Talk:1998-02-20-Evil

Rob wrote: Sun, Dec 23, 2012 at 11:13 PM

Gerdean,

Would you be willing to share with everyone here on tml, many of whom may never have observed this phenomena referred to in this lesson as "candle experience"? If I am not mistaken, this is the same phenomena I witnessed at your home in Butler, PA only the candles were battery powered with the bulbs screwed in loosely enough to allow randomness in their emission of light. Do you remember? Anyway, I wanted to create a page devoted to this if you would be willing to write it up. It doesn't have to be anything long, but just enough to describe to folks what was transpiring in this manner of our unseen friends trying to compensate for our lack of material contact. What do you think?

Gratefully,

Rob

Gerdean wrote: Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 11:31 AM

I'd be delighted. Just give me a few minutes. Or a couple of days. Kinda busy around here at the moment.

Rob wrote:Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 3:28 PM

Great! I certainly understand how this season impacts our notions of "time".

Gerdean wrote: Wed, Dec 26, 2012 at 12:35 PM

Do I remember the candle phenomena? How could I forget?!

I was introduced to the candle phenomena by Jeremiah and Nolas who went everywhere with their candles, prepared to stop anywhere in their itinerary to respond to the lit candles. They learned it from Honore, a woman who was one of the original Woods Cross denizens. When I first heard of them, I was scandalized that they were finding footing in the Teaching Mission, for "the candle phenomena" was obviously for gullible people who were seekers of signs. But they were such fun, it seemed their good outweighed any bad they might have. I never heard of anyone becoming addicted to the candle experience.

Let me tell you what these candles are. You can get them in any hobby shop, especially at Christmas time and/or in the wedding decorations. They are called wedding candles or Christmas candles. They are a small tubelike candlestick enclosing two A-sized batteries end to end, at the bottom of which is the base and at the top of which is a decorative rim that screws on to hold the batteries in place. Into this decorative rim you insert a specialty 4-watt bulb (bulbs sold separately) and screw the bulb in tight. Once the batteries are correctly inserted into the tube, and the bulb is screwed in tight to the decorative rim, now comes the tricky part.

The top decorative rim is connected to the candlestick, yes, but it must be set at precisely that spot where contact is intangible. In other words, just short of connection. Close, but not quite. A hair's breadth. Then you set the entire candlestick gizmo on a designated spot, perhaps on a mantlepiece, or your bedside. You may elect to have a few of them in different parts of the house. If you opt to have more than one, you may dub the various candles as the entrance for various personalities. I.e., at our house in Butler, we had a mantlepiece in the livingroom upon which I set four candles: one for the midwayers; one for my personal teachers; one for the group teachers; and one for the big guys, Jesus and/or Machiventa.

It is said that the midwayers, who can tamper with the material world, use the candles to get our attention. Yes, of course, the UB's message on superstition, ghost cults and totems would indicate that such a thing is sheer poppycock. But even so, as Malvantra said, it has its benefits. The candle experience comes when you observe when they choose to come on. For some, a candle will come on when they are in the depths of despair and feeling desperately alone, giving rise to a new surge in faith. For some, to awaken in the night ... even in the dark night of the soul ... and see their candle glowing strong, out of the blue, is a sign that God is with them, deriving great comfort. Sometimes they feel that is an invitation to Stillness, wherein they find the answer to what they had been stuggling with or looking for. For those who pose a question at large, a specific candle may light to indicate which is the level of teacher would appropriately replywant to talk with.

The Butler TeaM used them extensively as social lubricants and cultural stimuli; we used them to help direct the agenda. It was not uncommon for the candles to bring us to order and light up or extinguish as the evening went on, orchestrating the Teachers as they came and went throughout the evening. The only setback I ever found with it is the batteries and the lightbulbs are quick to burn out and it is often difficult to find those special 4-watt bulbs off-season.

In the Butler transcripts (Volume IV, Part 3, January 14, 1998) Tomas discusses "the candle phenomenon." http://www.odellbowen.com/cc/VolIVPart3.pdf

Gerdean