The Path Ministry

  I'd like those of you who don't attend Path meetings to know that I have never once mentioned, nor will I ever mention, Jesus or the bible. The Path is non-theistic. We do, however, talk about the Pantheon of Patron Saints, especially my parents. Mostly what we talk about are ideas and how they apply in our daily lives. We share our experiences and learn from one another. My mother and my daughter attend almost every meeting, and both of them have shared thoughts that made me think and see them in a clearer light. I would love to see more people attend my sermons. I promise that I never get preachy and never pass judgment upon anyone. And even though I hit the Cannabis pretty hard on Sunday mornings, I am lucid and full of energy during meetings. Cheers. Reverend CJ Carlin

 I may be an atheist, but I still pray. Let me explain: No, I do not pray to any gods. I do not strictly believe any of them exist. What I do is open my mind to the greater collective consciousness of the Universe. Some people may try to call that a god, but I do not believe it is independently sentient, nor do I believe it is omnipotent or omniscient. Call it the hive mind of the cosmos, the metaphysical version of the internet, comprised of all the individual minds and energies in the entire Universe. Sometimes, I pray by having a conversation with my late father and patron saint of the Path, Myles R. Aldous. I believe that something of his consciousness remains and is watching over me, so I reach out to him upon occasion for advice or just to commune with his energy.  I also consider the work I do with Tarot cards to be praying, of a sort; I am consulting that same cosmic energy, using the cards as a medium. I do the same thing when drawing rune stones.  Of course, my pagan rituals

  Topic: Fight or Flight: The False Dichotomy Today we will be talking about the false dichotomy of fight versus flight. All our lives, most of us have been told that there are only two possible responses to fear stimuli: fight, or flight. You can either punch that clown or run away. This is unmitigated bullshit. There are, in fact, five possible responses to fear stimuli: fight, flight, freeze, flop, or friend. Let's unpack these other three options a little bit: Freeze. Pretty self-explanatory, but there is an added benefit to this option: it gives you a moment to think about what to do next. The downside to freezing is that sometimes it's hard to unfreeze and move forward. But sometimes, the best thing to do is hold still with your eyes closed until the clown goes away. Flop. Just go limp, physically or mentally. Demonstrate that you aren't a threat, in the hopes that the aggressor will leave you be. The mental counterpart to the physical flop is to hold your t

Topic: Juneteenth and Father’s Day   Today we are celebrating two holidays: Juneteenth, the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and Father’s Day. We will be talking about both holidays because they are both significant to the practice of the Path.   The Dark Tower series teaches us to remember the faces of our fathers, and I will never forget the face of mine. In honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to share some things about my own father and Patron Saint of the Path, Myles Aldous. My own spiritual journey was helped along a great deal by my father; he asked questions and encouraged discussions about faith and the collective construct that is the god of Abrahamic traditions. His observations and viewpoint helped to shape my own from a young age; I am who I am today in large part because of the lessons I learned from him.    Although he never attended college, Daddy was extremely intelligent, and like most intelligent people, he liked to have somebody to share his thoughts and ide

  Topic: Serenity Remain calm and controlled, even in difficult times. Serenity is necessary for clear thought and right action and takes both Self-Control and Effort. Mantra: “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” -Buddha Serenity is both the ultimate goal and the natural result of following the Path; it is the true inner Peace that comes from practicing the other seven Virtues. Serenity is required to practice Compassion and Patience, because you cannot be Compassionate or Patient with an unsettled mind or disturbed spirit. Maintaining one’s Serenity sometimes takes incredible Self-Control and Effort, but it is required to react appropriately in any given situation. It is most vital in a crisis, where your life or the lives of others may rely on you keeping a cool head, although your Serenity may also be challenged in your day-to-day life, when faced with stressful situations or people. Taking deep breaths, focusing on the task at hand, and ignoring or brushing of