Anarchistbanjo's World

The concept of trial by fire, alchemy, turning lead into gold, and choosing the harder path because of the reward it brings is an old one. Taking risks is a difficult path to understand and a difficult path to walk. Who wants to believe that “no pain, no gain” approach applies equally to spiritual life as it does to physical life?

When we express desire to have mastery over our own lives what do we really mean? The chances are that our vision of mastery includes the ability to accomplish physical goals that we were born to do. We feel spiritual strength should overcome any barriers that block us. For this reason we concentrate on spiritual things to the exclusion of physical realities and limitations.

We attempt to build reserves of spiritual strength to help us in our times of need. We have been taught and we believe this to the point we no longer question it. We are taught the superiority of spirit over physical and taught to deny the physical in favor of the spiritual. Perhaps you have heard the phrase “So heavenly bound they are no earthly good!”

Let’s take a closer look and see what is really happening. We will find the physical and spiritual are not to be so easily separated and each one has need of the other. Each of us has individual past memories and experiences we draw upon. Each of us has a system of beliefs tailored to us as individuals. They may not be appropriate for someone else.

We all walk individual paths. These memories, experiences, and beliefs create a web or network within our psyche that allows us to travel consciously from point A to point B. We solve problems that confront us by reasoning or traveling this web or network until we arrive at the desired destination and solution.

This web or network is our computer program that we cannot deviate from or ever leave. One thought is connected to the next, connected to the next and so forth. This is the nature of associated thought and mental reasoning. It is not possible to jump from point A to point B unless a mental connection of some type exists, an association of some type

We are imprisoned within this web or network of our personal memories, experiences and beliefs. That is why it is so hard for us to move forward when we are stuck in a rut of old thinking and behavior.

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This is the first point to understand about chaos theory. There is a place for everything. All viewpoints and all beliefs are valid and must be treated as such. Conflicting beliefs and data do not really conflict, they only seem to.

When any conflict occurs the viewpoint is not broad enough to see the entire picture. We must be able to affirm everything!

Here are a few examples:

“I agree with everything that you just said.”

“I agree that you know what you are talking about.”

“I’m sure that you believe what you are saying”

“I hear what you are saying to me.”

“Oh, were you talking to me?”

As you can see there are very many levels of credibility at which one can affirm something. This may seem like wordplay or stupidity but it is very important. If you can believe that all inputs are valid you will automatically be more tolerant of others and strive to understand their own unique perspective. You will begin the process of unification

You will begin to mentally order things according to levels of credibility and start to think for yourself. As you look around the self-evident truths will stand out screaming for your attention while superstitions and absurdities will take the lower levels where they belong.

With the discovery of each new self-evident truth, a strong feeling of freedom and excitement builds within us. Each shackle we loosen gives us new power and energy. Each concept we are exposed to stretches our minds and once stretched it can never go back to a smaller view.

This is particularly true in the area of parapsychology and metaphysics where everything is so subjective. How is it possible to know what is true and what is wishful thinking? Does magic work? Are miracles possible? Do ghosts really exist and if they do can they hurt me?

These and other questions make our head spin and lead us often to the very doors of chaos itself, not to mention possible hallucinations and psychotic breaks. Let’s be honest here. Many magical traditions make a point that such study is not for the emotionally or mentally troubled. In fact, they encourage counseling and therapy as a supplement to their own studies.

Relax! This trip is not going to be an acid trip. The whole purpose is to merge these subjective areas to hard science and hopefully gain a more realistic perspective that allows us to live the kind of life that we want to live.

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Organic Gnosticism is a revolutionary force and has often been persecuted by rational atheists and by social enforcers. Eternal vigilance is the price of organic freedom! We all have a right to a modest living, even though some may have more. Work and labor are the lawful ways to get what we want in life. Our efforts are cumulative! People that try should be rewarded for their efforts! This is what Organic Gnosticism is all about!

Logic and reason don’t capture the hearts of people. Organic slogans do! Keep it simple! Genius simplifies things so that everyone can understand! This is the way. Educate others, gain competency in life so that you can teach others. If you become competent you will be an example for others and they will become competent as well! Someone has to go first, why not you? Show others how to live in their hearts! Show others how to be Organic Gnostics!

It is not what you say that counts, but what you do! Actions count, not empty words! We need heroes and successful people so that we know success is possible. We have to have faith and believe in each other. One person can make a difference! As we learn we begin to free ourselves from life’s problems. As others see us become free they will want to become free as well! But this must be done in real life! In physical life! In Organic life!

This is a life-and-death struggle. Man is superior over institutions, not institutions over man! Free government, free thought, free speech, free men and women; these are the organic goals! Keep all laws and rules simple! Only the weak require complex laws and special circumstances. All public servants are accountable for their actions! Hold them accountable! The voice of the organic individual must be heard!

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There is a normal cycle that should be followed in communications. It’s pretty straightforward and simple, but stop and think about it after you’ve read it. Give some serious thought about whether you follow the communication cycle and whether other people that you know follow the communication cycle. Think of some people that you know who abuse the cycle. The whole purpose of this is to gain more awareness of our communications so that we can be more effective.

First we bring up a subject. Or maybe it’s the other person that brings up a subject, but somebody brings up a subject and the other person listens. But the other person does more than listen. They show that they are listening by acknowledging what the person is saying and they do this by nodding, saying yes or showing in a nonverbal manner that they are paying attention to what is being said.

I should stop right here and state the obvious. When you’re talking to somebody and they are not looking at you or paying attention by acknowledging you, why do you keep talking to them! It’s a total waste of time! Something else that I shouldn’t need to say that I will, is that we should give acknowledgment when somebody is talking to us, and let them know that we are really listening to what they’re saying to us by nodding or in some other way acknowledging them.

At some point the person who is speaking pauses or stop speaking. This time the listener gives feedback or acknowledges what was just said. Perhaps they rephrase it in their own words, “Is this what you mean?” “I agree or disagree!” Maybe they just ask pertinent questions that encourages the speaker to continue on with the subject.

The original speaker listens and then gives feedback to what the listener has said in response. The original speaker acknowledges the feedback in some way or another. “Yes that is what I was trying to say.” “No, I was really trying to say this instead.”

The conversation then continues back and forth with each person alternately having a chance to speak, getting acknowledgment from the other person and then giving feedback of their own. When the subject is closed it then becomes the listeners turn to begin a new subject and the cycle is continued.

Now take a few minutes and think about whether your conversations follow this pattern and if they don’t follow this pattern why? Think of some abuses of this communication cycle and how it makes you feel when somebody goes on and on and on not really caring whether you are listening or not.

My mother used to be like that. She used to talk to me on and on and on without checking in to see whether I was even listening. There were times as a teen when I would go into the other room and come back after a few minutes and she was still sitting there talking to me! I’ve known other people that do the same thing! I like to think that I would notice if someone walked out of the room on me and I would stop talking!

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Living intensely means to drain out every drop of vitality during the day and recharge at night while we are sleeping.

This is like a sponge that soaks up water and then releases it when it is squeezed. At first we are like dirty sponges that are so clogged with toxins and debris that we can’t hold much water. Maybe we can only contain 5% of our true potential.

Through repeated emptying and absorbing these toxins and debris are flushed out and we can hold more energy. This is the function of our physical bodies. Our physical bodies can both generate energy and store it. Even more exciting is when we reach the point of purity where we can absorb energy from the universe and from our environment!

This happens when we have worked with a particular energy long enough to master it. When we have created a permanent astral body out of that energy and it will sustain itself by drawing upon its own resources.

Having the solitude and safe harbor to regenerate is just as important as the need to completely empty ourselves.

We need to protect ourselves from people and events that drain our energy, at least until we are recharged again. The cycle of ebb and flow is natural and found in nature as well as in magical practices.

When we are fully charged we focus that energy on our desired project or goal and release it..If we are strong enough the desired outcome will manifest. If we are not strong enough we will simply have removed some of the obstacles and thus make it easier for us to progress next time.

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Few things can strike fear into the hearts of people like the word chaos. In sword and sorcery fantasies the forces of order are often locked in an eternal battle against the forces of chaos. The hero is a mere pawn that is used by these titanic forces only to be cast aside when no longer needed. At all costs the delicate balance between the two must be kept. That’s how it is in the stories.

Most world religions claim the universe was created out of the void or out of chaos. Many of these religions believe that someday the universe will once more return to the mysterious void from whence it came.

Chaos has been linked in our minds with evil and confusion. To behold the face of chaos is to go insane.It Is ever-changing, constant motion that has no order and is completely random.

At least this is been the case in the past. Today the study of chaos is one of the most exciting areas of science that exists. Chaos theory is at the heart of a new science and a new spirituality. An understanding of some of the basics of this new science is essential before continuing.

Before we confront madness itself, a little disclaimer is in order. I don’t claim to understand chaos or to have any serious degree of sanity, I do however, have quite chaotic thought processes which should count for something. The pondering of imponderables will be kept to an absolute minimum, that is a promise I seriously intend to keep.

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Each person has a sphere of influence and needs to learn how to use it. This new series of posts will try to describe how to build win-win situations between the individual and society. Society needs the examples of strong and successful individuals to inspire it in the right direction. Individuals need to see that individual success is possible so that they will be encouraged to reach out for their dreams as well.

Force must be regulated by intellect and ruled by the heart. The intellect without heart is the intellect without a soul! Spiritual subjects must often be taught through allegory and through symbols because of the limitations of language. Society needs to be taught about the still small voice of conscience within their hearts and how to begin trusting it. Only spiritual individuals can lead the way. We need to trust in the goodness of other people and the still small voice of conscience that resides deep within every human heart. The individual needs to go first and then society can follow.

Society is a force and that force must be ruled by the heart, not by the emotions or unfeeling intellect. At the lowest levels people think only about themselves in a material and non-spiritual way. At low levels of government tyrants and governments make slaves of the people. To become free people need to reverse rational atheistic thinking and replace it with organic Gnosticism.

It is possible to turn the aspirations of individuals to the still small voice of conscience and the Christ spirit that resides within every human heart. This will allow a free society of free individuals to flourish and create a golden age of humanity. There is purpose and order in everything that happens and it is possible for humanity to collectively create the world that we want through the creation of win-win situations.

This won’t be easy and with each step forward the resistance and opposition to us will snowball! It is time for each individual to take that first step against that resistance!

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Being assertive means to reclaim our own personal power to live as we choose to live! From our mistakes and successes we gradually gain faith in our own ability to meet obstacles and situations creatively. With time and experience we become skilled and resourceful in awkward situations.

Everyone experiences lead feet, a lump in the throat, and being paralyzed with fear at some point in their lives. By being assertive we move past those things with will and determination. At first we are victims, then we learn. When confronted with anger, fear, pain and anguish or when we feel those emotions we need determination and resolve to continue doing those things which we want to do. This means physically going through the unpleasantness, confronting it and reaching the joy and success on the other side.

Being assertive means taking risks, doing new things, and being successful at them. Hard work will earn rewards and in time the struggle and competition can become enjoyable. After many attempts we learn and become more skilled. There is no way to avoid those first baby steps and the discomfort of feeling vulnerable.

When we have a positive and supportive family we can do anything. When our family is negative or abusive we can’t do anything or so it seems. Our closest friends and relatives have tremendous influence on our ability to be assertive. We must have a supportive family even if we need to create one for ourselves. That means finding a group that we feel comfortable in and whose members are all going to help each of us to become more assertive and believe in ourselves.

Together we will push our comfort zones and learn new skills that will help us have a more successful and enjoyable life. Being assertive takes energy. Energy is created by physically doing things. The most powerful form of learning is learning by doing. This new series of posts will share how we can become more assertive.

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