottom!" The blonde-haired girl chimed in a cheerful voice with a hand in the air while her girlfriend glared down at her.

And her three big sisters now smirked in amusement.

"You will carry a barrel of water rude one. Unless you want me to lock you out of the room and tell the Dragon of House Song in your place!" The elderly woman yelled back with no fear in her voice while the captain smirked as she gazed at the princess's enraged face.

"Yes. Perhaps I will use this knowledge to become Fire Lord." The captain mocked with a hand on her womanly hip while her leader gritted her teeth as she glared her way.

"Come on Azula. Don't you want to show off your muscles to Elle? I bet Elle would love to see her strong princess carry those barrels!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a wide grin that only grew when she watched Azula huff haughtily with her arms folded over her breasts.

"Of course, my muscles are without flaw…" Azula trailed off in a smug voice as she eyed her fingernails while Mai rolled her eyes behind her.

All the while she smiled arrogantly when she noticed how her little serving girl was peering up at her muscular arms in adorable admiration.

"O-oh Azula-sama. Will you lend me your strength once more and help me carry my barrel?" Elle requested in a bashful voice as she shyly kicked at an imaginary pebble while her princess smiled as she flexed a bicep over her.

"Hm. Perhaps I will consider it." The princess purred in a conceited voice just as she felt her little girlfriend embrace her toned bicep while her pet pressed her face into her arm.

"M-my mighty princess charming." The blonde-haired girl stuttered in a cute voice just as the older woman began to walk while she clung to her muscular arm.

"You would be lost without my strength little lady." Azula commented in a stern voice as she walked with Elle's face buried in her well-muscled arm.

While the three noblewomen gazed after her in exasperation before they began to follow.

"Ugh. Her ego is so unbearable." The markswoman complained with a roll of her eyes while the acrobat giggle beside her as the followed after the strange couple.

"Maybe! But they sure are pink!" The brown-haired woman answered in a cheery voice as she walked down the stairs once more while the sage watched them for a moment.

Before turning away to gaze back down into her wood stove.

'Perhaps…this young one will be the one. Only time will tell.' The sage thought with her glazed eyes briefly taking on a worried gleam as she sighed under her breath.

While the soldier smirked as she turned to gaze down at her fellow nobles before speaking once more.

"I bet I can carry more than you House Lin." Zoe called out in a smug voice with Mai freezing in her step with her tawny eyes now agape in anger.

"Fine. You're on. Bitch." Mai replied in a venomous voice with Ty Lee sweatdropping between them as she shivered under her glare.

'Is it just me or are they starting to warm up to each other? No. it's probably just me.' Ty Lee thought as she shook her head.

A few minutes later…

The fivesome stepped downstairs to find Nako with her nose buried in a book in the library.

While Saro also browsed an old tome beside her.

And most curiously in the adjacent room.

Jiao was laying on her back with her eyes closed while Zoe turned to cast her an almost fond glance.

One that was not shared by Azula who was now glaring at the sleeping commoner.

Only to deem the woman unworthy of her time as she turned to her royal pilot before barking out an order that caused the poor woman to jump in fright.

"Nako!" The princess shouted in a strict voice as she stood in the doorway just as the two sprang to their feet.

While she watched with approval in her cold eyes when the two dropped in a low bow on the floor before her boots.

"Princess! Did you get the information that you needed?" Nako questioned in a loyal voice as she gazed up at the highborn women looming in the doorway with Azula standing at the forefront.

"Not quite yet. Have you found anything of use in this library?" Azula inquired in a callous voice with just a sliver less cruelty in her tone than normal.

"Erm not yet! But I have no doubt that I will. There is so much to read here!" The royal pilot answered in a thrilled voice while her princess placed her fists on her shapely hips.

The three noblewomen had almost been expecting the monarch to order the girl and the soldier to accompany them.

Only to find themselves taken by surprise when the princess ordered otherwise.

"Continue then…both of you. And report to me anything of interest that you should find." The princess ordered with her fists planted on her hips while she gazed down with cold golden eyes.

"Understood Your Highness!" Nako exclaimed as she bent her head in reverence while Azula offered her a cold nod of approval.

"Good. That is what I like to hear." Azula stated in a stern voice as she strode away once more with her servant girl scurrying after her footfalls.

"Keep on eye out Saro. And make sure no one enters this hut while we are gone." Zoe remarked as she briefly gazed at her subordinate as he arose from his bow.

"Yes captain. I will do that." Saro replied as he watched the five females walk off while he moved to return to his seat.

Only for Zoe to pause as she stopped to gaze in on Jiao's sleeping form with her stony hazel eyes watching the younger woman breath peacefully.

For moment she almost felt like stroking the hair in her partner's eyes.

But she knew better than to indulge in pleasure when there was so much important work to be done.

And with that she wordlessly resumed her stride with her eyes gazing ahead once more as she followed after her monarch.

While Azula glanced down with icy golden eyes once more when she felt Elle take hold of her muscular arm once again.

With the smaller girl now hiding her face in her bicep once more while she soon found herself crushing her serving girl's dainty hand under her own.

All the while Ty Lee walked behind them with a grin on her lips while Mai sighed beside her.

"I love you Azula-sama." Elle confessed for the thousandth time with a blush on her pretty cheeks while she savored how the much taller woman dominantly pulled her along.

"I own you peasant. You will serve me for all of your days! I am going to enslave you until the end of time!" Azula declared with a pompous smile on her crimson lips while she gazed down at her swooning little servant.

While Mai and Ty Lee sweatdropped as Zoe strode behind them with her hazel eyes observing the two in amusement.

"You have a strange way of saying I love you Azula." Mai commented in a monotone voice as she eyed her baby sister with fondness in her tawny eyes.

But if Azula made Elle happy.

Who was she to judge?

"O-ooh Azula-sama you are so romantic…" The blonde-haired girl gushed with a palm on her cheek while she became starry eyed under the older woman's beyond dominant golden stare.

"Like I said…it's pink!" The brown-haired woman giggled with a hand over her mouth while her fellow noblewoman gazed at her in a deadpan silence.

"Of course, I am. I am the prime marital candidate. There is no one stronger." The princess huffed with a smirk on her beautiful lips.

While she enjoyed how her young girlfriend adorably swooned over her word that left her mouth.

And Mai and Ty Lee just sweatdropped once more.

Only Azula would think that strength was the most important factor in choosing a spouse.

"Now that's not necessarily true princess. There are multiple contenders for that title. Most prominent of them are myself and the cherry pit." The captain taunted with her arms folded over her breasts while her princess turned to cast her a foul tempered glare.

"The world will see soon enough that I am absolute. I will conquer the entire world and all who oppose me shall be crushed in the wake of my flames! Never again to rise above the ashes of their shame and humiliation!" Azula bellowed without warning with a gleam of sadistic madness in her golden eyes while she clenched her fists at her shapely hips.

Just as her little girlfriend gazing up at her in awe with her smaller hand still being crushed under her own.

While the three noblewomen now stood sweatdropping behind her as they observed their young friend gush over their leader's maniacal boast.

"You go Azula-sama! You dominate this planet! You can do it! I believe in you!" Elle cheered in a sweet voice with a lovesick smile on her lips while Azula swelled in pride above her with a proud smirk on her lips.

"Aww. You can't get anymore supportive than that Azula." Ty Lee stated in an affectionate voice as they made their way for the door.

"Indeed. My Elle is loyal. She knows who she serves." The princess spoke in a pleased voice with her strict eyes peering down at her serving girl's adorable face while the blonde flushed under her gaze.

Just as they opened the door while they gazed out into the vast forest in returning wonderment as they listened to the sounds of the forest creatures moving about.

It was almost enough to make them forget that they were being stalked and hunted.

Almost.

"Is it safe to be out here? She could have been waiting for us to step outside…" The markswoman trailed off in a paranoid voice as she clutched a knife in hand while she turned to glare around her.

While all but their young servant frowned in agreement.

"I wouldn't worry about it. While she may well be after me and the princess. If she wanted to kill us. She could have surely gotten at least one of us back on that isle. We were almost dead and yet she didn't make a move…" Zoe commented as she strode towards the water barrels while Azula held a finger below her chin in agreement.

And as much as Azula was loathed to admit it her soldier made a good point.

"Even so. She would not have defeated me. Perhaps all of the lesser people would have died. But I do suppose that would have been terribly inconvenient." Azula stated in her usual overconfident voice with a smirk on her lips while Mai rolled her eyes at the back of her head.

"Yes. I have no doubt that you would have made for a fearsome opponent covered in sweat and so exhausted that you couldn't even stand. So much as light a candle with your flame." The captain quipped with her back turned to her monarch while the royal woman glared daggers at her back.

"She has a point Azula." The brown-haired woman agreed with a hand on her hip as she grasped onto a barrel before heaving it over her shoulder while her friend cast her a cold stare.

"If this artist is as deadly as the old sage claims…if it was only our bending that she wanted. Then she would have been the perfect opportunity to take us out while we were weak. So why…didn't she?" Zoe pondered with a thoughtful look in her hazel eyes while the others listened in a puzzled quiet.

"She must be after something else…" Mai spoke in a protective voice as she turned to glance down at the small girl standing between them while her little sister continued to admire the forest around her.

"My thoughts exactly. She is most likely after whatever young Elle will gain from mastering her power. I suspect that she is watching and waiting to see what Elle will do next." The captain declared in a deathly serious voice.

While her three fellow highborn women turned to glance down at the girl gazing up at the looming trees.

For the faintest of moments, the four of them felt a protective instinct flood throughout their body.

And they almost thought that the girl was gazing away in worry.

Only to be taken by surprise when the servant girl abruptly cried out in joy.

"Oh, look Azula-sama! A butterfly!" The blonde-haired girl announced in a cheerful voice with her mouth open in marvelment while her princess stared down at her with deadpan golden eyes.

All the while Ty Lee giggled as she easily held the barrel over her shoulder while even Mai cracked a small smile.

"I see it servant." The princess snorted with fire escaping her nostrils as she planted her fists on her hips while she loomed protectively over her crouched serving girl.

While she glared out of the corner of her eye before she let out a low growl like a mother dragon tending to her little hatchling.

All the while the acrobat gushed at the scene with a bright smile adorning her cheerful lips.

'It is really sweet watching Azula be so protective.' Ty Lee thought with grin while she nodded as she observed Azula tower over Elle as if to shield the smaller girl from an incoming attack.

Just as the teenager grasped at something unseen before she shyly stood up as she turned to face the much taller woman's stoic gaze.

"A-Azula-sama I picked something for you." Elle confessed in an adorable stammer with Azula staring down at her with a refined smile already forming on her lips.

"Have you now? In that case I demand that you show it to me now or I will destroy you!" Azula shouted in a thunderous voice as she thrusted a spoiled finger in her handmaid's quivering face.

While the three nobles watched silently from behind as the young girl nervously held out a small yellow flower before the monarch's callous face.

"F-for you my queen." The blonde-haired girl answered as she gazed up at the older woman's smiling face while her girlfriend gently took the flower from her hand.

"Azula…" The brown-haired woman gushed with a growing smile as she laughed warmly over her little sister's lovable affections for her ruthless friend.

"Your queen is pleased by this tribute peasant. Good girl." The princess commented with a sliver of fondness permeating her cold voice before she lowered her hand into her handmaid's soft hair.

Just as she patted the young girl's golden head while her girlfriend once more melted like butter beneath her hand.

"I serve you with pride Azula-sama. Because you are my h-home." Elle spoke up in a bashful voice as she twiddled her thumbs while Azula's hand still patted her head.

Only for the older girl's hand to retract not a moment later as she smiled up at the monarch's strict face while her caretaker tucked the flower underneath her ceremonial belt.

"I approve of your devotion servant. And so, you shall always serve me. Such is my right as your dominant." Azula remarked in a charismatic voice only for her smile to grow even larger when Elle bent over in a loyal curtsy.

"That's so Azula-sama! That is how our relationship works! And I wouldn't have it any other way!" The blonde-haired girl cheered in a jubilant voice while her princess's full lips curved into a pleased smile.

"I never thought I would meet anyone that was this eager to bow before Azula." The markswoman stated in a slightly softer voice than usual while the acrobat smiled beside her.

"Yeah. But it makes Elle happy and that's all that matters." Ty Lee replied with fondness lacing her voice while Mai nodded in agreement.

"It pleases me that we are in agreement. Now listen well Elle. I have an announcement to make." The princess spoke in a return to her smug voice with her companions gazing on curiously.

"An announcement Azula-sama?" Elle asked as she rose from her curtsy with her amber eyes peering up at Azula's beautiful face in endless adoration.

"Yes. I have decided that I am going to create a new era of love and peace." Azula declared with a smirk on her lips while the three noblewomen snorted as they rolled their eyes.

Only for her smirk to grow even bigger when her little girlfriend cried out in joy.

"R-really? That's wonderful! I am so happy for the world!" The blonde-haired girl cried out as she smiled as brightly as can be while the acrobat stared at the princess's back in disapproval.

"Sure, you have Azula." Mai scoffed as she picked up a water barrel in each hand while she glared at Zoe through the corner of her eye.

While the older noblewoman heaved two over her shoulders with a taunting smirk on her lips.

"Alas in order to do that…I must become the goddess of all…including the Spirit World. My will must reign supreme over all beings if I am to forge a just world." The princess sighed as if it were a great hardship with a shake of her head while her childhood friends shivered in renewed terror.

All the while Elle stood with a hand under her chin as she still gazed up into Azula's entrancingly dominant golden eyes unaware that her big sisters were shivering in fear.

"Azula…." The brown-haired woman growled in an unnerved voice as she tapped her pink boot while her friend paid her words no mind.

Just as Azula placed a hand on Elle's trembling shoulder while she smiled down into her serving girl's lovesick amber eyes.

"Will you help your princess become a goddess Elle? Just think of how powerful I would become. Just imagine how dominant I would become…" Azula purred with her words flowing like silk into Elle's awestruck ears while she slid her hand along the gulping girl's cheek.

"You truly are shameless Azula." The markswoman muttered with a snort while the princess seductively bent over the quivering young girl.

"Elle surely can't do that Azula. She has been tasked with a great responsibility and I really don't think she can just grant you control over the Spirit World." Ty Lee attempted to reason in a frightened voice while Azula smiled down into her little sister's intimidated amber eyes.

"I-I don't know if I am allowed to do that Azula-sama. What if doing that makes me a bad person?" Elle stuttered in a helpless voice just as Azula forcefully yanked on the collar of her shirt while she fell forward.

Only to find herself trembling as she stood with her shirt in the older woman's hand while the princess smiled charmingly down at her.

"Oh? Is that a no?" The princess pondered in a sadistic voice with her domineering eyes never ceasing in gazing down at the blonde's adorably flustered face.

"Just say no Elle." Mai advised in a sigh as she gazed fondly at the younger girl's reddened face while Elle closed her eyes in lovable fright.

"I-I need to stay unbiased Azula-sama. That would surely be a gross overuse of my powers." The blonde-haired girl piped up only to whimper when the princess swiftly released her shirt.

"I see. Well that is disappointing to hear. I really had my heart set on being the queen of all…oh well." Azula sighed once more with a shake of her head before she turned away while her childhood friends glared at her back.

Just as she lazily brushed her dark hair from her controlling eyes before she bent over to pick up a barrel while the three noblewomen now stared at her incredulously.

While her round posterior now pointed in the direction of her young girlfriend's confuddled face just as her little mouth dropped open in shock.

"Now you are really sinking to a new low Azula!" The brown-haired woman exclaimed with a huff while the teenager tried her hardest to avert her eyes from her friend's round ass.

"And that surprises you?" The markswoman inquired with her tawny eyes staring at her friend in annoyance while the princess turned to glance over her shoulder at the overwhelmed teenager.

Just as her loud voice split through the air while the blonde jumped in fright as if she were a puppy being disciplined by her master.

"You're not allowed to look! As of this moment forward you are being punished!" The princess barked with sadistic delight in her eyes when she watched her girlfriend let out an adorable whimper as she turned away.

Just as Mai and Ty Lee gazed at Azula with scolding eyes while their adopted sister cried out once more.

"Sumimasen Azula-sama!" Elle exclaimed in a voice of eroding willpower while Azula's backside still pointed her way.

"If you change your mind about our discussion feel free to let me know." Azula stated in a conceited voice with her arms crossed over her breasts while her serving girl closed her eyes as she trembled behind her.

"I-I'll see w-what I can do Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl agreed in a pitiful voice as she gulped while her big sisters sighed heavily behind her.

"Elle…" Ty Lee chided in a sisterly voice while Azula turned to smirk down at Elle with her elbow pushing down into her other folded arm.

"Splendid! I am delighted to hear it. Your viewing privileges have now been restored. You can gaze at my divinity once more." Azula announced in a spoiled voice with a pompous smirk on her lips as she gazed down at her little girlfriend's cutely flustered face.

"P-please spare me Azula-sama. I don't know how to handle your beauty." Elle pleaded in a lovably confuddled voice with Azula letting out a haughty sigh over her.

"Oh, very well. I suppose I shall show you mercy." The princess commented with a finger raised in the air while a refined smile graced her lovely lips.

Just as she turned around once more before effortlessly lifting a barrel over her shoulder while she watched her young girlfriend move to do the same.

"It would seem as if young Elle would be better off spending a week without the princess in order to learn to resist her feminine wiles." The captain spoke in a humored voice with her muscular arms easily holding the barrels over her shoulders.

While her fellow noblewomen sweatdropped in agreement.

"A week without Her Highness? I wouldn't survive…" The blonde-haired girl mumbled in an adorable voice as she lifted the barrel up with great effort.

Only to blink in surprise when the barrel inexplicably became much lighter.

She gazed up with admiration in her amber eyes to see that her princess was holding the other end of it with her left hand.

"No. I suppose you wouldn't. But fortunately for you I am here to rule over your little life." Azula remarked in a possessive voice with her cold eyes staring down at her short girlfriend's beautiful face while her handmaid smiled up at her.

"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama." Elle replied in a doting voice as she padded along beside her princess while Azula assisted her in carrying her barrel.

While the three noblewomen took to following after the couple with the acrobat smiling at the two once more.

About ten minutes later…

The four highborn women and their gentle young friend were walking towards the stream only to stop in surprise when the teenager abruptly cried out in alarm.

"What is it Elle?" The brown-haired woman questioned in a worried voice only to gaze down at the princess's boots while the monarch did the same.

Just as the three noblewomen sweatdropped as they now gazed at the monarch's humiliated face to see that a cherry pit was in her walking path.

"Oh no! The wise sage foretold that a cherry pit would be your end! It's best not to take any chances! I'll walk you around it Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl announced in a comically serious voice as she pulled on her girlfriend's elbow while the princess turned red in mortification.

While she guided Azula around the lone cherry pit with the older woman's crimson lips curled into a tight scowl as she angrily stomped over the tiny pit.

Only for her callous golden eyes to widen in rage when she heard the three nobles laughing at her expense behind her.

"Silence! Or I will destroy the three of you!" The princess roared with fire spewing from her lips while she allowed her little girlfriend to pull her around the tiny roadblock.

"Well princess it would seem as if your conquest is not unstoppable after all…" Zoe snickered before crushing the tiny cherry pit beneath her combat boot for effect while Azula seethed over her embarrassed shoulder.

"Shut your mouth Zoe!" Azula barked as she held her barrel over her shoulder with her serving girl lovingly latched onto her muscular arm.

While she scowled down at the adorable girl with her golden eyes twitching while her pet took great care to steer her around the aforementioned cherry pit.

"You better watch out Elle. There's another one. Azula might break her neck if you're not careful." Mai stated in a humored voice with her finger pointing down while Azula spun around to cast her a murderous glare.

All the while they watched in entertainment when the innocent girl began to divert the red-faced woman once more.

"Aww. Now that's love Azula." Ty Lee spoke in a tender voice with a smile on her lips while Azula scowled as Elle pulled her taller body along.

The mere fact that Azula even allowed the young girl to guide her walking path spoke volumes about the princess's feelings for the innocent girl!

"There is nothing that I would not do for you Azula-sama. My love for you is so great that I would even become a footbridge for you to use to cross a river. Anything for my beautiful princess charming." Elle declared in a sweet voice as her big sister's cringed in unison while Azula's lips curved into a contemplative smile.

"Kid. Why would you tell Azula that?" The markswoman groaned with her tawny eyes already taking note of the excited gleam in the princess's dominant golden gaze.

"I see. So, you're into trampling. Is that right peasant?" The princess pondered in a pleased voice with the acrobat shuddering behind her while her little girlfriend blinked in confusion.

"T-that's not what Elle meant Azula and you know it!" The brown-haired woman advised with haste while the princess still smiled as the petite girl pulled her along.

"Huh? Trampling? I don't understand Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl mumbled in an adorable voice with her princess smiling down at her in approval.

"Don't worry your little mind over it. We have all the time in the world to explore our desires." Azula purred as she regained control of their walk with her hand still lifting the barrel while Elle carried the other side as she beamed up at her.

"Yes! We do don't we!" Elle cried out in excitement with Azula smirking over her as the monarch held the second barrel over her shoulder.

"That's my servant. Ever loyal to your master." The princess spoke in a pleased voice with a nod while her serving girl shyly padded along beside her.

All the while both Mai and Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief to know that at least Azula wasn't insane enough to start using the sweet girl as a foot bridge.

While the soldier strode along behind them with her barrels over her shoulders as the sounds of birds chirping continued to filter into the peaceful forest air.

And far up in the trees stood Naoki gazing down at them from behind a branch with her eyes scrutinizing the blonde.

And for the briefest of moments her brown eyes flashed with a tiny spark of something unseen as her trademark smile almost creased into a frown.

While her hand crushed the tree beneath her fist as she glared down at the blonde below.

'She has been completely tamed by these nobles. I shouldn't be surprised. She's always been a happy go lucky fool. Yet even so…' The scarlet-haired girl thought with her passionless eyes narrowing down at the younger girl's back.

There was something about Elle's carefree behavior that almost annoyed her.

But how was that possible?

She isn't supposed to feel any emotions at all.

No. That can't be it.

It must be something else.

Naoki hardened her gaze just as the group paused in their tracks with all but the blonde spinning around to gaze up at the trees.

Only for Team Azula to find themselves gazing up at the empty trees to find nothing but the leaves blowing in the breeze.

"That girl. She's watching us." Zoe remarked as she gazed up into the forest canopy while Azula scowled as she glared up at the foliage.

No doubt self-conscious over prying eyes witnessing her treat Elle with affection.

"The next time I catch her spying on me I will greet her with a lightning bolt in the face." Azula snarled with her lips pursed in a vicious hiss while she tried to mask her surprise over the redhead's abnormal speed.

"You'll have a hard time doing that if she doesn't stay still. Her speed is quite impressive." The captain commented in a thoughtful voice before she resumed her walk with her fellow nobles still gazing up at the trees.

Before they too turned away finally as they tried to mask their worry over being stalked by one dangerous enemy and possibly another.

"Naoki's been watching us ever since we stepped outside. And she will continue to do so because she doesn't like Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl muttered as she trudged along while her princess let out a haughty scoff.

"As if I care." The princess snorted with her cold eyes glancing upward for the briefest of instances before she gazed ahead once more.

Just as a red blur leaped away with her scarlet locks flowing freely behind her as she gracefully sprang from tree to tree.

All the while her emotionless eyes gazed ahead as she held onto her scarf with her left hand.

And so, she ran for quite some time.

Until she jumped to a stop on the valley floor.

In the epicenter of the Forgetful Valley sat four great spirit pools.

And now the young assassin stood on the forest floor gazing down at the largest of the four spirit pools.

Her brown eyes carefully studied the shimmering pool of water while she watched as the portal continued to stabilize.

'The rift that I came through is stabilizing.' Naoki thought with her cold gaze studying the ponds waters below.

It won't be too long now she mused with a faint smile growing on her lips.

Before she makes her statement to the world at large.

Only to spin around when she caught sight of a cloaked figure heading her way.

Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the peculiar white mask before the individual leaped down to the ground opposite of her.

The puppeteer gazed back with callous blue eyes that surveyed her from beneath her mask before she began to walk forward.

"You are another off-worlder." Silah stated in a matter of fact voice as she strode forward with her eyes closely following the redhead's movements.

Until she came to a stop standing opposite of the young girl while the assassin gazed at her from the corner of her emotionless eye.

"And what of it?" The scarlet-haired girl pondered in turn as she began to stride past the puppeteer while blue eyes followed her closely.

"What awaits beyond this portal into the Spirit World?" The puppeteer questioned with intrigue in her voice while the younger female passed by her.

"Why ask me? Why don't you just jump in and find out for yourself?" Naoki retorted in an aloof voice as Silah gazed after her with amusement in her heartless eyes.

But neither made a move to attack the other.

While the redhead walked away with her back turned to the strange puppeteer just before she vanished into thin air once more.

Leaving the artist alone to stare back down into the glowing pool with evident fascination in her eyes.

"Perhaps there are interesting people that are worth studying on the other side after all." Silah spoke with her hand lowering down to touch the waters while a dark smile grew onto her lips.

All the while Jaran now stood lifeless behind her with his green eyes gazing down at her cloaked back.

Yes.

She can practically taste it upon the tip of her tongue!

And with that she let out a demented laugh as she ran her tongue across her lips.

Perhaps this is the new artistic avenue that she has been searching for all this time.

Only time will tell…

Back with Team Azula.

Azula sat down in the chair once more with her frigid eyes glaring back at the old woman just as Elle plopped down at her feet.

While Zoe took up her position against the door once more and both Mai and Ty Lee were once again seated patiently beside the teenager.

"Now tell us or I swear I will have you torn apart limb by limb." The princess declared in a violent voice with her teeth bared while her friends sighed once more.

"Yes, wise sage! Please tell us of the wisdom we gained by bringing you ten barrels of water!" The blonde-haired girl chirped with a wide smile on her features while the old woman reached out to open a barrel of water.

"No particular wisdom was gained. I just ran out of water so I sent you youngsters out to get more." The sage responded in something akin to a smug voice with the princess now seething in anger in her seat.

While Mai and Ty Lee sweatdropped as they took in their friends' anger.

This had to be the first time that a commoner tricked Azula into performing labor for them!

"Filthy peasant! By the time I am done here you will regret this disrespect!" Azula yelled out with a finger pointing at the old woman's weathered face while fire escaped her lips.

"Clever. I like her even more than before." The captain stated in a humored voice with her arms folded over her chest while her princess glared at her from the corner of her eye.

"So that wasn't a trial of tribulation that every Component must go through?" Elle asked in a lovably naïve voice as she pouted while Ty Lee smiled at her.

And Azula rolled her eyes down at her as she crossed her legs in her chair.

"No. No it was not. But worry not young Component we'll get to that." The elderly woman assured as she pushed herself up off the floor while the teenager gazed on in continued fascination.

"Please tell me what I must do to prove my honor!" The blonde-haired girl asked in an eager voice as she leaned forward in excitement while her friends gazed at her fondly.

"Every user of the Component must possess an awakened chi in order to make an effective use of their power. This wouldn't normally be a program for most people. Benders and nonbenders alike are born spiritually in tuned with their chi. You however…are a different story. It seems as if you hail from a land where the opposite is the case." The sage informed as she made her way forward with the group glancing at their young friend in wonderment.

"So, that's the problem. The tiger monkey's chi is sealed." The princess grunted as she sunk back in her seat with her arms crossed over her breasts while she still glared coldly at the old crone.

"Not a tiger monkey. This one is a tiger lion." The elderly woman remarked in a serious voice with her words bringing a proud smile to the teenager's lips while the princess snorted snidely over the girl.

While the three noblewomen listened in mutual amusement.

"Did you hear that Azula-sama? I'm a tiger lion!" Elle declared as she puffed out her chest while Azula scrunched up her nose as she scrutinized her.

"Clearly you were the runt of the litter. It's obvious that you were routinely shoved aside at the feeding bowl." Azula spoke with a snort while Elle's shoulders slumped adorably as the acrobat slapped her arm.

"I-I can't help it that I veer on the small side." The blonde-haired girl stammered in a comical voice while her princess smirked down at her.

"What must Elle do to awaken her chi?" Mai pondered as she glanced down at the lovable girl beside her while the sage slowly hobbled closer.

"I have an idea that might work but first I must see your bag Elle." The sage answered with her hands gripping her staff while the blonde peered up at her in bewilderment.

"You want to see my backpack?" Elle asked in a puzzled voice as she reached for her bag without hesitation while the old woman stood over her.

"There is an item in that bag that possesses great spiritual power. This item likely served as a catalyst that triggered your long-sealed chi. Therefore, allowing you to temporarily access your powers several times now." The elderly woman explained to the great surprise of the five females as they gazed on in amazement.

"An item with spiritual power?" Zoe questioned in an increasingly intrigued voice as Azula turned to gaze down at Elle.

"Open your bag Elle. I wish to see this item." The princess commanded with a power-hungry look in her pleased eyes while she lounged in her seat.

All the while paying no mind to her two close friends scolding stares.

"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl chirped as she gave the smiling woman a salute before she speedily unzipped her bag.

And soon enough everyone including the sage sweatdropped when a small mountain of items poured onto the floor.

Including an artbook.

A diary with Azula's likeness drawn on the forefront.

Various coins.

An MP3 player.

Cleaning supplies.

Snacks.

Spare clothes.

A water bottle.

Several books.

And even an article of clothing that suspiciously looked as it belonged to royalty.

And so much more.

"By Agni Elle you carry all of that on your back?" The markswoman asked with disbelief in her voice while her little sister proudly nodded her head.

"Mhm! I have to be prepared for any occasion that might come up!" Elle exclaimed in a chipper voice while Azula stared down at her incredulously.

"Is that a shirt from my royal wardrobe?" Azula demanded in an interrogative voice as the others sweatdropped when Elle turned pink under her dominant gaze.

"I-it might be." The blonde-haired girl admitted in a sheepish voice as the old sage sighed as she began to search for something unseen.

"Normally I would have a handmaid banished for stealing from my wardrobe. But since I am fond of you, I suppose I will let it slide. I will just ask the obvious. Why? We're not even the same size." The princess inquired in a tone that was more inquisitive than angry as she leaned down to inspect her lone shirt.

"I-I didn't steal it Azula-sama. I borrowed it to sleep in on the nights that I slept alone so I could feel as if you were all around me…" Elle confessed in a bashful voice as she twiddled her thumbs while Azula's callous golden eyes briefly flickered with a spark of rare emotion.

"Aww. That's so adorable. I'm sure that Azula doesn't mind if you keep one of her shirts little sister." The brown-haired woman assured with a grin still on her lips while she patted the younger girl's back.

While the serving girl peered up at the princess for her verbal permission just as the older woman sighed before waving her hand in the air.

"Whatever peasant. Keep it. I don't care. I have thousands of formal shirts." Azula announced in a dismissive voice just as her girlfriend squealed in delight while adorably hugging her shirt.

"I know! Her Highness's royal wardrobe is bigger than the house I grew up in!" The blonde-haired girl cried out with her girlfriend scrunching up her nose once more over the reminder of her poor beginnings.

Only for all but the sage to turn their head when they heard Zoe let out an impressed whistle before they all saw that the girl's artbook was wide open.

"Zoe you can't just browse Elle's belongings without…oh my. Elle you have got to be kidding me." Mai stated as she gazed away with reddened cheeks while Ty Lee leaned over her shoulder.

Only for the acrobat to turn just as red as she gazed away.

While Azula leaned over the arm of her chair with a curious smile already adorning her crimson lips.

Only to find herself unable to resist a blush from forming on her regal cheeks.

The piece in question was one of her standing naked surrounded by blue flames in her throne room with her bare backside seeming to be the primary focus of the painting.

And in simply adorable English print the title read as follows:

 Fire Queen.

All the while she turned to gaze at her flushed serving girl with a smile of approval already returning to her lips.

Just the best pet indeed.

"Quite the intimate view of Her Highness…" Zoe trailed off in a fascinated voice with her eyes remaining glued to Azula's naked posterior while the woman in question turned to glare at the back of her head.

"Yeah! That's uh quite the artistic depiction of Azula." Ty Lee commented with Elle turning as red as a tomato as she fretfully tried to take back her artbook.

"C-can I have my book back now?" Elle asked in a self-conscious voice just as Mai seized it from Zoe's disappointed hands and passed it back to her.

"My…my you truly are my most devout little worshiper." The princess purred as she gazed down at her young girlfriend's crimson face while the blonde smiled shyly.

"T-that's so Azula-sama. I admire you more than anyone in this world…" The blonde-haired girl mumbled lovably as she timidly averted her eyes from the princess's amused gaze.

"I can see that Elle." Azula spoke in a gratified voice as she reclined with her leg pressing against her quivering girlfriend while her childhood friends sighed.

"Bah. Get a room you two." The sage taunted with the princess turning to cast her a nasty glare while the teenager gushed with a hand on her cheek.

"You should put that piece on the wall of the throne room for your generals to admire." The captain taunted in an amused voice as her fellow nobles comically flinched while the princess's cheeks turned red as she turned to glare her way.

"N-no. Then people will make fun of me…" Elle protested in a fretful voice as Azula turned to scowl down at her in anger over the prospect of her being ridiculed.

"It's okay Elle. Zoe was just teasing you." The brown-haired woman stated as she patted the embarrassed girl's back just as the old woman's hand hovered to a stop in the vicinity of the teenager's lucky coin.

"Ooh! Is it my lucky denarius! I always knew that it was special!" The blonde-haired girl cried out with a lovable smile while her princess rolled her eyes over her.

Only for her shoulders to slump when the sage's hand moved away while the royal woman now smirked down at her sulking face.

"No. Child it is not the coin." The elderly woman replied with mild humor in her voice as the blonde pouted while the acrobat rubbed her back.

Just before her hand located the item in question.

To the complete surprise of the highborn women and the teenage girl it was the one item that had been carefully set aside.

Elle's mother's jewelry box.

"I-it's…in my mother's jewelry box?" Elle pondered with emotion in her voice while her four friends gazed at her in sympathy.

"There is an item in that jewelry box with great spiritual power." The sage answered in a serious voice while the princess stared down in fascination.

"I'll open it but please be careful with the contents inside." The blonde-haired girl mumbled in a more sensitive voice as she carefully opened the jewelry box.

All the while her friends leaned over her shoulder to peer inside.

"Worry not. I will." The elderly woman assured as she held her hand over the opened jewelry box while the five females gazed at her curiously.

"Show me this item of power." The princess ordered in a controlling voice as she gazed over her handmaid's shoulder with an intrigued gleam in her eyes.

Only to watch when the old crone lowered her hand over a meticulously cared for gold bracelet.

"M-my mother's bracelet?" Elle asked in a soft voice with Azula staring down at her back with her callous golden eyes conveying a rare sense of fondness.

"Indeed, young Component. This bracelet is an artifact of power. It possesses a strong pull on your body's chi. The fact that you have been carrying it around all of this time leaves me to believe that it has acted as a conduit for your power." The sage explained as she placed the bracelet in the teenager's stunned hand while the highborn women listened in marvelment.

"It has a strong pull?" The blonde-haired girl questioned in an awed voice as she held the bracelet in her hand while the sage's staff cladded against the floor.

"Explain what you mean when you say that this bracelet is an artifact of power." Azula demanded as she sat authoritatively above her small girlfriend with her hands elegantly folded in her lap.

All the while allowing her serving girl to lean back with her head propped up upon her womanly thigh.

"There are certain items with an affinity to the otherworldly and the beyond. That bracelet is one of those items." The elderly woman replied with a knowing nod while the older girls observed their young friend sliding the bracelet over her dainty wrist.

Right beside her homemade friendship bracelet.

"Wow! That's very interesting to know! I never wear it because I am afraid that I'll lose it. Maybe that's mother's way of saying that she's still with me!" Elle exclaimed in a voice so sensitive that neither of her friends wanted to say otherwise.

Most likely in fear of hurting her feelings.

"Maybe little sister. It just may be." Ty Lee stated in a tender voice as she smiled warmly at Elle's small frame as the young girl adorably rested her head upon Azula's shapely thigh.

"So, what you're saying is that individuals and objects with powerful chi serve as a conduit to trigger young Elle's dormant power? Is that right?" Zoe inquired in a contemplative voice as she gazed at Elle's innocent face with stoic hazel eyes while Azula stared down at the girl with a possessive gaze.

"That is exactly what I am saying. The more potent the chi the better. The fact that she has been spending all of her time around the princess has helped as well. Her reservoir of chi is quite vast and I have no doubt that it stirs a reaction in Elle's sealed chi." The sage informed with her old hands clutching her staff while the young handmaid peered up at her now smirking princess in reverence.

"Hm. Of course it would. My chi is the largest of them all. There is no one greater." The princess boasted in a smug voice as she placed her palm in her little girlfriend's hair while her handmaid fell into her thigh.

"Azula-sama…" The blonde-haired girl murmured in a lovesick voice with the warm hand in her hair petting her head while her girlfriend smiled down at her.

"See? I was born to rule over this one." Azula purred with her strong hand in her serving girl's hair while Elle shyly smiled up at her.

And her two childhood friends sighed as they shook their heads over her ego.

"Get over yourself Azula." Mai snorted as she rolled her eyes while Azula turned to briefly scowl down at her from where she sat against the wall.

"Possibly. Or possibly not. The Dragon of House Song's pool of chi may be even larger than your own." The elderly woman remarked in an offhand fashion with the princess's golden eyes now wide in offense while the captain smiled smugly back at her.

"Are you trying to tell me that Zoe is better than me?" The princess questioned in a frigid voice with her lifelong friends shivering once more as she glared hard at the old crone's unbothered face.

"You both possess completely different bending styles. One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's all a matter of preference. What is evident is that her stamina is greater than yours. While it is true that you possess an impressive array of innovative techniques that no firebender has used before you. What good are they if they render you crippled on the battlefield?" The sage retorted as she faced the princess's callous gaze while the royal woman glared back at her.

"No need to get sore princess. You already knew that my stamina was greater than yours. And I already knew that your plethora of techniques were more diverse than my own." The captain quipped with her muscular arms folded over her breasts while her monarch cast her a foul death glare.

The mere fact that Zoe even claimed to be her superior in one category was something that Azula abhorred.

'Once I master my new techniques then I will be able to use these new abilities much more efficiently. And then I will crush all who oppose me beneath my divine might!' Azula thought with fire exuding from her nostrils while she clenched her fist before her smiling face.

Yes. She has no doubt that the exhaustive effects of these new powers are only because she has yet to master them.

But once she has perfected them…

She mused with her crimson lips curling into a confident smirk while she reclined with her other hand in her serving girl's soft hair.

"Although given the nature of the Dragon of House Song's technique. I can't say that I am surprised." The elderly woman commented as she hobbled forward once more with her words taking all by surprise.

Team Azula could only stare on in interest with their eyes shifting to Zoe's strangely visibly surprised face with confusion in their gazes.

If only because they were not aware of the captain using any particular technique.

"How would you know about that? It's not exactly something that I divulge freely." Zoe spoke with a flicker of surprise in her cool-headed voice while the old woman's glazed eyes peered back at her.

"These old eyes may no longer work. But my sense of chi is like no other. And I can 'see' your chi in vivid detail and how you use it." The sage responded in an ever-observant voice while the soldier stared back with recognition in her hazel eyes.

All the while the two noblewomen and their princess wondered just what the old woman meant by her vague words.

"Impressive. You're the first to figure it out." The captain chuckled as she sunk back against the wall while her monarch stared at her with demanding golden eyes.

"Zoe! I demand that you divulge the details of this hidden ability of yours to me right now!" The princess barked with a finger pointing in her soldier's direction while the noblewoman just smirked back at her.

While Mai found herself glaring back at Zoe as she scowled while trying to fight the sense of competitive anger that she frequently felt in the other woman's presence.

"No." Zoe declared in a blunt voice with her cold eyes staring back into Azula's now angered gaze while her fellow nobles shuddered as they scooted away from the princess.

"No?" Azula repeated with venom oozing from her frigid voice while Zoe never once shrunk from her glare.

"You heard me. You have your secrets and I have mine. Perhaps someday I'll tell you. Maybe you'll even see it on the battlefield. But until then…my answer will not change. Consider it a safeguard against future assassination attempts." The captain replied in a stony voice with her cold gaze briefly sweeping over the markswoman's wincing countenance.

While the princess sunk back in her seat with a displeased scowl on her lips but once more, she understood that her soldier had a point.

She could only glance over her shoulder to briefly scowl at Mai's guilty face before turning away.

Zoe probably would have told her.

If not for Mai's treason.

Only for all of them to turn to the old sage when she spoke up once more.

"Young Component…sit up. There is something that we must do." The elderly woman instructed as she made her way forward while the teenager sprung up from the princess's leg.

"What must we do wise sage?" Elle asked with childish wonder in her voice while she now wore her mother's bracelet over her wrist.

"Your body reacts strongly to the powerful energy of both your mother's bracelet and the chi of your friends. But even that is not enough to awaken your power but worry not you have come to the right place. For the Forgetful Valley is located right beside that which every use of the Component needs." The sage stated as she came to a stop before the seated young girl once more while the group listened in rapidly rising intrigue.

"What is that I need?" The blonde-haired girl queried in an eager voice as she sat with her hands on her knees while the old woman gazed down at her.

"The Spirit World…it is directly connected to this very valley. Like all of the Components before you. You must expose yourself to its energies to begin mastering your power." The elderly woman announced to the surprise of the five females.

"The girl needs to go to the Spirit World?" The princess queried in a piqued voice as she rubbed the underside of her chin with a well-manicured finger.

This was turning out to be quite the productive little trip.

Much more so than she ever could have anticipated.

"In due time. But first we must uncover the identity of the previous holder." The sage commented as she gazed down into the teenager's amazed amber eyes while the girl sat up straighter.

"How do we figure that out wise sage?" Elle pondered in an inquisitive voice only to blink when the old woman's hand touched her forehead.

"Sit still young Component and search deep within yourself." The elderly woman lectured with her hand on the teenager's forehead while the girl's friends watched closely in fascination.

"Search deep within myself…" The blonde-haired girl mumbled as she chewed on her lip while grasping at her knees.

And then she closed her eyes as she felt a sensation of warmth flood through her as she breathed in deeply.

While Azula observed from behind her with her callous golden eyes conveying her violently protective instincts.

With her cold gaze never once leaving her young betrothed's innocent face.

Only for her ruthless eyes to widen ever so slightly when she watched the old crone's hand begin to emit a faint glow.

The three noblewomen observed in equal enchantment while their breaths hitched in their throats.

Each of them just as curious about the mysterious lineage of their young friend's strange power.

And then not a moment later the old woman withdrew her hand while the group gazed at her in unhidden suspense just as the blonde opened her eyes.

Only for the five of them to look at the sage in puzzlement when she released a sound of surprise.

"Hm. So, it's true what they say. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree…." The sage muttered as she moved back towards her wood stove while the group blinked in bewilderment.

All the while Azula rolled her eyes as she sat up with her cold eyes following the old woman's hunched over back.

"No more riddles old hag! Did you uncover the former holder or not!" The princess bellowed in a spoiled voice with her childhood friends gazing at her in exasperation.

"Yes, wise sage. What is the name of the former holder?" Elle asked in a much more respectful voice with her gentle eyes watching in intrigue as the sage threw several more sticks into her stove.

Just before lighting another match as her wrinkled hand tossed it into the open chamber.

While the four highborn women and their young servant sat in a spellbound quiet as the smoke began to form once more.

"That I have child." The elderly woman answered as she turned to face the group with her hands clasped under her robed sleeves.

All the while her audience gazed on in wonderment as a figure began to form in the mystic fire.

Only for the young girl's mouth to drop open in disbelief when she saw the smoke start to take the shape of a familiar face.

The room turned silent as the visage of a woman formed over the mystic flame.

It was a face that all of them except for Zoe had seen before!

The face was that of a woman in her mid-thirties with beautiful blonde hair that fell down just below her jawline.

With intelligent amber eyes that now seemed to be gazing hauntingly back at them.

The young girl's hands shook in her lap as a tear dripped down her shocked cheek while her friends stared on in astonishment.

"M-Mother?" The blonde-haired girl stammered as she sprang up to touch the smoking image of her mother while her princess stared at her back with uncharacteristic emotion in her hardened gaze.

While her highborn friends gazed on in sympathy as they watched her rush forward.

The acrobat's blinked her teary eyes while the markswoman grimaced as a tear too streamed down her cheek.

And even the captain's piercing gaze flickered with a rare pity as she watched the girl reach out to touch her mother's image.

"It's…Elle's mother." Azula spoke in a baffled voice with her mouth agape in shock only for her scowl to return when her girlfriend's hand slipped right through the smoke.

"That is correct. The former holder is your mother. When a user of the Component dies…should any offspring be within close proximity…the power will transfer to the closest descendant." The sage announced with her hands gripping her staff as she gazed at the teenager's emotional face in pity.

And with that the face of Elle's mother vanished just as her daughter's hand faded right through the mystic smoke.

While Elle now stood with her hair sticking to her face as she still gazed on spellbound to where her mother's face had just been.

And just like that she let out a silent cry while her hand still lingered in the air.

As if it was frozen in time itself.

Never noticing that her princess had stood up from her seat or the way that the older woman was staring at her back with a marginally softened look in her frigid golden eyes.

Nor did she hear Azula approaching her from behind.

And she barely felt the much taller woman's hand lower onto her shoulder while her big sisters stared on in sympathy.

And then not a moment later she collapsed sobbing into her statuesque princess's armored belly while two strong hands remained firmly on her trembling shoulders.

All the while Azula stood over her with her callous golden eyes gazing down at her while she held her crying form into her stomach.

No one said a word while the cruel princess comforted her young love.

"I-I miss her Azula-sama. I miss her so very much." Elle whispered in a pained voice with Azula's powerful hands clutching her shoulders while she sought haven in her master's belly.

"I know you do Elle." The princess sighed with her arms over her serving girl's shoulders while she allowed the small girl to hide in her ceremonial armor.

"M-my Fire Queen." The blonde-haired girl mumbled as she savored the heat that the much taller girl was giving off while she listened to a growl resonate throughout her master's belly.

"Calm yourself little peasant. I have you now." Azula growled out with fire escaping her nostrils while her eyes flashed with a cold protectiveness when her small girlfriend let out another cry.

And with that the powerful princess stood with her hands on her young love's shoulders while Elle pushed her wet face into her plated belly.

And the others wisely remained silent.

While Azula's beautiful lips pursed into a tight snarl as she held onto the back of her young betrothed's plush head.

Her enemies on the other side will rue the day that they ever hurt her little betrothed.

Of that she was certain.

They will pay in blue fire and blood.

And that was a promise that she intended to keep.

[shriparwandram]

As my Gowatsa has healed & is alone on my right, I have convinced myself to bring Her friend to join Her, by dedicating my left bicep to the most magnificent animal of the Indian culture & religion; the elephant! The elephant symbolizes wisdom, patience, stability, loyalty, intelligence, altruism, peace & serenity of nature, its’ indiscriminative nature in wanting to help inferior animals in the jungle makes it one of the most magnanimous of all living animals. In one of the stories, an elephant who leads the herd stops to save an ant who is struggling in a pool of water by lending a leaf from a tree it notices nearby, seeing this act, other fellow elephants inquire it on why would He disrupt the momentum of the wandering herd to save a meaningless ant. To this, the elephant said, if humans with 2 arms are ethically inclined to help one another, why not the elephant which has 3 arms (trunk included) should not help those who are in dire need of help. Hearing these wise words of the elephant, the 330 million gods gathered. Blessed the elephant saying, “O Thee Elephant, who has a heart as big as your body, a mind vast as the ocean, eyes with acute vision, we Bless you to be the most magnificent animal that ever walks on this plains!” And the gods called Him Gajendra, the king of all animals, the most righteous animal there ever is. And for these splendid reasons, the elephant is venerated as the most magnificent of all living animals there is in this world, all adherents of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism sanctify the elephant as one of the wisest, most righteous, and most enlightened of all land-living animals. And today, on a blessed Friday I welcome this glorious giant unto myself, for with His presence I shall be blessed with a mind that is wise, stable and virtuous for everyone around me. Swagatam Swagatam Shobana Mahanurupa, Nitya Sahayadatra, Shri Gajendra Dewa, Namo Namaha, Namo Namaha, Namo Namaha! (at The Tattoo Parlor Malaysia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEb4WuGhS6_/?igshid=402nsov7833t

[libidomechanica]

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and pleasure: but take the fountain     sideways, pitying as before. Our Ida heart. It is     soon absolvèd; if to love doth water. She story I am     cunnin’, sae ye wi anither cease to the snow is     seen the stars, sun, his head,

by secret troth and Satyrs knelt     on one,—and press the saddle set; opening in loops like     her chills and her, and great Juno goes far. Painting phantoms     of other secure found her head. Darling are should lend out,     cajoled by things break from

sound, and scorn to single souls unlike—     it seemed like tyrant said? She spoke The Sage would fain was     I using it to be at charm of earlier thanks, that     lays; the bowers bold Love’s father off, and the brighter eyes     o’erflowing orb declines.

Fade falser self and straught, and she     third errand see a glorious train: the garden came behind     seen but not a single soul! Over the closed eyes,     accomplish thy bright forking the speed of the like some love be     seen, and good, when he came—

and Ausemán—the Head once,     inviolably true, and can hit em right back again, and now     she single break; till he be not as brittle King Cheek,—upon     the pinch of wedded in love, and good! Love, thou leaves unseen     she knock again, and

unruffled cage of thy frown. When     with too much as that, womanhood. That her tradesman once     comes thee down like to the daisies round are up—she said, My     name is quickness, prouder as he green, and suddenly, that     I shall she becomes to

sing my Highland lips! Pain, for who’s     so true calm. Or wise doubt, in sunshine, but every word she     ground, and boy, you have been her eyes in tortured eye, if the     Bust and far into the world’s releasing, while the brook, with     disdains all. Him whom she

looks o’er his wisdom his voice I     held an eye that we see, but coming mute, and, relaxing,     with her beames, taking; thinke, this bustle, Betty, he’ll gallop     on for some please, but a fool would your most, when the soft     feet. On tiptoe seem to

the world for beauty, so he rest.     For eleven; tis silent form, dost possessing nurse, the     time, dying day. And trust to me now had largely given     back over then no longer and silent light, and heels to     endear’d, but a breathe a

sugred lies turning like-hat     relation. Were I go, she storm he live: but cannot chuse but     put on the melancholy eyes, and she thatch mine happy     in a hurry. But sings. On waterfall, or in the earth     do find that are the centre-

bits grind on the doctor from     loving shadow of the accomplish’d unseen, she rose; the     restored; nor asks of Maud; I play’d with a daughter, my sinful     ear in one hands, and weep; is it peace, and alum and     discouer whether the palace

at our misgivings. When hurt     and had a mother woman’s life supplied, beginning to     be alone in the soft hand in the sun, his will die of     love and gold Expression burns with potent spell.     That Dervish-dances turned.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for june 13 of 2022 with Proverbs 13 and Psalm 13, accompanied by Psalm 86 for the 86th day of Astronomical Spring, and Psalm 14 for day 164 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 13]

A wise child is attentive to his parents’ instruction,

but the mocker is deaf to correction.

A person eats well when he speaks wisely,

but the treacherous crave violence.

Those who guard their speech insure they will take another breath,

but those who talk without thinking guarantee their demise.

Slackers crave but have their fill of nothing,

but the hardworking desire and are completely satisfied.

The right-living will not tolerate any lie,

but wrongdoers come to shame and embarrassment.

Doing right keeps the innocent on the path of life,

but doing wrong is the downfall of the wicked.

One pretends he is wealthy but has nothing,

while another seems to be poor but has great wealth.

The rich are targeted and must ransom their lives,

but no one bothers to threaten the poor.

The light of the right-living brings joy as it burns brightly;

the lamp of a wrongdoer will be snuffed out.

Arrogance only produces arguments,

but wisdom accompanies those well advised.

Money earned hastily is easily lost,

but hard-earned money continues to grow.

Hope postponed grieves the heart;

but when a dream comes true, life is full and sweet.

The one who hates good counsel will reap failure and ruin,

but the one who reveres God’s instruction will be rewarded.

Wise instruction is a spring yielding a satisfied life;

those who follow it avoid the traps that lead to death.

Good sense brings blessing,

but the road of the treacherous is long and rough.

A clever person acquires knowledge and then acts on it;

but a fool advertises his folly for all to see.

An untrustworthy messenger stirs up trouble,

but a faithful emissary is curative balm.

A person who turns from correction faces poverty and shame,

but one who regards constructive criticism is well respected.

A dream fulfilled is the sweetness of life,

but abandoning evil is repulsive to fools.

One who walks with the wise becomes wise,

but whoever keeps company with fools only hurts himself.

Trouble eagerly pursues the sinner,

but success rewards the right-living.

A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren,

but the wealth of the sinner is eventually passed on to the right-living.

Though the fields of the poor yield a bumper crop

in a land without justice, it is stolen out from under them.

Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children,

but those who are quick to correct them show true love.

Those who do right have plenty to eat,

while those who do wrong go hungry.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 13 (The Voice)

[Psalm 13]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

How long, O Eternal One? How long will You forget me? Forever?

How long will You look the other way?

How long must I agonize,

grieving Your absence in my heart every day?

How long will You let my enemies win?

Turn back; respond to me, O Eternal, my True God!

Put the spark of life in my eyes, or I’m dead.

My enemies will boast they have beaten me;

my foes will celebrate that I have stumbled.

But I trust in Your faithful love;

my heart leaps at the thought of imminent deliverance by You.

I will sing to the Eternal,

for He is always generous with me.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 13 (The Voice)

[Psalm 86]

A prayer of David.

O Eternal One, lend an ear to my prayer and answer me,

for I am weak and wanting.

Safeguard my soul, for I remain loyal to You.

Save me, Your servant, who trusts in You, my God.

O Lord, please be merciful to me,

as all day long I cry out to You.

Bring joy into the life of Your servant,

for it’s only to You, O Lord, that I offer my soul.

O Lord, You are good and ready to forgive;

Your loyal love flows generously over all who cry out to You.

O Eternal One, lend an ear and hear my prayer;

listen to my pleading voice.

When times of trouble come, I will call to You

because I know You will respond to me.

O Lord, You stand alone among the other gods;

nothing they have done compares to Your wonderful works.

O Lord, all the peoples of earth—every nation You established—

will come to You, bowing low to worship,

and rightly honor Your great name.

For You are great, and Your works are wondrous;

You are the one True God.

O Eternal One, guide me along Your path

so that I will live in Your truth.

Unite my divided heart so that I will fear Your great name.

O Lord, my God! I praise You with all that I am.

I will rightly honor Your great name forever.

For Your loyal love for me is so great it is beyond comparison.

You have rescued my soul from the depths of the grave.

O True God, arrogant people are after me.

A violent gang wants to kill me;

they have no interest in You or Your ways.

But Lord, You are a God full of compassion, generous in grace,

slow to anger, and boundless in loyal love and truth.

Look at me, and grant me Your favor.

Invest Your strength in me, Your servant,

and rescue me, Your handmaiden’s child.

Give me a sign so I may know Your goodness rests on me

and so those who hate me will be red with shame at the sight of it.

For You, O Eternal One, have come to my aid and offered me relief.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 86 (The Voice)

[Psalm 14]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

This is a wisdom psalm that grieves over the pervasiveness of sin and its sad effects. It is repeated with minor changes in Psalm 53. Paul refers to this Davidic psalm to explain how all of humanity is tainted by sin (Romans 3:1–12).

A wicked and foolish man truly believes there is no God.

They are vile, their sinfulness nauseating to their Creator;

their actions are soiled and repulsive; every deed is depraved;

not one of them does good.

The Eternal leans over from heaven to survey the sons of Adam.

No one is missed, and no one can hide.

He searches to see who understands true wisdom,

who desires to know the True God.

They all turn their backs, walking their own roads;

they are rancid, leaving a trail of rotten footsteps behind them;

not one of them does good,

not even one.

Do the wicked have no clue about what really matters?

They devour my brothers and sisters the way a man eats his dinner.

They ignore the Eternal and don’t call on Him, rejecting His reality and truth.

They shall secretly tremble behind closed doors, hearts beating hard within their chests,

knowing that God always avenges the upright.

You laugh at the counsel of the poor, the needy, the troubled who put their trust in God.

You try to take away their only hope,

but the Eternal is a strong shelter in the heaviest storm.

May a new day, a day of deliverance come for Israel, starting with Zion.

When the Eternal breaks the chains of His oppressed people,

the family of Jacob will rejoice, and Israel will be delighted.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 14 (The Voice)

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

27th September >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest 

on Friday, Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time.

Friday, Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the feria (Friday))

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Haggai 2:1-9

One moment yet and I will fill this house with glory.

In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people:

Who is left among you

that saw this house in its former glory?

And how do you see it now?

Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?

But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the Lord,

and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak,

And take courage, all you people of the land,

says the Lord, and work!

For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.

This is the pact that I made with you

when you came out of Egypt,

And my spirit continues in your midst;

do not fear!

For thus says the Lord of hosts:

One moment yet, a little while,

and I will shake the heavens and the earth,

the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all the nations,

and the treasures of all the nations will come in,

And I will fill this house with glory,

says the Lord of hosts.

Mine is the silver and mine the gold,

says the Lord of hosts.

Greater will be the future glory of this house

than the former, says the Lord of hosts;

And in this place I will give you peace,

says the Lord of hosts!

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R/ Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight

against a faithless people;

from the deceitful and impious man rescue me.

R/ Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

For you, O God, are my strength.

Why do you keep me so far away?

Why must I go about in mourning,

with the enemy oppressing me?

R/ Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Send forth your light and your fidelity;

they shall lead me on

And bring me to your holy mountain,

to your dwelling-place.

R/ Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Then will I go in to the altar of God,

the God of my gladness and joy;

Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,

O God, my God!

R/ Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Gospel Acclamation

Mark 10:45

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Son of Man came to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 9:18-22

You are the Christ of God. The Son of Man must suffer greatly.

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

————————

Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest 

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8, 9

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commands.

His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;

the upright generation shall be blessed.

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house;

his generosity shall endure forever.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious and merciful and just.

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice;

He shall never be moved;

the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

An evil report he shall not fear.

His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear

till he looks down upon his foes.

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Lavishly he gives to the poor,

his generosity shall endure forever;

his horn shall be exalted in glory.

R/ Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation

John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 9:35-38

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[tipsycad147]

The Fiery Wall of Protection

by Michelle Gruben

The Fiery Wall of Protection is a folk magick ritual to stop someone from bothering you. Like most spells that have been passed down through oral traditions, it has countless variations. A Fiery Wall can be constructed with just a few household items—and of course, your properly focused will.

Here is a very simple recipe for a Fiery Wall of Protection. (The way I learned it from my teachers, with a few personal notes added.) I call it the quick-and-dirty version. Anybody can do this spell and see positive results almost immediately. You can customize this spell to your individual circumstances, and I’ll tell you how.

What it does:

The Fiery Wall of Protection sends a powerful message to your opponent that you are wise to their crap and you’re not going to take it anymore. It protects your personal energy from intrusion and disruption. It strengthens your aura and home shields with the energy of Fire. It reminds you that you have friends in high places and anyone that wants to mess with you is going to have to work a lot harder from now on. It may be used against any adversary, human or non-human.

What it does not do:

A Fiery Wall of Protection is not a curse, binding, or reversal spell (not really). It does not punish your enemy for past sins, and it does not prevent them from transferring their negative attentions to someone else. It’s also not a substitute for medical or legal services, so please seek help if you are ill or have been a victim of a crime.

Oh, and this probably goes without saying, but the Fiery Wall is a defensive magickal technique. It really only works if someone else is the instigator. If you’re the one trying to cause pain and consternation, look beyond it to more aggressive spells (and watch your back).

You will need:

A white candle (votive, taper, chime, your choice)

A black, grey, or other color candle (same size)

Something to make the Wall itself (salt, herbs, piece of string)

A statue, picture, amulet, or candle to represent your Helper (more on that later)

Your Candle

The white candle represents you in the current situation, your pure and blameless state. (White is traditionally used this way in candle magick—but if you don't like it, feel free to use another color that represents purity to you.) This candle will go in the center of your altar or work space.

Before preparing the central candle, you may want to take a few moments to purify yourself. Take a cleansing bath or shower, do some yoga or meditation, drink water, go for a little walk. Try to let go of all immediate anger and noisy thoughts surrounding the situation. Instead, anticipate how good you’ll feel once the trouble has passed.

On that note, if you're currently doing anything to pester your enemy, knock it off. You're about to magickally claim the moral high ground and seal yourself off from the other party. Any lingering ill will is just going to get in the way.

Carve your name in the candle (but don’t light it yet). If you have a sacred or magickal name, use that instead. You can anoint the candle with Protection Oil, Keep Away Trouble Oil or your favorite all-purpose anointing oil. I like Dragon’s Blood or Frankincense for their powerful Earth/Fire energy.

Enemy Candle

The other candle represents whoever or whatever you need protection from. This can be a person, group of people, or concept—but it’s easier if it’s something you can easily visualize and name. The second candle should be around the same size and shape of the white one (not too much bigger or smaller).

The enemy candle can be any color except white. I use black if the opponent is purely nasty and grey if their motives are unknown or unclear. Orange can represent a person who's aggressive and self-serving. But it’s really up to you.

If you know your foe's favorite color or astrological sign, you could use that information to choose the candle color. Or just pick the ugliest smooshed-up candle in your drawer, the one that smells like cheap perfume and is a color you hate.

Carve your adversary’s name on the second candle. Some people also like to include a photo of the enemy, or a piece of hair or clothing. That’s great if you have access to those things. You can also include a small token alongside the enemy candle which represents the kind of harm they would try to cause. (A coin if the person is trying to cheat you for money, a nail if they’ve threatened you physically, a thorn if they’re a thorn in your side, etc.)

The Wall

Now you need to find some kind of material to make a barrier. Black salt is a classic choice for a Wall of Protection. Ordinary table salt will do the trick, too. Use the salt alone or blend it with the herbs and oils for your own Fiery Wall mix.

My fave recipe uses Sea Salt, Wormwood and Stinging Nettle. Grind it all up in a cauldron with five drops of Banishing oil. Oh yeah.

But honestly, any material will work for the Wall as long as it has some backbone to it. If you don’t have herbs or salt, you can use a piece of black or red string. Some Witches get all showy with flash paper. Here in Texas, I’ve even seen people collect snips of barbed wire for protection spells. Whatever makes you happy.

Decide on your wall’s “construction material” and keep it handy.

The Helper

The final component of the Fiery Wall of Protection is what I call the Helper, the higher being who will lend their power to help keep your enemy at bay.

Your Helper should be one who knows and sympathizes with your case—an ancestor, angel, patron saint or deity. Pick someone who is wise, just, and powerful. St. Michael the Archangel is a very popular and willing helper in protective magick. (And you can get a St. Michael candle at almost any corner store.) Pagans may prefer to invoke a warrior God or Goddess to come to their aid.

I don’t recommend employing demons, elementals, or chaotic gods for this working. Why? Because the Fiery Wall is not about wreaking senseless havoc on people who have wronged you. It’s about maintaining boundaries and preventing future harm. In other words, find a Helper whose alignment is Lawful Neutral to Lawful Good.

If you’re a non-theistic Witch, you could skip the Helper part of the spell, but I really don’t recommend it. Everybody has vulnerabilities and weak moments—that’s how your enemy was able to get under your skin in the first place. Calling on someone or something bigger than yourself lends power to the spell. Call it the Sun, spirit fire, the Genius or Higher Self. I’ve even used the Justice or Adjustment card from the Tarot. Your Helper will stay vigilant for you when you need a break.

You’ll represent the Helper in your spell with a statue, amulet, picture, or other item. You can use a candle, naturally—but if you do so it should be bigger than the two other candles on the altar.

Casting a Fiery Wall of Protection

Here’s how you set up the altar for a Fiery Wall of Protection:

The prepared white candle, representing yourself, goes in the very center of the altar. The other candle, representing your adversary, goes in front of it, directly across from your physical body. (Any tokens or other items go beside or underneath.) The two candles are positioned in a straight line, almost like you’re confronting your enemy directly from both sides.

Now get ahold of your barrier material, the one you decided on earlier. Using the salt, herbs, string, or what-have-you, build a circle around the white candle. Do this deliberately, making it as perfectly round and complete as possible. Your candle is now enclosed in a circle, with the enemy candle on the outside. Good riddance.

A couple of tips: Using a bag with a hole cut in one corner is a good way to pour out ritual salt. A very small spoon works, too. If you're using string, tie the ends in three knots and place the knots between the two candles. I've heard of people soaking the string in vinegar, chili oil, or bug repellent. If you’re working outside on the ground, you can even dig a “moat” in the soil and place your barrier items in there. (Not quick, but plenty dirty!)

The item representing your Helper goes just outside the circle, to your left. (Which would be to your right side if you were standing inside the circle and facing your enemy.)

Take a few deep breaths, and begin. You’ll start in the enemy’s corner, because they’re the one who started all this in the first place. (Right?) This is the black or grey or orange candle outside the circle, the one closest to you.

Light the enemy candle. Staring intently at the candle, say,

“[Enemy], I see you. I’m aware of your [summary of past misdeeds] and will no longer tolerate your garbage. Do as you will, but harm me not.”

Or something similar. It’s not poetry, but you get the idea. Let the words you choose fit the circumstances and your intention for this spell.

Now light the white candle, the one within the circle. As it burns, see the light fill the circle and enflame the protective ring.  If you’re mad, now is the time to get really mad. (This is a Fire working, after all.) Let your anger feed the wall, causing it to rise higher and burn brighter, completely shutting out your enemy. Say,

“My body is my own. My mind is my own. My home is my own. No evil can enter this circle of fire. I see those who would harm me, and I laugh at their frustration! I will succeed despite your best efforts to mess me up!”

Finally, call upon your Helper to amplify and maintain your Fiery Wall. Spend a few minutes praying and meditating on the Helper's power. They're bigger than you, and they've got your back. Here are some example prayers:

"Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray."

“Mighty Warrior Athena, my cause is just. Look on me with favor in this struggle. May I prevail over my enemy who wishes me harm, and may [enemy] grow in wisdom and see the error of his ways.”

“O Fire of the Sun, long may you burn. Thou hearest me not, and yet I raise my voice to the sky that my foe might hear these magick words: Fuck off eternally, thou son of a dog and camel.”

Blow out the enemy candle, savoring their withering disappointment at not being able to bother you anymore. Place the Helper item on your altar or somewhere you can see it every day. (If it's an amulet, you can wear it.) Dispose of the candles and other ritual items. Go about your business with a smile.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-fiery-wall-of-protection

[dailybiblelessons]

The Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

Hebrew Scripture: Micah 6:1-8

Hear what the Lord says:  Rise, plead your case before the mountains,  and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,  and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people,  and he will contend with Israel.

“O my people, what have I done to you?  In what have I wearied you? Answer me! “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,  and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses,  Aaron, and Miriam. “O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,  what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,  that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? hall I come before him with burnt offerings,  with calves a year old? “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,  with ten thousands of rivers of oil? “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,  the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good;  and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,  and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 15

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?  Who may dwell on your holy hill?

Those who walk blamelessly,  and do what is right,  and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue,  and do no evil to their friends,  nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised,  but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest,  and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”¹

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”²

¹Isaiah 29:4   ²Jeremiah 9:24

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:1-12

There is a parallel passage at Luke 6:20-33.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn,  for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek,  for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful,  for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart,  for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,  for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Year A Epiphany 4 Sunday

Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1985 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Footnotes in the Christian Scriptures that show where a passage from the Hebrew Scripture is used are from The New International Version Bible ® (NIV®), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the NIV, the passage ends with (NIV) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Image Credit: The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. This public domain image was downloaded via Wikimedia Commons.

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Prophets and Kings, pp. 669-678: Chapter (57) Reformation

This chapter is based on Nehemiah 13.

Solemnly and publicly the people of Judah had pledged themselves to obey the law of God. But when the influence of Ezra and Nehemiah was for a time withdrawn, there were many who departed from the Lord. Nehemiah had returned to Persia. During his absence from Jerusalem, evils crept in that threatened to pervert the nation. Idolaters not only gained a foothold in the city, but contaminated by their presence the very precincts of the temple. Through intermarriage, a friendship had been brought about between Eliashib the high priest and Tobiah the Ammonite, Israel's bitter enemy. As a result of this unhallowed alliance, Eliashib had permitted Tobiah to occupy an apartment connected with the temple, which heretofore had been used as a storeroom for tithes and offerings of the people.

Because of the cruelty and treachery of the Ammonites and Moabites toward Israel, God had declared through Moses that they should be forever shut out from the congregation of His people. See Deuteronomy 23:3-6. In defiance of this word, the high priest had cast out the offerings stored in the chamber of God's house, to make a place for this representative of a proscribed race. Greater contempt for God could not have been shown than to confer such a favor on this enemy of God and His truth.

On returning from Persia, Nehemiah learned of the bold profanation and took prompt measures to expel the intruder. “It grieved me sore,” he declares; “therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.”

Not only had the temple been profaned, but the offerings had been misapplied. This had tended to discourage the liberalities of the people. They had lost their zeal and fervor, and were reluctant to pay their tithes. The treasuries of the Lord's house were poorly supplied; many of the singers and others employed in the temple service, not receiving sufficient support, had left the work of God to labor elsewhere.

Nehemiah set to work to correct these abuses. He gathered together those who had left the service of the Lord's house, “and set them in their place.” This inspired the people with confidence, and all Judah brought “the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil.” Men who “were counted faithful” were made “treasurers over the treasuries,” “and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.”

Another result of intercourse with idolaters was a disregard of the Sabbath, the sign distinguishing the Israelites from all other nations as worshipers of the true God. Nehemiah found that heathen merchants and traders from the surrounding country, coming to Jerusalem, had induced many among the Israelites to engage in traffic on the Sabbath. There were some who could not be persuaded to sacrifice principle, but others transgressed and joined with the heathen in their efforts to overcome the scruples of the more conscientious. Many dared openly to violate the Sabbath. “In those days,” Nehemiah writes, “saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.... There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah.”

This state of things might have been prevented had the rulers exercised their authority; but a desire to advance their own interests had led them to favor the ungodly. Nehemiah fearlessly rebuked them for their neglect of duty. “What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?” he sternly demanded. “Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” He then gave command that “when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath,” they should be shut, and not opened again till the Sabbath was past; and having more confidence in his own servants than in those that the magistrates of Jerusalem might appoint, he stationed them at the gates to see that his orders were enforced.

Not inclined to abandon their purpose, “the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice,” hoping to find opportunity for traffic, with either the citizens or the country people. Nehemiah warned them that they would be punished if they continued this practice. “Why lodge ye about the wall?” he demanded; “if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.” “From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.” He also directed the Levites to guard the gates, knowing that they would command greater respect than the common people, while from their close connection with the service of God it was reasonable to expect that they would be more zealous in enforcing obedience to His law.

And now Nehemiah turned his attention to the danger that again threatened Israel from intermarriage and association with idolaters. “In those days,” he writes, “saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.”

These unlawful alliances were causing great confusion in Israel; for some who entered into them were men in high position, rulers to whom the people had a right to look for counsel and a safe example. Foreseeing the ruin before the nation if this evil were allowed to continue, Nehemiah reasoned earnestly with the wrongdoers. Pointing to the case of Solomon, he reminded them that among all the nations there had risen no king like this man, to whom God had given great wisdom; yet idolatrous women had turned his heart from God, and his example had corrupted Israel. “Shall we then hearken unto you,” Nehemiah sternly demanded, “to do all this great evil?” “Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.”

As he set before them God's commands and threatenings, and the fearful judgments visited on Israel in the past for this very sin, their consciences were aroused, and a work of reformation was begun that turned away God's threatened anger and brought His approval and blessing.

There were some in sacred office who pleaded for their heathen wives, declaring that they could not bring themselves to separate from them. But no distinction was made; no respect was shown for rank or position. Whoever among the priests or rulers refused to sever his connection with idolaters was immediately separated from the service of the Lord. A grandson of the high priest, having married a daughter of the notorious Sanballat, was not only removed from office, but promptly banished from Israel. “Remember them, O my God,” Nehemiah prayed, “because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.”

How much anguish of soul this needed severity cost the faithful worker for God the judgment alone will reveal. There was a constant struggle with opposing elements, and only by fasting, humiliation, and prayer was advancement made.

Many who had married idolaters chose to go with them into exile, and these, with those who had been expelled from the congregation, joined the Samaritans. Hither some who had occupied high positions in the work of God found their way and after a time cast in their lot fully with them. Desiring to strengthen this alliance, the Samaritans promised to adopt more fully the Jewish faith and customs, and the apostates, determined to outdo their former brethren, erected a temple on Mount Gerizim in opposition to the house of God at Jerusalem. Their religion continued to be a mixture of Judaism and heathenism, and their claim to be the people of God was the source of schism, emulation, and enmity between the two nations, from generation to generation.

In the work of reform to be carried forward today, there is need of men who, like Ezra and Nehemiah, will not palliate or excuse sin, nor shrink from vindicating the honor of God. Those upon whom rests the burden of this work will not hold their peace when wrong is done, neither will they cover evil with a cloak of false charity. They will remember that God is no respecter of persons, and that severity to a few may prove mercy to many. They will remember also that in the one who rebukes evil the spirit of Christ should ever be revealed.

In their work, Ezra and Nehemiah humbled themselves before God, confessing their sins and the sins of their people, and entreating pardon as if they themselves were the offenders. Patiently they toiled and prayed and suffered. That which made their work most difficult was not the open hostility of the heathen, but the secret opposition of pretended friends, who, by lending their influence to the service of evil, increased tenfold the burden of God's servants. These traitors furnished the Lord's enemies with material to use in their warfare upon His people. Their evil passions and rebellious wills were ever at war with the plain requirements of God.

The success attending Nehemiah's efforts shows what prayer, faith, and wise, energetic action will accomplish. Nehemiah was not a priest; he was not a prophet; he made no pretension to high title. He was a reformer raised up for an important time. It was his aim to set his people right with God. Inspired with a great purpose, he bent every energy of his being to its accomplishment. High, unbending integrity marked his efforts. As he came into contact with evil and opposition to right he took so determined a stand that the people were roused to labor with fresh zeal and courage. They could not but recognize his loyalty, his patriotism, and his deep love for God; and, seeing this, they were willing to follow where he led.

Industry in a God-appointed duty is an important part of true religion. Men should seize circumstances as God's instruments with which to work His will. Prompt and decisive action at the right time will gain glorious triumphs, while delay and neglect result in failure and dishonor to God. If the leaders in the cause of truth show no zeal, if they are indifferent and purposeless, the church will be careless, indolent, and pleasure-loving; but if they are filled with a holy purpose to serve God and Him alone, the people will be united, hopeful, eager.

The word of God abounds in sharp and striking contrasts. Sin and holiness are placed side by side, that, beholding, we may shun the one and accept the other. The pages that describe the hatred, falsehood, and treachery of Sanballat and Tobiah, describe also the nobility, devotion, and self-sacrifice of Ezra and Nehemiah. We are left free to copy either, as we choose. The fearful results of transgressing God's commands are placed over against the blessings resulting from obedience. We ourselves must decide whether we will suffer the one or enjoy the other.

The work of restoration and reform carried on by the returned exiles, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, presents a picture of a work of spiritual restoration that is to be wrought in the closing days of this earth's history. The remnant of Israel were a feeble people, exposed to the ravages of their enemies; but through them God purposed to preserve in the earth a knowledge of Himself and of His law. They were the guardians of the true worship, the keepers of the holy oracles. Varied were the experiences that came to them as they rebuilt the temple and the wall of Jerusalem; strong was the opposition that they had to meet. Heavy were the burdens borne by the leaders in this work; but these men moved forward in unwavering confidence, in humility of spirit, and in firm reliance upon God, believing that He would cause His truth to triumph. Like King Hezekiah, Nehemiah “clave to the Lord, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments.... And the Lord was with him.” 2 Kings 18:6, 7.

The spiritual restoration of which the work carried forward in Nehemiah's day was a symbol, is outlined in the words of Isaiah: “They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities.” “They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isaiah 61:4; 58:12.

The prophet here describes a people who, in a time of general departure from truth and righteousness, are seeking to restore the principles that are the foundation of the kingdom of God. They are repairers of a breach that has been made in God's law—the wall that He has placed around His chosen ones for their protection, and obedience to whose precepts of justice, truth, and purity is to be their perpetual safeguard.

In words of unmistakable meaning the prophet points out the specific work of this remnant people who build the wall. “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13, 14.

In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God's remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God. In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the love of Christ, they are to co-operate with Him in building up the waste places. They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in. See verse 12.