Monstegur Day ~ A Renewal of Vows

Here is a good read from a Johannite Deacon : http://naturalibus.blogspot.com/2010/03/devil-and-montsegur.html

On 16 March 1244, the armies raised and approved of by the pope in Rome engaged in fratricidal genocide. On this day alone over 200 Cathars were rounded up and set on fire under Montségur, their last stronghold. Needless to say, it was a dark day for Christianity, particularly given the fact that the Cathars, or Albigensians as they are also called, simply wanted to live in peace.

Also, further down a bit, Johannite differences from the Catholic Church :

If we want to discuss heresy perhaps it would be better to cast an unflinching eye on the consequences of our differences with Rome: Married clergy, openness to alternative sexualities, and a focus on personal responsibility instead of a culture of guilt and silence.

And ' The Devil is in the Vatican'  , an article at ABC about the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican. An odd read to say the least :

It can take six or seven of Amorth's assistants to hold down someone possessed. Often, he says, they choke up nails or shards of glass."None of this scares me he says," touching a small pouch where he holds the vomited artifacts. "I know that God is using me for this work."
Read More: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/chief-exorcist-rev-gabriele-amorth-devil-vatican/story?id=10073040&page=1



This day also is important for myself as a nun in The Order of St.Esclarmonde because it is a day that we renew our vows.  Mine were done before the kidletts awoke, in my ritual space. I had my candles, incense and did it as a special part of my Morning Compline.

It is solitary, yes. But knowing that my Brothers and Sisters in the Order are doing the same thing about this time allows for a sense of community. Most definitely, if we didn't have the internet, it would be alot more difficult, as we are scattered from here - the West Coast of BC, all the way out to Australia.

This is one of those instances where the dualistic nature of the internet is quite apparent, lol. It's a matter of using the internet for good intentions and not allowing yourself to be used by others intentions (fear mongering, propaganda etc)

The equinox is just around the corner. The light will outshine the darkness.  Our inner light that has been stoked and nurtured during these darker months is ready to burst forth. Time to put into action all our contemplations and ideas. Rather than just sit and dwell, let's DO.  All around us, life is stirring and growing, restless from a long sleep. Draw in the energy, build it up inside and release! Dance! Sing! Rejoice!

Even though Im suffering from a nasty cold lovingly shared with me by my children, I managed to dance round a bit this morning, in my cold ritual space... just round the circle a few times... dance away the cobwebs in my morning brain. :D A nice way to start they day.  Now for some coffee!

Blessings!