creatio ex nihilo

creatio ex nihilo : Creation out of Nothing

No, this isn't a spell from Harry Potter.It's the concept that God created the universe from nothing. It gained traction during the early Christian church, even though the phrase does not appear anywhere in the Bible. This was perhaps prompted by a desire to discredit Gnostic ideas that the material world is inherently evil.

The concept of creation seemingly out of nothing is fascinating. What is the true nature of physical matter? I am curious to understand it in relation to the hierarchy of dimensions within commonly held spiritual thought. The science of physics has its own theories of multiple dimensions. Although some great minds are attempting to merge science and spirituality together, it's still a work in progress. I don't feel the need to choose one over the other, but simply note that each discipline has its own tools for gathering data. At some point the data tends to converge.

Those adept in spiritual thought are aware of higher dimensions being the realm of spirit, while our physical lives take place in the relatively dense dimension of matter. While traditional Christianity really downplays the role of spirit in human incarnation, the interaction between spirit and flesh forms the core of my spiritual philosophy. The basic concept is that spirit, which is the soul, temporarily forgoes the trappings of its higher dimensional home to experience life on the dense physical plane.

There are many sources of information regarding existence on the higher spiritual planes; these include near-death experiences (NDE), recall of the soul's life-between-lives through hypnosis, channeled information from discarnate beings (ascended souls, ETs or angels), and conscious exploration of higher dimensions via out-of-body experiences (OBE).

The gist of all collected information essentially tells us that the existence of the physical universe is maintained by the consciousness that pervades everything - call it God or Source or "spirit in the sky" if you wish. The Source consciousness is constantly creating, and since souls are really fragments of the central Source, we are all creators as well.

In the spiritual realm, creation occurs at the speed of thought, for this is a fundamental characteristic of the soul entity. When the soul incarnates into physicality (i.e. you and I living on the Earth as humans), tremendous limitations begin to apply. Of course, this is intentional, for it has to do with the very reason we are here (see this earlier post). Creation still takes place, but at a much slower pace. So slowly that we generally remain unaware of our role in shaping the physical reality around us. The fact is that everything in our personal world and environment has been created by us and by consensus of everyone else we interact with.

I would like to explore the very mechanism by which we create and mold the daily reality around us. The strange materializations reported in this earlier post have added fuel to my curiosity. How do solid objects spontaneously move from one location to another? How do mystics from India or Tibet embed a fork into a solid table as if it were putty? They obviously have developed conscious control as their minds interact with matter.

More to come on this.

Things That Go Bump in the Night revisited

This tale is likely to be an ongoing saga. Many thanks to those who are leaving comments, which I read with great interest.

At this point, the most plausible explanation for the anomalous materializations is the thinning of dimensional boundaries and subsequent overlay of one or more alternate dimensions. There may be something in this particular location that predisposes for this activity, and the proximity of psychically active minds seems to help.

To those who suggest that demonic activity is involved, let me just say when you're brainstorming, you can't reject anything out of hand. However, having met demons in person on occasion, it's hard to mistake their signature dark energy for something else. It's like a black hole, and I think Christians tend to give them too much credit for guile and subtlety. They're about as subtle as a brick hitting you in the head.

For those wondering (perhaps humorously?) whether materializations at my house is connected to disappearances at yours, certainly this gets me to thinking. Are the objects a fresh creation from energy, or simply relocated from somewhere else? Does someone now have corresponding objects missing? Did some bookseller come up short on inventory? If the gold coins I seek finally show up, does an investor somewhere wonder who got into their vault?

I'm certainly not out to steal from anyone, and would prefer to think in terms of unlimited energy from Source creating unlimited supply of material needs. Hopefully this is what we are learning to consciously do. Author Ann Albers likes to point out that demons are simply misguided entities that are cut off from source because they deny the existence of Source. If you don't believe in Source, then your alternative is to conclude you must steal your energy from elsewhere, and that's what they do. Conversely, if you believe in Source, you can create abundance and have enough to give away.

My focus is on exploring the specific mechanism by which the material universe is created from energy and conscious thought. Seth covered this topic thoroughly in "Seth Speaks" and "The Nature of Personal Reality":

"The objective world is the end result of inner action. You can indeed manipulate the objective world from within, for this is the means and definition of true manipulation..."

"Thoughts and images are formed into physical reality and become physical fact. They are propelled chemically. A thought IS energy. It begins to produce itself physically at the moment of its conception."

"Your spirit joined itself with flesh, and in flesh, to experience a world of incredible richness, to help create a dimension of reality of colors and form. Your spirit was born in flesh to enrich a marvelous area of sense awareness, to feel  energy made into corporeal form. You are here to use, enjoy, and express yourself through the body. You are here to aid in the great expansion of consciousness. You are not here to cry about the miseries of the human condition, but to change them when you find them not to your liking through the joy, strength, and vitality that is within you; to create the spirit as faithfully and beautifully as you can in flesh."

Seth even states in "Seth Speaks" that certain locations are more inclined to produce manifestation more quickly, and mentions Minneapolis/Saint Paul as one. (Where I live).

The flip side to this is the possibility that negative thoughts can produce unpleasant manifestations. The old sci fi flick "Forbidden Planet" comes to mind, where an alien machine turned thoughts into reality. The mad-scientist type experimenting with it discovered to his dismay that his Freudian "Id" mind created the monster that killed off nearly everyone else.

In future articles I'll be exploring the topic of creation and manifestation, and how to create the abundant life. I'm still in the process of learning how to do this, but I'll share as I'm learning. The strange manifestations around me are the perfect laboratory in which to explore. Hopefully it can be consciously directed. If it's us doing it, then why not? If not, then who is?

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Here in Minnesota, the race for Governor is a three-way battle that spans the political spectrum from extreme right to extreme left.

Tom Emmer, the Republican pick, vows to cut taxes and balance the huge budget shortfall, presumably all within the same frame of reality. He refuses to disclose which programs would fall to his slash-and-burn approach, although the other candidates are understandably vague about cuts as well.

Mark Dayton, having used his personal wealth to buy victory in the primary, wants to erase the deficit by hiking taxes "on the rich". Presumably this would also require state troopers to barricade border crossings to prevent the wealthy folks from leaving.

Tom Horner is hoping to fill the center and pick up the majority of voters uncomfortable with both extremes, although he disavows the "split the difference" concept. He is a former business-oriented Republican who claims to have "new ideas".

Perhaps Horner does have new ideas; I would love to hear them. Emmer says he wants to reinvent the way state government works; he can start explaining this any time now. Reforms could be needed in the way programs are administered. For example, public schools have had funding increased in the past, but did the product improve commensurately? Many graduates appear to function at near-moron levels - is this something that money can fix? Or is the culture to blame?

The problem with this race is that the budgetary woes are tied to national economic trends, so however ingenious the next governor turns out to be, the money simply is not going to be there. Raising taxes while in a depression amounts to squeezing blood from a turnip, but candidly explaining the alternatives to the voters requires qualities that few politicians have been able to muster. There appears to be a state of denial concerning the severity of the situation. Thus far the legislature and governor have resorted to budgetary gimmicks and shifts, but this cannot continue and major pain lies ahead. The state's school districts have needed to borrow nearly 2 billion to cover shifts and delays in state aid, but this is predicated on the money being repaid at some point. Fat chance.

Again, we must turn to the theme that partisan politics is but a charade and a sham. Fundamental policies have remained constant over decades, despite both parties taking their turn in power. With Republicans looking to be big winners in November, it's important to reiterate this. Voters are angry about the economy, corporate bailouts, and health care legislation, so they swing the pendulum back the other way (even though the depression began under Bush). Perhaps this would be a great thing if real change ensued, but it won't. Republicans are purchased and controlled by the same forces as Democrats. Unless the system changes, the true seat of power will not change.

Personally, I am quite disapointed with Obama, but of course I knew I would be. The PTB rigged the election as usual with a designated loser (McCain), so one can't be faulted for having voted for Obama. Here is my rundown of major issues at this time:

The health care legislation is a true disaster, and needs to be repealed. Hopefully a Republican congress will be able to do that, but don't bet on it.

The war in Afghanistan is immoral, illegal, and warmongering continues unabated just as if Bush were still in power. Still think the president makes his own decisions?

The Obama crowd seems to continue the same cozy ties with Banksters & Wall Street as did Bush. All the chest-beating about financial accountability and fairness to consumers resulted in legislation that adds more layers of bureaucracy without offering much improvement.

The danger is high that the Israelis will be given the green light to attack Iran in what will be remembered as an enormous folly. The US and Europe are in the early stages of a prolonged economic depression, and historically this has led to large-scale war. The chances of nuclear weapons being used are high, and both Tel Aviv and Teheran could be reduced to smoldering craters. We can only hope that reason will prevail or that higher celestial forces will intervene.

The enormous amount of debt that the federal government is incurring is unsustainable, and my thinking is that it leads to a crisis and collapse of some kind, followed by radical system-wide changes. The question is whether the changes will be of the sensible kind that foster stability and prosperity. The answer depends on the outcome of the Shift in Consciousness that is now underway. My hope is there is daylight on the other side of the storm. Remember that I am an optimist.

Of Things That Go Bump In The Night…and other mysterious anomalies

Strange Things are Happening

As I understand it, a profound and mysterious shift in our reality is underway. Some speculate that 2012 marks the culmination of a periodic thinning of dimensional boundaries. Whatever the reason, the incidence of anomalous experiences reported worldwide appears to be on the rise.


It’s one thing to read about strange experiences occurring to others, but quite another thing to experience them yourself.


This account concerns the very mysterious and inexplicable events that have become increasingly common in the household that I share with my wife Marie, 4 cats, and 2 dogs. Some of the activity may seem routine or even mundane to those who share their space with ghosts and other paranormal guests, but others may be quite unique. So unique, in fact, that I have searched in vain for other reports of these phenomena.


We have consulted with multiple psychics in search of an explanation as to the “who and why” behind these anomalous events; most manage to sense an intelligent consciousness behind it, but are apparently not permitted to peer any further into the matter.


It is our hope that in documenting and publicly reporting these anomalous events, we will encounter those who may have had similar experiences. Perhaps together we can piece together a better understanding of what is taking place around us.

Things Move


Many will relate to the common experience of misplacing one’s car keys and then finding them in an unexpected place. Other objects vulnerable to mysterious relocation include eyeglasses, wallets, TV remotes and even cell phones. We generally rationalize that we somehow placed them where they were found and simply don’t recall doing it, and for all anyone knows, the rational explanation may suffice.


More unusual are cases where an important possession becomes lost, and then mysteriously returns in a manner that defies rational explanation. My first clear-cut anomaly fits into this category.


6 years ago, I had a business trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lacking a passport, I carried my birth certificate as proof of citizenship. I had it folded in a plain business envelope, and placed it in a pocket of my laptop case. I had no trouble producing it for customs agents upon my return, but while waiting for a connecting flight at the Detroit airport, the envelope must have slipped out of the laptop case and fell on the terminal floor. I didn’t notice it missing until after arriving back at home. Emptying the laptop case and luggage failed to turn up a trace of the envelope or the birth certificate. I searched in vain for several days before deciding it was a lost cause.


A week or so later, I decided to perform a wishing ritual on the new moon. My stated wish was for my lost birth certificate to somehow be returned to me. Several days later, I happened to walk through my living room, and noticed a white envelope laying in plain site on the coffee table. There it was! The envelope bore evidence of shoe prints, as if it had been repeatedly stepped on in a public place. The birth certificate was folded inside as I had left it.


Another case: An acquaintance at the time had a German Shepherd that I became fond of. The dog suddenly died one night, but I was unaware at the time. In the morning, my digital alarm clock went berserk – the numerical segments flashing in random patterns. I concluded that it was toast, and went on with my day.


In the evening, I stopped at a quicky oil change place to have my car serviced. The technician opened the air filter to inspect the element, and exclaimed “Dude, do you have a dog or what?”


I’m like “what’s that have to do with an oil change?”. Then he showed me how the entire space around the air filter element was filled with fresh, dry dog food. I was stunned, and had no explanation to offer as to how the dog food got inside of the air filter. I found out about the dog’s demise later, and assumed a connection, but just how does a departing dog’s spirit physically move dog food into an enclosed space under the hood?


During this period of time, there were several cases where objects such as sunglasses would be missing and then suddenly turn up in an obvious place where they would have been certainly noticed. However, nothing clear-cut occurred again for about a year.


I’d had a relationship end just prior to the birth certificate incident, and the following year had met Marie. The two of us seemed to combine energies in a way that stirred unusual events. My ex was long gone, but on her birthday I discovered some of her possessions dumped on my bedroom pillow. My immediate assumption was that my daughter had found them and placed them there, but she swore this wasn’t the case. I took them to the garage and packed them in a box, intending to ship them back to my ex. A few days later I went to retrieve the box for shipment, and there was no trace to be found. Both box and contents had vanished.


After Marie moved in we noticed frequent unexplained noises around the house – voices engaged in conversation, thumps, rattles, door slams. Lights turned on or off by themselves, doors opened or closed. Though some may find this fascinating in itself, my attitude was one of resignation and realization that the house needed a good clearing. I felt remiss for allowing this aspect of “house cleaning” to go untended.


In 2008 things really got rolling. Marie had attended a psychic expo where someone gave her a small polished stone. She pulled it out of her purse, showed it to me and then placed it on a knickknack shelf in our entertainment center. A while later she noticed it missing, and asked if I took it. Of course I hadn’t, and then she found the stone had returned to her purse. She put it back on the shelf, and again later in the day it was gone and back in her purse. At this point I became quite impressed. Holding up the stone, I mockingly said “Nice trick, spook, but they say three’s the charm. Try this again and I’ll really be impressed!”


We left the house for a couple of hours, and when we returned the stone was once again gone from the knickknack shelf. Marie checked her purse, but it was not to be found there. We then discovered the stone sitting squarely on my bedroom pillow. This is the point where the high strangeness really began.


Is It Magic?


I became convinced that the moving stone was imbued with magical power. My cat got sick and appeared to be in pain, so I waved the stone over him. A short time later he began eating and returned to normal. Ok, cats sometimes do that on their own, but keep reading…


Our hamster cage somehow became mysteriously opened during the night, and one escaped. A light mysteriously came on in the bedroom, waking me up. I found the hamster being brutalized by the cats and running for his life. Placing him back in the cage, I didn’t expect him to live. One leg appeared broken and one eye was severely swollen. No problem, I said, we have a magic stone! I performed my ritual and waved the stone over the hamster. Next morning it was difficult to tell which hamster had been injured. The one that had been injured was in fact now so robust, that he outlived his brethren and continues on to this day beyond the normal life span of a hamster.


Next incident, we had a cat named Bun that mysteriously disappeared from the house. She is a strictly indoor cat, and had been spotted in the room with us shortly before her disappearance. We searched the entire house in vain, and felt extremely perplexed and concerned. We consulted a psychic friend, who sensed that Bun had “gone elsewhere” and seemed to not be in the house but yet was nearby in some unknown fashion. I began to think in term of extra-dimensional portals, and Marie could sense Bun calling to her from a dark place where she was lost. I took the “magic” stone and held it up, declaring my intent that it shine forth a light into dark places and guide Bun back. A moment later, a disheveled and unhappy-looking Bun ran into the room, coming from…where? Seemingly from an adjacent room that had been thoroughly searched and where there was no place for a cat to hide. Marie used animal communication to interrogate her and heard an account of being stuck in a cold dark place until she saw a light and could hear me calling her back. Where had this cat been? How did she travel?


The Magic Stone Goes Travelling


Wow, I’ve got a magic stone, so what new things can I do with it? It seems great for healing, but what else? Well, perhaps some applications are less than wise…


Last year, I was watching the Minnesota Vikings play at Arizona, and unfortunately they were struggling. Ah, perhaps the stone can help? The Vikings defense was being shredded at the moment, so I held the magic stone up to the TV and sent off a burst of energy to intervene. Bad idea. Immediately, I sensed that this was not a proper use of the stone, and it backfired. At that very moment, a key Vikings player (EJ Henderson) broke his leg in a freak accident that was difficult to explain and had the coaches shaking their heads in disbelief. They lost the game and perhaps their shot at the Super Bowl due to that injury.


The next day the magic stone came up missing. We searched everywhere but never saw it again. I was convinced it was because of my transgression during the Vikings game. I called for it to return and expressed my profound remorse, but it never came back.


Stones Galore…and More

My disappointment at losing the stone was soon alleviated when one day we walked into our bedroom and discovered perhaps a dozen polished stones scattered across the bed. This launched a pattern that continues to this day, although generally only one or two stones appears at a time. The most common places to discover them are my bedroom pillow and my office chair (I work out of the home.) Sometimes Marie discovers them on her desk. Thus far we have accumulated many dozen in this manner. The picture shows our collection as it currently stands.


The types of objects has become more varied, and often are existing household objects, simply moved to the bed or office chair in a manner that draws obvious attention. Examples include flashlights, tools, music CDs, remote controls, a key from a jewelry box, and Tarot cards – usually one or two cards taken from a Tarot deck in another room.


Who needs Amazon?

Books that appeared spontaneously in our home

In two separate instances, books that we had talked about purchasing materialized in totally new condition, as if they had been somehow whisked from a bookseller’s shelves and dropped into our home. In one case, Marie had been planning to buy it for a book discussion group. After it materialized, she went ahead and used it, and had left notes inside from the discussion group. Then the book just disappeared and was nowhere to be found. We searched thoroughly for days.


“Easy come, easy go” I lamented to Marie. “I’ll just have to order it the old-fashioned way.”


“But my notes!” she exclaimed. “How do we replace that?”


So we decided to ask the entity (whomever or whatever it may be) to please return the book with the notes. Several days went by and I finally placed an order for the replacement. The day after the replacement book arrived, I had a work-related appointment to attend to. I spent some time in my office chair, then hurried out the door. In the driveway, I realized I had forgotten something important, so I rushed back into my office. There, on the chair I had been sitting in moments before, was the missing book. Marie’s notes were inside as she had left them.


The Quest for Gold

I have read that Faeries have been known to leave gold coins or jewelry for humans in whom they find favor. Since our home seems a good candidate for Faery activity, I have often spoken a request for gold to them, assuming they were around to hear.


One evening I repeated my request for gold before bedtime, and went to sleep focusing on this. When I got up during the night, I found a book titled “Rebel Gold” laying on the hallway floor just outside of the bedroom. This book had pictures of gold coins on the cover, and had previously been tucked into a nearby bookshelf. Ha ha! They must have a sense of humor. Great.


When doing the spring planting in our garden, my eyes were drawn to a glint of gold in the soil. It appeared to be a piece of thin gold jewelry, perhaps a half inch in diameter. I scooped it up with a handful of dirt, and ran towards the house, eager to show Marie. My thought was “Yippee! Faery gold!”


However, as I approached the door, I watched as the gold trinket literally dissolved before my eyes. I had heard that Faery gold can be so ephemeral, vanishing as the morning dew. Such a bummer!


More recently, with the increasing frequency of new stone materializations, I renewed my request for a gold coin. I printed out an image of a gold coin and taped it above my desk. I wanted to test whether this phenomenon responded to conscious direction.


At last, as I approached my office chair one morning, a gold coin lay in prominent view before me. Could this be? Well, sort of…Turns out to be a gold-colored token, good for one free rose at Bachman’s Nursery. In size and shape, it certainly resembled the gold Eagle $50 coin I had taped above the desk. Close but no cigar.


Still, the remarkable thing was that the Bachman’s token had come out of the blue from who knows where. I had never seen one like it before, and it may have been years since Bachman’s had promoted a free rose. Clearly, whatever force had materialized it on my chair had been responding to my words and thoughts. Now why can’t they try it with the real thing…


Smoke Alarms that Go Beep in the Night


Surely everyone has been annoyed on occasion by errant smoke alarms going off at the most inconvenient of times. However, this generally results from a weak battery, steam from a bathroom shower, or cooking on the kitchen stove gone awry. How often does an invisible finger push the test button?


We recently installed a fancy smoke alarm with carbon monoxide detection built in. Pushing the test button results in a loud, screeching voice saying “Evacuate! Evacuate! Carbon Monoxide levels are at zero point zero percent! Evacuate!”.


Now this would be helpful information to know during the night if deadly CO gas really were filling the house. However, having the test button pushed at 3:00 AM is not appreciated, especially if all humans are asleep in bed when it happens. On the occasions when this did happen to us, it was preceded by strange tapping noises on the walls, and our neighbor’s motion-detecting yard light switching on with no one in sight. I would get out of bed and walk out of the bedroom to investigate the noises, and the alarm goes off just as I pass directly beneath it! I know no one can be pushing the test button, because it’s mounted near the ceiling and takes a step stool to reach it. This is more than annoying – this is freaky!


On another occasion, the smoke alarm test went off in the evening, at the precise moment that one of our circuit breakers tripped off. Strangely, no overload was found, and the circuit functioned just fine afterward.


Miscellaneous Pranks

Mushroom found on car seat one morning in August

We leave the hood light over the kitchen stove on at night, and recently replaced the microwave oven that contains the light and exhaust fan. Since the new unit was installed, at some point on virtually every night, the light gets switched off. I’ve often seen it still on at 3:00 am, but it will be off by 6:00 am. On a few occasions, the exhaust fan has switched on by itself. Once as I stood nearby, it switched on to low speed, then to fast speed, then off again.


Marie, being naturally more sensitive than me psychically, often hears conversations or people walking elsewhere in the house. When up and about during the night, she has often witnessed my office chair spinning by itself, and I often find my desk light turned on or off from where I had left it. We have both heard rattling noises in the furnace ducts or in the crawl space on our second floor. The latch on the crawl space entry has rattled and moved on occasion, however nothing is found when I poke my head in to look.


Making Sense of It All


Who or what has been materializing and/or moving objects in our home? By what mechanism does this work? Do the laws of physics break down to allow solid objects to move or appear? Is there a message behind it all? Am I just too dense to get it?


We have been totally baffled in our attempt to answer these questions. We have consulted with several psychics, but they generally draw a blank when trying to visualize this phenomena.


Ghosts are first on everyone’s list of possible explanations, and I concede that we undoubtedly have a number of unseen “guests” floating through. Some anomalies, such as switching lights on or off, are often linked to ghostly activities. Some of this happens so frequently that I’m no longer impressed by it.


I just feel that many of these manifestations are far beyond the capability of your average garden-variety ghost. It must take an enormous amount of energy materialize matter. Most earthbound ghosts are confused and barely able to function, so making a few odd noises and chilling the room temperature are about the extent of their repertoire. A ghost might be able to flip a light switch, but spirit acting upon dense matter in that manner must be a remarkable trick.


Who does one confide with about anomalous events such as these? It’s not like it’s a common thing which everyone would relate to. Or is it?


We are publishing the account in the hope that others may have had similar experiences. One working theory is that the boundary between dimensions is thinning as we near 2012. A huge “shift” in consciousness is certainly underway worldwide, and perhaps it is accompanied by physical phenomena as well.

If this is so, then we should continue to see a progression and acceleration in the phenomena. There should be an underlying purpose to be discovered, and it should respond to conscious thought.



I continue to attempt manifestation of a genuine gold coin, out of curious desire to prove something if not for material gain. Perhaps the consciousness behind the phenomena will reveal itself, and the underlying purpose will be revealed. In any case, we are building a nice inventory of polished stones.


We are curious and excited about the “shift”, and wonder if we are being granted a first-hand experience that relates to it. The ultimate meaning of this phenomena likely goes beyond that of polished stones and gold coins. Perhaps there is no discernable pattern that conveys a message. The fundamental message most likely has to do with mind-over-matter, and the rearrangement of physical molecules through the action of consciousness. But then the question of whose consciousness? Mine? Marie’s? An angelic entity? Can we consciously direct it with our intent?


We offer this account in the hope that others will come forward with similar stories. If nothing else, let it pique your interest in the shift that is unfolding. It’s possible that strange things happen far more often than we acknowledge, for the mind has a tendency shrug off and repress that which it doesn’t understand or accept. Try becoming more aware of your surroundings and senses; you never know what might turn up.


Lynn & Marie

Postscript



Just prior to posting this article, our surviving hamster’s journey came to an end. He was beginning to look like old age had caught up with him. Tottering around, barely able to stand or move, he seemed to be saying it was time to pass on. We decided to move him out to our flower garden in the back yard, so the faeries could help with his transition. Two days later, after we were certain that he had passed, I was stunned to see him running across the yard, onto the driveway, and toward our back door. I scooped him up and returned him to his cage, where he ate and ran in his exercise wheel. The limp was gone, and he seemed more robust than in a long time. However, the following day we found him dead. Something had apparently rejuvenated him long enough to find his way back home so he could die there after all. I can only speculate as to an explanation for these events.

Is God Really Needed?

Physicist Stephen Hawking has a new book, "The Grand Design", in which he apparently argues (only excerpts have been published) that a creator God is not necessary to explain existence of the universe.

Does God exist, or not? In my opinion, this agument is a rather useless exercise in philosophical polemics. Useless, not because the answer is obvious, but because the argument frames the question in misleading and irrelevant terms.

At first glance, Hawking casts the terminology in reference to the traditional assumption that God is some supernatural being, separate from creation, and therefore beyond our understanding. Such a God requires a "leap of faith" to believe in, a concept which science has understandably been reluctant to embrace.

Creationists cite the complex structure and order in nature as evidence of Intelligent Design, while agnostic philosophy counters with theories that speculate how endless variations of multiverses provide enough random combinations that make our ordered universe a likely probability.

So which side is Hawking defending here?

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing,"
"Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to ... set the Universe going."

Rather than invoking chance and random variables, Hawking appears to imply that the existence of natural laws offer evidence of a higher source. Yet the major question is left hanging, which is to explain how the universe created itself seemingly out of nothing.

Either Hawking's brilliant mind is beginning to succumb to age and disability, or he is cleverly steering the reader toward a more radical philosophical Satori: What astrophysicist Bernard Haisch terms "The God Theory" in his book of that title.

Haisch maintains that the two choices inherent in the classic "God vs. no God" argument are both inadequate and false. He redefines the question in terms of whether there is a discernable intelligence embedded within the universe. To draw distinction between creator and creation is a false dichotomy, and he suggests that this theory is testable with standard scientific tools.

Haisch's theory maintains that the classic ontological view of a distant, supreme God, external from creation, is patently false. Also, the presumption that order sprang from chaos without intelligent consciousness is equally false.

It certainly would be fascinating if Hawking is opening the door for considering classic Hermetic thought as a philosophical framework (which Hasich's work essentially is). We will have to wait until the book is published to find out.

Turn Back to God...But Which One???

Glenn Beck's Washington rally around traditional values and Mom's apple pie appeared to unite religious conservatives around the theme of "Restoring Honor" by "turning back to God".

The seeming unity was quickly disturbed as the problem surfaced of which God to turn back to. Evangelical Christians began distancing themselves from Beck's religious views even as they applauded his political message. Beck is a follower of Mormonism, which hardline Christians claim is tantamount to a dangerous cult. They maintain that Beck's God can't be the same God they worship.

But wait! How can there be more than one Divine Almighty competing for the title of God? By commonly held definition, God is a singular entity. You can't have more than one trying to be omnipotent and omnipresent at the same time.

This blog has previously commented on the absurdity of Christian leaders such as Franklin Graham depicting Islam as demonic and following a different God. This dispute really begs the question of where major religions draw their concepts of God from.

It stands to reason that if an almighty God exists, it would be the task of any religion to humbly inquire into the actual nature of that God and whatever wisdom that He/She may intend to bestow upon us. Unfortunately, that's not how religion works, and schisms such as "Mormon God vs. Christian God" reveal something quite telling about this: The God each proclaims is the product of individual projection and invention. The message each God has for us happens to coincide with the personal beliefs and biases of the associated religion's leaders. Thus, there is no limit to the number of flavors of God we can encounter, and it's not so surprising that various teachings attributed to God can be opposed or conflicting.

The bottom line, of course, is that religion is a scam, and not a particularly spiritual one at that. True spirituality is something quite removed from any religion, and that includes Christianity.

Turn back to God? Which God? Who can say that we ever left?

The Alignment of a Lifetime

Here it comes, with propitious timing: The astrological alignment of a lifetime.

On July 11, a total eclipse of the sun will pass over (of all places!) Easter Island and hit the southern tip of South America. A series of significant "grand square" aspects began in June, featuring Uranus and Pluto, and now Pluto conjuncts the solar eclipse.

Several years ago it came to my attention that the new moon offers a special mystical moment of leverage on which to focus one's desires and intentions. Practicioners of Magick are aware that powerful rituals can be devised around the lunar cycle.

For me this involves little more than remembering to declare and focus my intention as closely as possible to the time of new moon (July 11 at 2:41 PM CDT). I like to follow up with sighting the baby crescent moon as early in the cycle as possible - of course the sunset sky must be clear, and the viewing location must afford a good view of the western horizon. The early crescent phase will only be visible for a short time after sunset before it sets, and luck will determine how early of a phase is possible to sight. The optimum time is the first day following the new moon, when only a thin crescent might be spotted shortly after sunset. However, this is rarely practical because of the low position of the moon at sunset, so the 2nd day is the next best shot.

My ritual involves repeating the the intentions established on the day of the new moon, and imagining the lower pointed cusp of the crescent moon hooking and lifting my intention through the waxing phases until the full moon brings maximum power to bear. I send my love and appreciation to the moon and thank it for carrying my request through the cycle. Does this sound a bit silly? Of course, as the cognoscenti realize, all ritual is but a "prop" to focus one's intention, wherein the real power originates. (See this earlier post) This is the secret behind most forms of magick. Whatever works for you is your personal point of power.

The July 11 new moon is particularly powerful due to the associated eclipse and surrounding astrological aspects. It portends the beginning of a turbulent period of shifting and changing, both globally and personally. From now through the end of the year will see a marked increase in turbulence as the Grand Square coincides with other factors in already play. This can be unfortunuate if you are afraid of a little chaos, and perhaps weary of the shifting we have already endured. However, if you can learn to surf the waves of chaos rather than be swamped by them, this can be a most wonderful time indeed! Any intention that is focused will have leverage and traction. The flip side to this is to avoid focus on negative thoughts, particularly those born of fear. The last thing we need is fear-based projections leveraged by the powerful moment of cosmic alignment.