Christian Hermeticists: Group Formation Journal

June 23, 2010

Emerging Themes (across the letters):

1. The unknown, the anonymous:
   • We are seeking the right keynote to begin the group work afresh: by welcoming the “Unknown Friend from beyond the grave,” by welcoming ourselves as “Unknown Friends,” by our desire to experience The Unknown. (There is always more to know of God’s revelation, and we ourselves are always both known and unknown.)
2. Esoteric practice is about intimacy.
3. Creativity:

• The World as creative, magical dance: LETTER XXII (both the culmination of the Major Arcanum, and the entrée into the Minor Arcanum).
• See Jackie’s notes from the Fifth Meeting of Christian Hermeticists, especially Steps 1-3: Spirit Beholding, Spirit Recollection, and Spirit Awareness.

1. Increasing awareness of how the Arcana are shaping and evolving us.

Group Practice:

1. Group Intention(s): Why do we gather?
   • to become an “organ of spiritual perception”
   • to further our spiritual evolution
   • to be a space that welcomes the unknown, and births the unknown
2. We live, love, work, and practice under the sign of the Luminous Holy Trinity in the intimacy of the Mother-Father.
3. Begin and end each meeting with the Silence (5 mins).
4. Silent meditation practice is for the purpose of becoming more aware of the Parousia (the presence of Christ’s coming in the etheric).

Member Practice:

1. Intention: Keep the contemplative thread going through the month.
2. Bring MOTT cards to group sessions; place the card we are meditating on each month out at home during the month—on your altar if you have one.

Method(s):

1. Contemplative approach.
2. LETTER IX: THE HERMIT

• “The hermit therefore represents not only a wise and good father who is a reflection of the Father in heaven, but also the method and essence of Hermeticism,” (201).

Ongoing Questions:

1. What is Christian Hermeticism? (Who are we?)
2. How is my (karmic) destiny unfolding in relation to Christian Hermeticism? (Who am I? Who are you?)
3. What is our group mission given from above?

Formative Articles:

1. “Group Work” by Valentin Tomberg.

Books/Websites: (See Anastasy’s attached list.)

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medtarot/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unknown_friends/

Next meeting:

• Wednesday, July 21^st, 7 pm.

Assignment(s):

1. Read LETTER IX: THE HERMIT.
2. Read Jackie’s notes from the Fifth Christian Hermetic Meeting, May 23, 2010.
3. Read intro to Steiner’s book, Inner Experiences of Evolution.

Relevant MOTT Quote: LETTER XIV: TEMPERANCE:

. . . there is a community of Hermeticists, known and unknown, but the majority of whose members are anonymous. And it is only a small part of this community which is composed of those who know one another and meet one another face to face in the full daylight of the world of senses. Another part—still less numerous—is composed of those who know each other and meet each other face to face in vision. But it is inspiration which unites all members of the community of Hermeticists—without regard as to whether they are near to one another or far apart, whether they know each other or not, or whether they are living or deceased

Focusing on the first 3 pages or so of LETTER IX: THE HERMIT should be helpful to us.  Here, our anonymous author spells out his method: “He creates light, he creates silence, and he creates certainty” . . . through the use of his three methods of knowledge–his lamp, his mantle, and his staff (201).

So, we begin our journey afresh . . .

After our last meeting on June 23rd it was obvious that we needed to transcribe some of the ideas that came through to us. It isn’t meant to say everything we said at the meeting, but rather to maintain a thread of themes month to month that gives attention to our ongoing formation as a group of Christian Hermeticists. It gives us continuity through the month, names our assignments for the month ahead, and it can also be an aid to those who may be absent from a particular meeting, or who are separated by distance.

This monthly journal entry is also meant to be a collaborative effort–so be sure to send comments, additions, and corrections over the cyber-waves, and we will revise it as needed. And we are in formation, so nothing is set in stone.