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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Quaint Montreal

Following a link to the Internet Archive on (see links on the RHS), to booklets for 1920s New York, I decided to see if the site had similar entries for Montreal, with luck, I found this little pdf:

"A 10 pages brochure dating from the 1920's sponsored by the Bramsons Yellow Taxicabs Co. of Montreal. Include Montreal landmarks and history and descriptions of all the tours the company offered with a map of Montreal. This brochure was given to tourists arriving in Montreal on Gray Line Tours buses."

The centre pages include a little map of the tours around Montreal, giving an idea of the layout of the Island at the time.

This copy isn't dated. I'm pretty sure I bought a similar booklet on ebay a couple of years ago maybe a different edition, I'll have to go check at the back of the cupboard.

While I'm on the subject, the Internet Archive is a great place to search for information and inspiration of all kind, whether it be books, music or old time radio dramas for scenarios.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Free RPG day

Today is Free RPG Day.

Not so much mythos stuff available this year. The closest seems to be a Conspiracy X quick start and adventure by Eden Studios.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Under Niagra

"Behind the raging horseshoe falls of Niagara there lies a secret like no other, a century old redbrick tunnel painstakingly laid. There is no recorded tally of its human cost but in 1906 it would be the biggest tunnel of its type in the world. The entry cost is a dangerous rappel through the bowels of a decrepit powerstation into this supervillain stronghold behind the crashing waterfall."

From here.

The link goes to an urban exploration site where three guys braved this site. It's quite a read, and that's quite some feat of engineering for being built in 1906. Worth a read.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Laundry short stories

Not Montreal related, but mythos related. The Charles Stross Laundry series is a wonderful reinvention of the mythos, and as such, these short stories deserve a link here. They are both rather old, coming from 2008 and 2009, but I just came across them.

Down on the farm

The second of these being from a series of shorts entitled December belongs to Cthulhu which ran on the TOR publishing website back in 2009..

Edit 22-06-2015 to add Equoid.
The placement of these short stories in terms of the novels can be seen here.

Sights and Shrines of Montreal

Amongst the many links I have collected over the years, one which my good lady found for me seems to fit right into the niche I am researching. A pdf named The Sights and Shrines of Montreal. Subtitled:

Dated1911, this little pamphlet provides a potted history of Montreal, and would be the perfect, historical introduction to the town for newly arrived PCs from out of town. it also contains information on the local cemeteries, churches, and educational institutes and libraries, which are often amongst the first ports of call of all PCs arriving in a new town. As a handout to players, or a source for GMs, this little gem is certainly worth a look.

New blog, old idea

Montreal from the mountain. 1839-1842
Starting in 2006, I ran a long campaign for Call of Cthulhu with a few friends. It was a fun campaign, and lasted until life got in the way (about 2009). As part of that campaign, I brought the characters from their base in New York to Montreal (out of character, we all lived in Montreal). I ran them through the Chaosium adventure Horror's Heart, which is set in Montreal. I then had them return a few months later for a follow up adventure of my own creation. Whilst doing the research for these adventures, I pulled out more information than I could use in one campaign. Which led me to believe I could write a monograph, and submit it to Chaosium for publication. I still plan to do this, but this project has been on hiatus due to work commitments.

So, to the now, and I have recently been writing another blog (or a plog even) to track my exploits as a miniatures painter and gamer, which I have been updating quite frequently. I decided then, to use this new found creative burst and the format of a blog to catalogue my research towards the monograph I intend to write, entitled 'Mysteries of Montreal'.

What can you expect from this blog? I see this being a bit of a mixed bag in terms of content. For sure, there will be Call of Cthulhu RPG content, HP Lovecraft content, articles on Montreal History, Quebec history, local folktales, myths and mysterious goings on.


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Update the Shack's Layout
(12-07-2016, 03:01 AM)Nefari Wrote: Currently, the banner you see in the header is the largest version of the banner we have. Without a way to upscale the size without losing quality, we're unable to scale the banner to fit with the forum width.
Alright. With this, I've added a new section about a new banner.
Yo #teens! While you're out there gettin rad remember that your death is 100% inevitable & all life is meaningless, bae.✌

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Imagine Your Vision Communicated with Beauty, Power and Consciousness…

MYSTIC ALCHEMY DESIGN is an alchemical collaboration of two mystics and visionary artists, COLETTE DE GAGNIER and SADIQ ALAM. Their combined gifts offer a sacred alchemical fusion of art and technology. With COLETTE’s keen sensitivity in how to translate your vision into form, and SADIQ’s tech-shamanic capabilities, you have a team which can bring your vision to the world with beauty, clarity and consciousness.

If you are a writer, an artist, a spiritual teacher, a visionary of any kind, we understand how important it is that the depth and integrity of your work be communicated effectively to the world. The right promotional materials are essential in fulfilling your path of service. When the promotional designs are in alignment with the spirit of your work, both in form and in content, a clarion call is sounded across the web which connects us all, naturally drawing to you those you are here to serve.
It is the time of union,
It is the time of vision,
It is the time of resurrection,
It is the time of grace…
~ RUMI ~
Visions of Spirit,
Embodied in Beauty,
In Service to the One.


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What is the True Purpose of Life ?

It is to realize that you are indeed
Universal Mind (God), this is not an egotistic exclamation, as it
cannot be realized until you have become free of all ego and achieved
complete humility.. as long as we believe that we are not God (Love)
(Christ) then we cannot achieve freedom.... we give great status to
the word God because we do not truly understand that God is Love...
so perhaps it would be better for us to say that we are Love and to
Love we will return, when we conquer the ego and realize that we are
indeed the energy of Love..............namaste, thomas

The Supreme "Be-ing"......

The Supreme "Be-ing" is a state of being in a constant flow of the
energy of Love.... this state of continuous Love is what humans call
God........ this is the state of Christhood that Jesus and fellow
Saints have achieved.... this christhood, this state of unselfish
Love, is what is called "Self-Realization".......you have realized
your true Self...and your true Self is Love and is called

Human Being and Supreme Being...

The Key word is Being...It is the action and time of the present... you
can believe that you are human or you can believe that you are
Supreme...To be Supreme is to become the energy of Love.. this is
achieving the Spiritual level of Christhood...... To be a human being
is still to be trapped within the false belief that you are the ego..
To be the Supreme being means that you have conquered the ego and
become that which you really Are..and become finally
Free.......................namaste, thomas

The Ocean.....

The wave is one with the ocean, indivisible and inseparable from the
whole ocean. All that the ocean is the wave is, and all the power,
all the energy, all the strength, all the life, all the substance of
the ocean is expressed in every wave. The wave has access to all that
lies beneath it for the wave really is the ocean as the ocean is the
wave, inseparable, indivisible, one. And note here this very
important point, that there is no place where one wave comes to an
end and the next wave begins, so that the oneness of the wave with
the ocean includes the oneness of every wave with every other wave.

As a wave is one with the ocean, so you are one with God. Your
oneness with the universal Life constitutes your oneness with every
individual expression of that Life; your oneness with divine Mind
constitutes your oneness with every idea of Mind. As the infinity of
God surges through you to bless all with whom you come in contact,
remember that the infinity of God is also surging through every other
individual on earth to you. No one is sharing anything with you that
is of themselves, but all that they have is of the Father, so
everything that you have is of the Father and you are sharing it with
all the world. You are one with the Father, with the universal
Consciousness, and you are one with every spiritual idea of which
this Consciousness is conscious.

~ Joel S. Goldsmith, The Infinite Way.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead........

The Bardo Thodol also spelled Bardo Thotrol, translated as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, for centuries it was passed down orally. This ancient text was first put into written form by the legendary Padma Sambhava in the 8th century A.D. Translated, Bardo Thodol means "liberation by hearing on the after death plane". The book acts as a guide for the dead during the state that intervenes death and the next rebirth.
This scripture (The Bardo Thotrol) from Tibetan Buddhism was traditionally read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberation. It guides a person to use the moment of death to recognize the nature of mind and attain liberation.

It teaches that awareness once freed from the body, creates its own reality like that of a dream. This dream projection unfolds in predictable ways in ways both frightening and beautiful. Peaceful and wrathful visions appear, and these visions can be overwhelming. Since the awareness is still in shock of no longer being attached to and shielded by a body, it needs guidance and forewarning so that key decisions that lead to enlightenment are made. The Tibetan Book of the Dead teaches how one can attain heavenly realms by recognizing the enlightened realms as opposed to being drawn into the realms of seduction that pull incorporeal awareness into cyclic suffering.

An interesting sidenote: Some of the concepts in the Tibetan Book of the Dead can be found in The Gospel of Mary Magdalene................from the Reluctant Messenger

Talk is tiring..........from the "Tao"..

Heaven and Earth don't play favourites
They treat everything with equal detachment.
Sages don't play favourites
They treat good people and bad with equal detachment.

Heaven and earth are like a set of bellows.
Although empty, they are endlessly productive.
The more you work them, the more they produce.
The mouth, on the other hand, becomes exhausted if you talk too much.
Better to keep your thoughts inside you.

Chasing after Desires......

Be Satisfied, Do not Chase after Desires Do not encourage the
multiplication of desires. Be satisfied with whatever you have been
given. In the chapter on devotion, Krishna enumerated the 26 noble
qualities which endear a devotee to the Lord. Of these, contentment
stands out as one of the most important characteristics of a devotee. It
means not running after worldly enjoyments. You have enjoyed so many
luxuries and so many sensual things in your life but you have not gained
peace and fulfillment from them. Give up chasing after them and you will
gain contentment. The heart of a person who does not have contentment is
like a bamboo basket riddled with holes. If you try to draw water out of
a well using such a basket, by the time it comes up, all the water will
have leaked out. There will not even be a drop of water left to quench
your thirst. Similarly, when you are suffering from pangs of desire and
greed, all your contentment leaks away before you even have a chance to
fulfill your desires. When contentment leaves your heart, discontent
remains behind to take its place. Desire breeds more desire. A person
who does not have anything at all may feel very happy and contented when
he gets 100 rupees. But once he gets the 100 rupees, he thinks how nice
it would be if he could get 1000 rupees. If by chance he gets the 1000
rupees, he desires to have a million rupees. Then he would aspire to
become a major property owner. From a property owner he would want to
become a legislator and then a minister and then the prime minister.
Finally, he would want to use all his status and wealth to attain the
God-state. But you can never reach divinity with the help of power and
wealth. As the person's desires cross all limits, he becomes
discontented and his wealth gains him no inner peace at all. You must
learn how to gain contentment from whatever you have, being satisfied
with whatever wealth you have been given. Your responsibility is to take
care of the possessions you have received through the grace of God, and
be happy.

mukundan saibaba gita

This invariable truth, that man does not exist in matter but in mind, blesses those who receive it. For it helps to console them in affliction, to guide them in meditation, and to illumine them in reflection. -- The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Cat. XXI, Chapter 5, The Key to the Spiritual World

From Here To Here, Turning Toward Enlightenment." by Gary Crowley
Chpater 1
Understanding What Is
Enlightenment is devastatingly simple. Although questions
regarding enlightenment often become complicated, the answer
always remains simple: enlightenment is the direct result
of freedom from the illusion of a separate self. A profound
understanding of this ultimate simplicity provides all that is
required for an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment is what we are. There is nothing to
gain, only its recognition. Enlightenment's simplicity has been
expressed in many ways:
I am, but there is no 'me.' Wei Wu Wei
You are the perceiving, not the perceiver. Ch'an
You are looking for what is looking. St. Francis of Assisi
That which is seeking, is the sought. Buddhic Scripture
The above quotations all express enlightenment's
simplicity. The possible examples are endless; I just happen to
like those that do it in seven words. As you will soon discover,
understanding the essence of these statements is all that is
required for the spiritual seeker because you are always already
Your illusionary self is never the same once it is seen
through. After decades of spiritual seeking, I read one footnote by
Wei Wu Wei that changed everything:
Free, we are not the number One, the first of all our objects,
but Zero – their universal and Absolute Subject.
This footnote caused a shift in orientation that cannot be shifted
back. It was devastatingly simple and understanding was the only
Understanding is recognition, clear seeing. It is not the
same as knowledge. In daily life, the words "understanding" and
"knowledge" are often used interchangeably, but throughout this
book "understanding" refers to a direct recognition of what is.
We all can think of times when we had knowledge of something
in our head, but it was not integrated, and therefore, was only a
theoretical notion. As a child you may have been given knowledge
that fire was hot, but until you ran your hand over a flame, no
true understanding could exist. Now, whenever you see a fire, an
understanding occurs, a direct recognition that fire is hot, without
any need for abstract concepts about what is.
Without understanding, enlightenment's simplicity is
missed. With understanding, enlightenment's simplicity cannot
be ignored. The poet Rumi expressed this sentiment as:
I lived on the lip,
of insanity, wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I've been knocking from the inside!
Awakening to enlightenment is a journey from here to
here, not from here to there. There is nowhere to go and nothing
to be attained. Enlightenment is simply an awakening to what has
always been the case. There is only the seeing through of our own
ignorance. The journey becomes a circle because it finishes where
it started, but at the finish, one experiences the same world from an
entirely different perspective. As a result, your case of mistaken
identity effortlessly dissolves.
The release of an illusionary separate self occurs
effortlessly through understanding what was never really there.
The false self, though not ultimately real, is thereby devastated. In
its wake remains only what we are, which is enlightenment.
What if awakening to enlightenment requires only
understanding? What if this understanding causes the release of
an illusionary self, something you never even were? Would you
be willing to let go of something you never were if it allowed an
awakening to enlightenment?
The masterpiece of enlightenment is already here. There is
only the awakening to it. Innumerable masters have affirmed it is
so. Upon awakening, one sage purportedly exclaimed, "Is that all
it is?" He then laughed and went about his daily business.
Seeking enlightenment is like searching for a pair of
glasses that are perched on top of your head. All efforts to find the
glasses are seen as ridiculous once one understands the situation.
How humorous it is to discover what was there all along!
What if the only complicated thing about enlightenment
was noticing what had been there all along? How could one not be
amused after all the searching? Perhaps, laughter will result when
you realize that enlightenment has been "perched upon your head"
all this time, patiently waiting to be discovered.
Look at the graphic of the black cube below. Can you see
the black cube securely tucked into the corner?
Now look at this same graphic, but see it as a large white
cube with the front corner cut out. What was once a small black
cube tucked into a corner is now a large white cube with the front
corner missing. Notice too, that at any point in time you can see
the image only one way. The image offers an either-or proposition
in any given moment and cannot be both at the same time.
Awakening to enlightenment is like realizing you are not
the little black cube tucked in the corner, but are instead the large
white cube. Everything is completely different, yet everything
is exactly as it was before. The difference is orientation.
Understanding allows a different way of seeing what already is.
The required understanding is ultimately very simple, but
unraveling your case of mistaken identity still requires precision.
Human beings have an uncanny knack for self-deception when
it comes to discovering their own essence. Ironically, spiritual
seekers seem naturally conditioned to look in the direction
opposite from where their awakening lies.
Like a child chasing the end of a rainbow, most spiritual
seekers are forever almost there because they chase an illusion that
will always remain just out of reach. With understanding, chasing
the illusion ends as you realize that what you have been looking
for is already right here, right now. This is why only a clear and
unambiguous understanding of your illusion will steer you through
self-deception and into an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment may well be in an entirely different
orientation from where you've been searching. All your efforts
until now may have been like pulling on a door that needs only to
be pushed for it to open. Once again, such situations are usually
met with a chuckle when understanding finally occurs. Please
remember this as you read the chapters that follow.
Enlightenment is readily available for those with the ability
to face what is. This book attempts to clearly and concisely assist
in this endeavor by wholly uprooting the cause of your suffering.
Be forewarned: once the roots of suffering have been exposed,
they are forever changed.
Suffering results from maintaining the most prized of all
possessions, an illusionary self. The illusionary self is the ransom
that must be paid by the spiritual seeker. When the arrow of
understanding hits its mark, your illusionary self is its casualty. If
this does not sound like an appealing proposition, then this book is
not for you. However, if this description sounds intriguing, then
let us begin the journey from "here to here."

Irfan - (Islamic Mysticism)

The spiritual traveler watching his own lower self and the Divine Names and Attributes of Allah, gradually advances till ultimately he reaches the stage of total fanã (self-annihilation) that is passing away from his own perishable will and then the station of baqã (abiding in the everlasting Will of Allah). It is at this stage that the secret of eternal life is revealed to him.
We can infer this doctrine from the Holy Qur'an also if we ponder over certain verses of it.

Think not of those who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provisions. (Surah Ãli Imran, 3: 169).

Everything will perish save His Countenance.1 (28:88)

That which you have is wasted away, and that which is with Allah remains. (Surah an Nahl, 6:96)

These verses put together show that the countenance of Allah are those "who are living and who have provisions with their Lord." According to the text of Qur'an they never perish.

From the above it is also clear what the Holy Imams meant when they said: "We are the Names of Allah." Obviously to be the head of a government or to be the highest religious and legal authority is not a position which could be described by these words. What actually these words denote is the state of passing away in Allah, abiding permanently with His countenance and being a manifestation of His glorious and beautiful Names and Attributes.

In connection with the spiritual journey another important and essential thing is meditation or contemplation (muraqabah). It is necessary for the spiritual traveler not to ignore meditation at any stage from the beginning to the end. It must be understood that meditation has many grades and is of many types. In the initial stages the spiritual traveler has to do one type of meditation and at later stages another type. As the spiritual traveler goes forward, his meditation becomes so strong that if ever it was undertaken by a beginner, he would either give it up for good or would be mad. But after successfully completing the preliminary stages, the gnostic becomes able to undertake the higher stages of meditation.

As a result of careful and diligent meditation a flame of love begins to kindle in the heart of the spiritual traveler, for it is an inborn instinct of man to love the Absolute Beauty and Perfection. But the love of material things overshadows this inherent love and does not allow it to grow and become visible.

Meditation weakens this veil till ultimately it is totally lifted. Then that innate love appears in its full splendor and leads man’s conscience towards Allah. The mystic poets often figuratively call this divine love "wine".

When the spiritual traveler has passed this stage and his meditation grows stronger, he sees as if the heaven and the earth were all illuminated from the East to the West. This light is called the light of self and is seen after the gnostic has passed the world of barzakh (material desires). When after coming out of the world of barzakh primary manifestations of self begin to occur, the spiritual traveler often feels that he is standing beside himself. This stage is the beginning of the stage of self stripping.

Sometimes it happens that the gnostic feels as if he did not exist at all. He tries to find himself but he does not succeed. These the observations of the early stages of self-stripping, but they are not free from the limitations of time and space. In the next stage, with Allah's help the spiritual traveler can rise above these limitations also and can view complete reality of his Self.

It may be mentioned here that to see the things existing in the world of barzakh is comparatively of small account. It is of greater significance to view one's own lower self (nafs) in an absolutely stripped state, for in this case self appears as a pure reality free from the limitations of time and space The viewing of the earlier stages was comparatively preliminary and partial and this viewing is so to say the perception of the whole.

Agha Sayyid Ahmad Karbalã’i, another well-known and prominent pupil of the late Akhund says: "One day I was sleeping somewhere when all of a sudden somebody awakened me and said to me: ‘Get up at once if you want to see the ‘eternal light.’ I opened my eyes and saw an immensely bright light shining everywhere and in all directions."

This is a stage of the enlightenment of Self. It appears in the shape of an Infinite Light...............................from mysticalprinciples.com

You can experience God through Love alone...

If you want God, you will have to develop this sacred quality of love.
Only through love will you be able to experience him, who is love

If you want to see the moon there is no need to use a candle or a torch
light. The light of the moon is enough to see the moon. If you want to
see God you need only to immerse yourself in love. Fill yourself with
love and you will surely succeed in acquiring God. But as long as this
love has not yet become clearly established, there is a need for
spiritual practices such as devotional singing, repetition of
the name of God, and other forms of worship. Once pure love has
developed these spiritual practices are no longer necessary.

Yet, even when the moon shines brightly, you will not be able to see
it if your eyes are closed. In the same way, if your eyes are still
closed to the loving presence of God within you, then good
actions, including the various spiritual exercises, will help
open your eyes and clarify your vision, so that you can see and
enjoy the Lord. That is the import of Krishna's teaching in the

Only when you listen to such great words, and only when you understand
them clearly, and only when you practice them, will you be able to reach
your divine goal. Set aside at least one hour per day to study these
teachings and incorporate them in all your daily activities. In
so doing you will be using your time wisely and you will be
sanctifying your life.

saibaba gita

Bhagavad Gita...

The blessed Lord said,
'Fearlessness, purity of heart,
perseverance in knowledge of union,
charity and restraint and sacrifice,
spiritual study, austerity, straightforwardness,
nonviolence, truth, no anger, renunciation, peace,
no slander, compassion for creatures, no greed,
kindness, modesty, no fickleness,
vigor, patience, courage, purity,
no hatred, and no excessive pride
are the endowment of the one born to the divine, Bharata.

"'Hypocrisy, arrogance and conceit,
anger and harshness, and ignorance
are the endowment of the one born to the demonic, Partha.

"'The divine endowment is for liberation,
for bondage the demonic, it is thought.
Do not grieve.
To the divine endowment you are born, son of Pandu.
Two created beings are in this world,
the divine and the demonic.

"'The divine has been described in detail;
hear from me about the demonic, Partha.
Progress and cessation demonic people do not understand;
neither purity nor good conduct nor truth is found in them.
Untruthful, they are unstable.
The universe, they say, is godless,
not by a succession created.
What else but desire caused it?
Holding this view lost souls of little intelligence
and evil actions come forth as enemies
for the destruction of the world.

"'Attached to insatiable desire,
accompanied by hypocrisy, arrogance, and lust,
out of confusion accepting false notions,
they proceed with impure purposes,
and clinging to immeasurable anxiety ending in death,
with gratification of desire their highest aim,
convinced that this is all,
bound by a hundred expectations,
devoted to desire and anger,
they wish for the gratification of desires
by the unjust means of hoards of wealth.

Concerning the Atoms of the Soul ...

Someone explained once how the pieces of what we are
fall downwards at the same rate
as the Universe.
The atoms of us, falling towards the centre

of whatever everything is. And we don't see it.
We only sense their slight drag in the lifting hand.
That's what weight is, that communal process of falling.
Furthermore, these atoms carry hooks, like burrs,

hooks catching like hooks, like clinging to like,
that's what keeps us from becoming something else,
and why in early love, we sometimes
feel the tug of the heart snagging on another's heart.

Only the atoms of the soul are perfect spheres
with no means of holding on to the world
or perhaps no need for holding on,
and so they fall through our lives catching

against nothing, like perfect rain,
and in the end, he wrote, mix in that common well of light
at the centre of whatever the suspected
centre is, or might have been.

~ John Glenday ~

"The Reverential Life"

Within his heart, he may call or keep nothing as his own, not even his spirituality. If he really does not want to cling to the ego, he must cling to nothing else. He is to have no sense of inner greatness, no distinct feeling of having attained some high degree of holiness. -- The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Cat. XVIII, Chapter 4, Surrender

Christ Consciousness....

We are already the Consciousness of Christ, but the Ego that we believe
we are covers the Christ Consciousness almost completely, the rope that
pulls us back to proper consciousness is the miracle energy of Love...
this is the God force within us that gently pulls us to the waking up
to Truth... this is why even the evil souls among us still feel the
pull to the energy of Love, even if it is for only their family members
or friends.....Love is the most powerful force in the Universe and is
our Home and is Us.......the ego must be disolved to find this Truth to
be real, and it is the meaning of our existence to complete this
journey to ego anihilation..............namaste, thomas

The Ego and the Spirit ...

The ego looks for peace — the spirit rests in it

The ego looks for love — the spirit gives it freely

The ego is in constant search for happiness — the spirit is absorbed in joy

The ego looks for control — the spirit is totally free

The ego looks for longevity — the spirit is immortal

The ego accumulates information — the spirit is Supreme Wisdom

The ego is limited by space and time — the spirit is boundless

The ego is only a player in a show — the spirit is life itself

The ego is false — the spirit is real

The ego wants more and more — the spirit has it all!

Shortcut to Spirituality: Mastering the Art of Inner Peace
Bob Gottfried
Pages 118-119

Archangel Michael’s Rosary

This rosary is perfect for invoking spiritual protection for yourself or others. It is also very powerful for cutting people free from dark forces and for changing world conditions. For personal protection, you can use this rosary instead of the decrees/affirmations to
Archangel Michael presented in this section.

It takes about 35 minutes to give the full rosary. If you do not have time for the full rosary, you can give Sections 1, 2 and 5 as your daily protection. Or you can give the "I Choose Life!" affirmation followed by 9 "Hail Michael" (or as many as you have time to give).

NOTE: This rosary was introduced by a dictation from Archangel Michael.

Section 1.

In the name of the unconditional love of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Miracle Mother, Amen.

Beloved Archangel Michael, I dedicate this rosary to the manifestation of God’s will and God’s kingdom in . . .
(Describe the situations and conditions that you want Archangel Michael and his angels to resolve.)

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father-Mother God who is within all life, we honor your Presence, the I AM, within us. We accept your kingdom manifest on Earth through us. We accept our responsibility to manifest your will on Earth, as it is manifest in Heaven.

We accept that you are giving us our daily opportunity to be all that you are. We acknowledge that you forgive us our imperfections, as we forgive each other and surrender our will to the higher will within us. We therefore accept the truth that the universe returns to us what we send out.

We take responsibility for our lives and our planet. We vow to rise above the temptations of the lower self, so that you can deliver us from all imperfect energies. We affirm that your kingdom, power and glory is manifest on Earth, now and forever. Amen.

Archangel Michael, take command over all dark spirits
1. By the authority of the Christ Flame within me, I call to Archangel Michael to manifest your Flaming Presence with me and form an impenetrable shield around my energy field. Protect me from all imperfect energies, dark spirits, discarnate souls and all forces of anti-christ, and enlighten me so that I can identify dark vibrations. I hereby choose to stop all darkness from entering my being. Archangel Michael, protect all people from all imperfect energies and dark spirits.

Hail Michael
Hail Archangel Michael, Lord of Angels,
Your Presence is always with us.
Protect us from all forces of darkness,
and bind the enemy within us.
We take dominion over our lives,
and manifest God’s kingdom on Earth.

Holy Michael, Defender of Faith.
we invoke your Blue-flame Sword.
Cut us free from the lies of anti-christ,
so we can pierce the veil of separation.
We affirm our oneness with God,
and form the Body of God on Earth.

2. Archangel Michael, manifest your Flaming Presence within my energy field. Bind and consume all vortexes of imperfect energies that threaten to overpower my mind and emotions. Cut me free from all connection to the planetary vortexes of negative energies. Enlighten me so that I can identify all imperfect energies in my being. Help me see that they are not part of my being and that I do not need them. I now choose to let all dark energies go. Archangel Michael, consume all toxic vibrations in the energy fields of all people.

Hail Michael

3. Archangel Michael, bind and consume all dark spirits, all discarnate souls and all forces of anti-christ that have gained entry into my being and are seeking to control me from within. Enlighten me so that I can identify these enemies within me. Help me see that they are not part of my true identity and that I do not need them. I now choose to let all dark spirits go. Archangel Michael, cut all people free from dark spirits.

Hail Michael

4. Archangel Michael, bind and consume all spiritual poisons in my being. Cut me free from the poisons of ignorance, anger, pride, greed, envy and non-will/non-being. Enlighten me so that I can identify all spiritual poisons in my being. Help me see that they are not part of my being and that I do not need them. I now choose to let all spiritual poisons go. Archangel Michael, cut all people free from spiritual poisons.

Hail Michael

5. Archangel Michael, bind and consume my carnal mind and my human ego, forming an anti-self that seeks to prevent me from accepting my true identity. Enlighten me so that I can identify the lies that my anti-self is using to control my actions, feelings, thoughts and sense of identity. Help me see that the anti-self is not part of my true identity and that I do not need it. I now choose to let my anti-self go. Archangel Michael, strip me of my anti-self and bind the anti-selves of all people who are willing to be free.

Hail Michael

6. Archangel Michael, cut me free from the gravitational force of the mass consciousness that pulls me into following convention, to never rise above the lowest common denominator and to deny my potential to put on the mind of Christ. Strip me of all spiritual blindness so I can see that there is a better way to live than the way that seems right unto a man. Give me the courage to come apart and belong to the separate and chosen people. I now elect to follow the Way of Life, the way to Christ consciousness. Archangel Michael, cut free all people who are willing to rise above the mass consciousness.

Hail Michael

7. Archangel Michael, cut me free from the consciousness of materialism that causes me to feel attachments to the things of this world. Help me see that my Christ potential is the true key to the abundant life. I now choose to seek first the kingdom of God, and I know that when I attain the Christ consciousness, all things will be added unto me. Archangel Michael, cut free all people who are willing to rise above the consciousness of materialism, the consciousness of death.

Hail Michael

8. Archangel Michael, cut me free from all attachments to my current beliefs and all fear that if I give up my limited beliefs, I might lose my sense of identity. Enlighten me so I can see through all of the dualistic beliefs that have been programmed into my mind by church and state. Help me see that by giving up these dualistic beliefs, these man-made idols, I will win my true identity in Christ. I choose to stop dancing around the golden calf of these carnal beliefs. Archangel Michael, cut free all people who are willing to rise above the consciousness of duality, the consciousness of death.

Hail Michael

9. Archangel Michael, cut me free from all attachments to my mortal sense of identity, and all fear that if I give up this carnal mind, I will have no identity left. Enlighten me so I can see through the unreality of my anti-self and see that behind it is my true identity as an immortal spiritual being. I now choose life, and I accept my true identity in Christ. Archangel Michael, cut free all people who are willing to rise above all false sense of identity.

channeled through askrealjesus.com

Training the Soul.......

Thoughts from the conscious mind are relayed to the sub-conscious
mind to come into manifestation... the sub-conscious mind is also
your soul, it forgets nothing and never sleeps...It keeps your heart
beating and your lungs breathing , this is why we do not die during
sleep... when the conscious mind trains the sub-conscious to think in
a particular manner, such as only admitting positive thoughts and
only thoughts of Love, then we are eliminating the false ego... as we
purify the sub-conscious mind then we realize Truth, which we call
Wisdom... although the sub-conscious mind is controlled by the
conscious mind, the divinity within the sub-conscious mind is always
proding us to attain a higher spiritual level... this is why all
humans seek Love.. even if they are evil in their everyday actions,
they still seek the egolessness of the feeling of Love, though their
families,friends, lovers, children, and parents... so the
acknowledgement of Truth is when the conscious mind agrees with the
purified sub-conscious mind..................namaste, thomas

God has no Ego.........

Can you imagine that the greatest power in all creation has no
ego....to experience complete unselfish love can only be accomplished
when we are egoless.... to attain to the center of God, which is often
called the Godhead, we must first completely conquer the belief in the
false ego... this is the main teaching of Vernon Howard.... he often uses non-
spiritual instruction to reach a spiritual point..... non-ego is
unselfishness which is also known as Love.....this is why this Force
created us to share in this great joy of the feeling of Love, because
the unselfish wish to share...... but self-ish-ness on our part put a
wall between us and the Power of Unselfishness.. this is called
duality.......the teaching of Vernon is to end this duality and return
to the Truth that we are actually God.......................namaste,

What is God ?..........

We have been taught from birth to believe that God is an old man on a
throne, waiting to judge our souls, according to how we have followed
his rules.........But our mentality is much more advanced now, and we
can delve deeper into the understanding of what the word God
means......God means Love...and Love is unselfishness and lack of the
false ego..this is very important.. stop thinking in terms of a human
god and think in terms of energy and vibration... at the smallest
level, our bodies are vibration , and we know that we have been created
in the likeness of God.. therefore, God is energy and vibration...
vibration cannot be seen , we can use electronic instruments to see the
duplication of the vibration but it is beyond the frequencies of light
that our eyes can see... this is spirit... spirit are frequencies that
cannot be seen with human eyes.......So , by saying that we are God, is
not egoistic... it is the opposite of egoistic... because we are saying
that we are LOVE ,and unselfish Love cannot be selfish or egoistic, it
is impossible for these energies to merge....therefore, even though
it might shock your mental system to say that you are God, it is
actually achieving egolessness to state this and know that it is
true.......As Jesus said;" The last shall be
first"................namaste, thomas

The seeker is he who is in search of himself.

Give up all questions except one: 'Who am I?' After all, the only fact you are sure of is that you are. The 'I am' is certain. The 'I am this' is not. Struggle to find out what you are in reality.

To know what you are, you must first investigate and know what you are not.

Discover all that you are not -- body, feelings thoughts, time, space, this or that -- nothing, concrete or abstract, which you perceive can be you. The very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive.

The clearer you understand on the level of mind you can be described in negative terms only, the quicker will you come to the end of your search and realise that you are the limitless being.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Self knowledge & Self mastery...the Tao

Intelligent people know others.
Enlightened people know themselves.

You can conquer others with power,
But it takes true strength to conquer yourself.

Ambitious people force their will on others,
But content people are already wealthy.

Prudent people will abide.
People unconquered by the idea of death will live long.
People who live according to their means last long.

Quotes from Lu Xiangshan (Lu Hsiang Shan) (1139-1193

The Four Beginnings (of humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom) are all originally present in the self. Nothing need be added from the outside.

Principle exists in the universe without any obstruction. It is only that you sink from it, hide yourself in darkness as in the trap, and lose all sense of what is high and far beyond. It is imperative that this trap be decisively broken and the confining net be penetrated and destroyed.

The universe has never separated itself from man. Man separates himself from the universe.

Students of today (circa 12th Century) only pay attention to details and do not search for what is concrete.
When is it necessary to depend on words?"
When scholars read today, they only try to understand words and do not go further to find out what is vital.

Complete Work of Lu Hsiang-shan (Hsiang-shan châ€™uan-chi), 35:10a-b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 33

From The Experience of No-Self by Bernadette Roberts

Perhaps the only philosophy or theology that can help
us cross the stream is one that admits: when you have
learned it all and lived it thoroughly, then you had
better get ready to have it all collapse when you
discover the highest wisdom is that you know nothing.

It is said that St. Thomas Aquinas, after writing his
masterful tomes on Christian theology, suddenly had an
experience of God that so silenced his mind that ever
after, he never wrote a single word. In other words,
St. Thomas literally fell outside his own frame of
reference when he came upon "that" which no mind can
comprehend nor pen describe. ...

It seems that ultimately we must go beyond all frames
of reference when the Cloud of Unknowing descends, and
all the thrashing around looking for a life preserver
won't do a bit of good.

Nevertheless, I now see a possible line of travel that
may be of use before crossing the stream. It would be
to start with the Christian experience of self's union
with God, whereby we loose the fear of ever becoming
lost -- since we can only get lost in God. ...

But when the self disappears forever into this Great
Silence, we come upon the Buddhist discovery of
no-self, and learn how to live without anything we
could possibly call a self, and without a frame of
reference, as we come upon the essential oneness of
all that is.

Then, finally, we come upon the peak of Hindu
discovery, namely: "that" which remains when there is
no self identical with "that" which Is, the one
Existent that is all that Is. ...


text:
Friday, February 25, 2011

Blog awards!

This is my second post for today, scroll down for my first one. I recently received two blog awards, thank you so much! I love admiring all the blogs out there and I'm so flattered that someone likes my blog!

My first award comes from Dana Newsom , be sure to check out her wonderful blog! With this award I'm given the chance to tell you three things about myself and pass this award on to 5 other bloggers.

1. I love paper crafting (obviously, hehe). I started paper crafting about 11 years ago and haven't looked back since. I became a demo a few years ago because I love to teach women how they can use their creative side! And as my Blog name suggests, it really is my therapy, I won't say it's cheaper than therapy but we'll let my husband think it is...

2. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, ok I admit, I'm just plain picky. It's probably best if most if my friends and family don't realize just how picky I can be! It drives my darling Husband crazy some days, especially if we're working on a project together... My 6 year old daughter is quickly becoming a perfectionist as well, her poor daddy won't know where to turn in a few years, lol.

3. I'm an introvert living in an extrovertial (I don't think that's even a word) society, silence is golden. Don't get me wrong, I love getting together with friends or family, but at the end of the day I'm just itching to be back in my own home. My idea of a great day is staying home all day, no phone calls (or very few) and stamping til it's dinner time.

Here are 5 Blogs that I love to visit. If you time check them out!

Renee Van Stralen
Teneale Williams
Nancy Riley
Julie Marshall

And now to my next Blog award, The Stylish Blog award! This award was given to me by the talented Elaine Uhl, thanks Elaine! It's always so encouraging to know that people are enjoying your hard work!

When you receive this award you are to:
1) thank the person who gave this award and link it back to their blog
2) share 8 things about yourself
3) pass this award to 8 other individuals that you have recently discovered
4) leave a comment so that they can pass along the recognition!

So here's a little more about me:

1. I love to papercraft
2. I love Mexican food.
3. We don't have any pets, although if our daughter gets her way we'll have a small puppy by the end of this coming summer (ack)
4. I will soon have a stamp room with all sorts of goodies. Being a demo has really helped to fund my stamp budget!
5. I enjoy baking, but not the cleaning up part. I love home baked goodies, who doesn't!
6. I've been married for almost 12 years, we have twin boys and one girl with enough personality to make you laugh-scream-run, you get the idea, lol.
7. I hate worms, snakes, and bugs of any sort. Blech. Which can make gardening quite entertaining for my husband. :D
8. I loooooooove the rain. It could rain for days and it wouldn't be too much.

I'm passing this award on to:
Becky Roberts
Martha Stewart
Leanne Griff
Sandi MacIver
Brandi Wiggins
Mary Fish
Carrie Gaskin

Painting is like Childbirth

Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Lol, ladies we can all relate to how childbirth can be. While you're in it, you're miserable, swearing you'll never do it again. But once you're done you already start dreaming of your next bundle of joy. Well that's how painting is for me, you swear you're done painting for a very long time, but it doesn't take long before you volunteer to paint claiming that it's actually kinda fun. Fun? Yeah, ok. Our contractor finished putting up all the trim and doors yesterday for the entire basement, so that meant we had to paint everything before the floor guys come (they're here right now, wohoo!). Only a few more days and it's done. DONE! I feel like I should shout that from a roof top, lol.

So my card today is a bit of a remake from one I did a while back using the Because I Care stamp set. I love using the Music Notes wheel to make my own music sheet dsp, so easy!

Stamps: Because I Care, Something to Celebrate
Paper: Basic Black, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Ink: Black, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Kiwi Kiss, Cameo Corral
Other: Ribbon, Black Brads

Have a great day!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Box with... nothing?

Right now it's so peaceful outside, but if I look at the local weather they have a blowing snow warning in effect. Ack, we're expecting the snow and wind to come any time now. I was getting a little spoiled with the warm temps, even the kids commented on the springlike weather we've been having.

Today's project has no stamping on it, none. How did I manage that, lol! I saw this free box template over at My Time Made Easy and couldn't wait to try it. It's a SVG file for the cricut, so fast and easy and I was super impressed with the detail of the file! It's meant to hold hot chocolate pouches but mine ended up too small for our hot chocolate, I made the box with the same dimensions so I guess the USA has smaller pouches. But all I would have to do is resize the template and it would work great.

Paper: Kraft, DSP-Prima
Other: Rose Red Ribbon

Have a great day!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Winds of Grace

It's such a beautiful day out there today, the snow is melting! But Mother Nature must be laughing at us as she prepares to give us another blast of winter tomorrow. I love winter but I think it should be shortened by a month!

As I said yesterday, I finally had nothing on the agenda other than... nothing! And nothing leaves me more time to stamp! That's a good thing, lol. This card is a complete case from Laurie Schmidlin, (gosh that woman is talented!) although I can never get my case to look as good as hers but I sure have fun trying. I grabbed our Newsletter print dsp, sponged a little Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake to age the map a little. I ran the edge of my scissors along the hemp twine to fluff it up a little.

Stamps: Plane & Simple, Winds of Grace
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, DSP-Newsletter
Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Other: Hemp Twine, Brads

Thanks for popping by!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

In Those Times...

Hi everyone, it's been a while hasn't it?! Life has been a little busy in our home, something that I plan on changing soon. I'm excited for the next two days, I have no plans other than to stay home and stamp!! Well I'll have to do some cooking and cleaning but you get the idea, lol.

I made this card this afternoon, I haven't used this set in a while and thought it was fitting.

Stamps: Refuge & Strength
Paper: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, River Rock, Very Vanilla
Ink: River Rock, Black
Other: Button, Linen Thread, Taffeta Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Echoes of Kindness

Hi everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! We're finally getting a bit of a break in the cold temperatures, it'll be short but sweet! Plus we're making fast progress in the basement, in 3 weeks I'll finally have a finished basement. With kids it's really nice having that extra space, especially if they have their friends over.

I made this card a few days ago but just haven't gotten around to posting it so here it is!

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

My Poor Husband...

Lol, I think we would all agree that any man married to a stamper is probably poor! We're in the midst of finishing our basement and that's where I've had my stamping area, but I had to move it all upstairs for the next month. Into our bedroom to be exact, much to the thrill of my poor husband. He was helping me bring some of my stuff up, only the stuff that I can't live without (yeah right, it pretty much all had to come up). Well I don't think he's ever really noticed the size of my stamp collection, but he does now, hehe. He did ask if I use all these stamp sets, well I couldn't lie. So being the man that he is, he does the math right away on how much money I could sell them for, and he's shocked. I thought he might have a panic attack, but I explained that they are my babies, all earned, and you don't just give away your babies! And I don't even have that many stamps, some have over 1,000! I'm still far from that many! (((whispering))) but that's my goal (((whispering)))

Well today's card is nothing spectacular, I saw it on SCS this morning and thought it would make for an easy card after I finished organizing my new stamp haven. The butterfly is coloured with copics and I used one of the copics to colour the rhinestones.

Stamps: All a Flutter, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, DSP-?
Ink: Black, Copics
Other: Rhinestones, Linen Thread

Thanks for stopping by!