Anastasia

The Failure of Spriritual Life

Many spiritualists tend to differentiate between spiritual and physical life treating both as distinct and separate from each other. Being on the Spiritual path somehow has people thinking that physical life and all its related activities are bad. This kind of mind set happens because of disappointment in worldly matters. This disappointment then results in a separation from the World itself and the day-to-day experiences of material conscious people.This is almost as bad as the thoughts held by those who think of life only from a physical plane and who are completely cut off from their spiritual side.

While those living purely on the physical plane seek the collection of physical assets and material satisfaction as the be all and end all of life, many on the spiritual path run away from material life just to prove to them selves how detached they are from the physical. Owning assets becomes a liability, being married and becoming parents is now considered a responsibility and a complete waste of time, and holding any position of responsibility and power becomes a huge burden.

It is necessary for spiritualists to treat all of physical life as spiritual also. It is spirit that takes physical form to experience life by engaging in the activities of the world, and it is important to recognize this fact and to not run away from all physical manifestations of spirit.

The work of a maintenance person is very important, as is the work of a spiritual teacher. Each one helps keep this world clean and working. The Source or God thought of all aspects of life, when he created this reality, and to run away from any aspect is equal to saying ‘No’ to the Source’s intentions. To run this world successfully, all types of people are required to do all kinds of work.

Infact one way of reaching and connecting to Source is to do one’s duty with complete love and being fully aware that the work is contributing to the maintenance of the ALL. And in this way, we can connect to the energy of the Source and get all the benefits of this connection, bringing the joy of this connection back into our physical reality and seeing abundance manifested everywhere.

All of material life is infused with the energy of God as everything is vibrating energy and is alive and conscious. By recognizing spirit in the physical and living with that knowledge, we can live successful, happy, loving and contented lives. Seeing God in all physical manifestations is a key element to being happy. And being happy brings in more sources of happiness, joy and success.

HRONIA POLLA! HAPPY EPIPHANY !

Epiphany

From deTraci Regula,
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A spiritual plunge after Christmas

On the stroke of January 6th, the "twelve days" of Christmas officially come to an end. This day, takes on a special meaning in Greece. Here, there is a special ceremony of blessing the waters and of the vessels that ply them.

  The modern observance at Pireus, the largest port in Greece (Athens), takes the form of a priest hurling a large crucifix into the waters. Young men brave the cold and compete to retrieve it. These days, the cross is generally attached to a nice, safe long chain, just in case that year's crop of divers is something less than desired.

After the diving, local fishermen bring their boats to be blessed by the priest.

  What does all this have to do with Christmas? Orthodox belief says that it was the day of the baptism of Jesus, and that this is where the day's association with water arises.

  But the observance itself may pre-date Christianity. There was, in Roman times, what was said to be a ceremony that opened the season of navigation. However, as any Greek fisherman can tell you, whatever the date of the opening of the season of navigation really is, it definitely is not January 6th, when weather can be stormy and the waters are at their coldest.

The day is also said to be the date of a festival of emperor-worship, also dating from Roman times. Possibly that, with attendant offerings for the emperor, is the root of this ceremony. Or it may also reflect a survival of the custom of giving precious offerings to sea, river, and spring spirits to assure their benevolence or halt their interference. On Epiphany, the kallinkantzari, the malicious spirits who are said to be active during the twelve days of Christmas, are believed to be banished for the rest of the year.

  Epiphany is also called the Phota or Fota, in reference to the day being a Feast of Light, and it is also the Saint's day for Agia Theofania.

While the biggest observance is at Piraeus, many islands and villages offer smaller versions of the event. It is definitely both a traditional Greek holiday but also one of the greatest religious festivals for the Greek Orthodox.