The Path Ministry

 This is a list of songs that either ring true to my soul or say something meaningful and relevant to the Path. All of these songs can be found on Spotify:  Sacred Songs   Stealing Time, by Above & Beyond Breathe, by Alexi Murdoch Treasure, by Amethystium Exultation, by Amathystium Glitter & Gold, by Barnes Courtney Center of the Sun, by Conjure One Goodbye Milky Way, by Enigma Morphing Thru Time, by Enigma Return to Innocence, by Enigma Back to the Rivers of Belief, by Enigma The Same Parents, by Enigma Boadicea, by Enya Ebudae, by Enya The Humming, by Enya Serenity, by Godsmack Transcendence, by Lindsey Stirling The Mummers’ Dance, by Loreena McKennitt All Souls Night, by Loreena McKennitt Silent Lucidity, by Queensryche Human, by Rag ‘n’ Bone Man Freewill, by Rush Requiem for a Dream, by the Scott Benson Band The Silent Awakening, by Tina Malia    

  This is the lesson to be learned from the Dark Tower series, by Stephen King, as I have come to understand it. It is my own interpretation and your mileage may vary. If you haven't read the entire series of seven novels, the context won't make sense. Those caveats out of the way, here's the gist:   Roland Deschain, the primary protagonist, ultimately failed in his quest. He achieved his objective, yes, but he did not succeed in his ultimate goal, which was to become a god. Like Icarus, he flew too close to the sun, to use a more familiar name for Roland's archetype. So, let's look at archetypes. The Protagonist is a good place to start, because he is you/me/us. Usually a he, or she, or they, -but rarely an it, which is also telling, yes? ;) The rough definition is "The Good Guy." He's the hero of the story, sometimes the narrator, but the one we are intended to identify with. The one we're intended to learn from, in one way or another. Ro...

  February 20, 2005               Singularity. The universe cannot have been created, intelligently or otherwise, because of singularity. Time zero cannot have existed. If it did, it would have to be as a transfer of energy to matter. As there is no explanation for where that energy came from, there can be no beginning to the universe. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can become matter, and vice versa, but that’s it.             Action and reaction. The Big Bang theory explains the known facts, but does not account for time zero or the law of action and reaction. In order for something to happen, something else has to happen.             ( Dammit, I’m losing the thread of this! I need my father! I know what I mean, and what I think, but I don’t have the vocabulary to explain it, even to myself. ) ...

  Introduction This sentiment was first published on Facebook, but I want to include it here. The question of how Lucifer was able to rebel, given that he was an angel and therefore did not possess the free will required for an act of rebellion, remains the fundamental flaw of the entire Biblical story.   A Theological Paradox The entire Christian religion is based on a story with a deeply flawed premise: the concept of an angel rebellion. By definition, angels do not have free will. That’s what they were supposed to be rebelling about, which makes zero sense if you think about it. The idea of an “angel rebellion” is as absurd as that of a toaster rebellion. An act of rebellion requires free will, which angels-and toasters-canonically do not have. This is the theological paradox that confounded my father.   7/18/2021  

  Forty Years in the Desert: A hypothesis on the ways environment affects the development of the psyche.   The desert gives you nothing. When prophets go wandering, they go to the desert, because it is as close as we can physically get to the Abyss. But what of those who were born there? The desert has been made physically habitable by human standards, and has been for some time. So what of the mental state of one who is partially shaped by the desert environment? After all, a little air conditioning and some spindly trees don’t do much to soften the desert environment. It remains a hard, unforgiving place, and tends to attract or create hard, unforgiving ideas, and hard, unforgiving people. When everything you have is what you’ve managed to scrape out of a hostile environment, you aren’t generally inclined to share.

  Introduction   My theological position has evolved throughout my life. The essay below was written at a time when I was more monotheistic; at this time, I am more of an atheist, although I would believe in a god if I ever met one, provided they could answer some very important questions to my satisfaction .   Comparative Theology Notes   Man is created twice in Genesis: Once in 1:26 and again in 2:7.   This occurs in both the Christian and Jewish versions of Genesis.   The Koran tells a bit of the story of Noah, but a slightly different version than the one in Genesis.   The Flood is mentioned, but more in passing; it seems focused on the behavior of men, which led to the punishment.     The Koran seems to be an attempt to continue or add to the existing scriptures, in that it does not mention the creation of the world, but does refer to previously written texts. This makes sense, as it was written long after most of t...

  Sacred Flora Rose Lavender Oak Holly Cannabis Psychoactive Mushrooms Peyote   Sacred Fauna Cats, both wild & domestic Squirrels Owls Crows & Ravens Butterflies & Moths  

  Acknowledgements             No man is an island; I would never have done what I have done without a lot of love and support from some wonderful people. Here they are: My late father, Myles. He taught me to think for myself, to question authority, and to find my own Path if I need to. His questions and observations always led me in the right direction. My mother, Doloris. No matter where my spiritual path led, you let me live my truth as it was at the time, and never judged me. You also never made me feel unloved or unwanted, and you didn’t pressure me into becoming something I wasn’t; you always let me be myself. I love you, Mama! My second ex-husband and dear friend, Marcus. You have your own private faith, which I will always respect, as you have always respected mine. You were my cheerleader, and made some insightful observations that helped to shape the Path. You will always hold a special place in my heart. My belo...

  Why? As a scholar of comparative theology, I am aware that there are many different belief systems in the world already, and all of them contain some good ideas. However, I have not found one that I can wholeheartedly ascribe to. Hence the creation of my own. What is your fundamental belief? That humanity is fractured, and the only way it can be healed is through Enlightenment, attained with reason, science, and evidence-based solutions to the world’s problems. That the application of the Eight Virtues in daily life can help a person attain Enlightenment. What are your guiding principles? The eight Virtues: Compassion, Mindfulness, Self-Control, Patience, Serenity, Balance, Effort, and Integrity. What are the religion's roots? I took concepts from many sources, including the Abrahamic traditions, paganism and neo-paganism, Buddhism, and even the Satanic Temple. I also incorporated aspects of Hinduism and Native American belief systems. Are there any deities/divine...

  About Me             I was born on August 13, 1977, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Myles and Doloris Aldous. I was the second of what would eventually become five children, and the eldest girl. Both of my parents were raised to be Mormon*, but my father never really embraced the faith and stopped attending church when I was still young. He had a lot of questions that couldn’t be answered by the LDS religion, or any other Christian faith, so far as I have found. I feel he may have liked Buddhism better, had that been an option in such a Mormon-heavy state. His questions and the lack of satisfying answers eventually led to my own break with Mormonism at the age of sixteen. Unable to accept the more unlikely aspects of the Mormon faith, I looked around for something else to believe in. I did a little research into Rosicrucianism (This was long before the days of the internet, so I was limited in the scope of my research.) but didn’t q...