HAPPY SOLSTICE AND MERRY CHRIST-MASS (part 2)

While all human beings have the Christ Light within, and are able to work with and use it, this Light is rarely ever fully realized.  Christ Jesus was a man who fully realized it.  There is much debate over who Jesus was, or whether he was even a historical person.  Some scholars present evidence suggesting Christ was a contrived character by the Romans and their historian Josepheus (an Israelite turn-coat) used as a tool for political control.  It is stated that he is a “composite’ of multiple characters from various religious and mystery school traditions.  The understanding I have is that Christ Jesus indeed did live.  Did he live when the bible suggests he lived?  Maybe, but maybe he lived a little earlier.  I don’t even know if he was indeed an Israelite, as the early Gnostic sects that taught the initiations of Christ the Logos (Word) were from all throughout Egypt, the Middle East, and Greece prior to the time attributed to Jesus.

Perhaps he was a revered teacher or advanced initiate in a mystery school who took the teachings to the masses.  Mystery schools were ancient centers of spiritual initiation and learning.  Precursors to modern secret societies, nearly all of the branches of modern knowledge and learning came out of these mystery schools.  This mystery school initiate would be a man who reached not only enlightenment, but a state of mastery over his body that allowed him to transmute into what is known as the “light body”- an ability said to be possessed by the most adept Taoist masters of the far-east.  Perhaps this man, being an anomaly due to his age and spiritual development developed a following and a mystery school.  Perhaps those of the more established orders of mystery tradition (maybe even some of a darker persuasion) grew jealous of this man’s abilities and saw him as a threat.  Perhaps the local governing body felt this way too.

At some point, this man would have been betrayed by one of his followers, and crucified (probably on a tree).  Crucifixion was practiced by pre-Roman Persians, Macedonians, and Carthaginians, all of whom would have had active mystery school traditions.  However, having been a master of such an incredible degree, he would have undoubtedly been able to separate his light/spirit body from his flesh body and/or consciously go into the land of the dead and then return to his body and transmute the flesh to light entirely.

Christ Jesus, Yeshua Ben Joseph, or whatever the man’s name was; brought what were once secret teachings and initiations to the people.  He made spiritual growth and development that had only been available for a select chosen few, available to everyone.  There would have been many in his day that would have seen this as reprehensible.  They would have wished to silence this man.  However, any attempts to halt this transfer of the power was and is in vain.  The destruction of his physical body and the even more vile perversion of his message and teachings is still not enough.  This man has made the Solar Initiations and the voluntary evolution of human consciousness available to us in such a way that they became etched into the Earth and our very DNA.

In the end, the details of the story may only be known to the record book of creation, also known as the Akasha.  At some point in the middle part of the first “half” of humanity’s journey on this planet, a man was born.  This man’s body as well as his karma, was perfected and purified over many lifetimes so he would be capable of being the fully-realized embodiment of the spirit and consciousness of the Sun/Son; the Christ; in human form.  You may ask, “Why was this necessary?  Why would a great being like the Sun wish to become a man?”

Since the dawn of humankind, there have been great mystery traditions that performed initiation rituals centered on a great cosmic drama.  This involved the primordial Earth; which was seen as the physical incarnation of the great Mother- the feminine principle of the cosmos; and her lover, the primordial Sun.  This story also involved the being known as Saturn or Satan as Christians would come to know him.  When the material universe was being brought into existence, it is said that Saturn, the force of death and darkness attempted to strangulate the forces of life embodied within the Mother.  Thankfully for all of creation, the Sun/Son arrived and shined His Light onto the darkness and “the darkness comprehended it not”

It is said at this point the young, lion-like sun roared in victory, bringing the world into existence.  There was a time when the Sun and the Earth were one, until eventually the Sun moved on, claiming His place in the sky.  However, the forces of Saturn continued with its mission of causing matter to grow into denser and denser states of existence.  While it was necessary for this to happen, it was also necessary for the Sun/Son to step in once again to bring balance and re-inject that Life as only the Son can do.  Without this intervention the entirety of creation would have been calcified with all vibrancy and spirit squeezed out completely.  Thankfully this did not happen.

Toltec mythology; the wisdom tradition of the peoples of Meso-America recognized the sun as the source of life and light for the plantet, carrying and manifesting the message of creation throughout the solar system. As the sun perceives and reflects what is known as “the dream of Earth”, it knows the evolution of the “human dream”.  This is part of why it was necessary for this incarnation to happen in human form.  As the conscious “eyes and ears” of creation, human beings have a pivotal role to play in the “Great Work” of spiritualizing matter until all sense of separateness and illusion is dissolved.

Christ Jesus lived the Solar Initiations- the pattern and story of the Sun.  By doing this he made it possible for human beings to develop an internal relationship and path to the divine that had not been available before then.  By developing that relationship with the Christ within and living the mysteries, we affix the Light of Christ onto the wooden cross of our material existence.

It is said in the mystery traditions that the primordial Sun for a time was one with the Earth before separating, which was needed for physical human life to evolve and develop.  Within the Order I was initiated under, it is understood that when the Sun/Son incarnated as the man we have come to know as Christ Jesus and was crucified, his blood; his very essence went into the Earth, unifying with her.  At this point, Christ Jesus became the Oversoul (a spiritual atmosphere of sorts) of the planet.  The primordial lovers were united once again, and an element of balance was brought back to Earth.

It is also important to understand this as happening on an archetypal level as well.  Christ Jesus and his story is the story of humanity.  It is the Hero’s Journey as coined by Joseph Campbell- the timeless tale of the human experience towards discovering his/her higher nature.  Christ Jesus lives through us in our human experience when we receive and accept “the call” (see Tough Love posting).  We realize him in fullness when the mind, heart and will become balanced in a way that reflects the Light that dwells within us; the Love that we are shown through the Creator to our fellow beings; and living and understanding and working in harmony with the Life force that flows through all creation.

As I pointed out in my Spiritual Maturity posting, Christ is the archetype of the re-ascended man; referred to as the “Last Adam” by some theologians and mystics.  For those unfamiliar with the concept of an “archetype”, author, Jungian councilor and Buddhist practitioner describes archetypes as:

“the most ancient and universal ‘thought forms’ of humanity.  They are living entities, psychological instincts, or information fields that pattern human perception and experience… archetypes are like blueprints… to our experience.  They are the invisible stage managers behind the scenes of the world theater… Archetypes are not produced by us nor are they objects of the mind, but are self-existing, autonomous factors that are their own ‘living subjects’… they organize, inform and give shape to both the outer and inner dimensions, the world and our experience.” 

It is very likely that the story of Christ Jesus as written in the bible, is a composite of astrotheology, internal spiritual experience, archetype, and the life of a flesh and blood man.  The ancients understood allegory in a way that is completely foreign to the modern mind with its “black or white” thinking.  Learning and understanding this has never taken away the reality of Christ Jesus for me.  If anything, it has given his story a richness and depth I would have never imagined.  In the end, whatever way you slice it Christ IS the “reason for the season”.

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HAPPY SOLSTICE AND MERRY CHRIST-MASS (part 1)

This time of year invokes a variety of different feelings and emotions.  Some see it as the “most wonderful time of the year”; a time for happiness and family and giving and good will towards men.  Others see it as the epitome of the commercial consumer society we have become.  Still others may have issues of seasonal depression coupled with “ghosts” of Christmas disappointments past.  Whatever your feelings (and many have a combination of the above or more), it is no doubt that during this time we are being compelled to feel a bit more than we may normally.  There is good reason for this and this reason stretches back into humanity’s ancient past.

Our ancestors lived a life that was very reliant on the changing of the seasons and the weather patterns these changes brought.  Without the convenience of supermarkets and indoor heating, the time of winter was seen as a dark time; a time to get “comfortable” with death (see my post on Samhain).  With this intimate connection and dependence on the land and the seasons, our ancient ancestors knew how to read the stars and the patterns of the sun and moon so as to know what to expect.  They had a deep understanding of how these celestial bodies effect life on this planet in a way that has been largely forgotten in today’s society.

The longest night of the winter solstice was a time when the sun appeared to “die”.  During a three day period (which ends Christmas eve), the sun resides in the vicinity of the Southern Cross constellation and appears to ‘hang’ on the cross until it then would “rise again”, or be “born”;  gaining in strength and intensity until the summer solstice.  This “birth” or “rebirth” of the sun heralded to the ancients that the time of darkness and death was inevitably going to be on its way out.  Their savior had been born.

This also coincides with astrology and the 12 houses of the zodiac, which guide the procession of each “age”.  During the spring equinox, the sun rises in the constellation of the zodiac that “rules” the age (it has currently been rising in the constellation of Pices for the past 2000+ years).  The zodiac also has a “cross” that coincides with the mysteries of spring and Easter.  We would do well to realize that the stars and planets are not just balls of gas and rock in the sky, but rather multi-dimensional bodied beings with a consciousness so vast it is like nothing we can even fathom.

This is the solar pattern that is etched into the physical world by the primary physical manifestation of the Christ Light in this sphere, the sun.  I’m sure some folks may be saying, “But what about Jesus?”;  I will explain this in part 2, but first let us talk about the Christ and for this we will go to John chapter 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In him was Light, and the Light was the life of men.  And the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not”.

Interestingly, there is a verse by Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism that mirrors this verse.  He speaks of the Clear Light, which is described as the “child of Rigpa”- Rigpa being the primordial ground of creation and awareness.  This “Clear Light” is pure and “unborn”, yet it is ours inherently to find within ourselves.  Through my initiations into the priesthood I have come to realize and understand the following about the nature of the Christ:

1. It is Light, it brings Life and it emanates Love.
2. It is the primordial Light that is behind ALL forms and manifestations of light in all physical, semi-physical, and non-physical planes or “realms” of existence.
3. It is the primordial vibration that sings all things into existence (remember that the physical world is composed of light vibrations).
4. In our realm of existence, the prime form of the Christ is the conscious being known as the Sun.
5. The Light encompasses ALL of creation and dwells within everything; including you and me.
6. This indwelling Christ Light has a physical location: it lies just beneath the heart in the area known as the solar plexus.  When you bring your attention to and focus on this area in periods of meditation, you will see and more importantly, feel It.

While there is an external astrotheology (“religious” stories based upon the movements and transitions of the sun, moon, planets and stars) to the story of the birth of Christ, there is also the internal story that plays out as well.  The “cave” where the savior is born has been known by many adepts to be the human skull.  Mary and Joseph within us are known to represent the pituitary and pineal glands within the brain, as well as the feminine “receptive” and masculine “active” portions of consciousness.  When these are brought into harmony through deep meditation, the two appear to create an area of reflective light, which can almost seem to be akin to light bouncing off two mirrors.

This creates the “manger” within where the child of Light is born in the solar plexus.  When the child is born, the animals in the manger; our animal natures; are tame and brought to peace.  And it is the simplicity of the shepard who is first to come to it; by simplifying our lives and our nature, we come to Christ and reach a point of being truly “wise men”.  At least this has been my experience.  I encourage all to practice and experience this phenomenon for themselves.

We are all affected by the forces of the sun and other celestial bodies that surround us, regardless of how detached from the natural world our species has become and regardless of whatever belief system we subscribe to.  This being said, this process of the “death” and “rebirth” of the sun affects our internal feelings and emotions.  We are reflections of the “external” world and the “external” world is a reflection of our “internal” world (in truth, they are both the same).  When we approach this time of transition consciously, understanding the processes that are happening, we can utilize these “external” and “internal” forces to achieve great spiritual growth and transformation.  When we open ourselves to fully experiencing the birth within us, we are further purified and are allowing the Great Work of “spiritualizing” the material plane to be done through us.

TOUGH LOVE

A while back, I read a posting on a forum where someone was asking about Jesus “alienating” some he spoke to by seeming to condemn their actions (ie. the Pharisees). Jesus, while compassionate towards all mankind, did not teach this sort of “feel good”, marshmallow fluff brand of spirituality that people want to hear these days. Like Socrates, he was often a polarizing character that made many people uncomfortable. To put it bluntly, he called people out on their B.S. and he did it out of LOVE. There is a difference between judgment and accountability; being condemned versus being asked to take responsibility.

A lot of people just want to hear what they want to hear, and never be told what they are doing is causing suffering or harm to themselves or others in some way. Some people even see it as mean to do this. Let’s ask ourselves: Is it loving someone to tiptoe around their feelings (which is really their ego), and not say something that may cause them to ‘feel bad’, while they continue to harm themselves and/or others? Or is it loving to tell someone, “Hey, I love you, but you’re hurting yourself and you’re hurting others by doing what you’re doing.”

Doing the latter may cause others to feel uncomfortable, upset, or even angry, and that’s okay. Truth is always a hard pill to swallow, and some take lifetimes to learn one lesson. However, by causing people to look at their own reflections, while it may be painful at first, it can ultimately cause them to reflect on the way they are living their lives and the belief systems they are subscribing to. This can start a wonderful chain reaction in which the person embarks on the path toward change, growth, and spiritual development. Interventions can save lives.

The still small voice within us always knows what we should be doing. It knows when we are wasting our time with shallow, frivolous things. It knows when we are acting against our true nature. It knows when we are acting against the Principles of Creation. It does not judge, only the ego judges. It does however hold us accountable. It does however turn that mirror we so love to project outwardly, back in on ourselves. That can be quite uncomfortable, but it is always quite necessary.

I can tell you from personal experience that working with the Christ Light within was NOT a path of sugar and spice and everything nice. It has been quite the opposite. ‘Letting go’, is not just about getting rid of a few small, annoying habits or doing some meditation- It is death and birth, with all the throws, agonies and pains. Part of us dies and a new birth takes place to fill that- over and over and over and over again. The more beliefs and attachments you have; the more character defects and resentments you are holding on to; the more painful the process will be. And most people in the modern world have A LOT, even if we would like to believe otherwise.

This pain can be exacerbated when fight the process or attempt to ignore it or run from it. When I would do things that were counter to the process of nurturing the internal growth process that was taking place inside of me I would suffer IMMENSELY. The Light is intensifying in humanity as a whole, however so many are conditioned to their own suffering that they would rather remain enslaved by the known of their belief systems and what is “comfortable”, than be freed by the “unknown” Light of Christ. I have seen this with people in my own life, and while it saddens me, I know that only the individuals themselves can make the choice between freedom and slavery. I realize these are strong terms but this is strong stuff.

However, great darkness will reveal great light if we allow this process to happen, and this is the key. It won’t happen if we keep holding on, white knuckled, clawing to everything we hold dear. Make no mistake it is called the ‘Way of the Lonely Ones’ for a reason. Jesus said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

The path of the Christ, if followed in all earnest, will inevitably cause you to become alienated from some people. They will mock and ridicule you, either under their breath or to your face. These may even be people you once thought of as friends; perhaps even some family. The best advice I can give is to follow the Truth of Self and take nothing personally. You may feel isolated from or even persecuted by mainstream society and culture. The path of the Christ, if followed in earnest, is not in line with the thinking of pop culture or social institutions. In fact it is more often than not, the exact opposite. The best advice I can say is to follow the Truth of Self and do the work in the world you are called to do, regardless of what society or government says.

When you follow the Truth of the Christ Self and understand the true Laws and Principles of Creation, you are protected. Is this to say that nothing painful or unpleasant will happen to you? No. Christ Jesus was the epitome of the enlightened and perfected man, and he was arrested, persecuted, humiliated, tortured, and killed in a slow and painful fashion. Should we expect that sort of an end? Probably not, but if we are following the path of Christ in earnest, we would be wise to expect and prepare for some rough times ahead. These are the times of testing that make us stronger in spirit.

This is the nature of the Christ as I have come to know It. It is one of loving compassion that calls us to action. It shows us who we are and demands that we step up to the plate and become that which we already are (interesting paradox, huh?). It calls to us, wishing to establish a relationship with It if we will only do the work necessary to see and hear with ALL eyes and ears. If you choose not to answer the call, don’t worry, you will, even if it takes you lifetimes. However, life becomes much richer when you do. For those of us who have answered, we know there is no going back. Once your eyes and ears are open, you can’t close them again no matter how much you may wish you could at times, and this is the gift of wakefulness found in Christ.

RACE-“ISMS”

Many across the nation have been in a state of protest over the past few months regarding the case of Mike Brown and Darren Wilson. This state was intensified after the grand jury finding of Darren Wilson not needing to be indicted last week. I have been watching this whole drama being played out and it has caused a bit of a stir in me. The public and media reactions, the finger pointing, the race-baiting, the police state shows of force, the shameless attempt to use this incident as opportunity for political grandstanding and power-grabbing: This is a sad case of a nation trapped in base consciousness.

Here, in the case of Mike Brown and Darren Wilson, we have no heroes and no villains; no saints and no martyrs; we just have two men. Both men are victims of their own separate forms of cultural conditioning, beliefs and ideologies. These two men came into conflict for a brief moment due to the clashing of their ideologies and the roles they had CHOSEN to play in life; due to the clashing forms of conditioning they had ACCEPTED for themselves. Be it consciously, subconsciously, or both, they chose and accepted their “identity”. As a result of this clash of roles and identities, one man’s life has been lost. The other man’s life was destroyed, having been crucified and deemed a monster through the court of media and public opinion.

Unfortunately, this has become yet another event that has been used to promote further racial division in this country. One politician in a media interview went so far as to repeatedly say, “This is our RACE WAR”. This sort is the sort of “rallying cry” that can put lives in danger needlessly and create unnecessary strife and division. After the death of Trayvon Martin there was a major escalation of race based assaults and even murders of white Americans that were reported by local news affiliates, but went completely ignored by the mainstream media. This is not to downplay or ignore the plight of African-Americans in this country, but to show animosity against people of other races isn’t something that only white people can do, and that it isn’t right regardless of what color the person committing racist acts is.

 

On the same hand, people do not need to be culturally forced into feeling guilt or shame because they happen to be of a certain race. These emotions do not cause healing, but rather just create more wounds.  Obsessing on concepts like “black struggle” or “white privilege” does nothing to empower or progress humanity in any way.  People do not need to be made even more aware of racial conflicts and divisions.  This is engrained into us from grade school on.  People need to learn how to rise above and beyond that level of division that exists within their own consciousness.  Mass Mind culture is doing its damnedest to prevent this from happening.

Racism has its roots in tribalism and the mistrust of marauding tribes. This fear and mistrust of the “other” is a very primitive thing and is hard-wired in the r-complex of the brain. This is not to say that we should be controlled by our primitive instincts, but rather we need to tame them and utilize them as Christ rode the unruly donkey.

As humans became more “civilized” tribalism gave rise to imperial culture with its complex/complicated structure and laws to keep that structure in place. It was during this transformation that tribal fear and mistrust was turned into racial or cultural superiority. The rulers of empire needed to impress upon their subjects the superiority of their culture and why they should be entitled to rule and regulate those outside their culture. This was based in the egos of the ruling class and spoon fed to the masses, so they would assist in the ruling class’ desire for more power, more control, and more satisfaction for their ego.  Racism and slavery has been an unfortunate cultural institution throughout history and among every race across the globe (no, not just white America).

It is true however that the world (or at least the VAST majority of those living in it) is not post-racial, although I feel that what that actually means has been a bit skewed. The great mystic, Rudolf Steiner saw the races as spiritual lineages.  The spiritual races should be honored and respected for their uniqueness just as individuals should be. There seems to be a certain spiritual birthing place or starting point that comes from one’s racial and/or tribal heritage. It is a powerful tool for people on the path towards spiritual attainment, where they will eventually shed ALL identity. I

myself have found immense help in utilizing my Celtic as well as Native American “roots”. Indeed, honoring the ancestral roots of this incarnation has guided me on my spiritual journey. To rob people who have not gotten to that point of utilizing their “spiritual ground” of which to start their spiritual journey because of a political ideology is misguided at best. Again, humanity as a whole is not at that point yet.

This is also not to say that we cannot or should not learn from the spiritual traditions of other races. This is where we can discover that the spiritual traditions across the world have a series of unifying themes that underlie all of them.  Each race is bringing something unique and special to the table in the “Great Work”.  Understanding and utilizing this knowledge is pivotal for spiritual evolution and getting to the point where we are truly “post-racial”.

But let us be clear in our understanding that the multiculturalism promoted in politics and media is actually geared toward creating a mono-culture. This monoculture has nothing to do with spiritual heritage and is all but devoid of any sort of spiritual component. The religion of monoculture is, at its core, subservience and worship of the state from whom all power is supposedly derived. But before we get to that point, the strivings of racial identity need to be fully exploited so that the resulting conflicts will create “winners” and “losers” resulting in the losers being absorbed into the mono-culture.  Much like racial gangs in a prison, the races are being divide along every line conceivable.  But this isn’t a future that needs to be.

In the 1950s there was an all-out witch hunt for communists in this country. Spearheaded by an ambitious Senator named Joseph McCarthy, numerous people were blacklisted and had their lives ruined because they had been accused of being a communist, and were prosecuted in the court of public opinion. These sorts of ‘witch hunts’ are repeatedly used by the ruling class to silence would-be dissenters. In today’s world, we live in the era of “political correctness”. Now people who speak out against the ruling class and their actions are often accused of being racist, anti-semitic, or even homophobic if some sort of vague accusation can be made. Again, people’s careers and lives are destroyed in this silencing culture of political correctness, where criticizing a black president makes one a racist.

Then there is also the label of “terrorist”, if the other ones aren’t enough. According to Department of Homeland Security documents, speeches and training exercises carried out by police and military personnel; returning veterans, gun owners, libertarians, homeschoolers, anti-war activists (pretty much anyone who does not tow the party line, so to speak); are considered potential terrorists. The violent, yet incredibly under-reported SWAT raids on homeschoolers (many of whom have been white) and others who choose alternatives to government-sanctioned ways of being paint the picture of a problem that goes beyond race. Ask pretty much ANYONE who is homeless if it necessarily matters what color they are when they get harassed, or beaten or worse.

There was actually a recent Washington University study, that used police offers in live scenarios, and they found that police are actually more hesitant to pull the trigger if the suspect is a minority as opposed to white.  But at the end of the day, the real problem here IS NOT race.  The race baiting going on in the media are diversion points.  Points of division are created and wounds are opened and re-opened in an attempt to divide the public against one another along the lines of race, gender, culture, class, social roles, etc. The strategy of “divide and conquer” has been used since Roman times. Essentially, it is the exploitation of differences among peoples to get them fighting amongst one another. This makes it easier for a united, dominator class to come in and run things, as well as posing as the ones who will bring “order”.

We must be wise to these divisive tactics at play in politics and the media and see these tactics for what they are. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity, regardless of skin color. We should honor and learn from one another in the absolute deepest sense. At the same time honor and celebrate our own spiritual heritage as well as our familial, tribal and racial lineage. This I feel, is a key component to truly figuring out our unique road map toward realization and fulfilling our purpose in this lifetime.