Essenes

I read, a long time ago, the the Essenes did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, which I thought was odd, since as you said they taught Jesus. 

@rowsella, thank you for this!

@bluebelle, it's not always accepted by others in the church, but I found the Nag Hammadi codices interesting reading. The Dead Sea Scrolls were mostly the Hebrew texts-almost the entire Old Testament. The Scrolls were found in the Qumran Caves, just to the west of Jerusalem near the Dead Sea. The Nag Hammadi on the other hand are gospels that were not included in the Bible. They were discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt-around the same time as the Scrolls-1945. They showed other perspectives-like how Mary Magdalene was as well as informed as the apostles. But there was no way a woman would be given that kind of status at the time they were choosing which writings would be included in the Bible.  

I do believe we are all here at given times for specific purposes. For many of those who were around in the time of the transition from one astrological shift to another, or those who were here for historic events, etc. it was pre-destined. There are protagonists who are here on purpose, and some only became protagonists when pushed by an antagonist. One is just as important as the other to achieve the desired result. Would JFK have faded into history more than he has if he had completed his presidency instead of having it cut short? How would things have played out if Judas hadn't betrayed Jesus? Would we have the US if England didn't try to unfairly tax the colonists? How many wonderful things have been birthed from reactions to dark actions? 

Therefore we don't know, if say those in politics who are not acting patriotically, or ethically,  are acting according to what they were sent here to achieve or not. Some may be here to learn a lesson they did not learn in a previous lifetime. We have free will. We have lessons to learn or things we are here to accomplish. If we don't fulfill our 'contract' we'll come back and try again. So were they sent here as an antagonist needed to be the impetus for a protagonist? Were they here because they abused power previously and are trying again to learn the lesson of appropriate power and leadership? This is why it is not in our best interest to judge others. We don't know if they are on their right path or not. We can only try and figure out if we are on our correct path. Not judging others doesn't mean we should just accept their actions, or think those actions are ok. We need to learn to separate the action from the individual. A three year old may bite someone, not knowing better. The child is learning. Biting is bad, not the child. See the action for what is, and leave the "judgement" of the individual in the hands of the higher ups. 

Monica had told friends that she was going to die young, it would be a tragedy, and it would be known world wide. I have no doubt she signed on to leave early, and knew it. In many ways, I kind of knew it deep down as well. I also found in the wake of her death, and the things that I did as a result, that I was chosen to be with her, to become an activist. I never saw that coming (tho in hindsight I maybe should have), but when I had accomplished a number of goals in the advocacy department, I had no qualms in stopping and directing my energies towards my son. It felt right to stop. I had other important things to take care of.

Sometimes we are surrounded by those we need to support us and our mission, sometimes we will be surrounded by those who challenge us. We may not always know if we are the student or the teacher. How can an abusive individual learn kindness and compassion if they aren't given the chance to do both? How can they be abusive and learn that it is wrong if there is no victim? I can see my role as a teacher to those who have been abusive to me, thus allowing me to forgive. It doesn't mean that I think what they did was ok. Far from it. By accepting that I may be the teacher for them to learn not to abuse, it allows me to let go of the victim status and not allow it to continue to have sway over my life. And yes, sometimes I still struggle with disallowing the influence in my life. But I feel I'll be fairly compensated for that, whether here or in the hereafter. Likewise, I'm not responsible for those who were given the opportunity to learn and did not. 

I've been surrounded by abusive personalities all my life. At some points I felt like such an outcast and that I was not someone whom others could love. Then one day I was doing a past life meditation. It was prerecorded, so for me it was a bit short. By the time I got into a past life, I saw myself as a tall, thin woman, hair up, standing on the porch in a high collared long sleeve floor length gown. It was hot outside, and the clothing was stifling. Then I looked and just off the porch in the yard stood my husband, in full suit and tie. I felt a love like I didn't know existed. We were so happy. I heard 1825, and that quickly, the meditation was over. I got no names, or idea of where we lived. But it has always filled me up knowing I've known that kind of love, and that I most likely will again, whether here, in the hereafter, or in another lifetime. It was so like the connection I have had with my kids, and so unlike what I've had with my family and ex. Life here is like school. We are sent to learn. Some lifetimes (classes) are the pits, even tho we need them. Some are electives, and we aren't always going to get into the electives we want. 

In the words of the Stones-you can't always get what you want, but if you try-sometimes you get what you need. 

@elaineg

i was just reading that the reason he was called "the Nazarene" was because he was a Nazarite. A Nazarite of the Essene sect.  The town of Nazareth apparently did not exist until 300 years after his birth, and was named that in a misunderstanding of the phrase. A Nazarite was one who took certain vows to God, which could include not cutting the hair, vegetarianism, no alcohol.   Think of modern-day Rastafarianism with it's edict to "throw away the scissors and the comb".  Orthodox Rastas are also usually vegetarians and non-drinkers.

Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist were also Nazarites.

@cindy

Thank you Cindy, for your beautiful post.  I will read it again and again.  I know your life has been hard dealing with the tragic loss of your daughter and then dealing with so many challenging personalities in your family.  Yet how rich you are in wisdom as a result.  May your holidays be filled with love.

P.S. It turns out I even alive when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, so I’m guessing I first learned about them in the sixties or seventies.  

@michele-b-here-in-the-forum

I'm not sure where that 90% figure came from. From what I've read, there are over 900 Dead Sea Scrolls, the vast majority of which are in the possession of the state of Israel. The Green family owns about 11 fragments of those scrolls, while the Conversation article you linked reported that 5 of those 11 scrolls were found to be forgeries. So I'm not overly disturbed. When I think of the Greens and their scrolls, I'm imagining a diminished yet pretentious aristocratic family whose greatest pride is owning an original Fabergé egg. But one day an antiquarian shows up at their shambles of a manor, inspects the egg, and tells them their greatest pride was manufactured by...a huckster antique dealer in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Fun fact. Williams Butler Yeats, and his wife, George, were avid practitioners of the esoteric, and one of their revelations was the inspiration for Yeats's most famous poem, "The Second Coming." Yeats believed that biology, civilizations, and spirituality were all governed by fixed cycles, and that human culture seemed to be governed by cycles that lasted 2000 years each, hence the most famous lines of "the Second Coming:"

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep 

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last,

Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?

There's an interesting essay about this in Emergence Magazine by Paul Kingsnorth:

https://emergencemagazine.org/story/a-wind-blown-from-paradise/

I decided to look up the Age of Aquarius since that is what is coming and what we are preparing for and it is hard to think about without the song earworm from the musical "Hair." So, here is some of what I found by this guy:

Here it is:

"The Aquarian Age will be dominated by networks, and information. The key phrase for this age is “Be to be.” The key to the astrological sign Aquarius is “I know.” This is the age of information. Nothing is secret anymore. All information is available at your fingertips. Where the Piscean age was organized in a vertical, up and down structure of hierarchies, the Aquarian Age is organized in a horizontal network, opening the world up to true equality.

During this age, the focus is no longer on your identity and existence (“to be or not to be”), but on accepting yourself as a whole person (“be to be”) who does not need to believe in something outside of yourself. You are ready to accept that you have the knowledge and wisdom within yourself. It is no longer necessary to attach to something outside yourself, but to become a leader of one: yourself. Instead of being a railroad car that is pulled by an engine, you become your own engine. It is your responsibility to stay on the tracks and to keep moving forward."
https://www.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/aquarian-age/aquarian-shift-what-will-be-different

This is just 2 paragraphs in a large article on a webpage where it discusses the Age of Pisces vs. Age of Aquarius. What I also found helpful is his advice which echoes much of what is offered here-- I did not paste the paragraphs under each suggestion. I think it is great for people to click on the link and read the article for themselves and give this guy some hits.

"What can you do to help make this transition into this new age of information and consciousness? Here are some suggestions:

1. Have a daily spiritual practice. 

2. Don’t give in to fear, despair, or anger. 

3. Don’t be a victim. 

4. Be a source of light."

You know, I think the Essenes and Dead Sea Scrolls and other items associated with them are such a great topic and the transition of Ages is also a great topic that I think I am going to start a new one on the Age of Aquarius to discuss that. I don't know if Jeanne will want this post over there or not-- I leave it for her to decide whether she wants to move it.
 

@rowsella

There’s already a related topic titled “kali Yuga and the Aquarian age.” Or at least it’s something like that. I’d include a link, but I’m typing this on my phone. You should find it if you enter the title I provided into the search bar. Jeanne left a few comments there last week.

@rowsella, as an evolutionary astrologer-in-training (lifelong), a devotee of early Jewish and Christian mystical teachings (to include those of the Essenes), and an eager student of every conceptual map of human and cosmic time cycles I can get my hands on, your post could not have felt more relevant to me. Or more precious. So, thank you.

There's so much I could say but I'm tired and need to rest my eyes, so I'll just say this: 

We're on the transition team. We prepared for this. 

One more thing:

Many of us know the story that when Jesus of Nazareth was born, a bright star shone above Bethlehem. Wise kings followed that star to find their messiah, the newborn child of weary immigrants, lying in a manger, forced to sleep in a barn because his family had been unwelcome at the inn. 

Astronomers and astrologers alike believe that "Star of Bethlehem" was created by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces. This generational alignment of solar bodies is known as "the great conjunction" and it's significant that around the first century, it occurred in the sign of Pisces, the fish. Humanity had just entered the Piscean age. As you shared, we are currently preparing to exit that epoch and are rolling headlong into a very different one. We stand in a truly liminal space, at a time of incredible—even unprecedented—transition. 

A year from now, on the Winter Solstice of 2020, the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn will occur once again. This time in the very first degree of the sign of Aquarius. Yep.

There are no more divergent energies in our solar system than these (and so one might choose to see it as the radical coming together of our nation's very divided collective energies, just after a presidential election). Saturn is about solidity, foundations, structure. It's about density and survival and the crystallization of effort. It's about power and institutions. Saturn can feel like a cruel teacher (some call it the lord of karma), but I think its benevolence is misunderstood. Saturn's guidance comes with strictness, but it's no less loving than Jupiter. And like Jupiter, Saturn teaches us the importance of integrity and compassion by journeying us right through the heart of our own shadow. Saturn demands that we learn quickly or face the consequences of our folly. 

Jupiter, on the other hand, is magnanimous, generous, and expansive. You can't land on Jupiter; it's all gas. So, although Jupiter isn't about structure, it is about wisdom and truth and justice and honor. When these great bodies conjunct, they reorder the world. It happens once a generation, but for centuries, it always occurs in the same element or type of sign. Since 1802, the Jupiter-Saturn alignment has been occurring exclusively in earth signs, which illustrates poignantly how the last two centuries have been about humanity's adventure into the excesses of materialism: unchecked greed, ruthless competition, overconsumption, and the destruction of the planet. 

But in just one year, this great "star" will mark the reordering of our world once again, this time in an air sign. And Aquarius is all about humanitarianism, higher service on behalf of the collective. 

I'd say that's a positive development.

@vestralux

Ohhhhhh! You have the date! I thank you. I am currently still reading what seems to be a primer or basic book on Evolutionary Astrology --there is so much to know -- for me, it is learning all new stuff because even though I grew up with Astrologers and I know some things... they are kind of random and disconnected. I am also in the middle of reading a series of fantasy novels by Jeff Wheeler (and the last one I read described the process for passing the "maston" test which echoes the process of oaths taken by Essenes as described by Josephus... which I find out about in the end --the story is in a world in which magic is derived from oaths.. he calls it "oath magic" and produces a strong connection with "the Medium" (these stories, even though fictional are pinging me). Also reading about stoicism (using that philosophy to be happier, have better relationships, increase self discipline).... as well as an audio book for my drive... I love to read a lot. Anyhow, I am going to be reading more of your posts on this subject with deep interest.

So far, I feel like because time seems to be moving so fast (probably because of the quick changes with technology and the ability to communicate instantly)-- we feel such an imperative for removing Trump. I don't know if he will be removed so easily and quickly. I hope he is and will work towards that but honestly, Trump is really a manifestation of the fear of change, the fear of lost power. 

When I think about how long the changes took for the Essenes... I think it will take climate change consequences to spur the changes that the Aquarian age represents and no one will have a choice about it if they wish to survive. My feeling is that large organizations like federal government will be unable or powerless to make changes needed and it will be up to states and counties to act. For example: the retrograde changes made on automobile emissions and fuel economy don' t mean a whole lot when private cars/SUVs are banned within city limits.

@rowsella, it's funny because reading your posts about your mother (whom I would love to have met), I got a little bit of an inkling about what it's like to be my daughter. I'm grateful she's naturally an open-hearted listener, even if her eyes sometimes glaze. 

Astrology in general, and evolutionary astrology in particular, is infinitely wonderful and complex! It's a truly interdisciplinary science, in that beyond the obvious astronomy and mathematics, it teaches its students so much about the power of layered energetics, multidimensional geometries, the potency of archetypes (old and new!), and about the ego, the shadow, and the soul—both personal and collective, intimate and cosmic. Astrology gives masterful lessons in karma and time cycles and so much more.

And as an open systems theory, it's about so much more than the discreet positions of planetary bodies in the individual's zodiac; it's about the dynamic interrelationships that wax and wane between moving energies, archetypes, states, stages, and the structures of consciousness that appear within us across the lifespan. It can even reveal past and future life information. 

So, when I saw your original post I was delighted to see someone falling in love with all of these wisdoms through this particular celestial gateway (as much as the fact that I believe you're in a kind of sacred communion with your mother through this process). And I have to admit I'm a little envious—I'd love to have that copy of Raymond Merriman's book! Cherish it. I'm reading Richard Tarnas' Cosmos and Psyche, which I also recommend.

Man, I love a good sci-fi novel though it's been ages since I've sat down and read fiction. Your mention of oath magic reminded me of the late and lovely genius Ursula K. Le Guin. I should give myself some kind of staycation in 2020 just to read for pleasure.