#reawakening oneself

[tracychamberlainhigginbotham]

(via Thursday Thoughts: Add Quiet Days in 2025)

[madamlaydebug]

Color Love : Pinks

Favorite Healing Crystals 💞🌸 Pink Calcite - helps assist in wholeness and wellbeing, assists opening the heart chakra, stone of empathy and connection to others, great for bringing peace and comfort, great stone for healing parent/child relationship

Pink Halite - assists in manifesting self love, unites the heart chakra and solar plexus to take actionable steps aligned with self love, helps find clarity and truth in hard to read situations

Pink Opal - clears and calms the heart, brings peace and tranquility, great for children who have trouble sleeping or nightmares, discharges negative trauma, helps with excessive fear and anxiety, soothes the heart and supports lungs and oxygen flow

Rhodonite - promotes the energy of love, helps see one’s inner gifts, also helps with seeing others gifts, attracts others into your life working as a catalyst for fulfilling one’s purpose, helps recognize dreams and visions

Rhodochrosite - recovers lost memory and forgotten gifts, promotes compassion and self love, helps one recover and release emotional wounds, assists the heart chakra and solar plexus, can repair areas of disharmony in the mind and body

Rose Quartz - quintessential stone of love, love for oneself and for life’s partners - from children, family, friends, community to Earth, the Universe and the Divine, great meditation stone, activates the heart chakra, dissolved one’s boundaries, brings a strong sense of unity, reawakens trust in relationships

[radical-revolution]

WHERE DOES FEAR COME FROM?

The part of us that we all call ‘ego’ is a very fragile structure, prone to fear.

It’s a structure that is created of mind, of learned neural patterns. It is, on one side of what Freud referred to as the ‘id’, or the ‘impulse life’, while societal structures are on the other side. This ego is designed to interface between impulse life and society. To protect society from impulse life.

When you didn’t have a framework, when you didn’t have a somebody-ness, you were just part of the universe, and there was no fear. One has to have self-concept to be afraid, and when an organism is functioning instinctively in a scene, as an infant, each change in the homeostasis, each change in the balance of the situation is just a new moment. It’s just a new moment to which it responds.

It’s very delicate to interpret things like ego and fear because we tend to interpret from where we’re sitting, and we’ve developed these structures around it.

If you can sense the way it works, you see on one hand the extremely powerful impulses in you that you may be afraid of, and on the other hand the tremendous forces outside that you may be afraid of. Then, you can begin feeling like a very fragile entity within the whole structure.

The root of the fear is the feeling of separateness that can exist here, within oneself. The root of the fear is within the model one has of oneself. That’s where fear starts. Once that feeling of separation exists, then you process everything from either inside or outside in terms of that model. It then keeps reinforcing the feeling of vulnerability, because there are incredibly powerful forces moving both inside and outside of you.

The transformative process of spiritual work is reawakening to the innocence of going behind that model of separation that one has, that cuts you off, that made you a tiny little fragile somebody. A lot of the power comes from a freeing of our own fragility.

When you look at social structures, you see how much social institution is based upon the feeling of fragility within the human condition. Based on fear.

You say, “I’m afraid of that person,” but you mean you are afraid of being socially shamed by that person. When you are socially shamed, it hurts, but then here we still are. You’re afraid of violence, and then if violence happens, sure, it’s scary and painful and then behind it, here we are.

I think that fear often feeds upon itself and we’re most afraid of the fear, which then gives it greater power… But we are just afraid because we feel vulnerable.

-Ram Dass

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Ash Wednesday 2023: The First Day of Lent

By Cate Von Dohlen

"Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy." - Pope Francis

What is Ash Wednesday?

In 2023, like in every year, Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent.

It always falls six and half weeks before Easter, beginning the Lenten season of preparation for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

This year, Ash Wednesday takes place on Wednesday, 22 February 2023.

Origin

Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th century. However, the tradition of receiving ashes has even earlier roots — to the ancient Hebrew custom of clothing oneself in sackcloth and dusting oneself with ashes as a sign of penance.

The Bible does not explicitly detail this first day of Lent, but there are many instances of this repentant act in the Old Testament such as the following:

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust.

- Job 16:15

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

- Luke 10:13

Across many religious traditions, ashes signify the mortality of our human bodies.

By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

- Genesis 3:19

In the early Christian Church, public penance for people who had sinned included wearing ashes and sackcloth. As the Church grew and evolved, this practice lessened.

This long tradition — of externally recognizing ourselves as sinners seeking renewal with God — ultimately transformed into what we now know as Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Is Ash Wednesday a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation in 2023?

Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics, yet receiving ashes is a universal practice among Christians to begin their Lenten journeys.

Most Catholic parishes offer Ash Wednesday Mass, and in some places, it is possible to receive ashes without attending Mass.

Do I need to be Catholic to receive ashes?

You do not need to be Catholic to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Several other traditions within Christianity also share this act of repentance.

Why is Ash Wednesday important?

As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday awakens us to Jesus’ entry into the desert preceding his death.

Before Easter, however, we must prepare our hearts for his Resurrection.

We begin our season of preparing our hearts for Easter by recognizing our brokenness and need for conversion, a turning of our hearts to God.

Where do the ashes come from?

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It symbolizes Christ’s return to Jerusalem after spending 40 days in the desert.

In the Catholic tradition, we receive palm leaves, which have been blessed, to hold onto during Mass and bring home.

The leftover palms from Palm Sunday are then burned and saved for the next Lenten season.

This year’s ashes are from the palms of Palm Sunday of 2022.

Where do the ashes go?

It is typical to receive ashes on your forehead in the Sign of the Cross.

Similar to taking communion at Mass, you usually proceed toward the altar to get ashes. The priest will make the Sign of the Cross and say one of two things:

“Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

What do the ashes symbolize?

The ashes symbolize our mortality. They are a physical reminder that our bodies will decay, but our souls will live on in eternal life.

Fr. Antony Kadavil further reflects on the symbol of the cross of ashes on our foreheads:

"The cross of ashes means that we are making a commitment – that we are undertaking Lent as a season of prayer and penitence, of dying to ourselves.

It also describes our human condition: it says that we are broken and need repair; that we are sinners and need redemption. Most importantly, it tells us that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to carry our crosses."

Fasting on Ash Wednesday

There are only two obligatory days of fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Catholics are also instructed to abstain from meat on each Friday during Lent.

Why do Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday?

Fasting is a sign of repentance and helps us embody our spiritual hunger for Christ, who himself fasted in the desert for forty days preceding his death and Resurrection.

[illimitable-freedom]

On Self-Immolation

Mohamed Bouazizi was a Tunisian street vendor whose suicide by self-immolation set off the events of the Arab Spring in Tunisia. According to Martin Gurri, (Reason Interview ) there were two street vendors who had self-immolated around the same time, but the first one did not set off a revolution. The conditions were still the same, it's just that one happened to be caught on more cameras and was at just the right moment for just enough people to spark the revolution.

There are perhaps two lessons from these twin events - one pragmatic, that it's as important that protest be seen and reported on as that it happens. And one philosophical, that the actions should not be judged as much by their outcomes as by their intent. Did the first vendor die in vain? Were his actions completely pointless? I don't think it is fair dismiss his death as impulsive or momentary or ill-advised. It is a shame he has been forgotten. Did he not die as noble a death as Bouazizi? Bouazizi, who though he lived a few days after his immolation, never reawakened from a coma and was thus unknowing of all the change he had inspired. If nothing had happened, he would know no different, and if the revolution had been sparked by the first vendor's death, he would not have known.

There is a certain nobility, perhaps, in attempting to spark change knowing that oneself will never be the beneficiary, even if it does work. And there is a sense that there is a total giving oneself over to a cause that I think ought to be honored, even if the cause does not immediately take off. But it may be in some respects easier - you say, I am giving my life to this cause, and there is no sting of failure. There is nothing that can be done to hurt you in retribution.

[azeez-unv]

Seven Types of Rest

தமிழில்

There are seven types of rest essential for maintaining emotional, physical, and spiritual balance. These types include:

Physical Rest: This involves both passive (sleeping, napping) and active (yoga, stretching, massage) activities to repair and recover muscles.

Mental Rest: This includes taking breaks to quiet the mind, reducing mental stimulation, and practicing mindfulness to improve focus and recall.

Emotional Rest: This involves expressing feelings authentically, cutting back on people-pleasing, and finding time to be alone to recharge.

Spiritual Rest: This includes finding a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaning through community involvement, prayer, and meditation.

Creative Rest: This involves appreciating beauty, taking in nature, and enjoying the arts to reawaken awe and wonder.

Social Rest: This means surrounding oneself with positive, supportive, and meaningful relationships.

Sensory Rest: This involves unplugging from electronics, reducing sensory stimulation, and taking moments of sensory deprivation to counteract the over-stimulation of modern life.

ஏழு வகையான ஓய்வு

உடல், மனம், மற்றும் ஆன்மீக சமநிலையை பராமரிக்க ஏழு வகையான ஓய்வு மிக முக்கியமானவை. அவை:

உடல் ஓய்வு: இது முற்றிலும் அமைதியாக (தூங்குவது, தூக்கம் கொள்வது) மற்றும் செயல்படுவதன் (யோகா, நீட்டிப்புகள், மசாஜ்) மூலம் தசைகளை பழுதுபார்க்கும் மற்றும் மீட்டெடுக்கும் நடவடிக்கைகளை உள்ளடக்கியது.

மன ஓய்வு: இது மனதை அமைதிப்படுத்த, மன உளைச்சலை குறைக்க, மற்றும் கவனம் மற்றும் நினைவாற்றலை மேம்படுத்த தியானம் செய்வதை உள்ளடக்கியது.

உள்ளார்ந்த ஓய்வு: உணர்வுகளை உண்மையாக வெளிப்படுத்துவது, பிறருக்கு எதுவும் சொல்லாமல் இருப்பது, மற்றும் தனித்து நேரத்தை செலவிடுவது மூலம் உளைச்சலை தணிப்பது.

ஆன்மீக ஓய்வு: சமூக ஒத்துழைப்பு, பிரார்த்தனை மற்றும் தியானம் மூலம் ஒரு சார்பு, நோக்கம், மற்றும் அர்த்தம் கண்டுபிடிப்பது.

படைப்ப���ற்றல் ஓய்வு: அழகை ரசிப்பது, இயற்கையை அனுபவிப்பது, மற்றும் கலைகளை ரசிப்பது மூலம் பிரமிப்பு மற்றும் ஆச்சரியத்தை மீண்டும் உயிர்ப்பித்து கொள்வது.

சமூக ஓய்வு: இதற்கான முறையாக நம்பகமான, ஆதரவு தரும் மற்றும் அர்த்தமுள்ள உறவுகளை தன்னுடன் இணைத்துக் கொள்வது.

உணர்ச்சி ஓய்வு: மின்னணு சாதனங்களைப் பயன்படுத்துவதை நிறுத்துவது, உணர்ச்சியூட்டலைக் குறைப்பது, மற்றும் நவீன வாழ்க்கையின் அதிக உணர்ச்சியூட்டலை எதிர்க்க உணர்ச்சி தடுப்பு தருணங்களை எடுக்கிறது.

[thebluebellsschool12]

7 Lessons That Parents Can Learn from Their Kids | The Blue Bells School in Gurgaon

Have you ever wondered why are kids so happy and carefree?

Is there a secret that is forgotten by us and known to them?

From the moment you become a parent, you are busy taking the responsibilities of your child; from making them learn to walk to teaching them about important things in life. But one of the joys of parenting is the opportunity of learning from your children and seeing things differently.

So what do you learn?

Paulo Coelho once said that

“A child can teach an adult three things:

1. to be happy for no reason

2. to always be busy with something, and

3. to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”

Adding to Paulo, we bring to you 7 more things that you as a parent can learn from your issues –

1. Living in the Moment: Children teach us that there is a delight in living every moment. Like kids, we should engage ourselves in doing 1 thing at a time and do it with our 100% efficiency. Adults should allow themselves to live in the moment and relish the experience.

2. Being Happy: Children are happy with the little pleasures of life, like jumping in puddles or writing their first alphabet. It shows how they do not run after unrealistic expectations and neither do they take things seriously. As parents, we ought to lighten up and start relishing these small moments of our lives    

3. Be Courageous: One of the most powerful lessons that these little fellows teach us is to be courageous and fearless. They are free souls who are unaware of the fear of being judged or being rejected.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin.

So, let’s embrace life with open arms and gear up to face any failure or hurdle with a smile, just like our kid would do.

4. Believing in Oneself: Modesty is an admirable quality but being the hero is awe-

inspiring. So are the children for whom the world revolves around them. There is no harm in appreciating ourselves sometimes and becoming the heroes of our own stories.

5. Value of Trust and Bond:  The ability to trust oneself and others is the root of every good relationship. Kids love making friends with people around them, especially the close family members and find true joy while bonding (over a playtime) with them.  Adults should also spend time in trusting and bonding with people around themselves.

6. Art of Forgiveness:

“Forgiveness is the answer to the child’s dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again.” ~ Dag Hammarskjold.

Kids hold a “No Grudge” policy and in that you see them being happy and merrier.

They forget, forgive and move on quickly. If parents tend to learn this tactic from their kids, we will have more wiser and happier world around us.

7. Laugh Everyday:  You are not paying a penny for laughing today. Children know this very well. Laughter works like medicine as it promotes physical and emotional health. Studies have found that a child laughs more in a day than an adult does in a month. Something we ought to start now, as parents.

We are all free to enjoy life. Children can help you become a better person. Just start noticing the tiny miracles that surround you every day, surely it will reawaken the child within most of us. Most importantly, take out some time to learn the valuable lessons your child can teach you every day.

Happy parenting! 

Learn more about best schools in Gurgaon visit this Website: https://thebluebells.org/

[threadbareturnbacks]

Love reawakens us to our true nature as inherently vulnerable beings, because love requires our transformation. Dreams function similarly—finally in a state of radically nonlinear antirational openness, our psyche is able to pour out and express itself to us. Love, dreams, fantasy, meditation and deep prayer all require a vulnerable, trancelike state that enables a break from every day reality and returns us to ourselves. I regard this process of “checking out” from reality as sacred, as it requires one to disregard the fear that accompanies vulnerability in service of a greater purpose, such as connection, truth, spirituality, or self-discovery. When I use my phone to check out, I go into a trancelike state, but unlike the sacred trances I described above, there is no greater purpose being served. I turn off my brain and open myself up, and corporations pour their content into me. They give me their dreams for free.

Dreaming each other’s dreams—taking on the other’s experience and transforming oneself in the process—this is why we love. It is also why we shouldn’t attempt to harden ourselves. We are vulnerable so we can love and catch glimpses of reality outside of our tiny, humble individual vantage points, and this feature of humankind should be respected and protected. The endless scroll and the algorithm are mechanisms that invade our psychic space and pervert this sacred vulnerability by making us dream the dreams of people trying to sell us things and tell us who we are and how we should behave. We are lulled with constant meaningless stimuli until we’re numbed out, our screams swallowed. And in the space where we could be letting love in, we are being told all the reasons we should turn it away. Less TikTok, More Screaming - Persinette Substack

[vincewillard-1971]

Understanding Mindfulness

To live mindfully is to live in the moment and reawaken oneself to the present, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. To be mindful is to observe and label thoughts, feelings, sensations in the body in an objective manner. Mindfulness can therefore be a tool to avoid self-criticism and judgment while identifying and managing difficult emotions.

Mindfulness is rooted in Buddhist and Hindu teachings. Buddhism includes a journey toward enlightenment, and the concept of "sati" which encompasses attention, awareness, and being present, is considered the first step toward enlightenment. The term was roughly translated from the ancient language Pali into the term "mindfulness."

The emergence of mindfulness in Western culture can be attributed to Jon Kabat. Kabat-zinn studied mindfulness under several Buddhist teachers, such as Phillip Kapleau and Thich Nhat Hanh. As a professor at the University of Massachusetts medical school in the late 1970s, Kabat-Zinn developed a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to treat chronic pain. His discovered that patients would often try to avoid pain-but that avoidance would lead to deeper distress. Practicing mindfulness was a more successful approach.

As mindfulness shift into mainstream science and medicine, it became a pivotal therapeutic technique; it was integrated into Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, among others.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance. Awareness in the knowledge and ability to focus attention on one's inner processes and experiences, such as the experience of the present moment. Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept-rather than judge or avoid-those streams of thought.

What is the purpose of mindfulness?

The goal of mindfulness is to cultivate perspective on one's consciousness and identity that can bring greater peace mentally and relationally. Mindfulness may also be used in mindfulness-based therapies, to address stress, anxiety, or pain, simply to become more relaxed.

What is the history of Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has its origins in Buddhist and Hindu teachings, from which the concept "sati" was roughly translated to "mindfulness." The practice was popularized in the West through the work of Jon-Kabat Zinn. Zinn created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to treat pain., anxiety, and stress, and he ultimately brought mindfulness into mainstream clinical practice.

What's the difference between mindfulness and flow?

Flow is a state in which one completely absorbed in an activity and loses self-awareness. Flow and mindfulness both involve deep concentration-but only flow involves goal-directed behavior. While mindfulness channels concentration toward skills and goal achievement, which might include thoughts of the past and future and judgment of those thoughts.

What's the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness is one form of meditation. Meditation utilize various practices to quiet the mind or achieve a higher level of consciousness, one of which is mindfulness. Mindfulness can be cultivated within or outside of formal meditation and woven into any activity, such as taking a walk or being engaged in conversation.

Practicing Mindfulness

A person's experience of time tends to be subjective and heavy influenced by their emotional states. Fears and insecurities about the past and the future can make it difficult to fully appreciate the present. The key is learning how to pay attention.

Mindfulness can talk place through meditation sessions or smaller moments throughout the day. To cultivate a state of mindfulness, you can begin by sitting down and taking deep breaths. Focus on each breath and sensations of the moment, such as sounds, scent, the temperature, and the feeling of air passing in and out of the body.

Shift your attention, then to the thoughts and emotions that you're experiencing. Allow each though to exist without judging it to ascribing negative to it. Sit with those thoughts. The experience may evoke a strong emotional reaction. Exploring that response can be an opportunity to address or resolve underlying challenges.

How do I practice mindfulness?

To cultivate awareness; observe your thoughts and emotions and explore why those specific ideas might be surfacing . To cultivate acceptance, avoid judging or pushing away unpleasant thoughts. Emotions are natural and everyone has acknowledged them can help you understand yourself better and move forward.

How can I be more mindful?

Mindfulness care help bring you into the present moment throughout the day. As you wake up, can focus on your breathing and the way your body gradually becomes more energized. You can incorporate a brief meditation into you work day, perhaps on your lunch break, and focus and appreciate the experience of eating during meals.

Why in mindfulness so popular

Mindfulness has been embraced by corporate leaders, sports teams, the military, and countless individuals around the world. The practice may owe its popularity to today's face-pace, technology-driven world, rife with financial and time pressures. Mindfulness may represent an unmet need to moments of quite, contemplation, and calm.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is frequently used in meditation and certain kinds of therapy. It's benefits include lowering stress levels, reducing harmful ruminating, and protecting against depression and anxiety. Research even suggest that mindfulness can help people better cope with rejection and social isolation.

Does mindfulness really work?

Review studies suggest that mindfulness-baser intervention can help reduce anxiety, depression, and pain. To a lesser extent, they can alleviate stress and improve quality of life. However, inconsistencies in the way mindfulness is defined and measured make it difficult to determine whether mindfulness really provides other benefits.

How does mindfulness help relieve anxiety?

Mindfulness encompasses awareness and acceptance, which can help people understand and cope with uncomfortable emotions, allowing them to gain control and relief. To cultivate these skills, concentrate on breathing to lengthen and deepen you breaths. Foster an awareness of the the five senses. Noticing your thoughts and feelings, and practice curiosity and self-compassion

Can mindfulness help me break had habits?

Mindfulness can play a role in helping people break habits such as smoking or overreacting. When a habit has developed, the trigger (hunger) prompts a behavior (eating) that leads to a reward (satisfaction). Becoming aware of the behavior and what is derived from it can help alter the reward and place it with a healthier behavior.

Can mindfulness help my relationship?

Higher levels of mindfulness predict happier and more satisfying relationships, research suggests. It's difficult to disentangle whether mindfulness directly caused those improvements, but mindfulness does benefit key relationships skills, such as being present and attentive, regulate emotions, being self-aware, and cultivate empathy and compassion.

[thegenealogy]

1 Chronicles 21: 9-17. "The Seer."

There are no Kabbalistic references as to why God's response to David's Census took the form of three choices, but we will figure out what they mean.

Obviously, David as the King of Israel, could not become subject to the wiles of Satan and begin a kind of caste system within the Kingdom. If he left one Jew out of the Census, the entire reawakening of the People after their diaspora at the hands of the Babylons would have defaulted then and there.

Due to the response of David's order that the people should be counted, Joab, his son sabotages the project and now David has to face God, in front of everyone, repent and choose how he wishes to atone.

In addition to figuring out the Gematria and Kabbalah in this section we have to build upon the theme of how to know when one has reached the threshold and become a Jew:

9 The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

Gad means to cut, like to cut back in order to meditate, or to dredge a riverbed so the water can flow straight and unobstructed from the source. The river want to gush down the banks of a river constructed using Gad is the Euphrates, the River of Attributes, the Tanakh itself.

To Gad, to sit and prepare oneself to receive the river is to also perform har, to lift oneself up. The term also refers to the process of unearthing the sentient being in young persons by teaching them lessons from the Torah.

see:

גדד

The verb גדד (gadad) describes making an invasive cut, mostly in order to expose something valuable. Noun גדוד (gedud) may describe an invasive band of raiders, or more general: a cutting, a furrow. Noun גדודה (geduda) means a furrow or cutting. Noun גד (gad) appears to describe the exposed treasure and may be used to describe a physical fortune, plain luck or a state of felicity.

Verb גדה (gada) also means to cut. Noun גדה (gadda) refers to a river bank. Noun גדי (gedi) describes a young animal, but mostly one that was either just slaughtered or soon will be.

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: 

12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away[a] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

First let's look at the timeframes used in the practices of Kabbalah.

Year=. A year is a "recurring Jewish phenomenon that completes a simple object lesson."

Famines are eras when the Torah is not studied or studied incorrectly. Famines are always out of the question.

Months= months are the increments between the Days of the Week, not the other way around. By the Third Day, the ground was dry and it was safe to walk around on dry land. This same process took Noah and the Ark three months:

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 

So after we accept that violence and corruption are forbidden, the Torah says it takes 90 days (all of which have instructions or tenets associated with them) for mankind to become violence free, ensured of a future on Ararat.

Three months spent enduring the swords of one's enemies, being swept away is the argumentation for why the Great Flood came and went and that is aslo quite ridiculous and out of the question.

Day=Days are the Stages of Evolution God uses to engineer the creation. Each Day has a discrete profile of geologic, biologic, phenomenal and theophanic characteristics associated with it.

Three Days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’

13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 

The Sword is the question, "Who is God?". The three plagues of Egypt that were designed to topple its spiritual foundations affected both Egyptians and Jews alike. The next 7 sort Jews from Egyptians. It makes sense now that God wants to use the first three again in order to instruct everyone in the folly of David's decision to let Satan flatter him.

The First Three Plagues are:

The plague of blood was against the Nile, the Egyptian's deity. Also, the second plague, frogs, is connected to the Nile, from which the frogs emerged.

As for lice, the Torah itself shows how Pharaoh's sorcerers were unable to reproduce the plague, proving that the plagues were an act of G‑d, not of magic produced by Moses and Aaron.

Since these first plagues were not a punishment to the Egyptians but rather strikes against their beliefs, it makes no difference if Goshen was affected or not. In fact, to enforce this point, it was imperative for the Nile to be affected wherever it was, even in the land of Goshen. Similarly for the lice, by necessity they had to be in all of Egypt to demonstrate its being the finger of G‑d and not a humanly wrought act.

The Nile is the River of Life. Aaron taking charge of it showed the world only God decides what comes out of it. This is closely tied to why we don't quantify each other.

Frogs are gossipers, whose dead bodies stink up the streets. As you can imagine a census whose object is to identify real Jews would not help tamp down the gossip.

Lice are the taking of the Lord's Name in vain. A good example is what Pastor Rober Jefferess and Paula White Cain did when they loaned the Lord's name to the election campaign of a psychopath. One must be able to recognize the Hand of God in all things. David made a mistake and spoke with Satan and the whole country saw it so God infested them with gnats.

This violation of the Decrees is associated with pervasive parasitism because that is what it is like. Blasphemy such as the forms mentioned are very dfifficult to get rid of, as it only takes one louse to infect the entire population, much the same as lice.

13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 

=

A God With A Name Is No God A God Beyond Names Is. The value In Gematria Is 2234.

15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.”

The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah[b] the Jebusite.

Threshing floors are moments in time when all that is needed to secure the future of the People of the Kingdom of Israel is sacrificed. Anything that causes the heart to break, this is threshed away and left behind on the cutting room floor.

This includes one's delusions, fancies, ignorances, long held supertitions, even one's independence; marriage is a type of Threshing Floor:

In preparing Ruth for her meeting with Boaz, Naomi instructed her to bear in mind that everything she was doing was to be lesheim Shamayim — for the sake of Heaven — because the future of the Jewish people was dependant on it.

Upon the advice of the prophet Gad, David purchased the threshing floor of Aravneh the Jebusite. He built an altar there and offered olot and shelamim — burnt-offerings and peace-offerings to Hashem. This property was actually on Mount Moriah, where King Shlomo built the Beit Hamikdash — Holy Temple. (II Samuel 24:18-25, II Chronicles 3:1).

Thus, Naomi said, “You are going down to the threshing floor to beseech him to ‘spread his wings’ over you. Please remember that from your union with him needs to emerge King David, who will purchase a goren — threshing floor — upon which the Beit Hamikdash will be built. The Jews will come there to beseech Al-mighty G‑d to rest His Shechinah — Divine Presence — in that place, and echoing your request, to “spread His wings over them.”

There have been two other Threshing Floors in Chronicles so far.

The Threshing Floor of Kidon=where the oxen stumbled when they attempted to move the Ark.

The Threshing Floor of Ornan=The Center of Cheer where the Altar of Solomon was built.

The Threshing Floor of Araunah the Jebusite=To cause the People to become collected and more nimble after they are desolated.

ארן

The unused verb ארן ('aran) appears to have meant to be nimble, agile, or even high up or aroused, and in cognate languages it yields a noun for a kind of wild mountain goat. The indeed Biblical noun ארן ('oren) means fir or cedar.

The noun ארון ('aron) is the word that is usually translated with Ark (that is the Ark of the Covenant, not the Ark of Noah). But this noun is also used for the coffin in which Joseph's bones were repatriated, or the chest in the temple in which money was collected.

It's not clear whether these boxes were known from the wood they were made of (namely the sprightly fir or cedar), caused society to be nimble, agile or elevated, or perhaps because these boxes were designed to exist within a collective verbal expression from bystanders (after the verb רנן, ranan).

Jebusite=

בוס

The verb בוס (bus) means to tread down or trample with the effect of destruction. Noun מבוסה (mebusa) describes the condition of being down-trodden: subjugation. Noun תבוסה (tebusa) describes the action of it: ruin or downfall.

16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

In Hebrew, שַׂק (sak) or שַׂקִּים (sakim) is “sackcloth” — a rough fabric woven from goat or camel hair used mostly for storage (and not very comfortable to wear). But that is the point of deliberate mourning: to bring about a sense of humility. The Hebrew word for “ashes” (אֵפֶר; efer) symbolizes ruin and destruction. The fire burns up everything in its path and leaves behind only ashes. Thus  “ashes” (אֵפֶר; efer) serve as the ultimate symbol of desolation.

17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd,[c] have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

The dreaded Archangel Gabriel (pictured) is the one that sacked Jerusalem after David chose which form of repentence he wanted to use for his sin of Counting the People. To stop His Wrath all one needs to do is be as one of His Sheep and read the Torah.

The twin archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Question and the Answer, "Who is God?", "He is the Almighty, the Most High" are the defenders of God's Honor and protect Eden and Him from us.

Gabriel is unleashed on Jerusalem, a Teaching City of Peace because contrary to long-standing Torah Doctrine, bigotry was about to take over. Obviously this must not be taught, not at home, not outside.

The Torah says after Joseph died, Egypt was seized with jealousy, and then bigotry turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and then the stupid ones were turned into slaves.

David's desire to sort his people was an act of prejudice and God responded accordingly in order to prevent slavery - any kind- from happening again.

And if you want to be truly amazed, apply the lessons here to the ones in the former post, "to see God, you must cut yourself free. Cut away the names, the stereotypes, the propaganda, and the vanity, and there He will be."

As for Royals all around the world, they as the Tanakh says do not have the luxury of leaving the Threshing Room Floor, lest the chaff regrow around them.

[madamlaydebug]

Color Love : Pinks

Favorite Healing Crystals 💞🌸 Pink Calcite - helps assist in wholeness and wellbeing, assists opening the heart chakra, stone of empathy and connection to others, great for bringing peace and comfort, great stone for healing parent/child relationship

Pink Halite - assists in manifesting self love, unites the heart chakra and solar plexus to take actionable steps aligned with self love, helps find clarity and truth in hard to read situations

Pink Opal - clears and calms the heart, brings peace and tranquility, great for children who have trouble sleeping or nightmares, discharges negative trauma, helps with excessive fear and anxiety, soothes the heart and supports lungs and oxygen flow

Rhodonite - promotes the energy of love, helps see one’s inner gifts, also helps with seeing others gifts, attracts others into your life working as a catalyst for fulfilling one’s purpose, helps recognize dreams and visions

Rhodochrosite - recovers lost memory and forgotten gifts, promotes compassion and self love, helps one recover and release emotional wounds, assists the heart chakra and solar plexus, can repair areas of disharmony in the mind and body

Rose Quartz - quintessential stone of love, love for oneself and for life’s partners - from children, family, friends, community to Earth, the Universe and the Divine, great meditation stone, activates the heart chakra, dissolved one’s boundaries, brings a strong sense of unity, reawakens trust in relationships

[everythingheard]

Perhaps it was the great playwright Plautus who had written, ' patience is the best remedy for every trouble, ' yet Jace would have preferred the answer to be anything else. Each moment since he had reawakened here, in his real life, had consisted of a slow unraveling of information — as if everyone was afraid that if they revealed it all too fast, he would crack under the strain of it. Hardly. If there was one thing he had learned awake or asleep, it was that to collapse beneath the weight of emotion was the first step towards losing oneself, which was the last thing he ever intended to do. Knowledge was like armor, only in this case, Jace was being handed it piece by piece instead of just giving it to him at once ( they had their reasons, the Lightwoods in particular, but it agitated him just the same ).

Waiting for her to wake up, however, was one of the areas he harbored no control in: it wasn't like convincing Isabelle and Alec to share more with him than they were apparently ' supposed to, ' or posing arguments to Maryse about why it was far more dangerous to keep things from him until she finally relented. No, there was only biding his time. Nevertheless, it wasn't as if there wasn't plenty to occupy Jace's hours at the Institute, including that very day. Seeking out a roll of bandages had led him to the infirmary ( a freshly acquired wound on Alec's hand was taking its time to heal despite the application of the iratze rune ), his gold gaze flickered in her direction, then he turned to the task at hand. He had only been occupied for a few moments before a loud sound sent him turning on his heel.

Despite the jolt of anticipation that arose in Jace's chest, he didn't allow it to take precedent as he closed the gap between them in a few easy steps. As he knelt down on one knee, he studied her with a tilt of his head. "Are you always this graceful in-person?" A subtle grin lilted his lips before he offered her a hand.

all the stories aren't true

The last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her lonely LA apartment. Her cat, Artemis, had curled up in their bed & Jayn’s roommate was still in Paris. Jayn closed her eyes trying to plan out how she’d finish her assignments for work, then at some point, she slipped into unconsciousness. She didn’t expect to wake up in a beautiful, large hall–one that looked a lot like the 20th-century hospitals she’d seen in photos. Sure enough, there were a few people in cots, being tended to by others in black casual clothes. Jayn looked down, to find that she, too, was in black, wearing a t-shirt & sweats that she didn’t recognize. She figured she must be dreaming, so she quietly got down from her cot–stumbling hard–

Rather unceremoniously, “Jayn” fell the fuck down. It was like she didn’t have the strength to stand on her own two feet. Yeah, she’d always been a little chubby, but she wasn’t that out of shape. At least she’d landed on her hands…however, she’d also attracted the attention of everyone in the room, somehow. & one of those people was a blond boy…who wasn’t a ‘boy’. He was handsome & a bit older than she remembered him being because she hadn’t dreamt of him in a couple of years, but it was definitely Jace Herondale, the hero from her Shadowhunter books.

She tripped in front of Jace. Great. “Uh…hi.”

@everythingheard

[demigoddessqueens]

Hi! I saw your accidental Kiss request, so cute! So I was wondering how Dariax, Dorian, Ashton and Orym would react after you confess to them - when you are actually quite sure the feelings are not mutual but they are? Cute kisses? Passionate responses? <3

Awww!! Such fluff galore! 💞🥹💕

The kiss still replayed in your mind. Sure it had been accident, you knew that on your part, but was it the same to them? It felt as if you had crossed a line, a boundary too soon. Gripping tightly to yourself, wringing your hands, you mulled over the thought of telling the other what you truly felt within. Meanwhile, they sat in their room(s), wracked with nerves waiting for you. Did you feel the same for them, even in the slightest?

Dariax

When you kissed him, it reawakened a long-harbored crush. Maybe he always knew what he felt for you? Would you accept said affections in return or is it a just pipe dream?

If you do confess, yeah A passionate is what you’re getting! Kisses and hugs galore!

Dorian

Feeling “second-best” has been on his mind for years. And now an accidental kiss is thrown in too? It feels like it could be the best experience of his life or one that rends his heart

If you Reciprocate his feelings, this bard is utterly infatuated with you. Maybe he’ll hold your hand or a sweet kiss

Ashton

Being by himself, or having the few around him, nothing mattered than looking out for oneself and ONLY that. It was hard to let down those walls, to let in and feel. So why does your smile after that kiss keep replaying in his mind?

If you reciprocate his feelings as well, Ashton tries to be open with his heart and wants to meet you halfway.

Orym

Be still his little heart! Finding any semblance of love again after a loss seemed impossible. The halfling doesn’t know whether he should follow his heart again.

If you reciprocate Orym’s feelings, this is the happiest soul to be utterly devoted to you. Complete with sweet kisses, holds and words

[luciadiosa]

Dragon Fire - Sword

Part 3

Even if your strength was gone, you didn't just want to twiddle your thumbs in the little palace. Your sword was still there, gathering dust in the room that was given to you.

It was clear early on you, Grisha should fight with their given abilities instead weapons. One should be proud of oneself. To the people. That you could conjure up more than just fire, and that without a manufacturer's glove, you wanted to keep a secret. Until there was no other way and it was Ivan who dragged you in front of the general. Dirty and bloodied again from the battle, but far more handsome than when the general was first met.

But now, you choose to pick up your sword again. You wanted to help. You swap the unfavorable skirt for dark, tight-fitting trousers, with the red kefta on top. You walk down the hall to the training ground. The footsteps echoed in the little palace. Suddenly a hand is pulling you into a small room. Boxes everywhere. You and the other one have not so much space for your own.

Instinctively, you draw your sword and hold it up for the blow. But you can already feel the lips on yours. Soft familiar lips. Aleksander has closed his eyes; his hands are around your face. When you realize it's him, you return the kiss. You lower the sword and he pushes you against the door.

 He didn't see you a few days after he had to leave because of the war. Although he had already seen you on his arrival and you him, but apart from a reassured look that he was alive, you didn't give more. It was he who wanted your relationship to be kept secret and now he wanted you more than it was the other way around. You release the kiss. "I could have killed you." You whisper to his half-open lips. His tongue clicks softly on your words. As if he were so easy to defeat. The upper lip twitches and he lets his hands drop from your cheeks onto your upper arms. “Why are you carrying the sword with you? I thought we had talked about it.” He notices. “I wanted to train a little. How else should I protect myself? "You explain. "I protect you. You are safe in the little palace. With me.” He replies.

"With you? You weren’t there. If the little palace wereunter attack … ” “ Then there are other Grisha here.” He interrupts you and takes a step backwards. You look at the ground.

"I can't use magic anymore." You start. “It's not magic.” “For me it is. I don’t grew up in the little palace. I call it magic. I'm no longer a Grisha and not everyone has escaped the fact that I have a relationship with the general. The dark one. I won't just sit around waiting for you to come back. The others put themselves in danger and think that I'm preferred by you. Aleksander don't worry about me. I protect myself for years. ”Are you trying to explain him. The general stares at you. Not many dares to turn against him. To disregard his instructions. "I mean ... of course you can worry and protect me. I have no doubts about that either. But I'm still me. Let me fight."

Aleksander's shoulders rise when he inhales. He grits his teeth, which makes his jawline visible. "You know why..." he starts, but you interrupt him. “I'm not Luda. She was, sorry for saying this, just a healer who barely knew how to protect herself. I had my flames, the water, the wind. Yes, even how to stop a man's heart and also how to pierce it with a sword. ” Your firm, self-confident voice softened as you approached him. “She was unique. Wonderful. Not me.” “ I know… .But you both challenge your lucky life and I am the one who have to deal with the pain. I won't allow that again. "

He pulled you into a deep kiss again to prevent resistance before walking past you and opening the door. After giving you the right of way, he also stepped out into the hallway. “Fine. Train as much as you want. I won't forbid you to do that. Maybe that way you can reawaken a little more trust of the others." But he never said he would allow you to go to war again.

With a quick last look, he turns away from you and walks the other way. Sighing, you make your way to the training ground.

Part 5

Taglist <3:

@misselsbells06​  @aleksanderwh0r3​

@dark-night-sky-99    @edithsvoice​

[inanthesis]

"Oh, Diluc..." It was never lost on Zhongli that Diluc in many ways seemed wise beyond his years, shaped by the tragedies which have plagued him nobody so young should ever have had to experience. He held no desire to add his own terrible memories to all that Diluc already had, but the man was entirely correct in that keeping one's grief to oneself was a terrible burden to bear.

"His name was Azhdaha." He began suddenly. A moment had been given to contemplate sitting up to tell his story but he'd ultimately decided to remain where he was, content to be spoiled by his beloved's affections which let feel more at ease as he continued.

"Few remember all he accomplished alongside me as a majority of the stories of that era have been lost to time, but he was one of my dearest friends and it was with his help that many threats against Liyue were eliminated. To put it simply, he began to suffer the effects of erosion which all beings must eventually endure. He had started to forget his duty to protect the people of Liyue as well as his promise he had made to me so when he became a threat to the people it was my duty to seal him away as was stated in our contract forged all that time ago. It was... a difficult battle.

"Dragons like Azhdaha are pure elemental beings which makes them incredibly difficult to overcome. Despite my own affinity with Geo, his was greater and I struggled to subdue him as he lashed out in anger believing I had betrayed him. In the end, after a hard fought battle, I emerged victorious and dragged him to his resting place where he remains sealed to this day with a stone tablet near the entrance to his dwelling calling him a vicious monster which should never be reawakened. It was necessary so that none find themselves curious and stumble into trouble, but it is not easy having to be the one to label a friend who was once a trusted ally a threat to all other life."

' as it happens; it is of interest to me. how could i not find it absurdly endearing when you're content to this extent, my dear? ' for the moment, diluc had elected to ignore the path he could tell zhongli was beginning to head down— his memories of darker times always seeming to resurface when he was most at peace, as if he felt a certain amount of guilt that those dear to him in the past could not enjoy such a thing. unfortunately, the young master could understand this sort of regression, delving into his own carried guilt regarding a certain cavalry captain. perhaps the weight they both carried were incomparable, but diluc could understand what it felt like to have so many eyes on him, watching his every move, that he couldn't afford to slip up.

he listened with gentle patience, knowing that when his beloved began to reminisce like this, he couldn't be stopped. a perfect memory like his own could only be called a curse when one could not be allowed to settle down after a long day without delving into the past like zhongli tended to. ' well now.. ' his fingers carefully pushed through dark tresses, taking the time to press against his scalp in a gentle massage that might help put his mind at ease. it was the least he could do when the man constantly tended to him in small ways like this. ' i don't know if it would help, but i'm all ears if you would like to share it with me. you should know by now that if ever there are burdens you care to unload, i will share them with you. sometimes, even memories like these can be tiresome to carry all by yourself. '

a delicate, affectionate kiss was pressed to his love's forehead where the absence of his typical fringe was both noticed and appreciated. ' i don't know if sharing would necessarily help offload a bit of that burden, but at least someone else would know the truth, and if you so desire, i would like to understand the you from back then a little better. '

[skywalkersolos-blog]

Star Wars oc-Luna Calrissian. 

Luna could understand, her pecan skin looked darker in the moonlight on the planet of D'Qar. Her brown eyes traveled over the tree outlines from the forest which surrounded the base. It was thanks to Leia's family's role in the early days of the rebellion which gave the Princess access to secret planetary information: lists of worlds with the potential to become rebel bases which lead them to the Ileenium system to the unpopulated verdant world of D'Qar.  

"The times may change but the hearts of those that wish for freedom do not." Luna remained the Princess the words spoken between the two of them when they first met. One can see the same eyes in the same people according to the space pilot Maz, an old friend of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. 

Freedom. The freedom to speak one's mind, to object, to dispute. Those who had led the rebellion had underestimated the deeply buried desire of far too large a proportion of the population who simply preferred to be told what to do. It was much easier to follow rules and laws given than to think for oneself. 

The General let out a small breath into the nightly air around her, the force sang off the trees that something was coming. A New Hope that would bring the Resistance back to Luke. The Force was slowly reawakening after all this time and one could feel the change in the galaxy. An awakening was coming. Rather it be from the brave lives from the next generation of rebels that wish to fight against the First Order or Luke's return that will bright about the new Jedi which will rise in the force to fight against the rising power of the dark side of the Force-for Snoke and Kylo Ren were no Sith just beings that focused only in the dark side of the Force which made them different from Vader and the Emperor before them.

"You've become wise." Leia comments.

Luna shook her short brown head of hair, the locks moving against her shoulders in the nightly cold breeze on the planet. "I've learned from the best."