心神 ~

Agreed. What we dislike in others, we dislike in ourselves. Through interaction with some of the most hostile, self-righteous individuals, I've usually discovered a good amount of hostility and self-righteousness in myself. My perception of someone else's failing is an opportunity for my growth, and so I will always be grateful to said individuals for that reason. "Apparent enemies become my friends golden links in the chain of my good. There is nothing to oppose my good." Florence Scovel Shinn

Of course, take your time. 😊 And what a relief! So then the only tenuous energy is the wood/metal, yes? I'm sure it depends on many other factors, but can the two elements find harmony? I love the descriptions you added of actual animals. Even more layers of consideration, the puzzle grows and grows! It occured to me while I was completing my pillars that one of them is a wood snake. For some reason I thought I had two metal snakes, but alas. So now I have quite a bit to learn about the wood snake!

Yes, I agree with this observation! Yes, recent posts and interactions have fortified my desire for engagement here. Bazi was my introduction to Daoism, so I return to it consistently. I love to know how things work, how all the pieces of life fit intricately together, and puzzles are often more fun when worked on with others. If you have the time or inclination, I'd love to hear about your pillars, or even just your daymaster!

Beautifully said.

This is a list of my favorite books on the subject. It's not exhaustive, and I've left out great spiritual books written by, for, and about women that aren't explicitly discussing the Goddess or the Divine Feminine. If you're interested, I can share those as well. Blood, Bread, and Roses by Judy Grahn is one here you may be particularly interested in, as it explores the history of menstruation and womb worship. Anahita: A History and Reception of the Iranian Water Goddess by Manya Saadi-nejad The Ancient British Goddess: Her Myths, Legends, Sacred Sites and Present Day Revelation by Kathy Jones Blood, Bread, and Roses: Blood, Bread, and Roses: How Menstruation Created the World by Judy Grahn The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler Changing Woman and her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from Around the World by Katrin Hyman Tchana The Civilization of the Goddess: The World of Old Europe by Marija Gimbutas Clan of the Goddess: Celtic Widom and Ritual for Women by C.C. Brondwin The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe: Goddesses, Sacred Women and the Origins of Western Culture by Sharon Paice MacLeod The Double Goddess: Women Sharing Power by Vicki Noble The Earth Goddess: Celtic and Pagan Legacy of the Landscape by Cheryl Straffon The Essential Handbook of Women's Spirituality and Ritual by Barbara G. Walker Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History by Rosemary Radford Ruether The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth by Monica Sjöö The Great Goddess: Reverence of the Divine Feminine from the Paleolithic to the Present by Jean Markale Goddess of the North by Lynda C. Welch In Search of God the Mother: The Cult of Anatolian Cybeleby by Lynn E. Roller The Language of the Goddess by Marija Gimbutas Levinas, Judaism, and the Feminine: The Silent Footsteps of Rebecca by Claire Elise Katz The Living Goddesses by Marija Gimbutas Longing for Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna by China Galland The Once and Future Goddess by Elinor W. Gadon The Other Side of the River: Stories of Women, Water and the World by Eila Kundrie Carrico Performing Piety: Making Space Sacred with the Virgin of Guadalupe by Elaine A. Pena Power of Raven, Wisdom of Serpent: Celtic Women's Spirituality by Noragh Jones Rebirth of the Goddess: Finding Meaning in Feminist Spirituality by Carol P. Christ The Serpent and the Goddess: The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion, and Power in Celtic Ireland by Mary Condren The Silver Wheel: Women's Myths and Mysteries in the Celtic Tradition by Marguerite Elsbeth Sophia: Aspects of the Divine Feminine Past & Present by Susanne Schaup Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, Bride of God by Caitlín Matthews Suckling at My Mother's Breasts: The Image of a Nursing God in Jewish Mysticism by Ellen Davina Haskell The Water Goddess in Igbo Cosmology: Ogbuide of Oguta Lake by Sabine Jell-Bahlsen The Way of All Women by Mary Esther Harding When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone Wisdom's Feast: Sophia in Study and Celebration by Susan Cole Wise Women of the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Tales of the Ancestral Powers by Katie Langloh Parker The Woman in the Shaman's Body: Reclaiming the Feminine in Religion and Medicine by Barbara Tedlock The Woman Who Married the Bear: The Spirituality of the Ancient Foremothers by Barbara Alice Mann The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects by Barbara G. Walker The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker Women's Mysteries: Ancient & Modern by Mary Esther Harding Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation by Ruth Barrett Women's Rituals: A Sourcebook by Barbara G. Walker

mud hut aesthetics in this fragile, dusty mind; maya, swept aside

Would it have mattered? Is he the sort to take differing perspectives into consideration? Unless there is a benefit to you or someone else, why throw pearls before swine? If she was present, why didn't your sister-in-law's mother come to the defense of said topics, since it was seemingly important to her? Why should she request an expense of your energy, while not expending her own? Why engage in someone's contempt and make yourself an enemy in their eyes? Perhaps it's better to avail yourself of beneficial knowledge and be a reliable source of information when a contemptuous relative falls ill and suddenly finds themselves open to health alternatives. Then you'll be in a position to assist by sharing what you have applied and understood well in your own life, and you will be an ally, not an adversary.

I think you're quite right. If interactions are an exchange of energy, and if a degree of equilibrium is important for social and psychological cohesion, then it's essential to consider what energy is given and what energy is taken. It also helps to know what individual goals and approaches are. Eric Berne wrote a book about transactional games analysis called Games People Play. It's about how and why people structure their time, and focuses on an element called Game Playing, which is unconscious, manipulative social interaction that seeks to fulfill a psychological need. Long story short, everyone is seeking to get their needs met and has different ways of doing so (games). Many games are already relationally damaging, and when people come together and want to play different games, or disagree about game roles and rules, even greater hostility ensues. At the basic level, if I want to play Ain't It Awful (ugh, this weather, am I right?) and you want to play Sunny Side Up (it's supposed to be sunny all next week!)... In this exchange, I want commiseration and you want to not have your good mood ruined. We aren't going to get far in our interaction, because neither of us is meeting the need or providing the interaction that the other is looking for. Here on the Bums, there's a tendency to play Courtroom and Now I've Got You, You Son of a *****. I think it helps to identify the games being played by others, and to know what games one tends to personally play into, in order to opt out without contributing further to discord. It's a lot easier to let go of frustration when you realize almost everyone is operating on an unconscious script designed to meet their needs. It might not be healthy, but it sure is human.

If you're capable of structuring your own learning, you can always work through their curriculum yourself. There's obviously degrees of information you won't receive or have access to, but it can give you a chance to familiarize yourself with everything they teach before you pay them to teach you the "next level" of those subjects, if that's something they're able to do. Maybe halfway through self-study, you realize you're not interested in this path as a means of spiritual development. Or maybe you realize it's everything you want to pursue, and you'll feel more confident in your choice to take the classes. The first four years lead to an exam and the joining of their order, with monthly membership meetings and other trainings, retreats, and projects. That means you'll be joining a community and forming deep bonds, possibly sharing intimate things about yourself and placing yourself in a vulnerable position at the mercy of your teachers and community (and paying a lot of money to do so!). So it's important to consider if you want to join their order, if you trust the leaders, if you want camaraderie and growth with the sorts of people who take the courses and eventually join the order, etc. If you enmesh yourself for the sake of information at the expense of relationships, you may eventually face backlash from those who have formed attachments (be those attachments "negative" or "positive"). You mentioned undergoing therapy. Starting school or a new job is difficult enough, and doing so while in therapy is even more challenging. Add magic mysteries and unknown motives, and the weight of activity could be debilitating. It's important to know what you can handle at each level. I'm of the mindset that you will find what you seek, so as others have pointed out, make sure you know what it is that you're seeking. Colloquially, be careful what you wish for. Year 1 - First Step MT101 - Meditation - Essentials to control one's mind EW101 - Energy Cultivation - Core exercises to raise one's energy levels TE101 - Visualization - Introductory training opening of the Third Eye EW102 - Fireball - Creating and manipulating energy objects Year 2 - Developing Core EW103 - Lower Dantian - Accumulation and storage of raw power EW105 - Self-Regulation - Chakra maintenance work that improves energy flow and well-being OW108 - Astral Travel - Awareness of subtle bodies and OBE training AM101 - Magic - Introduction to the Magic system through Arcana System Year 3 - Awakening OW109 - Dreamworld - Exploration of dream worlds, you'll learn skills of remembering dreams, mapping and navigation TE102 - Magus Hall - Continuation of TE101 that activates the Third Eye MT102 - Ego Shedding - Focus on freeing the mind from impediments, negative constructs, and shackles AM122 - The Fool - A module focused on the first of the Major Arcana Year 4 - Becoming Adept AM121 - The Success - Studying the energy of 21 Arcanum - The World AM119 - The Sun - Studying energy of 19 Arcanum - The Sun AM118 - The Moon - Studying energy of 18 Arcanum - The Moon PM106 - Elemental Magic - Exploring the Magic of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth - Parametrization of object scanning

Rūta Krau (Rūta Kraujutytė) is a Lithuanian artist whose painting series 'Vision' I really enjoy. My favorites are Visions 2, 6, and 5. On her website, she has this to say about her concept and process for the series: Vision No. 1, 2022 Vision No. 2, 2022 Vision No. 3, 2022 Vision No. 4, 2022 Vision No. 5, 2022 Vision No. 6, 2023 Vision No. 7, 2023

I don't have the answer you're looking for. But to add context to this "commandment," Saul of Tarsus (or possibly one of his followers) did write this to the church at Ephesus, and perhaps for some reason the congregation needed to be addressed in the context of martial relationships. But Yeshua's perspective was much broader. In Matthew 22:35-39 (and similarly in passages in Mark and Luke), he says: It seems strange for Saul, if he in fact wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians, to have focused on loving a singular person as yourself and emphasizing marital relations, when "Saul's teacher" spoke of loving all persons as yourself and emphasized communal relations, as did his apostles when they established various communities after Yeshua's death. My point is that from the Christological perspective, a husband or wife should be loved and respected not by virtue of being a spouse, but by virtue of being a creation and a child of God. In Luke 6:27-33, Yeshua is quoted as saying: If one has a spouse, they should absolutely love and respect said spouse, and we cannot love others if we don't have love and respect for ourselves, for we too are children of the Creator. But what spiritual good does it do to "love" a spouse while hating others? Love of a spouse should be an outpouring of "brotherly" love (itself an outpouring of the love of God), not a gift bestowed upon a person who is seen as a singular extension of the self, either in spirit or as "property," and certainly not as a means of providing salvation to the other. There's also a bit preceding the excerpt you included that says: How interesting that Yeshua is never recorded to have said this.

Hymn to Time by Ursula K. Le Guin Time says “Let there be” every moment and instantly there is space and the radiance of each bright galaxy. And eyes beholding radiance. And the gnats’ flickering dance. And the seas’ expanse. And death, and chance. Time makes room for going and coming home and in time’s womb begins all ending. Time is being and being time, it is all one thing, the shining, the seeing, the dark abounding.

The Tablet of the Covenant is based upon the Babylonian epic of Atrahasis (Ziusudra in Sumerian). It is a tale of the early days of earth, when mankind was still young, and the gods were upon the earth. It is the tale of mankind's corruption and the subsequent cleansing of the world by the flood weapon of the gods. It is the story of a man, favored by the gods, who built a great ship to escape the floodwaters that doomed the earth. It is believed by many scholars to be the source of the biblical tale of Noah and his ark. The Tablet of the Covenant ('The Epic of Ziusudra') When the gods instead of man did the work, bore the loads, the gods' load was too great, the work too hard, the trouble too much, the great Anunnaki made the Igigi carry the workload sevenfold. An their father was King, their counselor warrior Enlil, their chamberlain was Ninurta, their canal-controller Enuggi. They took the box of lots, and cast the lots; the Gods made the division. An went up to the sky, and Enlil took the earth for his people. The bolt which bars the sea was assigned to far-sighted Enki. When An had gone up to the sky, and the gods of the Abzu had gone below, the Anunnaki of the sky made the Igigi bear the workload. The Gods had to dig out canals, had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land. The gods dug out the Tigris river bed and then dug out the Euphrates. In the deep they set up the Abzu of the land, and roofed it as the mountains. They were counting the years of loads; for 3600 years they bore the excess, hard work, night and day. They groaned and blamed each other, grumbled over the masses of excavated soil: 'Let us confront our Lord the chamberlain, and get him to relieve us of our hard work! Come, let us carry the Lord, the counselor of gods, the warrior, from his dwelling. Come, let us carry Enlil, the counselor of the gods, the warrior, from his dwelling.' Then Gibil made his voice heard and spoke to the gods his brothers, 'Come! Let us carry the counselor of the gods, the warrior, from his dwelling. Come! Let us carry Enlil, the counselor of the gods, the warrior, from his dwelling. Now, cry battle! Let us mix fight with battle!' The gods listened to his speech, set fire to their tools, put aside their spades for fire, their loads for the fire-god, they flared up. When they reached the gate of the warrior Enlil's dwelling, it was the night, the middle watch, the house was surrounded, the god had not realized. It was night, the middle watch, E-Kur was surrounded, Enlil had not realized. Yet Kalkal, Enlil's gate master was attentive, he had the gate closed, he held the lock and watched the gate. Kalkal roused Nusku. They both listened to the noise of the Igigi, then Nusku roused his master, made him get out of bed: 'My Lord, your house is surrounded, a rabble is running around your door! Enlil, your house is surrounded, the Igigi are running around your door!' Enlil had weapons brought to his dwelling. Enlil made his voice heard and spoke to the vizier Nusku, 'Nusku, bar your door, take up your weapons and stand firm in front of me.' Nusku barred his door, took up his weapons and stood in front of Enlil. Nusku made his voice heard and spoke to the warrior Enlil, 'O my Lord Enlil, your face is sallow as tamarisk! Why do you fear your own sons? Send for An to be brought down to you, have Enki fetched into your presence.' He sent for An to be brought down to him, Enki was fetched into his presence, An King of the Sky was present, Enki King of the Abzu attended. The Great Anunnaki were all present. Enlil got up and the case was put. Enlil made his voice heard and spoke to the Great Gods, 'Is it against me that they have risen? Shall I do battle with them? What did I see with my own eyes? A rabble was running around my door!' An made his voice heard and spoke to the warrior Enlil, 'Let Nusku go out and find out the word of the Igigi who have surrounded your door.' Enlil made his voice heard and spoke to the vizier Nusku, 'Nusku, open your door, take up your weapons and stand before me! In the assembly of all the gods, Bow, then stand and tell them, "Your Father An, your counselor warrior Enlil, your chamberlain Ninurta, and your canal-controller Enuggi have sent me to say, who is in charge of this rabble? Who is in charge of this fighting? Who declared war? Who ran to the door of Enlil?"' Nusku opened his door, took up his weapons, went before Enlil. In the assembly of all the gods he bowed, then stood and delivered Enlil's message. Then Gibil, leader of the Igigi revolt, made his voice heard and spoke to Nusku, 'Every single one of us gods declared war! We have put a stop to the digging. The load is too excessive, it is killing us! Our work is too hard, the trouble too much! So every single one of us gods has agreed to complain to Enlil.' Nusku took his weapons, went and returned to Enlil. There Nusku delivered the answer of the Igigi. Enlil listened to his speech. His tears flowed. Enlil spoke guardedly, addressed the Sky King An, 'Noble One, take a decree with you to the sky, show your strength while the Anunnaki are sitting before you, call up one rebellious god and let them cast him for destruction!' An made his voice heard and spoke to the gods his sons, 'What are we complaining of? Their work was indeed too hard, their trouble was too much. Every day the Earth resounded with their groans and cries. The warning signal was loud enough, we kept hearing the noise, but we ignored them! They have every right to revolt and complain to the house of Enlil!' Enlil was enraged with his father's answer. Then far-sighted Enki stepped in and offered a wise solution to the trouble. Enki made his voice heard and spoke to the gods his brothers, 'Why are we blaming them? Their work was too hard, their trouble was too much. Every day the Earth resounded with their groans and cries. The warning signal was loud enough, we kept hearing the noise, but we ignored them! There is an answer to this problem. Noble An, call forth Belet-ili the Womb-goddess into your presence. When Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present - Let her create offspring, let her create a mortal man so that he may bear the yoke, the work of Enlil, let man bear the load of the gods!' They called up the goddess, asked the midwife of the gods, wise Mami, 'You are the womb-goddess to be the creator of mankind! Create a mortal, that he may bear the yoke! Let him bear the yoke, the work of Enlil! Let man bear the load of the gods!' Nintu made her voice heard and spoke to the great gods, 'It is not proper for me to make him. That work is Enki's. It is not proper that I should make a mortal slave. I shall create a co-worker, a co-creator, but I will not make a slave! This is the work of Enki; he must make everything pure! If Enki gives me the clay, then I will do it.' Enki made his voice heard and spoke to the great gods, 'Wise Mami, mother of the gods your sons, your wisdom is noted and shall be made to pass. On the first, seventh and fifteenth of the month I shall make a purification by washing. Then one Anunnaki God should be chosen for sacrifice, and the gods can be purified by immersion. Nintu shall mix clay with his flesh and blood. Then a god and a man will be mixed together in clay. Let us hear the drumbeat of his heart forever after, let a ghost come into existence from the gods' flesh, let her proclaim it as his living sign, and let the ghost exist so as not to forget the slain god.' They all answered, 'Yes!' in the assembly, the great Anunnaki who assign the fates. On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the month Enki made a purification by washing. Geshtu-e, a pure young god who had intelligence, they slaughtered in their assembly. Nintu mixed clay with his flesh and blood. They heard the drumbeat forever after. A ghost came into existence from the gods' flesh, and Nintu proclaimed it as his living sign. The ghost existed so none would forget the slain god. After she had mixed that clay, she called up the Anunnaki, the great gods. The Igigi, the great gods, spat spittle upon the clay. Mami made her voice heard and spoke to the great gods, 'I have carried out perfectly the work that you ordered of me. You have sacrificed a god together with his intelligence. I have relieved you of your hard work, I have imposed your load upon man, but only as a co-worker, not a slave. You would have bestowed noise and woe upon mankind, but I have undone the fetter and granted freedom!' They listened to this speech of hers, and were freed from anxiety, they fell down and kissed her feet: 'We used to call you Mami but now your name shall be Mistress of All Gods.' Far-sighted Enki and wise Mami went into the Room of Fate. The womb-goddesses were assembled. Enki trod the clay in her presence; Mami kept reciting the incantation, for Enki, staying in her presence, made her recite it. When she had finished her incantation, she pinched off fourteen pieces of clay, and set seven pieces on the right, seven on the left. Between them she put down a mud brick, she made use of a reed, split it open so that it was sharp, to cut the umbilical cords, she called up the wise and knowledgeable womb- goddesses, seven and seven. Seven created males, seven created females, for the womb-goddess is the creator of fate. Enki paired them two by two, he paired them two by two in her presence. Mami made these rules for people: 'In the house of a woman who is giving birth the mud brick shall be put down for seven days. Belet-ili, wise Mami shall be honored. The midwife shall rejoice in the house of the woman who gives birth and when the woman gives birth to the baby, the mother of the baby shall sever the cord herself. A man shall cleave unto a woman, a boy to a girl. A girl shall be ready by the sign of her bosoms, a young man, by the beard upon his cheek. In the gardens and the waysides they shall cleave unto each other, a wife and her husband shall choose each other.' The womb-goddesses were assembled and Nintu was present. They counted the months, called up the ninth month as the term of fates. When the ninth month came, she slipped in her staff and opened the womb. Her face was glad and joyful. She covered her head, performed the midwifery, put on her belt, said a blessing. She made a drawing in flour and put down a mud brick in the center of it: 'I myself have created it, my hands have made it. The midwife shall rejoice in the house of the priestess. Wherever a woman gives birth and the baby's mother severs herself, the mud brick shall be put down for nine days. Nintu the womb-goddess shall be honored. She shall call the womb-goddess "Mami". She shall honor the womb-goddess, shall lay down the linen cloth, and when the bed is laid out in their house, a wife and her husband shall choose each other. Inanna shall rejoice in the wife-husband relationship, in the father-in-law's house, celebration shall last for nine days, and they shall call Inanna "Ishtar" On the fifteenth day, the fixed time of fate, she shall call upon the womb-goddess and Inanna for blessings upon the child.' Enlil was very pleased with the work of far-sighted Enki and wise Mami. The new mortals grew quickly and soon they took hold of tools, made new picks and spades, made big the canals so as to feed the people and sustain the gods. 60 times 3600 years had passed, and the country became too wide, the people too numerous. In those days the Anunnaki sent the Watchers to the Earth, they took for themselves wives of the daughters of man, and begat children of great stature and renown. The holy sons and daughters of the Anunnaki Watchers became the leaders of the Land. In those later days, the country was as noisy as a bellowing bull. The God grew restless at their racket, Enlil had to listen to their noise. Enlil organized his assembly, he addressed the great gods, 'The noise of mankind has become too much, I am losing sleep over their racket. Give the order that the suruppu-disease shall break out, let Namtar put an end to their noise straight away! Let sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku, blow in to them like a storm!' The gods gave the order, and suruppu-disease was unleashed upon the people of the land. Namtar put an end to their noise straightaway. Sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku, blew into them like a storm. Now in those days, in the city of Shuruppak, there was one Ziusudra, a son of the Anunnaki, a leader of the people, whose ear was open to his god Enki. He would speak with his god and his god would speak with him. Ziusudra made his voice heard and spoke to his Lord, 'How long will the gods make us suffer? Will they make us suffer illness forever? Oh Lord, the people are grumbling! Sickness from the gods is consuming the country! Since you created us, you ought to cast off this unholy sickness.' Enki listened to his speech then made his voice heard, speaking to his servant Ziusudra, 'Call the elders, the senior men! Start an uprising in your own house, let heralds proclaim, let them make a loud noise in the land: Do not revere your gods, do not pray to your goddesses, but search out the door of Namtar. Bring a baked loaf into his presence. Make the flour offering reach him, may he be shamed by the presents and wipe away his punishing "hand."' Ziusudra took the order, gathered the elders of the city to his door. Ziusudra made his voice heard and spoke to the gathered elders, telling them all that Enki had told him. The elders listened to his speech; they built a temple for Namtar in the city. The Heralds proclaimed, they made a loud noise in the land. They did not revere their gods, they did not pray to their goddesses, but searched out the door of Namtar, brought a baked loaf into his presence. They made the flour offerings reach him, and he was shamed by the presents. Namtar wiped away his punishing 'hand'. The suruppu-disease left them, and sickness left the land. The gods went back to their regular offerings. In time the land became noisy again. Enlil once again organized his assembly, and addressed the gods his sons, 'You are not to inflict disease on them again, even though the people have not diminished - they are more than ever before! I have become restless at their noise, sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket! Cut off the food from the people, let vegetation be too scant for their stomachs! Let Ishkur on high make his rain scarce, let him block the below, and not raise flood- water from the springs! Let the field decrease its yield, Let Nissaba turn away her breast, let the dark fields become white, let the broad countryside breed alkali, let the earth clamp down her womb so that no vegetation sprouts, no grain grows. Let asakku be inflicted on the people, let the womb be too tight to let a baby out!' The Anunnaki listened to the decree of Enlil, they cut off food for the people and did all that was ordered of them. That first year the land produced no vegetation, the land produced no grain. The people sought in vain for food. When the second year arrived, they had depleted the city storehouses. When the third year arrived, the people's looks were changed by starvation. When the fourth year arrived, their upstanding bearing bowed, their well-set shoulders slouched, people went out in public hunched over with the pain of starvation. When the fifth year arrived, daughters would suspiciously eye their mothers. Mothers would not open their doors for their daughters. Daughters would watch the scales at the sale of their mothers into slavery. Mothers would watch the scales at the sale of their daughters. When the sixth year arrived, they served up daughters for their meals, they served up sons for food. When only a few households were left, their faces covered with scabs like malt, people stayed alive by taking the life of others. Now in those days, Ziusudra again approached Lord Enki, Ziusudra made his voice heard and spoke to his Lord, 'O Lord Enki, how long must the people suffer at the hands of the gods? How long will the Anunnaki punish the children of men and the children of gods? Why are we made to starve? Why has Ishkur ceased his rain, why has he ceased his fertile flood? The people are eating one another, none are safe. Happiness is no longer in the land.' Enki listened to his speech, and as before, Enki ordered Ziusudra to do just as he had done when Namtar sent sickness to the land. Ziusudra followed his orders, called the elders to his house, and gave them the orders of Enki. The people built a temple for Ishkur in the city, made offerings to him, and Ishkur was shamed by the presents. Ishkur withdrew his 'hand' from the land. He made mist form in the morning, and in the night he stole out and made dew drop, he opened his clouds and released the rains. He delivered to the field a harvest of its' produce nine fold. The drought left the land and the gods went back to their regular offerings. Now Enlil was furious with the Igigi, he convened the assembly and made his voice heard, speaking to the gods his sons, 'We, the great Anunna, all of us, agreed together on a plan. An and Ishkur were to guard above, I was to guard the earth below, where Enki went, he was to undo the chain and set us free, he was to release the produce for the people, he was to exercise control by holding the balance. But Enki has instead bestowed upon mankind, the secrets of our heavens, he is the one who has caused knowledge to increase, he has corrupted mankind. Enki is to blame for our woes.' Enlil made his voice heard and spoke to his vizier Nusku, 'Have Enki fetched for me! Have him brought into my presence straight away!' Enki was fetched for him. He was made to wait before the assembly. The gods grew anxious as he sat. In the gods' assembly worry gnawed at Enki, he grew anxious as he sat. They were furious with each other, Enki and Enlil. Finally the warrior Enlil addressed Enki, 'We, the great Anunna, all of us, agreed together on a plan. An and Ishkur were to guard above, I was to guard the earth below. Where you went, you were to undo the chain and set us free! You were sent to release produce for the people! You were to exercise control by holding the balance. But instead, you have given wisdom to the people, you gave them forbidden knowledge. Your creations have despoiled the earth. You agreed to a different plan, you betrayed the gods by teaching man to shame the gods, you caused that Ishkur should release his rains, that Namtar should stay the sickness, against the holy will of the gods. Therefore, since you imposed your loads upon man, you bestowed noise on mankind, you slaughtered a god together with his intelligence, you must now use your power to create a flood. As your punishment, it is indeed your power that shall be used against your people! You agreed to the wrong plan! I will have it reversed! Let us make far-sighted Enki swear an oath to this end, that his power shall inundate the earth and wipe away all life.' Enki made his voice heard and spoke to his brother gods, 'Why should you make me swear an oath? Why should I use my power against my people? The flood that you mention to me - What is it? I do not even know! Could I give birth to a flood? That is Enlil's kind of work! Let him choose destruction, let Enlil choose his champions. Let his envoys march ahead, let them pull loose the mooring poles, let Ninurta march, let him make the weirs overflow.' The assembly listened to his speech, but they did not listen to his plea. The gods gave a specific command. Enki was forced to swear the oath, and Enlil performed a bad deed to the people. Now Ziusudra sought his master day and night, but could find him nowhere. He spoke to him, but he would not answer, for Enki was sworn to silence. Instead, Enki came to Ziusudra in a dream and instructed him to go to the temple, put his ear to the wall and listen for his god.

This one as well:

Yes, I completely agree. I turn to my Mother in Heaven (and Father) for all things – all worries, all thanks. They are the (my, though I do believe our) source.

My favorite affirmations courtesy of Florence Scovel Shinn: There are no obstacles in divine mind, and there is nothing to obstruct my good. Endless good now comes to me in endless ways. I am in perfect harmony with the working of the law. I stand aside and let infinite intelligence make my way easy and successful. I do not limit God by seeing limitation in myself. With God and myself, all things are possible. Nourished by the spirit within, my body is tireless, timeless, birthless, and deathless. I am harmonious, happy, radiant. I am at peace with myself and the whole world. I love everyone and everyone loves me. I forgive everyone and everyone forgives me. Apparent enemies become my friends, golden links in the chain of my good. There is nothing to oppose my good. In loving the law of non-resistance, I have great peace and nothing can offend me. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of abundance forever. God's plan for me is perfect and permanent. I am fully equipped for the divine plan of my life. I let go of everything not divinely designed for me, and the perfect plan of my life now comes to pass. Everything that is by divine right mine, I receive in the perfect way at the perfect time. I always know what to do and quickly follow my intuitive leads. I wait patiently, trusting in the Lord, who forever gives me the desires of my heart. I prepare for the fulfillment of my heart's desire, and show that I believe God's promise will be kept. I spend money under divine inspiration wisely and fearlessly, knowing God is my endless and immediate source. There is no loss in divine mind. Every apparent loss will be restored to me, or I will receive its equivalent. There is no debt in divine mind, therefore, no one owes me anything and I owe no one anything. All obligations are wiped out under grace in a miraculous way. I do not resist any situation. I put it in the hands of infinite love and wisdom. The divine idea now comes to pass. There is nothing to fear, for there is no power to harm. God cannot fail, so I cannot fail. Nothing can defeat God, so nothing can defeat me. I cast every burden on Christ within and I go free. As I have asked, I must receive. Amen.

But is that the language Jesus spoke and through which he shared his message, or written words later attributed to him by an author who spoke a different language? Saying Jesus used the Greek word for Gods is a bit like saying Lao Tzu used the English word for Way, because someone later translated his words into English.

I was under the impression that Jesus spoke primarily in Hebrew and Aramaic.

Not everyone likes to converse via debate, and the users who aren't interested in that style of communication are making that clear when addressed. Personally, I approach conversations here like interviews instead of debates. I'm interested in understanding what a person believes and how they came to believe it, not proving a person to be incorrect. Debating the belief itself gets in the way of the information I'm looking to receive, and is therefore unproductive for my personal goals. Other users here have different perspectives and approaches, and are not wrong for seeking debate. But just as there are guidelines for debate, there are also conversational guidelines for learning instead of teaching, and those who prefer that approach are not wrong for seeking to develop an environment that allows for such.

Interesting thoughts, thank you.

Thank you. I'm unclear on what this means. Can you elaborate? ————— In your estimation, how does this relate to the creation stories of the Annunaki? That we are a genetically engineered slave race, saved only by the divine spark placed into us by our creator mother, Mami? Do you believe Yeshua is Enki (Ea – Yah?), Lord of the Sweet Waters, Knowledge, Crafts, and Creation? (Yeshua – water, fish, age of Aquarius, carpenter, life bearer) What does it mean to come to Christ? Most would say it is to recognize that he is God, but he declares himself to be the Son of God and when he speaks from the perspective of God, it is in the tradition of the prophets. Thoughts?

I would be grateful for the direct quote and citation.