posted August 24, 2004 10:32 AM              

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I would like to know your opinions on the difference between a person's soul and a person's spirit.

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posted August 24, 2004 11:48 AM              

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Well, I'm rooted in my studies of mysticism and Catholic theology, so i tend to associate "spirit" with life or vitality - the essence of being and existence, which is ultimately a gift from God. I associate "soul" with individual free will, reason, intellect, self-awareness and memories.

Hence I refrain from referring to spiritual beings as simply "spirits," since I do not hold the term incorporates that important element: the will. I believe that angels too have free will, and therefore more than merely spirits. However, they are purely spiritual beings, meaning they have no corporeal sense of existence and hence do not need reason the way we do (reason being the faculty of our noncorporeal soul understanding the corporeal world). So they are distinct from human souls, which must exercise will with their reason. Judeo-Chrisitan mysticism has long held that angels are spiritual beings that unlike possess "pure will," and thus consequently exercise they will very differently than human souls. I hold that belief myself, and so I am carfeul to say "angel" when I refer to angels, "souls" when I refer to humans, and "spiritual beings" when I refer to them collectively.

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posted August 24, 2004 12:28 PM              

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Are you writing a book?

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posted August 25, 2004 08:32 AM              

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A few, actually. None related directly to astrology (though I guess everything is, in a sense). I've always loved astrology, and I wanted to make sure I got everything right. I moved awhile back so all my Linda books are in a box in the garage. But I was kinda thinking about the difference between a soul and a spirit because the world in one book that I'm writing has the spirit realm, a realm coterminous with the material plane where everything is grander, colors are more beatuiful, and every natural thing (Waterfalls, Mountains, etc.) has a guardian spirit. The other realm is the spectral realm, a realm completely devoid of souls. If you enter, you still have your soul, but it begins to be ripped away by the hunger of the plane itself. So with Gemini Nymph's interpretation of the difference between a spirit and a soul, having your soul wrenched from your self (while being an extremely traumatic event) would take the person's free will, effectively making him into what is commonly known as a zombi(e).

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posted August 25, 2004 08:54 AM              

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So - YOU guys fared better than us this year, I'm in Orlando. At least until the next challenge.

I'm a writer too, so feel free to expand.

.gloria

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