Pistis Sophia, which can be translated as “Faithful Wisdom,” is an allegorical Coptic text. It is a manuscript of 348 pages that was copied in the sixth or seventh century. Discovered in Luxor, Egypt, it remained in private hands until its aquisition by the British Museum. Over the centuries it remained practically unknown, until it was translated into Latin and Greek in 1851. In 1896, an English translation was published. It was soon identified as a Gnostic text tentatively attributed to Valentinus, an Egyptian heretic of the second century who is credited with founding the principal Gnostic sect before being expelled from the fold of Christianity.
Sophia’s Descent into the World
Pistis Sophia charts the progressive stages that Sophia goes through as she is beckoned by the Divine Light to free herself from the shackles of earthly existence. Sophia first describes her tormentors:
“And when I looked unto the height, I saw all the rulers of the aeons, how in their numbers they looked down on me and rejoiced over me, though I had done them no ill; but they hated me without a cause. And when the emanations of Self-willed saw the rulers of the aeons rejoicing over me, they knew that the rulers of the aeons would not come to my aid; and those emanations which sore pressed me with violence, took courage, and the light which I had not taken from them, they have taken from me.”
But later she addresses her savior in emotional terms:
“But I looked up unto the height toward thee and had faith in thee. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, I am sore pressed in the darkness of chaos. If now thou wilt come to save me- great is thy mercy- then hear me in truth and save me. Save me out of the matter of this darkness, that I may not be submerged therein, that I may be saved from the emanations of god Self-willed which press me sore, and from their evil doings. Let not this darkness submerge me, and let not this lion-faced power entirely devour the whole of my power, and let not this chaos shroud my power. Hear me, O Light, for thy grace is precious, and look down upon me according to the great mercy of thy Light. Turn not thy face from me, for I am exceedingly tormented. Haste thee, hearken unto me and save my power.”
Source: Scriptures: Sacred Writings of the World’s Religions by Arturo Marcelo Pascual, pgs. 73-5.
So it’s Flu Season again, and this recipe for Tea To Fix What Ails You was given to me by a Christian friend, and I’ve taken to calling it JESUS TEA due to it’s miraculous properties. Even though it, technically, contains no tea. This tea is as caffinie-free as anything processed in a US plant can get, but be sure to check the provenance and all ingredients in case of allergies.
You will Need:
A Bigass Pot, becuase this is something you make in large quantities
working stovetop
those lil cloth sachets you use for wassail/empty teabags/those lil reuseable loose-leaf tea steepers.
Recipe:
about a quart of water
1 cup apple cider
about half a lemon’s worth of juice
a shitwhack of honey- try to get as local as possible and generally the less-processed the better if you want to build a resistance to local allergens. If you have allergy concerns or don’t like the taste of honey, go ahead and use more processed stuff/another sweetener instead.
three tablespoons/three bags chamomile tea
three tablespoons/three bags rooibos tea
teaspoon crushed cloves
1 cinnamon stick (more if you like it spicier)
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne or white pepper
Bring water to a simmer in the pot. Add the chamomile, rooibos and spices to steep about 4-5 minutes or longer if you like tea-flavored tar which given you have the flu you probably do. Add Cider, Lemon Juice and Honey until dissolved. Drink all of this in the course of an hour to stay hydrated, make more pots as needed or until you pass out.
FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS: gargle warm salt water first for as long as you can, it’ll break up the mucus in your throat and soothe the soreness.
This stuff is hecking delicious, and my dad claims it cured his cold. I’ve taken to drinking it just because it tastes good! Thank you for sharing! 😀 I also found that you can freeze this stuff in convenient single serving sizes, ready to be heated in the microwave when you don’t have enough spoons to make it fresh. Granted fresh is usually best for most food and drinks, but it’s still good.
I also calculated a single serving version, which I’m putting here in case anyone wants to make it that way:
1 cup hot water
¼ cup apple cider (or more, I prefer 1/3 cup)
1 tbsp honey (or more, to taste)
a dash of lemon juice
½ tsp spice mixture
1 ½ tbsp tea mixture
Mix the spices together in one container, and mix the two kinds of tea together in another. Measure out of these the above amounts. (Don’t try to store the two things together, the spices will sink to the bottom and you won’t get the right measurements.)
Use a tea infuser/tea bag/cheesecloth/whatever to keep the herb bits from floating off into your drink. Steep for the usual 4-5 minutes, then add the cider, honey, and lemon.
Side note: ground cloves is cheaper for me so I use ½ tsp of
that instead of 1 of whole. I also like cinnamon a lot so I use ¼ tsp
ground cinnamon instead of a stick (also sticks are really expensive here). If you use a stick, break it into
little pieces. The downside of ground cinnamon is that it
kind of congeals if you don’t stir it periodically, so keep a spoon
handy as you drink.
Since people have been asking for this (I guess the flu/common cold is going around agian), have it again, NOW WITH SINGLE SERVING SIZE, THANK YOU @snowfox102 for doing the math for me!
Is it possible to substitute the chamomile for something else?
Pretty much any herbal tea but mint will work? Rose hip’s good, or you can just double the rooibos. You can even put in black or green tea. I don’t becuase those both have caffiene and I want to be awake as little as possible when I’m sick.
What the absolute fuck is a shitwack of honey?
Once tea tarts cooling down* start adding honey. Keep adding honey. Your significant other or parents will notice and ask “Isn’t that enough honey?” “No.” You rasp, throat raw. “I need the magic bug juice too heal me.” “I think we should check your fever again.” they say. “When I’m fucking done.” You rasp, sounding like gollum with a four-packs-a-day habit. Eventually, there will be enough.
that, is a “Shitwhack”
*boiling honey gets rid of 90% of it’s goodness, so let the tea cool down to drinking temp before adding honey.
Just here to remind you to get your flu shot. And tea is not a substitution for antivirals if you do get the flu.
You are completely right! Jesus Tea will only help soothe your suffering, not prevent infection. Also Influenza is hella dangerous and DOES kill people, so get vaccinated for your safety and the safety of your immunocompromised friends!
The menthol in mint tastes REALLY weird with the other ingredients, that’s all. Like drinking OJ after brushing your teeth.
Some other repeat questions:
-If you don’t hvae acess to Cider, regular Apple Juice works just fine, just check the nutritional information to make sure it’s the 100% DV vitamin C stuff, we want you you feel better ASAP. If you like OJ, that can work too.
-Honey is in here specifically for it’s antibacterial and allergy-reliveing properties, and fruit-based honey substitutes will NOT give you the same benefits.
-If you can’t do honey for whatever reason, sub in your favorite non-sugar sweetener because Sugar/fructose/sucrose/agave will mess with the ability fo your throat cells to retain/release water and make your throat feel WAAAAAAY worse. Aspartame, Saccharin and Stevia won’t aggravate you throat much.
-If you can’t have chamomile, pretty much any Herbal Tea or Tisane will work, as will green tea. The exception is anything that contains St. John’s Wort, which interacts dangerously with pseudoephedrine andacetaminophen, whic are in basically every cold medication available without a perscription in the US.
-If you don’t want roobois, any dark and spicy kind of tea will work- rose hip, most black teas, etc.
-I tend to reccomend against anythign that has caffine becuase being concious with the flu is awful and you need to sleep as much as possible.
-If you don’t like any of the spices, feel free to sub them for something else! The point of those is to add a bit of heat/pepperiness to the tea to help unclog sinuses. If you’re a heat fiend like some of my friends, you can put sriracha in there if you want.
-THE SALT RINSE BEFOREHAND IS KEY. gargling with lukewarm saltwater or using a saline rinse will flush out congestion and help the Jesus Tea work it’s magic more effectively.
To Reiterate: Jesus Tea will only make you feel slightly less miserable and it not a substitute for medical care. Get vaccinated early and often, and if you develop a high fever or other medically worrisome symptoms, get to a healthcare professional ASAP.
I’m rebloging this solely for the measurements. A shitwhack of honey
It’s that time of Year again! Reblogging this long version with additonal NoteS:
Where I come from in the US, “Apple Cider” referes to the cloudy brown JUICE you can get in the fall, and is most reccomended because it tends to have the most Vitamin C and Trace minerals. Don’t drink alcohol while you are sick- your liver is already working overtime and alcohol can interact dangerously with cold meds.
GET VACCINATED ASAP!!! PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS!!!
If you are sick for more than 7 days or develop a fever over 100 degrees, please see a doctor immediately. Influenza is still a very dangerous virus.
a seven day, self-reflective challenge inspired by florence & the machine lyrics. questions are meant to reveal inner truths and invoke contemplation of the self, and are a form of shadow work. this spread relies heavily on relinquishing control in a difficult situation so as to come out better on the other side; the questions aim to help you cope with the impact, and breathe.
pull 3+ cards per question; the questions are inspired by my own interpretation of the lyrics, so if they don’t resonate with you, feel free to personalize them to better suit your own desires in a reading
day 1: “happiness hit her like a train on a track; coming towards her, stuck still, no turning back.” what catalyst is coming for me? how can i stop being afraid and let it run it’s course? how will it benefit me, even if it knocks me off my feet?
day 2:“with your big heart, you praise god above; but how’s that workin out for you, honey? do you feel loved?” what do i need to stop ‘worshiping?’ why isnt this thing im clinging to benefiting me?
day 3:“i must become a lion-hearted girl; ready for a fight; before i make the final sacrifice.” what strengths do i need to display? what do i need to give up to make myself stronger?
day 4:“be careful my darling; be careful of what it takes; what ive seen so far, the good ones always seem to break.” how can i shield myself? who should i turn to for support?
day 5:“lay me down; let the only sound, be the overflow; pockets full of stones.” what scary thing do i currently need to give into? should i let myself drown if it means ill come out pure and clear on the other side?
day 6:“grab me by the ankles, ive been flying for too long; i couldnt hide from the thunder in a sky full of song.” what good thing do i need to stop hiding from? how should i overcome it, so that the thing i fear can become beautiful again?
day 7: “tell me what you need, oh you look so free; the way you use your body, baby, come on and work it for me; dont let em get you down, youre the best thing ive seen; we never found the answer but we knew one thing.” what will i learn from this situation? how will the outcome affect me for the better?
• please request more musicians for me to create challenges for! i plan on doing quite a few, so check out my #musiciantarot or #mystuff tags to stay updated
Do not ring the doorbell when visiting a family sitting shiva. Mourners should not be prompted to act as hosts. The door will likely be unlocked. Just walk in. If the door is locked; knock lightly, or consider that they may not be open to visitors at that time.
If there are a lot of visitors, try not to stay too long. The shiva home should not become crowded, nor should it be treated as a social function.
Upon entering the shiva home, it’s sometimes customary to take your shoes off (not every community does this,) and keep your voice low and soft. Simply sit with the mourners, and let them set the tone.
Avoid asking how they’re doing. You already know the answer, and they shouldn’t be made to feel the need to pretend they’re okay.
Do not bring flowers; symbols of life are an affront to both the mourning and the deceased. Instead, bring gifts of kosher food. They don’t have to be homemade; store-bought is fine. Also do not bring wine or other types of alcohol; mourners are not to drink during shiva. (Gifts are Ashkenazic; Among Sephardim, visitors do not usually bring gifts.)
Donate (if you can) to a charity or cause the deceased cared about. If you’re unsure of what that might be, ask the family. They may already have a donation fund set up.
Plant a tree in honor of the deceased. There are many websites where you can have a memorial tree planted in almost any location in the world, and they often also send a notification card or email to the family.
A suggestion for non-Indigenous neopagans: The Norse fylgja (plural fylgjur) is a concept that suits the way white people tend to talk about spirit animals, but without all the yoinking and stomping on closed cultures.
The fylgja is a spirit that follows and protects an individual from the time of their birth and can take the form of an animal. In those cases, the form it assumes is typically representational of a person’s own spirit, but it can also appear as a human as well, though that can have slightly different implications about the nature of the thing. Keep in mind, though, that seeing one’s own fylgja is said to be an omen that a person’s death is near.
Fun fact for all you out there, fylgja means ‘to accompany’ and is largely where the idea of a witch’s familar stems from. Familiar is a perfect alternative if you can’t pronounce this
So if ya keep saying spirit animal I’m gonna fight you
am i interested in the history and perspectives of christian anarchism? yes. do i have the attention span to read tolstoy? Absolutely Not
bennu rising 