Service Projects for all Humanity

An International Online Service Community, by TOS-USA

The Theosophical Order of Service will be holding its third annual Silent Auction at Theosofest on September 11, 2010 at the Theosophical Society in Wheaton, IL. All proceeds from the auction go to benefit the homeless at the various local shelters that the TOS Action Group has been serving.
As part of our Silent Auction, two handmade donations, which are valued at over $200.00 are raffled off at the end of the day and this year is no different.  read more »

Surely the most powerful of the several factors influencing our health is what we eat.  It also spills over into health for the planet, which reverberates back again to health for us humans.  As reported on National Public Radio (NPR) on August 9th, “There's a movement afoot aimed at changing the way we eat one day a week.”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298
I hope all viewers will read all of this news story, then obtain and read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.  Then – go where the science leads.
 

Virgo is the sign of the divine mother. She represents the budding relationship between spirit and matter. The mother aspect, or matter, becomes the guardian of the child- the Christ principle, which dwells in all atoms of existence. As opposed to in Gemini where we have the twins who represent matter and spirit in complete and separated duality, here in Virgo we have the progression of these two into a growing symbiotic relationship. The matter aspect is conscious of her job as mother and the seeds of the spirit are being tended to.
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Leo is the fiery sign of the individual and represents self-consciousness and self-awareness.  It is the midway point between the two great poles of the evolutionary ladder.  In the sign of Cancer we see the focus on the unthinking, instinct driven mass consciousness, which over a great expanse of time eventually gives way to the individualistic, self-centered state of Leo consciousness.  This "self-centeredness" or awareness of ones self also eventually gives way to something greater.    read more »

Leadership

Inspiration

Global

Healing

Transformation

Everyone has heard the much-honored quote from Mahatma Ghandi, to “be the change you want to see in the world.”  Self-initiated transformation from deep within oneself is at the heart of theosophical teachings, and this process is being put into action where it’s probably more desperately needed than anyplace else on earth—Rwanda.

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 Cancer is the watery and emotional sign of the masses.  It is considered the "gateway" which leads into the life of concrete form as a result of desire.  The 7th ray is the ray of ceremonial order.  It is the last of the rays and is that energy which combines the "highest" spirit with the "lowest" matter (and all that lies in between), culminating in their union.  read more »

 Gemini is the intellectual sign of the twins, who represent the recognition of duality in nature. The 2nd ray is the ray of love and wisdom and is the energy that is symbolized by the second aspect of the trinity. Awareness of duality is what eventually leads people to grow through a developing sense of responsibility towards that which appears to be separate from the individual self. The recent interest in the proper treatment of the other kingdoms in nature is an excellent example of this awareness playing out in the dense physical world.  read more »

Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 2010, 320pp.
book review by Rene Wadlow

The Kingdom of Heaven is within you,
And whosoever shall know himself
Shall find it, strive therefore to know yourself
- Dialogue of Jesus and John  read more »

This morning's paper came.  In it were the usual stories of crime, politics, and what not.  However, there was a feature that caught my eye, because it hits at a very personal level.   read more »

 Taurus is an earthy, grounding sign.  The 5th ray is the ray of mind, and concrete science.  The energies of this ray tend to create a focussed attention to detail and an ability to work, single-mindedly and unemotionally, with the material world.  Taurus, one of the "earthiest" signs, combined with the downwardly directed focus of the "scientifically inclined" 5th ray make for a good energy combination when dealing with the environment, which is our TOS category for this sign.

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Aries is the fiery sign of creation. The 1st ray is that of Power and Will and is known as the initiating impulse. The expression of the Will, or the initiating impulse, can be said to be an accurate definition of art. Likewise, the person who manifests Will by creating, no matter what the creation, is an artist. So this month in connection with the sign of Aries and the 1st ray, we focus on the TOS category of art/music.

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(St. Petersburg : LITA Publishing, 2009, 254pp.)
book review by Rene Wadlow

Harmony is a recurrent theme in Russian thought. Harmony is seen as the essence of the world of both nature and humans. Harmony is understandable through higher consciousness but is often overshadowed by temporary but strong disharmonies. Thus there is a necessity for the conscious restoration of harmony or to use a Taoist term, the cultivation of harmony.  read more »

 Pisces is the sign of the savior.  The 2nd ray is that of Love and Wisdom and is ruled by the Christ Consciousness, or "World Teacher".

A perfect example of this combination of Piscean energy and the 2nd Ray in action was the life of the Master Jesus, who is believed by some to have been the physical vehicle for the Christ.  All social service projects fit in here.

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