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Edward Patel81 said:😲 😳
I’m about to go lock myself in a dark room, beat myself up, and beg for forgiveness—though I’m still not quite sure who I need to ask.😁
I've heard some people swear by using a chain; apparently, the patterns left behind are incredibly striking. If you don't have one handy, you could probably pick up a bike chain somewhere near $12.
Or... you could find someone from those Catholic forums. They seem to really enjoy that sort of thing. For instance, they might bow down for ten minutes, take twenty hits, and then tell you to keep going until they see Saint Anthony.
A lot of people say it's pure madness...😁
Here is a myth about the Genesis shared by electricstag74:
HOW THE DAKOTA ARRIVED ON EARTH
(A Dakota Indian Myth)
There was once a time when no one lived on Earth. All people
resided underground, within a sort of tunnel so incredibly
vast that even the spirits could not measure its length.
Eventually, Iktomi grew weary of being alone; he found
the company of animals uninspiring, as they seemed
rather dull to him. At that time, the Manitou Spirits dwelt in the heavens, and only three
spirits watched over the Earth. These were the Old man, the Old woman, and the
Two-faced woman, so named because she possessed two faces—
one terrifying and grotesque, the other exceptionally beautiful. Yet, these three
spirits also felt lonely, finding companionship only among the animals.
The Two-faced woman lived a tedious existence, longing for
the company of women to work alongside her and men to hunt across the prairies;
she dreamed of children playing by the rivers and catching
formidable birds.
Because of this, Iktomi often played pranks on her, and
one day he appeared at her lodge disguised as a
handsome young man. However, the Two-faced woman saw through his ruse, so
she was careful not to let him inside, knowing he often joked at her
expense. Seeing this, Iktomi wrapped himself in his cloak and sat
in front of the entrance, drooping his head in a way that looked quite ridiculous, which
made the Two-faced woman burst into laughter, eventually coaxing him outside.
After talking for a long while, they both realized their shared sorrow:
they were unhappy simply because there were no human beings on Earth.
Then, the Two-faced woman said:
"You are clever and wise. Come, find a way to
bring the people up here to live on Earth."
Upon hearing this, Iktomi fell into thought, and finally said:
"Well, I have found a way. I will return tomorrow, and you shall
help me achieve it!"
With that, he hurried away.
He went and summoned the gray wolves to gather. The wolves
assembled immediately, and Iktomi informed them that he required
their assistance for a great undertaking that was very dear
to his heart.
"Why should we help you now?" one wolf asked,
"given how often you have deceived us? Who can convince
us that you won't trick us this time?"
To this, Iktomi replied:
"I swear to you by the Sun and by Manitou that I will
never betray you again. What I ask of you is not difficult, but
quite pleasant; you only need to hunt as many animals as possible
and bring them to the Two-faced woman."
The wolves agreed to do as Iktomi requested,
for they knew that when someone intends to joke with them, one should never
swear by the Sun.
The following day, the wolves hunted deer, bison, and bears,
bringing a great bounty back to the Two-faced woman's lodge. Along
with them came Iktomi, who instructed the Two-faced woman to prepare
a magnificent feast from the catch, and to fashion male and female clothing
from the hides, decorated with vibrant colors.
Obeying these orders, the Two-faced woman set to work,
and in a very short time, everything was ready. Iktomi then
prepared a large bundle and fastened it to the back of a young
wolf, who was renowned far and wide as the fastest
and most agile of them all.
"You must travel through the Long tunnel until you reach
the settlement of the human beings," Iktomi told him. "When you arrive
there, you must deliver this bundle to a man with a
youthful and brave face; tell him that
the Earth is abundant with wonderful things, just like those in this
bundle. Finally, tell him that this bundle possesses a strange
power and can grant any wish they make." After listening to this
advice from Iktomi, the wolf replied:
"I understand perfectly!"
He then set off toward the underground passage. He traveled
for four days and four nights before reaching the human
settlement. There, he met a handsome and strong warrior named Tokah and
handed him the bundle, telling him that this bundle
could grant any wish he desired.
"Well then, I wish to become a chief!" declared
Tokah.
"And so you shall be," the wolf replied. "Now, look at
the wonderful things contained in this bundle. Behold, such things exist on Earth..."
"There is plenty to go around. Show it to your people, but don't say a word"
about how you found it.
With those words, the wolf quickly returned to Earth.
Tokahe enters the settlement wearing fine clothes and carrying food. He tells his wife
to dress in her finest gowns, while he puts on his warrior attire. Once
they are both dressed, they radiate such beauty that everyone begins to stare in admiration.
Then, the people begin to feast on the delicious food prepared by the
Two-faced woman, remarking that they have never eaten anything
so exquisite. In this way, Tokahe becomes the most respected and dignified man in the community.
"How did you acquire such beautiful dresses?" the women
asked him.
"What kind of animals produce meat this delicious?" the men
inquired.
Tokahe simply replied that it all came from Earth. Hearing this,
the elders rushed to convene the Council, deciding
that Tokahe was the most suitable candidate for leader. They sent him away with three
escorts to Earth; these three were meant to serve as witnesses,
because to the wise elders, these gifts appeared to be
nothing short of magic.
That very night, the four of them set out. Upon exiting
the underground tunnel, they encountered that same wolf, who
offered to guide them along the way. Eventually, they
reached the cabin of the Two-faced woman.
In the meantime, Iktomi had prepared everything. At his command, the wolves
had driven a wide variety of game into this region.
Tokahe and his companions were stunned when
they saw entire herds of bison roaming freely, followed by
bears descending easily from trees, and even deer
wandering wherever they pleased. Furthermore, the Two-faced
woman's cabin was pristine, crafted from beautifully tanned hides. The Two-faced
woman covered her terrible face with a veil, showing her guests
only her stunningly beautiful visage. She then
warmly invited them inside, where she served them a warm, savory stew
and eventually a plentiful meat feast; there was an abundance
of everything. Iktomi, disguised as a handsome young man, introduced himself
to the guests, claiming that although he and the woman were quite old,
they maintained their youthful appearance thanks to the delicious
meat.
Tokahe and his companions marveled at the sights, one after another,
and when the time came for them to return through the
underground tunnel, the Two-faced woman gifted them meat and
cloaks made of fine leather, before ordering the wolf to escort them back
to the entrance of the tunnel.
Enthralled by what they had seen and tasted, the young men
returned from Earth, unable to find the words to describe the beauty, wealth,
and diversity of that land. Although the wise elders had warned
them not to believe in such enchantments so easily,
the young men proclaimed Tokahe as their leader and begged
him to lead them to Earth; they vowed that if things went poorly,
they would simply return to their original home.
But then, a wise Old man stood up and said:
"That is impossible, my children! Tokahe cannot escort you,
for aside from spirits, no one can ever return twice
from Earth. You must understand, Earth is not always beautiful.
Every year, a freezing wind sweeps through the prairies, and snow
freezes the plants and all of nature during the winter. In summer, however, the bright
Sun scorches everything. The wildlife is free and must be hunted,
which requires time, skill, and hard work, just as hides must be
tanned and cut before they can be fashioned into dresses and
clothing. Here, we have nothing; we eat simply to stay
alive, and we don't wear shimmering cloaks, but in exchange, we
do not know the dangers, the grueling labor, or the diseases."
The words of this wise Old man caused many of the young
people to reconsider. However, six brave souls decided to depart
with their wives and children for Earth, joining
Tokahe. They departed in the early dawn.
Now, the wolf no longer showed them the way, nor were they met with a grand welcome
by Iktomi and the Two-faced woman. When they arrived above, a terrifying
cold struck them; there was no water, and there was no sign of any wildlife.
The children wept from the cold, and the mothers were desperate.
Seeing them so exhausted and terrified, the Two-faced woman...
She rushed from her cabin, desperate to help, but in her haste
she forgot to cover her weathered face; when the people saw her,
they recoiled in terror and scattered in every direction.
Suddenly, the ringing voice of Iktomi echoed across the entire
Earth.
The people lashed out, cursing Tokah for leading them
here, to this desolate, frozen, and barren wasteland.
"Listen, my brothers!" Tokah said to them. "The Earth looks
harsh to us only because we are exhausted and because
we come from lands where there is no winter, no scarcity, and no
hard labor. But look at how vast and bountiful the land is around
us. It all belongs to us; I am certain we will learn to live and work
upon it."
The Old man and Old woman, Guardians of the Earth, were deeply moved
by these brave words, and they immediately went to meet
the people, guiding them to a comfortable location
situated on the edge of the plains and the pine forest. The Old man then
showed the people how to hunt game, while the Old woman taught them how
to tend goats, sew clothing, and build cabins.
In this way, Tokah and his companions became the first people on
Earth, and the warriors of the Dakota Indian nation are their descendants.
John Walker74,
We’ll address topics like this once a new sub-forum is established.
Discussing them here in "Religion" is futile; it's the same story in "Philosophy" and "Science."
On all those boards, people tend to dig themselves into trenches and fire away at anyone who disagrees. In the crossfire of various fanatics, the ones who suffer most are those who don't fit into any specific camp. It's even worse for those who view Right, Far-right, and Zealots as one and the same. At that point, they might as well be facing a firing squad! The religious zealots and the scientific fundamentalists are equally fervent; they are driven by the same impulse, and the reason they ignite is often trivial—just a single straw for the ego to grasp.
Esotericism has always been persecuted; it has been crucified, cast from cliffs, hung, and burned throughout history because humanity, in its primal state, has always lashed out at what it fails to understand. This was true ten thousand years ago, it was true two millennia ago, it is true today, and it will remain true forever.
People strip the initiates of great mysteries away from esotericism; instead of following their teachings and truly walking their Path, they build cults of personality. Churches, cathedrals, mosques, the clergy, and the unholy entanglement of religion and politics are the logical results of twisting esoteric secrets to suit the blind.
Consequently, instead of Jesus, we get false saints and wealthy institutions; instead of Muhammad, we get madmen inciting crowds through faulty interpretations of the apostles' words... Instead of the temple within the human soul, we have built synagogues, churches, and stone monuments, while Knowledge itself is prostituted so that priestly castes—supposedly the bridge between God and man—can preach falsehoods on one hand while drowning in greed and worldly pleasures on the other.
In short, esotericism has been debased; it is manipulated by anyone with the desire to do so. It is used by preachers to make threats during a Sunday service; it is exploited by self-proclaimed exorcists, astrologers, prophets, occultists, and so-called spiritualists who claim to understand "awakening." It is also claimed by weekend experts on enlightenment and various transcendentalists—people who promise the moon and the stars. They all babble about cosmic love, universal laws, gnosis, self-realization, and sacred verses; but in reality, they are all part of a chain reaction of degenerate insights stemming from the ancient desecration of universal learning. From this nightmare of lies and delusions, we must extract the essence—the core foundation upon which humanity has woven these foolish tales.
What we lack here isn't another sub-forum to split philosophy from science or religion from philosophy; rather, we need a space where all these insights can be unified into a single general natural philosophy, where the data from instruments, the capabilities of reason, and sacred texts are all treated with equal respect...
Matthew Lopez11:
Nature Spirits... what kind of beings are they? Are they actually real? If so, how can we communicate with them? Why might they be dangerous or unhappy? Do they exist in the same sense that I do, or the President of the United States, or even my neighbor's dog... or are they merely projections of archetypes stored in our collective unconscious for nearly a hundred thousand years—living on to either assist us or punish us?
Nature Spirits cannot be seen because they exist on a subtle plane, whereas our physical senses can only perceive the coarse material world. Someone might encounter them through their astral body during sleep, but because most people lack an understanding of this nature and its laws, it is clear that humans fail to recognize them amidst the sea of images produced by their own subconscious.
Furthermore, many among them, such as Fire, are intrinsic to our very being. Just as the planet Earth has its own spirits that maintain its balance, a human being possesses Fire elements that tend to the flare of our
ego-soul.
The quality of these Fire elements depends on the state of our soul. However, even the soul of the most noble person in the world does not contain divine Fire. The Fire burning within us is simply a product—a source of light reflecting off matter—and it is only as real as we ourselves are (acting as a reflection of a higher reality).
Therefore, compared to the eternal higher Eons, we are unreal, and thus the Fire within our consciousness is equally ephemeral!
Those little "Lucifers" 😁 are responsible for making things appear solid to us, masking their true essence. Yet, they are the consequence of a Soul that has experienced a fall into the coarse sphere; it is a sort of hellish cycle where all factors are trapped within the nature of death.
But let those Nature Spirits go about their usual business. There is no need to overmystify things that humanity doesn't fully comprehend yet.
If you truly wish to see them, you must appeal to the Moon and Neptune.
The price is trivial... sacrifice a bull during a full Moon and call upon your ancestral spirit. Then the Dwarfs will follow, and after them, Snow White from that old storybook 😁
At that point, you will find yourself regretting your own physical limitations. 😁