Chrysalis Angel

Chrysalis Angel
Becoming an Angel is the work of humans.

CHRYSALIS WELCOMES EVERYONE

Chrysalis' year begins the first Sunday after Labor Day in September. Services are held each Sunday at 10AM to 12 Noon. There will be no services held during August 2014. First meeting in the fall will be September 7, 2014.

Sunday Services from 10 am to 11:30 am each week
805 Mercer's Fernery Road
DeLand, FL (the white 2 story farm house)
Pastor - Skuli Thorhallsson

For more information or counseling phone (386) 478-9201

Email questions or requests to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com

Chrysalis Spiritual Center is a Swedenborg based congregation that studies non-deno
minational topics based on the value of certain writings and speech to society as a whole. Services are frequently presented by guest speakers. No denomination is excluded from meeting with us. We welcome all religions, ages, genders and beliefs.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

THE MICROCOSM -- FLITTER OCTOBER 2010

SWEDENBORG SAYS ...

Swedenborg Foundation
 ...affections bring forth thoughts but thoughts do not bring forth affections. There is an appearance that they do, but is is a fallacy. And when affections bring forth thoughts, they at the same time bring forth all things of man, because affections are of his life.
          ---E. Swedenborg, Apocalypse Explained (22, #1175:4)








NATURE OF THE EGO
..."When you realize that you are a microcosmic image of the whole, as God of your universe, then you might decide to improve it. As you begin to improve yourself, you are likely to encounter the most central trap of the whole spiritual realm ---ego...
-- Returning to the Source -- They Way to Experience God (The Microcosm pg 63 line 9) 
by Wilson Van Dusen

 A POEM OF CREATION

I once had a dream,
I dreamt that I, even though a man, was pregnant,
pregnant and full with Northingness like a woman who
is with child.
And out of this Nothingness
God was born.

-- from Meditations with Meister Eckhart


BILL AND BARRY BLESS THE WORSHIP CENTER

Thanks to Bill Blue and Barry Colley many improvement have been made to the worship center. Maintenance which has been lacking for many months is being done and they have started a wonderful garden and are working some bee hives. They prepare for the congregation each Sunday morning with coffee, fresh fruit and home baked goodies. 

We would like to place the following people in the light: Marianne, Ruth, Paul, Barry, Norm and any others you know with a challenge. If you want to place someone in our prayer circle please send the names to chrysalisgarden@gmail.com 

                     I only see You. I am in love
with whatever Your Creating does. You make
happiness, and I'm grateful. You make
disaster, and I'm patient
                    Anyone who loves
Your making is full of Glory. Anyone who loves
what You have made is not a true believer.
                    ---Rumi, This Longing (24)


REVIEW: Can Science Explain the Soul?

By Stuart Hameroff MD and Deepak Chopra MD

Please take time to read this essay on The Soul. There are many secrets revealed by these two authors, who offer (in many instances) two versions of an idea. Entire article can be found at this link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/can-science-explain-the-s_b_675107.html

This is one writing that I want to keep on my Kindle. You might find inspiration on Dr. Chopra's website www.depakchopra.com
Some subtitles in this article are:
  • Consciousness and the Soul
  • Awareness After Bodily Death
  • The Quantum Plunge
  • Running on Empty – The Soul At Large in the Universe
  • Conclusion – A Science of the Quantum Soul


COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS BIG BUSINESS: BUT NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Some of the big newspaper chains are scouring the web with search engines looking for snippets and whole copies of their articles on rebel websites. The “PLAN” is to sue websites that pilfer-to-publish and hold them by the throat, to either make them pay up to $150,000 penalty fee or suffer a long and painful lawsuit in court.

The ‘suits’ who thought up this plan are trying to squeeze additional revenue by forcing the small players into an untenable situation. If you get caught in this net your a dead fish. But it is not all gloom and doom for first time writers and fledgling websites. In some cases the ‘suits’ have spent tens to thousands of times more money pursuing perps than they can possibly hope to recoup. In one case $64M was spent to receive only $150,000.

The caution against violating copyright rules also goes for: books, music, art, documents and other artistic  and original works. When we say “PLAN” we mean a well organized team are working day and night with focus and energy. This is not a hit-or-miss copyright editor who happens to see a redux of his paper’s Lifestyle feature in a suburban housewife’s web page. A team of law school grads and hungry lawyers is going to work every day just to see if they can slap your wrist. Beware of quotes and snippets ­— paragraphs and pages that you place on the web.


REFINING EDUCATION CULTIVATING THE SOUL
From the Living section of Huffington Post


What is the defining myth of our times? I’ve heard our culture described as materialistic, but we don’t seem to love the material world all that much. I’ve also heard our philosophy labeled as “the myth of fact.” Although I do see the academic world mad in its pursuit of facts, all carefully defined and counted, I think more simply that we are devoted to the myth of things.

We pride ourselves on the things we possess, and we go to school to learn things. The things we learn are all sorted out and grouped together: We learn mathematical things and scientific things and even psychological things. When I taught at universities, one of the problems I ran into -- and no doubt one of the reasons they didn’t give me tenure -- was trying to create thing-type exams for material that was not reducible to things. It isn’t easy to adapt philosophical and religious issues to a multiple-choice exam.

At school, students cram for an exam. “Cram” means to fill up or stuff. Well, if you’re stuffing yourself for an exam, you must be filling yourself with things. That’s how we imagine education: filling our minds with stuff.

The Greeks of old had a different idea that they called paideia. This was education conceived as creating a cultured person who would be a mature citizen and leader. Imagine if our focus in education was on the person rather than the things studied. We’d be concerned that a student grow up and learn how to deal with life and help others deal with it as well. This education has two purposes: self-ripening and leadership.

It’s a false hope, and the quality of our leadership in business and government, with some notable exceptions, betrays the failure of that hope. Some things have to be taught, and eventually we discover that the most important things aren’t things at all. They’re qualities of character and hard-won values and matters of taste. The reason we have so many tasteless things in our society is that we don’t teach taste, and the reason we confuse moralism with ethics is that no one taught us the difference.

There are many items we assume can’t be taught that will simply fade away if we don’t teach them: manners, civility, good language, mature love, good art, self-awareness and reflection, intelligent reading, responsible travel, care of one’s home and belongings, a sense of the beautiful, intelligent spirituality and empathy for our fellow citizens on the planet. This is a small part of a much longer list.

Who should teach these things--parents or teachers? Obviously, both. And not only parents and teachers, but brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, neighbors and friends, managers and CEOs, mayors and senators, movie stars and janitors. As members of society, each of us has a role to play in teaching the values and wisdom we’ve somehow acquired.

One way is not to treat the material we teach as things. I’ve used mythology in much of my writing, and frequently a reader will say to me, “I never knew that mythology had anything to do with my life.” Most people could say the same about many things they have studied. I didn’t know literature had anything to do with me. I didn’t know that science had something to say about my life. I didn’t know that I could sort out moral issues by reading poems.

The “thingification” of education has cost us an immeasurable loss of values and insight. We build great machines, but we don’t know how to use them for human edification. Many have studied the natural world as a collection of things of which we are the absent landlord. We grant Ph.D.s to people without knowing if they’re ready to be creative and responsible citizens of the world. As long as they know certain things...

Maybe it’s time to restore subjectivity to the subjects we study and to redefine our very idea of education. We could guide people as they learn not only things of value but also how to be.
from www.huffingtonpost.com 


VOLUSIA COUNTY IN FOREFRONT OF EDUCATION REFORM

Another concept in teaching has reached Volusia County. Woodward Elementary School is now dividing up a few grade classes into gender specific groups. Boys and Girls are being taught differently in an effort to provide a better educational experience for both. Scientific studies have determined that boyS and girls have different preferences as to subjects, lighting, atmosphere, colors, sounds, activities and social structure.

Males are more tribal and enjoy physical movement while learning. Some prefer to walk around the classroom or drum during study time. Much of their interaction in an "in your face" type of posture.Boys would rather take things apart and change the arrangement of the furniture and reference materials. They also prefer brighter primary colors and lots of natural light.

At a recent presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow award to Dr. Wendy Libby, Dean of Stetson University ...Dr. Elizabeth Heins of Stetson and Torrence Broxton, Principal of Woodward Elem. School spoke on the subject of gender-specific teaching. As a partner in this project Candace Lankford, School Board President made some comments. This picture shows Dr. Libby's award (L-R) Candace Lankford, Dick Brunning Past District Gov. of Rotary, Dr. Libby, Al Bouie President of Rotary Club of DeLand, Dr. Patrick Coggins (making presentation) and Gloria Denston incoming President of Rotary Club of DeLand. Not shown: Torrence Broxton and Betty Heins.
Girls, on the other hand, are not necessarily competitive, but often support and cheer each other on. The girls prefer softer lighting, paler or pastel colors, and beauty and symmetry are important to their surroundings. They are less likely to move furniture once it is a pleasing arrangement that is functional. I am thinking girls might want to decorate the classroom for seasonal activities and establish a theme.

The differences go even deeper into the education experience. Single gender classes often bring out the leadership qualities of both boys and girls when the complicated social structure of gender is eliminated. The genders also prefer to study (and excel in) different subjects. Achievement improvement is the determinant factor in the effectiveness of gender specific classrooms. Stetson University and the Volusia County School Board are cooperating to take this method to it's most effective limits in our public school system. To learn more go to www.stetson.edu/artsci/education/pds/network.php
An article on this subject can be found on the blog cogwheeldelandrotary.blogspot.com


DRUIDRY
Religion
Britain Recognizes Druidry As a Religion

The Pagan festival of Samhain approaches. An ancient Celtic belief is held by Druids who worshipped deities with natural forms. Neo-paganism, Wicca and Voodoo are often mentioned in the same category as Druidry. The British has finally recognized Druidry as an official religion and bestowed official status to the existing members. Tax exemption as a religion is a boon to Brits who worship in Druid congregations . They already have such status in the US.

Membership of 350 comprises The Druid Network in Britain, which has only sought charitable status for “the advancement of religion for public benefit and no other purpose.” As explained below, the Druids claim they are not ordinary. They hold no asserted dogma, and worship love and fertility. Druids associate their Gods with the natural forces of nature, the moon, rain and love. Their Gods take the forms of animals and plants of the world of nature.

They often tend to be demonized. Official recognition will help legitimize the religion."We are not just a bunch of people who run wild in the forest as neo-pagans, communicating with spirits and practicing witchcraft." Many people do not realize that practicing witchcraft and communicating with spirits is not Satanic. Druids do not believe in or recognize Satan, Judaism or Islam.

According to the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, neo-pagan groups are growing in the United States. So, who knows what will come next: Druid Schools, Druid hospitals, maybe even a Druid center of worship near Ground Zero.

A short definition of Druidry (from Wikipedia)
Neo-druidism or neo-druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents is a form of modern spirituality or religion  that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. It is considered to be a Neopagan faith by some adherents, along with such religions as Wicca and Asatru, though “some assert that Druidry is not a religion at all, not even necessarily a spirituality, but simply a philosophy of living” that can be adhered to by followers of any religion or by atheists.

Originally inspired by 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century Romantic movements, modern Druidism was based upon theories about the Iron Age Celtic druids which are no longer considered to be historically accurate. Modern Druidism has no demonstrable historical link to the ancient Celts or their culture. In the first half of the twentieth century, modern druids developed fraternal organizations modeled on Freemasonry that employed the romantic figure of the British Druids and Bards as symbols of indigenous British spirituality. Some of these groups were purely fraternal and cultural, creating traditions from the national imagination of Britain. Others merged with contemporary movements such as the physical culture movement and naturism. Since the 1980s some modern druid groups have adopted similar methodologies to those of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism in an effort to create a more historically accurate practice. However, there is still controversy over how much resemblance modern druidism may or may not have to Iron Age or earlier druidism.
MICROCOSM

"It is to begin with, all inside us. But because we are all miniature versions of the universe, it is also found far beyond. And because we are all biologically and spiritually part of the first man, the place precedes us. And because we all carry within us the genotype and vision of the last man, the place is foretold in us. There is no surprise in any of this. We have all known it all since before we were conceived by our most recent mother and father."
--Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Honey From the Rock (15)

A POEM OF ENLIGHTENMENT