I wore this costumeto a full moon party held at Peter & Kira's house in Amherst, which I received at the Phoenix House of Sirius Community on the day when Ray gave me the Heart Key implement for The Archetypal Hermitto carry with the Threshold Lantern and Celtic Cross Staff, exactly one month to the day after the 4th Blood Moon Eclipse...
Alice's curiosity sent her tumbling down a rabbit hole in pursuit of the White Rabbit, who was wearing a waistcoat and looking at his pocket watch, before he disappeared beneath a hedge and through the entrance. I followed this path and began falling down, down, down...
The Heart Key is too small for me to balance left and right hand energy of both Staff and Lantern, plus the chain is a bit too short when going over my head for wearing around my neck. It is better than being atop the table where Alice had left the key she found before drinking from the bottle that reduced her in size to the height of only 10 inches!
Metaphysical imbalance quickly morphed into a juggernaut, ripping through my Heart center as I lost my ability to discern the difference between emotional stability and internal chaos, so I plummeted even faster into the Abyss with no Light to guide my descent into the depths of Darkness. What is Love in Friendship? What is romantic entanglement?
De-coding the true meaning of my Journey that began last night in Amherst, I traveled this morning to Northampton and obtained an appropriately proportioned Key to wear along with the miniature one given to me by Rachael (Ray) at the Phoenix House when receiving my Hallowe'en costume. A compatible chain for the Source Key was also procured at this time. Threshold Lantern, both Keys, and the Celtic Cross Staff with Quartz Crystal affixed then were brought by the Ninth Archetype for grounding in the energy of Gaia at the Sirius Stone Sanctuary in the pouring rain that followed last night's Supermoon... ~ JDHWB-R
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
CHAPTER I Down the Rabbit-Hole Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'
So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, `Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled `ORANGE MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
`Well!' thought Alice to herself, `after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn't say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!' (Which was very likely true.)
Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end! `I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?' she said aloud. `I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think--' (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) `--yes, that's about the right distance--but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to?' (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)
Presently she began again. `I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--' (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) `--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke--fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) `And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.'
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. `Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!' (Dinah was the cat.) `I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?' And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, `Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?' and sometimes, `Do bats eat cats?' for, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, `Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?' when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, `Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!' She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head though the doorway; `and even if my head would go through,' thought poor Alice, `it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only know how to begin.' For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, (`which certainly was not here before,' said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words `DRINK ME' beautifully printed on it in large letters.
It was all very well to say `Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. `No, I'll look first,' she said, `and see whether it's marked "poison" or not'; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked `poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
However, this bottle was not marked `poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
`What a curious feeling!' said Alice; `I must be shutting up like a telescope.'
And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; `for it might end, you know,' said Alice to herself, `in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?' And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
`Come, there's no use in crying like that!' said Alice to herself, rather sharply; `I advise you to leave off this minute!' She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. `But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, `to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!'
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words `EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants. `Well, I'll eat it,' said Alice, `and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!'
She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, `Which way? Which way?', holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size: to be sure, this generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.
So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.
The Earth's shadow gradually covers the Moon with a shroud of Red...
The 4th Blood Moon Eclipse of September 27th, 2015
The Threshold Lantern was carried by me, playing the role of the Archetypal Hermit, from the rear entrance of the Community Center to the back yard of the original Farmhouse at Sirius for an Alchemical Fire Circle Ritual. I called in the energy of the four Archangels: Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. Then Tom invoked the Ancestors, and all of us collectively lit the Fire with birch bark ignited initially by the Lantern.
The Alchemical Fire Circle behind the original Farmhouse at Sirius...
The full moon was slowly becoming shrouded by the Earth's shadow until it glowed with a reddish hue as chanting and dancing surrounded the Fire Circle, while several of us chose to watch the eclipse from the edge of Shanti Garden. This Tetrad began on April 15, 2014, Maggie's 22nd birthday. There are 22 cards in the Major Arcana of the mystical Tarot, from The Fool (0) to The World (21). The Hermit is the 9th card...
Maggie on the night of the Blood Moon Eclipse near Shanti Garden...
Our Ritual was created by Rachael (Ray) and Cliff who live at the Phoenix House here in the community. While this moon was still waxing, we celebrated the Autumnal Equinox at the Sirius Stone Sanctuary whereas the Lantern was lighted on September 23rd, 2015 and carried by The Hermit leading a procession of people holding tea lights from Community Center to the Stone Circle where an original poem by Jonathan titled "Raven" was read by the 9th Archetype. The Lantern symbolically passed through the Underworld, being extinguished and then rekindled with greater Light than before, experiencing the proverbial "Dark Night of the Soul." As Above, So Below, As Is, So Be It, And So It Is! ~ JDHWB-R
Vegas Vortex: The Universal Fire Circle Alchemy By Jeff Magnus McBride and Abigail Spinner McBride
Since the dawn of time, human beings have gathered around the fire to make music, to dance, and to weave magic in the firelight. Alchemy is a paradigm of transformation, using the "fire of nature" to accelerate growth and change on interior levels. The Alchemical Fire Circle, grounded in this paradigm, is an evolving ritual form that has been in a state of refinement for the past sixteen years. The fundamental components of Fire Circle Alchemy are comprised of voice, music, movement, and service, which correspond to the magical elements of air, fire, water and earth, respectively. The rationale for these correspondences proceeds in a fairly logical fashion. Hence, voice corresponds with air for the reason that breath is essential to the production of human sound; similarly, music corresponds with fire, as it is the music that supplies the circle with its energy. The correspondence of movement with water is an external reflection of the constant motion of the fluids held within; and service corresponds with earth, given that service is the ever-present foundation upon which all of the other work rests.
Fire Circle Alchemy is a ritual of transformation derived from a mystical tradition. Availing ourselves of imagery and processes cognate to those pioneered in early alchemy laboratories, we embark upon a mythic journey of re-creation, an adaptation of the alchemist's Great Work, or Magnum Opus: the Quest for the Philosopher's Stone.
The Quest is a pilgrimage from the prima materia to the quintessence-to that which transforms all it touches to gold. When we realize that we ourselves are the prima materia, or primal matter, we can willfully endeavor to proceed through the stages of refinement that empower us to become living, breathing forms of the Philosopher's Stone-- vessels of Divinity, with the re-collected capacity to transmute all that we touch to gold. Alchemy is a formula for the spiritualization of matter, effecting all of our actions and interactions to exist as spiritual acts. We consider each of the operations involved in bringing forth this ritual to be a meditation, essentially imbued with the potential to deliver countless spiritual lessons. There are no mundane undertakings. Every stone that is set in the fire circle, and every torch that is filled and placed, can be approached with sincere mindfulness.
In order to maximize the elegant flow of the experiment, there are a number of fundamental details that must be addressed, starting with set-up of the ritual container and gathering of materials. If the ensuing magic is slated to take place outdoors, this work is comprised of gathering wood for the fire, assembling and positioning benches for the musicians, ensconcing tiki torches for illumination, supplying water bottles to facilitate hydration, preparing a food area for sustenance, constructing a portal or gate to encourage conscious entry to the vessel, and organizing a rattle altar, upon which shakers and other small percussion toys are made available to all celebrants for use throughout the duration of the rite. If you are indoors, it can be as simple as clearing the middle of the room, turning off the phones, lighting a few candles in the center, and cleansing the area with incense or sage.
The ceremony begins with connection, by way of the physical linking of hands, the emotional meeting of eyes, the mental contact of naming, and, periodically, by the spiritual correspondence of invocation through expression of ritual intentions. This initial interlacing of essence is attentively followed by a circle casting.
Our magic circle, or alchemical vessel, if you will, is formulated from a conglomeration of hands, hearts, minds and spirits, interwoven through music, chant, spoken word, and movement. There is no pre-scribed liturgy or pre-rehearsed form. By re-solving ourselves to dis-covering each other within the mystery of sustained, mindful engagement, and by consciously choosing to cross the threshold into the collaborative process of introducing, inventing, spinning and galvanizing spontaneously emerging themes, celebrants are empowered to witness and nurture each other's creativity, beauty, process and art, thus becoming a harmony of communal inspiration, as we dance through the alchemical stages from darkness into light.
Every Alchemical Fire Circle is unique. To be clear, because the process unfolds extemporaneously, it is never exactly the same, although there are apparent similarities in the pattern. A fire-lighting ceremony of some nature occurs, along with an opening ritual that stimulates and fuels a thematically aligned chant... The words to the song could then conceivably evolve into music and movement that echoes the feelings, gradually becoming a dance, which would lead into another chant which would, in all probability, ripen into a related but divergent theme.... and on the circle turns, all the way to illumination. When we consciously observe and attend to what is actually happening in the circle, finding our inspiration and improvisational directions from each other while staying mindfully engaged in the process, we deepen into discovery of ourselves, our relationships, and our community.
The Alchemical Fire Circle Architecture and Orbits
One relatively universal way of understanding the composition of the Alchemical Fire Circle is by correlating the pathways of movement with the planetary orbits and their mythology. This model is an archetypal mirror of our solar system, and our dance is a recreation of the great cosmic dance of life.
The fire in the center of the vessel is representative of the Sun, the source of energy, heat, light, and transformation. The metal that corresponds with Sol is Gold -- Attainment. Wisdom. Self-realization. Often seen in perennial members of the community as they channel the energy of the circle, the Sun corresponds with our seventh chakra, the crown, and the foremost connection to Source.
It is common knowledge that numerous planets have moons. In our Fire Circle tradition, the Moon is associated with the Priest/ess current-nurturing, serving, assisting, and maintaining gravitational balance in any of the planetary orbits. The metal of the Moon is silver, and it corresponds with the sixth chakra, inner vision, intuition and dreaming.
The closest dance path circling the fire is the Mercury track. It is the fleet footed inner ring of movement. Dancers in this orbit are generally quite energized and active, like Quicksilver, the planet Mercury's metallic match. Mercury represents a gas that rises and falls, and in addition, is also the mediator and messenger, related to clear communication, the fifth chakra, and the throat.
The Venus track is an intermediate path. This is an orbit of relationship in motion, with self and others. It is not uncommon for people engaging in this ring of planetary dance to be in light trance, attuned to the sensuality of movement, song and rhythm. The metal of Venus is Copper, which is dynamic and volatile. In our paradigm, Venus relates to the fourth chakra and the energies of the heart.
The Earth track, demarcated by corn-meal or flour, is a slow and deliberate moving orbit, for those in deep trance, doing rattle work, or personal grounding.
Defined by the interior ring of torches, the Mars track is a place to witness and consciously contribute to the creation of the transformational container. People regularly stand in this area with small rattles, providing sonic guardianship and energetic support for others who are active within the inner orbits. The metal of Mars is iron, and the energetic correspondence is one of warrior energy, martial and protective. Disciplined will and third chakra are connected to Mars.
Between the two torch rings is the Jupiter track, an area for interactions with others that are not suited to take place within the ever-moving circles of dance. In contrast to participating in idle chatter, people here can be seen feeding or watering each other, breathing together, hugging or rubbing shoulders. Not really a "social" zone, it is rather a place for conscious encounters of a stationary nature. The metal of Jupiter is Tin, which is a malleable metal, related to blending and balancing of energies as well as to the second chakra.
The ring of Saturn is delineated by the internal perimeter of the circle, including the prayer flags on the outer torch ring, the woodpile, and, occasionally, altars or shrines. The metal of Saturn is Lead, representing "heavy," intense energy; power that needs to be purified, first chakra, survival instinct, and fight-or-flight response all connect here.
On the exterior side of the fire circle perimeter is the "comet's trail," a path for walking meditation which allows those individuals seeking solitude to stay engaged and involved in the energy of the fire circle if it is their will.
By conscientious consideration of this majestic cosmic dance, we can awaken into greater and greater awareness of the diverse elements and archetypes interacting within the vessel, and ultimately within the universe.
Inner Alchemy at the Fire Circle
At the Fire Circle as in life, we each carry around our own quandaries and calamities, material that often nurtures impediments or "blocks" that perpetuate unsavory patterns of stagnation. These internal obstructions can be visualized as literal blocks of salt, a substance that is not only alchemically symbolic, but also long recognized for its ability to preserve. This being said, on a more cerebral level, salt can be linked to the preservation of memories, while on the affective plain it is appropriately associated with the preservation of feelings. These languished memories and feelings, whether we are conscious of them or not, become a platform for the emergence, reappearance, recurrence, and re-enactment of dramas with analogous mythopoetic foundations. Thus salt is in fact a metonymy for that which sustains us in futile and ineffective cognitive and behavioral processes.
Enveloped in the pervasive intensity of the alchemical vessel, immersed in the inter-activity of drum, dance, chant, and creative play, absorbed in the profundity of trance, blocks get stimulated and dislodged organically. When a particular threshold is attained, the sulfur, or energetic heat released by the Fire, together with the fervor of drumming and movement, triggers a symbolic liquefaction of the salt within. This natural element of the alchemical progression is embodied through perspiration and tears, a corporeal expression of the mental and spiritual liberation it signifies. The emotional overflowing and experience of soul-stirring sensation that accompanies this literal brimming over of the personal vessel has been referred to as "popping," but we a render a perceptual distinction by considering it more incisively, as a release, which leads to real ease. Real ease in life is what truly empowers our connections to Spirit, to ourselves, and to each other to flourish and thrive.
By accepting the challenge of navigating through these processes and committing to the ordeal, we are inherently provided with the blueprint for illumination in the truest sense.... not guru-sitting-on-a-pillow illumination, but shedding-new-light-on-our-lives illumination.
The Fire Circle is a microcosm for the macrocosm of our aggregate existence, and, therefore, any core issue or challenge we encounter in our daily life will ineluctably be activated and echoed within the vessel. As we encounter and sometimes collide with these issues, it is our ability to negotiate the situation inside the Circle, while remaining engaged in the process, which affords us the prospect and probability of returning to a daily life where these matters no longer activate us. The magic we co-create in the sacred container, through sustained engagement, ripples out exponentially into the rest of our lives, for the highest good. The mightier our ability to remain engaged in the Fire Circle process, the richer and fuller our experience becomes, a truth that is mirrored in the greater mystery of life. Though it can be challenging to stay fully committed to the creative process from midnight, or earlier, until after sunrise, it is specifically this kind of initiatory, inventive ordeal, virtually unheard of in our culture, that furnishes us with the utmost opportunity for personal and collective growth.
Working with Prima Materia
When issues come up, friends often say, "What's the matter?" So, let us examine the "first matter," or Prima Materia, of alchemy, which is referred to interchangeably in alchemical texts and literature as darkness, chaos, excrement or lead. It is precisely this material, which many of us speciously dismiss as useless, insignificant, bothersome, and even infuriating, from whence the final golden product is derived. To transform lead into gold, or to spiritualize matter, alchemists, and likewise, we at the Fire, utilize the following formula: "Solve et Coagula," or "dissolve and recombine."
The initiation into the Great Work of Alchemy involves first the application of heat, and subsequently the addition of water to catalyze the dissolving, melting, and liquefying of the first matter. In his alchemical writings, Carl Jung characterized this period as "breaking down the boundaries of the ego, and allowing the chaotic material of the unconscious to pour forth where it can be inspected by consciousness." In this sense, the alchemical expression, "Solve," quite accurately describes the initial interactions with self and others that take place in the early hours of the Fire Circle-interactions that reflect the softening of personal and group boundaries, and the opening of hearts.
The second half of the alchemical idiom guiding the Fire Circle ritual is "Coagula," literally "coagulate," an expression that denotes a re-assimilation with self, others, and refined understanding. In terms of the alchemical process, this is the reunification that occurs after the purifying stage of distillation. In life, we can observe this corollary of the Work through our integration of the lessons and experiences we have had around the fire into our community relations and through our ability to further assimilate them into the orbit of our daily lives, in our much grander circle around the fire of the sun.
The Alchemical Process
During the course of an all-night fire, as well as a fire circle succession, time periods with distinct energetic signatures are clearly discernable; three comprehensive periods, along with their constituent components, are alchemically referenced as follows:
NIGREDO:
The Latin term for the first phase of the alchemical process is Nigredo, meaning "the blackening." In the laboratory, this is the phase where the "Prima Materia," or first matter, is placed into a container and burned to ash, then dissolved to produce a suspension. Within the fire circle, Nigredo is evidenced as a vast expanse of chaotic, often frenetic activity-from the arrival and acclimation of celebrants, to the excitement of the fire-lighting ceremony, to highly energized drumming and dancing. On a personal or transformational level, this is a time when we "burn away and dissolve" whatever stands between us and the Divine. The three stages of alchemy encompassed by the Nigredo phase are:
1. Calcination (root chakra, Saturn, survival): The issue or issues within the physical container are brought up and heated by the Fire of chanting, drumming, dancing, and other creative expression.
2. Dissolution (sacral chakra, Jupiter, blending): The issues are dissolved in the sea of personal and collective emotion. Through sweat and tears, salt is released from the physical body, as blocks begin to dissolve.
3. Separation (solar plexus chakra, Mars, choosing): In the alchemist's laboratory, this is the stage when the solution is broken up into its separate components. At the Fire Circle, people begin to sacrifice whatever Lead they've been carrying into the fire to be transformed. A choice is made to separate or release from the "issue," (energetic discharge, more tears, or intense physical movement), and in so doing separate from the things which isolate our individual egos from others and Self.
ALBEDO:
The Albedo phase, which in more orthodox alchemy relates to the whitening process, is a time when the matter in the flask is softening and beginning to purify. Translated to the vernacular of the fire circle, this phase corresponds to a palpable lightening of the energy; perhaps the drumming grows quieter, or the songs and chants move to a place of more richness and depth, or the dancing becomes increasingly lyrical. Coincidentally, this is often the time when the sky begins to grow light. The above and the below are united in the heart, resulting in a vibration of increased purity and strength. The three stages of the alchemical process that comprise the Albedo phase are:
4. Conjunction (heart chakra/Venus, joining together through love): The shift to Albedo, the white, soft stage of the Work. This step represents the coming together of Self and ego, soul and spirit, or the individual and the community. An important step; often it gives us a deeper understanding of our Higher Self in contrast to our ego. At the Fire Circle, deeper connections are forged between the person releasing and the other celebrants who witness, receive or catch the energy and assist gently through the process.
5. Fermentation (throat chakra/Mercury, speaking): In Alchemy, fermentation is the process of refining, skimming the crud that rises to the surface, to find a purer solution. We have had the experience of burning, dissolving, separating, and joining together. Now, we are speaking our truth and separating the subtle from the gross as we continue to refine.
6. Distillation (third eye chakra, Moon, introspective visioning): At this stage of the Work, we have a pure, refined "solution." We gain insight and understanding by "processing" our issues through the alchemical laboratory that is our body. By contemplating the past, while being engaged in the present, we can now make informed choices about how to move and interact at the Fire, and out in the world in the future.
RUBEDO:
The culminating phase of the alchemical process is called "Rubedo," meaning "the reddening," an expression which, within the confines of a conventional laboratory, indicates the material's conversion to a red tint, and presages it's transformation to gold. In the tradition of Fire Circle Alchemy this can be equated with the sunrise itself. Of this mystery, few words can be said. The stage that corresponds with the rubedo is:
7. Coagulation (crown chakra, Sun, illuminating): This begins the phase of Rubedo, the period in which our spiritual gold is realized. This is the stage of consciously connecting with Spirit, releasing the light within matter, and releasing the boundaries between inner and outer experience. We bring our fresh insights and knowledge into the world, moment by moment, remaining in the flow. We connect with our highest selves, connect with Divinity, and with the Earth. Also at this stage, we experience an accelerated rate of synchronicities.
At this point in the alchemical work, we re-enter the fire of our daily lives, with our hearts connected, and our minds set free. As we continue the practice in the circle of life, new issues will inevitably arise within us, and the refining process will begin again.
Both the physical laboratory of the alchemist and the virtual laboratory of the fire circle are very much like the laboratory of the body. Each is in a perpetual state of evolution: processing blocks, pushing boundaries, and, as the Hermetica states, "separating the subtle from the gross, gently and with great ingenuity."
Fire Circle Alchemy is not inevitably bound by temporal or spatial constraints. This is to say that an Alchemical Fire Circle ritual is by no means obliged to persist until dawn, nor is it requisite that it manifest outdoors. A group of three or more friends gathered together with common intent can converge upon this application for a period of a few hours to generate a genuinely magical experience. In contrast, this ritual format has also proven exceedingly effective for groups of several hundred, drumming, singing and dancing all night long, until sunrise and beyond. We encourage you to experiment, for you are the alchemists!
(For a more elaborate description of the phases and stages of the alchemical process, consult The Emerald Tablet, by D.W. Hauck)
Saturday morning "Joyful Productivity" at Sirius Community brought us to the old South School around the corner from Baker Rd. to utilize the services of "Cranberry" the truck and "Chewy" the chipper to clear trees, brush, etc. from the grounds around this historic site on Schoolhouse Rd. Christopher is feeding brush into the chipper... JDHWB-R
SOUTH SCHOOL is an historic one-room schoolhouse located in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, owned by the Sirius Community. It was built c. 1830, although some records indicate that it may date to the 1790’s. It is currently listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Shutesbury is a hill town in the Pioneer Valley, part of the Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts. It was settled in 1735, and incorporated as a town in 1761. Early settlers were a farming community of small homesteaders. By the early & mid 1800’s the inhabitants included small farmers, mill workers and the owners of many small cottage industries, whose sons & daughters attended the 10 one-room schoolhouses in town. Most of the young “scholars” walked to school or rode horseback, or in a carriage. The schools were placed in local neighborhood “districts” to be within a 1-2 mile walk or ride of local residences. By the early 20th century many of these schools had been replaced by more centrally located schoolhouses which were facilitated by modern transportation.
SOUTH SCHOOL
Although the 19th century saw a gradual increase in population growth in Shutesbury, by mid-century it had peaked. The Homestead Act of 1861 attracted many of the early New England settlers to the newly opened & more easily farmed lands of the western and mid-western U.S. By 1928, Shutesbury, like many hill towns in Massachusetts had declined in population to almost the lowest level since it’s founding or apprx. 200. By then, only 3 schools remained opened: the newly Consolidated School near the center of Town where 25 pupils attended, and which by then had two rooms, and two outlying one-room schoolhouses, the SOUTH SCHOOL and the WEST SCHOOL. These were both closed in 1928-29, but both remain standing today. These are the only two remaining schoolhouses of the original 10 built in the town during the 19th century. The WEST SCHOOL, built in 1840 is owned and maintained by the Town of Shutesbury.
The Sirius Community owns the SOUTH SCHOOL and is currently restoring the building to be used for teaching woodcarving, woodworking, sculpture, & traditional crafts as part of the Sirius Community on-going programs. On view are old maps, photos from the early 20th century, general information about Shutesbury history, as well as large framed prints from the era, including the work of Winslow Homer illustrating the schoolhouse era. SOUTH SCHOOL is an apprx. 500 sq.ft. 1-1/2 story wood frame building with chestnut beams & cedar clapboard siding. A Condition Assessment report has been done of the building by a local architect with the assistance of a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Although the school building is in fair to good condition, the sill beams from the original 180 year old foundation have deteriorated and need replacing. The building was re-roofed by the Sirius Community several years ago; however, siding, door, and windows are in need of repair, painting etc.
On Wednesday, October 21st when restoring balance to the Key I also obtained a quartz crystal tip which Christopher helped me affix to the Celtic Cross Staff in the woodworking shop at Sirius Community this afternoon... JDHWB-R
Creating Your Own Magical Tools with Natasha Heard
Six Magical Weeks of Online, Interactive instruction with Natasha Heard! Each week features videos, audio, notes, photos & a private forum. Start when you wish; work at your own pace.
How to Create Your Own Magical Tools. For
years many have wanted to know, begged and pleaded for me to share my
magical tool making secrets!! Here in this course I will show you step
by step how to create and how to use these magical tools!
Create your own Blessed Branch!
WANDS, SCEPTRES, STAVES
Week 1: What is a magical tool? Wands, Sceptres, Staves, Smudge fans... Week 2: Seek the branch: connecting to Mother Earth and the Trees. Week 3: Creating with crystals and powerstones. Week 4: Two become one: drilling, sanding, setting Week 5: Feathers, shells, threads and bells: adorning your magical tool. Week 6: Making magick!!! how to use your new creation.
Preparation of the Key for use with Lantern and Staff was not in proportion to scale of the chain used for this implement on October 17th and thus created an imbalance which could not be overcome without using a chain more compatible with its size. Today, I put the Key on a chain in appropriate scale and this implement is now in balance with Heart... JDHWB-R
GOAL SETTING: BALANCE IS THE KEY TO LIFE
To be a healthy individual, you should be able to balance the areas of giving to others, asking for what you need, and giving to yourself. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who give to another person in hopes that they will get the same in return. This is especially true for women. In our women’s groups, I frequently see women who are giving to the group what they desperately need, whether that be a shoulder to cry on, a gentle touch, or a word of encouragement. Much of their work is learning to ask for what they need. Women complain, “But if I ask, then it didn’t come naturally; it’s not from the heart.” Their statement is partially true, that it may not be natural, but it can still be given from the heart.
When I see couples who are starving for attention, they are encouraged to ask for what they need. Typically, they want to stalemate each other, stating that “if I have to ask, it does not feel genuine, and it doesn’t count. They should know what I need or they should simultaneously want the same things.” Couples expect their partners to be on the same page regarding their needs. I am here to tell you that this does not happen naturally in a relationship!
A healthy individual will ask directly and honestly for what they want. I know you might be thinking, “But if I ask, I might be rejected.” That is absolutely a possibility, but your partner, family member, coworker, or friend can’t read your mind. If they know what you need, they have a choice of responding or not. This is the same for people who are easily disappointed. I encourage them to be assertive but have low expectations or better yet no expectations. That way they can focus on their contribution—they asked for what they needed but stayed realistic about the request. Asking does not ensure that they will get their needs met.
The skeptical client will ask, “Okay, so I asked. What happens if I don’t get my needs met?” It is your responsibility to figure out a safe way to get your needs met! For instance, if you need more affection from your husband or wife and it is not reciprocated, grab a hug from a friend, spend time loving on your dog, or get some hugs at church. You may be thinking, “Come on, Carol, that’s not the same thing.” But clearly, the key to life is appreciating what you do have in this short life, so expend your energy elsewhere in safe ways (this is not a license for an affair).
If you want a job promotion at work, ask. If the boss turns you down, strategize with him or her how you can promote yourself in the future. Ask yourself, “What need am I trying to meet?” Increased recognition, more money, better mobility? Once you have decided on your need, figure out another way to get that need supplemented. Remember, when you directly ask for what you need you can feel good about letting others know of your intentions. Focus on the positive feelings of being direct. If you fear rejection, memorize the statement “Low expectations, no expectations.” This will help you remember that asking does not automatically ensure receiving. Lastly, pride yourself on your clarity and ability to express your needs.
As people get better at asking for what they need, they start gravitating toward others on the same level. This results in a more nurturing and supportive environment and promotes balance in your life.
THE CHARACTER OF JOSEPH REFLECTS THE CHARACTER OF GOD. HE WAS GIVEN A COAT OF MANY COLORS REPRESENTING THE MANY NATIONS OF THE WORLD HE WAS TO SERVE. THE EVENTS OF HIS LIFE LAY OUT A PATTERN OF END-TIME EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHT THE CHARACTER CHANGE OF THE ELECT TOWARDS A RESPONSIBLE AND CHEERFUL ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE END-TIME WITNESS. ALL THIS WILL SURELY BE SEEN IN THE LATTER DAY CONGREGATION/CHURCH OF MESSIAH
Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons and from these 12 patriarchs came the 12 tribes of Israel. Within each of the 12 we find 12 expressions of the divine character of God. Our study will concentrate on the life flow and the character of God we see manifest in the life of Joseph. And from there we shall begin to make our discoveries.
Yes the gate of Joseph is one of the 12 gates into the Holy City. Joseph was a brother who being persecuted by his brethren was sent out into the world ahead of the others. Skipping beyond the nationalism of his brothers he became a global company quite early. I believe Joseph's spirit and character has special connection to the true Bible believing born-again evangelicals we see scattered across this world and out at the ends of the earth. There is suffering in the experience of Joseph. He is thrown in a pit. He endures rejection and deadly persecution by his brethren.
The "evil report" Joseph brings to his father regarding his brethren is also our present reality. There is gross sin in the family of God, and sin must be dealt with. We know that. They don't. At least not yet. There must be true repentance and a new life in Christ as Savior and Lord. Nothing less will do.
The brothers of Joseph do not like this "evil report", no not one bit. But the facts remain, there is godlessness in the family of God and there is sin in the camp. All of this must be addressed. Today the people God is calling into His Covenant are still lukewarm towards Him. They are falling short of the great destiny He has in mind for them. No one seems to care. Except Joseph!
Joseph is not "negative" in his apparent harshness here. Nor is he a kiljoy. He has a loving concern for all his brethren. He wants the prodigals to come home, to seek the face of the Father, to enter into the glorious destiny God has planned for them. But they cannot do this whilst still embracing their self centered attitude.
Carnal Christians must make a choice. Who are they going to serve. Will it be contracts with the merchants of this world? Or a blood covenant commitment" with the God who is there? Will they take up their cross and follow the Captain of their salvation? Or will they desert ship seven years early while continuing to pay homage to the princes of this world?
This is the all important question. And it calls for an answer. People who call themselves Christians must answer this question. Whom will you serve?
Because of the coming seven year famine of the bread of Life there will be a crisis. The whole family of the God of Jacob must go to Joseph. They are in the shadow of the Day of Reckoning. And so in the fullness of time the brothers find themselves OBE, "overcome by events". And Joseph gets their hearing.
Joseph is an international company. His coat of many colors is a coat of many flags and many nations. The English speaking brothers have been very strong nations. But ALL of Joseph's brothers will surely come to the end of their supply. And the day will finally come when they will be gathered before him at an awesome camp meeting that will cause all the previous ones to seem insignificant.
ENOCH'S MISSION AND SHEM'S RESPONSIBILITY By Howard B. Rand, U.S.A.
[Editors note: The author of this article is using material from the ancient historian MANETHO. This information is not necessarily regarded as historically accurate by many historians!]
DURING the construction of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, the records indicate that the Egyptian government was in opposition to the idolatrous worship that had been established in the land. Cheops, the Pharaoh ruling at that time, was accused by the idolatrous worshippers of being very arrogant toward the gods, having shut up their temples and having compelled the priests to labor.
Historical fragments set forth the fact that at this time there was a notable stranger in Egypt who remained at the site of the Great Pyramid. The priest whom Herodotus the historian consulted regarding the earlier history of Egypt described this stranger as a shepherd to whom, rather than to Cheops, the Egyptians attributed the building of the Great Pyramid.
Cheops apparently furnished the site, the workmen and the materials. The record refers to this stranger as a keeper of sheep and he is called "Philition" or "Philitis". This was none other than Shem, the son of Noah.
When the people of Israel left Egypt and were moving through the wilderness, in order to bolster their morale, they were told of a much earlier people who, in like manner, had been led out of Egypt. They were called Caphtorims who came out of Caphtor, to whom Moses referred in Deuteronomy 2:23.
This place called Caphtor was the very region in Egypt where today the Great Pyramid stands. The Lord, through the Prophet Amos, refers to the people as Philistines whom He brought up from Caphtor (Amos 9:7). Therefore, we learn from the historian Herodotus (confirmed in the Scriptures) of Philistines once living in the neighborhood of the Great Pyramid, who were the object of Divine favor and who were led out of Egypt before the Israelites left that land .
These were not the Philistines of the time of the Judges and David, but a much earlier people who feared and reverenced the true God. Their king bore the name of Abimelech (Genesis 21:22), a Hebrew word meaning "Father King". Coming to Palestine from the Nile Delta, they were known in Egypt as "The Shepherd Kings". As pointed out in Destiny for October 1955:
"After the Deluge the ancient licentious practices that eventuated in that world-wide destruction were restored in Egypt by the descendants of Ham. This evil revival took the form of venerating those who had died in the cataclysm and resulted in the worship of dead antediluvian heroes whom they eventually deified as the gods of the people. Cush and his son Nimrod were especially active as leaders in this revolt from righteousness. Ancient mythology teems with evidence that this was the case and confirms the fact of the conflict that ensued when Shem, son of Noah, Priest of the Most High God, moved to overthrow the godmakers and their gods. Shem is credited with bringing about the death of Nimrod and some of his companions, although others escaped and fled to a place of refuge.
Following this overthrow of idolatry after the Deluge, Shem became the first of the shepherd kings who reigned in Egypt. He was held in highest honor by the people in that land for having delivered them from the Cushite yoke. Too, he was regarded as the most powerful of their gods until the time of Rameses II, Pharaoh of Egypt.
After that the pagan priests regained their authority and idolatry reasserted itself throughout the land. The priestly orders hated Shem with utmost vindictiveness for his major part in destroying their power, for he was known by all as the unrelenting foe of Osiris (Nimrod deified) and of all the gods of Egypt. Thus, when the idolatrous priests were again in the ascendancy, everything possible was done to blacken Shem's memory".
During the reign of the Shepherd King Set, or Shem, and his immediate successors, the complete overthrow of the Egyptian gods occurred; their temples were demolished and idolatry in any form was forbidden throughout the land. Moreover, the overthrow of the Cushite dominion and idolatry by the shepherd kings corresponds exactly with the overthrow of Osiris (Nimrod) by Set (Shem) and with the story of the judicial execution of Tammuz (another name given to Nimrod) as told by Maimonedes, a rabbinical scholar of the 12th century.
"There was a king of ours," writes Manetho, the Egyptian historian, "whose name was Timaus [Nimrod] . Under him it came to pass, I know not how, that God was averse to us, and there came in a surprising manner men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts, and had boldness enough to make an expedition into our country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without our hazarding a battle with them".
This account is in complete accord with the overthrow of Nimrod by Shem, which was accomplished neither by force nor by open war. Manetho proceeds:
"So when they had gotten those who governed us [i.e., Timaus, or Nimrod, and his father] under their power, they afterwards burned down our cities and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants in a most barbarous manner; nay, some they slew and led their children and wives into slavery. The whole nation was called Hyksos; that is, shepherd kings."
The idolatrous priesthood, and those sympathetic with it, would naturally exaggerate the power which overthrew their religion and would misrepresent its motives and subsequent actions. The point, however, is that those who accomplished this were shepherds from the East. This was mainly the work of Shem, the Shepherd King who was also Priest of the Most High God, in his conflict with the gross idolatry of Egypt. The heathen temples were literally smashed to pieces, their supporting columns broken and strewn about. Herein lies the explanation of the massive temple ruins which may still be seen in the land of the Pharaohs.
Briefly told, while Nimrod was away on one of his military expeditions, Shem evidently came into Egypt. It would have been quite impossible for him to have overthrown the powerful Cushite race by force of arms in the zenith of its power. It is evident, however, that he succeeded in convincing the Egyptians of the deadly character of the idolatry advocated by Cush and Nimrod and thus, while these two powerful leaders were absent, he was able to destroy their influence. When Nimrod returned, he was seized and condemned to death. This overthrow of the god Nimrod by the power of truth is mystically taught in the story of the death of Adonis, or Tammuz (both names of Nimrod).
Manetho says that the shepherds were finally prevailed upon to leave Egypt, which they did without molestation, and went to Judea where they built the city of Jerusalem. Josephus, the Jewish historian, calls these shepherds "our ancestors", which is definitely the case if Shem was the first and most powerful Shepherd King of Egypt. As King of Salem (Jerusalem) and Priest of the Most High God, Shem was the Melchizedek to whom Abraham gave tithes.
Everything in the ancient records tends to identify the shepherd kings with the patriarchs of the Semitic race. It is also interesting to know the reason why the mighty men who overthrew the pagan gods were represented with flowing hair and beards. Sir G. Wilkinson, in Egyptians, Vol. IV, points out that the hatred of the shepherds was shown by the way in which Egyptians always represented herdsmen and shepherds as dirty, unshaven and of ludicrous appearance. This hatred by the idolators of the very memory of the shepherds is implied by the statement in Genesis 46:34 that "every shepherd is an abomination [that is, an object of religious hatred] unto the Egyptians."
M. Lenormant, speaking of the shepherd kings, states:
"The study of the monuments proves the reality of the frightful devastation consequent on the invasion. With one single exception, all the temples built prior to that event have disappeared, and nothing can be found of them but scattered ruins bearing traces of violent destruction."
When Shem, with his followers, came out of Egypt, they founded at Jerusalem the city destined to become the City of David and also the capital of the Kingdom of God when Jesus Christ, who is of the Order of Melchizedek, returns to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The priestly Order of Melchizedek began with Adam and the Preachers of Righteousness from Adam to Noah were of this Order. Noah is recorded as the eighth Preacher of Righteousness in II Peter 2:5. The fifth chapter of Genesis begins, "This is the book of the generations of Adam," and no one of the line of Cain is recorded there. As stated in Primogenesis:
"Noah was the tenth in generation. The reason he was but the eighth in priestly line was because Enoch was translated before his father died and did not come to the priestly office (Genesis 5:24). Methuselah, the son of Enoch, took the office directly from his grandfather Jared, the father of Enoch. Methuselah, in turn, outlived his son Lamech, so the office passed directly to his grandson, Noah, the son of Lamech (Genesis 5:27). Noah, therefore, became the eighth Preacher of Righteousness, though the tenth in generation, because these two, Enoch and Lamech, never succeeded to the priestly office."
In this line of Preachers of Righteousness, Shem, Noah's son, became the ninth. As stated in Pritnogenesis:
"The Order of Melchizedek, in its earthly representation, began with Adam as the first Preacher of Righteousness. Noah was the eighth and Shem was the ninth. Shem lived until Isaac, Abraham's son, was about fifty years old. This was five hundred years after the Deluge. Thus, from Adam to Shem, through Methuselah, who was a contemporary of both because of his long life, the early records of the race were preserved .....
At the death of Shem the Order of Melchizedek ceased to have earthly representation, for God's plans had already entered a new phase in the calling of Abraham. Subsequently, Jesus Christ came and became the tenth; that is, the completion of that Order:
'So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' Hebrews 5:5-6
In His ministry, He was a Prophet; in His atonement, He was a Priest. When He returns, He is to be King. Thus, in the Order of Melchizedek, He is Prophet, Priest and King."
The Bible also records a line of master shepherds beginning with these Preachers of Righteousness, who wore the shepherd's garb as the insignia of office. From Abraham to John the Baptist, in each generation there were those who were members of this ancient and honorable Order. Then Jesus Christ associated Himself with the office, becoming the Grand Master of the Order of Master Shepherds:
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10: 14-15
It is fitting, therefore, that Shem, who was the ninth Preacher of Righteousness and also a member of the Order of Master Shepherds, was entrusted with the construction of the Great Pyramid at Gizeh in Egypt. He was well qualified to supervise the building of this monument in view of his deep spiritual understanding, his undaunted courage and his exemplary life.
The Great Pyramid itself is emblematical of the Kingdom of God. When the time of restitution comes, and the Kingdom is restored in its full perfection; it will then be ready to receive the Capstone "which the builders rejected" (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21 :42). That Capstone is Jesus Christ who is Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek. Only a building that is pyramidal in shape is completed by placing a capstone in position.
The Great Pyramid is also known as the Pillar of Enoch. We understand from the Scriptures that Enoch was translated for the account states:
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Genesis 5:24
Further light is shed on this statement by Paul's comment:
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Hebrews 11:5
It is also stated in Ecclesiasticus:
"Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations." Ecclesiasticus 44:16
Turning to the Book of Enoch, we find that this man of God was given instructions by the Angel Uriel in th laws governing heavenly bodies. He was shown the duration of the years to the beginning of the new creation which would endure throughout eternity, after which he was charged to pass this information on to his posterity. Addressing Methuselah, his son, Enoch said:
''And now, my son Methuselah, all these things I am recounting to thee and writing down for thee, and I have revealed to thee everything, and given thee books concerning all these: so preserve, my son Methuselah, the books from thy father's hand, and (see) that thou deliver them to the generations of the world. I have given wisdom to thee and to thy children, [And thy children that shall be to thee ], that they may give it to their children for generations, this wisdom (namely) that passeth their thought. And those who understand it shall not sleep, but shall listen with the ear that they may learn this wisdom, and it shall please those that eat thereof better than good food." Book of Enoch 82:1-3
There is a tradition that when Noah entered the Ark, he had with him a chest containing important plans. Was Noah the custodian of the books, plans and instructions that Enoch gave to his son Methuselah? There had to be a plan for workmen to follow in the construction of the Great Pyramid. Did Enoch provide those working plans and was this the reason why this monument is known as the Pillar of Enoch? We know that the Great Pyramid contains marvelously accurate astronomical and mathematical evidence. Furthermore, it does set forth the numbering of the days of the present order to the beginning of eternity.
Did Shem use the instructions left by Enoch as a guide in the construction of this pillar of witness? It seems wholly likely that he did so.
These deductions introduce some very intriguing questions. First, it is entirely appropriate that Enoch, the first man to escape death through translation, should have been instrumental in supplying the information enabling Shem, a Preacher of Righteousness - the last of the earthly Order of Melchizedek - to build this monument. In it is embodied the sciences of mathematics, astronomy and chronology, revealing the onward march of the people of the Kingdom to the day when Jesus Christ, as the Capstone, who is Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek, will take His rightful place and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords over His Kingdom.
Is there a suggestion in all these facts that the information contained in the Great Pyramid is primarily addressed to the attention of a specific group in these last days? Surely this is the group of whom the Angel was speaking when he told Daniel:
"None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Daniel 12:10
We know from our present knowledge of the significance of the symbolism of the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid that there is a special message incorporated in the chronological symbolism in this Chamber, directed to those classified in the Scriptures as overcomers. As he told his son Methuselah, Enoch, himself an overcomer, was instrumental in making provision for this "wisdom" to be handed down from generation to generation for the enlightenment of those who would understand it. Those who would listen would find this knowledge to be more rewarding than sleep and more pleasing than the eating of good food. The revelation contained in the Great Pyramid has accomplished all this, for it is spiritual food of a very high order. Let those who repudiate its revelation consider that the counsel Enoch gave to Methuselah has not failed to be carried out. The name "Pillar of Enoch" is therefore not without deep significance.
The Prophet Daniel was told that the meaning of the prophesies concealed in his book would be revealed at the Time of the End. The "vision" was to be kept secret, "for it relates to the distant future" (Smith & Goodspeed translation of Daniel 8:26). In the Ferrar Fenton rendering, instructions given were that the prophecy was "hidden and sealed until the fixed time"-Daniel 12:9 All of this goes to show that generations were to pass until the arrival of the generation to whom the revelation would be made plain. Surely Daniel was not unmindful of the wealth of knowledge that was being handed down from Enoch and was still to be kept secret in his own day.
We know from other Scriptural evidence which space will not permit repeating here that we are the generation upon whom the ending of the age has come. We of this generation may be the most privileged of all since we are living in the time when "the wise shall understand." May it be, then, that there is a hidden meaning for the overcomers in Enoch's statement to his son: "And those who understand it shall not sleep."
Was Enoch referring to the watchers who would be living in the closing days of the present order? To them Jesus addressed the admonition: "Watch!"
Did Enoch have in mind those among the overcomers who would be translated and not experience death? It is clear that the wise to whom the Angel referred in communicating with Daniel are registered for deliverance from trouble (Daniel 12:1) at a time when the resurrection is to become a reality (Daniel 12:2). Enoch was the forerunner of those who are to circumvent death through translation, just as he escaped the devastation that climaxed in worldwide destruction by the Deluge.
In His statement to Martha, our Lord not only assured her of a future resurrection, but He also confirmed the fact that there will be a translation for the living who will not see death; that is, who will not sleep:
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live [as the result of the resurrection] and whosoever liveth [in that day of resurrection] : and believeth in me shall never die". [that is, will be translated] John 11:25-26
Many generations after Enoch's day the Prophet Isaiah was constrained to write:
"In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt." Isaiah 19:19-20
Undoubtedly Isaiah was aware that this was the Pillar of Enoch; that to Enoch its design was committed and on Shem the responsibility was laid to build this remarkable structure in the land that had harbored people of Israel for four hundred years and had later sheltered the Son of God.
Our Lord referred to "the stone which the builders rejected, that would become the head of the corner," alluding to the Kingdom of God, to be fully manifested when the Capstone is in place. Then He made the statement:
"And
whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever
it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matthew 21:44
The
Capstone is emblematical of Jesus Christ, but the Great Pyramid itself
represents the nation to whom the Kingdom was given when taken from the
Jews (Matthew 21:43). That Kingdom, the "little stone" of
Nebuchadnezzar's vision, is to grow into a great mountain, breaking into
pieces and consuming all kingdoms, then filling the whole earth (Daniel
2:35). Let us not despise this Great Witness, therefore, whose
revelation-measures give the understanding and wisdom needed to assess
the meaning of the time and seasons in which we live. Incorporated in
its time-measures is the knowledge required concerning the years of the
present order, foretelling when they will end, when the Kingdom Age will
be ushered in and when a new creation will become an accomplished
reality in accordance with the Scriptural pronouncement in Revelation
21:5.
