Catechumen Phase: Lesson 3

Esoteric Mystery School

Lesson Three,
Catechumen Phase

PART I: EXERCISE: YHVH Method for making the sign of the cross.

Make the sign of the cross saying the syllables, Yahd, Heh, Vahv, and Heh as you touch first forehead, abdomen, right shoulder and left shoulder. Do this several times, taking notice of the placement of the letters. Think Hehs = Feminine and Y and V = Masculine. What might Yahd have to do with the forehead, the "third eye"? And Vahv, the Sacred Son, what does he have to do with the right arm/shoulder/hand? (He sits on God's right hand). Notice the feminine Hehs are at the abdomen---sexuality, pregnancy, "kingdom" and earth-motherness---and left shoulder, the hidden "left-hand path," always associated with Yin and the feminine.

James the Just, Early Christian Leader

Paul -- or writings later attributed to Paul -- created much of what is now modern Christianity. Most of the true practices of Yeshua's earliest followers, members of his Mystery School and Church of the Way, were unfortunately not used as the basis for the new religion called Christianity.

Please click on Early Christianity, which will take you to another page on our website to read the article called Early Christianity. Come back to this lesson page at the point in the reading when it tells you to "hit the back button" in red letters. You will later be asked questions on this reading at the end of this lesson.

Part II: A Touch of Tarot

Supplies: 78 Card Tarot deck of your choice, and the textbook Tarot in Ten Minutes by RT Kaser.

Turn to Reading #2 Where Am I? on page 28.
In this reading you will learn to identify which card signifies your life in a particular year. In Lesson 2 we identified our key card which is said to cover you. Each year one of the cards is said to cross you. This card will generalize the year you are doing the reading for.

TAROT TOOLS You will be using the same cards you used in lessons 2. Separate them from the deck and set the others aside:

I The Magus	VI The Lovers
II The High Priestess	VII The Chariot
III The Empress	VIII or XI Justice
IV The Emperor	IX The Hermit
V The Hierophant	X Wheel of Fortune

HOW TO In this Reading we will use the numbers associated with your birth date, with the exception of the year. Here you will use the numbers for the year you are doing the reading on. The tarot year runs from birthday to birthday. Here's how.... Add the month and day of your birth, like this:

August 29 = 8 + 29 + 2000 = 2037

Then add those numbers together: 2037 = 2 + 0 + 3 + 7 = 12

Then continue to add until you come up with a number of 10 or less: 1 + 2 = 3

If this step adds up exactly to 10, reduce it again to 1, only if the day of the month in which you were born is an odd number; leave it as 10 if the day on which you were born is an even number. The Esoteric Mystery School states further: Read the descriptions for both 10 and 1. See which seems more like you. Don't arbitrarily choose based on even or oddness unless you can't decide between the two. Now take the card from the pile that signifies you. Look at it for a minute. Then look up its meaning below (from the book's Answer section on pages 29-32.)

I The Magician. This is a time for making things happen. Look at your card. You will feel the winds of change flowing through you. You will feel charged with energy. You have the ability to influence the world around you. Things will change, because you yourself are changing. It is as if you need only point, and things will happen. The world is at your fingertips. You are in charge of your own destiny. Build things. Take matters into your own hands. Plant the seeds of your own future. Take command. Soak in the warmth of the sun.

II The High Priestess. This is a time when things come together. Look at your card. The past adds up. There is the present. And it is flowing off into the future in a continuous stream. You feel as if you are a part of things. You feel connected. Part of the web. Part of the fabric. You see the picture emerge on the tapestry of your life. You may even feel "at one with the universe." What you do now changes everything. Flow with the currents. Launch projects when the time is right. Sail with the winds. Pay attention to your dreams. Go with your hunches. Roll with the punches. And when you don't know which way to turn, take a hot bath. Watch for the changing phases of the moon.

III The Empress.This is a time for cultivating things. Look at your card. It is as if things are in no hurry to get finished up this year. They are like crops that you hear growing little by little in the sleepless night. You wait and worry over them. But there is no forcing a thing that is not ready to come on its own. Watch, wait, and persevere this year. Hang in there. Carry on. And carry through with plans. Some things have to be raised. Some things have to be reared. If something resists coming about, don't be in such a rush. Be patient and giving. Incubate your ideas by sleeping on things before you make your decisions. For inspiration, get outside. Look at the stars.

IV The Emperor. This is a time for determining things. Look at your card. Batten down the hatches and full steam ahead this year. It's a cold, hard, cruel, dog-eat-dog world out there. The air is changing with politics, and power is the name of the game. But it's all subject to which way the wind blows. So look out for changing weather conditions. And at all times remember you are in charge of your own life! As things take shape around you, get a foothold if you can. Focus on creating a semblance of order. Think in terms of plans and strategies. Anticipate the future moves of others. Make decisions. Sense danger. For inspiration, watch a good thunderstorm.

V The Hierophant. This is a time for living up to things. Look at your card. You may start to feel as if you have to walk on water this year. The standards are extremely high, the challenges great, and nobody is satisfied with the results. Whatever is assessed will be found missing something. But count your blessings. Self-righteousness may rule the scene, but few practice what they preach. When the public turns its critical eye on you, you must be sure to live up to the scrutiny. Take advantage of the chance to prove your own worth. Pay attention to details. Follow guidelines. Serve others with dedication and enthusiasm. If you sense the intervention of a power outside yourself, consider it a sign. Get into the spirit of things. For inspiration, take a sauna, gaze into a fire, or just sit in the dark. Escape into things above and beyond yourself.

VI The Lovers. This is a time for finding things out. Look at your card. The look of love is in your eyes this year. And you drink in the world around you. Sparks fly. In business, look for mergers and acquisitions. Consider a change in careers. The year will find you attracted by someone or something...to the point of distraction. Infatuations and love affairs run rampant in the woods. Things feel "predestined" even allurements and temptations. Some will test the waters of existing relationships and find them tepid. You may switch partners, alter positions, or change roles. Whatever you do, it will make you feel young again, new again, vital and alive (maybe for the first time). Keep an eye out for the signs that indicate things are about to change. Read the look in others' eyes. Discover your own sensuality. Return to nature. If you have trouble getting in touch with your own feelings, don't be afraid to take your clothes off.

VII The Chariot. This is a time for overcoming things. And the odds may be great! Look at your card. Challenging, testing, and proving are all in the picture this year. And crises have a way of popping up. There will be plenty of fires to put out. The environment may even seem unstable at times. Yet it's a time when rising stars tend to shine. Stay on top of things. Turn inward and muster up your courage. Know that you can do it! Grasp the reigns of your own life and pull your own strings. Heroic efforts will pay off suddenly in sure, swift, thrilling victories. To clear your mind of distractions, get some good strenuous physical exercise. Pump some iron. This is the year that runs on a mixture of sweat and adrenaline.

VIII Justice. This is a time for evening things out. Look at your card. Steady does it this year. It is a time that calls for sacrifice. And if you believe in karma, this is about as close as it gets. This is the year when you will find out what your past adds up to. You may even question its worth. And you may have to give up something. But hang in there, will you? This is a time of transition, a critical turning point. However you emerge form this, make it be for the better. This is a time when rewards and punishments are handed out - not randomly, mind you, but with equity and fairness. You will get your just rewards! If your life seems to hang suspended in the balance, don't be surprised. You cannot go forward just yet; you can only look back - with nostalgia or regret - on the past. It is a time of steady nerves and preparations. For help with your problems, try yoga or other forms of peaceful meditation. Hang on to the moment. These are the good old days.

IX The Hermit. This is the time for understanding things. Look at your card. It is time for hiding and seeking, when you will look for (and find) the answers to perplexing problems. It's also a year when you will be drawn into the silence of yourself. It's a good time for giving and taking professional advice. It is a good time to get off by yourself. Take a break from the mundane. Escape the rat race and the routine. The time is right for correcting old habits and resolving long-standing differences. A light goes on. A voice cries from the wilderness. Suddenly the answers come...often form a small voice within yourself. Take notice! To relax, take a few deep breaths. Drink tea. Cook with herbs. Touch stones. Watch the birds fly home to their nests. Hold up a candle in the dark.

X Wheel of Fortune. This is the time when things happen. Look at your card. This is a year when being at the right place at the right time counts. It's a time when you can simply luck out in life. You might get a big break or some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from out of the blue. But beware! Your luck can as easily change in the opposite direction. Either way, this is a year when you are the subject of things that are happening totally outside of your control. Fate rules! Some rise. Some fall. The weather changes suddenly. But for those who like to spin the wheel and take their chances - and it's all in the odds - this is a year for riding out your luck. Some long shots will pay off big. But in general, it's how you play your cards that counts.Whatever happens to you this year, good luck. If it makes you feel any better, be sure to wear your lucky underwear.

If you have access to a copy of the Tarot in Ten Minutes textbook, please also do the Extra Credit on page 32:

Part II

CAT 3 QUESTIONS:

ASSIGNMENT:

Please copy and paste the following questions onto your Catechumen Lesson "Discussion" on your Ning MemberFiles page. Next, insert your answers, or for Exercises say "completed", then to submit your answers there in your Ning MemberFiles, click on the "Add Reply" button.

Cat 3 Answers from ________ (your spiritual name)

1. Did you try the YHVH sign of the cross exercise? And did you find it meaningful?

2. Did you commit this YHVH version to memory so that if you ever need it you'll have it in your "inner files"? Or still working on memorizing it?

Questions on the Early Christianity Reading:

3. True or False. Paul studied with Jesus/Yeshua personally.

4. True or False. Peter was a personal student of Yeshua's and no doubt an Initiate of Yeshua's Mystery School and Church of the Way.

5. True or False James, the younger brother of Jesus, studied personally with Yeshua and carried on his brother's message after the Ascension.

6. True or False. The New Testament records tensions and conflicts between Paul on the one hand, and Peter and James on the other.

7. True or False. Paul's ideas and arguments won out over Peter and James' and history preserved Paul's version of Christianity, which should perhaps be called Paulanity.

8. True or False. Most of Yeshua's true teachings did not get into ancient Christianity, much less modern Christianity. They are lost to antiquity, but can be inferred from many sources and gnostic scriptures, and reconstructed.

Questions on Tarot Section

9. What is your special Tarot Card for this year? ( Remember, if you have not had a birthday yet this year use last year.)

EXERCISE: The Longevity Calculator

We strive to be healthy spiritually, mentally and physically. Take this (fun!) test regarding your physical health.

This Calculator is based on a quiz Harvard Medical School researchers Thomas Perl, M.D. and Margery Hutter Silver, Ed.D. developed to help you calculate your life expectancy. The quiz was developed after a rigorous study of 150 centenarians.

To compute your life expectancy, the calculator sums all of the individual score points together. The result may be negative, zero, or a positive number. The calculator program then divides the result by 5. The result of this division is then added to 84 if male or 88 if female, producing life expectancy in years.

Calculate your longevity: http://www.livingto100.com/

Send your results to the school and any plans you now have after taking this test to improve your health and make your life a bit longer.

	I The Magician. This is a time for making things happen. Look at your card. You will feel the winds of change flowing through you. You will feel charged with energy. You have the ability to influence the world around you. Things will change, because you yourself are changing. It is as if you need only point, and things will happen. The world is at your fingertips. You are in charge of your own destiny. Build things. Take matters into your own hands. Plant the seeds of your own future. Take command. Soak in the warmth of the sun.
	II The High Priestess. This is a time when things come together. Look at your card. The past adds up. There is the present. And it is flowing off into the future in a continuous stream. You feel as if you are a part of things. You feel connected. Part of the web. Part of the fabric. You see the picture emerge on the tapestry of your life. You may even feel "at one with the universe." What you do now changes everything. Flow with the currents. Launch projects when the time is right. Sail with the winds. Pay attention to your dreams. Go with your hunches. Roll with the punches. And when you don't know which way to turn, take a hot bath. Watch for the changing phases of the moon.
	III The Empress.This is a time for cultivating things. Look at your card. It is as if things are in no hurry to get finished up this year. They are like crops that you hear growing little by little in the sleepless night. You wait and worry over them. But there is no forcing a thing that is not ready to come on its own. Watch, wait, and persevere this year. Hang in there. Carry on. And carry through with plans. Some things have to be raised. Some things have to be reared. If something resists coming about, don't be in such a rush. Be patient and giving. Incubate your ideas by sleeping on things before you make your decisions. For inspiration, get outside. Look at the stars.
	IV The Emperor. This is a time for determining things. Look at your card. Batten down the hatches and full steam ahead this year. It's a cold, hard, cruel, dog-eat-dog world out there. The air is changing with politics, and power is the name of the game. But it's all subject to which way the wind blows. So look out for changing weather conditions. And at all times remember you are in charge of your own life! As things take shape around you, get a foothold if you can. Focus on creating a semblance of order. Think in terms of plans and strategies. Anticipate the future moves of others. Make decisions. Sense danger. For inspiration, watch a good thunderstorm.
	V The Hierophant. This is a time for living up to things. Look at your card. You may start to feel as if you have to walk on water this year. The standards are extremely high, the challenges great, and nobody is satisfied with the results. Whatever is assessed will be found missing something. But count your blessings. Self-righteousness may rule the scene, but few practice what they preach. When the public turns its critical eye on you, you must be sure to live up to the scrutiny. Take advantage of the chance to prove your own worth. Pay attention to details. Follow guidelines. Serve others with dedication and enthusiasm. If you sense the intervention of a power outside yourself, consider it a sign. Get into the spirit of things. For inspiration, take a sauna, gaze into a fire, or just sit in the dark. Escape into things above and beyond yourself.
	VI The Lovers. This is a time for finding things out. Look at your card. The look of love is in your eyes this year. And you drink in the world around you. Sparks fly. In business, look for mergers and acquisitions. Consider a change in careers. The year will find you attracted by someone or something...to the point of distraction. Infatuations and love affairs run rampant in the woods. Things feel "predestined" even allurements and temptations. Some will test the waters of existing relationships and find them tepid. You may switch partners, alter positions, or change roles. Whatever you do, it will make you feel young again, new again, vital and alive (maybe for the first time). Keep an eye out for the signs that indicate things are about to change. Read the look in others' eyes. Discover your own sensuality. Return to nature. If you have trouble getting in touch with your own feelings, don't be afraid to take your clothes off.
	VII The Chariot. This is a time for overcoming things. And the odds may be great! Look at your card. Challenging, testing, and proving are all in the picture this year. And crises have a way of popping up. There will be plenty of fires to put out. The environment may even seem unstable at times. Yet it's a time when rising stars tend to shine. Stay on top of things. Turn inward and muster up your courage. Know that you can do it! Grasp the reigns of your own life and pull your own strings. Heroic efforts will pay off suddenly in sure, swift, thrilling victories. To clear your mind of distractions, get some good strenuous physical exercise. Pump some iron. This is the year that runs on a mixture of sweat and adrenaline.
	VIII Justice. This is a time for evening things out. Look at your card. Steady does it this year. It is a time that calls for sacrifice. And if you believe in karma, this is about as close as it gets. This is the year when you will find out what your past adds up to. You may even question its worth. And you may have to give up something. But hang in there, will you? This is a time of transition, a critical turning point. However you emerge form this, make it be for the better. This is a time when rewards and punishments are handed out - not randomly, mind you, but with equity and fairness. You will get your just rewards! If your life seems to hang suspended in the balance, don't be surprised. You cannot go forward just yet; you can only look back - with nostalgia or regret - on the past. It is a time of steady nerves and preparations. For help with your problems, try yoga or other forms of peaceful meditation. Hang on to the moment. These are the good old days.
	IX The Hermit. This is the time for understanding things. Look at your card. It is time for hiding and seeking, when you will look for (and find) the answers to perplexing problems. It's also a year when you will be drawn into the silence of yourself. It's a good time for giving and taking professional advice. It is a good time to get off by yourself. Take a break from the mundane. Escape the rat race and the routine. The time is right for correcting old habits and resolving long-standing differences. A light goes on. A voice cries from the wilderness. Suddenly the answers come...often form a small voice within yourself. Take notice! To relax, take a few deep breaths. Drink tea. Cook with herbs. Touch stones. Watch the birds fly home to their nests. Hold up a candle in the dark.
	X Wheel of Fortune. This is the time when things happen. Look at your card. This is a year when being at the right place at the right time counts. It's a time when you can simply luck out in life. You might get a big break or some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from out of the blue. But beware! Your luck can as easily change in the opposite direction. Either way, this is a year when you are the subject of things that are happening totally outside of your control. Fate rules! Some rise. Some fall. The weather changes suddenly. But for those who like to spin the wheel and take their chances - and it's all in the odds - this is a year for riding out your luck. Some long shots will pay off big. But in general, it's how you play your cards that counts.Whatever happens to you this year, good luck. If it makes you feel any better, be sure to wear your lucky underwear.