Cora is in the hospital, with that nasty bronchial crud that’s been going around Cali. She’s been having a rough time, health-wise, over these past few weeks. It is asked, of those who are inclined, to pray/magick/reiki for ease and comfort. Thank you.
Although Henry Rollins is talking about lifting weights as a cure for the common blues (below), I’ve been amusing myself with the thought on how this could apply to the Iron Pentacle as well:
“The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.
The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.
I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.”
– Henry Rollins
Iron + Pearl = the great Balancer.
“In the late night hours of Feb. 20, 2008, a total lunar eclipse will dazzle the night sky. And this lunar eclipse may be worth staying up for, because it will be the last one until December 2010.” - from NASA.gov
The link gives a wonderful overview of the stages that will be seen, and at what times. Pacific coast folks have it made: the eclipse starts at 7:10PM, and will end around 10:40PM. The rest of us will have to stay up a little later, but if you have a clear sky, it should be well worth it.
“Perpetual Motion, in the absolute sense can be seen as an extension of Newton’s 1st Law (The Law of Inertia): ‘Unless acted upon, a body at rest stays at rest, and a body in motion stays in motion,’ [...] Unfortunately, space isn’t quite a void, and there is no true frictionless motion, so all bodies are ‘acted upon’ constantly.”
- From MadSci FAQ [emphasis mine]
I was thinking about this as I was doing some squats and wall push-ups while waiting for lunch to finish cooking in the microwave (yes, I’m strange that way). In a mere six weeks of regular gym workouts, I’ve gone from a sluggish couch potato to feeling like a perpetual motion machine. Granted, athleticism is part of my nature. I played sports throughout my youth, and then practiced martial arts as an adult. When you are able to work with your nature, action and progress comes easier than when you work against your nature.
Which, in a sense, is one of the things Feri helps you to do: rediscover what is your “nature”. At some point you may find that all within you is fluid and changeable at whim, but the majority of us have to start with the mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical shape we’ve allowed to form. We are shaped by our childhood upbringing, naturally. We are shaped by our community. And if we decide to keep self-inquiry at bay, it’s possible that we’ll continue to allow ourselves to be shaped by any & every outside force of our time. If you find you are attracted to Feri, however, the uncovering of your nature is something you’ll start stumbling towards, and quickly.
Motion. Finding your nature, and learning to work with it, opens up channels of energy that allows greater motion and action to happen. What helps to bring about easier motion? Purification, meditation, physical activity, self-inquiry, chanting and prayer. There are different ways to go about it, although the beginning steps are similar in most Feri branches: kala, Iron & Pearl pentacle meditations, Guardian/Deity chants, “demon” work, and focused sexual activity to name a few. These will clear the way of what hinders your power, and help you to know your true nature.
Inertia - well, that can happen at any point in the journey, really. Most inertia, in relation to Feri, comes about because of fear. Fear of change. Fear of loss. Fear of the unknown. Fear, if not faced, can bring about an internal freeze. If Feri is truly your path, you may well be pushed chaotically, even violently into the issues that bring up fear and loss if you don’t find a way and the inner strength to move through it on your own.
Still want to work within the Feri tradition? Keep your eyes open, and know that “all bodies are ‘acted upon’ constantly”. Call upon the Gods for assistance, and do the work. Otherwise, the work will be done upon you.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Good luck on your journey.
[Lunar eclipse photo credit: James W. Young, from Spaceweather.com]
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“Doubt everything. Find your own light.”