“Single supernova looks like 4. Why?”

Supernova that looks like 4

On June 15, 2023, an international team of astronomers released an unusual new image of a very distant supernova, SN Zwicky, a star that increased suddenly and dramatically in brightness. This supernova is 4 billion light-years away. And it appears as four supernovae in images. Why? The reason is an intervening galaxy, only about 2.5 billion light-years distant. The galaxy’s mass has warped the supernova’s light before the light had a chance to reach us.

Click here to read the full article.

Services for the Week of October 21, 2023

Saturday, October 21, 2023
10:00 AM COMMUNION
Chapel of The Holy Child

RRF Gene Savoy, Jr.
Lector: Rev. Dorothy Kubik
Cantor: Rev. Stephan Fuelling
Reader: Dea. Marilyn Taylor

Sunday, October 22, 2023
SUNRISE DIVINE SERVICE
Cathedral of the Americas
Leave: 6:15
Gate: 6:50
Service Starts: 7:10
Sunrise: 7:25
RRF Gene Savoy, Jr.
Concelebrants:
RF Robert Petrovich
Rev. Bruce Kanzelmeyer
Assistant: RM Barbara Whitney

OPEN-AIR COMMUNION

Church of the End Times Rev. Greg Klinedinst

Church of the Christian Churches Rev. Gary Huss, Jr.

Church of the Americas Dea. Radheka Savoy

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
12:00 NOON COMMUNION
Chapel of The Holy Child,
Rev. Harold Boulette, Jr.

Friday, October 27, 2023
9:00 AM PRAYER & FELLOWSHIP
Chapel of the Roses
Rev. Dorothy Kubiak

Cosolargy Newsletter October 2023

Subscribers to the Cosolargy.org website receive this monthly newsletter.

Click here to read or download this issue.

Spiritual Development Must Progress Logically and Naturally, Like any other Education

“It is the object of contemplative prayer, as it is the object of all education, to discipline and develop certain growing faculties. Here, the faculties are those of the ‘transcendental self,’ the ‘new person’—all those powers which we associate with the ‘spiritual consciousness.’ The ‘Sons of God,’ however, like the sons of men, begin as babies, and their first lessons must not be too hard. Therefore the educative process conforms to and takes advantage of every step of the natural process of growth: as we, in the education of our children, make the natural order in which their faculties develop the basis of our scheme of cultivation. Recollection, Quiet, and Contemplation, then, answer to the order in which the mystic’s powers unfold. Roughly speaking, we shall find the forms of spiritual attention which is called ‘Meditative, or ‘Recollective’ go side to side with the purification of the Self; that ‘Quiet’ tends to be characteristic of illumination, that contemplation proper—at any rate in its highest forms—is most fully experienced by those who have attained, or nearly attained, the United Way. At the same time, just as the self in its ‘first mystic life,’ before it has passed through the dark night of the spirit, often seems to run through the whole gamut of spiritual states, and attain that immediate experience of the Absolute which it seeks—though as a fact, it has not reached those higher levels of consciousness on which true and permanent union takes place.” ~Evelyn Underhill

Discipline and Development

Ms. Underhill is correct in linking together discipline and development in any educative process. With virtually any type of education, self-discipline goes together with developing the skills or knowledge of that education. This is probably more important with our spiritual development than with any other form of education. A person who gains spiritual knowledge without also developing the discipline to handle and control that knowledge can harm themselves or others, and either negate into developing the dark side or become frightened and stop their spiritual development entirely. So the smart spiritual school or teacher helps the student develop discipline at the same time they are learning spiritual development techniques. Think of Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel in the original (1984) version of “The Karate Kid”. He made Daniel develop patience and discipline before learning Karate.

The New Person

I have taken the liberty here of modernizing Underhill’s statement which originally read “new man” because I want it to be clear that it applies to women as well. What Underhill is saying here is that with proper spiritual development, we don’t just become better educated, we become a new person, a transcendental person who is greater than before such development. You are not just educating yourself, as with studying math, for example, but literally changing yourself.

Sons and Daughters of God

Just as our physical self begins as a baby, so does the newly awakened spirit. While a spirit is never a baby, it is similar to one in that it is uneducated, so its education must start with the basics. You wouldn’t put an infant in a college physics class. Likewise, you don’t start teaching spiritual development with advanced methods and knowledge. It might not have to be as basic as stacking blocks and coloring in color books, still, the concept applies. The beginning student must start at the beginning and progress slowly, with very few exceptions. And a good school will allow each student to progress at his or her own speed, and not forde them to go too fast or slow them down so much that they lose interest.

The Order in Which Powers Unfold

While we are all individuals, and some may develop differently than others, there is a general order in which spiritual development happens. So a good spiritual education takes that into account and teaches in the order in which things usually develop. And it isn’t just the order in which they develop, but the order in which they can be understood. It is also true that some people develop certain spiritual gifts while others don’t. As a dog owner, I have been disappointed at times in my limited ability to communicate with animals, yet this is an advanced gift that few develop until a very late stage, so I accept that now, and make use of those spiritual abilities that have developed. It should be noted that spiritual abilities and psychic abilities are not the same, so try not to confuse the two.

Dark Night of the Spirit

The Dark Night of the Spirit (or Soul) is something mentioned often in regard to spiritual development. Some express the idea that without going through such a period of great difficulties and depression, spiritual development cannot happen. Fortunately, that is not true. While we all go through some difficulties, something as deep as the Dark Night of the Spirit doesn’t always happen, nor does it have to. Just as some people are easier to wake from deep physical sleep than others, so too some are easier to awaken from the deep sleep of spirit than others. And having a Dark Night of the Soul does not guarantee a spiritual awakening. Many have such an experience and do not develop spiritually at all. So don’t seek out such an experience on the idea that it will awaken your spiritual faculties. Following the techniques of a spiritual school like Cosolargy is a better and safer way to do it.

“Stars shouldn’t be forming in the Tarantula Nebula. What is happening?”

Tarantula Nebula

The Tarantula Nebula is a star formation region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Tarantula is about 160,000 light-years away and is highly luмinous for a non-stellar object. It’s the brightest and largest star formation region in the entire Local Group of galaxies. But it shouldn’t be.

Click here to read the complete article.

“How did the universe become transparent? New insight here”

early universe

The universe we see today looks clear and empty, apart from the stars and galaxies. In the early universe, however, a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, the cosmos was opaque. Light from the stars couldn’t penetrate the dense hydrogen intergalactic gas. So, how did the universe become clear? Using data from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, an international group of astronomers said on June 12, 2023, that light from stars ionized and heated the surrounding gas.

Click here to read the complete article.

“8 Mysterious Places Scientists Still Can’t Explain”

Plain of Jars

Whether naturally occurring or human-made, some phenomena on Earth are so perplexing that they leave even scientists scratching their hands. From strange lights that illuminate the night sky to creatures thriving under confounding circumstances and fields of giant, perfectly round stone spheres, take a mind-bending journey to eight places with mysterious phenomena.

Click here to read the complete article.

Services for the Week of October 14, 2023

Saturday, October 14, 2023
10:00 AM COMMUNION
Chapel of The Holy Child

RRF Gene Savoy, Jr.
Lector: Rev. Greg Klinedinst
Cantor: Rev. Shinobu Fuelling
Reader: Rev. Gary Huss, Jr.

Sunday, October 15, 2023
SUNRISE DIVINE SERVICE
Cathedral of the Americas
Leave: 6:00
Gate: 6:50
Service Starts: 7:00
Sunrise: 7:15
RRF Gene Savoy, Jr.
Concelebrants:
RF Robert Petrovich
Rev. Bruce Kanzelmeyer
Assistant: RM Barbara Whitney

OPEN-AIR COMMUNION

Church of the End Times RC Amanda Buchanan

Church of the Christian Churches Dea. Marilyn Taylor

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
12:00 NOON COMMUNION
Chapel of The Holy Child,
Rev. Dorothy Kubiak

Friday, October 20, 2023
9:00 AM PRAYER & FELLOWSHIP
Chapel of the Roses
Rev. Mary Foust

Rev. Jo Ann Hainline Passes into the Light

The Reverend Jo Ann Hainline, born into this world on November 7, 1949, in Davenport, Iowa, passed into the Light on September 17, 2023 in Reno, Nevada.

Jo Ann graduated from North Miami High School in Miami-Dade, Florida, which she attended because of national level swimming competitions. At one time she held the women’s national record for the 400 meter individual medley, one of the toughest swimming events.

Later, in Des Moines, Iowa, Jo Ann attended Augustana College and the University of Iowa. She first contacted the International Community of Christ/Cosolargy in June of 1975. Inspired by many mystical experiences, she enrolled in The Academy.

By April 1976, she became a member of the Order of Monk de Jure of the Rectory Abbey, an Order which played a major role in sponsoring the publication of The Secret Sayings of Jamil codices of The Sacred Teachings of Light.

In February of 1977, Jo Ann became a member of The Ship’s Company of the Feathered Serpent II, with her contribution toward the purchase of the ship, a stay sail schooner which sailed as The Community’s second Ship of Light. The Ship of Light – Feathered Serpent II – voyaged during a time of both religious inspiration and spiritual prophecy for The Church from 1977 to 1980.

In May of 1978, Jo Ann made the decision to move to Reno, Nevada and become a resident member of The Community, bringing her two children, Michael Shane and Erica Jalayne. Shane and Jalayne became among the first students of The Community’s Jamilian Parochial School. Jalayne was in the first graduating class.

Jo Ann enrolled in the Sacred College of Jamilian Theology, receiving first level ordination on July 22, 1978. In March 1979, she entered The Academy’s First Clergy Program continuing through Liturgy III.

After settling in Reno, Jo Ann met the Reverend Bruce Kanzelmeyer, also a member of The Community. They married in October of 1986 and soon, thereafter, were blessed with two sons, Jonathan Christopher and Gabriel James.

Jo Ann received second level ordination in 1994 and was given a Special Assignment as Deacon-Overseer of the Sanctuary at the Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary. In 2007, she was ordained at to third level as Presbyter-Overseer of the Sanctuary with the title of Reverend.

Jo Ann was the mother of four children and loved teaching. She was a Montessori-trained and credentialed teacher, teaching in Iowa and then in Reno. The love of teaching the whole child was the core of all her work as a parent, teacher and counselor/therapist. In 1993, Jo Ann received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in General Studies, and then her Nevada Elementary Teacher’s Credential in 1994.

Jo Ann received her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology from UNR in 1998, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and School Counseling. In 2002, she received her Nevada State MFT License. She transitioned to teaching in the Washoe County School District in 1998 and then, in 2015, she became an elementary school counselor, until she retired in 2020.

In 2003, Jo Ann began working evenings and weekends for several agencies as an MFT, working with parents and children, and facilitating domestic violence and parenting classes. She opened a private practice – Insight Therapies — in 2013, where she specialized in working with foster and adopted children and blended families. Jo Ann continued counseling until her last day with us.

Jo Ann was profoundly devoted to The Community, Cosolargy and The Teachings of Light and a fierce defender of the Truth within the Sun of Righteousness. Bishop Gene Savoy, Jr. and officials of the Church performed the Anointing of the Remains of the Deceased prior to cremation in company with members of Jo Ann’s family on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023 in the Chapel of the Holy Child.

The Views of the Spiritualist and the Materialist

“Neither the occultist generally, nor the Theosophists, reject as erroneously believed by some, the views and theories of the modern scientist. Only because these views are opposed to Theosophy. The first rule of our society is to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Theosophists, therefore, are the first to recognize the intrinsic value of science. But when its high priests resolve consciousness into a secretion from the grey matter of the brain, and everything else in nature into a mode of motion, we protest against the doctrine as being unphilosophical, self-contradictory, and simply absurd, from a scientific point of view, as much and even more than from the spiritual view. Truly, the astral Light of the derided Kabalists has strange and weird secrets for those who can see it; and the mysteries concealed within its waves are there, the whole body of materialists notwithstanding. These secrets, along with many other mysteries, will remain non-existent to the materialists of our age, in the same way as America was a non-existent myth for Europeans during the early part of the medieval ages, whereas Scandinavians and Norwegians had actually reached and settled in that very old ‘New World, several centuries before.” ~H. P. Blavatsky

Theories of Modern Science

Some people think that being spiritual means you oppose the theories and teachings of modern science, but that is not true. While spiritual people question the theories of science, we do not reject them outright. Science has given us much in modern society. Discoveries in science and engineering have made modern buildings, bridges, and roads possible. Discoveries in modern medicine may have made many of us too dependent on drugs for healing, but it has also cured many diseases. And modern science has given us conveniences like electric washing machines, television, and automobiles. Granted, there is a negative side to all of those things, as it is with everything in the realm of matter, but there is a positive side as well. The old Yin-Yang symbol illustrates this truth quite well.

Theosophy

Madame Blavatsky founded the spiritual school known as Theosophy, so she tends to relate to all things spiritual in terms of Theosophy. We should simply replace Theosophy with spiritual development to get a more general idea of what she is saying.

Render Unto Caesar

I think most spiritual schools, including Cosolargy, would agree with Blavatsky when she says that the first rule of the Theosophist is to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. Spiritual people do not reject the material world as useless, or evil. We do not reject all material comforts and live naked in a cave, as some did in ancient times. We are allowed to enjoy material comforts for the sake of our physical body and mind, as long as we don’t get too attached to them. If you agree with those who refuse to leave their homes when told to evacuate because of wildfires, floods, or tornadoes, then you have become too attached to matter, and you need to work on that. The reason the spiritual student needs to avoid such attachments is that they can be used by the forces of darkness to pull us away from spiritual development.

Consciousness in the Brain

I recently wrote a lengthy article for the Cosolargy Blog on the subject of consciousness (click here to read the article), so I won’t go into it much here. Suffice it to say that the views of consciousness are changing rapidly today. Many scientists no longer accept that it is merely a creation, or as Blavatsky calls it, a secretion of the brain. Indeed, we are getting to the point where some are starting to accept what is called “Biocentrism,” which says that it is consciousness that is creating the material universe around us, or at least our view of it. This goes along with the studies in Quantum Physics that find that things are affected by the viewer of those things. That works in both directions, of course.

The Astral Light of the Kabalists

What Blavatsky is calling the astral Light of the Kabalists, we would say is the Spiritual Light that comes from God, and reaches us through the intermediary of the Spiritual Sun. This light does indeed have “strange and weird secrets” for those who learn to absorb it and the knowledge hidden within it. It is, in fact, the best link available to us between the realm of spirit and the realm of matter, so we should make use of it properly, and with humility and reverence.