October 2004 Newsletter

The Board of Directors of Sunset Church and Camp are busy raising money for a proposed new building. Our goal is $50,000. Please consider sending your donation today for Sunset Camp Building Fund. Mail your donation to: Sunset Church, 103 Hanes, Wells, KS 67467

They are wrong, of course. From its Greek origins, the word metaphysics simply means beyond, or not physical i.e., if it is not in the physical, then it is in the spiritual realms. Thus, anything that deals with the spiritual side of life could correctly be called metaphysical.

(Metaphysics: the study of laws higher than the physical and dealing with universal truths to teach humanity to align with the purpose and plan of life. — Dictionary of Spiritual Thought, Sparrowhawk Press)

Metaphysical books are those that deal with spiritual and/or religious thought. The Bible is a metaphysical book. All religions and spiritual belief systems are metaphysical also so Christianity is only one belief system here on Earth at this point in time. There are Islam, Jewish, Buddhist, and many others – yes – even Witchcraft, Paganism and Satanism. And if we go back to just Christianity – how many different denominations, sects and off-shoots do you have of that? (How do you suppose that happened?) Well, the study of metaphysics would include all of these and anything else that would go ‘beyond our physical world.’

As a minister and a teacher, I found that my studies had to continue on and on – I could never “know it all …” Who could? I just choose to open my mind wide because I want to know as much as I can while I inhabit this plane of existence we call life. I dislike being placed in a box and tied with a neat bow. If you push me for a denomination, I will tell you I am a minister in the American Spiritualist church, which is listed in the Handbook of Denominations in the U.S. as a Protestant Christian church. My personal home church at Wells, Kansas, was chartered first in Delphos, Kansas in 1881. So don’t call us, or me. New Age, either. (Although New Age is listed as another metaphysical movement.) I just personally dislike the term as I consider there is nothing really ‘new’ in this old world!

What led me to metaphysical study? I am a naturally curious person and have been aware of things of Spirit all my life. Not able to go to regular college after high school and busy being a military wife and raising a family occupied my life.

A medical and spiritual crisis after the birth of my second child led me to the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, Edgar Cayce’s organization. Studying with that group finally started answering some of my questions. When I moved to Nebraska, I worked with Spiritual Frontiers, a wonderful organization founded by a Spiritualist named Arthur Ford and his friend and fellow minister and author, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

When I moved to Lindsborg in the 1970s, I decided I wanted to go into the ministry full time and I started looking for a school that taught metaphysics. Duke University had course on Parapsychology, but that wasn’t it. Most others were teaching metaphysics based on Eastern tradition with home bases in India, Tibet and the East.

The Spiritualist church had a system of older ministers training the young ones and I was doing that, but I was looking for more, and it had to follow the teachings of Christ.

I finally found the College of Divine Metaphysics that was based on an ancient Judeo-Christian and Greek form of thought. You have to remember that Jesus wasn’t a ‘Christian’ – He was a Jewish Rabbi, a teacher. At the time He was in His human body, only a few recognized Him for who He really was. I wanted to study what He had studied before He started His ministry at the age of 30 Earth years. The temples He had access to had many ancient texts and He studied them. Some think He traveled and studied elsewhere also – perhaps with the Essenes and even in Egypt at the great libraries in Alexandria. Some even think He traveled as far as India.

Anyway, once I started my study, I never looked back – just kept on studying – and where I find the most joy is in teaching. That is why I was so glad to be asked to write this article and I hope I have informed you in some small way.

Fear leaves you powerless! Knowledge empowers!

Some reading suggestions:
The Gnostic Gospels, by Elaine Pagels
The Religious Fringe: A History of Alternative Religions in America, by Richard Dyle (professor at Tabor 
College)
Who Wrote the New Testament? by Burton L. Mack
The Lost Magic of Christianity: Celtic Essene Connections, by Michael Paynder
The Metaphysical Bible Dictionary from the Unity School of Christianity in Kansas City, Missouri

What Billy found when she investigated the Articles of Incorporation was that the date listed on the web site was not the date that the church filed its Charter and that there were actually 2 separate Charters filed. The first on April 23, 1881, the second on September 24, 1891.

This raised some questions in Billy’s mind as to why it was amended and certainly caused lots of contemplation and much work in rectifying the information in the natal charts to the details of the church. To understand why the records had been amended in the second filing Billy went to the Articles of Incorporation on both documents. In the first document the purpose for the church was for the attainment and promulgation of knowledge: religious, scientific, and educational. The amended version states the purposes are to promulgate and instruct in knowledge: spiritual, scientific, and philosophical. To own, maintain, and construct grounds, buildings and schools, etc for said purpose. To hold public and private meetings and so on, and to exercise all rights and privileges to establish and maintain branch organizations in the State of Kansas. Billy had to find the time that they started the church, an exact time is needed for astrology to be as accurate as possible. She printed off lots of charts to figure in the move to Wells, dedication of the church, the time the church burned, and the astrological progression of the church’s natal chart. 

Taking all of the information into account, Billy decided the time on the 1881 chart must be 11:25 a.m. Originally they did not want physical buildings. Members had been meeting in picnic groves and in homes of members. The first charter shows a Taurus beginning ruling love and possessions. There were 7 planets in Taurus, a lot of Taurus for not wanting to own anything. Taurus had to be intercepted so they could not realize the importance of having the physical buildings, at that time, causing the church to amend the charter later. Uranus in the 2nd house would show freedom from possessions and freedom from ownership. By the time they realized they would need buildings, they had to amend the first charter. Mercury was in the 9th house of religion because of the need to communicate about religion. The church members still needed the love but now needed possessions. 1 degree Libra, ruled by Venus of the second charter makes for a much more peaceful chart than the original charter. What were the aspects on the day they decided to make the new charter? At 11:50 on September 24 the Sun was back in the same position as in the original charter. Leo ascendant of the first charter wanted to show the world what they do and who they are. The second chart would project more religion because the ascendant in Sagittarius wants to project their spirituality. Virgo the sign of service ended up in the 9th house of religion, Virgo is “service to mankind”. The part of fortune or service sign had been in Gemini in the first chart. The Nodes of the Moon also changed the church from a religion wanting to form a group to wanting to teach others about religion or spirituality.

The new chart shows the Nodes of the Moon in Scorpio and Taurus, coming from secretiveness of the past (Scorpio) to now having the physical sign Taurus in the sixth house of service. Billy believes this second chart seems to better fit the church. We have Neptune and Pluto in Gemini which shows how the world sees the church, the reputation of the church. The intuition and abilities of the mediums. All comes forward with the people to communicate it to the world. Jupiter, ruling religion and knowledge, is in the 3rd house of communication and in Pisces, the most compassionate of all signs, and it was retrograde, meaning that the information was brought in from previous lives. This was a wonderful time for starting the church. Asteroid, Vesta, was in Capricorn in the 1st house so we are projecting what we believe about our spirituality, sharing, and responsibility. In addition there is a trine from Vesta to the Part of Fortune, which rules destiny, in the 9th house of religion. A trine is the best of all aspects. Uranus in the 11th house is good for the whole group, the organization itself. It shows a unique group of people. The Moon showing the emotional need is with the people, the representatives of the church are represented by the 7th house, and show their need to communicate to the world.

By the time Billy figured out the 2 charts and how they fit together she realized they had to change the charter at this time because Saturn had been testing the ability to have possessions. Saturn was getting ready to leave the house, they had to change so they could have the possessions. The chart shows the Midheaven, Sun, and Venus in 3rd house of new contracts at the time of the change to the second charter. All of the people, the mediums, and ministers are in the house of organization where they needed to be. Wherever Jupiter is (8th house at the time of the 2nd chart) you learn about yourself, they needed the buildings to learn about themselves, showing the world who the church is. The North Node is in the 10th house so they could show the world who they are. 

The progressed chart now shows Saturn in 10th house. It is important to show the world who we are, showing peace, love, justice, responsibility and companionship. The chart is showing communication, it is important to bring others in to the church so they can see who we are. The church is more than psychics and mediums, we need to show others who we are. Saturn is right on top of the Sun. Saturn rules all that is structured., we need to show the love and responsibility and service to mankind that we are. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and the Sun are transiting through the 10th house now. Virgo is what we need to use to show who we are ” service to mankind”. Somehow we need to bring others in from outside to show them about our healing, and join us in our studies. We need more people coming in. When they first formed the church there were more members than there are now. We need to increase these numbers. Spiritualism needs to show the world the Libra in us, the peace, the fellowship, the joining. It is the partnership sign of balance, we need to be showing this to the world.

Billy ended by sharing the chart along with Sabian symbolism to study for discussion in class on November 7. She noted one of the Sabian symbols for Ceres, the asteroid, is a white dove circles overhead; it descends bearing a message “the blessing of every effort by the Holy Ghost of revealed significance. Exaltation of all individual efforts. Celebrity.”