In an effort to get outside of myself and share where it was needed, I volunteered with Little Brothers on Thanksgiving to bring lunch to the elderly and hang out with them.  I did this for several reasons, 1) because I couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving and I thought giving would be a better use of my time rather than sliding into victim mode, 2) because when I visited my grandmother (who I was extremely close to) in a nursing home the last years of her life it was beyond depressing – even as she went out of her way to make the best of it and put on a happy brave face for everyone else 3) I miss her and I guess a part of me wants to alleviate the isolation of people in her position as an homage to her.  She more than any other human being I have met in my 33 years here thought of others over herself – so in a way I am doing this for her.

It’s not always easy though.  What is easy is to bring a meal to two elderly people in a nursing home one day out of the year.  What followed was not so easy:  hearing their stories and facing my conscience.

The first man I visited was 78 and although physically decrepit, mentally sharp.  He had no children or family in the area.  He lay in bed in a cramped space with two other people sharing his room – neither of whom spoke any English.  He mentioned his son later in conversation and when I tried to clarify which children, he pointed to a picture of a Scottish terrier on his wall.  He has a friend who takes him to church every Sunday and brings her dog with him.  This two or three hours out of his week is the highlight of his week and one of his few opportunities at any substantive human connection.  “That dog loves me so much.  He almost licks my hand off every time he sees me.”  He teared up as he said this and I instantly felt my visit to him was so small.  Don’t misunderstand, he was so truly grateful for my visit – desperate for it actually.  But it occurred to me that to truly alleviate his loneliness this would need to be a regular thing.

We become so busy in our lives and take our mobility and freedom for granted, that it’s so easy to forget or even imagine how it must be to be bedridden in a veritable prison and forgotten with no family.  So while I might be praising myself for doing a simple kindness in an isolated incident, it is not enough.  How difficult would it be to visit him once a week for an hour?  It would be very little for me and mean so much for him.  Granted, walking into a nursing home is no parade.  It is depressing and seeing him in this pain causes a natural reaction of wanting to run the other way.  It is difficult to be there.  Hanging out in nursing homes certainly is not at the top of my list, but the reality of the situation is, any one of us could easily or will easily be in this situation one day.  We will all get old, we are not guaranteed to die in our sleep, our mind may go first or our body – either one rendering us unable to care for ourselves.  What if we don’t have family close by to take care of us, or what if we have no family at all by this age?  What then?  So as I argued with myself as to why regular visits wouldn’t be realistic or possible, I really couldn’t justify a reason not to.  I would want someone to do the same for me.

The other woman I visited seemed to be both physically and mentally sound.  She was a young 68 year old who had been sent here and possibly slipped through the cracks because her only son died two years ago and someone decided she couldn’t be trusted with a stove so sent her off to a nursing home.  I’m not sure which situation was more heartwrenching.  I asked her what she missed and as she complained about the terrible food, she said “Mexican food and….I just want to go out and see a good movie at a theater. ” We talked and laughed and she warned me to stay away from her mean cat who she had brought with her from home and had rescued from a shelter.  Again, I left her room feeling guilty; knowing what I had to do, but not wanting to do it.  Not wanting the responsiblity.  But I cannot forget either one of them.  And I imagine how my visit might have affected them.  They were probably grateful for it but as I left probably wondered, “Will she come back? Will I see her again?” They seemed to me like a couple of orphans (albeit orphans who had lived very full lives) who were in essence saying, “Pick me, pick me.”

Sometimes it is easy to give.  If we have an extra $5 and a homeless person asking for money or food.  It doesn’t take much to help them.  As I try to spiritually evolve and become a better person, the challenge becomes to do those things which are more of a sacrifice.  I would not choose to spend my time in a place that has a heavy cloud of death over it, where it reeks of loneliness and isolation.  I would not be going there to spend the last precious moments of life with my grandmother, listening to her reminisce about my grandfather or just sitting with her on a couch, leaning against her and hugging her, smelling her Chanel No. 5.  I would be going there purely for someone else.  Even to announce that you’re doing volunteer work is not pure giving because you’re receiving something for your Ego.  The highest forms of giving have to be true sacrifices and anonymous.

So as I left this place and became aware of their pain and what was needed, although it certainly is a nice sentiment to have that empathy, it means absolutely nothing unless I do something about it.  And the more resistance I have to do something, the more important it is to actually do it.  I heard somewhere that the right thing to do is almost always the hardest thing or the most uncomfortable. I believe this to be true; now it needs to be put into action.  Awareness is the seed, but without action it means nothing.  We can’t think our way out of problems, we have to be the solution.

Happy Black Friday everyone!! I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! It hasn’t really felt like Thanksgiving to me this year because this is the first time I haven’t been able to spend it with my extended family. Since I work in a hotel, I had to work yesterday on Thanksgiving! I would have been able to have it off– yet I am taking an entire week off when I go to Paris for Christmas and New Years– it’s only fair I work Thanksgiving!! More on that later… now lets talk my eats this week!!

Yogurt-y goodness Fage, banana nut Vitamuffin, carob coated raisins. I think banana nut is one of my FAVORITE vitatops sooo good!

Before moving on– I must tell you two things about myself if you don’t already know.

1.) I was raised eating out to dinner almost every night. My parents and I do not cook… it’s better this way TRUST ME, I have the scars to prove it! Therefore, you will probably see LOTS of meals eaten out at restaurants. Many people ask me why I don’t learn to cook or cook more and the answer is– I simply don’t want to (at this time)! Cooking, for some reason, REALLY stresses me out! Plus– its so much easier to pick off a menu … right? I will admit though– on those rare occasions where I have the urge to pour some sauce over a chicken and pop it in the oven– it is nice to have a ‘home cooked’ meal.

2.) I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE lover of seafood. I always say that the main reason I could never go veg or vegan is because I LOVE seafood sooo much! This week– I definitely had my share– and the week is not over yet (hint hint)

Tuesday night mum n dad and I went to Legal Seafoods. I started out with a shrimp cocktail!

As an entree I ordered a LOBSTER!!! (Sorry no pic!!). The lobster itself was ok– although I think Legal Seafoods is a GREAT restaurant in terms of maintaining quality (for a chain) I do not think they have the best lobsters! Oh well– it was still not bad!!

Tuesday night I went out to dinner with one of my friends! Outfit pic? Why not!

Seven skinny jeans, Express top, BCBG fur vest and black boots.

We went to Abe & Louie’s. I’m actually surprised I have never dined here before, I consider myself somewhat of a restaurant connoisseur (I’m a dork for saying this), especially in Boston– and this is definitely one of the more classic steak and seafood spots.

I started out with… (duhh!)

This shrimp was MARVELOUS! Perfect size and texture I hate when shrimp is rubbery and not fresh tasting yet this was just simply perfect!

And for my entree– LOBSTER! For the second night in a row! I just can’t get enough!

Personally, I like my lobster plain with a squirt of lemon and lots of cocktail sauce. I also ordered a side of steamed broccoli and a JUMBO baked sweet tater– SOO GOOD!

As for Thanksgiving– my mum went to visit our extended family in upstate NY, while dad stayed behind with me. I knew that I would have to work and was scheduled from 12:30-9pm yet the hotel was pretty much EMPTY!! (Hotels in Boston DO NOT get booked much from Thanksgiving through the holidays– quite opposite from NYC!) Luckily I was able to get out at 4 pm because of this!

I made my way back to my apartment, did a little yoga and made myself a nice snack to tide me over until our Thanksgiving meal!

I think this may be THE BEST yogurt mess to date!!

Vanilla Oikos, Kashi puffs, banana slices, strawberry fruit spread and crunchy BARNEY BUTTER!

OH.MY.GOD! DELISH!!! This tasty mini meal did an outstanding job of holding me over until dinner time!

For our Thanksgiving meal… dad and I went to our place of course.

I wore…

Bebe purple mini dress, black Jessica Simpson platforms, Express boyfriend blazer. Black & Purple—lots of leg– I wanted to be ‘appropriate’ but not conservative

Here we are in the hotel lobby!

The Bristol Lounge put together a three course prixe fixe menu & also had a limited menu available.

Dad and I went with the prixe fix– but of course I made some minor changes.

As usual we had lots of bread/butter/hummus spread. They had corn bread in honor of Thanksgiving!! LOVED it! For my appetizer I ordered the Lobster Caesar salad. I “un-caesared” the salad– opting for EVOO & balsamic on the side. The salad had shaved parmesan and baked polenta croutons soo good! Dad isn’t a huge fan of lobster so I got to have his!

My dad ordered the classic turkey entree! It came with all the usuals– gravy, mashed potatoes, polenta, cranberry sauce and veggies It was HUGEE! I definitely helped him out a bit!

For my entree I ordered the tarragon lathered broiled salmon with fava beans and chanterelle mushrooms… this was probably one of the best cooked salmons I’ve EVER had!

I also ordered steamed brussel sprouts as a side LOVED IT!!!

I had a great Thanksgiving with my dad– even though I wasn’t able to spend it with my entire family– I am so thankful to HAVE family that I am able to miss. I am SO SO SO thankful to have the two most INCREDIBLE parents in the entire world– they are my best friends… truly!! Yesterday, being Thanksgiving, I got to thinking about ‘gifts’ and ‘blessings’ we have in our lives.

In Kabbalah, it states that it is ESSENTIAL that we realize ‘good’ things in our lives DO NOT BELONG TO US– they are “GIFTS”– they can be taken at any time! We are NOT entitled to these things– therefore we must APPRECIATE them and give thanks each and every moment… I couldn’t help but share this info from the Kabbalah center… (Note: I know I have said this before– Kabbalah is NOT a religion– its a spiritual technology meant for EVERY person of EVERY race/culture/religion! Feel free to agree or disagree– it’s up to you!)

“In Kabbalah it says that if people run after what is not theirs, they can lose what acutally belongs to them. This is the lesson of appreciation. When we wake up in the morning and don’t have tremendous joy becuse of all the blessings that we already have in our life and instead take these blessings for granted and assume that they are ours to keep, we are opening the door for that Light to be removed and for those blessings to be lost. And of course, we are also closing the door for any new Light and for any new miracles.

The first step must be to truly develop our appreciation for the light and for those blessings that we already have. It is not simply because it is the right thing to do or it is the spiritual thing to do. It is because this consciousness, this awareness, this appreciation lets us hold onto those blessings of the Light that are manifest within what we have. When we truly have appreciation in our life, when we truly appreciate the way the Light of the Creator manifests in our life, we can never be sad. We can never be anything but filled with joy.”

What are YOU thankful for? Realize it, recognize it & GIVE THANKS!

Well everyone that’s all for now! Would you all think I’m super boring if I told you tonight I’m going to ANOTHER seafood restaurant and might order ANOTHER crustacean?? Have a wonderful night!!

Love Jaime

By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong

“When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’ When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face, We called out to him, ‘Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good ― it was a test to prove [their true characters] ― We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice, and We let him be praised by succeeding generations: ‘Peace be upon Abraham!’ This is how We reward those who do good: truly he was one of our faithful servants.”
The Qur’an 37:102-111 (M.A.S. Abdul-Haleem)

“Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:7-14 (NIV)

The story is familiar to Jews, Christians and Muslims; the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was asked by God to make the ultimate sacrifice, his beloved son, though perhaps disagreeing on which son Abraham was asked to surrender, the meaning of this account doesn’t change. Who could make such a sacrifice, when we’d give everything for our children? Abraham dearly loved both his sons and their mothers, he surely would not have wanted to harm either of them in any way or form. To understand this account, we need to look beyond the worldly veils disguising it’s true meaning. Everything that manifests in the physical world begins with an intention, a beginning within a person’s heart.

To continue reading, click here…

BS”D

Today is Thanksgiving and also the birthday and Hilula of the Mitteler Rebbe, like the Hilula of the Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochain on Lag Ba’Omer.

Here is a video message about the auspicious time today for prayer and redemption:

****Lichvod/Dear Klal Yisrael****
> I thank Hashem for everything-the one who sent this in-the rav of Aish Hachayim
>
> This coming Thursday (November 26th) the 9th of Kislev is a very special time where
> the gates of tefilot are wide open and Hashem is hearing, accepting and answering
> our prayers! Like the Ramban wrote: “the 9th year on the 9th month at the 9th hour
> of the day is a time of happiness and grants from Hashem”. and you should know,
> adds the Chesed L’avraham, “this time is very appropriate for success and is a pipe
> to bring upon ourselves abundance and redemption.”
> This very special moment only comes around once every 7 years so we must get ready
> for it and take advantage of the opportunity granted to us from Hashem. Therefore
> it is important we take the time to pray and ask Hashem for all we need and desire
> in a clear and detailed way. In order to do so, we must prepare ourselves and put
> on paper what is the most important to us so that we can ask it clearly on this
> very special moment.
> May Hashem grant all our tefilot and bakashot hakol l’tov
> AMEN
>
> please when you daven to Hashem have Klal Yisrael in mind for
> yeshua,bracha,hatzlacha,refuah,parnasa,shalom,shalom bayit,nachas,teshuva,and for
> Hashem to take us out of this Galus we are in AMEN!!!!
> Israel from 1:43pm to 1:56pm
> New York from 2:07pm to 2:55pm
> Los Angeles from 2:15pm to 3:03pm
> Miami from 2:44pm to 3:42pm
> Chicago from 1:56pm to 2:47pm

This post is the first in a series to be posted on this blog that will explore the occult symbolism found in the graphic novel Watchmen, by Alan Moore and David Gibson. This celebrated book, which was recently made into a film, was published before Alan Moore’s occultic ‘conversion’ (SOURCE). Despite this, the book is filled with magical references, many of which act as another layer of synchronicity to the storyline and offer esoteric interpretations regarding events in the book and the motivations of various characters. Moore admits to having knowledge of the occult, before becoming a magician himself (SOURCE), but it is unclear whether these references were purposely written into Watchmen, or if they are simply coincidental. Either way, Watchmen is truly a multifaceted book that operates on many levels and has, in Alan Moore’s words, “loads of these little bits of synchronicity popping up all over the place” (SOURCE).

This first post discusses some of the Kabbalistic themes related to the character Rorschach found in Chapter 1 of the book. These references seem to be synchronous with Rorschach’s psychology and describe his motivations in uncovering the conspiracy behind the main events of the book. Please note that this post contains spoilers, so if for some reason you haven’t read the book or seen the film, you may wish to stop reading now. Also note that I am not an expert in esoteric matters – I have tried to do my best in interpreting the meanings of the various bits of symbolism, but not being personally involved in this sort of thing, I may not always get things right. Also I am sure that deeper levels of interpretation, going beyond my current level of understanding do exist. I do not support the occult or agree with the practice of magic. I did, however, think it was important to write in this area, firstly to point out another example of a work of pop culture that is infused with occult themes and symbolism. This is particularly interesting in the case of Watchmen, which is literally about the formation of a New World Order by a follower of the Mysteries. Secondly, I feel that discussion of these themes adds a new dimension to enjoying and understanding the book. My aim with these posts is to broadly cover this topic area. To that end, please feel free to email me with suggestions and tips regarding additional occult references in the book. I am sure there are many that I am unaware of.

At midnight, all the agents…

“Now at midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew, Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do. Then they bring them to the factory, Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders, And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles, By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping, To Desolation Row” – Bob Dylan, Desolation Row

The frame pictured above (Chapter 1, p.6) depicts Rorschach beginning his investigation of the Comedian’s murder. The frame depicts Rorschach climbing into Eddie Blake’s apartment, via the use of his grappling hook gun. Interestingly, there are numerous similarities between the depiction of Rorschach in this frame and the infamous ‘Baphomet’ image created by arch-occultist, Eliphas Lévi. This image is pictured below.

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet

Interpretation of some of the symbolism encoded in the image of Baphomet reveals insights into Rorschach and the storyline of Watchmen. As with the image of Baphomet, Rorschach is forming the sign of hermetism with one arm pointing up and the other arm pointing down. This is representative of the hermetic imagery of “as above so below,” which signifies the unity of microcosm and macrocosm. Applied to an individual, this can mean that effects on one level of reality appear on another.  For example, an event occurring in the spiritual or psychological level can affect the physical level and vice-versa. This applies to Rorschach and his understanding of the world, which we see in the opening pages of the book. The outside world, which is seen by Rorschach as on the brink of destruction, filled with vermin, filth, sex and murder matches the darkness and violence of Rorschach’s own mind. The hermetic imagery asks the reader if Rorschach is a projection of the world or is the world a projection of Rorschach. This same theme is explored in Chapter 6 of the book, where Rorschach is identified as a ‘monster’ who is ‘fighting monsters’.

Eliphas Lévi’s image has Kabbalistic connotations. According to Wikipedia, one of Baphomet’s arms is pointing up to the white moon of ‘Chesed’, while the other is pointing down to the black moon of ‘Geburah’.  Another article I found about Baphomet indicates that Chesed and Geburah are two Sephirot on the opposite sides of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These particular Sephirot “are commonly understood to be male and female, severity and mercy. Chesed represents kindness and love, while Geburah presents power, strength and judgment.” Thus, hermetically pointing at both Sephirot is a sign that is meant to “expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice.”  - a caricature of the Kabbalistic conception of God.

Mercy and justice are certainly not harmonized in Rorschach’s character. Rather in the constant strive for justice, he is merciless. This is reflected esoterically in Dave Gibbons’ depiction of Rorschach in the frame above. Please note that Rorschach is pointing to a painting of a topless female on the bottom-right corner of the frame.  If Rorschach can be imagined to be pointing at Sephirot like Baphomet, then we can see that the position of the lower right Sephirot have swapped – Baphomet was pointing down towards the ‘male moon’, Geburah, Rorschach is pointing down to a portrait of a nude female, the ‘female moon’, Chesed. There is definite lunar symbolism in this image. Notice that the portrait of the female has a blood splatter on her body, perhaps representative of menstruation. This justifies the interpretation of the portrait as the ‘female moon’. Since the lower right Sephirot is reversed from Levi’s image, this may imply that the harmony between Geburah and Cheses, between mercy and justice is out of balance in Rorschach.

Baphomet has two horns representing duality. The hermaphroditic imagery of Lévi’s image (notice the female breasts on a male body), implies a synthesis or union. This signifies that duality is synthesized in the godhead and becomes a union. Likewise, Rorschach, as in the above image, is constantly pictured with two dark spots on his hat, interestingly, in place of horns. This may represent Rorschach’s dual nature – his split personality. Interpreting this in the context of the hermaphroditic symbolism inherent in the Baphomet image implies the synthesis of good and evil in Rorschach’s personality. While Rorschach fights evil, he is not the antithesis of evil, rather he is a synthesis of good and evil, fighting evil with evil methods himself (e.g. threats, torture). This synthesis is explored in depth in Rorschach’s interviews with the psychiatrist in Chapter 6. – remember the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche presented at the end of the chapter – “Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster. And if you gaze into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you.”

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet also informed the symbological development of the Devil Card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck. While there is no need to additionally discuss similarities between the card and the image of Rorschach above, there is, however, one extremely interesting relationship worthy of note. According to Wikipedia, one interpretation of this card is “self-bondage to an idea or belief which is preventing a person from growing or being healthy.” This is an incredibly accurate interpretation of Rorschach’s personality and describes his complete fixation on tracking down the ‘Mask Killer’, a figment of his imagination that is disconnected from the events in the book that are really going on.

To summarize, the hermetic and hermaphroditic imagery present in Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet can be interpreted in such as way as to provide insight into Rorschach’s character, the nature of the world the book is set in, and later elements of the storyline. The next post in this series will explore some of the freemasonic imagery found in chapter 1 of the book, as Rorschach begins his journey towards knowledge, from ignorance to uncovering the conspiracy behind the events of the book.

: : : : : : : : : : :

B”H

Because what is a mitzvah? Connecting the Finite to the Infinite. The physical to the spiritual. The mundane to the holy.

Revealing Havaya in Elokim.

Whether it’s one of the 613 or one of the 7, a mitzvah is a mitzvah. It’s an act that connects; it’s an act that reveals. What does it reveal? His desire. And it’s His desire that creates and sustains all worlds.

We humans are the vessels through which He actualizes His Desire.

What a gift.

Ani

B”H

“Similarly, in the analogue, in truth, it is possible for every person to appreciate a revelation of the inner dimensions and essence of the Or Ein Sof, that the name Havayah will shine in a revealed manner within his soul. This is accomplished through avodah, divine service, toiling with both body and soul to remove the concealments and veils until one comes to a revelation of the inner dimension and the essence of the Or Ein Sof which is above the external level that serves as a source for the worlds to come into being. [I.e., in the analogy, it is not merely the passage of forty years of time, but rather forty years of strenuous labor, dedicated to discovering the inner meaning of the teacher’s wisdom which is hidden in the allegories he used. Similarly, regarding our avodah, we must dedicate ourselves to the task of trying to appreciate the nature of the mediums with which G-d fashioned our framework of existence. By perceiving of them as channels through which G-d conveys His light, we can merit the revelation of a light which transcends this entire limited framework.]“

- Rebbe Rashab, Maamer וידעת

Because all existence has its source in שם Havayah as revealed through שם Elokim. Because both names are expressions of the Essence of the Or Ein Sof. [I.e. Yidden come from Havayah, Noachides come from Elokim... ultimately, that doesn't matter. Both express the Essence in a different way].

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Ani

I Can’t Stop Myself …

…from posting this disgusting picture of Madge Ciccone, because I’m amazed that anybody could ever think this creature is “sexy”. It reminds me of the description of Kevin Costner’s erection in No Way Out: “Like a baboon in a closet at midnight!”

Related:

• Rich White anti-Christian whore fails in bid to abduct African Christian child into her Cabal
• A rabbi explains the distinction between the divine Jewish race and the bestial goyim races

Finally, my last book for the Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009.  I made very good time despite adding two more books to the list.  But early as it is, I’ll have to wrap up as the Holidays draw near and my chances to read more books decrease as things are starting to get hectic.

I’ve wet my feet in breadmaking and I’m experimenting on perfecting scrumptious cinnamon rolls and ensaimadas (Filipino brioche) for gift-giving.    As I’ve never baked anything except for the occasional brownies, I forsee myself ambitiously wrestling with bread recipes, baking my day away, and snatching up my book only in between rising times.  So, let’s see how many more reviews I can dish out.

This book was a great finale to the challenge, albeit  a dark and brooding one.

Author :  Tobsha Learner

Publication Date :  January 2, 2007  (Mass Market Paperback)

Publisher :  Tor Books

ISBN-10: 0765350467

ISBN-13: 978-0765350466

No. of pages :  480

The Story :

Ruth bas Elazar Saul is daughter of the chief rabbi of the Jewish quarter of Cologne and a very good midwife with very unconventional methods.  Her  advanced  midwifery skills coupled with her studies in Kabbalah, taints Ruth’s reputation with suspicions of witchcraft in an era paranoid about heretics and devil worshippers.

She becomes the unfortunate target of the malevolent obsession of a Spanish friar and head of the Inquisition to Cologne.  Solitario takes his vengeance on an unknowing Ruth simply because she is the daughter of the woman who had jilted him and shredded his pride many years back.  Ruth is tried for witchcraft; but in the process gains the interest of the cleric, Detlef  von Tennen, cousin and close aide to the Archbishop of Cologne.

Detlef falls madly in love with Ruth and does everything in his power to avert her fate.  He succeeds and both start a love affair that in its time,  was unforgivable to both Jews and Catholics alike.  Amid this difficult union, Ruth and Detlef must struggle to live in a dangerous century at war with new philosophies threatening to overthrow its established beliefs, power and social structures.

The Review :

The book opens with “a woman writhing in labor”  which gave me the correct impression that I’d have a toe curling time with this one.

Learner is  an intense,  graphic writer who writes with a sensuality that is both raw and elegant.  Her torture scenes feel  horrendously realistic ; her descriptions of everyday life and her characterizations are rich and intimate, full of vivid details of seventeenth century Cologne, its lifestyle, its predominant psyche, and its prevailing social and religious atmosphere.

This novel is first and foremost a microcosmic representation of  a Europe inexorably marching toward the Age of Enlightenment, torn at one end by traditional society clinging tenaciously and fearfully to established institutions of power, thoughts, and morals and on the other, by radical philosophies and emerging new acceptances by free thinkers or the libertines of that time.

Solitario, the Spanish  Inquisitor, is the embodiment of the 17th century Roman Catholic Church, an institution reacting dangerously to threats to  its centuries-old European dominance by the emergence of new thoughts, values, mores and the new Protestant religion.  He is obsessed about bringing onto the Inquisition table  the Jewess, Ruth, and the breakaway cleric, Detlef, both of whom represent radical opposition to the faith which have begun to erode the Church’s right to absolute power.

Stories like these make me glad I was born in the 20th century, where we have education, modern conveniences, good medical knowledge and practices, and in most parts of the world, respect and freedom for all sorts of religions and ideas.  Imagine living in fear of torture and death because your ideas are heretically opposed to the prevailing beliefs of a Church which hold both  secular and spiritual domains in its grip.

It was also interesting for me to find out that Judaism has its own brand of occultism.  It has its own demons, grimoire, incantations, spells, and talismans.  The Kabbalah is practiced by a certain Jewish sect which does not find ready acceptance in the general Jewish populace; but nevertheless is a recognized albeit esoteric branch of the Jewish religion.

To Read Or Not To Read :

I have read reviews that slam this book for its love angle and gratuitous sex (which I didn’t find unwarranted at all).  The romance here is simply a support angle to the overall story of the book and is not the author’s point at all.  So if you are looking for a nice historical romance,  pass this up; this novel would be way out in left field.

However,  if you just want a well written story with a good historical background, The Witch of Cologne will be just the thing.  Although, be prepared for a very dark and somber tone (well matched with the era) throughout its entirety and for a substantial amount of graphic elements assiduously detailed in this book.

In A Nutshell :

Learner’s unconventional writing style marries quite well with her  objective of presenting a glimpse of medieval Europe in the cusp of social change, a dark and fearful transition for many,  when institutions of power, both political and religious, clawed desperately to maintain the status quo.  The story poses intelligent questions, some of which must have influenced how modern Europe evolved.

Don’t let the suggestive cover fool you into thinking this book is a shallow, sleazy read.  The book has the complexity and depth that makes it interesting and well worth your while — a perfect example  to heed the the adage:   “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

My Mark  :  Outstanding

]]> http://anichanalucia.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/13/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:39:33 +0000 Ani http://anichanalucia.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/13/

B”H

הו רוצה חסד

He desires lovingkindess.

And I have no patience with people.

Used to be, back in my hermit days, that sometimes I could barely breathe for love of my fellowman. Every person I saw was the most beautiful thing in the universe, every person was a perfect part of the Master Plan, every person was an entire world unto themselves. I saw the way we’re supposed to see – the perfection and Divinity behind and within all things.

That went away. It was my own fault. I asked for it. I asked to be anchored here. I asked to be tethered, so I wouldn’t float away. I asked to be solid so I could move things in this world. Before, I just passed through everything. I did not have the ability to be in two places at once: I couldn’t be in the crippling pleasure of There and still exist here at the same time. Not the way I was meant to exist here. Not if I was going to do the work I was meant to do.

So, here I am. Doing what I’m supposed to do. Affecting density and affecting light in the world. And as I roll rocks around and dig in the dirt here, I’m always looking up and looking back to connect with those days when I still hovered above all this, those days secluded away from the rest of the world, in excruciating pain, in excruciating pleasure, and seeing those things that everyone is supposed to remember. Those things that everyone will eventually remember.

יי אחד

That the Infinite is One.

Ani

Today I’m asking you to be part of a survey based on the blog series I posted about different belief systems and if they teach the same core truth. Over the last two weeks I’ve posted blogs about Hinduism, Buddhism, Kabbalah, Islam, and Taoism. I contrasted their teachings to those of Christianity and came to the conclusion that each belief system has completely different teachings. There is no way you could say that they teach the same core truth. I’ve also shown how the New Age movement takes something from each of these systems and incorporates it into New Age spirituality.

Now I’d like to hear from you!

What do you think is the #1 difference in teaching that separates Christianity from other belief systems? There are many, but I want to know from you which one you think is the most significant! The following is a list of differences that I noticed right away. Which important element of Christianity do you think separates it from other religions?

• The belief in heaven and hell.
• The teaching of sin and the need for salvation.
• The belief that Jesus is God.
• The belief that Christians worship a personal/relational God and not an impersonal one.

These are just a few suggestions. Please leave a comment and let me know your answer. You can choose an answer from what I listed or add your own!

God Bless,

Gina

Clip art photo from Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s blog features the last belief system we will be examining in this series about different religions. Our goal has been to see how each belief system differs from Christianity and also to show how each system does not teach the same core truth.

Our teaching today is about Kabbalah. How much do you know about Kabbalah and what is the first thing that you think of? Personally, the first ideas that comes to my mind are red bracelets and Madonna! The singer/celebrity Madonna has been the poster child for Kabbalah in the last decade. Sporting the red bracelet, she’s embraced this form of Jewish mysticism and has encouraged others to do the same. I have to admit, that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I’m guessing that it might also be the same for you. Therefore, we are going to unpack this mystical practice and examine the basic beliefs that make up the system of Kabbalah that we see today.

The following is a list of basic beliefs and facts about Kabbalah:

• Kabbalah originates from Judaism and can only be completely understood in view of its Jewish roots.
• Kabbalist’s claim it is a hidden or secret doctrine. The Hebrew word Kabbalah means “to receive.” Thus, Kabbalah is to receive hidden knowledge.
• Kabbalah teaches that God gave Moses the written law and the oral law. Kabbalah comes from the oral law and is seen as feminine. The masculine side of Judaism is the written law.
• Hidden knowledge comes only from the oral law but is understood within the context of the written law.
• Kabbalah is a mixture of philosophy, white magic, and meditative practices.
• Even if a person does not fully understand Judaism, he or she can still gain many insights into life by studying Kabbalah’s concepts.
• Kabbalah seeks to understand the fusion between the physical and spiritual, how humans control the universe, and how they are one with God.
• The red string some Kabbalist’s wear is to ward off evil and misfortune.

There is so much more to learn about Kabbalah than what I’ve indentified in this list. Therefore, for the sake of this blog post and length, we are going to focus on the aspect of Kabbalah as a secret knowledge. You can learn more about Kabbalah from the links listed below.

Christianity doesn’t teach that there is a secret knowledge. The New Age movement, like Kabbalah, claims that the Bible teaches a secret knowledge that must be looked for beyond a passages literal interpretation. However, when looked at closely, this is not the case. Even when Jesus speaks in parables, He reveals the true meaning to the disciples. The disciples were they only people who were willing to hear and understand the Kingdom of God, unlike the Jews whose ears and eyes were hardened (See Matthew 13:13). Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill prophecy and also because if his adversaries knew what He was talking about, it would create chaos and persecution. In the end however, Jesus wanted everyone to know about the Kingdom of God. He didn’t keep it a secret!

The Kabbalist’s approach to finding truth is very different than the Christian’s approach. A Christian reads the Bible for what it is. A follower of Kabbalah reads Torah and looks beyond it’s most simple interpretation to find other meanings. They also rely on other teachings and writings beyond the Bible. In addition to Kabbalah’s rejection of Jesus as God and other important doctrine we hold to as Christians, this approach shows again that Christianity and Kabbalah do not teach the same core truth. This is because they are not coming from the same sources. If they do come from the same source, they are not interpreted in the same way. Thus, resulting in two different interpretations and meanings.

I hope this post is clear and easily understood. Again, this is only a very brief survey of a few beliefs taught from Kabbalah. For more learning and information see the links that I posted below!

www.kabbalahmadeeasy.com, www.wikipedia.com: red string

PakAlert

By Sajjad Shaikh

The coming of the Mahdi is one of the major signs of Judgement Day. Unlike the minor signs his appearance will signal that the Final Hour is near and that believers must ensure that they are ready to endure its trials and tribulations (fitan).

The Mahdi will come at a time when Muslims will have become disunited and where tyranny and corruption will have prevailed.The situation will be so bad that a person would wish he was not born or that if someone died he would wish that it was him.

The story of al-Mahdi, as recounted in the sunnah, is a story of hope where the struggle between Haqq (Good) and Baatil (Evil) results in the believers gaining victory over the disbelievers, where the earth is filled with peace and justice due to the just rule of al-Mahdi. It is narrated by Abu Said al-Khudri (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) said: “At the end of the time of my ummah,the Mahdi will appear. Allah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great.” (Reported by al-Haakim in his Mustadrak, 4/557-558).The story of mahdi is one that encourages the believers to work for the unity of Muslims and the justice of Islam via the establishment of the Khilafah and the application of the Shariah as the believer knows that one day the whole world will be enlightened by the light of Islam and falsehood shall vanish. But until that day comes he must take encouragement from the bashaarat (glad tidings) of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) and strive and work for Islam following the Sunnah of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam).

So it is sad to hear sometimes that some find in the story of Mahdi an excuse and justification for inaction, taking the fatalistic view that we as an Ummah cannot, and even should not, do anything about the corrupt situation until the Mahdi appears at the end of time and establishes the Khilafah. Clearly, this is not the message the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) took when they heard the story directly from the lips of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam). They heard this story and they took its lessons and they worked tirelessly, first in Makkah in order to establish dar al-Islam and then after its establishment in Madinah to consolidate and extend the influence of the Islamic state.After the death of al-Mustafa (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) the Sahabah appointed Khulafah who extended the authority of Islam even further until the light of Islam had spread to a large part of the world. So how can it be that the coming of the Mahdi has become an excuse for the resignation to the corrupt reality? Indeed, if we analyse the authentic reports about the coming of Mahdi from both a prophetic and legal point of view we can conclude the following:

The Khilafah will not be established by the Mahdi but he will be a Khaleefah coming after the death of the Khaleefah before him. In other words the Khilafah will have been established by the Muslims before the coming of the Mahdi.This can clearly be seen in the hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) said: “Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come flying forth to Mecca. Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and give bay’ah to him between the Rukn and the Maqam. An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina. When the people see that, the God fearing people of Syria and the best people of Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. Then there will arise a man of Quraysh whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expedition of Kalb. Disappointed will be the one who does not receive the booty of Kalb. He will divide the property, and will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace be upon him) and establish Islam on Earth. He will remain seven years…” (Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Awsat.According to Ibn Hajar in his Majma’ az-Zawaid the transmitters in at-Tabarani’s narration are sound and authentic.)

Notice the above hadith states that disputes will take place at the death of the Khaleefah and consequently a man will come forth who after being given bay’ah as the khaleefah will declare himself to be the Mahdi. So clearly Mahdi will not establish the Khilafah Rashidah that will return as foretold in the ahadith, and as well he will not be the first Khaleefah after the destruction of the Khilafah and nor will he be the last Khaleefah. Rather, he will be a just Khaleefah who will establish the justice of Islam on earth.This is from the perspective of the account of the story as prophesised by the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam).

From a shar’I or legal perspective the hadith which detail the emergence of the Mahdi do not establish any Shariah rules for the reality of Muslims of today, as they relate to a different situation when the Khilafah exists.A Hukm Shar’i or divine rule comes for a manaat (reality to which the hukm pertains) which requires a ruling, which is our current reality and not the end of time which will be signaled by the major signs of the day of judgment.A hukm shar’i essentially is a request to do an action or refrain from it whether by way of obligation (wujoob), prohibition (tahreem), encouragement (nadb) or discouragement (karaaha).Although the hadiths about the Mahdi do not request the obligation to establish the Khilafah, as they are largely ikhbari (informative) in nature and as the Khilafah will already exist when the Mahdi comes (which is why we say this reality is inapplicable), but they certainly do NOT say it is not obligatory to work for a Khilafah when it does not exist. Indeed the Shariah rules established at the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) are applicable till the end of time as long as they pertain to the reality for which they came. So not only must the Muslims abide by them, so must the Mahdi and so did ‘Isa (Alaihi as salam) who came not as a Prophet but as a follower of the Shariah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam). So if the coming of a great Prophet like Isa (as), after the prophethood of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam), cannot suspend the rules of the Shariah, how can the coming of the Mahdi suspend them?

As for the hukm shar’i on what to do when the Khilafah does not exist, as we see in our situation today, we need to refer to the following hadith of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) as it addressed that very manaat (reality): “Whosoever dies without a bay’ah on his neck dies the death of Jahiliyyah.” (Reported by Muslim in his Sahih).This hadith clarifies by its implied meaning (mafhum) that it is not permitted for a Muslim to live without the presence of a Khaleefah as it censures the one who dies without his presence. Consequently, it becomes obligatory on the Muslim to work for the presence of a Khaleefah who will rule justly and work to remove, through only da’wah and political struggle, the Ruwaibidah that are our current despicable rulers.This is our reality today and the work to establish the Khilafah is the vital issue that the Muslims cannot neglect.

Whilst the coming of the Mahdi is an important subject in the books of hadith, it is almost as though some have taken the subject as a “get-out” clause to not work for the return of the Khilafah and the giving of bayah to the next Khaleefah.As though the mere mention of Khilafah in the time of Mahdi in some way excuses Muslims from their obligation of removing the corrupt regimes of today.Yes, there will be a Khilafah again inSh’Allah, but will we all be of the ummah that lived in darkness and did nothing to change that situation? And wait for Allah (SWT) to bring a people that loved him and He (SWT) loved.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لآئِمٍ

“O you who believe! If you ever abandon your faith, Allah will in time bring forth (instead of you) people whom he loves and who love Him – humble towards the believers, strong towards all who deny truth: [people] who strive hard in Allah’s cause, and do not fear to be censured by anyone who might censure them” [5:54]

This documentary was created by a Turkish Scholar which proofs that all major prophecies by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have been fulfilled and we are living in the last age where we will witness the arrival of Mehdi and Jesus Christ (pbuh)

The Spiritual War

967, a report was issued under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, “The iron mountain report” which was a global research study on the possibility and desirability of peace in US. This was the era of cold war, the time when US was in the middle of Vietnam war and both US and Soviet Union providing excuses to Egypt, and Jordan that they can’t help them for the upcoming invasion on Israel (the 6 day war). How funny it seems now that the biggest opponents of cold war were practicing same diplomacy tactics when it comes to the sovereignty of Israel and dealing with Muslims. One can say that this was the right time to look for world peace and this study was conducted just for that…. or not. This report has reached the conclusion that the worst thing that can happen to United States and its national security were if world peace were to come about. It said that “if lasting peace could be achieved in the world, it would almost certainly not be in the best interest of the society because war is an essential part of the system, war is an essential part of the economy”. Period.

The above concept refers to the teachings of Leo Strauss a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and who is known to be a political Zionist. It is widely believed that it was his teachings that fostered neoconservative foreign policy of George W. Bush’s administration. It was his teachings that resulted in the formation of Neo-cons or more accurately “Neo-con Evangelist Christian Zionists”. Among his famous students being Paul Wolfowitz, who was deputy secretary of defense during U.S. led Iraq war and William Galtson who was a senior advisor to President Bill Clinton on domestic policy. It is hence no surprise, that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld who are known for orchestrating the whole Iraq war, are among the well-known neo-cons who crave for war to fill their own interests.

The concept of keeping society intact by keeping them in a fear of constant war is not just a Western doctrine. Chanakya, who was an adviser and prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor, Chandragupta and who played an important part in the foundation and governance of Maurya dynasty used to say, that in order to gain control over the people of the country, always keep them in war with your neighboring dynasty or country. Hence it is not surprising at all that India has never been on good terms with it’s neighbours and these terms don’t seem to be on their way to improvement anytime soon..

Why global peace is such a dangerous phenomenon that it used to and still threatens the mightiest of empires and countries. If we dig deeper, the idea of world peace has been reduced to symbols from ancient mythology that are the very opposite of everything that reflects positive energy. For example, the sign of world peace (the dove) is in reality a ritualistic symbol for the Illuminati. Why the most powerful and influential people of the planet are scared of global peace? This is not a matter of imposing martial law on the people of the planet, the upraising of new world order. This has nothing to do with gaining more power or taking over the world or implanting RFID chips in humans as if they are “products” tagged with a number, these are just small pieces in the bigger picture. Believe it or not, even the most ritualistic or evil of mankind wants to get enlightened with satanic power, the power of evil, the power of their satanic god “Lucifer”.

The Satan challenged ALLAH (SWT):
“O My Lord, because Thy hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth and I will put them all in the wrong. Except thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)” (Al Hijr: 39-40)

And the war has been waged on mankind ever since. The question here is, who was purified by the will of God and how many dedicated their lives to serving the sinister plan of Satan, who thrives on anarchy, war and mayhem. The world peace is a threat to those who are the followers of satan. This is a war of spiritual values, the religious beliefs of the good and the evil, this is the war of the verses..

President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to invoke Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God. During the Iraqi invasion in 2003, their out of office statement was that “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…the biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…this confrontation is willed by God … and this is necessary before the beginning of the new age”. Now all of a sudden the prophecies from the book of Ezekiel and Jeremiah (Jewish Books) are so important for them that they were willing to forget their very own New Testament which clearly tells us the downfall of their evil (read: satanic worship) in such a way that even their ultimate savior Jesus (PBUH) won’t help them.

But as Bible says:
“Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13)

Even Quran tells us about Zulqarnain and the wall that he built to keep Gog and Magog from spilling onto the earth. Yes we allowed them to manipulate our ancient history by replacing Zulqarnain with Alexander the Great but this is just another example of our ignorance. We might have seen the movie “Alexander the Great” and admired it but we have no fear or knowing of the second coming on Gog and Magog prophesized in Quran:

“But when Gog and Magog are let loose and they rush headlong down every height (or advantage). Then will the True Promise draw near” (Al Anbiyaa:96-97)

There is nothing significant about Horus sharing same life events as of Jesus. What most of us don’t know this Egyptian methodology of Horus is same as the methodology of Nimrod with her mother Semiramis and the miraculous birth. Horus who was also known as the “war god” or the “god of war” is associated with the falcon. The great seal of United States which features the “falcon” on one side and “pyramid” on the reverse side, strongly reinforces their dogma of following the Horus and Egyptian gods. A detailed study of events occur in the Mesopotamian region (present day Iraq, with some parts of Syria, Turkey and Iran) will give you so much more that will change your point of view on macro level. The Operation Iraqi Liberation wasn’t about just OIL. For them Iraq (former Babylon) is the land of their serpent Gods. For them they are the new leaders of the planet. They will prove what once has been joked by Ronald Reagan on international media that “What is that we need to build world peace … an attack from some outer space, an alien attack that will unite us under one supervision” (New World Order).

You may call them evil beings or satan worshippers … you can see them worshipping and presenting sacrifices to Moloch every year in July (The Bohemian Grove) and still we don’t understand why they are doing this? Nimrod was the first monarch on this earth who wanted to take over the whole world. Today Nimrod statue is present in Israel with Nimrod being one of the most famous names among its inhabitants. He was a “fire-worshipper” and he’s been idealized in a country formed on the ideology of a monotheistic religion. It’s hard to imagine what kind of evil we are dealing with and knowing no evil makes you one of them. This is what they are trying to do to keep us ignored and in return we are becoming a devil within our ownselves.

No matter how much you talk about the Holocaust of World War II, no matter how much you yell over the legality of Belfour Declaration, blame Lawrence of Arabia, Mufti Amin Al Hussaini (the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem), Anwar Saadat anyone. According to Jews, creation of Israel is the fulfillment of the prophecy written in Torah (old testament).

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth”. (Isaiah 62:6, 7)
Then say to them what Adonai Elohim says: ‘I will take the people of Israel from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land”. (Ezekiel 37: 21)

If we dig history further, these verses are in conflict with each other and we will notice a pattern in them which will lead us to the present time, to the world we know today. The problem is we have forgotten our history our roots, we have been put into sleep deliberately and they, they have memorized history like no one’s business.

In the “book of Daniel” comes a story about a prophet of God named Daniel who, while explaining the meaning of a dream seen by the king of Babylon, ‘Nebuchadnezzar’ prophesiezed the upcoming world events. This was the time of Jewish exile into Babylon. It was here in Babylon the Jews started learning and practicing black magic known as “Kabbalah”. It was a time for the creation of Talmud and Mishnah, both being books of law that deviates Jews from the original commandments given to Moses and which govern the present day Israel. Prophet Daniel in the year 333 BC prophesized about the upcoming empires of the world. In the end of it he prophesized that, 2300 years from then on, an “evil empire” will emerge on the face of this earth and from that point we will enter into the end of times. Do your math and you’ll find out that the year is 1967. The year in which after the end of 6 days war with Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Israel was able to capture the Sinai desert, Golan heights, West bank and Jerusalem. It was after this war that Israel emerged on the face of the earth as a superpower : An empire founded on murder and injustice: or in the words of Prophet Danile (PBUH), an ‘evil’ empire. He also prophesized that 45 years after the creation of the evil empire, the time for the coming of Antichrist or Dajjal will be very near. Do your math again and find out which year he is referring to.

This is a war initiated by Satan himself and it is a battle for our soul. Dajjal being the final of Satan’s weapon for inflicting unbearable pain on the sons and daughters of Adam, is about to be unleashed into this world. The Quran teaches that for Nimrod came Abraham, for Pharoah came Moses and for Dajjal will come Jesus (PBUH). So, the question that we need to ask is; are we ready for this war on the ground and more importantly within ourselves? The misinterpretation and manipulation of holy scriptures is nothing but a warfare technique chosen by satan and his followers. Those who understand this know that this is in every sense a ’spiritual’ war.

Join us at Integral Spiritual Experience

Follow me on Twitter

Join me on Facebook

http://www.greatintegralawakening.com/marcgafni.html

http://books.google.com/books?q=+inauthor:%22Marc+Gafni%22&source=gbs_authrefine_t

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=marc+gafni&emb=0#

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=marc+gafni&filter=0&num=30&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=BStuSpj4BoqKsgPV4MjKDg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=31

http://www.when.com/belvedere-tiburon-ca/events/show/87792891-sex-spirit-shadow-with-diane-musho-hamilton-marc-gafni-sofia-diaz

http://events.marinij.com/belvedere-tiburon-ca/events/show/87792892-sex-spirit-shadow-with-diane-musho-hamilton-marc-gafni-sofia-diaz

http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j37/integral-feminism.asp

http://www.incorrectinc.com/articles/integral/diane-musho-hamilton-what-integral-feminine

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Diane_Musho_Hamilton

http://events.kgoradio.com/belvedere-tiburon-ca/events/show/87792890-sex-spirit-shadow-with-diane-musho-hamilton-marc-gafni-sofia-diaz

http://mileskessler.gaia.com/blog/2008/5/diane_musho_hamiltons_new_website

http://integral.virishi.net/blog_diane_musho_hamilton_sensei_integral_naked_-_integral_zen

http://www.ievolve.org/audio/yoga/feminine-dilemma-part-or-whole-diane-musho-hamilton-and-sofia-diaz

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/diane-musho-hamilton-and-marc-gafni-integral-journey-of-love-75046.php

http://www.kenwilber.com/blog/list/1

Conscious Relationships

“As the sons (Yaakov and Esav) grew up, Esav became a man who knows to hunt, a man of the field….and Yitzchak loved Esav.” -Breisheit / Genesis 25:28

What does the Torah mean when it says, “knows to hunt” instead of merely being a hunter? And why two separate things of being a hunter and also being a man of the field?

Rabbi Avraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (from Spain 1089-1164), the classic commentator and great clarifier of the Torah says that in order to succeed in hunting one needs to know how to manipulate and trick the prey. One cannot just kill an animal, but one needs to know how to trap the animal. So the Ibn Ezra is teaching us that the Torah is not merely giving us a historical accounting of Esav’s proffession – but on a deeper level is telling us what kind of person he was; and Esav knew how to trick, trap and manipulate.

The Medrash asks why does the Torah add “man of the field”? What is the Torah adding for us? The Medrash answers that Esav used to take women from their husbands out to the field, so no one could hear them scream – what a haunting description. Shocking, horrific – even graphic, but the Medrash is adding for us another level of understanding who Esav was: more than mere manipulation and trickery that he was capable of, Esav was cruel and destructive.

If this is the kind of man Esav is: a hunter, manipulator, deceiver, rapist and cruel – how is it that the Torah emphasizes, “& Yitzchak loved Esav”. How could Yitzchak, a prophet, a spiritual and utmost refined holy individual love this type of person – and why is the Torah going out of its way to emphasize this?

Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner, the Ishbitzer Rebbe (Poland, 1801-1854) says the following profound reality of the relationship of Yitzchak to Esav. If a person looks closely, the word in the Torah saying how Yitzchak loves Esav is actually in the active form. This means to say that it was not merely that Yitzchak happened to especially love Esav – he actively and consciously loved him, he went out of his way to love him.

As is known, Esav is the father of the western world, the non-Jewish western world to be precise. Esav was not Jewish nor was his progeny Jewish. However, as history developed and evolved, there came to be many great Jewish leaders who trace their lineage to Esav. Ovadia the prophet, Sh’maya & Avtalyon the famous sages in the Talmud, Rabbi Akiva and many others throughout Jewish history. How is it that all of these great leaders, sages and prophets specifically stem from Esav the hunter, rapist and deceiver? Is that our Jewish heritage? What is the meaning behind this?

The Ishbitzer Rebbe says the following deep secret of the Torah to answer.

Yitzchak did not inherently love Esav any more than he did Yaakov – why should he? Should he love Esav’s ways of deceit, manipulation, hunting animals and most horrific his treatment and abuse of women?

Rather, says the Ishbitzer Rebbe, as the Torah is telling us that Yitzchak actively and consciously loved Esav – he made the deep effort to. And from everytime Yitzchak looked upon Esav with favor, love, compassion and care there sparked the souls of future righteous generations within him. From the active loving of Esav, not only despite his evil ways but because of it, there generated within him and his progeny sparks of goodness to later be actualized in Ovadia, Rabbi Akiva and thousands more.

Judaism teaches us to “nullify your will for God’s, so that God will nullify others for yours” (Pirkei Avot 2:4). The Ishbitzer Rebbe says that this is what Yitzchak did for Esav – he nullified his own internal difficulty in loving Esav to love him which later resulted in God channelling the wills of Esav’s progeny towards Torah.

The secret here is that good does not happen by accident and good people do not appear out of the blue. The truth is that one has to create good by relating to everything in a positive, deeper way. This is the deeper meaning of Yitzchak loving Esav – Yitzchak loved that which is not good in order to make it good. Not with immediate results either, for it took many generations until Yitzchak’s vision came to be a reality in the leaders mentioned above.

This is really the essence of Judaism – to have a heart filled with deep love of everyone, and if it’s not there, to make it there.

The secret of this Parsha is that the first ingredient in Judaism, life and community is loving others – and only through that will there be later success, though often not at all immediate.

How in our lives is this practical? To enhance the love that we already have for people we adore and for people that we don’t. Are there people in our lives who we think of as “Esav”, who we think bring us down? Are there things or people who we might treat negatively, even a little bit? Are there people who would benefit from our being more patient, forgiving and compassionate? To all of the “Esav’s” in our lives, let us be like Yitzchak who consciously loves to generate the hidden good within.

Daniel Abrams, “The Invention of the Zohar as a Book” Kabbalah 19 (2009) 7-142

I just finished a very long (135 pages) rambling article by Daniel Abrams with many topics and looks to be the core of a forthcoming book. One can get away with an article that long when one owns the publication. The article is a seminal one for Abram’s approach and the vast literature review of the field that it contains will make it required reading in the field.

The Zohar was neither written, nor edited, nor distributed as a book by the various figures who produced the various literary units which were later known by the name Zohar. (10)

The Zohar is not a Book – Nor does it have an author (105)

I have tried to express my theoretical discomfort, indeed a perceived dissonance, concerning published methodologies for evaluating the literary quality and forms of the texts known by the name Zohar. (127)

No satisfactory evidence has yet been offered in the relevant scholarship proving that the zoharic writings were intentionally composed, edited, or copied as a book. Not only can ‘the’ Book of the Zohar not be restored to its full form, but there was no single original moment that is recoverable amidst the disparate writings and unstable text(s). (142)

Abrams claims the  idea of the Zohar as a preexisting book was created in the 16^th century by the printers- before that point there were only various unconnected manuscripts of esotericism. The production of the Zohar as ideas, texts, and isolated units, has little to do with consumption of the product as a book. He notes that books of esotericism had continuous reworkings.  Then in  the 16th century there arose the idea of a single book, The Zohar.

He spends much of the article reviewing statements of what this work is, from the 1^3th century to the 16th century printers to 20^th century  and then all 20^th and 21^st century academic studies on what they thought about the nature of the Zohar as a book and whether they imagined that there was such an original lost book to be recovered

Abrams rejects Scholem’s theory of a single author and he rejects Yehuda Liebes’ theory of circle of Zohar authors- hug haZohar. The Zohar contains variety of styles and diverse literature, hence Abrams is sympathetic to Moshe Idel’s reclamation of the theory of Moses Gaster, who considered the work a collection of diverse sources.

He accepts parts of Ronit Meroz’s articles that claim that the texts of the Zohar originated between the  11-14^th centuries. But he demurs from her suggestion that there are 14^th century imitators of the Zohar’s style Abrams asks: Who says there was ever a fixed thing called the Zohar to imitate?And form criticism does not work if you do not know that the text existed as we have it in these earlier centuries.

With a bit of overkill, he cites Walter Benjamin that in an age of reproduction the book is different than in the era of production. (He does not know Stephen Greenblatt on how a printed book can have ever more aura). He uses Foucault’s “What is an Author” mentioning that author is a constructed idea. But he does not mention that in the middle ages philosophy was authorless while science had an author. Now, in the modern era, we treat science as authorless and give philosophy an author. Abrams does not state why he should think esotericsm should be different than philosophy. He might have been between off citing the shelf of books on authorship in medieval literature- Foucualt may not be proving his point. He has a nice use of Brian Stock on textual communities that have an interplay of textuality and orality.

Abrams suggests that the field needs to go back to manuscripts and first edoitions, and especially colophons  – every text must be treated in its context of production of the manuscript.

He notes:  Danny Matt is creating a synthetic text that does not correspond to any text out there.  Meroz is creating a synoptic edition but that already assumes a whole to be recreated or an original text to retrieve Abrams compares the Zohar to Rabbinic works. Zohar is like the tannaic collections that existed before the Bavli was edited.

He is glad to substantiate Meroz’s finding that some of the texts of the Zohar were originally circulating in Hebrew and then later editors translated them into Aramaic because they thought they were returning the text to its original language of Rashbi which was lost.

He is perturbed by the new book on the Zohar by Melila Heller-Eshed. There is no proof for a hevraya around the Rashbi nor is there any proof that the texts joined as the Zohar have anything in common in the original formation. Abrams is against the literary and thematic studies produced by the students of Yehudah Liebes. (I have a forthcoming review of Melila Heller-Eshed’s book)

Finally Abrams notes the phenomena of hyper-animation of the text where there is an assumed personal authorship. He notes that this started in the 16^th century with the poem to Bar Yohai and continues with Liebes’ poem to Rashbi and the invocationof the spirit of Rashbi By Heller-Eshed. He asks rhetorically why doesn’t anyone ask for the spirit of the author of Sefer Yetzirah to descend on them?

video page updated
Rabbinic Judaism
click here

video page updated
Kabbalah
click here

www.kabbalah.info