From the Walk for Peace from Fort Worth Texas to Washington DC. by the Venerable Monks in 2026.
IF YOU DON'T PICK IT UP, IT'S NOT YOURS (to carry). IT STAYS WITH THE OTHER PERSON. The Venerable Monks
This blog is about the experiential program Evolution of Self; Journey into Mind, Body, Spirit Balance. It discusses different aspects of the program and gives followers a forum to ask questions and express their opinions. I also share ways to connect to your higher Self and your Divine purpose, thoughts of life, family stories, poetry and other uplifting content. Thanks for stopping by,
UNITY CONSCIOUS/NON-DUALITY
© C. S. Roberts 2/6/2026
When I do my astral work, I can connect to that Universal oneness, and because I am never really separated from it (except when I fall back into that fallacy that they are separate), my mission becomes effortless.
Building on
this concept, I connect to it before anything else I do, before I teach a
class, before I walk out my door, before I clean the house and before I sit
down to write. What has happened is that it is such a habit for me that I find that
it is affecting everything and everyone around me. Drawing into Unity/
non-duality (consciousness) is happening everywhere, more and more and it is my
hope that conversations like this spread it even more.
Most people,
until they learn better, live in the mindset
of the illusion that all is separate and solid. However, the truth of it is that
EVERYTHING is only vibrational interpretations that are translated through our
senses. The things we think, see, and feel are only frequencies of different strengths,
lengths and shapes that have been assigned different names, so people see them
as things. Yes, thoughts, like sound and resonances are nothing more than frequency and they are
not different from who is thinking them. By labeling them as things, such as,
tables, animals, buildings etc., we all see that thing when we hear the name.
Resonance
toning is the standard around sound body healing. This is a basic principle
called entrainment that affects everything all the time. If humanity, is “off”
(out of alignment) then the planet (or realm) is also. Just as our bodies
resonate with rhythms, tones and frequencies, so does everything else in their vicinity.
Matter, like
music is organized by wave forms and their frequencies. These follow complex geometric
patterns such as square, rectangular, triangular, sawtooth and sine wave
patterns that create a sympathetic relationship between the seen and the
unseen. This is a profound effect we know as resonance. This is why the As
Above, So Below concept is so powerful because as one resonates, so the other entrains
and thus, we coexist. It’s called sympathetic magic because like calls like.
This comes
to symbolize balance, wholeness, harmony and completion. It reminds us at all
needs balance to stay connected properly in order to work well.
This concept
both represents and facilitates the divine or higher plain merging with the
physical or mundane plain. This assists in the raising of all frequencies to
their higher good and best outcome.
As you
become aware of this as the truth of where you are and that is actually around
you and at your disposal, you are put on notice to make sure that all is in
alignment, so that your abilities in using resonance toning and sound healing
to help yourself and others can increase. As you use this and become adept at
it you may experience the dissolution of
all falsehoods as well as enhance your ability to see truth clearly. This can also
help develop the ability to be seen or to be unseen as you require within the
scope of your life choices. As you become
more aware of your personal entrainment with higher frequencies sympathetic
magic, movement and emotions and your ability to merge with your desires will increase.
I hope this
has answered questions and brought to life what which you may have only vaguely
felt was possible. As you raise your personal frequency the universe will meet and
assist you.
Bright Blessings. C. S. Roberts
HATE AND FIRE
ARE BOTH
FOUR LETTER WORDS
C. S. Roberts, 2026
all rights reserved
Like arson hate
begins as a targeted thing. But, like a
wildfire, hate will spread until it consumes the innocent. Like fire, hate often
overtakes unintentional targets. Let’s talk about that.
Hate usually
chooses a target while natural Fire does not choose.
Hate grows
and spreads, so does Fire.
Hate causes
flashovers that consume all it can devour as does Fire.
Hate will
suck all the oxygen in the area so that bad decisions are made, Fire does that
too.
Hate will smolder
as does Fire, making both easy to restart. Once hate becomes its own, living
thing, it too no longer chooses.
Hate’s
intense, deep-seated biases and prejudices are the feelings that fuel the fires
of this too often unrestrained emotion. It is driven by anger, contempt and
disgust for anything or anyone that is perceived as different. These things can
be a lifestyle, a belief, an action (usually misunderstood, misinterpreted or an
unfounded assumption.) All of this is usually drawn from someone’s past. Whether
born of abuse, manipulation, a toxic environment or devaluation, the stage is
set for those persons to attack from their damaged past. Some folks realize
this and strive to become better people but, more and more often, they do not.
To try to make
themselves feel better they strike out in much the same way they were hurt in
the first place, quite frequently not even realizing exactly what they are
doing or why they are doing it. Soon, they meet others of like mind and heart,
thus the smoldering embers of resentment burst into a conflagration of ugliness
that will soon burst into the flames of unbridled hatred. As their coalition
grows, the flames (of hatred) get hotter and less controlled. This is as large a problem as a raging
wildfire bent on consuming as much acreage as possible. It doesn’t choose what
or where it burns, it just consumes. Hatred does the exact same thing. It is a
conflagration of the mind, of the heart and, here’s the clencher, it also destroys
the vessel in which it is housed. That vessel being you, the person holding all
that hate.
This brings
us to the question of how to stem the rampant spread of the stuff. With fire it
is a relatively easy thing to remove one or more of the things that keep it
going, fuel, oxygen and/or heat. With hate it becomes a very personal battle.
The dissolving
of this oh so toxic emotion starts from within, down deep where it first began.
Hate is not an emotion that is born with us, it is taught. This damaging lesson
is brought about by many different things such as how we are treated as well as
what we hear and see as children. The treatment we endure as we become thinking
people. What we see as love. If we grow up in a hurtful, malignant unhealthy
environment we can be deeply damaged.
The initial
damage is not truly on us, however, to grow and learn enough to realize that it
was such is, most definitely ours to recognize and do something about. From our
deepest heart and mind most of us feel that something is not right, something
is off and needs looking into. This is where healing starts because once you
become consciously aware of these things, you CANNOT become unaware of them.
Your job then is to figure out what is going on. Aks yourself where it came
from and why do you think you hold on to it. Does it make you feel better to
hurt others? Does it give you a sense of control? A sense of power over someone
you see as less than? If so, I strongly suggest you find a therapist to help you
see how to heal those feelings. Why? Because they breed hatred.
Here are
some guidelines to give you some ideas of how to help yourself and turn the
broken parts into healthy, helpful thoughts and actions. WARNING; DON’T TRY ALL
OF THESE AT ONCE. You will overwhelm yourself and fail. Take what time you need.
You didn’t get in this situation overnight, you can’t solve it quickly.
As I said in
the paragraph before this one, Educate yourself about you. Go ahead and ask
yourself the hard questions. Pull your demons (kicking and screaming) into the
light, that’s where they dissolve. Is it painful? Yes, AND it is healing
because once you realize you aren’t alone in what feels like a hole you can’t get
out of, you start to see light where you thought there wasn’t any.
Learn compassion
and true caring for yourself as the miracle of life that you are. Most of us
(especially women) were taught self- deprecation and to always put ourselves last in all things. How
familiar is this, “Take care of your family first and then, if you have
anything left, take care of you.” I tell you here that you can’t serve from an
empty vessel. You MUST fill yourself so that you have strength and stamina for
others. If you feel good about you, then this feeling shines out to others. Learn
gratitude and appreciation for all that you have and all that you are. This
lifts your spirits and the spirits of everyone around you. This positivity and
gratitude crowd out feelings of resentment, jealousy and envy which are the
building block of hate. Practice mindfulness about everything you do. Being
mindful focused on good things rather than things that make you feel anxious.
Own your
mistakes and learn from them. That is how we, as thinking people grow, learn
better and do better. Without mistakes we would never know what went wrong in
any given scenario. Own what is yours and don’t try to blame others. Blaming
others is a sure way not to learn anything.
STOP DOOM
SCROLLONG
Next, look
long and hard at your personal biases and prejudices. Understand that these are
learned behaviors. Anything learned can be unlearned, redirected and retrained,
therefore, retrain yourself. This works because, if you understand others and
why they are different, they aren’t seen as an obstacle to your safety and
happiness. Learn about other cultures and their traditional behaviors as well
as their learned ones. Just because we are different colors, have different
religions, different celebrations, ways of dressing and different outlooks do
NOT make us enemies. Consider this, we celebrate divergence and differences in
other species, why not our own. Without them we would be extremely boring.
Teach kindness
and discuss the rightness of allowing others to be themselves. It isn’t your
job to control the world. All you have to control is you.
As you
accomplish these steps you will be another mechanism in the ongoing effort to
cool hatred, calm fear and restore peace and sanity to a very troubled species,
the human race.
Do Peace, Be
Love.
Researched and copied from resources I take no credit
The Yule
goat's origins go back to ancient Pagan festivals. While a popular theory is
that the celebration of the goat is connected to worship of the Norse god
Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and
Tanngnjóstr, it goes back to common Indo-European beliefs. The last sheaf of
grain bundled in the harvest was credited with magical properties as the spirit
of the harvest and saved for the Yule celebrations, called among other things
Yule goat (Julbocken).
This
connects to ancient proto-Slavic beliefs where the Koliada (Yule) festival
honors the god of the fertile sun and the harvest. This god, Devac (also known
as Dazbog or Dažbog), was represented by a white goat, consequently the Koliada
festivals always had a person dressed as a goat, often demanding offerings in
the form of presents. A man-sized goat figure is known from 11th-century
remembrances of Childermas, where it was led by a man dressed as Saint
Nicholas, symbolizing his control over the Devil.
Other
traditions are possibly related to the sheaf of corn called the Yule goat. In
Sweden, people regarded the Yule goat as an invisible spirit that would appear
some time before Christmas to make sure that the Yule preparations were done
right. Objects made out of straw or roughly-hewn wood could also be called the
Yule goat, and in older Scandinavian society a popular Christmas prank was to
place this Yule goat in a neighbour's house without them noticing; the family
successfully pranked had to get rid of it in the same way.
The function
of the Yule goat has differed throughout the ages. In a Scandinavian custom
similar to the English tradition of wassailing, held at either Christmas or
Epiphany, young men in costumes would walk between houses singing songs,
enacting plays and performing pranks. This tradition is known from the 17th
century and still continue in certain areas. The group of Christmas characters
would often include the Yule goat, a rowdy and sometimes scary creature
demanding gifts.
A 19th
century Christmas card
God Jul by
Jenny Nyström.
During the
19th century the Yule goat's role all over Scandinavia shifted towards becoming
the giver of Christmas gifts, with one of the men in the family dressing up as
the Yule goat. In this, there might be a relation to Santa Claus and the Yule
goat's origin in the medieval celebrations of Saint Nicholas. The goat was then
replaced by the jultomte (Father Christmas/Santa Claus) or julenisse during the
second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, although he is still
called the Joulupukki (Yule goat) in Finland, and the tradition of the
man-sized goat disappeared.The modern Yule goat
A Swedish
Gävle goat (Gävlebocken).
The Yule
goat in Nordic countries today is best known as a Christmas ornament. This
modern version of the Yule goat figure is a decorative goat made out of straw
and bound with red ribbons, a popular Christmas ornament often found under or
on the Christmas tree. Large versions of this ornament are frequently erected
in towns and cities around Christmas time – a tradition started with the Gävle
goat in the 1960s.
YULETIDE CELEBRATIONS
C. S. Roberts and multiple sources
We celebrate
Yuletide. It originally began way back in the day when I wanted to celebrate
Yule instead of Christmas in order to learn more about and embrace that part of
my heritage.
From the
sagas, we encounter the terms jólablót (Yule sacrifice) and midvinterblót
(Midwinter sacrifice), prompting a scholarly puzzle—whether they represent the
same observance or distinct rituals. While caution prevails among scholars, I
lean towards viewing them as synonymous. We also know Yule wasn’t always twelve
days long. Today, the high holy tide is celebrated for twelve days. Whether
this was because in some areas it was celebrated for that long originally or
was perhaps some odd creation that came from blending old pagan time-keeping
methods and calendars with the modern ones together the end result is the same.
In contemporary times, the Yuletide is commonly observed by Pagans and Heathens
from around December 20 to December 31, although variations exist. Many choose
this period to align their rites with the astronomical winter solstice for
simplicity. However, historical accounts, such as those from the German
missionary Thietmar of Merseburg (born 975 – a xdied 1018 CE), reveal that in
Denmark, Yule was situated in the month of January, even after the country's
official conversion to Christianity several decades earlier.
It is
customary NO work is done during this time; however, we are not offered this
luxury in modern times.
MOTHER’S
NIGHT – THE START OF YULE
Mother's
Night, or Modraniht in Old English, is an ancient Germanic celebration held on
the eve of the winter solstice, marking the beginning of Yule. It's dedicated
to honoring the Matronae, ancestral mothers and goddesses. This tradition has
historical roots among Germanic tribes, including the Anglo-Saxons. Mother's
Night is considered a time to express gratitude to maternal figures and seek
blessings for the upcoming year. It serves as the precursor to the twelve days
of Yule, a festival observed during the winter solstice.
Mother's
Night is associated with the female divine forces, symbolizing fertility,
protection, and ancestral ties. It was a time when communities gathered to pay
homage to their female ancestors, seeking their guidance and blessings.
Offerings, prayers, and feasts were common during this celebration.
With the
arrival of Christianity, Mother's Night became intertwined with Christmas Eve
in some regions, adapting to the new religious context. Despite this, traces of
the original pagan customs persisted, blending with Christian traditions.
While
Mother's Night may not be widely celebrated in contemporary times, it holds
historical significance as part of the rich tapestry of winter solstice
traditions and the cultural heritage of Germanic peoples.
THE END OF
YULE – TWELFTH NIGHT & THE WASSAILING TRADITION
Twelfth
Night marks the conclusion of the Yuletide season and falls between January 1st
and 6th, depending on the tradition. It's the final night of the Twelve Days of
Yule, culminating in festive celebrations.
One notable
tradition associated with Twelfth Night is wassailing. Wassailing involves
toasting and celebrating the health and prosperity of orchards and fields.
Participants often move from tree to tree, singing songs and offering blessings
to ensure a bountiful harvest in the coming year. The term "wassail"
itself originates from the Old English phrase "Waes hael," meaning
"be well" or "good health."
Wassailers
typically carry a bowl of spiced ale or mulled cider, known as the wassail
bowl, and pour some of it at the roots of the trees or on the ground. This act
is symbolic of sharing good fortune with the land and encouraging fertility.
The remaining drink is consumed by the participants, fostering a sense of
community and camaraderie.
Twelfth
Night is also associated with various customs, including the removal of
Christmas decorations and the Twelfth Night cake, which might contain a hidden
bean or pea. Finding the hidden item in the cake traditionally brings luck or
designates the "Lord" or "Queen" of the night's
festivities.
Overall,
Twelfth Night, with its wassailing tradition and other customs, serves as a
lively and symbolic conclusion to the Yuletide season, blending both ancient
and more recent festive practices.
THE ‘MEAT’ ~
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
The Coming
Light, Fire and the Yule Log:
While
bonfires are commonly associated with solstice celebrations, in the Northern
Tradition, there are unique folk customs involving the yule log and the ashen
faggot, particularly in modern England. The ashen faggot consists of bundled
branches burned in lieu of a traditional yule log.
BONFIRES
hold significance in Yuletide celebrations for several reasons, rooted in both
historical and symbolic elements.
Winter
Solstice Celebration: Yule marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the
year. Bonfires are lit to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness as the
days begin to lengthen after this point. The fire represents the sun's
returning strength, bringing hope and renewal.
Pagan
Traditions: In ancient pagan traditions, especially among Germanic and Norse
cultures, Yule was a festival celebrating the Wild Hunt, a supernatural event
led by deities or spirits. Bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits, ensuring
protection during the darker months and inviting the return of light.
Cleansing
and Purification: Fire is often associated with purification and cleansing.
Lighting bonfires during Yule is a symbolic act of purifying the old and
welcoming the new. It represents a fresh start and the cleansing of negative
energies.
Community
and Unity: Yuletide bonfires historically brought communities together. People
gathered around the warmth of the fire, fostering a sense of unity and shared
celebration during the cold winter nights. The communal aspect of bonfires
strengthens social bonds.
Continuation
of Ancient Customs: The tradition of Yuletide bonfires has persisted through
the ages, adapting to various cultural and religious shifts. Even as Christmas
replaced many pagan practices, the use of fire in celebrations endured,
connecting modern festivities with ancient roots.
In essence,
Yuletide bonfires serve as a powerful symbol of light, warmth, and community,
reflecting both the cyclical nature of the seasons and the enduring human
desire for hope and connection during the darkest time of the year.
YULE LOGS
have a rich history and hold significance in Yuletide celebrations for various
cultural and symbolic reasons:
Pagan
Origins: The tradition of burning a Yule log has pagan roots, particularly in
Germanic and Norse cultures. The log symbolizes the sun, and burning it during
the winter solstice represents the triumph of light over darkness, with the
promise of longer days ahead.
A Symbol of
Life and Renewal: The Yule log is often chosen from a tree that represents life
and vitality. Burning the log is a symbolic act of releasing the stored energy
of the tree, allowing it to be transformed into warmth and light. This process
signifies the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Warding off
Evil Spirits: In medieval times, it was believed that the Yule log had the
power to ward off evil spirits and bring protection to the household. The act
of burning the log was seen as a way to ensure good fortune in the coming year.
Continuity
and Tradition: The Yule log is often selected with care, and a small piece of
the previous year's log is sometimes kept to kindle the new log. This
continuity symbolizes the cyclical nature of the seasons and the connection
between past, present, and future generations.
Feasting and
Celebration: The Yule log burning was accompanied by feasting and merriment.
Families and communities would gather around the hearth, sharing stories and
celebrating the return of the sun's light.
Christian
Adaptation: As Christianity spread, the Yule log tradition was adapted into
Christmas celebrations. Some would place a large log in the fireplace, while
others would create a smaller version, often made of wood or even cake, to be
burned ceremonially.
The Yule log
is a powerful symbol of the winter solstice, embodying themes of light, life,
and continuity. Its burning is a ritualistic and festive practice that connects
people to ancient traditions and the cyclical nature of the seasons.
LIGHT holds
profound significance in Yuletide celebrations, rooted in both historical and
symbolic contexts:
Winter
Solstice Symbolism: Yuletide marks the winter solstice, the longest night of
the year. The use of lights, including candles and fires, symbolizes the
triumph of light over darkness as the days gradually lengthen. This is a
powerful metaphor for hope, renewal, and the promise of brighter days.
Pagan
Traditions: In pagan traditions, especially among Germanic and Norse cultures,
the Yule festival was a time to celebrate the Wild Hunt and the return of the
sun's strength. Lighting candles and fires during this period was believed to
aid the sun's renewal, ward off evil spirits, and ensure protection during the
dark winter months.
Christian
Adaptation: As Christianity spread, it incorporated various pagan customs into
its celebrations. The symbolism of light, representing the arrival of Christ as
the "Light of the World," became integral to Christmas traditions.
The lighting of candles on an Advent wreath and the use of lights in Christmas
decorations continue this tradition.
Saint
Lucia’s Day: The pre-Christian practice of bringing light to the darkest night
is seen in Saint Lucia’s Day. Celebrated in various cultures, this day involves
the use of candles and lights to honor Saint Lucia, embodying the theme of
spreading light during the longest night.
Decorative
Illumination: Beyond symbolism, Yuletide lights contribute to the festive
atmosphere. Decorative lights, both indoors and outdoors, create a warm and
celebratory ambiance, fostering a sense of joy, community, and togetherness.
Candle
Traditions: Specific candle rituals, such as the Advent candles or the lighting
of the menorah in Hanukkah celebrations, have become integral to Yuletide
customs. Each candle lit represents different aspects of the season, adding
layers of meaning and tradition.
In essence,
the importance of light in Yuletide celebrations spans cultural, religious, and
historical dimensions. It encapsulates themes of hope, renewal, and the
enduring human desire to find warmth and illumination during the coldest and
darkest time of the year.
Some
Heathens, though not a practice I personally follow, observe a ritual structure
as outlined below (variations exist, with some emphasizing different gods on
different nights rather than virtues):
1 ~ Mother’s
Night
2 ~ The
Winter Solstice/Yule
3 ~ Virtue –
Courage
4 ~ Virtue –
Truth
5 ~ Virtue –
Honor
6 ~ Virtue –
Fidelity
7 ~ Virtue –
Hospitality
8 ~ Virtue –
Discipline
9 ~ Virtue –
Industriousness
10 ~ Virtue
– Self-Reliance
11 ~ Virtue
– Perseverance
12 ~ Twelfth
Night
I choose to
celebrate the following:
1 ~ Mother’s
Night
2 ~ Yule
3 ~ Earth ~
the Element & Freyr (prosperity, sunlight, fertility of the land), Freyja
(love, beauty, fertility), Sif (fertility, the Earth, guardian of family),
Nerthus (fertility, the Earth, agriculture), Gefjon (fertility, plowing,
agriculture), and Gerðr (beauty, the Earth).
4 ~ Air ~
the Element & Sunna/Sól (personification of the Sun), Máni (personification
of the Moon), Dagr (personification of day), Nótt (personification of night)
5 ~ Fire ~
the Element & Loki (associated with fire), Surtr (fire giant), Bragi
(passionate God of poetry and eloquence)
6 ~ Water ~
the Element & Ægir ) associated with the ocean & sea), Rán (associated
with the more unpredictable and dangerous aspects of the ocean), Rán's
Daughters/Nine Wave Maidens (associated with the ocean's beauty and allure),
Jörmungandr (the Midgard Serpent)
7 ~
Ancestors. Night PJ/Movie Night, when the children were young, we used to let them
open one gift each (PJs) and then one gift the family would enjoy together
(movie). We look thru photographs and watch family videos.
8 ~ Healing
~ Eir (associated with healing and medicinal arts), Mímir (knowledgeable of
medicinal herbs and remedies), Thor (protector for the health of a community),
Sága (associated with history and storytelling = mental health) Cookie Night,
make and deliver cookies to friends and family.
9 ~ Norns ~
Urd/Wyrd (associated with the past), Verdandi, (associated with the present),
Skuld, (governs the future)
10 ~
Wintertide ~ Skadi (associated with winter, mountains, and skiing), Kári
(associated with the wind). Ornament Night, when the boys were small we used to
make ornaments for our friends and family)
11 ~ Álfar ~
Dökkálfar (Dark Elves), Ljósálfar (Light Elves), Magickal Creatures (Dwarves ~
skilled magickal craftsmen, Hulder ~ female forest spirits, Níðhöggr ~ dragon,
Valkyries, Fylgja ~ supernatural entity or spirit associated with an
individual, Nokk ~ water spirit known for its ability to shape-shift and often
appearing as a horse
12 ~ Twelfth
Night
I hope this
gives you incentive to embrace the true meaning of the season!
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
© C. S.
Roberts 2025
It has been
said that we should do the following things in order to be productive, however I feel that as we attempt to keep our eyes on
the road, our nose to the grindstone and our shoulder to the wheel, all while
putting our best foot forward, we lose our perspective about where we truly
want to go.
If all we
concentrate on just what is in front of us we miss the wonderful things around us.
If we are always busy, we miss out on what life can truly be.
I challenge you to look up once in a while and
remember to be grateful and to love.
Bright
Blessings, Do Peace, Be Love C. S. Roberts