BirchLane

July

Wednesday 30

In Search of the Stone.

Let me, however, be permitted to impress one thing on the minds of my pious and devout readers. In so far as a man orders his life, soul, heart, and actions aright in the sight of God, in so far will he perceive that he is making good progress in the discovery, preparation, and use of the Stone. This assertion is the result of my own personal experience during many years, and it embodies my deliberate conviction. Therefore, the best preparation for this study is, in my judgment, a diligent amendment of heart and life. For the study of this Art is such a perfect guide to excellence that a good knowledge of its principles will (as it were, against your will) hurry you on to an understanding of all the wonderful things of God, and teach you to rate all temporal and worldly things at their true value. But let not him who desires this knowledge for the purpose of procuring wealth and pleasure think that he will ever attain to it. Therefore, let your mind and thoughts be turned away from all things earthly, and, as it were, created anew, and consecrated to God alone. For you should observe that these three, body, soul, and spirit, must work together in harmony if you are to bring your study of this Art to a prosperous issue, for unless the mind and heart of a man be governed by the same law which develops the whole work, such an one must indubitably err in the Art.. When you are in inward harmony with God's world, outward conformity will not be wanting. Yet our artist can do nothing but sow, plant, and water: God must give the increase. Therefore, if any one be the enemy of God, all Nature declares war against him; but to one who loves God, heaven and earth and all the elements must lend their assistance. If you bear these things in mind, and know the true First Matter (of which we shall speak later on) you may at once set about the practical part of this study, calling on God for grace, direction, and guidance, so that your work may be carried successfully through all its stages. ~As taken from Waterstone of The Wise Part I and IV

Tuesday 29

Missing Betsy.

Monday 28

With Time.

Sunday 27

BirchLane.

Saturday 26

A Sales Strategy.

Friday 25

Placeholder Photo.

Thursday 24

Self-Portrait. For the three people reading this, in case you wondered (or forgot) what your humble author looks like, the following was taken yesterday at The Four Seasons Hotel in NYC. (I have so many photos to share with you.)

Wednesday 23

Front Page News.

Monday 21

More from Mount Greylock. Good sites here and here.

Sunday 20

Mount Greylock. Seconds after Betsy and I stepped on to the Appalachian Trail at Mount Greylock in North Adams, Massachusetts early this morning, she turned to me and said, "Bruce, be careful. The rocks are slippery."

One, maybe two, it could have been three seconds later I slipped and fell on my rear.

Sixty, maybe ninety minutes later (Note: at this point I had taken my camera out of my backback and was holding it in my right hand because after I had stopped for the third or fourth time to take it out of the backpack to take a photograph, Betsy, who was leading, turned to me and said, "Bruce, can you hold your camera so this four hour hike doesn't take six or seven hours?") Betsy turned to me and said, "Careful, Bruce. It is steep and slippery along here." The trail was, in fact, marked "strenuous."

Boom. My legs went right out from me. My elbow slammed upon a jagged rock. There was blood everywhere (just kidding!). The camera hit the rock after my elbow. I put the camera back in the backpack, which Betsy wore for the next 5 1/2 miles.

 

 

 

Thank You for reading.