A thousand-year-old wisdom passed on by today's Essenes
Since the dawn of time, the Wise Men have known that fire holds great power. This magical force hidden in fire is particularly active during the autumn equinox.
Mystics of all traditions knew the secrets of fire. That's why, at this time of year, they lit a fire dedicated to God, a sacred fire. Today, the Essenes perpetuate this knowledge of the divine flame within man.
To go within oneself by observing the flame of a candle, to meditate in front of a bonfire, to be inspired by contemplating the stars, to feel filled with peace by watching a sunset... all this is possible thanks to the presence of Fire within oneself.
This presence is sacred, divine. It's the spark that makes you want to reach upwards, towards the Most High. This Fire is inside us, it's us, our innermost being, but it's also outside us.
We need to recognize this flame in all beings around us, be they people, animals or nature. We do this by awakening our awareness and sensitivity. When we recognize the Divine in all beings, we ourselves become a flame, in harmony with the source of all flames.
The divine flame in man
Fire is the perpetual flame in our inner temple, the precious one within us. It's a permanent sanctuary of Light within man, a space of eternity. Those who nurture this sanctuary are protected: whatever they do, they always keep within them a Light that protects them, an awakening, something that tells them what to do.
To feed the Fire of this sacred sanctuary, man must cultivate lightness in his life, and also concentration on what is essential: his flame. He must not allow himself to be caught up in the external circumstances that can overwhelm him. He must remain in a kind of neutrality and lightness, beyond appearances, beyond the body, beyond a mortal form.
Each of us must light an immortal flame within ourselves and direct our lives from this flame, at all times in presence of mind and instantaneity. In this way, we can draw ever closer to the divine world, where everything is instantaneous, in the perfection of the Father.
How do we ignite this inner flame and cultivate the Divine Fire within?
For Essenes, everything originates in the divine world. This means uniting with the divine intelligence of Fire: Archangel Michael.
Michael, guardian of God's secrets
The universe is made up of four elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth.
Each of these elements is created and animated by an eternal, all-encompassing Divine Intelligence, known as the Archangel.
Some people imagine St. Michael with a spear, slaying the dragon, but in reality this is only a symbolic image. Michael is one of the four cosmic forces that govern the universe.
"Michael" is the name given to him by Christians following the ancient Aramaic and Essene Hebrew tradition, but this cosmic force does not belong to Christianity: it is universal. Mi-cha-ël means "Who is like God".
This being of pure Light opposes evil and triumphs over it with the weapons of eternal wisdom, love and healing.
To enter his aura, to unite with him, is to ignite the divine flame within us, to reconnect with our true Being.
Archangel Michael is not only the guardian of what is divine, pure and true in man. He is also the one who awakens right discernment. He enables us to discern, within our being, what is perishable, becoming and passing, and to recognize what is true, eternal and perfect. It separates the false from the true, the wheat from the chaff.
Those who enter the sanctuary of Michael's Fire become empowered to direct their destiny. He finds a direction for his life, a direction in tune with his soul. He reconnects with the Source, becoming a burning flame that nothing can extinguish.
In the darkness...
It's as autumn approaches, the days grow shorter and the nights longer, that Essenes celebrate Archangel Michael. It's a time when you can feel a fading, 'setting sun' force. Nostalgia fills nature, and gives rise to existential questions about the meaning of life and the mysteries of death. It's to balance this growing darkness that Fire ignites within man.
The presence of the Father of Fire is then felt through these fundamental questions.
Man is free to 'look them in the face' or to look away. If he dares to maintain contact with Michael's gaze, he will see all that was hidden within him, the shadows of his being. For the Archangel is pure and true, and accepts only authentic beings.
This can be a trial for the man who has never questioned his life, but also a liberation. Those who decide to face the Fire, paradoxically, confront the anguish of darkness within themselves. He comes face to face with all that is not Light in his being; he recognizes all that is not right and true; he sees clearly the world of appearances in which he lives. And the masks come off.
If man surrenders to the Fire, if he dares to look his fears and weaknesses in the face, they will be consumed by Michael's divine Fire. And from the ashes, like the Phoenix, his true, pure being will be reborn.
Light will have conquered inner darkness, and man will be freed from the dragon's grip. The rays of the divine sun that lives within man will have pierced the dragon of ignorance, pride and blindness.
The mysteries of the 4 seasons
The cycle of life on earth is a circle of four seasons. As the Sun moves through the year, it passes through all the signs of the zodiac, which are the four elements, the four faces of the mystery of God. These four faces are represented by the four cardinal points called solstices and equinoxes.
For each of these seasons, the initiates have instituted cardinal festivals in tune with the cycles of nature. These celebrations invite people to experience within themselves the same processes as those of living nature. Such feasts are celebrated today by the Essenes. They call it the Round of the Archangels.
The Round of the Archangels
The Round of the Archangels aims to restore man to the center of the circle of the seasons, and re-establish the link with divine consciousness. For the union of the four Archangels at the center of the circle brings forth the quintessence, the fifth element, the presence of the eternal divine mystery.
The Archangelic Round restores and heals contact between man and nature. This contact leads to a rediscovery of one's inner nature, one's soul, and a reconnection with one's higher, divine and eternal nature.
Archangel Michael's Celebration of Fire is the festival of awakened men who have recognized the flame within themselves and committed themselves to the service of Fire and inner Light.
Essenes gather to light the Sacred Fire, affirming their will to ignite the divine flame within them and awaken their consciousness to the Light within. In so doing, they proclaim their will to protect divine teaching, the beauty and wisdom of the earth, and the dignity of humanity.
Archangel Michael's gift of wisdom
Archangel Michael seeks to awaken the divine Fire and Light in man. Those who associate with him acquire the ability to perceive the presence of Fire in every experience. Is it a fire of anger, a fire of illusion, or a pure fire, a sacred flame?
Through this fire, he brings to light Light, wisdom and sacred knowledge. In this way, every experience becomes a source of wisdom that opens our eyes. It's a constant enrichment of the divine Light within.
Olivier Manitara
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