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April 2007 Newsletter
Subject of the Month
JERRY SIMMONS, FORMER EXECUTIVE WITH WARNER COMMUNICATIONS, ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM FOR INDEPENDENT AUTHORS
Read these articles and sign up up now for this new and exciting program that offers to connect independent authors with readers. Beta testing of parts of this program are starting NOW. Best of all, it is FREE!
THE NEW COMMUNITY
Independent Writers and Authors, this is for you! Read all about it in this
The above may seem like a stretch, but the Beta testing of the Independent Author Web Site, NothingBinding.com, has already gotten so big that they have had to get a larger server. Check with Jerry at jerry@writersreaders.com.
Phil and Brian are in on the ground floor of this effort as are many other independent and small publisher authors. All of our books, now and later, will be in this program. The great part is that even if your are just in the middle of your first novel, you can participate.
Waking God on Location
The following information is from Wikipedia regarding the Order of The Rose Cross or Rosicrucians. The symbolism of this order is found throughout WAKING GOD. What does this mean? Is there a direct connection between WAKING GOD and the Rose Cross secret society. Well, yes and no. One of the authors is a member of this mysterious fraternity. The information that follows is only partially accurate. Like most secret societies, they only let the world know what they want them to know. We will add that the Order's roots date back over 5,000 years and the notion that it is an 18th century phenomena is inaccurate. That being said, the information on the Rose Cross should provide food for thought.
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The Rosicrucian Order is a legendary esoteric order publicly documented in the early 17th century. This hermetic order is viewed among earlier and many modern Rosicrucianists as a "College of Invisibles" from the inner worlds, composed of great Adepts, aiming to give assistance in humanity's spiritual development.
Several modern societies have been formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects. However, many researchers on the history of Rosicrucianism argue that modern Rosicrucianists are in no sense directly derived from the "Brethren of the Rose Cross" of the 17th century. Instead, they are considered to be keen followers. Moreover, some have viewed the 17th century Order as a literary hoax or prank, rather than an operative society. Others contend that history shows them to be the genesis of later operative and functional societies. Rosicrucianism has its roots in the Western mystery tradition and is generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross.
Origins
The manifestos were full of symbolism and have been interpreted in many ways over the centuries. They do not directly state Rosenkreuz's years of birth and death, but in the Confessio Fraternitatis the year 1378 is presented as being the birth year of "our Christian Father", and it is stated that they could describe the 106 years of his life, which would imply the year 1484 for his death. The foundation of the Order can be similarly deduced to have occurred in 1407. However, these dates are not taken literally by many students of occultism, and are considered as allegorical statements for the understanding of the initiated. The reasoning arises from the manifestos themselves: on one hand, the Rosicrucians clearly adopted the Pythagorean tradition of envisioning objects and ideas in terms of their numeric aspects, and, on the other hand, they directly state: "We speak unto you by parables, but would willingly bring you to the right, simple, easy and ingenuous exposition, understanding, declaration, and knowledge of all secrets".
Some interpretations about the origins
According to a lesser-known legend of the 18th century Rosicrucian group called the Golden and Rosy Cross, the Rosicrucian Order was created in the year 46 when an Alexandrian Gnostic sage named Ormus and his six followers were converted by one of Jesus' disciples, Mark. From this conversion, Rosicrucianism was born, fusing early Christianity with Egyptian mysteries. In this version, rather than being its founder, Rosenkreuz was initiated into and become the Grand Master of an existing Order.[citation needed]
According to Émile Dantinne (1884–1969), the origins of the Rosicrucians may have an Islamic connection. As described in Fama Fraternitatis in 1614, Rosenkreuz started his pilgrimage at the age of sixteen. This led him to Arabia, Egypt and Morocco, where he came into contact with sages of the East, who revealed to him the "universal harmonic science". After learning Arabic philosophy in Jerusalem, he was led to Damcar. This place remains a mystery – it did not become Damascus, but is somewhere not too far from Jerusalem. Then he stopped briefly in Egypt. Soon afterwards he embarked to Fes, a center of philosophical and occult studies, such as the alchemy of Abu-Abdallah, Gabir ben Hayan, and Imam Jafar al Sadiq, the astrology and magic of Ali-ash-Shabramallishi, and the esoteric science of Abdarrahman ben Abdallah al Iskari. However, Dantinne states that Rosenkreuz may have found his secrets amongst the "Brethren of Purity," a society of philosophers that had formed in Basra (Iraq) sometime during the 900s. Their doctrine had its source in the study of the ancient Greek philosophers, but it became more neo-Pythagorean. They adopted the Pythagorean tradition of envisioning objects and ideas in terms of their numeric aspects. Their theurgy taught divine and angelic names, conjurations, the Kabbalah, exorcisms, and other related subjects.[citation needed]
The "Brethren of Purity" and the Sufis were united in many points of doctrine. They both were mystical orders deriving from Koranic theology but supplanting dogma with a faith in the "Divine Reality." There were many similarities between the Rosicrucian way as expressed in the Manifestos, and the way of life of the Brethren of Purity. Neither group wore special clothing, both practiced abstinence, they healed the sick, and they offered their teachings free of charge. Similarities also were evident in the doctrinal elements of their theurgy and the story of Creation in terms of emanationism.
According to Maurice Magre (1877–1941) in his book Magicians, Seers, and Mystics, Rosenkreutz was the last descendant of the Germelschausen, a German family from the 13th century. Their castle stood in the Thuringian Forest on the border of Hesse, and they embraced Albigense's doctrines, combining pagan and Christian beliefs. The whole family was put to death by Landgrave Conrad of Thuringia, except for the youngest son, then five years old. He was carried away secretly by a monk, an Albigensian adept from Languedoc and placed in a monastery under the influence of the Albigenses, where he was educated and met the four Brothers later to be associated with him in the founding of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. Magre's account supposedly derives from oral tradition.
This Month’s Review
A new reader review says:
"WAKING GOD IS A MIND OPENING NOVEL FOR ANYONE QUESTIONING DOGMA--HELPING TO UNLOCK PRECONCEIVED IDEAS OF THE CHURCH. IT WAS A BIT 'ADVANCED' IN SOME PARTS FOR ME....A SEEKER ON THE PATH. OVERALL, I ENJOYED THE BOOK AND CONSIDER IT A GOOD READ!"
BLESSINGS
-SANDRA IMPERATORE
News
Phil's new book, JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EARLY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION is completed and in final edit. We will keep you posted on the publisher and release date, but he is already working on the cover with one publisher so it is looking good.
Our Forum has had some recent activity so please sign on and join in on the discussions. Just go to the main page of the web site and find the forum on the right sidebar, or enter the forum through the link at the top of this newsletter.
In addition to Phil's Internet Voices Radio show on PIVTR, he has joined the ranks of BLOGTALKRADIO. You will be able to catch his ramblings at 6:30 pm on Mondays. Check out http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pharris. After 5 weeks, the time will probably change, but it will still be on Monday nights.
You may have missed this conference but it is scheduled for this weekend. Hmmmmmmm! Does the title look familiar?
taylor university presents:
youth conference 2007: WAKING GOD
Wake God? How dare we? Do we really believe that God is asleep on the job? Do we even dare question whether or not God is still living and active? But if He is awake, we mean if He really is awake today as He so obviously was in the Biblical narrative, then why all the chaos? Why all the brokenness in our lives, in our communities, in our Church, in our world? Maybe the problem isn’t God. Maybe it’s us. Maybe God is waiting, fully awake but waiting… Waiting for individuals to be his children… Waiting for communities to be His people… Waiting for churches to be His Church… Waiting for the nations to join together to be His World. What are we missing? What are we not doing? But more importantly, who are we not being? At Youth Conference 2007 we look forward to uncovering the theme “Waking God.” Join us as we evaluate what it means to truly serve our God who is fully awake in our midst. Come see who we can be when we live in the presence of our powerful God. After all, God is awake… are we?
The following Blog by Phil may have been missed by many so we thought you would enjoy this controversial topic.
DOGMA, THE TOMB AND THE SECRET
Any time you shake the “dogma” tree the hackles go up and the accusations begin to fly. Several recent events come to mind that illustrate that if what you say doesn’t fit into the accepted and established box, it must be wrong and highly suspect. This issue has arisen around the film, “The Tomb of Jesus” and the film and book, “The Secret.”
The recent film, “The Tomb of Jesus” is one example where the response has been, “We don’t like what you have shown us, therefore what you have shown us must be false.” The compelling docu-drama gave ample scientific proof that the tomb uncovered in Talpiot around 1980 was that of Jesus and his family. The science presented was real and the methods of analysis were convincing. The tomb is not a hoax, the dating is accurate and the names on the ossuaries have been verified. How anyone can doubt that a family crypt that contained the names and remains of Jeshua bar Joseph, Joseph, Maria Mattiah, Mar Marimne and Juda had no connection to the family of the Nazarene is beyond my comprehension. And yet, when dogma is questioned the science is called trash or, as one of Ted Koppel’s guest called it, “archio-porn”.
The only stone that was cast at the film was by those who profess that it is not in keeping with scripture. These beliefs hold that since Jesus was reported to have been seen in the flesh after he died, then the flesh must also ascend to heaven. Therefore, there could be no bone remains of Jeshua. The reasoning and evidence to back this assertion must be suspect. It relies upon faith only and it relies upon the notion that some “higher moral authority” knows more than what can be proven. It was this same “moral authority” that put people to death when they claimed that the earth was round, it revolved around the sun, and anyone who did not follow its dictates was an agent of evil.
One could not help but chuckle at the criticisms lodged against the use of dramatizations. Where are these voices when movies like The Greatest Story Ever Told are released? It seems that as long as the drama supports the dogma it is acceptable. As long as Jesus is portrayed with light hair, blue eyes and light skin that is also acceptable. But portray Jesus as a true Jew of Middle Eastern descent and it is either bad science or an attempt to unduly influence the audience.
Since the dawn of the scientific revolution there has been constant conflict between science and established religion. It is interesting to note that such conflict is rare between those of a more spiritual leaning, or those who are more liberal and esoteric in their interpretations of sacred scriptures. Perhaps they have a better understanding of the “parables” than those who insist on taking all things literally or at face value. In my opinion, there is little if any conflict between scriptures, of any religion, and science. In fact, science is reaching the point where it will soon conclude that we are all one and that intelligence is the guiding force of the Universe.
The next example of rattling the proverbial religious status quo is the book and film, THE SECRET. A basic precept of The Secret is that thoughts control physical reality and the mind can and does alter physical reality. To the dogmatists this is absurd. But on a very basic level, it is absolutely true. Our thoughts alter physical reality every day. Religion aside, there is nothing that exists that is not a thought made manifest. The car you drive, the house you live in, the chair you sit on, the keyboard on which I am typing are all thoghts that have been turned into a physical reality. The electric energy in the brain is converted to physical energy and objects, which are made of energy, are arranged and thus a car is made manifest. It is all about energy changing form and taking the shape of the thinker. This is basic high school physics.
Critics say that it is ridiculous to say that a woman asks to be raped or that those in Darfur have asked to be starved and killed. Yes, that is absurd. Critics always take things to the level of the absurd to try to prove their point. One must take a second look and closely examine the facts and the laws in effect to come to some kind of reconciliation to an apparent conflict in the Law of Attraction. Those who hold to a literal view of things must have heard the notion that, “what ye sow, ye reap.” Conversely, what you reap, you have sown. What has been sown in places like Darfur is hatred, ethnic bigotry and no concern for the value of life. This attitude and belief or mindset has created the reality of that region. Hatred can take many forms, including rape and genocide. While the crop reaped may have not been specifically asked for by the people in the region, the Universe has manifested the consequences of such thoughts-genocide. Those who say this is absurd are also saying that we take no responsibility for our actions. They are saying that generations of hatred and apathy will have no consequences-this is not true and human history is replete with examples of what both action and inaction can do.
We attract what we fear the most. This is true merely because we put so much energy into our fears that they are bound to manifest. Those who live in constant fear of being robbed, beaten or raped are often the victims of such acts. Those who go through life with complete confidence escape such consequences and they are often called “lucky.” Luck has nothing to do with it. A person who is filled with confidence and without fear of taking risks is those who lead happy, healthy and prosperous lives. The argument then arises as to why the nice young boy down the road who seemed to have it all was killed in a tragic car accident when struck by a drunk driver? That is a hard question. We do not know all of the ways energy connects to others nor do we know what the young man was really doing or what has been in his mind for an extended period of time that may have manifested the accident. It is okay to accept the murder of a Jesus in order to save you from your sins and to teach lessons to others but we find that notion unacceptable when that lesson strikes home. Perhaps that is why there is an admonishment not to make judgments. By definition, a judgment is a final decision about something and unless you are all knowing it would be wise not to make final judgments about too many things. Everyone has experienced the concept of a “blessing in disguise.”
I also find it highly interesting that those who scoff at the idea that we attract both positive and negative events into our lives are willing to attribute such actions to “the will or god” or some equally absurd notion like “god wanted your son in heaven with him.” It would be appropriate to stop giving deity personal or human like attributes. God does not have desires or wants-if it did it would not be God. Further, if such a being existed that permitted things like genocide, rape and deformities then I would assert that you can have that god because it sounds a little too sadistic and dictatorial for my liking.
On the other hand, a Universe that is imbued with free will that expresses itself in an infinite variety way, including humans, makes more sense. We are free to choose our path and our reality and we evolve accordingly. In this case the widely accepted notion of reincarnation begins to make sense. No, you do not come back as a butterfly! A human spirit is a human spirit that seeks knowledge and wisdom through the process of experience in the physical world. But, I digress.
The revealers of The Secret are condemned as a money making scheme. It is important to remind people that the Catholic Church has over $100 billion in assets. Further, televangelists are notorious for their limos and mansions. Remember, that there was a time in church history when you could “pay” to have your sins forgiven and to get to heaven. It should also be noted that forgetting or avoiding the plate as it passes through the pews is frowned upon. It is interesting that those with money have no religious problem with the concept of wealth. Those without complain about those with and those with try to hold onto what they have. This only arises because we operate under the false notion that there are limits in the Universe. Last I checked there is no shortage of energy and that is all money is a form of energy. To get, you do not have to take, you merely need to receive.
There are many more issues and concerns that could and must be addressed but these are just a sampling of how the established system attempt to maintain the status quo which is they are right and any concept to the contrary must be wrong.
BE SURE TO TUNE IN TO PHIL'S WEEKLY BROADCAST ON WWW.INTERNETVOICESRADIO.COM EVERY MONDAY NIGHT, 7:30 PM, EST. THE TITLE OF HIS SHOW IS "ALL THINGS THAT MATTER." WHILE NOT FOR AUTHORS ONLY, THE SHOW WILL INCLUDE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS REGARDING BOOK CONTENT IF IT FITS THE SHOWS THEME.
Resources for Writers
In the pursuit of establishing ourselves as authors, we have done a tremendous amount of research and have come upon many invaluable resources. It is our intention to pass these resources onto you so that you won't have to do quite as much work as Brian has in preparing this newsletter and trying to balance Phil's indolence at the same time. We hope you find what follows useful. Each month, we will add to the list.
INDEPENDENT AUTHORS SUPPORT/INITIATIVES
Jerry Simmons and WritersReaders.com
Sign up now!
RADIO STATIONS
www.internetvoicesradio.com
www.writersfm.com
www.contacttalkradio.com
www.achieveradio.com
NEWSLETTERS & BLOGS
There are many newsletters and blogs that are good for writers. They have treated us nicely in the past. The following is just the beginning of the list with more to come! Check them out.
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadows/1070.html
http://starpublishnews.tripod.com/
HoJoNews@aol.com
http://tri-studio.com/ezine.html
http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com/
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadow/1008.html
www.oncewritten.com
www.writerscafe.org/
www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
nate@redenginepress.com
http://nadinelamanbooks.com/pdf/brag3.pdf or http://nadinelamanbooks.com/news.html
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadows/1070.html
http://hometown.aol.com/lbmwriter/romance/newsletter.html
NEWSLETTER@KOMPES.COM
EDITOR@ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM
http://www.karenmagill.com/
http://www.katherinewarwick.com/kw/
JERRY@WRITERREADERS.COM
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pharris
FREE PRESS RELEASE SITES
The following is a list of press release sites that we have used to announce events regarding Waking God. These sites are easy to use and they do not send you much, if any, follow-up ads about their services. For most, you must do a simple registry and for a few you can just issue the release. Many offer more advanced coverage for a small fee, but so far we have found that our releases have made it to Google without paying any money. Authors should avail themselves of these free sites. If readers come across others, please share and we will post them in the newsletter.
GENERAL RESOURCES
Toby Fesler Heathcotte
GROUPS
WWW.ALTERNATIVE-READ.COM
WWW.PUBLISHINGANDPROMOTING.COM
WWW.INTERNETAUTHORS.COM
WWW.POST-A-PAGE.COM
WWW.GATHER.COM
WWW.YACK.COM
In Conclusion...
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. Each month we set aside a special segment of time to organize our information so that we might bring it to you, our readers, personally. Please do us the favor of passing the newsletter along, as well as telling everyone about our thought-provoking book, WAKING GOD. Without you, we'd never have an audience!
Thank You!
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