A Mournful Disturbance In The Force...

I had hoped that my next post here would be as I'd promised, continuing the discussion on the topic of my previous post... but alas, we've all suffered a severely terrible loss:

Our sweet princess has drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra...

"Remember the white dress I wore all through that film? George came up to me the first day of filming, took one look at the dress and said: 'You can't wear a bra under that dress.'

'OK, I'll bite,' I said. 'Why?' And he said: 'Because ... there's no underwear in space.'

He said it with such conviction. Like he had been to space and looked around and he didn't see any bras or panties anywhere.

He explained. 'You go into space and you become weightless. Then your body expands but your bra doesn't, so you get strangled by your own underwear.'

I think that this would make for a fantastic obituary. I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."

Carrie Fisher, in flight to Los Angeles, fifteen minutes before touching down, had suffered a cardiac arrest.

She received CPR on the plane, but when paramedics got to her once the plane had landed, it took them fifteen minutes more to get a pulse.

Once in the hospital ICU, things were starting to look hopeful, and shortly thereafter, her brother had reported her condition to the rest of the hopeful world as being stable... but then, on December 27th, 2016, no matter how tight all of our love could grasp, she suddenly slipped through this world's fingers.

Her Living Force has left us all to join with the Universal Force.

Carrie Fisher was a heroic force of her very own.

Her portrayal of her most famous, most constructively influential role, has served - and shall ever serve - as a source of inspiration to countless people, to myself, and to my daughter.

She showed men and boys that women and girls needn't turn masculine to outperform them in courage, tenacity, leadership, stamina and strength of spirit, and she showed women and girls the same.

Deed Doer.

Princess.

War General.

In the eyes of many, Lady Knight.

And let's not forget, in Heart of Hearts, Jedi.

In memoriam, pencilled freehand by a friend 
and fellow Jedi from the Temple, Zenchi. 

He and his artwork can be found 
via this link ----> @Zenchi66 

This Good Human Being portrayed many roles, yes... but it cannot be argued that her role in the Star Wars mythos was the most well known, well portrayed, well received, inspiring, influential, constructive, on many levels even emulated in the hearts of youthful beings everywhere, and yes, very, very dearly loved.

Fare thee well, Lady Carrie Fisher...

Fare thee well, sweet Princess Leia...

We shall forever keep you in our hearts, being warmed by the Force you've emanated into our lives' growth and vitality.

I hope you know how much we all have loved you so, and shall ever love you still...

 ...thank you, so very, very much...

 ...and may the Force be with you, always <3 ;_; <3

The Force: Part 1, An Overview of its Aspects

The Hindus called it "Prana"...

In Tibet, "Akasha"...

Some of the ancients called it "Æther"...

Occultists call it the "Aura"...

In China, "Qi/Jing", and "Qigong"... 

In Japan, "Ki"...

Western Alchemists know it by all these names, as well as by terms such as "Quintessence", "Prima Materia", and "First Matter"...

Those who prefer to use a more modern, somewhat scientific terminology, often tend to use terms such as "UEF", or "Universal Energy Field", or the "Bio-electromagnetic Field", and "Bio-electromotive Force".

One writer, who sought to draw from all the world's lores on the topic, in order to sort of "universalize" this concept, chose a fairly generic, though now apparently iconic term, "The Force".

It's a fairly obvious benefit to have a single term for all to understand, and perhaps identify with, in his works of fiction - which he created for those of most (if not all) faiths worldwide to relate to, in order to rekindle the inner spark of curiosity within them, towards life's higher mysteries, teachings, parables, lessons, paths of virtue, and overall general spirit(uality).

******* 

But before I write further on this, I should jot a few words down here on a certain important matter...

Now, while there be those who believe in the existence of (by whatever term) "the Force", they generally tend to fall into two groups. There are those who see it as both a physical phenomenon as well as a philosophical concept, both equally as binding and unifying of all life as each other... and there are those who only see it as a philosophical idea.

That's fine. To each, their own.

It might though, unsettle or even pain one, to see another wilfully lock eyes shut to the ineffable beauty of something that has been known as undeniable fact to so many beings for countless aeons... but that affords no right, for those who see, to pry open, by cunning or by force, the eyes of those who choose to remain blind.

But it is not the only disturbing thing, such pain of seeing someone choosing not to see... rather, it is admittedly more so, the feeling of being (necessarily by circumstance of their denial of reality) invalidated - even seen as archaic, non-scientific, superstitious, of inferior intelligence, worthy of pity, deserving of ridicule and disdain, etc. - if one is seen by them as being among those who know and understand these subtler sciences - which they may refuse to see as anything other than utterly ridiculous.

THIS... as frustratingly unfair a feeling as this can be, must not be allowed to fester within us. It makes no difference how one who chooses wilful ignorance would judge us. They just don't know, and, in fact, insist upon not doing so.

Just let it go. 

In turn, this should *NEVER* be seen by us as any reason or justification to judge them, either - we shouldn't see them as inferior, stupid, not as far along the path as we, or any of the like.

If we must settle our minds upon what to think of these peers, these fellows of the Human Family, these relatives of ours, then let it be enough to see that they are on a path, as we all are, which continues on.

That all of us, whoever we are, are wrong about a great many things until we find out truths along the path, which we use to right ourselves... and just rest on the knowledge that they, like we all, will find theirs - in their own time - and be done with it.

We do not need validation in these matters by anyone or anything, aside from by the Force, and it's Source.

But I've digressed far enough...

*******

The Force (as regards the physical phenomenon), and it's aspects, can be explained/described using any of the ancient terms above, but also with the terminology of modern science. In particular, the branch which deals with the Grand Unified Theory. This deals with something today's modern science terms the Superforce, or rather, to a much larger degree, those forces which, at or around the time of the Big Bang, had branched forth into becoming the Four Forces.

The Four Forces of the Grand Unified Theory, in order of strongest to weakest, are;

Strong Nuclear Force

Weak Nuclear Force

Electromagnetic Force

Gravitational Force

These Four Forces, and their interplay with their root from which they all sprang, the Superforce, make up what is largely regarded in Jediism as the "Universal Force" - that from which all mortal life is risen from, and returns to upon death.

Now, I should point out... all of the ancient terms mentioned at the beginning of this post are terms to describe the biological phenomenon which largely and most often deals primarily with the Electromagnetic Force - or, more precisely, Bio-electromagnetic fields, and the Bio-electromotive force, as well as their interactions with other electromagnetic fields/forces, whether biologically living, or not.

This state would be what is largely regarded in Jediism as the "Living Force", that which binds and unifies all mortal life forms in the universe while alive, until such a time when death would return them and their essences to the Universal Force.

These forces are tangible, observable, measurable, and to a certain extent, able to be manipulated.

See, there is a science to all this... and if there wasn't, then how could it be?

There is logic and reason to the Force. We merely need to familiarize ourselves with the laws of physics along which these forces run.

We are electrical beings. Our brains run on, and use, bio-electricity. This has long been well known as scientific fact. And just as when electricity runs along a wire, a magnetic field winds around it as a result (allowing for wonderful things like induction, for example), our own wiring, our nervous system and all else which our brain communicates with, also creates such fields.

Whether we are speaking, walking, running, or reaching out and grabbing a glass of water to drink from... such bio-electricity runs along the wiring of our nerves, telling what our brains want our muscles and such to do. Along all these neuro-pathways, our personal field is generated, enough that can even be photographed using special equipment - or even detected with the trained eye...

 ...and that will be the subject of my next post.


Until then, may the Force be with us, every one - always <3

    - Tarran ^_^

Jedi Symbolism and the TotJO Star

It has come to my attention that I should probably include among my many notes here on my studies in the "TotJO" (Temple of the Jedi Order), the symbolism of, both, the Order's emblem, and my own personal spin on it, which I use as my graphic moniker (that is, my profile icon) in the Temple, and on this here, my "notebook" blog (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!).

First, I'll place the image of the Order's emblem here, below...

Now, to explain the symbolism...

First off, we have the five-pointed star, in five segments. This is to represent the five parts of the Jedi Code, which is as follows;

Emotion, yet Peace.

Ignorance, yet Knowledge.

Passion, yet Serenity.

Chaos, yet Harmony.

Death, yet the Force.

Next, we have the sixteen-pointed star within, which is to represent the sixteen teachings of the Jedi religion/philosophy/chivalric order. They are as follows;

1. Be in harmonious touch with the Force. This is done by being open to spiritual awareness and in keeping our minds in tune with the beauty of the world. To maintain a state conducive to learning, with our minds open to experiences and knowledge, of ourselves as well as others.

2. Maintain clarity of mind. This may be accomplished through meditation and contemplation. Our minds can become unduly troubled and concerned with the happenings of the world. We must work on overcoming our individual issues through training and diligence.

3. We must be ever aware of the future impacts of our actions, and inactions... and while remaining keenly aware of the influence of the past, strive to live in, and focus upon, the Here and Now. We must allow ourselves to flow, as though like water, through the events which happen around us. We embrace the ever changing and fluid world, adapting and changing along with it.

4. Be wary of attachments, both material and personal. The obsession over possessions and people creates the fear of losing those possessions and relationships which can cause ourselves to be trapped in a state of depression and loss. We need not shun attachments per se, as how can a parent not be emotionally attached to a child? But we must never allow such feelings to rule over us, and rob us of control over situations which require a mind at peace. Possession can lead to obsession, and then we become possessed. Through fear of loss, we can lose our Selves.

5. Understand that wellness needs to be maintained in the physical, emotional, mental, moral, and spiritual - all aspects of yourself. Each aspect must be trained well in order to ensure that we remain capable of performing our duties to the best of our abilities. All of these are interconnected and essential parts of our training in becoming more harmonious with the Force.

6. Use knowledge and skills to the best of your ability. Knowledge by itself is nothing - utilizing it, applying it to one's life, is wisdom. Never use knowledge and/or skill to boast or be prideful. We must remain mindful of the ego and mindful of our actions, exercising wisdom... and humility.

7. We must understand/acknowledge/accept our limitations. We recognise, and take responsibility, for our failures and develop/cultivate a level of modesty about them. We respect the right for others to disagree and understand that they themselves are not perfect, just as we ourselves are not.

8. Always exercise patience. We work on training ourselves not to precipitate events around us. We know that becoming a Knight is a long and difficult process, and requires rigorous dedication, diligence, and commitment. We must train ourselves to act with insightful deliberation, and a conscientious state of calmness.

9. Always maintain integrity. We must be authentic to what we believe, and be open, honest and true to our purpose and our minds. We must take courage to remove all masks in order to reveal our nobleness of heart. We do not hide from fear of damage to our ego, because we know that our hearts cannot truly be blemished from the words and actions of others, but only by our own misdeeds.

10. It must be well striven for, that all of our actions have a positive effect... for no matter the scale of action, whatever we do affects the world. Even if it be as seemingly insignificant as to put a candy wrapper in your pocket until a proper receptacle is reached, as opposed to casting it upon the ground. Nothing done has no effect. In this way, whatever a Knight may do, may have a positive effect on bettering the world with every action, however great or small.

11. We must be ever mindful of our thoughts. Strive to recognize the beauty in all others. Provide help to those who come seeking it. Through our benevolent actions, we may strengthen not only ourselves, but also our communities. A Knight acts without prejudice.

12. We must understand and remember that love and compassion are of central importance to our lives. We must love and care for each other as we must love and care for ourselves; by doing this we envelop all life in the positivity of our actions and thoughts. In this way, we strive to be providers and beacons of hope.

13. We must cultivate empathy. To achieve this, we need to view things from another’s perspective, making us more sensitive listeners. We must provide the confidence people need while they express/discuss their difficulties, and we share our learning with those who would welcome the benefit of such. In doing this, we strive to help create a more harmonious society.

14. We are, foremost, guardians of peace. We must never shrink from helping all those that are in need, in whatever form, to the best of our ability. We recognise that sometimes providing help requires courage in the face of adversity, but we also understand that conflict is resolved through peace, understanding, and harmony. However much we may fancy ourselves "Warriors of the Light", however true that may be in Heart, for one or another or all, we are *FIRSTLY* Guardians of Peace.

15. We understand the concept of eternal life through the Force. We do not become overly obsessed in mourning those who pass, becoming sickened with grief and dying of loss. We may grieve at their passing, yes, even perhaps much... but we do for a time, and it ends... and we find contentment and rest in the knowledge that they will forever be a part of the Force, and thus indeed, always ever a part of us. Science teaches that neither matter nor energy is ever truly destroyed - "everything goes somewhere".

16. We are to make a commitment to our cause, and to Humanity. Our ideals, philosophies, and practices define the belief of Jediism, and we take action on this path for self-improvement, as well as to help others. We are both the witnesses and protectors of the Jedi way, by the practice of our convictions, and the sincerity of our actions.


There now - that was a lovely bit of reading, wasn't it? ^_~

Now on to the final bit, the white-on-black colour scheme. This is primarily to signify a light in darkness, a beacon in the shadow, and the coexistence of Light and Darkness.

And now, for my personal spin on it all, which does include all that is represented above, plus a small bit more. First, I'll place the image here, below...

First off, just as I have mentioned above, this holds the very same original sybolisms in the original emblem itself (the colours I've put together in it are all part of light), but also include those of an alchemical meaning;

If we go in evoking fashion around the points (to draw a unicursal five-pointed star, in a clockwise direction), starting and ending with white, we get;

Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, White.

These correspond to the philosophical elements, in order, from the most "solid" to the most "rarified";

Green-Earth,
Blue-Water,
Yellow-Air,
Red-Fire,
White-Spirit.

These, in turn, represent states of matter - again, from the more "solid" to the more "rarified";

Green-Earth-Solid,
Blue-Water-Liquid,
Yellow-Air-Gas,
Red-Fire-Plasma,
White-Spirit-Aether (Akasha/Qi/etc.).

These, in turn, correspond to the Four Forces and the "Superforce" from which they are all said to spring forth from, in Grand Unified Theory taught in particle physics. From the "weaker", lower frequency forces to the "stronger", higher frequency forces, we have;

Green-Earth-Solid-Gravitational Force,
Blue-Water-Liquid-Electromagnetic Force,
Yellow-Air-Gas-Weak Nuclear Force,
Red-Fire-Plasma-Strong Nuclear Force,
White-Spirit-Aether-Superforce (GUT - Grand Unified Theory).

Being Native American from Plains (Siksika-Blackfoot) and Woodland (Mohawk/Oji-Cree) tribal groups, I'd also found it interesting that, if you remove the green, you have the four colours of the Plains tribes' medicine wheel;

White - North, from where the cold winter winds come,
Yellow - East, from where the Sun rises every morning,
Red - South, the direction the dead are said to begin their journey towards,
Blue (interchangeable with Black) - West, where the Thunder Beings live.

But if you take away the blue instead, then you have the four colours of the Woodland tribes' medicine wheel;

White - Winter,
Yellow - Spring,
Green - Summer,
Red - Autumn.

(Depending on tribe, different colour/season correspondences may be used.)

But yes, the circle even in this here is very important, too - and in this case, even the extended background;

The Black is the darkness which we may find surrounding our lights, but that it doesn't totally consume the Brown, representing the Good Earth we walk upon, shows that much of the darkness, we bring with ourselves - after all, we all cast our own shadows ^_~


There - I think that'll all do rather nicely... I think that's the end of this post!


May the Force be with you, always <3

    - Tarran ^_^

A Return from Death's Door...

I have been away from this blog, and other than "peeking my face in the door" so to speak, every so often just to meet and greet a bit in vague fellowship, I've also been away from the Temple. Of course, at this particular moment I write this, it's all being upgraded and moved to a new server, hopefully to be all up and running within a day or so from now. And now, as I write this, I've been progressively returning to the Land of the Living.

Until recently, I've been neglecting quite a lot of things, but mainly my progress in my studies at the Temple, and upkeep on my blogs, by force of distraction.

I allowed myself to be distracted by things in life which would only suck the life out of me, my emotional and physical health both plummeting like a fat kid on a see-saw.

I actually came very close to death a small few times between the Fall of last year and the Spring of this one. My health had been quite dangerously low, in both an emotional and respiratory sense. My mental state had also suffered greatly, due to extremely regular sleep deprivation (not sleeping until 1am, waking up at 4am for the rest of the day, e-v-e-r-y night), and my depression dove to depths unfathomable, which to this day, still tug at me, tempting me, beckoning that I dive back in. 

Many have heard me say before, "The Heart has an inherent sweet-tooth for despair". 

People don't understand how for many of us out there, depression can be addicting - not because it's "fun", or "feels good", but because if we aren't in intensely torturous emotional pain, then maybe it's because our hearts have stopped feeling... are we then not alive anymore?? It's really difficult to explain/describe...

The worst part was, much of it all was due to my becoming intertwined with another, long-lost and then found friend from High School, a bi-polar individual, who is just as prone to depression as me... though FAR more self-destructive, constantly mixing psyche-meds with alcohol, taking herself off her meds and on again at her own whims, and hideously suicidal. 

I seemed to be helping her, but there's that situation when someone dives into the water to save a drowning person, only to have that one push him under the water in order to catch a breath, killing the one who dove in to save them. 

And then there was also the feeling of dread, when someone might say, "don't leave me, or I'll kill myself". Such exact words were not spoken, but other similar ones were, and actions taken. 

I had originally thought that our paths had crossed in order to be joined together... but looking back, the situation rather seemed as though like something crouched and poised to pounce upon me at my peril. 

Luckily, with the aid of friends, very close friends, I'd even call them family, I survived, and so did my long-lost friend up to this point in time. I had cut off all communication with her quite some time ago now, therefore if she takes her own life for whatever reason, I'll not be that reason. 

Anyways, the time had come, I suppose. 

When I'd found her, she had been dealing with the constant infidelity of her partner who was terribly abusive, and she, due to an accident, had no use of her legs. Now, after surgeries, and constant moral support, she's made it back to getting around on her own two feet, literally, and out of that house, and that relationship, and is now quite self-empowered and out on her own. There is now no longer any need of me in her life, and may the Force be with her. May she live long and very happily. 

She was quite abusive with me, in the end. Abusive, injurious, vindictive, venomous... I became the punching bag for her to punish for all the harm ever done to her by everyone else... it was all very ugly... all the while I just wanted to die. I really did not need that kind of negativity in my life, so I had to peel myself away, carefully, so as not to trigger her into doing anything stupid (I'd be forever destroyed inside, having that on me), and so that I could eventually be safe from it all. 

It's been a small few months now. I think I have most of my life back, my Qi, the Force...

Some bits of me have been lost in the shuffle - seems that's always the way... 

But I'm glad to be back. Yes, quite happy... and now I can return to the path, from which, I never really truly veered from - just got a little bit... distracted... 

We must all, mind well, our course <3 

And may the Force, and its Source, be with us all <3 

    - Tarran ^_^  

TROUBLE AT THE TEMPLE...

The Jedi Temple Forums are off-line... second day, going on the third... tech is on it, but there are complications... I am chafin' at the bit about whether or not data has been secured or lost... I'm *SO* hoping that I don't have to start the initiate program all over again!! GAAAA!!!!

I'll edit this and write more later as stuff develops...

EDIT; ALL IS BACK ONLINE, AND DATA IS INTACT!! YAY!!
Thank you, Ren, and all the rest of the team!!!!

MTFBWYA!!

    - Tarran ^_^

Science Proves The Creator's Existence?

Well, perhaps not in so many words... but in an article posted on Christmas, last year, on the Wall Street Journal's website, by Eric Metaxas, the apparent overwhelming evidence seems to point out that the possibility simply cannot be blindly disregarded. I'll paste it here below, with a link to the main source, both here, and at the end of this post.

But before I do, I'd like it to be well understood that, my posting this here, wherever I happen to personally stand on the issue, is not in any way to proclaim that one school of thought is in any fashion the victor over any other in any conceptual arena, since any hard physical proof that would completely tip the balance to one side or the other is yet to be found in either encampment, evolution or creation.

(Let's also not forget that I am not now, nor was I ever, nor will I ever be, a crucifix-wearer... and am often considered a "heathen" by those who do wear it. So, as logical and scientific-minded as I'd like to boast to be, if I seem to show any leanings toward creationism, let's not forget that the "church" did not invent such a concept, nor is their particular flavour of it the sole and only type out there. I am of a Native American tribal mind, like my ancestors before me.)

Now, a disclaimer;

*****************
This is shared here from (source linked both above, and further below), here, under the Fair Use Act, which states that copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder.

This is here, in my *private*, personal side-journal, which, in whole, is as notes on my education as an initiate following the curriculum as a member of the Temple of the Jedi Order - if there be any dispute as to the use of this article by its original author and/or original publisher, and a desire exists for me to remove it from this private, personal journal, I may be reached at the Temple - my name there, as here, is Tarran.
*****************  

Here below, is the article;

******************************
In 1966 Time magazine ran a cover story asking: Is God Dead? Many have accepted the cultural narrative that he’s obsolete—that as science progresses, there is less need for a “God” to explain the universe. Yet it turns out that the rumors of God’s death were premature. More amazing is that the relatively recent case for his existence comes from a surprising place—science itself. 

Here’s the story: The same year Time featured the now-famous headline, the astronomer Carl Sagan announced that there were two important criteria for a planet to support life: The right kind of star, and a planet the right distance from that star. Given the roughly octillion—1 followed by 27 zeros—planets in the universe, there should have been about septillion—1 followed by 24 zeros—planets capable of supporting life. 

With such spectacular odds, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a large, expensive collection of private and publicly funded projects launched in the 1960s, was sure to turn up something soon. Scientists listened with a vast radio telescopic network for signals that resembled coded intelligence and were not merely random. But as years passed, the silence from the rest of the universe was deafening. Congress defunded SETI in 1993, but the search continues with private funds. As of 2014, researchers have discovered precisely bubkis—0 followed by nothing. 

What happened? As our knowledge of the universe increased, it became clear that there were far more factors necessary for life than Sagan supposed. His two parameters grew to 10 and then 20 and then 50, and so the number of potentially life-supporting planets decreased accordingly. The number dropped to a few thousand planets and kept on plummeting. 

Even SETI proponents acknowledged the problem. Peter Schenkel wrote in a 2006 piece for Skeptical Inquirer magazine: “In light of new findings and insights, it seems appropriate to put excessive euphoria to rest . . . . We should quietly admit that the early estimates . . . may no longer be tenable.” 

As factors continued to be discovered, the number of possible planets hit zero, and kept going. In other words, the odds turned against any planet in the universe supporting life, including this one. Probability said that even we shouldn’t be here. 

Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life—every single one of which must be perfectly met, or the whole thing falls apart. Without a massive planet like Jupiter nearby, whose gravity will draw away asteroids, a thousand times as many would hit Earth’s surface. The odds against life in the universe are simply astonishing. 

Yet here we are, not only existing, but talking about existing. What can account for it? Can every one of those many parameters have been perfect by accident? At what point is it fair to admit that science suggests that we cannot be the result of random forces? Doesn’t assuming that an intelligence created these perfect conditions require far less faith than believing that a life-sustaining Earth just happened to beat the inconceivable odds to come into being? 

There’s more. The fine-tuning necessary for life to exist on a planet is nothing compared with the fine-tuning required for the universe to exist at all. For example, astrophysicists now know that the values of the four fundamental forces—gravity, the electromagnetic force, and the “strong” and “weak” nuclear forces—were determined less than one millionth of a second after the big bang. Alter any one value and the universe could not exist. For instance, if the ratio between the nuclear strong force and the electromagnetic force had been off by the tiniest fraction of the tiniest fraction—by even one part in 100,000,000,000,000,000—then no stars could have ever formed at all. 

Feel free to gulp. 

Multiply that single parameter by all the other necessary conditions, and the odds against the universe existing are so heart-stoppingly astronomical that the notion that it all “just happened” defies common sense. It would be like tossing a coin and having it come up heads 10 quintillion times in a row. 

Really? 

Fred Hoyle, the astronomer who coined the term “big bang,” said that his atheism was “greatly shaken” at these developments. He later wrote that “a common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with the physics, as well as with chemistry and biology . . . . The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” 

 Theoretical physicist Paul Davies has said that “the appearance of design is overwhelming” and Oxford professor Dr. John Lennox has said “the more we get to know about our universe, the more the hypothesis that there is a Creator . . . gains in credibility as the best explanation of why we are here.” 

The greatest miracle of all time, without any close seconds, is the universe. It is the miracle of all miracles, one that ineluctably points with the combined brightness of every star to something—or Someone—beyond itself.

******************************

Now, again I say, this is not to hold one concept above another in any sense of "HA-HA"-ism - this isn't any fight, and there is no triumph to be had here... but rather, this is in defence of those who understand this concept, though are ridiculed, and quite unfairly so - most often in ways that smacks of playground bullying, and by those who would have themselves be seen as pillars of education.

Yeah, I'm gonna rant just a wee little mite ^_~ I'll make this quick...

We are not imbeciles... those of us who are NOT swayed by any mountebank clergy class, of whatever religious organization, into thinking anything even remotely illogical or spectacularly idiotic.

Those of us who, no, do NOT believe in some "invisible man in the sky", as so many atheists would jeer... those of us who know such a being would not be invisible per se, nor a man, nor "hiding" or skulking about in any place as provincial as our sky.

No.

This is merely to show, explain, and prove that those of us who do scientifically understand this concept, are NOT some drooling, faerie-tale clinging, clergy-following, quarter-wits, freely ejaculating blind faith in pouring largesse, who clasp their hands over their unenlightened ears against scientific logic, screaming "I'M NOT LISTENING!!"

No... not all of us who accept the possibility of Intelligent Design are like that - those of us who are not so easily lead by those fellow humans who assume a position of being holier than the rest of us, and spoon feed "their flock" illogical crap and call it "manna"... we can and do see that there is scientific logic behind it all.

But I do point to this article as a testament - that those of us who feel that this universe is too huge to not have more intelligence out there, are indeed of sound mind, and that such an idea can and does follow logic... and that we also feel that it's insanely egotistical, to say the least, to think that whoever is out there couldn't possibly be far smarter, far wiser, far more powerful, far more sentient, or yes, even far more than mortal - than we.

That we, carbon-based life forms of Earth, are extremely specialized beings to our environment, this spectacularly provincial world, amid a maddeningly immense universe, and that we are certainly not in any way an assumable representation of what necessarily would ELSE be out there.

That we who understand the concept of Intelligent Design are NOT devoid of logic or reasoning, but we do see a science behind it... a line of followable logic... and that it is not an intellectually unjustifiable position to take a stand in after all. In fact, we take such trusting, fact-based faith in science as being our suit of armour AGAINST ignorance and blind faith.

There are those of us who are Alchemists, whether unaware of the term, or acknowledging of it - and while there are about as many definitions of that word as there are Alchemists, this one fits best for this post right now; Some scientists say that creationism and science are irreconcilable... an Alchemist is a scientist who sees them both reconciled, and in fact having never been separated, nor ever in any need of reconciliation. We do not see "God" as some "invisible man hiding in the clouds" - we see him as a wondrously, supremely logical sentient being, the Grand Architect of the Universe... and as such, The Ultimate Scientist.

And we ponder the arts and techniques and sciences and logical doings of His design, and of the vast teams of celestial "master craftsmen" in His charge.

But most important of all, we do not judge others for not seeing things our way - we do not jeer, we do not poke fun, and we do not scoff or scorn... we are all finding our way around discovery, so sure, it seems logical to suppose we'll all end up in the same knowing in the end - in the mean time, we should strive, all of us, of whatever school of thought... we should all just play nice, yeah?

No more being judgemental, bullyish and/or pigheaded... you astrophysicists and such, and you freaky churchy people either :P lol

(And yes, of course, that goes for me too - ALL of us ^_^)

Remember, no-one of either encampment has physically found the all-telling, quintessential "Holy Grail" just yet... we ALL are "still in school" <3 

That's all for this post... to find the article at it's source, please follow this link here.

Love and light to you all, and May the Force Be With You... Always <3

    - Tarran ^_^

"Because Science"

Well, this seems to be something that I've heard way too often lately, and mostly spouted off thoughtlessly or blindly. The funny thing is, it doesn't sound too unfamiliar...

See, it used to be that its counterpart could also be heard just as much (and though the unpopularity of it is quite in its heyday in these very recent times, it can still be heard today)  - "Because Bible".

Either way, it's a means of blindly assuming/proclaiming something as fact, by virtue of the stated trump-card reference source, which is also used to back up the vicarious credibility of the proclaimer, as well as the proposed "fact".

Below, in this video, at about the 0:16 point in the video time line, you'll notice a not-so-extreme example of what I mean. The unwarranted smugness is there, to be sure, but between 1:48 and 1:58, the person double-talks around herself without realizing it (the force of gravity due to weight/the "pull" upon them = different ways to say the same thing) - what's more, her data is incorrect - the force exerted on each object *is* different (but the inertia is as well, effectually balancing out the descent between them). She also claims to have done fairly well in physics, so she "knows" ("because science!") objects fall at a constant speed... but they don't - they accelerate - at 32.174 ft/s², to be precise.

And from 2:09-2:13, her smugly stated words just make her seem even more vacuous.

*Just after that*, however, the video cuts to the Asian woman and the Hindu gentleman, and the latter of the two says something quite insightful in his honesty - which says actually deep things, both about what we instinctively know, and about what we are taught (or perhaps, the faulty *way* in which we may be being taught) - and he wisely does not simply latch onto one and blindly discard the other... no, he acknowledges both realities in his mind, allowing his Self to ponder both.

This is a rather smart thing to do, and something so few of us have any tendency to do... which can in part be blamed on how certain institutions/traditions are geared (intentionally or not) to squash that out in learners.

The difference between the before-mentioned smug one, and the insightful latter one, is this; one is a "know-it-all" (or well, technically, a *read-it-all* - a receptacle of "data", but not necessarily any *wisdom*), and the other is a thinker.

Let me add just a little more on my parenthetic input above... 

See, there's really no such thing as a "know-it-all"... what that type of person actually is, is a "read-it-all"... and such a person really isn't very much at all beyond what that implies.

Unfortunately, the read-it-all types actually believe they KNOW-it-all... at least, all that they feel they are expert in. But being able to parrot "facts" or data, does not a learned one make. 

Too often, it seems a lazy habit of Mankind to lean on something thoughtlessly - "Because *book/school-of-thought* says so".

This *way* too often results in FALSE KNOWLEDGE.

Watch that video again - it's about misconceptions. It can show the ease at which we can lose our footing on the path, while reinforcing such intellectual derailment by heaping blind faith in the idea that "science" is "supremely infallible" - when actually, it is ever-changing as it progresses.

It's the investment in such blind faith that we are on such an "infallible" path, which feeds our false sense of justification to invest more faith into it, blind or otherwise. It becomes a vicious cycle of self-reinforcing, compounded ignorance.

Figuratively speaking overall, we need to not only read, but to study and investigate... only then can what we each personally possess be considered truly "knowledge" - otherwise, it is merely hearsay, and we become merely parroting read-it-alls. Our intellectual worth becomes emptier.

For example, people might spout off about the old and very famous experiment with the large ball and the smaller ball dropped off of the leaning tower of Pisa - both masses hit the ground at the same time... but by only observing the effect and not investigating the cause, they misconceive it as being proof that the force of gravity is equal on all masses no matter the size/weight... and that's clearly not so. But now, due to said misconception, far too many people will *vehemently swear* that gravity acts equally on all masses, "BECAUSE SCIENCE" - and that, my friends, is how "factual" bullshit is born - and that kind of bullshit lives forever. And it stinks. Badly.

Here's another brilliant example of how, when science is misunderstood, and the mechanics of it misconceived, screw-balley faux pas can easily proliferate...

So we can see here, clearly, how easily the figurative "book of science law" can be misread, misconstrued, misunderstood, misconceived, or even misremembered - and the resultant false knowledge can be disconcerting... and in some cases in today's world, even spectacularly idiotic.

"Because Science"/"Because Bible" - false knowledge can be arrived at in the same way with both books - one of science, and one of spirituality. 

Do be careful.

This is why reading from a book is, while not bad, certainly not enough. Get your hands dirty. Experiment. Personally. Take notes on your personal experiments. Don't just read about the whys and hows, figure them out for yourself. Don't just search for the answers, quest through the problems, journey along the solutions and arrive at the answers.

Don't be a read-it-all - be a pioneer.

It's like the difference between a scientist and a science teacher. A science teacher is not a scientist. (There are instances of a person actually being both, but such is outside the scope of the point of this post.) A science teacher doesn't even really teach science per se... but rather facilitates the teachings of others, like a go-between, between real scientists and you.

This isn't to say that science teachers, or any teachers, can not be miracle workers in their own rights, no... what they do is influence and inspire, and through their arts and passion to make us love to learn, they awaken the brilliance within us - and bless them very much for it.

But the point is, a science teacher is not a scientist per se. So when a teacher happens to (hey, it happens) miss-teach a piece of data, or allows you to misunderstand, you might have the tendency to take them on blind faith that they know better than you and/or all your peers... even perhaps a scientist - when all your teacher did was pass on curriculum from a book, and somewhere along the line, between there and nesting itself in your mind, the data became faulty.

The point is not to take any data and simply store it in mind as canon and be done with it. Take it in, think it through, test out the properties. Weigh it. Bounce it off a few walls. Take it out for a few walks. Kick its tires. Run it around. Own it - but earn the ownership. Do the work to earn it. As the guy in the videos says, "Feel it in your spleen". Make it real. Real-ize it.

In Jediism, we need to see that life isn't a quiz to ace on paper - it's a lesson to live and learn, to earn and real-ize. A Jedi (or anyone) should never be an armchair expert in anything - but rather a hands-on pioneer in everything.


Alright, I think I need to stop for a while and get some sleep now.

May The Force Be With You!

    - Tarran ^_^