As an Anthroposophist and a Knight Templar, and having had reviewed Dr Steiner’s work on these subjects and additional related materials, I was pleased to find the following remarks in Picknett and Princes “The Templar Revelation”: He (R.S.) is most famous for his pure brand of mysticism - Anthroposophy - and deliberately played down his association with the OTO (Order of the Templars of the Orient), so successfully that many of his most ardent modern followers have no knowledge of it. When he died, however, he was buried in his OTO regalia.

Wait, There's More!

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Oh, and before I forget, you really should read my Why I Blog post. It might numb the shock of some of the heretical things I say!

For thoughts on this subject go to Ram Horn’d with Gold.

The rulers of this world are by and large the most devoted and loyal servants of the God of this World. The young, idealistic, sensitive poet and artist experienced this sinking realization suddenly and acutely. Thereafter the most gruesome visions of fallenness filled the pages of his creations. (The same could be said of Isaiah or Jeremiah.) Taking their cue from Blake’s popular ‘Songs’ the critics have called this stage ‘experience’, but a more illuminating and descriptive term is ‘fallenness’. This is a snippet from Chapter One of Larry’s Blake.
Read it and respond.

“God Doesn’t Hate You.”

Those words came roaring through my head this morning as I was listening to a talk by Richard Rohr on True Self/ False Self. Granted, I don’t believe that God hates me or anyone for that matter, but as I reflected, I wondered how many folks walk around with the feeling that someone God is pissed at them. How many believe that God is the stern Father in the Sky who is somehow watching them; waiting for them to blow it so that God can scold them.

I think most people can intellectually ascend to a concept of a loving God. Talking about love seems so simple and complete. It’s like most of us intellectually ascend to the fact that our parents love us, yet how many know it? How many feel it? How many operate out of a sense of duty or obedience, not from self-love but to avoid rejection and loss of approval?

Having recently relocated to a new area I have had the opportunity to visit a few different churches. On Mother’s Day, one speaker began his message with the reality that children should be taught to honor their parents and that being born “fallen and sinful” that children must be taught to be obedient and honor the family system; children need correction. I agree that all people need some boundaries and framework to live in community, but often times it are those very rigid boundaries and systems that set folks up not to be able to live to such high expectations. It deepens on sense of self and shame. I sat there and listened for a couple of more minutes before I walked out. I didn’t walk-out because I couldn’t take the message; I think I left for all the kids in the world.

When we are most true, authentic selves I think we are most pleasing to God; and we are most “God-like”, our “I AMness”. When we are confronted by the natural expressions of ourselves and “conformed” to a system, we lose our conscious uniqueness. Trying to obey rules; please God so as not to lose approval or God’s acceptance or that of others; sets us up to deepen our shame.

Jesus’ message to the world was we no longer have to hide in shame, for God has drawn near to us out of love. Rules and systems that shame people have no place in the kingdom of God. God loves us because God is good. When we begin to turn and walk home toward the Garden, we discover paradise of our true-selves waiting for us where we dwell with God. A God who doesn’t hate, but the God, our Mothering Father, who lives with us.

My latest post is found at http://ramhornd.blogspot.com/2007/05/book-of-brass.html.
The Book of Brass might (hopefully) be the end of “biblical inerrancy”.

Dear Mr. Charles Darwin,

It has been nearly 150 years since you published The Origin of Species. What can I say, other than “Thank You”. In one brilliant, elegant book you lifted us from the intellectual darkness and created the theoretical foundation on which all modern biology is based.

You’ll be glad to know that your reputation has become better and better through the years. In fact compared to the other leading minds of your era - such as Marx and Freud - only your theories have stood the test of time and become reinforced through growing human knowledge.

Ok, now for the bad news. While the theories of evolution are uncontested within the mainstream scientific community, many people still don’t believe them. Regrettably, some will never believe in evolution despite the overwhelming evidence. As was the case in 1859, some people find your theories so disruptive that they cannot accept them.

I’d like to tell you that we’re only talking about a handful of ignorant zealots, but unfortunately some people running for political office in the United States openly dispute the theory that species evolve. Witness this video of Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, and Mike Huckabee - three candidates for the Presidency of the United States - who have gone on public record in this video regarding their beliefs.

I imagine this comes as quite a shock to you. Given the growing body of scientific knowledge supporting evolution I’m sure you never would have anticipated that educated people would still be debating this topic.

Thank you Stephen for passing this along and best of luck at Google…

Hello!

My name is Fiona Campbell. I have been a member of Anthroposophy.net for about a year but have never added content til now. I am an Australian painter, trained in the Anthroposophical approach at Emerson College and Tobias Schoolof Art in England in the 1980’s. I was a lecturer in Evolution of Consciousness and Visual Arts tutor at Parsifal College in Sydney for 7 years, before leaving to concentrate on painting Lazure murals full-time.

I have recently opened an online gallery of my Artworks - murals, watercolurs and some modern Ikons - if you would like to have a browse. You should be able to follow the link from my profile page. It’s a blog, so please feel free to leave comments if you like, or want to contact me.

I’m currently studying Information amd Knowledge Management, which looks at such questions as what is information? and how do we cope with it, especially in the digital environment, in this “Information Society”. If this interestes you, I’d liketo hear from you!

read more

Listen.

Listen carefully.

What is it about listening that is so difficult?

Listening to another; listening to yourself; listening to your inner-self; listening to God.

It often seems that we think because we hear ourselves or another that we are listening. I am not so certain that we can really hear until we begin to listen—and we cannot listen until we become present. In order to truly hear we must first be willing and able to listen; and to listen we must first become present.

How many times have you talked to someone; perhaps attempted to pour your heart out, and you could tell that the person with whom you are speaking is not really hearing you; not really listening for he/she has already began to offer advice or found a “fix” for your situation or has decided he/she already knows your story? This person is not present to you.

I had someone tell me the other day that he questioned if he still believed in God. He wasn’t looking for “answers”; he was looking for someone to be present to his process; to give him space to be with his questions—to listen. There’s nothing more violating to a person than to offer advice when what one needs is to be listened to. Advice is often a form of control. Judging one’s “process”; thinking I know is a form of control. It is all about me, and if it’s all about me, there’s no space for you. I’ve sat in countless hospital rooms as patients are dying; I have discovered that often I “hear” the most; I listen more attentively, when there hasn’t been a word spoken.

It works the same way with oneself and God.

In order for me to hear God, I must first become present, and willing to listen. This usually requires silence on my part; removed from the distractions of my thoughts and “processes”. This is not always easy and requires practice. As my dear spirituality professor taught me in my Contemplative Listening class, I need to learn to “bracket” my thoughts and experiences in order to be present to another; the same can be said about me and God.

I have found that it is not always the “words” that I “hear” that demonstrates my ability to listen, but being present to the feelings, pain, or joy beneath the words; giving “space” to the words. As I sit in sacred space and bracket the noise in my head, I discover that I “hear” much less, but “listen” a great deal more. I suspect when I think I am hearing; there’s probably a good chance that I am not listening. If I think I “know” what your saying, or have made-up my mind “where your headed” then mostly likely I am not listening.

I have found this to be true while meditating on sacred scripture. Being present to the text creates space for the small, still voice beneath the words; I find myself listening, and as I listen, I can hear God speak. The same is true for others and myself.

Ever felt like telling God like Sargeant Carter to Gomer Pyle, “I caaaaan’t heeear you!”

If I don’t hear from God, it could be because I’m not listening.