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Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 28

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Welcome back to this eigth unit of the Master grade! If you should be new to all this, and have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the start of this MOE course with more information.

We’re well into the Master grade by now, and have left its halfway point well behind with Unit 8 (of twelve altogether in this grade). Amazing, isn’t it?

To celebrate the occasion, I’d love to know how many people are still participating at this point. Could you thus leave me a short comment below?

Your comment can of course be anonymous, if you prefer. And: It doesn’t matter to me when you reach this unit! It could be now, i.e. as of me publishing it, or much later. I’d simply love to know how many people make it this far in the course. Thanks! 🙂

And on to the actual work… Today’s unit marks a decided shift in content and topics within the course.

So far, we have mainly focused on building up the Bridge of Love, and on studying and contemplating John Gilbert’s Tree of Life material. Both are now done, so to speak – although you will continue to practice the Bridge of Love, and we will continue to talk about some applications for it.

But the remaining units bring some new content which is more closely tied to the Modern Order of Essenes, and also some additional practices for you.

On we go, then! 🙂 [Read more…] about Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 28

A Solid Ground To Root In

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Welcome back to this sixth installment in my essay series about fermentation – and what it has to offer you…

I hope you have been able to stretch your back after our travel back to the Middle Ages in that cramped time capsule! (I also hope you’ve gotten over any potential hangover from the beer we enjoyed in medieval Nürnberg… 😉 ).

During said time travel, we explored some of the roots of brewing (i.e. fermenting) beer, of its traditions and of the culture of drinking beer. And one thing which stood out to us (well, to me, but as you were along for the ride…) is just how much the tradition of brewing beer has changed over time – but then on the other hand, just how amazingly stable it has been.

Just the fact that nowadays, people still share a beer with their friends, just like people did in the early Middle Ages, and people (presumably) did way back in the Stone Age, gives proof of a stable core in this tradition – of a firm and unshakeable basis on which it is built.

This solid ground is one expression of yet another element which plays a crucial role in fermentation. [Read more…] about A Solid Ground To Root In

Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 27

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Welcome back to this seventh unit of the Master grade! If you should be new to all this, and have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the start of this MOE course with more information.

In this unit, we wrapt up John Gilbert’s material on the Tree of Life – and you will finally get to build a “real” Bridge of Love. So let’s get started, shall we? 🙂 [Read more…] about Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 27

A Journey Back in Time

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Welcome back to this fifth installment in my essay series about “Fermentation and Inner Work”, where we explore the world of fermentation – both the edible one and the one inside of you…

In the preceding essay, we talked about the “why” – as in both “Why have people throughout the ages and in all cultures made use of fermentation?”, and “Why an essay series about fermentation in the first place?”. We also mulled over the roots of the words “ferment” and “leaven”, and about fermentation’s close relationship to the elements of air and fire.

While today’s essay starts out where we left off, it will lead us far from here – and will also give us our first glimpse of another element’s importance for fermentation… [Read more…] about A Journey Back in Time

The Story of My Family

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This essay is different from the ones I usually publish. It’s a lot more personal, and a lot less light-hearted and humorous. It tells the story of my family, that is of people near and very dear to me which I usually keep out of the limelight in my public writing. As a matter of fact, I’ve pondered for quite a while whether I should tell this story at all. It demanded to be written and published, though, so here we are…

When I look around these days, both on the internet and in real life, I see a lot of people egging on war. They want to drop bombs on this or that person, on this or that place or region. They clamor for boots on the ground in whichever country they think is worth invading for their noble (and sometimes not so noble) cause. They celebrate attacks and killings, or vociferously call for them. They demand the destruction of vital infrastructure just because it hurts the other side more. Or they think that “we” (their side, i.e. the good guys) should just drop some nukes on the other side and be done with it.

Mind you, I’m not talking about the politicians, about the people in power, or the ones advising them. I’m also not talking about the media pundits, the news anchors, or the important influencers on social media or elsewhere. And I’m not talking about the people with influence, whether their influence extends to the open stage or is doing its thing behind the scenes.

I don’t harbour the illusion that those people might read this essay, and much less that they might reflect on it and maybe question their thoughts, their speech or their action.

No, the people I’m talking about are “normal” people, just like you and me. I’m talking about the people who comment on websites and social media. The people who rant to their neighbours, colleagues or friends about the prospects of war. The people who excitedly plan for yet more war at the dinner table.

Mind you, these are normal people: upstanding citizens, treasured and beloved parts of their families and their circles of friends, valued members of churches and clubs, reliable workers and employees. In fact, this could very well be you – or me.

And again, I don’t harbour any illusions about reaching any of them. Of the few people who are going to read this essay, even fewer will reflect on it – and those are, most likely, the ones who need it the least.

Still, I have a story to tell, whether it reaches anybody or not. It’s the story of my family…

[Read more…] about The Story of My Family

Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 26

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Welcome back to this sixth unit of the Master grade, and I hope you will gain both fun and benefits from it!

In this unit, we once again focus on the Tree of Life (John Gilbert style) and on the Bridge of Love. The latter will ramp up a notch, and the former will continue to move downward… [Read more…] about Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 26

A History of Air and Fire

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Welcome back to this fourth installment in my essay series about fermentation, and how it can transform your food – and your life…

In the previous essays, we talked about what fermentation is, from two different angles. What we haven’t answered yet, though, is the question “Why” – as in “Why am I writing a full essay series about fermentation in the first place?”, and even more importantly “Why should you read it and follow along?”

In order to answer this (very valid) question, we’ll first need to talk about why people throughout the ages have been making copious use of fermentation in all its forms… [Read more…] about A History of Air and Fire

Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 25

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Welcome back to this fifth unit of the Master grade. I hope you’re enjoying the work of this grade so far!

The current unit is, again, a comparatively slow one – at least on first glance. There is a lot going on below the hood, though, as I hope you will come to appreciate during the course of your work on this unit. 🙂

So let’s dive right in, shall we? [Read more…] about Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 25

Fermenting Outside the Box

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Welcome back to this third installment in my essay series about fermentation – and what it has to offer you…

A quick note first: These essays are currently rather long (even by my standards 😀 ), which is mainly due to the Hands-On Homework sections. I’ve considered to move them into separate posts, but to me they are an integral part of this series. Besides, their length will drop over time, when all the practical details, e.g. which water to use, have been explained at least once.

I’ve thus decided to keep everything together in one post for now. The homework sections are always clearly labelled, and you can thus use the search function of your browser to hop straight down to the instructions if you want to look things up later.

And now, on we go! 🙂

In the last essay, we looked at the rear end of a duck fermentation from a scientific angle. Although, admittedly, we didn’t go very deep – just deep enough to carve out two essential hurdles (which I then promptly invited you to consider in other areas of your life).

We also got a sourdough starter going. Or rather, I hope you did! 😀

(If not, I sincerely hope you will consider doing so now. Unless you can’t eat bread at all and are thus going to sit out this homework, I promise it will be worth it!)

But while the scientific view on fermentation raised some interesting issues (oxygen or not? what different kinds of fermentation are there? and are always the same kinds of critters involved?, to name just few), it didn’t give us a big picture understanding of what fermentation is. Last time, we inspected a lot of trees – but didn’t make time to contemplate the forest.

So today, I will attempt to answer the question “What is fermentation?” on another level, a level which is at once more practical and just as abstract in its own right… [Read more…] about Fermenting Outside the Box

Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 24

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Welcome back to this fourth unit of the Master grade!

How have you found your first forays into the Bridge of Love?

This unit is a bit of a reprieve. There is more material about the Tree of Life, plus the next step of the Bridge of Love – and this is it. (Plus, of course, the continuation of your established practice.)

I hope you will enjoy this somewhat quieter unit! 😉 [Read more…] about Modern Order of Essenes Course: Master – Unit 24