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NosiS
Knowflake

Posts: 8
From: Miami, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted January 27, 2005 05:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NosiS     Edit/Delete Message
"My children, errors will be forgiven. In our obsession with original sin, we do often forget...original innocence."
- Pope Innocent of Assisi

Eleanore's December 23rd post on the 7 deadly sins effected quite a deal of spiraling in my mind that I shall divulge here.
Firstly, I decided to do a lexigram on the word VIRTUES. So far, I have come up with these words: RISE, RIVET, TRUE, SURE, RITES, SIRE, VERIT'y', TIRE, VERT, RUTS, RUE, IRE, AND SET.
"wise serpent words poSSeSSing and obseSSing
for the purpose of bleSSing" - GOOBERZ
The focus I gave on these 7 deadly sins is the character of the relationships they have with the virtue they desist.
There seems to be a dominating regard for the 7 deadly sins, but what of the 7 Heavenly Virtues? These surely must be the SIREs of the sins.
Virtues poSSeSS a VERITy that must be truly understood for their proper employment. Perhaps it would be helpful, if not necessary, for a series of RITES to be performed to encapsulate this understanding. Otherwise, if we do not heartily acquiesce our vices and sins with the TRUE elements of the virtues, our attempts to live up to them may TIRE us. Verily, I know that everyone including myself has experienced with varying degrees, in some form or another, an IRE in response to the frustration that comes from the inability to RISE to a certain virtue during certain periods, or RUTS, in our lives. In turn, we may often RUE some of our actions in these instances.
It is in my opinion that we are immersed in a world where the inversions of the virtues are predominant. Nonetheless, it is the virtues that have their place in the Kingdom of Heaven and the sins are but perversions of them on this earth by darker forces within us and without us. It is the virtues that RIVET and make firm our connection with the Kingdom when we preside there. That is why in re-membering each virtue we are allowed to sin, though it may not be completely necessary, by the Love that God has for us, in faith, that we may attain the Light of the Goddess.
When we are SURE of our own Elves we may then be sure of the Elves of others. When we are SURE of our own Elves, we RISE to the VIRTUES that RIVET us and SET us within the TRUE kingdom.
Also, the word VERT is another word for 'green'. It is also the abbreviated form of the word 'vertebrate' and 'vertical'. Surely if we master all the virtues, then may it be said of us to truly poSSeSS a backbone and live up to the term "homo-erectus". But back to the 'green' definition, it is the color of lush vegetation and plant life and it may also be the color that describes envy. It just reminds me of the duality that persists on this plane. There may also be a deeper connection here.
Finally, we come to the word SET. I believe a whole book could be written about this brother of Osiris to whom we owe our initial fall, but as Linda has written: we must forgive him. Just as we must forgive that part of him that resides within us, that we use to exploit the truth to our own convenience and SET to our own standard. After all, perhaps it is the job of SET to re-build his Elf and SET the world back to its origin.

Pax et Bonum

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sesame
Moderator

Posts: 701
From: Brisbane, QLD, Oz
Registered: Nov 2003

posted January 27, 2005 08:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sesame     Edit/Delete Message

I guess there's two ways of looking at it:

1. Stay away from the sins
2. Try to be virtuous

The first does seem to be more popular in religion as there is confession and hell etc, while the second can also be negated by any of the first.

Interesting thoughts

Dean.

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Eleanore
Moderator

Posts: 894
From: North Carolina
Registered: Aug 2003

posted January 28, 2005 12:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Eleanore     Edit/Delete Message
Haven't seen you around in a while! I really like how you approached the word virtue and the manner of your lexigram. I'm impressed. It's so funny that you brought this up again just now because hubby and I watched SE7EN this past week. I was thinking alot on these virtues and Boom! there you appear with them. You rock.
I have to say that, for me, it's more productive to try to be virtuous than to try to bash down my vices. With every passing day I see a different 'why' to my vices, and those around me, in light of virtue. It's easier to understand them that way and then let them go ... and, most importantly, forgive myself and others in the process. It's made me more compassionate to try to understand where other people are coming from, especially when I'm on the receiving end of any vice, and I honestly feel the Love inside of me getting stronger as I forgive what I understand.

"Grant that I seek not so much to be understood, as to understand, to be loved, as to love ..." - St. Francis of Assisi

------------------
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi

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LeoSweetHeart
Knowflake

Posts: 248
From: California, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted January 30, 2005 05:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LeoSweetHeart     Edit/Delete Message
Hi Nosis

I feel that remembering the beauty of virtue and that wonderful feeling you get inside when you practice its many forms is what we truly need to replace the typical 7 sins. Nobody likes to be forbidden from doing anything, especially when they have no motivation of their own. Just calling something a sin seems to make it MORE appealing to many because of the need to be FREE..not inhibited in anyway to do as they please. I think this is why people feel a thrill when breaking rules (I was always a goody goody, but thats just me..many aren't) they feel FREE. I think repressing people's curiousities makes them itch to act on what would otherwise be a harmless passing thought. Our attention is drawn to something when we say DON'T DO IT! Don't ever smell another flower in your life!! Its completely sinful to smell flowers or even look at them!! Whatever you do, your not allowed to smell that flower!!!! what will be on your mind?? probably smelling the flower, right? This is even worse of course with more common place things..sex, aggression, greed, etc

So I feel that you are absolutely right that we not just remember a sin is a sin and it is bad for us, if we want to stop commiting a certain act, we should think of the virtuous opposite of it and how wonderful it would feel to live more soulfully. I think Love is really the answer to all. Sorry if that sounds all naive, (though I don't think it will here). Love is such a powerful feeling! And if we are in its clutches, we don't want to be anywhere else..why deviate from sheer bliss ?? I think to argue against casual lust or violence, you need a message equally as powerful as freedom, you need Virtue and the special freedom you get from just knowing that "this is where its at" . Otherwise sin, sounds like inhibition of freedom..repression equals obsession, you get my point. Thats just my opinion. What do you think?

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NosiS
Knowflake

Posts: 8
From: Miami, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted February 05, 2005 11:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NosiS     Edit/Delete Message
Eleanore, your insight on the 'why?'s of vices I relate a lot to. Recently I've been trying to work on a slight bit of temper I have at work (since I work in a job that deals heavily with customer service). I've worked on it rather well, to a point, where I don't let it take over my actions and start being irritable around people, I don't suppress and compress it to where I don't know why I'm angry sometimes, and I use the emotional energy derived from the temper only to express the the frustration that arises at the moment. You are so right about focusing rather on strengthening the virtue than beating down the vice. I still get unbalanced at times because it seems that I lose that focus. It's always a battle in my mind trying to figure out when someone is taking advantage or if I am the one being negative. But I realize now that the other person's actions can only truly harm me if I allow myself to block the understanding and Love to flow in any given situation.
Thank you and I'll speak to you soon

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NosiS
Knowflake

Posts: 8
From: Miami, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted February 05, 2005 11:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NosiS     Edit/Delete Message
LeoSweetHeart,
Isn't it amazing how simple the answers to so many struggles can be? If you think and tinker, almost every strife and struggle can receive a helpful insight on what you have written. I like your 'this is where it's at' statement. I've read a little Rudolf Steiner lately, and because of those readings I finally understand that humans truly have come from God and dwelled in Heaven, but throught our falling we have reached this level in which our responsibility is to arise, using our free will, to the Grace which has been undone.
Whatever, pleasures we get out of any vices, as Eleanore hinted, is only temporary and essentially greed-oriented but if we accept the essence that is enjoyed when we exhibit a virtue and truly know that 'this is where it's at', then our own freedom shall define itself through our very will.
Thanks for replying and being so nice
I've spiraled so much with all this that I feel the seeds Linda planted in my mind are finally taking root!
May Ramrah bless us all...

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