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Today is the anniversary of Joan of Arc being burned at the stake. Warrior. Mystic. Devotee. Burned as a Witch. She is a symbol of strength and openness, of doing one's work in the face of great opposition.
I am thinking of work. Especially of balancing severity and mercy, and how that combination brings about true compassion, rather than "idiot compassion". I am deep in the midst of this work with Geburah and Chesed, with occasional forays up into Binah ("and beyond!!!") to bring more light and understanding down.
Severity is hard. And I don't say that ironically, though I acknowledge the irony in the statement. It gets easier, the more integrated one becomes, and the more one truly understands the quality of mercy. I suppose for someone else, mercy would be hard, but would get easier the more they truly understood the quality of severity.
Divine lessons must be both taught and learned. Darkness and lightness must be balanced within, forming other shapes and forms. The non-dual is seen in the multiplicitous. I pray every day to Lux and Nox and the Star Mother who unites them. I pray to "that within myself which makes these whole."
And Cora is not doing well. I saw her again yesterday and she is having trouble swallowing. She can't even drink water anymore. The work continues, because it must. And the work continues in me also, these days, as a tribute to her. My life is colored by her, in the hospital bed. And my life is colored by constant contact with the Gods, who tell me change is coming and I must prepare.
As I prayed with Cora before I left her, she cried, and said "Blessed be."
Severity or Mercy? What is the difference? Once taken in, they become a substance that is the same. We are all parts of all.
May 30 2006, 19:13:08 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 19:16:40 UTC 5 years ago
perspective counts
Severity or Mercy? What is the difference?Kinda depends how close you're standing. In the end, I would agree, the substance is the same. In the moment, it's a different story. Choose ye well.
May 30 2006, 19:16:55 UTC 5 years ago
I had you and Cora on my mind and in my prayers during my sitting yesterday. Wishing you both well.
May 30 2006, 19:19:15 UTC 5 years ago
One Breath At A Time
It's hard when our teachers pass on. One of my teachers said its the students job to become 10X better. That puts a big weight on us, but it also motivates us to keep on, keeping on. Blessings...May 30 2006, 19:22:43 UTC 5 years ago
Or maybe she was schizophrenic or otherwise insane and was willing to wage war in the name of her dellusion
May 30 2006, 19:30:31 UTC 5 years ago
*If you hear hoofbeats, expect horses, not zebras.
May 30 2006, 19:36:51 UTC 5 years ago
Perhaps it's a matter of degree, or how thick or think the membrane is...
May 30 2006, 21:05:40 UTC 5 years ago
Well, time for appologies
I just did some research on Joan, trying to find the exact nature of the insanity debate and have found one french historian who emphatically claims that there is more than ample evidence to discount the possibility of schizophrenia or insanity in general. So as best as I've been able to determine there is no credibility to that claim. SorryMay 30 2006, 22:23:36 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Well, time for appologies
"The shaman swims in the sea where the schizophrenic drowns." to paraphrase Joseph Campell (too lazy to look up the exact quote).5 years ago
5 years ago
May 30 2006, 19:34:25 UTC 5 years ago
We don't really know why people do what they do. They can try to tell us, and we can decide if we believe them. Ultimately, as time passes, we are apt to lose the sense of context and motivation such as it was in any case.
What is left is what happened...or at least, a version of a story of what happened.
None the less, any act or story of an act may become a potent symbol, a rallying cry, an inspiration, regardless of original intent or meaning, and be an effective talisman none the less, because of the intent and focus of the user.
May 30 2006, 19:40:01 UTC 5 years ago
True
But is she a symbol of strength or a cautionary tale? She waged war because "God told her to." Dubaya could and I think has said pretty much the same thing. Is she a symbol to rally female power or is she a warning that power can have an adverse effect on anyone regardless of gender?May 30 2006, 20:20:44 UTC 5 years ago
Re: True
That's my point. She can be both or either. Symbols can and are manipulated and reduced (or expanded, or just changed) by the people who find them potent.May 30 2006, 22:38:38 UTC 5 years ago
Re: True
I thought of this argument before I posted it and wanted to post what I did anyway because as Content writes, symbols can go many ways. This is my take on the symbol.And yeah, Dubya uses God to justify a lot that looks really bad.
I am guided by my Gods, too, and by my spirituality. Oh well. I'm not going to become all cynical over people being guided by Gods, because I don't think it is always a bad thing. I think there are vessels that are more (or less) sound and vessels that are more (or less) clean and clear. We can try to become more sound, clean and clear.
And luckily, as a polytheist, I can always get a second opinion, including my own, divine one (not that we are all always in touch with our divinity).
I *do* wish everyone, guided by spirituality or not, would develop better critical thinking skills and what I call "critical distance". But we can only do what we can do.
And that doesn't change the fact that today, I choose to look at Joan continuing her work. I have to continue mine.
May 30 2006, 19:25:14 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 19:31:38 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 19:46:29 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 19:54:13 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 20:21:50 UTC 5 years ago
Blessings to the both of you for who you are and your work.
May 30 2006, 20:38:17 UTC 5 years ago
May 30 2006, 23:24:14 UTC 5 years ago
May 31 2006, 00:11:05 UTC 5 years ago
Thank you for the update on Cora. Quite a few of the painting community, out here in Pittsburgh. Mostly the reclaiming community are keeping candles lit for her, as well as sending prayers of love and healing out to her. I witches also like you to know that I've been saying a morning prayer for you as well that no matter what happens to your health and sanity in all of this will hold you through that whatever change must be done for you. You'll have the strength in the will and the love of everyone here in Pittsburgh knows you and the gods will be behind you in whatever change must with that said, I'm really glad he posted on sensitivity and mercy and also integrity today. It was a great post and really helpful some of the things I've been going for my own personal life.
Blessed be,
Chris
May 31 2006, 00:39:59 UTC 5 years ago
May 31 2006, 00:41:44 UTC 5 years ago
It suck i want make Feri this time around.
May 31 2006, 01:45:24 UTC 5 years ago
May 31 2006, 02:00:31 UTC 5 years ago