I still picture the roses in the ice 
They haunt me still
And in my mind’s eye
I reach again for the soft petals
That shred with secret thorns
That face, that sad mysterious face.
A thousand years and as many tales told
Thinking I knew
But I will never ever know why he placed the roses in the ice…
May 2012
“I shine as the moon, i sing as the sun, I am the guiding star, yet still you know me not”
One of the tenets of treading a very deep and profound path; non more so than that of the Old Ways, is that just when you believe all is safe and well and you have reached a pinnacle of sublime understandings, the path and what you perceived as your understandings can come right back at you and kick you hard in the face, as all that you ever knew is totally transformed into something deeper and more profound than you ever thought possible. Sometimes it can strike like a bolt of lightning on a once sturdy old oak tree, rendering you as the old oak shot right into two straight down the middle. Even if you see it coming you may have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and find yourself totally laid bare in the aftershock.
However, you do actually need these bolts from the blue, these reality checks, for they are the challenges and the safeguards sent to you for a reason; they are the hurdles we must all overcome in order to progress (or not) within our given paths. For it is certainly ‘Those That See And Observe’ in action; living up to their name. We may need to travel deep down and hit rock bottom more than once on this journey, facing the darkness and the uncertainty alone. Many times we can reach out in order to grasp the hidden thorn and be totally torn to shreds before eventually emerging into a new dawn of understandings. All our journeys are very different, very individual, even for walkers of the same path and yet many journeys take us eventually to the same point of understandings at different points in time within the universe. Yet to go further than we ever thought possible, we must break through our own human led limitations and expectations, break out of that old mindset that we have been force-fed with in order to access that realm of ultimate perfection within the universe; access that place that seems so seductively near but is oh so very far away.
Knowledge is truth and truth is power yet with knowledge and truth comes big responsibilities as the mysteries are demystified and reality starts to unravel before our very eyes transforming into the reality we always knew within our hearts yet dared not to even think about. The darkest hour as we know, is just before dawn and a phrase that we may have referred to time and time again, but what does this really mean? When in this dark place we must relish and embrace all the lessons being offered there, equally the good and the bad, and learn from them as we have never learnt before; we are being held there for a reason and cannot not move on until we have learnt those lessons laid out for us and the ‘powers that be’ within the universe deem us ready. So learn and grasp as you never have before, learn to shed that which you need to shed in order for transformation to happen, however hard, however painful it just has to be faced in order to move on and up again. Only you, the lone traveller on this particular journey can face it, it is a journey you must face alone yet in facing it and learning from it you/those of us who are meant to, will surely all rise again.
Many will never tread the path of truth, many will have the ability to yet will never fulfill their purpose and many, many more will never even know of the journey or of the truths of existence and will never even give it a thought, yet that is the way it is meant to be; it is as it always has been and what will be, will indeed be. Only a few will ever truly see or hear that exquisite song of the piper at the gates of dawn heralding in an old truth to the Serpent Army. It is not a quick fix by any means, this journey can be a journey of many lifetimes and many folks will forever hide behind the facade of illusionment of the modern world, living for today, hard and fast in a circle of false promises begetting the unfulfilment of their own manifested urobourous; getting nowhere very fast.
Whether or not we follow the Way of the Blood, the true Old Ways, for the transformation to truly happen on any level we must evolve from within in order for the first stages to begin and this can only happen when you remove all the baggage that humanity has thrown at you, when you clear your mind and you face yourself alone, as the one that you truly are and truly love what you see.
But the joy, the real joy of transformation is often totally and utterly silent, a very personal covenant of peace and joy between you and the Divine, so very personal and profound in fact that no utterances or affirmations in the world of men are ever needed. It is of a coming home to a home that once you had no concept of its existence; it is though of a very real world, a very real way of life that can only be accessed by the opening of your heart, by releasing the ego and by finding peace within and trust without for those who are there to guide and nurture you at every step of the way. Then and only then will real alchemical and physical transformation ever even begin to take place.
“I am the riddle of the whispering wind and will be with you till the end of days”
Can you taste the essence of live’s gone by?
Can you enter your soul with the eyes of a child?
What do you see there and what do you find?
A glimmer of stardust, a ray of hope,
Or gloom and despair and the hangman’s rope?
Crossing the threshold to the other side
Determines our destiny and reveals all the lies.
A shimmer of stardust in the midnight sky,
A portent of your future or from your past a cry?
The Temples of Humanity are raised by a few
And the Hallows of Night refuse to be found
As our footsteps echo on barren ground.
How far up the mountain can humanity climb
To free itself of the mortal grind?
For the stardust falls but upon a few,
Dare we pause, dare we catch it; tell me will it be you?
Or will you sink to the mud,
Bathed in your own human blood.
Trapped in a mindset that’s out of time,
Out of sinc with God’s given rhyme?
The wave is coming
The tide is now.
Ride it or fight it
Evolve or die.
So when you taste the essence of live’s gone by
And you free the child within your soul,
Will you sacrifice all when the time is right?
Will you pluck your future from the deathly night?
When the Dragon Breath finally fades
And you look into The Eye at the End of Days,
And those that “just are” spin you round and around
Can you honestly say your soul is unbound?
The Keeper of Scrolls 2008
‘If we look to the stars to see the sights, the stars will come down with fists to fight’
Ahead of humanity in this very special and extremely challenging year are interesting times indeed; many folks have numerous different theories on what this year of 2012 actually means. One thing is for sure, great changes do most certainly lie ahead and the world as we know it will never be the same again. For the world today is certainly not what most people think, right from the very start of the origins of humanity, to the true purpose of mankind, to what is going on under our very noses right now in respect of world affairs, we have never been told the truths, simply very watered down versions of the truth. Yet for those who would seek, the truth certainly can be found.
Years pass by, people come and go upon the sphere of time and this planet our earth, somehow always seems to endure the ravages rent upon it by mankind, yet for how much longer? Over the centuries mankind has waged many destructive wars on each other; all of which have been relentless and pointless as no lessons have ever been gained. Man has stolen from within the earth all of that which sustains the health of the planet and has over the centuries caused destruction, pain and grief not only to the planet but also to its innocent wildlife. One wonders where it will all end – yet end it surely will. Can we even try and imagine a world before the greed, ego and lies of mankind bought so much harm and chaos to the planet? Would we like to consider a time after all this has been caused to cease?
It has always been told in times past that there are Keepers and Watchers, often known by the name of Nephilim, who walk amongst us, carefully keeping the balance and overseeing the ‘affairs of men’. If this were to be true, just what would they be making of the current world situation; the current crisis? Would they be gathering their armies’ right here, right now as mankind fulfils his current cycle of destruction? Humanity was never destined to act in this out of control way and I for one would take great delight and joy in the knowledge that the Old Ones were on their way back and were about to take charge again.
When the time is right mankind will have to face redemption and to atone for all his misdoings. How will he fare and will the Old Ones
be kind with him? And if they are kind will mankind have learnt a valuable lesson? But if the Old Ones are not kind by human standards but are kind to the planet itself, what then? Is mankind rapidly running out of precious time? Given a choice, who would save mankind or who would save the planet? Is it a choice of the bigger picture or the little picture; the A movie or the B movie? And is the choice really ours to make? Maybe that is just what the Keepers and Watchers are at this moment considering, for saving humanity puts us right back at square one where we started, yet saving the planet could indeed be a new beginning of a brand new cycle.
Yet the veil, the illusion that hangs hard and fast in our world of lies, which we are drip fed with daily is challenged by only a few individuals who wish to know the world as it truly is.
When one considers the mainstream religions of the world what does one find there? One finds a plethora of myth and dogma which all hide the real truths from the people in order to put their own false messages across. They all hide the real truths from everyone because they do not want the truths to be out there; it is a way of being in control, keeping people forever in the dark with pretty made up stories. The whole ethos of certain mainstream religions are just one big illusion and yet so many thousands of folks buy into it. Why? One only has to put all the facts together to solve the jigsaw for oneself to see what is really going on, but very few people actually ever do, preferring to forever wear the blindfold of illusion, living in a false hope of being saved one day.
In the past, great teachers, often known as messengers have known of and taught the truths of existence yet their messages have been silenced in riddles and rhymes, their knowledge hidden away in pages of holy scriptures; their teachings transformed into false religions. Many paths today still create and allow people to buy into a vision of a past that never, ever existed and so thus the lies continue. Yet the truths that were once taught are out there, they are still being taught for those who truly seek, for those who will truly find.
Chances do come along that will allow us to make change, teachers and guides come along at certain perfect points in time, but is the individual who must take the steps, grasp the opportunity to walk out of the darkness of the mundane world. Time is so swiftly passing by and who can not say that as the Old Ones observe the affairs of mankind and duly raise their chalices, certain foretold cycles will come to completion and the truth will surely be revealed for all to see.
“And so it came to pass that the world of men transformed into L.i.g.h.t”
‘The Keeper of Scrolls’
I looked for love but there was no one there 
I plucked an Angel from the midnight air
All my words were lost in time
Trapped in a world without a rhyme
In the starry night I felt battered and torn
I searched for a reason for being born
Over and over and alone I cried
Tossed on the winds of fate I died
Can a thousand good deeds ever right wrongs
Will this world ever know the Song of Songs?
When the spoken word is spoken no more
Will the tides of blood still kiss the shore?
I was lost in a place that was out of time
I was out of sync with human kind
I saw my gods but did they see me
If I imagined them did they imagine me?
Does a kiss on the lips from another soul
Or a heart felt hug make one whole?
Wishes and dreams and starry illusions
Are all very well yet lead to confusion
I travelled far and I travelled wide
The Angel was constantly at my side
He told me the truth of my fate and my rhyme
And he taught me how to decipher time
Too many questions I had to ask
I couldn’t keep silent, hated the farce
In the dark of the night, in the cold light of day
My Angel constantly showed me the way.
He told me the truth of the rhyme and the nine
He gave me the code to the sphere of time
I saw him drink from the chalice of blood
I knew what he wanted, I gave it with love.
I began to fly, I caught the winds
Took control of my breath, learnt from my sins
As each dawn is new and each darkness fresh
My Angel gave me eternal bliss.
The vine was full.
I supped the wine little knowing the fruit wasn’t mine.
I lay down in the sun; felt the warmth, a lifetime lived and never a thought.
In the warmth of the sun my soul awoke, my body bathed in the golden glow.
All sins and sinners turned aside; the sun caressed like a holy tide.
Dreams and desire I knew to be mine so I allowed my body to ride on the tide.
Lost in a wave of human desire; drinking the wine from the chalice of fire.
I spilled a drop, just a tiny drop, a tiny drop of the blood-red wine.
Splashed on my thigh it reflected the sun
Yet the ruby rose just shone and shone.
Confliction and confusion in the name of the rose.
Dark and seductive but torn by the thorn; a tear upon my lily-white thigh.
A herald of winter.
A dawning of desire.
I sank in the silk of a silent night; satin and velvet cradled me tight
But the rose still pierced and the blood still flowed;
And the vine and the wine were never mine.
The sun an illusion; desire was just dust.
For I had supped the blood from the holy vine;
I’d emptied the chalice as though it was mine.
Though the ruby within had never been mine,
Yet I was drunk on the blood from the holy shrine.
Eyes from the past stared out from the dark.
I had crossed the void in the holy name,
I had dared to sup from the holy cup.
I had taken a stride to be by the side of those who guarded in the ancient name.
I saw the blood, fresh on the chapel floor, the dreams were real, illusion no more.
Dare I bathe in the blood of an ancient past; tend to his needs as She once did?
Dare I awaken, confront the truth, cross the line, to be transformed?
The chapel is dark and a lone candle flickers.
Dare I take the step, grasp the hidden thorn,
Cross the divide to be reborn?
She walked upon this sphere in grace and light
When the veil thins and the universe shares the truths
Her memory dances in the fallen autumn leaves
Her footsteps are imprinted upon the damp cooling earth
As the mists swirl at dusk she allows her breath to touch your lips
Entering your soul as dark descends
“Upon the ground the gifts were hidden, the magics left so all could find.
Use them well and ye shall see the truth before your eyes is given”
White Willow
Having a few important and powerful herbs at ones disposable as part of a well stocked healing or magical ‘cupboard’ will mean that one always has the correct herbs ready for use for whatever potions are needed at any one particular time. Templar knowledge of the magical and healing properties of herbs does differ from that of a medical herbalist or a modern-day pagan and the knowledge reaches far back to ancient times when such wisdom was common among mankind.
For it is the sacred ‘energies’ contained within the plant and the universe without that we work with. The combination of the outer universal energies and that contained within the plant and the knowledge of their use by the practitioner are utilised at a high level within Templar healing and magic.
White Willow Bark is very easy to obtain in the uk, whether naturally harvested or purchased ready prepared, it is indeed a very useful herb to have in ones ‘cupboard’. White Willow Bark is native to Europe and Asia and is considered to be the essence of relieving pain and in particular for use within reducing fever.
It can be ground into a powder to reduce fevers and to calm pain and can be made into a paste or massage lotion with olive oil and thus massaged into painful joints and muscles. Used in this way it will also sooth the pain of rheumatism. White Willow Bark can also be used in the treatment of nausea, infection, sexual problems and lethargy.
The White Willow Bark can also be combined with other soothing herbs such as lavender and a very small amount of camphor to produce a very effective and efficient pain killing massage potion/lotion. As a part of Templar training one is taught how to prepare, cleanse and charge herbs in a sacred way prior to use, thus rendering them very potent indeed.
Magically, white willow bark may be used for healing and love spells and may be used for visions of the future, raising power and cleansing space. All under the watchful eye of a trained tutor and practitioner of course.
Templar teachings from ‘The Keeper of Scrolls’
Finding Light and Faith
It always seems in life that just when everything is flowing along nice and smoothly that something will come along to shake one to the core of one’s very foundations and change the status quo. I don’t get complacent about life as time and tide has taught me otherwise and I certainly don’t take my blessings in life for granted for the same reason. I have worked hard for all I have achieved and have willingly made sacrifices along the way, maybe some things i should have done differently and decisions I have made in the past did not always seem to be the right ones at the time. Yet all the actions I have taken have led me to a point in time where I was/am most definitely meant to be, so those decisions and actions that I thought ill of at the time were the right ones in the big scheme of things as they set chains of events in motion that led me to where i am now.
So when hardships happen in life which they so often do, when sadness happens, when hope seems to fade, the most important aspect and lesson to learn is to never give up on one’s faith in life itself. For life is experiential, it is of learning, of accessing and gaining knowledge. Learning comes forth from our bleakest, lowest moments but we must allow it too of course. We can triumph over gloom and darkness by keeping an open mind and seeking out the hidden gems that gleam in the gloom. True, we may have to turn over many rocks and pebbles to find the gems but they are there, not always obvious but always there, gleaming in the dark.
It’s all about life, faith in life itself, whatever one’s spiritual path, it is the common experience of life itself which binds us altogether as one, for we are all here in time together. We all share this journey; some wisely while others not so, some will find the ultimate truths yet many will not; many were never meant to. A great many people live their lives under constant challenges; some handle the challenges with grace and positivity while others do just the opposite impacting on the lives of those close to them. I often wonder why this is, is it down to faith, faith in life, of ‘being alive’ no matter how ill or in pain one is? Is it faith that pulls one up and through the gloom? Or is it the fact that everyone’s disposition is different and as human beings we all handle challenging situations differently? It is very hard to speculate on this, to put one’s self in a position of having one’s faith tested to the very extremes.
It has often been written that where there’s life there is always hope, but is there hope when a life is of constant pain with no remedy or cure from that pain? I have experienced acute pain for a few weeks at a time but have no idea how I would cope if it were to be long-term; would I still have faith in anything be it life or otherwise? I hope i am never tested in this way but as anything can happen in this life I am keeping my faith that i will never be in that position, though I know those close to me who are.
My lesson in this life could be to be non judgemental on how others manage while in bleak situations for it could be me; it could and can be ‘my test’, it could be a test for any of us at any time. So maybe within these tests ‘keeping the faith’ is the one thing we all need to be constant with; the one thing that WILL pull us through our hard times; it wont make the hard times, illnesses or pain go away but maybe it will change how we deal with it, for faith in life is never giving up and by that i mean never giving up on helping others either.
My faith in life and faith in myself too, means that I can help those who need it, even when they are in such a dark place they can not see the gems for themselves. For faith is the LIGHT in the dark for all of us.
‘The Keeper of Scrolls’
“What mysteries do they long to tell, what secret truths their powers unlock, within our minds where magic dwells?”
Wormwood for bites and stings
It is oh so very hot at the moment and with the hot weather well into its stride, our gardens and parks are alive with various small creatures of the wing, constantly endeavouring to make a tasty meal of us! Even as pet owners we are very much aware at this time of year that our beloved pets do come with many extra ‘visitors’ attached! So then what can we do ourselves about these insect bites which can so often prove to be very painful and irritating to us?
One of the most useful herbs to have around at this time of year is Wormwood which is a shrub native to North Africa but of course is now found growing in the UK. It has grey to white stems that are covered in fine silk hairs and grows between thirty to ninety centimetre tall.
Wormwood Physical Use: Wormwood has strong antifungal and antibacterial properties. It is best used for the treatment of hepatitis, fever, liver, gallbladder and general infections. When smouldered in a room it will help to boost the immune system and aid the clearing of toxins. Very important for this time of year, is to make it into a paste with olive oil for arthritis, skin conditions and for insect bites and stings.
Wormwood has many magical uses too and for those of us practising and teaching the Templar path, extensive herbal knowledge on the healing and magical use of herbs has been received as a part of our in-depth training. Please ask if interested on finding out more about the uses of herbs and stones from a unique Templar/Craft perspective.
Warning: can be addictive. May cause nausea, vomiting and insomnia. People with epilepsy should avoid.
Templar Teachings from ‘The Keeper of Scrolls’
