Dogma

I need to be clear about this...I didn't attend Bible School because I had some guilt about the life I'd led or some huge revelation like Saul/Paul. I had no problem with most of my life up until that time dancing with the whole Dark Magick experience and I saw/did a great many things that I've come to discover it's best not talking about it to just anyone, moments that I can't explain and you probably wouldn't have believed had you not seen it for yourself. I started out my spiritual life with the whole 'Gaia' aspect of Witchcraft and moved almost effortlessly into the dark side where, yeah, I did get just a wee bit careless now and then.

For the most part. There were a couple of things that almost drove me insane, that burned images into my mind so strongly I couldn't remove them, couldn't drive them away and that part almost killed me because I refused to sleep, eat or do much of anything normal. I ended up taking care of the problem in a more...Physical...Way and was able to move on.

No, I went to Bible School because I really didn't have anything else to do. My personal life had kind of unraveled and I hadn't become the artist I wanted to be, couldn't get that break I'd worked so hard for and when a friend mentioned this school three of us decided to apply...Back then not everyone could simply get into Rhema. People in christian circles called it the 'School of the Prophets' and I honestly didn't expect to be accepted. 

Like I said, I'd seen and done some incredible things while in practicing Magick and these teachers had claimed to have 'Healed the sick, raised the dead and other miracles'. So I packed up the family and headed to Tulsa to see for myself.

 Short version: They couldn't and didn't.

I worked for Oral Roberts while attending Rhema and my job entailed picking up after he'd go on a bender and made certain his bar was always full. I learned a whole lot just from that part of the experience. 

Not what I expected.

And it wasn't just him. I got to see these 'Giants' in person, worked with a couple of them and discovered one important truth about the 'Prophets and Apostles' going around making these claims: People will believe pretty much anything. The leaders tell you the 'Bible' is a literal truth and that all things were possible with 'Jesus' and blah blah blah...If you didn't have any success with 'Faith' or 'Prayer' it was always because you just didn't believe enough. You had to let go of the 'World' and erase any negativity from your mind and soul and read, listen and watch only those who believed in their general landscape of belief and for the sake of your 'Faith' don't actually do any research into real history.

Just believe.

I learned a great deal from Rhema and those 'Profits' (I used that word on purpose)...Mostly I learned that I wouldn't be able to ever believe in a 'God' who had to use humans to do his/her work for them. I learned true spirituality always works and if it didn't then I needed to move on. 

Magick has always worked for me. Always. Like I said, sometimes I stepped over the line and dangerous thing happened, people got hurt, some died, but it did and does work. One day I'll go into more depth about the whole Bible School experiences outside of the classroom. The mere fact these men who claimed supernatural powers of 'God' never really seem to discover just what I'd been up to after hours and now that I don't have a whole lot to lose, what the Hell? Might as well toss everything into the mix.

The 'Church' depends upon the Dogma of lying to those in their care, telling them to believe or be damned and continues to thrive because  it doesn't expect anyone to actually go and discover the real history of the whole 'Church' and that you'll do nothing to try and call them on their claims. Back then it was easy, we didn't have the Internet or a camera in our phone and the ability to do deep research. That's how they got into power...There was no proof they were lying and deceiving. 

Just believe.

And give a whole lot of money to the cause.

 I really don't like to hear people talk about this or that belief when they really have no idea what anyone really believes. They simply stick with the whole 'The Bible said it. I believe it. That settles it...Attitude. I choose a more hands on method of discovering what a group or church believes. I go through their classes, answer their questions and join...I belong to nine different churches and several other spiritual groups because I have an inquiring mind and so far the one thing I've discovered is: Magick works.

Every time.

There are skills to learn. Disciplines. And, like the church, Coven's have different belief's and rules. That's just a part of the growth experience and when you accept this then you're on the road to a larger universe. 

Magick is like the Earth, always moving, always in action and always breaking all those rules scientists believed were absolutes. My Faith should never be your Faith. Every single person on this planet is different in some way and that's what makes us strong, what makes us a species capable of so many miraculous acts. We can share. We can learn. We can love one another with absolute conviction because we know this life can't give us all the answers. Maybe death won't either but, unlike most Dogma's, we admit this. We can live a life of completeness if we embrace the differences instead of using Dogma as an avenue of hatred and bigotry.

 I love this aspect of life, the part where I don't feel guilty for being flesh and blood and am always excited to see what else there is to learn in this lifetime about the Spirit. 

Regrets? 

Only one. In my youth I tried to be what others wanted me to be and not pursue the me I wanted. Mistakes, those are different. I've made more than a few which, at the time, seemed like the right thing to do. 

That's a part of life as well.

Let's live life instead of regretting it.

Fuck Dogma.