Help Unity of Sebring Build a Habitat for Humanity House

In April, we will begin collecting funds to help build a
Habitat for Humanity House Our Goal is to raise $5,000.00. We are joining with other churches in Highlands County to do this. Please help us on our mission.

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Astrology- pt 2

Astrology simply helps you to understand certain patterns of your life and prepare for specific events; it is merely an indicator of things to come not a proclaimer of things that will happen. It is important that you know what kind of material to consult when searching for an understanding about Astrology. Some tend to throw a scare in you or mislead you. Just bear it in mind that you can change any prediction made through sheer will. You should know that Astrology is not an attempt to dabble in the dark arts or black magic It is simply a psychological profile on a person using celestial factors or features such as the Sun, Moon and Stars.

Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans are at one point or the other, credited with the discovery, growth and use of Astrology. In the lead of facts is this; Astrology is just one of the many ways in which man seeks to understand, define and direct himself It’s a means to an end.

In Astrology, a natal chart refers to information drawn up about an individual who relays the possibilities of certain future occurrence as well as accurate description of person’s trails, personalities and characters; this chart usually requires specific information to be accurate in its predictions…. A birthplace and a birthdates. |Ascendant is an Astrological term that refers to the Zodiac sign that was in motion, ascending on the Eastern horizon at the moment an individual drew his/her first breath; it is displays to people and can differ from the persons soul or heart.|Aquarians are people who are born under the sign Aquarius and are people born between the 20th of January and the 18th of February; most Aquarians are idealistic in nature and tend to have grand schemes of how to save the world or help people around them They are generally warm giving people.

The Sun sign is the representation of the soul of a human being; the soul consist of a person’s beliefs and personality which allow the person think and act according to those beliefs.|In Astrology, the great year is basically the calendar of Astrology; it is the division of human history into two thousand year segments characterized by various zodiac signs which are believed to be responsible for the occurrence of event within a particular historical period.

Aries is generally known as the sign of the ram and those born under this sign are believed to posses and exhibit the characteristic of a ram; Aries individuals are energetic, enthusiastic, blunt and adventurous They are also given to impulsive decisions and actions from time to time. Arians are born between the 21st of March and the 20th of April. |An erroneous conception that many people have is that Astrology can predict detailed event of the future; while Astrology does deal with future events, it doesn’t give an accurate description of future events; it simply gives an indication of what may happen in the near future. |People born under the Aquarian sign need a mate that is flexible in thoughts and actions; a rigid or overly principled person will be disaster for an Aquarian because the bubbly ideas that he/she will be started and eventually snuffed out…. A flexible person allows the Aquarian to fully express himself/herself.

Knowing your star sign and the traits or characteristics that accompany each is vital as this understanding can help you know where you fit, what you can be good at and who fits you the most in the context of marriage.|Astrology was used by ancient Babylonians to predict human events such as the war, famine, birth, weather, rulers and diseases; there are numerous charts that testify to the fact that this former civilization practiced Astrology to as a way of life.

Astrology- pt 1

It is quite easy to dismiss Astrology as the new age hocus pocus…. But, Astrology has been in existence from as far back as 1645 BC, where Astrological records retrieved show a strong practice of Astrology among the Babylonians. |Astrology is the study of a person’s personality, traits or characters using the position of the bodies of the solar planet at the time the person to do so;|Natal Astrology is the form of Astrology that is being popularly practiced nowadays…. This is an arm of Astrology that focuses on the individual and seeks to predict certain events based on the star the individual is born under.

The rise of Astrology began as the Early Man made a concerted attempt to study and understand the environment around him Things like times and season eventually gave man the understanding of the Earth’s power and led to the study of the solar system eventually Thus, Astrology was born.|The workings of Astrology is affected by the four Earthly elements of wind, Earth, air and fire; all zodiac Stars are grouped under these elements and each determine the compatibility of each sign with the other.

Knowing the exact time you were born and the exact place can help an astrologer prepare an accurate natal chart which will give you a very good idea about how your life will turn out to be. |Each sign has specific traits or characteristics that are manifested by the individuals born under them; for instance the Arian tends to exhibit the stubborn traits of the ram sign the Gemini confuse people with the duality of the twin sign.|Astrology was used from time to time by ancient doctors or medicine philosophers such as Hippocrates to better understand the personality of their patients; it was not rare for a doctor to have the Astrological profile of a patient charted for medicinal purposes.

The popularity of Astrology in these recent times can be seen in the proliferation of Astrological websites, books, seminars and newspaper; it seems with the advancement of man comes the burning desire to know what happens next. |Western Astrology uses the solar calendar to draw its deductions where as the Chinese Astrology uses the lunar calendar to make its deductions; both are alike in that their deductions revolve around people and their personalities.

You can have your star sign checked out just in case you don’t know what it is, there are several materials that can give you a fairly good idea about your star sign and what to expect in the future Newspapers are a good source as most of them have daily horoscope readings. Despite the fact that a chart of the solar system carefully drawn up can predict what will happen to you seems far fetched to some people, Astrology can do that, and quite accurately too. Astrology has become an excellent source of dating; astrologers now match people under various signs according to their compatibility and can produce a match made in Heaven.

The most conclusive material ever written on Astrology to this date was the Tetrabiblos (the four books. It was written by Ptolemy Claudius and contains detailed information about the principle of ideology… the book was used by many Arabian and European scholars because of its cohesiveness. The ascendant star or rising star is an Astrological term that refers to the star that was rising up on the Eastern horizon, the second you were born It is said to determine the external characters of a person and is responsible for the face displayed in public.

This week at Venice Shambhala Meditation Group

Pema Chodron Course: Learning to Stay
Thursdays 3:30 meditation 4:30 drop in course suitable for people of all or no levels of meditation practice and of any faith.
Mellow Run, Venice (directions below)

Learning to Stay

"As a species, we should never underestimate our low tolerance for discomfort. To be encouraged to stay with our vulnerability is news that we can use. Sitting meditation is our support for learning how to do this...

Sitting meditation cultivates loving kindness and compassion. It gives us a way to move closer to our thoughts and emotions and to get in touch with our bodies. It is a method of cultivating unconditional friendliness toward ourselves an d for parting the curtain of indifference that distances us from the suffering of others. It is our vehicle for learning to be a truly loving person."

Chapter Four: The Places That Scare You, Pema Chodron

Also:
Venice Shambhala Meditation Group- weekly
Meets: Sundays 6 PM - 8 PM
Thursdays, 3:30 - 5:30 PM

What: 40 minutes of sitting and walking Mindfulness Meditation, followed by a class
Where: Mellow Run/ A Fresh Start, Venice

Cost: Donation of $2 - $10 Contact: If you are coming for the first time call Jillaurie 323-8033 to meet for meditation instruction

Exploring Meditation - A Day of Ce ntering and Learning
Sunday February 22, 2009 10 AM - 3 PM preregistration required 323 8033

If you are new to Mindfulness Meditation or want to renew your enthusiasm for practice, this is a perfect day for you!

We will have guided meditation instructi on and silent periods of sitting and walking meditation. The morning talk will emphasize the essence of mindfulness practice and how it changes our life.

In the afternoon we will learn the obstacles that can interfere with a regular practice, the antidotes and tips for establishing a regular practice. Lots of time for questions!

Cost: $55, includes lunch pre-register 323 8033

Presenter: Instructor: Jillaurie Crane, M.A. is a Spriitual Counselor, Life Coach and renowned Astrologer. She is a long time practitioner of Mindfulness Meditation and Buddhist studies. She completed meditation instructor and teacher training in 1985 and has been joyfully sharing this wonderful technique ever since.


Shambhala Training

Shambhala Training is a series of contemplative workshops, suited for both beginning and experienced meditators. The simple and profound technique of mindfulness and awareness is the basis of a secular path of meditation, which can benefit people of any spiritual tradition and way of life.

This path shows how to take the challenges of=2 0daily life in our modern society as opportunities for both contemplative practice and social action. All aspects of our daily life and society—family, commerce, education, the arts can be permeated with a sense of sacredness.

Level I: The Art of Being Human 3/28 - 3/29
Through the practice of meditation, we glimpse unconditional goodness as the ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings. For more information go to: http://www.shambhala.org/

DIRECTIONS TO MELLOW RUN

Suzi Hobson & Howie Hanson

Mellow Run Equestrian Center/A Fresh Start Center for Transformation

3490 Laurel Road East (I-75 and Laurel Road)

North Venice, FL 34275

941-445-7134

*From the Island (or 41 coming from the south) Take E. Venice Ave to Pinebrook. Turn left on Pinebrook, go to the end. Turn right onto Laurel Rd. Go over the highway and it is your first right (Knight's Trail). There is a gas station across the street. When you take the right TAKE ANOTHER IMMEDIATE RIGHT as if heading back towards the highway. It is the last driveway on the left. Go to the end and we are in the little building to the left of the 3 car20garage.

From 75 Mellow Run is right off the highway. If coming from the North, turn left onto Laurel, coming from the South turn right onto Laurel and follow above.

If coming down 41 from the North. Turn left onto Laurel and follow above directions. When you pass Pinebrook you are almost there.

And offered by one of our area Shambhala practitioners, Jennifer Smith 20B.A., CHt: also let me know if you would like us to bring Jennifer to Venice to do this.

Awakening the Creative Spirit

Together we will journey into the well of creative inspiration that exists within all of us. Learn techniques that will open the door to let out your own, one of a kind, creative voice. All are welcome. It doesn't matter if you have been painting for years or don't have any idea what you would like to create. We are all meant to be creative in some form or another. Come enjoy and honor the creative spirit in yourself and others in a safe, nurturing environment. See how the act of expressing yourself can help you be more balanced, conn ected, and joyful.

Sarasota

info@pineapplespa.com

My Religious Transformations

My religious choices have been the proverbial "Long and Winding Road" throughout my life.

The house of my parents was ruled by my mother. She made the decisions, and my father went along. On Sundays, particularly, the entire morning was devoted to church and sunday school. My mother played the organ and directed the choir in a Methodist church on LBI, taking no salary, and also taught sunday school. The church was not a joyful place for me. I was teased and tormented by most of the same kids I went to school with, and I was bullied by many of the adults, since I was "Mabel's daughter and supposed to be setting an example for the other children to follow. "

This song got drummed into our heads at an early age:


I wish some of the adult members of that church had taken the words to heart.

My mother left that church heartbroken when a family member of one of her sunday school students reacted to a comment she had made before she begun class. The comment was about one of the girls needing to wear deodorant- the girl was not named or singled out. Specifically, my mother said that somebody in the front row had body odor.
Yes, this should have been handled privately, and with much more tact. Tact was never my mother's strong suit. The girl's grandmother came to our house and started screaming and yelling. I was dancing in my room to a loud radio, and I could hear this woman carry on at our front door. A few weeks later, my mother had her first heart attack, and decided to turn over everything regarding the church music to the minister's wife, who, of course, demanded that the church pay her for the work that my mother had done for free.

We didn't go to church after that for about four years. I felt an attraction to a more formal and ceremonial kind of religion. I would go upstairs and listen to a radio show where the rosary was prayed. I learned to pray it along with them. My parents were very unhappy about this, especially my father, whose parents had come to the US from Northern Ireland because of the religious warfare over there.
I had a great aunt who had lived with us for four years until she died, and she attended the Episcopal Church. I found her Book of Common Prayer, and liked the things I read within the pages. At age 17, on my own I attended a service at the Espicopal church in Beach Haven. I enjoyed it, and felt welcomed, My mother came with me the next week, and for sundays after that, and continued going after I had started college and was living on my own.



I was active in the Episcopal church for 22 years. I became a Lay Eucharistic Minister at All Saints' in Florience, SC, and continued that ministry when I moved to Florida. Both of my children were baptized in the church; my son was confirmed, and became the first acolyte to reach Master Acolyte status at St Clement's church in Tampa, FL. My daughter was also a Jr. Acolyte at St. Clement's, but changes were on the way.

In 1990, I was in an accident during the course of my duties as a social worker for the state of Florida. The accident left me permanently disabled. For four years, I fought a tooth and nail battle against the state (my former employer) that left me destitute before it was all over. I lost my home, and the state wasn't even going to pay the medical bill for the five day hospitalization after the accident until I got an attorney and sued them!
My financial situation was such that my children had to be separated, with my daughter living with her father. My son's father was out of the picture, as I had terminated his parental rights due to his violent nature. I had debilitating migraine headaches that were not diagnosed until two years after the accident. I had permanent back and neck injuries, the effects of which I will deal with every day for the rest of my life.

I would go into the church every Sunday and pray and pray to God to settle this case- not just for my sake, but for the sake of my children, who were both suffering due to my financial instability. My son and I subsisted on my worker's comp checks and food stamps, and whatever money my son could earn doing odd jobs, or acolyting at weddings at church. The months and years went by and nothing happened. I would hear "God will do something in his time." I went along with that line of thinking for a bit, but then decided to take matters into my own hands and help things along.

I started working with Astrology at age 11. At age 15, I added Palmistry and Numerology to my studies. Living in Tampa, I started meeting people who were attracted to various means of Divination, also known as Fortune Telling. Some of these people were learning things that went beyond mere Divination. They were learning Magick, and Witchcraft.

I started out with a book called "Helping Yourself with White Witchcraft". It was a pretty good beginning book, although I would find out later that some of the information wasn't entirely accurate. Since I was still attending church, I obtained two more books called, "Powers of the Psalms" and "The Greater Key of Solomon the King". The first book taught how to use the Psalms for Magick, with candles, parchment inscriptions, etc. The second book was much more powerful and advanced. It contains several series of Planetary Talismans (pentacles) that you make and consecrate. I was so broke, I picked up tin can lids by the railroad tracks in Tampa to make the Jupiter pentacles. Since I could not work, my time was pretty much my own, so I could get up at the appropriate planetary hour (which the books taught me how to calculate) and perform the rituals at the most effective times of the day.

Within two months after I started doing this, my injury case, which had dragged on for four years, was settled. The state very suddenly came up with an offer, my attorney made a counter offer, and the state took it. I had a second attorney who got me $15K MORE a few months after the initial settlement. WHOO HOO!!

I was buying my books at a store in Tampa called Merlin's (it is no longer there). I showed the owner the pentacles that I had made. The owner, Richard Clear, told me that he gave a year and a day class in Wicca, and offered to teach me. It was free of charge- we only had to buy the books, and he sold them to us at cost. Dayna had moved out of the area by then, and encouraged me to go ahead and learn with Richard and his group. Lots of good things came out of this- this is where I met my Jim!! Of course, that romance didn't happen until a few years later, but he was the man who initiated me into the Craft.

During the time I was studying Wicca and Magick formally (with a formal class and not on my own or one on one with Dayna), this song kept running through my head:



I guess there was a small vestige of fear or regret. It was a big change. I certainly don't hate Jesus. The way I thought of Jesus changed. I had a dream the night after the initiation, where I met Jesus and started to cry, and asked him if I had hurt him by making this change. He told me not to be sad, that he was no longer my lord, but my brother, and he'd still be around when I wanted/needed him to be.

In the years that followed, I learned more about the ancient Pagan Gods and Goddesses. Here are some songs that I've sung in wiccan circles-2 different songs:




I also wrote some wiccan and pagan songs of my own during this time.

In 2001, I saw full force the two-faced nature of the organized Pagan community. The tipping point was the safety of my then 12 year old daughter. We were meeting at a nudist facility in Pasco county. The owner also made the club available for Swingers' meetings, and allowed them to come into our worship area and gawk. We were not allowed into their area, which included the pool and hot tub, but they could freely trek in and out of ours and disrupt what we were doing. The last straw was when my family was rehearsing the ritual we were performing, and two men wearning loin cloths and nothing else stood about 10 feet away from my daughter, lifted their loin cloths, and shook their "junk" at her!!! I was not amused.

Other things happened, and we broke from the large group and did our own rituals on our property. It was the same kinds of negative things that had existed in toxic churches, just with a different religious slant. I began to get curious about the traditions of the Northern Europeans, since that is my ethnicity, and read the book "Northern Myths and Magick" by Freya Aswynn. I was mesmerized! I thought I had finally found what I have been looking for.

In 2002, I began to study Asatru with the now-defunct Osprey Bay Kindred. I met the author, Freya Aswynn, in person, and sponsored her first and only Rune Workshop in Florida:



I learned a lot from Heathenism- took away some life lessons that have made me a better, more self-reliant and productive person. However, once again, the group dynamics changed with a change in leadership, and became toxic. The good folk of the Tampa Heathen Association welcomed me to some of their functions, but the price of gas and the lousy economy made it cost prohibitive to go very often after a while.

So, here we sit in Sebring. Well, we do a lot more than sit. I have a hearth of my own, and am seeking out locals who are pagan. They usually attend services at Unity - haven't been yet, but I'll probably go check it out.
My main worship is done at home, either in my own back yard, for when I want to feel close to nature or honor the land wights, or in our bedroom. I've come full circle about a lot of things, and am more of a Unitarian Universalist type now.

There is truth and beauty in almost every religion- haven't seen much of it in Satanism, but then I would never attend one of their rituals. The danger comes when religions become centered around the leader, the minster/ priest/ high priestess/ chieftain, and turn into cults. The danger comes also when the group turns inward, sees themselves as better than other bodies and styles of worship, takes an "our way or the highway" attitude, and seeks to isolate the members and to discourage them from befriending others who are not a part of the church/ coven/ kindred. I saw that in the Methodist church in Beach Haven Terrace, NJ; in As Always Coven, and after the change in leadership of the OBK. I have never seen this attitude in an Episcopal Church I have attended, but I also know that going back there as a full member is not for me now. I've seen too much beyond the scope of any christian church to be able to return as a "believer"- just a guest who will go to see a grandchild baptized, etc.

The lovely moon is beckoning me outside for worship and adoration. Thanks for reading!

Win $50.00 The Radiant God Bible Reading Monthly Contest

Hi,
It’s me Charisse. I am sponsoring a monthly contest and thought I’d advertise it here. The contest isn’t to promote any opinion, or belief per say, it is simply to read the Bible each day, then discuss it. The winner of the contest will receive $50.00 through Pay Pal (paid by me) at the end of the month. This is a monthly contest that I will be hosting.

Of course, I am hosting a contest reading the Bible- New King James Version (or your version of preference) but it is the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. I know that there are other faiths here, so I want to clarify that it is focused on Bible reading.

I want to encourage discussions, and think this will be fun.

If you are interested in reading and commenting, you can find all of the information on the blog.

http://radiantgod.blogspot.com

Be blessed,

Charisse

The Hammer by Balinnor

When the Hammer fell

The Old World felt its spell

By Innocent's decree

The Hunters were set free

It was the darkest of times

The Hunters weren't punished for their crimes

They killed and raped with impunity

Protected by the Church's decree

They swore to uphold the faith

To save the world from Sin

For those that were accused

It was trial they could not win

When the Hammer fell

The Old World felt its spell

It called Witchcraft Heresy

And the Hunters were set free

Across the land the darkness spread

In its wake the condemned and dead

The Church grew fat on what it stole

From innocent hands young and old

Exposed to tortures without end

Even the strongest confessed to sin

Forced to admit to Satanic pacts

And name others involved in the acts

When the Hammer fell

The Old World felt its spell

If accused you were guilty

When the Hunters were set free

For over six hundred years

The Countryside was awash in fear

The Hunters traveled far and wide

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide

Not one person was safe

As the Inquisition sought to protect the faith

And when trials came to an end at last

The Church believed we would forget the past

When the Hammer fell

The Old World felt its spell

Death and torture the legacy

When the Hunters were set free.

Our Course is set, our path is clear

Never again will we live in fear

We must each do all we can

To spread tolerance across the land

When everyone can worship as they please

Only then will humanity be free

And the Burning Times of long ago

Will be something our children will never know

When the Hammer fell

The Old World felt its spell

Now we vow in unity,

Never again will the Hunters be set free.