A to Z Blogging Challenge 2015: W is for Songs of Worship

Religion can be a loaded subject. 

We are not promoting any one religion over another.

We are featuring songs which may have spiritual significance to people with certain beliefs.

No belittling or bigoted commentary regarding anyone's beliefs (or lack thereof) will be tolerated.

~The KHEL 666 Krew~

Songs which have spiritual significance can move people emotionally, and perhaps get them in touch with the realms that exist beyond the physical.

For a Buddhist, chanting and instrumentals which invoke feelings of peace and relaxation are essential.

For Christians, a song of this nature can remind them of the peaceful messages taught by Jesus, and of his great sacrifice.

Jewish songs invoke feelings of celebration and reverence, keeping traditions alive and celebrating those who have gone before.

Muslim chants are often very powerful and moving, invoking strong feelings of spiritual reverence.

Pagan beliefs practices are extremely varied. Wiccan and Pagan songs celebrate various gods and goddesses, or the beauty of nature. Unitarian songs of worship tend to focus on peace, tolerance, and togetherness rather than religious beliefs. 

 I hope you have enjoyed my choices demonstrating songs of worship from various belief systems. I am not an expert on religion, and the thoughts expressed are simply brief explanations of my understanding of the music utilized by a few of the world's religions.

Peace,

DJ Illsa

Cross-Posted to:

KHEL 666

One Love

Healing and Release Spellwork April 24 2015

Music suggested by Teammate Opal

I would like to do these spells at least once a week. However, it is often much longer. There is a threefold factor: work, family, and the fact that I don't believe in my abilities.

My son's friend has fairly well distanced himself from everybody, so it's difficult to know how he's faring. It's hard for me to continue with spell work without progress reports. I'm somewhat going on blind faith. I really want him to heal, but I suppose I have to be prepared to accept the possibility that perhaps he doesn't want to. He's only 18, but he's had a very hard life.

My special friend is not doing well, physically. His mind continues to deteriorate, yet his body remains alive. He wants to be released at this point, but something keeps him holding on. I think I have some idea what it is, but he's asked me to keep it confidential. 

Here are our element cards for the day:

Heaven: The Key from the Stargate deck. This represents self discovery and realization.

Air: From the Healing with the Fairies deck.

Sexuality. My son's friend is transgender female to male. He has a history of sexual abuse. Sexuality is a thorny issue for him.

Water: From the Magical Mermaids and Dolphins deck

Break Free

Both of the people I'm working to help have certain issues that they need to break free from.

Earth: Dog from the Medicine cards deck

Meaning: Be loyal to yourself and true to others. 

Fire: From the archangel oracle deck:

Indigo and Crystal children

My son's friend has an advanced and sensitive spirit which has been broken by others. Healing of his soul as well as his body is essential.

May we all be blessed and receive the guidance we need. I feel that we are all lost in some way.

~Cie~

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2015: T is for Theism

I actually enjoyed listening to this sermon, although it raises for me the sort of issues that initially made me begin questioning the belief system of my childhood.

I was raised Catholic, and was very devout into my teen years. I began to wonder why the God I worshiped seemed to bless some and curse others. I had quite a difficult time during my teen years and wondered why God hated me when I tried my very best to do good and went to church each week as well.

It wasn't that I was perfect. I was a bit of a rebel. I smoked and I liked to party at any possible opportunity. But I was kind to others. I wondered why that didn't count for something.

Biblical literalism was the first thing to go from my belief system. The church was the next thing. I couldn't abide the many judgmental attitudes that I encountered among the believers.

I am still rather convinced that there is a higher power, or at least I strongly believe in the possibility of one. However, I no longer believe in the rather egotistical deity that I was taught to worship in my childhood. 

I can't align my own thoughts and beliefs with theism, because I find a deity that demands worship from its creations or it will cause them to suffer regardless of whatever positive and helpful traits they may have extremely off-putting. Deism makes more sense, as far as I'm concerned. A being so advanced that it could create the Universe surely would be beyond such a petty emotion as egotism.

The God of the bible (at least as interpreted by the majority of those calling themselves Christians) is an abusive parent who demands unquestioning adulation from his creations. I refuse to worship any being which is that egotistical. If there is a higher power, I believe it judges our actions, not our willingness to fawn over it.

~Morella~

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2015: P is for Pacifism

Pacifism is, quite simply, an opposition to war and violence.

A pacifist may have religious beliefs, but they do not have to.

Ahimsa, which means "to do no harm," is a core belief of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism.

Many great spiritual leaders, including Jesus Christ, have encouraged pacifism.

Mohandas Gandhi called for non-violent opposition to British rule during the Indian Independence movement.

The word pacifism was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud (1864–1921) and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901.

~Wanda~

Information gathered from the Wikipedia entry on Pacifism.

Devil of a Job: Interview With an Exorcist

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2014: M is for Music

There is music for many belief systems.
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir may not have any specific beliefs, but they like Gospel music.
It's hard to find specific Buddhist musicians. Many times the chants are done by monks.
Counting Crowns sing for Christ with their brand of contemporary Christian music.
I don't know if one could consider this music "representative of Deism," but it is cool.

People who follow the tenets of Eckankar believe that the sound HU has special meaning.

I once worked with a fellow who practiced Eckankar. I was interested to hear about his beliefs until I discovered that his real goal was to try and get into my pants. Then I stopped listening.

Hindu songs praise the various deities of Hinduism.

There are many others. We may examine them at another time!

~Gretyll~

NaPoWriMo 2015: Day 14: Suffering: A Conversation Between Me and the Cosmos

Suffering:

A Conversation Between Me and the Cosmos

"Why do you allow us to suffer?" I cried

To any deity or angel or demon

To any ascended master

To any spirit high or low

To any elemental being

To any ghost

Or speck of dust

Or invading microbe

Or molecule, atom, electron, proton or neutron

Which might chance to hear me

"Why do you create things of beauty only to allow them to be destroyed?" I demanded

"I want to know who is responsible for this!" I declared

I wondered aloud how something so magnificent as this cosmos could come to be

Without even an iota of divine intervention

I decided that it could not

But the creator thereof must long ago have pissed off

To any rate, this is the only thing I can imagine to be true

For as I gazed up into the night sky

At the myriad of stars

I was as alone as ever

Having, as always, no answer to the question

Of why we are born

To suffer

~Opal~

Notes:

Like Ellie yesterday, I deviated from the prompt. The prompt was to create a poem which includes a conversation. Technically, mine does, although it is a one-sided conversation!