Shining Lamps & Brilliant Stars

All my life I've been drawn to candles and firelight. I've always liked it when people refer to "the light within" or the "spark of life" in a person. To me, the biggest compliment someone can pay me is to say that I'm glowing or look so happy I'm shining.

When I lived in Chicago, a good friend of mine got me into novena candles or 7-day candles (the larger ones burn for seven days straight). I never used them to manifest anything material or to bring me love as some do, but over the past twenty years or so, they've become a regular fixture in my life.

I almost always choose white or solid colors as opposed to ones with saints or religious icons imprinted on them. They're about $1.50 at most ethnic grocery stores and you can even find shorter ones (called Shabbat candles) in the Kosher section of almost any store. They can also be found in New Age bookstores, but are usually much more expensive.

I set them at various places around my house and I always feel a little tickle of pleasure as I walk into a room and see a soft familiar glow in the corner.

Another love is starlight and the same thing applies...I like to think of myself (on good days) as a shining star and truly believe we are drawn to one another because of the glowing lights of our spirits as we make our way through the world...sometimes people see us and sometimes they don't, but each person has their own way of glowing.

Using the word brilliant to describe light has also been something I've done as long as I can remember. Imagine my joy when I discovered this prayer:

"Oh God, guide me, protect me...make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star.
Thou art the mighty and the powerful."
Abdu'l Baha

Saying this ones makes my heart sing and even though it is usually difficult for me to think in terms that anyone or anything could be mighty and powerful without being oppressive, I have no problems saying this one at all. I so want to be a shining lamp and a brilliant star!!!

In the past, I've avoided any religious prayers that referred to God in that way. I guess you could say that I've got problems being humbled and feeling controlled...however, there is something about the Baha'i faith that is shifting this for me and allowing me to feel the words as opposed to just reading them and rejecting them.

I'm also excited about learning more about the manifestations of God prior to Baha'u'llah...I'm going to start with Zoroaster and while I know that there isn't fire worship, fire does play a part and I find this exciting.

My new thing is to take a bath each night by candlelight while reading The Prophet's Daughter by Janet A. Khan. It's interesting, but I have to train myself for this kind of reading/studying...I haven't done it in awhile.

I mentioned in another post that I am looking forward to some of the Baha'i celebrations...and I have to admit that while I know the prayers are more important than the food and cheer, that I look forward to making things that I haven't made before.

Rosewater Pistachio candies for example (Gaz). Of course I know there is no such thing as traditional Baha'i food, but you'd be hard pressed to read a lot about the Baha'i faith and not find mentions of thing like Persian rice and cookies at feasts. Count me in!

I love to cook and bake and while I'm right in the middle of a detox and can't have any sugar or grains (or dairy) I look forward to the time when I can bring platters (I like overkill) of treats to various events.

Which reminds me...I have not begun to explore my local community for study groups yet. I will do that in time. For the short term, I'm just enjoying reading and learning on my own...and with your comments and messages of course!

Here's a tutorial I found for the Persian candy Gaz...There is a short sponsor message ahead of it, but it's fun to watch and I love Natasha Levitan's gentle nature. By the way, she also makes an apple face cream!