The Faith of Phin

Sideblog for graycloak, focusing on various bits of Faith, Theology, and Relgious tap-dancing - Sometimes intersecting esoteric occultism

[filmnoirsbian]

There is literally no demographic more interesting than queer religious people. Even if you never had much of a crisis in faith (like me), we are still forced to reconcile what we believe in with our own existence in a way that straight religious people, and nonreligious queer people, will never fully experience. I once spoke to a lesbian minister of a queer-centric nondenominational church who said “the god you believe in is always a reflection of self, which is why queer people see god as so much more loving and forgiving than other people do. Our god is a form of self-love and acceptance” and i will never forget that.

[thefaithofphin]

♥ ♥ ♥

[mymodernmet]

Artist Spends 3 Years Hand-Painting the Quran in Gold on 164 Feet of Black Silk

[snorlaxnaps]

The beauty of the written word is once again heralded in an incredible project by 33-year-old artist Tünzale Memmedzade. The Azerbaijani painter spent three years painstakingly transcribing the Quran onto sheets of transparent black silk. The result is a beautifully crafted religious text that demonstrates both devotion and patience.

[lunefrog]

talked to a friend (whos also disabled) about religion a while ago and he said that he believes religion shouldnt be "comfortable" completely, that an integral part of it is that it pushes us to do things we wouldnt do otherwise, that we have to make and follow rules and rituals, to make a commitment. if religion was easy it wouldnt be religion. and i think about that when i struggle with my disabilities getting in the way of my practice. religion isnt to make u feel good its abt responsibility

EXACTLY. thank you so much for your contribution 

[catholickate]

I am a Catholic Witch and ever since I started practicing witchcraft I've felt closer to God than ever before. All my spells I do in His name, asking that if it's His will he grant me the power to perform the spell. I've prayed more and learned more about my my religion through this. I don't worship false gods and i follow what's been laid out in the 10 Commandments. So with all of that said, why is my being a witch bad?

The short answer is that being a witch is bad because it is still a sin. However, I feel like that is not a sufficient answer.

First, I do want to say that it is wonderful you have grown closer to God. I want to state this first because it is such an important thing and I want to recognize it. However, there are still some problems with your argument.

The biggest one is that you are oversimplifying what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian, we must above all have a personal relationship with Jesus. It seems like you are actively working on this which is such a beautiful thing. We must strive to be like Christ. Yes, the 10 Commandments help guide us, but there is so much more in Scripture. Scripture makes it clear that there is no room for witchcraft in a Christian’s life. You say that you have learned more about religion through this, but you either have not come across the teachings from both Scripture and Church authority or you are choosing to ignore them.

Without knowing what spells you do, I can’t say the following conclusively (and please correct me if I am wrong): even if you are trying to put God first, you are still placing power in things that should not have power. If you think that you need candles or crystals or herbs to have a better relationship with God, you are undervaluing the power of God Himself. All you need for prayer is a deep desire and open heart. If you think that you need those objects to connect to Him, that is a lie being told to you by Satan. Yes, there are sacramentals that aid in prayer, but we as Catholics do not believe that these objects in themselves have powers. For example, I use a rosary to pray. I do not think my prayer has more power because I’m praying nor do I believe that I am protected because I carry a rosary with me. Instead, I recognize that this object gives me the ability to be more focused on prayer. I know that probably sounds confusing, and I would be happy to clarify.

I also want to point out that an experience that ultimately leads you to God does not validate the experience itself. There are so many people who turn to God while they are completely influenced by sin. They still need to overcome that sin to grow closer to Him. 

God is not helping you with your spells because magic and witchcraft are contrary to His will. Practicing witchcraft opens you up for attack by evil spirits. This is not something to take lightly.

Again, I am so grateful that you are seeking to know God and your religion, but you are getting there through dangerous territory. Please continue to ask questions and find ways to grow closer to Him.

I am praying for you, anon.

[christian-carovnica-deactivated]

Anon, this is a falsely inspired answer, and this person does not have the tools or the means to say that witchcraft is contrary to God’s will because by saying this, they assume they know God’s plan, and they show clear lack of understanding of what magic actually is. As a Catholic, they are ignoring the very common practice of lighting a candle in prayer, and neglecting that spellwork as a Christian/Catholic witch is, very simply, just advanced prayer and incorporating God’s creation to help US focus our prayers the way rosary helps them. The fact that they say objects of God’s own creation has no power is another lie. It is not told to you by Satan. It’s pretty damn obvious that God creates things and these things have their own energy and influence, such as the medicinal properties of an herb or the energy a crystal exudes. And to say a rosary has no power when it actively wards off evil that can’t approach holy objects is plain silly. I wear my rosaries for protection when charging off to banish a spirit in God’s name because evil cannot come near a holy object of that caliber and it is an object that literally has Christ hanging on it, making it pretty damaging to those who can’t stand His image. In my spiritual weapons I often incorporate holy water as an extra sting to negativity and evil forces.

Yes, all we need is faith in God, but let’s not forget that God made all the things in this world as tools for us to use. This rhetoric that this person is following reminds me of those Christians who refuse to get their child treatment because “all they need is faith in God”. Sure, faith in God, but what if that faith has already been rewarded via the science and technology of our medicine that these people are so conveniently ignoring?

They are ignoring countless spiritual traditions in Catholicism that are heavily rooted in folk practice like herbal healing and meditation, and they are ignoring countless misinterpretations and intentional mistranslations of Scripture that have brought us to this confusion. They are acting as though there’s only one right way to follow God or that they have any right to say what is good and what isn’t, when really, if God brings you to this path, no one else has the right to say squat. If magic has brought you closer to God, you need to justify it to no one and NO ONE has the right to tell you that you are wrong. I invite you to come talk to other Catholic witches, like @rikkalorelei, instead of those that willfully misunderstand your path in favor of their own.

And @catholickate, I ask that you keep this out of our tag unless you’re willing to explore the Christian witch tag and take the time to learn our perspective and our practice instead of immediately assuming that it must be wrong. We would not do it if we thought it directly went against God, and there are many of us with more than a few resources on the matter, there is plenty Scripture and historical context and tradition to support what we do (which is honestly not far off from what some Saints have done or what many “cunningfolk” have done.) Watch out that you don’t get spooked by the word “witch”.

[phoenyxoftheashes]

@faithandmagick: you’re awesome

[christian-carovnica-deactivated]

<3 <3 <3 i do my best mang

[eclecticenchantress]

Rebloging cause I support Christian/Catholic witches.

[the-neurographic-wizard]

THANK YOU! As a Messianic Druid, I find it rather annoying when even my own family does this! Like, I grew up knowing “If God is for us, who can be against us?” So I completely agree that God led each of us to a majikal path, and NO ONE has the right to say squat diddley doo against it!! As for these scriptures of support, allow me: Holistic Healing & knowledge of herbs (Isaiah 1:6, James 5:14, Luke 10:34, Ezekiel 47:12, 1 Timothy 5:23, Jeremiah 8:22) Christ’s command to perform Majik/Miracles (John 14:12) Use of Crystals (the Levetical high priest wore a breast plate of the following crystals: carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, turquoise, lapis lazuli, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, topaz, onyx and jasper) All this nonsense about the Bible being so called “against the pagan practices of the Occult” are nothing more than King James’s own words, NOT God’s! King James was terrified of the natural power women hold with being directly linked with the moon, and so demonized them all as Witches. God never truly uttered a word against us Majik users. In fact, Christ Himself made several references to mankind’s natural divinity & performed Majik Himself! Hell, he even commanded (yes, COMMANDED, look it up!) “Same as me & greater things you will do” (John 14:12). He was referring to the Majik of the Prophets! Moses could command a river to part, people to halt, foretell the future, and even command storms! David could halt a Giant with just a single pebble simply because he willed it so. King Solomon could command evil spirits with just his Seal on a ring. Were these people the “Son of God?” No, they were ordinary people with extraordinary gifts, who did the same things we do & are capable of! We have soooooo much power within us given to us by God Almighty. So, @catholickate, why do you insist on suppressing us when you are guaranteed this same power? No one here is corrupting a damn thing. Now chill >_>

[thefaithofphin]

This is a very important conversation, and it is another example of why it’s so important to reference both the original language of the scriptures as well as the historical/cultural context in which they were written.

[thefaithofphin]

Novena for the Departed

I put this together with my Grandmother in mind, but thought it could be utilized by others who might have need.

(Compiled using information from [Prayers, Novenas & Hymns] and [Bereavement Novena Prayer])

Preparation:

Soak cypress wood and rue in olive oil. Let this oil sit for at least a month. Use this oil to anoint the candles used for the Novena. Suggestion: If you use votive candles, anoint each candle you have left each night and sprinkle with a bit of powdered cypress & rue - by the ninth night, the votive you use will have been anointed each night of the Novena.

Day 1

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff – they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 23

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 2

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and to release the prisoners. To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:1-2

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 3

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

As He approached the gate of the town, a man who died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow, and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to His Mother. Luke 7:12-15

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 4

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

When Jesus saw (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was greatly disturbed in Spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord come and see.” Jesus began to weep… and Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank You for having heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said this He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. John 11:33-35,41-44

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 5

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

It was now about noon, and the darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father into Your hands I commend My Spirit”. Having said this He breathed His last.When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all His acquaintances, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Luke 23:44-49

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 6

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's House there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 7

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we’ll be changed. When this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death is your victory? where, O death is your sting?” Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 54-55, 57

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 8

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord Himself with a cry of command, with the Archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from Heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 9

Opening: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Main:

Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth; for the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Closing: Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day of Birth / Death

O God, whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, we humbly beseech Thee for the soul of thy servant (N.), which Thou hast, on the anniversary of this day, called out of the world, that Thou wouldst not deliver it up into the hands of the enemy, nor forget it unto the end; but command it to be received by Thy holy angels, and to be carried to paradise, its true country; that as in Thee it had faith and hope, it may not suffer the pains of hell, but may take possession of everlasting joys: through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

[faeson]

Christianity, Witchcraft, and Evolution

so my family has been Christian for as long as I can remember, but I only recently learned that my dad believes in evolution as well.

he said he believes in God and that God created the universe, but instead of it all happening in one big magic show of spontaneous, majestic creation, he created the Big Bang. and of course the Big Bang was an inconceivable amount of time ago to us mere mortals. what seems like forever for us could very well have been 7 days in the eyes of God, and after those “7 days” he decided it was good enough to bring humans into the mix, thus Adam and Eve.

now I believe magick is energy in the universe. it’s everywhere, it’s like atoms, it makes up everything. certain things (moon, sun, living things) give off more energy than others (average man-made items, but that isn’t to say a man made item couldn’t be charged and give off larger amounts of energy). certain things/people manipulate that energy better than others. some people of course don’t believe in magick, therefor they obviously don’t have as much control over energy as a skilled practicer of witchcraft (or crafts that’re similar I guess). God for example controls big ass amounts of energy. I mean obviously. the creation of a universe is a pretty big deal.

now finally on to what my dad and I think abt the Bible; it’s true, but should be taken with a grain of salt, and the understanding that times change. this thing was written thousands of years ago. I’m not gonna go beat a child bc they disobeyed their parents, I’m not gonna go out and stone myself for being gay. that’s not gonna happen. because times change. and about all those insane stories, ya know, Moses, the Ark etc.; probably either really fucking exaggerated or I guess you could always just say they were acts of God. to each their own

basically I believe they all coexist rather perfectly.

if I think of anything I forgot to add, I reserve the right to go back and change some shit. also, feel free to ask and/or argue with me abt my views, you may very well change them

[thefaithofphin]

As a Christian and practitioner of magick, I totally feel your vibe, @miscellaneouswitchery :)  The Adventist side of me would undoubtedly love to debate the finer theological points, but at the macro level I completely agree with you, and love that you’re out here talking about it :D *high five*

[thefaithofphin]

Odes of Solomon

Ode 1

1 The Lord is on my head like a crown, and I shall not be without Him. 2 They wove for me a crown of truth, and it caused thy branches to bud in me. 3 For it is not like a withered crown which buddeth not: but thou livest upon my head, and thou hast blossomed upon my head. 4 Thy fruits are full-grown and perfect, they are full of thy salvation.

From [The Forgotten Books of Eden], edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926).

[thefaithofphin]

Daily Prayer of the Magus

The following daily prayer comes from Francis Barrett’s introduction to Book 1 of The Magus - his 19th-century grimoire on Alchemy, Astrology, and the Qabalah.

To the faithful and discreet Student of Wisdom

Greeting:

TAKE our instructions; in all things ask counsel of God, and he will give it; offer up the following prayer daily for the illumination of thy understanding: depend for all things on God, the first cause; with whom, by whom, and in whom, are all things: see thy first care be to know thyself; and then in humility direct thy prayer as follows.

A Prayer or Oration to God

ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, we thy servants approach with fear and trembling before thee, and in all humility do most heartily beseech thee to pardon our manifold and blind transgressions, by us committed at any time; and grant, O, most merciful Father, for his sake who died upon the cross, that our minds may be enlightened with the divine radiance of thy holy wisdom; for seeing, O, Lord of might, power, majesty, and dominion, that, by reason of our gross and material bodies, we are scarce apt to receive those spiritual instructions that we so earnestly and heartily desire. Open, O, blessed Spirit, the spiritual eye of our soul, that we may be released from this darkness overspreading us by the delusions of the outward senses, and may perceive and understand those things which are spiritual. We pray thee, oh, Lord, above all to strengthen our souls and bodies against our spiritual enemies, by the blood and righteousness of our blessed Redeemer, thy Son, Jesus Christ; and through him, and in his name, we beseech thee to illuminate the faculties of our souls, so that we may clearly and comprehensively hear with our ears, and understand with our hearts; and remove far from us all hypocrisy, deceitful dealing, profaneness, inconstancy, and levity; so that we may, in word and act, become thy faithful servants, and stand firm and unshaken against all the attacks of our bodily enemies, and likewise be proof against all illusions of evil spirits, with whom we desire no communication or interest; but that we may be instructed in the knowledge of things, natural and celestial: and as it pleased thee to bestow on Solomon all wisdom, both human and divine; in the desire of which knowledge he did so please thy divine majesty, that in a dream, of one night, thou didst inspire him with all wisdom and knowledge, which he did wisely prefer before the riches of this life; so may our desire and prayer be graciously accepted by thee; so that, by a firm dependence on thy word, we may not be led away by the vain and ridiculous pursuits of worldly pleasures and delights, they not being durable, nor of any account to our immortal happiness. Grant us, Lord, power and strength of intellect to carry on this work, for the honour and glory of thy holy name, and to the comfort of our neighbour; and without design of hurt or detriment to any, we may proceed in our labours, through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer: Amen.

You can read the above, in context, [here].

[christian-carovnica-deactivated]

How do you interpret Matthew 5:17? I've always understood it as Jesus saying to keep the old laws, including the prophets since it's through them the prophesies of the Christ are foretold. However it sounds like you do away with the old laws except the standard 10 laws. Is there a source that you know that interprets this verse differently than me? It seems to follow in line with you keeping the standard 10 since my interpretation would keep them as well.

Jesus has come to fulfill.

Fulfill and abolish mean two different things.

Jesus did not cast all the laws away as they were without satisfying the reason they were there in the first place. He, and His blood, paid for them in full and rendered them unnecessary for any that followed Him. Each of those laws were meant to prepare people for His coming. What use is there for them, once He’s already came and died and came again?

Some translations write “I did not come to abolish the law of Moses and the prophets, but to accomplish their purpose”.

Jesus is the purpose of these laws. To follow the laws set to prepare you for God’s Son while following His Son makes absolutely no sense. (I’m seeing a lot of sources condemning Christianity in general, or suggesting that LITERALLY ALL OF EVERYTHING IS TO FOREVER BE HELD despite the fact that it was not a law for gentiles. If we have Christ sustaining that faith alone is enough in Ephesians, but people use Matthew 5:17 to say otherwise, what is the truth?)

Jesus was Jewish and people forget this. He fulfilled the Law, of course, it was His Law as well as any other Jewish man’s Law. But all those after Him have no need for it.

Here’s a Catholic source.

[thefaithofphin]

And when there was something that His fulfilment-of meant the end of whatever that was, there was a very clear and unmistakable sign to that effect. Like, the ripping of the veil, for example. Blood sacrifices, as the allegory for the Christ, were no longer necessary because that which they typified had just fulfilled the actual sacrifice. 

“And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” - Matthew 27:51

[thefaithofphin]

Christus Mansionem Benedicat

Using my [sigil and warding chalk] today to perform this ritual for Epiphany.

Father in heaven, hear my call and make manifest your spirit.. Let your radiant glory fill every corner, driving back all shadow. Let your divine presence saturate this place, protecting all who dwell here.

** Mark the doorframe with the inscription: 20+C+B+M+16 **

“bless this home and all who live here with your gracious presence, that your love may be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction” [x]

** Wash the threshold with Holy Water or Warding Water **

May all who come and go here find peace, comfort, and joy.   Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ bless this house).

(image generated [here])

[graycloak-deactivated20150717]

Cascarilla Sigil & Warding Chalk

Powdered eggshells, or Cascarilla (pronounced: kas-kah-ree-ya), is already a good base for protection, and the establishment of warding lines to keep out negative and ethereal energies. Since I’m rather fond of sigils and protection/banishment warding, I thought I would take a stab at beefing up some instructions I found, on how to make cascarilla chalk.

For steps to make cascarilla powder, check out [my other post].

The herbs I use here deal with both Protection and Banishment/Exorcism; I selected them to synergistically augment the existing properties of the cascarilla base. The resulting chalk can be used to draw containment/protection circles, wards, sigils, and even basic threshold lines, to keep out (or keep contained) negative and ethereal energies.

Please note: I use bloodroot in this chalk; take care if you are grinding it yourself, as bloodroot is toxic and you don’t want to inhale a lot of powdered bloodroot.

What you will need:

Paper Towels

Mortar & Pestle

Mixing Bowl

1 Tbsp. Cascarilla

1 tsp. Flower

1 tsp. Ground Bloodroot

1 Tbsp. Boiling-hot Water

A pinch of the following herbs    Mistletoe    Horehound    Mallow Root

Optional Modifications:

Replace the normal water with Holy Water or Moon Water

During step #3, add 3 drops of Oil of Abramelin to the paste, and mix it in thoroughly (or your favorite Holy/Protection/Banishing Oil)

What you will do:

Grind the other herbs together with the bloodroot to form a semi-fine powder (the bloodroot will make your powder a rusty-red)

Set half of the herb-powder to the side for later

Mix the flower, water, cascarilla, and the other half of the herbs together to form a thick paste (if it’s too dry, slowly work in a few drops of water at a time. If it’s too wet, slowly work in equal pinches of flower and cascarilla at a time.)

Shape the paste into sticks (how many you end up with will depend how you form each stick - one large chunky piece of chalk, or two to three smaller and thinner pieces of chalk)

Lay out one paper towel for each stick you’ve formed

Take the herbs you set aside and sprinkle them evenly over the paper towels

Take each piece of chalk and roll it in the herbs, pressing them into the paste

Tightly roll each piece of chalk in its paper towel

Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days

Getting this back on my blog

[thefaithofphin]

I do believe that this would work rather well for an Epiphany’s Chalking the Door ritual, yes? :)

[thefaithofphin]

Tenets of Faith 01: The State of the Dead

I chose this as the first topic in this series because how one views The Dead has many cascading ramifications throughout the rest of their faith structure. I know there won’t be many who share my feelings on this subject, so let me say upfront I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind, I’m not trying to provoke proof-texting, and I’m not trying to imply everyone else is wrong; these are just my personal feelings and beliefs on the subject; I’m not sharing my beliefs in an effort to proselytize to the community, I’m sharing them to help give insight into how my faith impacts the spiritual aspects of my magick.

I believe death is an unconscious state for all people. I believe in the concepts of heaven and hell, in so far as they are the dwelling places of the heavenly host and the fallen, respectively, but I do not believe people go anywhere immediately upon death.

That is not to say I don’t recognize the presence of some people in heaven - we have instances in Scripture where people have been translated into heaven without ever seeing death, and we have the First Resurrection, where the Patriarchs and Prophets were raised from death and taken to heaven when Christ ascended. But these are isolated events outside the norm of mortalism. When you die, you are asleep in the ground until the Resurrection.

This idea, that there is no conscious existence after death until the Resurrection, made some areas of magick difficult for me at first. The practice of tapping into “the spirit world” is quite common in magick. This means different things depending on what you’re doing and in what tradition you’re working, but whether you’re communing with spirits for information or advice, or you’re requesting/commandeering energy from spirits to power a working, there’s usually some kind of element there. There are many methods of divination, and some of them can be directed to, and anchored on, spiritual forces for communication. In addition to other spiritual entities, these forces are also sometimes interpreted by us to be the spirits of the deceased. But, if the dead are asleep, what exactly are spirits?

This was a question that haunted me (heh) for a long time. My initial feelings on the subject of ghosts and spirits was that these entities were all just the Fallen, masquerading as the deceased in an effort to perpetuate The First Lie. What better way to undermine God’s decree of death, and bolster the Serpents decree of “ye shall not surely die,” than by supporting the myth of an immortal soul?

As I became more versed in Magick, however, I began to see a wide array of spirits, most of which were not Fallen, yet were also obviously not wandering souls of the dead - With Elemental Spirits, Planetary Spirits, Cardinal Spirits, and even Free-Agent Spirits (for lack of a better term), I was suddenly aware of a whole new category of entity. Before, there was God, and there were Angels (both Heavenly and Fallen). Now, there are also Spirits - incorporeal intelligent entities having an affinity with, and some power of manipulation over, specific natural and celestial powers and forces.

Do the Fallen still manipulate our collective belief in an immortal soul as a way to undermine the authority of God? Yes, absolutely. However, I now also believe our collective-unconscious helps shape how these other, more benign, spirits interact with us. Without realising it, we unconsciously send out subtle cues that end up helping to shape the conversation, and these entities follow our lead, conforming themselves to the subconscious images being put out, thinking they’re respecting our wishes/protocol. Sometimes we “speak with the dead” because we expect to speak with the dead. But, “the dead know nothing.” And because I keep that (what I believe to be) truth in my mind at all times, I am able to still accept the presence of spiritual entities, and interact with them on a (again, what I believe to be) more unbiased position, and let them present themselves on their own terms without presumptions on my part.

[thefaithofphin]

Pet Peeve

People using “literally” when they’re not, in fact, describing something literal.

[thefaithofphin]

Idea: The Phinchiridion

... Or, The Enchiridion of Phineas Graycloak :P An Enchiridion is a "little book" containing essential information for/of Something™. We see the name most famously (in occult circles) with The Enchiridion of Pope Leo III. For those who mix their faith and magick, an Enchiridion becomes a combination Grimoire, Prayer Book, and Psalter. I think I'll be putting one together for my Solomonic practice.

[enochian101-blog]

School books! The top two are for my Religion and The State, the others are for Bible As Literature, Intro to Linguistics, and then Astronomy. The other book I need for my remedial math is at the community college which I’ll get tomorrow.

[thefaithofphin]

I love the Oxford Study Bible so very much! :D It was required for my Intro to the Old Testament class ages ago, and I have held it close to my heart ever since :)  ♥ ♥ ♥

[rootandrock]

Urim and Thummim, the names of two of Joseph Smith’s seeing stones, struck me as similar to a version of the names of Odin’s ravens and … I dunno why that got my woo all interested.

[thefaithofphin]

Just to add a bit of history, the Urim and Thummim originate in Exodus - they were stones on the breastplate of the High Priest:

“Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.” -  Exodus 28:30

They were one way God chose to communicate in a more direct way, as we see in 1 Samuel:

“Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.’ “ - 1 Samuel 14:41

[da-at-ass]

Right, and that’s no coincidence. The LDS backstory and mission includes restoring and reuniting the tribes of Israel and returning to them what was lost, and it’s implied the LDS is safekeeping artifacts/knowledge until this time:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) believes in the literal gathering of Israel, and the LDS Church actively preaches the gathering of people from the twelve tribes.[23] “Today Israelites are found in all countries of the world. Many of these people do not know that they are descended from the ancient house of Israel,” the church teaches in its basic Gospel Principles manual. “The Lord promised that His covenant people would someday be gathered …. God gathers His children through missionary work. As people come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ, receiving the ordinances of salvation and keeping the associated covenants, they become ‘the children of the covenant’ (3 Nephi 20:26).”

The church also teaches that “The power and authority to direct the work of gathering the house of Israel was given to Joseph Smith by the prophet Moses, who appeared in 1836 in the Kirtland Temple…. The Israelites are to be gathered spiritually first and then physically. They are gathered spiritually as they join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and make and keep sacred covenants…. The physical gathering of Israel means that the covenant people will be “gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise” (2 Nephi 9:2). The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be gathered in the Americas. The tribe of Judah will return to the city of Jerusalem and the area surrounding it. The ten lost tribes will receive from the tribe of Ephraim their promised blessings (see D&C 133:26–34)… The physical gathering of Israel will not be complete until the Second Coming of the Savior and on into the Millennium (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37).”[24]

source

You can have some very interesting conversations about judaic mysticism and the rites of the High Priest with some LDS people. It’s an area of scholarship within the religion for obvious reasons. There’s some other sects of Christianity that do heavy spirit work inspired by the Bible, so Aaron’s breastplate and its twelve stones, the Holy of Holies, what cherubim are and what function they serve on the Ark, all of that is well-known among these people, some of whom are trying to inherit/replicate that magic.

[thefaithofphin]

That’s a very interesting observation … I know the Seventh-Day Adventist church has strong Old Testament and Sanctuary doctrines that set it apart from mainstream Protestants, but they all but ignore the mysticism side of things, for the most part :\

[da-at-ass]

I’ve heard similar things about Jehovah’s Witnesses (from someone who was a JW for a chunk of their lives), that there’s a framework compatible with what we’d call magical methods but nothing is overtly done magically by individuals. Basically you have a lot of magical work done only as a community (and not thought of as magic) and without private work (or private work is very passive or only guided by the Holy Spirit). When you have a community structure built on certain principles, for that structure to persist and stay strong those principles pretty much must exist at every level.

So I respectfully compare and contrast from a distance but I do wish the structures allowed for more interfaith discussion, especially with non-Christians, because I feel we could learn a lot from each other. In the end, though, I often find that Christians in these particular magic-compatible frameworks don’t find the topic of how the “magic” works to be the point - for them the point is religious/spiritual fulfillment, so sometimes questions of how the mechanics are working are perceived as irrelevant or sacrilegious. So sometimes a discussion of mechanics just doesn’t turn out to be feasible, or gets taken the wrong way.

As you can imagine, this doesn’t stop me from TRYING to start conversations, and sometimes these convos really do get somewhere very interesting! On my part I just try to be very respectful and choose my words well, and I don’t tend to mention I’m a demonolator to them. It makes for the wrong impression usually. xD;

[thefaithofphin]

I wonder if that’s one reason it’s been so easy for me (from a Theological perspective) to venture into magick - there was already this subconscious foundation there, thanks to my theological upbringing. I had never considered that before ... :o 

[rootandrock]

Urim and Thummim, the names of two of Joseph Smith’s seeing stones, struck me as similar to a version of the names of Odin’s ravens and … I dunno why that got my woo all interested.

[thefaithofphin]

Just to add a bit of history, the Urim and Thummim originate in Exodus - they were stones on the breastplate of the High Priest:

“Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.” -  Exodus 28:30

They were one way God chose to communicate in a more direct way, as we see in 1 Samuel:

“Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.’ “ - 1 Samuel 14:41

[da-at-ass]

Right, and that’s no coincidence. The LDS backstory and mission includes restoring and reuniting the tribes of Israel and returning to them what was lost, and it’s implied the LDS is safekeeping artifacts/knowledge until this time:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) believes in the literal gathering of Israel, and the LDS Church actively preaches the gathering of people from the twelve tribes.[23] “Today Israelites are found in all countries of the world. Many of these people do not know that they are descended from the ancient house of Israel,” the church teaches in its basic Gospel Principles manual. “The Lord promised that His covenant people would someday be gathered …. God gathers His children through missionary work. As people come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ, receiving the ordinances of salvation and keeping the associated covenants, they become ‘the children of the covenant’ (3 Nephi 20:26).”

The church also teaches that “The power and authority to direct the work of gathering the house of Israel was given to Joseph Smith by the prophet Moses, who appeared in 1836 in the Kirtland Temple…. The Israelites are to be gathered spiritually first and then physically. They are gathered spiritually as they join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and make and keep sacred covenants…. The physical gathering of Israel means that the covenant people will be “gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise” (2 Nephi 9:2). The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be gathered in the Americas. The tribe of Judah will return to the city of Jerusalem and the area surrounding it. The ten lost tribes will receive from the tribe of Ephraim their promised blessings (see D&C 133:26–34)… The physical gathering of Israel will not be complete until the Second Coming of the Savior and on into the Millennium (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37).”[24]

source

You can have some very interesting conversations about judaic mysticism and the rites of the High Priest with some LDS people. It’s an area of scholarship within the religion for obvious reasons. There’s some other sects of Christianity that do heavy spirit work inspired by the Bible, so Aaron’s breastplate and its twelve stones, the Holy of Holies, what cherubim are and what function they serve on the Ark, all of that is well-known among these people, some of whom are trying to inherit/replicate that magic.

[thefaithofphin]

That’s a very interesting observation ... I know the Seventh-Day Adventist church has strong Old Testament and Sanctuary doctrines that set it apart from mainstream Protestants, but they all but ignore the mysticism side of things, for the most part :\