Tips Guides

True love–that is, unconditional love–is such a puzzle for so many of us. We give it names like agape or grace, and think it is reserved only for a certain few or that it is so rare that we have little hope of ever finding it.

Yet true love displays many of the same characteristics as the lighthouse, which is neither rare nor all that hard to locate.

Indeed, the lighthouse nearly always stands on an elevated promontory, deliberately exposed to all on sea and land. Everyone is supposed to see (and hear) the lighthouse; otherwise it could not fulfill its purpose.

The mission of the lighthouse is to guide us through perils. Night and day, in any kind of weather, its steady light rotates in every direction–360 degrees–illuminating the safe harbor to travelers on sea and land. When fog shrouds its beacon, the lighthouse still shines and adds a loud horn to make sure all those within its range get the message.

Notice a few things about the lighthouse. First, its beam falls on everyone alike. Pilgrim or pirate, saint or sinner, it does not concern the lighthouse. Its rays are available equally to all, without any kind of condition or limitation. The only step they need take is to keep open their eyes (and sometimes ears). It is always their choice.

Second, the lighthouse does not demand that travelers pay heed to its warning. It does not uproot itself, wade out into the ocean, take a ship by the prow, and insist that the vessel steer toward safety. The lighthouse, by its very nature, sets the example of the “tough love” that respects others’ free will to follow their own spiritual paths.

Even if a million ships pass by without attending to the lighthouse, it does not become discouraged or start to think that there is no value to its purpose. It keeps shining its light because eventually, someone will notice and will avoid danger thanks to its illumination. That is true faith.

Third, the most brilliant part of its own light falls on the lighthouse itself, demonstrating that light–and love–are a two-way street, to the benefit of both the recipient and the giver. This is perhaps the hardest lesson of the lighthouse–that giving unconditional love (light) to others is not meant to be a painful sacrifice. We deserve to receive as much love as we lavish on others.

So what does the lighthouse teach us about true love? That we all deserve it, no matter who we are or what we have done. That we cannot force our love/light on others because doing so violates their free will. As puzzling as it may seem, others have the right to reject our light/love. And, last but by no means least, that we merit our light/love as much as anyone else to whom we give it.

These are deceptively simple lessons. Simple in this case should not be equated with easy. Most of us have a tough time understanding these lighthouse teachings at even the most basic level. We hoard our love and refuse to give it to certain people or groups. We foolishly rush in where angels (lighthouses) fear to tread because we lack faith in others’ free will and thus are certain we know best for them. Or we try desperately to give love while insisting that we are not worthy of it, and giving then hurts because our own cup of love is bone dry.

Yet true love–lighthouse love, unconditional love–is the simplest of all love. Perhaps that is precisely why we don’t get it. We’re so accustomed to complexity that we discount the validity of anything so utterly simple.

Since complexity doesn’t seem to be working for us, why not give simplicity a go? Let’s simplify our love and look to the lighthouse as the example of how true love really works for others–and for us.

Candace (C.L.) Talmadge is the author of the epic fantasy Green Stone of Healing(R) series and a political columnist syndicated by North Star Writers Group. As StoneScribe, she blogs about the intersection of politics and spirituality.

In the shape of a coin, religious medals are very common part of the Catholic persona and many Catholics own or often wear these items on chains around their neck. The history of practice of wearing religious medals dates back to the early days of the church.

Also known as patron saint medals, the images of Saints cut into these coins and often the words pray for us are cut into the medals forming usual the outer edge or the back. It is a common that the wearer of the patron saint medals often pick one that is in somehow are related to something they do or to someone that inspires them.

It is possible that the wearing of medals dates back into the Greek and Roman times and got carried over into the early church as a way to honor the early martyrs of the church. Exhumed bodies, as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries had the bodies wearing images of St. Paul and St. Peter embossed on a coin shaped piece of metal. These early medals have provided stories and lore of what happened to some of the martyrs in eh early days. For example St. Lawrence was believed to have been killed over an open fire. There are medals from the early first century depicting him being roasted over an open fire forming picture that tells a story.

In the early church there was many crossing overs from pagan tradition. Things like Christmas trees and advent wreaths and even saint medals, devotional medals, are believed to be having some roots into paganism mimicking the practice to wear items designed to ward off evil or disease. To reach and convert as many as possible to Christianity, the early church did reach out and allow these customs to be introduced. As they continued to evolve they became items that were used to remind folks of promised they made to others or to Christ himself. In the 1500s the custom of blessing these medals was approved by Pope Pius V. From that point forward, the agreement to bless these items was seen as an approval by the catholic church to allow these items and moved them from their pagan roots.

Usually on these coin type items the person of an famous person, event or shrine are struck to remind the wearer of these past event, miracles or dedications. They also may request personal graces like the reminder of First communion or for the priests, ordination. Medals showing events became very common as they recalled the miracles of Jesus and the apparitions of Mary

Some of the most popular medals are the Miraculous medal which was struck at the request of the blessed mother to Saint Catherine Laboure in 1830. Many now wear this medal believing it will bring them grace if they do so with piety, meaning with religious or spiritual devotion. St. Catherine is in an open glass coffin where here uncorrupted body is visible to all that go to see her.

In the 20th century its common that religious gift shops carry saint medals. But if you are looking for a wider variety of Saints or an Hard to find patron saint medal, many internet websites carry full lines of Saints and medals.

Beth carries many Catholic Saint Medals including many Patron Saint Medals.

From the first time that humans looked toward the sky and began to chart the movement of the sun, moon and the planets, men have been assigning meaning to what they saw.

It was not enough to simply record where the sun moved, when an eclipse happened or when a planet was brightest, complex and varying stories and myths were given to each celestial event to help explain things that were happening in the life of the observer.

If crops failed, it was blamed on the stars. If war broke out, it was blamed on the stars. Let us take a look at ten of the heavenly bodies that astrologers assigned meaning to and what each body meant.

1) The Sun

Not only was the sun the easiest body to see in the sky, it provided light, warmth and life. Most cultures saw the sun as a life giver, not vengeful or angry, but almost judgementless. A benign and powerful giver of life and wellness.

2) The Moon

The moon, to many early astrologists, represented the unconscious mind and stood for emotion and desire. It often had a negative connotation, simply because it was thought the moon help power over the weak to indulge in their inner most desires.

The old superstition of a full moon altering the behavior of people or even turning some into werewolves stems from the idea of the moon holding a mysterious power over your emotional side. The Moon is also associated with Monday, short for MoonDay.

2) Mercury

This planet is named after the Roman messenger god of the same name and thus the planet Mercury is thought to be the body that rules things like communication, rationality and logic, as well as transport. It is thought to bring out our curious nature, as well as being vivacious and inconsistent.

Mercury is thought to rule over Wednesday. In astrology practiced in China, Mercury is ruled over by the element of water. In India, Mercury stands for intelligence.

4) Venus

Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky after the sun and the moon. It is named after the Roman god of love and the planet is thought to control love in astrology.

The planet is also thought to affect things like beauty, harmony and it plays an important role in people wanting or not wanting to get along. Throughout time and culture, Venus has represented peace, love and human potential. Venus is the planet for Friday and in Chinese astrology it is associated with metal.

5) Mars

Maybe no other planet is better known than Mars. Famously known as bringer of war, aggression and terror, it is is well known in most every culture. It is also associated with confidence and impulsiveness. Mars is usually associated with Tuesday and it is a fire element in Chinese astrology. Mars role as a bringer of war is apparent throughout human literature highlighted by H.G. Wells The War of the Worlds where invaders from Mars come to Earth to wipe out human civilization.

6) Jupiter

The biggest planet in the solar system is associated with happiness and joy. Jupiter rules over Thursday and is also associated with higher education, religion and growth. Many also believe Jupiter plays a role in protection, since it does protect the Earth from many wayward comets and asteroids by using its gravitational pull to absorb many hits that would otherwise strike the Earth.

7) Saturn

The final planet in the original seven planets that ruled astrology for years, Saturn is seen as cold and lifeless and is associated with ideas such as structure and sadness. In India, the planet is thought to bring bad luck. Saturn is tied in with the day Saturday and it is an Earth element in China.

Uranus

While some astrologers do not even acknowledge Uranus because it was not one of the original seven bodies, to the rest of the astronomers who have accepted it, Uranus stands for ideas and genius. It is also associated with controversial or extreme politics, as well as modern inventions. The association of Uranus with these things stems from the time of its discovery being so closely associated with the French Revolution and the American war for independence.

9) Neptune

The interpretations of Neptune are all over the place. It can stand for spirituality and religion, just like Uranus, but it is also associated with drug use and altered mental states. The discovery of Neptune happened around the same time that anesthetics were discovered, hence the association with altered mental states.

10) Pluto

While Pluto is not a planet anymore, it is still given astrological significance. It is associated with renewal and also associated with great and terrible power and corruption because of the time of its discovery coincided with the height of power of Stalin.

Astrology is filled with colorful and interesting stories about how heavenly bodies influence us. It may seem strange at first, but there might just be more of a link between these objects in the sky and human behavior than you might think.

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Millions of people seek tarot readings to help them in their daily lives. They ask about how to deal with their relationships and how to find success in their endeavours. Throughout history people have turned to divination methods and communication with spiritual energies to help them and because tarot reading has been used for centuries now, it is often a trusted modern tool as well.

There are several aspects of tarot card reading that make up its effectiveness. If all the conditions are met properly, the outcome of a tarot reading can be extremely good.

1) My deck or yours?

The first important component you will want to consider about this is who will read your tarot cards. Will you do your own reading or will you go to a tarot reader? Both of these methods can be effective.

If you are attempting your own tarot reading you will want to do some research before you get started, and there are a lot of things you will need to decide.

The first decision will be what kind of deck to use, so you will have to read up on it and determine if there is one that suits you best.

If you are drawn to a certain type of deck that may be the first indication that it is the one you should use.

After you decide which deck you are reading from, you will need to learn about the types of readings and how often you should consult the tarot. Especially if you are just learning all of this, you may consult the tarot too often and get confused by all the seemingly unconnected advice it gives.

When you see an experienced tarot reader you may get more from your reading. Seek someone with knowledge and a good reputation. I suggest that you ask friends and relatives to recommend a good tarot reader if you know they have sought this kind of advice in the past.

If you would prefer to keep this to yourself, I suggest you visit the readers you are interested in and ask them a few questions about readings in order to get a good idea if they are someone you feel can help you.

2) The Question

Okay, so now you have found the reader (or gotten yourself in a position to read your own). The next step is forming a question to be asked. You should put a lot of consideration into this matter. You will want to ask something that will give you insight.

Do not ask questions that the tarot cannot answer such as ‘who will I marry’ or ‘how long will I live.

The tarot is not meant for such questions. It is meant to provide guidance about relationships and endeavours, so ask how best to accomplish what you want rather than IF you will accomplish it.

3) The Mood

The next component of a successful reading is your mind set. On the day of your reading, do some meditation or relaxation exercises to clear your head and put you into a calm state. You should not be agitated and out of sorts when you have your reading done.

When you handling the cards (shuffling or selecting the ones for the reading) you should calm yourself by closing your eyes and taking a couple of deep cleansing breaths. I suggest that you then pick up the deck and hold it and even shuffle the cards while being mindful of your question.

This is the time that you make the connection with the cards, so try to be as serene and centered as you can. I feel it is extremely important to have time with the cards in order for your energy to connect with the spirituality they hold. If you rush this step, your reading could be drastically affected.

4) The Attitude

Have an open spirit as you determine the messages in the cards and how they relate to your own life. You may need to think about some of it for a few days before you can really get it.

The tarot is indeed a powerful tool for you to use for guidance. You must always remember however that its effectiveness is determined by several components.

For the most successful and trustworthy readings you will need to do everything you can to make sure that the cards, the reader, your spirit and the atmosphere are at their best for your reading. As with anything else, if you use quality ingredients you will get a quality end product!

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In the deck of tarot cards, each one of the seventy eight cards carries its own meaning. The twenty two cards in the major arcana have the most significant meanings when considered individually. This is because the major arcana cards indicate strong people and issues in a tarot reading. The minor arcana help determine some detail about those strong people and issues.

1) One at a time

Each tarot card is considered individually first and then it is noted how it relates to the other cards in a reading and how it relates to the position it takes in the card spread.

I want to use The Emperor card as an illustration about the interpretation of individual cards. The Emperor can be represented in a tarot deck in several ways depending on the style of the cards.

On some cards The Emperor is shown as a ram and on some he is depicted as an eagle or as a throne. This card means leadership, power or strength. It can also mean tyranny or impatience because each card can have a more positive meaning and a more negative meaning based on its placement and other contributing factors.

Simply looking at this card in its singular state could tell you many things and you must always remember that you need to make a connection between this card you have selected and the question you have asked.

Perhaps you have The Emperor in your selection of cards and based on your situation and your question, it makes more sense for The Emperor to take on the negative state to mean a lack of rule or a lack of respect for authority. You must use a creative approach when deciphering such cards.

2) Location, location, location

Each placement in a tarot card spread has meaning. If I continue with the example of The Emperor as I used above, The meaning of the Emperor tarot card now shifts or is refined in meaning to correspond with its position.

There are many different spreads, so I will not get into each one. If The Emperor card is placed on the spread in a spot which signifies motivation for example, you can further read that the power and leadership meaning of this card may be what motivates the individual who has selected these cards.

If this very same card were to be placed in a spot which signified service it would have an entirely different meaning. While The Emperor still represents power and leadership, it could now be understood that this individual is in a leadership position and that serving people is what puts them there.

So you see that placement is important in the interpretation of every single card. You could compare it to colours. If you tell someone that you bought a red jacket they will get a mental picture in their head of what a red jacket means.

When they see you in that jacket however, they discover that it is really more of a muted wine colour and that it is much more subtle and understated than they imagined when they heard the term red jacket. Placement of each tarot card actually helps define the strength and attitude of that card.

3) Relationships

Another thing that affects each card in a placement is the other cards. For example, the Two of Cups is in the reading along with The Emperor. This card must be studied on its own just as The Emperor was and then, after that it must be redefined based on its placement and the other cards accompanying it.

Firstly, the Two of Cups represents a relationship and usually will mean love. Let us imagine that the Two of Cups has been placed on a spot which indicates motivation. We will then have to consider that this person who is in a powerful leadership role and is dedicated to the service of people is motivated by love.

This tends to indicate a person who is very interested in the service of others for the sake of love. Sure, this person may be powerful but that power seems to be focused in a way that benefits many people.

4) No-one is an Island

As you can see, the individual meaning of each tarot card is important and each card should be considered on its own.

The entire reading will be unbalanced however if the positions of each card and how they may relate to the other cards in their respective positions must all be taken into consideration. Seeing the whole picture is worth much more than any single card.

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Each of the 7 Spirits of God has a definite name and exerts a particular and infinite influence on the very nature of God Himself, but how do the 7 Spirits influence the actions of the Lord God?

Probably the best way to answer this question is to examine an incident in Scripture where there would be a potential discrepancy between the influences of the 7 Spirits:

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:2-11, NKJV)

Here, we have many problems simultaneously, but we will only consider the choice the scribes and Pharisees were trying to force: which is more important Love or Holiness?

The Law on Moses is very clear on the consequences of this question: the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. (Lev 20:10, NKJV) The Spirit of Holiness requires absolute perfect obedience in thought and action, while the Spirit of Love offers generosity to all. In fact, it is this very juxtaposition that leads to the whole plan of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.

The scribes and Pharisees weren’t at all concerned about the problems of this situation, in fact they created them so that Jesus would be forced to make a choice that they could take advantage of: if Jesus forgave her and set her free, they would condemn Him for not being holy and righteous and fulfilling the Law. If Jesus chose to have the woman condemned, they would proclaim Him a hypocrite and destroy His ministry.

You see, in the kingdom of Satan, everything is based on power and compromise: one either overpowers his detractors and proclaims himself victorious, or he comes to some agreement with his opponents where each gains a little and each looses a little. However, this is NOT the way the Lord operates.

Yes, Holiness demands eternal punishment and Love demands mercy simultaneously! So the Spirit of Wisdom provides the solution: establish the veracity of the Law by the Spirits of Truth and Prophecy, wait in Faith for the Word of God to fully act, and then bestow Life. Thus both Love and Holiness are vindicated at the same time, ultimately by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

The Lord could have simply destroyed all that He had made when Adam sinned, and He would been completely vindicated and justified, but for the sake of Love He chose salvation at His own great expense so that He could provide Life to all who could receive it through Faith and Prophecy without in any way compromising the Spirits of Holiness, Truth, and Wisdom.

God will only act if all 7 Spirits and the Trinity are in complete and total agreement. There is no division, no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17, NKJV) with the Lord God. See www.7-Spirits.com for more information.